US08667607B2
A method of trusted data communication. The method comprises executing a data communication application in a trusted security zone of a processor, wherein the processor is a component of a computer, commanding a controller of a peripheral device to execute a control application in a trusted security zone of the controller, wherein the controller is a component of the computer, commanding at least one of another peripheral device or a user interface device to not access a data bus of the computer, verifying that the controller is executing the control application in the trusted security zone of the controller, sending data from the processor to the controller over the data bus of the computer, and the controller one of transmitting the data sent by the processor on an external communication link, reading a memory storage disk, or writing to a memory storage disk.
US08667600B2
A software installation package includes encrypted source code. An installer receives an encryption key for decrypting the encrypted source code. The installer further causes the establishment of a temporary virtual machine. The encrypted source code is decrypted, using the encryption key, on the temporary virtual machine. A compiler executing on the temporary virtual machine compiles the source code into an application. The application is transferred from the temporary virtual machine to an operating environment. The temporary virtual machine is then destroyed, thereby also destroying any decrypted copies of the source code.
US08667597B2
Methods, program product, and systems for providing tamper-resistant executable software code are provided to enable software code transport, storage, and execution security by formatting all instructions to use operand indirect addressing, resulting in an indirect table for each operand position, or field, in the instruction set. That is, rather than each instruction including an operand, each instruction includes an index to the location of the value of the operand in an indirect table. The methods, program product, and systems can also implement a non-typical instruction fetch associated with a program counter and a sequentially stored vector table, or jump table, to retrieve the next sequential instruction (“NSI”). Following rearranging or scrambling or encoding of the executable code, the code can be loaded and executed directly in scrambled form using the jump table, but cannot be meaningfully disassembled, nor executed properly, without the jump table to resolve the NSI.
US08667589B1
A protection system for an automate process control system (APCS) includes a plurality of programmable anti-intrusion (PAI) modules. The PAI modules are places throughout the APCS used for: analyzing a system for presence of un-authorized devices or un-authorized connections; detection of undocumented (i.e., not declared) devices and suspicious commands from connected devices; filtering various types of activities (i.e., wrong packets, unidentified activities, certain types of commands etc.); analyzing different network layers for un-authorized data transmissions; and maintaining device behavior (heuristic) logs.
US08667586B2
A system and method for identifying an origin of suspected pestware activity on a computer is described. One embodiment includes establishing a time of interest relating to a suspicion of pestware on the computer; issuing a timestamp in response to the establishing the time of interest; identifying, in response to the issuing the timestamp, indicia of pestware; and accessing at least a portion of a recorded history of sources that the computer received files from so as to identify, based at least in part upon the identified indicia of pestware, a reference to an identity of a source that is suspected of originating pestware.
US08667585B2
Disclosed herein is a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) flooding attack prevention method. The TCP flooding attack prevention method includes identifying the type of a packet received at an intermediate stage between a client and a server; determining the direction of the packet; defining a plurality of session states based on the type and the direction of the packet; detecting a TCP flooding attack by tracking the session states for each flow; and responding to the TCP flooding attack based on the type of the TCP flooding attack.
US08667584B2
Mechanisms for evaluating downgrader code in application code with regard to one or more security guidelines are provided. Downgrader code in application code is identified, where the downgrader code is a portion of code in the application code that operates on an information flow of the application code to ensure confidentiality of information input to the downgrader code, in the output of the downgrader code. Processes of the downgrader code are evaluated against security guidelines to determine if the processes violate the security guidelines. A notification is generated in response to the evaluation indicating that the processes of the downgrader code violate the security guidelines. The notification is output to a computing device for consideration.
US08667583B2
A malware analysis system is described that provides information about malware execution history on a client computer and allows automated back-end analysis for faster creation of identification signatures and removal instructions. The malware analysis system collects threat information on client computers and sends the threat information to a back-end analysis component for automated analysis. The back-end analysis component analyzes the threat information by comparing the threat information to information about known threats. The system builds a signature for identifying the threat family and a mitigation script for neutralizing the threat. The system sends the signature and mitigation data to client computers, which use the information to mitigate the threat. Thus, the malware analysis system detects and mitigates threats more quickly than previous systems by reducing the burden on technicians to manually create environments for reproducing the threats and manually analyze the threat behavior.
US08667579B2
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for bridging user authentication, authorization, and access between web-based and telecom domains are disclosed. In one example, a method includes issuing, to an application hosted in a web-based network, an access token associated with a user identifier subscribed to a telecommunications network, wherein the access token is issued in response to receiving telecommunications network credentials from a client device associated with the user identifier and receiving, at an over the top (OTT) proxy element in the telecommunications network from the application, the access token for requesting user data associated with the client device to be used to access the application. The method further includes retrieving the user data if the access token is valid a telecommunications network context condition is met and providing the user data to the application, wherein access to the application by the client device is based on the user data.
US08667578B2
Described is a technology in which a non-administrator computer/web user is allowed to perform an administrative-level task within a certain context and/or scope. An authorization store is queried based on information (e.g., a provider, a username, and a path) provided with an authorization request, e.g., from an application via an API. The information in the authorization store, set up by an administrator, determines the administrative action is allowed. If so, a credential store provides credentials that allow the action to be runs before reverting the user to the prior set of credentials. Also described is a pluggable provider model through which the authorization store and/or delegation store are accessed, whereby the data maintained therein can be any format and/or at any location known to the associated provider.
US08667570B2
A single identity and billing relationship can be employed for multiple UE (user equipment) associated with a subscriber. Specifically, each of the multiple UEs can employ LTE (Long Term Evolution) radio technology to authenticate and register with a femto access point. Further, the transport level billing associated with the multiple UE can be facilitated by the femto access point by employing a femto id (identity) and/or credentials. Moreover, the femto access point can be employed by the multiple UEs as a network hub and can be employed by the UEs to perform authentication to connect to a core network. In addition, the femto access point can determine an authorized IP cloud associated with a registered UE and allow the registered UE to access only the authorized IP cloud.
US08667565B2
User input to a web service including content from one or more media providers is subjected to a security analysis based on extracting whitelisted attributes and/or properties, the extracted attributes/properties validated, a template selected based on a source of the content, and a secure embedded code generated based on the whitelisted attributes/properties if the source is also a whitelisted source. The generated secure embedded code may then be provided as content by the web service.
US08667562B2
The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a method that includes receiving at a computing device that is in a locked state, one or more user inputs to unlock the device and to execute at least one command that is different from a command for unlocking the device. The method further includes executing in response to the user inputs to unlock the device an unlocking operation to convert the device from a locked state to an unlocked state. The method further includes executing the at least one command in response to receiving the user inputs to execute the at least one command. The at least one command executes so that results of executing the at least one command are first displayed on the device to a user automatically after the device changes from the locked state to the unlocked state.
US08667560B2
Systems and methods for authenticating a user of a service are disclosed. A host of a service provides a user interface that can be accessed via a display of a terminal. Upon successfully transmitting a first set of credentials, the host requests a random image to be generated by an authentication server. The authentication server transmits the random image to the host, as well as to a mobile device that is associated with the user of the service. The mobile device receives a picture message including the image. The user interface displays a list of images on the display. The user matches the received image with an image among the list of images, wherein a successful match follows in the user being granted access to the service. Consequently, an additional layer of security using a visual identification of a user is provided.
US08667556B2
Techniques for building and managing network policies for accessing resources of a datacenter are described herein. In one embodiment, events are captured within a network element pertaining to certain activities of accessing certain resources of a datacenter, wherein the network element operates as an application service gateway to the datacenter. A new rule/policy is provisioned based on attributes extracted from the captured events, where the attributes includes at least one of user attribute, environment attribute, and a resource attribute. A simulation is performed on the new rule/policy under a real time network traffic condition, generating a simulation result. The new rule/policy is committed if the simulation result satisfies a predetermined condition, wherein the new rule/policy is enforced within the network element to determine whether a particular client is eligible to access a particular resource of the datacenter. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.
US08667554B2
A method and a device for supplying a decoder with data stream such as compressed video signal including both non-predictive and predictive data frames of a common data type. A device comprising a decoder for service data is provided with (1012, 1020) a specific frame that is a predictive frame indicating substantially no changes in the service data in relation to a possible previous service data frame supplied. A service data buffer is monitored (1014) and in case it's at least near an underflow condition according to a number of predetermined criteria (1016), the decoder is fed with the specific frame in order to prevent the decoder from being disturbed due to a lack of timely provided proper input data (1018).
US08667548B2
Different data communication architectures deliver a wide variety of content, including audio and video content, to consumers. The architectures employ channel bonding to deliver more bandwidth than any single communication channel can carry. In some implementations, the communication architectures distribute video programming in the form of MPEG2 TS packets, flagged by marker packets, in a round-robin manner across the communication channels. Channel bonding synchronization information may be present in packets defined above the data-link layer or added to fields within data-link layer frames.
US08667545B1
A method and apparatus for enabling registered users to select and purchase video sessions from a network to be viewed from any video display devices connected to the network are disclosed. Specifically, these purchased video sessions can be stored within the network and accessed from any viewable display device connected to any video endpoint device at any time upon the users' request. In one embodiment, the stored video sessions can be downloaded and recorded onto a recording medium for future use.
US08667519B2
A system for generating passive and anonymous feedback of multimedia content viewed by users is disclosed. The multimedia content may include recorded video content, video-on-demand content, television content, television programs, advertisements, commercials, music, movies, video clips, and other on-demand media content. One or more of the users in a field of view of a capture device connected to the computing device are identified. An engagement level of the users to multimedia content being viewed by the users is determined by tracking movements, gestures, postures and facial expressions performed by the users. A report of the response to viewed multimedia content is generated based on the movements, gestures, postures and facial expressions performed by the users. The report is provided to rating agencies, content providers and advertisers. In one embodiment, preview content and personalized content related to the viewed multimedia content is received from the content providers and advertisers based on the report. The preview content and personalized content are displayed to the users.
US08667518B2
A method for operating a signal receiver which authorizes controlled access, comprising providing an authentication token device having a predetermined usage limit stored therein, providing a reading device for reading the authentication token device, and for implementing the predetermined usage limit while deauthorizing the authentication token device for use with other reading devices, comprising a signal generator for communicating with a signal receiver through a wireless transmission, receiving the wireless transmission at the signal receiver, to permit access based on the received transmission, and upon exceeding the predetermined usage limit, deauthorizing further access.
US08667516B2
An optical disk drive is disclosed to fix a main board in the casing and a second board under the tray. A flat cable on the bottom of the casing connects the main board with one end, and forms a bent portion to connect the connector of the second board at the other end. A cable protection device close to the connector is fixed under the tray to face the bent portion with an incline for preventing the bent portion from bending.
US08667513B1
Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and methods for adjusting a dormancy timer in a wireless access node based on wireless device application status. In a particular embodiment, a method provides monitoring Application Programming Interface (API) calls from applications running on a wireless communication device for user interface functions and monitoring status of user interface components. The method further provides processing the API calls for the user interface functions and the status of the user interface components to set a dormancy timer threshold. The method further provides transferring the dormancy timer threshold to a wireless communication network that releases a wireless link to the wireless communication device if a dormancy timer for the wireless communication device reaches the dormancy timer threshold.
US08667512B2
Various embodiments include methods and systems provide a distributed settings registry with access protection definable by application developers. Distributed settings registry may be implemented across different technologies with customizable privileges and the dynamic ability to plug different nodes into the registry tree. The settings registry may exist under a registry interface so the applications invoking the registry need not be concerned with where or how the settings data is stored. Each node in the tree of the registry may define its own privilege requirements and storage technology. Nodes may be “native” (i.e., fully supported within the setting registry system software) or “non-native” (i.e., defined by developers for specific applications).
US08667507B2
Systems and methods of passing arguments between client and server contexts may provide for detecting an in-process call between a client and a server, wherein the client and the server share a common virtual machine instance. An object copy from a source object of the in-process call to a destination object can be conducted based on an internal class structure of the virtual machine instance. The object copy procedure may be repeated for a plurality of source objects of the in-process call.
US08667502B2
Performing a local barrier operation with parallel tasks executing on a compute node including, for each task: retrieving a present value of a counter; calculating, in dependence upon the present value of the counter and a total number of tasks performing the local barrier operation, a base value, the base value representing the counter's value prior to any task joining the local barrier; calculating, in dependence upon the base value and the total number of tasks performing the local barrier operation, a target value of the counter, the target value representing the counter's value when all tasks have joined the local barrier; joining the local barrier, including atomically incrementing the value of the counter; and repetitively, until the present value of the counter is no less than the target value of the counter: retrieving the present value of the counter and determining whether the present value equals the target value.
US08667496B2
A method of managing one or more resources allocated to a plurality of guest virtual machines. The method comprises executing a plurality of guest virtual machines in a host platform managing at least one resource, allocating the at least one resource among the plurality of guest virtual machines, separately collecting, from each the guest virtual machine, resource usage data by locally monitoring at least one of an operating system operation, an executed procedure, and an executed tread in each the guest virtual machine, gathering the resource usage data from each the guest virtual machine, and reallocating the at least one resource among the plurality of guest virtual machines according to an analysis of the gathered resource usage data from the plurality of guest virtual machines.
US08667495B1
Control planes of virtual resource providers may be customized in a secure, stable and efficient manner with virtual control planes. Control planes may be modularized. Control plane modules may be supplied with data from standardized sensors, and required to generate standardized resource configuration requests responsive to solicitations with specified response latencies. Custom control plane modules may be selected to replace or complement default control plane modules. Financial and computational costs associated with control plane modules may be tracked. Competing resource configurations may be mediated by a control plane supervisor. Such mediation may be based on control plane module reputation scores. Reputation scores may be based on customer feedback ratings and/or measured performance with respect to module goals. Mediated configuration parameter values may be based on a combination of competing configuration parameter values weighted according to reputation. Contribution of individual modules to goal achievement may be tracked and rewarded accordingly.
US08667490B1
A system for providing mobility of a virtual machine between a first site and a second site of an active/active system is disclosed. For a virtual machine operating on the first site, it may be determined that the second site is a destination site between the first site and the second site. While the virtual machine is operating on the first site, storage data may be transferred from the first site to the second site. Operation of the virtual machine may be suspended on the first site. Operation of the virtual machine may be resumed on the second site. In the event of link failure between the first site and the second site, operation of the virtual machine may be maintained on the second site.
US08667486B2
A method for automatically provisioning a platform implementation package to a client device may include receiving from an application executing on the client device, a request for functionality. The request may be received via a client library distributed with the application, and may be for functionality provided by the platform implementation package. The platform implementation package may provide functionality that is not provided by the client library. It may be further automatically determined, by the client device, that the functionality requires an update to the platform implementation package. In response, a request for the update to the platform implementation package may be communicated to a computing system. The update to the platform implementation package may be received from the computing system and installed on the client device. The requested functionality may be provided to the application by the updated platform implementation package.
US08667477B2
A computer-implemented method for modifying software code includes: processing a command to modify a first module of software code stored on a production system in a distributed computing environment, where the software code includes a first plurality of data objects and a first plurality of notes; generating at least one queue comprising the second plurality of notes; modifying a second module of software code stored on a development system in the distributed computing environment with the second plurality of notes, where the second module of software code comprising a version of the first module of software code; and transferring the second module of software code to the production system to modify the first module of software code such that the first plurality of notes are modified by the second plurality of notes.
US08667474B2
A generated grouped representation of existing source code can define regions of the existing source code. A set of the regions that can run in parallel can be identified based on the grouped representation. The grouped representation can be converted into a modified representation, such as modified source code or a modified intermediate compiler representation, which can be configured to be resolved or executed to self-schedule the set of regions to run in parallel as a set of tasks. Additionally, the source code can include one or more exception handling routines, and user input can be received to identify in one or more lambda expressions one or more regions of the source code to be run in parallel as one or more tasks.
US08667473B2
The performance of a video game is analyzed using non-intrusive capture and storage of game data. A non-linear capture format is used for capturing run-time game data. The run-time game data includes run-time parameters associated with execution of an application code as well as run-time parameters associated with hardware of a game platform upon which the application code is being executed. The captured data is stored in a storage medium using a non-contiguous storage format.
US08667472B1
A system and method configured to instrument code for in-production monitoring provides a polling thread. A main thread executes the code of an instrumented application program and the polling thread executes in the background. Therefore the polling thread does not reduce the performance of the application program execution while monitoring activities are performed. Additionally, the polling thread is configured to simplify the process of instrumenting code for Java management extensions (JMX) by navigating the application program structure to locate administrative objects to bind to JMX and registering the administrative objects with JMX to enable monitoring of the instrumented code.
US08667469B2
A method, system, and computer-readable medium for staged validation of work packets within a software factory are presented. In one embodiment, the method includes creating a preliminary work packet. A validation constraint is appended to the preliminary work packet to create a constrained work packet. The constrained work packet is submitted to the software factory, within which the validation constraint is validated at different stages to confirm that the validation constraint is proper for the constrained work packet. If a validation result fails to meet all requirements of the validation constraint at each stage, the validation constraint is resolved, and the constrained work packet is re-submitted at that stage.
US08667464B2
An approach which may be regarded as a company advanced programming interface (CAPI) applicable, for instance, to boiler displays and remote man-machine interfaces. CAPI may use a product software structure combined with a personal computer (PC) or web based program capable of creating an embedded microcontroller program without a need for programming capabilities or a program recompile. Implementation may be done at both the product microcontroller level and the PC or web based program to be used by an end customer to “customize” its product. The present approach may partially move development and final tuning processes to an original equipment manufacturers (OEM). Modifications of the product may be done without a need for specific and expensive software development tools for embedded devices such as a compiler and a debugger, and hardware tools for simulation and analysis, and other like items. The present approach may also provide immediate response to simple OEM requirements.
US08667461B2
A placeholder activity is employed in a workflow or process definition, which may be loaded in a workflow design application even if the type of activity referred by the placeholder activity cannot be loaded. The “reference activity” enables a workflow or a process to bind to an actual activity type at runtime such that the workflow or process can dynamically use a latest version of the activity without a need to modify the workflow/process definition.
US08667459B2
Systems and methods of executing an application in an application specific runtime environment are disclosed. The application specific runtime environment is defined by an application environment specification to include a minimal or reduced set of software resources required for execution of the application. The application environment is generated by determining software resource dependencies and is used to provision the application specific runtime environment in real-time in response to a request to execute the application. Use of the application specific runtime environment allows the application to be executed using fewer computing resources, e.g., memory.
US08667451B2
A broadcaster, system, and method for reducing test data volume and test application time in an ATE (automatic test equipment) in a scan-based integrated circuit. The scan-based integrated circuit contains multiple scan chains, each scan chain comprising multiple scan cells coupled in series. The broadcaster is a combinational logic network coupled to an optional virtual scan controller and an optional scan connector. The virtual scan controller controls the operation of the broadcaster. The system transmits virtual scan patterns stored in the ATE and generates broadcast scan patterns through the broadcaster for testing manufacturing faults in the scan-based integrated circuit. The number of scan chains that can be supported by the ATE is significantly increased. Methods are further proposed to reorder scan cells in selected scan chains, to generate the broadcast scan patterns and virtual scan patterns, and to synthesize the broadcaster and a compactor in the scan-based integrated circuit.
US08667447B2
A wiring design apparatus for designing a plurality of wiring lines of a printed circuit board including a plurality of connection posts arranged in a matrix, includes a processor, the processor providing an orthogonal grid including a plurality of rows and columns running over and between the connection posts, providing a plurality of diagonal paths each connecting at least one of the rows with at least one of the columns each running between each of adjacent pairs of the connection posts, and determining a route for each of the wiring lines by exclusively allocating to each of the wiring lines a selected part of the rows, the columns and the paths so that the selected part connects both ends of each of the wiring lines.
US08667439B1
Systems and methods described herein are directed to solutions for Network on Chip (NoC) interconnects that automatically and dynamically determines the position of various hosts in a NoC topology based on the connectivity, bandwidth and latency requirements of the system traffic flows and certain performance optimization metrics such as system interconnect latency and interconnect cost. The example implementations selects hosts for relocation consideration and determines a new possible position for them in the NoC based on the system traffic specification, and using probabilistic functions to decide if the relocation is carried out or not. The procedure is repeated over new sets of hosts until certain optimization targets are satisfied or repetition count is exceeded.
US08667432B2
A method of forming an IC including MOS transistors includes using a gate mask to form a first active gate feature having a line width W1 over an active area and a neighboring dummy feature having a line width 0.8 W1 to 1.3 W1. The neighboring dummy feature has a first side adjacent to the first active gate feature, and a nearest gate level feature on a second side opposite the first side. The neighboring dummy feature defines a gate pitch based on a distance to the first active gate feature or the neighboring dummy feature maintains a gate pitch in a gate array including the first active gate feature. The spacing between the neighboring dummy feature and the nearest gate level feature (i) maintains the gate pitch or (ii) provides a SRAF enabling distance that is ≧2 times the gate pitch and the gate mask includes a SRAF over the SRAF distance.
US08667431B1
A method of locating faulty logic on a semiconductor chip is disclosed. The method may include determining failure rates for the semiconductor chip, which contain one or more logic elements. The method also may include determining a masking pattern using failure rates. The masking pattern may mask less than all of the logic elements using a determination method. The method may also include applying a test vector to a selected logic element, wherein the result from a test vector is compared to a reference.
US08667425B1
This disclosure is directed to techniques for presenting a scratch-card style interface using a touch-sensitive device. The touch-sensitive device is configured to present a first image using a display of the device. The first image may include a plurality of portions. The plurality of portions may be a plurality of overlapping image particles, or may be a plurality of image layers. The device may detect a first user interaction, and graphically remove a first number of portions of the first image in response to detection of the first user interaction. The device may detect a second user interaction, and graphically remove a second number of portions of the first image in response to the detected second user interaction. Graphical removal of the second number of portions may at least partially reveal a second image presented using the display of the device.
US08667422B2
Improved approaches to allow a portable electronic device to dynamically present location-specific information while the portable electronic device is at a predetermined location are disclosed. In one embodiment, the portable electronic device has a display that can display the location-specific information and has wireless capabilities for use in receiving the location-specific information from the server. The location-specific information can, for example, augment other information that is to be presented on the display. In one embodiment, the location-specific information can be information pertaining to a media item being played in an establishment, such as a store, where the portable electronic device is located.
US08667421B2
A system and method for navigating or editing may include storing multiple forward or redo stacks and a single back or undo stack. The forward or undo stacks may include separate stacks for each page from which navigation occurs to a page of lower hierarchical level or for each operation for which another operation is subsequently performed. Positions of references in the forward or redo stacks may be modified in response to navigations or edits to place a last navigated page or operation at the top of the stack. The timing of such movement of references may be optimized.
US08667413B2
A method, and apparatus is disclosed for input of information in an electronic device having a display, the apparatus comprising a graphic processor for displaying a plurality of objects on the display representative of the information to be input, each object of the plurality of objects arranged around the perimeter of a portion of the screen area of the display; a control interface for a user to control movement of a cursor generated in the display by the graphic processor and responsive to the control interface for scrolling through the plurality of objects and selection of an object for input of information.
US08667412B2
In one aspect, a virtual input device can be configured by detecting a language identifier associated with a selected data entry field, determining a key mapping corresponding to the detected language identifier, configuring a virtual input device in accordance with the key mapping, wherein the virtual input device includes one or more controls and the key mapping specifies a character corresponding to at least one of the plurality of controls, and presenting the virtual input device to a user. The language identifier can comprise one of an Extensible Markup Language tag and a Hypertext Markup Language tag. Further, user input selecting a second data entry field can be received, wherein a second language identifier is associated with the second data entry field, a second key mapping corresponding to the second language identifier can be determined, and the virtual input device can be configured in accordance with the second key mapping.
US08667411B2
A copy and paste operation allows selection from a copy source display area to be copied from a display screen of a display unit and pasted to a paste destination display area without losing the original appearance and style. A processing unit determines from data generated on the style of a copy source and data on the paste destination style, whether the paste destination style would change the copy source style. If it is determined that the paste destination style would change the copy source style, the copy source style is processed into the paste destination style in order to make the paste destination style consistent with the copy source style. The paste destination display area then displays the copy source display area pasted therein with the copy source style.
US08667405B2
A browser-based development tool is presented. The tool comprises an interactive user interface running in a browser resident on a client. The tool is programmed to enable a user to select a source of data from a server in communication with the client using the user interface and retrieve a limited data set from the selected data source. The data content of the limited data set is limited to that which is needed to populate a series of independent cells visible in a browser field. The tool is further programmed to display the retrieved data in the series of independent cells visible in the browser field and seamlessly scroll through the data displayed in the series of independent cells as requested by the user. Additionally, a browser-based application can be developed locally on the client using the tool, saved on the server and deployed to others through the server.
US08667390B2
Methods and apparatus implementing systems and techniques for asynchronously loading and accessing structured data. A random access interface can be provided to structured data while that structured data is asynchronously and simultaneously being loaded from a data source. A document, such as an Extensible Markup Language document, can be sequentially parsed and loaded into memory, and a tree data structure interface to the entire document can be provided to a client before the entire document has been fully parsed. In general, in one implementation, the technique includes: parsing structured data in sequence to produce a data object model representing at least a portion of the structured data in a memory, and simultaneously providing, to a client, read and write random access to the structured data through the data object model in the memory as the data object model is being produced.
US08667376B2
A decoding device comprises two check node processing devices of feedback shift register type, each of which node processing includes a plurality of registers and a plurality of comparator circuits. A multiplexer and a demultiplexer switch between the two check node processing devices, and a memory holds the two sorts of data. The comparator circuits are interposed between registers of the check node processing device.
US08667367B2
Described herein is an apparatus for adjusting a power supply level for a memory cell to improve stability of a memory unit. The apparatus comprises memory circuitry including memory cells, error detection circuitry to detect error in data stored by memory cells of the memory circuitry, and supply voltage control circuitry to increase supply voltage for one or more memory cells of the memory circuitry based at least in part on detected error.
US08667360B2
An apparatus, system, and method for generating and decoding a longer linear block codeword using a shorter block length. The method comprises receiving data from a storage area and generating a codeword from the received data with an encoder, the codeword having a data portion and a parity portion, wherein the codeword has a first block length, and wherein the encoder applies a linear block code, the linear block code having a second block length that is shorter than the first block length.
US08667355B2
The present disclosure describes a novel method and apparatus of using the JTAG TAP's TMS and TCK terminals as a general purpose serial Input/Output (I/O) bus. According to the present disclosure, the TAP's TMS terminal is used as a clock signal and the TCK terminal is used as a bidirectional data signal to allow serial communication to occur between; (1) an IC and an external controller, (2) between a first and second IC, or (3) between a first and second core circuit within an IC.
US08667337B2
Deterioration of performance due to diagnosis processing performed when a failure occurs is prevented.A storage apparatus 10 includes a controller 11A and a plurality of expanders 112A, 121A coupled to the controller 11A to form a first system, and includes a controller 11B and a plurality of expanders 112B, 121B coupled to the controller 11B to form a second system. The controller 11A accesses the storage drive 171 through the expanders 112A, 121A, and the second controller 11B accesses the storage drive through the expanders 112B, 121B. In the storage apparatus 10, the controller 11A stores a maximum number (concurrently-executable maximum number) of communication ports 80 that are concurrently diagnosable in the first system, and repeatedly executes a process of selecting the communication ports 80 not exceeding the concurrently-executable maximum number and a process of causing the expanders 112A, 121A to diagnose the selected communication ports 80.
US08667335B2
According to an aspect of the embodiment, a switch for information acquisition, which is included in an information processing apparatus, inputs an acquisition instruction of information for a hung-up cause investigation. A trace information acquiring unit, which is included in the information processing apparatus, acquires trace information of a first target process, which is set in a trace information setting file. A core file generating unit, which is included in the information processing apparatus, generates a core file of a second target process, which is set in a core setting file.
US08667330B1
Technologies are described herein for providing information lifecycle management (ILM)-assisted synchronous replication between a first storage server having a first current state and a second storage server having a second current state. For example, a notification is received at the first storage server that indicates the second storage server has resumed operations following a failure that occurred at a failure time. At this time, the first storage server is in the first current state and the second storage server is in the second current state that is different than the first current state. Then, ILM data for the first storage server is retrieved, and at least one block of data on the first storage server that was accessed after the failure time is identified. After identifying the at least one block of data, the identified block of data is re-synchronized between the first storage server and the second storage server.
US08667329B2
A graph-based computation has a plurality of nodes representing graph components connected by one or more links representing data flows between the components. Preparing the computation includes: identifying at least a first set of components to process a plurality of transactions in the computation; and associating with a first transaction a first group of one or more data records and data operations corresponding to the data records, and associating with a second transaction a second group of one or more data records and data operations corresponding to the data records. Executing the computation to process at least the first and second transactions includes delaying execution by the first set of components of a data operation corresponding to an initial data record of the second group until after execution by the first set of components of a data operation corresponding to a final data record of the first group.
US08667320B2
Various embodiments utilize different counters or clocks, working in concert, to smooth out position information that is derived for a rendering/capturing device. Specifically, in at least some embodiments, each counter or clock has a different speed. A faster counter or clock is used to determine intra-transition position offsets relative to a slower counter or clock.
US08667318B2
Methods and systems for operating a wireless clock system for multimedia datastream transmission and display. Source clock frames are compared with a reference clock frames and the clock difference are transmitted to a wireless clock receiver which also receives the same reference clock frames. Source clock frames are re-constructed using the reference clock frames, clock difference information and the receiver's local clock system.
US08667308B2
A request for a high voltage mode is received and a high voltage timer is started in response to determining that a remaining amount of high voltage credits exceeds a voltage switch threshold value. A switch to the high voltage mode is made in response to the request. A low voltage mode is switched to in response to an indication. The request may be received from an application running on a data processing system. If the indication is that the high voltage timer has expired, a low voltage timer is started in response to switching to low voltage mode. If the high voltage request is still active when the low voltage timer expires, a switch back to high voltage mode occurs and a new high voltage timer is started.
US08667306B2
In one embodiment, there is provided a mobile communications device comprising: a processor; a communications subsystem operable to exchange signals with a wireless network; a storage element having application modules and data stored thereon, the data comprising at least user application data associated with the application modules and service data including data for establishing communications with the wireless network; and a security module operable to detect policy messages received by the device, and to perform a security action if a first policy message to enforce a first data protection policy is received and a subsequent policy message to enforce a second data protection policy is not received within a predetermined duration from the time at which the first policy message is received; wherein the security action comprises erasing or encrypting at least some of the data on the storage element.
US08667299B2
One embodiment of the invention is a method for providing media content while preventing its unauthorized distribution. The method includes transmitting from a client to an administrative node a request for delivery of an instance of media content (IMC); determining which content source (CS) of a plurality of CSs to provide delivery of the IMC, provided the client is authorized to receive the IMC; transmitting to the client an access key and a location of the IMC; transmitting from the client to the CS a second request and the access key; in response to receiving the second request and the access key, transferring the IMC from the CS to the client; transmitting from the client to the administrative node an indicator indicating a successful transfer of the IMC; and generating a transaction applicable to the client and associated with the transfer of the IMC to the client.
