US08458806B2
Systems and methods for wirelessly exchanging an encryption key between a first device and a second device are disclosed herein.
US08458792B2
Attacks by computer viruses, worm programs, and other hostile software (‘malware’), have become very serious problems for computer systems connected to large communication networks such as the Internet. One potential defense against such attacks is to employ diversity—that is, making each copy of the attacked software different. However, existing diversity techniques do not offer sufficient levels of protection. The invention provides an effective diversity solution by applying tamper resistant software (TRS) encoding techniques, to the communications that take place between software components, with corresponding changes to the code handling those communications. These communications may include, for example, data passed between software routines via parameters or mutually accessible variables, light-weight messages, signals and semaphores passed between threads, and messages passed between software processes. Effective TRS encoding techniques include data-flow encoding and mass-data encoding techniques.
US08458791B2
A system and method for modifying a processor system with hypervisor hardware to provide protection against malware. The processor system is assumed to be of a type having at least a CPU and a high-speed bus for providing data links between the CPU, other bus masters, and peripherals (including a debug interface unit). The hypervisor hardware elements are (1) a co-processor programmed to perform one or more security tasks; (2) a communications interface between the co-processor and the debug interface unit; (3) a behavioral interface on the high-speed bus, configured to monitor control signals from the CPU, and (4) an access controller on the high-speed bus, configured to store access control data, to intercept requests on the high-speed bus, to evaluate the requests against the access control data, and to grant or deny the requests.
US08458786B1
Systems, methods and apparatus for tunneling in a cloud based security system. In an aspect, tunnel session data describing authentication and unauthenticated sessions, and location data describing tunnel identifiers for tunnels, locations, and security policies specific to the locations are accessed. Tunnel packets are received, and for each tunnel packet it is determined, from the tunnel identifier associated with the packet, whether a session entry in the session data exists for the tunnel identified by the tunnel identifier. In response to determining that a session entry does not exist in the session data, then a session entry is created for the tunnel identifier, an authentication process to determine a location to be associated with the session entry is performed, and an entry in the location data for the location is associated with the session entry.
US08458784B2
Methods and systems for firewall/data protection that filters data packets in real time and without packet buffering are disclosed. A data packet filtering hub, which may be implemented as part of a switch or router, receives a packet on one link, reshapes the electrical signal, and transmits it to one or more other links. During this process, a number of filters checks are performed in parallel, resulting in a decision about whether each packet should or should not be invalidated by the time that the last bit is transmitted. To execute this task, the filtering hub performs rules-based filtering on several levels simultaneously, preferably with a programmable logic or other hardware device. Various methods for packet filtering in real time and without buffering with programmable logic are disclosed. The system may include constituent elements of a stateful packet filtering hub, such as microprocessors, controllers, and integrated circuits. The system may be reset, enabled, disabled, configured, and/or reconfigured with toggles or other physical switches. Audio and visual feedback may be provided regarding the operation and status of the system.
US08458783B2
A security gateway receives messages transmitted between a server and a client device on a network and parses the messages into a plurality of data objects, such as strings and name-value pairs. The data objects may represent user personal identification information, such as user name, social security number, credit card number, patient code, driver's license number, and other personal identification information. The security gateway uses rules to recognize data objects and validate the data objects to determine whether the recognized data objects are appropriately included within the context. The security gateway may also perform an action on the data objects. Data objects that are not appropriately included in the context may be transformed, suppressed or disallowed.
US08458777B1
Embodiments of the present invention provide systems, methods, and computer-readable media for granting access to a component of a computing device in response to receiving input based on a presentation of a plurality of object coordinates on a screen of a remote device. An arrangement of objects that are referenced by a coordinate system are identified. A plurality of object coordinates of the arrangement of objects is provided to the remote device. Input is received that is based on the plurality of object coordinates. When the input provided is accurate based on the arrangement of objects, access is granted to the component of the computing device.
US08458775B2
Embodiments of multi-user web service sign-in client side components are presented herein. In an implementation, the currently authenticated user account of a first application of a client is transferred to another application of a client. In another implementation, a common credential store is used to share data for a plurality of user accounts associated with a client between a plurality of applications of the client, and for the applications to output multi-user interfaces having portions corresponding to the plurality of accounts.
US08458768B2
Policy filtering services are built into security processing of an execution environment for resolving how to handle a digital security certificate of a communicating entity without requiring a local copy of a root certificate that is associated with the entity through a certificate authority (“CA”) chain. Policy may be specified using a set of rules (or other policy format) indicating conditions for certificate filtering. This filtering is preferably invoked during handshaking, upon determining that a needed root CA certificate is not available. In one approach, the policy uses rules specifying conditions under which a certificate is permitted (i.e., treated as if it is validated) and other rules specifying conditions under which a certificate is blocked (i.e., treated as if it is invalid). Preferably, policy rules are evaluated and enforced in order of most-specific to least-specific.
US08458766B2
There are provided a method of automated managing an ordered set of security rules implemented at one or more security gateways and a system thereof. The method comprises a) obtaining data characterizing a connectivity request which may become allowable only upon changes of an initial rule-set, thus giving rise to an unfitting connectivity request; b) automated searching for a rule within said ordered set of security rules, said rule best matching to be amended in order to facilitate allowance of the unfitting connectivity request, wherein best matching is defined in accordance with one or more predefined criteria; c) automated generating amendment of the best matching rule, said amendment capable to facilitate allowance of the unfitting connectivity request; and d) automated implementing the generated amendment at one or more relevant security gateways among said one or more security gateways. At least one predefined criterion may be related to extra allowed traffic resulting from the amendment and/or to requested traffic restricted after amendment because of shadowing by one or more rules above the amended rule.
US08458763B2
A computer-implemented method of enabling security in network resources provisioned as part of a service landscape instance is provided. The method includes initiating an orchestration process for creating a landscape service instance to provide services to a service subscriber over a data communications network. The method further includes deriving from the orchestration process at least one parameter, and generating at least one security configuration profile based upon the at least one parameter for at least one system of the landscape service instance.
US08458761B2
A receiver for receiving a data stream comprises a filtering arrangement for filtering said received data stream and a processor. The filtering arrangement is arranged to load at least a part of said data stream, to filter at least part of said data stream and to read at least part of said data stream. The filtering arrangement has a first mode in which said steps are carried out and a second mode in which said processor is arranged to interrupt the steps carried out by said filtering arrangement.
US08458756B2
The present invention is directed to a videophone system implemented over a cable television network. The instant invention provides a videophone comprising a camera for capturing images associated with a videophone signal, a videophone unit and a set top terminal or cable modem connecting the videophone to a cable television network. Videophone signals created at the call origination site are encoded and transported to a predetermined destination over an existing cable television network. The system uses IP addresses as phone number on the network. Additionally, transport of videophone signals between different cable systems is accomplished via a high-speed long distance data network, such as, for example, a satellite network, that provides communication between the headends of the different cable television systems. The set top terminal may be a conventional subscriber terminal, a cable modem or a subscriber terminal configured to operate as a cable modem. The set top terminal provides the interface between the videophone and the cable television system. More than one videophone may be connected to a single set top terminal. Display of videophone data may be achieved using any conventional display device, including a television set or a personal computer monitor. Accordingly, the videophone system described herein takes advantage of increased bandwidth and lower cost realized by using existing cable television infrastructure and technology.
US08458751B2
Programming stream communication systems and methods are operable to communicate programming streams to a media transmit facility. An exemplary embodiment receives at the media transmit facility a first packetized programming stream (PPS), the first PPS including a first programming stream (PS) generated by a first local programming provider (LPP); receives at the media transmit facility a second PPS, the second PPS including a second PS generated by a second LPP; multiplexes the first PS and the second PS into a transport channel; and communicates the transport channel from the media transmit facility.
US08458749B2
A set-top box for an Internet protocol television (IPTV) network includes a radio interface module, a remote control interface module, and a display interface module. The radio interface module accesses an Internet radio service on the IPTV network and outputs a list of Internet radio stations received from the Internet radio service to a particular IPTV channel on the display interface module, receives a selection of an Internet radio station from the remote control interface module, retrieves an Internet radio stream associated with the selected Internet radio station from the Internet radio service in response to receiving the first selection, and outputs the Internet radio steam on the particular IPTV channel of the display interface module.
US08458745B2
The present invention comprises a viewership rating system presented on a monitor. A system in accordance with the present invention comprises a plurality of broadcast programs, each broadcast program in the plurality of broadcast programs given a rating, the rating based on a current viewership of the plurality of broadcast programs within a geographical area, and a control bar; displayed on the monitor, wherein a command displayed on the control bar selects a screen for display on the monitor, the screen comprising information related to at least one of the ratings of the plurality of broadcast programs.
US08458742B2
Various embodiments facilitate secure content sharing between a plurality of receiving devices, such as set-top boxes. One embodiment is a system with a distribution server communicatively coupled via a satellite communication system to a plurality of set-top boxes that are located at different customer premises. The distribution server is operable to provide access control information via the satellite communication system to a first set-top box and a second set-top box of the plurality, with the access control information enabling the first set-top box to securely share content of the first set-top box with the second set-top box. This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract, and it is submitted with the intention that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
US08458741B2
To permit non-TV CE devices to participate in a closed Internet Protocol television (IPTV) program, a non-TV CE device obtains a TV identification upon program registration which it subsequently uses to access content from the IPTV program.
US08458739B2
A method allows a broadcasted conditional access content accessible at the time of transmission to be also accessible at a later time thanks to intermediate storage on a hard disk of a user unit. The processing method includes the steps of receiving at the user unit a data stream encrypted by at least one control word, at least one control message stream containing the control words, forming an index file, each index comprising an identifier of a control message formed by the extraction of data associated to the control messages and an identifier of the part of the content to which the control message is applied; and, at the time of the deferred processing of the content, extracting at least one part of the control messages and resynchronizing the content with the control messages by the use of the index file, the identifier of the control message allowing the selection of the current control message from a set of control messages at the time of the exploitation of the content identified by the identifier of the part of the content related to this control message.
US08458736B2
The disk clamp apparatus and a spindle motor having the same according to the present invention has an industrial applicability in that a radial force of a claw on a disk is greater than a radial force of an arm to the disk to prevent the radial force of the arm applying to the disk from affecting the disk, whereby matched center of the clamp body with a center of the disk by the law is not affected by an arm, such that the center of the disk comes to have a relatively smaller deviation from the center and to thereby enhance the reliability of the product.
US08458734B2
A portable electronic device includes a first main body and a disc drive. The disc drive is received in the first main body. The disc drive includes a second main body, a driving element, and a laser assembly. The second main body is rotatably received in the first main body. The driving element is arranged on the second main body for driving a disc. The laser assembly includes a laser slidably received in the first main body. The disc drive is in a use state when the second main body is rotated to cause the driving element to face the laser.
US08458729B2
A middleware system, method and program product for managing workflows among computer applications. The middleware system includes: a common construct unit and a workflow export unit. The common construct unit (i) retrieves a mapping between a component of a macro workflow of the middleware system and a micro workflow component of a first computer application and (ii) executes the macro workflow which orchestrates micro workflows of the first computer application and a second computer application. The workflow export unit generates an output that enables the second computer application to execute a workflow that corresponds to the workflow of the first computer application.
US08458726B2
A method, computer readable medium, and device are disclosed. In one embodiment the method includes determining whether an entry exists in a firmware interface table to direct the processor to handle the event in a non-legacy mode. This is done after an event for a processor that triggers a legacy mode processor handling routine. The method also includes the processor handling the event in the non-legacy mode when the entry exists.
US08458725B2
A computer implemented method and system for automatically removing an event registration within an event notification infrastructure of a database system is disclosed. The method includes removing an event registration from an event queue automatically if a specified active period of time has elapsed. Further, the method includes removing an event registration from an event queue automatically if the event occurred N times where N can be specified at event registration. Also, the method includes removing an event registration from an event queue automatically if either the event occurred N times where N can be specified at event registration or a specified active period of time has elapsed. Moreover, the method includes removing an event registration from an event queue if a client explicitly requests removal of said event registration.
US08458722B2
Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for thread selection during context switching on a plurality of compute nodes that includes: executing, by a compute node, an application using a plurality of threads of execution, including executing one or more of the threads of execution; selecting, by the compute node from a plurality of available threads of execution for the application, a next thread of execution in dependence upon power characteristics for each of the available threads; determining, by the compute node, whether criteria for a thread context switch are satisfied; and performing, by the compute node, the thread context switch if the criteria for a thread context switch are satisfied, including executing the next thread of execution.
US08458720B2
A system and method for choosing non-continual jobs to run in a stream-based distributed computer system includes determining a total amount of resources to be consumed by non-continual jobs. A priority threshold is determined above which jobs will be accepted, below which jobs will be rejected. Overall penalties are minimized relative to the priority threshold based on estimated completion times of the jobs. System constraints are applied to ensure that jobs meet set criteria such that a plurality of non-continual jobs are scheduled which consider the system constraints and minimize overall penalties using available resources.
US08458708B2
Processing data in a multithreaded application to alleviate impaired or substandard performance conditions is provided. Work items that are pending processing by the multithreaded application are placed into a data structure. The work items are processed by a plurality of threads within the multithreaded application in accordance with a first algorithm, e.g., first-in first-out (FIFO). A thread within the multithreaded application is configured apart from the plurality of threads such that it processes work items in accordance with a second algorithm that differs from the first algorithm, thereby avoiding the impairing condition. For example, the thread may process a pending work item only if it has a particular characteristic. The thread restricts its own processing of work items by intermittently evaluating workflow conditions for the plurality of threads; if the workflow conditions improve or are unimpaired, then the thread does not process any work items.
US08458703B2
Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for managing an enabler and dependencies of the enabler. According to one embodiment, a method of managing an enabler can comprise requesting a management function via a management interface of the enabler. The management interface can provide an abstraction of one or more management functions for managing the enabler and/or dependencies of the enabler. In some cases, prior to requesting the management function metadata associated with the management interface can be read and a determination can be made as to whether the management function is available or unavailable. Requesting the management function via the management interface of the enabler can be performed in response to determining the management function is available. In response to determining the management function is unavailable, one or more alternative functions can be identified based on the metadata and the one or more alternative functions can be requested.
US08458701B2
Application states may be stored and retrieved using policies that define various contexts in which the application is used. The application states may define configurations or uses of the application, including connections to and interactions with other applications. Applications that are virtualized may have state that is defined within a usage context and multiple states or configurations may be stored and recalled based on the usage context. Policies may define the context and what parameters are to be saved, and may be applied when applications are operated in a virtualized manner.
US08458695B2
Techniques are disclosed for controlling and managing virtual machines and other such virtual systems. VM execution approval is based on compliance with policies controlling various aspects of VM. The techniques can be employed to benefit all virtual environments, such as virtual machines, virtual appliances, and virtual applications. For ease of discussion herein, assume that a virtual machine (VM) represents each of these environments. In one particular embodiment, a systems management partition (SMP) is created inside the VM to provide a persistent and resilient storage for management information (e.g., logical and physical VM metadata). The SMP can also be used as a staging area for installing additional content or agentry on the VM when the VM is executed. Remote storage of management information can also be used. The VM management information can then be made available for pre-execution processing, including policy-based compliance testing.
US08458694B2
A method, information processing system, and computer readable medium for managing virtual machine imaging. The method includes receiving a request for an imaging operation associated with at least one virtual machine. A notification is sent to at least one operating system associated with the at least one virtual machine of the request for the imaging operation. The operating system is determined to be in a state for the virtual machine to be imaged. The request for the imaging operation is granting in response to determining.
US08458692B2
Data migration from existing to replacement information handling systems is integrated with manufacture of the replacement information handling system by including a data migration application and rules in the image copied to the replacement information handling system during manufacture. The rules define the data migration, such as the types of files allowed and disallowed for data migration, the physical interface for the data migration, the initial power up and display interface to support the data migration application and the deletion of the data migration application after completion of the data migration operation. The replacement information handling system ships to the end user and initiates the data migration application on power-up to present instruction to perform the data migration.
US08458691B2
Computing environments within a grid computing system are dynamically built in response to specific job resource requirements from a grid resource allocator, including activating needed hardware, provisioning operating systems, application programs, and software drivers. Optimally, prior to building a computing environment for a particular job, cost/revenue analysis is performed, and if operational objectives would not be met by building the environment and executing the job, a job sell-off process is initiated.
US08458690B2
An automated arrangement for deploying software updates to a distributed system based on state differences is provided in which a manifest defines a target snapshot of the desired state of the system after it is updated. A snapshot of the current distributed system state is taken and a state difference between the current state and the target state is calculated. A rule-based engine applies pre-defined rules to generate a sequence of actions that when performed will bring the distributed system to the target state. Accordingly, rather than have to focus on how to change the distributed system, software developers and system administrators may instead specify the target distributed system state in the manifest and the present automated deployment arrangement will perform the required actions to deploy the updates and achieve the desired state.
US08458688B2
A computer-implemented method, system and/or computer program product manage software maintenance software in a computer system. A first snapshot is taken of first system states of a computer system. The first snapshot is mapped to a first maintenance software, which is further mapped to a specific user. The computer system is instructed to install the first maintenance software in response to an installation request from the specific user. If the specific user subsequently requests that the first maintenance software be removed from the computer system, then the mappings of the first snapshot and the first maintenance software are used to revert the computer system back to the first system states.
US08458686B2
A computer program product for cloning an authentic master firmware to create a child firmware, the instructions for implementing a method include receiving cloning instructions; locating a secure source including the authentic master firmware; and cloning the authentic master firmware to create the child firmware.
US08458685B2
A system and method of compiling program code, wherein the program code includes an operation on an array of data elements stored in memory of a computer system. The program code is scanned for an equation which may have recurring data points. The equation is then replaced with vectorized machine executable code, wherein the machine executable code comprises a nested loop and wherein the nested loop comprises an exterior loop and a virtual interior loop. The exterior loop decomposes the equation into a plurality of loops of length N, wherein N is an integer greater than one. The virtual interior loop executes vector operations corresponding to the N length loop to form a result vector resident in memory, wherein the virtual interior loop includes a vector atomic memory operation (AMO) instruction.
US08458672B2
Computer implemented method, system and computer usable program code for facilitating utilization of data. A computer implemented method for facilitating utilization of data includes receiving data, wherein the received data is in a first representation. The received data is converted from the first representation to a common representation that is mapped to the first representation using an external configuration file. The common representation of the data is output to facilitate utilization of the data.
US08458671B1
The present invention relates to a method, system, and computer program product for performing a computer program analysis. The computer program includes a plurality of instructions. The method performs a static analysis of the computer program to compute the states of a stack pointer (SP), a frame pointer (FP), and a link register (LR) at one or more instructions of the program. The static analysis is preferably performed at compile time. Further, the method computes the states of the SP, the FP, and the LR at the instructions as determined by a dynamic analysis, wherein the dynamic analysis is preferably modeled (performed) during the static analysis. Furthermore, the states determined by the static analysis and the dynamic analysis are compared. If a discrepancy is found between the two states, metadata (information operators) is inserted into the program.
US08458663B2
Methods, computer program products and systems for determining whether to perform a static code analysis of a software product. In one embodiment of the method, the method for determining whether to perform a static code analysis depends on a number of variables including a developer's knowledge of the software product in question; a developer's knowledge of the language in which the software product is written: and the amount of time the developer has actually worked with the product. The individual and collective experience of members of a software development team may be determined to decide whether static code analysis needs to be performed on software written by the team.
US08458662B2
An economic engine generates accurate cost estimates for adapting a test script for use against an evolving application. Applications often have complex graphical user interfaces for which the permutations and combinations of GUI elements give rise to an enormous field of potential commands and command sequences to be tested. Furthermore, these applications change over time, rendering prior test scripts unworkable. The economic engine generates cost reports that reliably estimate the resources and time needed to produce new test scripts and test subsequent application versions, while greatly reducing the time, cost, and resource expenditures needed to arrive at subsequent application versions.
US08458654B2
A technique is disclosed for identifying impact of database changes on an application. Given a proposed database change, affected source code is identified that is affected by the proposed database change. References to the affected source code are created and organized into a hierarchy. A user can ascertain the extent of the impact by viewing the hierarchy and by using the hierarchy to access and view the affected source code in a visually distinct manner.
US08458652B2
Device, system and method of modeling homogeneous information. For example, a method that includes providing to a model-based application an input model including a refinable homogeneous record having a base type, wherein said homogeneous record is defined with a homogeneous constraint to only include data members of a type compatible with the base type. The homogeneous record is defined in a modeling environment that is able to automatically enforce the homogeneous constraint for the homogeneous record and for refinements thereof.
US08458642B2
Disclosed are embodiments for modeling contact resistance of devices, such as metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors or varactors, that specifically have a multi-finger gate structure. In the embodiments, a set of expressions for total contact resistance are presented, in which (i) the total contact resistance is the sum of the resistance contribution from the contact (or the set of all contacts) in each diffusion region, (ii) the resistance contribution from the contact (or the set of all contacts) to the total contact resistance is the product of its resistance and the square of the relative electric current passing through it, and (iii) the electric current passing through the contact (or the set of all contacts) in a shared diffusion region (i.e., in an inner diffusion region) is twice of the electric current passing through the contact (or the set of all contacts) in an unshared diffusion region (i.e., in an outer diffusion region).
US08458641B2
The present invention discloses a method, system, and design structure for making voltage environment consistent for reused sub modules in chip design, wherein each reused sub module is connected to a power grid of the chip through power connection points on a power ring of the sub module, the method including: adjusting numbers and locations of power connection points of a plurality of reused sub modules, such that the numbers of the power connection points and locations of the corresponding power connection points are identical for the plurality of reused sub modules; adjusting power wires of the plurality of reused sub modules on the power grid which are connected the power connection points, such that voltages at the corresponding power connection points are consistent for the plurality of reused sub modules. The present invention may reduce timing variation of reused sub modules in chip design and finally achieve an objective of reducing design complexity and work load and shortening the design period.
US08458639B2
Methods and apparatuses for designing at least one integrated circuit (IC). In one embodiment, the method comprises partitioning a circuit into portions that represent a partitioning solution and assigning traces to interconnect the portions to generate a trace assignment solution. The method further comprises optimizing the circuit through a modification of at least one of the partitioning solution and the trace assignment solution, the optimizing based on evaluating a design parameter which is based at least in part on the trace assignment solution.
US08458632B2
Aspects of the present invention provide solutions for projecting slack in an integrated circuit. A statistical static timing analysis (SSTA) is computed to get a set of Gaussian distributions over a plurality of variation sources in the integrated circuit. Based on the Gaussian distributions, a truncated subset and a remainder subset of the Gaussian distributions are identified. Then data factors that represent a ratio between the remainder subset and the truncated subset are obtained. These data factors are applied to the SSTA to root sum square (RSS) project the slack for the integrated circuit that takes into account the absence of the truncated subset.
US08458631B2
The present disclosure provides for methods of reducing cycle time in data preparation. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving an initial integrated circuit (IC) design layout and an optical proximity correction (OPC)-processed initial IC design layout, and receiving a revised IC design layout. The method further includes comparing the revised IC design layout to the initial IC design layout to identify a difference region of the revised IC design layout from the initial IC design layout, performing an OPC on the difference region of the revised IC design layout, and merging the OPC-processed difference region of the revised IC design layout with the OPC-processed initial IC design layout.
US08458628B2
A method of for compensating for variations in structures of an integrated circuit. The method includes (a) selecting a mask design shape and selecting a region of the mask design shape; (b) applying a model-based optical proximity correction to all of the mask design shape; and after (b), (c) applying a rules-based optical proximity correction to the selected region of the mask design shape.
US08458626B1
Printing risks for sub-lithographic assist features (SRAFs) can be predicted and minimized by employing an SRAF printing model, which is calibrated at a different image plane than an image plane at which a main feature model for predicting shapes of printed images of main features is calibrated. The optical model parameters of the main feature model and the SRAF printing model are calibrated separately such that the main feature model predicts the bottom CD and the SRAF printing model predicts the printing of SRAF features in a photoresist. Optionally, different degrees of printing risk can be assigned for different SRAF configurations.
US08458621B1
An executable circuit design is used to generate waveforms, from which behaviors of the circuit are captured. The behaviors and various combinations thereof can then be saved in a database, along with descriptions and other metadata about them, thereby generating a behavioral index of the circuit design code. Behavioral indexing of circuit designs allows a user to maintain an indexed behavior database, track changes in behaviors as the circuit design's executable description evolves, and figure out how the executable description can be reused in different projects. When applied to digital design development, it facilities the current design and verification effort, as well as design reuse down the line.
US08458618B2
A vehicle-mounted apparatus is disclosed which includes a displaying unit for providing information to a user, an inputting unit for inputting operations carried out by the user, and a controlling unit for controlling a display of the displaying unit based on the operations input through the inputting unit. The inputting unit has at least a touch-sensitive panel attached to a display screen of the displaying unit. The controlling unit causes the displaying unit to display a menu screen based on the operations input through the inputting unit. The controlling unit also causes the displaying unit to switch the displays based on menus selected on the menu screen. Furthermore, the controlling unit causes the displaying unit to switch, as when a specific menu is selected on the menu screen, the displays in response to a fingertip gesture made by the user for detection on the touch-sensitive panel.
US08458617B2
A computing device with a touch screen display simultaneously displays on the touch screen display a plurality of user interface objects and at least one destination object. The computing device detects a first input by a user on a destination object displayed on the touch screen display. While continuing to detect the first input by the user on the destination object, the computing device detects a second input by the user on a first user interface object displayed on the touch screen display. In response to detecting the second input by the user on the first user interface object, the computing device performs an action on the first user interface object. The action is associated with the destination object.
US08458614B1
Systems and methods which implement rendition-based graphical layout management techniques are shown. According to an embodiment, desired resizing of items within a program's user interface is managed through a developer graphically describing a plurality of different sized renditions of a desired user interface and other different sized renditions of the user interface being dynamically interpolated and/or extrapolated through operation of the program. According to embodiments, linear interpolation and/or extrapolation is provided with respect to windows sized differently than constraint images provided by a developer. In embodiments where more than 2 constraint images are provided, piece-wise liner interpolation and/or extrapolation may be provided. Non-linear interpolation and/or extrapolation may be implemented.
US08458613B2
A dynamic user interface for previewing live content includes multiple tiles. Information for multiple pieces of live content available from a gallery is obtained, and this information is presented in the multiple tiles of the user interface in accordance with a current user interface layout. In accordance with one aspect, this current user interface layout changes automatically over time as the user interface is displayed. In accordance with another aspect, one or more of the multiple tiles is displayed in the user interface more prominently than the other tiles, and which information is to be displayed in the one or more tiles is based at least in part on a received fee.
US08458602B2
A system providing a graphical chat room and/or virtual world on a website in which users can control avatars or other characters to participate in activities and interact with other users' avatars/characters. The chat room or virtual world has a large common location where a large number of users might participate with their characters/avatars, but where because display of all of the participants and/or all of the area becomes impractical or otherwise unwieldy, the system determines an appropriate portion of the area and a limited number of avatars/characters to display based on some criteria.
US08458594B2
A control device includes a communication unit communicating via a network with a content supply device and reproduction devices, an operation unit, a display unit, and a control unit receiving a signal from the operation unit and controlling the communication unit and the display unit. The control unit has a content list display state displaying on a screen of the display unit a content list received from the content supply device, a device list display state displaying on the screen thumbnail images of the reproduction devices in accordance with device information received from the reproduction devices, and an operation panel display state displaying an operation panel for having a content item of the content list reproduced by one of the reproduction devices set in the device list display state. The thumbnail image of the reproduction device is displayed in the content list display state and the operation panel display state.
US08458590B2
A computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for creating a data, the process includes: receiving first data described in a print language format for printing; converting a part of the first data, which corresponds to an electronic document format for display, received in the receiving into second data described in the electronic document format; and adding third data, which does not correspond to the electronic document format, of the first data received in the receiving to the second data.
US08458588B1
A position determination module determines positions that components of content—such as individual words of textual content—will have when rendered by a layout engine. Specifically, the position determination module modifies visual attribute values of the content components such that the components when rendered will have different appearances, but the same positions, as they would if rendered without the modified visual attribute values. The position determination module then causes the layout engine to render the content with the modified visual attribute values and identifies the various values of the visual attributes within the rendered content and notes the positions at which they occur. Based on its knowledge of which visual attribute values are associated with which content components, the position determination module in turn associates the positions with the corresponding content components. Thus, positions of content components within rendered images of the content can be determined.
US08458582B2
A computer system includes a processor; and a memory storage device in communication with the processor. The processor is adapted to: receive via a computer communications network a user identification and an identification of an electronic file having user-generated insurance-related data; provide an output signal for display to the user a prompt for the user to provide mapping data mapping a plurality of insurance-related data fields data identifiers in the user-data electronic file; receive mapping data in response to the prompt; access the user electronic file; employing the received mapping data, map data elements identified in the user-data electronic file, to a document in a predetermined format; verify that the received mapped data constitutes complete data to submit in connection with an insurance transaction; and provide an output signal including data constituting the document in a predetermined format to a system for further processing in accordance with an insurance transaction.
US08458581B2
A system for serially transmitting vital data includes first and second processors to determine first and second data, a serial communication apparatus to input third data and output serial data based upon the third data, and a memory having first and second ports accessible by the first and second processors, a first memory writable by the first processor and readable by the second processor, and a second memory writable by the second processor and readable by the first processor. The first and second processors store the first and second data in the first and second memories, cooperatively agree that the first data corresponds to the second data, and responsively cause the apparatus to employ: one of the first and second data as the third data, or parts of the first and second data as the third data, and output the serial data based upon the third data.
US08458573B1
Embodiments of the present invention provide a read channel including a front end to receive an optical image, convert the optical image into multi-bit soft information, and to serially transmit the multi-bit soft information to other components of the read channel. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US08458570B2
A method for recovering transmission errors, comprising: receiving a data packet comprising an error detection code associated to data contained in the packet, wherein the data associated to the error detection code comprises primary data and secondary data, checking the error detection code of the received packet to detect an erroneous state of the associated data, when the erroneous state is detected, determining a finite set of candidate values for the primary data and, for each values of the set: determining a marginal likelihood of the candidate value as a function of the error detection code of the received packet, determining a first correlation between the primary data of the received packet and the candidate value, and selecting a corrected value for the primary data among the set of candidate values as a function of said marginal likelihoods and said first correlations.
US08458569B2
A decoding circuit and method for improving error correction capability using a stuffing byte, in which in the decoding method, an input data packet is decoded. When it is determined that error correction is impossible based on a decoding result, a stuffing byte section is detected in the input data packet. A level value of data in the stuffing byte section is converted into a stuffing byte level value. A data packet having the converted level value is decoded and output. The decoding circuit includes a decoder decoding an input data packet and a control block detecting a stuffing byte section in the input data packet, converting the input data packet, and decoding a converted data packet when the decoder fails in error correction of the input data packet.
US08458561B2
The method allows to obtain, starting from an initial S-random interleaver permutation stored in memory devices and having a size N, a final S-random permutation having a smaller size K
US08458557B1
Generation of code words for error correction coding (ECC) of a channel with a non-uniform signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is provided. A channel SNR profile is accessed, which can also include determining the channel profile. The channel profile characterizes sections of the channel having like SNR values. Each section of the channel is partitioned into a number of partitions. The number of partitions of each section equals a number of code words for the channel. The code words are generated by interleaving the partitions from each section such that an average SNR of each code word is made substantially the same as an average SNR of the channel.
