Patents Issued in December 30, 2008
  • Patent number: 7472017
    Abstract: A method for triggering solenoid valves assigned to gas-exchange valves in an electrohydraulic valve activation of an internal combustion engine having a plurality of combustion chambers. The solenoid valves assigned to the gas-exchange valves may be activated independently of each other. To this end, crankshaft-synchronous trigger signal for solenoid valves of the internal combustion engine are ascertained in a control unit and transmitted to an output stage. The output stage controls the solenoid valves on the basis of the transmitted trigger signals. Each combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine has at least one intake valve and at least one discharge valve as gas-exchange valve. All solenoid valves of all gas-exchange valves of a combustion chamber form a solenoid-valve set. One activation profile in each case is specified for all solenoid valves of a solenoid valve set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Rolf Jaros, Hubert Schweiggart, Ulf Pischke, Hermann Gaessler
  • Patent number: 7472018
    Abstract: A method is provided for generating control variables for guiding a motor vehicle as a function of input quantities representing the traffic situation, and as a function of dynamically changeable parameters. The method provides that a single evaluation quantity is formed from a set of a plurality of input quantities, and a plurality of the parameters are determined on the basis of the single evaluation quantity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Harald Michi, Michael Scherl, Michael Weilkes, Werner Uhler
  • Patent number: 7472019
    Abstract: In a navigation apparatus, via-point setting data indicating a history in terms of setting of via-points is recorded in a point database. Via-point setting data described in a point record stored in the point database indicates points that were specified as via-points when a point of the point record was specified as a destination in the past. In a setting operation, a list of points registered in advance is displayed. If the user selects a destination from the list, points registered in the via-point setting data in the point record of the point selected as the destination are set as candidates for via-points, and the point names thereof are displayed together with the point name of the destination in a via-point editing area. If an apply button is clicked, the points displayed as the candidates for via-points are determined as via-points, and a route to the destination through the determined via-points is searched for.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Alpine Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Satoshi Hara
  • Patent number: 7472020
    Abstract: A navigation system for a vehicle is disclosed, where the navigation system operates in a route planning mode and a route guidance mode. The navigation system employs an interface device that provides route guidance information to a user during the route guidance mode. The route guidance information provided through the interface device may be audible and/or visual, as through a voice and/or visual indicia on a display screen. The navigation system also comprises a voice control system that responds to vocal commands issued by the user. In response to user vocal commands, the navigation system uses the interface device to provide the user with secondary information relating to a planned route. This secondary information may include, for example, locations and items that are ancillary to principal route guidance functions, such as special locations, map topography, environmental information, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Christian Brülle-Drews
  • Patent number: 7472021
    Abstract: Described are a method and a system for detecting an atmospheric feature. A value of a meteorological scalar field at an initial time is determined for a set of tracers. Each tracer is initialized at a first tracer location. An integration time is selected according to a coherence time of a type of the feature to be detected. Alternatively, or in combination with the selected integration time, a spatial resolution of the wind field is selected according to a spatial scale of the type of feature to be detected. Each tracer is advected to a second tracer location at an earlier time according to the integration time and the wind field. A value of the meteorological scalar field at the earlier time and second tracer location is determined for each tracer and summed with the value at the first location to generate an integrated value of the meteorological scalar field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Paul E. Bieringer, Sean Winkler
  • Patent number: 7472022
    Abstract: In general, the invention relates to a method for managing a drilling operation in a multicomponent particulate system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Richard A. Birchwood
  • Patent number: 7472023