US08667294B2
An apparatus and method for preventing falsification of a client screen is provided, in which a web server dynamically generates URIs and provides them to clients, thus preventing the falsification of client screens due to a web injection attack or a memory hacking attack. The apparatus includes a random web generation unit for converting an identical web page into random URIs that are randomly generated, at a request of a plurality of clients, generating different random web sources, and providing the different random web sources to the respective clients. A web falsification determination unit compares display web source eigenvalues respectively generated by the clients with respect to any one of the random web sources with a generative web source eigenvalue for the one of the random web sources, thus determining whether screens corresponding to the random web sources displayed on the respective clients have been falsified.
US08667293B2
A method includes: receiving a revocation list from a remote data server at a configuration device. The revocation list includes N cryptographic certificates associated with N computer software entities, respectively, that are not to be executed by any of a group of medical devices including a handheld medical device. N is an integer greater than or equal to zero The method further includes receiving data from the handheld medical device at the configuration device. The data includes a cryptographic certificate that is associated with a given computer software entity that is presently installed in memory of the handheld medical device for execution by the handheld medical device. The method further includes comparing the cryptographic certificate with the revocation list; and selectively executing a protective function by the configuration device when the cryptographic certificate is the same as one of the N cryptographic certificates of the revocation list.
US08667288B2
In a network device, a method for verified communication includes generating a network communication message using a selection of predetermined message elements having digital signatures generated with a private key. The network device generates a signature for the message by applying a homomorphic operation to the digital signatures of the selected predetermined message elements and to a one-time signature corresponding to a random number. The network device transmits the message in association with the signature for the message and the random number to at least one other network device.
US08667259B2
Instruction cache memory having a plurality of memory (for example, cache WAY), means 3 for storing prediction data of a conditional branch of a branch instruction being taken or not taken and for storing prediction data of memory storing the branch instruction data of the plurality of memory when the prediction is the branch being taken, and means for, when an instruction to be executed is a branch instruction, outputting a read active control signal to the plurality of memories 1 by using two pieces of prediction data obtained from the means by an index corresponding to the branch instruction, are comprised.
US08667257B2
Techniques are disclosed relating to improving the performance of branch prediction in processors. In one embodiment, a processor is disclosed that includes a branch prediction unit configured to predict a sequence of instructions to be issued by the processor for execution. The processor also includes a pattern detection unit configured to detect a pattern in the predicted sequence of instructions, where the pattern includes a plurality of predicted instructions. In response to the pattern detection unit detecting the pattern, the processor is configured to switch from issuing instructions predicted by the branch prediction unit to issuing the plurality of instructions. In some embodiments, the processor includes a replay unit that is configured to replay fetch addresses to an instruction fetch unit to cause the plurality of predicted instructions to be issued.
US08667252B2
Clustered VLIW processing elements, each preferably simple and identical, are coupled by a runtime reconfigurable inter-cluster interconnect to form a coprocessor executing only those portions of a program having high instruction level parallelism. The initial portion of each program segment executed by the coprocessor reconfigures the interconnect, if necessary, or is skipped. Clusters may be directly connected to a subset of neighboring clusters, or indirectly connected to any other cluster, a hierarchy exposed to the programming model and enabling a larger number of clusters to be employed. The coprocessor is idled during remaining portions of the program to reduce power dissipation.
US08667250B2
A computer processor includes a decoder for decoding machine instructions and an execution unit for executing those instructions. The decoder and the execution unit are capable of decoding and executing vector instructions that include one or more format conversion indicators. For instance, the processor may be capable of executing a vector-load-convert-and-write (VLoadConWr) instruction that provides for loading data from memory to a vector register. The VLoadConWr instruction may include a format conversion indicator to indicate that the data from memory should be converted from a first format to a second format before the data is loaded into the vector register. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08667241B2
In recent years, data life cycle management, in which data is relocated from, for example, a new storage sub-system to an older storage sub-system in accordance with how new the data is or the frequency of use of the data, has become important. One technology for achieving data life cycle management is technology for migrating the contents of a storage area (“volume”) of a storage sub-system to another volume without affecting the host computer that uses the volume. In the present invention, when an associated source volume (for example, the source volume in a copy pair association) of a pair of associated volumes is migrated, migration of an associated destination volume (for example, the target volume in the copy pair association) is also controlled. In this way, it is possible to control the migration of a pair (or a group) of associated volumes in accordance with the user's requirements.
US08667226B2
A data processing system (10) includes a first master (14) and a second master (16 or 22). The first master includes a cache (28) and snoop queue circuitry (44, 52, 54) having a snoop request queue (44) which stores snoop requests. The snoop queue circuitry receives snoop requests for storage into the snoop request queue and provides snoop requests from the snoop request queue to the cache, and the snoop queue circuitry provides a ready indicator indicating whether the snoop request queue can store more snoop requests. The second master includes outgoing transaction control circuitry (72) which controls initiation of outgoing transactions to a system interconnect. In response to the ready indicator indicating that the snoop request queue cannot store more snoop requests, an initiation hold signal is provided to the outgoing transaction control circuitry to prevent the outgoing transaction control circuitry from initiating any outgoing transactions to the system interconnect (12) within a subset of transaction types.
US08667223B2
A cache for use in a central processing unit (CPU) of a computer includes a data array; a tag array configured to hold a list of addresses corresponding to each data entry held in the data array; a least recently used (LRU) array configured to hold data indicating least recently used data entries in the data array; a line fill buffer configured to receive data from an address in main memory that is located external to the cache in the event of a cache miss; and a shadow register associated with the line fill buffer, wherein the shadow register is configured to hold LRU data indicating a current state of the LRU array.
US08667219B2
A method for optimizing locations of physical data accessed by one or more client applications interacting with a storage system, with the storage system comprising at least two redundancy groups having physical memory spaces and data bands. Each of the data bands corresponds to physical data stored on several of the physical memory spaces. A virtualized logical address space includes client data addresses utilizable by the one or more client applications. A storage controller is configured to map the client data addresses onto the data bands, such that a mapping is obtained, wherein the one or more client applications can access physical data corresponding to the data bands.
US08667218B2
A RAID group of RAID 1 series comprises one or more pairs of first storage devices and second storage devices. A storage apparatus reads data from the entire area of a first storage block group including the write destination of write target data in the first storage device. The storage apparatus, in accordance with the write target data and staging data which is the read data, generates one or more data units each of which is the data configured of the write target data or the copy of the same and the staging data part or the copy of the same and of the same size as the first storage block group. The controller writes any of the one or more data units to the first storage block group in the first storage device and, at the same time, writes any of the one or more data units to the second storage block group corresponding to the first storage block group and of the same size as the same in the second storage device.
US08667213B2
Various flash management techniques may be described. An apparatus may comprise a processor, a flash memory coupled to the processor, and a flash management module. The flash management module may be executed by the processor to receive a write request to write data to the flash memory, write a first control sector with a sequence number to the flash memory, and write the sequence number, an address for a logical sector, and data to at least one physical sector corresponding to the logical sector of the flash memory. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08667210B2
A memory management method for managing physical units of a rewritable non-volatile memory module is provided. In the method, the physical units are grouped into at least a data area and a free area. The method includes obtaining empty physical units from the free area to configure a first global random area and obtaining empty physical units from the data area to configure a second global random area. The method further includes using the physical units of the first global random area to write updated data, and using the physical units of the second global random area to write other updated data after the physical units of the first global random area are written full of the updated data. Accordingly, the method can increase the storage space of a global random area, and thereby reduces data merging operations and shortens the time for executing a write command.
US08667206B2
A system and method for interfacing multiple inputs and outputs in a control system is provided. A digital input/output system provides a localized interface between multiple operator consoles and at least one output device to coordinate and monitor the operation of the at least one output device. The digital input/output system includes an interface device which re-routes discrete lines to and from the operator consoles and output devices and eliminates conflicting signals sent from the operator consoles to the output devices.
US08667200B1
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for arbitrating between a set of requesters that transmit data transmission requests to the weighted LRU arbiter. Each data transmission request is associated with a specific amount of data to be transmitted over the crossbar unit. Based on the priority state associated with each requester, the weighted LRU arbiter then selects the requester in the set of requesters with the highest priority. The weighted LRU arbiter then decrements the weight associated with the selected requester stored in a corresponding weight store based on the size of the data to be transmitted. If the decremented weight is equal to or less than zero, then the priority associated with the selected requester is set to a lowest priority. If, however, the decremented weight is greater than zero, then the priority associated with the selected requester is not changed.
US08667195B2
A system-on-chip bus system and an operating method of the same are provided. The bus system includes a master device, a slave device and an interconnector coupled between the master device and the slave device. The interconnector includes a synchronization/compaction block to control traffic provided from a master device to a slave device. When a write request traffic and a corresponding write data traffic are all provided from the master device, the synchronization/compaction block may transfer the two traffics to the salve device.
US08667194B2
A two-wire interface in which upon determining that an operation is to be performed on a slave component, the master component monitors the data wire for a predetermined number of consecutive bits having a particular binary value. Upon detection such a sequence, the master component asserts a frame of a two-wire interface on the data wire. This detected predetermined number of consecutive bits will be considered to be the preamble. During at least some of the preamble phase, the master component is not asserting anything on the data wire. Instead, the data wire is pulled high (or low) by a weak pull-up (or pull-down) resistor. Furthermore, the frame is designed so that there are bits having a guaranteed binary value that is opposite what would be expected in the preamble, to thereby facilitate synchronization.
US08667187B2
Available buffers in the memory space of a guest operating system of a virtual machine are provided to a network interface controller (NIC) for use during direct memory access (DMA) and the guest operating system is notified accordingly when data is written into such available buffers. These capabilities obviate the requirement of using hypervisor memory as a staging area to determine which virtual machine to forward incoming data.
US08667183B1
A network communications system and method are disclosed. In at least one implementation, the network communications system includes a network appliance configured to receive from a client device via a client-side wide area network, an HTTP non-compliant request stream including one or more HTTP non-compliant requests formatted according to an HTTP non-compliant application level protocol. The network appliance is further configured to translate the one or more HTTP non-compliant requests of the HTTP non-compliant request stream from the HTTP non-compliant application level protocol into one or more HTTP compliant requests of an HTTP compliant request stream. The network appliance is further configured to forward the HTTP compliant request stream including the one or more HTTP compliant requests to one or more server devices via a server-side local area network.
US08667182B2
A user locating system, method and server in a Packet-based network. A plurality of management regions divided by terrains are included, and each of the management regions includes: an address management server adapted to collect and bind communication addresses and user identifiers of all network users in the management region, and to send information of the binding to a region locating server in the present management region; and a region locating server adapted to store and update the information of the binding of the user identifiers and the communication addresses of all the network users in the present management region, to send the information of the binding to a inquirer dependent upon a received inquiry request, and to send information of binding of a user identifier and a communication address found not belonging to the present management region to a home management region of the user.
US08667161B2
A personal broadcast server system provides a customized broadcast to one or more users over a transmission media. A data storage device stores a plurality of broadcast elements. A data management system stores a user profile and a user state for each of the one or more users and also stores information associated with each of the plurality of broadcast elements. A broadcast element selector, having at least one broadcast element selector function, selects broadcast elements from the data storage device based on information contained in the data management system. A broadcast server receives the selected broadcast elements from the data storage device and provides the selected broadcast elements to a user over the transmission media. The personal broadcast server system may provide streaming audio, streaming video, or other forms of broadcast signals.
US08667160B1
One embodiment of the present invention relates to a system for distributing audio/video convent via a network, comprising: a client software application, and a channel control software application, wherein the client software application and the channel control software application are operatively connected together via the network such that the client software application receives at least one control message from the channel control software application, wherein the at least one control message causes the client software application to access at least: i) a first audio/video data element and ii) a second audio/video data element, and wherein the at least one control message causes the client software application to composite together at least: i) the first audio/video data element and ii) the second audio/video data element and to render at least the composited first and second audio/video data elements at a client device running the client software application.
US08667147B2
Multiple transaction components that comprise a transaction are correlated using a GUID generated at a browser application. The transaction components may occur asynchronously or synchronously between a network browser and one or more applications. An identifier is generated for a set of network browser requests corresponding to a single user input or some other event and the identifier is included in each request. Server traffic and the servers processing the request are monitored and data which includes the identifier is generated. Data for the transaction with multiple transaction components is reported using the GUID associated with the transaction.
US08667145B2
A system and method are provided for establishing multiple parallel connections between a client and a server on a single server port. Data may be transferred on the multiple parallel connections between the server and the client through an opening in a network firewall that corresponds to the single server port. A control process may accept N connection requests from a client then transfer each accepted connection to a relay process that manages that connection. Each relay process may relay data between the server and the client via the single server port. A single collective data transfer may be executed on the N parallel connections, thereby increasing throughput and data transfer rates. If the data transfer rate is primarily limited by network latency, using N parallel connections provides the advantage of increasing the data transfer rate by approximately a factor of N.
US08667143B2
A method and a system for redirecting a client are disclosed, the method including: sending by the client a request message to a redirect agent; returning by the redirect agent a first response message to the client, an identification of a second realm being carried in the first response message; sending by the client the request message to a second server in the second realm. The data are maintained and modified only on the redirect agent, so that the redirection service between different realms may be realized without upgrading or maintaining the client. In addition, because the number of redirect agents is much smaller than the number of clients, the operation and maintenance costs may be reduced greatly.
US08667133B2
Methods and systems for determining the effect of a host on network latency while delivering online ads are disclosed. Observational test data relating to one or more network latency tests conducted on a plurality of hosts may be obtained. A first group and a second group of hosts may be created, wherein the first group includes the host and the second group doesn't include the host. At least one predetermined metric for each of the first group and the second group is computed based on the test data. A ratio of the at least one predetermined metric for the first group to the at least one predetermined metric for the second group is computed. The host may then be ranked based at least in part on the ratio.
US08667125B2
Monitoring user activity on a mobile device is described. In one aspect, video content is received and played to a user of the mobile device. The monitoring activity detects an interruption of playback of the video content and determines an event associated with the interruption. The event is stored in the mobile device and communicated to a remote device.
US08667124B2
A method for notifying a Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) event includes: monitoring an event state; and sending a notification indicative of a change of the event state to an event state receiving entity if detecting the change of the event state. A computer program and a computer-readable storage medium are provided to enable a computer to perform the steps of the method for notifying an RTSP event. An apparatus for notifying an RTSP event includes: an event state monitoring unit, adapted to monitor an event state; and a message sending unit, adapted to send a notification indicative of a change of the event state when the event state monitoring unit detects the change of the event state. A system for notifying an RTSP event includes the RTSP event notifying apparatus. Through the technical solution herein, the event state is notified to the corresponding network entity when the event state changes.
US08667115B2
Embodiments communicate messages between mobile devices and destination devices. An exemplary embodiment includes a first border server operable to establish a first communication connection to the mobile device over a first network operating under a first protocol, a second border server operable to establish a second communication connection to the mobile device over a second network operating under a second protocol, and a transport management server communicatively coupled to the first border server and the second border server, and operable to establish a third communication connection to the destination device over a third network operating under a third protocol. The first protocol is configured to communicate a first encapsulated portion of the message. The second protocol is configured to communicate a second encapsulated portion of the message. The third protocol is configured to communicate the first encapsulated portion of the message and the second encapsulated portion of the message.
US08667111B2
Methods, systems, devices, and software are disclosed for providing application levels of service over a network. Embodiments of the invention maintain a list of registered applications (or application providers) that have registered with a network resources provider. Customers of the network resources provider may authenticate some or all of the registered applications, indicating a desire to allow traffic relating to those applications over their access networks. Customers may further set application levels of service with respect to those authenticated applications. Certain embodiments may manage network traffic to accord with the application levels of service.
US08667106B2
A management system for a guard chip. The guard chip is adapted to prevent malware communications between a user operating system and an external network without user interaction. The management system comprises an authentication function to authenticate interactions between the guard chip and the management system with each communication, an update function to provide updates to the guard chip without user interaction, and a control function to prevent users control of the guard chip. The management system can comprise an administrator to create the updates.
US08667095B2
Various systems and methods for automatically configuring network devices coupled to a network that provides (or is capable of providing) multipoint virtual connections are disclosed. One such method involves receiving information identifying a plurality of virtual connections (VCs) available within a network. The method identifies a set of one or more nodes that are configured with one of several Internet Protocol (IP) subnets and that have access to one of the VCs, and then assigns each of the IP subnets to a unique one of the VCs.
US08667092B1
A first message comprising first information specifying a file is received from a first server. Respective second messages comprising second information specifying the file are transmitted to a plurality of lock services. Assignment information identifying a file server assigned to handle requests related to the specified file is received from each of the plurality of lock services. One or more conflict resolution rules are applied to reconcile conflicts among the assignment information received from the plurality of lock services and to determine an assigned file server assigned to handle requests related to the specified file. A third message identifying the file server assigned to handle requests related to the specified file is transmitted to the first server.
US08667086B2
The present disclosure applies to the field of software, and provides a method, a device and a system for downloading games. The method includes that: after a user logs in, a client device sends a version number of a local game hall and personal information of the user to a server, which generates and returns a silent configuration file for downloading according to the version number of the local game hall and personal information of the user, wherein the silent configuration file for downloading includes a list of games that needs to be updated and/or downloaded and a silent download speed-limiting mode; the client device receives the silent configuration file for downloading returned by the server, and silently downloads and/or updates corresponding games of the local game hall according to the silent configuration file for downloading. An embodiment of the present disclosure can set the most appropriate silent download mode according to network conditions and user requirements.
US08667077B2
A transmission device includes: a first interface unit to receive data of a plurality of first paths transmitted corresponding to a first data stream and outputting the data per path; a second interface unit to receive data of a plurality of second paths transmitted corresponding to the first data stream and outputting the data per path; a switch unit to input the data which has been output from the first and second interface unit and select and output the data from the first interface unit or the data from the second interface unit per path; a phase detection unit to detect and output a phase difference among the paths of the data which has been output from the switch unit per path; and a control unit to control the switch unit on the basis of the detected phase difference.
US08667069B1
Techniques are described for determining how to handle inbound messages based on feedback from users. Feedback may relate to content of inbound messages and/or a source of inbound messages. In addition, feedback may be dynamically filtered based on groups and message recipients may become affiliated with one or groups causing feedback associated with the one or more groups to apply to inbound messages they receive. In displaying messages, an indication of feedback associated with the messages may be displayed to the message recipient.
US08667067B2
A system for posting web logging (blog) messages, retrieving blog messages, and being notified of the posting of blog messages by way of dispatch communications. The system includes a wireless communication system capable of setting up dispatch communications links between subscriber units and a dispatch server. The dispatch server interfaces with a blog server. Using dispatch communications, subscriber units may send messages to the blog server for posting by way of the dispatch server, may receive notification of the posting of messages from the blog server by way of the dispatch server, and may retrieve messages from the blog server by way of the dispatch server.
US08667061B2
Embodiments of the invention address interoperability issues between incompatible applications by use of a map engine. In one embodiment the map engine enables a mapping between the messages exchanged between two incompatible applications thereby enabling the interacting applications understand messages exchanged between them. In other embodiments, the map engine maps a parameter associated with one application to a parameter associated with another application based on a mapping rule, where the applications differ from each other owing to non-conforming standards used for their implementation or to the two applications having different service description formats or different messaging formats, or to different platforms used for their implementation. In another embodiment of the invention, the map engine extracts the mapping rule from a knowledge base to enable the mapping between the two incompatible applications. The knowledge base stores data based on which the parameters associated with the two applications may be mapped.
US08667049B2
A novel massively parallel supercomputer of hundreds of teraOPS-scale includes node architectures based upon System-On-a-Chip technology, i.e., each processing node comprises a single Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC). Within each ASIC node is a plurality of processing elements each of which consists of a central processing unit (CPU) and plurality of floating point processors to enable optimal balance of computational performance, packaging density, low cost, and power and cooling requirements. The plurality of processors within a single node individually or simultaneously work on any combination of computation or communication as required by the particular algorithm being solved. The system-on-a-chip ASIC nodes are interconnected by multiple independent networks that optimally maximizes packet communications throughput and minimizes latency. The multiple networks include three high-speed networks for parallel algorithm message passing including a Torus, Global Tree, and a Global Asynchronous network that provides global barrier and notification functions.
US08667041B2
Detection of whether a result of a floating point operation is safe. Characteristics of the result are examined to determine whether the result is safe or potentially unsafe, as defined by the user. An instruction is provided to facilitate detection of safe or potentially unsafe results.
US08667038B1
A frequency synthesis circuit includes a phase locked loop and an interpolator circuit. The phase locked loop circuit receives a reference clock and a feedback clock and generates an output clock with a frequency based on the reference clock and the feedback clock. An interpolator circuit is coupled in the feedback path of the phase locked loop circuit. An interpolator control circuit generates an interpolator control word that specifies a variable time delay for the interpolator circuit. The interpolator circuit receives the output clock, and generates the feedback clock by introducing a variable time delay in the output clock in accordance with the interpolator control word. The time variable delay varies the frequency of the output circuit. Embodiments for frequency synthesis circuits that include a spread spectrum frequency clock generator, frequency modulators, and a fixed frequency clock generator circuit are disclosed.
US08667034B1
The present invention enables a storage virtualization system to identify and preserve symlinks stored in a mixed protocol NFS+CIFS NAS system. Using the results of a multi-protocol scan, a storage virtualization system may identify which data objects are symlinks. The storage virtualization system may also determine the symlinks' target path information either by monitoring access or by referring to metadata discovered during the scan. After recording this target path information, the storage virtualization system may provide symlink expansion capabilities separate from the client computer or the NAS system. In addition, this target path information may be preserved upon symlink migration to a second NAS system.
US08667033B1
In a mirrored database system, a careful write of intentions to perform file system actions is recorded in a persistent file system objects table that is flushed to disk prior to the actions being taken. The table durably and accurately records identities of file system objects that were in use by the database to facilitate creation and deletion of physical file directories and files on a database during crash recovery and during mirror resynchronize. In the event of a failure, crash recovery may quickly and easily identify file system objects which need to be cleaned up by reference to the persistent file system objects table. Similarly, resynchronization of the mirror database can be performed quickly by referring to the persistent file system table data to detect changes since the last database checkpoint.
US08667030B2
When a management screen for conducting management operation of a file system in the NAS apparatus 10 of a file server is displayed by the administrator on a display device of the management console 30 by using the management console 30, if a disk device obtained from the storage apparatus 20 is in a power saving state, the NAS apparatus 10 has a function to change the operations hereafter. Specifically, a screen is displayed on the management screen, in which a creation or deletion of the file system becomes impossible with respect to the disk device in the power saving state. Therefore, the administrator can conduct management operations for services without referring to the power status, thereby resulting in easy management operation.
US08667022B2
An adjustment method includes reading a record that includes a plurality of columns from a storage unit, determining whether data stored in a certain column in the plurality of columns of the read record has an attribute that corresponds to another column in the plurality of columns when the data does not have an attribute that corresponds to the certain column, and assigning the data to the another column when it is determined that the data has the attribute that corresponds to the another column.
US08667008B2
A search request control apparatus includes a processor to execute a process. The process includes splitting a search request set, which contains a plurality of search requests acquired in a predetermined period, into subsets in accordance with a degree of overlap of data searched by each of the search requests, calculating an average response of the search requests contained in the search request set in accordance with a processing order of the subsets that are obtained through the splitting, and processing collectively in accordance with the processing order, search requests contained in a plurality of subsets having a minimum average response calculated.
US08667003B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for identifying query refinements from sibling queries. In one aspect, a method includes associating each of a plurality of parent queries with a respective group of one or more child queries for the parent query, identifying one or more candidate sibling queries for a particular child query, selecting one or more final sibling queries for the particular child query from the one or more candidate sibling queries, and associating the final sibling queries with the particular child query as query refinements.
US08667001B2
A distributed database system has multiple compute nodes each running an instance of a database management system (DBMS) program that accesses database records in a local buffer cache. Records are persistently stored in distributed flash memory on multiple storage nodes. A Sharing Data Fabric (SDF) is a middleware layer between the DBMS programs and the storage nodes and has API functions called by the DBMS programs when a requested record is not present in the local buffer cache. The SDF fetches the requested record from flash memory and loads a copy into the local buffer cache. The SDF has threads on a home storage node that locate database records using a node map. A global cache directory locks and pins records to local buffer caches for updating by a node's DBMS program. DBMS operations are grouped into transactions that are committed or aborted together as a unit.
US08667000B2
An apparatus comprises a generation unit that newly generates a folder by a predetermined program; an association unit that associates the generated folder by the program other than the predetermined program with the predetermined program; a record unit that records management information, the management information being for identifying whether folders used by the predetermined program have been generated or associated; a selection unit that selects a desired folder from among the folders used by the predetermined program; an identification unit that identifies whether the selected folder has been generated or associated with reference to the information recorded in the memory; and a deletion control unit that performs control of when the selected folder is the generated folder, deleting the selected folder, and when the selected folder is the associated folder, cancelling the association without deleting the selected folder.
US08666991B2
A method of counting items in a database system. The database system having nodes comprising processors and memory where the memory stores programs to be executed by the processors. Identifying and counting M unique number of items. Determining and storing a logcount for M unique items.
US08666980B1
This disclosure describes various processes for collecting information about users from sources other than catalog activity data. This information can be used to generate recommendations for users with activity data deficiencies. Some example sources for this supplemental data include collaborative content sites, such as social networking sites. Social networking sites typically allow users to engage in conversations with other users through text, audio, and/or video. Conversation data collected from these sites or from other sources can be analyzed to infer user interests. A recommendation process (or other application) can use the inferred interests to supplement or take the place of catalog activity data.
US08666965B2
An Internet infrastructure supports searching of web links to select search results by processing browser activity information along with one or more of favorite lists, and related metadata, user profiles, and trends based on browser activity behavior and favorite behavior. A plurality of web browsers located on client device are incorporated with a browser activity-monitoring module that tracks user's Internet usage, processes this information, and sends this information periodically or upon user request to the server to aid in improving search operation results. The search engine server communicatively couples to the plurality of web browsers and supports delivery of search results/web links to the client device based upon a search string, browser activity information, and possibly the favorite lists and related metadata. The gathered browser activity information, favorite lists, and related metadata are stored in one or more server databases that are associated with the search engine server.
US08666964B1
Determining a schedule for recrawling pages is disclosed. A crawling schedule that specifies a due date at which each page is to be crawled is determined according to a first scheme. A set of pages that includes one or more pages each of which has a due date that has passed is determined. The set of pages is ordered according to a second scheme.
US08666943B2
After a clone file is created from a file, a write request targeting the clone file can be handled. It is determined that the write request indicates the clone file that was cloned from a file in a first fileset. The clone file is of a second fileset and a clustered file system comprises the first fileset and the second fileset. A data block of the clone file affected by the write request is determined. It is then determined that the data block at a current location cannot be modified. The write request is implemented with respect to the data block at a different location. It is indicated that the data block at the different location can be modified for subsequent write requests that indicate the clone file.
US08666940B2
A client server system uses a client subsystem, a server subsystem and an interconnecting data network. The client subsystem client application initiates a secure connection over the network with the server subsystem which includes a server application cooperating with the client application to complete a secure connection with the client application and which transmits output data over such a connection in response to requests for service by the client application. The server subsystem additionally generates a notification, in response to detecting an event in the absence of a secure connection between the server and the client, and transmits the notification to the notification server which forwards the notification over the interconnecting network to the client application.
US08666937B2
In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for versioning content in a database system using content type specific objects. These mechanisms and methods for versioning content in a database system using content type specific objects can enable embodiments to provide a database system which stores information associated with multiple versions of content. The ability of embodiments to provide a database system which supports content versioning can enable an efficient and comprehensive storage of content types having different features by the database system.
US08666934B2
A system, a method and a computer program product for managing activities in project management. The system includes an activity sensor for collecting activity data from user inputs and event logs; a model builder for creating a project model by integrating said activity data with project tasks; and a central repository for storing the project model created by said model builder. The method includes steps for collecting activity data from user inputs and event logs; creating a project model by integrating said activity data with project tasks; and storing the created project model. Accordingly, the project manager can track various activities that occurred during the project and team members can share information and knowledge.
US08666932B2
The method according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises retrieving one or more terms or phrases comprising an instant messaging conversation in which one or more users are participating. One or more term vectors comprising one or more vector terms associated with the one or more retrieved terms or phrases comprising the instant messaging conversation are generated and one or more vector terms are selected from said term vectors. The one or more selected vector terms are displayed to the one or more users participating in the instant messaging conversation. An indication of a user selection of a given displayed vector term is received and one or more content items responsive to the selected vector term are identified.
US08666928B2
A knowledge storage system is described. A specific embodiment is a computer system comprising a knowledge base of general knowledge in structured form which can be added to and queried by untrained users. Various embodiments include the facility for remote computers to access the knowledge stored in the system, natural language questions to be answered, profile screens giving general knowledge about an object in the system, and methods for distinguishing between reliable and unreliable facts.
US08666923B2
Some links are omitted from indexes associated with semantic network elements and clustering is influenced by such omissions.
US08666918B2
An exemplary embodiment of the invention relates to a method for classifying a video sequence (VS), characterized by the steps of analyzing the video sequence using a plurality of genre-specific detector modules (M1-M5), each genre-specific detector module providing a probability value (P1-P5) indicating the probability that the video sequence belongs to the genre assigned to the genre-specific detector module; and analyzing the probability values of the plurality of genre-specific detector modules using a combiner (CM) which analyzes said probability values and generates a classification signal (SC) classifying the video sequence as belonging to a specific genre (g).
US08666916B2
A method and apparatus for receiving training data that comprise a plurality of event-and-time-specific texts that are contextually related to a plurality of events; iteratively processing the training data to generate a modified network model that defines a plurality of states; receiving additional data that comprise a plurality of additional event-and-time-specific texts that are contextually related to a particular event; processing the additional data by applying the modified network model to the additional data to identify, within the plurality of additional event-and-time specific texts, a particular set of texts that belong to a particular state of the plurality of states; identifying, within the particular set of texts, one or more texts that are most representative of all texts in the particular set of texts that belong to the particular state; wherein the method is performed by one or more special-purpose computing devices.
US08666915B2
A method of information retrieval that includes determining Q generative models (λ) in accordance with Probabilistic Latent Semantic Indexing (PLSI). The Q generative models are determined in offline training. The method also includes receiving a user query (q), choosing N generative models out of the Q generative models, and determining a content item (d) based on the query and a combination of the N generative models.
US08666914B1
Systems, methods, and apparatus are provided for determining relevance of documents to queries. An optimized relevance function is configured to determine a relevance value of documents of a first type that are linked to documents of a second type. The relevance function is optimized to satisfy certain criteria. According to one criterion, a relevance value produced by the optimized relevance function, when invoked for documents of the first type, should have a locally maximal degree of fit to the results of the existing relevance function for the sample training documents of the second type. An assessed degree of fit of a document can be increased or decreased to arrive at an optimized relevance function that ranks the documents of the first type in a desired position relative to documents of the second type in search results. The degree of fit can be assessed by a user-provided objective function.
US08666908B2
A preferred method for acquiring information during an underground drilling operation includes providing a sensing device capable of acquiring information concerning the underground drilling operation from a down-hole location on a selective basis in response to an input from the surface, and drilling for a first period of time. The preferred method also includes sending the input to the sensing device after drilling for the first period of time, and drilling during a second period of time while acquiring the information using the sensing device.