US08458541B2
Scan chains are used to detect faults in integrated circuits but with the size of today's circuits, it is difficult to detect and locate scan chain faults, especially when the scan data in and scan data out have been compressed. A method for debugging scan chains includes selecting a scan chain for debugging using a scan chain selection block and then providing scan test vectors to the selected scan chain. The scan test vectors undergo various scan test stages to generate scan response vectors. The scan response vectors are compared with ideal response vectors to identify a failing scan chain.
US08458532B2
A data processing system 2 is provided with multiple processor cores 4, 6, 8, 10 each incorporating a data cache memory 12, 14, 16, 18. A snoop control unit 20 manages coherency between the data values stored within the data caches 12, 14, 16, 18. The snoop control unit 20 incorporates a TAG memory 22. If an error is detected within an entry of the TAG memory 22, then a hit operation is forced to the corresponding storage location one or more of the data caches 12, 14, 16, 18.
US08458529B2
Various embodiments include one or more of systems, methods, and software to provide a status of a logical entity between entity models in network management systems, such as for fault isolation, in an efficient manner. Some embodiments, when receiving requests for a status of a logical entity while already in the process of determining the status in response to a previously received request, include adding an identifier of the subsequent requestor to a status requestor list and not responding to or taking any further action with regard to the request from the subsequent requestor until the status in response to the first received status request is determined.
US08458523B2
A meta attribute useful for functional coverage is computed based on values comprised by two or more matching fields in a trace. The two or more matching fields may be comprised by a single entry of the trace or by a plurality of entries of the trace. A definition of the meta attribute may define which fields of the entries comprise values useful for computation of the meta attributes. The matching entries may be identified based on identifying values within the entries.
US08458521B2
In a remote technical support system, in response to a request for service, a user device receives an executable application from the technical support controller, which executable application is subsequently invoked at the user device. Additionally, the user device receives configuration information from the technical support controller. The executable application then performs technical support processing of the user device in accordance with the configuration information. The executable application can be configured, based on the configuration information, to engage in dynamic workflow, i.e., to make decisions about what activities to perform based on previous results. Because the configuration information can be selected according to the specific nature of the user device and/or the specific nature of the service request, the executable application can be tailored to best address the requesting end user's needs with minimal attention from a remote technician.
US08458516B2
A processor system according to an exemplary aspect of the present invention includes a first processor, a second processor, a control unit, a signal line group, and a selection circuit. The control unit switches an operation mode between a lock step mode for the first and second processors to execute the same instruction stream and a free step mode for the first and second processors to execute different instruction streams. The signal line group includes at least one signal line disposed between a first memory circuit included in the first processor and a second memory circuit included in the second processor. The signal line group is capable of transferring a storage state of the first memory circuit to the second memory circuit. The selection circuit is capable of switching a connection destination of the second memory circuit between the second processor and the signal line group.
US08458500B2
Assigning a server among a plurality of servers to a workload. A workload distributor generates at least one energy profile for each server among the plurality of servers. The workload distributor receives a request to assign a workload, the request having a resource requirement. The workload distributor selects a subset of servers by comparing, for each server at least one energy profile to the resource requirement. The workload distributor selects from the subset of servers a selected server based on the workload and/or energy profile. The workload distributor dispatches the workload to the selected server.
US08458495B2
A disk array controller detects disk drive power-on-reset events that may cause a disk drive to lose uncommitted write data stored in its cache. When an unexpected disk drive power-on-reset event is detected, the disk array controller may initiate an appropriate corrective action. For example, the disk array controller may initiate a disk drive rebuild operation, or may re-send a set of write commands to the disk drive.
US08458494B1
A computer-implemented method for secure third-party data storage may include 1) identifying, at a server-side computing device, a request from a client system to access an encrypted file stored under a user account, 2) identifying, in response to the request, an asymmetric key pair designated for the user account that includes an encryption key and a decryption key that has been encrypted with a client-side key, 3) receiving, from the client system, the client-side key, 4) decrypting the decryption key with the client-side key, and 5) using the decryption key to access an unencrypted version of the encrypted file. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US08458492B2
A crypto-engine for cryptographic processing has an arithmetic unit and an interface controller for managing communications between the arithmetic unit and a host processor. The arithmetic unit has a memory unit for storing and loading data and arithmetic units for performing arithmetic operations on the data. The memory and arithmetic units are controlled by an arithmetic controller.
US08458489B2
Differential uncloneable variability-based cryptography techniques are provided. The differential cryptography includes a hardware based public physically uncloneable function (PPUF) to perform the cryptography. The PPUF includes a first physically uncloneable function (PUF) and a second physically uncloneable function. An arbiter determines the output of the circuit using the outputs of the first and second PUFs. Cryptography can be performed by simulating the PPUF with selected input. The output of the simulation, along with timing information about a set of inputs from where the corresponding input is randomly selected for simulation, is used by the communicating party that has the integrated circuit with the PPUF to search for an input that produces the output. The input can be configured to be the secret key or a part of the secret key.
US08458482B2
The disclosed technology generally relates to methods for identifying audio and video entertainment content. Certain shortcomings of fingerprint-based content identification can be redressed through use of human-reviewers.
US08458481B2
A method for reducing overhead when transmitting and receiving an Internet Protocol (IP) packet by a device begins with receiving of the IP packet by the device. In the packet, an IP address of the packet has been removed and replaced with a watermarking signature based on the IP address. The IP address is obtained using the watermarking signature. The IP address is attached to the packet and the packet is forwarded by the device to a destination over a network using the IP address.
US08458480B2
A method and apparatus for binding trusted platform module (TPM) keys to execution entities are described. In one embodiment, the method includes the receipt of an authorization request issued by an execution entity for authorization data. According to the authorization request, the execution entity may be measured to generate an entity digest value. Once the entity digest value is generated, a platform reference module may grant the authorization request if the entity digest value verifies that the execution entity is an owner of the key held by the TPM. Accordingly, in one embodiment, a platform reference module, rather than an execution entity, holds the authorization data required by a TPM to use a key owned by the execution entity and held within sealed storage by the TPM. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08458476B2
A method of embedding information in a computer program code, including a plurality of program statements. The method comprises: inserting a conditional program statement in the computer program code, the conditional program statement including a condition and a plurality of alternative program statements, the conditional program statement being adapted to cause a data processing system to evaluate said condition and, responsive to a result of said evaluating step, to selectively execute one of said plurality of alternative program statements; wherein said condition is indicative of at least a part of said information; and wherein the plurality of alternative program statements are adapted to cause the computer program code to produce the same program output irrespective of which of said alternative program statements is executed.
US08458465B1
A biometric authentication system is disclosed that provides a trusted third party biometric authentication capability for independent confirmation of identity of parties. A repository of biometric templates for registered parties is disclosed that permit a biometric authenticator to perform independent authentication services for other parties by matching received biometric information against biometric information in the repository, or by providing requested biometric information.
US08458460B2
In general, in one aspect, a computer-implemented method includes determining a digest value based on hash operations on values of, at least, a set op-codes of multiple instructions of a program during execution of the program by a processor.
US08458450B2
A method including initializing at least one component of another computing machine in response to the other computing machine coupling to a computing machine, loading a component driver onto the computing machine for at least one of the initialized components, and configuring the computing machine to use the component driver to control at least one of the initialized components of the other computing machine.
US08458448B2
A method of method of installing a wireless communications network configures a client device to connect wirelessly to an access point arranged to provide a wireless communications network. The method comprises running an installation program on the client device for configuring the client device to attach to the wireless communications network. The installation program is automatically provided with wireless network configuration information comprising at least a wireless network identifier which identifies traffic using the wireless communications network. The automatic provision of the wireless network configuration information comprising said wireless network identifier is implemented by connecting an installation device comprising non-volatile memory which stores said information, and configuring said installation program to utilize the information stored on said installation device. The wireless network configuration information stored on said installation device corresponds to the wireless network configuration of said access point and both the installation device and the access point were configured with the wireless network configuration information prior to said installation device being connected to any client terminal arranged to connect to said access point.
US08458443B2
A processor may include a plurality of processing units for processing instructions, where each processing unit is associated with a discrete instruction queue. Data is read from a data queue selected by each instruction, and a sequencer manages distribution of instructions to the plurality of discrete instruction queues.
US08458442B2
A structure (and method) including a plurality of coprocessing units and a controller that selectively loads data for processing on the plurality of coprocessing units, using a compound loading instruction. The compound loading instruction includes a plurality of low-level software instructions that preliminarily processes input data in a manner predetermined to simulate an effect of a single hardware loading instruction that would provide optimal loading of complex matrix data by loading input data in accordance with the effect of multiplying i·i=−1.
US08458438B2
A system, method and computer program product for providing quiesce filtering for shared memory. The method includes receiving a shared-memory quiesce request at a processor. The request includes a donor zone. The processor includes translation look aside buffer one (TLB1). It is determined that the shared-memory request can be filtered by the processor if there not any shared memory entries in the TLB1 and the donor zone is not equal to a current zone of the processor and the processor is not running in host mode. The shared-memory quiesce request is filtered in response to the determining.
US08458434B2
Memory management methods and computing apparatus with memory management capabilities are disclosed. One exemplary method includes mapping an address from an address space of a physically-mapped device to a first address of a common address space so as to create a first common mapping instance, and encapsulating an existing processor mapping that maps an address from an address space of a processor to a second address of the common address space to create a second common mapping instance. In addition, a third common mapping instance between an address from an address space of a memory-management-unit (MMU) device and a third address of the common address space is created, wherein the first, second, and third addresses of the common address space may be the same address or different addresses, and the first, second, and third common mapping instances may be manipulated using the same function calls.
US08458433B2
A method and apparatus creates and manages persistent memory (PM) in a multi-node computing system. A PM Manager in the service node creates and manages pools of nodes with various sizes of PM. A node manager uses the pools of nodes to load applications to the nodes according to the size of the available PM. The PM Manager can dynamically adjust the size of the PM according to the needs of the applications based on historical use or as determined by a system administrator. The PM Manager works with an operating system kernel on the nodes to provide persistent memory for application data and system metadata. The PM Manager uses the persistent memory to load applications to preserve data from one application to the next. Also, the data preserved in persistent memory may be system metadata such as file system data that will be available to subsequent applications.
US08458426B2
In a transceiver system a first interface receives data from a first channel using a first clock signal and transmits data to the first channel using a second clock signal. A second interface receives data from a second channel using a third clock signal and transmits data to the second channel using a fourth clock signal. A re-timer re-times data received from the first channel using the first clock signal and retransmits the data to the second channel using the fourth clock signal.
US08458421B2
The present invention allocates a suitable physical device to each volume page according to the state transition command relating to paired volumes. A plurality of logical devices forming a logical storage area of a plurality of physical devices of varying performance are tiered according to the performance of the physical devices to form a pool volume, and each of the areas of the primary logical volume, secondary logical volume and pool volume are managed by a controller, divided into a primary page, secondary page and pool page. Upon receiving a pair formation-related command from the host computer, the controller allocates pool pages belonging to the same tier to the primary page and secondary page, and upon subsequently receiving a pair-related state transition command, the controller allocates a pool page, in a different tier from the primary page, to the secondary page.
US08458412B2
The apparatus and method described herein are for handling shared memory accesses between multiple processors utilizing lock-free synchronization through transactional-execution. A transaction demarcated in software is speculatively executed. During execution invalidating remote accesses/requests to addresses loaded from and to be written to shared memory are tracked by a transaction buffer. If an invalidating access is encountered, the transaction is re-executed. After a pre-determined number of times re-executing the transaction, the transaction may be re-executed non-speculatively with locks/semaphores.
US08458408B2
A technique for performing stream detection and prefetching within a cache memory simplifies stream detection and prefetching. A bit in a cache directory or cache entry indicates that a cache line has not been accessed since being prefetched and another bit indicates the direction of a stream associated with the cache line. A next cache line is prefetched when a previously prefetched cache line is accessed, so that the cache always attempts to prefetch one cache line ahead of accesses, in the direction of a detected stream. Stream detection is performed in response to load misses tracked in the load miss queue (LMQ). The LMQ stores an offset indicating a first miss at the offset within a cache line. A next miss to the line sets a direction bit based on the difference between the first and second offsets and causes prefetch of the next line for the stream.
US08458404B1
A programmable cache and cache access protocol that can be dynamically optimized with respect to either power consumption or performance based on a monitored performance of the cache. A monitoring unit monitors cache misses, load use penalty, and/or other performance parameter, and compares the monitored values against a set of one or more predetermined thresholds. Based on the comparison results, a cache controller configures the programmable cache to operate in a parallel mode, to increase cache performance at the cost of greater power consumption, or in a serial mode, to conserve power at the cost of unnecessary performance. A banked cache memory that supports aligned and unaligned instruction fetches using a banked access strategy, and a cache access controller that includes a prefetch capability are also described.
US08458403B2
A cache system to compare memory transactions while facilitating checkpointing and rollback is provided. The system includes at least one processor core including at least one cache operating in write-through mode, at least two checkpoint caches operating in write-back mode, a comparison/checkpoint logic, and a main memory. The at least two checkpoint caches are communicatively coupled to the at least one cache operating in write-through mode. The comparison/checkpoint logic is communicatively coupled to the at least two checkpoint caches. The comparison/checkpoint logic compares memory transactions stored in the at least two checkpoint caches responsive to an initiation of a checkpointing. The main memory is communicatively coupled to at least one of the at least two checkpoint caches.
US08458384B2
Automatically launching a measurement program in response to measurement device connection. The measurement device may be connected to a host device. The measurement device may store a measurement program. The host device may automatically detect the measurement device. However, a measurement device specific driver may not be required for communication between the host device and the measurement device. The host device may automatically execute the measurement program stored on the measurement device in response to the connecting. During execution, the measurement device may acquire data and provide the acquired data to the host device.
US08458380B2
A flexible and reconfigurable digital system (for example, a wireless modem) includes a set of sub-circuits. Each sub-circuit includes a task manager and an amount of configurable hardware circuitry for performing a type of operation on a data stream. The task manager of a sub-circuit can configure and control the configurable hardware of the sub-circuit. A central processor configures and orchestrates operation of the sub-circuits by maintaining a set of task lists in a tightly coupled memory. Each task list includes task instructions for a corresponding sub-circuit. The task manager of a sub-circuit reads task instructions from its task list and controls its associated hardware circuitry as directed by the instructions. A timestamp task instruction and a push task instruction and the task list architecture allow modem sub-circuits to be easily reconfigured to operate in accordance with either a first air interface standard or a second air interface standard.
US08458373B2
A power supply unit includes a communication unit and a control unit. The communication unit is capable of performing communication with a first processing unit group constituted of a plurality of processing units connected thereto. The control unit controls powers to the plurality of processing units through the communication so that the powers are turned on in an order corresponding to an order of connection and assigns, to the plurality of processing units, respectively, IDs of numbers corresponding to the order of turning-on of the powers each time the power is turned on.
US08458372B2
A master-slave communication system includes a master device, a plurality of slave devices, and a bus providing communication channels therebetween. The master device includes a first micro control unit (MCU), a first power supply module, and an address setting module. Each slave device includes a second MCU and a second power supply module connected to the first power supply module through the address setting module. The address setting module detects a current output from the first power supply module, and outputs an ID address setting signal which is directly proportional with the current to the first MCU and the second MCU of a new slave device, the second MCU of the new slave device sets an ID address according to the ID address setting signal, the first MCU records the ID address as the ID address of the new slave device according to the ID address setting signal.
US08458368B2
A system includes a virtualized I/O device coupled to one or more processing units. The virtualized I/O device includes programmed I/O (PIO) configuration registers corresponding to hardware resources, and a storage for storing a resource table that includes a plurality of entries. Each entry corresponds to a respective hardware resource. A system processor may allocate the hardware resources to functions that may include physical and virtual functions, and may program each entry of the resource discovery table for each function with an encoded value that indicates whether a requested hardware resource has been allocated to a requesting process, and whether the requested hardware resource is shared with another function. Processing units may execute a device driver instance associated with a given process to discover allocated resources by requesting access to the resource discovery table. The virtualized I/O device protects the resources by checking access requests against the resource discovery table.
US08458363B2
Systems and methods of performing a simplified data transfer are provided. For example, a simplified data transfer system may include two or more devices configured to perform a simplified data transfer. The first device may be configured to save and transfer data associated with applications open on the first device. When the second device initiates communication, the first device may automatically send the open application data to the second device.
US08458361B2
A protocol for communicating with the timing facility used in a data processing network to provide synchronization is provided via the execution of a machine instruction that accepts a plurality of commands. The interaction is provided through the use of message request blocks and their associated message response blocks. In this way timing parameters may be determined, modified and communicated. This makes it much easier for multiple servers or nodes in a data processing network to exist as a coordinated timing network and to thus more cooperatively operate on the larger yet identical data files.
US08458359B2
The purpose of the present invention is to provide an Internet connection system which is capable of benefiting from the IPv6 by relatively easy manner and in which manufacturers of client-side devices can create added values for users. IPv6 packets are transmitted by a tunneling connection between a home network and a server on the Internet. Also terminal devices present in the home network can be uniquely recognized and controlled from outside via the server. Since all communications are performed via the server on the Internet regardless of the carrier and the ISP, the terminal device and all connections to the terminal device can be freely configured and controlled by the owner or the manufacturer of the server on the Internet.
US08458355B1
In general, this disclosure describes techniques of dynamically selecting versions of media content based on data transfer policies of a media content provider that provides the media content. As described herein, a media content provider may establish a variety of data transfer policies for a variety of purposes. When requests are received, versions of media assets indicated by the requests are selected such that an overall bandwidth utilization of the media content provider is likely to be substantially equal to a desired bandwidth utilization established by one or more of the enterprise data transfer policies.
US08458352B2
Business transactions are becoming more prevalent in virtual universes. Functionality can be implemented within a VU to allow syndication of data feeds to subscribers outside the VU. Feeds collect and serve data from one or more VU objects and locations based on changes made to the VU either by the VU itself, or by avatars in the VU. A location in a virtual universe can be an area defined by at least three coordinates, as an example. Data feeds from a VU can be used to create a VU application with and/or using the data feeds, to derive data from the data feeds, to monitor use of objects or space and billing for such use based on the data feeds, etc.
US08458351B2
A selection of a menu command that identifies a selected area of a web page as containing undesirable content is detected using a user input device of a client computer system executing a web browser that loads source web content from a group of servers. In response to the detection of the selected menu command, an alternate Internet Protocol (IP) address is substituted for a hostname of a website that provided the undesirable content. The alternate IP address is selected based on a content substitution profile of the client computer system. Using the substituted alternate IP address in response to a content request that identifies the undesirable content, the web page is reloaded with substituted source web content received from a server accessed by the alternate IP address displayed in the selected area of the web page instead of displaying the undesirable content identified in the content request.
US08458335B2
A method and apparatus for relationship management of devices utilizing a network are described. A service aggregator receives information from a device and sends information to the device directing the device to communicate with a service provider.
US08458333B1
Delivering information over a distribution network using a distribution manager is disclosed. A first source peer is designated at the distribution manager to function as a first content source for a first destination peer. A second source peer is designated at the distribution manager to function as a second content source for a second destination peer. The designation at the distribution manager of the second source peer to function as a second content source for the second destination peer is dependent on an anticipated effect of the designation at the distribution manager of the first content source for the first destination peer.
US08458332B2
Apparatus and methods are provided for multiplexing application flows. According to one embodiment, a predetermined portion of available bandwidth is reserved over a path through a network communicatively coupling a first network device associated with a first set of terminals and a second network device associated with a second set of terminals for real-time communication sessions among multiple applications running on the first set of terminals and the second set of terminals as a real-time bandwidth pool. The real-time bandwidth pool is thereafter shared among multiple real-time communication sessions involving one or more terminals in the first set of terminals and one or more terminals in the second set of terminals by selectively admitting application sessions involving the one or more terminals in the first set of terminals and the one or more terminals in the second set of terminals based upon currently available resources in the real-time bandwidth pool.
US08458329B2
A user interface (UI) is accessible on a display to depict and control a plurality of smart racks in a data center is disclosed. The UI includes first, second and third graphical displays. The first graphical display depicts smart racks in the data center so as to mimic a physical arrangement of the smart racks. The second graphical display depicts a plurality of blade hosts in a smart rack in the plurality of smart racks, so as to mimic a physical arrangement of the plurality of blade hosts. The first and second graphical display may include visual indicators to depict error and warning conditions. The third graphical display depicts blade information about a blade host in the plurality of blade hosts. The blade information includes system information, a list of virtual machines hosted on the blade host, and a physical location of the blade host in the data center.
US08458327B1
Aspects of the invention provide systems and methods for reducing latency in TCP connections. A client computer may send a request for information to a server computer using TCP. In response, the server may transmit the information to the client device according to default TCP connection assumptions. The server may re-configure the TCP connection based on various network statistics identified by the characteristics of the exchange between the server and the client. The server may periodically provide the network statistics concerning the speed of the network connection between the server and the client to the client. This information may be stored in cache memory by the client device for later use. For example, the next time the client device requests information from the server, the server may request the cached network statistics. The server may use this information to determine how information should be transmitted to the client.
US08458321B2
In implementing a method of updating presence information for a plurality of presentities in a communication system, a presence server: defines a group of presentities that share the same value for a first presence attribute; receives an update of the value of the first presence attribute for one of the presentities in the group; and applies the update of the value to all of the presentities in the group.
US08458319B2
A system for tracking resource usage in network. In a specific embodiment, the system includes a memory in a distributed-forwarding switch that maintains resource evolution information. A module, which communicates with the memory, is adapted to update the resource evolution information when the resource changes or information associated with the resource changes. In a more specific embodiment, the memory is implemented via plural resource-tracking hash tables associated with forwarding engines in switches connected to a network. Each hash table communicates with a corresponding resource-tracking module that monitors changes in accompanying forwarding engines and updates the hash tables in response thereto. The resource-tracking modules may also selectively provide information in the resource-tracking modules to a user interface in response to queries or control signals originating from a user interface. The changes in one forwarding engine may propagate to other resource-tracking hash tables associated with other forwarding engines located in a given switch or in different switches across the network.
US08458315B2
Embodiments of the present invention include systems and methods for a computer-implemented, in-vehicle application platform (VAP) for conducting vehicle-to-business (V2B) communication. A V2B vehicle application layer resides within the vehicle. The VAP comprises a communication layer facilitating reliable message exchange between this vehicle application layer and V2B business applications. The VAP further comprises a HW abstraction layer encapsulating vehicle-specific interfaces both with regard to the CAN bus and the in-vehicle HMI. According to certain embodiments, these layers of the VAP provide their functionality via open, non-proprietary, and well-defined interfaces, allowing for efficient development of V2B applications and enhancing portability of the latter.
US08458308B1
Determining operating system data is disclosed, including receiving a message associated with a network protocol, extracting a set of one or more features from the message, and determining operating system data at least in part by matching one or more features of the message with one or more features of a fingerprint associated with an operating system. An exact match of the features is not required to determine operating system data.
US08458306B1
Efficient and effective mechanisms for coalescing change notifications such as Registered State Change Notifications (RSCNs) are provided. Multiple hosts are connected to an I/O director that allows virtualization of I/O resources including Host Bus Adapters (HBAs) for the various hosts. The I/O director is connected to a Fiber Channel switch. When an RSCN is received by the I/O director, the I/O director queries to Fiber Channel fabric to identify the state change and maintains information about the RSCN so that subsequent redundant RSCNs can be discarded. Change notification information is forwarded to the appropriate hosts connected to the I/O director.
US08458302B2
In an example embodiment, a wireless distribution system obtains data for advertised data flows, such as multimedia traffic flows, by snooping attribute details of session description protocol (SDP) announcements. The wireless distribution system can use the data for functions such as admissions control, load balancing, and/or multicast to unicast conversion decisions.
US08458300B2
A method to facilitate provision of services to a managed system (e.g., a PC, PDA, cell phone) includes causing installation of an agent application on the managed system, the agent application including an install component to install at least one of a plurality of service applications on the managed system. Each of the plurality of service applications is to facilitate provision of a service provided by a respective service provider of a number of service providers to the managed system. A service input (e.g., from an IT administrator) is received at the management system. The service input identifies a subset of a number of service applications to be installed on the managed system. The subset of service applications is distributed to the managed system for installation by the agent application on the managed system.
US08458293B1
A pocket-size authentication token for authenticating an individual to a network and enabling a wireless network connection for a non-network-enabled device. Authentication token acts as a security token or dongle, supplying credentials of one individual to the network in order to gain access to the network. Authentication token provides the electrical interface and all logic required to communicate with the network, utilizing a wireless network access device. Authentication token provides the electrical interface and all logic required to communicate with the non-network-enabled device. Authentication token transfers data from the non-network-enabled device to the individual's online account.
US08458284B2
A system for transferring a live application from a source to a target machines includes memory capture component that monitors and captures memory segments associated with one or more memories, one or more sets of these memory segments comprising one or more applications, the memory segments changing while the live application is in execution. A frequency ranking component organizes the memory segments in an order determined by memory segment change frequency. A link identification component identifies one or more connecting links to one or more sets of peer machines, each set of machines connecting said source machine to said target machine, the link identifier further determining the bandwidth associated with each connecting link. A routing component preferentially routes one or more of the memory segments over said connecting links based on said order.
US08458278B2
A method and an apparatus are provided for controlling a graphical user interface to display information related to a communication session. Information relating to data produced by a first participant to the communication session is displayed on a first display unit, wherein the information produced by the first participant is displayed at a first position on the first display unit. Data is received from a second participant to the communication session, and information relating to the data received from the second participant is displayed on the first display unit, wherein the information received from the second participant is displayed at a second position on the first display unit. The first and second positions are horizontally spaced apart.
US08458277B2
An approach for providing instant messaging (IM) services is disclosed. A request is received from a source client to establish communication with a destination client associated with a subscriber over a first IM environment, wherein the request specifies a first user name derived from a unique identifier of the subscriber. A unique identifier is determined from the first user name. Further, a profile of the subscriber is accessed based on the unique identifier to determine a second user name corresponding to a second IM environment. An IM session is established between the source client and the destination client over the first and second IM environments using the respective first user name and second user name.
US08458274B2
Systems and methods for integrating instant messaging (IM) services and email services are described. In one embodiment, email messages and IM chat session transcripts are threaded to each other so that an email thread history may be traced back to an IM chat session transcript and, conversely, an IM thread history may be traced back to an email message.
US08458269B2
When an email server has a message from a sender to multiple recipients with an attachment file, an attachment application is activated. The attachment application stores preferences of email users for online storage locations. The method carried out extracts details of an email sender and recipients for the email message to be sent with an attachment file and compares the email sender and recipients with the stored preferences for online storage locations to select a common online storage location for the sender and recipients. A directory is created at the common online storage location for uploading the attachment file to the selected online storage location and the address of the attachment file at the selected online storage location is added to the email message. If a common online storage location is not available, a new account can be generated for the recipients at an online storage location.
US08458264B1
An email proxy server receives a registration request from a client having a private email address. The proxy server generates a public email address and associates the public email address with the private email address. Upon receipt of a first email message from a sender having a sender address, the sender address is also associated with the public email address, and a new_from address is generated which is unique. The first and any subsequent email messages which are received with a sender of from@snd.dom and a recipient of public1@flt.dom is sent to the registered recipient by the proxy, using associated sender new_from@snd.dom and registered address private1@rcv.dom. Any reply from the private sender carries the recipient new_from@flt.dom and sender private1@rcv.dom, which are translated by the proxy to from@send.dom and public1@flt.dom, respectively. In this manner, each public address is bound to the first respondent, and is only usable by that respondent.
US08458263B1
Method and apparatus for verification of archived message information for electronic messages, such as email messages, from one or more sources in a computer system. An archive verification unit may be configured to receive information that identifies a plurality of electronic messages in a group located in one or more sources, determine which of the plurality of messages in the group are not archived on a message archive system, and provide a report identifying which of the plurality of messages in the group are not archived on the message archive system.
US08458260B2
An information processing unit which acquires content data from a content providing server and is capable of reproducing the acquired content data, including: a content information acquiring portion for acquiring content information including content data and meta data of the content data; a display control portion which carries out display control for reproducing the content data on a display portion; and a bidirectional communication portion which carries out bidirectional communication with other information processing unit connected to the content providing server, in which, when the content data is reproduced, the bidirectional communication portion selects a communication message to be received from communication messages sent from the other information processing unit corresponding to an execution state of the bidirectional communication.
US08458256B2
An aggregation system, process, article, and necessary intermediates, illustratively the system includes: a device capable of both networking and executing software programs, the device programmed from memory so that the aggregation apparatus: connects to a plurality of servers via the Internet, and authenticates itself with each of the plurality of servers, and retrieves information from each of the plurality of servers, and parses the information from each of the plurality of servers so as to produce an aggregation of parsed information, and renders the aggregation as output.
US08458239B2
Directory traversal in a scalable multi-node file system cache for a remote cluster file system, is provided. One implementation involves maintaining a scalable multi-node file system cache in a local cluster file system, and caching local file data in the cache by fetching file data on demand from a remote cluster file system into the cache over the network. The local file data corresponds to file data in the remote cluster file system. The local namespace emulates the remote namespace and is created on demand. Access to data further involves performing directory traversal for the cache for the remote cluster file system by creating a directory structure on demand.
US08458237B2
An information processing device including: a storage unit for storing a data file including readable content, and a control file including control information corresponding to the data file; and a data processing unit configured to use a filename conversion table, which stores filename conversion information, to convert the filename of a file stored in the storage unit into a virtual file system (VFS) name, to construct a VFS that includes storage data of a disc and storage data of the storage unit, and to perform a data reading process; wherein the data processing unit: compares the control information stored in the control file and data stored in the storage unit, and reads and/or updates the filename conversion table to reconcile the control information stored in the control file and the stored data in the storage unit.
US08458232B1
Computer-implemented methods, systems, and computer-readable media for using community data to automatically generate rules for distinguishing data files from other file types are disclosed. In one example, an exemplary method for performing such a task may comprise: 1) receiving file metadata from a plurality of computing systems within a community, 2) establishing, based on the file metadata received from the plurality of computing systems within the community, criteria for distinguishing data files from other file types, and then 3) automatically generating a rule that comprises at least one of the criteria for distinguishing data files from other file types. Corresponding methods for identifying data files by applying such rules are also disclosed.
US08458230B2
Some embodiments provide a method and system for flexibly managing access to enterprise resources. To flexibly manage security, some embodiments secure the enterprise resources and provide a security access manager (SAM) to control access to the secured resources. The SAM controls access to the enterprise and the secure resources through one or more configurable management modules of the SAM. Each management module of the SAM is configurable to facilitate control over different security services of an enterprise security hierarchy (e.g., authentication, authorization, role mapping, etc.). Specifically, each management module is configurable to leverage security services that are provided by different security systems. In some embodiments, the management module is configured to interface with one or more adapters in order to establish the interfaces, logic, and protocols necessary to leverage the security functionality of such security systems.
