US08984660B2

A method in a portable data carrier for safeguarding the data carrier against external attacks on the data carrier, wherein at least one counter is employed in the data carrier. A specified command is safeguarded such that it is executed by the data carrier only when the at least one counter lies in a specified values range. The at least one counter is decremented before an execution of the command and incremented only when the command has been executed without interruption. The at least one counter here is settable multiple times, in particular even after the issuance of the data carrier to a user.
US08984654B2

A time check method and a base station are provided. The base station receives an authentication interaction message sent by an authentication interaction device; extracts time information in the authentication interaction message; and uses the time information to check local time. Before an Internet Key Exchange (IKE) connection is set up between the base station and a security gateway, relatively accurate time is obtained from an external authentication interaction device and is used for aligning the local time. Therefore, the cost of installing a clock component and a battery is saved, the time on the base station is trustworthy, and the security gateway is authenticated securely.
US08984652B2

A device including a communication interface and processing logic is provided. The communication interface may receive digital rights management security information and content from a source device, the digital rights management information having been deactivated in the source device. The processing logic may reactivate the digital rights management security information and may render the content according to the digital rights management security information.
US08984642B2

Method to detect security vulnerabilities includes: interacting with a web application during its execution to identify a web page exposed by the web application; statically analyzing the web page to identify a parameter within the web page that is constrained by a client-side validation measure and that is to be sent to the web application; determining a server-side validation measure to be applied to the parameter in view of the constraint placed upon the parameter by the client-side validation measure; statically analyzing the web application to identify a location within the web application where the parameter is input into the web application; determining whether the parameter is constrained by the server-side validation measure prior to the parameter being used in a security-sensitive operation; and identifying the parameter as a security vulnerability.
US08984638B1

A system is provided with a controller and a device configured to receive and output network data from a communication network to the controller. Accordingly, the controller is configured to (i) receive the network data from the device, (ii) conduct heuristic analysis on the network data, (iii) identify at least a portion of the network data as suspicious upon determining by the heuristic analysis of a likelihood that at least the portion of the network data including malware, (iv) simulate transmission of the suspicious network data to at least one virtual machine of a plurality of virtual machines that is selected or configured using at least one software profile, and (v) analyze effects of the suspicious network data on the at least one virtual machine.
US08984637B2

A method of detecting malware present on a computer system where the computer system is running an application. The method includes redirecting a function call, made by the application to a decoding function that performs decoding of an argument provided to it by an application, to a scanning function. The scanning function is then employed to scan an argument of the function call for suspect code or data. In the event that suspect code or data is detected, the function call is inhibited, otherwise program control is returned to the called decoding function.
US08984635B1

A Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) receiver receives a SYN segment from a TCP initiator that initiates a TCP handshake between the TCP initiator and a TCP server. A first value is extracted from a predefined portion of the SYN segment. A second value is computed using an authentication algorithm that includes at least using a cryptographic hash function that takes as input at least the source IP address of the encapsulating IP packet of the SYN segment and a shared secret between the TCP initiator and the TCP receiver. If the computed second value matches the extracted first value, then the TCP handshake is allowed to continue. If the computed second value does not match the extracted first value, then the TCP handshake is not allowed to continue.
US08984634B2

A quarantine network system 100 quarantines terminals 30 and 31 connected to a network via a wireless communication. The quarantine network system 100 is provided with an access point 20 for a business NW used for connection to a business network, an access point 21 for a quarantine NW which is used for connection to a network for quarantining and restricts the number of terminals connectable thereto, and an NW switching performance server 10 transmitting to the terminal a command which makes the terminal switch SSID of an access point which the terminal uses for wireless communication, in accordance with the situation.
US08984624B2

A scope hierarchy corresponding to a resource to which a type of access is requested is identified, the scope hierarchy including multiple scope levels each of which has an associated access control list. An access control list associated with a lower scope level can further restrict access permitted to the resource by an access control list associated with a higher scope level. Based at least in part on one or more of the access control lists associated with the multiple scope levels, a determination is made as to whether the requested type of access to the resource is permitted.
US08984620B2

A system and method for providing security for a network connecting a source and a destination. The system and method provide a security and management system between the source and the destination which is configured to apply rules and policies which are specific to the user to the connection between the source and the destination. The user-specific policies are used to govern the security and management of each packet transmitted and received via the connection.
US08984617B1

Systems and methods for facilitating transmitting messages to remote host are provided. Method includes receiving request to connect client computing device to remote host, wherein client computing device resides on client side of firewall, and wherein request is associated with identification of local port, first port forward, and remote host. Method includes facilitating connection of client computing device to client proxy via local port. Method includes facilitating connection of client proxy to server proxy via splitting protocol. Method includes facilitating connection of server proxy to remote host via tunnel associated with the port forward or second port forward through tunnel. Method includes facilitating communication between client computing device and remote host via tunnel and splitting protocol, wherein facilitating communication comprises translating data between default format of client proxy corresponding to local port, default format of server proxy, and protocol of tunnel.
US08984611B2

The present disclosure relates to a system, apparatus and method for securing electronic files and folders independent of their location. A computer network implemented system for securing data is provided. The system includes a central server (400) that manages access to a secure data architecture that enables one or more data security operations including data encryption, data decryption and secure data sharing. A security appliance (200) is also provided that is interoperable with each of one or more computer devices (100) to integrate each computer device (100) into the secure architecture so as to enable data security operations at each computer device, by authenticating a user of each computer device (100) to the security appliance (200) and to the central server (400).
US08984608B2

An information processing apparatus includes a first session managing unit configured to manage a transaction including a request and a response over a network and a second session managing unit configured to manage authentication identification information of an authenticated user. The information processing apparatus also includes a token generating unit configured to acquire authentication identification information of a requesting user and generate a token value to be included in a first response using an internally managed value, in response to a first request, and a token validating unit configured to acquire the authentication identification information of the requesting user in response to a second request and validate correctness of a token value included in the second request by comparing the token value with a token value calculated using the managed value.
US08984597B2

An access component sends an access request to an intermediary component, the access request being a request to access a service or resource without credentials of a current user of the intermediary component being revealed to the access component. The intermediary component obtains user credentials, for the current user, that are associated with the service or resource. The access request and the user credentials are sent to the service or resource, and in response session state information is received from the service or resource. The session state information is returned to the access component, which allows the access component and the service or resource to communicate with one another based on the session state information and independently of the first component.
US08984596B2

An electronic device may include a finger biometric sensor, a display, and a processor coupled with the finger biometric sensor and the display. The processor is capable of displaying a plurality of finger representations on the display corresponding to different fingers of a hand, enrolling respective user's fingers for the plurality of finger representations using the finger biometric sensor, displaying a menu of available functions on the display, associating at least some of the available functions with respective enrolled user's fingers, and performing a given function based upon a match of a newly sensed user's finger with a respective enrolled user's finger using the finger biometric sensor.
US08984593B2

A system, and computer usable program product for securing asynchronous client server transactions are provided in the illustrative embodiments. A request including an application identifier and a version of a second application is received at a first application. A service identifier is generated if a session with the second application is valid. A registry is generated at the first application. A catalog is generated based on the registry and the service identifier and the catalog are sent to the second application. A sub-request including the service identifier is received as part of an asynchronous client server transaction. Validity of the sub-request is determined by determining whether the service identifier has expired, whether the sub-request requests a service that is permissible according to the catalog, whether the service identifier is used in conjunction with the second application, or a combination thereof. If the sub-request is valid, the service is provided.
US08984585B2

An application that is capable of monitoring Internet or network traffic and performing recordings of computer video output based on one or more violations of network activity policies. The recording application can be installed on the computer to be recorded or another computer or server that is connected through the network to the computer to be recorded. The monitoring application contains a configuration interface that allows a user to set thresholds for certain types of network policy violations. When the one or more violations are detected, the recording application will begin recording video of the computer's video activity. The application can be configured to include settings such as the length of the recording. In a typical environment, the application is a hardware appliance that is capable of monitoring web activity and network traffic and can connect to the computer over the network in order to perform the recording.
US08984581B2

Systems and methods for monitoring mobile application activities for malicious traffic on a mobile device are disclosed. One embodiment of a method which can be implemented on a system includes, monitoring application activities of a mobile application on the mobile device, detecting, from the application activities, suspicious activity, and/or blocking traffic from which the suspicious activity is detected. One embodiment includes creating a policy based on the information aggregated from the multiple mobile devices and/or broadcasting the policy to other mobile devices of the suspicious activity detected from the multiple mobile devices.
US08984580B2

A method to interact with a remote USB device is disclosed. An identifying message is received from a remote client associated with the remote USB device. The remote USB device is identified based at least in part on the identifying message from the remote client. A security policy is determined for the remote USB device. A policy message is transmitted to the remote client for selectively implementing the security policy of the remote USB device. A method to interact with a local USB device is disclosed. An identifying message is determined by performing a host controller service for the local USB device. The identifying message is transmitted to a server. A policy message is received from the server for selectively implementing a security policy on the local USB device. The security policy is regarded and configuring the host controller service.
US08984572B2

A method and system for transmitting channels to at least one digital video recorder is described. A server receives at least one recording schedule from a plurality of digital video recorders (step 304). A subset of channels is selected from the channels associated with the at least one program identification of the received at least one recording schedule (step 306). Information is transmitted from the server to at least one of the plurality of digital video recorders, the information indicating channels associated with the at least one program identification of the at least one recording schedule that were not selected (step 308). The selected subset of channels is also transmitted from the server to at least one of the plurality of digital video recorders (step 310).
US08984571B2

A system includes a video-on-demand server and an authentication server. The video-on-demand server is configured to provide video-on-demand content through a broadband connection to a set-top box device. The authentication server is in communication with the video-on-demand server. The authentication server is configured to receive a request to allow access to a video-on-demand package that includes the video-on-demand content, to determine if a user is currently authorized to constantly receive a broadcast package that includes a plurality of broadcast channels related to the video-on-demand content, and to authorize a broadcast channel in the broadcast package when not currently authorized to receive the broadcast package.
US08984567B2

An improved user experience is provided for passengers on a vessel such as an airplane, train or ship. Passengers can customize their travel experience ahead of time by accessing a web-based server system to indicate preferences with respect to a number of in-flight entertainment options. The passenger's experience is also enhanced by allowing passengers to share preferences such as media playlists with others. Meals can be ordered on-demand once on board, and seat-to-seat chat as well as group chatting is also made available through an in-seat or other proximate entertainment device.
US08984566B2

An entertainment system including one or more display devices. Each display device may have a media player to play the content of a disc or media inserted in the media player. Each display device may also have a storage unit to store the media content. The media content can be shared between different display devices. The connection between display devices can be either by plurality of cables or by a wireless network. Each display device receives its power from a power filter. The power filter is connected to a power source.
US08984561B2

An apparatus and a method for playing a plurality of moving images as one moving image are provided. The apparatus at a terminal includes a display unit for playing the plurality of moving images as one moving image and a controller for connecting the plurality of moving images through connection information for a respective one of the plurality of moving images to play the plurality of moving images as one moving image. The apparatus at a server includes a controller for connecting or converting the plurality of moving images as or into one moving image through connection information for a respective one of the plurality of moving images, and for performing a control operation to sequentially transmit the plurality of moving images according to the connection information in a streaming manner to a terminal, and a transmitter for sequentially transmitting the plurality of moving images to the terminal.
US08984558B1

Embodiments include storing, using one or more computing devices, at least one image associated with each of a plurality of videos. Embodiments may also include transmitting instructions configured to display a plurality of video interfaces, each of the plurality of video interfaces configured to display an initial image of one of the plurality of videos at a first time, the initial image being different at each of the plurality of video interfaces. Embodiments may also include allowing a first transition from a display of the initial image at the first time to a display of a second image at a second time at one of the plurality of video interfaces. Embodiments may further include allowing a second transition from a display of the initial image at the second time to a display of a third image at a third time at a second of the plurality of video interfaces.
US08984545B2

A CD player, which comprises a conveying roller, a first sensing rod, a second sensing rod, a linkage member, a first switch and a second switch; wherein the linkage member is used for transmitting the rotation of the first sensing rod to the second sensing rod and provided with a first retaining part, a first clamping part, a second retaining part, a second clamping part; the two retaining parts are respectively arranged on both sides of a centerline of a CD conveying path; when the first sensing rod is prevented from rotating by the first retaining part, the second sensing rod is used for releasing the behavior; and when the second sensing rod is prevented from rotating by the second retaining part, the first sensing rod is used for releasing the behavior. The player can avoid the malfunction of a major-diameter CD detection switch and has a very simple structure.
US08984536B1

A computer implemented method, system and product for transferring information between systems of record connected to a bus comprising generating an event in response a change in a system of record of the systems of record, transforming the change event into a generic event at an adaptor for the system of record; wherein the adapter is communicatively coupled to the system of record and the bus, conveying the generic event to the bus from the adapter, reasoning on the generic event to determine if at least some information of the generic event should be propagated to another system of record and based on a positive determination, propagating at least some of the information of the generic event in a new event to another adapter communicatively coupled to the another system of record; and translating the new event, at the adapter, to an event able to be understood by the another system of record.
US08984525B2

A method for job management in an HPC environment includes determining an unallocated subset from a plurality of HPC nodes, with each of the unallocated HPC nodes comprising an integrated fabric. An HPC job is selected from a job queue and executed using at least a portion of the unallocated subset of nodes.
US08984520B2

Energy management modeling and scheduling techniques are described for reducing the power consumed to execute an application on a multi-processor computing platform within a certain time period. In one embodiment, a sophisticated resource model which accounts for discrete operating modes for computing components/resources on a computing platform and transition costs for transitioning between each of the discrete modes is described. This resource model provides information for a specific heterogeneous multi-processor computing platform and an application being implemented on the platform in a form that can be processed by a selection module, typically utilizing an integer linear programming (ILP) solver or algorithm, to select a task schedule and operating configuration(s) for executing the application within a given time.
US08984499B2

According to one embodiment, a code optimizer is configured to receive first code having a program loop implemented with scalar instructions to store values of a first array to a second array based on values of a third array and to generate second code representing the program loop using at least one vector instruction. The second code include a shuffle instruction to shuffle elements of the first array based on the third array using a shuffle table in a vector manner, a blend instruction to blend the shuffled elements of the first array using a blend table in a vector manner, and a store instruction to store the blended elements of the first array in the second array.
US08984497B2

A system, method and computer program product to provide a technique for achieving high speed and stable dispatch of a code in a programming language based on erasure, the code being converted from a code written in a programming language based on reification. The system, method and computer program product perform a function of adding a synthetic class having the same name as a suffix for name mangling of a normal method in a first programming language based on reification, adding a dummy parameter of the type of the synthetic class to a constructor definition, and adding an appropriate value (normally, null) that matches the type of the dummy parameter to a constructor invocation to convert the code in the first programming language to a code in a second programming language based on erasure.
US08984491B2

Methods and systems to test of web browser enabled applications are disclosed. In one embodiment, a browser application can allow a user to perform test and analysis processes on a candidate web browser enabled application. The test enabled browser can use special functions and facilities that are built into the test enabled browser. One implementation of the invention pertains to functional testing, and another implementation of the invention pertains to pertains to site analysis.
US08984472B1

An apparatus of one embodiment evaluates standards compliance during software development. The apparatus includes an interface, a memory, and a processor. The interface is operable to receive design standards information, the design standards information including one or more design compliance rules for software development. The memory is operable to store the design standards information. The processor is communicatively coupled to the interface and the memory and is operable to determine a design status of a software change according to design information received regarding the software change; calculate one or more design compliance scores, each design compliance score indicating an extent to which the design status complies with at least one of the one or more design compliance rules; and determine whether to permit building of the change based at least on the one or more design compliance scores.
US08984470B2

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that concurrently performs redundant via insertion and timing optimization during routing of an integrated circuit (IC) chip design. During operation, the system performs an initial routing on the IC chip design to obtain a routing solution, which includes a set of vias. The system then performs a redundant-via-insertion operation on the routing solution, wherein the redundant-via-insertion operation attempts to modify a via within the set of vias into a redundant via. Next, the system performs a timing optimization on the routing solution by iteratively: (1) performing a timing analysis on the routing solution; (2) performing a logic optimization on the routing solution; and (3) performing an incremental routing adjustment on the routing solution, wherein the incremental routing adjustment adjusts the redundant vias.
US08984463B2

The disclosed embodiments comprise a multi-stage circuit operating across different power domains. The multi-stage circuit may be implemented as a master-slave flip-flop circuit integrated with a level shifter that transfers data across different power domains. The master and slave stages of the flip-flop may be split across two tiers of a 3D IC and may include (i) a level shifter across different power domain integrated within the flip-flop circuit, (ii) reduced one-state writing delays by a self-induced power collapsing technique, (iii) splitting flip-flop power supplies in different tiers using monolithic 3D IC technology, and (iv) cross power domain data transfer between 3D IC tiers.
US08984460B2

Aspects of the invention relate to techniques of defect injection for transistor-level fault simulation. A circuit element in a circuit netlist of a circuit is first selected for defect injection. Next, a defect is determined based on whether the selected circuit element is a design-intent circuit element or a parasitic circuit element. After the defect is determined, the defect is injected into the circuit netlist and then the circuit is simulated.
US08984452B2

A method of quantifying a lithographic proximity effect and determining a lithographic exposure dosage is disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, the method for determining an exposure dosage comprises receiving a design database including a plurality of features intended to be formed on a workpiece. A target region of the design database is defined such that the target region includes a target feature. A region of the design database proximate to the target region is also defined. An approximation for the region is determined, where the approximation represents an exposed area within the region. A proximity effect of the region upon the target feature is determined based on the approximation for the region. A total proximity effect for the target feature is determined based on the determined proximity effect of the region upon the target feature.
US08984451B2

The invention discloses a computer implemented method of fracturing a surface into elementary features wherein the desired pattern has a rectilinear or curvilinear form. Depending upon the desired pattern, a first fracturing will be performed of a non-overlapping or an overlapping type. If the desired pattern is resolution critical, it will be advantageous to perform a second fracturing step using eRIFs. These eRIFs will be positioned either on the edges or on the medial axis or skeleton of the desired pattern. The invention further discloses method steps to define the position and shape of the elementary features used for the first and second fracturing steps.
US08984444B2

A method for displaying a received message on a terminal. The method includes receiving messages, displaying on a display unit of the terminal different icons according to a type of the received messages, and displaying on the display unit of the terminal information indicating a number of unread received messages among the received messages.
US08984443B2

An information processing device displays in a display area a key image indicating an associated key to which a process is allocated as a soft key. In the information processing device, a key to which a process is allocated can be changed. The information processing device changes what is displayed based on the display mode. For example, if processes are allocated to a key, the information processing device displays an associated key image. If the user desires to change the orientation of the device, the key and associated key image and allocated process can be changed.
US08984440B2

The present disclosure is directed to methodologies and devices for handling maximizing and minimizing of expose views.
US08984430B2

User input is received to create a bookmark in a web browser for a non-feed Uniform Resource Locator (URL). A web feed associated with the non-feed URL is determined. A subscription to the web feed is automatically created. An indication of new web content is received from the web feed. The bookmark for the non-feed URL is decorated to provide a visual indication of the new web content.
US08984425B2

A system and method is provided for creating accounts for users of a service. An infrastructure associated with an invited user enables the invited user to view a document that is stored in association with another user. A server computer is capable of receiving an indication to associate a second infrastructure with the invited user, which enables the creation of a document to be stored in association with the invited user.
US08984420B2

A method of providing instant messaging communication between a first user and at least one other user via a communication network. The method comprises: executing an instant messaging client at a user terminal of the first user, the instant messaging client having a user interface comprising a message composition region; the instant messaging client receiving a selection of media for insertion into the instant messaging communication from the first user; the instant messaging client generating a link comprising the address of the selected media at a network element and creating a selectable control with the link embedded therein; inserting the selectable control in the message composition region of the instant messaging client; the instant messaging client receiving user-viewable text entered by the first user into the message composition region in addition to the selectable control; and the instant messaging client transmitting the contents of the message composition region of the instant messaging client to the at least one other user over the communication network responsive to a command from the first user.
US08984416B2

The invention is situated in the field of displaying on board an aircraft geostationary elements of the navigation database on a screen having different display resolutions for the purpose of this data display, and its subject is a method for simplifying the display of stationary elements of this onboard database. This method is characterized in that it consists in precalculating a “decluttering” during the process of producing the onboard database by meshing the Earth with a Cartesian grid oriented along the latitudes and longitudes of the Earth, and by allowing only the most pertinent obstacle to appear in each rectangle of this grid.
US08984415B2

Displaying a preference by a user of a content contribution is disclosed. A preference event by the user is detected. A plurality of detected events is stored. In response to a query from a client, at least a portion of the stored detected events is stored. At least a portion of the received events is displayed in an interface.
US08984408B2

An operator system, an operator server, and a remote support method, and a program for the operator system are provided, which are capable of receiving input of user action for ongoing support operation. While an operator is carrying out support operation for an electric appliance 10, user action input by a user, such as forcing to stop the support operation or starting to save the support operation, is processed by an operator server. Accordingly, the operator server 200 fulfills the function of the operator system 1 based on user's intention. In addition, displaying a network map showing support operation information on the electric appliance 10 allows a user to easily know the status of the support operation, contributing to user's appropriate decision making.
US08984403B2

The present invention provides methods and systems for bringing user attention to guidance information presented on a display device. These methods and systems comprise displaying guidance information in an initial animation mode, receiving a first user input in response to the displayed guidance information, determining whether the first user input satisfies validation criteria for responses to the guidance information, and displaying the guidance information in an altered animation mode when the first user input fails to satisfy the validation criteria.
US08984393B2

A method for designing, creating, and importing, on a digital computer having a memory and a processor executing a stored program, data into a viewable form viewable by the user of a data processing system, the viewable form duplicating the paper form, comprising the steps of: executing the stored program to convert the paper form into a viewable image that duplicates the paper form, the viewable image having a data field for receiving data; importing data into the data field; performing calculations on the imported data in the data field; allowing the user to review and change the data; and printing and/or electronic filing the viewable form.
US08984388B2

A method for installing an application includes inputting a command to download the application, selecting a page to add an identifier for executing the application, and displaying the identifier on the selected page.
US08984380B2

A method and system for operating a communication circuit that is configurable to support one or more communication standards on a single device. The communication circuit includes a transmitting device that comprises a PCS module operating at a first data rate, and a second PCS module operating at a second data rate. The circuit also includes a plurality of forward error correction (FEC) encoding and decoding modules, each operating at a specified data rate. A first group of FEC encoding and decoding modules is configured to support the first PCS module, and a second group of FEC encoding and decoding modules is configured to support the second PCS module.
US08984365B1

A low-density parity check (LDPC) decoder is provided that eliminates the need to calculate customized check node codeword estimates by considering the check node processor and the variable node processor as a single processer having a shared memory for storing common variables to be used during both the check node processing and the variable node processing of the iterative decoding method.
US08984364B2

Second interleaved data is de-interleaved using a second interleaving mapping to obtain encoded data. The second interleaved data includes a copy of constrained data in the same sequence and having the same values as the constrained data. Also, the portion of the second interleaved data that includes the copy of the constrained data satisfies a modulation constraint associated with limiting a number of consecutive events to a maximum number of consecutive events. The encoded data is decoded to obtain first interleaved data and the first interleaved data is de-interleaved using a first interleaving mapping to obtain the constrained data, a copy of which is included in the second interleaved data, where the constrained data satisfies the modulation constraint.
US08984361B2

A method of transmitting data via a wireless transmission path, that may include a user equipment as a first end point, a base station as a second end point, and at least one relay station as an intermediate point, includes receiving a data transmission from a prior point in the wireless transmission path, and, substantially concurrently, forwarding the received data to the next point in the transmission path, and determining whether the received data is corrupt. The method further includes transmitting a transmission message to the next point in the transmission path indicating whether the received data was corrupt. The method finally includes, when the data is not corrupt, transmitting a receipt message to the prior point indicating that the data was uncorrupt when received.
US08984358B2

The disclosure provides a novel method and apparatus for inputting addresses to devices to select the device TAP for access. Further, the disclosure provides a novel method and apparatus for inputting addresses for selecting device TAPs and for inputting commands for commanding circuitry within the device. The inputting of addresses or the inputting of addresses and commands is initiated by a control bit input on TDI that is recognized during the Run Test/Idle, Pause-DR or Pause-IR TAP states.
US08984353B2

A method of testing the operational margin of an information storage device having marked random variations, and an information storage device having the function of self-diagnosing the operational margin, are provided. The test method includes testing an information storage device including a plurality of memory bits as the test condition is set so as to be outside a range of conditions that may be presupposed in real use of the information storage device and of counting the number of memory bits that fail in operation. The test method also includes verifying the size of the operational margin of the information storage device based on the count value. The test condition is made severe and the reference value is set to a fairly large value to enable the operational margin against the noise to be tested highly accurately.
US08984332B2

A primary active manager can manage a first copy of a database in a first computer system cluster according to a set of management rules that provide for an active copy and one or more passive copies of the database at a given time. The primary active manager can also manage a second copy of the database in a second computer system cluster according to the rules. The rules can allow the first copy of the database or the second copy of the database to be the active copy if one or more criterion in the rules is met for that active copy. The first copy can be designated as the active copy and the second copy can be designated as a passive copy. A failure of the first copy can be detected, and in response, the second copy can be automatically designated as the active copy.
US08984331B2

Systems and methods are provided for detecting an anomaly in a computer that is part of a population of networked computers. Snapshots are received from a plurality of computers within the population of computers, where individual snapshots include a state of assets and runtime processes of a respective computer. An asset normalization model is generated from the snapshots and serves as a baseline model for detecting an anomaly in the state of assets and runtime processes of a respective computer. A snapshot from at least one of the computers is compared to the asset normalization model in order to determine whether an anomaly is present in a state of static assets and runtime processes of the at least one of the computers.
US08984329B2

A method, computer program product, and system for de-centralized stream processing is provided. The method may include providing a plurality of processing nodes in a hierarchical genome having a plurality of levels, wherein each of said processing nodes is configured to transmit and receive a stream of data. The method may further include restricting a subset of the plurality of processing nodes from differentiating into a role within each level of the hierarchical genome. The method may also include identifying a failure at one of the processing nodes and replacing the failed node with one of the processing nodes from the restricted subset.
US08984325B2

A computer-implemented method for disaster recovery of multi-tier applications may include 1) identifying a multi-tier application that is provisioned with a plurality of production clusters at a production site, 2) identifying a disaster recovery site including a plurality of recovery clusters, 3) identifying, at the disaster recovery site, a failure of the multi-tier application at the production site, and 4) initiating, from the disaster recovery site, a migration of the multi-tier application from the production site to the disaster recovery site. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US08984320B2

Command paths, apparatuses, and methods for providing a command to a data block are described. In an example command path, a command receiver is configured to receive a command and a command buffer is coupled to the command receiver and configured to receive the command and provide a buffered command. A command block is coupled to the command buffer to receive the buffered command. The command block is configured to provide the buffered command responsive to a clock signal and is further configured to add a delay before to the buffered command, the delay based at least in part on a shift count. A command tree is coupled to the command block to receive the buffered command and configured to distribute the buffered command to a data block.
US08984319B2

A method comprises a system comprising a host device coupled to a first remote device actively operating according to a state diagram that the host device and all remote devices follow during operation of the system. The method further comprises powering up a second remote device while the host device and first remote device are actively operating according to the state diagram. The second remote device determines whether to initialize to a standard protocol or to an advanced protocol. Upon determining to initialize to the advanced protocol, the second remote device then waits for a synchronization point sequence.
US08984317B2

The invention relates to a method for operating an electronic system, wherein the energy consumption of at least parts of the system is regulated such that on the basis of at least a time-related curve of the current (IFE1, . . . , IFEn) detected within the system, a gradient value (diFE1, . . . , diFEn) of the current value generated at least partially from circuitry is formed. On the basis of the gradient value, a circuit-related manipulation of at least one physical variable of the system is carried out. The invention further relates to an arrangement for carrying out the method.
US08984315B2

The data processing device comprising at least two processing units, each processing unit (CR1, CR2) being alternately in a first operating mode and in a second operating mode, each processing unit switching to its second operating mode at the end of a transient phase (PHT1, PHT2) comprising at least one activation of resources common to these two processing units; at least one of the two units is configured to switch at least once to its second operating mode with a temporal flexibility, and the instant of switching to its second operating mode, of the processing unit or units exhibiting the said flexibility, is adjusted in such a way that the two units are in their second operating mode after the said common resources have been activated once (26) in the course of the two respective transient phases, if this temporal adjustment is compatible with the said temporal flexibility.
US08984304B2

To reduce power consumption and heat generation, an active idle system is proposed that monitors for an idle period and then, after a predetermined time, initiates a silent period. During the silent period data and idle frames are not transmitted. During the silent period, one or more transceiver components may be turned off or forced into some other power saving mode. The predetermined time may be any amount of time and is selected to balance network usage and power savings. Periodically during the silent period, such as at predetermined times, one or more sync or idle frames are transmitted. Received sync or idle frames are processed to maintain receiver settings, synchronization or equalizer adaptation. Restoring active data communication may occur by monitoring the channel during silent periods for a request or only during the predetermined times when sync or idle frames are sent.
US08984303B2

A storage device manipulation system for implementing communications between a set of storage devices and a midplane is described. The storage device manipulation system may comprise a receiver and a communication system. The receiver may be configured to receive a command and generate a stimulus corresponding to the command. The communication system may be communicatively connected to the receiver and may be communicatively connectable to the set of storage devices and the midplane. The communication system may be configured to implement communication between the set of storage devices and the midplane based upon the stimulus by selectively providing power to the storage devices in the set of storage devices, selectively providing power to the ports on the midplane, and selectively establishing communication between the storage devices and the ports.
US08984298B2

In a method for managing access to a secure content-part of a PPCD, a key reset point of the secure content-part during a workflow among workflow participants is determined. In addition, key-map files comprising subsets of access keys that provide access to the secure content-part during respective content access sessions are generated, in which at least one of the key-map files corresponds to the key reset point and comprises a first decryption key, a first verification key, a second encryption key, and a second signature key, in which the first decryption key does not correspond to the second encryption key, and in which the first verification key does not correspond to the second signature key. In addition, the plurality of key-map files are supplied to at least one of the participants.
US08984288B1

This specification describes technologies relating to applying electronic signatures to content items. In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods that include receiving a content item and receiving a request to electronically sign the content item by a user by associating the content item with a credential associated with the user, the request comprising data identifying the credential from among a set of credentials that are associated with the user. The method may further include generating a package comprising the content item and data for the identified credential.
US08984262B2