US08666906B1
In a computing system, in response to an order placed by a customer, a request for verification information is received from a merchant. Customer information is communicated to an issuing organization associated with the customer, while the information is withheld from the merchant. The merchant is connected for communication with the issuing organization for verification of information associated with the order.
US08666904B2
A security component may be associated with a network-enabled application. The security component may initiate the display of an embedded region of a window drawn according to display information received from a relying party. The security component may define at least a portion of the appearance of the embedded region; the relying party may not define this portion. The embedded region may include customization information configured by a user, and “Card” information received from an assertion provider, indicating how to authenticate user credentials in order to gain access to relying party restricted content. The security component may request authentication of user credentials from the assertion provider, which may be trusted by the relying party. The security component may receive an assertion token from the assertion provider indicating the credentials are authentic. The security component may forward the assertion token to the relying party to gain access to the restricted content.
US08666902B2
A utility meter implementing the ANSI C12.19 standard is able to bypass security processing using Decade4 security tables for a single data access operation. The meter includes a procedure that is executed by a processor in the meter to process requests for security keys. Data internal to the meter is used to generate a security key. The security key is used by the requesting external device and the procedure to generate an access key. The external device sends its access key to the procedure so it may be compared to the internally generated access key. If both access keys are the same, a data access operation performed by the external device is allowed without reference to the Decade4 security tables. Once a timeout or data access operation is performed, subsequent data access operations are subject to processing in accordance with the Decade4 security tables unless another security key is requested for repetition of the process.
US08666901B2
A system and method for managing sponsorships by a sponsor, in which the party requesting the sponsorship requests to use content owned and protected by the sponsor, such as trademarks, logos, and copyrighted material. An embodiment of the method involves receiving, at a computer network site, a request for sponsorship from a requester and responding to the request by sending either an approval or a rejection. If an approval is sent, the method further involves providing the requestor with access to content of the sponsor through the site. As part of providing this access, the method can involve requiring the requestor to accept an agreement posted on the site. The method can also include monitoring the requestor's actual use of the content.
US08666897B2
Authorization limits on the use of a financial transaction instrument, such as a credit card and the like, may be set by an owner of a financial account corresponding to the financial transaction instrument. The owner provides information identifying the owner, the financial account, and the financial transaction instrument corresponding to the financial account to a computer, and also provides an owner-defined authorization limit on use of the financial transaction instrument to the computer. The authorization limit is stored in a database, which is accessed when there is a request to authorize a purchase to be made with the financial transaction instrument. The owner may communicate with the computer via a Web site, an automated call program, a kiosk, or the like.
US08666892B2
In general, in one aspect, an electronic payment transaction can be processed at a merchant location without the need for configuring the equipment used to include parameters related to a merchant account (merchant profile). The electronic payment transactions processed from the merchant location simply include a unique identification for the equipment. A processing switch upstream maintains a correlation between the unique identifiers and the merchant profiles and retrieves the appropriate merchant profile for the unique identification and utilizes the merchant profile to process the electronic payment transactions.
US08666891B2
The specification and drawing figures describe and illustrate a point-of-sale payment system. The point-of-sale payment system includes a mobile wireless communications instrument having at least one data processor. The data processor is capable of automatically selecting a payment instrument for transmitting a payment sum across a mobile wireless communications network and, if necessary, a credit network. The point-of-sale payment system may also include a data transmission subsystem for receipt, storage, processing, and transmittal of data across the wireless communications network and/or the data transmission subsystem.
US08666890B1
A transaction account is disclosed that includes attributes of a checking or savings account in that, for example, an account holder earns interest on a positive balance in the account. The transaction account additionally includes attributes of a credit-card-type account in that the account holder owes interest on a negative balance in the account. With such an account having the positive and negative balance attributes of checking or savings accounts and of credit-card-like accounts, the account holder or customer may manage the account more efficiently than by maintaining multiple accounts. The financial institution may save costs resulting from the overhead associated with maintaining numerous accounts for the same customer. Finally, the financial institution may benefit from charging a credit-card-like transaction fee to merchants that accept the card even if the transaction results in a positive balance in the transaction account.
US08666889B2
Methods, apparatus, and systems for funding transactions disclosed herein may operate to configure a plurality of backup funding sources for a primary funding source, and enable a consumer associated with the primary funding source to select at least one backup funding source among the plurality of backup funding sources. A request to fund a transaction associated with the primary funding source may be received, and the transaction may be funded using funds from at least one of the primary funding source and the at least one selected backup funding source.
US08666880B2
A method is disclosed for offering transaction account consumers with payment term options to pay a minimum amount due early, defer payment into the following payment cycle, and pay a standard amount when due. When generating a periodic billing statement, the invention determines a consumer's eligibility to elect early payment, deferred payment, and regular payment. When a consumer is eligible for early payment, a received payment is compared to a discount rate tier, then a discount amount is calculated and credited to the consumer's account. When the consumer is eligible for deferred payment, the system calculates a new current minimum payment due by multiplying the current non-deferred balance by a predetermined percentage amount and adding the result to the deferred balance. When the consumer is not eligible for deferred payment, the system calculates a new current minimum due by summing the current non-deferred balance with the deferred balance.
US08666875B1
A banding start price may be generated using one of multiple subroutines. Each of the subroutines may generate a banding start price using a different algorithm and may have different input data criteria. Each of those subroutines may be ranked based expected accuracy of a price output by the subroutine. The banding start price may be generated by the highest ranking subroutine for which there is input data satisfying relevant criteria.
US08666874B2
Disclosed herein are various systems and methods for improving the establishment and management of vending machine subscriptions, including systems and methods for constructing, communicating, and registering subscriptions, as well as various methods for processing the redemption of vending machine subscription items. Several additional embodiments are disclosed, including various alternate methods of promoting longitudinal machine-customer relationships.
US08666871B1
A system and method allows an adviser/registered representative to act as an adviser to clients at a fee-only broker/custodian, and as a broker to the same clients at an independent broker-dealer. Non-commission-based trades are cleared and settled by the fee-only broker/custodian and commission-based trades are made by the independent broker-dealer using a clearing firm. The clearing firm settles the commissioned trades at the fee-only broker/custodian, where all the assets can be custodied.
US08666868B2
Adjustable derivative securities and method for adjusting the value of same due to a corporate event
The claimed invention relates to an adjustable derivative contract. Particularly a method and system for adjusting the derivative contract to account for time value of money due to an occurrence of a corporate event that affects the value of the derivative contract. The claimed method and system allocates distributions amongst different derivative contracts, each derivative contract representing a different economic interest of at least two shares of an underlying security. The claimed invention uses the concepts of present and future values to value derivative contracts in order to more fairly and accurately represent the interests of the various holders of such derivative contracts upon the occurrence of a corporate event affecting the value of these derivative contracts.
US08666864B2
The present invention is an automated proprietary application that provides a user with trade parameters to allow new trades to be opened and closed, and also provides an operating schedule that such new trades are to be initiated. Both the trade parameters and the operating schedule are entirely user defined. The present invention acquires data from a market information database in order to calculate market derived trending signals. These market derived trending signals determine if the user's defined trade parameters have been fulfilled. The user creates the operating schedule to designate the times and dates at which a new trade could be opened. These trades are unable to be opened if every trade parameter has not been fulfilled. The present invention can execute direct trades, reverse trades, or perform no trades in which these trade actions are determined by the trend of a selected currency pair.
US08666860B2
In one embodiment, one use of the disclosed method/system is for any multinational entity or individual performing currency exchanges is for business or personal use. This embodiment will greatly enhance the Transparency of the Cash Conversion Process at the ACTUAL POINT OF CONVERSION (POC), revealing dealt and offset pricings and TIME thereof thus providing the customer with a complete report of conversion as with any commodity conversion. With the POC method, the client will have a substantially complete accounting of the value of the funds conversion from one region's currency to another.
US08666846B1
A facility for processing a request for information about a specified item is described. The facility receives the request from an originator. In response to receiving the request, the facility generates a response to the request that contains information about the specified item. The facility also determines a current level of availability of the specified item, and, based upon this determined level of availability, determines, for each of a number of ordering actions, whether the ordering action is currently available for the specified item. For each ordering action determined to be currently available for the specified item, the facility augments the generated response by adding a control for performing the ordering action. The facility sends the augmented response to the originator of the request.
US08666838B2
The present invention is directed to a system and method for providing complete electronic commerce (“E-Commerce”) transactions and solutions for a marketing company's products via the World Wide Web, including facilities for signing up new customers and recruiting, training and supporting new Independent Business Owners through an interactive online process. In another aspect, the present invention relates to the combination of a marketing business with a membership buying opportunity using both electronic commerce and face-to-face transactions. The present invention is also directed to a system and method for combining a marketing business with a membership buying opportunity, so that Independent Business Owners participating in the marketing plan can introduce customers to a membership buying opportunity and earn bonuses or commissions based on the purchases by those members, while Members in the buying opportunity can consume products or, at their option, qualify to become Independent Business Owners.
US08666833B2
The present invention is directed to a data driven methodology to construct index print products for photographic images. A system and method are provided for defining an index print product as a collection of regions which may be pieced together to present a final index product. The index product is customizable for and by any one or more retailers or integration partner providers for a unique appearance and offering to end customers. More specifically, the present invention relates to providing dynamic index print products of photographic images wherein the index print product may also include other content that is individually specified, provided and maintained by partner providers of a film processor or fulfillment center. Providers are able to leverage customized marketing and brand messaging or other advertisement to add value to their index print product.
US08666832B2
A recurring order management system and method for a computer network is disclosed. The system receives a request to suggest a recurring order for one or more products or services. The system generates a profile which stores the suggested products or services, the suggested recurrence for those products or services and the suggested quantities to deliver upon each recurrence. The order then automatically recurs one or more times according to the specified recurrence.
US08666828B1
Disclosed are various embodiments for separating control of network sites through the use of a proxy server application. A proxy server application obtains a request for a network page associated with one customer out of several customers of an organization. Each of the customers has an online presence hosted in a trusted network. The trusted network is subject to security supervision by the same organization. It is determined whether the network page is within a customer-managed portion of the network site. The network page is obtained from an untrusted network that is not subject to security supervision by the organization when the network page is within the customer-managed portion of the network site.
US08666827B2
Disclosed is an Internet broadcasting contents consignment sale system and method. An Internet broadcasting station makes a consignment sale contract with companies or individuals who have copyrights of authored pieces, such as computer and video game makers, filmmakers, music producers, television broadcasting stations, and publishers; generates the consigned authored pieces into specific contents data; allows users to use the contents data only through a specific execution program provided by the Internet broadcasting station; permits Internet users to download the contents data via wire and wireless Internet free of charge and keep them; and allows the users to use desired contents data by receiving restoration information on the Internet.
US08666822B1
Techniques and tools are described for managing interaction with electronic advertisements. In some examples, user contact information is received from a user who has indicated interest in an electronic advertisement, where the user contact information comprises the user's phone number. A do-not-call status of the user is determined based at least in part on the user's phone number. Based on the do-not-call status, further action is taken, such as providing a message to the user. In some situations, the message provided to the user can include a click-to-call link for contacting the advertiser.
US08666819B2
A system and method to facilitate classification and storage of events in a network are described. An event and associated content information are received from an entity over a network. The content information is further analyzed to determine one or more themes representing subject matter related to the content information. The event is further classified according to the themes into one or more corresponding categories. Finally, the event is stored into one or more corresponding databases of a data storage module according to the one or more corresponding categories.
US08666810B1
Methods, systems, user interfaces, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage medium, for providing performance estimates for a content campaign. A method includes identifying a campaign including one or more targeting criteria for targeting content items to users; identifying historical auction results; storing the historical auction results as a plurality of documents; evaluating the plurality of documents to determine an estimated number of impressions that would occur in the plurality of documents based on the targeting criteria; determining an estimated total number of impressions for the targeting criteria in the time period based at least in part on the estimated number of impressions in the plurality of documents; and determining a total number of unique targeted users including determining a frequency of impression and determining the total number of unique targeted users as the total number of impressions divided by the frequency of impression.
US08666809B2
A shadow ad can be evaluated by receiving an ad request, identifying at least one shadow ad and at least one actual ad based on the received ad request, generating an ad ranking by analyzing one or more criteria associated with the identified at least one shadow ad and the at least one actual ad, and selecting one or more of the identified at least one shadow ad and the at least one actual ad based on the ad ranking. Further, the at least one shadow ad can be associated with one or more campaign parameters corresponding to a shadow ad campaign. Additionally, the ad request can be received from an online advertising system.
US08666805B2
Systems, methods, and media are provided for inducing customer loyalty that are configured to: identify a loyalty account associated with a consumer, wherein the loyalty account is part of as loyalty program established by a retailer, create a monetary account linked to the consumer's loyalty account, designate an amount of change from a cash transaction at the retailer to be deposited into the monetary account, deposit the amount of change into the monetary account by adding the designated amount of change to an existing balance of the monetary account to create a new balance, determine if the consumer is entitled to a reward based on the depositing of the designated amount of change into the monetary account and at least one threshold; and display to the consumer the outcome of the determining.
US08666788B1
Methods are disclosed for providing leads for insurance market participants. A method may include a broker providing for consideration, their clients' insurance risk to be considered by multiple insurance capital providers. The broker can be provided with potential carrier matches based on analysis of broker and carrier insurance preferences, and previous transactions. Similarly, methods may include carriers disclosing their risk appetites, in the form of insurance products and services for consideration. The carrier may also be provided with potential broker and/or client matches based on analysis of the broker and carrier insurance preferences and previous transactions. Systems and apparatuses are also disclosed to implement the disclosed methods.
US08666787B2
A method for repricing a reimbursement claim under at least one contract is provided herein. The method may include a combination of steps such as: converting each contract into a series of contractual terms; converting a claim into a series of claim lines, containing claim codes, unit numbers and corresponding charges for the claim codes; comparing claim codes and contractual terms and identifying matches therebetween; determining any priority conditions associated to the matching contractual terms, and eliminate any matching contractual terms that are excluded by the priority conditions; calculating the reimbursement amount for the claim by determining the reimbursement charges for the non-excluded matching contractual terms; and determining and making any adjustments depending upon any discount terms for the entire reimbursement amount.
US08666785B2
A method and system is provided for validating claim submissions against a claim policy that can perform a comparative analysis by comparing structured or unstructured claim submissions to semantically structured policies to direct and optimize processing of the claim submission. A method and system is also provided for enabling semantic interoperability across different proprietary electronic transaction records. Semantic queries and semantic analysis can be performed on a collection of electronic transaction records originating from different proprietary systems.
US08666784B2
Systems, methods, means and computer program code for administering comprehensive protection plans are provided which include a computer system to process an insurance claim, the system having a first policy database storing policy data associated with a first type of insurance, a second policy database storing policy data associated with a second type of insurance, a requestor device and a claims processing system for receiving an insurance claim associated with a customer, determining that the claim involves a single loss event and more than one type of property damage, retrieving from the first policy database, information associated with a first policy of the customer and at least a second policy of the customer, the information including a first deductible associated with the first policy and a second deductible associated with the second policy, determining which of the first and second deductible to apply to the claim, and updating the first and second policy databases based on the determined deductible.
US08666782B2
A method and system for providing a form record and for processing the same. For example, a medical record form in a clinical or hospital environment is provided based on user input and is processed upon the user's filling in of the form. In some aspects, a user indicates by way of a user interface a type of patient complaint and selects a type of medical record form that is to be used in conjunction with examining the patient. The system guides the user and accepts the user's inputs and provides a suitable medical record form from a plurality of form types. The selected form is printed, and used by the medical staff in the examination of the patient. The filled form is then returned to a processing station for scanning, where information in the filled form may be extracted and where the filled form may be added to a patient medical record or archive, or shared with another person or organization.
US08666775B2
A Health Security Organization (HSO) service method and system provides healthcare service vouchers which allow an individual or an entity to purchase and store shares which correlate to CPT (Common Procedural Terminology) codes and are exchangeable for healthcare purposes. The shares can be purchased individually or in bulk packages and are transferable through a provider or provisionary of healthcare needs including pharmaceuticals. The shares are transferable, non-expiring, and usable at any health care provider willing to exchange the shares for currency in a similar fashion to an exchange of services with an insurance or credit card holder. The share transfer provides immediate payment for services rendered. Additionally, the cards can be utilized in such a fashion that if repetitive services are needed they can be acquired in a more economical method via bulk purchasing. Share transfers are redeemed by a member and provider via internet accessible computer system.
US08666769B2
A method of aggregating and using medical device data from a plurality of remote institutions. The system and method electronically receives at a central computer system a plurality of established medical device data, each of the plurality of established medical device data being received from a respective medication delivery system, each of the respective medication delivery systems having a respective plurality of medical devices within the respective remote institution, such as medication delivery pumps, associated therewith and utilized therein. The system and method electronically combines and stores the plurality of established medical device data from each of the plurality of remote institutions within a memory, and electronically provides a remote client computer access to at least one of a central reporting application adapted for providing summary information to the remote client computer about the medical device data, and/or other applications.
US08666761B2
An apparatus, method, and system for the design, administration and implementation of integrated disease management. The integrated disease management (“IDM”) system maximizes contact and enrollment rates of traditional remote disease management alone. This is accomplished through the creation of a system that combines telephonic-delivered disease management (i.e. traditional disease management) with work-site based health center clinician (“trusted clinician”). The IDM program is characterized by the involvement of a trusted clinician who actively participates in the disease management program by being involved in the stratification process, the contact step and the process of creating and updating the patient's individualized care plan. Therefore, the IDM program also allows the clinician to be involved in both contact and enrollment phases of the program. The IDM program further increases the efficiency of the disease management program by allowing employers to realize higher returns on their investment into such programs.
US08666753B2
A method and apparatus provides for encoding an audio signal. A bit rate value is received. A set of energy thresholds based on the bit rate value is selected. The set of energy thresholds is one of a plurality of sets of energy thresholds. The energy thresholds of each set of energy thresholds correspond on a one-to-one basis with a set of sub-bands of the audio signal. The audio signal is received. The energy of each sub-band of the set of sub-bands is determined. A highest frequency sub-band that has an energy exceeding the corresponding threshold is determined. A selected bandwidth of the audio signal is encoded. The selected bandwidth includes only those frequencies of the audio signal that are in the highest frequency sub-band that has an energy exceeding the corresponding threshold, as well as the lower frequencies of the audio signal that are above a high-pass cut-off frequency.
US08666751B2
A system and method are disclosed for activating an electric device from a standby power mode to a full power mode. The system may include one or more microphones for monitoring audio signals in the vicinity of the electric device, and a standby power activation unit including a low-power microprocessor and a non-volatile memory. Audio captured by the one or more microphones is digitized and compared by the microprocessor against predefined activation pattern(s) stored in the non-volatile memory. If a pattern match is detected between the digital audio pattern and a predefined activation pattern, the electric device is activated.
US08666747B2
A user, using, for example, a web browser and application server technology, is able to consolidate and present session information, for example, from a multi-model session on a voice recognition system. For example, a web browser can be used to display consolidated session information comprising network information, call logs, location database information, recorded user utterances, voice portal prompts, or any other information associated with an interactive voice response system.
US08666743B2
The invention provides a speech recognition method for selecting a combination of list elements via a speech input, wherein a first list element of the combination is part of a first set of list elements and a second list element of the combination is part of a second set of list elements, the method comprising the steps of receiving the speech input, comparing each list element of the first set with the speech input to obtain a first candidate list of best matching list elements, processing the second set using the first candidate list to obtain a subset of the second set, comparing each list element of the subset of the second set with the speech input to obtain a second candidate list of best matching list elements, and selecting a combination of list elements using the first and the second candidate list.
US08666740B2
An audio signal generated by a device based on audio input from a user may be received. The audio signal may include at least a user audio portion that corresponds to one or more user utterances recorded by the device. A user speech model associated with the user may be accessed and a determination may be made background audio in the audio signal is below a defined threshold. In response to determining that the background audio in the audio signal is below the defined threshold, the accessed user speech model may be adapted based on the audio signal to generate an adapted user speech model that models speech characteristics of the user. Noise compensation may be performed on the received audio signal using the adapted user speech model to generate a filtered audio signal with reduced background audio compared to the received audio signal.
US08666736B2
The present invention relates to a method for signal processing comprising the steps of providing a set of prototype spectral envelopes, providing a set of reference noise prototypes, wherein the reference noise prototypes are obtained from at least a sub-set of the provided set of prototype spectral envelopes, detecting a verbal utterance by at least one microphone to obtain a microphone signal, processing the microphone signal for noise reduction based on the provided reference noise prototypes to obtain an enhanced signal and encoding the enhanced signal based on the provided prototype spectral envelopes to obtain an encoded enhanced signal.
US08666732B2
A high frequency signal interpolation apparatus provides, with a simple structure, a high-quality digital audio signal through interpolation of high frequency signals missing due to compression. The high frequency signal interpolation apparatus includes a peak value detection and holding circuit configured to detect a peak value of a digital audio signal provided to an input terminal by sampling the digital audio signal and generate a square wave signal by holding the detected peak value; a high-pass filter configured to extract a higher harmonic component from the generated square wave signal; and an adder configured to add the extracted higher harmonic component to the digital audio signal provided to the input terminal.
US08666720B2
An extension to a simulator (801) that allows the user to specify real numbers, voltages, and currents (808) on ports of an electrical net is presented. The computer using the analog wire functionality routines (805), the routines for determining nets (804), the net manager (803), and the pin manager (802) resolves unspecified values on said electrical nets. The user may specify at least one value on said port and may specify whether said port is driven. The extension includes additional math functions (1901).
US08666706B2
A method to predict a distribution of material properties of a cast component. In one form, the method includes accepting at least one of dendrite arm spacing data and porosity data that have been previously determined, as well as accepting casting geometry data and structural analysis geometric data, calculating material properties of the casting based on one or both of dendrite arm spacing data and porosity data at each of the various nodes within the casting FEA or FD mesh and mapping the calculated material properties to the various nodes of the finished part FEA mesh. The method may be used as a basis for conducting fatigue or a related durability analysis on the component.
US08666704B2
Radio Frequency (RF) coverage models are visualized by displaying three dimensional unity scaled models of antenna performance in a Geographic Information System (GIS), Traditional logarithmic scaled antenna models are converted to linear models and stored as three dimensional representations which are placed and scaled using a GIS to visualize RF coverage.
US08666703B2
Provided is an automated determination of an optimized parameterization of a scatterometry model for analysis of a sample diffracting structure having unknown parameters. A preprocessor determines from a plurality of floating model parameters, a reduced set of model parameters which can be reasonably floated in the scatterometry model based on a relative precision for each parameter determined from the Jacobian of measured spectral information with respect to each parameter. The relative precision for each parameter is determined in a manner which accounts for correlation between the parameters for a combination.
US08666693B2
Systems and methods for identifying a motion state of a mobile device are disclosed. In one embodiment, identifying a motion state of a mobile device using acceleration signals from one or more accelerometers comprises: detecting any pedestrial steps associated with a user of the mobile device during an observation period based on the acceleration signals; determining a maximum number of consecutive pedestrial steps taken during the observation period from the detected pedestrial steps; and declaring a high average velocity motion state or a low average velocity motion state for the observation period based on the determined maximum number of consecutive pedestrial steps.
US08666690B2
A heterogeneous multi-core integrated circuit includes first and second sets of processor cores and corresponding first and second test access ports (TAPs). The first and second TAPs are connected to corresponding first and second debug ports by way of corresponding first and second TAP controllers. A debug control circuit is connected between the first and second TAP controllers and the first and second debug ports. Based on external configuration signals, the debug control circuit configures the connections between the first and second TAP controllers and the first and second debug ports according to predetermined configuration modes, which allows flexibility in debugging the heterogeneous multi-core integrated circuit.
US08666687B2
A battery pack control apparatus is provided with first, second and third monitoring devices, a battery pack control device, first and second communication devices, and a first electric power consuming device. The monitoring devices are connected to the single battery cells of a battery pack to monitor a state of the single battery cells. The battery pack control device communicates data related with the third monitoring device through the first communication device having an electric insulating quality and with the first monitoring device through a second communication device having an electric insulating quality. The second monitoring device communicates data with the first and third monitoring devices. The first electric power consuming device consumes an amount of electric power at a single battery cell connected to the second monitoring device. The amount of electric power corresponds to a communication occurring at the second communication device.
US08666680B2
Recombinant soluble Fc receptors according to the present invention are characterized by the absence of transmembrane domains, signal peptides and glycoslyation. Such Fc receptors can easily be obtained by expressing respective nucleic acids in prokaryotic host ells and renaturation of the obtained inclusion bodies, which procedure leads to a very homogenous and pure product. The products can be used for diagnostic as well as pharmaceutical applications and also for the generation of crystal structure data. Such crystal structure data can be used for the modeling of artificial molecules. A further embodiment comprises coupling the Fc receptors according to the invention to solid materials like chromatography materials that an be used to separate and/or enrich antibodies.
US08666668B2
A method for determining values of anisotropic model parameters of a Tilted Transversely Isotropic (TTI) Earth model, the method including obtaining an initial TTI earth model that substantially flattens common-imaging-point gathers and substantially ties seismic data to well data; inputting checkshot data and/or VSP data to determine updated values of Vp0 near the well locations; determining an incremental improvement Δδ; extrapolating the relative change Δδ from near-well locations to the entire three dimensional TTI earth model; determining updated values of Vp0=Vp0 (1−Δδ); inputting near-to-mid-offset/angle and mid-to-far-offset/angle residual moveout information; and providing updated values of δ and η.
US08666665B2
A method of generating reference spectra includes polishing a first substrate in a polishing apparatus, measuring a sequence of spectra from the first substrate during polishing with an in-situ optical monitoring system, for each spectrum in the sequence of spectra, determining a best matching reference spectrum from a first plurality of first reference spectra to generate a sequence of reference spectra, calculating a value of a metric of fit of the sequence of spectra to the sequence of reference spectra, comparing the value of the metric of fit to a threshold value and determining whether to generate a second library based on the comparison, and if the second library is determined to be generated, storing the sequence of spectra as a second plurality of reference spectra.
US08666654B2
A computer-implemented navigation method for identifying one or more points of interest (POI) in a geographic location includes calculating a navigation route and receiving a reference point input. The reference point input may be unrelated to the navigation route and usable for identifying one or more POIs. The method further includes receiving one or more search parameters for searching for one or more POIs with respect to the reference point and identifying the one or more POIs based on the search parameters and reference point. The method also includes presenting the one or more POIs on a vehicle computer display.
US08666650B2
A method for assisting in the locating of a first aircraft includes a step of emission by the first aircraft of an identifier and of a time-stamped position reading, said method further including: the reception and the storage by at least one second aircraft of the identifier and of the time-stamped position reading, and the downloading by the second aircraft, after its landing, of the identifiers and of the time-stamped position readings to a database on the ground, and, in case of disappearance of the first aircraft, the determination of the last known position of the first aircraft based on the time-stamped position readings stored in the database on the ground.
US08666641B2
A system or method for controlling a multiple cylinder internal combustion engine operable in a reduced displacement mode with at least one valve or cylinder selectively deactivated include monitoring valve operation by analyzing camshaft position to detect valve operation inconsistent with a current cylinder state (activated or deactivated) and controlling the engine in response to detecting the inconsistent operation. The camshaft position may be used to produce a surrogate signal indicative of intake/exhaust valve lift generated using camshaft sensor tooth deviation relative to an expected or reference tooth position for a corresponding crankshaft position and compared to a corresponding threshold. The surrogate signal indicative of valve lift may also be generated by pattern matching or correlation of one or more reference tooth position patterns to a measured or inferred tooth position pattern.
US08666635B2
A control device for an internal combustion engine provided by the present invention is a control device which can satisfy a requirement concerning exhaust gas performance of the internal combustion engine, a requirement concerning fuel economy performance, and a requirement concerning operation performance with an excellent balance by properly regulating a change speed of a required air-fuel ratio and an ignition timing. The present control device keeps the ignition timing at an optimal ignition timing if a predetermined permission condition is not satisfied. However, when the permission condition is satisfied, the present control device controls the ignition timing so as to compensate for a difference which occurs between torque which is estimated from an operation of an actuator for air quantity control and required torque by the ignition timing. Further, if a predetermined lessening condition is not satisfied, the present control device determines an original required air-fuel ratio directly as a final required air-fuel ratio. However, if the lessening condition is satisfied, the present control device processes a signal of the original required air-fuel ratio to lessen a change speed thereof, and determines a required air-fuel ratio the change speed of which is lessened as a final required air-fuel ratio. The permission condition includes the required air-fuel ratio changing in a rich direction, and a change amount thereof being larger than a predetermined determination reference value, and the lessening condition includes the change amount of the required air-fuel ratio being larger than a determination reference value, and the permission condition being unsatisfied.
US08666622B2
A method of determining the size of a gear interval from a currently engaged gear to a target gear in a transmission. The method includes the steps of, for each current gear and for each possible gear interval from the current gear, recording a limit value for an acceleration or a deceleration in the target gear corresponding to the current gear and the respective gear interval used; for the current gear, starting with the smallest gear interval, applying a loop with successive increases of the gear interval to determine, depending on the current driving situation and characteristic parameters of the vehicle, the acceleration or the acceleration theoretically obtainable in the target gear produced by using the gear interval, which is compared with the respective recorded limit value until the acceleration or the deceleration theoretically obtainable no longer contravenes the limit value. The gear interval is then selected for a gearshift.
US08666621B2
A PTO control system for allowing selection between an independent PTO mode and an interlock PTO mode, comprising a mode-switch command input device 11 for giving an instruction on selection between the independent PTO mode and the interlock PTO mode, a PTO setting device 12 having an engaging position for producing an engaging command and a disengaging position for producing a disengaging command of the PTO clutch, and a PTO control unit for controlling a PTO clutch in response to a pedal operational position of a brake pedal, a mode selected by the mode-switch command input device, and a position selected by the PTO setting device. PTO mode switch implementation processing is suspended when the PTO transmission system is in a power transmittable state, while the PTO mode switch implementation processing is permitted when the PTO transmission system is in the power non-transmittable state.
US08666617B2
In a gear shift control unit for an automatic transmission, when an up-shift switch or a down-shift switch of a paddle shift switch is turned ON, a gear shift mode is set to a temporary manual shift mode, and a target transmission gear stage is shifted up or shifted down. Subsequently, a manual assist control is executed. In the manual assist control, an acceleration is calculated from a temporal differentiation of a vehicle speed. After it is detected that the acceleration is larger than or equal to an acceleration determination threshold, an accelerator pedal return acceleration is calculated from a double temporal differentiation of an accelerator opening degree. When the accelerator pedal return acceleration is smaller than or equal to another acceleration determination threshold, the current target transmission gear stage is automatically shifted down.
US08666607B2
In a vehicle including a VGRS actuator capable of changing the steering transmission ratio by rotating an upper steering shaft and a lower steering shaft relative to each other, an ECU performs a lock releasing process when the VGRS motor is locked. In the process, an actual steering angle is calculated, and is compared with a lock release threshold value that is set in advance in view of the axial force applied to the lower steering shaft during steering. If the actual steering angle is equal to or smaller than the lock release threshold value, the ECU performs driving control of a lock mechanism so as to release the locked state of the VGRS motor.