US08458229B2
An approach is provided for managing projection and injection operations on information spaces with respect to their information content. An information space projection module receives a query to project a first information space from a second information space. In response to the query, the module extracts a subset of information content from the second information space by using a partitioning function. The module also extracts a subset of rules from the second information space by using the partitioning function. The module then creates the first information space using the extracted subset of information content, and the extracted subset of rules while maintains a link between the first and the second information spaces. An information space injection module enables further injection of the first information space back into the second information space.
US08458228B2
Methods for product data management and corresponding systems and computer-readable mediums. A method includes maintaining a data structure for a complex item. The data structure includes a root node representing the complex item, at least one assembly node associated with the root node, and a plurality of part nodes each associated with the assembly node. The method includes defining at least two absolute occurrences associated with the root node and corresponding to at least the root node and the assembly node. The method includes defining at least one managed occurrence that includes a plurality of the absolute occurrences. The method includes using the managed occurrence as a central control authority for the plurality of absolute occurrences.
US08458209B2
The illustrative embodiments provide a computer implemented method and computer program product for a virtual world query response system. A set of virtual world entry points in a virtual world database that is responsive to a query is identified. A virtual world entry point is a location within a virtual world. A free shard from a set of free shards is identified. A shard is a virtual world hosted on a server. Custom content associated with the set of virtual world entry points is generated. The custom content is added to the selected free shard to form a custom shard responsive to the query. An entry point of the custom shard is returned to the client.
US08458203B2
A computer system accesses rows of feed data. and converts the received feed data into portions of binary blob data. The computer system also sends the binary blob data to a database server which is configured to access metadata associated with a feed including a dynamic server statement to determine how to convert the binary blob data to a server table with a blob column configured to store the rows of feed data. The database server accesses feed data belonging to a particular feed and executes a dynamic server statement to create a relational dataset in an in-memory table of the server. A second dynamic statement applies data processing conditions indicated in the metadata. When feed data rows match conditions, the computer system places feed data row information into an alert table that includes references to the blob table with blob data, thereby triggering an alert.
US08458188B2
A set of sensors can capture raw data that geospatially corresponds to a real world volumetric space. The raw data can include point cloud data encoded in a light detecting and ranging (LiDAR) information format, imagery and video data, and elevation data encoded in a digital elevation model (DEM) or digital surface model (DSM) format. The real-world volumetric space can be segmented into a set of volumetric units, wherein datum of the raw data is indexed against the volumetric units. Each of the volumetric units of the real-world volumetric space can be mapped to a voxel in a storage volumetric space of a voxel database. The raw data can then be stored and fused in the voxel database such that each voxel in the voxel database represents a combination of volumetrically stored data for all source products that includes providing point cloud data, imagery data, and elevation data.
US08458182B2
A method for clustering data or objects in an array, each element of the array corresponding to a similarity between the objects implemented within a computer linked with a database containing the data or objects The method includes determining a number of classes of objects based on values of the relationships computed between an object and a previously established class, for each class found, determining the value of each of the relationships between a class and the other classes, and merging certain classes, and taking each object of each class one by one, determining the value of the relationship of each object with each of the classes other than the class into which the object was initially classed, if the value of the relationship is greater then transferring the object to the new class, this is continued until all the values of the relationships are negative.
US08458170B2
The subject matter disclosed herein relates to prefetching data for use in ranking of electronic documents via a document ranking component.
US08458168B2
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media for identifying intentions related to a user's present intention are provided. The user's present intention may be determined by mapping the user's current actions to a present intent. A related intent may be determined using an intent chain. The intent chain may be generated by analyzing patterns of user activities and mapping the patterns of activities to the underlying intents.
US08458162B2
A method and apparatus are provided for a dynamic information connection engine. User actions are detected on at least one client system. In response, a determination is made whether the user is searching for supported information. When the user is searching for supported information, information is extracted electronically from third party web sites, direct supplier connections, and intermediate databases. Potential information suppliers are automatically selected in response to the detected user search. Queries are formulated from the user search and transferred to each selected supplier over a network coupling. The queries include a request for information. Responses are received from the suppliers, and the responses are used to generate a result list for the user. The result list includes information and query status information. Further, an electronic link may be provided to a web site of each supplier from which the information was derived.
US08458149B2
A method of communicating information includes receiving a data stream from the host computer, the data stream including a plurality of bytes, one or more bytes of the plurality of bytes being associated with obtaining medical related information, and parsing one or more bytes in the data stream at the sensor device. As a result of parsing the one or more bytes, the method includes identifying a type of medical related information, obtaining the medical related information from the sensor device, and sending the medical related information to the host computer. The parsing of the one or more bytes in the data stream is performed using a single pass through the data stream, one or more data validity checks being performed during the single pass, the medical related information being obtained after the data stream is parsed in the single pass through the data stream.
US08458146B2
A method, apparatus and computer program product to operate a device to access data remotely is described. The processing method includes connecting to a remote data source and transmitting data requests to a remote data source. The device receives responses to the data requests, the responses include data and a flag indicating a status of store, reset or ignore with respect to the respective data request. The device stores the data request in an ordered record when the respective flag is indicating a status of store or reset. Storing a data request in the ordered record may further comprise storing in the record the respective flag, when the respective flag is indicating a status of reset.
US08458144B2
A data deduplication method providing direct look up and storage in an instance repository (IR). The method includes receiving a data object and processing the data object to generate a fingerprint that includes a location component, which defines a file location within the IR such as by first using a hash function to create a hash for the data object and parsing the hash value into sub-strings defining sub-directories of the IR. The method includes determining whether the data object is a duplicate by verifying the presence of a file in the IR at the file location. Determining if the data is unique involves performing a system call on the IR providing the location component as the file path. The method includes, when a file is not in the IR, updating the IR to store the data object as a file at the file location defined by the location component.
US08458142B2
A method for distributing changes to digital assets across a network includes determining an asset type of a first digital asset and comparing the first digital asset to a prior digital asset to determine one or more deltas, the prior digital asset being a prior version of the first digital asset and the delta being a difference between the first digital asset and the prior digital asset. The method further includes evaluating the one or more of the deltas with one or more criteria to determine if the one or more delta assets should be created, the delta asset being a second digital asset containing the respective delta, the criteria determined by the asset type. The method further includes that if the delta meets the criteria, creating the delta asset, and marking the delta asset as a first delta asset of the first digital asset.
US08458140B2
A system for evaluating data points against cadastral regulations to include a plurality of software modules programmed into a computer system with software and hardware configured to store and update a cadastral rule database containing a plurality of rules for determining the validity of the cadastral data (10). The cadastral database obtained from a data source reference data that is indicative of a plurality of established reference data points wherein the received input data corresponds to a plurality of measured data points with steps to co-process the input data and the referenced data according to the plurality of cadastral rules to determine an indication for the plurality of data points (20).
US08458128B2
The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or a method that facilitates managing data consistency in connection with a plurality of devices. A collection of devices can be associated with a user. A web service can receive a portion of data from at least one device via an interface component, wherein the web service can host and relate the portion of data with an account for the user. A master sync component can leverage a computing resource from at least one device in order to maintain data consistency between at least one of the following: two or more devices within the collection of devices associated with the user; or the account hosted by the web service and two or more devices within the collection of devices associated with the user.
US08458127B1
In a particular implementation, providing a virtual cached network drive, on a client, for PST-type (Personal STore) file operations, during a non-optimal connection. In one implementation, during the non-optimal connection, changes to objects, in a local PST file, are saved in a local cache (the virtual network drive) and logged. At certain intervals, the changes are compiled, compared with entries in a synchronization database and a list of changes, to be performed on the objects, is generated which is used to update a remote PST. If the connection remains non-optimal, a temporary PST file is created, based on the list of changes, and transferred to a remote agent that performs the changes on the remote PST. If the connection improves, the changes are instead performed directly on the remote PST.
US08458121B2
A method and system are presented in which predisposition predictions are generated for an individual with respect to an attribute indicated in a query. The predictions are based on the identification of predisposing attribute combinations within the attribute profile of the individual and statistical results that indicate the strength of association of the identified attribute combinations with the query attribute.
US08458099B2
A system and method for online content licensing and distribution is provided. A central website is accessible by content providers and content licensees via the Internet, and allows content providers to upload content to the central website. Licenses can be associated with uploaded content, and one or more licensees for the content can be designated. Royalty distributions can be defined and distributed to one or more recipients, and can be expressed as percentages of collected royalties or dollar amounts. An e-mail is automatically transmitted to a designated licensee which allows the licensee to access the uploaded content, pay for the content, and download the content. Collected payments are automatically distributed to one or more recipients in accordance with the royalty distributions. Suggested license fees for uploaded content can be generated and provided to the content provider, and uploaded content can be published to a third-party publication website or service.
US08458095B2
According to some embodiments, a system comprises an interface and one or more processors. The interface receives a request for a transaction from a primary user of a financial account. The processor(s) determine rules associated with the primary user. The rules indicate whether an administrator has authorized the primary user to make the transaction, and at least one of the rules includes comparing a location associated with the request to one or more approved locations from which the primary user is authorized to make the transaction. The processor(s) process the transaction according to the rules.
US08458077B2
Method and system providing context-based electronic communication regarding a financial transaction. One system includes a database configured to store data pertaining to a financial transaction involving an investment fund. The system further includes a display application configured to create a display for displaying the financial transaction and one or more transaction parameters. The transaction parameters are based on data pertaining to the financial transaction stored in the database. The system further includes a communication application configured to create a communication interface. The communication interface enables a first user to initiate a communication with a second user regarding the financial transaction. The communication interface further automatically embeds at least a portion of the transaction parameters in the communication displayed to the second user.
US08458076B1
Computer-based systems and methods for calibrating a surface. The surface may be a 1-D or multi-D surface, such as a volatility grid used to price financial instruments whose price depends on volatility. The computer system may comprise: a database that stores calibration input data; a processor in communication with the database; and a memory in communication with the processor. The memory stores instructions which when executed by the processor causes the processor to calculate entries for a vector representing the surface based on the calibration input data. The entries for the vector representing the surface are calculated based on a product of a matrix of a set of basis functions and a vector of coefficients for the set of basis functions, where entries for the vector of coefficients are determined based on the calibration input data. In various implementations, the set of basis functions comprises a set of b-spline basis functions.
US08458074B2
Data analytics are provided in loan treatment. Various sources of data may be used to optimize or predict value for a loan. Using machine-learning and/or statistical analysis, loans or treatment best suited for a particular borrower may be determined. Due to the large amounts of data available, borrower behavior may be learned from previous behavior of others and mapped to a predictive model. Machine-learning indicates the most relevant factors in loan treatment, providing a matrix for predicting loan value or treatment success. A given borrower may be classified into one of many classes of borrower based on credit information, property information, desired loan information, real estate market information, and/or other data. Tens, hundreds, or even thousands of variables may be used to predict the optimum treatment.
US08458073B2
A risk assessment manager is an intranet-based software system that provides enterprise-wide automated risk assessment and portfolio management to help companies reduce bad debt, decrease operational expenses, and increase cash flow. System features include integrating business information associated with unique business identifiers and displaying data in multiple languages and currency.
US08458068B2
Systems, methods, and computer program products provide for monitoring activities related to Automated Clearing House (ACH) processing and, in specific embodiments, monitoring activities related to ACH in processing in shared ACH processing environment in which two or more financial institutions share access to the shared ACH processing platform. The monitoring provides for determining that events associated with a respective monitored ACH processes trigger a respective alarm, generating the alarm messages based on the triggering events and providing for computer network access to results of the monitoring including the one or more alarm messages. As such the present invention provides real-time visibility to process owners regarding the health of their processes. Thereby, allowing the process owners the ability to address processing problems as they occur and mitigate overall risk involved in the processing.
US08458066B2
A method and system to re-create lost cash letters are disclosed. Embodiments of the invention can be used to re-create a paper-based cash letter or an electronic cash letter file that is inadvertently lost due a system failure, theft, natural disaster, or the like. The items represented in the cash letter are identified and a file corresponding to a data set describing the plurality of items is created. Images representing the plurality of items are stored within a recovery check image management system (CIMS). The file corresponding to the data set can then be reformatted using the images in order to re-create the cash letter. Finally, the cash letter can be presented with at least one of an image and an image replacement document (IRD) for each item of the plurality of items in the recovery CIMS.
US08458050B2
A product configurator includes a constraint based network that includes a plurality of nodes. The configurator receives one or more user selections and generates one or more automatic selections to form a complete configuration. The configurator receives a request to change the configuration after forming the complete configuration, and retracts the automatic selections. For each of the retracted automatic selections, the configurator determines if the retracted automatic selection is a configuration-defining selection and reasserts the configuration-defining selections.
US08458047B1
Methods for providing a payment account enabling an accountholder of the account to obtain discounts on purchases made at point of sale terminals of a plurality of different merchants and to pay for the purchases with the provided account. Methods further include providing an accountholder of the payment account an online user-account that enables the accountholder to access websites corresponding to the plurality of different merchants and to obtain a discount on each online purchase made at said websites by virtue of said access to a website at which said online purchase is made from said online user-account. The methods further include providing payment accounts to persons sponsored by the accountholder and to individuals sponsored by such sponsored persons and paying commissions to the accountholder based upon purchases made at point of sale terminals of the plurality of different merchants by persons or individuals within such a sponsored network.
US08458043B2
Call center order system and process allows a customer service representative to make remote calls to a server to perform shopping cart actions, all on one web page. Historically, representatives would need to enter client information and product information on several different web pages to satisfy a purchase. Eventually, the representative would have “loaded” several different pages to enter product and customer information. This method resulted in a high amount of errors and increased the risk of fraud. The system utilizes AJAX and dynamic HTML technology. The representative is able to add, update, or remove products in the cart without waiting for the page to “refresh” after every action. Cart actions are flagged with a “ticking” indicator bar. Orders may be placed in a “queue” instead of loading a different page. A mild fraud mode to allow multiple orders is also described. A storefront is used in this process.
US08458042B1
A method is provided for selecting one of a plurality of different bedding mattresses for a customer. The method includes the steps of receiving a first set of data related to body characteristics and sleeping preferences of the customer and receiving a second set of data related to an evaluation of the customer performed by a medical professional. The method further includes the steps of processing the first and second sets of data to evaluate support needs for a customer and determining which of the plurality of bedding mattresses has support characteristics that closely match the support needs of the customer.
US08458033B2
Offers are targeted to consumers by comparing offer profiles and consumer profiles. Offer profiles are created by analyzing the cumulative content of communications associated with consumers who respond to the offers. Consumer profiles are created by analyzing the cumulative content of communications associated with a user of an electronic communications system. An offer may be selected to be sent to a user based on the relative similarity between the user's consumer profile and the offer profile.
US08458032B2
A system for selectively communicating promotional information to a person, includes a sensing system, a storage device, a controller, and a projection device. The sensing system measures a detectable feature associated with the person sensed by the sensing system and the storage device stores a plurality of promotional segments. The controller uses the measured detectable feature associated with the person for selecting one of the stored promotional segments and causing the projection device to project to the person at the predetermined location the selected promotional segment.
US08458028B2
A method of integrating business-related content into the execution of a game application is disclosed. A player of the game application is exposed to the business-related content within the context of the game. User actions within the game cause the game application to transparently re-direct the user to a customized corporate web site containing selected information from a business sponsor. Game-related user actions performed while the player is at the customized corporate web site cause the player to be exposed to additional business-related content from the business sponsor. The player may earn benefits while at the customized corporate web site. Some of the player benefits are real-life benefits external to the game application which may be utilized by the player after finishing the game. A record of external benefits is kept by the business sponsor. Other benefits may be immediately available to the player by pausing the game, thereby allowing the player to access the sponsor's reward program. Following the occurrence of a pre-determined event, the game application transparently re-directs the player back to the original game site.
US08458026B2
A system for implementing a loyalty program on a network-wide level is disclosed. The system associates UPC and SKU data on a network level to reward consumers and/or to analyze the data for a variety of business purposes, such as market segmentation analyses and/or analyses relating to consumer spending behaviors or patterns for example. The association of UPC and SKU data by the system facilitates implementation of an incentive or loyalty program by providing a universal rewards currency. This universal rewards currency may be “spent” by participants who have earned rewards and accepted by the other participants in the multi-tiered network created by the system. The network may comprise any number of participants, including consumers, retailers (and any of their employees), manufacturers, third-party providers, and the like.
US08458025B2
A system is disclosed for generating scores related to interactions with a service provider partner. A historical dataset corresponding to a historical behavior of a set of service provider partners may be identified. The historical dataset may be processed to identify a feature vector. A classifier model may be generated from the historical dataset and the feature vector. Current service provider partner data representing a current service provider partner may be collected. The current service provider partner data may be processed to generate a current service provider partner feature vector. A score may be generated by applying the classifier model to the current service provider partner data feature vector.
US08458013B2
According to one example, a test portfolio optimization system includes a test repository, an activity repository, an exception repository, and an optimization engine. The optimization engine is operable to generate a plurality of test portfolios. Each test portfolio comprises different types of tests of a plurality of tests. The optimization engine is also operable to determine a test cost for each portfolio over the period of time. The test cost for each portfolio is equal to a sum of costs for each test type within the portfolio over the period of time. The optimization engine is also operable to determine an impact per portfolio period of time. The impact per portfolio is equal to a sum of impacts per test type for each test type over the period of time.
US08458012B2
Embodiments disclosed herein can produce and present sustainable price information to help dealers to price vehicles for sustainability and facilitate consumers in making purchase decisions. In one approach, a sustainable price range for a specific vehicle configuration may be based on an average profit margin (APM) determined utilizing historical sale prices and an estimated actual dealer cost. Other approaches may utilize some or all of the following steps: determine APM and build a model of distribution of profit margins by APM, build a model to adjust APM by certain variables, identify sustainable levels for the inventory, production, and incentives variables feeding into the APM model, plug those in to get the averages for those sustainable levels, identify sustainable percentile cutoffs for a given profit margin, then use this relationship with the now identified sustainable levels as inputs to find the overall sustainable profit margin.
US08457998B2
The invention provides a method, system and computer program product for analyzing a service based system. Business model data including one or more activities is received. A plurality of service characteristics is determined from the business model data for each activity group. The plurality of service characteristics are used to determine inferences regarding candidate service identification, service portfolio evaluation, service impact analysis, and so forth corresponding to the service based system.
US08457997B2
A client-server based system for building and executing flows (i.e., interconnected systems of algorithms). The client allows a user to build a flow specification and send the flow specification to the server. The server assembles the flow from the flow spec and executes the flow. A decision flow builder allows the user to build a flow targeted for the analysis/optimization of decisions (modeled by decision variables) regarding a plurality of assets in view of various underlying uncertainties (modeled by uncertainty variables). The user may specify a global objective (as a function of asset level statistics) as well and one or more constraints for the optimization. The flow may account for inter-asset correlations and inter-asset dependencies between uncertainty variables, and, inter-asset constraints between decision variables.
US08457994B2
A server may receive from a trading system information on an insurance policy, in which the information may include privacy related information. The server may compare the privacy related information to at least one predefined characteristic and determine that there is a match between the privacy related information and the characteristic. Based at least in part on there being a match, the server may filter-out the insurance policy such that the information on the insurance policy is not provided to a workstation in use by a participant. Alternatively, the server may determine that there is not a match between the privacy related information and the characteristic and provide the information, minus the privacy related information, to the workstation.
US08457986B2
A shared medical savings system and method are provided that allow a patient to participate in the savings generated by selecting to have a medical procedure performed overseas. The system has one or more computing devices, a link that is capable of connecting the one or more computing devices to a medical shared savings unit that is capable of interacting with the computing devices. An employer uses the computing device to elect to participate in a medical savings plan using a Health Reimbursement Account, a patient using the computing device to select an overseas medical procedure that is part of the medical savings plan so that the savings for the overseas medical procedure is divided between the employer and the patient utilizing a medical savings plan.
US08457984B2
A computer system includes a data storage device. The data storage module receives, stores, and provides access to historical claim data. A categorical aggregation component comprising program instructions stored in a program memory provides categorized and aggregated historical claim data by identifying claim categories based on the historical claim data, each of the one or more claim categories associated with a respective set of claim characteristics, identifying claims of the historical claim data associated with one of the claim categories, assigning each identified claim to one of a plurality of total severity ranges based on the total severity of the identified claim, and determining an average cost per claim year for claims of each total severity range when executed by a computer processor.
US08457982B1
Systems and methods are provided to limit exposure of medical Plans to high liabilities for renal dialysis without exposing the insured patient to out-of-pocket liability while still allowing the patient to receive dialysis as they need it. In one embodiment, this goal is achieved by providing an ERISA medical insurance Plan structure that limits Plan responsibility to 125% of the Medicare approved amount for the services provided, and simultaneously supplements coverage of the patient under Medicare Part B. Because Medicare regulations prohibit providers from balance-billing patients subsequent to billing Medicare, the patient cannot be billed for amounts in excess of the Plan limits.
US08457979B2
In exemplary embodiments, an apparatus and method for verifying experts on a consultation system is provided. Identity and credential information is received at a web server from a potential expert. A selection of a category that the potential expert wants to be admitted is also received. The identity information and at least a portion of the credential information may be verified. The potential expert is accepted as an expert based in part on a result of the verifying of the identity and credential information. Once accepted, an account associated with the potential expert is activated to allow the potential expert to become an expert and to allow the expert to provide answers on the consultation system when the potential expert is accepted.
US08457963B2
Audio input to a user device is captured in a buffer and played back to the user while being sent to and recognized by an automatic speech recognition (ASR) system. Overlapping the playback with the speech recognition processing masks a portion of the true latency of the ASR system thus improving the user's perception of the ASR system's responsiveness. Further, upon hearing the playback, the user is intuitively guided to self-correct for any defects in the captured audio.
US08457960B2
A service for searching for unsolicited communications is provided. For example, the service may inspect e-mail messages, instant messaging messages, facsimile transmissions, voice communications, and video telephony, and analyze these communications to determine whether an intended communication is unsolicited. In connection with voice and video telephony, a voice sample may be obtained from the caller and voice recognition may be performed on the sample to determine an identity of the person or the voice. The voice sample may also be used to determine the type of voice—i.e., if the voice is live, machine generated, or prerecorded. Where the call is a video telephony call, image recognition may be used to inspect an image of the person. The information obtained from voice recognition, voice type recognition, and image recognition may be used to detect whether the messages if from a known source of unsolicited communications.
US08457959B2
New language constantly emerges from complex, collaborative human-human interactions like meetings—such as when a presenter handwrites a new term on a whiteboard while saying it redundantly. The system and method described includes devices for receiving various types of human communication activities (e.g., speech, writing and gestures) presented in a multimodally redundant manner, includes processors and recognizers for segmenting or parsing, and then recognizing selected sub-word units such as phonemes and syllables, and then includes alignment, refinement, and integration modules to find or at least an approximate match to the one or more terms that were presented in the multimodally redundant manner. Once the system has performed a successful integration, one or more terms may be newly enrolled into a database of the system, which permits the system to continuously learn and provide an association for proper names, abbreviations, acronyms, symbols, and other forms of communicated language.
US08457958B2
An audio encoder encodes side information into a compressed audio bitstream containing encoding parameters used by the encoder for one or more encoding techniques, such as a noise-mask-ratio curve used for rate control. A transcoder uses the encoder generated side information to transcode the audio from the original compressed bitstream having an initial bit-rate into a second bitstream having a new bit-rate. Because the side information is derived from the original audio, the transcoder is able to better maintain audio quality of the transcoding. The side information also allows the transcoder to re-encode from an intermediate decoding/encoding stage for faster and lower complexity transcoding.
US08457957B2
An iterative rate-distortion optimization algorithm for MPEG I/II Layer-3 (MP3) encoding based on the method of Lagrangian multipliers. Generally, an iterative method is performed such that a global quantization step size is determined while scale factors are fixed, and thereafter the scale factors are determined while the global quantization step size is fixed. This is repeated until a calculated rate-distortion cost is within a predetermined threshold. The methods are demonstrated to be computationally efficient and the resulting bit stream is fully standard compatible.
US08457952B2
Systems and methods are described for performing packet loss concealment using an extrapolation of an excitation waveform in a sub-band predictive speech coder, such as an ITU-T Recommendation G.722 wideband speech coder. The systems and methods are useful for concealing the quality-degrading effects of packet loss in a sub-band predictive coder and address some sub-band architectural issues when applying excitation extrapolation techniques to such sub-band predictive coders.
US08457946B2
Architecture for correcting incorrect recognition results in an Asian language speech recognition system. A spelling mode can be launched in response to receiving speech input, the spelling mode for correcting incorrect spelling of the recognition results or generating new words. Correction can be obtained using speech and/or manual selection and entry. The architecture facilitates correction in a single pass, rather than multiples times as in conventional systems. Words corrected using the spelling mode are corrected as a unit and treated as a word. The spelling mode applies to languages of at least the Asian continent, such as Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and/or other Asian languages such as Japanese.
US08457939B2
Fluid-flow simulation over a computer-generated aircraft surface is generated using inviscid and viscous simulations. A fluid-flow mesh of fluid cells is obtained. At least one inviscid fluid property for the fluid cells is determined using an inviscid fluid simulation that does not simulate fluid viscous effects. A set of intersecting fluid cells that intersects the aircraft surface are identified. One surface mesh polygon of the surface mesh is identified for each intersecting fluid cell. A boundary-layer prediction point for each identified surface mesh polygon is determined. At least one boundary-layer fluid property for each boundary-layer prediction point is determined using the at least one inviscid fluid property of the corresponding intersecting fluid cell and a boundary-layer simulation that simulates fluid viscous effects. At least one updated fluid property for at least one fluid cell is determined using the at least one boundary-layer fluid property and the inviscid fluid simulation.
US08457938B2
Apparatus and method are provided for facilitating simulation of one or more operating characteristics of an electronics rack. The apparatus includes a rack frame, one or more air-moving devices associated with the rack frame, and an adjustable heat source associated with the rack frame. The one or more air-moving devices establish airflow through the rack frame from an air inlet side to an air outlet side thereof, wherein the established airflow through the rack frame is related to airflow through the electronics rack to be simulated. The adjustable heat source heats air passing through the rack frame, with heated air exhausting from the air outlet side of the rack frame simulating heated air exhausting from the electronics rack.
US08457937B2
A method of optimizing an autoclave volume utilization includes, in an exemplary embodiment, determining process parameters of an autoclave; modeling an autoclave configuration to determine airflow patterns in the autoclave, temperature variation throughout the autoclave, and the distribution of turbulent intensity in the autoclave; and modifying the autoclave configuration with hardware changes to the autoclave to alter the airflow patterns in the autoclave. The method also includes modeling the modified autoclave configuration to determine modified airflow patterns in the autoclave, modified temperature variation throughout the autoclave, and the modified distribution of turbulent intensity in the autoclave; and modeling the modified autoclave configuration with parts to be cured in the modified autoclave configuration to determine an arrangement of parts that maximizes the number of parts in the autoclave that meet predetermined cured properties of the parts.
US08457933B2
Disclosed is a method for predicting the cooling load for efficient operation of a heat accumulation system by obtaining a prediction function regarding outdoor air temperature and specific humidity from meteorological office data, predicting the outdoor air temperature and specific humidity by using the prediction function and the highest and lowest temperatures of the weather forecast, and predicting the cooling load based on the sensible heat load coefficient, outdoor air coefficient, sensible heat load constant, and latent heat load constant, which are obtained from the building design data. The cooling load can be predicted without using a complicated mathematical model and with no reference to past operation data regarding the target building, but solely based on four air-conditioning design values of the building and the highest and lowest temperatures of the next day, which can be easily obtained from the weather forecast of the meteorological office.
US08457928B2
An improved performance management technique allows automatic determination dynamic thresholds of a metric based on a baseline of the matching pattern. A pattern matching process is conducted against a set of baseline patterns to find the matching pattern. If a matching pattern is found, the baseline of the matching pattern is used as the dynamic threshold. A series of sanity checks are performed to reduce any false alarms. If the metric does not follow any pattern, a composite of baselines is selected as the dynamic threshold.
US08457922B2
A system and method for determining whether a temperature measurement made with an infrared thermometer is accurate is disclosed. An infrared sensor array is used to detect infrared radiation from a target object. By analyzing the relative values of output signals from the individual sensor elements, a determination can be made whether radiation from the target object sufficiently fills the field of view of the detecting element of the instrument. A temperature measurement is considered accurate if this criteria is met.
US08457920B2
A semiconductor wafer comprises a first chip and a second chip, each chip comprising a core, link layer and physical layer. A kerf area physically connects the two chips on the wafer, and a kerf area interconnect selectively couples the link layers of the two chips while the two physical layers are disabled.
US08457915B2
A system and method to measure, with increased precision, the transit time position(s) of pulses in a time domain data. An example data set would be the transit time of pulses in Time-Domain Terahertz (TD-THz) data. The precision of the pulse timing directly affects the precision of determined sample properties measurements (e.g., thickness). Additionally, an internal calibration etalon structure and algorithm method provides for continuous system precision/accuracy check method to increase sample measurement integrity. The etalon structure can improve the precision of sample property measurements (e.g., absolute thickness). Various hardware and system implementations of the above are described.
US08457912B1
A method for monitoring a power grid uses power line sensors to measure time-stamped data representing AC current carried by the power grid at a multiple locations on the power grid, communicates the measured data from the power line sensors to a grid analysis device where the data measured by the power line sensors is synchronized and unwrapped to produce absolute phase data. The absolute phase data is then analyzed to generate predictions of instability of the power grid. The resulting unwrapped angle could also be called the “angle distance” from the reference.
US08457902B2
The present invention provides a method for identifying siRNA target motifs in a transcript using a position-specific score matrix approach. The invention also provides a method for identifying off-target genes of an siRNA using a position-specific score matrix approach. The invention further provides a method for designing siRNAs with higher silencing efficacy and specificity. The invention also provides a library of siRNAs comprising siRNAs with high silencing efficacy and specificity.
US08457899B2
A method of calculating a seismic noise image for a formation comprises the steps of: a) obtaining data representing a multicomponent seismic signal from at least one receiver, in response to transmitting seismic waves into the formation; b) obtaining a velocity model of the earth formation; c) determining a plurality of wave field components; d) obtaining a set of second components; e) obtaining, for each subsurface point, at least two products, each product comprising the product of a selected wave field component and a different second component; and f) and generating a noise image by calculating at least one difference between different products for at least one image point.
US08457898B2
An illustrative embodiment of a method is disclosed for assessing image quality of a down hole formation image, the method comprising collecting acquisition system data from a plurality of sensors down hole; applying a set of rules to the acquisition system data to obtain an acquisition quality indicator; and presenting the acquisition quality indicator at a surface location. A system is disclosed for performing the method.
US08457881B2
An image capturing system for vehicle includes an object-to-be-captured information storage unit (12a) for storing information about an object to be captured on a map, a camera (18) for capturing an image of the object to be captured, an object-to-be-captured position determining unit (27) for determining a distance from the current position to the object to be captured, and the direction of the object to be captured, a camera control unit (28) for controlling the camera to orient the camera toward the determined direction, and to focus the camera on the determined distance, a determining unit (30) for determining whether or not an image captured by the camera is a clearly-captured one, and an information storage unit (17) for, when the determining unit determines that the captured image is a clearly-captured one, storing the image therein.
