Abstract: For writing, flash memory devices are physically accessed in a page-oriented mode, but such devices are not error-free in operation. According to the invention, when writing information data in a bus write cycle in a sequential manner into flash memory devices assigned to a common data bus, at least one of said flash memory devices is not fed for storage with a current section of said information data. In case an error is occurring while writing a current information data section into a page of a current one of said flash memory devices, said current information data section is written into a non-flash memory. During the following bus write cycle, while the flash memory device containing that defective page is normally idle, that idle time period is used for copying the corresponding stored section of said information data from said non-flash memory to a non-defect page of that flash memory device.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of estimating motion between two video frames. According to the invention, the motion estimation is done by using first one motion estimation in the horizontal direction and then one motion estimation in the vertical direction. Preferably, a plurality of motion estimations in the horizontal direction are used alternately with motion estimations in the vertical direction. It allows reducing the complexity of the estimation.

Abstract: Systems and methods for active learning of statistical machine translation systems through dynamic creation and updating of parallel corpus. The systems and methods provided create accurate parallel corpus entries from a test set of sentences, words, phrases, etc. by calculating confidence scores for particular translations. Translations with high confidence scores are added directly to the corpus and the translations with low confidence scores are presented to human translations for corrections.

Abstract: A handheld type electronic device includes a main device body, a screen body, and first and second limiting mechanisms provided between the main device body and the screen body. The main device body includes a depression. The screen body is provided between left and right inner walls of the depression. The first limiting mechanism includes a pair of first protrusions and a pair of second recesses. The first protrusions extend resiliently and respectively into the first recesses to limit the screen body at a flipped-up state. The second limiting mechanism includes at least one second protrusion, and a second recess. The second protrusion is disposed to extend into the second recess to limit the screen body at a folded state. The second protrusion is subjectable to a force to withdraw from the second recess to enable the screen body to be flipped upward relative to the depression.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided to automatically determine culture-based behavioral tendencies and preferences of individuals in the context of customer service interactions. For example, systems and methods are provided to process natural language dialog input of an individual to detect linguistic features indicative of individualistic and collectivistic behavioral tendencies and predict whether such individual will be cooperative or uncooperative with automated customer service.

Abstract: A method for fabrication of features of an integrated circuit and device thereof include patterning a first structure on a surface of a semiconductor device and forming spacers about a periphery of the first structure. An angled ion implantation is applied to the device such that the spacers have protected portions and unprotected portions from the angled ion implantation wherein the unprotected portions have an etch rate greater than an etch rate of the protected portions. The unprotected portions and the first structure are selectively removed with respect to the protected portions. A layer below the protected portions of the spacer is patterned to form integrated circuit features.

Abstract: Advanced solutions for encrypting multi-layer audio data are required, ie. audio data that comprise a base layer and one or more enhancement layers. A method for encrypting such an encoded audio signal comprises separating the base layer into two sections, encrypting the side information within frames of the second section of the base layer, and encrypting at least a part of the data of the enhancement layer, wherein the encrypted section of the base layer and the encrypted enhancement layer require different decryption keys for decryption. Thus, free preview zones are possible to implement.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for visualizing a change caused by scrolling in a scrolling direction of a section of a text and/or graphic displayed on an optical display means. A visible marking is thereby displayed at a first position within the displayed section. A visible marking is displayed at a second position within a section displayed during the scrolling prior to or as soon as the first position is no longer within the section displayed during the scrolling in response to the scrolling. In particular with small screens, which are increasingly used for displaying information, which can be visually captured, for example in personal digital assistants, which are referred to as PDAs, or in mobile cellular telephones, the method makes it possible to increase the capability of capturing the displayed information and to thus increase the field of application of these devices.

Abstract: A device (1) and a method for fixing commemorative inscriptions, such as, for example, words, photographs, patterns, symbols and the like, and/or cinerary urns, to be applied to headstones, front coverings of crypts and the like, include a surround (2) and an inner frame (3) which may be fixed to a headstone or a wall (4), the inner frame (3) cooperates with the surround (2) by connection device (5, 6, 15, 16). An indicator block (7) provided with commemorative inscriptions (8) is inserted and locked inside the surround (2), and the connection elements include hidden anchoring parts (5, 6) completely enclosed inside the surround (2).