The described embodiments include a processor that executes a vector instruction. The processor starts by receiving a first input vector, a second input vector, and optionally receiving a predicate vector (each of which includes N elements) as inputs. The processor then executes the vector instruction. Executing the vector instruction causes the processor to generate a result vector. When generating the result vector, if the predicate vector was received, for each element of the result vector for which the corresponding element of the predicate vector is active, otherwise, for each element of the result vector, the processor determines elements that are to be set in the result vector based on values in elements in the first input vector and the second input vector. The processor then sets the determined elements of the result vector to a first predetermined value.
US08984258B2

An instruction for parsing a buffer to be utilized within a data processing system including: an operation code field, the operation code field identifies the instruction; a control field, the control field controls operation of the instruction; and one or more general registers, wherein a first general register stores an argument address, a second general register stores a function code, a third general register stores length of an argument-character buffer, and the fourth of which contains the address of the function-code data structure.
US08984255B2

A data processing device is provided that employs multiple translation look-aside buffers (TLBs) associated with respective processors that are configured to store selected address translations of a page table of a memory shared by the processors. The processing device is configured such that when an address translation is requested by a processor and is not found in the TLB associated with that processor, another TLB is probed for the requested address translation. The probe across to the other TLB may occur in advance of a walk of the page table for the requested address or alternatively a walk can be initiated concurrently with the probe. Where the probe successfully finds the requested address translation, the page table walk can be avoided or discontinued.
US08984254B2

A technique for operating a processor includes translating, using an associated translation lookaside buffer, a first virtual address into a first physical address through a first entry number in the translation lookaside buffer. The technique also includes translating, using the translation lookaside buffer, a second virtual address into a second physical address through a second entry number in the translation lookaside buffer. The technique further includes, in response to the first entry number being the same as the second entry number, determining that the first and second virtual addresses point to the same physical address in memory and reference the same data.
US08984252B2

Data is added to a data set to cause a growth in size of the data set, wherein the data set belongs to a storage group, and wherein the data set is comprised of extents. The data set is included into a new storage group, in response to determining that the growth in the size of the data set has caused a predetermined threshold for a size limit of the storage group to be exceeded. The extents of the data set are restructured to satisfy a predetermined condition on the extents of the data set, in response to determining that the growth in the size of the data set has caused the predetermined condition on the extents included in the data set to be not satisfied.
US08984250B2

A memory controller includes a clock detector and a microprocessor. The clock detector is utilized for detecting if a specific pin of the memory controller has a clock signal thereon to generate a detecting result. The microprocessor is coupled to the clock generator, and is utilized for determining which type of memory devices that the memory controller is applied to according to the detecting result.
US08984247B1

A data storage subsystem is disclosed that implements a process for storing and/or reconstructing system data, such as a system mapping table. In certain embodiments, table pages and log pages are systematically copied, or flushed, to non-volatile memory in an interleaving manner according to a fixed ratio of log pages to table pages, thereby facilitating coherency of data. Full and/or partial reconstruction of a table may be performed within a bounded number of operations based on the size of the table, the ratio implemented, and/or other characteristics.
US08984245B2

A memory protection unit includes at least a first access control unit and a second access control unit programmed for controlling an access to a memory device. Further a method to operate a processing system comprising multiple processing devices and multiple memory protection units associated to the multiple processing devices. The access to the memory by a processing device is approved if first access control unit and second access control unit of the memory protection associated to the processing device approves the access and access is rejected if first access control unit or second access control unit rejects the access. The first access control unit is programmable by the associated processing device alone and the programming of the second access control unit is readable by an additional processing device which is to be used in a system with multiple programming devices, not the associate processing device.
US08984244B2

Various mechanisms are disclosed herein for the saving and restoring of virtual machine environment state. For example, virtual machine state can be either be saved or (multiple) snapshots can be taken of the virtual machine state. In the latter case, virtual processors can be allowed to run while the memory of the virtual machine state is being saved. In either case, virtual devices associated with the virtual machine environment can be quiesced such that these devices can prepare themselves to be saved. Once such virtual devices and memory are saved, they can also be restored. For example, restoration of memory can occur while virtual processors are running at the same time. And, moreover, restoration can occur in batches of pages, thus optimizing the response time for restoring saved data.
US08984238B2

Efficient and convenient storage systems and methods are presented. In one embodiment, a fractured erase process is performed in which a pre-program process, erase process and soft program process are initiated independently. Memory cells can be pre-programmed and conditioned independent of an erase command. The initiation of the independent pre-programming is partitioned from an erase command which is partitioned from initiation of a soft-programming command. A cell is erased wherein the erasing includes erase operations that are partitioned from the pre-preprogramming process. In one embodiment, the independent pre-program process is run in the background.
US08984229B2

A method and system for dynamic distributed data caching is presented. The system includes one or more peer members and a master member. The master member and the one or more peer members form cache community for data storage. The master member is operable to select one of the one or more peer members to become a new master member. The master member is operable to update a peer list for the cache community by removing itself from the peer list. The master member is operable to send a nominate master message and an updated peer list to a peer member selected by the master member to become the new master member.
US08984228B2

In one embodiment, the present invention includes a multicore processor having a plurality of cores, a shared cache memory, an integrated input/output (IIO) module to interface between the multicore processor and at least one IO device coupled to the multicore processor, and a caching agent to perform cache coherency operations for the plurality of cores and the IIO module. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08984223B2

Multiple applications request data from multiple storage units over a computer network. The data is divided into segments and each segment is distributed randomly on one of several storage units, independent of the storage units on which other segments of the media data are stored. At least one additional copy of each segment also is distributed randomly over the storage units, such that each segment is stored on at least two storage units. This random distribution of multiple copies of segments of data improves both scalability and reliability. When an application requests a selected segment of data, the request is processed by the storage unit with the shortest queue of requests. Random fluctuations in the load applied by multiple applications on multiple storage units are balanced nearly equally over all of the storage units. This combination of techniques results in a system which can transfer multiple, independent high-bandwidth streams of data in a scalable manner in both directions between multiple applications and multiple storage units.
US08984217B2

A system is disclosed that includes a content addressable memory and an input register coupled to the content addressable memory. The input register can store a data word and the content addressable memory determines if the data word exists in the content addressable memory. The system also includes a power control circuit coupled to the content addressable memory for selectively providing power to at least a portion of the content addressable memory. The system includes power control logic coupled to the power control circuit to selectively reduce power to the at least a portion of the content addressable memory when valid data does not exist in the at least a portion of the content addressable memory.
US08984215B2

Various embodiments for storing a logical object are provided. In one such embodiment, by way of example only, incoming data is divided corresponding to a logical data object into a plurality of independent streams, associating each data chunk of a plurality of obtained data chunks with a corresponding stream among the plurality of independent streams. At least one of the obtained data chunks and derivatives thereof is sequentially accommodated in accordance with an order the obtained chunks are received, while keeping the association with the corresponding streams. A global index is generated as a single meta-data stream accommodated in the logical data object and comprising information common to the plurality of independent streams and related to mapping between data in the logical data object and the obtained data chunks.
US08984209B2

A control circuit of a semiconductor device (memory module) realizes long life and others by a mechanism that suppresses and smoothes variations in use of a memory by equalizing the sizes of data write and data erase with respect to a data write request and sequentially allocating and using addresses of the memory in data write to an overwritable non-volatile memory device without carrying out an overwriting operation even in the case of an overwrite request. The control circuit realizes data write by a set of two types of operations of (a) an operation of erasing data of a first address or an operation of setting a flag value to an invalid state and (b) an operation of writing data to a second address different from the first address or an operation of setting a flag value to a valid state.
US08984201B2

In one embodiment, a system includes a local processor, a peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) switch electrically coupled to the local processor, one or more local I2C bus devices, a dedicated processor electrically coupled to the one or more local I2C bus devices and the PCIe switch, and a local network switch electrically coupled to the dedicated processor and the PCIe switch, wherein the dedicated processor is adapted for routing interrupts from the one or more local I2C bus devices to the local processor, and wherein the local processor is adapted for handling the interrupts from the one or more local I2C bus devices. Other distributed fabric protocol (DFP) systems, computer program products, and methods are presented according to additional embodiments.
US08984196B2

A hardware system comprises a master device and a slave device that are coupled by a signal line. A frequency generator in the master device places a selected frequency signal on the signal line. A frequency detector/comparator in the slave device, which is coupled to the signal line, determines whether the selected frequency signal on the signal line matches a predetermined frequency for the slave device. If the selected frequency signal matches the predetermined frequency, then a chip select node on the slave device is enabled, in order to permit a data exchange session between the master device and the slave device.
US08984195B2

A system includes one or more master modules configured to execute instructions embedded in non-transitory machine-readable media and controllable by a processor. The system also includes one or more peripheral modules that are configured to execute instructions embedded in non-transitory machine-readable media and controllable by the processor. The system also includes a system bus with instructions embedded in a non-transitory machine-readable medium and configured to allow data transfer between the processor and the one or more peripheral modules. A data processing module of the one or more peripheral modules includes a master interface and a slave interface. Both master and slave interfaces are coupled to the system bus.
US08984194B2

The present invention discloses an arbitration mechanism for controlling access of a plurality of nodes external to a shared resource, to which accesses by the number of nodes must be restricted, is applicable to any shared source in a computer or computer-controlled system. The present design delivers the following advantageous features. It provides localized arbitration to obtain resource access and localized self-management of resource mastery; eliminates resource seizure locally; it allows equal access to the share resource, encapsulate all four above features with the same circuit/protocol.
US08984191B2

In one embodiment, a computer implemented method is provided for generating a network patch plan. The method can include selecting at least two devices to be interconnected. The method can include selecting a role for each of the at least two devices. The method can include identifying a patching template. The method can include determining a priority order of available logical ports associated with each of the at least two devices. The method can include generating a patch plan based on the priority order.
US08984183B2

One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for enabling the insertion of generated tasks into a scheduling pipeline of a multiple processor system allows a compute task that is being executed to dynamically generate a dynamic task and notify a scheduling unit of the multiple processor system without intervention by a CPU. A reflected notification signal is generated in response to a write request when data for the dynamic task is written to a queue. Additional reflected notification signals are generated for other events that occur during execution of a compute task, e.g., to invalidate cache entries storing data for the compute task and to enable scheduling of another compute task.
US08984174B2

In a portable computing device having a system-on-chip (SoC) Acorn RISC Machine (ARM)-based resource architecture, a peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) bus is used to insert PCIe device memory into system memory absent a PCIe driver. During a PCIe initialization, the contents of PCIe base address registers (BARs) are mapped or otherwise updated to coincide with values assigned to the PCIe device in the advanced configuration and power interface (ACPI) tables.
US08984170B2

A method, machine, and computer-readable medium is provided for managing transactional sets of commands sent from a client to a server for execution. A first server reports logical identifiers that identify transactional sets of commands to a client. The first server commits information about a set of commands to indicate that the set has committed. A second server receives, from the client, a request that identifies the set based on the logical identifier that the client had received. The second server determines whether the request identified the latest set received for execution in a corresponding session and whether any transactions in the set have not committed. If any transaction has not committed, the second server enforces uncommitted state of the identified set by blocking completion of the identified set issued in the first session. The identified set may then be executed in the second session without risk of duplication.
US08984159B2

Bit efficient control information communication techniques. Control information for configuring an audiovisual device to present multimedia content may be generated. The control information may be organized according to a tree data structure having a plurality of nodes. The control information may include commands for navigating the nodes of the tree structure to locate data values stored at leaf nodes of the tree structure. Some commands may have associated data fields. Each command, and each data field, may include bit portions of uniform length. A designated bit of command bit portions may have a first value indicating that the bit portion is a command, while a designated bit of data field bit portions may have a second value indicating the bit portion is a data field. The second value may be different than the first value.
US08984158B2

A data communication system includes a centralized server arrangement coupled via a communication network arrangement to a plurality of client devices. The centralized server arrangement and the plurality of client devices exchange data. The system allocates the data into a primary type of data and at least a secondary type of data. The primary data is communicated substantially immediately within the system, and at least the secondary data is communicated in the system in association with corresponding acknowledgements (ACK) in response to receipt of the second type of data at one or more of the client devices. At least one of the one or more client devices is optionally a wireless-enabled mobile communication device or a wirelessly-connected personal computer (PC).
US08984156B2

Conferencing between multiple parties can be performed with mesh conferencing. In one example, conference streams are received directly or indirectly from different client nodes at a mesh conferencing node. A priority is assigned to each stream before or after the streams are received. At least one stream is selected based on the assigned priorities to send to another node, such as a client node or a second mesh conferencing. node. Using the priorities, the streams may also be scaled or compressed before being sent to the next node.
US08984153B2

A logically centralized system or service, such as a cloud-based content management service, enables intelligent communication between disparate devices. Such communication enables content such as applications and data to be synchronized between various devices, where the synchronization takes into account the capabilities of each device to provide versions and/or formats of that content that are appropriate for each device. A user purchasing an additional device, for example, can have various applications and other content automatically installed or copied over to the additional device, but with versions or formats that take advantage of, and are appropriate for, the capabilities of that additional device. Further, the intelligent communication via a logically centralized service can enable such devices to interact even though those devices might utilize different protocols and/or formats, and might otherwise not be able to communicate or have ever have been tested together.
US08984152B1

A method and apparatus for handling a Session Initiation Protocol communication in an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network. A Proxy Call Session Control Function receives a Session Initiation Protocol message sent from a trusted remote network. The P-CSCF adds to the message a further header, which identifies a Public User Identity of a trusted entity located in the remote network served by a Serving Call Session Control Function in the IMS network. The message is then sent to the S-CSCF. The S-CSCF, and any other node that the message is sent to, knows from the presence of the further header to use the Public User Identity of the trusted entity to determine the served user rather than the P-Asserted Identity contained in the SIP message.
US08984150B2

In some embodiments a method for correlating supply chain network information received from supply chain network components controlled by different entities includes receiving connection agent information indicating access point identifiers associated with network access points; receiving provisioning information including physical location identifiers identifying venues at which the network access points reside; receiving network authorization request and response records, wherein the network authorization request and response records include data associated with the connection agent information and the provisioning data. The method can also include determining an association between one of the physical location identifiers that identifies one of the venues and one of the access point identifiers associated with one of the network access points, the determining including, selecting, based on the common data, the physical location identifier from the provisioning information; and selecting, based on the common data, the one of the access point identifiers from the connection agent information.
US08984149B1

Associations are maintained among a plurality of subnets, policies, and client types. Each subnet has an associated client type and policy. For a particular client device, (i) a client type of the particular client device, and (ii) a client type associated with the subnet on which the particular client device is hosted is determined. For the particular client device, (i) the determined client type of the particular client device with (ii) the determined client type associated with the subnet on which the particular client device is hosted is compared. Responsive to a determination that the client type of the particular client device matches the client type associated with the subnet that hosts the particular client device, a policy is applied to the particular client device.
US08984148B2

In one embodiment, a method includes obtaining a request from a first endpoint to establish a session, determining whether a resource reservation may be established post-ring, and identifying a second endpoint to establish the resource reservation post-ring when it is determined that the resource reservation may be established post-ring. The method also includes notifying the second endpoint of the request and ringing the second endpoint. Notifying the second endpoint of the request includes notifying the second endpoint that the resource reservation may be established post-ring.
US08984144B2

Systems and methods are provided for a pull model for delivery of data such as content metadata among interconnected content delivery networks (CDNi), allowing for accurate metadata information in appropriate edge servers in a large CDNi system. When a request for an asset in a CDN (CDN A) is to be served by another, interconnected CDN (CDN B), a link to the location where the metadata is stored within CDN A can be provided along with the request for CDN B to serve the content to the user. The link can be passed to the appropriate edge device in CDN B, which can retrieve the metadata to set up and support the content session. The encrypted information can also be passed recursively by CDN B to other CDNs with which it is interconnected.
US08984142B2

An apparatus is provided for generating a pool of remote session references that may be utilized to establish authenticated sessions. The apparatus includes a processor configured to generate remote session references that may be maintained in a pool. The remote session references may include information used to establish authenticated sessions with a secure device. The processor is also configured to determine whether a remote session reference(s) of the pool may be borrowed in response to receipt of a request for a resource(s) on the secure device. Additionally, the processor may perform a test on a borrowed remote session reference when a determination reveals that one of the remote session references may be borrowed. The processor may also provide the secure device with the borrowed remote session reference and a request for the resource(s) in response to determining that the test passed. Corresponding computer program products and methods are also provided.
US08984140B2

A computer system establishes offloaded connections over a network between requestor applications running on client nodes and server applications running on a server node. The connections are established through an aggregated plurality of network resources of the server node. Each of the aggregated plurality of server resources is operable to provide offloaded connections over the network and each is assigned to a unique private IP address. Connect queries are generated on behalf of requesting applications. Each of the connect queries specifies one of the server applications using a first endpoint tuple. The first endpoint tuple includes one of one or more IP addresses identifying the server node publicly on the network and a first port number uniquely identifying the server application. A valid set of bypass endpoint tuples are obtained that are translated from the first endpoint tuple specified in the query. Each tuple of the set includes a different one of the assigned private IP addresses. A connect request is issued over the network that specifies a selected one of the valid set of bypass endpoint tuples as the destination transport address for the connection.
US08984134B2

A method, system and computer program product for managing and deploying physical and virtual environments across multiple hardware platforms. A single unit, referred to herein as a cloud construction block, contains both the hardware and software components used to build a cloud computing environment. By having such a single unit contain both the hardware and software components needed to build a cloud computing environment, the user no longer needs to purchase and integrate different hardware and software components. Furthermore, the cloud construction block contains modular pieces of hardware, such as compute hardware, memory hardware, storage hardware and network hardware, that are integrated with management software configured to manage both the hardware and the cloud computing environment in a seamlessly integrated package. Since there is a single management system, the management software allows the user to manage the modular pieces of hardware via a single user interface.
US08984128B2

A new method and computer program for evaluating page load performance of a web browser is presented. The evaluation method comprises obtaining a first browser timestamp from the web browser when the web browser starts a page process in order to load a page from the server. Further, the method comprises obtaining at least one intermediate timestamp associated with an intermediate stage during the page load. The intermediate timestamp can be for example a second browser timestamp, a first server timestamp or a second server timestamp. After that, a third browser timestamp is obtained from the web browser when the web browser completes the page load. The obtained timestamps are used for calculating a first and second page load performance parameters relating respectively to a first and second technical aspect of the page load performance.
US08984117B2

Methods, devices, and computer program products facilitate communications between two or more network entities that utilize Session Initiation Protocol. To this end, an Event State Compositor may force an Event Publication Agent to provide update information as deemed necessary by the Event State Compositor. The update of the publication information may be carried out by initiating an update triggering mechanism that is addressed to the Event State Compositor and comprises information that specifically identifies a particular publication. Such a triggering mechanism may be initiated when a predefined condition associated with the Event State Compositor's local policies is satisfied.
US08984115B2

An integrated hybrid system is provided. The hybrid system includes compute components of different types and architectures that are integrated and managed by a single point of control to provide federation and the presentation of the compute components as a single logical computing platform.
US08984112B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide an Internet address information processing method, apparatus and an Internet system. The method includes: receiving, by a first leaf node, a query request message containing an IP address to be queried sent by user equipment, and performing query or sending a query request to an intermediate layer node; obtaining, by the intermediate layer node, an IP address of a second leaf node according to a prefix of the IP address to be queried to send the query request message to the second leaf node; and finally, sending, by the second leaf node, address information about the IP address after receiving the query request message. Embodiments of the present invention further provide corresponding apparatus and system. The method, apparatus, and system provided by the present invention are capable of implementing real-time query for address information about IP addresses.
US08984109B2

An integrated hybrid system is provided. The hybrid system includes compute components of different types and architectures that are integrated and managed by a single point of control to provide federation and the presentation of the compute components as a single logical computing platform.
US08984108B2

Techniques for mapping availability management (AM) functions to software installation locations are described. An availability management function (AMF) can look-up a component type and determine software associated with that component. For a selected AMF node, the AMF software entity can then determine a pathname prefix associated with that software. The pathname prefix can then be used for various AM functions, e.g., instantiation of a new component or service unit.
US08984107B2

System and method of interfacing arbitrary non-network connected devices to wireless computer networks. The invention provides an optically configurable wireless communications module, in either fixed or removable formats, with wireless (e.g. WiFi) network connectivity. The module also has a programmable arbitrary device controller, associated software, and at least the combination of the arbitrary device and the module also provides a unique ID code. A software token assisted method may be used to associate the unique ID code with appropriate control software and this association stored in network server memory. The invention also uses an internet-based service and a local optical programmer to configure the module's wireless network configuration. Once connectivity is established, the module may upload its unique ID code to the server and receive appropriate arbitrary device control code from the server. Portable version modules may be swapped between arbitrary devices at will, and will automatically configure themselves.
US08984103B2

A calculation processing apparatus includes a monitor, a CPU, a memory and a hard disk. The hard disk stores an initial program input from outside, a network creation program, a network modifying program, network information, node operation definition, and learning variables. The CPU executes the network creation program, and creates network information related to a network representing an algorithm structure of the initial program. Further, the CPU executes the network modifying program and modifies the network information based on the result of calculation by the network, using a learning algorithm.
US08984097B1

A system and method for replicating a set of files from a source computer system to a target computer system are described. The underlying extent structure of the files may be preserved. For example, if an original file on the source computer system has a particular number of extents then the copy of the file created on the target computer system may have the same number of extents, where each respective extent in the copy represents the same byte range of the file as its corresponding extent in the original file. The file systems employed on the source computer system and the target computer system may support different extent types. The extent types of the original files stored on the source computer system may be preserved in the copies of the files on the target computer system.
US08984092B2

A method for transmitting telegrams in an automation system which is composed of a plurality of network components connected to form a network, includes the steps of a) receiving with a first of the network components a first telegram composed of datagrams associated with each of the network components, b) removing from the first telegram a first datagram associated with the first network component, c) inserting into the first telegram an updated datagram associated with the first network component, thereby forming a second telegram, and d) transmitting the second telegram to at least one of the other network components. The steps a) through d) are carried out by each of the network components.
US08984090B2

An approach is provided for providing a derivative publication of a publication at one or more services. The publishing service platform processes and/or facilitates a processing of at least one publication to cause, at least in part, a generation of at least one derivative publication. Next, the publishing service platform determines at least one service for publishing the at least one derivative publication. Then, the publishing service platform causes, at least in part, a transmission of the at least one derivative publication to the at least one service for publication.
US08984084B2

Embodiments described herein are directed to extending remote direct memory access (RDMA) semantics to enable implementation in a local storage system and to providing a management interface for initializing a local data store. A computer system extends RDMA semantics to provide local storage access using RDMA, where extending the RDMA semantics includes the following: mapping RDMA verbs of an RDMA verbs interface to a local data store and altering RDMA ordering semantics to allow out-of-order processing and/or out-of-order completions. The computer system also accesses various portions of the local data store using the extended RDMA semantics.
US08984081B2

A messaging system receives a message that is intended for a recipient, who is a user of a social networking system. An object associated with the message is identified based on the message content and/or metadata associated with the message. The messaging system accesses a social networking system database to obtain social information about a relationship between the recipient and the identified object. The message is then indexed using the social information, wherein an entry for the message is stored in a message index based on the social information. This process may be repeated for each received message, and multiple different message indexes may be generated for received messages to track different types of social information. A user interface for viewing messages uses the message index to organize the messages, such as to filter, categorize, and/or sort the messages in the display.
US08984080B1

A system and method for facilitating a user to initiate and accept an assistance request through a chat session is disclosed. Controls may be provided in a graphical chat interface to enable the user to specify inputs to request assistance from other users participating in the chat session. An assistance request may be generated and communicated to those users through the chat session. Graphical representation for the assistance request and controls that facilitate the users to accept the assistance request may be provided in the graphical chat interface. Upon an acceptance to the assistance request by a responding user through the graphical chat interface, an assistance command may be generated and executed in the virtual space.
US08984075B2

A method and system for broadcasting a multimedia message are disclosed. The method includes: a broadcasting source node packs multimedia content to be broadcasted into a multimedia message, and sends the multimedia message to a reception end node in structural Peer-to-Peer which establishes a virtual connection with the present broadcasting source node; the reception end node receiving the multimedia message forwards the multimedia message to other reception end nodes establishing a virtual connection with the present reception end node. The method and system can save bandwidth and processing capability resources of the whole overlay network, and can make loads be distributed to nodes except the broadcasting source node more evenly to prevent the broadcasting source node from being bottleneck.
US08984066B2

An apparatus and method for providing a message service are provided. The apparatus includes an input unit through which a user inputs a message and a list of recipients who will receive the message; a transmitter multicasting the message input by the user and identification information of the user to the recipient in the list; a receiver receiving answer messages from the recipients in the list; and a packet generating unit generating a combined message by combining the received answer messages with the message input by the user.
US08984052B2

The present invention provides a method for customizing application services of a data card. The system comprises a data card and an over-the-air server. The method comprises: the data card sending an application service customization request to the over-the-air server when an application service is required to be customized; and the over-the-air server receiving the application service customization request, and then returning a configuration command corresponding to configuration information to the data card if it is determined that an operation of the data card to request customization of the application service is valid according to the stored and managed configuration information of all application services supported by the data card.
US08984051B2

Disclosed are systems, apparatus, methods and computer-readable media for communicating feed information to one or more recipients. In some implementations, an instruction to communicate an information update to one or more identified first recipients is received. In some instances, an additional recipient indicator is identified and an identification of one or more second recipients based on the additional recipient indicator is generated. In some instances, the one or more second recipients are provided access to the information update.
US08984044B2

A computer-implemented method of managing bookmarks within a collaborative application can include receiving a user input specifying a universal resource locator (URL) to be bookmarked and determining whether a bookmark record including the URL exists. Responsive to determining that a bookmark record including the URL does not exist, an address and a network type for the URL can be determined. A bookmark record including the URL and the network type can be stored.
US08984041B2

Mechanisms are provided for performing a floating point arithmetic operation in a data processing system. A plurality of floating point operands of the floating point arithmetic operation are received and bits in a mantissa of at least one floating point operand of the plurality of floating point operands are shifted. One or more bits of the mantissa that are shifted outside a range of bits of the mantissa of at least one floating point operand are stored and a vector value is generated based on the stored one or more bits of the mantissa that are shifted outside of the range of bits of the mantissa of the at least one floating point operand. A resultant value is generated for the floating point arithmetic operation based on the vector value and the plurality of floating point operands.
US08984037B2

A power supply control apparatus includes a first adder configured to generate a difference signal based on a target value and a feedback signal; a compensator having a first transfer function Wc(z) and configured to generate a control signal based on the difference signal; a control target having a second transfer function Wp(z) and configured to output an output signal generated in response to the control signal; a disturbance canceller having a third transfer function {1+Wc(z)·Wp(z)}/{Wc(z)·Wp(z)} and configured to generate a disturbance cancelling signal based on the output signal corresponding to a control amount y; a second adder configured to generate a differential disturbance signal based on an output of the first adder and the disturbance cancelling signal; and a filter circuit which generates the feedback signal based on the differential disturbance signal.
US08984033B2

Systems, methods and user interfaces that allow rapid storage and retrieval of trading data are provided. Trading data records are arranged as a non-indexed collection of data records. The physical location of trading data records stored in a computer-readable medium corresponds to the order that queries are performed. Queries may be performed by analyzing attributes of all of the trading data records, without speed limitations associated with indexed databases.
US08984025B1

A method and apparatus for processing a transform function and parameter information to represent data files is described. In one embodiment, the method includes processing at least one data file to identify a reference file, a transform function and parameter information and storing the transform function and the parameter information, wherein the transform function and the parameter information is applied to the reference file to create the at least one data file.
US08984002B2

According to one embodiment, a computer-implemented method, includes accessing, by a computer system, a knowledge store that stores records structured according to a RDF specification. The method also includes, based on a drag-and-drop selection technique, receiving a first entry in a first query entry field. The first entry is selected from a group comprising one or more of the following: a first class of a plurality of classes, a first predicate of a plurality of predicates, a first instance of a plurality of instances, and a first text entry of a plurality of text entries. The method further includes generating a SPARQL query using at least the first entry. The method further includes transmitting the generated SPARQL query to the knowledge store.
US08984000B2

A process, system and computer software are provided to facilitate at least one recommendation to one or more users and/or one or more applications using multidimensional data. In particular, a multidimensional space is defined, wherein each dimension is capable of providing variable information. At least one dimension corresponds to user profiles. The multidimensional space is filled with multidimensional data corresponding to dimensions of the multidimensional space. Then, information from the multidimensional space is retrieved. Further, the recommendation is generated based on the retrieved information. In addition, it is possible to generate a recommendation-specific query. This can be performed by generating the recommendation-specific query to access a multidimensional cube and retrieve data stored therein. Then, the recommendation can be issued based on the data retrieved from the multidimensional cube.
US08983997B2

There is provided an information processing apparatus including a setting unit that sets a search character string, a searching unit that searches information including the set search character string, and a determining unit that extracts a co-occurrence character string candidate group other than partial character strings appearing as only a part of other partial character strings, among all partial character strings appearing in a plurality of pieces of the information obtained as a search result, and determines a co-occurrence character string from the co-occurrence character string candidate group, on the basis of the extracted co-occurrence character string candidate group and kinds of characters used in characters before and after the co-occurrence character string candidate group.
US08983993B2

Disclosed is a system allowing to query data warehouses using SPARQL. An aspect of the system may support the representation of multidimensional data as virtual graphs. Another aspect of the system may provide mapping of SPARQL queries directed against multidimensional data vis-à-vis the graphs to native queries directed against the multidimensional data. Responses from the native queries may then be translated to a SPARQL response format.
US08983990B2

A method of performing a graph query issued by a user is provided. The method includes performing on a processor, receiving a user graph query. The method includes rewriting the user graph query as a new query based on a query policy expressed in a graph query language. The method includes performing the new query on graph data to obtain a result.
US08983983B2

Methods and systems for distributed data storage provide automatically expandable and configurable state servers and a state operating system for storing data closer to its natural format.
US08983975B2

A system (10) for measuring and managing distributed online conversations accessible via a network (20) comprises memory (3812) and an online conversation monitoring system (12) communicatively coupled to the network and communicatively coupled to the memory and being configured to create and manage search topics and queries, to search sites on the network utilizing the search topics and queries to identify relevant online conversations related to an entity, to capture relevant online conversations related to the entity, to store in the memory each captured relevant online conversation as a discrete incident associated with the entity to which it is relevant, to score each discrete incident according to a set of metrics, and to present scored incidents to the entity to which relevant online conversation relates.
US08983970B1