US08457875B2
The present invention relates to a navigation system and vicinity search method for route setting to retrieve a facility around a route and set an intermediate point through a vicinity search. The vicinity search method for route setting, the vicinity search method including: retrieving a route between a start point and a destination; retrieving a facility with respect to at least one category based on the retrieved route according to a command of a user; and displaying the retrieved facility for each category on the retrieved route.
US08457873B2
Exemplary methods, systems and components enable selective control of an operational mode for a vehicle that may be subject to an administrative standard. In some instances a qualified person or entity may attain a possible consequential result related to a user-selected vehicle operation mode that may involve a vehicle operation paradigm and/or a vehicle travel route and/or a vehicle travel destination. In some embodiments, implementation of the selected vehicle operation mode may modify a conformity status of the vehicle relative to the administrative standard. Various accessible records may be maintained regarding certification of preferable consequential results available to qualified recipients based on a correlated vehicle operational mode. A further aspect may provide correlation between a selective operation mode of an electric/combustion hybrid vehicle during an applicable travel period and a preferred consequential result available to a qualified recipient associated with the hybrid vehicle.
US08457867B2
A vehicle is disclosed, including a startup switch electrically connected to the ECU. Actuation of the startup switch causes a signal to be sent to the ECU indicative of a desired operation of the vehicle. A display device is disposed forwardly of the seat for displaying information to the rider. Actuation of a confirmation switch causes a confirmation signal to be sent to the ECU indicative of a display of information to a rider. Upon actuation of the startup switch, the ECU prevents the vehicle from moving until information is displayed by the display device and the confirmation signal is received by the ECU. A method of operating a vehicle is also disclosed.
US08457862B2
An improved control and diagnostic algorithm for coordinating the operation and checking reliability of oil control valves for a vane-type camshaft phaser in an internal combustion engine. A first oil control valve governs the rotational position of the phaser rotor within the stator, and a second oil control valve controls the locking and unlocking of a locking pin operable between the rotor and the stator. The algorithm determines when a change is needed in the position of the locking pin, commands the rotor to a predetermined angular position to permit the position change to be carried out, determines whether the commanded change was carried out successfully, and reports instances wherein the commanded locking pin position change was unsuccessful.
US08457860B2
An electric power management system of a vehicle may interconnect a power plant, a propeller drive unit, and a battery via a bus. A command limiting controller may direct the operation of the power plant and the propeller drive unit in fast and slow modes of operation, the fast mode of operation operating at a higher bus voltage than at a slow mode of operation. The command limiting controller may generate a bus current to drive the propeller drive unit according to a command limiting, voltage-versus-current curve that adjusts the bus current depending on an amount of voltage on the power bus; where the command limiting curve includes a minimum voltage portion, a maximum voltage portion and a control range therebetween having upper and lower voltage limits and upper and lower current limits for enhanced reliability and stable control of the propeller drive unit.
US08457855B2
An accelerator reaction force control apparatus has an accelerator position detecting device that detects an accelerator position and a reaction force varying device that varies a reaction force of an accelerator. The reaction force varying device increases the accelerator's reaction force beyond a base reaction force in response to the accelerator position being equal to or larger than a reaction force increase threshold, and decreases the accelerator's reaction force toward the base reaction force in response to the accelerator position becoming equal to or smaller than a reaction force increase cancellation threshold after the reaction force has been increased beyond the base reaction force. The reaction force varying device varies a reaction force decrease rate at which the accelerator's reaction force is decreased based on an accelerator position change condition existing at a time when the accelerator position becomes equal to or smaller than the reaction force increase cancellation threshold.
US08457851B2
In a method and a device for controlling the braking system of a vehicle having a vacuum brake booster and a vacuum source, it is provided that a variable triggering threshold value, at the exceeding of which an automatic braking procedure is triggered, is a function of the vacuum level or of the vacuum gradient of the vacuum brake booster.
US08457850B2
When an inertia phase of an upshift of the transmission is started during a lockup clutch engagement operation, a following command oil pressure to be used during a following lockup clutch engagement operation is learned on the basis of a slip rotation speed, which is a rotation speed difference between an input side rotation speed of the torque converter and an output side rotation speed of the torque converter, at or after a start point of the inertia phase.
US08457847B2
A powertrain includes a transmission coupled to a driveline. A method for monitoring torque of the driveline includes monitoring signals from first and second rotational sensors located at respective first and second rotationally-coupled positions of the driveline separated by a distance along the driveline, determining rotation of the driveline at the first and second rotationally-coupled positions from said signals, determining a twist angle derived from a difference between the rotations of the driveline at the first and second rotationally-coupled positions, calculating a driveline torque corresponding to the twist angle, and controlling operation of the powertrain in response to the driveline torque.
US08457843B2
A device for controlling an automatic steering system of a vehicle includes a signal input which receives a setpoint travel direction variable, a memory device on which a correction factor is stored, a control unit which ascertains a corrected setpoint travel direction variable on the basis of the correction factor and the predefined setpoint travel direction variable, and an evaluation device which compares an actual travel direction variable ascertained by a sensor of the vehicle to the predefined setpoint travel direction variable, and if the actual travel direction variable deviates from the predefined setpoint travel direction variable by at least a minimum difference, redefines the correction factor according to the comparison.
US08457840B2
A motor vehicle has at least one drive unit for generating a drive torque, and has an accelerator pedal which is acted on with a restoring force and which can be adjusted by an actuating travel in order to predefine a setpoint torque. The motor vehicle also has a control device which actuates the drive unit on the basis of the setpoint torque. The control device additionally determines a presently available drive torque, and as a function of the presently available drive torque, varies the characteristic curve of the accelerator pedal, which expresses the restoring force versus the actuating travel of the accelerator pedal.
US08457837B2
A method for collecting defect data of parts in a passenger cabin of a vehicle includes, but is not limited to connecting an electronics device allocated to a user to a central communication device, retrieving a user interface provided by the communication device by the electronics device, dialog-based inquiring of defect data of parts by the communication device by way of the user interface on the electronics device, and storing the requested defect data by the communication device in a central data storage unit. The electronics device can be mobile or permanently installed. Mobile electronics devices can be implemented by personal electronics devices of the passengers, which devices were brought into the passenger cabin.
US08457807B2
A system, and computer usable program product for thermal relationships based workload planning in a data processing environment are provided in the illustrative embodiments. For a data processing system having a cooling correspondence with a cooling unit in the data processing environment, a determination is made of a fraction of an additional heat generation potential of the data processing system that the cooling unit will have to dissipate. Using the fraction and a cooling capacity utilization of the cooling unit at a given time, an expected cooling capacity utilization is computed. A workload on the data processing system is adjusted in response to the expected cooling capacity utilization exceeding a threshold.
US08457806B2
An apparatus for managing an infrastructure having one or more three-dimensional (3D) packages and a plurality of cooling resource actuators, each of the 3D packages including a plurality of heat sources, includes a heat source manager configured to determine heat load profiles of the heat sources. The apparatus also includes a cooling resource manager configured to determine capabilities of the plurality of cooling resource actuators to meet heat load demands of the plurality of heat sources based on the heat load profiles of the plurality of heat sources and an integrated thermal manager configured to match the capabilities of the plurality of cooling resource actuators to the heat load profiles of the plurality of heat sources.
US08457794B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide improved accuracy of displacement control by using a multi-segment transformation of an actuator's non-linear response. The present invention may set intermediate points to effectively divide the actuator response into multiple segments. Each segment may be assigned a transform function that represents the actuator's response in that particular segment. The present invention may operate in two modes, a calibration mode and a normal operations mode. During calibration mode, the intermediate points and the segment transforms may be set. During normal operations mode, a drive signal may be generated according to the calibrated set values.
US08457793B2
A method of controlling and managing a plurality of system managers, a plurality of lights and devices, including human interfaces and building automation devices is disclosed. The method includes a system manager collecting data from the plurality of lights and devices. The system manager uses the collected data to determine an adjacency of lights and devices. The system manager dynamically places the plurality of lights and devices into zones and binding human interface devices to the zones, and a dynamically configures the devices to control the zones. The devices perform self-calibration and self-commissioning. The system manager and devices perform ongoing calibration and commissioning. The system manager and devices operate resiliently in case of failure of the system manager, other devices, or software or hardware failures in the devices. The system manager and the devices operate on the collected data to determine usage patterns, and to efficiently manage the plurality of lights and devices.
US08457786B2
An industrial robot system has at least one robot (1) having a robot coordinate system (xr1, yr1, zr1) and a positioner (2) having a positioner coordinate system (xp, yp, zp) and adapted to hold and change orientation of a workpiece by rotating about a rotational axis. Target points for the robot are programmed with respect to an object coordinate system (xo1, yo1, zo1). A robot controller (3), at least three calibration objects (24a-c) arranged on the positioner, and a calibration tool (26) held by the robot are provided. The positions of the calibration objects are determined for at least three different angles of the rotational axis of the positioner, to determine the direction of the rotational axis of the positioner and relation between the object coordinate system and the positioner coordinate system by performing a best fit between known and determined positions of the calibration objects.
US08457781B2
The invention generally relates to a facility wide sorting and/or sequencing system for improving product processing operations and, more particularly, to a facility wide system and related functionality for simultaneously sorting and sequencing mixed mail pieces such as, for example, flats and letter mail pieces. The flats and letter mail pieces are placed in frames so that all types of mail pieces can be sorted and/or sequenced simultaneously through merging and diverting a stream of filled trays into and out of different streams at a full or substantially full transport speed.
US08457771B2
A data stream is filtered to produce a filtered data stream. The data stream is analyzed based on an acoustic parameter to determine whether a predetermined condition is satisfied. At least one extraneous portion of the data stream, in which the predetermined condition is satisfied, is determined. Thereafter, the at least one extraneous portion is deleted from the data stream to produce the filtered data stream.
US08457768B2
The present invention generally provides a way to analyze crowd noise to identify “highlights” or the like. Specifically, an audio stream containing crowd noise from an event (e.g., sporting event, political rally, religious gathering, etc) is captured (e.g., using microphones) and time coded. The audio stream is normalized based on geography and processed to remove undesired artifacts and to identify a set (at least one) of highlights. Based on at least one threshold, at least one highlight is selected from the set of highlights.
US08457765B2
An ear clip electrode used to conduct a minute amount of electricity from a stimulator to the ear lobes of a patient. The ear clip electrode is provided with an inner and outer plastic piece onto which separate metallic plates are placed. Both the metallic plate as well as the plastic pieces are provided with a circular end onto which a metallic pole is placed. Electrode pads are placed upon these metallic poles and electricity is conducted from each of the plates to the electrode pad and then to the patient's ear lobe. A plastic shroud is placed over a substantial length of each of the metallic plates. Plastic material also covers the end surface of each of the metallic poles. The ear clip electrode is connected to a source of minute electrical energy.
US08457763B2
The invention includes an implantable medical electrical lead for electrical stimulation of body tissue that includes at least one modifiable portion that exhibits a first configuration when exposed to a first temperature and a second configuration when exposed to a second temperature, wherein the second configuration of the modifiable portion exhibits a greater resistance to movement of the lead within the body tissue than does the first configuration, and the second temperature is higher than the first temperature; and at least one electrode configured to provide electrical stimulation of body tissue, wherein the lead has a proximal end and a distal end. Systems including leads of the invention and methods of implanting leads of the invention are also included.
US08457760B2
An energy management system that facilitates the transfer of high frequency energy induced on an implanted lead or a leadwire includes an energy dissipating surface associated with the implanted lead or the leadwire, a diversion or diverter circuit associated with the energy dissipating surface, and at least one non-linear circuit element switch for diverting energy in the implanted lead or the leadwire through the diversion circuit to the energy dissipating surface. In alternate configurations, the switch may be disposed between the implanted lead or the leadwire and the diversion circuit, or disposed so that it electrically opens the implanted lead or the leadwire when diverting energy through the diversion circuit to the energy dissipating surface. The non-linear circuit element switch is typically a PIN diode. The diversion circuit may be either a high pass filter or a low pass filter.
US08457758B2
System for transcutaneous energy transfer. An implantable medical device, adapted to be implanted in a patient, has componentry for providing a therapeutic output. The implantable medical device has an internal power source and a secondary coil operatively coupled to the internal power source. An external power source, having a primary coil, provides energy to the implantable medical device when the primary coil of the external power source is placed in proximity of the secondary coil of the implantable medical device and thereby generates a current in the internal power source. An alignment indicator reports the alignment as a function of the current generated in the internal power source with a predetermined value associated with an expected alignment between the primary coil and secondary coil.
US08457756B2
An improved implantable pulse generator (IPG) containing improved telemetry circuitry is disclosed. The IPG includes a telemetry coil within the conductive IPG case, not in the non-conductive header as is typical, which simplifies IPG design. The improved resonant circuit of which the coil is a part does not include a discrete tuning resistor with the coil, which tuning resistor was traditionally used to increase communication bandwidth of the coil to render it suitable for FSK telemetry. In lieu of the tuning resistor, the coil is intentionally inductively coupled to the case by positioning the coil a certain distance away from the case. Such coupling decreases the effective inductance and increases the effective series resistance in the improved resonant circuit, both of which increase the communication bandwidth. As such, suitable FSK telemetry can be achieved, even though the improved resonant circuit without the case would not on its own have suitable bandwidth.
US08457755B2
An implantable medical device is stored in a container prior to implantation in body tissue. The IMD includes transmitter/receiver circuitry and at least one antenna. The storage container (packaging) includes an impedance altering substance positioned in proximity to the IMD when stored in the container, the substance having electrical material properties that alter the input impedance of the antenna to improve the reception and transmission properties of the antenna when the IMD is stored in the container. A container for storing an IMD having an antenna has a packaging tray for housing the IMD, the packaging tray having a support for supporting the IMD and the container including a substance positioned in proximity to the support that has electrical material properties that after the input impedance of the antenna of the IMD supported by the support, so as to improve the reception and transmission properties of the antenna. A method for packaging an IMD prior to implantation in body tissue includes the step of providing such an impedance altering substance in the pre-implantation IMD packaging, in proximity to the packaged IMD.
US08457752B2
The present invention is a method of improving the contrast of electrical neural stimulation and expanding the dynamic range for brightness, and specifically a method of improving the contrast of an image supplied to the retina, or visual cortex, through a visual prosthesis. The background brightness for a blind subject is often not perfectly black, but a dark gray or brown. When stimulating visual neurons in the retina, low current stimulation tends to create a dark percept, the perception of a phosphene darker than the background brightness level perceived in the un-stimulated state. The human retina contains neurons that signal light increments (“on” cells) and neurons that signal light decrements (“off” cells). In a healthy retina, the on cells tend to fire in response to an increase in light above the background level, while the off cells tend to fire in response to a decrease in light below the background level.
US08457743B2
An improved method is presented for evaluating the physiological status of a patient diagnosed with congestive heart failure and treating the patient accordingly to alleviate the congestive heart failure. As part of the method, the thoracic or cardiac impedance and ventilation of the particular patient are derived solely from an input consisting of cardiac signals (EKG) generated by electrical energy of the patient's heart as the heart is undergoing its cardiac cycle with a dynamic impedance obtained by subjecting the EKG to alternately high and low input impedances. The derived thoracic impedance and ventilation are used to control the pattern and rate at which stimulating electrical pulses are applied to the patient's vagus nerve by an implanted stimulator, in a manner to deliver therapy to the patient's heart by adjusting the heart rate to a prescribed target rate for alleviating the congestive heart failure. A change in state of the patient from one of rest to one of physical exercise and vice versa detected from the derived impedance and ventilation is accommodated by modifying the vagal stimulation therapy to adjust the patient's heart rate to a new target rate accordingly, while continuing to deliver the therapy for alleviating the congestive heart failure. A closed loop system is preferably employed for the control and adjustment functions.
US08457736B2
A cardiac rhythm management (CRM) system includes an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) and an external system. The ICD includes a plurality of functional modules performing tachyarrhythmia classification and therapy control functions using atrial tachyarrhythmia rate thresholds that are set to a unified value. In one embodiment, the CRM system allows a user to activate and deactivate each of the functional modules and program the unified value using the external system.
US08457732B2
The invention provides a biometric apparatus having a display which allows a measured person to recognize biometric data easily and reliably irrespective of whether the measured person is on a platform or not. The biometric apparatus for measuring biometric data of the measured person includes the platform on which the measured person gets on, a sensor unit for acquiring the biometric data of the measured person; a display for displaying the biometric data acquired by the sensor unit; and a control unit for determining whether the measured person is on the platform or not on the basis of a signal from the sensor unit and changes the display mode to display the biometric data on the display according to the determination thereof.
US08457726B2
An implantable medical device has an event detector that detects a predetermined cardiac event during a heart cycle of a subject. A reference time is assigned to this detected cardiac event. An onset detector detects the onset of ventricular filling of the heart during the heart cycle. The relative time of the detected filling onset is determined based on the assigned time reference. An increased risk of heart failure of the subject is automatically determined based on the determined relative time for the filling onset. Generally, a reduction in the relative time, as determined at different points in time, indicates an increased heart failure risk or the presence of a heart failure condition.
US08457715B2
According to various embodiments, a tracheal tube may employ optical sensing techniques for determining a distance between the inserted tube and an anatomical structure such as a carina. The distance information may provide an indication as to whether or not the tracheal tube is properly placed within the trachea. The optical techniques may include interferometry.
US08457707B2
A congenital heart disease monitor utilizes a sensor capable of emitting multiple wavelengths of optical radiation into a tissue site and detecting the optical radiation after attenuation by pulsatile blood flowing within the tissue site. A patient monitor is capable of receiving a sensor signal corresponding to the detected optical radiation and calculating at least one physiological parameter in response. The physiological parameter is measured at a baseline site and a comparison site and a difference in these measurements is calculated. A potential congenital heart disease condition in indicated according to the measured physiological parameter at each of the sites or the calculated difference in the measured physiological parameter between the sites or both.
US08457700B2
An improved GPS mast module is characterized by the following features: the GPS mast module may be connected in a HF main transmission line (7, 107) between a base station (BS) and an antenna assembly (ANT), in particularly a mobile radio installation, and the satellite signals from an internal or connectable GPS antenna (GPS-ANT) can be supplied by a directional coupler (23) to the HF main path (7, 107).
US08457696B2
A handheld electronic communication device including a body including an input device facing a first direction, and a display device coupled to the body. The display device has a first display screen and a second display screen. The second display screen faces an opposite direction as the first display screen. The display device is rotatable between a first position in which the first display screen faces the first direction, and a second position in which the second display screen faces the first direction, and releasably lockable in a third position, intermediate the first position and the second position.
US08457691B2
The display of a scrollable list of items is described. In one disclosed embodiment, a list of items may be displayed on a scrollable computing device display in such a manner that, upon receiving an input requesting movement of a select indicator to a different list item, the select indicator is moved on the display toward the different list item and the list is scrolled on the display in an opposing direction.
US08457687B2
A radio communication device according to an exemplary aspect of the present invention which communicates in a form of multi data streams can reduce antennas which become useless in communication with a radio communication device which communicates in a form of one data stream, and can improve transmission characteristic in communication with a radio communication device which communicates in the form of one data stream. Therefore, an antenna which is not used is used for selective diversity receiving. Moreover, an antenna which is not used is moved near an antenna which is used for communication, to keep a transmission state stable.
US08457684B2
A system and method of determining the geographical location of a femtocell (640A) of an asynchronous cellular wireless communication system (600) are provided. Timing data is obtained from communication signals received by a first group of mobile communication units (450) from a femtocell (640A), and from at least two macro cells (410A, 420A, 670A). A difference (D12) in path distance from two macro cells to the femtocell (640A) is estimated using the timing data. A correction is made to remove timing offsets of the base stations of the macro cells. This provides an estimate of the geographical location of the femtocell (640A), when combined with either a similar estimate derived from signals received from a third macrocell, or an estimate derived from signal propagation data.
US08457675B2
A wireless communication apparatus that transmits and receives an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing signal to communicate with a communication counterpart, the wireless communication apparatus including measurement means for measuring the signal level of each subcarrier of the reception signal received from the communication counterpart, calculation means for calculating a predicted signal level of each subcarrier when the communication counterpart receives the signal based on the signal level of each subcarrier of the reception signal measured by the measurement means and calculating an increase/decrease rate of transmission power for each subcarrier such that the average amount of limited mutual information limited by the modulation method for the signal is maximized based on the predicted signal level, and transmission parameter control means for controlling transmission parameters including the increase/decrease rate of transmission power for each subcarrier calculated by the calculation means.
US08457655B2
A hybrid TOA positioning system can be implemented to improve location estimation of a wireless network device. An initial location of the wireless network device can be calculated based on locations of a plurality of reference network devices. A first intermediate location of the wireless network device and an intermediate distance calibration constant can be determined based, at least in part, on the initial location of the wireless network device and distance between the wireless network device and each of the reference network devices. A second intermediate location of the wireless network device and a target distance calibration constant can be calculated based on the locations of the reference network devices, the first intermediate location, and/or the intermediate distance calibration constant. The location of the wireless network device can be iteratively estimated based, at least in part, on the second intermediate location and the target distance calibration constant.
US08457653B2
An approach is provided for pre-fetching location-based data while maintaining user privacy. A pre-fetching manager determines to segment a geographical area into a plurality of discrete areas. The pre-fetching manager determines to record location information associated with a device operating within the geographical area. The pre-fetching manager processes and/or facilitates a processing of the location information to calculate occurrence information of the device with respect to the discrete areas. The pre-fetching manager processes and/or facilitates a processing of the occurrence information to select location-based data to cache at the device. The pre-fetching manager further determines one or more other devices based, at least in part, on a collaborative filtering process, and retrieves other occurrence information associated with the one or more other devices, wherein the selection of the location-based data to cache is further based, at least in part, on the other occurrence information.
US08457650B2
A portable telephone has a positional information system unit employed to use a positional information system function for acquiring positional information, and a communication unit for transmitting/receiving the positional information to/from another terminal. The portable telephone has an address book function capable of registering telephone numbers into a storage unit by an input operation; and a control unit which operates in a manner that when a telephone communication is received, in the case that a telephone number is not notified from a telephone of a caller, or a telephone number notified from a telephone of a caller does not correspond to a telephone number registered in the storage unit, even if a signal for requesting the positional information from the telephone of the caller is received during the telephone communication, the control unit does not send the positional information.
US08457648B2
A radio access network facilitates transmission of a Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) to user equipments in plural cells served by a radio base station. A radio network controller includes in a first message of a transport channel setup request either an indication that transport sharing is allowed or an identification of a common transport bearer. The radio base station configures a new transport channel mapped to the common transport bearer such that it is stable with respect to other common transport channels. During operation, the radio network controller provides the MBMS data over the common transport bearer and the radio base station retransmits the MBMS data over the common transport channels to the plural cells. If the MBMS data over the common transport bearer arrives outside of time-of-arrival windows of any common transport bearer, then the radio network controller adjusts the transmission accordingly.
US08457646B2
A base station includes an apparatus and a method for exchanging frequency channel resources between base stations in a Cognitive Radio (CR) based communication system. A requesting Base Station (BS), which requests channel exchange a neighboring BS, receives a channel advertisement message from a neighboring BS and sends a channel exchange request message to the neighboring BS. The channel exchange request message includes at least one of a neighbor BS Identifier (ID), a requesting BS ID, channel information for the channel exchange at the requesting BS, and channel information exchangeable at the neighboring BS. The requesting BS receives a channel exchange response message from the neighboring BS in response to the channel exchange request message, determines whether to execute a channel exchange process to the neighboring BS based on information in the received channel exchange response message, and sends a channel exchange reply message indicative of the determination result.
US08457643B2
Taking control of a subscriber terminal is disclosed. An apparatus comprises a processor configured to cause the apparatus: to control a stand-alone base station so that an emulated cell of a cellular radio system is formed by transmitting a control channel with information of a real cell and with such transmission power that a subscriber terminal having an ongoing connection with a serving cell base station is caused to measure reception of the stand-alone base station as being better than reception of the serving cell base station; and to control the stand-alone base station to perform cell reselection with the subscriber terminal so that the ongoing radio connection with the serving cell base station is transferred to continue with the stand-alone base station.
US08457640B2
A handoff access method and device based on a random access channel is provided, the method includes the following steps: step a, a source BS sends a handoff request message to a target BS, requesting switching the mobile terminal it serves to the target BS; step b, the target BS sends a handoff response message to the source BS, and then the source BS forwards a handoff command with its content to the mobile terminal, wherein the handoff command message does not include reserved character codes; step c, after receiving the handoff command message, the mobile terminal determines that the handoff command message does not include the reserved character codes, and then selects a random access sub-channel; and step d, the target BS and the mobile terminal initiate a random access procedure on the random access sub-channel.
US08457623B2
An apparatus, method and system for device management of a mobile communication terminal are provided. Various errors which may occur in the mobile communication terminal are monitored by the mobile communication terminal and are corrected remotely. In the method, the mobile communication terminal receives DiagMon policies from a DM server and stores the DiagMon policies in real-time in which the DiagMon policies are constructed in response to various errors. The mobile communication terminal monitors then the status of the mobile communication terminal according to periods set in the DiagMon policies. When a trouble is detected to occur, the mobile communication terminal collects detailed information related to the occurred trouble and transmits the detailed information to the DM server. The mobile communication terminal receives DiagMon correction information capable of correcting the occurred trouble from the DM server and corrects the trouble, and therefore normalizes the terminal.
US08457616B2
A method and apparatus is disclosed for backup communication services. An apparatus that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a wireless interface having a detection module to detect an interruption in a portion of communication services supplied to a plurality of residences by a central office over communication lines coupled to a cross-connect operating in a service area interface (SAI), and a controller module to direct a wireless transceiver to establish communications with a wireless station in response to the interruption, and to direct the cross-connect to provide communication services to a portion of the plurality of residences affected by the interruption by way of the wireless transceiver. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
US08457613B2
A system and method for providing enhanced information to a mobile communication device regarding a calling device is described. The system and method includes receiving an incoming call request at a mobile communication device including the identifier of the calling device. An information request is then formulated including the identifier of the calling device. The information request is transmitted from the mobile communication device to the query processing center via a data communication channel. A response is then obtained from the data processing center and transmitted to the mobile phone via the data communication channel. The response received from the data processing center includes the requested information related to the calling device.
US08457612B1
Systems and methods for providing multimedia content to mobile devices within a geographic area. A services provider may track locations of mobile devices in a location database. Geographically coded information may be received by the services provider from which a lookup may be performed of the location database to determine which mobile devices are in a geographic region associated with the geographically coded information. The geographically coded information may be forwarded as an SMS message to the mobile device, which may then convert the SMS message to a multimedia format for playback on the device, or may request that the services provider convert the SMS message to a multimedia format for playback on the mobile device.
US08457603B2
There is disclosed a system and method for provisioning a mobile communication device on a network. In an embodiment, the method comprises: identifying one or more devices on the network to which a notification of an offer of service should be sent; pushing the notification of an offer of service to the identified devices over the network; if the offer of service is accepted at the device, then initiating a provisioning request from the device to one or more of a carrier, service provider or management authority; and upon authorization of the provisioning request by the management authority, provisioning the service from the service provider.
US08457601B2
The key responsive record, navigate and marking method operates with a communications station networked with telecommunications enabled devices (cell phones with speakers and microphones). Controls are * and # symbol keys (mechanical or virtual). The station includes an IVR and record data stores. The # key controls RECORD ON/OFF and the * control is end-of-comm-session (EOS). The station activates functions based control key detection. Toggle ON/OFF/ON operations are activated. The EOS stops recording and activate post-recording sessional routines. Other keystroke functions are user-assigned or system defaults for numeric keys 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-0. Navigation controls are thus activated.
US08457594B2
A public wireless network has authorized wireless access points through which users connect to the network. Authentication software provided to a user prompts a user to enter a password that is provided over a secure link to an authentication server. The authentication server provides the password to each authorized access point, so that it may be provided to the user when accessing the network through located wireless access point. If the password is not provided to the user by the located access point, the user is alerted that the located access point may be unauthorized.
US08457584B2
The present invention is directed to systems and method for attenuating intermodulation interference. In particular, methods and systems to attenuate intermodulation interference contained within an aggregate signal having a transmitted signal that was transmitted over a communications channel having channel effects that produce the intermodulation interference are provided. The communications channel may be a cable television distribution network and the signal may be a cable television signal. A method is provided to predict when intermodulation interference will be large, so that actions within a receiver can be taken to reduce the impact of the interference and improve overall receiver performance.
US08457580B2
According to one embodiment, a compact low-power receiver comprises a front-end producing a front-end gain and a back-end producing a back-end gain. The front-end includes a transconductance amplifier providing digital gain control and outputting an amplified receive signal, a mixer for generating a down-converted signal from the amplified receive signal, and a transimpedance amplifier (TIA) including a current mode buffer. The TIA provides gain control for amplifying the down-converted signal to produce a front-end output signal. In one embodiment, the back end includes a second-order low-pass filter to produce a filtered signal from the front-end output signal and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), wherein the filtered signal is fed directly to the ADC without direct-current (DC) offset cancellation being performed. In various embodiments, the front-end gain is substantially greater than the back-end gain.
US08457575B2
A system and method for presenting content related to a radio broadcast are provided. The system may include a radio device having a receiver configured to receive a radio signal including an audio component and digitally encoded data associated with the audio component. The radio device may further include a decoder configured to decode the digitally encoded data from the radio signal. The radio device may further include a processor configured to receive the digitally encoded data from the decoder, extract a data parameter from the digitally encoded data, send a search query including the data parameter to a content service, and receive from the content service metadata associated with the data parameter. The system may further include a display configured to display the metadata received from the content service.
US08457567B2
Apparatus for generating a modulation signal for use in modulating the power supply of a power amplifier uses coarse and fine control for controlling the amplitude of the modulation signal, and thereby controlling the output power of the power amplifier. The modulation signal may be generated in the digital domain and converted to the analog domain by a digital-to-analog converter, with the digital-to-analog converter providing the fine control and a variable gain amplifier providing the coarse control of the analog signal.
US08457562B2
A method of monitoring a broadband digitized reverse link system comprising monitoring at least one radio frequency down-convert path in at least one remote unit in the digitized reverse link system using an internal tone generating system, digitally verifying the health of at least one digitized communication link communicatively coupled to receive digital signals from a respective remote unit, and monitoring the health of a radio frequency up-convert path in a host unit communicatively coupled to receive the digital signals from the at least one digitized communication link in the digitized reverse link system using a wideband power detector in the host unit.
US08457560B2
A device is adapted for use in a body area network capable of low power communications wherein a number of piconets can operate within close proximity. The device is configured to couple to a plurality of secondary devices in a piconet. The device uses an interference mitigation technique to enable the devices in the piconet to use the same frequency and same time as a number of adjacent piconets located in close proximity to the piconet. The interference mitigation technique is at least one of a low duty cycling operation; and a preamble sequence designed to operate under interference.
US08457555B2
A vehicular multimode cellular/PCS phone including a chipset located in the vehicle for communicating with at least one of a plurality of wireless service provider networks; an multimode antenna in communication with the chipset for communicating with a wireless base antenna of at least one of the plurality of wireless service provider networks; at least one medium port for receiving a removable medium, the removable medium containing at least one of access numbers, access codes, and access authentication numbers of at least one of the plurality of wireless service provider networks.