US08666604B2
The invention relates to a method of detecting external impacts in vehicle steering systems (12) which include a rotatable steering shaft (16) and a servomotor (22) for generating a steering assist torque, the method including the steps of: (a) continuously measuring a first characteristic; (b) continuously measuring a second characteristic; (c) forming tuples of characteristics at least from a measured value of the first characteristic and a simultaneously picked up measured value of the second characteristic; (d) comparing the tuples of characteristics of step (c) with a predetermined normal operating range (36) of a multidimensional characteristic diagram (34) which is defined at least by the first characteristic and the second characteristic; and (e) storing a tuple of characteristics of step (c) and/or triggering an alarm signal if this tuple of characteristics from step (c) is outside the normal operating range (36).
US08666602B2
According a method of protecting a motor-driven power steering system from overheat, it is possible to prevent a steering motor and an ECU from being broken by overheat by controlling electric current supplied to the steering motor, by calculating an engine stop time from radiation temperature maps stored in a memory and changes in temperature of a temperature sensor when the engine having been stopped restarts without operating a specific protection logic when the engine stops, and calculating temperature of the steering motor and the ECU from the radiation temperature maps and the engine stop time.
US08666595B2
A one-touch controller for a tarp system with varying phases or modes based on a single touch to operate. The one-touch controller module controls a motor of a tarp, such as a geared brake motor, and a switch or a remote control system with a button to push to operate a vehicle tarp system with one touch of the button. The one-touch controller preferably has solid state circuitry that controls power to and direction of the motor and detects amp variations from the motor to automatically shut off the system. The remote control system preferably operates in various modes based on how long the button of the remote control is touched, such as with short touches of the button being incremental operation, other touches permitting the entire cycle in automatic operation, and touches longer than a set time being “press and hold” operation.
US08666591B2
Disclosed herein is assistance, safety and navigation technology for vehicles. In particular, the disclosure relates to a vehicle system and a method for controlling the vehicle system.
US08666583B2
A control device for a hybrid vehicle includes setting unit and supplied heat amount control unit. The setting unit sets the amount of heat for heating supplied by an electric heating system and a heater core such that a battery SOC and coolant temperature are arranged at a predetermined operating point after a predetermined time. The control unit controls this amount of heat based on the setting by the setting unit. The predetermined point is an operating point, which is the closest to a line passing through a predetermined value in a battery SOC target range and a predetermined value in a coolant temperature target range and having a preset change rate, and which is settable within the predetermined time. The change rate is the same as a gradient of an approximate line in case of selection of any one engine operating point on an optimum fuel economy line.
US08666574B2
A vehicle is provided having an electric motor and a controller configured to control the electric motor. The controller may calculate the torque output of the motor based on the acceleration and deceleration rates of the motor. Moments of inertia for components rotationally coupled to the motor may be employed in the torque calculation.
US08666572B2
In an external charging mode of a plug-in hybrid vehicle, electric power from an external power supply electrically connected to a connector is converted and supplied to a power line electrically connected to a battery and an electric air-conditioning device. If charge allowable power of the battery is smaller than or equal to a prescribed value when the electric air-conditioning device is operated, a DFR is opened to stop electric power supply from the external power supply and drive the electric air-conditioning device by electric power of the battery. As a result, even if the consumed power of the electric air-conditioning device is suddenly decreased, the inflow of surplus electric power that cannot be absorbed by the battery from the external power supply can be prevented.
US08666571B2
A flight control system for a flying object comprises a flying object, a navigating means provided in the flying object, a position measuring unit 17, a flight control unit 18 for controlling the navigating means, and a main arithmetic control unit 19 for controlling the position measuring unit and the flight control unit, and in the flight control system for a flying object, the position measuring unit has a GPS device 23 for measuring a ground coordinate of the flying object and a vertical camera 13 for taking a digital image below the flying object and measures an altitude of the flying object based on images at two points taken by the vertical camera, on ground coordinates of the two points measured by the GPS device, and on a focal length of the vertical camera, and the main arithmetic control unit controls the navigating means via the flight control unit based on the measured altitude and makes the flying object fly at a predetermined altitude.
US08666557B2
In a charging process of a shaft furnace, in particular of a blast furnace, batches of charge material are typically discharged in cyclical sequence into the furnace from a top hopper using a flow control valve. A method and system is proposed for adjusting the flow rate of charge material in such a process. According to the invention, a respective set of plural valve settings is stored for each batch, each valve setting of a set being associated to a different stage in the discharge of the batch. The method and system are configured to discharge a given batch so that, at each stage in the discharge of the given batch, the flow control valve operates at a constant valve opening according to the valve setting associated to that stage and so that an actual average flow rate at which charge material is discharged is determined for that stage. Further according to the invention, the method and system are configured to correct the plural valve settings offline and in function of the actual average flow rate determined for the associated stage.
US08666556B2
In some embodiments, a method of using feedforward to control a system component may include determining if a feedforward term exists in a feedforward table for a received operating set point. If a feedforward term does not exist, the system component may be incremented until the system is within a first acceptable tolerance of the desired set point. In some embodiments, a measure of steady state error may be determined and compared to a second acceptable tolerance. If within the acceptable tolerance, the corresponding feedforward term may be recorded in the feedforward table. In some embodiments, if the feedforward term exists for the operating set point, the system component may be controlled using controller output that corresponds to the feedforward term. When a change to the system is detected that is associated with possible changes to the feedforward values, new feedforward values may be generated for the feedforward table.
US08666544B2
Improved robotic surgical systems, devices, and methods include selectably associatable master/slave pairs, often having more manipulator arms than will be moved simultaneously by the two hands of a surgeon. Four manipulator arms can support an image capture device, a left hand tissue manipulation tool, a right hand tissue manipulation tool, and a fourth surgical instrument, particularly for stabilizing, retracting, tool change, or other functions benefiting from intermittent movement. The four or more arms may sequentially be controlled by left and right master input control devices. The fourth arm may be used to support another image capture device, and control of some or all of the arms may be transferred back-and-forth between the operator and an assistant. Two or more robotic systems each having master controls and slave manipulators may be coupled to enable cooperative surgery between two or more operators.
US08666543B2
A pill dispenser for dispensing pills of various sizes includes a pill storage section, a dispensing section located at a lower end of the storage section, an optical sensor, a memory and a controller. The dispensing section includes a device for adjusting a variable size cavity configured to adjust to various pill sizes. The controller adjusts the variable size cavity of the dispensing section depending on the individual pill specifications, and determines if the optical sensor has sensed presence of the pill to be dispensed.
US08666541B1
A method of checking the accuracy of a prescription fill including activating an electronic scale operatively coupled to a network, accessing a prescription to fill; selecting an appropriate stock container corresponding to the prescription from a plurality of available stock containers, entering data that is associated with a stock container selected by the user; determining if the stock container selected by the user is the correct stock container to fill the prescription by determining if the drug corresponding to the selected stock container is the appropriate drug for the accessed prescription; retrieving a piece weight of the drug from the selected stock container; measuring a weight of a plurality of pills to be dispensed; comparing the measured weight of the pills to be dispensed to a standard weight; determining if the comparison is within an acceptable range; and generating an automated authorization for the prescription fill.
US08666540B2
A paint creation and dispensing system includes a variety of components for creating paint of a selected color and paint type and for processing payment for the paint. The system may be configured to receive a color selection in a variety of ways including through customer selection and via an electronic color reader (portable or stationary). The paint system may allow a customer to obtain an amount (e.g., a sample or a full gallon) of paint without help from a store employee or other personnel. In one or more arrangements, the paint system may be networked so that a customer may pre-order paint, upload color selections, make a payment, and or order additional supplies of paint or other products based on the color chosen for final painting.
US08666539B2
A method, system and apparatus for controlling and tracking patient access to medicaments. A patient is provided with medication in locked pill containers that must be unlocked with an access code before the patient can access a limited quantity of medication in each container. Thus the patient is forced to go through an interactive session periodically with a master system, via a communicative intermediary, in order to obtain a valid passcode for each batch of medications and follow a treatment regimen. The patient may be assessed during each interaction with the master system. That assessment can include various questions, including questions about status codes that may optionally be displayed on each medication container. These status codes may optionally encode detail about the patient's pattern of accessing medication. The general rate of medication usage can also be deduced by the rate at which the patient contacts the master system. After patient assessment, the master system may elect to not provide the patient with an access code, typically if the patient meets certain criteria that indicate overuse of the medication. Conversely, the master system can elect to proactively contact the patient if the patient fails to make contact with the master system at an expected time, as this lack of contact suggests that the patient is underusing the medication and requires a reminder.
US08666524B2
A hand-held music player for use in conjunction with radios, including a casing, a receiver socket on the casing through which digital audio data is received, a digital-to-analog audio converter housed within the casing, a first transfer socket on the casing through which a song is transferred to a radio transmitter, a second transfer socket on the casing through which meta-data for the song is transferred to the radio transmitter, and a dial on the casing for selecting a song for playback. A method and a computer-readable storage medium are also described.
US08666522B2
A controller for a machine tool has a program storage section in which an NC program is stored, a program analyzing section analyzing the NC program block by block in sequence and extracts operation commands for a feed mechanism, an execution control section executing the extracted operation commands and thereby controlling the feed mechanism, e program editing section changing the NC program, and a change information storage section in which change information relating to the changed portion of the NC program is stored. The execution control section, when executing the operation commands, checks whether the block of each operation command is the block immediately preceding a block relating to the changed portion, and when judging that it is the immediately preceding block, temporarily stops the operation of the feed mechanism before or after the execution of the operation command.
US08666513B2
Medical device leads with magnetic shielding and methods of shielding medical device leads from magnetic fields during medical procedures such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are described. An illustrative implantable medical device includes a lead including a lead conductor having a length and a helically coiled ribbon shield radially surrounding the lead conductor along at least a portion of the length of the lead. The ribbon shield can include one or more inner ribbon conductors and/or one or more outer ribbon conductors. The outer ribbon conductor can have a variable width (e.g., a necked-down configuration, an arrowhead configuration, or an undulating configuration) along the length of the lead. In some cases, the helically coiled ribbon has a variable pitch along the length of the lead that may be the same as or different from that of the lead conductor pitch.
US08666509B2
A lead for brain stimulation includes a lead body having a distal end. At least one cable extends within the lead body, each cable comprising at least one conductor. The lead further includes a plurality of electrodes coupled to the at least one cable. Each of the plurality of electrodes defines a cutout portion that receives and attaches to a one of the at least one cable.
US08666495B2
A method of glucose level control comprising providing at least one electrode adapted to apply an electric field to a pancreas; and applying an electric field to the pancreas using said at least one electrode such that blood glucose levels are significantly reduced and blood insulin levels are not significantly increased compared to a regular insulin response in a same person.
US08666485B2
A detection portion for detecting a first potential difference between hand and foot by applying a current across the hand and the foot of a subject through both of a hand electrode and a foot electrode and detecting a second potential difference between both hands or between both feet by applying a current across both hands or across both feet of the subject through any one of the hand electrodes and the foot electrodes, a first body composition calculation portion for calculating a first whole-body composition by using whole-body impedance based on a result of detection of the first potential difference, a correction portion for correcting two-limb impedance based on a result of detection of the second potential difference, and a second body composition calculation portion for calculating a second whole-body composition by using the corrected two-limb impedance are included.
US08666477B2
A method and system for detecting a virtual electrode (VE) on a coronary sinus (CS) catheter in a fluoroscopic image sequence is disclosed. User inputs indicating locations of CS catheter electrodes and a location of a VE are received. A catheter electrode model and a VE part model is initialized in a first frame of the fluoroscopic image sequence. The VE is tracked by detecting electrode position candidates and catheter body point candidates in the subsequent frames of the fluoroscopic image sequence using respective trained detectors, tracking the catheter electrode model in the subsequent frames based on the detected electrode position candidates, generating VE part hypotheses in the subsequent frames based on detection of the most proximal electrode (MPE) in each subsequent frame, calculating a probability score for each of the VE part hypotheses, and selecting an VE part hypothesis with the highest probability score.
US08666474B2
To provide a highly reliable inspection device that prevents a loss in reliability of inspection that uses information from a position detector as a result of the influence of magnetic bodies or the like that are present in the environment, the inspection device includes biological information measurement units that measure biological information of an inspected target and form an image containing the biological information, a magnetic position detector that detects the position of at least one of the biological information measurement units and the inspection target, and a control unit that controls the biological information measurement units and the magnetic position detector; and further includes the control unit being provided with an environmental magnetic field measurement unit that uses the output of the magnetic position detector to measure distortion of the magnetic field in the measured space in which the biological information measurement units are placed.
US08666472B2
A “relaxoscope” (100) detects the degree of arterial endothelial function. Impairment of arterial endothelial function is an early event in atherosclerosis and correlates with the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease. An artery (115), such as the brachial artery (BA) is measured for diameter before and after several minutes of either vasoconstriction or vasorelaxation. The change in arterial diameter is a measure of flow-mediated vasomodification (FMVM). The relaxoscope induces an artificial pulse (128) at a superficial radial artery (115) via a linear actuator (120). An ultrasonic Doppler stethoscope (130) detects this pulse 10-20 cm proximal to the point of pulse induction (125). The delay between pulse application and detection provides the pulse transit time (PTT). By measuring PTT before (160) and after arterial diameter change (170), FMVM may be measured based on the changes in PTT caused by changes in vessel caliber, smooth muscle tone and wall thickness.
US08666465B2
A device for measuring an analyte concentration level in a subject. The device includes: a light source configured for illuminating at least a portion of an anterior region of an eye of the subject with incident light having a substantially broad illumination spectrum at an angle substantially tangential to the surface of the eye; an optical collector configured for detecting reflected light from the at least a portion of the anterior region of the eye; an analyzer configured for analyzing the detected reflected light; and a processor configured to determine the analyte concentration level in the subject based on the analyzed reflected light.
US08666464B2
An vehicle interior component for supporting a communication system is disclosed herein. The vehicle interior component includes, but is not limited to, a body that is adapted for attachment to an interior of the vehicle and that is configured to receive a smartphone. The vehicle interior component further includes a hardware module that is configured to communicatively couple with the smartphone. The vehicle interior component still further includes a user input module communicatively coupled with the hardware module. The user input module is configured to generate a first input signal in response to a first user input and to transmit the first input signal to the hardware module. The hardware module is further configured to generate a first output signal and to transmit the first output signal to the smartphone in response to receiving the first input signal.
US08666456B2
A handheld electronic apparatus including a casing, a cover, a motherboard, an in-cell touch display module, a light guide member, and a touch module is provided. The cover covers a casing opening, and constitutes an accommodation space with the casing. The cover has a first area and a second area having a light transmissive icon. The motherboard is electrically connected with the in-cell touch display module and the touch module. The in-cell touch display module has a display area disposed beneath the first area. The light guide member is disposed within the accommodation space, and capable of guiding a light generated from a light emitting element to the light transmissive icon. The light guide member has a sheet-shaped portion disposed beneath the second area by corresponding to the light transmissive icon. The touch module is disposed within the accommodation space and beneath the second area.
US08666447B2
An apparatus may include a device and an image projection system configured to form an image on a surface viewable by a user. The image projection circuit may be configured to receive signals from the device, generate a pattern representative of data, process the pattern into a mirror image of the image, and project the mirror image from the device. The image projection system may include an electro optic system for generating the pattern, and an optics system for projecting the mirror image onto the surface. A method for projecting data may include providing the device with the image, and providing the image to the surface with the image projection system. The method may also include manipulating the device and/or a body part to locate and focus the image, sensing an orientation of the device, and orienting the image based, at least in part, on the sensing step.
US08666446B2
A mobile communication terminal and power saving method thereof are disclosed, by which display information can be outputted to an external projection plane using a projector module. Accordingly, if an event by a system or user occurs, power saving can be performed by controlling an operation of the projector module. A mobile terminal may include a terminal body, a motion sensor configured to detect a motion of the terminal body, a projector module configured to project an image onto an external surface, a power supply configured to supply power to the projector module, and a controller configured to control an operation of the projector module and to discontinue the supply of power to the projector module in response to detecting the motion by the motion sensor.
US08666443B2
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for muting a sounder device, the method comprises steps of binding a network terminal with the sounder device via a network; generating a muting requirement; sending a muting signal to the sounder device via the network, the muting signal is generated based on the muting requirement; wherein the sounder device is configured to perform a muting process upon the muting signal. The method further comprises a step of sending a recovery signal to the sounder device via the network if the muting requirement becomes invalid, and the sounder device is configured to recover the status before the muting process upon the recovery signal. When it is necessary to remove unwanted background sound, all the sounder devices can be controlled via a network to perform a muting or volume-lowering process. In this way, the mobile terminal can easily and rapidly have the unwanted background sound be removed or lowered at the time of answering or making a call.
US08666435B2
A communication controller includes a processor. The processor performs a process of estimating a moving route of a mobile station connected through a network and a process of determining a timing to start transmission of data to be transmitted between the network and the mobile station based on a prediction result of a communication quality of the mobile station according to the estimated moving route and a size of the data.
US08666428B2
In an example embodiment of the present invention, the method includes creating a plurality of data packets. Each data packet in the plurality of data packets includes a plurality of coded cellular signals. The plurality of data packets are sent over a data network associated with at least one sector served by a plurality of transceivers, and at least one of the plurality of transceivers broadcasts the data packets. A location of a mobile station is determined based on received multi-paths associated with response from the mobile station to broadcast of at least one of the plurality of data packets.
US08666425B2
In accordance with an embodiment, a method of operating a base station in a wireless system, includes partitioning a frequency band into at least one band of a first type and at least one band of a second type, and coordinating the partitioning with at least one further base station. The at least one band of the first type includes a band on which the base station transmits power proportional to a distance of a user device from the base station, and the at least one band of the second type comprises a band on which base station transmits a data rate inversely proportional to a distance of a user device from the base station.
US08666422B2
An access point for supporting communication in a femto cell of a cellular communication network. The access point comprises transceiver circuitry arranged to enable communication with at least one cell subscribed wireless communication unit located within the femto cell, and signal processing logic module. The signal processing logic is arranged to configure a transmit power level of a Common Pilot CHannel (CPICH) for transmission based at least on cell subscribed wireless communication unit information.
US08666419B1
A method and apparatus for performing a handover of a communication session from a non-3GPP access network to a 3GPP access network in which only a Gn/Gp-based Serving GPRS Support Node has been deployed in the 3GPP access network. The method includes establishing the communication session between a user equipment and an Evolved Packet Core through the non-3GPP access network, and performing a handover of the communication session from the non-3GPP access network to the 3GPP access network. Performing the handover includes providing information to the UE of a selected packet data network gateway prior to performing the handover, and providing the information of the selected packet data network gateway from the user equipment to the 3GPP access network during the handover to maintain continuity of the communication session between the user equipment and the Evolved Packet Core.
US08666417B2
A method (700, 800) and apparatus (500, 600) for distinguishing cells with the same physical cell identifier is disclosed. The method can include receiving (820) a handover request message including target cell timing offset information at a potential target cell base station, where the potential target cell base station can have a physical cell identifier. The method can include comparing (830) the received target cell timing offset information with stored timing offset information at the potential target cell base station. The method can include sending (840) a handover request accept message if the received target cell timing offset information is substantially equal to the stored timing offset information. The method can also include receiving (720), at a wireless terminal, a target cell physical cell identifier and determining (730) a target cell timing offset of a radio frame of the target cell with respect to reference timing of a serving cell. The method can include sending (740) a measurement report including the target cell physical cell identifier and the target cell timing offset.
US08666406B2
In an embodiment, a user equipment (UE) detects that a user has made a pre-defined gesture that is associated with setting up a group communication session (GCS) with a communication group. The UE transmits a call request message to an application server to request set-up of the GCS. In another embodiment, the UE receives a user input requesting the UE to monitor for gestures by a user of the UE during the GCS. The UE then monitors one or more sensors during the GCS to detect whether the user of the UE has made a pre-defined gesture. In another embodiment, during the GCS, the UE detects that the user has made a pre-defined gesture, maps the detected gesture to a gesture-based command associated with transitioning the UE's floor-holder status and then transmits a request to facilitate the floor-holder status transition to the application server in accordance with the gesture-based command.
US08666401B2
Disclosed is a method and system for selecting a candidate neighbor cell in the present invention. The method includes: determining a candidate cell set of a serving cell; acquiring a base station closest to the serving cell from the candidate cell set, and adding all the cells under the base station into a neighbor cell set; deleting a cell sheltered by the base station and cells included in the neighbor cell set from the candidate cell set; judging whether the candidate cell set is empty; if not, then returning to the step of acquiring a base station closest to the serving cell; and if yes, then taking cells in the neighbor cell set as a first layer of neighbor cells of the serving cell.
US08666400B2
Systems and methods are provided for wireless network selection by multi-mode devices. A mobile device maintains an indication of any wireless network services currently provided to the mobile device. According to an embodiment of the application, the mobile device automatically scans for both GSM wireless networks and CDMA wireless networks in order to acquire a wireless network that can provide a service that is not currently provided to the mobile device. Therefore, the mobile device avoids partial service or limited service when better service is available.
US08666398B2
Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide various mechanisms that allow a user equipment to convey information regarding one or more attributes to a base station during a random access (RA) procedure. The attributes may include, for example a capability of the UE (e.g., to support a particular feature or version of a standard) or a condition of the UE (e.g., if it is currently experiencing an interference condition).
US08666394B1
Techniques in a wireless device for use in negotiating a group owner with another wireless device for establishing a wireless peer-to-peer (P2P) network having a connection to an external network are described. The wireless device identifies whether it is operating for communications via a home network or a non-home network. The wireless device sets its group owner intent value to an increased value when it is identified to be operating for communications via the home network, or to a decreased value when it is identified to be operating for communications via the non-home network. The wireless device then sends to the other wireless device a message which includes the group owner intent value for the wireless device. Once the group owner is selected, the wireless device will connect with the other wireless device for establishing the wireless P2P network having the connection to the external network.
US08666385B2
The present invention provides a data downloading method and a terminal, wherein the data downloading method includes: a communication processor receiving an open channel request from a universal integrated circuit card, and sending a connection request message to an application processor according to the open channel request; the communication processor sending a connection success message to the universal integrated circuit card, so as to instruct the universal integrated circuit card to download data The present invention not only enables a process of downloading an application over the air to the UICC by using the BIP (bearer independent protocol) protocol to be completed in a single processor, but also supports the process to be completed in multiple processors.
US08666379B2
There is provided a communication terminal comprising: a readout unit which reads out, from a plurality of storage media each storing an identifier concerning a communication line, the identifiers; a communication unit which determines the communication lines based on the identifiers read out by the readout unit, and performs communication using the determined communication lines; a display unit; and a display control unit which displays, on the display unit, information corresponding to the identifiers, wherein the display control unit generates a plurality of display screens for displaying information corresponding to the plurality of communication lines determined based on the plurality of identifiers, and displays the plurality of display screens after dividing a display area of the display unit.
US08666378B2
On a mobile telecommunications device, computer-executable code executes to facilitate interactions between the user of the mobile telecommunications device and a call center or other computer-telephony integration equipment. The computer-executable code includes instructions that request at least one operation to be performed at a call center, where the call center includes a call center controller, an interactive voice response system component, and at least one agent. At least in part, a wireless network transmits the request from the mobile telecommunications device to the call center controller.
US08666375B2
An auto-reply service provides to callers event-specific audiovisual media messages that were custom recorded on the callee's mobile-telephony device. The auto-reply service selects the media messages at least in part based on an event schedule associated with the callee.
US08666374B2
A method and system applied on a mobile device comprising internal processing means to create an image of message wherein a screen capture means in the mobile device provides a single processing step in the mobile device comprising means to convert the entire contents of a displayed message and including a background to a single MMS compliant image in creating a multimedia picture message for transmission to a destination mobile device, wherein transmitting an image of a displayed message comprises executing a single instruction on the mobile device wherein executing the single instruction both activates the screen capture means in the mobile device in creating a single MMS compliant image of a displayed message and transmits the created image thereof as a multimedia picture message to a destination mobile device.
US08666369B2
A mobile phone of the type including a connection, able to allow the connection to a webpage with a particular URL, the connection to said webpage requiring the entry of a particular identifier specific to said webpage, a first storage able to store, in a database, the particular identifiers, each associated with a corresponding webpage.The mobile phone also includes a trigger able to systematically and automatically trigger, after the entry of a particular identifier, the implementation of a selector for choosing a primary identifier shared by all webpages requiring that a particular identifier be entered, if no primary identifier has been chosen yet, and a second storage able to store a security datum depending on the primary identifier after the entry of the primary identifier.
US08666366B2
Remote access management for a mobile device includes an activation process where a digitally signed activation record is created by a remote activation service and provided to the mobile device. The activation record is used to determine an activation state for the mobile device. Upon activation, a security process running on the mobile device enforces a security policy regarding remote access to the mobile device.
US08666361B2
A portable device and method of providing information stored in a memory is provided. A portable device may be capable of storing In Case of Emergency (ICE) information comprising a number of ICE entries and which may be placed in a locked condition, the portable device comprising: a man-machine interface; a display; and, a processor coupled to the display and to the man-machine interface, wherein the processor is adapted to cause the display, in response to detection of one or more predetermined gestures on the man-machine interface, to display at least one ICE entry; and wherein the display displays the at least one ICE entry even if the portable device is in the locked condition, and if the at least one ICE entry is displayed while the portable device is in the locked condition, other information stored on the portable device remains protected.
US08666360B2
Methods, devices, and storage media for tracking communications between a user and a user-selected party; obtaining communication tracking information based on the tracking, wherein the communication tracking information includes a time associated with each communication; calculating a communication gap pertaining to the user-selected party based on the communication tracking information, wherein the communication gap is a period of time that elapsed from a last communication with the other party to a current time; and providing the user with communication gap information in response to receiving a user request.
US08666354B2
A distributed, diode mixer circuit includes a plurality of passive diode mixer cores including at least first and second passive diode mixer cores including doubly-balanced diodes in symmetrical balanced configuration forms, each mixer core having a pair of differential reference nodes driven by the reference signal and a pair of differential nodes driven by the data signal and a reactive impedance network including one or multiple reactive elements or transmission lines connected between the like nodes of each the first and second mixer cores.
US08666349B2
A radio frequency (RF) receiver comprises an analog receiver, a digital signal processor, a clock synthesizer, and a microcontroller. The analog receiver has an input for receiving an RF input signal, and an output for providing a digital intermediate frequency (IF) signal. The digital signal processor has a first input for receiving the digital IF signal, a second input for receiving a clock signal, and a signal output for providing an IF output signal. The clock synthesizer has an input for receiving a clock control signal, and an output for providing the clock signal. The a microcontroller has an input for receiving a channel selection signal, wherein the microcontroller provides the clock control signal to control a frequency of the clock signal dynamically in response to a channel selection input to place a sub-harmonic at a tolerable frequency of a selected channel.
US08666347B2
Devices and methods for selectively reducing interference in wireless signals through field nulling and signal cancelling by signal agnostic, intrinsically stable, analytic means.
US08666341B2
There is described a method of operating a multi-mode communication unit. For each radio frame of a radio communication frame structure, the unit selectively sets a mode of radio frequency operation for one of transmission and reception for a selected radio frame duration, for operation in a radio communication mode of operation or in a sensing mode of operation. The unit may also interrupt a transmission task within a given radio frame at a time selected in accordance with a sensing instant of a second communication unit to which the data being transmitted and perform a different task for a duration of the sensing instant of the second communication unit.
US08666332B2
A waterproof-type electronic equipment includes first and second case parts together forming a housing. A seal material is provided between the first and second case parts. The seal material has a first surface including a fixed portion fixed to an inner surface of the first case part. The seal material has a contacting portion that makes a convex shape on a side opposite to the first surface to contact with the second case part. A recessed portion is provided on the inner surface of the first case part and outer side of the fixed portion of the seal material. The recessed portion is located at a position where the first surface of the seal material covers an opening of the recessed portion. A passage connects the recessed portion of the first case part and an exterior of the first case part to each other.
US08666322B1
An embodiment of a system for determining a distance and magnitude to one or more unknown passive intermodulation (PIM) sources associated with a network under test comprises a scalar PIM measuring instrument and a reference PIM source. The scalar PIM measuring instrument has an output frequency that is systematically changeable to produce a series of response signals of varying frequency and the reference PIM source is configured to introduce a reflected signal to the scalar PIM measuring instrument in response to the output frequency. The scalar PIM measuring instrument can perform data processing algorithms allowing the extraction of distance and magnitude information about the unknown PIM sources located along the network under test from scalar data received by the scalar PIM measuring instrument. The scalar data received by the scalar PIM measuring instrument represents a combination of signals from the unknown PIM sources and the reference PIM source.
US08666315B2
Managing anonymous communications between users based on short-range wireless connection identifiers
A method for managing in network equipment of a communication network anonymous communications between a first and a second mobile user apparatus includes: a) receiving from the first mobile user apparatus, through a first network connection, data indicating that a short-range wireless connection between the first mobile user apparatus and the second mobile user apparatus has been established, the data including a second unique short-range wireless connection identifier associated with the second mobile user apparatus and a message for the second mobile user apparatus; b) by using the second unique short-range wireless connection identifier, obtaining a network address associated with the second mobile user apparatus; and c) by using the network address obtained in b), sending data to the second mobile user apparatus through a second network connection, the data including the message received in a) from the first mobile user apparatus and a first anonymous identifying code univocally associated with the first mobile user apparatus.
US08666301B2
A participant response system comprises a plurality of handsets for allowing a participant of an event to input a response. Each handset comprises a wireless handset having a keyboard for allowing a user to input a response. The handsets are configurable either as a participant response handset to allow a participant to enter a response, or as a base station. The handset also includes audio capability to allow participants to receive and input audio.
US08666300B2
A curriculum progression pathway analysis assesses an educational program having multiple activities defining multiple learner tracks by organizing the learners into groups based on the learner tracks and, for each learner group, calculating a baseline average score, a post-activity average score, and statistical differences between the baseline average score and the post-activity average scores. Any significant statistical differences are identified, and a report may be generated describing statistical conclusions and inferences. The invention can further provide a domain-based learner analysis for curriculum, a domain-based learner analysis for activities, and a learner retention analysis. In an application for continuing medical education the performance index test includes a clinical vignette, a set of statements which are moved to either a best practices column or a not best practices column, and an indicator for an allowable number of moves to achieve a perfect score.
US08666296B2
A media stripper mechanism includes a shaft, one or more first stripping members, and one or more second stripping members. The shaft extends in an axial direction thereof parallel to a rotational axis of the rotary member. Each of the one or more first stripping members is a pneumatic nozzle that has a proximal end thereof supported on the shaft, and a distal, free end opposite the proximal end thereof pointing toward the rotary member to direct compressed gas toward the nip along the rotary member for stripping the recording medium from the rotary member. Each of the one or more second stripping members is a non-contact finger that has a proximal end thereof supported on the shaft, and a distal, free end opposite the proximal end thereof pointing toward the rotary member to assist in stripping the recording medium from the rotary member without contacting the rotary member.
US08666295B2
An intermediate transfer belt having a circumferential length not less than 2,000 mm and is driven at a linear speed not less than 350 mm/sec and an inner circumferential surface having a surface roughness Ra of from 0.2 to 0.4 μm (JIS B0601: '01), and including a substrate layer and a high-resistivity layer having a resistivity higher than that of the substrate layer, wherein the high-resistivity layer has a surface resistivity higher than that of the substrate layer by 0.3 to 2.5 log Ω/□ in common logarithm value when applied with a voltage of 500 V.