    Abstract: A gas analysis system. The system includes a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer, a signal transformation module, an unknown chemical analysis module, a calibration model determination module, and a gas concentration calculation module. The signal transformation module receives electronic signals corresponding respectively to background and sample interferograms corresponding to a sample gas from the FTIR spectrometer for further calculation to obtain an absorption spectrum of the sample gas. The unknown chemical analysis module qualitatively analyzes the absorption spectrum of the sample gas to determine the chemical species in the sample gas. The calibration model determination module decides a calibration model. The gas concentration calculation module calculates the gas concentration of each chemical species according to the absorption spectrum, the calibration model and a standard spectrum of the chemical species.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Gen-Hou Leu, Shin-Fu Chiou, Shao-I Yen, Kuang-Sheng Wang, Hui Ya Shih
  • Patent number: 7472024
    Abstract: There is provided with a data analysis method, including: providing a database storing for each of devices an example that includes inspection time, the degradation level, operation characteristics, and replacement information; providing a evaluation maintenance strategy including an evaluative inspection time, an evaluation time and evaluative replacement condition; providing a prediction model for predicting the degradation level of a device from operation characteristics thereof; estimating by using the database an estimated number of devices that have already been replaced before the evaluation time, evaluating the degradation level at the evaluative inspection time of each of as many devices as estimated number and devices subjected to inspection of same periodic inspection time as the evaluation time; and evaluating the degradation level at the evaluation time of devices whose degradation level at the evaluation inspection time does not satisfy the replacement condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Makoto Sato
  • Patent number: 7472025
    Abstract: An energy detection apparatus and method for detecting energy is disclosed. The energy detection apparatus and method in the present invention obtains a new energy detection value by subtracting a previously sample-averaged value from a current output energy detection value and then adding an absolute sampled value. Thus, the apparatus and method of energy detection in the present invention is capable not only of saving cost due to no demand for memories but also of providing real-time detection with no time delay.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Sunplus Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Pei-Ying Lin
  • Patent number: 7472026
    Abstract: A system and method for locating faults on multi-terminal power system transmission lines uses synchronized phasor measurements to accurately determine fault location and fault impedance regardless of fault type, fault resistance, and coupling to other adjacent power system transmission lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: William J. Premerlani, Bogdan Z. Kasztenny, Mark G. Adamiak
  • Patent number: 7472027
    Abstract: A method and implementation disclosed for detecting interference. A state machine controller is provided for establishing an interference detection cycle including a power sample period and a periodic sampling interval. A receiver component, responsive to the state machine controller, performs an energy measurement at a predetermined wireless band during the power sample period. A threshold comparator determines whether the energy measurement exceeds a predetermined threshold. A processing implementation processes the energy measurement to determine whether it corresponds to interference on the predetermined wireless band, if the measurement exceeds the predetermined threshold. A deactivating implementation is used to instruct the state machine controller to await the next power sample period, if the energy measurement does not exceed the predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth W. Batcher, Peter W. Ecclesine
  • Patent number: 7472028
    Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method for measuring parameters, measuring or determining capacitance, producing a digital output that is dependent upon a capacitance, or converting a variable capacitance output, of a sensor capacitor for example, into a digital format. By activating and deactivating pins, a microprocessor may form various circuits, for instance, each containing a resistor and a different capacitor and, in some embodiments, without the use of intermediate switching components. The microprocessor may alternately measure the time to change the charge of each of the capacitors and then calculate the capacitance of one of the capacitors using the measured times and known capacitances of one or more reference capacitors. Certain embodiments use two reference capacitors and alternately charge and discharge the capacitors, and a simple formula may be used to calculate capacitance using times to reach a threshold voltage. A measured parameter may be humidity or pressure, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Kele Inc.