Abstract: The invention relates to the technical field of local data transmission networks, in particular domestic networks. In networks such as these, the network stations log on in connection to the network. On disconnection, the network station which is leaving the network logs off in an appropriate manner. In the situation in which the user disconnects a network station simply by pulling out the network cable from the network, it is physically impossible to transmit the logging-off message. The invention is now concerned with the problem of how reliably an inactive network station can be identified, also taking account of the disconnection of the network station simply by pulling out the network plug. The invention solves the problem by regular transmission of a search request to the stations in the network. If a search request remains unanswered by one network station, an HTTP access is additionally attempted to, for example, the device description of the network station in question, or a control request.

Abstract: A composite footwear insole has a front portion (2) designed to interact with the foot at the metatarsal region and at least partly at the plantar arch, and a rear portion (3) designed to interact with the heel. The rear portion (3) has at least one layer (4) of gel material whose size is at least substantially equal to that of the rear portion (3) to uniformly support the heel and absorb stresses acting thereon.

Abstract: A compact, low-power, asynchronous, resistor-based memory read circuit includes a memory cell having a plurality of consecutive memory states, each of said states corresponding to a respective output voltage. A sense amplifier reads the state of the memory cell. The sense amplifier includes a voltage divider configured to receive the output voltage of the memory cell and to output a settled voltage an amplifier having a voltage threshold between the settled voltages associated with two of said consecutive memory states, configured to discriminate between said two consecutive memory states.

Abstract: A risk assessment system and method includes an information system configured to disclose information to a third party. A risk determination model is configured to compute identifiability risk for on one or more records in storage. The identifiability risk is compared to a threshold prior to being disclosed wherein the information system is informed of the identifiability risk exceeding the threshold prior to disclosure to the third party.

Abstract: An occlusion detection system and method include a decomposer configured to decompose an image into a set of hierarchical parts. A hierarchy of classifiers is employed to detect features in the image and the hierarchical parts. A logical operation is configured to logically combine a classification result from at least two of the classifiers to detect an occlusion state of the image.

Abstract: A method of obtaining a saliency map from a plurality of saliency maps created from different visual quantities. Initially the saliency maps are normalized based on a theoretical maximum of each visual quantity. An intra-competition step selects the main saliency areas in each saliency map. An inter-competition step is then performed based on a sum of the intra-map competition with an inter-map redundancy term that is a function of the product of the intra-map competitions and of the probability of a site appearing on the saliency maps.

Abstract: Lossless audio coding performs decorrelation and encodes the transformed signal. The encoded bit stream comprises de-correlation parameters and the lossless representation data of the transformed signal. However, in the case of lossy based lossless coding, the additional amount of information exceeds the base layer amount of data. Therefore the additional data cannot be packed completely into the base layer e.g. as ancillary data. The data streams resulting from the combination of lossy coding format with a lossless coding extension are the base layer containing the lossy coding information and the enhancement data stream for rebuilding the mathematically lossless original input signal. Every higher layer depends on the lower layers and can only be reasonably decoded in combination with these lower layers. According to the invention, a special combination of one-time header information with repeated header information in a block structure is used. Assignment information data identify the different layers.

Abstract: Device and method for calculating distance in a communication network. Device A sets a non-predictable initial Time-To-Live (TTL) value and sends a message with this value to device B. B reads the TTL of the received message. A and B establish a Secure Authenticated Channel over which B sends the TTL of the received message. A may then calculate the distance to B. If the received TTL is greater than the initial TTL, this indicates an error or an attack; if the received TTL is lower than the initial TTL minus a TTL limit, then B is too distant; and if the initial TTL minus the TTL limit is less than or equal to the received TTL, which in turn is less than or equal to the initial TTL, then A may conclude that B a priori is within the required distance.

Abstract: In lossy based lossless coding a PCM audio signal passes through a lossy encoder to a lossy decoder. The lossy encoder provides a lossy bit stream. The lossy decoder also provides side information that is used to control the coefficients of a prediction filter that de-correlates the difference signal between the PCM signal and the lossy decoder output. The de-correlated difference signal is lossless encoded, providing an extension bit stream. Instead of, or in addition to, de-correlating in the time domain, a de-correlation in the frequency domain using spectral whitening can be performed. The lossy encoded bit stream together with the lossless encoded extension bit stream form a lossless encoded bitstream. The invention facilitates enhancing a lossy perceptual audio encoding/decoding by an extension that enables mathematically exact reproduction of the original waveform, and provides additional data for reconstructing at decoder site an intermediate-quality audio signal.