US08457553B2
A piconet in which at least one master communication station and at least one slave communication station are self-designated implements a successor hierarchy. A wireless device (DEV) functioning as a piconet controller (PNC) poll a plurality of DEVs to obtain data concerning other DEVs in range of the respective polled DEVs. Data concerning stations in range of the respective polled stations is received and at least one successor DEV is selected as a successor PNC based on the received data concerning stations in range of the respective polled DEVs. The selection of the successor DEVs is communicated to the successor DEVs. This provides for continuity of communication.
US08457552B1
A reduced complexity short range wireless communication system and method are described providing a very low complexity, low cost, and low power version of Bluetooth Wireless Technology. In one embodiment, the low complexity version relies upon mechanisms and procedures already present in existing standards, such as Version 1.2 of the Bluetooth Specification. In this embodiment, the inventive method and apparatus take advantage of essential mechanisms and procedures already present in the Bluetooth Specification, while eliminating the need for the parts of the Bluetooth Specification that are not required by very low complexity devices.
US08457536B2
A transfer device includes a rotatable intermediate transfer belt wound around and stretched between a pair of rollers, facing a plurality of image bearing members bearing toner images, a plurality of transfer members facing the image bearing members through the intermediate transfer member, to transfer overlappingly the toner images onto the intermediate transfer member forming a composite toner image, a lubricant applicator disposed upstream from the image bearing members in a direction of rotation of the intermediate transfer belt and on the same plane as the image bearing members, to apply a lubricant on the intermediate transfer member, an opposing member disposed opposite the lubricant applicator, to contact the lubricant applicator through the intermediate transfer member, and a pressure member disposed upstream from the image bearing members and downstream from the lubricant applicator in the direction of rotation of the intermediate transfer belt, to press against the intermediate transfer member.
US08457532B2
Electrophotographic printing apparatus and method of printing using electrophotographic printing apparatus, the apparatus comprising an image-forming member having a surface on which a latent electrostatic image can be formed and developed for transfer of the developed image to a substrate via an intermediate transfer member. The apparatus comprises a voltage supply for generating electric potential between the surface of the intermediate transfer member and the image-forming member such that the developed image formed on the surface of the image-forming member is transferred to the intermediate transfer member. A controller of the apparatus controls the voltage supply to adjust the electrical potential to affect the transfer of ink to the intermediate transfer member from the image-forming member. In this way, the apparatus can adjust for changes in the electrical properties of the intermediate transfer member.
US08457529B2
Described herein is an exemplary method wherein the photoreceptor surface velocity is nominally set at a speed fractionally different than the intermediate belt (ITB) nominal surface speed. The photoreceptor speed can be preemptively altered through a velocity ramp profile whenever an event is scheduled to occur that will result in ITB transient vibration. As a result, the photoreceptor speed is not allowed to cross over or equal the belt speed at any instant during the transient event. This allows the photoreceptor to remain dynamically decoupled from the ITB, since the apparent disturbance torque imposed by the belt remains constant and does not reverse sign.
US08457528B2
An electrophotographic apparatus is provided including an electrophotographic photosensitive member which includes a surface protective layer; and an exposure device which irradiates a surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member with an exposure beam so as to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member, wherein the surface protective layer includes a material having no structure to provide charge transporting performance and has a plurality of through holes penetrating from the side of the front surface of the surface protective layer to the side of the charge transport layer, and the thickness of the surface protective layer is from 0.1 μm or more to 1.5 μm or less, and wherein when the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member is irradiated with the exposure beam, two or more of the through holes are included in an exposure beam spot.
US08457523B2
A holder unit is movable between an accommodated position and a pulled out position. A plurality of toner cartridges is detachably attached to the holder unit. A shutter provided on each toner cartridge is movable between a block position where the shutter blocks an opening of a case and an open position where the shutter opens the opening. An operation member of each toner cartridge operates the shutter such that the shutter moves between a first position and a second position. The shutter is located at the open position when the operation member is located at the first position. The shutter is located at the block position when the operation member is located at the second position. An interference member is configured such that the operation members abut the interference member to be displaced from the second position to the first position when the holder unit is moved from the pulled out position to the accommodated position.
US08457516B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, an image forming member, a transferer, a toner image detector, and a controller. The transferer transfers the toner image from the image carrier directly or indirectly onto a recording medium transported by a surface moving member. The toner image detector detects a test toner image formed in a test toner image detection area located at an end portion of the surface moving member. The controller checks a length of the recording medium in a main scanning direction during continuous image formation, and forms the test toner image either in a space between recording media when the length of the recording medium exceeds a length of the surface moving member minus a length of the test toner image detection area in the main scanning direction or otherwise in parallel to the toner image transferred onto the recording medium.
US08457507B2
An image forming apparatus includes a unit, which is detachably attachable to a main body of the apparatus and has a portion to be detected, and a detecting device which detects the portion to be detected in the unit. It is determined that the unit is in an unused state since both of a first state in which the portion to be detected is detected by the detecting device and a second state in which the portion to be detected is not detected by the detecting device are confirmed, and thereafter, the first state or the second state is maintained. Furthermore, there is provided a restricting member which inhibits the first state or the second state from being maintained.
US08457485B2
Afforded is an optical element holder allowing high-accuracy stereo images to be taken. The holder includes: a rectangular parallelepiped beam splitter (5) having a rectangular incident surface (12); a pair of mutually opposing holding members (8) into which end portions of the beam splitter along the x-axis are fitted; and a base portion (9) and screws (10) that press on the holding members (8), drawing them toward each other. Each of the holding members (8) has a flat surface portion covering a lateral surface of the beam splitter (5), and a peripheral wall portion standing along the periphery of the flat surface potion. A width, along the x-axis, whereby the peripheral wall portion and a first light-exit surface opposing the incident surface (12) of the beam splitter (5) overlap is greater than a width, in the same orientation, whereby the incident surface (12) and the peripheral wall portion overlap.
US08457482B2
An exemplary actuator includes a base, a stationary frame mounted on the base, a moveable frame received in the stationary frame and supported on the base when the moveable frame is in a lowest position, and a driving unit received in the stationary frame and supported on the base. The moveable frame includes a frame body and a protrusion outwardly protruding from an outer wall of a corner of the frame body. The driving unit includes two parallel piezoelectric plates and two parallel resilient plates. The piezoelectric plates and the resilient plates are connected to each other end-to-end and cooperatively form a receiving hole therebetween. The protrusion is received in the receiving hole. The two resilient plates apply a preload to opposite side surfaces of the protrusion and retain the protrusion in position in the receiving hole.
US08457479B2
A rapid thermal processing apparatus comprises a processing chamber which subjects a semiconductor substrate to rapid thermal processing. A substrate support part is arranged in the processing chamber and supports the substrate. A lamp part optically irradiates the substrate supported by the substrate support part and heats the substrate. A thermo sensor is provided to measure a temperature of the substrate. A temperature computing part computes the temperature of the substrate based on an output signal of the thermo sensor. A control part controls an irradiation intensity of the lamp part according to the temperature computed by the temperature computing part. In this apparatus, the control part is provided to correct a control parameter of the irradiation intensity of the lamp part based on a measured reflectivity of a surface of the substrate.
US08457473B2
A BD-ROM stores PlayList information. The PlayList information defines a playback section of each of a plurality of AV clips and includes MainPath information and SubPath information. The MainPath information designates one of the AV clips as a Main Clip and defines a portion of the Main Clip as a primary playback section. The SubPath information designates another one of the AV clips as a SubClip and defines a portion of the SubClip as a secondary playback section that is to be played back in synchronism with the primary playback section. The BD-ROM stores, the one of the AV clips designated as the SubClip along with an EP_map. The EP_map shows a plurality of entry points on the SubClip in a one-to-one correspondence with entry times on the SubClip timeline.
US08457461B2
A fiber optic cable assembly includes a main fiber optic cable and a pre-connectorized fiber optic cable assembly. Optical fibers of the main fiber optic cable are mass fusion spliced to optical fibers of the pre-connectorized fiber optic cable assembly thereby forming a mass fusion splice. The mass fusion splice is positioned within an outer jacket of the main fiber optic cable. A reinforcing member and a protective transition member are applied to make the fiber optic cable assembly. A method of making the fiber optic cable assembly is also disclosed.
US08457453B2
Apparatus and methods that compensate for the thermally-induced drift of the resonance frequency of a closed-loop resonator include, in an exemplary embodiment, a waveguide-based Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) and an overcoupled, waveguide-based microring resonator. The temperature-induced red-shifting ring resonance can be balanced by a spectral blueshift with temperature of the MZI. To stabilize the resonance of the ring at a given wavelength, the change in optical path lengths with temperature of the ring and the MZI should be equal and opposite. The interplay of nonlinear change in phase of ring resonator with temperature and linear change in phase of MZI with temperature, along with matching the period of this phase change, gives rise to perfect oscillation in the combined system resonance with temperature.
US08457452B2
An integrated semiconductor optical device includes first and second semiconductor optical devices. The first semiconductor optical device includes a first core layer, a first upper cladding layer including a first ridge portion, a first buried layer surrounding the first ridge portion, and a first adjusting layer provided between the first buried layer and the first ridge portion. The second semiconductor optical device includes a second core layer, a second upper cladding layer including a second ridge portion. The first semiconductor optical device and the second semiconductor optical device are arranged next to each other in a predetermined axis direction. The first core layer is joined to the second core layer by a butt joint method at a joint boundary between the first and second semiconductor optical devices. The first adjusting layer has a refractive index lower than a refractive index of the first core layer and higher than a refractive index of the first buried layer. The first adjusting layer extends in the predetermined axis direction. The first adjusting layer has a constant width from one end facet to the joint boundary.
US08457449B2
A user gestures with a wireless mobile phone device to control some aspect of its operation, or the operation of a remote system with which the device communicates. (The gestures may be sensed by tracking movement of a feature across a field of view of a mobile phone device camera.) The resultant operation may additionally depend on other data obtained by the wireless device, e.g., obtained from an electronic or physical object, or sensed from the environment. A variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.
US08457443B2
To handle static text and logos in stabilized images without destabilizing the static text and logos, a method of handling overlay subpictures in stabilized images includes separating an existing overlay subpicture from an input image to generate a separated overlay subpicture and a separated input image. The separated input image is stabilized to form a stabilized image. The separated overlay subpicture is then merged with the stabilized image to obtain an output image.
US08457442B1
A set of feature points for defining features of a face is detected in a target image and a reference image. The target image is warped to accommodate a selected feature from the reference image using the set of feature points and a set of three-dimensional models. The reference image is warped to a pose of the target image using the set of feature points and the set of three-dimensional models. The selected feature is copied from the reference image to the target image.
US08457438B2
Provided are a filtering method and apparatus for removing blocking artifacts and ringing noise. The filtering method includes transforming video data on a block-by-block basis, and detecting the presence of an edge region in the video data by checking the distribution of values obtained by the transformation. Accordingly, it is possible to completely remove blocking artifacts and/or ringing noise by more effectively detecting the presence of an edge region in video data.
US08457422B2
The present invention relates to an image processing device and method that enable generation of a highly precise prediction image using a small amount of control information.A motion compensation circuit 51 specifies a macroblock corresponding to a prediction image in part of reference frames using a motion vector supplied from a prediction mode determination circuit 41, reads an image thereof from a frame memory 19, and extracts it as a motion compensation image. A motion prediction circuit 52 reads, from a frame memory 122, at least one or more of the remaining reference frames, performs motion prediction of the motion compensation image MC0 supplied from the motion compensation circuit 51 in each frame, reads an image of a macroblock that matches or is similar to the motion compensation image MC0 from the frame memory 122, and extracts it as a motion compensation image. The present invention can be applied to, for example, an encoding device and a decoding device.
US08457420B2
This invention provides a technique to turn off a distortion suppression function within the range in which image quality degradation is allowed, in order to increase the processing speed at the time of decoding. For this purpose, an apparatus of the invention rewrites parameter information in a header with information indicating that no distortion suppression processing has been performed, and decodes encoded image data including the rewritten header, when the header contains parameter information indicating that the distortion suppression processing has been performed only before the first frequency conversion.
US08457419B2
A method of decoding data that is encoded with a set of prefix codes begins by receiving the data at a computing device, and then compiling native machine code from the prefix code set for execution by a processing unit of the computing device. The machine code implements a binary tree of prefix codes that corresponds to the prefix code set. The data is decoded by traversing the prefix code tree, which is effected by executing the machine code with the processing unit.
US08457417B2
In an image-encoding scheme, an input image is decomposed into several image blocks (600) comprising multiple image elements (610). The image blocks (600) are encoded into encoded block representations (700). In this encoding, color weights are assigned to the image elements (610) in the block (600) based on their relative positions in the block (600). At least two color codeword (710, 720, 730, 740) are determined, at least partly based on the color weights. These codewords (710, 720, 730, 740) are representations of at least two color values. The original colors of the image elements (610) are represented by color representations derivable from combinations of the at least two color values weighted by the assigned color weights.
US08457412B2
The present invention relates to a method for supporting a collection of an object included in a created image. The method includes the steps of: (a) creating an image of an object; (b) automatically creating and providing a combined sentence correct under the grammar of a language for the object on a first area on a screen of the terminal by using at least part of recognition information on what an identity of the object is, a place where the image was created and a time when the image was created, and automatically getting and providing a thumbnail corresponding to the recognized object on a second area on the screen of the terminal; and (c) if a Collection button is selected, storing data provided on the first and the second areas onto a storage space, to thereby complete the collection of the object.
US08457411B2
The position of an edge of a marker structure in an image of the marker structure is determined with subpixel accuracy. A discrete intensity profile of the edge, having profile pixels, is derived from the image pixels, and a continuous profile function of the edge is determined based on the profile pixels. Profile pixels whose intensity values are near an intensity threshold value are selected as evaluation pixels. Based on the evaluation pixels, a curve of continuous intensity is calculated. A position coordinate at which the intensity value of the continuous intensity curve matches the threshold value is selected as a first position coordinate, and the distance is determined between the first position coordinate and the position coordinate of the evaluation pixel that, from among the evaluation pixels previously selected, has the closest intensity value to the threshold value. The determined distance is compared to a predetermined threshold, and if the distance is greater than the threshold, a shift is effected, and the process iteratively performs the steps of selects the adjacent profile pixels, calculates the curve of continuous intensity, and so forth. If the distance is not greater than the threshold, the position of the edge in the captured image is determined with subpixel accuracy from all the distances determined in step g).
US08457406B2
A device and method for processing an image to create appearance and shape labeled images of a person or object captured within the image. The appearance and shape labeled images are unique properties of the person or object and can be used to re-identify the person or object in subsequent images. The appearance labeled image is an aggregate of pre-stored appearance labels that are assigned to image segments of the image based on calculated appearance attributes of each image segment. The shape labeled image is an aggregate of pre-stored shape labels that are assigned to image segments of the image based on calculated shape attributes of each image segment. An identifying descriptor of the person or object can be computed based on both the appearance labeled image and the shape labeled image. The descriptor can be compared with other descriptors of later captured images to re-identify a person or object.
US08457405B2
Method and apparatus for synthesizing element arrangements from an example. Embodiments may synthesize element arrangement patterns from an example arrangement. Embodiments may combine a texture synthesis technique based on local neighborhood comparison of an example and a target with procedural modeling based on local growth. Given an example, connectivity of elements may be constructed to get neighborhoods information of each element. A synthesis process may start with a single seed and expand the synthesized pattern by placing new elements at seed locations one by one. A reference element may be selected from the example that has neighborhood features that are most similar to neighborhood features of the target seed in the synthesized pattern. A non-rotation mode, a rotation mode, and a flow field mode may be provided. A painting tool, a flow field tool, and a boundary tool may be provided.
US08457403B2
An image of a scanned book is segmented using a feature image to map pixels corresponding to a page area and to create page objects and detect borders of the page. A book spine region is detected by locating a plain background area between two of the page objects, analyzing the page borders to detect their shape, and analyzing their shape to detect the book spine end points. Using the page borders, the feature image is examined to detect top-to-bottom and bottom-to-top declines in pixel values to determine the corners of a shadow distortion in the original scanned image. Squeeze and curvature distortion are also detected. A Bezier curve is used to model each of the three distortions detected on the page. The detected distortion is corrected by first defining a trapezoidal correction area. The intensity, squeeze, and curvature corrections are then applied along lines within the trapezoidal correction area.
US08457401B2
A method for segmenting video data into foreground and background (324) portions utilizes statistical modeling of the pixels Λ statistical model of the background is built for each pixel, and each pixel in an incoming video frame is compared (326) with the background statistical model for that pixel. Pixels are determined to be foreground or background based on the comparisons. The method for segmenting video data may be further incorporated into a method for implementing an intelligent video surveillance system The method for segmenting video data may be implemented in hardware.
US08457400B2
Techniques for identifying copied images based on an original image are described. The identifying copied image is based on creating unique and identifiable features that in turn are used to generate multiple histograms. The histograms are generated by patches of the image, where the patches are created by equally dividing the image. The combined patch histograms are representative of the image.
US08457398B2
An image enhancement apparatus is provided. The image enhancement apparatus includes a global contrast curve generator, a local contrast curve generator and an image generator. The global contrast curve generator generates a global contrast curve for an input image according to a global histogram of the input image. The local contrast curve generator generates a local contrast curve for each image partition within the input image according to the global contrast curve and further a feature of the image partition. The image generator generates an output image by enhancing a contrast of each image partition according to the local contrast curve for the image partition and the input image, and merging the enhanced image partitions.
US08457397B2
An image processing apparatus for applying a color balance correction to input image data, comprises a holding unit which holds information indicating a locus of a change in highlight color when a color temperature for image data is changed on a color space; a highlight color calculation unit which calculates a highlight color from the image data; a distance calculation unit which calculates a distance between the highlight color and the highlight color locus held in the holding unit on the color space; a reliability calculation unit which calculates a reliability for a value of the highlight color calculated by the highlight color calculation unit in accordance with the distance calculated by the distance calculation unit; and a color balance correction unit which applies the color balance correction to the image data using the highlight color and the reliability.
US08457394B2
The present invention relates to a method of detecting a skin-colored area using a variable skin color model. In the method, an initial skin-colored area is extracted from an input image using a skin color model, the initial skin-colored area being repeatedly extracted by adjusting a threshold value, which is a criterion for the selection of a skin-colored area, until a ratio of size of the extracted skin-colored area to size of the entire input image becomes less than a predetermined value. A skin-colored area is extracted by applying the threshold value determined in the first stage to the skin color model, the skin color model being modified by analyzing characteristics of object regions and noise regions of the skin-colored area. The skin-colored area detection method can obtain a high skin-colored object detection rate and a high false alarm rate even under various lighting and background conditions.
US08457387B2
There is provided a video playback device for providing an interactive environment on a display in response to a user input. The video playback device comprises (1) a memory to store a plurality of images forming a plurality of viewpoints of the interactive environment; a plurality of transition sequences, wherein each of the plurality of transition sequences provides a video transition from one image to another image; and a linking structure linking the plurality of images with the plurality of transition sequences; (2) a processor to determine a direction of movement based on the user input; select a next one of the plurality of transition sequences and a next one of the plurality of images based on the direction of movement and the linking structure; and display the next one of the plurality of transition sequences and the next one of the plurality of images on the display.
US08457384B2
A universal counting and measurement system and method. The system and method are not restricted to a specific application, aimed at counting a specific type of object, but are capable of counting objects of a large variety of sizes and shapes. According to certain embodiments, the system and method are also capable of measuring volumes of materials held within a container or piled on a surface. The shape of the containers or the shape of the pile of material are not limited to a certain prescribed architecture. According to certain embodiments, the system is easily adapted to the different applications and can be made ready to work in a short time. The system is also capable of counting accumulating objects or measuring accumulating volumes within one or more containers or piles.
US08457383B2
A recording device and a control method for a recording device improve the accuracy of reading MICR information while also shortening the time required for recording media processing. A dot impact printer 10 has a magnetic head 34 that magnetically reads MICR information recorded on a recording medium S, a recording head 18 that is mounted on a different carriage than the magnetic head 34 and records images on the recording medium S, and a back scanner 112 that optically reads MICR information recorded on the recording medium S, disposed sequentially to the transportation path P of the recording medium S. When reading the MICR information by means of the magnetic head 34 does not succeed, the recording medium S is conveyed to the back scanner 112, the MICR information is read by the back scanner 112, the reading results are compared, and the MICR information is identified.
US08457380B2
A positron imaging apparatus (102) acquires projection data indicative of positron annihilations in an object under examination. A local reconstructor (146) performs an iterative local reconstruction of truncated projection data to produce image space data indicative of the object. A motion compensator (142) compensates for a motion of the object; an image combiner (148) combines the image space data with other image space data indicative of the object.
US08457376B2
An image processing apparatus includes an identification criterion creating unit that creates an identification criterion so as to enable identification of specific regions in a target image to be processed that is selected in chronological order from among images constituting a set of time-series images; includes a feature data calculating unit that calculates the feature data of each segmented region in the target image to be processed; and includes a specific region identifying unit that, based on the feature data of each segmented region, identifies the specific regions in the target image to be processed by using the identification criterion. Moreover, the identification criterion creating unit creates the identification criterion based on the pieces of feature data of the specific regions identified in the images that have been already processed.
US08457371B2
An area of a patient can be mapped with a system operable to identify a plurality of locations and save a plurality of locations of a mapping instrument. The mapping instrument can include one or more electrodes that can sense a voltage that can be correlated to a three dimensional location of the electrode at the time of the sensing or measurement. Therefore, a map of an area or volume can be determined based upon the sensing of the plurality of points without the use of an imaging device. An implantable medical device can then be navigated relative to the mapping data.
US08457370B2
A method of authenticating users is provided that includes capturing biometric authentication data of a user and processing the captured biometric data into an image. Moreover, the method includes determining a region of interest of the image and a gray scale image from the image, determining an optimum transformation parameter set within the region of interest, and aligning the gray scale image with an enrollment gray scale image generated during enrollment of the user using results of the optimum transformation parameter set determination. Furthermore, the method includes extracting biometric feature data from the gray scale image and verifying an identity of the user with extracted biometric feature data included in a region of agreement.
US08457368B2
A method for processing digital media is described. The method, in one example embodiment, includes identification of objects in a video stream by detecting, for each video frame, an object in the video frame and selectively associating the object with an object cluster. The method may further include comparing the object in the object cluster to a reference object and selectively associating object data of the reference object with all objects within the object cluster based on the comparing. The method may further include manually associating the object data of the reference object with all objects within the object duster having no associated reference object and populating a reference database with the reference object for the object cluster.
US08457365B2
An image evaluation device includes: an information acquiring unit to acquire, from an image containing at least one face, at least one type of information including at least the number of the at least one face and optionally including any of a size of the face, a position of the face in the image, an orientation of the face, a rotational angle of the face and a detection score of the face; and an individual evaluation value calculating unit to statistically calculate an individual evaluation value indicating a result of evaluation for each type of information based on the acquired information.
US08457362B2
An image inspecting apparatus includes a receiving unit configured to receive the sheet from the image forming section; a reading unit configured to read the image formed on the sheet received by the receiving unit; an inspection unit configured to inspect the image read by the reading unit; and a sheet stack portion configured to temporarily stack the sheet read by the reading unit and to eject the stacked sheet, the sheet stack portion stacking the sheet so as to obtain a time to be used for inspecting the image by the inspection unit.
US08457357B2
A relative pose between two cameras is determined by using input data obtained from the motion of subjects, such as pedestrians, between the fields of view of two cameras, determining trajectory information for the subjects, and computing homographies relating lines obtained from trajectories in the first image data to lines obtained from the trajectories in the second image data. The two fields of view need not overlap.
US08457354B1
In selected embodiments, a computer-implemented method for analyzing customer movement in a retail environment includes capturing an image of an individual at multiple locations within a retail environment and tracking the elapsed time between the individual's appearance at the various locations. For areas of the store at increased risk for shoplifting, the elapsed times may be compared to predetermined upper and/or lower elapsed time thresholds or windows to determine whether an individual is likely to commit a crime in the retail environment. The thresholds or window may be empirically determined based on analysis of historical security video footage and security incident records.
US08457345B2
An edge portion includes a center portion, one end and an other end. As seen in a cross section of a vibration plate in the radial direction, the center portion, the one end and the other end each are formed in a circular arc such that the edge portion forms a convex so as to protrude in a direction in which the protruding shape protrudes. The radius of curvature of the circular arc of the center portion is not less than the radius of curvature of the circular arc of each of the one end and the other end. Accordingly, a vibration plate allowing a decrease in the lowest resonance frequency while suppressing the edge portion from being brought into a tensioned state, a speaker unit provided with the vibration plate and a portable information terminal can be provided.
US08457343B2
A safe in-ear earphone for radiation protection comprises earplug heads, sound cavities, acoustic wave transmission channels, a main body, a conductor and a plug. The channels are set between the sound cavities and loudspeakers. The acoustic wave concentrated orifices are between the loudspeakers and the acoustic wave transmission channels. The assembly of the loudspeakers, the acoustic wave concentrated orifices and the acoustic wave transmission channels are sealed to form a sealed small boxes in the main body. The shape of acoustic wave concentrated orifices is inverse loudhailer. The acoustic wave is transmitted to the two acoustic wave channels via the acoustic wave concentrated orifices and then is provided to the ears plugged by two earplugs to listen.
US08457342B2
A differential microphone includes a housing having a first space and a second space formed therein, and a first diaphragm arranged within the housing. A first opening connecting the first space to outside and a second opening connecting the second space to the outside are formed in the housing. A dimension of the first opening and the second opening in a first direction perpendicular to a straight line passing through centers of both openings is longer than a dimension of the first opening and the second opening in a second direction parallel to the straight line passing through the centers of both openings.
US08457331B2
A thermoacoustic units includes at least one first electrode, at least one second electrode, a sound wave generator electrically connected with the at least one first electrode and the at least one second electrode, a housing, and at least one socket connector. The housing receives the at least one first electrode, the at least one second electrode, and the sound wave generator therein. The at least one socket connector is located on the housing.
US08457325B2
An acoustical window assembly for a vehicle includes a window panel and mounting portions for mounting respective perimeter regions of the window panel to a vehicle structure. A first mounting portion substantially fixedly mounts a first perimeter region of the window panel relative to the vehicle structure, while a second mounting portion mounts a second perimeter region of the window panel to the vehicle structure and includes a flexible element to allow for movement of the second perimeter region of the window panel toward and away from the vehicle structure. An actuating assembly is positioned at an actuating region of the window panel and has a substantially rigid interface element that engages the actuating region of the window panel. The actuating assembly is operable to vibrate the window panel via vibration of the substantially rigid interface element relative to the vehicle structure.
US08457322B2
According to the present invention, a parameter adjustment section setting, in accordance with a first parameter indicating a variant factor for playback speed that is input, a second parameter and a third parameter, and a signal processing section adjusting at least one of playback speed and pitch of a sound of an audio signal based on the second parameter and the third parameter are provided, wherein the signal processing section adjusts the playback speed of the audio signal when the variant factor for playback speed that is input is less than a predetermined threshold and adjusts the playback speed and the pitch of a sound of the audio signal when the variant factor for playback speed that is input is above the predetermined threshold.
US08457314B2
A mesh network surveillance system and method for providing communication between a base system having at least one wireless input capture device ICD(s) and other ICD(s), wherein the ICD(s) are operable to provide a self-configuring network with each other, including the steps of providing this base system; at least one user accessing the ICDs and inputs remotely via a user interface through a remote server computer and/or electronic device communicating with it, for providing a secure surveillance system with extended inputs range and wireless self-configured networking for smart cross-communication for monitoring a target environment.
US08457313B2
A bit sequence, which is contained in a signalling message and which is known to a network unit and to a communications terminal which receives the signalling message from the network unit, informs the communications terminal that a test value is contained in a signalling message. The test value received by the communications terminal is compared with a test value computed by the communications terminal, and the communications terminal defines a signalling message as being unmodified only in the event that the bit sequence contained in a signalling message has been received and the comparison of both test values yields a positive result.
US08457309B2
Apparatus for ciphering, including a non-volatile memory, which stores a number from which a private cryptographic key, having a complementary public cryptographic key, is derivable, wherein the number is shorter than the private cryptographic key, and a processor, which is configured to receive an instruction indicating that the private cryptographic key is to be applied to data and, responsively to the instruction, to compute the private cryptographic key using the stored number and to perform a cryptographic operation on the data using the private cryptographic key. Related apparatus and methods are also described.
US08457306B2
A cryptographic module that performs a cryptographic operation is provided with: a register that retains first data related to key data to be used in the cryptographic operation; a register that retains second data without dependency on the first data; a selector that alternately selects and outputs the contents of the register retaining the first data and the register retaining the second data; and a left shift circuit that performs a predetermined shift operation on data outputted from the selector.
US08457305B2
One or more techniques and/or systems are disclosed for generating a genus 2 curve for use in cryptography. One or more invariant values used to generate the genus 2 curve are determined by evaluating one or more invariant functions on a Hilbert modular surface. The genus 2 curve is generated using the one or more invariant values to determine an equation describing the genus 2 curve. A group is generated from the genus 2 curve, and the group may be used for a cryptographic application.
US08457300B2
The present invention is directed to a method for servicing a transaction in a contact center. When an instant message communication associated with a transaction is suspended prematurely, special treatment may be provided to the transaction initiator. The special treatment includes: (a) maintaining the assigned service priority for the transaction for assignment to a subsequent communication; (b) scheduling a subsequent outbound instant message to an external endpoint associated with the transaction initiator; (c) assigning to the transaction initiator a favored service priority when the subsequent inbound instant message is received by the contact center; and (d) maintaining previously selected item(s) in memory and providing the item(s) to the transaction initiator in a subsequent communication.
US08457299B2
To provide a personalized voice email service, data pertaining to one or more of a user's email accounts, e.g., email addresses and account access data, is maintained in a folder by an information assistance service, which is unaffiliated with the email service providers (e.g., AOL, Hotmail, etc.) maintaining the user's email accounts. When the user calls the information assistance service, the user's folder is retrieved. The user's email accounts may be accessed on behalf of the user based on the email addresses and account access data in the user's folder. An information assistance provider including, e.g., an operator and/or a voice server, may present information concerning the email messages received in the user's email accounts in different manners. For example, the information assistance provider may report to the user selected email messages that satisfy one or more predetermined criteria, e.g., only those email messages which have been received since the last time the user called the information assistance service. Header information (e.g., sender/address, subject, etc.) concerning the selected email messages may be announced to the user. At the user's request, the information assistance provider may open and read a email message to the user. The user may then send a reply email message, or forward the email message to other recipients.
US08457298B2
A method of providing information related to a user's web browser session to an agent, while the agent is processing a call from the user, includes creating an association between a telephone number and the user's web browser session. The user employs the telephone number to place a telephone call. The method further includes receiving the telephone call from the user, and determining, upon receipt of the telephone call from the user, the telephone number with which the user placed the call. The method further includes using the determined telephone number and the association to identify the information related to the user's web browser session. The method also includes routing the telephone call and the information related to the user's web browser session to the agent.