US08666286B2
An image reading device is provided, which includes a controller configured to, when a carriage reaches a turn-around position in a moving direction, control a motor to once stop, then rotate in a second direction opposite to a first direction such that a planetary gear swings to a position separated from an output gear and that an intermediate gear moves to an engagement position to engage with the output gear, and thereafter again rotate in the first direction so as to transmit a driving force from the motor to the output gear via an input gear, a planetary gear, and the intermediate gear.
US08666280B2
An image forming apparatus forms an image on a recording material, and detachably mounts process cartridges having photosensitive drums. The apparatus includes a main assembly, a rotatable openable member, a belt receiving an image or carrying the recording material, supporting members supporting the process cartridges at different levels and movable between drum-contacting and retracted positions, and a connecting member moving the supporting member when the openable members moves to position the supporting member at the drum-contacting position when the openable member is closed, and position the supporting member at the retracted position when the openable member is opened, and including a shaft whose axis crosses the openable member rotational axis, first connecting portions rotatably connected with respective supporting members, and a second connecting portion engaging the openable member and fixed to the shaft closer to the openable member than the first connecting portions are fixed to the shaft.
US08666274B2
An image forming apparatus is provided that can achieve a reduction in size while ensuring the necessary cooling performance. The image forming apparatus includes in an apparatus main body thereof: an image carrier; a developing device disposed to oppose the image carrier; a cooling fan; and a cooling duct flowing cool air from the cooling fan to at least the image carrier and the developing device, in which the cooling duct includes an image-carrier cooling duct that flows cool air to the image carrier; and a developing-device cooling duct that flows cool air to the developing device, and the image-carrier cooling duct and the developing-device cooling duct are disposed abreast front to back inside of the apparatus main body.
US08666273B2
An image heating device includes a rotatable member, an opposing member for forming a nip, between itself and the rotatable member, in which recording paper on which an image is carried is to be nip conveyed and heated, and a heater contacting the rotatable member's outer surface and including a belt, a first roller stretching the belt at an upstream side of the rotatable member with respect to a rotational direction of the rotatable member, a second roller downstream of the first roller, and first and second heating portions for heating the first and second rollers to first and second target temperatures, respectively. The device also includes a heating control portion for controlling the heater, and a portion for executing an operation in a control mode in which the second target temperature is set so as to be lower than the first target temperature.
US08666272B2
A fixing device includes a fixing member, a pressing member, a heating member, a movement mechanism, and a control unit. The fixing member fixes a toner image onto a recording material. The pressing member is pressed against an outer circumferential surface of the fixing member to form a fixing pressure part between the pressing member and the fixing member. The heating member heats the outer circumferential surface of the fixing member. The movement mechanism moves the heating member to contact with and be apart from the fixing member. The control unit controls the movement mechanism to move the heating member relatively apart from the fixing member after a predetermined time elapses after a trailing end of a recording material in a transport direction thereof passes through the fixing pressure part each time when a recording material passes through the fixing pressure part.
US08666271B2
An image forming apparatus is capable of more directly solving a problem of unevenly formed line images. The image forming apparatus includes a rotatable photosensitive member, a light emission unit configured to emit a laser beam based on image information, and a transfer unit configured to transfer a toner image developed on the photosensitive member. The image forming apparatus acquires variable speed information, which indicates a variable rotation speed of the photosensitive member. In addition, the image forming apparatus executes image position correction on the image information based on the acquired variable speed information.
US08666270B2
An image forming apparatus includes an imaging unit, a fixing unit, a first thermometer, and a controller. The imaging unit forms a toner image on a recording medium conveyed along a media conveyance path. The fixing device is disposed downstream from the imaging unit along the media conveyance path to fix the toner image in place on the recording medium. The fixing device includes a fuser roller, a heat roller, an endless, fuser belt, and a pressure roller. The fuser roller has a cylindrical core of metal. The pressure roller presses against the fuser roller via the fuser belt to form a fixing nip therebetween. The first thermometer detects a first temperature at the cylindrical core of the fuser roller. The controller controls conveyance of the recording medium through the fixing nip according to the first temperature.
US08666262B2
The present application discloses a method for adaptive blind equalization of a PSK signal, an equalizer and a receiver. According to embodiments as provided, a conjugate product of a current output and a precedent output of an FIR filter is calculated, an equalization coefficient is updated using the conjugate product, and then an input signal is filtered using the FIR filter with the updated equalization coefficient. The embodiments as provided is applicable to adaptive blind equalization of any phase shift keying signal including a BPSK signal.
US08666258B2
The principles of the present invention provide for a plastic ROSA that has a metallic EMI shroud covering a portion of the plastic ROSA. The combination of the plastic ROSA and the EMI shroud provides the unexpected result of having EMI shielding substantially similar to a metal ROSA.
US08666257B2
An optoelectronic device can implement an intelligent transmitter module (“ITM”), rather than a conventional TOSA, for the transmission of optical data signals. The ITM can include an optical transmitter, a CDR and driver IC, and a microcontroller and/or linear amplifier. Space available in the optoelectronic device due to using an ITM rather than a TOSA and PCB-bound CDR, driver, microcontroller, and/or linear amplifier can be used for the inclusion of one or more electronic and/or optical components. Electronic components that can be included in a device with an ITM include: an FPGA, a DSP, a memory chip, a digital diagnostic IC, a video IC, a wireless interface, and an RF interface. Optical components that can be included in a device with an ITM include: a VOA, an SOA, a MUX, a DEMUX, a polarization controller, and an optical power monitoring device.
US08666233B2
The present invention relates to a gas range usable as an electric range, wherein the simultaneous supply of gas and electricity can be prevented, and the replacement and use thereof are more convenient due to having a simple configuration. The present invention provides a gas range usable as an electric range, comprising: a burner portion at the inside of a case; and an accommodation portion for accommodating a gas container supplying gas to the burner portion, at one side, wherein a heating element placed at the corresponding position of the burner portion and a heating member comprising a body coupled to one side of the heating element are coupled in a separable manner inside the case and the accommodation portion. Therefore, since it is possible to mount a portable gas container and/or a heating member to the accommodation portion, gas and electricity are not simultaneously supplied, thereby preventing the occurrence of fire, and the configuration of the heating member is simple, thereby allowing the replacement of a portable gas container and use thereof to be convenient.
US08666232B2
An image voice play apparatus for playing an AVI file includes: a control portion that when an instruction for a time search is issued, estimates the “number of voice chunks in one movi chunk,” determines in which AVI chunk a voice chunk for the time search is situated, reads an idx1 chunk in the “determined AVI chunk” without reading an idx1 chunk in an AVI chunk other than the “determined chunk,” and determines a play start position that corresponds to the time search.
US08666222B2
Some embodiments provide a method of processing digital video in a computer. The method receives a first video clip. It stores the first video clip at a first rate in a storage of the computer. From the first video clip, the method generates a second video clip that is at a second rate different than the first rate. The method then outputs the second video clip from the computer. In some embodiments, the first rate is the native rate that a camera originally shot at least a portion of the first video clip, and the second rate is an encoded rate. In some embodiments, the method generates the second video clip from the first video by using the 2:3:3:2 encoding format. Also, in some embodiments, the method outputs the second video clip as the method generates the second video clip.
US08666214B2
One embodiment of a single mode optical fiber includes: a graded index central core region having outer radius r1 and relative refractive index Δ1; a cladding region comprising (i) a first inner cladding region having an outer radius r2<10 microns and relative refractive index Δ2 and 0.65≦r1/r2≦1; (ii) and a second inner cladding region (i.e., trench) having an outer radius r3>10 microns and comprising a minimum relative refractive index Δ3, wherein said second inner cladding region has at least one region with a relative refractive index delta that becomes more negative with increasing radius; and (iii) an outer cladding region surrounding the second inner cladding region and comprising relative refractive index Δ4, wherein Δ1>Δ2>Δ3, Δ3<Δ4.
US08666213B2
A multimode optical fiber is drawn form an optical fiber preform, and during said drawing step, a series of perturbations are imparted to the fiber along the length of the optical fiber, said perturbations exhibiting a non-constant amplitude or repeat period.
US08666212B1
An optical apparatus of a head mounted display includes a fused fiber bundle, an image source, and an image lens. The fused fiber bundle includes an array of fused optical fibers having an in-coupling surface located at a first end and an out-coupling surface physically facing an eye-ward direction and located at a second end. The fused fiber bundle is tapered such that the in-coupling surface has a larger surface area than the out-coupling surface to compress the light image. The image source is disposed at the first end of the fused fiber bundle and optically aligned with the in-coupling surface to launch the light image into the fused fiber bundle. The image lens is disposed at the second end and optically aligned with the out-coupling surface to focus the light image emitted from the second end towards an eye when the head mounted display is worn.
US08666202B2
A system for measuring properties of a thin film coated glass having a light source, a spectrometer, at least one pair of probes, a first optical fiber switch and a second optical fiber switch. The pair of probes includes a first probe located on one side of a glass sheet and a second probe located on the opposite side of the glass sheet, directly across from the first probe. The first and second optical fiber switches are adapted to couple either probe to the light source and/or the spectrometer. Because the design of the system is optically symmetrical, calibration may be performed without the use of a reference material such as a tile or mirror.
US08666198B2
A system and method for mapping interpersonal relationships, the method including processing a multiplicity of images and contextual information relating thereto including creating and prioritizing a list of a plurality of candidate persons having at least a predetermined relationship with at least one person connected to at least one image, using multi-dimensional information including visually sensible information in the multiplicity of images and contextual information relating thereto and searching the list of a plurality of candidate persons based at least in part on the prioritizing to select at least one of the candidate persons as having at least a predetermined relationship with the at least one person.
US08666175B2
A method and apparatus for detecting an object are provided. The method calculates a feature value based on features extracted from an input image by using a classifier of an ith stage, compares the calculated feature value with a first threshold value of the ith stage, compares the feature value with a second threshold value of the ith stage according to a result of the comparison between the feature value and the first threshold value of the ith stage, and jumps to a classifier of an i+2th stage according to a result of the comparison between the feature value and the second threshold value of the ith stage. By doing so, the method can avoid repeated calculations and can rapidly detect the object in the input image.
US08666172B2
Input image data may be subjected to a spatial convolution to produce a plurality of different filter matrices or kernels. Thus, a single system may be capable of producing a plurality of different filter sizes which may be selected based on particular circumstances, uses and described precision. Thus, a single system may provide variable spatial filtering. By reducing the input data matrix size and by reusing components, in some cases, the computational complexity of producing a plurality of symmetrical filters is not significantly greater than that involved in producing only a single filter.
US08666171B2
A periodicity determining unit determines whether an image region including a target pixel is a periodic region in which pixel values vary periodically. A first generating unit generates a pixel value using a first interpolation method. A second generating unit generates a pixel value using a second interpolation method. A control unit determines, based on the determination result of the periodicity determining unit, which one of the first and second generating units is to be used for generating a pixel value of the target pixel. A pixel value inserting unit inserts the generated pixel value to the target pixel. The periodicity determining unit includes a cycle estimating unit to estimate, using pixel values of pixels within the image region, a variation cycle of the pixel values, and/or a determining unit to determine whether each region positioned at left and right sides of the target pixel is the periodic region.
US08666164B2
A system and method for modeling a region segmented image is described. Aspects of the present invention may include the generation of a computer model that models the region segmented image, the computer model comprising one or more nodes, wherein each node in the one or more nodes represents an arbitrarily shaped region present in the region segmented image, and each of the arbitrarily shaped regions comprises an image segment wherein the image segment is an indivisible partition in the region segmented image. The model may additionally comprise one or more logical nodes, wherein each logical node represents an image region formed by the union of two or more arbitrarily shaped image regions in the region segmented image that exhibit at least one type of spatial relationship and a hierarchical graph representation of the region segmented image. Types of spatial relationships may include hierarchical, adjacent and cohesive spatial relationships.
US08666163B2
An apparatus for matching colors between various image devices includes a characterization model generation unit configured to generate characterization models for color conversion using gamut information on the image shooting device and the output imaging device; a color conversion unit configured to convert all colors corresponding to a gamut of the image shooting device into colors corresponding to a gamut of the output imaging device using the characterization models; a lookup table generation unit configured to generate a lookup table between the image shooting device and the output imaging device based on color conversion information of the colors corresponding to the gamut of the image shooting device; and an image conversion unit configured to generate an output image of the output imaging device, of which the colors are matched with those of the image inputted from the image shooting device, using the lookup table.
US08666158B2
A system may determine a number of floors of a building based on image data of the building. The system may determine a background color of a façade of the building shown in the image data. Using this background color, predefined deviations may then be detected that form the background color in the façade of the building. A mean number of predefined deviations in the vertical direction of the façade of the building may be determined, and the number of floors of the building based on the determined mean number of predefined deviations can be then be deduced.
US08666156B2
In accordance with one or more aspects of the image-based backgrounds for images, an image is analyzed in order to identify a color that represents the image. An enhanced background is generated based at least in part on the identified color, and both the image and the enhanced background are output on a screen. In addition, or alternatively, the identified color can be saved as being associated with the image in order to be used to generate an enhanced background for the image when the image is displayed.
US08666155B2
A method and system implementing the method for color pixel counting in images by determining color pixels that, upon marking, appear as visibly color or gray to the human eye by applying a 2-dimensional filter and a reverse color lookup process. An area color computation is performed on a window around each pixel of interest to determine average gray level values for output colors (C, M, Y). Gray line values for each output color are determined and the values for at least two output colors are compared to the average gray level values. If average gray level value for both colors is within a tolerance for the gray line, the pixel is determined as visibly gray. Otherwise, if at least one count is not within the tolerance, the pixel is determined as visibly color. The count of visibly color pixels can be used to determine the billable color pixel count.
US08666153B2
Provided is an image inputting apparatus wherein luminance signals having a high S/N ratio can be generated even during nighttime with a small quantity of photons. An imaging element images image components. A color signal generating section generates color signals from the image components. A color space conversion section converts the color signals into a color space that includes luminance signals and color difference signals. The color space conversion section calculates a luminance signal obtained by adding the image components, as the luminance signal of the color space to be converted.
US08666147B2
According to an embodiment, a multi-view image generating method includes synthesizing images having a same depth value into a single image from among a plurality of images, based on depth values each being associated with one of the plurality of images and indicating image position in the depth direction of the image; shifting, with respect to each of a plurality of viewpoints each giving a different disparity, a synthesized image obtained at the synthesizing, according to a shift vector corresponding to the viewpoint and the depth value of the synthesized image in a direction and with an amount indicated in the shift vector, so as to generate an image having disparity given thereto; and generating a multi-view image in which the images that are shifted and that are given disparity at the shifting are arranged in a predetermined format.
US08666146B1
Systems and methods for generating a stereoscopic pair of images from a monoscopic image input are described. At least one brushstroke input corresponding to a location in the monoscopic image is received. A saliency map and edge map of the monoscopic image are computed. A first image warp and a second image warp are computed using the at least one brushstroke, the saliency map, and the edge map. A stereoscopic pair of images are generated from the first image warp and the second image warp.
US08666145B2
A system and method for identifying a region of interest in a digital image. A first and second images of a scene may be obtained from a respective first and second points of view. Following an acquisition of a first image from a first point of view, a subsequent image may be automatically acquired upon determining that a second view point is achieved. Based on two or more images of a scene, a background object may be removed from an image to produce an image that only includes a foreground object or a region of interest.
US08666136B2
An imaging system includes storage (12) for storing radionuclide imaging data including quantitative radiation detection event energy values, the radionuclide imaging data having been acquired of a subject by a radionuclide imaging device (10); an energy window selection module (20) selecting an energy window and a data filtering module (14) configured to filter the stored radionuclide imaging data respective to the stored quantitative radiation detection event energy values using the selected energy window to generate a filtered radionuclide imaging data set; and a reconstruction module (30) configured to reconstruct the filtered radionuclide imaging data set to generate a reconstructed image of the subject.
US08666129B2
A method is disclosed for processing an output image of an examination object, with the output image having been reconstructed from measuring data acquired during a relative rotational movement between a radiation source of a computed tomography system and the examination object. An image frequency division of an output image takes place in at least a first and a second image. In at least one embodiment, the first image is changed by way of a first function, with the first function effecting a contrast intensification within the first image, and the changed first image and the second image are merged together.
US08666128B2
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for mapping a model of an object comprising an anatomical structure in a planning image and an intervention target region within it to intervention-guiding image data are disclosed. According to one method, an initial medial representation object model (m-rep) of an object comprising an anatomical structure is created based on image data of at least a first instance of the object. A patient-specific m-rep is created by deforming the initial m-rep based on planning image data of at least a second instance of the object, wherein the at least second instance of the object is associated with the patient. An intervention target region within the m-rep is identified in an image registered with the planning image. The patient-specific m-rep is correlated to the intervention-guiding image data of the at least second instance of the object, deformed from the planning image. The intervention target region is transferred to the intervention-guiding image according to the transformation between the m-rep in the planning image and the m-rep in the intervention-guiding image.
US08666127B1
Methods and Apparatus are provided for fake fingerprint detection. In one embodiment, an apparatus for fake fingerprint detection includes a prism having a first side configured to be touched by a fingerprint, an IR LED located near the second side of the prism, a light source located near the third side of the prism, where both the IR LED and the light source are configured to illuminate the fingerprint simultaneously to produce a captured image of the fingerprint, one or more lenses configured to direct the captured image of the fingerprint for storage, one or more CMOS sensors configured to collect the captured image of the fingerprint for analysis, and a controller configured to determine validity of the fingerprint using the captured image.
US08666118B2
Controlling an image element associated with a distance from an energy measuring device, in a reflected energy measurement system involves producing at least one signal for controlling a common visible characteristic of the image element, in response to a plurality of signals representing respective intensities of reflected energy at respective different frequencies, measured at the energy measuring device at a time corresponding to the distance.
US08666111B2
The present application provides a robust system and method for detecting the watermark in an electronic media, wherein the electronic media had gone through various kinds of attacks and their combinations thereof which may not be known while detecting the watermarks. The watermark detection system and method can be trained to detect or reject a particular pattern. The watermark detection system and method are based on correlation and are useful in any kind of digital watermarking applications. The watermark detection system and method perform well even when the amount of distortion is not precisely known, wherein the disclosure provides a set of templates or correlation filters, being designed for detection of watermark to cover any kind and combination of attacks. For synchronous attacks, the correlation filter designing is carried out dynamically. Particularly, the template i.e. correlation filter is an attack adaptive frequency domain pattern for watermark detection.
US08666105B2
Disclosed herein are embodiments of a speaker mounting assembly. In one such embodiment, the speaker mounting assembly comprises a speaker housing having a housing support surface, a speaker mounting bracket having a base surface, a projection extending from one of the speaker housing and the speaker mounting bracket and a mounting structure formed on the other of the speaker housing and the speaker mounting bracket. The mounting structure is configured to receive the projection such that the housing support surface contacts the base surface when the projection is received in the mounting structure. The mounting structure has an anti-rotation structure configured to prevent rotation of the speaker housing with respect to the speaker mounting bracket.
US08666104B2
A lighting and communication system with a horn enclosure for recessed ceiling panel or wall mounting, including a speaker with a horn expansion area to direct sound waves from the speaker to a horn enclosure front, at least one light enclosure located within the horn enclosure, the light enclosure defining a light cavity which is separated from said horn expansion area, with a light source inside the light cavity. The light source can be an LED array, which is capable of displaying text, colors or patterns in response to a control system signal.
US08666087B2
An integrated audio/communication system for use in a motor vehicle includes a processing unit that selectively executes control routines/programs based upon the operational mode of the system. The system may operate in a audio playback mode, and in a telephony mode. In the audio playback mode the processing unit executes a control routine/program associated with audio playback. Whereas, in the telephony mode the processing unit executes a control routine/program associated with telephony. The operational mode of the system may be switched from audio playback to telephony, and visa versa. Selectively configuring the processing unit based upon the operational mode of the system, and allowing the system to easily transition between modes, provides a highly integrated audio/communication system for use in a motor vehicle.
US08666075B2
The present invention is directed to a system and method for improving communications between players and coaches during a sporting event, more specifically allowing coaches to dynamically transmit secure real-time communications of an intended game plays in text, visual, sketch and/or verbal format to their players or other coaches on/off the field to be effected on the field during a game.
US08666072B2
This method of receiving a multimedia signal scrambled by means of a control word uses a first cryptographic entity that can be connected to any one of P second cryptographic entities to form part of a device for receiving the scrambled multimedia signal. Only second cryptographic entities of a group of N second cryptographic entities selected from a wider set of P second cryptographic entities use a session key obtained by diversifying a root key identical to the root key used to obtain the session key of the first cryptographic entity.
US08666070B2
A method of masking a cryptographic operation using a secret value, comprising the steps of dividing the secret value into a plurality of parts; combining with each part a random value to derive a new part such that the new parts when combined are equivalent to the original secret value; and utilizing each of the individual parts in the operation.
US08666066B2
The method comprises, in an electronic component, carrying out a cryptographic calculation that includes the step of obtaining points P on an elliptic curve following the equation Y2+a1XY+a3Y=X3+a2X2+a4+X+a6 (1) where a1, a2, a3, a4 et a6 are elements of a set A of elements; where A is a ring of modular integers Z/qZ where q is a positive integer resulting from a number I of different prime numbers strictly higher than 3, I being an integer higher than or equal to 2, where A is a finite body Fq with q the power of a prime integer; where X and Y are the coordinates of the points P and are elements of A. The method comprises determining a diameter (11), and obtaining the coordinates X and Y of a point P (13) by applying a function (12) to said parameter. The Euler function φ of A corresponds to the equation φ(A) mod 3=1. The function is a reversible and deterministic function expressed by a rational fraction in a1, a2, a3, a4 and a6 and in said parameter in A, and reaches at least a number q/41 of points P, with I being equal to 1 for a finite body Pq. The method further comprises using the point P in a cryptographic application for ciphering or hashing or signature or authentication or identification.
US08666062B2
In general terms, the invention provides a finite field engine and methods for operating on elements in a finite field. The finite field engine provides finite field sub-engines suitable for any finite field size requiring a fixed number of machine words. The engine reuses these engines, along with some general purpose component or specific component providing modular reduction associated with the exact reduction (polynomial or prime) of a specific finite field. The engine has wordsized suitable code capable of adding, subtracting, multiplying, squaring, or inverting finite field elements, as long as the elements are representable in no more than the given number of words. The wordsized code produces unreduced values. Specific reduction is then applied to the unreduced value, as is suitable for the specific finite field. In this way, fast engines can be produced for many specific finite fields, without duplicating the bulk of the engine instructions (program).
US08666060B2
A call signal generating device, whose pair of output terminals is connected to a telephone set, includes a rectifier rectifying an inputted high frequency signal and maintaining an output polarity in one of two polarities; and a polarity reverser generating a call signal by periodically reversing the output polarity of the rectifier and supplying it to the telephone set via the pair of output terminals.
US08666057B2
Apparatus and methods of remote powering of DSL ADMs are disclosed. In a subscriber communication node, at least communication components that enable the subscriber communication node to communicate with a network switching device, and possibly also subscriber communication components that enable one or more subscriber communication devices to communicate with the network switching device, can be powered either by a local power source or remotely through an electrically conductive twisted wire pair. A network node may derive its own power and also supply power to subscriber communication nodes through twisted wire pairs. A linear or ring topology of subscriber communication nodes can thus be kept operational, and subscriber communications can potentially also be maintained, when a local power source at one or more subscriber nodes becomes unavailable.
US08666054B2
Telephone users desiring directory assistance services are connected via standard telephone procedures to a directory assistance provider, such as an operator. An operator provides the destination number and initiates a connection to that number. Once that connection is initiated, the connection is monitored for the occurrence of a predetermined condition, such as a busy signal. If no such condition is detected, the caller proceeds with the call in the normal manner. If, however, such a condition is detected, the caller is automatically transferred to a directory assistance provider for further help.
US08666053B2
A method and system for providing call forwarding in an IP telephone network is disclosed. First, when a telephone number for a first telephone from a second telephone is dialed, the call is routing to a call manager. Call setup procedures with a BRG responsible for the first telephone are then initiated. The BRG then checks stored call forwarding profiles to determine whether there is an active call forwarding profile for the first telephone. The call is connected to the first telephone if an active call forwarding profile is not found. However, if an active call forwarding profile is found, the call forwarding information is sent to the call manager. The call is routed to at least a third telephone based on the call forwarding information.
US08666051B2
A method and system for notifying users of events. User activity of a user is monitored, based on user notification information in a storage location. The user notification information pertains to a scheduled event. In response to a detection, from the monitoring, of a change in the user activity, it is ascertained that the change necessitates notifying the user of the scheduled event due to the change impacting whether the user can participate in the scheduled event. Then the user is notified of the scheduled event. The user notification information in the storage location is modified, based on the detected change in the user activity, in response to receipt of an instruction from the user to change the user notification information in the storage location.
US08666050B2
Data processing and communications devices are configured to generate, using command signals received from at least one user input device, a signal set representing a meeting request, the meeting request signal set comprising signals representing one or more parameters for a proposed meeting and configured for causing a second data processing and communications device to initiate a voice call on receipt of command signals representing a response to the meeting request; and forward the generated meeting request signal set to the second data processing and communications device.
US08666049B2
Implementing a location and historical trend based quality of session in unified telephony can begin with establishing a conference call. The location of each end-user device can be determined and a query of a previously established data store with historical trend data for quality of session for each end-user device based on the location of an identifier for the end user device can be performed. If the results of the querying indicate that an end-user device has a relatively low quality of session below a baseline established for the conference call, a corrective action designed to ensure the conference call is conducted with a quality of session at or above the baseline can be performed. Alternatively, the location and historical trend data and analysis for the collaboration session can be presented to a human moderator, who can be prompted to select a desired corrective action.
US08666041B2
Systems, methods and apparatus are presented for facilitating account-based transactions. In an embodiment, the method includes associating a first person with an account, associating a second person with the account, receiving a request from a third party to authorize a transaction between the second person and the third party, determining a first communication address of the first party, and contacting the first party. The process also includes determining that the first person desires to communicate with the second person, determining a second communication address of the second person, initiating a communication between the first person and the second person, and receiving a signal from the first person that authorizes the transaction or declines the transaction.
US08666038B2
There is described a method and telecommunication server for maintaining communication between at least two devices. A first incoming call for a first communication device is received at the communication server. The first incoming call for the first communication device is routed to a second communication device associated with the first communication device. A park data signal is received from the second communication device for placing a call to park. The call is placed to park and a park reminder message is sent to the first communication device.
US08666036B2
An alert method and system permits an alert to be provided to a subscriber. Such alerts may comprise icons or graphical advertising units that may be navigated by the subscriber to trigger and initiate corresponding and dynamically updatable communications and communication links.
US08666035B2
A method for providing a communication assistance service by a communication assistance service provider includes receiving a communication at the communication assistance service provider from a first person seeking a contact information to communicate with a second person and receiving from the first person identifying information associated with the second person. A profile of the second person is retrieved including at least one contact information and at least one contact preference associated with the contact information. Communication is provided between the first person and the second person in accordance with the contact preferences.
US08666034B2
The present invention allows a user to screen messages being left at a hosted voicemail system from a telephone terminal. Incoming calls intended for the telephone terminal are routed to the voicemail system immediately or after attempting to connect incoming call to the telephone terminal. As the caller is leaving a message at the voicemail system, a connection between the incoming call, voicemail system, and telephone terminal is established to allow the user to listen to the message and decide whether to take the call. The user may decide to take the call or let the caller finish leaving the message. In one embodiment, the telephone terminal is equipped to open only the speaker channel for monitoring the message and will provide a fully bi-directional connection if the user takes the call. The supporting switch and telephone terminal communicate with each other to facilitate the monitoring and taking of calls.
US08666010B1
A bursty phase detector comprises upper and lower branches. The upper branch includes a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) providing a VCO phase; a phase detector with a first input for receiving a data stream and a second input coupled to the output of the VCO, the phase detector providing a phase error; a sample selector with a first input for receiving a sum of the VCO phase and the phase error, and a second input coupled to receive the data stream, the sample selector providing a data stream sample; a signal stream detector with a first input for receiving the sum of the VCO phase and the phase error, and a second input coupled to the output of the sample selector, the signal stream detector generating a data stream phase and a data stream detect signal. The lower branch includes a delay component with an input for receiving the data stream.
US08666007B2
A memory controller receives data and phase-providing signals from a memory device. The phase-providing signal is not a clock signal, but is used by the memory controller to phase align a local data-sampling signal with the incoming data. The memory controller samples the data signal with the data-sampling signal. The memory controller can perform maintenance operations to update the phase relationship between the phase-providing and data-sampling signals.
US08666006B1
Systems and methods are disclosed for improving digital feed-forward data recovery of high speed data from a received data stream in a data transceiver or receiver where the receiver clock is asynchronous to the transmitter clock used to transmit the received data stream. In one example, the received data stream is oversampled using N evenly-spaced multi-phase clocks. The oversampled data are packed into a data block. Data transition edges of the oversampled data in the data blocks with respect to multi-phase clocks are tracked. The tracked data transition edges are used to determine the length of a decision window and to further divide the oversampled data into groups of bits that are hypothesized to be samples of the same received data symbol. Bit mapping is performed on the decision window to recover the received data symbol. By tracking the movement of data transition edges, the technique enhances data recovery capability.
US08666003B2
A propagation channel estimation unit estimates a propagation channel estimated value. A symbol replica generation unit generates a symbol replica which is a modulated symbol from demodulated information. A signal extraction unit extracts each subcarrier component from a received signal from which interference has been removed, based on the propagation channel estimated value and the symbol replica. A demodulation unit demodulates the signals of the subcarrier components extracted by the signal extraction unit.
US08666002B2
A receiver for compensating I/Q mismatch includes an analog down-conversion unit for receiving a radio frequency signal and down-converting the RF signal into a set of digital low intermediate frequency (IF) signals, a digital down-conversion unit receiving the set of digital low IF signals and down-converting the set of digital low IF signals into first and second baseband signals, and a compensation unit. The compensation unit receives the first and second baseband signals, calculates a compensation parameter based thereon, and compensates I/Q mismatch effect according to the first and second baseband signals and the compensation parameter so as to output a target signal.
US08665999B2
A receiver for receiving data carried by multiple carriers, the receiver having: estimation means for forming an estimate of the reliability with which data from one or more of the carriers is received as distinct from the reliability with which data from one or more other of the carriers is received; and a decoder arranged for forming an estimate of the symbols represented by the data received from the carriers in dependence on the estimate of reliability.
US08665997B1
A method of demodulating an AIS signal by receiving the signal, sampling the signal, estimating the carrier frequency, estimating the complex conjugate of the carrier frequency contribution to each sample, multiplying each sample by the complex conjugate and calling the results a base-banded sampled signal (BBSS), correlating the BBSS with known preambles, identifying a maximum magnitude of the BBSS/preamble correlation and its location and the associated preamble, computing a complex inner product of the preamble with a segment of the BBSS, estimating the carrier phase as an argument function of the eighth step result, estimating a complex conjugate of the carrier phase contribution to the BBSS, multiplying each fifth step result starting at the location of the maximum magnitude of the BBSS/preamble correlation by the tenth step result, and demodulating the results starting at that location.