    Inventor: Steve R. Foote
  • Patent number: 7472029
    Abstract: An automated data library system employs a calibration sensor, the fiducial target and a controller in electrical communication with the calibration sensor to create a calibration sensor pixel image of a calibration area surrounding an expected location of the fiducial target within the automated data storage library by executing one or more vertical calibration sensor scans and/or one or more horizontal calibration sensor scans of the calibration area, and monitoring an output of the calibration sensor scans at defined position intervals. The expected location of the fiducial target can be on a data storage drive of the library or a storage shelf of the library. The controller can execute a debugging procedure, a diagnostic test and/or an error recovery procedure based on the calibration sensor pixel image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Steven N. Pierce
  • Patent number: 7472030
    Abstract: In a system for performing a dual mode single temperature trim upon an electronic device to remove combined mismatch and process variation errors, a dynamic element matching control is configured for enabling dynamic element matching of components of the electronic device. A process trim module is configured for performing a process trim to remove a temperature dependant error from the electronic device while the dynamic element matching is enabled within the electronic device. A mismatch trim module is configured for performing a mismatch trim to remove a mismatch error from the electronic device after the process trim has been performed. The mismatch trim is performed on a portion of the electronic device for which the dynamic element matching has been disabled. Additionally, the mismatch trim is performed at substantially an equivalent temperature to a temperature at which the process trim was performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Eric Scheuerlein
  • Patent number: 7472031
    Abstract: A product with a transponder is conveyed along a measurement line of a weighing device and an actual weight value is determined. An exchange of data with the transponder and weighing system enable automatic adjustment of the weighing system for a specified product type and/or sorting of the product based on comparisons of the actual weight value with a target weight value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Mettler-Toledo Garvens GmbH
    Inventor: Nikolaos Georgitsis
  • Patent number: 7472032
    Abstract: A sensor array made up of 2n piezoelectric oscillators (preferably paired quartz oscillators) is provided in which n equals the number of axes of interest and each one of the pairs of oscillators has a principle axis directed oppositely from the other of its pair. A controller which preferably includes a microprocessor, makes use of the dynamic relationships of the sensors in the array to adaptively assess the magnitude of weighting factors needed to correct the output signal from each oscillator for environmental and systematic effects to provide optimum frequency and phase output for computing position, velocity, and acceleration. Preferably, a seventh reference oscillator is provided in the center of the array which is canted relative to each of the three orthogonal axes by 45°. This adaptive sensor array is capable of determining position within one meter along any of the x, y, and z axes without the need for any external (e.g., GPS) signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Allan Space-Time Solutions, LLC
    Inventors: David W Allan, John A Kusters, Gus R German
  • Patent number: 7472033
    Abstract: Apparatus including functional components of circuitry defined on a semiconductor chip, the functional components including a component having modifiable operating characteristics, a performance measuring circuit providing an output indicative of operating characteristics of the circuitry defined on the semiconductor chip during operation of the circuitry, and computer implemented software means for controlling a value for an operating characteristic of the component having modifiable operating characteristics in response to the output provided by the performance measuring circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Transmeta Corporation
    Inventors: Godfrey P. D'Souza, Keith Klayman
  • Patent number: 7472034
    Abstract: A system and method for test generation for system level verification using parallel algorithms are provided. The present invention generates test patterns for system level tests by exploiting the scalability of parallel algorithms while allowing for data set coloring and expected result checking. Based on the characteristics of the system being tested an iterative parallel algorithm is selected from a plurality of possible parallel algorithms. The selected parallel algorithm is then separated into separate program statements for execution by a plurality of processors. A serial version of the selected algorithm is executed to generate a set of expected results. The devised parallel version of the selected algorithm is then run to generate a set of test result data which is compared to the set of expected results. If the two sets of data match, it is determined that the system is operating correctly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Sanjay Gupta, Steven L. Roberts, Christopher J. Spandikow
  • Patent number: 7472035
    Abstract: An operation method for a semiconductor measurement apparatus having measuring, displaying, inputting, and storing devices, and a computing and controlling device connected to the other devices that performs computation and control. The method includes selecting, through the inputting device, a template for a semiconductor measurement-evaluation application displayed by the displaying device for individual technical fields; setting, through the inputting device, setting information required for execution with respect to the application templates displayed by the displaying device and of storing the setting information in the storing device; executing the application for which the setting information is stored; and storing an execution result obtained by executing the application for which the setting information is stored and execution-result attribute information into the storing device and of displaying the execution result and the execution-result attribute information on the displaying device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Koji Ishizuka