US08457293B1
The present invention provides flexible call processing. In one embodiment, a first call from a calling party intended for a called party is received at a call processing system. The call processing system places a second call to a telephonic device associated with the called party. The calling party and called party communicate via the first and second calls. A determination is made that the first call has been terminated. A call-back instruction is received from the called party while the second call is still in place. At least partly in response to receiving the call-back instruction, a third call is placed to a terminal associated with the calling party. The calling party and the called party can communicate via the second call and the third call.
US08457292B2
A busy lamp field (BLF) system for remote telephones and a method for the same are disclosed. The busy lamp field system for remote telephones mainly has a plurality of switchboard systems and a XML server interconnected via the internet. Each switchboard system has a PBX and at least a telephone. Each telephone is connected to the XML server via internet and periodically uploads local phone status. The BLF key of each telephone is set to associate with a corresponding specific remote telephone by a subscriber of each telephone. Each telephone periodically retrieves the phone status of the corresponding remote telephone from the XML server displayed on the BLF key of the local telephone. Thus, a subscriber monitors status of a remote telephone and dials out via each PBX in addition to extension telephone of the local switchboard system.
US08457291B1
In one embodiment, an apparatus is disclosed which comprises a status sensitive input related to a programmed telephone number for conveying a control signal to a controller of a telephone to initiate a function; a detector for determining a status of the telephone and conveying the status to the controller of the telephone; wherein the function initiated by the controller is chosen from two or more functions dependent upon the status of the telephone as determined by the detector.
US08457284B2
The invention relates to a method for asynchronous communication by means of an internet platform (2), wherein registered users of the internet platform (2) can receive mail by means of the internet platform (2), wherein the mail is transmitted for at least part of the postal path thereof in electronic form by means of the internet and the internet platform (2), and further relates to an internet platform (2). In order to provide the users (N) expanded communication capabilities and a greater level of comfort, according to the invention, one of a plurality of presettable transmission paths is preset by the users (N) on the internet platform (2), said paths including the transmission of the mail as a letter, as a fax, and as electronic mail, and the transmission of the mail to the users (N) is performed or initiated by the internet platform (2) according to each preset transmission path.
US08457271B2
A radioactive debris trap to be installed in a steam generator for removing debris in the primary flow of a nuclear power plant's primary heat transport system. The debris trap includes an outer cylinder and a coaxial inner cylinder both having a top end and a bottom end. A top plate connects the top ends of the outer and inner cylinders. A bottom plate which encloses the trap is connected to the bottom end of the outer cylinder. There is a gap between the bottom end of the inner cylinder and the bottom plate through which primary flow enters a settling chamber located in an annular gap between the outer and inner cylinders. Several small holes are located at the top end of the outer cylinder through which liquid exits the debris trap. A means for fixedly connecting the debris trap to the steam generator is provided on the outer surface of the outer cylinder. Also included is a means for removing the radioactive debris trap from the steam generator without exposing personnel to excessive radiation.
US08457270B2
A method of suppressing deposition of radionuclides on components of a nuclear power plant comprises forming a ferrite film by contacting a first chemical including iron (II) ions, a second chemical for oxidizing the iron (II) ions to iron (III) ions, and a third chemical for adjusting the pH of a processing solution containing a mixture of the first and second chemicals to be 5.5 to 9.0 with the metal member surface in a time period from a finishing stage in decontamination step of removing contaminants formed on the surface of metal member composing the nuclear power plant, and suppressing deposition of radionuclides on the metal member by the ferrite film.
US08457267B2
A system may include a bus carrying signals, a frame pulse generator generating a generally periodic frame pulse signal having timing boundaries delineating consecutive timing periods and a frame pulse enable signal active for a portion of each timing period proximate to the timing boundaries and inactive otherwise, a first controlled buffer driving the frame pulse signal on the bus during durations in which the frame pulse enable signal is active to generate a modified frame pulse, a reference clock controller receiving the modified frame pulse via the bus and generating a reference clock enable signal in response to presence of the modified frame pulse, a reference clock generator generating a generally periodic reference clock signal, and a second controlled buffer driving the reference clock signal on the bus during durations in which the reference clock enable signal is active to generate a modified reference clock.
US08457266B2
A method and a device for multi-channel data alignment in a transmission system are provided, wherein the method comprises receiving a first stream data and a second stream data, determining a deleting/inserting state of the first stream data and the second stream data to generate an information of mismatch data due to a speed difference situation, generating a reverse inserting control signal or a reverse deleting control signal to completely restore the original first stream data and/or the original second stream data at a transmission end, deleting/inserting the first stream data and the second stream data simultaneously after receiving the deleting/inserting state of the first stream data and the second stream data, and outputting the corrected first stream data and the corrected second stream data without mismatching.
US08457263B2
A receiver in a CDMA system comprises a front end processor that generates a combined signal per source. A symbol estimator processes the combined signal to produce symbol estimates. An S-Matrix Generation module refines these symbol estimates based on the sub channel symbol estimates. An interference canceller is configured for cancelling interference from at least one of the plurality of received signals for producing at least one interference-cancelled signal.
US08457242B2
A transmitter includes a resistor, a protection unit, and a transmission unit. The resistor control unit controls a connection of a termination resistor between first and second transmission lines. The protection unit reduces first and second voltages, respectively, from the first and second transmission lines during a power-down mode. The transmission unit receives the dropped first and second voltages during the power-down mode and transmits first and second signals through the protection unit during a power-on mode. The resistor control unit connects the termination resistor to the first and second transmission lines when a transmission rate of the first and second signals is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The resistor control unit is disconnected from at least one of the first and second transmission lines when the transmission rate is less than the predetermined value.
US08457240B2
Methods are described for near optimal Antenna and/or sensor selection via population-based probabilistic evolutionary algorithms such as estimation of distribution algorithm (EDA) and bio-inspired Optimization (BIO). The aspects of the invention includes a method for joint transmit and receive antenna selection using EDA; and an enhanced EDA, which uses cyclic shift register and biased estimation of distribution; and methods for joint transmit and receive antenna selection using improved population-based optimization. The proposed EDA-based and bio-inspired selection methods results in performances that are close to the ESA (exhaustive search algorithm) and yet impose mush less computational burden than ESA. Another advantage of our methods is that they can be easily implemented on parallel processors.
US08457234B2
A transmitting apparatus that transmits signals from a plurality of antennas, and can improve the security of communication compared with a conventional system. In this apparatus, an antenna changing section (105) stores an antenna change pattern in internal memory, and each time a clock signal is input, generates an antenna change signal directing an antenna change in accordance with the antenna change pattern, and outputs this signal to an antenna selection section (106). Based on the antenna change signal, the antenna selection section (106) selects two different antennas from among the transmitting antennas (107-1 through 107-3) as transmitting antennas of transmit signal A output from a radio section (104-1) and transmit signal B output from a radio section (104-2), and performs radio transmission of transmit signal A and transmit signal B using the selected transmitting antennas.
US08457233B2
A multiple input multiple output (MIMO) communication method using a codebook is provided. The MIMO communication method may use one or more codebooks and the codebooks may change according to a transmission rank, a channel state of a user terminal, and/or a number of feedback bits. The one or more codebooks may be adaptively updated according to a time correlation coefficient of a channel.
US08457226B2
Crest factor reduction for OFDM communications systems by transmitting phase shifted resource blocks
In the disclosed system and method phase (and optionally amplitude) shifts are applied at an OFDM transmitter to resource blocks within a given slot to implement Crest Factor Reduction (CFR). The phase shifts may differ between resource blocks and are selected to reduce the peaks in the OFDM waveform. The resource block phase shifts do not affect the demodulation process when the equalization at the receiver is performed on individual blocks separately. As a result, the crest factor reduction is achieved without increasing the EVM or BER in the received signal. In addition, a computational efficient algorithm for determining the resource block phase shifts needed for CFR is disclosed.
US08457224B2
The present invention provides a channel estimation apparatus in which channel estimation may be made higher than heretofore in accuracy and may be used for calculating the weight for an equalization filter to achieve an optimum equalizing performance. A subcarrier copying unit 20 copies K items of end-side subcarriers, using the channel estimation obtained by a correlation processing unit 14 and K which is a subcarrier copy number. An IDFT unit 15 transforms the channel estimation obtained at the subcarrier copying unit 20 into the time domain channel response. A noise path removing unit 16 removes noise paths from the channel response output from the IDFT unit 15. A DFT unit 17 performs DFT of the channel response, from which the noise paths are removed by the noise path removing unit 16, to output a noise-suppressed frequency domain channel estimation value. A weight calculation unit 5 inputs the frequency domain channel estimation value output from the DFT unit 17 to calculate an equalizing weight.
US08457222B2
A method of estimating channel statistics includes storing a plurality of pilot symbols from a plurality of received signals, establishing a reference for correlation; computing instantaneous correlations for each time lag of each of the plurality of pilot symbols relative to the reference, providing a table comprising non-isotropic scattering correlation values, computing current refined correlations using previous refined correlations and instantaneous correlations, comparing current refined correlations to the table of correlation values, and choosing correlation values from the table based on the step of comparing current refined correlations to the table.
US08457220B2
A multi-input multi-output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) transceiving system is provided, in which an MIMO-OFDM receiver feeds back ordering information, such as the order of power intensities of reception signals of a plurality of reception antennas, to an MIMO-OFDM transmitter. The MIMO-OFDM transmitter arranges subcarriers, to which data symbols have been allocated, so that the subcarriers respectively correspond to a plurality of transmission antennas, according to the fed-back information. Thus, a specific substream can be transmitted via a transmission antenna having the greatest channel gain. Consequently, the probability of properly recovering the specific substream is greatly increased.
US08457202B2
There are provided methods and apparatus for determining expected distortion in decoded video blocks. An apparatus includes a distortion calculator for calculating an expected distortion for an image block, included in a picture of a video sequence and sent over a lossy channel, using a motion vector for the image block when the motion vector has a non-integer value. The distortion calculator calculates the expected distortion based upon a propagated distortion of at least two neighboring integer pixel positions in a reference picture with respect to the motion vector having the non-integer value. The image block is coded in an inter mode or a SKIP mode.
US08457200B2
The invention relates to encoding and decoding pixel blocks of a video frame through a hybrid mode involving usage of a first prediction of a pixel block and at least a second prediction of the pixel block. An initial first weighting factor is modified using a factor modifier to generate a first weighting factor comprising multiple different factor values that are assignable to the different pixel-based first prediction values of the first prediction. The first weighting factor is applied to the first prediction and a second weighting factor is applied to the second block prediction. The at least two weighted predictions are then combined to form a hybrid prediction of the current pixel block.
US08457198B2
Provided are a method of and an apparatus for deciding an encoding mode for variable block size motion estimation, which can decide an encoding mode quickly and with less computation during variable block size motion estimation. The method includes searching in a reference frame for a macroblock that is most similar to a current macroblock, selecting a temporary encoding mode candidate group for encoding of the current macroblock from among a plurality of encoding mode candidate groups including at least one encoding mode, using encoding mode information of the searched-for macroblock of the reference frame, selecting the decided temporary encoding mode candidate group or an encoding mode candidate group including an encoding mode using a smaller block than the decided temporary encoding mode candidate group as a final encoding mode candidate group, based on the temporary encoding mode candidate group, the complexity of the current macroblock or sub-blocks obtained by dividing the current macroblock, and the difference between the current macroblock or each of the sub-blocks and the reference frame, and performing motion estimation in encoding mode included in the final encoding mode candidate group and deciding an encoding mode of the current macroblock.
US08457193B2
Methods and apparatus relating to video analysis are described. In an embodiment, a method comprises determining desirable features of the video content values, determining undesirable features of the video content values, constructing a quality model using the desirable features and the undesirable features, and storing the quality model in a memory module. Other embodiments are also described.
US08457189B2
A timing recovery circuit recovers the symbol timing of a modulation signal. A carrier recovery circuit corrects the frequency shifts of output signals of the timing recovery circuit. An FIR equalizer having a plurality of taps, and corrects the distortions of output signals of the carrier recovery circuit. A control circuit dynamically controls the number of taps used in the FIR equalizer.
US08457182B2
Seamless wideband support is afforded by utilizing split-band data streams. For wideband signals, the 8 kHz bandwidth is divided into a low band, with approximately 0-4 kHz bandwidth, and a high band, with approximately 4-8 kHz bandwidth. Narrowband functions and services operate on the low band, while wideband functions and services operate on both low and high bands.
US08457181B2
Methods and apparatus for maintaining the maximum achievable data rate on a DSL line, up to and including a rate to which a user subscribes is described. Performance monitoring is conducted on the DSL line on an ongoing basis to determine noise margins in each direction. Each noise margin is compared against pre-determined decreasing/increasing thresholds to determine whether the line characteristics dictate a data rate change without loss of synchronization. The invention supports dynamic provisioning changes including application driven service level change requests, e.g., new bandwidth-on demand services. In some embodiments, a combination of existing and new embedded operations channel (EOC) messages are used to implement the modem data rate changes. New EOC messages may be implemented using some of the reserved and/or vendor proprietary Opcodes currently permitted. Modem assigned data rate changes are implemented without a disruption of service, e.g., without the need for re-initialization and/or re-synchronization.
US08457180B2
A positioning system comprises a plurality of controllers, each controller comprising a wideband receiver and a narrow band transmitter, the each controller configured to receive a wideband positioning frame using the wideband receiver from one or more devices and to transmit acknowledgement frames using the narrow band transmitter that include timing and control data for use by the devices to establish timing for transmission of the positioning frame; and at least one device comprising a wideband transmitter and a narrow band receiver, the device configured to transmit a positioning frame to the plurality of controllers using the wideband transmitter and to receive an acknowledgement frame from one or more controllers using the narrow band receiver, extract timing and control information from the frame, and adjust the timing and synchronization of the wideband transmitter using the timing and control information.
US08457169B2
An integrated semiconductor laser element includes: semiconductor lasers that oscillate at different oscillation wavelengths from one another, each laser oscillating in a single mode; an optical coupler; and a semiconductor optical amplifier. At least one of active layers of the semiconductor lasers and an active layer of the semiconductor optical amplifier have a same thickness and a same composition that is set to have a gain peak wavelength near a center of a wavelength band formed by the oscillation wavelengths. The semiconductor optical amplifier includes: an equal width portion formed on a side of the optical coupler to guide light in a single mode; and an expanded width portion formed on a light output side. The width of the expanded width portion is set according to a total thickness of well layers of the active layer of the semiconductor optical amplifier.
US08457166B2
A method of controlling a wavelength-tunable laser selecting an oscillation wavelength with a combination of a plurality of wavelength selection portions of which wavelength peak is different from each other, comprising: a first step of confirming a control direction of the wavelength selection portion in a case where a setting value is changed from a first setting value for achieving the first wavelength to a second setting value for achieving the second wavelength; a second step of setting a setting value that is shifted from the second setting value in a direction that is opposite of a pre-determined changing direction on the wavelength selection portion as a prepared setting value, when the control direction confirmed in the first step is opposite to the pre-determined changing direction; and a third step of changing the prepared setting value set in the second step to the second setting value.
US08457165B2
Techniques, devices and systems for optical communications based on wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) that use tunable multi-wavelength laser transmitter modules.
US08457163B2
A method for data transmission via data networks, in particular via ethernet-based data networks, having at least two participants; the data networks have at least one topological real-time field and one topological non-real-time field, and data telegrams sent via the data networks have at least one real-time part and at least one non-real-time part. By a coupling unit, data telegrams from the non-real-time field which arrive inside the real-time part are delayed and transmitted to the non-real-time part.
US08457161B2
A digital broadcasting system and method, where the digital broadcasting system includes: a transmission stream generator multiplexing a normal stream and a turbo stream to generate a dual transmission stream; a transmitter inserting an supplementary reference signal (SRS) into the dual transmission stream, processing the turbo stream to reconstitute the dual transmission stream, and outputting the reconstituted dual transmission stream; and a receiver receiving the reconstituted dual transmission stream, separately turbo decoding the turbo stream, inserting the turbo decode turbo stream into the dual transmission stream, and decoding the dual transmission stream into which the turbo decoded turbo stream has been inserted, to restore normal stream data and turbo stream data. Thus, reception sensitivity of a digital broadcasting signal can be efficiently improved.
US08457159B2
The present invention provides an Optical Transport Network (OTN) hierarchy that supports full transparency for both Ethernet and Telecom signals. The present invention defines new rates and mapping/multiplexing methods to adapt transparent 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10 GBE) (255/238 and 255/237) and 10 Gigabit Fibre Chanel (10 GFC) (255/237) to Optical Channel Transport Unit-3 (OTU3) at a higher rate. Additionally, the present invention defines new rates and mapping/multiplexing methods to adapt future transparent 100 GBE into an Optical Channel Transport Unit-4-extended (OTU4e) which is an OTU4 at a higher rate to support full transparency.
US08457152B2
A MIMO communication system is adapted to encode multiple data streams at the same adaptable rate. Accordingly, the set of all possible modulation/rate combinations to all modulations with common rates is decreased thus resulting in the reduction of the number of possible packet formats carrying the data streams. Rate prediction is made more error-resilient, in part, due to the averaging over all information rates. Furthermore, the signaling overhead of the packets is reduced. Therefore, the tradeoff between the desired transmission rate granularity on the one hand, and robustness/signaling overhead on the other hand, is controlled by adjusting the coding rate.
US08457148B2
A method for reducing delays in the receipt of high priority information in a transportation system is disclosed.
US08457141B2
A telecommunications network comprising first and second access equipment on one side of the network and third and fourth access equipment on another side of the network, a respective communication link is provided between the first and the third access equipment and between the second and fourth access equipment, and further, a communication link is provided between the first and the second access equipment, and between the third and fourth access equipment, each access equipment providing an interface for communication with the network, and each access equipment is configured to be capable of causing a change in the path followed by at least some of the traffic conveyed over the communication links.
US08457136B2
An apparatus for reducing session setup latency includes a processing element. The processing element is configured to determine a status with respect to a response message made in response to an invite message associated with a communication session, determine a status with respect to media packets being communicated between nodes of a network, make a determination with respect to an acknowledgment message based at least in part on the status determination with respect to the response message and the status determination with respect to media packets, and control setup of a communication session based on the determination with respect to the acknowledgement message.
US08457134B2
Techniques for routing data from a source to a destination in a wireless network are provided. The techniques include broadcasting one or more messages in a network to identify a set of one or more nodes that can be used to forward data towards a destination, routing data from a source to the destination by way of a sequence of one or more data transmissions involving the one or more identified nodes, wherein each data transmission comprises a node that has data addressed to the destination to trigger a distributed procedure among the one or more identified nodes to select a relaying node, and sending the data to the selected relaying node until the destination is reached.
US08457129B2
A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes receiving at a network element having a binding table a packet that is part of a flow, the binding table having an entry corresponding to the flow, the entry mapping the flow to a first one of a plurality of endpoints and recognizing that a state of the first one of the plurality of endpoints at the first network element is not active. The method further includes, determining that the state of the first one of the plurality of endpoints at a second network element mated with the first network element and having a binding table similar to the binding table of the first network element is active. The method still further includes, directing the flow to the first one of the plurality of endpoints via the second network element.
US08457124B2
A technique for communicating information using an electronic device that includes an IEEE 802.11-compliant chipset is described. This communication technique facilitates transmission of data packets in IEEE 802.11 frames in a communication channel by the IEEE 802.11-compliant chipset using time division multiple access (TDMA). In particular, the electronic device may queue a data packet in a software queue. Based on available space in a hardware queue in the IEEE 802.11-compliant chipset, this data packet may be provided to the hardware queue for inclusion in an IEEE 802.11 frame that is compliant with an IEEE 802.11 communication protocol. Then, the electronic device provides time-slot control information to the IEEE 802.11-compliant chipset based on a timing-synchronization signal. In this way, the electronic device gates the release of the data packet from the hardware queue for transmission in the IEEE 802.11 frame by the IEEE 802.11-compliant chipset.
US08457122B2
A multiport switch for cascaded Ethernet audio/visual (AV) device networking. AV devices are configured with multiple external Ethernet ports and an internal port. These multiple Ethernet ports enable the AV devices to operate as a terminating AV device or as an intermediary switch. With this functionality, a cascading chain of AV devices can be used to support traffic between the connected set of AV devices. Independent links between the sets of devices would not be required as with conventional point-to-point topologies.
US08457121B1
A heterogeneous network switch system includes heterogeneous network switches having a first network switch having a first functionality and a second network switch having a second functionality, where the first functionality differs from the second functionality. In addition, the first network switch and the second network switch are configured to forward data to at least one common server. The system also includes a controller configured to receive data from at least one client and to select one of the first network switch and the second network switch to employ in forwarding the data from the at least one client to the at least one common network equipment.
US08457120B2
A method is provided for determining a transmission rate of a control response frame for acknowledging data receipt in a wireless local area network. The method includes obtaining transmission parameters of a transmitting station from a data transmission frame received from the transmitting station, searching a receiving station for transmission parameters which correspond to the transmission parameters of the transmitting station, determining the transmission rate of the control response frame according to transmission parameters of the receiving station if the transmission parameters corresponding to the transmission parameters of the transmitting station are found in the receiving station, and determining a maximum rate among a set of basic transmission rates to be the transmission rate of the control response frame if the transmission parameters corresponding to the transmission parameters of the transmitting station are not found in the receiving station.
US08457107B2
An approach for determining shortest paths within a multiple ring network. Topology information associated with a ring network that includes a plurality of rings is retrieved, wherein each of the rings includes one or more nodes. A start node and an end node associated with the ring network are selected. A minimum set of one or more interconnected rings of the ring network is determined. One or more shortest paths between the start node and the end node are determined based on the determined minimum set.
US08457105B2
A method is provided for propagating at least one route for at least one digital stream between a first location server of a first IP telephony domain and a second location server of a second IP telephony domain, the first location server belonging to an autonomous system, and the route for transferring the at least one digital stream. The method includes a stage of propagating at least one identification relating to the autonomous system of the first location server towards the second server.
US08457099B2
MIP Home Agent (HA) architectures are described that decompose, e.g., split, packet forwarding control functionality from actual data packet forwarding operations performed by a conventional MIP HA. This places MIP routing control in a node which is distinct from the tunnel end-points which perform packet forwarding operations to direct packets including a mobile's Home Address. Tunneling establishment and control functionality is implemented by what is referred to herein as decomposed HA (DHA) while data packet forwarding and redirection is performed, under the control of the DHA, by a tunneling agent (TA) node. The tunneling agent node serves as the data packet redirection node for a mobile as it moves from one location to another and may be located outside of a firewall used to protect the DHA. Tunnel endpoint nodes (Mobile Nodes and/or Access Nodes) send tunnel packets to the tunnel agent whilst directing control signaling packets to the DHA.
US08457097B2
According to an example embodiment, a wireless node may determine that a first reserved retransmission frame overlaps with a second reserved transmission frame and a second reserved retransmission frame and that the second reserved transmission frame overlaps with a first reserved transmission frame and the first reserved retransmission frame. The first reserved transmission frame and the first reserved retransmission frame may be reserved for wireless communication with a first master node, and the second reserved transmission frame and the second reserved retransmission frame are reserved for wireless communication with a second master node. The wireless node may also process and acknowledge data received from the first master node during the first reserved transmission frame based on the determining, ignore data sent by the second master node during the second reserved transmission frame based on the determining, and process and acknowledge data received from the second master node during the second reserved retransmission frame based on the determining.
US08457095B2
A bandwidth recovery method for a communication system includes: transmitting a first uplink scheduling message to at least a first communication node and a second communication node of a plurality of communication nodes in the communication system; detecting if a communication channel is in an idle state after a first transmission start time; then, transmitting a second uplink scheduling message to the plurality of the communication nodes when the communication channel is found to be in the idle state after the first transmission start time.
US08457089B2
Embodiments of a high-throughput (HT) receiving station and method for determining a rate for response frames in non-HT format are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed. The rate may be a non-HT basic rate that is a highest of a basic rate set that is less than or equal to a non-HT reference rate that is selected based on a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) of a received spatial stream.
US08457068B2
The present invention concerns a method for transferring information enabling the adjustment of the transmission power of the signals transferred and/or received by a first base station through a wireless interface, a cell of the first base station being at least partly comprised in a cell of a second base station. A mobile terminal for which a handover has been or has to be conducted between the first and second base stations obtains information related to the path between the second base station and the mobile terminal and transfers information to the first base station.
US08457065B2
A handover method, in a wireless communication system having a mobile station and a plurality of base stations, for performing handover of the mobile station from a connected base station to a neighbor base station, the method having the steps of: deciding that neighbor base station information non-reception handover is establish; searching a connectable neighbor base station; acquiring identification information for the neighbor base station; transmitting a handover request including the acquired identification information; transmitting, in the connected base station received the handover request, to the mobile station, service level information included with in a handover response, and deciding a handover destination based on the service level information.
US08457062B2
A method performed in a wireless network includes receiving signals within a downlink frequency domain to enable channel estimation and measuring two or more signals only for two or more frequency bands of the downlink frequency domain that correspond to two or more uplink frequency bands associated with a scheduling grant or channel allocation that correspond to physical uplink channel frequency bands. The method also includes calculating path loss values for each of the frequency bands and calculating a total power based on the path loss values corresponding to the frequency bands. The method further includes determining a power allocation per frequency band based on the calculated total power to be applied to an uplink transmission and allocating the total power.
US08457058B2
Apparatus and methods implement aggregation frames and allocation frames. The aggregation frames include a plurality of MSDUs or fragments thereof aggregated or otherwise combined together. An aggregation frame makes more efficient use of the wireless communication resources. The allocation frame defines a plurality of time intervals. The allocation frame specifies a pair of stations that are permitted to communicate with each other during each time interval as well as the antenna configuration to be used for the communication. This permits stations to know ahead of time when they are to communicate, with which other stations and the antenna configuration that should be used. A buffered traffic field can also be added to the frames to specify how much data remains to be transmitted following the current frame. This enables network traffic to be scheduled more effectively.
US08457046B2
For multiple registration of a multimodal communication terminal (MKE) via at least one access network in an IMS-based service communication system in a mobile and/or convergent communication system, where the multimodal communication terminal (MKE) is registered for at least one communication service via a first access network (WIAN) in at least one service control unit in the IMS-based service communication system (S-CSCF), a registration message with an access network identifier (ZK) is produced and is transmitted to the at least one service control unit (S-CSCF) in the IMS-based service communication system. The at least one service control unit evaluates the access network identifier (ZK) and takes it as a basis for performing further registration of the multimodal communication terminal in the IMS-based service communication system (S-CSCF).
US08457041B2
Various methods and apparatus are directed to, among other things, an access node which is used in providing enhanced functionality and fault tolerance in a system which distributes home agent functionality between a home agent control node and a tunneling node, referred to herein as a home agent tunneling node, which performs packet forwarding under direction of the home agent control node. The distributed home agent approach is enhanced in some embodiments to provide redundancy of home agent control nodes and/or home agent tunneling nodes. Thus, in accordance with some embodiments if a home agent control node fails, the secondary home agent control node can take over the home agent control function. Various embodiments describe various methods, apparatus, and/or messages in addition to system configurations, which can be used to maintain primary and secondary home agent control and facilitate a rapid transfer of functions between primary and secondary nodes.
US08457037B2
Degree of hierarchical modulation can be varied as a function of satellite position, where such hierarchical modulation can be a combination of phase and amplitude shifts. As each satellite in a multiple satellite system moves towards a D-node or an A-node position, the offset angle of a phase-based hierarchical modulation scheme can be varied. Starting with the lowest satellite position in the sky an offset angle for overlay bits can progressively increase as the position of the satellite in the sky increases. At a satellite's highest point in the sky, the overlay offset angle can be at its maximum. The value of a varying overlay offset angle (for each satellite) can be embedded in an Overlay Identification Marker (OIM) in the broadcast. The receiver can then appropriately correct MRC weightings (weighting more heavily the (higher lying) satellite).
US08457035B2
Systems and methods for providing mobility across satellite beams, are described. The system includes a first core node, a second core node in communication with the first core node at layer-2 of the OSI model (L2), and a first gateway in communication, at L2, with the first core, the first gateway configured to provide access to a first spot beam at a first location. The system further includes a second gateway in communication, at L2, with the second core node, the second gateway configure to provide access to a second spot beam at a second location, and a mobile device, at the first location, in communication with the first gateway via the first spot beam, wherein the mobile device is assigned an IP address by the first core node. The mobile device moves from the first location to the second location. Further, the first gateway, in response to the mobile device moving from the first location to the second location, notifies the second gateway, through the first core node and the second core node, that the mobile device is moving to the second location, and transmits the session information to the second gateway, and the second gateway, in response to the notification, maintains connectivity with the mobile device using the IP address.
US08457030B2
A mobile phone includes a mobile communication module and a wireless communication module. The mobile communication module registers with a session initiation protocol (SIP) server by a first Internet protocol (IP) address and a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) account over a mobile communication network, and enters a suspension mode when the mobile communication module has no communication. The wireless communication module registers with the SIP server by use of a second IP address and the VoIP account over a wireless communication network, and enters a suspension mode when the wireless communication module has no communication. The wireless communication module receives an SIP invite from the SIP server over the wireless communication network and wakes up the mobile communication module when a remote phone calls the mobile phone. The mobile communication module transmits an SIP response to the SIP server over the mobile communication network after being waked up.
US08457025B2
Method and nodes for selecting a network prefix to be advertised in an IP network comprising an access router and a mobile node (MN). From the access router, a first validity period is used to advertise at least a first and a second network prefixes towards the MN. The access router receives a message from the MN indicating an intended address thereof that it intends to use. In the access router, based on the message, only one of the first or second network prefix that the MN needs to use is then determined. The access router afterwards advertises towards the MN the only one network prefix with a second validity period longer than the first validity period. The access router may further acquire a current address and a current network prefix used by the MN and it may use these in the determination of the only one network prefix.
US08457015B2
A method for configuring an absolute grant mapping relationship table for a base station, comprises: a radio network controller notifying the base station of the absolute grant mapping relationship table used by an enhanced dedicated channel absolute grant channel (E-AGCH) through a signaling, and the base station returning a response message to the radio network controller after storing the configured information. The present invention allows the absolute grant mapping relationship table used by the base station to be consistent with an absolute grant mapping relationship table of which a user equipment is notified via the air interface to use, so as to ensure that the absolute grant values corresponding to the base station and the user equipment are obtained from the same absolute grant mapping relationship table, and allocation and use of the power resource by the base station and the user equipment are consistent.
US08457013B2
Various wireless network components that offer increased flexibility, ease of use, functionality and performance in many demanding applications in diverse fields of use, namely: a wireless multi-function network device for use on a wireless communication network, that can serve multiple functions and dynamically switch and reconfigure from a network router into a network coordinator in the event that the originally designated network coordinator is permanently or temporally disabled; a wireless mesh-type communication network, including a plurality of wireless network router devices, each capable of performing the functions of a network controller/coordinator; a wireless network router device for use on a wireless communication network, and employing an integrated phased-array antenna structure, supporting the spatial isolation of multi-regions, and utilizing beam steering principles of operation, for illuminating multiple wireless network end-devices over separate regions; a network gateway device that supports a USB-type communication interface and RF-based wireless communication interface; a network protocol translation (NPT) based gateway device for use in a wireless communication network; and wireless network coordinator device for automatically establishing a Personal Area Network (PAN) on a wireless communication network, and having a compact housing with an electrical wall plug integrated therein having electrical prongs for plugging into a standard electrical wall socket.