US08665994B2
The invention relates to the technical field of radio communications, and in particular to an antenna device for a radio base station, and a method for precoding data in a Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) system. Embodiments of the invention disclose a secondary precoder 24 in series with a multiple-input multiple-output precoder 22. The secondary precoder 24 has a plurality of inputs 34, 36 and a plurality of outputs 38, 40. The second plurality of inputs being in communication with each plurality of outputs 38, 40 such that one or more signals input to a respective one or more of the second plurality of inputs 34, 36 provides a substantially equal power of signals at the second plurality of outputs 38, 40.
US08665993B2
Methods are disclosed for transmitting a plurality of information bits using resource selection on multiple antennas. In one or more embodiments, the methods include: selecting a first and a second orthogonal resource from an allocation of more than two orthogonal resources according to the state of the plurality of information bits; transmitting a first symbol in a first symbol instant on a first antenna using the first orthogonal resource; and transmitting a second symbol in the first symbol instant on a second antenna using the second orthogonal resource. In some embodiments, the first and second orthogonal resources are different and the first symbol is either a reference symbol or a modulation symbol.
US08665989B2
Disclosed are a phase shifter, a wireless communication apparatus, and a phase control method in which power consumption is reduced. A phase shifter includes a 90° step phase shifter (17) and a 45° phase shifter (18) and adds phase information to two baseband signals to be output to an orthogonal modulator. The 90° step phase shifter (17) contributes to adding any one of phases 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270° to the baseband signals according to a first control signal. The 45° phase shifter (18) contributes to adding one of phases 0° and 45° to the baseband signals according to a second control signal. A phase shifter (8) performs replacement of component signals of one of the baseband signals with component signals of the other of the baseband signals and inversion of polarities of the component signals.
US08665984B2
The present disclosure relates to channel state feedback in a communication system. The method includes obtaining a reference signal from an access point; deriving a rank indication, a codebook subset selection indication and a precoding matrix index based on the obtained reference signal; sending a first feedback message conveying the rank indication and the codebook subset selection indication, and sending a second feedback message conveying the precoding matrix index, to the access point; and receiving, from the access point, data precoded by a matrix derived based on the rank indication, the codebook subset selection indication and the precoding matrix index.
US08665978B2
A wireless communication apparatus prevents deterioration of communication characteristics because of a transmission weight of a highest common factor and enhances the communication characteristics of feedback MIMO. A wireless communication apparatus having antennas includes a reception unit for obtaining channel state information of channels received from another wireless communication apparatus, a channel state information calculation unit for dividing a predetermined frequency band into regions, selecting a particular region based on the number of channels included in each of the regions and the channel state information of the channels, and calculating representative channel state information of the predetermined frequency band overall based on the channel state information of the channels included in the particular region, a transmission weight selection unit for selecting a transmission weight based on the representative channel state information, and a transmission unit for transmitting identification information of the transmission weight to the another wireless communication apparatus.
US08665977B2
A MIMO detection method for a receiver in a MIMO system using N-QAM for modulation, the MIMO detection method including generating a plurality of symbol vector sets and a plurality of search radiuses, selecting a candidate symbol vector set corresponding to a highest level of a multilevel structure of N-QAM constellation, generating a search space corresponding to a lower level of the multilevel structure of N-QAM constellation according to the selected candidate symbol vector set, confirming which level the search space corresponds to, and generating a detection signal according to the search space when the level of the search space is the lowest level of the multilevel structure of the N-QAM constellation.
US08665973B2
A technique for removing a band-limited distributed pilot signal from an orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) signal involves converting a received OFDM signal, which includes a distributed pilot signal and an OFDM data signal, into a frequency domain signal having populated frequency bins containing respective subcarrier signals, each including a constituent data signal of the OFDM data signal and component pilot signal of the distributed pilot signal. An average magnitude of the populated frequency bins is determined based on the absolute values of the complex components of the populated frequency bins of the frequency domain signal, and the average magnitude of the populated frequency bins is used to estimate a pilot signal magnitude. The distributed pilot signal is removed from the frequency domain signal using a stored replica of the pilot signal scaled in conjunction with the pilot signal magnitude to yield the OFDM data signal.
US08665969B2
A system and method are used to generate pseudo MPEG information from digital video information. An artificial time stamp module and a data transport device can be used to generate the pseudo MPEG information, including associating an artificial time stamp with the digital video information. This pseudo MPEG information can be decoded as MPEG information.
US08665966B2
The present invention realizes a video coding apparatus that is simple in configuration and can avoid video display quality deterioration due to an overrun of video coding processing. The video coding apparatus is provided with a coding means for bringing video into coding processing on a frame basis with a first coding processing method; a processing time detecting means for detecting coding actual processing time required for coding processing on the frame; a delay calculating means for calculating processing delay time of coding processing on the frame based on coding predicted processing time given to the coding processing and the coding actual processing time; a coding load controlling means for, in a case where the processing delay time on the frame is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value, causing a subsequent frame to undergo coding processing with a second coding processing method bearing coding processing load lower than in said first coding processing method, and thereby processing time of frames after occurrence of an overrun is shortened for recovery from the overrun so that a frame skip due to occurrence of an overrun is prevented to enable avoidance of video quality deterioration.
US08665965B2
A quantizer and dequantizer for use in a video coding system that applies non linear, piece-wise linear scaling functions to video information signals based on a value of a variable quantization parameter. The quantizer and dequantizer apply different non linear, piece-wise linear scaling functions to a DC luminance signal, a DC chrominance signal and an AC chrominance signal. A code for reporting updates of the value of the quantization parameter is interpreted to require larger changes when the quantization parameter initially is large and smaller changes when the quantization parameter initially is small.
US08665964B2
This disclosure describes video encoding and decoding techniques in which a first order prediction process and a second order prediction process are used in combination to generate predictive video blocks for video coding. First order prediction may be similar to conventional motion estimation and motion compensation that generates residual video blocks. The second order prediction may involve a process similar to conventional intra-prediction, but is performed on the residual video blocks. The techniques of this disclosure may pre-define the second order prediction to a specific mode, such as a mode similar to the intra-DC mode used in intra coding. In addition, the techniques of this disclosure may combine aspects of the first order and second order prediction into a single process so that the effects of second order prediction on the residuals are taken into account during the first order prediction process, which may improve compression.
US08665954B2
Methods and systems for processing B pictures with missing or invalid forward reference pictures are disclosed. Aspects of one method may include decoding of a contiguous sequence of B pictures that immediately follow a first I picture after a sequence header. The decoding of the B pictures may handle video edit codes in the AVS1-P2 format and/or random access points. Some embodiments of the invention may discard B pictures that refer to invalid or missing forward reference pictures, while other embodiments of the invention may interpolate B pictures. For an invalid forward reference picture, the interpolation algorithm for generating pictures may use the invalid forward reference picture and the backward reference picture. For a missing decoded forward reference picture, as in a random access, the interpolation algorithm for generating pictures may use the backward reference picture.
US08665946B2
A method of performing block matching on a video image of progressive data includes: receiving the video image; storing the video image to a first storage; loading a current macroblock pair and a current search window of the video image to a second storage and utilizing the current search window to perform block matching for the current macroblock pair; and loading a next macroblock pair and a plurality of macroblocks corresponding to a non-overlapped area of a next search window to the second storage to perform block matching for the next macroblock pair.
US08665938B2
A wireless transmission apparatus includes a service processing unit, a duplexer, a radio frequency receiving unit, a frequency synthesizer, and a controller. The controller controls, according to a reduced TR interval, the frequency synthesizer to adjust a frequency of a local oscillation signal which is output by the frequency synthesizer to the radio frequency receiving unit. The service processing unit continues to send a service signal as a self-checking signal, and a part of the self-checking signal leaks into the radio frequency receiving unit through the duplexer. After the radio frequency receiving unit mixes a received signal with the local oscillation signal, a frequency of the self-checking signal included in an output signal falls within a pass-band range of an intermediate frequency receiving unit, which ensures that the self-checking signal can be looped back to the service processing unit, thereby determines whether a fault occurs in its own transmission channel.
US08665922B2
A driver circuit is provided which comprises a series-connected unit having a light-emitting element and a current limiting inductor directly connected to the light-emitting element, a regenerative diode which is connected in parallel to the series-connected unit and which regenerates energy stored in the current limiting inductor, a transistor which controls a current flowing through the light-emitting element and the current limiting inductor, and a controller which controls an operation of the transistor, wherein the controller controls the transistor according to a voltage value of a power supply applied to the light-emitting element.
US08665919B2
A semiconductor laser module includes a semiconductor device including a semiconductor laser and a bending waveguide through which a laser light emitted from the semiconductor laser propagates, a beam splitter splitting the laser light into a first laser light and a second laser light, a plurality of detectors respectively arranged at different positions in a cross section of a light flux of the second laser light to detect the second laser light, and a waveform shaping unit provided on an optical path of the laser light. The waveform shaping unit is configured to make a relation between an output of the semiconductor laser and detection values of the detectors approach a linear relation.
US08665915B2
A laser apparatus uses a dysprosium doped chalcogenide glass fiber. The glass fiber has a laser pump operatively connected to it. The chalcogenide glass fiber is located in a laser cavity including one or more reflective elements such as a Bragg grating, a Bragg minor, a grating, and a non-doped fiber end face. The apparatus provides laser light output at a wavelength of about 4.3 μm to about 5.0 μm at a useful power level using laser light input at a wavelength of from about 1.7 μm to about 1.8 μm. Also disclosed is a method for providing laser light output at a wavelength of about 4.3 μm to about 5.0 μm using the apparatus of the invention.
US08665904B2
The present invention allows communicating devices to control the amount of compression used in packet sessions for transmitting streaming media to and from each other. When a communicating device detects a decrease in performance or quality of service indicative of a limited bandwidth condition, the amount of compression for the current or subsequent sessions is temporarily increased to allow the currently available bandwidth to support the session or subsequent sessions. After a set period of time, or when the limited bandwidth condition is removed, communications associated with the sessions can revert back to transporting uncompressed data or reducing the amount of compression for the sessions, thus using more of the available bandwidth.
US08665900B2
A method and system for maintaining quality of service parameters for transmissions as a native Ethernet service between a first network having a first communication protocol and a second network having a second communication protocol that is different from the first communication protocol. The interworking device includes a first network interface operable to communicate with the first communication network using the first communication protocol, a second network interface operable to communicate with the second communication network using second communication protocol and a processing unit in communication with the first network interface and the second network interface. The processing unit receives a frame from the first network in the first communication protocol, maps parameters corresponding to quality of service parameters in the first communication protocol to quality of service parameters in the second communication protocol and assembles a data packet in the second communication protocol. The assembled data packet includes mapped quality of service parameters.
US08665899B2
A method and apparatus for integrating a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) client in a wireless PC card are disclosed. A soft mobile phone client is combined with a cellular PC card to create a single physical device that is capable of providing VoIP services to a computer user through the cellular capabilities of the device itself, or alternatively, through any other Internet connectivity available to the computer. When a user inserts the VoIP client/Cellular PC Card into a computer, a graphical user interface (GUI) within the connection manager software is launched allowing the user to communicate VoIP function commands to the VoIP client. A check for Internet connectivity may be performed, at which time the Radio portion of the enhanced PC card may be put into an idle state if connectivity is detected, or may alternatively establish Internet connectivity through the cellular portion of the enhanced PC card.
US08665889B2
A switch fabric system and network element based thereon include a N×M switch fabric with M Trail Termination Points (TTPs) each with N timeslots there through in a bidirectional manner, a first connection in the switch fabric, wherein the first connection includes a unidirectional asymmetric connection of X timeslots, wherein X
US08665888B2
In the field of communications, a method and a system for packet transmission in an optical communication system, and an Optical Line Terminal (OLT) are provided. The method includes: receiving, from a port, a first uplink packet from an Optical Network Unit (ONU), where the first uplink packet includes a Logical Link Identifier (ID); determining a first ID corresponding to the first uplink packet, where the first ID includes an ONU ID or a Port ID; acquiring a Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) tunnel label according to the Logical Link ID and the first ID; and transmitting a second uplink packet on an MPLS tunnel corresponding to the MPLS tunnel label, where the second uplink packet includes data in the first uplink packet and the MPLS tunnel label. The system includes an ONU and an OLT. By establishing a corresponding relation of a logical link, created between the OLT and the ONU, and the MPLS tunnel, mapping between the logical link and the MPLS tunnel is realized, so that the service configuration has an unlimited capacity and becomes more flexible.
US08665885B2
Disclosed herein is a method for providing a user with an indication of availability of a service at a user terminal, the user terminal being connected to a gateway via a first communications link, and the gateway being connected to a service provider via a second communications link. The method includes determining a service bandwidth demand, a bandwidth availability, and a service priority; determining a service availability based on the service bandwidth demand, the bandwidth availability, and the service priority; and providing the user with an indication of the service availability.
US08665883B2
A generalized multi-homing capability is depicted and described herein. The generalized multi-homing capability supports use of a generalized multi-homed site object and associated generalized multi-homed site identifier for Virtual Private LAN Services (VPLS). For example, a generalized multi-homed site object may be generated using a multi-homed site object by associating an Ethernet endpoint object and a pseudowire endpoint object with the multi-homed site object. For example, a generalized multi-homed site object may be generated using a multi-homed site object by associating an Ethernet endpoint object with the multi-homed site object and associating one or more Ethernet-related objects with the Ethernet endpoint object. The generalized multi-homed site object is configured to support multiple types of endpoints, thereby enabling multi-homing to be supported for various types of devices in various types of networks (e.g., between devices of customer and service provider networks, between devices within a service provider network, between devices of different service provider networks, and the like) and for various types of services.
US08665882B2
A system comprises a plurality of nodes; and a hub that is communicatively coupled to each of the plurality of nodes via a plurality of point-to-point links, wherein a priority-based arbitration scheme is used by the plurality of nodes and the hub to communicate over each of the plurality of point-to-point links. When the hub determines that one or more of the plurality of nodes is each transmitting a message having an identification field comprising a first sub-field and a second sub-field, the hub uses the first sub-field to select which node's message should be forwarded to the other nodes based, at least in part, on the priority-based arbitration scheme and forwards the selected node's message as it is received to the other nodes, continuing with the second sub-field of the selected node's message.
US08665873B2
An apparatus comprising a home agent (HA) configured to couple to a mobile node (MN), a network address translation (NAT) server, and an Internet Protocol (IP) version four (IPv4) only host and to associate an IP version six (IPv6) address for an interface with the MN with an IPv4 address for an interface with the IPv4 only host in a NAT state table entry, wherein the NAT state table entry is used to translate an IPv6 packet associated with the MN to an IPv4 packet associated with the IPv4 only host.
US08665872B2
When a packet received from a ring network is addressed to a device on a local network established under a transmission apparatus, then that transmission apparatus detects whether a memory device installed therein is in the memory full state. If the memory device is determined to be in the memory full state, then the transmission apparatus sends the packet, which was received from the ring network, back to the ring network. Subsequently, when the memory device recovers from the memory full state, the transmission apparatus sends the packet to the specified device in the local network.
US08665868B2
An apparatus is described that performs prioritized matching through processing of network traffic in accordance with provisioned rules and policies. The apparatus includes a plurality of microcode controlled state machines, and a distribution circuit that routes input data to the plurality of microcode controlled state machines, such that the plurality of microcode controlled state machines apply rules to the input data to determine matches and produce priority indicators, wherein each match has an associated priority indicator. At least one of the matches is selected based on the priority indicators. Advantageously, the apparatus provides an architectural framework well suited to a low cost, high speed, robust implementation of flexible, advanced network security and monitoring features and network traffic analysis.
US08665849B2
Methods and systems are disclosed for implementing inter-network roam and for querying and network attachment, applied in a network of access identifier and location identifier separation, wherein the method for implementing inter-network roam comprises: after attaching to an ASN of a roaming area network, a roaming terminal sending a first data packet whose destination address is the AID of a destination device to the destination device; after receiving the first data packet, the ASN querying locally AID-RID mapping information, and requesting a roaming gateway to query the RID of the destination device if the RID is not found and the destination device does not belong to the roaming network; the roaming gateway querying the RID from a home network of the destination device and returning to the ASN; according to the RID, the ASN sending subsequent data packets of the roaming terminal to the destination device.
US08665842B2
Example methods and apparatus to discover network capabilities for connecting to an access network are disclosed. A disclosed example method involves sending a request to a first access network of a first network type. The request is addressed to a database and requests network connectivity information for connecting to a second access network of a second network type different from the first network type. The example method also involves receiving a response from the first access network. The response includes the network connectivity information for connecting to the second access network.
US08665840B2
A receiving and transmitting node for a wireless data network, and a wireless data network based on magnetic induction. The receiving node includes an antenna receive module for receiving one or more data signals emitted from the transmitting node and a calculation module adapted to calculate one or more distances between the receiving node and the transmitting node, and/or adapted to calculate the position of the transmitting node in relation to the position of the receiving node, and/or adapted to calculate the orientation of the transmitting node in relation to the orientation of the receiving node. The reception of the data signal is based on magnetic induction and the calculation of the one or more distances, and the position of the transmitting node and/or the orientation of the transmitting node is based on the one or more data signals.
US08665837B2
The present invention relates to communicating control information in a mobile communication system, wherein the control information of a mobile terminal for scheduling an uplink channel may be notified to a network more quickly with less power. The present invention comprises transmitting a data block on a first physical channel, wherein the data block comprises control information, and transmitting an indicator having a specific value on a second physical channel for indicating the transmission of the control information on the first physical channel.
US08665826B2
The present invention relates to a method and a base station for determining a handover command based on mobility related parameters such as a handover margin or a time value required to trigger the handover.
US08665821B2
A method and an apparatus for FA switching in a wireless communication system are provided. The apparatus includes a base station for broadcasting a neighbor list, which includes a base station identifier, an FA identifier, and a preamble index corresponding to a first FA, and neighbor base station information, to mobile stations that the base station provides a service for, one of, unicasting a scanning indication message for the first FA to each of the mobile stations and broadcasting the scanning indication message to the mobile stations, for temporarily switching a second FA, which is being currently used, to the first FA, for transmitting a preamble signal corresponding to the first FA to the mobile stations by using the FA identifier and the preamble index during a preset scanning time interval, and for switching the second FA to the first FA according to a scanning result received from the mobile stations in response to the scanning indication message.
US08665816B2
An on-vehicle device sends an allocation request for a wireless resource to a roadside device. The roadside device, in response to receiving this allocation request, allocates a roadside-vehicle resource that is a wireless resource for roadside-vehicle communication with the on-vehicle device, and an inter-vehicle resource that is a wireless resource for inter-vehicle communication between on-vehicle devices; and sends the allocation information to the on-vehicle device. The on-vehicle device carries out roadside-vehicle communication with the roadside device using the roadside-vehicle resource identified with the allocation information received from the roadside device, and carries out inter-vehicle communication with other on-vehicle devices using the inter-vehicle resource identified with the allocation information. Thereby, roadside-vehicle communication and inter-vehicle communication can be achieved with higher utilization of wireless resources while avoiding the hidden terminal problem.
US08665808B2
A method of switching a radio resource mode allocated to a mobile station in a wireless access system is discussed. The method for switching the radio-resource mode allocated to a mobile station in the wireless access system includes, transmitting a first message comprising Carrier to Interference and Noise Ratio (CINR) information of a second radio-resource mode to a base station for requesting a switching from a first radio-resource mode allocated to the mobile station to the second radio-resource mode; and transmitting a predetermined codeword for indicating that the switching from the first radio-resource mode to the second radio-resource mode has not been normally performed, if a second message approving the switching of the radio-resource mode is not received within a predetermined time.
US08665785B2
Systems and methods for establishing a telecommunications bridge between a user device and a node are provided herein. In some embodiments a method for establishing a telecommunications bridge between a user device and a node includes receiving a request to establish a telecommunications bridge, the request including information indicative of a user device, and a campaign identifier corresponding to at least one node, comparing the campaign identifier to a campaign database, the campaign database including information indicative of campaign identifiers associated with at least one node, and establishing the telecommunications bridge between a user device and at least one node.
US08665773B2
An SAE/LTE or 4G cellular telecommunications network is disclosed which comprises a plurality of eNodeBs and a network core. A plurality of mobile telecommunications devices are registered with the network and communicate with the network core via the eNodeBs. A relay is provided between the eNodeB 5 and the mobile telecommunications device to extend the radio coverage provided by the eNodeB. Channel quality measurement data are transmitted to at least one of the telecommunications devices in a link with the relay to enable the telecommunications devices to calculate the channel quality between the mobile device and the relay and/or the node.
US08665770B2
An MBS feedback method is disclosed. The MBS feedback method includes detecting one or more codes multiplexed in Code Division Multiplexing (CDM) from an MBS feedback channel, and adjusting a Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) based on the detected one or more codes.
US08665767B2
An apparatus is disclosed having a receiver configured to receive a request to transmit data from a wireless node in a plurality of wireless nodes; and a transmitter configured to transmit a multi-cast message to a set of wireless nodes in the plurality of wireless nodes to permit data transmission. A method for wireless communications is also disclosed.
US08665766B2
A method for obtaining the MBMS supporting ability of a cell is disclosed. The method concludes: step 1 in which RNC transmits an audit request message to Node B; step 2, the Node B returns an audit response message containing the MBMS supporting ability information of the cell to the RNC. With the present invention, the RNC can obtain the MBMS supporting ability information of the cell, and obtain the MBMS supporting ability changing information of the cell in real time and correctly.
US08665760B2
A method and arrangement for connecting an ad-hoc communication network (101) to a permanent communication network (102), e.g. to a cellular mobile communication network. The ad-hoc communication network is established between communication devices (103-106) and a gateway device (107) using a routing protocol that is run in the gateway device and in the communication devices. A protocol address that is associated in a communication device with a protocol data unit is determined on the basis of a control action given by a user of the communication device. In a gateway device, the protocol data unit is relayed to the permanent communication network if the protocol data unit is provided with a pre-determined protocol address. The user of the communication device can determine with the aid of the control action whether he is communicating only inside the ad-hoc communication network or via the permanent communication network.
US08665758B1
A system, method, and instruction set for translational routing and redirecting of media calls for use in teleconferencing applications. In operation, when a user places a conference call, it is routed through a carrier switch 14 to a media gateway 16 where routing translation on the call occurs and then a VoIP call is sent to an element management system 18 by way of an internet protocol network 22. The EMS 18 then accesses a central database 20 with an account number and retrieves a dialed number identification service 21 needed to redirect the call. The EMS then sends a REFER command indicating the new DNIS information to the MGW 16 by way the IP network 22. Finally, the MGW 16 performs the appropriate routing translation on the new DNIS and redirects the call through a time division multiplexing network 24 to the appropriate conferencing bridge 26,28.
US08665745B2
It is disclosed a method for determining a buffer level of a jitter data buffer (203) comprised in a receiver (200) adapted to sequentially receive data packets from a communications network (202), wherein frames are encoded into the data packets. Each frame may comprise timestamp information and payload size information. The buffer level is determined on the basis of a first part of frame arrival delay related to payload size variation between frames and a second part related to the amount of crosstraffic in the communications network (202). It is further disclosed a receiver (200) adapted to sequentially receive data packets from a communications network (202), wherein frames are encoded into the data packets, the receiver (200) comprising a data jitter buffer (203) and being adapted to perform the method.
US08665742B2
A method for improving the performance for a streaming service by link-adaptation and power-control in a wireless packet network such as an Enhanced General Packet Radio Services (EGPRS) cellular network is described. In particular, the effects of a combined link adaptation and power control scheme (referred to as an error-based scheme) for achieving a target error rate, which is non-zero but low enough so that limited retransmission and error concealment techniques are effective, is presented.
US08665741B2
Apparatus, methods, and computer program products are disclosed for: selecting a reception path to receive information from a first receiver path through a first receiver portion in a transceiver portion of the apparatus or from a second receiver path in a receiver portion separate from the transceiver portion of the apparatus, wherein both of the first and second receiver paths receive the information using a same frequency band of a same radio access technology; and receiving the information using the selected reception path. Apparatus, methods, and computer program products are disclosed for: transmitting first information using a transmission frequency band of a radio access technology over a transmission path in a transceiver; and, for the radio access technology and a reception frequency band, receiving second information over a receiver path in a secondary receiver, where the transceiver does not have a receiver path configured to receive the reception frequency band.
US08665734B2
A method and apparatus for providing uplink macro-diversity in packet-switched networks that allows packets and/or portions of packets, e.g., frames, to be selectively sent from an end node, e.g., wireless communication device or mobile terminal, over a set of multiple communication connections, e.g., physical-layer or link-layer connections, to one or more access nodes, e.g., base stations. Uplink macro-diversity is achieved in part through intelligent selective forwarding over multiple communication connections, where the forwarding decision is controlled by the end node based on a variety of factors, e.g., physical-layer channel conditions and/or higher layer policy. The forwarding decision is executed on a rapid timescale, e.g., on a per packet basis, to adapt to the dynamically varying conditions of the set of communication connections.
US08665732B2
A VoIP-aware device generates data structures that include diagnostics data. The diagnostics data of each data structure identifies at least one of sender and network problems that degrade VoIP voice quality.
US08665729B2
A method for performing radio link control (RLC) with round trip time (RTT) awareness is provided, where the method is applied to an electronic device. The method includes: dynamically estimating an index according to one or more factors; and based upon the index, dynamically adjusting a status prohibit timer value of a status prohibit timer for performing RLC. For example, the index can be an RTT of transmission/retransmission, and the step of dynamically estimating the index may further include: dynamically estimating the RTT of transmission/retransmission by detecting a time period between a first time point and a second time point, wherein the first time point represents time of sending a negative acknowledgement (NACK) status report. In another example, the index can be an RTT awareness index, where the method may include estimating the RTT awareness index according to at least one predetermined estimation function. An associated apparatus is also provided.
US08665728B2
Methods and systems for identifying network users who communicate with the network (e.g., the Internet) via a given network connection. The disclosed techniques analyze traffic that flows in the network to determine, for example, whether the given network connection serves a single individual or multiple individuals, a single computer or multiple computers. A Profiling System (PS) acquires copies of data traffic that flow through network connections that connect computers to the WAN. The PS analyzes the acquired data, attempting to identify individuals who login to servers.
US08665727B1
A computer-implemented method is described for determining cost in a non-blocking routing network that provides routing functionality using a single level of a plurality of multiplexers in each row of the routing network. The method includes assigning a respective numerical value, represented by bits, to each row of the routing network. A number of bits that differ between the respective numerical values of each pair of rows of the routing network indicates a number of row traversals necessary to traverse from a first row of the pair to a second row of the pair. A signal routing cost is computed from the number of bits that differ between the respective numerical values of the first row and the second row of the routing network. The calculated signal routing cost is provided to a placement module.
US08665706B2
A device establishes a failover virtual local area network (VLAN) with a first concentration node, a first Ethernet backhaul router, and an access node of a first Ethernet backhaul coverage area. The device also receives, via the first Ethernet backhaul router, an indication of a failure of a second concentration node of a second Ethernet backhaul coverage area intersecting with the first Ethernet backhaul coverage area. The device further enables, based on the failure indication, a switchover of traffic, associated with the second concentration node, to the device and via the failover VLAN.
US08665704B2
A network switching device includes at least two stacking ports, each stacking port being connectable via a stacking cable to a stack including at least one external network switching device. The device further includes an internal communication medium coupled to the stacking ports and capable of transmitting a frequency division multiplexed signal between the stacking ports. The device further includes a network switch and an interface to enable communication between the network switch and the internal communication medium. The interface includes a parallel coupling to the internal communication medium such that a signal with one carrier frequency being communicated between the network switch and the internal communication medium does not interfere with transmission between the two stacking ports of a signal with a different carrier frequency.
US08665700B2
A method of detecting and mitigating an unintended active state of an in-vehicle communication network. The in-vehicle communication network includes a plurality of electronic control units (ECUs) communicating over a controller area network bus system. Each ECU includes both transmitting and receiving capabilities, and is configured with a communication protocol that provides guidelines for exchanging messages with other ECUs within the communication system. Each ECU enters a communication kernel active state for communicating on the bus. Virtual networks within the communication system are identified. Each virtual network includes a collection of signals involving respective ECUs whose transmission and reception are started and stopped collectively as a unit. Each respective virtual network that is active by fault is detected. Each faulty active virtual network is deactivated.
US08665691B2
The present invention relates to a transmitting apparatus for transmitting signals in a multi carrier system on the basis of a frame structure, each frame comprising at least one signalling pattern and one or more data patterns, said transmitting apparatus comprising frame forming means adapted to arrange first signalling data in said at least one signalling pattern in a frame, and adapted to arrange data in said one or more data patterns in a frame, whereby the data of said one or more data patterns comprise content data and sorting information enabling a sorting of the content data in the correct temporal order, transforming means adapted to transform said at least one signalling pattern and said one or more data patterns from the frequency domain into the time domain in order to generate a time domain transmission signal, and transmitting means adapted to transmit said time domain transmission signal.The invention further relates to a corresponding transmitting method and frame structure, as well as a corresponding receiving apparatus and method, and corresponding transmitting and receiving apparatus and method.
US08665690B1
A system for providing energy assisted magnetic recording (EAMR) heads using a substrate is described. The substrate has front and back sides and apertures therein. The apertures are through-holes between the front and back sides of the substrate. The system includes providing a transmission medium in the apertures and fabricating EAMR transducers on the front side of the substrate. The EAMR transducers correspond to the apertures and the EAMR heads. The system also includes electrically insulating the back side of the substrate. The back side of the substrate is also prepared for mounting of the lasers. The lasers then are coupled the back side of the substrate. The lasers correspond to the EAMR heads and are configured to provide light through the apertures to the EAMR transducers. The system also includes separating the substrate into the EAMR heads.
US08665688B2
An optical device, a method of manufacturing the optical device, a replica substrate for manufacturing the optical device, and a method of producing the replica substrate are disclosed. The optical device includes a base, and a plurality of structures arranged at a fine pitch equal to or shorter than a wavelength of visible light on a surface of the base. Each of the structures is composed of protuberance. The structures have a depth distribution.
US08665687B2
A machine readable information storage medium, a reproducing method and apparatus which reproduces data from the storage medium, and a recording method and apparatus for recording data on the storage medium. The information storage medium includes a control area which stores within a data structure information usable by the recording or reproducing apparatus to record or reproduce the data on or from the storage medium. The information stored within the data structure includes a version corresponding to a specification, a revision number of recording speed, and an extended part version field.
US08665685B2
A machine readable information storage medium, a reproducing method and apparatus which reproduces data from the storage medium, and a recording method and apparatus for recording data on the storage medium. The information storage medium includes a control area which stores within a data structure information usable by the recording or reproducing apparatus to record or reproduce the data on or from the storage medium. The information stored within the data structure includes a version corresponding to a specification, a revision number of recording speed, and an extended part version field.
US08665675B2
A timepiece with a wireless function comprises a movement that displays time; a conductive case that holds the movement; a crystal that is disposed on a face side of the case and covers a face side of the movement; a conductive plate that is disposed between the movement and the crystal and reflects radio waves; and an antenna that has a substantially annular, conductive antenna electrode and is disposed along an outside edge of the conductive plate between the conductive plate and the crystal as seen in a lateral view. The antenna electrode is configured to receive the radio waves reflected by the conductive plate.