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products for identifying original content. In one aspect a method is described that includes identifying a first document in a collection of documents. The first document contains a content piece and the content piece does not occur in any earlier document in the collection. The first document is associated with a first author and the first author associated with a first rank. The first rank of the first author is determined using a score of the content piece. The score is a figure of merit of the content piece.
US08983968B2

A processing method for duplicated data includes the following steps. A query request is received from a client, in which the query request includes a requested fingerprint value. A hash tank corresponding to the requested fingerprint value in a memory is searched for the requested fingerprint value. When the requested fingerprint value does not exist in the hash tank corresponding to the requested fingerprint value, the following steps are executed. An addition table in the memory is searched for the requested fingerprint value; and when the requested fingerprint value exists in the addition table, an invalid duplicate message is sent to the client.
US08983964B2

An application for a method and system providing educational seekers a search tool that finds education opportunities across a large number of educational/training providers. The search tool finds courses and/or programs of interest such as certifications, vocational programs, two-year programs, four-year programs, MBA programs, certain financial aide features, specific course offerings, specific sports programs, placement success, etc, The system includes educational software robots called edu bots that visit educational program hosting web sites of the various educational/training providers, extracting information regarding the programs, courses, faculty, financial assistance, sports programs, location, extra-curricular activities, etc. The information is then stored in a common, searchable database for later searching by the educational seeker.
US08983963B2

Certain example embodiments relate to techniques for analyzing documents. A plurality of documents/document portions are imported into a database, with at least some of the documents/document portions being structured and at least some being unstructured. The imported documents/document portions are organized into one or more collections. A selection of at least one of the one or more collections is made. An index of words and/or groups of words is built (and optionally refined in accordance with one or more predefined rules) based on each of the document or document portion in each selection. A document-word matrix is built (and optionally weighted using a semantic approach), with the matrix including a value indicative of a number of times each word and/or group of words in the index appears in each document/document portion. One or more clusters of documents are generated using the document-word matrix.
US08983962B2

The question and answer data editing device for editing dialog content to generate question and answer data, includes a detecting unit that detects a part of the dialog content similar to existing question and answer data stored, and a extracting unit that extracts a context in which the dialog content is made from dialog content in the proximity of the similar part detected and registers the context extracted as new question and answer data or as index information of the question and answer data.
US08983959B2

Methods and apparatus teach a digital spectrum of a data file. The digital spectrum is used to map a file's position in multi-dimensional space. This position relative to another file's position reveals closest neighbors. Certain of the closest neighbors are grouped together to define a set. Overlapping members in the groups may be further differentiated from one another by partitioning. An optimized partition of set S of N overlapping groups yields a maximum strength for groups and members in that partition. Among other things, the optimized partition includes relative strengths of every individual member in every possible partition and weighting functions applied to the relative strengths and to subgroups of files within the partitions.
US08983952B1

A system and method for partitioning a data stream into a plurality of segments of varying sizes. A data stream manager partitions a received data stream into segments which are then conveyed to a deduplication engine for processing. The data stream received by the data stream manager includes metadata corresponding to the data stream. Based upon the metadata, which may include an indication as to a type of data included in the data stream, the data stream is partitioned into segments for further processing. A size of a segment used for partitioning given data is based at least in part on a type of data being partitioned. The variable segment sizes may be chosen to balance between maximizing the deduplication ratio and minimizing both the segment count and the size of the fingerprint index.
US08983944B2

A method for providing information about a main knowledge stream is disclosed. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the method includes obtaining reference links representing reference relationships among reference documents in each of a plurality of documents stored in a database, determining one or more basic paths connecting the reference links, calculating probability values of the reference links by overlapping the determined basic paths, determining a first document among the documents and an input reference link associated with the first document, and performing a Markov chain model using a probability value of the input reference link, and calculating information about the main knowledge stream associated with the first document using the result obtained by performing the Markov chain model.
US08983934B2

A computer readable medium storing a database query language statement tuning base in a tuning base memory location is disclosed. The tuning base includes tuning information for one or more query language statements. The tuning information for each statement includes one or more tuning actions for the statement, and a signature to allow an optimizer to identify the one or more tuning actions for the statement.
US08983929B2

Methods and systems for managing an index database. In one exemplary method, an index database is stored on a machine readable volume with an operating system and the files which have been indexed, and then the volume is, after the storing, made available for distribution to licensees or customers. In this manner, the volume will include a previously created index database, allowing a user to begin use of the index database without having to perform an indexing operation.
US08983928B2

Indexing and retrieving real time content in a social networking system is disclosed. A user-term index includes user-term partitions, each user-term partition comprising temporal databases. As a post is received from a user, a user identifier, a post identifier, and a post is extracted. An object store communicatively coupled to a temporal database for recently received content is queried to determine whether terms in the post has already been stored. A term identifier is stored in the user-term index with the user and post identifiers. A forward index stores the post by post identifier. Responsive to a search query, the user-term index is searched by the user's connections and the terms. A real time search engine compiles the results of the user-term index query and retrieves the stored posts from the forward index. The search results may then be ranked and cached before presentation to the searching user.
US08983919B2

Systems and methods for mapping and propagating a source dataset to a plurality of target tables in a target database are described herein. Embodiments include a physical database design with a template-based loader, and a method to propagate changes in the source dataset to a target database. Other embodiments include a database physical design with a plurality of small fact and summary tables. Still other embodiments include a method of extracting and loading data automatically into a target database, while simultaneously maintaining current summary tables.
US08983916B2

Embodiments associated with configurable, repeatable, data generation are described. One example method includes manipulating a redundancy parameter that controls data redundancy in binary large objects (BLOBs) to be included in a generated data set. The redundancy parameters may control variations in repeatable variable length sequences included in BLOBs. The example method also includes manipulating a parameter(s) that controls custom designed sequences included in BLOBs. With the redundancy and custom designed sequences described, the example method then generates BLOBs based, at least in part, on the redundancy parameters and the custom-designed sequences. BLOBs may include byte sequences repeated at different frequencies and configurable user-designed sequences. Manipulating the redundancy parameter, manipulating the custom-designed sequences, generating the BLOBs, and providing the BLOBS may be performed by separate processes acting in parallel.
US08983915B2

Systems and methods are disclosed for checking the data integrity of a data object copied between storage pools by comparing data fingerprints of data objects, comprising scheduling a series of successive copy operations over time for copying a data object from a source data store to a target data store; generating a partial fingerprint of the data object at the source data store that creates a fingerprint from a subset of the data object; sending the partial fingerprint of the data object to the target data store; sending any new data contents to the target data store; and creating a partial fingerprint of the data object at the target data store and comparing it to the received partial fingerprint to determine if they differ, thereby allowing incremental verification that the copy of the data object at the target data store is the same as at the source data store.
US08983908B2

A first server hosted on a computer system identifies a set of file links in the first server that is associated with one or more hard links that point to file data for a file in the first server. The computer system migrates the set of files links for the file to a second server prior to migrating the file data for the file in the first server to the second server. The second server is hosted by a second computer system. The first computer system migrates the file data for the file in the first server to the second server when the migration of the set of file links for the file to the second server is complete.
US08983898B1

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for extracting instance attributes from text are described. In one aspect, a method exploits weakly-supervised and unsupervised instance relatedness data, available in the form of labeled classes of instances and distributionally similar instances. The method organizes the data into a graph containing instances, class labels, and attributes. The method propagates attributes among related instances, through random walks over the graph.
US08983896B2

Disclosed is a method, system, and program for providing access to spatial data. A request for data is received. Enterprise and third party data are integrated. The integrated data is processed. Spatially referenced results are generated using the processed data. The spatially referenced results are returned in response to the request.
US08983892B2

A probability function with highest likelihood is calculated based on data. A canonical distribution in statistical physics and a temperature parameter of the canonical distribution are calculated as a fluctuation of the data. A probability function is estimated using the calculated probability function with the highest likelihood, the calculated fluctuation, and the canonical distribution. The present technology is applicable to an apparatus that estimates and uses a probability function.
US08983890B2

Provided are a method, an apparatus and a computer program for calculating a risk assessment value for an event sequence, which are capable of calculating the risk assessment value of each even sequence by calculating a totally ordered set on the basis of a partially ordered set indicating the event sequence. The risk assessment value of an event sequence that is a partially ordered set indicating some events of an event group of M kinds of events (M is a finite natural number) in a time series. The partially ordered set is converted into an approximate totally ordered set, and an M-dimensional feature vector is calculated based on the totally ordered set obtained by the conversion. A projection matrix for calculating the risk assessment value is calculated using the calculated M-dimensional feature vector.
US08983883B2

A self-managing system that uses autonomy and autonomicity is provided with the self-* property of autopoiesis (self-creation). In the event of an agent in the system self-destructing, autopoiesis auto-generates a replacement. A self-esteem reward scheme is also provided and can be used for autonomic agents, based on their performance and trust. Art agent with greater self-esteem may clone at a greater rate compared to the rate of an agent with lower self-esteem. A self-managing system is provided for a high volume of distributed autonomic/self-managing mobile agents, and autonomic adhesion is used to attract similar agents together or to repel dissimilar agents from an event horizon. An apoptotic system is also provided that accords an “expiry date” to data and digital objects, for example, that are available on the internet, which finds usefulness not only in general but also for controlling the loaning and use of space scientific data.
US08983874B2

A micropayment system and method is presented for a payor U to establish payment to payee M for a transaction T, which typically has a very low value TV. The micropayment scheme minimizes the bank's processing costs, while at the same time eliminating the need for users and merchants to interact in order to determine whether a given micropayment should be selected for payment. In one embodiment, the micropayment scheme includes time constraints, which require that an electronic check C for the transaction T be presented to a bank B for payment within a predetermined time/date interval. In another embodiment, the micropayment scheme includes a selective deposit protocol, which guarantees that a user is never charged in excess of what he actually spends, even within a probabilistic framework. In another embodiment, the micropayment scheme includes a deferred selection protocol, which provides the bank with control and flexibility over the payment selection process.
US08983872B2

An apparatus and method is provided for digital rights management. The method for digital rights management includes receiving encrypted content and a rights object representing use rights of the encrypted content, receiving a software module managing the rights object, and generating a new rights object using the software module.
US08983871B2

The present invention relates to a system, a method, a service server, a mobile communication terminal, an end-point terminal, and a storage medium, for providing a service to an end-point terminal that uses authentication information of a mobile communication terminal to which it is not currently connected, wherein the end-point terminal is connected to a first mobile communication terminal and to a second mobile communication terminal through a short-range communication network and to a service server via the second mobile communication terminal. The end-point terminal uses the authentication information of the first mobile communication terminal and is connected to the service server which is connected to the first and second mobile communication terminals through the mobile communication network, for authenticating the end-point terminal that uses the authentication information of the first mobile communication terminal.
US08983869B2

Systems and methods for supporting regulatory requirements for the distribution of controlled and non-controlled items such as, for example, non-controlled prescriptions (Rx), medical devices, and controlled substances in countries such as the United States and Canada, are provided. The systems and methods incorporate a license verification module that is configured to perform license validation for a particular order placed for a controlled and/or non-controlled item. In certain embodiments, the license verification module compares order data to historically sorted data and if one or more discrepancies exist, validation is unsuccessful. The license verification module may further query a third party database for updated license information upon validation failure. The systems and methods further incorporate a suspicious order monitoring module that is configured to perform a plurality of checks on the order to identify the order as an “order of interest” that may be further investigated and deemed to be suspicious.
US08983865B1

A system and machine-implemented method for associating a product category of consumer products with a location is provided. Data corresponding to consumer products is received, using one or more computing devices. Data for each of the consumer products includes corresponding location information. Each of the consumer products is identified based on the received data, using the one or more computing devices. A product category for each of the identified consumer products is determined, using the one or more computing devices. The consumer products are grouped based on the determined product categories and the corresponding location information, using the one or more computing devices. At least one determined product category is associated and stored with at least one location based on a density of the grouped consumer products and the corresponding location information, using the one or more computing devices.
US08983862B2

Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for initiating a service call for a hardware malfunction in a POS system, the POS system having a POS controller domains, the POS controller domain composed of a POS controller and one or more POS terminals, the POS controller operatively coupled to a service dispatcher for a hardware service provider, that include: detecting, by a POS operating system installed on the POS controller, a hardware error within the POS controller domain, the hardware error described by hardware error data; notifying, by the POS operating system, a system administrator of the detected hardware error in dependence upon the hardware error data; generating, by the POS operating system, a service request message in dependence upon the hardware error data; and transferring, by the POS operating system, the service request message to the service dispatcher, the service dispatcher initiating a service call by the hardware service provider.
US08983855B1

Systems and methods for evaluating adherence to a project control process are provided. A project to be audited may be identified by a computing system comprising one or more computers. The project may be a data delivery project implemented to deliver confidential healthcare information. The results of an audit performed on the identified project may be determined by the computing system. The audit may evaluate adherence of the project to a project control process. Based at least in part upon the results of the audit, the computing system may calculate a process adoption score for the identified project.
US08983854B2

A scale-type nonconstrained health condition evaluating apparatus includes a load cell sensor for sensing a ballistocardiogram signal and a weight signal from a measured person, an electrocardiogram sensor for sensing an electrocardiogram signal from the measured person, and a signal processor for calculating at least one of the heart rate, normalized stroke volume force, blood pressure and equilibrium sense abnormality of the measured person from the ballistocardiogram, weight and electrocardiogram signals sensed by the load cell sensor and the electrocardiogram sensor.
US08983849B2

Systems and methods for intelligent language models that can be used across multiple devices are provided. Some embodiments provide for a client-server system for integrating change events from each device running a local language processing system into a master language model. The change events can be integrated, not only into the master model, but also into each of the other local language models. As a result, some embodiments enable restoration to new devices as well as synchronization of usage across multiple devices. In addition, real-time messaging can be used on selected messages to ensure that high priority change events are updated quickly across all active devices. Using a subscription model driven by a server infrastructure, utilization logic on the client side can also drive selective language model updates.
US08983848B2

Methods and systems are described in which spoken voice prompts can be produced in a manner such that they will most likely have the desired effect, for example to indicate empathy, or produce a desired follow-up action from a call recipient. The prompts can be produced with specific optimized speech parameters, including duration, gender of speaker, and pitch, so as to encourage participation and promote comprehension among a wide range of patients or listeners. Upon hearing such voice prompts, patients/listeners can know immediately when they are being asked questions that they are expected to answer, and when they are being given information, as well as the information that considered sensitive.
US08983846B2

Provided is an information processing apparatus including: a voice analysis unit which performs an analysis process for a user speech; and a data processing unit which is input with analysis results of the voice analysis unit to determine a process which is to be performed by the information processing apparatus, wherein in the case where a factor of inhibiting process continuation occurs in a process based on the user speech, the data processing unit performs a process of generating and outputting feedback information corresponding to a process stage in which the factor of inhibiting occurs.
US08983843B2

A motion analyzer may include a motion detection unit, a speaking detection unit, and a determination unit. The motion detection unit may detect motion of a part of a body of a subject. The speaking detection unit may detect speaking of the subject. The determination unit may determine that the subject has performed predetermined motion when motion of a part of the body is detected by the motion detection unit and speaking of the subject is detected by the speaking detection unit.
US08983842B2

There is provided a speech processing apparatus including: a data obtaining unit which obtains music progression data defining a property of one or more time points or one or more time periods along progression of music; a determining unit which determines an output time point at which a speech is to be output during reproducing the music by utilizing the music progression data obtained by the data obtaining unit; and an audio output unit which outputs the speech at the output time point determined by the determining unit during reproducing the music.
US08983841B2

A network communication node includes an audio outputter that outputs an audible representation of data to be provided to a requester. The network communication node also includes a processor that determines a categorization of the data to be provided to the requester and that varies a pause between segments of the audible representation of the data in accordance with the categorization of the data to be provided to the requester.
US08983839B2

The system and method described herein may dynamically generate a recognition grammar associated with a conversational voice user interface in an integrated voice navigation services environment. In particular, in response to receiving a natural language utterance that relates to a navigation context at the voice user interface, a conversational language processor may generate a dynamic recognition grammar that organizes grammar information based on one or more topological domains. For example, the one or more topological domains may be determined based on a current location associated with a navigation device, whereby a speech recognition engine may use the grammar information organized in the dynamic recognition grammar according to the one or more topological domains to generate one or more interpretations associated with the natural language utterance.
US08983826B2

One embodiment provides a system for extracting shadow entities from emails. During operation, the system receives a number of document corpora. The system then calculates word-collocation statistics associated with different n-gram sizes for the document corpora. Next, the system receives an email and identifies shadow entities in the email based on the calculated word-collocation statistics for the document corpora.
US08983824B2

Methods and apparatus for advancing time in a distributed business process simulation are disclosed. The methods and apparatus simulate an interdependent business process, such as a financial transaction system, in a secure distributed manner. Each business entity that is part of the interdependent business process models itself on a local client device at any chosen level of detail. A simulation server connects the separate client based simulations into one large simulation. Details of each local simulation may be hidden from other simulation participants. However, interruptions in business flow caused by simulated disruptions introduced at the simulation server and/or a client device are propagated to all of the effected simulation participants via the simulation server. In addition, simulation time may be warped from one breakpoint to another breakpoint thereby facilitating an efficient ratio of simulation time to real time.
US08983812B2

Systems, methods, and software for determining a set of analytical or numerical polynomials that is orthonormal over circular or noncircular pupils are described. Closed-form orthonormal polynomials for circular, annular, hexagonal, elliptical, rectangular, and square pupils are derived. Such techniques can be applied to ray tracing as in the optical design and wavefront fitting from measurement as in the optical testing. These approaches can also be applied to wavefront reconstruction in adaptive optics.
US08983810B2

An apparatus for monitoring nuclear thermal hydraulic stability of a nuclear reactor, contains: a calculation unit configured to calculate a stability index of a nuclear thermal hydraulic phenomenon based on nuclear instrumentation signals, the signals being outputted by a plurality of nuclear instrumentation detectors placed at regular intervals in a reactor core; a simulation unit configured to simulate the nuclear thermal hydraulic phenomenon based on a physical model by using information on an operating state of the nuclear reactor as an input condition; a limit value updating unit configured to update a limit value of the nuclear thermal hydraulic phenomenon based on a result of the simulation; and a determination unit configured to determine, based on the stability index and the limit value, whether or not to activate a power oscillation suppressing device.
US08983801B2

In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method for transforming a CAD model of an object between engineering states includes generating a first reference geometry to represent a first engineering state. A parametric CAD model of the object may be generated to represent the object in the first engineering state by constructing the parametric CAD model as having dependence on the first reference geometry. A second reference geometry may be generated to represent a second engineering state. The parametric CAD model may be regenerated to represent the object in the second engineering state by replacing the first reference geometry with the second reference geometry.
US08983800B2

Methods and devices for reducing noise effects in a system for measuring a physiological parameter, including receiving an input signal, obtaining an assessment of the signal quality of the input signal, selecting coefficients for a digital filter using the assessment of signal quality; and filtering the input signal using the digital filter, without comparing the filter's output signal with the input signal.
US08983798B2

A home appliance diagnostic system and method are disclosed. A home appliance outputs product information in the form of a sound signal, which is transmitted to a service center at a remote site over a communication network so that the service center can readily check the state of the home appliance. The home appliance performs a sound signal re-output operation in such a manner that it re-outputs the same product information in the form of a different sound signal. Therefore, it is possible to improve a sound recognition rate, so as to improve fault diagnosis accuracy.
US08983794B1

A non-destructive inspection system for a structure is described. The inspection system includes a local positioning system (LPS) configured for determining position and orientation of objects relative to a structure coordinate system, a six degree-of-freedom digitizer operable for at least one of temporary attachment to the structure and placement proximate the structure, a non-destructive sensor array, and a processing device.
US08983777B2

Provided is an information processing device that provides a user with a trajectory of positions calculated by positioning unit in a user-friendly way without displaying a map. The device includes a positioning section (60) repeatedly calculates a position, a position coordinate storage section (62) that stores a plurality of positions calculated by the positioning section, and an other-user information providing section (70) that displays letter strings indicating the positions stored in the position coordinate storage section (62) in an order that the positions are calculated. The positioning section (60) stores, in a case where a newly calculated position is at a given distance or more from the position last stored in the position coordinate storage section (62), the newly calculated position into the position coordinate storage section (62).
US08983771B2

Method and system for managing data about a road condition and providing the data to vehicles includes generating information using a sensor system at a first vehicle about a condition of a surface on which the first vehicle is travelling, wirelessly communicating the surface condition information to an off-vehicle location using a first communications system on the first vehicle, and determining a position of the first vehicle using a position determining system, e.g., on the first vehicle. The surface condition information from the first vehicle is associated with the determined position of the first vehicle, to know the location at which the surface condition information is pertinent. Via a second communications system on a second vehicle, the surface condition information from the off-vehicle location is received based on location of the second vehicle, so that the operator of the second vehicle is thereby notified of a potentially hazardous road surface condition.
US08983768B1

An automatic timing measurement system provides a measure of time of passage of a watercraft through a prescribed course. Inertial or other estimates augmented by GPS speed/position measurements are used to track position of a watercraft. Position estimates are used to allow the locations of prescribed courses to be mapped and memorized. The passage of a watercraft through mapped courses is automatically detected for the purpose of measuring and reporting time of passage of the watercraft past key points in the course, and the speed of the apparatus may be modified if necessary at certain points in the mapped course. A measure of accuracy of driver steering can be provided along with the ability to automatically steer the watercraft through the course if “steer-by-wire” mechanism is available. GPS speed control is augmented with a secondary velocity measurement device that measures speed over water to provide real-time compensation for water current.
US08983753B2

A system for a vehicle, includes first, second, and third setpoint generation modules, a scaling module, and an actuator control module. The first setpoint generation module generates a first target value for an combustion parameter of an engine based on a predetermined value of a combustion stability of the engine. The second setpoint generation module generates a second target value for the combustion parameter based on a predetermined fuel efficiency. The scaling module generates a scaled value for the combustion parameter based on the first and second target values and a scalar value. The third setpoint generation module generates a third target value for the combustion parameter based on the first target value and the scaled value. The actuator control module controls at least one engine actuator associated with the combustion parameter based on the third target value.
US08983721B2

A method and system for detecting the presence of a carrier mounted on the rear of a motor vehicle or of an object carried by the carrier that may cause damage or a malfunction of a rear wiper system of the motor vehicle. If a potentially obstructing situation is determined to be present, the rear wiper system is deactivated to prevent it malfunctioning or being damaged by the obstruction. A user of the vehicle may be provided with a message that an obstruction has been detected and the user may control whether the wiper system is deactivated. The obstruction may be sensed by monitoring the amount of current drawn by a wiper motor, by an ultrasonic sensor, or by a rear-view camera.
US08983709B2

Provided is an autonomous travel system having an operation management unit including a map database with a combination of topological region maps, on which the range of travel of a vehicle is expressed as points and lines, and metric region maps, on which the travel range is expressed on planar maps; a vehicle position management unit for managing the position of the vehicle; and a vehicle travel planning unit for planning vehicle travel, which, if the vehicle is present near the boundary of a map, blocks the map boundary so that other vehicles will not advance into another map. The operation management unit is provided with a blockage setting unit for dividing a boundary section of a map into a plurality of regions and releasing the blockage of the boundary of a divided region in which no vehicles are present in front of the vehicle in the direction of travel.
US08983698B2

An in-vehicle apparatus for a vehicle driven by a first driving power source in a first driving mode and driven by a second diving power source in a second driving mode, includes: a collision detection device; a stopping device stopping the first and second driving modes when the collision detection device detects collision; a severity determination device determining a severity of collision indicative of a collision intensity; and a controller. Under a condition that the stopping device stops both of the first driving mode and the second driving mode, the controller executes one of recovery of both of the first driving mode and the second driving mode, recovery of one of the first driving mode and the second driving mode, and system shut-down according to the severity of collision.
US08983697B2

A control system is provided for controlling a hybrid vehicle that includes an internal combustion engine; an electric motor for starting the internal combustion engine; an inverter for controlling the electric motor; a clutch for selectively connecting and disconnecting power transmission between the internal combustion engine and the electric motor; and a battery for supplying power to the electric motor. The control device includes: a voltage detection unit for detecting the voltage of the battery a voltage control unit for controlling the output of the battery in accordance with a first power value currently available within the voltage limit range of the battery; and an internal combustion engine starting unit for engaging the clutch to start engine while controlling the inverter in accordance with the output from the battery that in turn is controlled by the voltage control unit.
US08983696B2

A control device for a vehicle includes an electric motor disposed in a manner enabling power transmission to wheels; and a clutch device capable of interrupting and connecting a power transmission path between the wheels and the electric motor, if temperature of the electric motor exceeds predetermined temperature defined in advance, the electric motor being rotated after the power transmission path between the wheels and the electric motor is interrupted by the clutch device.
US08983688B2

The general field of the invention is that of devices for display and control of setpoints for automatic piloting for aircraft, configured to display the setpoints of speed, heading, climb slope and altitude. The various setpoints are displayed in the form of a graphical representation comprising: wheels graduated in speed and in altitude indicating the aircraft setpoint values; a circular heading rose, graduated and centered on a first symbol representing the aircraft, the heading setpoint being indicated by a second symbol representing the heading to be followed by the aircraft and disposed around the perimeter of the heading rose; and a vertical sectional view comprising a graduated semicircle centered on a third symbol representing the aircraft, the slope setpoint being indicated by a fourth symbol representing the slope to be followed by the aircraft and disposed around the perimeter of the semicircle.
US08983679B2

A movement trajectory generator 1 that generates a movement trajectory of a vehicle is provided, which includes traveling environment recognition means 10, 11, and 21 for recognizing a traveling environment, movement strategy generation means 22 for generating movement strategies for positioning in a road area according to the traveling environment that is recognized by the traveling environment recognition means, presenting means 12, 23, and 27 for presenting a passenger setting information of the movement strategies, setting means 12 and 28 for receiving an operation for the passenger to set the movement strategies based on the setting information of the movement strategies presented by the presenting means, and movement trajectory generation means 29 for generating the movement trajectory based on the movement strategies set by the setting means.
US08983678B2

A system for a vehicle includes a speed determination module, a buffer module, and a speed prediction module. The speed determination module determines changes in measured vehicle speed. The buffer module stores the determined changes in measured vehicle speed. The speed prediction module predicts a speed of the vehicle when the measured vehicle speed is less than a predetermined threshold, wherein the predicted vehicle speed is based on an average of the stored changes in measured vehicle speed.
US08983675B2

A method implemented in a computer infrastructure having computer executable code embodied on a computer readable medium being operable to perform a thermal analysis of a data center and overlay the thermal analysis on a map of the data center to provide an overlaid thermal analysis. Additionally, the computer executable code is operable to dynamically control at least one partition in the data center based on the overlaid thermal analysis.
US08983674B2

A method for cooling a data center having a plurality of racks and an adjustable cooling system includes the following steps. A minimum and maximum temperature is set for each of the racks. A temperature of each of the racks is determined based on i) a rate R(t) at which the chilled air at a temperature Tc is introduced to each of the racks and ii) a rate R at which warm air from each of the racks at a temperature T is returned to the cooling system. The cooling system is adjusted to add cooling or to reduce cooling to the data center. The determining and adjusting steps are repeated at a predetermined time interval to achieve and maintain the temperature of each of the racks to be greater than or equal to the minimum temperature and less than or equal to the maximum temperature.
US08983672B2

A demand response (DR) system includes a DR control unit to generate different DR levels having different power rates for each power unit, and transmit a current DR level, and a household appliance to receive the DR level from the DR control unit, and differentially control energy output of a product in response to the received DR level so as to reduce power consumption of the product. As a result, the DR system reduces power consumption when power rates are high so as to reduce electricity bills.
US08983671B2

There is provided a data collecting apparatus in which a collector collects, from demanders, demand record data and demand forecast data of the energy; a data history manager; a reliability level calculator calculates, for each demander, a reliability level of the demand forecast data; a supply plan data receiver receives an acquisition request of demand forecast data of a future predetermined time range with respect to each demander from an energy management system; and a data acquisition plan maker makes a collection plan such that the demand forecast data of the future predetermined time range and the demand record data are collected earlier from a demander with a higher reliability level, wherein the data collector collects according to the collection plan, and the data history manager provides the collected demand forecast data to the energy management system before a start time of the future predetermined time range.
US08983670B2

A system for disaggregating a gross energy measurement into individual component energy consumption. A collection of components may be situated in a facility. A sensor may obtain electrical signals from one or more power input lines which convey power to the facility for the components. The signals may indicate the total energy consumption by the collection of components. Approaches and/or mechanisms may be used to disaggregate the indication of total energy consumption into indications of individual energy consumption by the components without the need for separately determining the individual energy consumption with additional measurements or instrumentation. Also, approaches and/or mechanisms may be used for integrating a known load activity with whole facility energy consumption for enhancing the component disaggregation. Indications of individual energy consumption permit a reasonable evaluation of components from efficiency, conservation and/or other perspectives.
US08983664B2

A receptacle adapted for removable placement on a retention tray is disclosed. The receptacle includes a lid having a closed position and a lid hook. The receptacle includes a latching apparatus with a lid latch configured to engage the lid hook when the lid is in the closed position. The latching apparatus also has a tray latch configured to engage a tray hook that is coupled to the retention tray when the receptacle is placed on the retention tray. The latching apparatus has an actuator configured to selectably release either the lid hook or the tray hook, thus eliminating a need for a second set of actuators in the retention tray to releasably secure the receptacles to the tray.
US08983661B2

Disclosed are a robot cleaner, a controlling method of the same, and a robot cleaning system. The robot cleaner can perform a cleaning operation with respect to only a user's desired region, in a repeated and concentrated manner. Further, as the robot cleaner runs on a user's desired region in a manual manner, a designated region can be precisely set. Further, as the robot cleaner performs a cleaning operation by setting a user's desired region, only a simple configuration is added to a terminal device such as a remote control unit. Accordingly, additional costs can be reduced, and a malfunction can be prevented.
US08983660B1

Aspects of the present disclosure describe a robot which has a controller, actuators, encoders, and mechanical components. The robot may produce motion about an X, Z, RU, RL, and Theta axes. Movements of the robot are controlled by the controller. The repeatability of the robot is improved by designing the robot such that a control cycle frequency of the controller is 50 times or more greater than a vibrational frequency of one or more of the mechanical components. In order to reduce the release of particulates, a baffled enclosure may be used. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. This abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
US08983659B2