US08457008B2
A method of transmitting information necessary for performing collaborative multi input multi output (MIMO) operation between a mobile station and a base station in order to improve reception performance of the mobile station in a multi-cell environment is provided. The mobile station may receive a feedback channel for the collaborative MIMO which is allocated by a serving base station and transmit a collaborative MIMO indicator including information indicating that the collaborative MIMO is started to the serving base station. In addition, the mobile station may transmit the feedback information of each of the serving base station and a collaborative base station to the serving base station through the feedback channel, and the serving base station may transmit the feedback information to the collaborative base station via a backbone network. The mobile station may receive the collaborative MIMO supported by the serving base station and the collaborative base station.
US08457004B2
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for analyzing packet flows and generating an alarm and for active testing of a network to localize problems. The system analyzes packet flows for bitstreams associated with a network node in order to compute a measure of protection that a queue of the network node gives to a high-priority one of the bitstreams relative to a low-priority one of the bitstreams, and uses the measure of protection to determine whether the network node is a source of a protection error with respect to priority markings for packets flowing through the network node, and generates an alarm upon determining that the network node is a source of a protection error with respect to the priority markings for the packets flowing through the network node.
US08457003B2
This invention enables an abnormality analysis to be easily and reliably performed in the FA system of the EtherCAT (registered trademark). A controller has a protocol monitor function of operating in a monitor system program, and constantly monitors data communicated with a remote device. The controller has an abnormality diagnosis function of detecting abnormality, and thus holds the data monitored immediately before when abnormality is detected. As the protocol monitor function is incorporated, a protocol monitor does not need to be newly plugged into the network as an external device after the occurrence of abnormality, and the data that becomes the cause can be held from the abnormality that occurred first by monitoring from the beginning of the operation of the system and can be used for analysis.
US08457002B2
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for improving wireless communication network performance and efficiency, based on detecting the occurrence of grant loss in relation to the transmission of scheduling grants to mobile terminals over a downlink control channel. Grant loss detection is based on detecting erasure events corresponding to the transmitted scheduling grants, and the incidence of grant loss with respect to a given mobile terminal can be tracked and used to compensate the control value(s) used for link adaptation of the downlink control channel, with respect to that terminal. Additionally, or alternatively, when a given grant is determined to be lost, a new grant is sent and the HARQ redundancy version is reset for the newly scheduled transmission.
US08456996B2
A method for wireless communication is disclosed that includes receiving a plurality of sets of transport blocks, each set of transport blocks associated with a radio link from a plurality of radio links in soft combining; performing a filtering operation of block errors in the plurality of radio links; and removing one or more radio links from the plurality of radio links in soft combining based on the filtering operation. An apparatus and processing system for performing the method are also disclosed.
US08456993B1
Systems and methods for implementing a differential signal to noise ratio (DSNR) based rate adaptation for wireless networks are disclosed. The described methods probabilistically adapt the rate of data transmission based on an assessment of the causes of data loss. The described methods include determining a DSNR for data transmission during a predetermined window of time and adapting the transmission rate in a probabilistic manner responsive to the differential SNR and a differential SNR threshold for the data transmission.
US08456988B2
The present invention relates to network communication field. A method for admission control, an apparatus and a communication system thereof are disclosed according to the present invention. The method includes measuring, by an egress node, traffic from an ingress node, and calculating a current congestion degree; comparing, by the egress node, the current calculated CLE with a last calculated CLE, and sending the current calculated CLE to an admission control decision entity by the egress node if the current calculated CLE crosses a predetermined threshold; receiving and storing the CLE by the admission control decision entity; and making a decision by the admission control decision entity based on the stored CLE, when a service traffic request arrives at the admission control decision entity, and determining whether to admit the service traffic request. According to the method for admission control provided by the present invention in which CLE is transferred proactively, the number of messages for transferring CLE is reduced when calling rate is high, and admission decision procedure is accelerated.
US08456981B2
According to one method for preserving stable calls during failover, during a dialog between two user endpoints, a determination is made whether a standby call processor has become operational, such as when a corresponding primary call processor is in fault. Responsive to determining that the standby call processor has become operational, a signaling protocol message is received from a requester. A determination is made whether the message includes an in-dialog signaling protocol request. Responsive to determining that the message includes the in-dialog request, a determination is made whether a call state associated with the dialog is found in memory. Responsive to determining that the call state associated with the dialog is not found in memory, a non-call terminating error response is made responding to the in-dialog request. The non-call terminating error response may cause the requester to terminate the in-dialog request but not terminate the dialog.
US08456980B1
A disk drive is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk comprising a plurality of data tracks defined by servo sectors. The head comprises a laser operable to heat the disk while writing data to the disk and a fly height actuator operable to adjust a fly height of the head over the disk. When the head approaches a target data sector of a write command, the fly height of the actuator adjusts the fly height of the head to a target pre-heat fly height during a pre-heat interval. After the pre-heat interval and during a pre-laser interval, the fly height actuator increases the fly height of the head. After the pre-laser interval, a power applied to the laser is increased to heat the disk, wherein the pre-laser interval compensates for a protrusion transient of the head toward the disk due to increasing the power applied to the laser.
US08456979B2
An optical information recording/reproducing apparatus for an optical disc using a light beam having a wavelength of λ including: an objective lens that converges the light beam onto a recording surface of the optical disc and satisfies a condition: 0.48 < d · ( n - 1 ) f 2 < 0.75 ( 1 ) where f represents a focal length (unit: mm) of the objective lens with respect to the wavelength λ, d represents a thickness (unit: mm) of the objective lens along an optical axis of the objective lens, and n represents a refractive index with respect to the wavelength λ; a photoreceptor to receive the beam reflected from the optical disc; a detector to detect quality of a signal, and an objective lens driving unit to tilt the objective lens in a direction to improve the quality of the signal based on a result of detection by the detector.
US08456957B2
An ultrasonic transducer assembly for use in sensing the location of objects in proximity to the transducer. The ultrasonic transducer assembly includes a piezoceramic resonator plate and a coupler. The resonator plate is supported to the coupler in cantilever relation. The coupler extends transverse to the resonator plate for acoustically coupling the resonator plate to a medium in contact with the coupler.
US08456956B2
A method and device for displaying an underwater detection image is provided, in which an ultrasonic signal having a predetermined beam width is periodically transmitted underwater, receives a signal reflected on a detection target object which moves underwater, generates information on the detection target object based on the received signal, and displays the information on a display module. The method includes periodically detecting the detection target object and a position thereof based on the received signal, coupling the same detection target objects by associating the same based on the detection target object and the position periodically detected, and associating a displacement symbol corresponding to a change in a position of the detection target object with the coupled detection target object, and displaying the displacement symbol at the detected position of the detection target object at least on a two-dimensional position coordinates displayed in the display module.
US08456951B2
Apparatus, computer instructions and method for deghosting seismic data related to a subsurface of a body of water. The method includes inputting data recorded by detectors that are towed by a vessel, the data being associated with waves travelling from the subsurface to the detectors; applying a migration procedure to the data to determine a first image of the subsurface; applying a mirror migration procedure to the data to determine a second image of the subsurface; joint deconvoluting the first image and the second image for deghosting a reflectivity of the subsurface; and generating a final image of the subsurface based on the deghosted reflectivity of the joint deconvoluting step.
US08456950B2
Three-axis velocity data, obtained along with pressure data in a marine seismic survey, are rotated to a ray direction. Plane wave decomposition is applied in the ray direction to the rotated velocity data. The pressure data and the velocity data are combined to generate at least one of up-going and down-going wave fields. The at least one of up-going and down-going wave fields are used in a time-space domain to image the earth's subsurface.
US08456946B2
A NAND architecture for selecting a word line driver in a DRAM is disclosed. Separately decoded addresses in the low, mid and high ranges are used to select a final word line driver. The output of the word line driver is at a potential negative with respect to ground for a deselected word line and a positive potential more positive than the power supply potential for a selected word line.
US08456943B2
An electronic device includes a memory storage device, a storing unit, and a voltage increasing unit. The storing unit is used for receiving the supply voltage to store energy and releasing energy to generate an standby voltage when the power supply stops providing the supply voltage. The voltage increasing unit is used for receiving the standby voltage, increasing the standby voltage, and providing the increased standby voltage to the memory storage device for preventing data loss in the memory storage device. A related method for preventing data loss in a memory storage device and an electronic device assembly are also provided.
US08456935B2
In a memory (100), a local data line pair (116, 118) is precharged to a first logic state and a global data line pair (101, 104) is precharged to a second logic state. A selected memory cell is coupled to the local data line pair (116, 118) to develop a differential local data line voltage. The differential local data line voltage is subsequently amplified to form an amplified differential local data line voltage. A selected one of the global data line pair (101, 104) is driven to the first logic state in response to the amplified differential local data line voltage to form a differential global data line voltage.
US08456926B2
Memory circuit includes; an array, row decoder, column decoder, addressing circuit to receive an address of the data bit, control logic receiving commands and transmitting control signals to memory system blocks, and sensing and write driver circuits coupled to a selected column. A hidden read compare circuit couples between the sensing circuit and write driver, which couples an error flag to the control logic circuit responsive to a comparison between a data bit in the input latch and a data-out read from the memory array. A write error address tag memory is responsive to the error flag and is coupled to the addressing circuit via a bidirectional bus. A data input output circuit having first and second bidirectional buses to transmit and receive said data bit is provided. Write error address tag memory stores the address if the error flag is set and provides the address during a re-write operation.
US08456925B2
A non-volatile memory device includes a plurality of input pads, a buffer configured to buffer data inputted through the plurality of the input pads in synchronization with a write enable signal, an even latch configured to store a first buffered data outputted from the buffer in response to an even write enable signal, an odd latch configured to store a second buffered data outputted from the buffer in response to an odd write enable signal, and a transfer unit configured to transfer stored data in the even latch and the odd latch to a selected bank of a plane in response to a bank selection signal.
US08456917B1
A logic circuit for a semiconductor memory device, includes a first logic portion which stores data from a first data signal, and generates a second data signal based on the first data signal, a second logic portion which generates a first address signal and stores an address from the first address signal where data from the second data signal is to be written, and a third logic portion which generates a flag signal which indicates whether the data stored in the first logic portion is valid.
US08456915B2
A set of non-volatile storage elements are subjected to a programming process in order to store data. During the programming process, one or more verification operations are performed to determine whether the non-volatile storage elements have reached their target. Non-volatile storage elements being programmed to a first set of one or more targets are verified to determine whether they have reached their target and are locked out of further programming if it is determined that they have reached their target. Non-volatile storage elements being programmed to the second set of one or more targets are tested to determine the number of fast programming bits. When the number of fast bits for a particular target is greater than a threshold, then programming stops for the non-volatile storage elements being programmed to the particular target.
US08456910B2
One embodiment relates to a memory device. The memory device includes a capacitor having a first capacitor plate and a second capacitor plate, wherein the first and second capacitor plates are separated by an insulating layer and are formed over a first portion of a semiconductor substrate. The memory device also includes a transistor having a source region, a drain region, and a gate region, where the gate region is coupled to the second capacitor plate. The transistor is formed over a second portion of the semiconductor substrate. A well region is disposed in the first and second portions of the semiconductor substrate and has a doping-type that is opposite a doping-type of the semiconductor substrate. Other embodiments are also disclosed.
US08456903B2
A magnetic element having a ferromagnetic pinned layer, a ferromagnetic free layer, a non-magnetic spacer layer therebetween, and a porous non-electrically conducting current confinement layer between the free layer and the pinned layer. The current confinement layer forms an interface either between the free layer and the non-magnetic spacer layer or the pinned layer and the non-magnetic spacer layer.
US08456900B2
A memory device includes a memory cell. The memory cell includes: a bipolar memory element and a bidirectional switching element. The bidirectional switching element is connected to ends of the bipolar memory element, and has a bidirectional switching characteristic. The bidirectional switching element includes: a first switching element and a second switching element. The first switching element is connected to a first end of the bipolar memory element and has a first switching direction. The second switching element is connected to a second end of the bipolar memory element and has a second switching direction. The second switching direction is opposite to the first switching direction.
US08456893B2
A MTJ that minimizes spin-transfer magnetization switching current (Jc) in a Spin-RAM to <1×106 A/cm2 is disclosed. The MTJ has a Co60Fe20B20/MgO/Co60Fe20B20 configuration where the CoFeB AP1 pinned and free layers are amorphous and the crystalline MgO tunnel barrier is formed by a ROX or NOX process. The capping layer preferably is a Hf/Ru composite where the lower Hf layer serves as an excellent oxygen getter material to reduce the magnetic “dead layer” at the free layer/capping layer interface and thereby increase dR/R, and lower He and Jc. The annealing temperature is lowered to about 280° C. to give a smoother CoFeB/MgO interface and a smaller offset field than with a 350° C. annealing. In a second embodiment, the AP1 layer has a CoFeB/CoFe configuration wherein the lower CoFeB layer is amorphous and the upper CoFe layer is crystalline to further improve dR/R and lower RA to ≦10 ohm/μm2.
US08456891B2
A nonvolatile memory cell includes first and second electrodes and a data storage layer extending between the first and second electrodes. An oxygen diffusion barrier layer is provided, which extends between the data storage layer and the first electrode. An oxygen gettering layer is also provided, which extends between the oxygen diffusion barrier layer and the data storage layer. The oxygen diffusion barrier layer includes aluminum oxide, the oxygen gettering layer includes titanium, the data storage layer includes a metal oxide, such as magnesium oxide, and at least one of the first and second electrodes includes a material selected from a group consisting of tungsten, polysilicon, aluminum, titanium nitride silicide and conductive nitrides.
US08456890B2
According to one embodiment, a multi-level resistance change memory includes a memory cell includes first and second resistance change films connected in series, and a capacitor connected in parallel to the first resistance change film, a voltage pulse generating circuit generating a first voltage pulse with a first pulse width to divide a voltage of the first voltage pulse into the first and second resistance change films based on a resistance ratio thereof, and generating a second voltage pulse with a second pulse width shorter than the first pulse width to apply a voltage of the second voltage pulse to the second resistance change film by a transient response of the capacitor, and a control circuit which is stored multi-level data to the memory cell by using the first and second voltage pulses in a writing.
US08456888B2
A semiconductor memory device with a variable resistance element includes a plurality of active areas isolated from one another by an isolation layer formed in a substrate, a plurality of word lines crossing over the plurality of active areas, an auxiliary source line disposed between two selected word lines and commonly connected to at least two active areas among the plurality of active areas between the two selected word lines, and a plurality of contact plugs each connected to a corresponding active area.
US08456884B2
Both decreasing access time and power consumption and improving storage bit count per one word line are compatibly attained. A memory cell array 1 has a configuration in which at least one row of memory cells MC having a fuse device F with a resistance value variable according to a flowing current and a plurality of cell transistors (TRB1 and TRB2) connected in parallel with respect to the fuse device F is arranged. In the relevant semiconductor device, out of the plurality of cell transistors (TRB1 and TRB2), the number of cell transistors turned ON is controllable by a writing control signal (WRITE) inputted from outside and an internal logic circuit 5 (and a word line drive circuit 4).
US08456882B2
A method and system for providing a magnetic junction usable in a magnetic memory are described. The magnetic junction includes first and second pinned layers, first and second nonmagnetic spacer layers, and a free layer. The first pinned layer has a first pinned layer magnetic moment and is nonmagnetic layer-free. The first nonmagnetic spacer layer resides between the first pinned and free layers. The free layer resides between the first and second nonmagnetic spacer layers. The second pinned layer has a second pinned layer magnetic moment and is nonmagnetic layer-free. The second nonmagnetic spacer layer resides between the free and second pinned layers. The first and second pinned layer magnetic moments are antiferromagnetically coupled and self-pinned. The magnetic junction is configured to allow the free layer to be switched between stable magnetic states when a write current is passed through the magnetic junction.
US08456879B2
Provided is a switching power supply apparatus capable of suppressing heat generation from a power supply to improve the efficiency of conversion during a power supply operation and accurately detecting only a current flowing through a load to achieve more stabile control. Since a first closed loop made up of a fourth diode (27d), a third inductor (25c) and a fourth electronic switch (24d) and a second closed loop made up of a second diode (27b), a first inductor (25a) and a second electronic switch (24b) do not include a fourth inductor (25d) and a second inductor (25b) through which an AC output current supplied to a load (28) flows, an unnecessary current does not flow through the first or second closed loop.
US08456874B2
A direct current (DC) to DC converter, including: input ports for receiving an input DC voltage; output ports for outputting an output DC voltage; a first matrix of capacitors and switches; a second matrix of capacitors and switches; and a control circuit, coupled to the switches of the first and second matrices, configure d to repetitively: (i) configure the first matrix to a charge configuration and couple the first matrix to the input ports while configuring the second matrix to a discharge configuration and coupling the second matrix to the output ports; (ii) maintain the charge and discharge configurations for a first period of time; (iii) configure the second matrix to the charge configuration and couple the second matrix to the input ports while configuring the first matrix to the discharge configuration and couple the first matrix to the output ports; and (iv) maintain the charge and discharge configurations for a second period of time; (a) wherein the charge configuration and the discharge configurations of each matrix out of the first and second matrices differ from each other by a replacement of serial connections of capacitors of the matrix to parallel connections of capacitors of the matrix; (b) wherein the charge configuration and a discharge configuration of each of the first and second matrices are responsive to required conversion ratio between the input DC voltage and the output DC voltage; and (c) each matrix of the first and second matrices comprises at least four capacitors.
US08456867B1
An isolated switched mode power supply (SMPS) is disclosed. The SMPS comprises a switching controller to generate start-up and operational switching control signals. The SMPS further includes a transformer, having a primary winding, and a full-bridge drive circuit to drive the primary winding. The full-bridge drive circuit comprises a first switching element, a boot-strap dnving circuit, and a second switching element. The switching controller is further used to start up isolated SMPS by determining a duty cycle for operational control signals and generating the start-up switching control signals.
US08456866B2
A power conversion device includes an inverter circuit converting DC power into AC power and including switching devices constituting upper and lower arms, a control circuit controlling the switching devices, a drive circuit driving the switching devices by a signal from the control circuit, and an insulated power supply circuit supplying power to the drive circuit. The control circuit controls a power supply voltage to be outputted from the power supply circuit to the drive circuit. The drive circuit drives the switching devices and based on a carrier frequency and the power supply voltage. The power supply circuit includes a feedback output circuit through which the voltage outputted to the drive circuit is outputted to a power supply control IC. The feedback output circuit includes a dummy load circuit which controls the voltage to be outputted to the power supply control IC based on a change of the carrier frequency.
US08456858B2
A serial advanced technology attachment dual-in-line memory module (SATA DIMM) assembly includes a SATA DIMM module with a circuit board and a cable member. A first edge connector is set on a bottom edge of the circuit board to be connected to a memory slot of a motherboard. A second edge connector is arranged on an end of the circuit board. The cable member includes a cable, a first storage device interface extending from a first end of the cable to be connected to a second storage device interface of the motherboard, and a third edge connector formed on a second end of the cable and soldered to the second edge connector.
US08456853B2
A chassis includes a board defining a number of openings, and a number of fixing members detachably mounted on the board. Each fixing member includes a fastener and a holding piece. The fastener includes a blocking portion and a post extending from the blocking portion. The post defines a slot adjacent to the blocking portion. The holding piece fits about the fastener in the slot. The fastener extends through a corresponding opening of the board. An outer side of the board blocks the blocking portion, and an inner side of the board blocks the holding piece.
US08456849B2
A conductive film stacked member includes: a first conductive film formed on a substrate; and a second conductive film formed on the first conductive film, wherein the width of the second conductive film is narrower than the width of the first conductive film, and the second conductive film has a surface convexly curved in the direction away from the first conductive film in a cross-sectional view.
US08456845B2
A power module includes a power source comprising an end defining a socket, an external power line comprising a plug inserted into the socket, a fixing piece fixed at the end of the power source, and a clamping piece. The clamping piece includes a base mounted on the fixing piece, two parallel fixing portions extending from the base and defining a slot therebetween, a hook positioned on one of the fixing portions and extending in the slot, and a clamping band. The clamping band includes a fixed end fixed on the base and a slide end. The slide end includes spaced fixing teeth, a fixing groove is defined between each two of the fixing teeth, the clamping band winds around the external power line, the hook is engaged with one fixing groove to lock the slide end, and the clamping band and the base cooperatively hold the external power line.
US08456841B2
A container data center includes a container, at least one power supplying assembly, at least one cooling assembly, and at least one server assembly. The power supplying assembly, the cooling assembly, and the server assembly are received in the container. The cooling assembly is positioned between the power supplying assembly and the server assembly. The power supplying assembly includes a first frame and a plurality of power boxes supported in the first frame, and is for supplying power to the cooling assembly and the server assembly. The cooling assembly includes a second frame and a plurality of cooling devices supported in the second frame, and is for cooling the power supplying assembly and the server assembly. The server assembly includes a third frame and a plurality of servers supported in the third frame.
US08456840B1
A rack-mount computer system includes one or more rows of computer racks, wherein each row of computer racks includes a pair of rows of computer racks positioned back-to-back relative to each other, a plurality of computer motherboards mounted in each of the racks in each row of computer racks and having front edges open to a workspace for receiving circulating air over the motherboards, the motherboards positioned to create a warm air plenum near a back edge of each motherboard, and a fan positioned adjacent each of the plurality of computer motherboards to circulate air across the computer motherboards and into the warm air plenum.
US08456833B2
A fluid cooling system and associated fitting assembly for an electronic component such as a multi-processor computer offer easy and reliable connect and disconnect operations while doing so in a minimum amount of available space without damaging associated components of an electronic device, computer or cooling system. One exemplary fitting assembly includes a manifold mount with a port that is in fluid communication with a manifold tube. A fitting is sized and configured to mate with the port and is in fluid communication with associated cooling tubes of a cold plate. A latch is pivotally mounted to the manifold mount for movement to and between a first position in which the latch secures the fitting to the manifold mount and a second position in which the fitting is capable of being disconnected from the manifold mount.
US08456825B2
An electronic device includes a first base member, a second base member detachably connected to the first base member and a connection structure. The connection structure includes an assembling latch and a magnetic piece. The assembling latch is located in the first base member. The magnetic piece is located in the second base member and provides a driving force. The magnetic piece attracts the assembling latch, the assembling latch partially moves out the first base member and is partially received in the second base member to connect and assemble the first base member and the second base member side by side. When the first base member and the second base member are detached, the assembling latch moves back to and is received in the first base member.
US08456820B2
An electronic device includes a chassis, at least one cable disposed in the chassis, and a cable management member. The cable management member includes a first side plate, a second side plate, and a connecting plate located between lower sides of the first side plate and the second side plate. A cable holding slot is located between the first side plate and the second side plate for holding the at least one cable. A clamp extends from the first side plate. A circular protrusion extends from the second side plate. The circular protrusion is securely engaged with the clamp in a first position where the cable management member is at a natural state to hold the at least one cable, and the circular protrusion is disengaged from the clamp in a second position where the second side plate is resiliently deformed to release the at least one cable.
US08456818B2
A wireless card module comprising a bezel assembly comprising at least one bezel member couplable to a wireless card, the bezel member configured to couple the wireless card to an external antenna.
US08456817B2
A housing includes a bottom housing and a top housing. The bottom housing includes a connecting surface. The top housing includes a bottom surface. The connecting surface is fixed to the bottom surface by welding. A receiving groove is defined in the bottom surface, for receiving the molten slag generated and collected during a welding process.
US08456816B2
A structure assembled to a panel includes a panel 7, a hood 6, and a filter 5, and is arranged such that the hood 6 and the filter 5 are assembled to the panel 7 independently from each other by the engagement between resiliently engaging claws and engaging concavities.
US08456814B2
An enclosure for an electrical system is provided. The enclosure includes at least three panels, a support structure, and a top. The support structure supports the at least three panels. The at least three panels are not removable when the top is not opened passed a predetermined. The at least three panels are removable when the top is opened passed the predetermined position.
US08456808B2
A mounting system for an electronic display providing enhanced versatility of movement and ease of installation. The mounting system includes a latch and kickstand assembly for latching the display to a support structure mountable to a wall and propping the bottom edge of the display away from the wall to enable connection of wires to the back of the display while the display is mounted on the wall. The mount further includes a vertical position adjustment assembly to enable vertical positioning and leveling of the display after the display is mounted.
US08456803B2
The invention relates to a process for producing electrolytic capacitors with low equivalent series resistance, to electrolytic capacitors produced by this process and to the use of such electrolytic capacitors.
US08456802B2
A conductive adhesive with increased thermoresistant adhesion for connection between a sheet-like collector and a polarizing electrode layer serving as the structural member of an electrode for an electric double layer capacitor, and including a conductive material and a poly-N-vinylacetamide-based binder.
US08456794B2
In accordance with an embodiment, a high-side switch device includes a semiconductor switch, a charge pump operable external clocking signal and an input for an external charge pump activation signal. The charge pump is configured to enable conductivity of the semiconductor switch in response to the external clocking signal and assertion of the external charge pump activation signal.
US08456790B2
In one embodiment, a wind-power generating system 10 includes: a lightning protecting device including a receptor 70 provided on a blade surface and a lightning conductor 73 grounding the receptor 70; an airflow generating device 60 provided on the blade surface and including first and second electrodes 61, 62 separated via a dielectric 63; a discharge power source 65 including switches 90, 91 able to connect the first and second electrodes 61, 62 to output terminals 84, 85 respectively and a switch 92 able to connect the first or second electrode 61, 62 to a grounding conductor 100; and a thundercloud detecting device detecting information regarding thundercloud approach. When the information regarding the thundercloud approach is detected, the second electrode 62 is connected to the grounding conductor 100 and the first and second electrodes 61, 62 are disconnected from the output terminals 84, 85.
US08456787B2
Bus container 1 of cylindrical shape is filled with insulating gas and main circuit conductor 2 is housed with bus container 1 in taut condition. Bus container 1 has flange 3. Current transformer container 4 is installed adjacently to bus container 1. Current transformer container 4 includes inner cylinder 5 and outer sealing member 6. On the periphery of inner cylinder 5, three current transformers 11 are provided interposing insulative cushioning material 10. Other longitudinal end of inner cylinder 5 and bus container 1 are arranged so that insulation gap 9 is formed in between. Between inner cylinder 5 and outer sealing member 6 on insulation gap 9 side, varistor 15 of which resistance varies depending on a applied voltage is electrically connected through bonding conductor 16. Varistor 15 turns into a conducting state when a surge voltage over a predetermined intensity is applied.
US08456784B2
An overvoltage protection circuit may include a reference voltage generator, a trigger circuit, and a clamping device. The reference voltage generator is for providing a reference voltage that is relatively constant during a powered EOS/ESD event. The trigger circuit is coupled to receive the reference voltage and a power supply voltage. The trigger circuit is for comparing the reference voltage to the power supply voltage. In response to detecting that the power supply voltage is above the reference voltage, the trigger circuit provides a trigger signal having a voltage proportional to a voltage level of the overvoltage event. The clamping device is coupled between a first power supply terminal and a second power supply terminal. The clamping device is for providing a current path between the first and second power supply terminals in response to the trigger signal.
US08456777B2
A storage medium exchanging device to discharge a movable cell, which is one of plural magazine cells for storing a storage medium inserted from a doorway, and to store the movable cell, include a carrying part on which the movable cell is mounted; and a wrong insertion preventing part which generates discharging force to make the carrying part discharge from the magazine and blocks at least a part of a non-doorway of the discharged movable cell.
US08456775B2
Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for locating a reference pattern on a storage medium. For example, various embodiments of the present invention provide systems for locating a reference pattern on a storage medium. Such systems include a sliding window phase calculator circuit, a delay circuit and a mark detector circuit.
US08456773B2
A lens module includes a holder, a connecting loop, engaging pins, an adjustment ring, a fixing pin; and a lens unit. The holder includes a barrel having a receiving space. The barrel defines sliding slots. The adjustment ring defines guiding grooves and a stopping slot. The connecting loop is received in the receiving space, the adjustment ring is sleeved over the barrel, and each engaging pin is secured with the connecting loop, an end of each engaging pin passing through a corresponding sliding slot and into a corresponding guiding groove. The fixing pin passes through the stopping slot and fixed with the barrel, the lens unit is secured with the connecting loop, the adjustment ring is rotated relative to the holder, and the engaging pin slides along the guiding groove, to cause the lens unit to axially move without rotating relative to the holder.
US08456769B2
Provided are a lens unit and a vehicle-mounted infrared lens unit capable of correcting a focal shift due to a temperature change without increasing the apparatus size, complicating a production process, and increasing the costs. In a vehicle-mounted infrared lens unit 4 configured such that a plurality of infrared lenses are held by a barrel 30 and a spacer 40 is interposed between two infrared lenses, a first infrared lens 10 is held sandwiched between the spacer 40 and a lens holding portion 31 of the barrel 30. The spacer 40 and the barrel 30 are formed of materials having different thermal expansion coefficients. An O-ring 60 is interposed between a lock portion 32 of the lens holding portion 31 and the first infrared lens 10. Thermal expansion of the spacer 40 allows the first infrared lens 10 to move in the axial direction against the elastic force of the O-ring 60. When the spacer 40 is shrunken, the elastic force of the O-ring 60 allows the first infrared lens 10 to move in the opposite direction.
US08456768B2
A lens-holding-and-aligning seat and an LED light panel thereof are presented. The light panel includes a substrate, an LED, a lens and a holding-and-aligning seat. The LED is disposed on the substrate in corresponding to a soldering pad of the substrate, and the holding-and-aligning seat has a holding portion and an aligning element. The lens is fixed on the holding-and-aligning seat by the holding portion, and the aligning element is bonded on the soldering pad corresponding to the soldering pad by a reflow process. Therefore, the lens is aligned with the LED by a soldering self-alignment mechanism, such that the light shape and light intensity distribution of the light emitted by the LED may be adjusted by the lens.
US08456764B2
A projection lens includes, in order from the magnification end to the minimization end thereof: a first lens group of a negative refractive power; and a second lens group of a positive refractive power. The projection lens satisfies the formula: 0.061
US08456762B2
An observation optical system has a negative lens unit placed at the most object-side position; an annular prism placed on the image side of the negative lens, having a reflecting surface on the negative lens side; and an imaging lens unit arranged on the image side of the negative lens and the annular prism.
US08456760B2
A lens system includes a first, a second and a third lenses, and an image plane. The lens system satisfies the formulae: FB/TTL>0.30; G1R2/F1>19.54; and D1/D2<1.62. FB denotes a distance between a nearest point of an image-side surface of the third lens relative to the image plane and the image plane, TTL denotes the total track length of the lens system, G1R2 denotes the curvature radius of the vertex of an image-side surface of the first lens, F1 denotes the focal length of the first lens. D1 denotes an orthogonal distance between a farthest point of an image-side surface of the second lens relative to an optical axis of the lens system and a central point of the image-side surface of the second lens, along a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis. D2 denotes an orthogonal distance between the farthest point and the central point along the optical axis.
