Patents Examined by A. Chang
  • Patent number: 8606249
    Abstract: Provided are systems and methods for improving audio signal quality during teleconferencing. Multiple local devices equipped with microphones may be connected to a teleconference hub device that also maintains communication with one or more remote devices. The local devices may be mobile, such as mobile phones, and each may be positioned closer to at least some local teleconference participants compared to a microphone of a traditional central teleconferencing speakerphone. Such mobility allows users to move during the teleconference without disturbing the quality. The local devices may be connected to the hub device using various local protocols. Individual audio signals may first be processed by the local devices and then sent to the hub device for further collective processing of multiple data streams and production of an external data stream, which is sent to remote devices connected to the hub device over a remote protocol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Audience, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael M. Goodwin
  • Patent number: 8605683
    Abstract: An access network connection controller is disclosed for ordering a mobile terminal to switch from a connection to a first access network to a connection to a second access network in order to ensure that a good connection to the mobile terminal is maintained when the mobile terminal enters an area in which connection to the first access network may be restricted and the second access network may be beneficial. The access network connection controller is operable to receive movement information representative of the movement of the mobile terminal connected to a first access network; to determine from the movement information whether the mobile terminal is approaching a restricted area wherein connection to a second access network may be beneficial and to generate a command ordering the switching of the connection mobile terminal from the first access network to the second access network before the mobile terminal enters the restricted area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Miguel-Angel Garcia Martin, Pablo Martinez De La Cruz
  • Patent number: 8606730
    Abstract: A system may track statistics for a number of features using an approximate counting technique by: subjecting each feature to multiple, different hash functions to generate multiple, different hash values, where each of the hash values may identify a particular location in a memory, and storing statistics for each feature at the particular locations identified by the hash values. The system may generate rules for a model based on the tracked statistics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Simon Tong, Noam Shazeer
  • Patent number: 8604937
    Abstract: A telematics unit is provided for a vehicle having a power unit, along with a method for controlling a telematics unit for a vehicle. The telematics unit includes a voltage sensor, a global positioning system unit, and a processor. The voltage sensor senses a measure of a voltage of the power unit. The global positioning system unit obtains position data as to a position of the vehicle. The processor is coupled to the voltage sensor and the global positioning system unit. The processor is configured to determine whether the voltage for the power unit has decreased using the sensed measure of the voltage, determine whether the vehicle is moving using the position data, and command the telematics unit to an off mode if the voltage has decreased and the vehicle is not moving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: General Motors LLC
    Inventors: Kevin W. Owens, Daniel C. McGarry, Nicholas J. Peariso, Kevin R. Krause, Russell A. Patenaude
  • Patent number: 8606232
    Abstract: A system and method for provisioning a mobile device with user preferences and settings. The user preferences and settings may be default preferences and settings selected by the various applications loaded onto the mobile device or previously user preferences and settings selected by a user. User selected preferences and settings may be stored in a remote server memory. The preferences and settings may be retrieved by new mobile device. The preferences and settings stored in the remote server memory may contain triggers which initiate a connection with various third party servers. In response to the trigger, various third party servers may transmit further instructions to the mobile device which allows the mobile device to complete the restoration of the user's preferences and settings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Ta-yan Siu, Guangming Shi, Venkat Tangirala
  • Patent number: 8605955
    Abstract: Classifier chains are used to determine quickly and accurately if a window or sub-window of an image contains a right face, a left face, a full face, or does not contain a face. After acquiring a digital image, an integral image is calculated based on the acquired digital image. Left-face classifiers are applied to the integral image to determine the probability that the window contains a left face. Right-face classifiers are applied to the integral image to determine the probability that the window contains a right face. If the probability of the window containing a right face and a left face are both greater than threshold values, then it is determined that the window contains a full face. Alternatively, if only one of the probabilities exceeds a threshold value, then it may be determined that the window contains only a left face or a right face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: DigitalOptics Corporation Europe Limited
    Inventors: Stefan Petrescu, Mihnea Gangea
  • Patent number: 8604644
    Abstract: A load impedance decision device, a wireless power transmission device, and a wireless power transmission method are provided. At least one of a distance and an angle between two resonators may be measured. A load impedance may be determined based on at least one of the measured distance and the measured angle. When the distance between the two resonators changes, a high power transfer efficiency may be maintained without using a separate matching circuit. Where the load impedance is determined, a test power may be transmitted. Depending on a power transfer efficiency of the test power, the load impedance may be controlled and power may be wirelessly transmitted from the source resonator to the target resonator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Eun Seok Park, Sang Wook Kwon, Young-tack Hong
