Patents Examined by Robert W. Downs
  • Patent number: 5915073
    Abstract: A method for setting the flexibility of a manipulator includes the step of extracting characteristics of the flexibility such as elasticity from a measurement result of the flexibility of a human hand. The extracted characteristics are used for determining specifications for the flexibility of the hand of the manipulator. The specifications of the flexibility of the entire hand of the manipulator are converted into specifications of the flexibility of a joint of the manipulator for setting the flexibility of the joint of the manipulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 22, 1999
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Yoshiharu Maeda
  • Patent number: 5911035
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided to determine affine disparity and affine invariant pattern distance from two image patterns. The method formulates the problem of determining affine disparity and affine invariant distances between two image patterns as one of finding an affine transform for an adjustable hypercolumn (HC) reference frame that maximally compensates the affine difference of the two image patterns. The image HC-coding and the difference vector is computed from two image patterns using specific orientation (SO) simple cell receptive fields employed in an HC-reference system. The Lie derivative of the difference vector is computed from image patterns using Lie germs. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the affine transform that maximally compensates the affine difference between two image patterns is found by a gradient system wherein the gradient is calculated from the difference vector and its Lie derivatives.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1999
    Inventor: Thomas Tsao
  • Patent number: 5909675
    Abstract: For recognizing information conveyed by a received signal, represented by convention by possible elementary forms of the signal to be transmitted, a device includes a correlator for establishing a correlation between the received signal and various possible forms of signal, in accordance with the convention. A neural network using correlation coefficients obtained from the correlator is trained by application to its input of correlation coefficients corresponding to a received signal conveying given information whilst imposing the given information at its output. The network supplies recognized information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 1, 1999
    Assignee: Alcatel Mobile Communication France
    Inventor: Alain Chiodini
  • Patent number: 5909674
    Abstract: A method uses a computer-controlled algorithm that enables production of high-quality layouts and charge maps or set-ups for arbitrary printed circuit boards for electronic component placement machines alone or as one of many in a production line. A class of algorithms known as genetic algorithms employing an initial population of chromosomes are used. Each chromosome represents a set of parameters that control how a layout and charge maps are generated. Problem descriptors, based on one time code are generated. An adaptive searcher searches parameters and generates trial solutions as chromosomes and a heuristic layout generator interprets these chromosomes to generate the layout and charge maps using the problem descriptors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 1, 1999
    Assignee: Philips Electronics North America Corp.
    Inventors: J. David Schaffer, Murali Mani
  • Patent number: 5909578
    Abstract: A method and system for burst profiling an application program. The native application executes free and unfettered for a first time period. Then, the native application is halted and is instrumented by a dynamic translator. The dynamic translator translates and instruments code blocks of the application as the application is executing. The instrumented application executes and gathers profile data for a second time period. When the second time period expires, the dynamic translator continues to execute the instrumented application until it reaches a known state. Then, the instrumented application is halted at that known state. Next, the native application resumes execution from the known state. This process repeats until either the application finishes execution or enough profile data has been collected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 1, 1999
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company
    Inventor: William B. Buzbee
  • Patent number: 5905978
    Abstract: A memory utilization value indicative of memory utilization associated with a data channel is received. A queue depth value indicative of the queue depth of messages located within a message queue maintained by the data channel is also received. A fuzzy logic design is executed with the memory utilization value in the queue depth value used as input parameters. A crisp value is then generated which corresponds to a window size of the data channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 18, 1999
    Assignee: Unisys Corporation
    Inventors: John H. Smith, Gerard O'Brien
  • Patent number: 5905894
    Abstract: The described programming techniques allow for the passing of code arguments to functions, referred to as meta-functions, at compile time through the use of compiler directives. Methods for implementing functions, referred to as meta-loops, which allow for a block of code to be repeated a variable number of times at compile time are also described. The programming methods of the present invention allow for greater code reuse since code arguments can be used to modify the functionality of a meta-function thereby altering its functionality. Meta-functions and meta-loops can also be used to generate a group of functions which share common behaviors. In accordance with the present invention the common behaviors are produced via the use of a common meta-function. This allows the behavior of a group of functions to be altered. This reduces the time and expense associated with creating and maintaining libraries of functions with shared behaviors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 18, 1999