A robot system according to the embodiments includes a robot that includes a hand including a gripping mechanism that grips a thin plate-shaped work and an arm that moves the hand, and a robot control apparatus that controls the robot. The robot control apparatus, when causing the robot to transfer the work at a predetermined work transfer position by controlling the robot, performs a presence/absence confirmation of the work by operating the gripping mechanism while causing the hand to retract after the hand reaches the work transfer position.
US08983656B1

An electro-mechanical vend-sensing system includes at least one biased member mounted on a side of the vend space having a first potential voltage. A contact strip with a second potential voltage is positioned beneath the biased member. A controller circuit senses when the biased member contacts the contact strip, which indicates that a article has been appropriately vended to the customer.
US08983649B2

An automated storage system for vehicles or the like is provided with a guidance system that interacts with a remote-controlled transport system that transports a vehicle between an access location, such a drive-up location, and a storage location. More particularly, in one embodiment, an omni-directional, battery-powered, wirelessly-controlled, transport system or so-called automated guided vehicle (“AGV”) is designed to follow magnetic field generating wires and RFID chips on the floors of the parking facility to move forward, backward and side to side underneath cars that are parked on a flat surface. In one embodiment, the AGV automatically contracts and expands its body to slide its arms under the wheelbase of a car, lift the car, and roll with speed and precision in any direction on to a waiting lift, that will then raise and lower the AGV and its automobile payload toward its ultimate destination.
US08983647B1

An inventory system includes a first inventory holder positioned in a first climate-controlled zone of a workspace that is at a below-freezing temperature. The system also includes a second inventory holder positioned in a second climate-controlled zone that is at an above-freezing refrigerated temperature. The system also includes a third inventory holder positioned in a third climate-controlled zone that is at ambient conditions. The system also includes a management module operable to receive an order for the first inventory item, an order for the second inventory item, and an order for the third inventory item. The management module instructs a first mobile drive unit to transport the first inventory holder to an inventory station, instructs a second mobile drive unit to transport the second inventory holder to the inventory station, and instructs a third mobile drive unit to transport the third inventory holder to the inventory station.
US08983643B2

A method for generating data for a support structure to be built with a deposition-based digital manufacturing system, the method comprising generating a convex hull polygon based on a boundary polygon of a layer of the support structure, offsetting the convex hull polygon inward, offsetting the boundary polygon outward, and generating an intersection boundary polygon based at least in part on the offset boundary polygon and the offset convex hull polygon.
US08983641B2

An exemplary electronic device is connected with an earphone. The earphone includes a first storage unit storing information as to functions of the earphone. The electronic device includes a second storage unit storing a function information table recording information as to user-controllable functions of the electronic device, function units corresponding to the user-controllable functions, an identifying module, and a control module. The identifying module retrieves the information as to functions stored in the first storage unit, and determines whether one or more of the controllable functions of the electronic device are controllable by the earphone. The control module activates all of the function units corresponding to the controllable functions of the electronic device which are controllable by the earphone, and controls one or more of the activated function units according to one or more control signals transmitted from the earphone to the electronic device. A related method is also provided.
US08983630B2

An automated event viewing method for a process control network that includes a plurality of distributed control system (DCS) servers that receive process event data from one or more industrial processes, wherein each DCS server is connected to one or more operator consoles for monitoring the one or more industrial processes. The method includes receiving process event data of the industrial processes in real time from the plurality of DCS servers and transmitting in real time the process event data of the industrial processes to one or more operator consoles that are not connected to the DCS server from which the process event data originated.
US08983626B2

Various embodiments concern wrapping a stimulation cuff around a nerve. The cuff can comprise a main body and at least one electrode. The main body can comprise an inner tab, an outer tab, and an intermediate portion extending between the inner tab and the outer tab, the at least one electrode disposed on the intermediate portion, the main body biased such that the cuff assumes the coiled arrangement. The cuff can be uncoiled by pulling on a first elongate element attached to a first tubular member, the first tubular member encircled within the cuff. The nerve can be engaged with an inner surface of the main body along the intermediate portion while the inner tab is releaseably attached to the first elongate element. The first elongate element can be released to allow the cuff to wrap around the nerve.
US08983615B2

A communications bridge device communicates between a consumer electronics device, such as a smart telephone, and an implantable medical device. The bridge forwards instructions and data between the consumer electronics device and the implantable medical device. The bridge contains a first transceiver that operates according to a communication protocol operating in the consumer electronics device (such as Bluetooth®), and second transceiver that operates according to a communications technique operating in the implantable medical device (e.g., Frequency Shift Keying). A software application is installed on the consumer electronics device, which provides a user interface for controlling and reading the implantable medical device. The software application is downloadable using standard cellular means. The bridge is preferably small, and easily and discreetly carried by the implantable medical device patient. The bridge is preferably also simple to operate, and may have only a simple user interface, or no user interface at all.
US08983613B2

A stimulator is adapted to electrically stimulate a muscle of a patient. A detector is adapted to detect a response of the stimulated muscle. A processor is operable to obtain a plurality of parameters indicative of muscle relaxation of the patient based on the detected response. A display is operable to display the parameters simultaneously while showing chronological changes thereof.
US08983607B2

Methods and apparatus for protecting a function mode of a medical device are described. A method may include the steps of: when an operator selects to use a function mode that needs protection in the medical device, presenting the operator information on a specified operation for entering the selected function mode; receiving an operation of the operator; determining whether the received operation of the operator is identical to the specified operation; and starting the selected function mode, if the determining result is confirmative.
US08983604B2

Techniques are provided for controlling spinal cord stimulation (SCS) or other forms of neurostimulation. Far-field cardiac electrical signals are sensed using a lead of the SCS device and neurostimulation is selectively delivering using a set of adjustable SCS control parameters. Parameters representative of cardiac rhythm are derived from the far-field cardiac electrical signals. The parameters representative of cardiac rhythm are correlated with SCS control parameters to thereby map neurostimulation control settings to cardiac rhythm parameters. The delivery of further neurostimulation is then controlled based on the mapping of neurostimulation control settings to cardiac rhythm parameters to, for example, address any cardiovascular disorders detected based on the far-field cardiac signals. In this manner, a closed loop control system is provided to automatically adjust SCS control parameters to respond to changes in cardiac rhythm such as changes associated with ischemia, arrhythmia or heart failure.
US08983596B2

An electro-optical tissue stimulator for administering therapy to a body is disclosed comprising a housing and an active tip. The electro-optical tissue stimulator includes a microcurrent electrostimulation therapy unit which delivers current through a first and a second electrode in the active tip. The electro-optical tissue stimulator also includes an optical radiation therapy unit which delivers optical radiation through a light output port in the active tip. The active tip is shaped for administering myofascial tissue release therapy. The device can administer microcurrent electrostimulation therapy, optical radiation therapy, and myofascial tissue release therapy to tissues of a body. A method of treating pain is disclosed which includes the steps of identifying a treatment area on a body to receive therapy, and contacting the treatment area with the active tip, wherein the treatment area receives microcurrent electrostimulation therapy, optical radiation therapy, and myofascial tissue release therapy.
US08983592B2

An amount of fluid in a thoracic or other region of a subject may be monitored by internally injecting an electrical energy stimulus (e.g., constant voltage source) through the region, detecting voltage resulting from the electrical energy stimulus, and calculating a fluid volume indicative signal. The injected energy stimulus creates a first lead field. The responsive voltage is detected using an electrode configuration that defines a second lead field, which is arranged in a negative sensitivity configuration with respect to the first lead field at the region being monitored.
US08983588B2

A method of analysis of medical signals is presented which provides useful clinical information concerning the state of the myocardium during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The analysis during CPR can be used to (i) identify the underlying rhythm, (ii) provide a measure of the efficacy of CPR, and (iii) to predict the outcome from a defibrillation shock.
US08983584B2

The invention relates to a method for analysis of cardiac rhythms, based on calculations of entropy and moments of interbeat intervals. The invention provides an optimal determination of segments of data that demonstrate statistical homogeneity, specifically with regard to moments and entropy. The invention also involves calculating moments and entropy on each segment with the goal of diagnosis of cardiac rhythm. More specifically, an absolute entropy measurement is calculated and provided as a continuous variable, providing dynamical information of fundamental importance in diagnosis and analysis. Through the present invention, standard histograms, thresholds, and categories can be avoided.
US08983582B2

Methods and apparatuses for positioning medical devices onto (or close to) a desired portion of the interior wall of an internal channel, such as for scan imaging, for photodynamic therapy and/or for optical temperature measurement. In one embodiment, a catheter assembly has a distal portion that can be changed from a configuration suitable for traversing the internal channel to another configuration suitable for scan at least a spiral section of the interior wall of an internal channel, such as an artery. In one example, the distal portion spirals into gentle contact with (or close to) a spiral section of the artery wall for Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) scanning. The spiral radius may be changed through the use of a guidewire, a tendon, a spiral balloon, a tube, or other ways.
US08983580B2

A method of forming an image of tissue. The method includes beginning an invasive procedure on a patient exposing tissue. The method then includes acquiring OCT data from the exposed tissue and converting the OCT data into at least one image. The method also includes ending the invasive procedure after the converting of the data.
US08983578B2

A system and method for transducer placement in soft-field tomography are provided. One system includes a plurality of transducers configured for positioning at a surface of an object in a non-soft-field tomography configuration. The system also includes an interface and a processor communicating with the plurality of transducers via the interface. The processor is configured to perform soft-field sensing using soft-field data acquired by the plurality of transducers.
US08983577B2

The present invention relates to a system for determining the orientation of a catheter (2). The system comprises a catheter (2), an asymmetric marker (11) attached to the catheter (2), and an imaging unit (25) for generating a projection image of the asymmetric marker (11), wherein the imaging unit (25) comprises a radiation source for generating radiation for projecting the asymmetric marker (11) in a projection plane and a detection unit for generating the projection image of the asymmetric marker (11) projected in the projection plane. The system comprises further an orientation determination unit for determining the orientation of the asymmetric marker (11) from the projection image of the asymmetric marker (11) and for determining the orientation of the catheter (2) from the determined orientation of the asymmetric marker (11). The asymmetric marker (11) is adapted such that the orientation of the asymmetric marker (11) is determinable from the projection image of the asymmetric marker (11) alone.
US08983568B2

Generally, embodiments of the invention relate to analyte determining methods and devices (e.g., electrochemical analyte monitoring systems) that have improved uniformity of distribution of one or more components of the sensor by inclusion of a low surface tension polymer leveling agent, where the components are disposed proximate to a working electrode of in vivo and/or in vitro analyte sensors, e.g., continuous and/or automatic in vivo monitoring using analyte sensors and/or test strips. Also provided are systems and methods of using the, for example electrochemical, analyte sensors in analyte monitoring.
US08983567B1

Systems and methods are disclosed for accessing and forming an operative corridor to targeted spinal sites using optical imaging to detect and avoid vascular tissue. The optical imaging may include tissue oximetry to measure the oxygen saturation of tissue proximate to surgical access instruments utilized during surgery. Sensors may be situated near the distal end of the surgical access instruments and monitoring for vessel proximity may be performed during advancement of the instrument.
US08983565B2

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to an optical sensor capable of measuring two analytes simultaneously with a single indicator system. In preferred embodiments, the sensor comprises a fluorescent dye having acid and base forms that facilitate ratiometric pH sensing, wherein the dye is further associated with a glucose binding moiety and configured to generate a signal that varies in intensity with the concentration of glucose.
US08983564B2

An embodiment of the present disclosure seeks to smooth a perfusion index measurement through use of a baseline perfusion index measurement and/or through the use of multiple PI calculations. The combination of the baseline perfusion index measurement reduces an error between a calculated measurement of PI and actual conditions.
US08983561B2

A frequency switching terminal is provided to input a signal for switching frequencies of a reception circuit. A smart ECU is connected to the frequency switching terminal via a connection cable. When the signal for switching the frequencies is inputted into an external input terminal of the reception circuit from the smart ECU via the frequency switching terminal, the reception circuit receives a first electric wave transmitted from a portable terminal for smart entry. In contrast, when the signal for switching the frequencies is not inputted into the external input terminal of the reception circuit from the smart ECU via the frequency switching terminal, the reception circuit receives a second electric wave transmitted from a tire sensor.
US08983552B2

A battery powered electronic device (1) comprising a housing (2) and a movable part (3) extending from the housing (2). The movable part (3) is movably attached to the housing (2), such that it can be moved between a compact position and an extended position. The electronic device comprises a switch, which is adapted to sense, whether the movable part (3) is in the compact position or not, and the switch is utilized to switch the electronic device (1) On, when the movable part (3) is in the extended position, and Off, when the movable part (3) is in the compact position. The electronics of the device (1) is adapted to be set to off or into a low-power shipping mode, all though the movable part (3) is in the extended position.
US08983549B2

A method of acquisition by a mobile terminal (20) situated in proximity to a display panel (10), of complementary information related to at least one poster (11) present on the display panel (10), the method including the following steps: acquisition of the identification data (S1) making it possible to identify the display panel (10), transmission of the identification data (S2) to a processing service by way of a communication network; and reception, from the processing service, of the complementary information relating to the poster (11) presented on the display panel (10) identified by the processing service on the basis of the identification data.
US08983545B2

A mobile device includes multiple subscriber identification module (SIM) cards. When a user of the mobile device requests to call a phone number, the mobile device determines a mobile telecommunications service provider of the phone number, based on service provider information received for the phone number from a service mapping server. The mobile device selects for the call a SIM card from the multiple SIM cards that is associated with the determined service provider of the phone number. The mobile device places the call to the phone number using the selected SIM card.
US08983543B2

Apparatus and methods for managing and sharing data across multiple access control clients in devices. In one embodiment, the access control clients comprise electronic Subscriber Identity Modules (eSIMs) disposed on a embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Card (eUICC). Each eSIM contains its own data. An Advanced Subscriber Identity Toolkit application maintained within the eUICC facilitates managing and sharing multiple eSIMs' data for various purposes such as sharing phonebook contacts or facilitating automatic switch-over between the multiple eSIMs (such as based on user context).
US08983539B1

The present specification relates to a smart watch, a display device, and a method of controlling therefor, and more particularly, if a display unit of the smart watch and a display unit of the display device face an identical direction, to a method of providing contents related to each other to each of the display units. The smart watch includes a communication unit to transmit a connection signal and a position state of the smart watch to a display device and receive an execution signal of a first content from the display device, a display unit to display the first content, a sensor unit to detect the position state of the smart watch, a camera unit to sense an image in a front direction, and a processor to control the communication unit, the display unit, the sensor unit, and the camera unit and execute a received control signal.
US08983529B2

The disclosed communication system, information recording medium, and relay communication device allow communication via electromagnetic induction, allow the use of low-cost information recording media, improve communication stability when information recording media is misaligned or rotated, and provide high IC-chip tolerance to flexion in information recording media. An information recording medium (3-1) has: an IC chip (32-1) that is capable of communication via electromagnetic induction; and a pair of thin conductive sheets (21-1) connected to the IC chip (32-1). A relay medium (2-1) has thin conductive sheets (31-1) and a loop antenna (22-1), with one of said thin conductive sheets (31-1) connected to one end of the loop antenna (22-1) and the other thin conductive sheet (31-1) connected to the other end of the loop antenna (22-1). A read/write device (1-1) has a loop antenna (12-1).
US08983528B2

The disclosure provides a device and method for disconnecting a download channel of a hand-held terminal. The device comprises: a connection/disconnection unit (308), which comprises a fuse module (308-2) and a fusing module (308-4), arranged between a download connection point (302) and a microprocessor (306); when no downloading is needed by the hand-held terminal, the fusing module (308-4) is provided with a level signal through the download connection point, and switch characteristics of a triode or an MOSFET in the fusing module (308-4) are utilized, to control the connection/disconnection of the download channel between the download connection point (302) and the microprocessor (306), thus avoiding generation of new download channel.
US08983526B2

An Optimized Streetlight Operation (OSLO) system that utilizes a cellular network overlay to broadcast control commands issued by a centralized Streetlight Operation Center (SOC) to RF control modules mounted on each streetlight pole. The cellular network may be a CDMA network utilizing Short Message Service-Broadcast (SMS-B) messaging. When a Mobile Telephone Exchange/Mobile Switching Center (MTX/MSC) receives a SOC control command from the SOC, the MTX/MSC causes a plurality of BSs to broadcast the SOC command in the network operating area a defined number of times. Each RF control module that successfully receives the broadcast SOC control command, performs actions to control operation of the module's associated streetlight, and transmits a confirmation message to the module's serving BS indicating the SOC command was received. The modules are configured to stagger transmission of the confirmation messages over a period of time to reduce a peak load imposed on the cellular network.
US08983516B2

Technology for allocating a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) to reduce a number of PDCCH candidates in a search space for carrier aggregation on a user equipment (UE) is disclosed. The UE is configured with a carrier information field (CIF) having a communications processor to determine physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) assignments of a cellular communication system. The communication processor can monitor in a cell a set of PDCCH candidates defined in a search space Sk(L) at an aggregation level Lε{1,2,4,8} for a subframe (k) which includes a set of control channel elements (CCEs) and to decode a PDCCH of the set of PDCCH candidates according to downlink control information (DCI).
US08983503B1

A method and apparatus of processing a call are disclosed. One example method may include receiving a request at a server for dealer information. The request may be initiated by a user via his or her mobile station. The example method may also include determining whether there is user preference information and user location information included in the request. The information may be used to limit the amount of search results to increase relevancy. The method may also include searching a database for at least one dealer based on the user preference information and the user location information, and transferring the at least one dealer information to the user.
US08983498B2

In a method for controlling a communication system, the reception device reports a first size of a free space of a buffer in the reception device to the transmission device. The transmission device controls transmission of first data with a first priority to the reception device based on the first size. The transmission device controls transmission of second data with a second priority lower than the first priority to the reception device based on a threshold less than the first size.
US08983489B2

A method for positioning a terminal using signals received from a plurality of access points of at least one wireless telecommunications network is disclosed. According to some aspects, the terminal first retrieves identifiers of the access points from the received signals, then searches in a first database (BDP) for respective geographical position information for the access points. A first estimation of a position of the terminal or a positioning zone of the terminal is obtained from geographical position information of the access points, then topographical information corresponding to the first estimation of the position or the positioning zone is retrieved from a second database (SIG). A second estimation of the position of the terminal is performed using the topographical information thus obtained.
US08983486B2

A method involving receiving a real time communication signal at a radio receiver involves measuring at least one performance value associated with the radio receiver with an installed set of state variables; at a processor forming a part of the radio receiver: iteratively changing at least one of the state variables within a prescribed range in order to identify an improved value of the state variable that provides an improvement to the at least one performance value; storing the improved value of the state variable; applying a statistical weighting to the improved value and storing the statistical weighting; and adjusting the prescribed range of the state variable based upon the statistical weighting to provide a revised prescribed range that is statistically likely to contain state variable that provides improvement in the at least one performance value. This abstract is not to be considered limiting.
US08983478B2

A wireless network dynamically allocating a timeslot to a downlink dedicated channel to a user equipment (UE) in a cell is disclosed. A call may be reallocated a different timeslot midcall where the different timeslot has a highest quality rank in the cell. The timeslot may then be allocated to a downlink shared channel in the cell. The allocation of the timeslot to the downlink dedicated channel may be prioritized over the allocation of the timeslot to the downlink shared channel.
US08983475B2

A system and method for a partner network sharing architecture is provided. In an embodiment a piece of user equipment that is part of a partner network is handed off or otherwise attached to a wholesale network. The identification of the partner network that the piece of user equipment originated from is determined by an ordering of a list of PLMN IDs that is transmitted to the wholesale network.
US08983463B2

A communication processing system includes a user equipment, a base station and a relay node for relaying the user equipment and the base station. The relay node includes a timer unit which measures a prescribed time after detecting movement between tracking areas and a user equipment registration unit which registers the user equipment, which is a transmission source of a location registration request signal to a location information management unit, which manages location information, received by the relay node during the prescribed period, as a subordinate of the relay node.
US08983452B2

A coordinating node, such as a positioning node and a radio base station, and a related method of maintaining timing characteristics of radio base stations connected to the coordinating node are disclosed. The method includes receiving timing information from a plurality of radio base stations, determining a respective timing characteristic of each of the plurality of radio base stations based on the received timing information, and maintaining the determined respective timing characteristics for support of network operations and services such as positioning.
US08983439B1

A media system includes a content platform that provides an interface for browsing and/or purchase of ringback media content by a user of a communications device. The system includes a profiles database containing profile information for a multitude of users of communications devices. The media system further includes a memory storing instructions for execution by the platform which causes it to 1) obtain information from the device including assignment of ringback media content to contacts in an address book maintained on the device; and 2) update the profiles database in accordance with the information obtained from the device. The information obtained in 1) may be obtained automatically, each time the user accesses the content platform. The system may further include an analyzer module which is used to generate targeted promotional messages based on the contents of the profile database.
US08983432B2

Methods and apparatus for managing multiple user access control entities or clients. For example, in one embodiment, a “wallet” of electronic subscriber identity modules (eSIMs) may be stored and used at a user device and/or distributed to other devices for use thereon. In another embodiment, a networked server may store and distribute eSIM to a plurality of user devices in communication therewith. A database of available eSIM is maintained at the wallet entity and/or at the network which enables request for a particular eSIM to be processed and various rules for the distribution thereof to be implemented. Security precautions are implemented to protect both user and network carrier specific data as the data is transmitted between networked entities. Solutions for eSIM backup and restoration are also described.
US08983430B2

A method and system are disclosed for location-dependent billing for services that may be available to mobile terminals. A mobile terminal may forwarded to a central unit of a mobile communication network, in which the mobile terminal is logged, a billing rate code that may be obtained from an external location tag. The central unit may select, based on the billing rate code at the external location tag, a billing rate for billing for service(s) available to the user. The mobile terminal may access the external location tag via a local communication connection, which may be set up between the mobile terminal and external location tag, such as using a corresponding wireless interface therebetween.
US08983429B2

Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method performed by a policy and charging rules node (PCRN), the method comprising: receiving an event trigger from a policy and charging enforcement node (PCEN) indicating that a subscriber is out of credit; installing temporary PCC rules to handle the out of credit status of the subscriber; receiving an indication that the subscriber has completed a reallocation of credit action; uninstalling the temporary PCC rules and restoring the original PCC rules after receiving an indication of reallocation of credit.
US08983428B2

In a mobile communication system according to the present invention, the mobile communication system is configured to manage a specific mobile station which is allowed to communicate through a CSG cell under the control of a home base station (Home-eNB); and a general mobile station (UE) other than the specific mobile station is configured to be capable of using the CSG cell as a camped cell, only when broadcast information indicating an allowance of a camping in the specific cell is received.
US08983425B2

In one embodiment, the present invention is a method and apparatus for dynamic location-based message notification. In one embodiment, a method for providing alerts to a computing device includes identifying, via a set of location-specific computing resources, a current location of the computing device and sending at least one alert to the computing device, based on the current location.
US08983424B2

Methods, systems, and products process an emergency communication. A profile is queried for a code received during the emergency communication. If the code matches the profile, then the emergency communication is blocked.
US08983420B2

An antenna array system and method is provided for reducing interference from a source moving relative to the antenna array system. The antenna array system includes a receiver and a plurality of antenna array elements arranged in a planar array. Each of the plurality of antenna array elements is in electrical communication with the receiver and in a locationally fixed position relative to the receiver. The plurality of antenna array elements receives a desired signal and interference from the source moving relative to the antenna array system. The receiver is configured to detect a presence of the interference. In response to the detection of the presence of the interference, the receiver is further configured to steer a deep antenna-pattern null in a direction of the interference.
US08983418B2

Techniques and devices are disclosed to provide multi-stage gain control in circuits or devices having two or more stages of signal amplification. A circuit with multi-stage gain control can include amplification stages coupled to receive an input signal and to produce an amplified output signal. Each amplification stage includes an amplifier that is adjustable in gain and a signal detector that is coupled to measure an output signal of the amplifier and to produce a detector signal indicative of a signal strength of the output signal of the amplifier. A gain control circuit is coupled to receive detector signals from the signal detectors in the amplification stages, respectively, and to control gains of the amplifiers of the amplification stages based on respective received detector signals, respectively.
US08983417B2

A receiver includes a first amplifier, a first variable capacitor, and an inductance leg. The first amplifier has an input for receiving a radio frequency signal, and an output. The first variable capacitor has a first terminal coupled to the output of the first amplifier, a second terminal coupled to a power supply voltage terminal, and a control terminal for receiving a tuning signal. The inductance leg has a first terminal coupled to the output of the first amplifier, and a second terminal coupled to the power supply voltage terminal. The inductance leg includes a first inductor and has an effective resistance in series with the first inductor, wherein the effective resistance has a value related to an upper frequency threshold to be tuned by the receiver.
US08983415B2

A system is disclosed for monitoring of individual frequency channels in an RF signal band by configuration of the electronic processor to operate the tunable filter to select desired channel sub bands. Measurement of forward and/or reverse-propagating fields within the selected sub-bands may be performed and corresponding power levels recorded. The records may be used to provide monitoring signals, such as measures of forward and reflected power, as well as VSWR, return loss. Indications or alarms may be activated if any of these quantities, associated with any one or more channels, falls outside a predetermined acceptable operating range.
US08983409B2

An automatically configurable 2-wire/3-wire serial communications interface (AC23SCI), which includes start-of-sequence (SOS) detection circuitry and sequence processing circuitry, is disclosed. When the SOS detection circuitry is coupled to a 2-wire serial communications bus, the SOS detection circuitry detects an SOS of a received sequence based on a serial data signal and a serial clock signal. When the SOS detection circuitry is coupled to a 3-wire serial communications bus, the SOS detection circuitry detects the SOS of the received sequence based on a chip select (CS) signal. The SOS detection circuitry provides an indication of detection of the SOS to the sequence processing circuitry, which initiates processing of the received sequence using the serial data signal and the serial clock signal upon the detection of the SOS. As such, the AC23SCI automatically configures itself for operation with some 2-wire and some 3-wire serial communications buses without external intervention.
US08983408B2

Aspects of a method and system for estimating and compensating for non-linear distortion in a transmitter using calibration are presented. Aspects of the system may include one more circuits that may enable estimation, within a single IC device, of distortion in output signals generated by a transmitter circuit. The circuitry may enable compensation of the estimated distortion by predistorting subsequent input signals. The transmitter circuit may generate subsequent output signals based on the predistorted subsequent input signals.
US08983406B2

This disclosure relates to a harmonic termination circuit that is separate from a load line. In one embodiment, the load line is configured to match an impedance at the power amplifier output at a fundamental frequency of the power amplifier output and the harmonic termination circuit is configured to terminate at a phase corresponding to a harmonic frequency of the power amplifier output. According to certain embodiments, the load line and the harmonic termination circuit can be electrically coupled to the power amplifier output external to a power amplifier die via different output pins of the power amplifier die.
US08983391B2

A method for obtaining multiple path loss parameters by a user equipment (UE) is described. A radio resource control (RRC) signaling message is received from a serving eNode B. A first transmit power corresponding to a first reference signal is obtained from the RRC signaling message. A second transmit power corresponding to a second reference signal is obtained from the RRC signaling message. A first path loss parameter is calculated using the first transmit power. A second path loss parameter is calculated using the second transmit power.
US08983389B2

Certain aspects of the present disclosure propose methods and apparatuses for detecting whether a user device is scheduled for a single user (SU) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication mode or for a multi-user (MU) MIMO communication mode. In an aspect, a method for wireless communications is provided which includes measuring, at a first apparatus based on received pilot signals, a first receive power corresponding to a first channel associated with the first apparatus, measuring, based on the received pilot signals, a second receive power corresponding to a second channel associated with at least one potentially present second apparatus, measuring a residual interference based on the received pilot signals, and determining, based on at least one of the first receive power, the second receive power and the residual interference, whether to apply a MU detection or a SU detection for estimating data received at the first apparatus.
US08983387B1

In accordance with aspects of the disclosure, a portable computing device may be configured as a universal remote control to wirelessly control one or more electronic devices in a control area. The portable computing device may be configured to transmit over a network to a remotely located network server, one or more queries for control commands for communicating with each electronic device in the control area via control signals. The one or more queries may identify each of the electronic devices. The portable computing device may be configured to receive over the network from the network server, command codes for the portable computing device to communicate with each of the electronic devices through the control commands via the control signals. The portable computing device may be configured to execute the received command codes to communicate with each of the electronic devices in the control area.
US08983384B2

An apparatus for extending Bluetooth device range includes a Bluetooth range extender device implementing at least two Bluetooth communication profiles such that the Bluetooth range extender device implements a first role to a first standard Bluetooth communication device and implements a second role to a second standard Bluetooth communication device.
US08983381B2

An apparatus and method are provided for receiving and processing a control signal and/or a data signal through a short-range wireless communication. The wireless signal processing apparatus preferably includes a connection detection unit that detects a connection of a peripheral device, and a communication unit that receives the control signal and the data signal from a client device through the short-range wireless communication. A data processing unit sends the received data signal to the peripheral device, and a mode control unit for controlling the communication unit to send the received data signal to the data processing unit when the connection detection unit detects the connection of the peripheral device. The apparatus and method may be utilized for various purposes on the basis of the short-range wireless communication, depending on whether or not the peripheral device is connected.
US08983378B2

Mobile devices are used for several purposes other than just communication. Given herein are methods and systems for enabling a mobile device to interface with a medical device, mainly related to patient healthcare monitoring using the mobile device. The mobile can control or interface with a medical device in a deterministic manner through a mobile application. The mobile application module uses the available hardware resources of the mobile device to control or interface with a medical device. This enables the mobile device to fully control or interface with the medical device without any external or internal disturbance.
US08983376B2

A method and apparatus for reducing spectrum interference between wireless networks. This is realized by arranging at least one sub-coordinating apparatus, namely, a monitoring apparatus, in respective wireless network, and by arranging a coordinating apparatus, namely, an allocation apparatus in the whole network. Wherein, the sub-coordinating apparatus monitors the spectrum utilization situation of the wireless network where it is located, reports it to the coordinating apparatus, and requests the coordinating apparatus for spectrum resource when new spectrum resource is needed. The coordinating apparatus maintains the spectrum utilization information of each wireless network, and allocates appropriate spectrum resource to the sub-coordinating apparatus which requests spectrum resource based on the maintained information. Therefore, the interference of inter-wireless networks is reduced or even avoided through such overall management that the coordinating apparatus allocates corresponding spectrum resources to a plurality of wireless networks capable of sharing spectrum resources.
US08983372B2