  • Patent number: 7472036
    Abstract: A judgment section (200) judges the presence or absence of a specific event-related potential in an event-related potential of user's (50) electroencephalogram measured by a biological signal detection section (101). A judgment standard storage section (203) stores a plurality of judgment standards according to the number of occurrences of the specific event-related potential. A user's state judging section (201) obtains the number of occurrences of the specific event-related potential by referring to a judgment result storage section (20) and selects any of the judgment standards in the judgment standard storage section (203) according to the obtained number of occurrences thereof for judgment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinobu Adachi, Koji Morikawa
  • Patent number: 7472037
    Abstract: A technique for quantitatively evaluating a complexity associated with a configuration of a system under evaluation comprises the following steps/operations. Configuration-related data for the system under evaluation is collected. At least a portion of the configuration-related data is quantitatively analyzed using a model of human configuration cost to estimate a configuration complexity of the system under evaluation. A quality of the configuration of the system under evaluation is assessed. The configuration complexity of the system under evaluation is reported based on the quantitative analysis and the quality assessment. The step/operation of reporting the configuration complexity of the system under evaluation further comprises producing a report via an algorithm that computes a financial impact of a specified configuration process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Aaron B. Brown, Joseph L. Hellerstein
  • Patent number: 7472038
    Abstract: A method of predicting the lifetime reliability of an integrated circuit device with respect to one or more failure mechanisms includes breaking down the integrated circuit device into structures; breaking down each structure into elements and devices; evaluating each device to determine whether the device is vulnerable to the failure mechanisms and eliminating devices determined not to be vulnerable; estimating, for each determined vulnerable device, the impact of a failure of the device on the functionality of the specific element associated therewith, and classifying the failure into a fatal failure or a non-fatal failure, wherein a fatal failure causes the element employing the given device to fail; determining, for those devices whose failures are fatal, an effective stress degree and/or time; determining one or more of a failure rate and a probability of fatal failure for the devices, and aggregating the same across the structures and the failure mechanisms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Pradip Bose, Zhigang Hu, Jude A. Rivers, Jeonghee Shin, Victor Zyuban
  • Patent number: 7472039
    Abstract: The system provides a technique for detecting changes in behavior of a computer system. An address data storing unit obtains an address being accessed by a CPU at prescribed sampling intervals, stores address data comprising the address and its acquisition time in an address record table in time series. Then an executed process detector detects the name of the process that was executed when the address data was obtained, and sets the process name for the address data in the address record table. When an analysis request specifying an analysis time period is made, an analyzer counts up each of the process names included in the address data being stored in the address record table for each specified analysis time period, and analyzes the breakdown of executed processes for each analysis time period. Then a display unit displays the analysis result of the analyzer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Shuji Yamamura, Kouichi Kumon, Miyuki Ono, Akira Hirai, Kazuhiro Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 7472040
    Abstract: Computer-implemented methods and apparatus are provided for collecting information gathered by an instrumentation mechanism for transport to an information collection facility. In one embodiment, the information that is collected is defined by a configuration file. An application may examine the configuration file, execute one or more queries specified by the configuration file, and write the data which is collected to one or more data structures employed by a transport mechanism in transferring information to the information collection facility. The process of collecting the information may occur periodically, such as nightly. The configuration file may be periodically updated to reflect new information that is to be collected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Ashish Parikh, David Brooks, Henry J. Lyons, Ram P. Papatla
  • Patent number: 7472041
    Abstract: Noise discrimination in signals from a plurality of sensors is conducted by enhancing the phase difference in the signals such that off-axis pick-up is suppressed while on-axis pick-up is enhanced. Alternatively, attenuation/expansion are applied to the signals in a phase difference dependent manner, consistent with suppression of off-axis pick-up and on-axis enhancement. Nulls between sensitivity lobes are widened, effectively narrowing the sensitivity lobes and improving directionality and noise discrimination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Step Communications Corporation
    Inventors: Jon C. Taenzer, Bruce G. Spicer
  • Patent number: 7472042
    Abstract: A surface profile measuring method using a broad bandwidth light source illuminating a sample surface and a reference surface through a splitter is provided. By changing a distance between the sample surface and the reference surface with a constant step, an interference diagram with a waveform composed of interference data points depicting a relationship of surface height versus illumination intensity is generated. In the beginning, a first data point with greatest illumination intensity is selected from the interference data points on the waveform. Then, a second data point is selected from the data points on the waveform within a predetermined range centered at the first data point to have the waveform showing best quality of symmetry. Then, a peak of a fringe defined by the second data point and its neighboring data points is estimated by using phase compensating approach.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Chroma Ate Inc.