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Jeremy S. De Bonet
  • Patent number: 5903884
    Abstract: To prevent overfitting a neural network to a finite set of training samples, random distortions are dynamically applied to the samples each time they are applied to the network during a training session. A plurality of different types of distortions can be applied, which are randomly selected each time a sample is applied to the network. Alternatively, a combination of two or more types of distortion can be applied each time, with the amount of distortion being randomly varied for each type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1999
    Assignee: Apple Computer, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard F. Lyon, William Stafford
  • Patent number: 5903765
    Abstract: A power management system for a personal computer comprises a power management processor, a switchable power supply and a keep alive power supply. The processor is powered by the keep alive power supply that continuously provides power. The computer is powered by a power supply that is switchable in response to a control signal. The processor preferably controls the switchable power supply. The processor is coupled to receive external device interrupts from a plurality of external devices that instruct the processor when to turn the switchable power supply on and off. The processor is also coupled to the computer through an interface. The power management system also includes a method for turning the computer on and off. A preferred method uses the processor to control the power provided to the computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1999
    Assignee: Smith Corona/Acer
    Inventors: Dave White, Yen Wei Lee, Rod Ang, Ray Barbieri, James Chen, Suh Chiueh Lee
  • Patent number: 5899985
    Abstract: It is an object of this invention to provide a high-accuracy inference method and an inference system. The input reads fact data into this system. Fact data is stored in a work area, and the inference is started. The inference cycle of the inference is as follows. First, the rule extraction processing module compares rules with data to extract an optimum rule. Then, the case extraction processing module extracts from the case storing a case which matches the extracted rule. Then, the selection processing module compares the condition of the extracted rule with that of the extracted case, and selects one of them which is more similar to the fact data. The execution processing module executes the procedure of the selected rule or case. The inference cycle is repeated unless the executed procedure stops processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1999
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Toshikazu Tanaka
  • Patent number: 5898590
    Abstract: A probing system that checks a pattern formed by a plurality of features of an object. The system includes an input device that receives an ideal position and an ideal set of dimensions of each of the plurality of features, as well as an acceptable tolerance for the plurality of features. The input device generates a first signal. A probe device is electrically connected to the input device to receive the first signal, and in response, directs a probe to a location of samples. The probe device outputs a second signal indicative of a measured location of each of the samples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1999
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Robert R. Wampler, Lisa D. Riley
  • Patent number: 5897627
    Abstract: A method including providing a database with a plurality of items, each item having several attributes, and developing and displaying a cluster map (SOM) attribute plane from the items and attributes, including clusters of items having similar attributes. Selecting an attribute of interest and splitting the plurality of items into clusters of interest based on distribution of the selected attribute. Utilizing rule induction to provide a rule for each cluster of interest, drawing a line around adjacent items in the SOM attribute plane for each rule to form at least one complete fenced area in the display, and comparing fenced areas to clusters to separate statistically meaningful rules from statistically meaningless rules or coincidences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1999
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert H. Leivian, Robert M. Gardner
  • Patent number: 5897628
    Abstract: A circuit designing method and apparatus for the design of a large-scale logic circuit. A circuit configuration for a Programmable Logic Device (PLD) is revised in response to a genetic algorithm and then a logic circuit for providing a target output is designed. A collection of grammar rules for feeding out the PLD circuit configuration is applied as a chromosome, and the chromosome (a collection of grammar rules) is revised to feed out the chromosome giving the most suitable circuit configuration. The chromosome length is proportional to the number of grammar rules and does not depend upon the scale of the PLD circuit. Consequently, even for a large PLD circuit, it is possible to design the circuit configuration within a suitable calculating time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1999
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroaki Kitano
  • Patent number: 5895459
    Abstract: An information processing device for processing information based on object networks, each of which represents data and processing of the data as objects in a graph.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1999