A wireless communications system may include a first electronic device comprising a first media content playback device, a first wireless transceiver, and a first controller coupled with the first media content playback device and the first wireless transceiver. The system may further include a second electronic device comprising a second media content playback device, a second wireless transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with the first wireless transceiver, and a second controller coupled with the second media content playback device and the second wireless transceiver. The first controller may be configured to generate a playback pointer associated with playback of given media content, and wirelessly communicate the playback pointer to the second controller. The second controller may be configured to play back the given media content based upon the playback pointer, and without receiving the given media content from the first electronic device.
US08983370B2

A technique is proposed for reducing leakage electromagnetic field that reduces the electromagnetic leakage from a connection point between a communication coupler and a signal transmission apparatus and that can conduct both communication and transmission of electric power. The signal transmission apparatus includes: a first sheet conductive body portion constituting a lower portion electrode; and a second sheet conductive body portion in a mesh shape which is laminated on the first sheet conductive body portion while a gap area is sandwiched therebetween and which includes an uneven mesh size area on which a sheet impedance is continuously changed.
US08983366B2

Various embodiments relate to scheduling one or more media system for use. The media systems may or may not be in a vehicle. Input may be received at a computing device for scheduling use of multiple media systems. A schedule of media system use may be generated based on the input at the computing device. Use instructions based on the media system use schedule may be transmitted so that use of the multiple media systems is enabled in accordance with the media system use schedule.
US08983358B2

A developer storage body includes a developer storage portion configured to store a developer. The developer storage portion has a first end portion and a second end portion opposite to each other. A developer ejecting portion is provided in the developer storage portion is located closer to the first end portion than to the second end portion. The developer ejecting portion is configured to eject the developer into the developer storage portion. The developer storage body further includes a developer pushing portion configured to push the developer ejected into the developer storage portion from the developer ejecting portion toward the second end portion. A developer detecting portion is provided in the developer storage portion and is located closer to the second end portion than to the first end portion.
US08983355B2

An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier that carries a first toner image, a transfer unit that transfers the first toner image on the image carrier onto a recording medium directly or through an intermediate transfer body, a fixing unit that fixes the first toner image that has been transferred onto the recording medium, and a glossiness-controlling unit that forms a second toner image made of clear toner on the recording medium in accordance with an amount of toner that forms the first toner image to be transferred onto the recording medium, thereby controlling a glossiness on a surface of the recording medium that has been subjected to the fixing performed by the fixing unit.
US08983352B2

A fixing device that fixes an unfixed image on a sheet by heat and pressure, including an endless belt, a magnetic flux generator provided outside the running path of the belt and generating magnetic flux to cause an induction heating layer in the belt to heat, a heat-control plate provided inside the running path and including a magnetic shunt alloy layer that loses magnetism upon exceeding a predetermined temperature, and a support member supporting the heat-control plate. The heat-control plate includes a first region facing the magnetic flux generator with the belt therebetween and second regions extending continuously in a circumferential direction of the belt from opposite edges of the first region. Inside the running path, the support member is in contact with the heat-control plate at the second regions and not at the first region so as to support the heat-control plate at the second regions.
US08983346B2

A development device includes a first frame and a second frame. The second frame is configured to be combined with the first frame by fixing first, second and third walls of the first frame to the second frame. The first and second walls are disposed opposite to each other, and the third wall is configured to connect the first and second walls. An opening is formed by the combined first and second frames. The first frame includes first and second engageable portions, and the second frame includes third and fourth engageable portions, such that engagement of the first and second engageable portions with the third and fourth engageable portions brings the first and second frames into alignment. The first and second engageable portions are disposed between the first wall and the second wall.
US08983344B2

A toner container installed in an image forming apparatus includes a toner container main body having a predetermined length and in which toner is accommodated, a discharge port through which the toner is discharged from the toner container main body, a shutter which opens and closes the discharge port, a handle provided on the toner container main body, and a pressed portion provided on the toner container main body and which is pressed by the image forming apparatus to project the handle out from the image forming apparatus.
US08983342B2

A developer storage container includes a storage portion for storing a developer therein, an opening for ejecting the developer stored in the storage portion, and an opening-and-closing member for opening and closing the opening. A concave portion is formed on the opening-and-closing member so that the concave portion faces the opening.
US08983336B2

Provided is a cleaning blade including a contacting corner portion which comes in contact with and cleans a surface of a member to be cleaned moving relative to the cleaning blade, a tip surface which configures one side with the contacting corner portion and faces an upstream side of the surface moving direction, a ventral surface which configures one side with the contacting corner portion and faces a downstream side, and a rear surface which shares one side with the tip surface and opposes the ventral surface.
US08983330B2

Disclosed is a power supply including a first voltage generating unit that generates a first voltage from an external power supply; a second voltage generating unit that generates a first predetermined voltage and supplies the generated first predetermined voltage to the load; a third voltage generating unit that generates the first predetermined voltage and supplies the generated first predetermined voltage to the load; and a controller that causes the first voltage to be greater than or equal to a second voltage during a first mode, and causes the first voltage to be less than the second voltage during a second mode. During the first mode, the power is supplied from the second voltage generating unit and the third voltage generating unit to the load, and during the second mode, the power is supplied from the third voltage generating unit to the load.
US08983328B2

An image fixing apparatus includes a heater including a substrate, a first electrode provided on one side of the substrate and a second electrode provided on the other side of the substrate; and a connector, connected with the heater, for receiving electric power, the connector including an electrically insulative housing, and a contact terminal provided inside the housing and having first spring contact contacted to the first electrode and a second spring contact contacted to the second electrode, wherein the first spring contact and the second spring contact are disposed at positions different as seen in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the substrate.
US08983327B2

A fixing control apparatus which controls a fixing apparatus which includes multiple heating elements to fix, to a recording material, an unfixed toner image formed based on image data is disclosed. The fixing control apparatus includes an image presence/absence determining unit which determines presence/absence of an image for each of multiple areas into which the image data are divided; a heating element selecting unit which selects a heating element located at a position corresponding to an area in which the image is present from the multiple heating elements; and a heating element driving unit which causes the heating element selected by the heating element selecting unit to be heated.
US08983321B2

A method includes controlling a charge level of fluid in a fluid chamber by detecting at least one fluid parameter corresponding to a charge level of a fluid in a fluid chamber having at least charge directors and carrier liquid, and controlling the charge level of the fluid based on the detected fluid parameter.
US08983314B2

An image forming apparatus which can individually detect contact fusion of relays in a circuit configuration in which the relays are connected to respective both ends of a fixing heater. A first relay and a second relay are each connected between a power source and the fixing heater. The presence or absence of an input voltage to the fixing heater is detected on paths from the first relay to the fixing heater and from the second relay to the fixing heater. When the input voltage is detected in a state in which the first relay is on and the second relay is off, it is determined that the second relay has failed. When the input voltage is detected in a state in which the first relay is off and the second relay is on, it is determined that the first relay has failed.
US08983312B2

An image forming apparatus includes a toner container; a developing unit; a detection unit detecting toner in the developing unit; a measurement unit measuring as to whether there is a full amount of toner or no toner in the developing unit by using a detection history of the detection unit with regard to the toner; a supplying unit supplying the toner from the toner container to the developing unit; a toner-amount calculation unit calculating, using image data to be printed, an amount of toner consumption needed during printing; an accumulation unit calculating an accumulated amount of toner consumption by accumulating the amount of toner consumption every time printing is conducted; and a fault determination unit determining, using the accumulated amount of toner consumption, whether a measurement result by the measurement unit is normal or not as to whether there is a full amount of toner or no toner.
US08983304B2

An opto-isolator with a compensation circuit is disclosed. The compensation circuit may be configured to compensate degradation of the light source of the opto-isolator. The compensation circuit may comprise a circuit for counting an extended use of the isolator. When the count value exceeds a predetermined count value, the compensation circuit may be configured to compensate the degradation of the light source by adjusting the driver of the light source. In another embodiment, an electrical control system having such opto-isolator is illustrated.
US08983292B2

A packet switch 40 comprises wavelength tunable optical transmitters 12, an optical switch fabric 42, optical detectors 30 and a controller 32. The transmitters 12 are arranged to receive at least one electrical signal packet to be switched and convert it into a corresponding optical signal packet at an input wavelength. The optical switch fabric 42 comprises an ingress stage 44 comprising wavelength selective routers 46 and an egress stage 50 comprising wavelength selective routers 54 and tunable wavelength converters 26 arranged to receive an optical signal at the input wavelength and to output an optical signal at an output wavelength. The controller 32 is arranged to set the input wavelength of a transmitter 12 and the output wavelength of a wavelength converter to configure a path across the switch fabric 42 connecting the transmitter 12 to a detector 30. A communications network router 90 comprises an input module 92, a packet switch 40, an output module 96 and a scheduler 94.
US08983279B2

A method of emitting a volatile material includes the step of programming a volatile material dispenser to include at least two intensity levels, wherein upon initiation of each of the intensity levels for an operating cycle, a resistor is operated at a first percentage of its power rating for a first period of time. Upon selection of a first of the at least two intensity levels and after the first period of time, the resistor is operated at a second percentage of its power rating for a remainder of an operating cycle. Upon selection of a second of the at least two intensity levels and after the first period of time, the resistor is operated at the second percentage of its power rating for a second period of time and, after the second period of time, operating the resistor at a third percentage of its power rating for a remainder of an operating cycle.
US08983278B2

A vaporizer device of the type which is connected to the electric mains by a plug (1), incorporating a single container (6) equipped with a body of two or more independent receptacles (8) which hold different liquid fragrances in which respective wicks (2) are immersed and a lid (9) which closes the body (7) and renders the receptacles (8) independent. The lid (9) comes with openings (10) in correspondence with the positions of the wicks (2) for the egress and vaporization of the fragrance by actuation of one or more resistance elements (3), located in opposition to the openings (10), either with use of a manual pushbutton (4) or automatically in accordance with a pre-established program, diffusing the fragrances in a sequential or combined manner during predetermined intervals of time.
US08983277B2

An angle-adjustable aroma diffuser is provided, including a hollow housing, a heat-transfer container, a heating component and an angle-adjustable electric plug. The hollow housing has a first opening and a second opening. The heat-transfer container is mounted in the hollow housing. The heating component is combined with a bottom side of the heat-transfer container. The angle-adjustable electric plug is combined with the second opening of the hollow housing. The angle-adjustable electric plug is electrically connected to the heating component. Therefore, an aroma capsule can be disposed in the heat-transfer container through the open end, the hollow housing and the heat-transfer container of the angle-adjustable aroma diffuser can rotate upward and modulate an angle, and the aroma capsule generates fragrance upward through the open end of the heat-transfer container.
US08983262B2

The invention relates to an information recording apparatus capable of relay recording, during which a sequence of data is continuously recorded across a plurality of recording media, as well as to a controlling method thereof. If the relay recording mode is set, it is determined whether any medium having a wireless communication function is present among the recordable recording media. If a recording medium having a wireless communication function is present, data transfer utilizing the wireless communication function is inactivated. This enables relay recording that accounts for cases in which memory cards provided with a wireless communication function are included among the recording media.
US08983258B2

A random array of holes is created in an optical fiber by gas generated during fiber drawing. The gas forms bubbles which are drawn into long, microscopic holes. The gas is created by a gas generating material such as silicon nitride. Silicon nitride oxidizes to produce nitrogen oxides when heated. The gas generating material can alternatively be silicon carbide or other nitrides or carbides. The random holes can provide cladding for optical confinement when located around a fiber core. The random holes can also be present in the fiber core. The fibers can be made of silica. The present random hole fibers are particularly useful as pressure sensors since they experience a large wavelength dependant increase in optical loss when pressure or force is applied.
US08983244B2

An optical interferometer for demodulating a differential phase shift keying optical signal includes a planar lightwave circuit and at least one free space delay line optically coupled to the planar lightwave circuit. The planar lightwave circuit has a waveguide splitter, a waveguide coupler, and a phase adjuster. In operation, the splitter splits the optical signal into equal portions, the phase adjuster adjusts the relative phase of the optical signal portions, and the free space delay line provides one-bit delay between the portions of the optical signal. The delayed signals are mixed in the waveguide coupler. The free space delay line can be made variable for adjustment of the bit delay for operation at different bit rates, and/or for optimization of the interferometer performance.
US08983240B2

The invention relates to an electro-optical phase modulator with a plurality of elements arranged between two substrates, which\are produced from an optically isotropic material which becomes optically anisotropic when an electrical field is applied, wherein for each of the elements respectively one electrode is arranged on both substrates and the electrodes can be individually controlled at least on one of the substrates.
US08983237B2

Non-destructive collaborative editing may include a node among a plurality of nodes in a distributed collaborative environment receiving an input indicating a change regarding a displayed image. The node may receive another input to finalize the change. In response to the other input, the node may generate a rendition that reflects the change applied to the image without replacing an original version of the image. The rendition may include a thumbnail and a rendered preview of an adjusted version of the image based on the change. In one embodiment, textual information that describes a change regarding an image of a plurality of images may be received from a node of a plurality of nodes in a distributed collaborative environment. The textual information may be stored. Application of the textual information to an image may result in a modified version of the image in addition to the original version.
US08983229B2

A system, medium, and method providing a thumbnail visualizing a plurality of features representing an event to facilitate a search of images. In the system, medium, and method, photographs may be classified into groups based on metadata, e.g., embedded in a photograph file, and a thumbnail may be generated by combining object images extracted from individual representative photographs of the respective groups. The generation of the thumbnail may include extracting metadata from photograph files stored in a photograph folder, classifying the photograph files into groups based on the metadata, selecting representative photographs from the groups using color information included in the metadata, and combining object images extracted from the representative photographs into a thumbnail.
US08983228B1

In one aspect, a method for automatically adjusting temporal creation data for a plurality of images is disclosed. The method may generally include receiving a plurality of image files associated with the plurality of images, wherein each of the plurality of image files includes an initial creation time. In addition, the method may include determining a baseline creation time by analyzing the plurality of image files based on their association with at least one of daytime hours or nighttime hours and adjusting the initial creation time for at least one of the plurality of image files based on the baseline creation time.
US08983227B2

Techniques and tools are described for performing perspective correction using a reflection. Reflective properties of a surface being photographed can be used to determine a rotation of the device taking the photograph relative to the surface. Light sourced or produced by the device can be used to create a reflection spot in the picture. A position of the reflection spot within the picture is calculated and used to determine the rotation. The rotation can be used for performing perspective correction on the picture, or on another picture taken by the device.
US08983223B2

A method includes implementing, through a processor communicatively coupled to a memory and/or a hardware block, a Bilateral Filter (BF) including a spatial filter component and a range filter component, and implementing the spatial filter component with a low-complexity function to allow for focus on the range filter component. The method also includes determining, through the processor, filter tap value(s) related to the range filter component as a function of radiometric distance between a pixel of a video frame and/or an image and other pixels thereof based on a pre-computed corpus of data related to execution of an application in accordance with a filtering requirement of the pixel by the application. Further, the method includes constraining, through the processor, the filter tap value(s) to a form i×base based on the BF implementation. i is an integer and base is a floating point base.
US08983220B2

An error diffusion method includes: simultaneously receiving first to nth (n is a positive integer of 2 or larger) pixel data at every clock; adding a quantization error stored in a memory to each of the first to (n−1)th pixel data and quantizing them into data having a smaller number of bits than the number of input bits; adding the quantization error stored in the memory to the nth pixel data and quantizing it into data having a smaller number of bits than the number of input bits; diffusing the quantization errors of the first to (n−1)th pixel data to nearby pixels excluding the first to nth pixels by using a first error diffusion mask, and storing the diffusion results of the quantization errors of the first to (n−1)th pixel data in the memory; and diffusing the quantization error of the nth pixel data to pixels around the nth pixel by using a second error diffusion mask, and storing the diffusion results of the quantization error of the nth pixel data in the memory.
US08983217B2

When a plurality of image signals of an object picked up by a plurality of image pickup units are encoded on a predetermined pixel block basis by using an inter-prediction between images, difference information showing an offset between the images is generated from the plurality of image signals, and a search range which is set in order to detect a vector on the predetermined pixel block basis is adaptively set in accordance with the generated difference information.
US08983214B2

An encoder includes an encoding unit that performs encoding according to a predetermined encoding method, a production unit that produces a special code which is not stipulated in the predetermined encoding method and which exhibits a higher bit change rate than that produced according to the predetermined encoding method does, and an encoding output unit that, if input data items which have not been encoded by the encoding unit are identical to each other, outputs encoded data into which a preceding one of the input data items is encoded by the encoding unit, and outputs a special code as encoded data, into which the succeeding one of the input data items is encoded, successively to the encoded data.
US08983212B2

A method for image data compression of a to-be-encoded image block includes: determining one of a plurality of preset encoding modes as an encoding mode based upon attributes of pixels of the to-be-encoded image block; and compressing image data of the to-be-encoded image block according to the encoding mode thus determined so as to obtain encoded data.
US08983209B2

A method, system, and machine-readable medium for classifying an image element as one of a plurality of categories, including assigning the image element based on a ratio between an unoccluded perimeter of the image element and an occluded perimeter of the image element and coding the image element according to a coding scheme associated with the category to which the image element is classified. Exemplary applications include image compression, where categories include image foreground and background layers.
US08983195B2

According to one exemplary embodiment, a smoothing method for time data sequences is performed, which includes: smoothing original data points of a time data sequence, then from smoothed data points, determining reference points for a global trajectory and a local trajectory; according to the reference points, calculating a direction of the global trajectory and a direction of the local trajectory; and adaptively calculating new data point(s) by integrating the two directions. The trajectory of new data points maintains the properties of smoothness and real-time perception.
US08983190B2

Dynamically configuring OCR processing may include determining a device type and determining whether to perform optical character recognition (OCR) processing of the received image locally based on one or more OCR parameters. Example OCR parameters may include the device type, the image type, the size of the received image, the available amount of the memory, the measured/benchmarked throughput of OCR processing on the device relative to an OCR server throughput and network throughput, and/or the current level of network connectivity. If it is determined that OCR processing of the received image should be performed locally, the device may compute one or more name-value pairs corresponding to the received image and transmit the name-value pairs to a remote data server for processing.
US08983182B1

A method and system for estimating continuous tone values associated with input pixels in a color image are provided. The method includes receiving binarized halftone image data representing a color image, wherein the color image has a plurality of input pixels; and estimating the continuous tone values associated with each of the input pixels by: establishing a window comprising a pixel of interest and neighboring pixels in the binarized halftone image data, wherein the window comprises a plurality of sub-window's and wherein each sub-window has a plurality of predetermined number of rows and columns of pixels; and processing the binarized halftone image data in both a process direction and a cross-process direction using the window such that the processing is performed for one of the pixels in each of the rows within the sub-window and the processing is skipped for the remaining pixels in that row of that sub-window.
US08983180B2

A method of detecting the smoke of a forest fire using the spatiotemporal Bag-of-Features (BoF) of the smoke and a random forest is provided. In the method, whenever each frame of a video sequence is input, a difference between the input frame and a previous frame is detected, and the input frame is set as a key frame if the difference exceeds a predetermined first threshold value. One or more moving blocks are detected in the set key frame. One or more candidate smoke blocks are extracted from the moving blocks using a smoke color model. BoF representations are generated from the detected candidate smoke blocks. Whether smoke of the candidate smoke blocks is actual smoke is determined by performing random forest learning on the generated BoF representation.
US08983178B2

A method and system for generating a disparity map. The method comprises the steps of generating a first disparity map based upon a first image and a second image acquired at a first time, acquiring at least a third image and a fourth image at a second time, and determining one or more portions comprising a difference between one of the first and second images and a corresponding one of the third and fourth images. A disparity map update is generated for the one or more determined portions, and a disparity map is generated based upon the third image and the fourth image by combining the disparity map update and the first disparity map.
US08983166B2

A computer-assisted method of classifying cytological samples, includes using a processor to analyze images of cytological samples and identify cytological objects of interest within the sample images, wherein the processor (i) displays images of identified cytological objects of interest from the sample images to a reviewer, (ii) accesses a database of images of previously classified cytological objects, and (iii) displays to the reviewer, interspersed with the displayed images of the identified objects of interest from the sample images, one or more images obtained from the database of images of previously-classified objects.
US08983158B2

An image data subtraction system receives an electrical signal representing a heart cycle electrical waveform during multiple heart cycles and acquires data representing a first image set comprising multiple temporally sequential individual mask images of vessels of a portion of patient anatomy during the multiple heart cycles in the absence of a contrast agent. The system acquires data representing a second image set comprising a multiple temporally sequential individual contrast enhanced images of vessels of the portion of patient anatomy during the multiple heart cycles in the presence of a contrast agent. An image data processor automatically uses the electrical signal to identify temporally corresponding pairs of images comprising a mask image and a contrast enhanced image acquired substantially at a same point within a heart cycle. The image data processor, for the corresponding pairs, automatically subtracts data representing a mask image of a corresponding pair from a contrast enhanced image of the corresponding pair, to provide subtracted images.
US08983153B2

An apparatus and a computer implemented method compare a first representation of an identifier with a second representation of an identifier to establish a likelihood ratio considering the probability the first representation and second representation originate from the same identifier and the probability of the first representation and second representation originate from different identifiers. The approach generates one or more variant expressions from the first representation, second representation and other representations. A boundary around the expression of the second representation is used to establish the number of the variant expressions of the expression of the first representation within it and the number of variant expressions of the expressions of the other representations within it and so provide the measure of comparison between the first representation of the identifier and the second representation of the identifier from the first value and second value.
US08983147B2

An ECU which is connected to an image sensor and an illuminance sensor includes an eyelid detection unit that detects the positions of the upper and lower eyelids from a face image, an eyelid determination unit that determines the positions of the upper and lower eyelids detected by the eyelid detection unit, and an eye opening degree calculation unit that calculates the degree of eye opening. The eyelid determination unit searches for a red-eye candidate in the range in which the skin is assumed to be present from the positions of the upper and lower eyelids detected by the eyelid detection unit. When the red-eye candidate is searched in the range, the eyelid determination unit determines that the eyelid detection unit falsely detects the positions of the upper and lower eyelids.
US08983144B2

An information processing apparatus that obtains intimacy degree information corresponding to identification information of a first person, specifies an extraction period based on the intimacy degree information, and extracts content in the extraction period.
US08983141B2

An automated method for texture segmentation (11) of geophysical data volumes, where texture is defined by double-window statistics of data values, the statistics being generated by a smaller pattern window moving around within a larger sampling window (12). A measure of “distance” between two locations is selected based on similarity between the double-window statistics from sampling windows centered at the two locations (13). Clustering of locations is then based on distance proximity (14).
US08983140B2

An image processing unit includes a memory unit in which continuously captured images including a reference image and a comparative image are stored, an image dividing unit to divide the reference image and the comparative image into image blocks of a predetermined size, a mean value calculator unit to calculate a mean value of pixel outputs in each image block of each of the reference and comparative images, a threshold determining unit to determine a threshold according to a mean value of pixel outputs of an image block of the reference image, and a determiner unit to compare the threshold with a difference value of the mean values of the pixel outputs in the image blocks of the reference and comparative images to be synthesized and determine whether the image blocks of the reference and comparative images are suitable for image synthesis based on a result of the comparison.
US08983134B2

A method and apparatus for localizing an area in relative movement and for determining the speed and direction thereof in real time is disclosed. Each pixel of an image is smoothed using its own time constant. A binary value corresponding to the existence of a significant variation in the amplitude of the smoothed pixel from the prior frame, and the amplitude of the variation, are determined, and the time constant for the pixel is updated. For each particular pixel, two matrices are formed that include a subset of the pixels spatially related to the particular pixel. The first matrix contains the binary values of the subset of pixels. The second matrix contains the amplitude of the variation of the subset of pixels. In the first matrix, it is determined whether the pixels along an oriented direction relative to the particular pixel have binary values representative of significant variation, and, for such pixels, it is determined in the second matrix whether the amplitude of these pixels varies in a known manner indicating movement in the oriented direction. In each of several domains, histogram of the values in the first and second matrices falling in such domain is formed. Using the histograms, it is determined whether there is an area having the characteristics of the particular domain. The domains include luminance, hue, saturation, speed (V), oriented direction (D1), time constant (CO), first axis (x(m)), and second axis (y(m)).
US08983123B2

In a target-object distance measuring device and a vehicle on which the device is mounted, a human body detection device is utilized for calculating a distance between an image capturing device and a human body candidate in an actual space based on the size of the human body candidate in the image. The head width is approximately 15-16 cm. A body height in the actual space of the human candidate in the image is estimated based on the ratio between the head-width in the extracted image and at least one size of the human body feature, such as total height, in the extracted human body candidate region, and the distance from the image capturing device to the human body candidate in the actual space is calculated based on the estimated body height in the actual space and the body height of the human body candidate in the image.
US08983119B2

This invention relates to a network interface device a first capture device interfacing with a first external information source to capturing first external information. A processor processes the captured first external information and storing it in a first media, the processor initiating the storage of the first captured information at an initial time and completes storage of the first captured information at a completion time, thus providing a stored defined set of first captured information. A transmitter transmits the defined set of stored captured information to a remote location on a network after the completion time. A remote processing system is disposed at the remote node on the network and includes a database and a receiver for receiving the transmitted defined set of first captured information from the transmitter associated with the network interface device as a received defined set of first captured information. A data converter is operable to convert the received defined set of first captured information to a second format as a set of converted first captured information, the second format different than the first media format, the second format being a searchable format. The database then stores the set of converted captured information.
US08983112B2

A planar speaker system may include a bottom frame having a cavity. Within this cavity a plurality of magnets may be arranged to form a substantially circular pattern. A diaphragm that includes a plurality of electrically conductive traces may be connected to the bottom frame and extend across the cavity of the bottom frame. When alternating current flows through the electrically conductive traces, the diaphragm may vibrate in response to the interaction between the current flowing in the electrically conductive traces and the magnetic field, thereby producing sound. The planar speaker system may include a top frame having a cavity, and a second set of magnets may be disposed in the cavity of the top frame.
US08983108B2

The in ear headphone includes a main body, an ear pad and a speaker. The main body includes a first wall and a second wall. The first wall defines a chamber, and the first and second walls collectively define a gap. One end of the gap and one end of the chamber are both directed toward an ear canal. The other end of the gap is directed toward surrounding air. The ear pad corresponds to one end of the gap and the chamber. The ear pad conformingly contacts the ear canal. The speaker is disposed in the chamber.
US08983092B2

Peak reduction and power limitations are used to prevent distortion and protect components. In a cellular telephone, peak reduction can be based on battery power level to prevent electrical distortion from saturation. In addition peak reduction can be used to prevent mechanical distortion such as rub and buzz. Dynamic range compression can be used for peak reduction. In another application dynamic range compression can be used to control the power output to protect a speaker from damage. One example of a dynamic range compressor/peak limiter comprises a look-ahead buffer and an analysis engine. For example, the look-ahead buffer holds a window of samples of a signal. The analysis engine selects a gain envelope function on the basis of the samples, for example, by selecting the Pth sample in the buffer whenever that sample exceeds a given threshold.
US08983086B2

An output controller and an method for outputting a signal flow to one or more earphone jacks according to a connection status of each earphone jack. The output controller includes an interface unit having more than one earphone jacks and an output control unit. The output control unit includes a signal input terminal for receiving a signal flow, a detector, and a determining module. The detector detects whether each earphone jack is connected with an earphone and outputs one or more detected signals representing the connection status of the earphone jacks. The determining module outputs the signal flow directly to the connected earphone jack if only one earphone jack is connected to the earphone or distributes the signal flow being amplified correspondingly into each connected earphone jack if more than one earphone jack is connected to the earphones.
US08983085B2

An input signal is processed through noise suppression (NS) and echo control (EC) via a multipath model that reduces noise pumping effects while maintaining EC performance. A copy of a “noisy” input signal is sent to an EC component before the noisy signal is sent to a NS component, which processes the signal first, when there is a consistent noise level for estimation. The copy of the pre-processing noisy signal is sent to the EC component along with a “clean” or “noise-suppressed” signal output from the NS component. The EC component analyzes the noisy signal as if the EC was the first component in the signal chain to determine what actions to take. The EC component then applies these actions to the clean signal received from the NS component.
US08983059B2

An apparatus (100, 200) for interfacing between an external telephone (12) and telecommunications network (24), wherein the telephone provides and accepts subscriber-side signals (126, 216) and the telecommunications network provides and accepts provider-side signals (132). A control circuit (150) and a first port (110) communicating the subscriber-side signals with said control circuit and a second port (116) communicating the provider-side signals with said control circuit. The control circuit converts the subscriber signals to the provider signals, and the provider signals to the subscriber signals.
US08983057B1

A step size controller may be used to control the rate of adaptation in an acoustic echo canceller. Step size control based on the values of adaptive coefficients (rather than, e.g., a fixed initial adaptation period) provides improved reliability and resistance to disruption. Accordingly, features are disclosed for controlling step size based on the values of adaptive coefficients.
US08983053B2

Information about a caller is provided to an agent, such as a customer service operator in a customer service call center. In one embodiment, the agent may receive detailed account and/or personal information about the caller before being connected to the actual or live call. For example, the agent receives information from a customer database regarding a customer profile and information from an order database regarding order or transaction information. The customer database and the order database are external to the call center. The agent may modify the customer profile and/or the order or transaction information. The customer database and order database are update accordingly and the information may be transferred along with the call to another agent.
US08983049B2

A method of controlling a user device in a telecommunications network having a first part and a second, different part is provided. The method includes, at the user device, receiving a first communication session setup request to set up a given communication session, the first communication session setup request being directed to a first communication interface, receiving a communication notification in relation to the same given communication session, the communication notification being directed to a second communication interface, establishing the given communication session via the first communication interface via the first part of the telecommunications network, and after having established the given communication session via the first communication interface, activating an alert function to alert a user of the user device to the availability of the second communication interface at least on the basis of having received the communication availability notification.
US08983048B2

The number of messages required in networks where both location and presence services are deployed may be reduced, by retrieving presence data from messages otherwise intended to provide only location information. Thus, information determined in a location service scheme is utilized to provide a presence service as well. A location server requests mobile subscriber (MS) information from a Core Network (CN) Node (i.e. HLR, MSC, etc.) that can be used in determining the Location of the MS. A single message aggregates retrieval of information for two services, specifically, for both location and presence.
US08983044B2