US08456748B2
A zoom lens system includes a negative first lens group, a positive second lens group, and a negative third lens group, in that order from the object side, wherein upon zooming from the short focal length extremity to the long focal length extremity, the distance between the first lens group and the second lens group decreases. The third lens group includes a negative lens element having a concave surface on the image side, a positive lens element having a convex surface on the image side, and a negative lens element having convex surface on the image side, in that order from the object side. An electronic imaging apparatus using this zoom lens system is also disclosed.
US08456745B2
A first embodiment is a lens system having a plurality of refractive and reflective spherical elements that work as a magnifier to produce a distortion free, less than 1%, image with optical correction over a wide field of view. The system has at least one concave reflecting surface, and at least three convex refracting surfaces with the sign of the radius of one of the convex refracting surfaces being opposite of the sign of the radius of remaining two convex refracting surfaces. A second embodiment is a lens having a concave reflecting element which is on a substrate that is a negative lens by transmission with an index of refraction between 1.6
US08456742B2
Provided is an optical component manufacturing method wherein various types of information, including information relating to each optical component, can be relatively easily printed on each optical component, even in the case where a plurality of optical components are manufactured in a batch. A lens, a lens unit and a camera module manufactured by using such method are also provided. Prior to dividing camera modules into individual camera modules, a pattern to be printed on each camera module, i.e., printing contents determined based on information on a first lens array or the like after formation, is printed on the surface of the first lens array at one time. Thus, information specific to each camera module can be printed even by the relatively simple method.
US08456740B2
A method and apparatus involve: routing first radiation and second radiation respectively having first and second wavelengths that are different along respective first and second optical paths; reflecting the first radiation with an optical component as the first radiation is traveling along the first optical path; and reflecting the second radiation with the optical component as the second radiation is traveling along the second optical path, the optical component causing a first optical path length traveled by the first radiation along the first optical path from arrival at to departure from the optical component to be shorter than a second optical path length traveled by the second radiation along the second optical path from arrival at to departure from the optical component.
US08456738B2
An ultrahigh-resolution fiber-optic confocal microscope has an illumination system; three single-mode optical fibers, each optically coupled to a fiber coupler; a sample support stage arranged to receive illumination radiation from an end of one of the single-mode optical fibers; a detector arranged to receive output radiation from one of the single-mode optical fibers; and a lock-in amplifier electrically connected to the detector and the illumination system. The illumination system is adapted to provide illumination radiation that has a time-varying strength that is correlated with the detector by the lock-in amplifier.
US08456731B2
An electro-wetting display device includes a light guide plate having a light incident surface and a light output surface, a light source, a transparent electrode, a dielectric layer, a transparent non-polar solution layer, a counter substrate, a light emitting material layer, a counter electrode layer and a transparent polar solution layer. The light source is disposed near the light incident surface. The transparent electrode layer is disposed on the light output surface. The dielectric layer covers the transparent electrode layer and has refractive index n1. The transparent non-polar solution layer is disposed on the dielectric layer and has refractive index n2, and n2≧n1. The counter substrate is disposed above the transparent non-polar solution layer. The light emitting material layer and the counter electrode are disposed on the counter substrate. The transparent polar solution layer is disposed between the counter substrate and the light guide plate.
US08456730B2
A directly modulated spatial light modulator (DM-SLM) may be formed using a semiconductor optical amplifier. The directly modulated spatial light modulator may also be formed with a vertical cavity surface emitting laser having an output side; and an anti-reflection coating located on the output side.
US08456729B2
An automatic daylighting method adjusts a window covering to block direct sunlight from entering the room through a window when the exterior sky condition is a sunny sky state and, subject to blocking direct sunlight, provides a desired daylighting interior light illuminance level and, if possible, a desired interior solar heat gain through the window. To prevent window covering oscillation, a delay may be used when the sky condition changes from a sunny to overcast state. The covering control may be based on various factors including interior light illuminance entering the window, a room heating or to cooling mode, whether the room is occupied by people, whether occupants have manually operated an adjustable window covering, and the exterior sky condition. The method may also detect an interior temperature level, e.g., to determine a heating or cooling mode of the room.
US08456723B2
An optical box for an optical scanner includes an optical housing and a lid. The optical housing has an opening and a side wall surrounding the opening. The side wall includes inward recessed parts, each of which has a protrusion formed on its outer side. The protrusion can engage with the lid. The lid can so engage with the optical housing as to cover the opening of the housing. The lid has a pair of dust guard walls, between which the whole side wall of the optical housing is sandwiched when the lid is in engagement with the housing.
US08456712B2
In one embodiment, image reading apparatuses 100a and 100b start reading an original image after a reading start time Ta has elapsed since detecting the transport timing of an original G on the upstream side in a transport direction Y1 relative to an original reading position R1, adjust the reading start time Ta based on a reading timing adjustment time T1a from when the transport timing of an adjustment sheet P is detected until when original reading portions 200a and 200b read a position considered to be a leading edge P′ in a first mark Q1 on the adjustment sheet P, and correct the reading start timing of the original G based on a leading edge reading error correction time T2a stored in advance.
US08456711B2
This closure provides image processing methods and apparatus for corner enhancing a digital image for rendering on an image output device. According to an exemplary method, the method determines whether or not image pixels are associated with a corner as a function of the USAN values generated for the image pixels. Subsequently, one or more pixels associated with a corner are modified to render a corner enhanced image.
US08456704B2
A system/method of color match assessment for electronic documents includes receiving digital data defining a composite electronic document including a raster image object having an edge and a color graphics object bordering the edge of the raster image object. The pixel color values defining the edge of the raster image object are processed to estimate a local color variance of the pixel color values. The local color variance is used to determine if the edge can be color matched to the bordering color graphics object. If the edge can be color matched, a match color for the edge is derived. The match color is associated with the digital data defining the electronic document so that a downstream object color match system can use the match color as needed.
US08456703B2
There is provided an information processing apparatus wherein if paper used to print a first page of a first print job is not tab paper, the paper of a size equal to the size of the paper used to print the first page is used for a job information sheet and, if the paper used to print the first page of the first print job is tab paper, the paper of a type different from the tab paper of the size determined based on the size of the tab paper used to print the first page is used for the job information sheet.
US08456702B2
A multi-function printer including a processor and a computer-readable storage medium in communication with the processor, wherein the computer-readable storage medium comprises one or more programming instructions for: receiving a plurality of electronic documents from one or more electronic devices; storing the plurality of electronic documents in a storage unit located within the multi-function printer; permitting access to one or more of the plurality of electronic documents via a user interface positioned about the multi-function printer; permitting selection of one or more print attributes via the user interface; applying the one or more print attributes selected to the one or more electronic documents accessed and outputting the one or electronic documents accessed having the one or more print attributes applied thereto.
US08456700B2
What is disclosed is a novel system and method for generating a spectral matching guide for spot color print applications. Spectral matching values are determined for spot colors obtained from a library of spot colors. A spectral matching guide is created from the spot colors and their respective spectral matching values in a manner more fully disclosed herein. Thereafter, when a user desires to render a job in a particular spot color, the associated spectral matching value for that spot color can be obtained from the spectral matching guide. In other embodiments, recommendations in the form of a suggested printer to use, a media type, a halftone screen, and other meaningful assistance can be provided for selection of spot colors for a given print/copy job that are less sensitive to varying illuminations. The present spectral matching guide provides meaningful extensions in spectral color reproduction in print/copy job environments.
US08456697B2
A methodology is disclosed to achieve adaptive illumination independent matching of spot colors. In one embodiment, the methodology includes an iterative process to determine a variety device specific recipes for spot colors across different illumination spectra, and then automatically choosing and/or recommending the optimal recipe that provides the lowest color dispersion across a variety of illuminants under consideration. This approach may be used with a variety of gamut mapping techniques. According to a further embodiment, the methodology may be used with a ray-based gamut mapping method.
US08456695B2
An image processing device for converting input image data in input color space into output image data in output color space comprises an input unit configured to input a plurality of input pixel signals comprising the input image data, a designation unit configured to designate an achromatic condition for pixels corresponding to the plurality of input pixel signals, and an achromatic judgment unit configured to judge whether or not each of the plurality of input pixel signals input by the input unit satisfies the achromatic condition, wherein the achromatic judgment unit judges that a pixel which corresponds to a particular input pixel signal is an achromatic pixel where the particular input pixel signal satisfies the achromatic condition.
US08456685B2
Image forming apparatus searching an registering objects of interest in a cache based on a criterion
An object attribute is determined with respect to an object and a determination is performed as to whether or not to execute image cache processing in response to the object attribute. By switching processing in accordance with this, execution of time-consuming image specifying processing is kept to a necessary minimum and performance reductions can be avoided. Furthermore, cache registration is avoided for images having low reusability, which achieves improvements in cache usage efficiency and improvements in cache search efficiency, thereby enabling performance to be improved.
US08456681B2
An image processing apparatus is provided. A density conversion component converts a density of a transparent color material so that a total amount of a plurality of color materials is smaller than a predetermined first amount when it is determined that the total amount of the plurality of color materials is larger than the predetermined first amount and when the transparent color material is included in the plurality of color materials. A density ratio calculation component calculates a ratio between a density before converting the density of the transparent color material and a density after converting the density of the transparent material. A reporting component reports that the ratio of the density is smaller than a predetermined second amount when determining that the ratio of the density is smaller than the predetermined second amount.
US08456675B2
A management device includes a receiving unit, a judgment unit, a permission unit and a change unit. The permission unit permits the image forming device to perform a requested image forming processes, if the judgment unit judges that a number of image forming process which have been performed is within a first upper limit value. The change unit sets, if the number of image forming process which have been performed exceeds the first upper limit value through the requested and permitted image forming processes being performed, a second upper limit value used for limiting image forming processes at the next time based on an excess amount from the first upper limit value.
US08456674B2
According to aspects of the embodiments, there is provided methods and systems that incorporate a model predictive controller (MPC) in an image reproduction machine with known disturbance information. The MPC uses the control action at a current time in order to minimize the impact of an impending disturbance as well as to maximize current control performance. The impending disturbance is used by the MPC to determine an incremental change that combines steady state and transient state impact on the image reproduction machine. Disturbance such as print media type, image content type, physical dimension of the print media, weight of the print media, and print job data can be employed. Further, control of the image reproduction machine is generated in real time over a receding horizon, for the purpose of minimizing a cost function indicative of image variation, energy consumption, or the like.
US08456673B2
A display control apparatus includes a communication control unit configured to control a first communication for receiving a video signal based on image data from a printing apparatus using a first communication protocol for receiving a video signal, and a second communication for sending image data to the printing apparatus using a second communication protocol for sending data to be used for printing. The communication control unit performs control to communicate with the printing apparatus using the second communication protocol in response to a storage medium being connected to the display control apparatus, and performs control to communicate with the printing apparatus using the first communication protocol in response to receiving a notification indicating that a storage medium is connected to the printing apparatus.
US08456660B2
The CPU of a personal computer displays a list of one-click icons, each representing one or a plurality of printing functions, in the icon display area, and selects one one-click icon from the list of the one-click icons displayed in the icon display area, to automatically set a plurality of printing functions corresponding to the selected one-click icons.
US08456648B2
An optical detection device includes: an irradiation unit that emits irradiation light onto an area formed along a planar area; first and second light receiving units that receive reflection light of the irradiation light reflected by a target object; and a calculation unit that calculates positional information of the target object based on a light reception result of at least one of the first and second light receiving units. A distance between the second light receiving unit and the planar area is shorter than a distance between the first light receiving unit and the planar area, and the first and second light receiving units receive the reflection light that is incident in a direction along the planar area.
US08456639B2
A spectroscopic instrument for conducting multi-wavelength, multi-azimuth, multi-angle-of-incidence readings on a substrate, the instrument having a broadband light source for producing an illumination beam, an objective for directing the illumination onto the substrate at multiple azimuth angles and multiple angels-of-incidence simultaneously, thereby producing a reflection beam, an aperture plate having an illumination aperture and a plurality of collection apertures formed therein for selectively passing portions of the reflection beam having desired discreet combinations of azimuth angle and angle-of-incident, a detector for receiving the discreet combinations of azimuth angle and angle-of-incident and producing readings, and a processor for interpreting the readings.
US08456638B2
An optical measurement apparatus includes a spectroscopic measurement device, a first optical fiber for propagating light to be measured, a hemispherical portion having a light diffuse reflection layer on an inner wall of the hemispherical portion, and a plane portion disposed to close an opening of the hemispherical portion and having a mirror reflection layer located to face the inner wall of the hemispherical portion. The plane portion includes a first window for directing the light emitted thorough the first optical fiber into an integrating space. The integrating space is formed by the hemispherical portion and the plane portion. The optical measurement apparatus further includes a second optical fiber for propagating the light in the integrating space to the spectroscopic measurement device through a second window of the plane portion.
US08456637B2
A dual beam assembly is provided for attachment to a chromatic confocal point sensor optical pen. The optical pen provides a single source beam having a measurement range R in the absence of the dual beam assembly. The dual beam assembly includes a first reflective element that is positioned in the source beam and divides it into a first measurement beam and a second measurement beam. The dual beam assembly outputs the first and second measurement beams along first and second measurement axes to different workpiece regions and returns workpiece measurement light arising from the first and second measurement beams back to the optical pen. A second reflective element may be included and configured to deflect the second measurement beam along a desired direction. An offset may be provided between the measuring ranges of the first and second measurement beams.
US08456633B2
Spectrometric apparatus that include an array of detector elements and exhibits a number of capabilities is disclosed. The elements can be responsive to incident radiation to produce an output signal that includes information from the incident radiation. A spectrally selective element can be located in an optical path between the radiation source and the array, with an analysis module responsive to the output signal operative to analyze spatial distribution of spectral information received by the array. The apparatus can also correct for differences in intensity and spectral variability for spectral image signals and/or compare the spectral image signals with a pattern in spatial-spectral coordinate space. Detector elements can be responsive to scattering, and spatial information in their output can be analyzed.
US08456632B2
A method and apparatus for analysing the three-dimensional electromagnetic field resulting from an interaction between a focused illuminating beam and a sample to be observed, by characterising the distribution of the state of polarization of light across a measurement plane, the method comprising the steps of generating a beam of illuminating light; controlling the state of polarization at different positions across the beam width of the light beam; focussing said illuminating light beam to a focus, wherein said focus is a tight focus and said focused light has a suitable three-dimensional vectorial structure at the focus; detecting and measuring the state of polarization of the reflected light at different positions across the width of the measurement plane to retrieve information on the three-dimensional vectorial electromagnetic interaction of the illuminated focused field and the sample.
US08456631B2
An apparatus for providing a light beam for use in a diffraction instrument (1) includes a device (10; 17; 28) for generating a light beam; and means (12, 21; 24) for shaping the light beam generated by the device (10; 17; 28), dimensioned, in use, to determine the beam shape, and including: an aperture (21; 25) and means (13; 24) for rejecting spatial frequency components above a certain range in the light beam. The apparatus further includes a spatial low-pass filter (14; 15; 26; 27) arranged to filter a beam provided by the beam shaping means.
US08456630B2
Methods and systems for enhanced SERS sensing are disclosed, including generating electromagnetic radiation from a fiber laser; coupling the radiation to a SERS sensor comprising: a fiber comprising a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is coupled to the fiber laser and the second end is deposited with one or more metal nanoparticles; an in-line fiber grating integrated into the fiber between the first and the second end; a spectrometer configured to measure a spectrum produced by the in-line fiber grating; and a micro-processor configured to control the fiber laser and the spectrometer; exciting one or more molecules adsorbed on the surface of the one or more metal nanoparticles to generate a Raman signal; coupling the signal into the fiber; separating the signal into its wavelength components with the in-line fiber grating; and measuring the wavelength components with the spectrometer. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08456624B2
There is disclosed an inspection device for inspecting a spatial light modulator having a plurality of optical elements arrayed two-dimensionally and controlled individually, said inspection device comprising, a conjugate optical system which is arranged optically downstream the spatial light modulator and which forms a conjugate plane optically conjugate with an array plane where the plurality of optical elements are arrayed, a photodetector having a detection surface arranged on or near the conjugate plane, and an inspection unit which inspects optical characteristics of the plurality of optical elements, based on a result of detection by the photodetector.
US08456622B1
A system for determining spatial coherence, temporal coherence or both of an optical signal includes a fiber bundle containing optical fibers. Optical fiber inputs are arranged in proximate groups having the same number of fibers. The groups can each receive a portion of the optical signal. Each fiber in the group has a gross length that differs from the other fibers, but each group has the same set of different gross lengths. The fibers are joined to a lens which spreads the optical signal and causes interference between portions of the signal. This interference is detected at a detector. A computer joined to the detector can measure spatial and temporal coherence from the interference. Other embodiments feature multiple detectors and reflection along the bundle.
US08456612B2
An exposure apparatus projects a pattern of an original onto a substrate by a projection optical system to expose the substrate, wherein the projection optical system includes a mirror assembly, and the mirror assembly includes a first mirror member which has a first reflecting surface and is configured to bend an optical axis of the projection optical system, a second mirror member which has a second reflecting surface and is configured to bend the optical axis, a supporting mechanism configured to support the first mirror member and the second mirror member, and the supporting mechanism is positioned to position the first mirror member and the second mirror member while a positional relationship between the first mirror member and the second mirror member is maintained.
US08456601B2
An array substrate for a liquid crystal display device includes a substrate, a gate line on the substrate, a thin film transistor including a gate electrode of the gate line, a gate insulating layer over the gate electrode, an active layer on the gate insulating layer and ohmic contact layers on the active layer, and source and drain electrodes over the ohmic contact layers, a pixel electrode electrically connected to the drain electrode, a data line electrically connected to the source electrode and crossing the gate line, a common electrode spaced apart from the pixel electrode, and a passivation layer directly between the pixel electrode and the common electrode and directly between the source and drain electrodes.
US08456588B2
An LCD backlight has a light source that emits a laser light, a lens, a mirror, a rotary polygon mirror, a scanning lens and a return mirror constituting a transforming optical system that transforms the laser light from the light source to a linear light. A light guiding plate allows the linear light to enter and emits two-dimensional light in the horizontal direction. An emission end face of the light source is disposed in a rear face side of the light guiding plate so that a surface normal line thereof is in the horizontal direction or is inclined downward from the horizontal direction. The lens, mirror and scanning lens are disposed in the rear face side of the light guiding plate, so that surface normal lines of the light transmission surface and light reflection surface thereof are all in the horizontal direction or are inclined downward from the horizontal direction.
US08456582B2
An active device, a pixel structure, and a display panel are provided. The pixel structure includes a scan line, a data line, an active device, a gate insulating layer, a pixel electrode, a capacitor electrode, and a capacitor dielectric layer. The active device includes a gate, a channel, a source, and a drain. The gate is electrically connected to the scan line. The source is electrically connected to the data line. The gate insulating layer is disposed between the gate and the channel. The pixel electrode is electrically connected to the drain. The capacitor electrode is located on the gate insulating layer. The capacitor dielectric layer is located between the capacitor electrode and the drain.
US08456580B2
A three-dimensional display including a display panel and a phase retardation film is provided. The display panel has a plurality of first pixel regions and a plurality of second pixel regions arranged in arrays. The phase retardation film is configured on a surface of the display panel. Here, the phase retardation film has a plurality of first retardation regions and a plurality of second retardation regions that are arranged alternately. The first retardation regions have the same phase retardation, the second retardation regions have the same phase retardation, and the phase retardation of the first retardation regions is different from that of the second retardation regions. All the regions of the phase retardation film have the same optical transmittance. A displaying method adaptable to the three-dimensional display is also provided.
US08456576B2
A signal processing apparatus includes a lower-level region data detecting section detecting, in luminance data of an input video signal, luminance data corresponding to a value in a set lower-level region, and a data converting section converting a value of the luminance data corresponding to the lower-level region to a set conversion value.
US08456575B2
An audio video display device (AVDD) includes a processor and a touch screen video display. The AVDD also includes a computer readable storage medium bearing instructions executable by the processor to present at least one image of a remote control (RC) on the display. Accordingly, responsive to a first user command, the processor presents an image of a full RC on the display. Responsive to a second user command, the processor presents an image of a direction-only RC on the display that permits a user only to enter direction commands and an “enter” command.
US08456568B2
The present invention relates to an illumination device comprising at least one light source and a reflector system forming a spotlight (1), one or several actuators (5) arranged to pivot the spotlight (1) relative in a mounting base (4) for varying an illumination angle, and a camera (13) attached to the spotlight (1) and aligned to acquire images of an illumination region (7) to which the spotlight (1) is directed. The spotlight (1) is designed to comprise a central region from which the illumination region (7) is visible and which does not reflect or emit light of the light source towards the illumination region (7), wherein the camera (13) is arranged in said central region on an optical axis (14) of the spotlight (1). With the proposed illumination device an exact aiming of the spotlight (1) can be achieved even in applications in which the illuminated region (7) is close to the spotlight (1) without causing undesired shadows in the illumination region (7).
US08456567B2
An imaging apparatus is equipped with a voltage control section, which individually controls the focus distance of a lens managed on the basis of each of a plurality of pieces of management information in accordance with a predetermined control condition corresponding to each of the pieces of management information and switches the focus distance of the lens at the time of imaging at a predetermined switching period in accordance with the focus distance indicated by each piece of management information while switching the plurality of pieces of management information at the predetermined switching period.
US08456558B2
A pixel circuit includes: a photoelectric conversion device; a source-follower circuit; a transfer transistor that transfers charge generated in the photoelectric conversion device to an input node of the source-follower circuit; and a readout system that reads out a signal in response to the generated charge through the source-follower circuit, wherein the readout system floats the input node of the source-follower circuit and turns on the transfer transistor to transfer the signal charge to the input node, includes a function of turning off the transfer transistor, sensing an output node potential of the source-follower circuit, and reading out an output signal, and further includes an output modulation degree control function unit that temporarily reduces an output modulation degree of the source-follower circuit when the transfer transistor is turned on.
US08456548B2
Described is a device (e.g., a cell phone incorporating a digital camera) that incorporates a graphics processing unit (GPU) to process image data in order to increase the quality of a rendered image. The processing power provided by a GPU means that, for example, an unacceptable pixel value (e.g., a pixel value associated with a malfunctioning or dead detector element) can be identified and replaced with a new value that is determined by averaging other pixel values. Also, for example, the device can be calibrated against benchmark data to generate correction factors for each detector element. The correction factors can be applied to the image data on a per-pixel basis. If the device is also adapted to record and/or play digital audio files, the audio performance of the device can be calibrated to determine correction factors for a range of audio frequencies.
US08456544B2
An image processing apparatus including a noise reducing portion for applying noise reduction to RGB Bayer array image data for each of RGB channels with a noise reduction amount H, and calculating RHGHBH Bayer array image data, and also applying the noise reduction to at least the G channel with a noise reduction amount L (L
US08456543B2
An imaging device is provided with an internal memory and a controller. The internal memory includes a first area configured to hold device information about the imaging device and a second area configured to hold other information which can include demo data. At least one of the areas within the first area is capable of being defective. The controller is coupled to the internal memory to operate the internal memory to hold and move updated device information within the first area and/or within the second area according to the size of the non-defective areas within the first area.
US08456532B1
A method and a system for transcode avoidance of a data stream from a camera at a client device are described. A camera generates data streams with each data stream having a corresponding data configuration. A web server discovered by the camera dynamically determines data configuration for each data stream, the configuration of the client device, and the network conditions at the client device. The web server dynamically identifies a data stream for the client device based on the data configuration of each data stream from the camera, the configurations of the client device, and the network conditions at the client device so that the client device or an intermediary device do not need to transcode the identified data stream. The web server refers the client device to receive the identified data stream from the camera.
US08456529B2
A device for evaluating connectivity between a video driver and a display, the device comprises a first video driver, a first output connector, a first terminating resistance; wherein the device is characterized by comprising a first comparison unit; wherein the first video driver has an output port that is coupled to the first output connector, to the first terminating resistance and to the first comparison unit; wherein the first output connector is configured to be coupled via a first cable to a first input of the display; wherein the first comparison unit is adapted to perform comparisons between a voltage level on the first terminating resistance to multiple thresholds and to determine whether a display first input impedance is substantially equal to the first terminating resistance, whether the display first input impedance is substantially lower then the first terminating resistance, or whether the first video driver is disconnected from the display; wherein the comparisons are executed during a pixel information idle period.
US08456517B2
A device for processing data includes a first input port for receiving color image data from a first image sensor and a second input port for receiving depth-related image data from a second image sensor. Processing circuitry generates a depth map using the depth-related image data. At least one output port conveys the depth map and the color image data to a host computer.
US08456516B2
A stereoscopic imaging system is described for generating a stereoscopic image of a scene. The stereoscopic imaging system is adapted for generating at least one sub-image for a first eye and at least one sub-image for a second eye whereby the at least one sub-image for the first eye and at least one sub-image for the second eye adapted for combining into the stereoscopic image. The image data for producing at least one of the sub-images for the first eye and/or for the second eye is generated based on a combination of the basic image data for the first eye and the basic image data for the second eye. The basic image data for the first eye thereby is the image information received by the first eye when the scene is seen by the first eye only and the basic image data for the second eye thereby is the image information received by the second eye when the scene is seen by the second eye only. The present invention also relates to a corresponding method, an image data processor, a controller, an obscuration means and parts of the imaging hardware.
US08456515B2
A method and apparatus for generating stereoscopic images of a scene is described. The apparatus may have a first image sensor, a second image sensor spaced apart from the first image sensor, a diversity combine module to combine image data from the first and second image sensors, and an image processing module configured to process combined image data from the diversity combine module may be used to generate stereoscopic images of a scene.
US08456504B2
A system and method is disclosed for composing a video layout having an aspect ratio of 16:9 from a plurality of video segments having an aspect ratio other than 16:9. For example, the plurality of video segments might have an aspect ratio of 4:3. To create a composite frame having an aspect ratio of about 16:9, the disclosed system scales each one of the segments and places each scaled segment in the layout in such a way that the composite layout has an aspect ratio of about 16:9.
US08456501B2
An exposure device includes a long board, plural light emitting elements arranged along a longitudinal direction of the board on one face of the board, plural inspection electrodes arranged along the longitudinal direction of the board on the other face of the board, and plural electrical wirings each electrically connects between one of the plural light emitting elements and one of the plural inspection electrodes that is not positioned nearest to the one of the plural light emitting elements.
US08456499B2
Accumulation of foreign matter on the surface of a thermal head that can cause printing defects can be reliably prevented. The downstream edge of a surface of the thermal head is substantially flush with the downstream end of a paper nipping area and a platen roller in the thermal printer. The downstream end extending from the downstream edge perpendicular to the back side is connected to a through-hole formed in a heat sink. Foreign matter on a liner-less label paper clings to the downstream end of the thermal head after passing the paper nipping area, and is then fed along the downstream end into the through-hole on the back. Foreign matter does not accumulate on the surface of the thermal head, and problems such as streaking and other printing defects caused by foreign matter on the surface of the thermal head do not occur.
US08456495B2
In a method of controlling power of a light emitting device for image display that irradiates illumination light from divided regions, light emission brightness data of each light emitting element of the light emitting device is determined based on image data for image display (S20). Power in each region and total light emission power are computed based on the light emission brightness data of each light emitting element for each region (S40). If the computed total light emission power exceeds predetermined allowable power, the power in each region is limited so that the total light emission power is equal to or less than the predetermined allowable power (S50).
US08456482B2
There is provided a gamma curve adjustment device used to adjust the gamma curve indicating the relationship of input tone values to output tone values for use in a gamma correction circuit that performs gamma correction of an image signal. The gamma curve adjustment device includes a user interface module that permits a user to specify desired output tone values for a plurality of pre-established adjustment points on the gamma curve, and an adjustment module that adjusts the gamma curve such that the output tone value at each adjustment point assumes the value specified through the user interface module. The plurality of adjustment points are established such that a differential of input tone values between a first set of two adjustment points situated adjacently on the gamma curve differs from a differential of input tone values between a second set of two adjustment points situated adjacently on the gamma curve.
US08456475B2
A computing system enhances the human-like realism of computer opponents in racing-type games and other motion-related games. The computing system observes multiple prescribed motion lines and computes switching probabilities attributed to switching of simulated motion of a racer from one prescribed motion line to another. A sampling module samples at random over the switching probabilities to select one of the switching probabilities. At least one control signal is generated to switch simulated motion of the entity in a virtual reality environment from the first prescribed motion line to one of the other prescribed motion lines, in accordance with the selected one of the switching probabilities.
US08456471B2
A viewer renders a first image from a point cloud of data of a scanned scene accessed from a data store. A region of interest may then be defined. In response, the image is updated to only include data included within the region of interest. Alternatively, the region of interest may be provided to a second viewer, where a second image is rendered or updated to only include data included within the region of interest.
US08456470B2
A lighting environment simulation system and method meshes a three-dimensional (3D) model of an object into a plurality of triangles, simulates lighting effects for the meshed 3D model, and determines an actual display color for each triangle of the meshed 3D model under the simulated lighting effects. The system and method further displays the meshed 3D model to a display device according to actual display colors and coordinates of all the triangles of the meshed 3D model.
US08456469B2
A method is presented for generating a 3D image of an object using x-rays. The invention describes a method of generating an image of a slice through the object using a large number of detector elements as employed in commonly used x-ray scanners. The method described is a two step process, in the first step, Algebraic methods are used to solve a set of simultaneous linear equations to solve for the densities of the pixels representing the slice. The dimension of these pixels defining the slice is large in comparison to the size of detector elements, therefore a second step of backprojection is used to generated a slice image of higher resolution. The use of a second or a third source further allows the generation of higher resolution images.
US08456467B1
Methods and systems for providing a three-dimensional (3D) image viewer in a webpage are provided. According to an example method, a webpage may be provided, and the webpage may include embedded language that identifies a 3D image viewer to be provided within the webpage. Based on the embedded language, a computer having a processor and a memory may request information associated with rendering a 3D object data model in the 3D image viewer. The method may also include providing the 3D image viewer within the webpage, and receiving information associated with rendering the 3D object data model. Additionally, the 3D object data model may be rendered in the 3D image viewer based on the received information. Additional example systems and methods are described herein.
US08456463B2
A low voltage driver for a higher voltage LCD includes a plurality of LCD drive bias voltage input-terminals; an LCD drive voltage output terminal; an input transistor switching circuit having at least one switch for each LCD drive bias voltage for selecting one of the bias voltages; an output transistor switching circuit, responsive to the input transistor switching circuit, for applying the selected one of the bias voltages to the LCD drive voltage output terminal, the transistors of the switching circuits having a predetermined breakdown voltage; a level shifter for providing switching voltages counterpart to the plurality of bias voltages; a logic circuit for enabling the first transistor switching circuit to select a one of the bias voltages and applying a set of counterpart switching voltages to the input and output transistor switching circuits for connecting the selected one of the bias voltages to the output terminal and applying a set of switching voltages to the input and output switching circuits which limit the voltage across the transistor junctions in the switching circuit to less than the predetermined breakdown voltage.
US08456462B2
Display unevenness is suppressed. A display device includes pixels (22) arranged in matrix, each including a current-driven type light emitting element (EL) and a drive transistor (Tr3) for supplying a current to the current-driven type light emitting element (EL). The current-driven type light emitting element (EL) is driven by dividing each frame period into a plurality of sub-frame periods for lighting time. The drive transistor is controlled under current write driving using two write currents having a ratio of 1:1/2N and a sum of the two write currents.