  • Patent number: 8600457
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for operating a mobile communication device in a sleep mode. The mobile communication device displays a time in an easily readable format at a low-light intensity, provides an alert to a user at an alarm time in a particular manner specified by the user, changes the buttons on the mobile communication device to operate as snooze buttons, and suppresses a portion of call and message notifications received by the mobile communication device when the mobile communication device is in the sleep mode. The sleep mode operation is performed, at least in part, according to sleep-mode user settings chosen by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Sandra Irene Vargas, Keith Rowe, Peter Chin, Anton Andrews
  • Patent number: 8600100
    Abstract: A method of assessing an individual through facial muscle activity and expressions includes receiving a visual recording stored on a computer-readable medium of an individual's non-verbal responses to a stimulus, the non-verbal response comprising facial expressions of the individual. The recording is accessed to automatically detect and record expressional repositioning of each of a plurality of selected facial features by conducting a computerized comparison of the facial position of each selected facial feature through sequential facial images. The contemporaneously detected and recorded expressional repositionings are automatically coded to an action unit, a combination of action units, and/or at least one emotion. The action unit, combination of action units, and/or at least one emotion are analyzed to assess one or more characteristics of the individual to develop a profile of the individual's personality in relation to the objective for which the individual is being assessed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Sensory Logic, Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel A. Hill
  • Patent number: 8598909
    Abstract: Some embodiments provide a configurable integrated circuit (IC) comprising multiple deskew circuits for delaying data passage. Each of the deskew circuits comprises a stepwise delay circuit with multiple outputs and an input selection circuit with multiple inputs. Multiple outputs connect to multiple inputs. In some embodiments the configurable IC is a subcycle reconfigurable IC. In some such embodiments each of the deskew circuits further includes a space-time load control circuit for commanding the stepwise delay circuit to load during a selected subcycle. In some embodiments the multiple deskew circuits send data to a trigger circuit. In some such embodiments the trigger circuit triggers a trace buffer to stop recording a data stream. In some such embodiments the trigger circuit triggers the trace buffer to stop after a programmable delay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Tabula, Inc.
    Inventor: Brad Hutchings
  • Patent number: 8600101
    Abstract: A portrait illustration creation system includes a basic face photo data storage unit for storing a plurality of pieces of face photo data of basic faces, a basic portrait illustration data storage unit for storing a plurality of basic portrait illustrations, and an associating information storage unit for storing information which associates the basic face photo data with the basic portrait illustration data. The system also includes an approximate basic face photo extraction unit for recognizing, from face-photo-data-to-be-illustrated which is a photo of a face-to-be-illustrated of which a portrait illustration is desired to be created, the face-to-be-illustrated; performing matching between the face-to-be-illustrated and the basic faces represented by the plurality of pieces of basic face photo data stored on the basic face photo data storage unit; and extracting the basic face photo data having a high approximation degree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Inventor: Kazuo Sairyo
  • Patent number: 8598546
    Abstract: A method of generating a data set defining a plurality of target points in a target volume in a body at which a particle beam is to be directed in a continuous or discontinuous process includes directing a particle beam to each of the target points so as to provide a spatial dose distribution in an area around the respective target point. The target points include a first target point having z-spacing, measured in a direction of the particle beam in a homogenous body equivalent to the body, from an adjacent second target point at a higher or lower particle energy. The method also includes defining the target points in the data set by at least one of the z-spacing and the spatial dose distribution in dependence upon a particle energy of the respective target point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignees: GSI Helmholtzzentrum fur Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Christoph Bert, Eike Rietzel, Martin Rohregger
  • Patent number: 8596340
    Abstract: Heat sinks for use in assemblies for preheating liquid samples prior to their introduction into an analytical stream. The heater assemblies have a heat sink having a metallic heater block and a heating element for heating the block. The block has a basin for receiving a liquid sample and allowing heat to be transmitted from the block to the sample. A drain at the lower end of the basin allows sample in the basin to flow out of the basin. A passageway extends through the block from the drain to an exterior surface of the block and provides a conduit for sample flowing from the drain, A temperature sensor is mounted in a cavity in the block and extends into the basin to measure the temperature of sample in the basin. A temperature sensor is mounted in a cavity in the block and measures the temperature of the block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Horn-Barber Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Jack Delaney Horn, Jr., Ricky Wayne Barber
  • Patent number: 8599169