A communication apparatus is provided that includes a modem configured to transition between a normal mode and a power-saving mode, a voltage variation generator configured to generate a voltage variation on a telephone line in response to a transition instruction, a communication controller configured to connect therethrough the modem with the telephone line, and to detect the voltage variation generated on the telephone line by the voltage variation generator, the communication controller being further configured to output a transition signal to cause the modem to transition from the power-saving mode to the normal mode, in response to detecting the voltage variation on the telephone line when the modem is in the power-saving mode.
US08983038B1

Disclosed is a method, apparatus, system and non-transitory computer program product configured to process user call responses and assign caller specific preferences to the user based on the caller's feedback. One example method of processing spoken words from a user of a calling platform may include operations, such as calling a user via a call processing device, and sending a call prompt message to the user after the user has answered the call, the call prompt message soliciting a user response. The user may respond and the response is received as a spoken call greeting from the user in response to the call prompt message. Other operations may include recording the spoken call greeting, and determining whether the spoken call greeting is indicative of a language preference. The system may process the user's word or utterances and assign language preferences to the user based on the user provided information.
US08983033B2

The present invention discloses a scanning device of back-scatter imaging with a radiation beam, comprising: a radiation source; a fixed shield plate and a rotatable shield body disposed between the radiation source and a object to be scanned respectively, wherein the fixed shield plate is stationary with respect to the radiation source and the rotatable shield body is rotatable with respect to the fixed shield plate. The fixed shield plate is provided with a ray passing-through region thereon, which allows for a radiation beam from the radiation source to pass through the fixed shield plate, a ray incidence region and a ray emergence region are arranged on the rotatable shield body respectively, during the rotatable scanning of the rotatable shield body, the ray passing-through region of the fixed shield plate continuously intersects with the ray incidence region and the ray emergence region of the rotatable shield body to generate collimated holes for scanning. The ray passing-through region of the fixed shield plate is a rectilinear slit, the rotatable shield body is a cylinder, and the ray incidence and emergence regions are configured to be a series of small discrete holes disposed along a spiral line respectively. In addition, the present invention discloses a scanning method for back-scatter imaging with a radiation beam.
US08983031B2

A method for irradiation planning for a quasi-cyclically moving target volume includes defining a first movement phase within a movement period of the target volume and carrying out a first irradiation planning using a first position of the target volume during the first movement phase. The method also includes defining a second movement phase within the movement period of the target volume, and carrying out a second irradiation planning for the second movement phase using a second position of the target volume during the second movement phase. An apportionment of a total dose to be applied is provided to a first partial dose that is allocated to the first movement phase and to a second partial dose that is allocated to the second movement phase.
US08983024B2

A tetrahedron beam computed tomography system including an x ray source array that sequentially emits a plurality of x ray beams at different positions along a scanning direction and a collimator that intercepts the plurality of x-ray beams so that a plurality of fan-shaped x-ray beams emanate from the collimator towards an object. The system includes a first detector receiving a first set of fan-shaped x ray beams after they pass through the object, the first detector generating a first imaging signal for each of the received first set of fan-shaped x-ray beams and a second detector receiving a second set of fan-shaped x ray beams after they pass through the object, the second detector generating a second imaging signal for each of the received second set of fan-shaped x-ray beams. Each detector and source pair form a tetrahedral volume. In other embodiments, the system may also have more than two detectors arrays and/or more than one source array. Each pair of source array and detector array forms a tetrahedral volume. Using multiple detector arrays and source arrays can increase field of view, reduce the length of detector and source arrays so that the imaging system is more compact and mobile.
US08983022B2

To suppress malfunctions in a shift register circuit. A shift register having a plurality of flip-flop circuits is provided. The flip-flop circuit includes a transistor 11, a transistor 12, a transistor 13, a transistor 14, and a transistor 15. When the transistor 13 or the transistor 14 is turned on in a non-selection period, the potential of a node A is set, so that the node A is prevented from entering into a floating state.
US08983013B2

A signal processing circuit includes: a delay line configured to output, to a plurality of taps, signals with different delay times obtained by delaying an input signal, respectively; and a plurality of synchronization circuits configured to sample the signals from the plurality of taps in a phase in synchronization with a clock signal, wherein each of the plurality of synchronization circuits samples a sample signal from one of the plurality of taps in different phases and outputs a plurality of output signals.
US08983007B2

A receiver apparatus includes a first frequency response estimator configured to calculate a first frequency response estimation value using a reference signal, a duration extractor configured to determine an estimation duration by extracting at least one duration from among a plurality of duration candidates into which a predetermined maximum delay time is divided, and a second frequency response estimator configured to calculate a second frequency response estimation value as a frequency response estimation value for demodulation using the first frequency response and the estimation duration. The receiver apparatus thus performs high-precision channel estimation even if a variety of PDPs occur with time.
US08983006B2

An orthotope sphere decoding method of a multiple antenna system is disclosed. The method includes performing tree search using a depth-first method by performing an OC-test on the nodes on which the tree search of orthotope sphere decoding will be performed and performing an SC-test on nodes passing the OC-test; and selecting a transmission symbol having a smallest PED value as a final signal as a result of the search.
US08982988B2

A method and apparatus for transmitting an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signal including converting a distribution of a signal in which inverse Fourier transform is performed in an OFDM system and a method of receiving an OFDM signal including expanding a received signal are provided, and by changing a magnitude distribution of a signal that is output from an OFDM modulator to a bimodal Gaussian distribution, an influence of noise in a receiving terminal can be reduced, and by limiting a signal that is output from an OFDM modulator to an appropriate magnitude, a phase in the receiving terminal can be prevented being wrongly demodulated.
US08982984B2

A method and system for dynamic configuring of one or both of a transmitter pulse-shaping filter and a receiver pulse-shaping filter to generate a total partial response that incorporates a predetermined amount of inter-symbol interference (ISI). The predetermined amount of ISI is determined based on an estimation process during extraction of data from an output of the receiver pulse-shaping filter, such that performance of total partial-response-based communication matches or surpasses performance of communication incorporating filtering based on no or near-zero ISI. The reconfiguring may comprise obtaining data relating to changes affecting one or more of: the pulse-shaping filtering, and a channel and/or an interface used in the communication of data based on the total partial response, and adjusting the filter configuration, such as by determining a new optimized filtering configuration or changes to existing configurations (e.g., by applying a filtering optimization process).
US08982981B2

A method of data transmission includes determining the number of layers, generating mapping symbols by mapping modulation symbols for a first codeword and modulation symbols for a second codeword to each layer, and transmitting the mapping symbols through a plurality of antennas. At least one of the first codeword and the second codeword is mapped to at least 3 layers and the number of layers is larger than 3.
US08982980B2

In a method of providing channel state information determined at a first communication device to a second communication device, a channel estimate matrix H describing a forward communication channel between the first communication device and the second communication device is determined at the first communication device. Feedback descriptive of the forward communication channel is determined based on the channel estimate matrix H at the first communication device. When operating in a multi user mode or in a single user mode and with multiple spatial streams, full compressed feedback is generated. Full compressed feedback includes φ angle values and ψ angle values corresponding to each of one or more columns of the channel estimate matrix. When operating in the single user mode and with a single spatial stream, partial compressed feedback is generated. Partial compressed feedback includes φ angle values, and omits ψ angle values, corresponding to the channel estimate matrix.
US08982964B2

An image decoding device which increases decoding efficiency and can be easily implemented includes: a division unit dividing coded image data into first and second coded image data; a frame storage unit; first and second decoding units decoding, in parallel, the first and second coded image data; and an information storage unit. The first decoding unit decodes the first coded image data using second decoding result information stored in the information storage unit and stores, as first decoding result information, a part of information generated by the decoding into the information storage unit. The second decoding unit decodes the second coded image data using the first decoding result information stored in the information storage unit and stores, as the second decoding result information, a part of information generated by the decoding into the information storage unit.
US08982961B2

Encoding and decoding a video using transformation index that indicates information that indicates a structure of a transformation unit transforming data of a current coding unit.
US08982960B2

A filter unit of a video encoder or video decoder can determine a first metric for a group of pixels within a block of pixels, determine a second metric for the group of pixels, determine a filter based on the first metric and the second metric, and generate a filtered image by applying the filter to the group of pixels. The first metric and second metric can be an activity metric and a direction metric, respectively, or can be other metrics such as an edge metric, horizontal activity metric, vertical activity metric, or diagonal activity metric.
US08982953B2

By the moving picture coding method and the moving picture decoding method, it is possible to improve coding efficiency. The moving picture coding apparatus includes a merge block candidate calculation unit that (i) specifies merge block candidates at merge mode, by using colpic information such as motion vectors and reference picture index values of neighbor blocks of a current block to be coded and a motion vector and the like of a collocated block of the current block which are stored in a colPic memory, and (ii) generates a combined merge block by using the merge block candidates.
US08982946B2

The present invention provides a transcoder having a MPEG decoder and a MPEG encoder, for changing a GOP structure and the bit rate of an encoded bitstream obtained as a result of an encoding process. The MPEG encoder receives a past encoding parameters generated at a past encoding process as a history information, and performs a present encoding process by using the past encoding parameters selectively so that the present encoding process is optimized. Furthermore, the encoder describe the past encoding parameters into the encoded bitstream as the history information so as to reuse the history information in advance encoding process. The picture quality of the video data does not deteriorate even if decoding and encoding processes are carried out repeatedly by the transcoder.
US08982942B2

Disclosed herein are tools and techniques for storing and using video processing tool configuration information that can identify combinations of video processing tools to be used for processing video. In one exemplary embodiment, video processing tools of a computing system are identified. The performance of a combination of the video processing tools is measured. The performance measurement is compared with another performance measurement of another combination of the video processing tools. Based on the comparison, video processing tool configuration information is set. In another exemplary embodiment, video processing tool configuration information indicating a combination of video processing tools is accessed, and video data is processed using the combination of video processing tools based on the video processing tool configuration information.
US08982939B2

Described herein is an apparatus, method and system corresponding to relate to a low power digital phase interpolator (PI). The apparatus comprises: a digital mixer unit to generate phase signals from a series of input signals, the phase signals having phases which are digitally controlled; a poly-phase filter, coupled to the digital mixer unit, to generate a filtered signal by reducing phase error in the phase signals; and an output buffer, coupled to the poly-phase filter, to generate an output signal by buffering the filtered signal. The low power digital PI consumes less power compared to traditional current-mode PIs operating on the same power supply levels because the digital PI is independent of any bias circuit which are needed for current mode PIs.
US08982938B2

Methods and test equipment for measuring jitter in a Pulse Amplitude Modulated (PAM) transmitter. Under one procedure, a first two-level PAM signal test pattern is used to measure clock-related jitter separated into random and deterministic components, while a second two-level PAM signal test pattern is used to measure oven-odd jitter (EOJ). Under another procedure, A four-level PAM signal test pattern is used to measure jitter-induced noise using distortion analysis. Test equipment are also disclosed for implementing various aspects of the test methods.
US08982928B2

A method for detecting multi-user signals including conducting a first energy burst detection detecting a first plurality of user signals as a first energy burst, attempting to decode a user signal from the first plurality of signals within the first energy burst, cancelling out a first user signal from the first energy burst if the first user signal is successfully decoded from the first energy burst, determining a second user signal to be discarded if the second user signal is not successfully decoded from the first energy burst, conducting a second energy burst detection detecting a second plurality of signals as a second burst, and iteratively cancelling out the first user signal successfully decoded from the first energy burst from the second energy burst, wherein the second energy burst detection is conducted when all user signals within the first energy burst are either cancelled out or determined to be discarded.
US08982922B2

An aspect of the disclosed subject matter includes a method of reducing the laser absorption of a beam reverser prism consisting of at least one of the following: increasing a first distance between a first incident point and a chamfered corner, wherein the first incident point is on a first reflective surface of the prism and the chamfered corner is formed between the first reflective surface and a second reflective surface of the prism, wherein the chamfered corner has a chamfered surface; increasing a second distance between a second incident point and the chamfered corner, wherein the second incident point is on the second reflective surface of the prism; and increasing a reflectivity of the chamfered surface of the chamfered corner of the prism. A method of determining a prime cut for an optical component is also disclosed. A laser including at least one prime cut optical component is also disclosed.
US08982916B2

A method for producing an externally injected gain switch laser ultrashort pulse, comprising the following steps of ultrashort light pulse signals having multi-longitudinal mode characteristic produced by the gain switch laser are inputted into an optical amplifier and then amplified; a spectral component signal selector selects a narrow spectral component signal outputted by the optical amplifier, the narrow spectral component signal is within an amplified spontaneous emission noise frequency band and its central wavelength is equal to the longitudinal mode of the gain switch laser; a route of the narrow spectral component signal is used as an external seed light and reinjected into the gain switch laser via a spectral component signal feedback loop. Therefore, the oscillation of a selected single longitudinal mode within the cavity of the gain switch laser is enhanced, thereby forming an externally light injected locking.
US08982914B2

A method and apparatus are provided for transmitting data packets in a communication network using a plurality of radio channels. The network is organized into a plurality of communication layers including a data link layer MAC and a physical layer PHY. The method includes aggregating data packets to be transmitted to a single recipient, in the MAC layer, outputting at least two aggregated packets, with which a single header of the PHY layer is associated. At least two of the radio channels are concatenated to form a concatenated channel. The aggregated packets are simultaneously transmitted respectively over at least two separate concatenated sub-channels, one concatenated sub-channel including at least one of the radio channels of the concatenated channel.
US08982900B2

Routing around intra-network element (intra-NE) disconnectivity is described. The routing is performed on one or more network element (NEs) of a channelized network. The routing involves performing a shortest-path-search (SPS) to determine a shortest non-disconnected path from a single path-ingress edge to a single path-egress edge. The SPS includes classifying a set of endpoints of each NE in the channelized network as an equivalence class of endpoints, classifying a set of paths-so-far between each NE in the channelized network as an equivalence class of paths-so-far, grouping each equivalence class of paths-so-far by the equivalence class of endpoints that includes a terminal endpoint of the path-so-far that is furthest from the single path-ingress edge, and exploring separately each equivalence class of edges that are incident to each NE when determining the shortest non-disconnected path from the single path-ingress edge to the single path-egress edge.
US08982892B2

The present invention is directed to a method for adjusting a guard period in a base station for a cellular wireless communication system. The base station is adapted to communicate in a frame structure comprising a downlink frame followed by the guard period followed by an uplink frame. The method comprises the following steps: measuring interference in dependence on time from at least one interfering base station; and adjusting an uplink frame start time within the frame structure in dependence on the measured interference. The invention also relates to a base station, a network management entity, a computer program product and a method for operating the network entity.
US08982890B2

Computerized methods, systems, and computer-readable media are provided for distributing virtualized gateway functionality to multiple nodes within a physical network. Initially, drivers that carry out the gateway functionality are provisioned to cooperate with endpoints instantiated on the network nodes, while a directory service is implemented to maintain a mapping between virtual internet protocol (IP) addresses and location-dependent addresses, as well as a table enumerating transformation actions according to known pathways connecting the endpoints within a network. In operation, the directory service replies to requests from the driver (carrying source and destination IP addresses of data packets) with the appropriate location-dependent addresses (utilizing the mapping) and the appropriate transformation action(s) (utilizing the table). The transformation action(s) include rewriting headers of the data packets to include the location-dependent addresses, encapsulating the data packets as inner data packets within respective outer data packets, or configuring the data packets with a tunneling protocol.
US08982887B2

A computer system, method and program for routing. A router receives a message packet, and in response, the router reads a payload in the message packet to identify an application that sent the message packet or a user of the application that sent the message packet, as identified from the reading of the payload. The router determines a routing path for the message packet based at least in part on the identity of the application that sent the message packet or the user of the application that sent the message packet. The router forwards the message packet to a next hop in the routing path which was determined.
US08982886B2

A computer-implemented method that includes creating a master copy of a header for all packets of a data transmission event, the master copy including a plurality of intact constant header information, the plurality of intact constant header information being constant for all packets of the data transmission event, storing unique header information for all packets of the data transmission event, the unique header information including information unique to at least one packet of the data transmission event, tokenizing identities of each packet of the data transmission event to create a tokenized packet ID for each packet, and indexing the stored unique header information based on the tokenizing. According to the method, at packet read-time, unique header information associated with the packet is overlayed onto the master copy to create a unique packet.
US08982875B2

A server, upon receiving a request to complete a call over a packet-switched network, looks up an address on the packet-switched network on a local table. If the local table does not contain a matching address, the server asks a routing server to identify a receiving server address. The routing server identifies a suitable address and sends a message to the originating server containing the address. The receiving server then receives, via the packet-switched network, a message requesting a telephone connection to a second telephone device. Before completing the connection to the second telephone device, information in the message representing the address of the device on the packet-switched network that originated the message is identified and the address information is compared to selected predetermined addresses for permitted origins of the message.
US08982874B2

In an apparatus and method, one method example has the steps of: placing a call from a calling terminal to a called terminal in a cable telecommunication network, and communicating with a ring back application; initiating a new call by the ring back application to the called terminal via a call management server; ringing the called terminal by the call management server and providing an indication of the ringing to the ring back application; and sending, by the ring back application, a predetermined ring back signal to the calling terminal. Upon answer by the called party, the ring back application informs the calling party end device of the called party's address, and upon receiving the acknowledgement from the calling party's end-device it stops the predetermined ring back signal and informs the called party end device to cut thru the bearer path to the calling party's device. Finally, upon call termination by one of the parties, the application facilitates the tear down of the call by relaying the appropriate messages between the equipment involved in the call between the calling and called parties.
US08982871B2

A system and method for providing location information to a public safety answering point from a softphone may include receiving, at a network access point, an emergency 911 call from the softphone. The emergency 911 call may be communicated to a public safety answering point. In response to a call connection message being received, an address location of the network access point to which the softphone is in communication in placing the emergency 911 call to the public safety answering point may be communicated in a type II caller ID data packet. The softphone may generate the type II caller ID data packet with the address location in a data field, such as a data field typically used for name information of a caller.
US08982860B2

Examples are disclosed for an access point (AP) of a wireless local area network (WLAN) capable of obtaining an internet protocol (IP) address on behalf of a wireless device attempting to couple to the WLAN. The access point may receive an association request for the wireless device to couple to the WLAN. The association request may include an indication of whether the wireless device is also requesting an IP address. If an IP address is requested, the AP may obtain an IP address from a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server on behalf of the wireless device. Meanwhile, in some examples, the AP may concurrently implement an authentication process to enable the wireless device to couple to the WLAN. For these examples, upon authentication of the wireless device, the AP may provide the obtained IP address to the wireless device. Other examples are described and claimed.
US08982858B2

An input unit inputs input data. A priority determination unit determines priority of the data input by the input unit. A speed control unit sets the communication speed of the wireless communication of the data to be output from an output unit according to the priority of the data determined by the priority determination unit, and also, when input of the data is not detected, sets the communication speed of the wireless communication of the data to be output from the output unit to be lower than the communication speed when the input of the data is detected. The output unit outputs output data by the wireless communication at the set communication speed.
US08982856B2

A wireless network system may include a source node having a first source wireless interface and a second source wireless interface, wherein the source node initiates a data transmission via the first source wireless interface. The wireless network system may also include a repeater node having a first and second repeater wireless interfaces, wherein the repeater node is configured to receive the data transmission on the first or second repeater wireless interface and to repeat the data transmission on the other of the first or second repeater wireless interface. The wireless network system also includes a destination node having first and second destination wireless interfaces, wherein the destination node is configured to receive the data transmission on the first or second destination wireless interface. A wireless network system may also include a satellite-based, wireless network system, including an earth station server, a satellite client, and a terrestrial client.
US08982855B2

For a mobile node visiting a packet-switched wireless access network, said access network using a tunnelling-type micro-mobility protocol and a Quality of Service (QoS) routing protocol to route packet data to and from said mobile node, and comprising an access router to which said mobile node may attach, a mobility agent and a gateway, a method of configuring said access network to route packet data toward said mobile node which method comprises the steps of: (a) receiving in said access network a handover indication of said mobile node or a login request therefrom; (b) in response to said handover indication or login request computing a QoS route for said mobile node, which QoS route is useable to route packets between said mobility agent and said mobile node; (c) performing step (b) at a location in said access network remote from said mobility agent; and (d) transmitting said QoS route and said handover indication or login request from said remote location toward said mobility agent; whereby upon receipt of data transmitted in step (d) said mobility agent may handle both mobility configuration and QoS route configuration for said mobile node as part of said network layer handover.
US08982852B2

A wireless device configures a deactivation timer for a secondary cell in a secondary cell group. The wireless device may receive a control command initiating a random access process for the secondary cell. The wireless device may transmit a random access preamble on random access resources of the secondary cell in response to receiving the control command. The wireless device may abort the random access process on the secondary cell if the secondary cell is deactivated before the wireless device receives, on the primary cell, a random access response for the random access preamble transmission.
US08982841B2

A services node (SN) is provided that functions as a local, premise-based gateway that anchors and aggregates a group of radio nodes (RNs). Accordingly, the SN absorbs the functionalities of conventional mobility management entities (MMEs), as well as serving and packet data network gateways, where the SN appears as a single virtual eNB to a macrocellular core network. As a result, complexity associated with aggregating and controlling a large number of RNs (performed by the SN) is hidden from the core network. Additionally, micro-mobility between individual RNs controlled by an SN is completely handled at a local enterprise gateway level, thus significantly reducing mobility-related signaling from impacting an MME pool in the code network. Moreover local data offloading is made possible via the SN.
US08982839B2

A mobile station executed method, wherein upon changing from a current cell to a new cell in a wireless packet data network the mobile station enters the new cell; generates a cell change packet data unit (PDU) message for informing the network of the location of the mobile station in the new cell; buffers the cell change PDU message into a PDU transmit queue before any buffered PDUs that were present before the mobile station entered the new cell; and transmits the buffered cell change PDU before any of the buffered PDUs that were present before the mobile station entered the new cell.
US08982838B2

The technical features of this description provides a method and apparatus of processing data associated with handover in a wireless network transmitting a radio signal based on a number of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols or single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) symbols. In an aspect of the features, when MME learns that HeNB is preparing handover of UE, it sends the UE a PDN CONNECTIVITY REJECT with a proper cause, so that LIPA PDN connection cannot be used in the target cell. Accordingly, the LIPA PDN connection is only restricted to a CSG cell. Moreover, the network can explicitly reject the request from the UE, either before or after handover, thereby avoiding the UE's unnecessary retry.
US08982836B2

A method for maintaining IP context during an inter RAT handover of a UE between an eHRPD network and an LTE network may include delaying a transfer of an Internet Protocol context for at least one active packet data network until an IP address for an attach (PDN) Packet Data Network has been assigned and in the case where the Internet Protocol address for the Attach Packet Data Network is not assigned, initiating a detach operation from the LTE network without the user equipment losing the Internet Protocol context of the at least one active Packet Data Network.
US08982834B2

Provided are a method and apparatus for transmitting a reference signal in a multi-antenna system. A terminal generates a plurality of reference signal sequences in which cyclic shift values that are different from each other are allocated to the respective plurality of layers, and generates an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (SC-FDMA) symbol to which the plurality of reference signal sequences are mapped. The SC-FDMA symbol is transmitted to a base station via a plurality of antennas. Each of the reference signal sequences is multiplied by either +1 or −1 in accordance with an orthogonal covering code (OCC) index corresponding to the cyclic shift field in a DCI format transmitted via a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) for each layer.
US08982829B2

The present invention relates to a wireless communication system, and in particular, to a method and an apparatus for transmitting a downlink reference signal in a wireless communication system that supports multiple antennas. The method for transmitting a reference signal for a maximum of eight antenna ports according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: in a base station, mapping part of a common reference signal for a maximum of four antenna ports into a downlink subframe that includes a 1st slot and a 2nd slot; in the base station, mapping a channel status information reference signal for the maximum of eight antenna ports into the downlink subframe, according to a preset pattern; and in the base station, transmitting the downlink subframe into which the common reference signal and the channel status information reference signal have been mapped, wherein the preset pattern defines the channel status information reference signal for the maximum of eight antenna ports to be mapped onto two OFDM symbols of the data region in the downlink subframe, and wherein part of the common reference signal for the maximum of four antenna ports is limited to the common reference signal for a maximum of two antenna ports.
US08982828B1

Communication circuitry that employs persistent scheduling conventionally uses one initiation command to establish the modulation and coding scheme (“MCS”) that will be used for transmission of subsequent payload bursts, at least until it is time to send another initiation command. Inefficiency can result if transmission channel conditions change between initiation commands. To avoid such inefficiency, the disclosed circuitry maintains a count of unsuccessful transmission attempts. When the count deviates from a predetermined reference standard, the circuitry automatically and autonomously makes an appropriate change in the MCS selection without waiting for the next initiation command. Both transmitter and receiver circuits independently operate in the same way at the same time so that both ends of a communication link remain coordinated with one another.
US08982821B2

A method and a device for reporting the number of correctly decoded transport blocks in a wireless system. The maximum number of correctly decoded transport blocks within a reporting period is determined. Then the actual number of correctly decoded transport blocks is determined and cultivated into an indication thereof on the basis of the maximum number. The indication is sent to a network element capable of decoding it for analysis.
US08982820B1

Embodiments of methods for multi-band wireless communication and bandwidth management are described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US08982819B2

The present invention discloses a method and system for channel data transmission in a wireless network. The method includes: after a transmitting station and a receiving station determine a channel bandwidth to use for data transmission by interaction and negotiation, the transmitting station transmitting data to the receiving station with the determined channel bandwidth. The present invention further discloses a transmitting station. The present invention can solve the existing collision problem caused by contention for channels between the hidden stations and the current transmission stations, and thus can take full advantage of the effective transmission bandwidth in the large bandwidth system of a wireless network and increase the frequency spectrum utilization of large bandwidth, and at the same time ensure the backward compatibility with the large bandwidth system and its co-existence with conventional systems.
US08982815B2

A mobile communication device operating as a Mobile Terminal (MT) with multiple processor logics is provided. In the mobile communication device, a first processor logic is configured for sending an Activate PDP (Packet Data Protocol) Context Request message to a service network, a second processor logic is configured for receiving an Activate PDP Context Accept message indicating a PDP address from the service network, and a third processor logic is configured for indicating an interface identifier and a prefix obtained from the PDP address to a Terminal Equipment (TE), so that the TE constructs an IPv6 address based on the prefix and interface identifier.
US08982809B2

Disclosed is a method for transmitting integrated packet data by a relay station (RS) in a multi-hop relay communication system, including: integrating a plurality of packet data received from mobile stations (MSs) and determining a data integration scheme for transmitting the integrated data to base station (BS); receiving packet data from MSs, classifying the received packet data into one or more integration packet classes according to the determined data integration scheme, and storing the same; determining QoS (Quality of Service) requirements and a MCS (Modulation and Coding Scheme) level of the stored integration packet classes; calculating required resource according to the determined MCS level and requesting an allocation of the resource from the BS; receiving an approval for resource allocation from the BS, and modulating and coding the integrated packet class, mapping the same to the resource to configure an integrated packet; and transmitting the configured integrated packet to the BS.
US08982805B2

A wireless communications device with a wireless module and a controller module is provided. The wireless module performs wireless transceiving to and from a radio access network. The controller module receives a preamble assignment message comprising a component carrier indicator from the radio access network via the wireless module, and transmits, on a component carrier corresponding to the component carrier indicator, a Random Access Preamble (RAP) message to the radio access network via the wireless module. Also, the controller module receives a Random Access Response (RAR) message corresponding to the RAP message from the radio access network via the wireless module, and determines whether to activate the component carrier in response to one of the preamble assignment message, the RAP message, and the RAR message.
US08982799B2

Provided is a communication method implemented by a mobile device in a wireless network in which a plurality of frequency bands is available, wherein a first wireless device and a second wireless device in the wireless network are configured to use a first one and a second one of the plurality of frequency bands, respectively, to provide wireless connections. The method includes: while the mobile device is connected to the second wireless device, receiving a frame which includes information indicating that the first wireless device is configured to use the first frequency band to provide a wireless connection, the frame being transmitted from the first wireless device in the second frequency band and received through a scanning operation performed by the mobile device only on the second frequency band; and allowing a subsequent scanning operation of the mobile device to be performed only on the first frequency band.
US08982795B2

Disclosed are a node and a method of transmitting packets from the node. The disclosed node may use a directional antenna for transmitting a packet. The node includes a determining unit and a forwarding unit. The determining unit may determine whether or not there is an actor node present in a region traversed by a packet forwarding direction, where the packet forwarding direction is determined from relative-location information of a destination node with respect to a source node, the region is one of a plurality of regions divided by particular angles, and the plurality of regions have multiple beam patterns of the node formed therein. The forwarding unit may transmit the packet to an actor node present in the region traversed by the packet forwarding direction or transmit the packet to a neighbor node present in the region traversed by the packet forwarding direction.
US08982788B2

Provided are a method and an apparatus for transmitting a positioning reference signal (PRS) in a wireless communication system. A terminal obtains positioning subframe configuration information to determine at least one positioning subframe among a plurality of downlink subframes in a wireless frame, obtains downlink subframe configuration information to determine the type of each downlink subframe in the wireless frame, receives PRSs in at least one positioning subframe from a plurality of cells, and reports measured time differences between the PRSs received from the plurality of the cells. The type of each downlink subframe of the wireless frame is classified into a 1st type subframe and a 2nd type subframe, and the type of at least one positioning subframe is either the 1st type subframe or the 2nd type subframe. In addition, the PRSs are mapped into at least one positioning subframe on the basis of a single PRS pattern.
US08982786B2

An initial access setting information generating apparatus includes a preamble information transmission number obtaining unit that receives and obtains the number of transmissions for preamble information in a non-contention type initial access procedure performed between a base station and a communication terminal, where the preamble information transmission number obtaining unit receives and obtains the number of transmissions after the initial access procedure is completed; an expected reception power determination unit that determines an expected reception power at the base station, based on the number of transmissions for the preamble information, which is obtained by the preamble information transmission number obtaining unit; and a set value communication unit that generates and outputs initial access setting information about the initial access procedure for the communication terminal, based on the expected reception power determined by the expected reception power determination unit.
US08982784B2

The invention relates to a sensor network in an aircraft, which comprises several sensor nodes that communicate with a central data collection and evaluation unit via a radio transmission path. Data transmission can take place in various ways. For example, different frequency ranges are provided, from which the respective frequency range enabling the best data transmission quality is selected.
US08982779B2

To provide space division multiple access in a wireless network, plural beams are transmitted within a cell segment. Different information sets are sent in the corresponding plural beams, where one or more of the information sets are detectable by a mobile station depending upon a location of the mobile station in the cell segment. An indication responsive to which of the different information sets is detected by the mobile station is received, and beam selection from among the plural beams is performed according to the received indication.
US08982776B1

