Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Baker Bôtts, L.L.P.
  • Patent number: 8335157
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes storing in a QoS-enabled communication system a data structure that has a multi-level hierarchy including a physical level, a logical level, and a class level; receiving a first request for M number of services provided by the QoS-enabled communication system; in response to the first request, modifying an allocation of the logical-level nodes by mapping M class-level nodes to a first one of the logical-level nodes according to a first mapping mode of the data structure; receiving a second request for P services provided by the QoS-enabled communication system, with P being greater than M; and, in response to the second request, modifying an allocation of the logical-level nodes by mapping P class-level nodes to a second one of the logical-level nodes according to a second mapping mode of the data structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Lenard John Stephan Jayakumar
  • Patent number: 8335438
    Abstract: According to particular embodiments, a signal communicated from a transmitter to a receiver is received. A frequency offset estimate of the signal is determined. The frequency offset estimate indicates a frequency difference between the transmitter and the receiver. The frequency offset estimate is provided as feedback. A next frequency offset is compensated for according to the feedback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Inwoong Kim, Takao Naito
  • Patent number: 8334891
    Abstract: A method includes receiving a plurality of audio signals, wherein the audio signals each include a plurality of packets containing voice data associated with conference participants. One or more of the audio signals is associated with a video signal and at least one of the audio signals is associated with a voice-only conference participant. The method further includes determining an activity metric for each of the plurality of audio signals, wherein the activity metric indicates a confidence value that the audio signal is associated with a conference participant that is currently speaking. The method also includes encoding, for each of the plurality of audio signals, one or more packets of the plurality of packets with the activity metric and sending the plurality of audio signals encoded with an activity metric to a conference bridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Philip R. Graham, Hugh J. McLaughlin, David J. Mackie
  • Patent number: 8327751
    Abstract: A wabble plate type variable displacement compressor comprises a rotation preventing mechanism of the wabble plate which includes (a) an inner ring provided movably in the axial direction although rotation is prevented, supporting a main shaft at the inner diameter portion to rotate relatively and to move relatively in the axial direction and having a plurality of guide grooves for guiding a plurality of balls provided for power transmission, (b) a sleeve functioning as a wabble central member of wabble movement of the wabble plate, provided on the main shaft to rotate relatively thereto and to move in the axial direction and engaging with the inner ring movably in the axial direction, (c) an outer ring having a plurality of guide grooves for guiding balls at positions opposing respective guide grooves in the inner ring, supported on the sleeve wabblingly, supporting the wabble plate fixedly on the outer circumference and supporting a swash plate rotatably via a bearing, and (d) a plurality of balls held by t
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Sanden Corporation
    Inventor: Shinji Tagami
  • Patent number: 8330585
    Abstract: A power supply for supplying electric power comprises a power circuit which supplies L channels of electric power (L: positive integer), a control circuit board which outputs multiple types of control signals including a digital control signal and a PWM signal, a digital-to-analog converter having M channels (M: positive integer less than L) each of which converts the digital control signal into an analog control signal, and N demodulation circuits (N=L?M) each of which generates an analog control signal by demodulating the PWM signal. The control circuit board is electrically connected to the power circuit via the M channels of the digital-to-analog converter and the N demodulation circuits. N is a positive integer not more than M.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masahito Hamaya
  • Patent number: 8327994
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for removing notes having gross defects from a currency processing machine prior to the notes entering the primary detection function of the machine. The invention involves the use of a gross defect detector module which detects notes having gross defects that could jam the machine if such defects were note detected and the notes were allowed to continue down the note path for processing. The invention works in conjunction with a conventional reject pocket located further downstream in the note path for the collection of notes identified as rejects during the subsequent main detection function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Toshiba International Corporation
    Inventor: Sohail Kayani
  • Patent number: 8328305