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Hajime Enomoto
  • Patent number: 5895503
    Abstract: An improved address translation method and mechanism for memory management in a computer system is disclosed. A segmentation mechanism employing segment registers maps virtual addresses into a linear address space. A paging mechanism optionally maps linear addresses into physical or real addresses. Independent protection of address spaces is provided at each level. Information about the state of real memory pages is kept in segment registers or a segment register cache potentially enabling real memory access to occur simultaneously with address calculation, thereby increasing performance of the computer system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1999
    Inventor: Richard A. Belgard
  • Patent number: 5895460
    Abstract: In accordance with novel features of the present invention, a method and apparatus are provided for generating a oscillatory output signal having an oscillatory rate that is proportional to the magnitude of charge delivered through the input to the first charge well. The apparatus includes an input disposed to receive an input signal and an output disposed to output an oscillatory signal. A plurality of adjacently-disposed CCD charge wells are disposed between the input and the output. The plurality of CCD charge wells include a first charge well that is disposed in communication with the input and a last charge well is disposed in communication with the output. A charge sensor is disposed in proximity to the first charge well and operates to sense the magnitude of charge stored in the first charge well, and a driver is responsive to the sensor to drive an electrode disposed in proximity to a second charge well, which is disposed adjacent to the first charge well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1999
    Inventor: Vladimir A. Gorelik
  • Patent number: 5890142
    Abstract: A monitoring apparatus for monitoring an operating condition of a system includes a predicting section which generates a data vector whose parameter is determined by a timeseries data of the system and which obtains a prediction value of the timeseries data of a predetermined time future by means of the chaotic inference based on a behavior of attractor which is generated in a reconstruction space by an embedding operation of the data vector. A monitoring section compares the detected value and the prediction value of the timeseries data and decides the condition of the observed system according to the compared result. Therefore, it becomes possible to appropriately and quickly judge as to whether the observed system is in an abnormal condition or not.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1999
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Meidensha
    Inventors: Takayoshi Tanimura, Tadashi Iokibe, Yasunari Fujimoto
  • Patent number: 5890146
    Abstract: A rule-based data processing system includes a memory having stored therein a number of groups of agents. Each group is defined by respective sets of rules, with the system running the respective sets of rules in parallel. The agents are in two clusters: "script agents" which are arranged as a sequentially enabled chain and "operator agents" arranged to carry out selected procedural steps. The selection of the procedural step is made within each operator agent based on of one or more external factors, and is triggered by enablement of a script agent of the sequence prior to that script agent carrying a marker identifying an operator agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1999
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Peter R. Wavish, David M. Connah
  • Patent number: 5890143
    Abstract: In the apparatus, an evaluation object is categorized corresponding to the value of an attribute. A first end node stores a first category class and a reliability thereof. A second end node stores a second category class and a reliability thereof. In addition, the second end node is assigned an instance used to generate this class. A branch node stores a determination rule such as a membership function for determining a grade of each category class corresponding to the value of an attribute as an evaluation object. In the apparatus, an evaluation object is categorized corresponding to the reliability and grade. In the apparatus, since an instance assigned to the first end node can be deleted, the storage capacity necessary for storing a training instance can be decreased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1999
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Shigeaki Sakurai
  • Patent number: 5884294
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a radar emitter recognition system and method for classifying incoming emitters into their functional roles as disclosed by their electronic signatures and the context within which the radar transmissions are received. An electronic support system provides incoming data, including unknown attribute information, to a neural network which has been synthesized or trained to calculate a network solution indicative of an emitter's classification within a range of attributes. Similarly the electronic support system provides incoming data, including unknown context data, to a fuzzy logic system that has been provided with possibility distributions to classify the emitter as originating from one of several strategic contexts. The resultant categorizations from the neural network and the fuzzy logic system are combined in a classifier to yield an improved recognition of the emitter under observation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1999
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
    Inventors: Ivan Kadar, Scott A. Schellhammer