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for improving accuracy for providing precision time protocol (PTP) frequency and phase synchronization to each unanchored small cell site in a cluster over non on-path supported networks are provided. In embodiments, the method includes continuously measuring one-way delay down (OWDd) and delay offset down from a host site to an anchored site and one-way delay up (OWDu) and delay offset up from the anchored site to the host site. Round trip (RT) delay from the host site to each unanchored site is continuously measured. A one-way delay down prime (OWDd′) is determined for each unanchored site by applying the ratio of OWDu/OWDd to the corresponding RT delay for each unanchored small cell site. An adjusted dynamic corrective offset (DCO) is determined for each unanchored site by adding the respective OWDd′ to the respective time stamp and the delay offset down.
US08982771B2

A method for performing HARQ includes: receiving information to determine downlink subframes used for a relay station to receive scheduling information from a BS; determining uplink subframes for performing a HARQ with the DL subframes, each of the UL subframes corresponding to each of the DL subframes; assigning sequentially each of a plurality of HARQ processes to each of the UL subframes one by one; and performing HARQ with the BS at at least one of the HARQ processes. An n-th subframe is configured for a corresponding UL subframe if an (n−4)-th subframe is configured for one of the DL subframes, n denoting an integer. The HARQ processes are equal in number to the UL subframes. The DL subframes are configured in at least one radio frame having 10 subframes indexed from 0 to 9. Subframes having indexes 0, 4, 5 and 9 are not configured as a DL subframe.
US08982770B2

Provided is a wireless relay system that improves system throughput between terminal stations and flexibly makes system throughput variable with respect to short-term traffic fluctuations. In the wireless relay system, a plurality of relay stations relay communication between two terminal stations that perform random access. The terminal stations and the relay stations include a slot synchronization unit, a time synchronization unit, and a transmission unit. The slot synchronization unit synchronizes slot timing of a time slot indicating a unit time. The time synchronization unit performs time synchronization for synchronization of the slot timing. The transmission unit transmits a transmission packet to a wireless line in synchronization with the slot timing. A transmission right is allocated for at least one time slot to each of a plurality of groups which are configured so that a group of a terminal station or a relay station and a group of an adjacent terminal station or an adjacent relay station are different from each other. The transmission unit transmits the transmission packet to the wireless line only in a time slot in which the transmission right is allocated to the group to which the terminal station or the relay station belongs.
US08982758B2

An embodiment of the present invention provides a method of supporting acknowledgement transmissions for Uplink (UL) Multi-user Multiple Input Multiple Output (MU MIMO) in wireless networks, comprising, enabling an AP operable in the wireless network to send back acknowledgements to different wireless stations (STAs) in communication with said AP either sequentially or simultaneously by defining a new block ack (BAs) type for multiple STAs.
US08982753B2

Aspects of a method and system for physical layer control of low latency state transitions for energy efficiency. In this regard, a determination may be made to reconfigure a network device from an energy saving mode of operation to a higher performance mode of operation. A first portion of the network device may be reconfigured prior to sending an indication of the reconfiguration to a link partner, and a remaining portion of the network device may be reconfigured after sending the indication. The link partner may begin reconfiguration from an energy saving mode of operation to higher performance mode of operation upon receiving the indication. The energy saving mode may comprise a low power idle (LPI) or a subset PHY mode. The reconfiguration may comprise allocating memory to, and/or de-allocating memory from, buffering received and/or to-be-transmitted data.
US08982748B2

An antenna arrangement (200) and communication device (500) using the antenna arrangement connect a plurality of transceivers (302, 304) to a plurality of antenna elements (314, 316) and switches connections between the transceivers and the antenna elements depending on which transceiver has primary transmit control. The antenna elements include a transmit antenna element (316) and a monitoring antenna element (314). The transceiver having primary transmit control is connected to the transmit antenna element and the transceiver not having primary transmit control is connected to the monitoring antenna element.
US08982746B2

A method and system for communicating data between two devices are described herein. The method detects an electrical signal of a first protocol from a first device in a repeater, wherein the first protocol comprises single-ended signaling. The method also determines the speed of the electrical signal. Additionally, the method converts the electrical signal of the first protocol into an electrical signal of a second protocol based on the speed of the electrical signal. The second protocol comprises differential signaling. Furthermore, the method sends the electrical signal of the second protocol to a second device. In addition, the method stops the electrical signal of the second protocol to the second device when the electrical signal of the second protocol indicates an end of data flow.
US08982741B2

Some demonstrative embodiments include devices, systems and/or methods of Time-Division Duplexing (TDD) Uplink-Downlink (UL-DL) configuration management. For example, a node may communicate a message including a cell identifier identifying a first cell controlled by the node, and a TDD configuration update to update at least one other node, which controls at least one second cell, with a TDD UL-DL configuration allocated by the node for communication within the first cell.
US08982735B2

A Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) service system includes a SIP-enabled soft switch at a telephony service provider, executing code from a coupled machine-readable medium, routing SIP transactions to remote destinations, a media server coupled to the SIP-enabled soft switch storing media including ring tones and music-on-hold for use in progressing transactions, and an interface to a wide-area-network (WAN) for transmitting transactions and media. The SIP-enabled soft switch determines for each transaction from stored data whether media services are to be provided or not provided for that destination, and in the event media services are not to be provided, alters packet data to indicate media services to be provided by a server local to the destination.
US08982734B2

Methods, apparatus and systems for routing information flows in networks based on spanning trees and network switching element resources. One or more controllers are used to assign information flows to network switching elements (NSEs) through use of spanning trees derived from link path costs. NSEs generate status information relating to resources they employ to facilitate information flows that is sent to the controller(s). The status information is used to derive link costs, which are then used to generate spanning trees that support routing between the NSEs without any path loops. Information flows are assigned to the NSEs such that the routing paths for the flows use the links in the spanning tree. The link costs and spanning trees are dynamically computed during ongoing operations, enabling the network routing and flow assignments to be reconfigured in response to dataplane events and changes to the information flow traffic.
US08982727B2

A generalized network controller in a software defined network (SDN), controlling a network with mixed switches based on different and even incompatible OpenFlow (OF) standard versions, comprising a first transceiver connected to a first OF switch comprising a first OF standard version configured to receive messages from the first OF switch and to transmit messages to the first OF switch; a second transceiver connected to a second OF switch comprising a second OF standard version configured to receive messages from the second OF switch and to transmit messages to the second OF switch, wherein the first OF standard version is different from the second OF standard version, and wherein the first OF standard version is incompatible with the second OF standard version; and a processor coupled to the first and second transceivers and configured to control the first and the second OF switches.
US08982718B2

In a wireless communication system, at least one sounding subchannel determining parameter is transmitted from a sounding signal receiving apparatus to a sounding signal transmitting apparatus. A sounding subchannel for the sounding signal transmitting apparatus is allocated according to the sounding subchannel determining parameter. A sounding signal is received from the sounding signal transmitting apparatus over the allocated sounding subchannel. The sounding subchannel determining parameter is determined for allocating a sounding subchannel considering a frequency correlation.
US08982715B2

One exemplary embodiment is directed to an inter-networking device that performs at least one inter-networking function using physical layer information about the network of which the device is a part. Another exemplary embodiment is directed to capturing physical layer information about physical communication media that is attached to an inter-networking device. Another exemplary embodiment is directed to a technique for generating a spanning tree and/or forwarding database information for a plurality of switches in a network at a central location. The spanning tree and/or forwarding database information is generated at the central location using information including physical layer information about devices and physical communication media in the network. Another exemplary embodiment is directed to an ETHERNET physical layer device having integrated support for capturing physical layer information about the physical communication media connected to the ETHERNET physical layer device.
US08982711B2

Methods, apparatus, and computer-readable media for detecting and removing unwanted loops in communications networks having host processors, nodes, and segments connecting the nodes are disclosed. In one embodiment, a set of steady state data regarding direction of a network traffic flow is collected and stored. Then, a newly sampled flow is compared with the stored steady state data to detect flows whose paths contradict their steady state direction, and a network loop is identified when a segment carries such contradictory flows.
US08982703B2

A method for communication in a packet data network including at least first and second subnets interconnected by routers. The method includes defining at least first and second classes of link-layer traffic within the subnets, such that the link-layer traffic in the first class is transmitted among nodes in the network without loss of packets, while at least some of the packets in the second class are dropped in case of network congestion. The routers are configured by transmitting control traffic over the network in the packets of the second class. Data traffic is transmitted between the nodes in the first and second subnets via the configured routers in the packets of the first class.
US08982696B2

A method provides service quality in a WiMAX communication network, and a method selects an access transport resource control function by a guideline decision-making function in a communication network. According to a method for providing service quality on an air interface of an access network in a WiMAX communication network by an application function, the application function aims to provide a user of the WiMAX communication network with a service quality-related application. The desired service quality is signaled by an authentication, authorization and accounting infrastructure of the WiMAX communication network.
US08982689B2

A node in a communication network selects between equal cost shortest paths (ECSPs) using split tiebreakers. The node advertises multiple system identifiers (IDs) for that node, and each system ID is associated with a different set of traffic IDs that distinguish different virtual networks in the network. The node receives sets of system IDs for each of the other nodes in the network. After constructing a plurality of different ECSPs between two nodes, the node selects one of the ECSPs for each traffic ID used between the two nodes. For a traffic ID, the node constructs path IDs for each of the ECSPs using one system ID of each node in the path that is associated with that traffic ID. Because of the configuration of the system IDs and the traffic IDs in the network, traffic affected by a failure will be distributed across a plurality of surviving ECSPs.
US08982686B2

A communication device for generating a matrix-mapped sequence is described. The communication device includes sequence generation circuitry. The communication device also includes mapping circuitry coupled to the sequence generation circuitry. The mapping circuitry applies a first matrix with at least one column multiplied by −1 to a sequence. The communication device also includes a transmit block coupled to the mapping circuitry.
US08982684B2

A radio base station 100 judges a receiving state of a radio signal in conformity with the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing scheme, and changes a symbol string configuration of a symbol string defined by a size in a frequency axis direction and in a time axis direction, on the basis of the judged receiving state.
US08982683B2

A method for transmitting a signal carrying information elements over a plurality of frequency subcarriers simultaneously. The method comprises: identifying a set of at least one frequency subcarrier of the plurality particularly subjected to attenuation; and transmitting the signal simultaneously over said plurality of frequency subcarriers by assigning respective information elements to the frequency subcarriers of the plurality not belonging to said set and assigning to each frequency subcarrier of said set a respective coefficient set so that an envelope of the transmitted signal is less than an envelope of the signal that would be transmitted by assigning respective information elements to all the frequency subcarriers of the plurality.
US08982677B2

A change of state indicator (2) device for a timepiece display mechanism (30) by jumps of a given magnitude for the display of a transition between two stable display states of this given magnitude movable close to the display zone of this magnitude facing a supplementary display (3) driven discontinuously by a drive element (7) against elastic return means (19). A driving pinion (9) controls a star wheel (10) in a discontinuous manner to control each jump against a beak (14) of a first arm (15) of a lever (13) controlling a pivoting movement and a return to position of this indicator (2) each time this beak (14) passes between two successive tooth spaces (12) of this star wheel (10) by means of a tooth (11) between these spaces (12). The lever (13) includes a second support arm (16) for supporting the indicator (2) or controlling its displacement.
US08982663B2

A disclosed subsurface imaging method begins by obtaining initial signals from a geophysical survey that has been acquired with multiple geophysical energy sources actuated in a plurality of firing sequences, each sequence having a known time delay between the firing times of each source. The initial signals are grouped into gathers of signals acquired from multiple firing sequences. For each gather, initial estimates of the first and second source wave fields are determined. Quieted signals for the first source are then generated to represent the initial signals minus a current estimate of the second source wave field. A coherent energy separation operation is applied to the quieted signals to obtain a refined estimate for the first source wave field.
US08982654B2

A memory controller coupled to a memory chip having a number of sub-arrays of memory cells is configured to determine a configuration of the memory chip. The memory controller is configured to read the sub-array configuration of the memory chip and to detect sub-array level conflicts between external commands and refresh operations. The memory controller keeps one or more non-conflicting pages open during the refresh operations.
US08982649B2

Systems and methods are disclosed for increasing the performance of static random access memory (SRAM). Various systems herein, for example, may include or involve dual- or multi-pipe, multi-bank SRAMs, such as Quad-B2 SRAMs. In one illustrative implementation, there is provided an SRAM memory device including a memory array comprising a plurality of SRAM banks and pairs of separate and distinct pipes associated with each of the SRAM banks, wherein each pair of pipes may provide independent access to its associated SRAM bank.
US08982642B2

An erase method of a nonvolatile memory includes supplying an erase voltage to a substrate, supplying a selection word line voltage to word lines connected with a selected sub-block within a memory block of the nonvolatile memory, supplying a non-selection word line voltage to word lines connected with an unselected sub-block within the memory block during a first delay time from a point of time when the erase voltage is supplied, and thereafter floating the word lines connected with the unselected sub-block.
US08982633B2

Techniques for providing a direct injection semiconductor memory device are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a direct injection semiconductor memory device including a first region connected to a bit line extending in a first orientation and a second region connected to a source line extending in a second orientation. The direct injection semiconductor memory device may also include a body region spaced apart from and capacitively coupled to a word line extending in the second orientation, wherein the body region is electrically floating and disposed between the first region and the second region. The direct injection semiconductor memory device may further include a third region connected to a carrier injection line extending in the second orientation, wherein the first region, the second region, the body region, and the third region are disposed in sequential contiguous relationship.
US08982628B2

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.
US08982622B2

A memory device includes a block of memory cells having a plurality of levels. Each level includes strips of memory cells extending in a first direction between first and second ends of the block. A first bit line structure, at each level at the first end, is coupled to a first string of memory cells extending from the first end. A second bit line structure, at each level at the second end, is coupled to a second string of memory cells extending from said second end. Bit line pairs extend in the first direction with each including odd and even bit lines. Odd and even bit line connectors connect the odd and even bit lines to the second and first bit line structures, respectively. Each bit line for a series of bit line pairs are separated by a bit line of an adjacent pair of bit lines.
US08982614B2

According to one embodiment, a magnetoresistive effect element includes a first ferromagnetic layer, a tunnel barrier provided on the first ferromagnetic layer, and a second ferromagnetic layer provided on the tunnel barrier. The tunnel barrier includes a nonmagnetic mixture containing MgO and a metal oxide with a composition which forms, in a solid phase, a single phase with MgO.
US08982612B2

A row decoder circuit for a phase change non-volatile memory device may include memory cells arranged in a wordlines. The device may be configured to receive a first supply voltage and a second supply voltage higher than the first supply voltage. The row decoder may include a global predecoding stage configured to receive address signals and generate high-voltage decoded address signals in a range of the second supply voltage and a biasing signal with a value based upon an operation. The row decoder may include a row decoder stage coupled to the global predecoding stage. The row decoder stage may include a selection driving unit configured to generate block-address signals based upon the high-voltage decoded address signals and a row-driving unit configured to generate a row-driving signal for biasing the wordlines based upon the block-address signals and the biasing signal.
US08982607B2

In a memory element including a pair of inverters, a capacitor which holds data, and a switching element which controls accumulating and releasing of electric charge of the capacitor are provided. For example, one electrode of the capacitor is connected to a first node, which is an input or output terminal of one of the pair of inverters, and the other electrode of the capacitor is connected to one electrode the switching element. The other electrode of the switching element is connected to a second node, which is the output or input terminal of the one of the pair of inverters. With such a connection structure, the absolute value of the potential difference between the first node and the second node at the time of data restoring can be large enough, whereby errors at the time of data restoring can be reduced.
US08982597B2

The system includes multiple sets of local data lines in one or more routing metal layers below the three-dimensional memory array and multiple sets of global data lines in one or more top metal layers above the three-dimensional memory array. Each set of one or more blocks include one set of the local data lines. Each bay includes one set of global data lines that connect to the group of sense amplifiers associated with the blocks of the respective bay. Each block includes a subset of first selection circuits for selectively coupling a subset of array lines of the first type to respective local data lines. Each block includes a subset of second selection circuits for selectively coupling a subset of the respective local data lines to global data lines associated with a respective bay.
US08982591B2

A method of and system for monitoring condition of a large capacitor connected across an output of a rectifier circuit in an operating electrical power transmission circuit in order to anticipate capacitor failure and facilitate appropriate corrective action is disclosed. The method includes measuring a ripple voltage on the capacitor and ripple current through the capacitor, determining from a representative signal whether the signal exceeds a predetermined threshold; and sending an output to a controller on a system operator if the signal exceeds the predetermined threshold. The ripple current and ripple voltage measurements may be provided as inputs to a digital to analog converter which produces and sends the representative signal to a microprocessor to generate the output to the controller.
US08982589B2

One object is to provide a boosting circuit whose boosting efficiency is enhanced. Another object is to provide an RFID tag including a boosting circuit whose boosting efficiency is enhanced. A node corresponding to an output terminal of a unit boosting circuit or a gate electrode of a transistor connected to the node is boosted by bootstrap operation, so that a decrease in potential which corresponds to substantially the same as the threshold potential of the transistor can be prevented and a decrease in output potential of the unit boosting circuit can be prevented.
US08982585B2

Switching-mode power conversion system and method thereof. The system includes a primary winding configured to receive an input voltage, and a secondary winding coupled to the primary winding and configured to, with one or more first components, generate, at an output terminal, an output voltage and an output current. Additionally, the system includes an auxiliary winding coupled to the secondary winding and configured to, with one or more second components, generate, at a first terminal, a detected voltage. Moreover, the system includes an error amplifier configured to receive the detected voltage and a first reference voltage and generate an amplified voltage based on at least information associated with a difference between the detected voltage and the first reference voltage. Also, the system includes a compensation component configured to receive the amplified voltage and generate a second reference voltage based on at least information associated with the amplified voltage.
US08982566B2

A memory module pair includes first and second memory modules. Each of the first and second memory modules includes a circuit board having opposite first and second side edges and a front edge, along which a plurality of pins are arranged. Each circuit board of the first and second memory modules has a key notch formed closer to the first side edge than to the second side edge. The circuit board of the first memory module has a corner notch that is formed on the front edge and the first side edge, while the circuit board of the second memory module has a corner notch that is formed on the front edge and the second side edge.
US08982564B2

An electronic device includes a printed circuit board that has a prohibited region, in which arrangement of a wiring pattern is prohibited, in a fixed region from an outer periphery, an electronic component mounted on the printed circuit board, a heat dissipation fin provided on the electronic component, and a fixing unit that is made of a conductive material and fixes the heat dissipation fin by pressing the fin against the printed circuit board side, wherein a notch is formed in two sides of the printed circuit board that face each other with the electronic component therebetween, and the fixing unit exerts an elastic force that presses the heat dissipation fin against the printed circuit board side by being locked to the notch and is such that hook portions locked to the notch are arranged in the prohibited region.
US08982563B2

A chip package includes a processor, an interposer chip and a voltage regulator module (VRM). The interposer chip is electrically coupled to the processor by first electrical connectors proximate to a surface of the interposer chip. Moreover, the interposer chip includes second electrical connectors proximate to another surface of the interposer chip, which are electrically coupled to the first electrical connectors by through-substrate vias (TSVs) in the interposer chip. Note that the second electrical connectors can electrically couple the interposer chip to a circuit board. Furthermore, the VRM is electrically coupled to the processor by the interposer chip, and is proximate to the processor in the chip package, thereby reducing voltage droop. For example, the VRM may be electrically coupled to the surface of the interposer chip, and may be adjacent to the processor. Alternatively, the VRM may be electrically coupled to the other surface of the interposer chip.
US08982560B2

A system for thermal energy storage is disclosed herein. The system includes an electronic device and a docking station to receive the electronic device. The electronic device contains a device thermal-energy storage material to absorb thermal energy from the electronic device. The electronic device is to thermally couple to the docking station. The docking station contains a dock thermal-energy storage material. The state transition temperature of the dock thermal-energy storage material is lower than the state transition temperature of the device thermal-energy storage material such that thermal energy is transferred from the device thermal-energy storage material to the dock thermal-energy storage material.
US08982559B2

A heatsink is provided with a base body opposed to a heat generating body and absorbing heat from the heat generating body. Thermal resistance of that opposed portion of the base body which is opposed to the heat generating body is higher than thermal resistance of a surrounding portion surrounding the opposed portion.
US08982547B2

Electronic devices are provided that have components. A housing protrusion may be interposed between a display cover layer and display components. A button may have a button member. A support structure for a dome switch in the button may have a screw hole. A housing may have screw holes through which a screw passes. The screw may also pass through the screw hole of the support structure to hold the switch structure near the button member. A clip may have a spring. A metal plate may prevent the clip from becoming worn by the spring. A display may be mounted on a ledge in a device housing. The ledge may have gaps with supports and removed corners.
US08982537B2

In a solid electrolytic capacitor, resistance welding is carried out to bond a valve metal substrate and a spacer together while controlling a welding current so that only a bonding material provided in spacers and having a relatively low melting point is melted. At least a portion of the bonding material provided in the spacer penetrates an etching part of the valve metal substrate, and thickness Ta of a core part located at a positive electrode part in the valve metal substrate and thickness Tc of the core part located at a negative electrode part satisfy the requirement of |Tc−Ta|/Tc×100≦10[%].
US08982527B2

A system and method for driving a relay circuit involves driving a relay circuit using a first driver circuit if a voltage of a battery supply for the relay circuit is lower than a voltage threshold and driving the relay circuit using a second driver circuit if the voltage of the battery supply for the relay circuit is higher than the voltage threshold.
US08982518B2

Methods and apparatus to provide transient event protection for circuits are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a first clamp circuit. The first power circuit provides a first reference voltage. The first clamp circuit directs energy from a signal node to the first power circuit in response to a transient resulting in a voltage at the signal node being lower than a second reference voltage. The apparatus also includes a second clamp circuit. The second clamp circuit includes a transistor. A collector terminal of the transistor is prevented from having a lower voltage than the second reference voltage. A second power circuit provides the second reference voltage, which is lower than the first reference voltage. The second clamp circuit directs energy from the signal node to the second power circuit in response to a transient resulting in the voltage at the signal node being higher than the first reference voltage.
US08982514B2

According to one embodiment, a magnetic oscillator includes a layered film and a pair of electrodes. The layered film includes a first ferromagnetic layer, an insulating layer stacked on the first ferromagnetic layer, and a second ferromagnetic layer stacked on the insulating layer. The pair of electrodes is configured to apply a current to the layered film in a direction perpendicular to a film surface of the layered film. Regions having different resistance area products are provided between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer.
US08982500B1

A control device for controlling tape transport within a tape transport system is disclosed. The control device includes a determination unit, which includes at least a first servo channel and a second servo channel for determining a first lateral position of a tape relative to the head, and for determining a difference between the first and second lateral positions. A computing unit computes a number of unsupported wraps of the tape as a function of the lateral position difference, wherein the number of unsupported wraps corresponds to the number of layers of the tape around the take-up reel having air layers in-between, and computes a spring constant of the tape as a function of the number of unsupported wraps, a radius of the take-up reel and a nominal tape path length. A calibration unit calibrates at least one unit of the tape transport system dependent on the spring constant.
US08982497B2

A class-AB amplifier has upper side and lower side transistors, a linear driver, upper side and lower side idlers, upper side and lower side detection current generators, and an off driver. The upper side and lower side idlers bias upper side and lower side gate voltages by generating upper side and lower side bias currents so as to turn on the upper side and the lower side transistors at the same time in the crossover region between an input voltage and a reference voltage respectively. The upper side detection current generator and the lower side detection current generator generates upper side and lower side detection currents in accordance with upper side and lower side bias currents respectively. The off driver controls the lower side gate voltage so as to reduce a degree of conduction of the lower side transistor as the upper side detection current is larger, and controls the upper side gate voltage so as to reduce a degree of conduction of the upper side transistor as the lower side detection current is larger.
US08982481B2

A system and method is described for correcting aberrations caused by field curvature with a catadioptric objective. In one example, a catadioptric optical system includes a first catadioptric element and a second catadioptric element. The first catadioptric element includes a first surface positioned to reflect a beam and a second surface positioned to focus the beam reflected by the first surface. The second catadioptric element is configured to receive the beam reflected by the second surface of the first catadioptric element. The second catadioptric element includes a third surface positioned to reflect the beam, and a fourth reflective surface positioned to focus the beam reflected by the third reflective surface. A curvature of the third or fourth surfaces of the second catadioptric element is chosen to apply a positive contribution to a field curvature associated with the first catadioptric element.
US08982478B2

An imaging lens substantially includes five lenses, constituted by: a first lens having a positive refractive power; a second lens having a negative refractive power; a third lens having a positive refractive power and a convex surface that faces an object side; a fourth lens having a negative refractive power and a meniscus shape with a concave surface that faces the object side; and a fifth lens having a positive refractive power, a meniscus shape with a convex surface that faces the object side, and at least one inflection point on the surface thereof toward an image side.
US08982473B2

The present invention uses the concave hybrid architecture to form a wide angle projection lens with large numerical aperture. The wide angle projection lens includes a refraction system and a reflection system, wherein the refraction system includes a first lenses group containing a plurality of spherical lenses and at least one spherical lenses, and a second lenses group containing at least two aspheric lenses and at least one spherical lens, and the at least one spherical lens is configured between any two of the at least two aspheric lenses. The present invention is beneficial in reducing the wide angle projection lens in size and is able to effectively overcome the problem in low geometric efficiency, and enable the ultra-short focus projector have compact and portable advantages.
US08982472B2

Method of horizontal widening of angular field of view of collimating optical system using several unified ax symmetric collimating optical systems spaced out horizontally with angular fields of view of rectangular shape with their boundaries oriented horizontally and vertically and their axes are turned horizontally relative to each other so that adjacent vertical boundaries of angular fields of view of neighboring systems coincide and full angular field of view of collimating optical system is sum of angular fields of view of unified optical systems included in it and to display total virtual information collimating optical system is conjugated with two-component combiner and primary image creators e.g. LCDs are located in focal planes of unified optical systems and wide-angle panoramic collimating optical system with horizontal field of view up to 360° can be build also.
US08982471B1

A wearable computing system may include a head-mounted display (HMD) and an optical system with a display panel configured to generate images. The optical system may include an optical element that is adjustable between at least a first configuration and a second configuration. When the optical element is in the first configuration, the images generated by the display panel are viewable at an internal viewing location. When the optical element is in the second configuration, the images generated by the display panel are projected externally from the HMD. For example, the location, refractive index, reflectance, opacity, and/or polarization of the optical element could be adjusted.
US08982469B2

A method and apparatus providing a lens master device and use of the same to form a lens template and/or a lens structure. The method includes obtaining a plurality of individual lens masters, each of which has a shaped portion defining at least a portion of a lens structure to be formed. The lens masters are affixed onto a supporting structure to form a lens master device.
US08982468B2

A voided diffuser and an optical construction incorporating the voided diffuser are provided. The voided diffuser includes a plurality of beads and a binder composition in contact with the plurality of beads. The binder composition includes a binder and a plurality of interconnected voids. The optical construction includes the voided diffuser disposed on a substrate.
US08982465B2

A display includes light-scattering regions. Each of the light-scattering regions is provided with linear protrusions and/or recesses having the same longitudinal direction. The light-scattering regions are different from each other in the longitudinal direction.
US08982459B1

A directive projection screen is configured to present images projected from a remote projector in three dimensions (3D) to a viewer. The screen includes a plurality of passive optical elements arranged on a structural substrate. The optical elements are configured to receive incident light projected from the projector and reflect the light such that first portions of the image are directed in a first direction to be viewed by a first eye of the viewer and second portions of the image are directed in a second direction to be viewed by a second eye of the viewer.
US08982454B2

A microscope includes a first imaging optical system that images light beams from a cell tissue sample, a second imaging optical system having a light beam splitting element which splits a portion of the light beams from the cell tissue sample from the first imaging optical system, an imaging element which captures phase contrast images of a portion of the light beams, which have been split, from the cell tissue sample, and one or a plurality of optical elements which forms the phase contrast images on the imaging element, and a filter inserting unit that inserts an optical filter absorbing light of a predetermined wavelength into an optical path of the second imaging optical system, wherein the filter inserting unit inserts the optical filter absorbing light of a wavelength corresponding to a complementary color of a color of an observed target according to the color of the observed target.
US08982449B2

A light modulation layer of a full-color reflective display (112), the light modulation layer including an addressing layer (404); a mirror (406) positioned above the addressing layer (404), the mirror (406) configured to reflect light of a predetermined wavelength band; and an electro-optic layer (416) positioned above the mirror (406), the electro-optic layer (416) configured to absorb light of a predetermined wavelength band in response to a signal received from a switching device (204) of the addressing layer (404).
US08982446B2

A reflective color display is disclosed. A substrate supports a first conductor layer and pixel wells. A piezoelectric segment is formed in each pixel well over the first conductor layer. A second conductor layer overlies the piezoelectric segments, wherein an electric field created across any piezoelectric segment causes the piezoelectric segment to expand or contract under control of the electric field. A Bragg reflector segment overlies each piezoelectric segment and is compressible by expansion of the underlying piezoelectric segment. A white light LED layer overlies the Bragg reflector segments. By varying the electric field across each piezoelectric segment, the overlying Bragg reflector segment is controlled to reflect a selected wavelength for each pixel of the display. The walls of the pixel wells provide acoustic isolation between adjacent pixel wells. An acoustic membrane isolates the Bragg reflector segment from high frequency vibrations of the piezoelectric segment.
US08982439B2

A solar light concentration plate comprises a first hologram which receives solar light and diffracts incident light in a range of an incident angle, and first and second light guides respectively disposed on both sides of the first hologram, wherein at least one of the first and second light guides has an outer surface substantially inclined to an inner surface of the at least one of the first and second light guides.
US08982430B2

A lighting unit includes LED chips positioned in an array form in a main scanning direction on LED substrates. Cylindrical parabolic mirrors each form a shape in which a cylindrical paraboloid having curvature with respect to an sub-scanning direction has been clipped by an axial plane that is perpendicular to the vertex of the cylindrical paraboloid in the main scanning direction, and project light emitted from the light source on an illumination area of an illuminated item. Each cylindrical parabolic mirror includes an anchoring section that is provided at the vertex of the cylindrical paraboloid, and extends from the vertex in an outside direction of the cylindrical paraboloid. Heat-radiating plates each have a contact section that is in contact with the LED substrate, and a non-contact section. Each LED substrate is interposed between the contact section of the heat-radiating plate and the anchoring section of the cylindrical parabolic mirror.
US08982424B2