US08665673B2
A clock shower head includes a hollow body, a hydroelectric generator, a storage battery, a clock processor, a clock displayer and a main control circuit; the hydroelectric generator, the storage battery, the clock processor and the main control circuit are disposed inside the sealing zone of the hollow body. The clock shower head has both illuminating and time display function. People can see the time when enjoying the shower using the clock shower head.
US08665646B2
Regardless of data values stored on data memory cells, all read operations on the data memory cells are disallowed. For example, current flow is disallowed through a string of the data memory cells and one or more select line memory cells. The particular select value stored in a first select line memory cell in the string, for example coupled to a ground select line or a string select line, determines whether the string is enabled or disabled.
US08665642B2
A method of operating a memory device includes receiving first and second sets of bits to be stored in multi-level cells in the device. A multi-level encoding is selected from among a plurality of multi-level encodings for storing the first and second sets of bits in the multi-level cells. Each multi-level encoding includes at least four encoding levels for a respective multi-level cell. Respective multi-level encodings have respective costs associated with programming the first and second sets of bits into the multi-level cells in accordance with the respective multi-level encodings. The multi-level encoding is selected based on the respective costs of the respective encodings. The first and second sets of bits are encoded in accordance with the selected multi-level encoding to produce encoded data for storage in the device such that a respective multi-level cell stores respective bits from both the first and second sets of bits.
US08665638B2
Systems and method for reading/sensing data stored in magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) cells using magnetically annealed reference cells. A MRAM includes a reference circuit comprising at least one magnetic storage cell, wherein each magnetic storage cell in the MRAM is programmed to the same state. The reference circuit includes a load element coupled to the magnetic storage cell, wherein the load element is configured to establish a reference voltage during a read operation.
US08665633B2
A method of writing data to a variable resistance element (10a) that reversibly changes between a high resistance state and a low resistance state according to a polarity of an applied voltage, as a voltage applied to an upper electrode (11) with respect to a lower electrode (14t): a positive voltage is applied in a high resistance writing step (405) to set the variable resistance element to a high resistance state (401); a negative voltage is applied in a low resistance writing step (406, 408) to set the variable resistance element to a low resistance state (403, 402); and a positive voltage is applied in a low resistance stabilization writing step (404) after the negative voltage is applied in the low resistance writing step, thereby setting the variable resistance element through the low resistance state to the high resistance state.
US08665626B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit for selecting one from a plurality of external storage devices and loading an execution program that includes a fuse part having a plurality of internal fuse circuits, and a processing unit that loads the execution program from the external storage device selected according to a value indicated by the internal fuse circuit.
US08665625B2
A system includes a first circuit, a second circuit including a logic circuit, and a bus interconnecting the first and second circuits to each other so that the second circuit accesses the first circuit to perform a data transfer therebetween, wherein the first circuit includes a first sense amplifier array including a plurality of first sense amplifiers that are arranged in a first direction, each of the first sense amplifiers including first and second nodes; and a plurality of first global bit lines each extending in a second direction crossing the first direction, the first global bit lines being arranged in the first direction on a left side of the first sense amplifier array so that each of the first global bit lines being operatively connected to the first node of an associated one of the first sense amplifiers.
US08665612B2
A constant current controller for a constant current power module, including: a demagnetization sensing unit, used for detecting the voltage variation of a detection signal to generate a discharging time signal having an active period corresponding to a secondary side discharging time, wherein the detection signal is derived from an auxiliary coil; a secondary side current sensing unit, used for detecting a peak value of a current sensing signal, and providing an output current according to the peak value of the current sensing signal under the control of the discharging time signal, wherein the current sensing signal is corresponding to a primary side current; and an error current generator, used for generating an error current according to the difference between the output current and a reference current, wherein the error current is converted to a threshold voltage by a first capacitor.
US08665611B2
In accordance with an embodiment, a switch controller for a switched-mode power supply includes an oscillator, an advance timing generator, and a dead zone generator. The advance timing generator generates an advance timing output pulse having a first pulse width that is asserted when the oscillator reaches a first phase. The dead zone generator produces a dead zone output having a second pulse width when the advance timing output pulse is de-asserted. This dead zone output pulse is coupled to a freeze input of the oscillator that freezes the phase accumulation of the oscillator when asserted. The controller also has a primary switch logic circuit that produces primary switch drive signals having a dead zone coincident with the dead zone output, and a secondary switch logic circuit that generates a secondary switch drive signal that is de-asserted when the advance timing output pulse becomes asserted.
US08665609B2
A key device includes: a chassis which has an opening divided by one of a vertical rib and a horizontal rib; a plurality of keys which are arranged along the opening; and a substrate which is housed in the chassis, wherein the rib is engaged with the substrate.
US08665607B2
An anti-eavesdropping device is described. The device comprises a receiving compartment for receiving an electronic device, a noise generator, and an EMI filter. The receiving compartment is sealable to minimize signal emissions from the interior to the exterior and from the exterior to the interior, and the noise generator is coupled with the receiving compartment and the EMI filter. The EMI filter is operatively coupled with the noise generator.
US08665605B2
A substrate structure and a package structure using the same are provided. The substrate structure includes a number of traces, a substrate core and a number of first metal tiles. The substrate core has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The first metal tiles are disposed on one of the first surface and the second surface, the minimum pitch between adjacent two of the first metal tiles is the minimum process pitch.
US08665603B2
A housing for electrical components is provided. The housing may include a mouth portion to cooperate with a circuit board in an assembled condition wherein said circuit board is applied against said mouth portion of the housing. The housing may include at least one spring formation located at said mouth portion to cooperate with said circuit board to elastically urge said circuit board away from said mouth portion, and at least one hook-like formation extending from said mouth portion distally of said housing, said hook-like formation adapted to cooperate with said circuit board to retain said circuit board assembled to said housing against the force exerted by said spring formation.
US08665595B2
An apparatus includes a thermally conductive section with a side facing approximately parallel to an axis and adapted to be thermally coupled to a circuit component, and includes a fluid supply section which directs a fluid flow along the axis toward an opposite side of the thermally conductive section. The thermally conductive section splits the fluid flow into a plurality of flow portions which each flow through the thermally conductive section in a direction approximately parallel to a plane perpendicular to the axis, the flow portions exiting the thermally conductive section at a plurality of respective locations disposed along a substantial portion of the periphery of the thermally conductive section.
US08665587B2
A mounting apparatus having two latching members for fixing an expansion card to an expansion slot mounted on a motherboard. Two latching members are mounted to two ends of the expansion slot, for fixing the expansion card. Two latching members are pivotably sandwiched between the ends of the expansion slot and the motherboard, respectively. A latching block protrudes from each of the latching members, for abutting against a bottom of the corresponding locking member.
US08665576B2
A power supply circuit has parallel supply and control branches each with fuses, the power supply branch comprising at least one replaceable fuse. The supply branch is connected to one or more electrical components of an electrical device, such as the actuator and sensors of a printer, and the supply branch is connected to control or monitoring components. A circuit comprising lights indicates correct or faulty operation of the various parts of the supply circuit.
US08665575B2
A photovoltaic module (10) with a plurality of solar cells (20) interconnected in serial and/or parallel arrangement within the module (10) is equipped with an overheat protection system (30) for suppressing damages of the photovoltaic module (10) due to defects of the solar cells (20). The overheat protection system (30) comprises a heat sensor (32) which is thermally coupled to a solar cell (20). The heat sensor (32) is physically integrated into an electrical switch (34, 36, 38) which is electrically connected to said solar cell (20).
US08665573B2
An overvoltage protector for an electrical consumer in a motor vehicle, includes an input for connection to the electrical system of a motor vehicle, an output for connection to the electrical consumer to be protected, and a ground terminal which is connected via a line to a branch point between the input and the output, wherein at least one component that blocks below a threshold voltage and conducts above the threshold voltage, and a switch connected in series with the component are located in the line, wherein the switch is controlled by a control circuit that closes the switch when a voltage spike occurs and subsequently reopens it.
US08665565B2
Jumper constructions for an integrated lead flexure for a disk drive head suspension include a conductive base layer, an insulating layer over the base layer, a plurality of traces arranged on the insulating layer, and an isolated conductor layer arranged under the insulating layer. The plurality of traces include a first trace and a second trace and the isolated conductor layer is electrically isolated from the conductive base layer and electrically connects the first and second traces.
US08665553B2
The present invention provides a magazine-based data cartridge library that, in one embodiment, comprises a plurality of shelves that are capable of holding a plurality of data cartridge magazines, one or more drives, a magazine transport for moving magazines within the cabinet, and a cartridge transport for moving data cartridges between a magazine and a drive.
US08665543B2
Inter-track interference cancelation is disclosed, including: receiving an input sequence of samples associated with a track on magnetic storage; using a processor to generate inter-track interference (ITI) data associated with a first side track including by performing a correlation between the input sequence of samples and a sequence of data associated with the first side track.
US08665542B2
According to one embodiment, a method includes writing, to a regular recording region of a tape medium after having written a first data accumulated in a buffer to a temporary recording region of the tape medium without an accompanying backhitch, a first data group that includes the first data that has any gaps between data eliminated, predicting a second volume of a second data, to be written in response to a command that is sent after the first data has been written to the regular recording region, judging whether the first volume exceeds a first threshold and whether or the second volume exceeds a second threshold, and writing the second data to the regular recording region without an accompanying backhitch when it has been judged that the first volume exceeds the first threshold and the second volume exceeds the second threshold.
US08665541B2
A characteristic evaluation method of a perpendicular magnetic recording medium suitable for obtaining a perpendicular magnetic recording medium which can respond to much higher recording density is provided.This is an evaluation method of a perpendicular magnetic recording medium, including a process of recording a first signal of a specific frequency at an arbitrary first position in the perpendicular magnetic recording medium; a process of measuring a reproduction output of the first signal and of measuring a signal/noise ratio (initial value) of the first signal at a peak position where the reproduction output becomes the maximum; a process of recording a signal of a specific frequency at a second position away from the first position by a predetermined distance in the radial direction of the perpendicular magnetic recording medium; a process of measuring the signal/noise ratio of the first signal at the peak position again; a process of repeating the process of recording the signal of the specific frequency at a position brought close to the first position from the second position by a predetermined distance and of measuring the signal/noise ratio of the first signal at the peak position again while sequentially getting closer to the first position from the second position; and a process of determining whether the value of the signal/noise ratio has lowered from the initial value by a predetermined range or more.
US08665539B2
A driving control device according to the present invention includes: a fixed member; an operation member arranged to be manually rotatable with respect to the fixed member; a transducer arranged in one of the fixed member and the operation member and arranged to come into contact with an opposed surface of the other of the fixed member and the operation member; a position detecting section for detecting a position of the operation member with respect to the fixed member; and an operation force amount control section for controlling driving of the transducer to change contact friction force generated when the transducer contacts with the fixed member or the operation member. The operation force amount control section controls the transducer such that the contact friction force applied to the operation member when the operation member is manually rotated with respect to the fixed member changes to a sense of click.
US08665538B2
An imaging lens apparatus comprises four lenses with refractive power by which lead the light from the object side to the image side: a first lens with a convex object-side surface and positive refractive power, at least one surface of the first lens is aspheric; an aperture stop set next to the first lens; a second lens which is a biconcave lens with negative refractive power, at least one surface of the second lens is aspheric; a third lens which is a positive meniscus lens with a concave object-side surface, both side of the third lens are aspheric; and a fourth lens which is a negative meniscus lens with a convex object-side surface, both side of the fourth lens are aspheric with at least one inflection point; and the imaging lens apparatus satisfy the conditions below: |1/slope_S8|>0.9; −0.2
US08665531B2
A zoom lens includes, from the object side, a first lens unit having a positive refractive power, a second lens unit having a negative refractive power, and a subsequent lens unit. The first lens unit includes an optical element composed of an anomalous dispersion optical material, a positive lens, and a negative lens. The shape of the negative lens and the ratio of the Abbe number of the positive lens and the Abbe number of the negative lens satisfy predetermined conditions.
US08665520B2
A spectral reflectance in the entire visible wavelength range may be decreased to decrease inconveniences in an image such as flare or ghost. A non-reflective periodic layer including a large number of fine uneven periodic structure bodies is formed on a substrate, and a neutral density (“ND”) film is formed on the other surface of the substrate by vacuum deposition, to improve an anti-reflection function. Regarding a beam entering the ND filter, the MgF2 film of the formed ND film suppresses the spectral reflectance at the boundary of the atmosphere and the ND film and at the boundary of the ND film and the substrate. The non-reflective periodic layer decreases the reflectance at the boundary of the substrate and the atmosphere.
US08665513B2
An electro-phoretic display device includes a first substrate, an active elements array, a driving circuit, a conductive flexible board, an electro-phoretic layer and a second substrate. The first substrate has a first surface defining a display area and a circuit area, and a second surface. The active elements array is disposed within the display area and the driving circuit is disposed within the circuit area and electrically connected to the active elements array. The conductive flexible board is partially disposed at the first substrate and electrically connected to the driving circuit. The electro-phoretic layer and the second substrate are sequentially disposed on the active elements array and the driving circuit. A fabricating method of electro-phoretic display device is also disclosed.
US08665511B2
Embodiments provided herein describe electrochromic devices and methods for forming electrochromic devices. The electrochromic devices include a transparent substrate, a transparent conducting oxide layer coupled to the transparent substrate, and a layer of electrochromic material coupled to the transparent conducting oxide layer. The transparent conducting oxide layer includes indium and zinc.
US08665502B2
An image reading device includes a transporter transporting a document to a reading position, a first corrector correcting a skew of the document by coming into contact with a leading edge thereof, a radiating unit radiating light to the document, an image-information acquiring unit acquiring image information of the document based on information of light reflected therefrom, a reflector reflecting the radiated light, a leading-edge detector comparing a quantity of light reflected by the reflector with a quantity of light reflected by the document so as to detect the leading edge, a skew-amount calculator calculating a skew amount of the leading edge, and a second corrector correcting a skew of the image information based on the skew amount. The device switches between the skew correction by the first corrector and the skew correction by the second corrector based on document information, the skew amount, or user's selection.
US08665501B2
A light scanning device includes a movable section having a light reflecting section adapted to reflect light, oscillating around an oscillation axis, and having a variable magnitude of a maximum deflection angle of the oscillating, and a detection section adapted to detect the maximum deflection angle of the movable section, and the detection section includes a light source adapted to emit light to the light reflecting section, a light receiving section adapted to receive reflected light, which is the light emitted from the light source and then reflected by the light reflecting section, and a displacement driving section adapted to change a position of the light source in accordance with the maximum deflection angle of the movable section.
US08665499B2
The present disclosure relates to a method and system for processing isolated holes in an image to be printed or displayed. The method includes detecting whether pixels corresponding to an isolated hole in the image are in an off state, determining a sum of pixels that are in an on state in a first pixel ring surrounding the pixels corresponding to the isolated hole when the one or more pixels in the isolated hole are detected to be in the off state, comparing the sum of pixels in the pixel ring that are in the on state with a threshold sum, turning off a number of pixels in at least another pixel ring either comprising of or surrounding the pixels when the first sum of pixels in the on state is greater than the threshold sum, and outputting the isolated hole including the turned off first number of pixels.
US08665498B2
A system for halftone processing is provided. The system includes a programmable halftone segmentation system having one or more programmable parameters to accommodate different input image parameters, such as different printer or scanner parameters, and configured to generate output control data as a function of image input data. A programmable output processor receives the output control data and the image input data and generates image output data that compensates for halftone regions in the image input data.
US08665497B2
An image processing apparatus detects an edge from image data and generates edge data indicating a result of the detection, obtains a variance value of the generated edge data, and determines that the image data is data with print information when the obtained variance of the edge data is equal to or larger than a threshold and determines that the image data is data without print information when the variance is smaller than the threshold value.
US08665494B2
Based on an input profile which regulates a corresponding relationship between an input gradation value of a device-dependent color space depending on a first printing apparatus and a gradation value of a device-independent color space, and an output profile which regulates a corresponding relationship between a gradation value of a device-independent color space and an input gradation value of a device-independent color space depending on a second printing apparatus, the colors of each pixel of a case, where the gradation values of each pixel shown by reference image data are input gradation values of the device-dependent color space depending on the first printing apparatus, are specified by the input gradation value of the device-dependent color space depending on the second printing apparatus, and the output gradation value is specified by converting the specified input gradation value based on the color conversion table of the second printing apparatus.
US08665493B2
A paper product having at least one ply, a basis weight of greater than 18 g/m2, and indicia having L*a*b* color values disposed thereon is disclosed. The web substrate is defined by the difference in CIELab coordinate values disposed inside the boundary described by a first system of equations and outside the boundary described by a second system of equations.
US08665490B2
An information processing apparatus sets, on an image to be printed, the print position of attribute information of the image. The information processing apparatus displays, on a display device, the print preview screen of the image to be printed in which an image forming the attribute information is arranged at the set print position. When a region corresponding to the attribute information on the print preview screen displayed on the display device is selected, the information processing apparatus enlarges and displays the attribute information.
US08665487B2
Various systems, methods, and programs embodied in computer readable media are provided for calibration of at least one half-tone density in a printer. In one approach, a method is provided comprising the steps of acquiring a plurality of half-tone density values from a respective plurality of test patches generated on a belt in the printer over a period of time, each of the test patches embodying an intended half-tone density, generating a mathematically smoothed half-tone density value from the half-tone density values, and calibrating a half-tone density in the printer based upon the mathematically smoothed half-tone density value.
US08665486B2
Transfer functions are often used for image processing. Look-up tables can be used to implement transfer functions in a processor-efficient manner. In one embodiment, the invention is an apparatus that includes a look-up table (LUT) storing sample outputs from an output range of a transfer function, the sample outputs corresponding to sample inputs from an input range of the transfer function, the sample inputs being distributed so that more sample inputs are associated with a first region of the transfer function than a second region of the transfer function; and an address module to calculate an index into the LUT based on image data. In one embodiment, the apparatus uses the LUT to process the image data.
US08665482B2
A raster image processor (RIP) using a self-tuning banding mode is disclosed. The RIP automatically and continuously adjusts the band size used for generating the raster image based on past performance (i.e. past data throughput values) and corresponding band sizes. At the start of each page of image, or after a certain number of pages has been processed or certain amount of time has elapsed, the RIP determines whether performance has worsened since the last band size adjustment. If it has worsened, the band size is reverted to a previous best performing value. If the performance has improved, then the band size is changed in the same direction as the last change. Raster image processing is performed using the adjusted band size.
US08665481B2
An information processing apparatus acquires communication setting information for communicating with an image processing apparatus by a second communication unit via a first communication unit. In accordance with the acquired communication setting information, communication by the second communication unit is established to execute, via the second communication unit, an image processing service provided by the image processing apparatus. When establishment of communication is detected, an operation window display request for executing the image processing service is transmitted via the second communication unit. The image processing apparatus receives the operation window display request from the information processing apparatus via the second communication unit. In accordance with the received operation window display request, an operation window for executing the image processing service is displayed. Image processing for input image data is executed on the basis of the settings set via the displayed operation window.
US08665474B2
An image forming apparatus which can avert wasteful processing of disconnection from and reconnection to the same host when a currently-connected host and a host that should be connected next are the same. When a print request is received from one of a plurality of hosts, host information indicative of the host is registered so that an order of print requests can be identified. Connection and disconnection to and from the hosts are carried out according to the host information. Printing is carried out based on print data received from the hosts. When a host as a source of a print request received next after a print request from a currently-connected host is the same as the currently-connected host, print data is received from the currently-connected host, and then print data corresponding to the next print request is received from the currently-connected host without disconnecting from the currently-connected host.
US08665471B2
A controller able to communicate with print devices each of which is configured to print a file on a medium, includes: a storage; a folder specifying unit configured to specify a folder stored in the storage as a print target folder; a destination specifying unit configured to specify one of the print devices as a destination print device; a file analyzing unit configured to analyze a format of each of print target files, which are all files in all hierarchical levels in the print target folder, and to determine whether each print target file is a printable file formats which has one of formats printable by the destination print device; and a transmission unit configured to transmit, to the destination print device, the printable format file.
US08665460B2
A printing system includes a plurality of printing apparatuses connected with each other via a network including a transfer source printing apparatus having a first printing apparatus that receives print data and a transfer destination printing apparatus having a second printing apparatus. The transfer source printing apparatus is equipped with a process instruction unit for transmitting to the transfer destination printing apparatus in an idle status a processing program and process data for executing a process of generating image data from the print data, and requesting the process to be executed, when the transfer source printing apparatus is not in an idle status when it receives the print data. The transfer destination printing apparatus is equipped with a transmitting unit for transmitting to the transfer source printing apparatus the output data generated from the process data by the process in the process.
US08665447B2
A sensor (10) and corresponding method for sensing variations in a parameter employ an optical device (12) defining two optical paths (14, 16) differentially affected by a variation in the parameter so as to change the differential phase between the two paths. This differential phase is monitored by a spectral interrogation arrangement (18) including a radiation input device (20) for delivering to the optical device (12) incident radiation at a plurality of wavelengths, and a reading arrangement (22) for measuring the interference-modulated optical output. The optical device (12) is configured so that the two optical paths have differing dispersion properties such that a difference between the phase accumulated by light propagating along the optical paths as a function of wavelength exhibits a maximum or minimum at some wavelength designated λcritical. The plurality of wavelengths employed by the spectral interrogation arrangement span a range of wavelengths including, or adjacent to, λcritical.
US08665426B2
Provided is an optical thread position detection device for detecting the rotational position of threads of containers. The thread position detection device comprises at least an optical detector and a positioning device for the defined orientation of a longitudinal axis of the containers relative to the detector ,the positioning device and a defined coupling area of the container being connectable to one another. The optical detector , without coming into contact, registers items of information on at least one relative rotational position of at least one thread portion, the processor device serving to generate data on the rotational position of the container, incorporating a defined reference variable and the items of information.
US08665410B2
The present invention discloses a liquid crystal display panel which comprises a color filter substrate and an array substrate, and further comprises a conductive sealant for bonding the color filter substrate and the array substrate. The conductive sealant includes a sealing adhesive and conductive particles, the conductive particle includes an organic resin core and a conductive coating of carbon nanotubes or graphene, the conductive coating is coated on the organic resin core, and the conductive particles are evenly distributed in the sealing adhesive. The present invention further discloses a manufacturing method of a liquid crystal display panel.
US08665402B2
A Liquid Crystal (LC) panel includes a substrate and a plurality of metal layers. The substrate has a reflective area, and the metal layers are formed on the substrate. A first reflective metal layer is formed on a surface of the metal layers within a reflective area, and is processed by a mask procedure to form a plurality of first reflective bumps. A second reflective metal layer is formed on the first reflective bumps, and is processed by a mask procedure to form a plurality of second reflective bumps located between the first reflective bumps. The second reflective bumps are higher than the first reflective bumps, so as to form a reflective metal layer having an uneven surface with vertical mismatch.
US08665383B2
A stereoscopic image display device includes a pixel array cell provided with a plurality of pixels used to display 2D and 3D images, a switchable optical layer opposite to the pixel array cell, and a transparent both-sided adhesive film joining the pixel array cell to the switchable optical layer between the pixel array cell and the switchable optical layer.
US08665381B2
One embodiment of a viewing cone adjustment system includes a projection lens that defines a projection lens optical axis adjustably offset from a viewing screen optical axis, and an image source device that defines an image source optical axis adjustably offset from the projection lens optical axis.
US08665379B2
An electronic apparatus includes terminals, each being based on a specific standard and being used for communicating with an external device. The electronic apparatus includes a transmission module, an acquisition module and a display control module. The transmission module simultaneously transmits a power-on signal to external devices connected to the terminals, upon turn on of the electronic apparatus. The acquisition module acquires a physical address from one or more first external devices of the plurality of external devices by switching video input among one or more first terminals of the terminals. The one or more first external devices are turned on and the one or more first terminals being connected to the one or more first external devices. The display control module displays device information of the one or more first external devices and terminal numbers of the one or more first terminals. Other embodiments are also disclosed.
US08665366B2
A TV wall system includes a video source and at least a row of display devices. The video source is used for providing a video signal. The at least one row of display devices is coupled to the video source. The at least one row of display devices includes a plurality of display devices coupled to each other in a cascaded manner. Each of the display devices includes a positioning module, a sensing unit, and a display control unit. The positioning module is used for generating a positioning signal. The sensing unit is coupled to the positioning module for sensing the positioning signal generated by the positioning module. The display control unit is used for controlling the display device to display images according to the video signal and the positioning signal sensed by the sensing unit.
US08665364B2
An example reinforcement structure for protecting a wafer-level camera module includes a top sheet element and a side sheet element. The top sheet element is to be disposed over a top surface of the camera module and includes a first opening for allowing light to pass through to the camera module. The side sheet element is coupled to the top sheet element for securing the reinforcement structure to a printed circuit board (PCB). A second opening in the side sheet element is included to allow an adhesive to be dispensed through the second opening to adhere the reinforcement structure to the camera module.
US08665350B2
A method for correcting column Fixed Pattern Noise (FPN) in an image sensor offers a compromise between speed and precision for calculating column FPN offsets. The present correction technique is digital, and is applied after the pixel signal voltages have been digitized by an ADC. A first Optical Black (OB) pixel is sampled and compared to a target level. An offset is stored, and an appropriate push-size is determined. Additional OB pixels are sampled and the offset is applied. The push-size is increased or decreased depending upon whether the pixel signal with the applied offset is above or below a target value. This new offset value is written to memory, and the push-size is reduced, and the process is repeated until the last OB pixel has been processed. The resulting offset is applied to the signal pixels in a column. The primary advantage of this approach is that within a single frame, a good estimate of the column offset is made which is not as affected by outlier pixels (such as “hot” or “flashing” pixels).
US08665349B2
A method of simulating short depth of field for a digital camera is disclosed. The method includes steps of detecting an object distance corresponding to a focus pixel, generating an original image according to the focus distance, and blurring a plurality of pixels of the original image to different extents according to a plurality of contrast values of the plurality of pixels, to generate an image with short depth of field.
US08665348B2
A captured image and capture conditions of an input device when the captured image was captured are input, and viewing conditions when a reproduced image, which is reproduced by an output device, is viewed are input. A first perceived image is generated from the captured image by a forward conversion of local adaptation processing that conforms to information, which indicates viewing angle, distance to a subject and image resolution of the captured image, included in the capture conditions. A second perceived image is generated by converting a dynamic range of the first perceived image to a dynamic range of the output device. A reproduced image, which is supplied to the output device, is generated from the second perceived image by an inverse conversion of the local adaptation processing that conforms to information, which relates to viewing distance and size of the reproduced image, included in the viewing conditions.
US08665344B2
An imaging device includes an image capturing element which photoelectrically converts a subject image into electrical charge information, a driving device which drives a driving part related to image capturing, and a controlling unit which changes a driving frequency of the driving device at a timing to read the electrical charge information from the image capturing element.
US08665341B2
Methods, apparatus, and computer-readable storage media for simulating artistic effects in images rendered from plenoptic data. An impressionistic-style artistic effect may be generated in output images of a rendering process by an “impressionist” 4D filter applied to the microimages in a flat captured with focused plenoptic camera technology. Individual pixels are randomly selected from blocks of pixels in the microimages, and only the randomly selected pixels are used to render an output image. The randomly selected pixels are rendered to generate the artistic effect, such as an “impressionistic” effect, in the output image. A rendering technique is applied that samples pixel values from microimages using a thin sampling kernel, for example a thin Gaussian kernel, so that pixel values are sampled only from one or a few of the microimages.
US08665338B2
Techniques are described for identifying blurred images and recognizing text. One or more images of text may be captured. A change of movement associated with each image of the one or more images may be calculated. The change of movement associated with an image of the one or more images represents a change in an amount of acceleration of the device used to capture the image while the image was being captured. A steady image may be selected from the one or more images to use for text recognition. The steady image can be selected using the variances of acceleration associated with each image of the one or more images.
US08665330B2
The present invention discloses a security surveillance system and a method thereof, a computer readable storage media and a computer program product. The security surveillance system comprises a surveillance host and an electrical apparatus. The surveillance host could send a monitoring data of a period of a first event occurs to the electrical apparatus through the network when the first event occurs. While the electrical apparatus is playing the monitoring data and a second event occurs, the electrical apparatus switches directly to play the real-time monitoring data corresponding to the second event sent from the surveillance host, so as to achieve the purpose of grasping the site situation immediately.
US08665329B2
One of the challenges in video surveillance system is the detection of unwanted intruders in secure zones. These zones may be in large facilities such as airports, train stations, port facilities or warehouses. Because many of these locations are outdoors, the presence of shadows is detected on images. In order to effectively eliminate these shadows which will therefore result in a usable figure, these shadows must be eliminated. This is accomplished by forming a contour box around the image and then reducing the shadows based on preset parameters in the software.
US08665326B2
An image processing device includes a motion-vector detecting unit that detects motion vectors between an image and another image at a plurality of positions on the image, the image being at least a part of a plurality of images making up an image sequence; a pattern categorizing unit that categorizes the images into pattern groups each indicating a predetermined motion pattern, on the basis of the plurality of the motion vectors detected in the image; a group-based image-change detecting unit that detects, in each of the pattern groups, an image change between the images in the pattern group; and a group-based scene-change detecting unit that detects scene change in each of the pattern groups on the basis of the image change between the images in the pattern group.
US08665325B2
Systems and methods for associating images with location and/or other information. In some cases, the systems include an image sensor, a location sensor, and a microprocessor. The microprocessor is communicably coupled to a computer readable medium that includes instructions executable by the microprocessor to: receive a location from the location sensor; receive an image from the image sensor; and associate the location with the image. Some of the methods provide for capturing an object image of an object using an image sensor; capturing a location of the image sensor; and associating the location with the object image. Other methods and systems are also disclosed.
US08665323B2
A stereoscopic display apparatus includes: a plurality of light-emitting devices; a power supply line for supplying current to the light-emitting devices; a switching device provided on the power supply line; a glasses control circuit which generates a glasses control signal for setting, in a pair of shutter-type glasses, a non-viewable period in which both the right-eye image and the left-eye image are made non-viewable at the same time; and a power supply control circuit which generates a device control signal for setting, in the switching device, a voltage reduced period in which the voltage between the electrodes in the light-emitting device is reduced, in which the glasses control circuit and the power supply control circuit control the shutter-type glasses and the switching device, respectively, for setting the non-viewable period to be a period at least from a start to an end of the voltage reduced period.
US08665322B2
A method for controlling shutter glasses is utilized for viewing stereo images. A video output apparatus respectively outputs a first image and a second image during a plurality of image output periods, alternately. Each image output period includes an image driving period and an image stabilization period. The method includes controlling each of a first shutter lens and a second shutter lens to be switched between an on-state and an off-state. The first shutter lens stays in the on-state within image stabilization periods respectively corresponding to two successive first images, and is switched from the off-state to the on-state and then switched from the on-state to the off-state for at least one time during a time interval between the image stabilization periods respectively corresponding to the two successive first images.
US08665321B2
An image display apparatus and a method for operating the same are disclosed. The method for operating an image display apparatus includes receiving a 3-dimensional (3D) image, detecting the depth of the 3D image, performing 3D processing on an audio signal received in synchronization with the 3D image in correspondence with the detected depth, and outputting the audio signal subjected to 3D processing. Thus, it is possible to output the audio signal in correspondence with the depth of the 3D image during 3D image display.