    Inventors: Hung-Chang Chang, Yaomin Lin
  • Patent number: 7472043
    Abstract: The present invention provides an automated configuration system and method for electronics enclosures. The system receives user requirements generates a configuration including placement schedule, power usage schedules and heat flow schedules. Included as output of the system is a bill of materials, an equipment layout drawing and pricing based on predetermined material and labor pricing. Methods for generating a configuration are described that include iteratively repeating combinations of the steps of generating design rules, deriving a placement schedule, mapping the distribution of power usage within the enclosure and producing a heat flow analysis. Processes used to generate the configuration can be controlled by design rules derived from user requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Tellabs Bedford, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew G. Low, Franz T. Crystal
  • Patent number: 7472044
    Abstract: A method for converting a vertically structured CAD/CAM model to a horizontally structured CAD/CAM model, comprising: identifying and establishing a base feature; establishing a parent coordinate system; identifying a parent modeling element; identifying each dependency for each feature from the parent modeling element; restructuring each dependency for each feature for placement, such that each feature exhibits a direct associative relationship with a reference feature; and restructuring each dependency for each feature for positioning, such that each feature exhibits a direct associative relationship with another reference feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Diane M. Landers, Kevin H. Marseilles
  • Patent number: 7472045
    Abstract: A method has been developed to select fuel rod enrichments for a fuel bundle of a nuclear reactor, the method including: creating an ordered list of fuel rod types in an initial fuel bundle design; perturbing at least a subset of the fuel rod types in the initial fuel bundle design to generate a plurality of perturbed fuel bundle designs; selecting perturbed fuel bundle designs having fuel rods with allowable fuel enrichment types and an allowable average enrichment for the perturbed bundle; determining a difference between each of the selected perturbed fuel bundle design and the initial fuel bundle design, and creating a group of the perturbed fuel bundle design having a difference less than a predetermined threshold difference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Global Nuclear Fuel—Americas, LLC
    Inventors: Roland Otto Jackson, William Earl Russell, II
  • Patent number: 7472046
    Abstract: The movement of elements through a region of three dimensional (3D) space is simulated by utilizing a number of two dimensional (2D) grids to define the region of 3D space. Movement information is associated with each grid point of each 2D grid, and changed over a time period. For each element in 3D space, movement information is interpolated from the grid points of a pair of 2D grids that lie on opposite sides of the element. The interpolated movement information is used to advect the elements through the region of 3D space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd.