    Abstract: A touch sensing interface (101) includes a noise touch sensing circuit (110) that utilizes electromagnetic (EM) noise in a touch panel (102) to determine whether a pad of the touch panel is touched, such as by a finger of a user. The noise touch sensing circuit detects noise in a first pad (104) and in a second pad (105) of the touch panel, compares power of the noise in the first pad to power of noise in the second pad, and outputs a signal (132) indicative of the first pad being touched when power of noise in the first pad exceeds power of noise in the second pad by a pre-selected amount. The touch sensing interface may include a capacitive touch sensing circuit (120) and a controller (130) that selectively actuates the noise touch sensing circuit and the capacitive touch sensing circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Ivan Carlos Ribeiro Nascimento
  • Patent number: 8598959
    Abstract: A modulation apparatus comprising a first modulating section that outputs a first modulated signal having a fixed amplitude and a set phase; a second modulating section that outputs a second modulated signal having the fixed amplitude and a set phase; an adding section that outputs the output signal as the sum of the first and second modulated signals; a calculating section that calculates two phases to be set respectively in the first and second modulating sections, based on designated amplitude and phase; an allocating section that allocates, for the first and second modulated signals, the two phases calculated by the calculating section such that the first and second modulated signals are each connected more smoothly; and a setting section that sets the phase allocated for the first modulated signal in the first modulating section and sets the phase allocated for the second modulated signal in the second modulating section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Advantest Corporation
    Inventor: Norio Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 8595934
    Abstract: A method of producing a composite body, such as a gear wheel or torsional vibration damper, including a radially inner hub body provided with outer profiles, a surrounding outer body provided with inner profiles, and an intermediate layer of synthetic resin material which connects the outer profiles of the hub body with the inner profiles of the outer body; the hub body being with an inner contour adapted to mount the composite body on a shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Neumayer Tekfor Holding GmbH
    Inventor: Matthias Derse
  • Patent number: 8595930
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for protecting an inner radial surface of a housing of a turbomachine from corrosion. The method includes tapering the inner radial surface of the housing and a corresponding outer radial surface of a corrosion-resistant liner, and heating the housing to increase a diameter of the inner radial surface of the housing. The method also includes inserting the corrosion-resistant liner at least partially into the housing, and attaching the corrosion-resistant liner to the inner radial surface of the housing a solid-state bonding process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Dresser-Rand Company
    Inventors: Byron L. Mohr, David C. Seib
  • Patent number: 8598955
    Abstract: A PLL including an adaptive loop filter. The PLL includes a feedback circuit which provides a feedback signal based on an output signal and a phase detector generating an adjust signal based on a frequency of the feedback signal compared with a reference frequency. A charge pump receives the adjust signal and provides a control voltage. The adaptive loop filter includes a capacitor and an adaptive resistance with a current control input. A VCO has an output providing the output signal based on a voltage level of the control voltage. A bias generator converts the control voltage to a loop bias current, and has a bias output based on the loop bias current coupled to the current control input of the adaptive resistance. The bias output of the bias generator may also be used to control the charge current and the VCO using currents proportional to the loop bias current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Dashun Xue
  • Patent number: 8600789
    Abstract: An offending item detection system is provided for analyzing and processing documents received at one or more capture sites. A physical document may be electronically captured at a capture site and subsequently transmitted to a regional or central processing system. The processing system may then analyze the captured documents to identify and flag suspected offending items such as duplicates. Suspected offending items may be removed from a processing stream and replaced by a substitute transaction to keep the financial system in balance and to reduce potential for processing backlog. In the meantime, the suspected offending item may be analyzed. If the item is a false positive, the substitute transaction may be canceled and the financial document reinserted into the processing stream. If the suspected item is a true offending item, the substitute transaction may be replaced by or converted into another transaction funded by a general suspense account.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Bank of America Corporation
    Inventors: David Todd Frew, Gregory Clarence Brown, Melinda Karen Petty, George Miller Abernethy, Leslie Marie Doby, Pamela Rowland, Zhongmin Agarwal
  • Patent number: 8600892
    Abstract: A method for online payments includes receiving an instruction to start a payment application. Payment tag information is then received and sent over a network. Product information that is associated with the payment tag information is then received over the network and displayed on a first payment page that includes a request for payment account credentials. The first payment page is provided through the payment application immediately following the sending of the payment tag information. Payer account credentials are then received through the payment application and sent over the network. Payer account information is then received over the network and displayed on a second payment page that includes a payment confirmation indicator. The second payment page is provided through the payment application immediately following the first payment page. A selection of the payment confirmation indicator is then received through the payment application and sent over the network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: eBay Inc.
    Inventors: James Eugene Foster, Chad Maurice Hoffman