US08665320B2
Described herein are techniques which facilitate the automatic synchronization of audio and video signals between an entertainment device and a presentation device. A sensing device detects and records timing information from a video test pattern generated by an entertainment device and output by a presentation device. Using the timing information from the sensing device, the entertainment device synchronizes the audio and video signals it outputs to one or more presentation devices. The presentation device exhibits synchronized audio and video to a user.
US08665312B2
When a refrained state is detected at a first transmission terminal, a transmission management system sends operation state information of the first transmission terminal, which is determined based on the refrained state of the first transmission terminal, to a second transmission terminal that may initiate communication with the first transmission terminal before the second transmission terminal starts communication with the first transmission terminal.
US08665298B2
Disclosed is a method for analyzing a light profile of a light source includes driving a light source of one of a plurality of blocks which divide a backlight unit, setting a light analyzing region matched to one light emission region of the light source, dividing the light analyzing region into at least two symmetric regions considering a form of the light emission region and symmetry of the light emission region, and analyzing and storing a light profile of one of the at least two symmetric regions.
US08665292B2
A color gamut boundary information generating device includes a mapping unit, a triangulating unit, and a generating unit. The mapping unit maps boundary points existing at plural coordinates in a color space that is independent of an output device to corresponding points in a two-dimensional region while maintaining respective phases of the boundary points. The triangulating unit performs triangulation on the inside of a convex hull including plural points in the two-dimensional region obtained by the mapping unit, thereby generating triangulation information, which is a result of the triangulation. The generating unit generates color gamut boundary information on the basis of the triangulation information generated by the triangulating unit. The color gamut boundary information is information that specifies a three-dimensional shape in the color space, the three-dimensional shape having a boundary including the boundary points.
US08665286B2
Teachings herein compose a digital image so that the image is perceptible on a viewing surface, such as a projection surface or a transparent screen. In doing so, the teachings advantageously recognize a digital image as consisting of one or more logical objects, like buttons of a user interface. Often, logical objects may be spatially arranged within the image and/or colored in different possible ways without substantially affecting the meaning conveyed by the image. Exploiting this, teachings herein evaluate light reflected from, or transmitted through, the viewing surface, and compose the digital image from one or more logical objects that have a spatial arrangement or coloration determined in dependence on that evaluation. The teachings might, for example, place a logical object within the image so that it will be displayed on a region of the surface which has high contrast with the object's colors and/or low color variance.
US08665285B2
A plurality of polygons are placed in a 3-dimensional virtual space. Each of plural types of first textures corresponding to plural types of attributes which the plurality of polygons have is mapped to the polygon that has the attribute of the type corresponding to the first texture, the 3-dimensional virtual space is shot by a first virtual camera, and thereby a main image is generated. In addition, each of the plural types of second textures corresponding to plural types of attributes which the plurality of polygons have is mapped to the polygon that has the attribute of the type corresponding to the second texture, the 3-dimensional virtual space is shot by a second virtual camera, and thereby a main image is generated.
US08665283B1
An apparatus including a first memory, a second memory, and a memory interface. The first memory may be configured to store an entire image. The second memory may be configured to store a portion of the image during an image processing operation. The memory interface may be configured to transfer the portion of the image (i) from a source area of the first memory to the second memory prior to the image processing operation and (ii) from the second memory to a destination area of the first memory following the image processing operation. The memory interface may be further configured to select from among four modes of transferring image data from the source area of the first memory and to the destination area of the first memory based upon how the source area and the destination area overlap in the first memory.
US08665275B1
Graphical user interface timeline graph for navigating events of a backup job. In one example embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable medium stores a program that causes a processor to generate and present a graphical user interface (GUI) timeline graph for navigating events of a backup job. The GUI timeline graph includes a first axis representing time periods over which events of a backup job took place, a second axis representing a data size associated with each of the events of the backup job, and objects positioned along the first axis and the second axis. Each of the objects corresponds to one of the events of the backup job. A width along the first axis of each of the objects represents the time period over which the corresponding event took place. A length along the second axis of each of the objects represents the data size associated with the corresponding event.
US08665272B2
A navigation system for navigating a three-dimensional (3D) scene that includes a model or object with which a user can interact. The system accommodates and helps both novice and advanced users. To do this, the system provides a zoom tool that allows a user to designate a target point in a scene and zoom relative to that target point.
US08665270B2
A method of determining implicit hidden features of phenomena, representable by a point distribution in a space, includes the following steps: defining a set of first parameters describing effects of a phenomenon such as an event or process; defining a n-dimensional space, wherein the first parameters are represented by entity points; determining, as a function of measured values of the first parameters, additional geometrical points in the n-dimensional space, which are expected to provide additional characteristic parameters describing the phenomenon or additional locations where the phenomenon will produce its effects; adding the additional parameters or points, in recurrent sequence, to the first parameters or points, to define at each iterative step a shorter minimum spanning tree than at the preceding step; and displaying or printing the n-dimensional space, wherein the additional characteristic parameters or points are shown together with the first parameters and the geometrical point.
US08665262B2
The present invention discloses a depth map enhancing method. The method includes steps of obtaining an original depth map and a depth related parameter and storing the original depth map and the depth related parameter into a storage medium; quantifying the gray level of every pixel in the original depth map between 0 and 1 to obtain a plurality of quantified gray levels; raising the depth related parameter to the power of every quantified gray level respectively, subtracting 1, being divided by the value of the depth related parameter subtracting 1 and then being multiplied by a max gray level value to obtain a plurality of depth-relation-enhanced gray levels; and evenly distributing the plurality of depth-relation-enhanced gray levels between 0 and the max gray level value according to the relative proportional relationship among the plurality of depth-relation-enhanced gray levels to obtain a plurality of final gray levels.
US08665257B2
A method for creating three-dimensional models of intra-oral scenes features. The intra-oral scene is illuminated by a two-dimensional array of structured illumination points, with anti-aliasing achieved by using stored two-dimensional patterns of pixels for anti-aliasing. Using a single camera to form images reduces the amount of apparatus necessary to introduce into the patient's mouth. Three-dimensional models are obtained from the single image by triangulation with a stored image of the structured illumination onto a reference surface such as a plane. Alternative methods include the use of “bar-coded” one-dimensional patterns.
US08665253B2
Each of a plurality of regions of a display unit is provided with an access flag indicative of whether a writing operation is performed on pixels in a corresponding region. It is determined whether the corresponding operation is performed on each of the regions based on the access flag. When the corresponding operation is necessary, image data written in a memory is compared with estimated image data. As a result, when a new writing operation is necessary, the new writing operation starts to be performed on each pixel after a previous writing operation is terminated. When the writing operation is terminated on all the pixels included in the region, the state of the access flag corresponding to the relevant region is changed to a state in which the writing operation is not necessary.
US08665252B2
A display uses x illuminator systems to produce x primary colors and y overlap colors, which are combinations of primary colors, to illuminate a spatial light modulator in a display system. A first set of n duty cycles for the x primary colors over a frame is provided, wherein the display system can select any one of the duty cycles to produce a desired white point. A second set of n duty cycles of x+y colors over a frame corresponding to the first set of duty cycles is determined, where the second set of duty cycles are generated responsive to a specified desired allocation of the frame to the y overlap colors, such that each of the overlap colors can be displayed from a dark shade to a bright shade while maintaining a constant color point.
US08665240B2
Apparatus and methods are disclosed for simultaneously tracking multiple finger and palm contacts as hands approach, touch, and slide across a proximity-sensing, multi-touch surface. Identification and classification of intuitive hand configurations and motions enables unprecedented integration of typing, resting, pointing, scrolling, 3D manipulation, and handwriting into a versatile, ergonomic computer input device.
US08665239B2
A method and apparatus for identifying user gestures to control an interactive display identifies gestures based on a bounding box enclosing points at which a user contacts a touch sensor corresponding with the display surface and permits use of inexpensive and highly reliable grid-based touch sensors that provide a bounding box to describe contact information. In identifying gestures, position, motion, shape, and deformation of the bounding box may be considered. Center, width, height, aspect ratio, length and orientation of the bounding box diagonal may be determined. A stretch factor, defined as the maximum of the ratio of the height of the bounding box to the width of the bounding box and the ratio of the width of the bounding box to the height of the bounding box, may also be computed. Gestures may be identified based on the changes in time of these characteristics and quantities.
US08665234B2
Embodiments of the present invention employ resistance compensation to broaden voltage reading range of readout lines connected to a processing chip of an in cell touch panel. The resolution of the in cell touch panel is increased under the condition that the number of pins of the processing chip is not increased or is unchanged.
US08665224B2
A capacitance touch sensor includes a square wave generator for generating a square wave clock, a sensor panel for receiving the square wave clock and then generating a panel signal, a peak detector for receiving the panel signal and then generating an analog peak signal, an analog-to-digital converter for receiving the analog peak signal and then generating a digital peak signal, and a control unit for receiving the digital peak signal and generating a detection signal according to a level of the digital peak signal to indicate whether the sensor panel is touched or not.
US08665221B2
A method for inputting Chinese characters to an electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a plurality of numeric input keys for inputting numeric numbers and a plurality of control keys for navigation, selection, and editing. The method includes decomposing a Chinese character into a plurality of character elements based on the structure of the character; identifying a plurality of Chinese number characters respectively corresponding to the character elements based on a first mapping; identifying a plurality of numeric input keys respectively corresponding to the Chinese number characters based on a second mapping; pressing the identified numeric input keys in a predetermined order; navigating to the wanted candidate in a list of character candidates with at least one of the control keys; selecting the wanted candidate with at least one of the control keys; and correcting any error made in the other steps with at least one of the control keys. The first mapping is based on the similarity in the shapes between the character elements and the Chinese number characters. The second mapping is essentially based on the meaning of the Chinese number characters. An apparatus for inputting Chinese characters is also provided.
US08665220B2
An electronic device includes an interlocking mechanism for fixing a keypad to a housing of the device. The housing is coupled with the keypad such that the keys may extend to the edges of the electronic device and the edge keys are secured against being removed from the keypad. The edge keys may include a hook or locking mechanism coupled with the housing to prevent uprooting of the edge keys. Another set of hooks or lockings connect the housing with the keypad to prevent bulging of the keypad and to limit lateral movement between the keys or the keypad with the housing.
US08665213B2
A system comprising an input device includes a detector coupled to a processor. The detector detects an orientation of the input device. The input device has multiple modal orientations corresponding to the orientation. The modal orientations correspond to multiple input modes of a gestural control system. The detector is coupled to the gestural control system and automatically controls selection of an input mode in response to the orientation.
US08665207B2
A display control apparatus includes an input unit which has plural types of keys and accepts an operation of a key from the user, a display unit which displays a screen which allows the user to operate the input unit, and a display controller which selectively displays plural screens of the display unit in accordance with the types of keys operated on the input unit. When the display controller controls the display unit to display a screen for making the user make a key operation using any one type of key of the plural types of keys, and accepts an operation of a key of a type other than the any one type of key, it switches the screen to another screen for making the user make an operation using the other type of key.
US08665204B2
A backlight split control apparatus and a backlight split control method using the same are provided. The backlight split control apparatus, which is a split control apparatus of the backlight divided into a plurality of sections, includes an image signal processor for calculating a section luminance control value which is a representative luminance value of the section, from an image signal; a control signal generator for calculating a backlight control value which is a control signal of the backlight, by correcting a section luminance calculation value using a difference between the section luminance control value and the section luminance calculation value acquired from a section luminance distribution value of a light source of the backlight; and an image signal regulator for adjusting the image signal using the backlight control value.
US08665186B2
The image display device includes: a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, each of which includes a driving transistor which converts a signal voltage which determines luminous intensity into a driving current; a luminescence element which generates photons according to the driving current flowing through it; and a threshold voltage detecting unit which detects a threshold voltage of the driving transistor while a reference voltage is applied. The pixels make up two or more driving blocks each of which includes a plurality of pixel rows. The image display device controls supply of the reference voltage and a power source voltage to all pixels in the same driving block with the same timing in a predetermined period and controls supply of the reference voltage and the power source voltage to all pixels in different blocks with different timings.
US08665170B2
An antenna assembly includes a cable assembly having at least one wire and a circuit board assembly having a ground plane and a plurality of mounting locations. The wire(s) is electrically connected to corresponding mounting locations. A plurality of antenna elements are mounted to the circuit board at corresponding mounting locations. Each antenna element has a feed finger and a ground finger, where the ground finger is electrically connected to the ground plane and the feed finger is electrically connected to the corresponding wire. Each antenna element has a first portion extending from the circuit board along a first plane and a second portion extending from the first portion along a second plane that is transverse to the first plane. Each antenna element provides hemispherical coverage and wide frequency bandwidth.
US08665149B2
An apparatus and method for processing a navigation signal are provided. When a navigation signal is received and processed, a search range associated with signal processing may be reduced by directly computing a clock offset of a receiving terminal, and accordingly it is possible to reduce an operation amount associated with the signal processing, and an amount of a power consumed by the receiving terminal. Additionally, due to a reduction in the search range, it is also possible to reduce a time required to acquire a signal.
US08665142B2
According to one embodiment, an antenna device is provided with a dielectric substrate whose both surfaces are covered by first and second metal films, a via-hole row in which via-holes are arranged in two rows on the dielectric substrate, and a waveguide line is formed by the first and the second metal films, and a slot pair provided in the first metal film. The slot pair has a first slot and a second slot provided so that a slot length direction is oblique to a line direction of the waveguide line. A center of the first slot and a center of the second slot are spaced apart from each other by not less than a half of the shorter one of the slot length of the first slot and the slot length of the second slot along the slot length direction.
US08665141B2
Embodiments herein include a method for obtaining a calibration parameter for an antenna array. The antenna array comprises a first and a second radio module with respective associated antennas, wherein both radio modules comprise a main transmitter and a connected calibration receiver or both radio modules comprise a main receiver and a connected calibration transmitter. The method comprises: injecting a first calibration signal in the first radio module and measuring a first response to the first calibration in the first radio module. This injecting and measuring is repeated for all combinations of the first and second radio modules. Finally, a numerical value is calculated using the responses; a calibration parameter is calculated based on the calculated numerical value. Embodiments herein also include a corresponding antenna array, computer program and computer program product.
US08665140B2
This disclosure provides a signal processing device, which includes an echo signal input unit for being inputted with echo signals caused by electromagnetic waves discharged from an antenna and reflected on one or more target objects, an echo signal level detector for detecting a level of each of the echo signals with reference to an azimuth and a distance to the antenna, a level change detector for detecting a level change between the echo signals from locations close to each other, the locations of the echo signals being such that the distances from the antenna are substantially the same but the azimuths are different, a pattern output module for comparing the level change with a predetermined reference pattern and outputting a level change pattern, and a missing determining module for determining a missing of a signal based on at least two of the level change patterns.
US08665135B2
A radar device is disclosed, which includes an antenna for transmitting an electromagnetic wave and receiving an echo signal from a target object while rotating in a horizontal plane, a display module for displaying the target object so as to correspond the echo signal to a position of the target object with respect to the antenna, a speed calculation module for calculating a relative velocity of the antenna and the target object, and a risk level detection module for detecting a risk level of the target object based on the relative velocity of the target object calculated by the speed calculation module. The speed calculation module calculates the relative velocity of the target object based on a change in phases of at least two of the echo signals received at a different time. The display module controls a display mode of the target object based on the risk level.
US08665126B2
A sigma-delta (ΣΔ) difference-of-squares LOG-RMS to digital converter” by merging a traditional ΣΔ modulator with an analog LOG-RMS to DC converter based on a difference-of-squares concept. Two basic architectures include one based on two squaring cells in the feedforward and feedback paths and a second based on a single squaring cell in the forward path. High-order ΣΔ LOG-RMS can be implemented with a loop filter containing multiple integrators and feedforward and/or feedback paths for frequency compensation. The embodiments as described allow the implementations of ΣΔ difference-of-squares LOG-RMS to DC converters with a natural digital output and a logarithmically compressed dynamic range.
US08665125B2
The device comprises a successive approximation register, a capacitive digital-to-analog converter comprising a plurality of capacitors, the plurality of capacitors being coupled with a first side to a common node; a comparator coupled to the common node and being adapted to make bit decisions by comparing a voltage at the common node with another voltage level, and a SAR control stage for providing a digital code representing a conversion result. The device is configured to operate in a calibration mode, where the device is configured to sample a reference voltage on a first capacitor of the plurality of capacitors by coupling one side of the first capacitor to the reference voltage, to perform a regular conversion cycle with at least those capacitors of the plurality of capacitors having lower significance than the first capacitor and to provide the conversion result of the regular conversion cycle for calibrating the first capacitor.
US08665118B1
This document describes systems and techniques that may be used to aggregate information about open parking spots from various different parking providers or organizations.
US08665114B2
The present invention provides a display for traffic control within a region of traffic flow, comprising an array of lights arranged for illumination to indicate to traffic seeking to negotiate the region in accordance with a first path of travel the likely movement of traffic seeking to negotiate the region in accordance with a second path of travel different from the first, and thus whether said traffic seeking to negotiate the region in accordance with said second path of travel has a right of way over traffic seeking to negotiate the region in accordance with said first path of travel.
US08665109B2
A method and apparatus for transmitting data across a tool joint connection. In one embodiment, the system includes a first data transmission element connected to a first downhole component, a second data transmission element connected to a second downhole component, and a biasing element biasing at least one of the first and second data transmission elements towards the other data transmission element such that the first and second data transmission elements are in data communication with each other.
US08665106B2
The present invention relates to a personal audio cable device comprising a personal alarm being easily accessible to a user. The personal audio device is configured to relay electric audio signals to a personal hearing device, said personal audio cable device comprising an electric signal receiving unit, a jack socket configured to receive a jack plug of the personal hearing device. The personal audio cable device comprises an audio alarm unit, and an audio alarm actuating circuit, wherein the audio alarm unit is configured to generate an audio frequency alarm when actuated and triggered by disengaging the jack plug of the hearing device from the jack socket of the personal audio cable device. The audio alarm unit may in also dial up an emergency rescue number, upon actuation. The invention provides how to easily actuate an audio alarm when being attacked by an intruder.
US08665105B2
A mobile computing device may include an interface device, a near field communication (NFC) device, and a processor coupled with the interface device and the NFC device. The processor may be capable of detecting proximity of an encasement based upon the NFC device, and changing an operational mode of the interface device based upon detecting the proximity of the encasement.
US08665088B2
A tag has a transmitter for transmitting first wireless signals, and a receiver for receiving second wireless signals from which the tag can determine its current physical location. A different embodiment includes a tag having a transmitter for transmitting wireless signals, and a reader having a receiver for receiving the wireless signals, the receiver in the reader being an ultra-sensitive receiver.
US08665087B2
Common handheld transceivers operating on different frequencies with differing protocols can be provided with a mini module attached to the handheld transceiver that not only converts the audio information available from the handheld to the format and frequency of the temporary incident area network (20), the mini module also provides a sensor platform coupled to a wide variety of sensors whose data gathering capabilities in the vicinity of the individual are used to provide an incident commander or other individuals at nodes on the network with data to ascertain the conditions at the incident scene in the vicinity of the individual. Thus not only can information pertaining to the immediate health of and danger to emergency personnel be ascertained quickly, the transmission of sensor and image data over the same network provides situational awareness for the incident commanders and indeed for all those coupled to nodes on the network.
US08665086B2
Aspects and embodiments of the present invention provide a system for obtaining, processing and managing data from an implanted sensor. In some embodiments, a patient or other persons can use a flexible antenna to obtain data from the implanted sensor. The flexible antenna includes at least one transmit loop and at least one receive loop. The transmit loop is adapted to propagate energizing signals to the implanted sensor. The receive loop is adapted to detect a response signal from the implanted sensor. The transmit loop includes a capacitor formed by a discontinuous area. The capacitor is adapted to allow the loop to be tuned. The flexible antenna can communicate with a patient device that collects the data from the implanted sensor, creates a data file and transmits the data file to a remote server over a network. A physician or other authorized person may access the remote server using an access device.
US08665084B2
A security control apparatus, system and method are provided. The security control apparatus includes a wireless communication element that supports a plurality of wireless communication protocols. The wireless communication element is configured to provide wireless communications with a user interface device and at least one premise-based device. A remote communication element is configured to provide remote communications with a monitoring center. A processor is in communication with the local wireless communication element and the remote communication element. The processor is configured to use the wireless communication element to communicate with the user interface device to receive local control and configuration data. The processor is also configured to use the remote communication element to communicate data associated with at least one of a life safety feature and life style feature with the monitoring center.
US08665079B2
A vision system for a vehicle includes an imaging sensor operable to capture an image data set representative of a scene occurring in the exterior field of view of the imaging sensor. A processor processes the captured image data set via an edge detection algorithm, which is applied to a reduced image data set of the captured image data set to detect edges of objects present exteriorly of the equipped vehicle and within a target zone within the exterior field of view of the imaging sensor. The reduced data set is processed more than other image data of the captured image data set in order to detect objects present exteriorly of the equipped vehicle and within the target zone. The target zone encompasses a geographic area of the exterior scene where an object of interest to the driver of the equipped vehicle is realistically expected to be present.
US08665078B2
A lane departure warning system has a trailer detector for detecting that a trailer is attached to a vehicle, a lane boundary detector for detecting a position of a lane boundary on a roadway over which the vehicle is travelling, and an information processor including a calibrator for generating calibration parameters used in determining an unintended lane departure event with respect to the lane boundary. The information processor initiates a process for allowing a vehicle operator to provide trailer width information when the trailer detector indicates that the vehicle has the trailer attached thereto. The trailer width information is used by the information processor for generating the calibration parameters as a function of a width of the trailer.
US08665077B2
The invention relates to a circuit for selectively producing switching signals, in particular signals used for locking vehicle doors, a vehicle provided with said circuit, a system and method for protecting areas of risk and a system, components and method for hermetically transferring validated data. For automotive engineering, it is desired that certain switching processes in or outside the vehicle like the opening of a door, the actuation of a start button or the activation of a parking brake be carried out exclusively by a driver. The aim of said invention is to develop the solutions which make it possible to advantageously produce distinctive signals for coordinating a switching process. For this purpose, the inventive method for generating switching signals consists in producing said signals according to the selective activation of a switching device by a user. The inventive circuit is characterized in that the device signal is emitted towards the user and is transmitted by the user during the actuation of the switching device. The switching signal is produced by said device.
US08665076B2
A tactile feedback system includes: a removing section for removing a contact-device-specific oscillating waveform, included in both a first contact-generated waveform representing a frictional vibration produced when a contact device contacts with one object and a second contact-generated waveform representing a frictional vibration produced when the contact device contacts with another object, from the first contact-generated waveform; a superposing section for superposing a finger-pulp-specific oscillating waveform, included in both the first finger-pulp-generated waveform representing a frictional vibration produced when a person's finger pulp contacts with the one object and the second finger-pulp-generated waveform representing a frictional vibration produced when the finger pulp contacts with that another object, on the first contact-generated waveform from which the contact-device-specific oscillating waveform has been removed; and a simulating section for displaying a vibration stimulation based on the first contact-generated waveform on which the finger-pulp-specific oscillating waveform has been superposed.
US08665066B2
An RFID reader control system and method is provided. A protocol for controlling an RFID reader and an RFID reader control unit of a mobile phone is defined. Messages, information, commands, responses, and notification are constructed and transmitted between the RFID reader and the RFID reader control unit.
US08665056B2
A circuit protection assembly includes a mounting block, a unitary fuse assembly, a post assembly and a plug connector. The unitary fuse assembly is disposed the mounting block and includes a plurality of fuses each of which is defined by a portion of a bus plate disposed on the lower surface of the mounting block to form a first terminal of the fuse, a second terminal disposed at least partially on the upper surface of the mounting block and a fuse element connecting the first terminal and the second terminal. The post assembly is disposed at least partially within the mounting block and a post extending from the block. The plug connector extends from a portion of the first terminal of at least one of the plurality of fuses.
US08665051B2
A vertical transformer comprising a core provided with a middle leg installing a first and a second coils, a side leg, a first connection part connecting an end of the middle leg and that of the side leg, and a second connection part connecting the other end of the middle leg and that of the side leg, a first bobbin provided with a first hollow cylinder where at least either the first or the second coil is wound, and a core on-board face connected to an end of the first hollow cylinder, and an adhesive hardened part connecting a connection side face, and the core on-board face, and formed by hardening an adhesion, wherein the core on-board face is provided with a positioning part positioning the connection side face, and a positioning projection, is formed on both sides of the first connection part.
US08665043B2
For so-called pole wheels, as they are used for angle detection through magnetic field sensors, centering is facilitated and the service life of the pole wheel is increased by fixating the magnet ring rotationally and disengageable through sliding it on a prefabricated hub through a mounting device, which is disposed there between, like e.g. a friction locking band.
US08665039B2
A microwave cavity filter is configured for operation in the dual TE22N mode to realize a very high Q factor at very high frequency ranges. The microwave filter is formed from using one or more cylindrical cavities in which two orthogonal field polarizations of the TE22N mode are excited and coupled together by means of a coupling element. Different combinations of inter-cavity irises provide for both direct and cross-coupling of aligned field polarizations in adjacent cavities, as required, to realize complex filter functions. The irises may be formed in either a side or end wall of the cavities for both collinear and planar mount configuration. Negative mode coupling also allows for transmission zeros to be realized on either side of the filter passband.
US08665036B1
A compact tracking coupler includes a plurality of ridged waveguides arranged circumferentially around a circular waveguide wherein long sides of the ridged waveguides extend circumferentially and short sides of the ridged waveguides extend radially relative to the circular waveguide. The compact tracking coupler can be especially useful in a multi-band antenna feed.
US08665033B2
A tunable oscillator circuit is disclosed. The tunable oscillator circuit includes an inductor/capacitor (LC) tank circuit comprising a primary inductor coupled in parallel with a first capacitor bank. The LC tank resonates to produce an oscillating voltage at a frequency. The tunable oscillator circuit also includes a 90 degree phase shift buffer coupled to the LC tank and a transconductor. The transconductor is coupled to the 90 degree phase shift buffer and a secondary inductor. The tunable oscillator circuit also includes a secondary inductor that is inductively coupled to the primary inductor and receives a gain-scaled oscillating current from the transconductor. By changing the transconductance, the gain-scaled oscillating current in the secondary inductor will change, thus the effective primary inductance and the oscillation frequency can be tuned.
US08665030B2
A voltage-controlled oscillator circuit includes a first transistor, a second transistor, a first resonator circuit, a second resonator circuit, a first current path and a second current path. A drain of the first transistor is coupled to a gate of the second transistor and to a first end of the first resonator circuit. A source of the first transistor is coupled to the first current path and to a first end of the second resonator circuit. A drain of the second transistor is coupled to a gate of the first transistor and to a second end of the first resonator circuit. A source of the second transistor is coupled to the second current path and a second end of the second resonator circuit.
US08665028B2
An amplifier with integrated filter (e.g., an LNA) is described. In one design, the amplifier may include a gain stage, a filter stage, and a buffer stage. The gain stage may provide signal amplification for an input signal. The filter stage may provide filtering for the input signal. The buffer stage may buffer a filtered signal from the filter stage. The amplifier may further include a second filter stage and a second buffer stage. The second filter stage may provide additional filtering for the input signal. The second buffer stage may buffer a second filtered signal from the second filter stage. All of the stages may be stacked and coupled between a supply voltage and circuit ground. The filter stage(s) may implement an elliptical lowpass filter. Each filter stage may include an inductor and a capacitor coupled in parallel and forming a resonator tank to attenuate interfering signals.
US08665027B2
An amplifier for wireless receivers and an associated method is provided. The amplifier provides an output signal to an output terminal in response to an input signal received from an input terminal, and further includes a first block and a second block. The first block is coupled between the input terminal and the output terminal, and includes a gain control terminal and a first transistor. The gain control terminal is coupled to a gain control signal, while the gain control signal is provided such that the first transistor is kept operating in a triode region, and a gain of the output signal over the input signal can be seamlessly tuned in response to the gain control signal.
US08665021B2
Apparatus and methods for amplifier power supply control are provided. In certain implementations, an amplifier includes an input amplification stage and a power supply control block for generating a power high supply and a power low supply for the input amplification stage. The power supply control block receives a reference signal indicative of a common-mode input voltage of the amplifier, and the power supply control block adjusts a voltage level of the power high and power low supplies while maintaining a substantially constant voltage difference between the power high and power low supplies. The power supply control block changes the voltage level of the power high and power low supplies based on the reference signal such that the voltage levels of the power high and power low supplies move in relation to the common-mode input voltage.
US08665020B2
A differential amplifier circuit including: a differential input stage including a pair of differential MOS transistors, a pair of load elements, and a first constant-current source; an output stage including an output MOS transistor and a second constant-current source; a constant-current MOS transistor provided in parallel to one of the first and second constant-current sources; and a boost current controlling MOS transistor in which a potential of a connection node of the output MOS transistor and the second constant-current source is applied to a gate terminal thereof; wherein the boost current controlling MOS transistor is turned on when a voltage inputted to a gate terminal of one of the pair of differential MOS transistors changes, and a current of the constant-current MOS transistor is added to one of the first and second constant-current sources and is allowed to flow.
US08665016B2
A power amplifier includes generation, tracking and usage of an envelope of an input RF signal. To improve upon the efficiency of the power amplifier, various configurations include using the tracked envelope, for example, an OFDM signal, to improve the average efficiency. Suitable hardware/software in the form of circuitry, logic gates, and/or code functions to generate and track an envelope of an input RF signal and modulate one or more of the input supply voltage, cascode gate bias or parallel PA branches using the tracked envelope.
US08665015B1
A power amplifier circuit, comprising: an input for receiving an input signal to be amplified; a power supply; an amplifier, coupled to the input and the power supply; and a cascode device coupled between the power supply and the amplifier. The circuit is characterized by: a first current source coupled between the input and the amplifier, configured to provide a biasing current which is proportional to absolute temperature; and a second current source for controlling the cascode device, configured to provide a current which is complementary to absolute temperature (CTAT).
US08665010B2
A circuit and method are provided for a power converter to select one from a plurality of current limit signals as a final current limit signal according to the present duty ratio of a power switch for the pulse width modulation of the next cycle, so that the duty ratio of the power switch in the next cycle is prevented from acute variation to eliminate sub-harmonic which otherwise may happen.
US08665009B2
An integrated circuit and method are provided for controlling variation in the voltage output from on-chip voltage generation circuitry. The integrated circuit comprises voltage generation circuitry configured to operate from a supplied input voltage and to generate at an output node an on-chip voltage supply different to the supplied input voltage. A circuit block is then arranged to receive the on-chip voltage supply generated by the voltage generation circuitry, during operation of the circuit block the circuit block presenting a varying load on the output node. Oscillation circuitry is also coupled to the output node to provide an additional load on the output node, and is configured to produce an oscillation signal whose frequency varies as the value of the on-chip voltage supply varies. Control circuitry is configured to be responsive to a trigger condition to adjust the additional load provided on the output node by the oscillation circuitry. This provides a particularly simple and effective mechanism for providing an additional load on the output node which can be altered with the aim of offsetting variation in the load on the output node presented by the circuit block, thus allowing the variation in the voltage output from the on-chip voltage generation circuitry to be controlled.