    Inventors: Nicholas Grant Rasmussen, Ronald Paul Fedkiw
  • Patent number: 7472047
    Abstract: Movement of a graphical hand is constrained when the physical hand controlling the graphical hand does not have a similar physical constraint. An analysis of a revolute-joint-link-spring model in which an uncompressed/unextended spring position represents the corresponding measured joint angle or link position is used. Linear springs , non-linear springs, or the like may be employed to obtain the desired result of allowing a graphical joint or link to deviate from what the corresponding measured joint or link provides. If a graphical hand configuration causes a portion of the hand to penetrate a simulated graphical solid object, a mathematical determination is used to compute modified joint and link positions such that the graphical hand part will no longer penetrate the solid object. Such a constraint technique may include solving a spring model such that the various joint and link springs compress or extend to produce modified joint and link positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Immersion Corporation
    Inventors: James F. Kramer, Christopher Ullrich
  • Patent number: 7472048
    Abstract: A direct digital drive audio system and method system and method are presented. The direct digital drive system and method utilizes a digital signal to directly drive the speakers. In one exemplary implementation, an audio system includes a sample register, an convergence adjustment component, an accumulated error register, a digital driver and a speaker. The sample register is coupled to the convergence adjustment component which is coupled to the accumulated error register and the digital driver which in turn is coupled to the speaker. The sample register holds an audio sample. The convergence adjustment component calculates the error for each sample. The accumulated error register stores an accumulated error. The digital driver determines whether to drive on a positive digital value, drive on a negative digital value or not drive. The speaker creates audio sounds based upon a signal from the digital driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited
    Inventor: Robert Puckette
  • Patent number: 7472049
    Abstract: Disclosed is to provide a design method and design system for a vehicular lamp, a program to execute designing of vehicular lamp and a record medium recording the program, which are capable of improving an efficiency of designing a lamp satisfying design conditions including performance conditions required as the vehicular lamp and restriction conditions given to each lamp. A vehicular lamp design system 1 includes: a database unit 2 having a standard database 21 registering standard data of a lamp and a technology database 22 registering technology data; and a lamp preparation unit 3 having a standard data selection part 31 and a morphing control part 32. The standard data selection part 31 generates design data by selecting standard data from the standard database 21 based on given design conditions. The morphing control part 32 updates a necessary part of the design data by use of the technology data of the technology database 22.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masahito Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 7472050
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a mathematical and computer model of a joint. The model includes representation of the biological processes related to the synovial tissue and cartilage. In one embodiment, the model represents a human joint afflicted with rheumatoid arthritis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Entelos, Inc.
    Inventors: Nadine A. Defranoux, Todd B. Dubnicoff, David J. Klinke, II, Annette K. Lewis, Thomas S. Paterson, Saroja Ramanujan, Lisl K. M. Shoda, Karl Petter Soderstrom, Herbert K. Struemper
  • Patent number: 7472051
    Abstract: A microcontroller comprising a central processing unit and a further fault processing unit suitable for performing validation of operations of said central processing unit. The further fault processing unit is external and different with respect to said central processing unit and said further fault processing unit comprises at least a module for performing validation of operations of said central processing unit and one or more modules suitable for performing validation of operations of other functional parts of said microcontroller. Validation of operations of said central processing unit is performed by using one or more of the following fault tolerance techniques: data shadowing; code&flow signature; data processing legality check; addressing legality check; ALU concurrent integrity checking; concurrent mode/interrupt check.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Yogitech Spa
    Inventors: Riccardo Mariani, Silvano Motto, Monia Chiavacci
  • Patent number: 7472052
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for simulating a target storage configuration for a computer system. In particular, a storage command is received from an application running on the computer system into a storage protocol stack on the computer system. The storage protocol stack is part of an operating system of the computer system and runs in kernel mode. The storage command is intercepted within the storage protocol stack by a kernel simulator module incorporated into the storage protocol stack. The intercepted storage command is forwarded from the kernel simulator module to a userland simulator module running in user mode. The userland simulator module generates a response to the storage command, where the response emulates the behavior of the target storage configuration. The response is then sent from the userland simulator module to the kernel simulator module, to be returned from the kernel simulator module to the application via the storage protocol stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: Dugald Foreman, Timothy Uglow