    Abstract: A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a detector configured to be in a first state when an amount of liquid stored in a liquid container is greater than a first threshold amount, and to be in a second state when the amount of liquid is less than or equal to the first threshold amount, an estimator configured to estimate the amount of liquid, and a determiner configured to determine that, if it is determined that the state of the detector has changed from the first state to the second state, the liquid container has become a low-amount state, and that, if it is determined that the amount of liquid estimated by the estimator has become less than or equal to the second threshold amount, which is less than the first threshold amount, the liquid container has become the low-amount state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hisaki Sakurai
  • Patent number: 8332439
    Abstract: In certain embodiments, generating a hierarchy of terms includes accessing a corpus comprising terms. The following is performed for one or more terms to yield parent-child relationships: one or more parent terms of a term are identified according to directional affinity; and one or more parent-child relationships are established from the parent terms and each term. A hierarchical graph is automatically generated from the parent-child relationships.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: David L. Marvit, Jawahar Jain, Stergios Stergiou, Alex Gilman, B. Thomas Adler
  • Patent number: 8331383
    Abstract: A system and method includes a plurality of wireless and/or wired access points coupled to a network. The network may couple to a wide area network, such as the Internet. In one embodiment, a portable computing device (PCD) may store identification information which uniquely indicates a network provider of a plurality of possible network providers or may also or instead indicate an access or privilege level. When the access point receives the identification information from a PCD, the access point may determine the appropriate network provider for the PCD using the identification information and network access may then be provided. Thus the network system is useable by subscribers of each of the plurality of possible network providers, thereby enabling subscribers to “roam” on various wireless networks. The access information may also include an access level which indicates the user's access or privilege level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Brett B. Stewart, James Thompson, Kathleen E. McClelland
  • Patent number: 8329667
    Abstract: Methods for inhibition of hairless protein mRNA using RNA interference is described, in particular methods for hair removal. Also described are nucleic acid constructs for RNAi-mediated inhibition of hairless protein mRNA and compositions including such constructs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
    Inventor: Angela M. Christiano
  • Patent number: 8328327
    Abstract: A liquid ejection apparatus includes: a liquid ejection head which ejects photo-curable liquid from nozzles; a first light applicator which applies light to an ejection target having received liquid ejected by the liquid ejection head; a waste tank which reserves therein liquid discharged from the liquid ejection head; and a second light applicator which applies light to liquid in the waste tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroto Sugahara
  • Patent number: 8330989
    Abstract: A print control device includes a data acquiring section, a print control section, a preview-image output control section, and a print-ratio acquiring section. The data acquiring section acquires image data. The print control section controls a printing device to print an image based on the image data on a sheet. The preview-image output control section outputs preview images at a plurality of print ratios. The preview images are indicators of print results to be obtained when the printing device prints, on the sheet, the image based on the image data at the respective print ratios. The print-ratio acquiring section acquires print-ratio specifying information through an input device that can be operated by a user, after the preview-image output control section outputs the preview images. The print control section controls the printing device to print, on the sheet, the image based on the image data at a print ratio specified by the print-ratio specifying information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hideyuki Kusunoki
  • Patent number: 8331826
    Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a cover opening/closing structure includes a first cover and a second cover which are rotatably attached to a main body. A rotation locus of an end part of the second cover interferes with a rotation locus of an end part of the first cover. At least one of the first cover and the second cover includes an operating surface which, when the second cover is rotated from a closed position toward an open position in a half-opened state of the first cover in which the end part of the first cover interferes with the rotation locus of the end part of the second cover, receives a pressing force in a direction causing the first cover to become either one of an open position and a closed position by the end part of the first cover contacting the end part of the second cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuyoshi Minaminaka
  • Patent number: 8328314