A method of printing a modified product code includes providing a printer and a substrate. An initial product code is determined. The initial product code includes a plurality of unmodified characters. A modified product code is determined. The modified product code includes at least one modified character that is different from a corresponding one of the plurality of unmodified characters of the initial product code. The modified character is a function at least in part by of initial product code. The printer is controlled to print the modified product code on the substrate.
US08982420B2

An image processing method includes dividing a first image into regions according to content of the first image; generating a second image by converting a gradation of pixels of the first image into a gradation of pixels expressible in an image forming apparatus for each region; generating a piece of simulation information of a result of the image forming/outputting process based on the second image and nozzle characteristic information of the image forming apparatus; calculating an error between the first image and a third image for each of the regions, the third image being obtained by converting the piece of simulation information with the gradation of pixels of the first image; and deciding one of the second images as rendering information used to cause the image forming apparatus to perform an image forming/outputting process, based on the calculated errors between the first image and the third images.
US08982409B2

The present invention provides a method, apparatus and system for the transfer of motion picture film to reproducible digital imagery products such as digital dailies. In one embodiment of the present invention, a scanning device provides a log video signal representation of received film content, the log video signal including at least grey scale values of the colors of the received film content for enabling a quantitative assessment of the film content exposure information for providing repeatable and reproducible values from which a cinematographer/director of photography could order the color correction or adjustment of the film content in a reproducible manner understood by a color correction specialist or “timer”.
US08982405B2

An image processing device includes: a drawing command transfer unit that transfers a drawing command for generating image data in a third region of a second storage unit to a first region of a first storage unit; a drawing unit that generates band image data in units of a band having a lower height compared with one page and a predetermined width, in accordance with the drawing command in the first region; a band image data transfer unit that transfers the band image data to a second region of the first storage; and an image transfer unit that transfers the band image data in the second region to a fourth region of the second storage unit. The drawing unit determines the first region according to a size of the drawing command, and determines the second region by subtracting the first region from a region of the first storage unit.
US08982393B2

When an instruction of printing on a mixture of printing paper sheets fed from a cassette tray which stores the printing paper sheets, and printing paper sheets fed from a manual feed tray is accepted, a paper size set for the manual feed tray is specified based on that set for the cassette tray. The specified paper size is set for the manual feed tray, and printing is performed on the mixture of printing paper sheets fed from the cassette tray, and printing paper sheets fed from a manual feed tray for which a paper size is set.
US08982391B2

In a system where a print device is connected to a computing device but not to an external web service that relates to the print device, the computing device implements a print driver session that retrieves print device operational data, identifies the web service, and generates a barcode that encodes the device operational data as a data string with a web address for a web service. A user may use a mobile electronic device to receive an image of the generated barcode, decode the barcode to detect the web address and the device operational data, and send a web service request comprising the device operational data to a web service associated with the web address. When the mobile electronic device receives a response that is responsive to the web service request, it may present the response to a user via a display of the mobile electronic device.
US08982390B2

In an image forming apparatus, when embedded information, which is information embedded into received image file, is to be printed, the embedded information is extracted from the image file, form data for preparing a form that includes an information-embedding area where extracted embedded information is to be arranged and an image-data area where the image data in the received image file is to be arranged is prepared, a combined image is generated by combining the extracted embedded information in the information-embedding area and the image data in the image-data area, and the combined image is printed.
US08982380B2

A power supply apparatus switches between normal operation mode and power saving mode, to supply power to the loads. Power supply apparatus includes first power supply, second power supply, current detection portion, determination portion, and supply control portion. First power supply is configured to supply power to plurality of loads. Second power supply has an output current capacity which is less than that of first power supply. Current detection portion is configured to detect current consumption of first load that is operating. Determination portion is configured to determine whether or not the current consumption detected by current detection portion is less than or equal to the output current capacity of second power supply. Supply control portion is configured to supply, based on a result of determination made by determination portion, power to the first load from one of first power supply and second power supply in the power saving mode.
US08982379B2

An image processing apparatus includes an input/output unit which performs an input operation and/or an output operation, a supply unit which supplies power from a primary power source to the input/output unit, a storage unit which stores therein a state of power supply to the input/output unit before the power supply from the primary power source is interrupted, and a controller which, when the power supply is started from a state where the power supply from the primary power source is interrupted, determines whether to supply power to the input/output unit based on the state of power supply stored in the storage unit, and when determined to supply power to the input/output unit, controls the supply unit to supply or not to supply power to the input/output unit based on the determination.
US08982371B2

An image forming apparatus that executes a job includes a receiving unit configured to receive a cancel instruction for the job after the job processing is started and before the job is completed; and a control unit configured to perform control, by determining a cause of the cancel instruction received for the job, to switch between a processing in which the job is saved in a saving unit as a job to be re-processed and a processing in which the job is not treated as a job to be re-processed.
US08982370B2

An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit which forms an image based on a JOB; a display operation unit which enables a display and an operation for the JOB; and a control unit which manages the JOB and controls the image forming unit and the display operation unit, wherein the control unit arranges a predetermined number of JOBs on one screen according to a reservation order to be output in the display operation unit, displays a list switched of a page or scrolled by an instructing operation of a user, updates the display of the displayed list, selects the JOB in the displayed list by the instructing operation of the user, executes the instructing operation for the selected JOB, and maintains at least the selected JOB displayed on the screen to be displayed on the screen.
US08982364B2

A method, apparatus, and system for calibration of a media processing device are provided. The method may include providing a calibration sub-routine where the calibration sub-routine includes a plurality of calibration operations to be performed in sequence. The method may further include associating an audible note with each calibration operation and generating the audible note for each calibration operation as each respective calibration operation is performed, where the audible note is generated by a frequency of operation of a motor. The audible note associated with one calibration operation may be different from the audible note associated with another calibration operation.
US08982361B2

A position measuring apparatus with at least one material measure comprised of an optical structure of an arrangement of 3-D reflectors, at least one light receiver arranged at a distance from the material measure, a light source arranged at a distance from the material measure and at a distance from the light receiver, and at least one transparent substrate present between the material measure and the light receiver, wherein the light receiver is deposited directly on the transparent substrate, on the side of the substrate opposite the material measure in the form of a thin-film structure consisting of several layers arranged one above another. A supporting plate is provided with circuit-board conductors, on which the substrate is arranged, wherein the transparent substrate and the supporting plate are joined solidly together by a Flip-Chip assembly process.
US08982354B2

Subsurface motors for use with electrical submersible pump which include one or more optic fiber sensors to detect operational parameters of the motor such as temperature, vibration and pressure. Optic fiber sensors are disposed a ally along a pathway within unsealed portions of the motor.
US08982352B1

For cavity enhanced optical spectroscopy, the cavity modes are used as a frequency reference. Data analysis methods are employed that assume the data points are at equally spaced frequencies. Parameters of interest such as line width, integrated absorption etc. can be determined from such data without knowledge of the frequencies of any of the data points.
US08982350B2

An optical filter includes a first variable wavelength bandpass filter that extracts light of a first wavelength band and has first and second spectral bands and a second variable wavelength bandpass filter that extracts light of a second wavelength band adjacent to the first wavelength band and has third and fourth spectral bands. Part of the period during which the light of the first spectral band is extracted overlaps with the period during which the light of the third spectral band is extracted, and part of the period during which the light of the second spectral band is extracted overlaps with the period during which the light of the fourth spectral band is extracted.
US08982348B2

A method of light source classification includes determining a plurality of color regions in the CIE 1976 chromaticity diagram according to desired classification criteria. The plurality of color regions of the CIE 1976 chromaticity diagram are converted into a plurality of color classification regions defined by color coordinates of the CIE 1931 chromaticity diagram. The light source is classified into one of the plurality of color classification regions. This classification method may allow for precise classification based on actual color differences, while providing light sources having color uniformity in the same classification region.
US08982344B2

Technologies are generally described for systems and methods for detecting chiral properties of materials and separating materials based on their chiral properties. A chiral vector is constructed from anisotropy properties of a polarization-dependent output signal from a sample. Different types of molecules from the sample can be differentiated based on a magnitude of the chiral vector. Chiral properties of the sample can be detected based on an angle of the chiral vector. The output signal can be a fluorescent emission from the sample and can be used to detect chiral properties of a substantially opaque sample.
US08982341B2

A light distribution characteristic measurement apparatus includes: a detecting unit for detecting light from a light source; a mirror for reflecting the light from the light source to direct the light to the detecting unit; a movement mechanism for moving the detecting unit and the mirror relatively to the light source; a rotation mechanism for rotating the mirror while maintaining an optical path length from the light source to the detecting unit; and a processor adapted to calculate the light distribution characteristic of the light source, based on a plurality of measurement results that are detected by the detecting unit under a condition that the detecting unit and the mirror are arranged at a plurality of measurement positions relative to the light source and the mirror is oriented at different rotational angles for each measurement position.
US08982337B2

A gauge profile apparatus (100) includes a gauge profile system (104) and a lap count system (106) for determining an average three-dimensional profile over the length of a sheet coil (10). The gauge profile system (104) includes a lap profile measuring device (112) which will make a distance determination between top and bottom surfaces for the sheet coil (10). A second embodiment of a lap count system (600) is also provided, which utilizes a pair of reflectance lasers and a positioning system.
US08982336B2

A physical quantity sensor includes a semiconductor laser for irradiating an object with a laser beam, and a laser driver for operating the semiconductor laser in such a way that a first oscillation period for which the oscillation wavelength increases and/or a second oscillation period for which the oscillation wavelength decreases is repetitively present. The sensor further includes a photodiode and a current-voltage conversion amplifying unit both for detecting an MHP containing an interference waveform formed by the self-coupling effect between the laser beam and the returning light beam from the object, a MHP extracting unit for measuring the period of the interference waveform contained in the output signal from the current-voltage conversion amplifying unit each time the interference waveform is inputted, and a computing unit for computing the displacement and/or the speed of the object from the measured individual period MHP extracting unit.
US08982331B2

A condenser lens suitable for a laser rangefinder includes a lens body wherein the lens body is formed with or has attached thereto a deviation correction area that is located on the light emitting side thereof for correcting focus deviation upon reception of light scattered by a close range object. A center of the body is located inside the deviation correction area of the lens. The deviation correction area may include one or more deviation correction zones.
US08982323B2

A light beam generating apparatus and method of controlling the same is provided. The light beam generating apparatus may include a light source, a beam expander collimating a light beam emitted from the light source, an optical shutter selectively transmitting a light beam transmitted through the beam expander, and a focusing lens focusing a light beam transmitted the optical shutter. The optical shutter in the light generating apparatus can selectively transmit a light beam based on on/off control of the optical shutter on a pixel-by-pixel basis. This may permit one-dimensional, two-dimensional and three-dimensional nano patterns having various periods and directions to be manufactured.
US08982322B2

An exposure apparatus provided with an optical system that has one optical element to which at least two of three or more exposure lights are guided, and that is capable of irradiating three or more exposure lights onto exposure fields that respectively correspond to the exposure lights, with the exposure apparatus multiply exposing a predetermined field on a substrate with images of a plurality of patterns that are formed based on the three or more exposure lights that are respectively irradiated onto the three or more exposure fields.
US08982318B2

A lithographic method, among things is disclosed. The method includes using information at least indicative of a desired shape or size of a constituent part of a device to implement the desired shape or size of the constituent part of the device, the desired shape or size being related to a measured property of a layer of material in which the constituent part of the device is to be created, at least a part of the implementation comprising determining a configuration of a plurality of individually controllable elements that would be necessary to create in a radiation beam a pattern which is sufficient to implement the desired shape or size of the constituent part of the device when creating the constituent part of the device.
US08982317B2

In order to effectively transfer heat from inner layers of an actuator coil to an area external to the coil, heat transfer elements, located proximate to the actuator coil, can be used. In an embodiment, a heat transfer apparatus for the actuator coil can include one or more heat transfer elements located proximate to one or more layers or one or more windings of the actuator coil and a cooling surface located proximate to the one or more heat transfer elements and to the actuator coil. In this configuration, the heat transfer apparatus can transfer heat from inner layers of the actuator coil to the cooling surface, which in turn transfers the heat to an area external to the actuator coil.
US08982316B2

A lithographic projection apparatus is disclosed that comprises a substrate table, a projection system, a liquid confinement structure and a thermal measurement system. The substrate table is configured to support a substrate. The projection system is configured to direct a patterned beam of radiation on to a target portion of the substrate. The liquid confinement structure is configured to at least partly confine an immersion liquid to a space between the projection system and the substrate, the substrate table, or both. The thermal measurement system comprises a thermally sensitive coating. The thermal measurement system is configured to detect the temperature of the immersion liquid in contact with the coating. Also disclosed is a thermal measurement system, a metrology system comprising the thermal measurement system and a dummy wafer for the thermal measurement system.
US08982308B2

An active liquid crystal array device is provided. A gate control electrode is disposed on the first transparent conductive substrate, a first transparent insulation layer is disposed on the gate control electrode, a liquid crystal control electrode is disposed on the first transparent insulation layer, a second transparent conductive substrate which includes a transparent electrode and a second liquid crystal oriented layer, and a liquid crystal layer is disposed between the first liquid crystal oriented layer and a second liquid crystal oriented layer.
US08982306B2

A display device includes: a pixel section provided between a pair of substrates and including plural pixels; one or plural active components disposed in a frame region around the pixel section on one substrate of the pair of substrates; an insulating film provided in the frame region on the one substrate to cover the one or plural active components; and a sealing layer provided to seal the pixel section and cover an end edge portion of the insulating film in the frame region.
US08982301B2

A method for making a liquid crystal display module is provided. In the method, a first polarizing layer is provided. A free-standing transparent conductive layer is disposed on a surface of the first polarizing layer. At least two driving-sensing electrodes are disposed on a surface of the transparent conductive layer and spaced from the first polarizing layer. The at least two driving-sensing electrodes are spaced from each other and electrically connected with the transparent conductive layer. The first polarizing layer, the at least two driving-sensing electrodes, and the transparent conductive layer cooperatively form a polarizer. The polarizer is fixed to a liquid crystal module to form the liquid crystal display module.
US08982280B2

A method for displaying video image of a television includes processing video signals corresponding to video images transmitted from an electronic device and determining whether the TV programs are displayed on a full displaying window or on a partial displaying window. The display is controlled to provide a first video image displaying window overlaying the full displaying window if the TV programs are displayed on the full displaying window or provide a second video image displaying window spaced from the partial displaying window if the TV programs are displayed on the partial displaying window. The video image is displayed in the first video image displaying window or the second video image displaying window. Any human faces in the video image displayed in the first video image displaying window cause the video image to be transparent except for the faces. A related TV is also provided.
US08982275B2

An imaging apparatus includes a solid-state imaging element and a substrate. The solid-state imaging element includes a pixel array having a plurality of pixels in a two-dimensional matrix and pads that correspond to pixel columns of the pixel array and output signals of pixels in the pixel columns. Signal output terminal groups having a plurality of pads arranged in a line in a column direction of the pixel array are arranged in a row direction of the pixel array. A substrate includes a laminated wire being a laminate of a plurality of wiring layers and provided for each of the signal output terminal groups to extend in the column direction of the pixel array. The laminated wire includes a first terminal portion at a position facing each pad in the signal output terminal group. The pad and first terminal portion are connected to each other by a bump.
US08982273B2

A camera module for a vision system of a vehicle includes a housing having a base portion and a lens portion and a circuit element. The circuit element includes an imaging sensor and associated circuitry. The circuit element may include an electrical connector having a plurality of terminals. A lens may be disposed at least partially in the lens portion of the housing and the circuit element may be disposed at least partially in the base portion of the housing. The base portion and the lens portion may be welded or sealed together to substantially limit water intrusion into the camera module. The imaging sensor may have a dynamic range of greater than approximately 100 dB, and the dynamic range of the imaging sensor may follow, at least in part, a linear response curve up to approximately 62 dB and a non-linear response curve above approximately 62 dB.
US08982269B2

A mechanical assembly for fine focus of a wafer-level camera module includes a threaded lens acceptor for mounting with a wafer-level compatible image sensor and a complimentary threaded lens base for mounting with a wafer-level lens stack. In a method of forming a wafer-level camera with a mechanical fine focus assembly, the lens base and the lens acceptor rotationally couple to join the lens stack with the sensor, and to adjust z-height of the camera module to achieve optimal focus. The camera module is secured at the optimal focus position.
US08982265B2

The image projection and capture apparatus for projecting an image beam to display an image on a screen and sensing a sensing beam from the image on the screen, the image projection and capture apparatus includes a light source, a light valve, a projection lens, an image capture lens, a dichroic unit, and an image sensor. The light source provides an illumination beam. The light valve is capable of converting the illumination beam to the image beam. The projection lens has a first optical axis. The image capture lens has a second optical axis. The first optical axis and the second optical axis are collinear. The dichroic unit is disposed between the projection lens and the image capture lens. The image sensor is disposed on a light path of the sensing beam.
US08982264B2

An imaging apparatus includes a communication unit, a display unit, a selecting unit, an imaging unit, and a control unit. The communication unit acquires image data of a connection partner from an external apparatus of the imaging apparatus. The display unit displays an image in accordance with the acquired image data of the connection partner. The selecting unit selects, as a connection side, one of sides of the image displayed on the display unit. The imaging unit images a subject to acquire image data to be connected to the image data of the connection partner after the connection side is selected by the selecting unit. The control unit records the image data acquired by the imaging unit in a recording unit together with information indicating the position of the connection side.
US08982263B2

A lens on an image capture device is illuminated with a known light source. The current light field created by illuminating the lens is measured at an image sensor on the device. In response to detecting that the current light field measurement fails to satisfy a threshold, a notification is provided on the device.
US08982262B2

The invention relates to an image sensor with N rows of P active photosensitive pixels using MOS technology. The sensor comprises digitizing circuits organized with N rows of P processing circuits, each processing circuit of row rank i and of column rank j comprising a respective sampler for carrying out a correlated double sampling of the signals present on a column conductor of rank j and corresponding to the observation of an image dot over the same integration time for all the rows, and an analog-digital conversion means in order to supply digital values of the analog signals sampled. The sensor is particularly suited to operating in TDI (image scanning and integration) mode.
US08982261B2

An imaging system includes a sensor array of sensor elements to convert incident light to detections. Plural detection accumulators are provided to store detections. Switches alternatively route detections from a sensor element selectively to n≧3 members of a set of said detection accumulators. An imaging process includes converting incident light to detections, and routing detections so as to partition them among n≧3 accumulators.
US08982259B2

An image sensor includes a pixel array including a plurality of pixels which are arranged in a matrix of a plurality of rows and columns and each of the plurality of pixels being configured to convert intensity of incident light into an electrical image signal; and an extended counting analog-to-digital converter configured to perform a first analog-to-digital conversion to provide a digital signal from an output signal of the pixel array, to obtain a residue using the output signal of the pixel array and the digital signal, and to perform a second analog-to-digital conversion using the residue.
US08982256B2

An imaging device includes: an imaging sensor 110; a main circuit substrate 120 includes a first ground conductor; an imaging sensor cable 130 that includes a second ground conductor, has the imaging sensor 110 mounted thereon, and is connected to the main circuit substrate 120; a metal plate 150 that is disposed between the main circuit substrate 120 and an area of the imaging sensor cable 130 where the imaging sensor 110 is mounted thereon, and that is electrically connected to the second ground conductor; and a ground connection conductor 190 that electrically connects between the first ground conductor and the metal plate 150. The ground connection conductor 190 is disposed in an area where the imaging sensor 110 and the imaging sensor cable 130 overlap each other or in an area where the imaging sensor 110 and the main circuit substrate 120 overlap each other.
US08982255B2

An image pickup unit includes: an image pickup section including a plurality of pixels, each of the pixels including a photoelectric conversion device; and a driving section that includes an amplifier and drives each of the pixels to perform a read out operation intended to read out electric charge obtained by the photoelectric conversion device from the pixel as a signal with use of the amplifier, a pixel reset operation intended to reset electric charge in the pixel, and an amplifier reset operation intended to reset an operation of the amplifier. The driving section drives each of the pixels to allow one or both of end timing of the pixel reset operation and end timing of the amplifier reset operation not to be included in a predetermined power-source potential unstable period.
US08982252B2

An image sensing apparatus has a plurality of pixels arranged two dimensionally, each pixel containing a photoelectric converter that outputs a photoelectrically converted signal in response to a quantity of received light, an output unit containing a clamping circuit, a signal supply circuit that outputs a reference signal to the clamping circuit, a control unit that controls to clamp the reference signal prior to outputting the photoelectrically converted signal from the pixel to the clamping circuit, output the photoelectrically converted signal to the clamping circuit, and then output a noise signal from the pixel to the clamping circuit, and a differential circuit that subtracts the noise signal from the photoelectrically converted signal processed by the clamping circuit.
US08982251B2

An image processing apparatus includes: a gray-scale conversion characteristic deriving unit configured to set reference image data out of a plurality of input image data obtained by shooting an identical object with a different amount of exposure and derive a gray-scale conversion characteristic from the reference image data; and an image synthesis processing unit configured to derive a new pixel value for each pixel using a pixel value of one or more input image data selected from a plurality of the input image data based on the gray-scale conversion characteristic to create synthesized image data.
US08982244B2

A low-frequency region of an output target image is specified. Luminance correction is performed with the target amount decided in advance for a pixel, among pixels included in the target image, which is included in the low-frequency region and has a luminance value equal to or smaller than a predetermined value, and the target image after the correction is output. Then, an effective correction amount is obtained based on the luminance distribution of the target image before the correction and the luminance distribution of the target image after the correction, which has been corrected with the target amount decided in advance. A luminance correction target amount for the next correction target image is decided based on the luminance distribution of the target image and the ratio of the effective correction amount to the target amount decided in advance.
US08982240B2

An electronic apparatus includes: a reception unit that receives positioning information necessary for a positioning process from the outside; a determination unit that determines whether or not a process on the basis of an operation input is a predetermined process that uses the positioning information in a case where the operation input is received from a user; and a control unit that performs control of an operation of the reception unit based on a result of the determination performed by the determination unit and a content of the operation of the reception unit.
US08982232B2

An image processing apparatus that, when combining a plurality of images, improves image quality by reducing noise in a region in which movement is detected, wherein a noise in the moving region is reduced by replacing the region in which movement is detected, with a low-noise image.
US08982229B2

An information processing device, which acquires a face image of a person to be imaged that is captured by an imaging device, executes: a determination step of determining whether a distance between a face of the person to be imaged and the imaging device is within a predetermined range; and a display step of, if the distance between the face of the person to be imaged and the imaging device is determined to be within the predetermined range in the determination step, displaying, on a display device, a target position for alignment of at least one feature point contained in the face image of the person to be imaged, together with the face image of the person to be imaged repeatedly captured by the imaging device.
US08982228B2

An image acquisition device and a method for capturing image data is disclosed. The method comprises exposing an image sensor to light from a scene, selecting substantially all rows of sensor pixels in an image sensor in a substantially random order, starting an exposure period for each row of sensor pixels in the image sensor in the order the rows were selected, buffering the rows of sensor pixels comprised in an image frame until all rows of the image frame have registered image data for the presently captured image frame, and outputting image data representing the image frame by outputting image data from each row of sensor pixels.
US08982222B2

A image stabilization apparatus includes a support member, a holder where a lens is movable between a retraction position and a vibration-prevention-and-correction region, an urging member that urges the holder in a direction of the vibration-prevention-and-correction region, and a drive member that causes the lens in the vibration-prevention-and-correction region to move to the retraction position when the drive member is in a first positional relation relative to the holder, and allows movement of the lens located in the retraction position to the vibration-prevention-and-correction region direction when the drive member is in a second positional relation relative to the holder, wherein when the holder and the drive member are in the second positional relation, the urging member causes the lens to move to the vibration-prevention-and-correction region from the retraction position, and in the position, enables movement of the holder within a plane perpendicular to the optical axis.
US08982217B1

Methods and systems for determining states of environments and modifying the environments according to the states are disclosed. In one aspect, the method includes a robot device determining for an environment a state comprising a plurality of state attributes for the environment. The method further includes receiving a request for the state and, in response to receiving the request, modifying the environment to comprise at least some of state attributes. The robot device may determine the state by receiving indications of at least some of the state attributes from some or all of a user, a server, another robot device, and another device. The attributes may be user attributes for a particular user, or may be event attributes for a particular type of event. The request may take the form of a request from a user, a calendar event, or a user arrival.
US08982215B2

Tracking use of a destination location is disclosed. A first unique identifier of a first vehicle is received based on a sensor located within the first vehicle. A first location of the first vehicle is determined based on a first vehicle image taken at a second time. A second location of the first vehicle is determined based on a second vehicle image taken at a third time. Finally, it is indicated that the first vehicle began use of the destination location at the second time and that the first vehicle completed use of the destination location at the third time.
US08982210B2

A vehicle including a scanning imaging system includes a vehicle body having an outer surface, a propulsion source, and an optical window secured to the outer surface of the vehicle positioned on an optical axis for transmitting electromagnetic radiation received from a portion of an area of interest to the scanning imaging system. The scanning imaging system includes a first achromatic prism pair having prisms with different materials that have different refractive properties, and a second achromatic prism pair having prisms with different materials that have different refractive properties, both positioned on the optical axis. A camera fixed in location is optically coupled to form images from the electromagnetic radiation after being bent by the achromatic prism pairs. A motor including a controller independently rotates the first and second achromatic prism pairs about the optical axis for scanning within the area of interest.
US08982209B2

A method for operating a video source is provided. The method includes capturing video data comprising a plurality of frames of a scene, and identifying a first frame from the plurality of frames that includes a first aspect of an activity occurring within the scene. The method also includes subsequent to identifying the first frame, identifying at least a second frame from the plurality of frames that includes a second aspect of the activity occurring within the scene, and transferring the first frame and the second frame for delivery to storage.
US08982208B2

Monitoring system is provided which includes an image capturing apparatus including a basic analysis section that performs analysis processing based on image data input from an image capturing section that captures an image of a subject and generates first metadata, and a first metadata output section that outputs the first metadata and second metadata different from the first metadata to a monitoring apparatus connected to a network via the network, and an analysis apparatus including an extended analysis section that performs analysis processing different from that of the basic analysis section based on the image data received from the image capturing apparatus and generates the second metadata, and a second metadata output section that outputs the second metadata to the image capturing apparatus.
US08982207B2

A method and apparatus for inspecting an object. In response to a presence of the object in an inspection area, a volume containing the object is identified. The volume has a plurality of portions. A number of sensor systems is assigned to the plurality of portions of the volume. Each sensor system in the number of sensors systems is assigned to a number of portions in the plurality of portions of the volume based on whether each sensor system is able to generate data with a desired level of quality about a surface of the object in a particular portion in the plurality of portions. Data about the surface of the object is generated using the number of sensor systems assigned to the plurality of portions of the volume. A determination is made as to whether a number of inconsistencies is present on the surface of the object using data.
US08982205B2

A system and method may display an image stream, where an original image stream may be divided into two or more subset images streams, each subset image stream being displayed simultaneously or substantially simultaneously. The images may be displayed fused. The images may be collected from an ingestible capsule traversing the GI tract.
US08982204B2

An inspection management apparatus includes: a schedule generation unit that, based on a scheduled start date and time of examination, a scheduled start date and time of observation, a predictive transfer time of image data from a receiving device to an inspection management apparatus, and a predictive image processing time for each type of image processing, calculates an image transfer start date and time from the receiving device to the inspection management apparatus, and calculates an image processing start date and time of the transferred image data; and a control unit that starts acquisition of the image data transmitted from the receiving device when the image transfer start date and time comes, and causes, when the image processing start date and time comes, an image processing unit to perform specified image processing on the image data that the transfer has been started on the image transfer start date and time.
US08982203B2

The present invention relates to a video system for viewing an object on a body, including an endoscopic lens for capturing an image, an endoscopic camera head attached to the endoscopic lens for transmitting the image, and a camera control unit attached to the endoscopic camera head for receiving the transmitted image. The endoscopic lens has a field of view, where the object is within the field of view. The endoscopic camera lens has a depth of field between approximately 10 mm and approximately 15 mm. The system also has an arm attached to the endoscopic lens for holding the endoscopic lens between approximately 180 mm and approximately 220 mm away from the surgical field. The magnified image is conveniently seen on large high definition screen.
US08982201B2

A surface mapping and generating device which has devices for the process and/or cost optimization, in particular raw material recovery devices, an automatic control of the intensity of a used laser light, devices for carrying out a calibrating procedure by evaluating overlap errors at matching points, devices for archiving especially three-dimensional data of the jaw and/or for modeling the bite position of the upper and the lower jaws, devices for the optimized preparation of at least one dental stump for the production and placement of a dental prosthesis thereon and/or devices for taking into consideration the bite position of the upper and lower jaws. It can be provided that the devices for the process and/or cost optimization are designed to ensure that two half frames showing different positions or views are evaluated, whereby preferably a pulsed laser for exposure purposes is included and/or that an image recording device, in particular a CCD chip, is arranged so as to ensure that lines, taking into account the Scheimpflug angle, are located perpendicular to the direction of travel of a measuring table. Methods according to the present invention use such devices and function correspondingly. In addition, the invention also makes available a patient data archiving system which comprises a chip card and/or decentralized data storage systems especially for dental data.
US08982200B2

An intraoral camera including a main body case, an intraoral insertion component mounted on the front side of the main body case, an imaging window provided to the intraoral insertion component, and an imaging device that is optically linked to the imaging window and is disposed inside the main body case or inside the intraoral insertion component. Illumination elements are disposed at portions of an outer peripheral wall face that are substantially opposite each other in the horizontal direction. These illumination elements are inclined toward the outside of the imaging window in the center of the imaging window, and the outer peripheral wall face that is substantially opposite these illumination elements in the vertical direction is constituted as a light collecting face that is inclined toward the outside of the imaging window in the center of the imaging window.
US08982194B2

An image watching glasses identification device 10 (or 20 or 30) is an image watching glasses identification device 10 (or 20 or 30) for identifying a pair of shutter glasses 400 through which to watch an image displayed on a display device 100, the image watching glasses identification device 10 (or 20 or 30) including: an identification information obtaining section 15 for obtaining an identification information item for identifying the pair of shutter glasses 400 and; a display control section 12 for causing the display device 100 to display an identification result associated with the identification information item obtained by the identification information obtaining section 15. This makes it possible to provide an image watching glasses identification device that is capable of causing, when a viewer watches through the pair of image watching glasses 400 the image displayed on the display device 100, the display device 100 to display the identification result. The identification result enables the viewer to identify the pair of image watching glasses worn by the viewer.