  • Patent number: 7472053
    Abstract: A system and process for providing a geometric model database for use in an ubiquitous computing environment. In general, the geometric model database system and process is capable of accepting information about the geometric state of the environment, building a geometric model of this environment, maintaining and storing the geometric model, and handling queries about the environment's geometric state. The task of building a geometric model begins by establishing a set of entities that are of interest in the environment. An entity represents an object which exists in the physical world. In the geometric model database, an entity is represented by a coordinate frame and an extent. Extents refer to the physical size, or some service region such as a field of view, associated with an entity. The location of an entity in the physical world is defined using “measurements”. In general, a measurement is simply a mathematical description of the geometric relationship between two entities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Barrett Brumitt, Steven Shafer, Brian Meyers
  • Patent number: 7472054
    Abstract: An emulation-based event-wait simulator including an application module to configure and command verification processes on a design under test (DUT). An event dispatcher is in communication with the application module to deliver commands to the DUT. A plurality of transactors are in communication with the event dispatcher to forward the commands to the DUT. A channel controller is in communication with the transactors to process and forward the commands to the DUT, wherein the channel controller also receives messages from the DUT, processes the messages, and forwards the messages to the transactors for delivery to the event dispatcher and the application module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Luis A Garcia, Russell E Vreeland, Christopher B Novak, Gabriel G Marasigan, Christopher A Roussel
  • Patent number: 7472055
    Abstract: An emulation-based event-wait simulator including an application module to configure and command verification processes on a design under test (DUT). An event dispatcher is in communication with the application module to deliver commands to the DUT. A plurality of transactors are in communication with the event dispatcher to forward the commands to the DUT. A channel controller is in communication with the transactors to process and forward the commands to the DUT, wherein the channel controller also receives messages from the DUT, processes the messages, and forwards the messages to the transactors for delivery to the event dispatcher and the application module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Luis A Garcia, Russell E Vreeland, Christopher B Novak, Gabriel G Marasigan, Christopher A Roussel
  • Patent number: 7472056
    Abstract: A transcoder for use between speech codecs using different Code-Excited Linear Prediction (CELP) type and a method therefor are disclosed. The transcoder includes a decoding unit of an input CELP codec, a transcoding filter, a transcoding filter design unit, and an encoding unit of an output CELP codec. By substituting a post-filter and a perceptual weighting filter of a prior art with one transcoding filter, the calculation amount of the transcoder is reduced, and speech quality decoded at a receiving end is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Jongmo Sung, Hyun Woo Kim, Do Young Kim, Jin Kyu Choi, Sung Wan Yoon, Hong Goo Kang, Ki Seung Lee, Dae Hee Youn
  • Patent number: 7472057
    Abstract: One or more methods and systems of detecting or identifying one or more types of algorithms used in the encoding of a voice or speech waveform is presented. The system and method may be used as a testing tool to identify whether a voice data stream is encoded using a linear G.711, ?-law G.711, or A-law G.711 algorithm. The system and method are applied to a voice data stream to ensure that a codec with the appropriate algorithm is used to reproduce an audio waveform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Darwin Rambo
  • Patent number: 7472058
    Abstract: A method for selecting an audio source when capturing audio data with at least one capture device includes connecting an audio source to an audio input port of the capture device, turning off the output of the audio source, calculating first signal strengths of the audio signals detected through the audio input ports of the capture device, turning on the output of the audio source, calculating second signal strengths of the audio signals detected through the audio input ports of the capture device, calculating a signal change between the first signal strength and the second signal strength of each audio input port, and selecting the audio input port with the largest signal change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: CyberLink Corp.