    Abstract: An inkjet head has a plurality of nozzles that are arranged such that distances in a first direction between respective two adjacent nozzles that are adjacent with each other in the first direction are uniform and distances in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction between the respective two adjacent nozzles are nonuniform. The storing unit stores a plurality of dot size determining values corresponding to the plurality of nozzles. Each dot size determining value is defined to determine a size of a dot to be formed by the corresponding nozzle and is determined dependently on a distance in the second direction between the corresponding nozzle and a nozzle adjacent to the corresponding nozzle in the first direction. The determining unit determines a size of a dot to be formed by each nozzle based on the pixel data and the corresponding dot size determining value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shintaro Izoe
  • Patent number: 8330993
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprises an image data generating unit configured to convert a tone of an input value which indicates a density of a pixel by using a predetermined dither matrix and generate image data. The image forming apparatus further comprises a drive source and a gear configured to transmit a drive force from the drive source to an image carrier. The dither matrix includes a plurality of sub-matrixes arranged in a predetermined rule and a dot in each of the plurality of the sub-matrixes grows from a corresponding original point. The image forming apparatus satisfies a relation of (1) a?0.24 mm and b/a<0.78, or (2) a<0.24 mm and b/a>1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masashi Ueda, Ryuji Yamada
  • Patent number: 8328322
    Abstract: An inkjet recording device includes an ink cartridge receiving unit configured to receive an ink cartridge, an inkjet head configured to eject ink, an ink passage configured to transport the ink from the ink cartridge to the inkjet head, a detecting unit configured to detect a type of ink cartridge received in the ink cartridge receiving unit, a waste ink collection unit including an absorber configured to absorb the ink, a discharging unit configured to discharge the ink remaining in the ink passage at one of a first discharging rate and a second discharging rate, and a controller configured to control the discharging unit to discharge an amount of ink. The controller is configured to control the discharging unit to discharge ink at one of the first discharging rate and the second discharging rate corresponding to the type of the ink cartridge detected by the detecting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masashi Ueda
  • Patent number: 8330602
    Abstract: A first roll is provided, which is formed by winding a base tape having a tape-state base film in which a plurality of RFID circuit elements are disposed with a predetermined interval in the lengthwise direction, an adhesive layer with a predetermined width for affixing the RFID circuit element to a target to be affixed, disposed on one face of the base film, and a separation sheet with a width larger than that of the adhesive layer and disposed so as to extend in the lengthwise direction of the adhesive layer around a reel axis approximately perpendicular to the lengthwise direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Ohashi, Mitsugi Tanaka, Toshio Takahashi, Kiyoichi Ohta
  • Patent number: 8332232
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method for collecting feedback from a mobile device user using a mobile interaction application executed on one or more processors of a mobile device includes receiving a selection of a target of the feedback from the mobile device user; presenting a graphical user interface on a display of the mobile device, the graphical user interface including a multi-level rating scale and an open-ended comment element; receiving feedback associated with the selected target from the mobile device user through an input device of the mobile device, the received feedback corresponding to at least one of the multi-level rating scale and the open-ended comment element; and wirelessly transmitting a message including the received feedback associated with the selected target and corresponding to at least one of the multi-level rating scale and the open-ended comment element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: OpinionLab, Inc.
    Inventors: Rand B. Nickerson, Mark A. Treschl, Sean E. Wolfe
  • Patent number: 8332869
    Abstract: A system includes a management controller coupled to and configured to manage a plurality of information handling systems. Each of the information handling systems may include a network interface device configured to receive wake-up messages remotely via a network. The management controller is operable to receive a wake-up message remotely via the network; identify a particular one of the information handling systems to be awakened from a non-awake state based on an address included in the wake-up message; and forward the wake-up message to the particular information handling system to cause the particular information handling system to awaken. The network interface device of the particular information handling system may remain unpowered while the wake-up message is received and forwarded by the management controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventor: Robert Talbott Stevens, IV
  • Patent number: 8332560
    Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for encoding a set of configuration data for a given expander and at some later point comparing the configuration data to a discovered configuration derived from an attempt to discover the operability of each phy or connection point of the storage system. The configuration identifies the phys or connection points that are operable and the mapping of operable connection points to wide ports communicatively of an expander.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Kevin T. Marks, Don H. Walker