    Inventors: Wei-Hsin Tseng, Wen-Hsiang Lee, Huan-Yuan Peng
  • Patent number: 7472059
    Abstract: A speech classification technique for robust classification of varying modes of speech to enable maximum performance of multi-mode variable bit rate encoding techniques. A speech classifier accurately classifies a high percentage of speech segments for encoding at minimal bit rates, meeting lower bit rate requirements. Highly accurate speech classification produces a lower average encoded bit rate, and higher quality decoded speech. The speech classifier considers a maximum number of parameters for each frame of speech, producing numerous and accurate speech mode classifications for each frame. The speech classifier correctly classifies numerous modes of speech under varying environmental conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Pengjun Huang
  • Patent number: 7472060
    Abstract: This invention concerns a method and system for monitoring an automated dialog system for the automatic recognition of language understanding errors based on a user's input communications in a dialog with the user. The probability of conducting a successful dialog with the user is determined based, at least in part, on understanding data from at least one prior dialog exchange of the dialog.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: AT&T Corp.
    Inventors: Allen Louis Gorin, Irene Langkilde Geary, Marilyn Ann Walker, Jeremy H. Wright
  • Patent number: 7472061
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for automatically building a native phonetic lexicon for a speech-based application trained to process a native (base) language, wherein the native phonetic lexicon includes native phonetic transcriptions (base forms) for non-native (foreign) words which are automatically derived from non-native phonetic transcriptions of the non-native words.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Neal Alewine, Eric Janke, Paul Sharp, Roberto Sicconi
  • Patent number: 7472062
    Abstract: Methods and arrangements for facilitating data clustering. From a set of input data, a predetermined number of non-overlapping subsets are created. The input data is split recursively to create the subsets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Upendra V. Chaudhari, Jiri Navratil, Ganesh N. Ramaswamy
  • Patent number: 7472063
    Abstract: A speech recognition method includes several embodiments describing application of support vector machine analysis to a mouth region. Lip position can be accurately determined and used in conjunction with synchronous or asynchronous audio data to enhance speech recognition probabilities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Ara V. Nefian, Xiaobo Pi, Luhong Liang, Xiaoxing Liu, Yibao Zhao
  • Patent number: 7472064
    Abstract: A method and system are provided in which a decision tree-based model (“general model”) is scaled down (“trim-down”) for a given task. The trim-down model can be adapted for the given task using task specific data. The general model can be based on a hidden markov model (HMM). By allowing a decision tree-based acoustic model (“general model”) to be scaled according to the vocabulary of the given task, the general model can be configured dynamically into a trim-down model, which can be used to improve speech recognition performance and reduce system resource utilization. Furthermore, the trim-down model can be adapted/adjusted according to task specific data, e.g., task vocabulary, model size, or other like task specific data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Qing Guo, Yonghong Yan, Baosheng Yuan
  • Patent number: 7472065
    Abstract: Converting marked-up text into a synthesized stream includes providing marked-up text to a processor-based system, converting the marked-up text into a text stream including vocabulary items, retrieving audio segments corresponding to the vocabulary items, concatenating the audio segments to form a synthesized stream, and audibly outputting the synthesized stream, wherein the marked-up text includes a normal text and a paralinguistic text; and wherein the normal text is differentiated from the paralinguistic text by using a grammar constraint, and wherein the paralinguistic text is associated with more than one audio segment, wherein the retrieving of the plurality audio segments includes selecting one audio segment associated with the paralinguistic text.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew S. Aaron, Raimo Bakis, Ellen M. Eide, Wael Hamza
  • Patent number: 7472066
    Abstract: An automatic speech segmentation and verification system and method is disclosed, which has a known text script and a recorded speech corpus corresponding to the known text script. A speech unit segmentor segments the recorded speech corpus into N test speech unit segments referring to the phonetic information of the known text script. Then, a segmental verifier is applied to obtain a confidence measure of syllable segmentation for verifying the correctness of the cutting points of test speech unit segments. A phonetic verifier obtains a confidence measure of syllable verification by using verification models for verifying whether the recorded speech corpus is correctly recorded. Finally, a speech unit inspector integrates the confidence measure of syllable segmentation and the confidence measure of syllable verification to determine whether the test speech unit segment is accepted or not.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Chih-Chung Kuo, Chi-Shiang Kuo, Jau-Hung Chen