US07666406B2
A composition comprising bacteria and an inert carrier is disclosed. The carrier can be porous, ceramic particles. The composition can also include a growth medium. Bacteria in such a composition can comprise a novel strain designated APM-1. APM-1 is a Gram-positive, aerobic, motile rod, and appears to be most closely related to Bacillus spp. Also disclosed are methods for controlling mammalian fungal diseases and of using the disclosed compositions for controlling plant fungal diseases or for bioremediation.
US07666401B2
The present invention relates to a G-protein coupled receptor and a novel ligand therefor. The invention provides screening assays for the identification of candidate compounds which modulate the activity of the G-protein coupled receptor, as well as assays useful for the diagnosis and treatment of a disease or disorder related to the dysregulation of G-protein coupled receptor signaling.
US07666400B2
The present invention concerns methods and compositions for forming PEGylated complexes of defined stoichiometry and structure. In preferred embodiments, the PEGylated complex is formed using dock-and-lock technology, by attaching a therapeutic agent to a DDD sequence and attaching a PEG moiety to an AD sequence and allowing the DDD sequence to bind to the AD sequence in a 2:1 stoichiometry, to form PEGylated complexes with two target agents and one PEG moiety. In alternative embodiments, the target agent may be attached to the AD sequence and the PEG to the DDD sequence to form PEGylated complexes with two PEG moieties and one target agent. In more preferred embodiments, the target agent may comprise any peptide or protein of physiologic or therapeutic activity. The PEGylated complexes exhibit a significantly slower rate of clearance when injected into a subject and are of use for treatment of a wide variety of diseases.
US07666398B2
Polyanhydride linkers for production of drug polymers and drug polymer compositions produced thereby
Polyanhydrides which link low molecular weight drugs containing a carboxylic acid group and an amine, thiol, alcohol or phenol group within their structure into polymeric drug delivery systems are provided. Also provided are methods of producing polymeric drug delivery systems via these polyanhydride linkers as well as methods of administering low molecular weight drugs to a host via the polymeric drug delivery systems.
US07666396B2
A single-use lip treatment product is disclosed. The single-use lip treatment product comprises a moisturizer and dissolves rapidly when applied to the lips providing a moisturizing benefit to the lips.
US07666388B2
There is disclosed a multi-metal-nitrogen compound for use in hydrogen storage materials. The compound comprising two dissimilar metal atoms and a nitrogen atom. The multi-metal-nitrogen compound being capable of absorbing hydrogen at an absorption temperature and pressure, and of desorbing 60% or more by weight of said absorbed hydrogen at a desorption temperature and pressure.
US07666381B2
High-power inductively coupled plasma technology is used for thermal cracking and vaporization of continuously fed carbonaceous materials into elemental carbon, for reaction with separate and continuously fed metal catalysts inside a gas-phase high-temperature reactor system operating at or slightly below atmospheric pressures. In one particularly preferred embodiment, in-flight growth of carbon nanomaterials is initiated, continued, and controlled at high flow rates, enabling continuous collection and product removal via gas/solid filtration and separation methods, and/or liquid spray filtration and solid collection methods suitable for producing industrial-scale production quantities. In another embodiment, the reaction chamber and/or filtration/separation media include non-catalytic or catalytic metals to simultaneously or separately induce on-substrate synthesis and growth of carbon nanomaterials. The on-substrate grown carbon nanomaterials are produced in secondary chambers that are selectively isolated for periodic removal of the product.
US07666380B2
A porous carbon composition comprises carbon particles having substantially uniform mesopores, wherein the mesopores have a diameter greater than 5 nanometers. A carbon composition may also comprise carbon particles having a predetermined surface configuration, wherein the surface configuration inversely corresponds to the configuration of at least a portion of an imprinting material. A method of synthesizing mesoporous carbon particles comprises the steps of providing particles of at least one carbon precursor, mixing the particles of at least one carbon precursor with a medium containing an imprinting material to form pretreated solid carbon precursor particles, heating the pretreated solid carbon precursor particles to a temperature at least as high as 20° C. below the softening point of the solid carbon precursor, optionally, stabilizing the solid carbon precursor in air, carbonizing the carbon precursor to form carbon hybrid particles, and removing the imprinting material from the carbon hybrid particles.
US07666377B2
The present invention discloses a method for removing carbon monoxide (CO) from a gas mixture containing CO including contacting the gas mixture with a nano-gold catalyst to reduce the CO content in the gas mixture by CO selective adsorption/oxidation, water gas shift reaction or CO selective oxidation reaction. The nano-gold catalyst includes a solid support and gold deposited on the support, wherein the deposited gold has a size less than 10 nm, and the support is a mixed metal hydroxide and oxide having the following formula: M(OH)qOy Wherein M is Ti, Fe, Co, Zr, or Ni; q is 0.1-1.5; and q+2y=z, wherein z is the valence of M.
US07666376B2
The invention relates to a device for the, (in particular continuous), oxidation of particulates from the exhaust gases of diesel motors. Said device consists of an open-pored body as a particle filter, on whose surface an oxidation catalyst is finely dispersed. The device is characterized in that from an exhaust gas temperature as low as 150° C., the catalyst causes the oxidation of particulates attached to the filter using the residual oxygen of the exhaust gas, thus keeping the filter body continuously free of particulates during almost all the operating conditions of the motor.
US07666374B2
The invention relates to a process for cleaning exhaust gases produced by a sintering process of metal-containing waste. The sintering exhaust gas includes one or more harmful substances which are eliminated in at least two steps by at least one adsorption and/or absorption agent in a single moving bed in a moving bed reactor system. The moving bed includes a particle layer (stage I) disposed above a flow input area and below an adsorption layer (stage II) of the moving bed. One or more harmful substances in the sintering exhaust gas are absorptively or adsorptively bound to potassium and/or sodium compounds and the harmful substances are trapped by adhesion in the flow input area or the Particle layer (stage I) of the moving bed. The substantial removal of NOx and the adsorptive or absorptive removal of dioxins and furans takes place in the adsorption layer (stage II) in the moving bed.
US07666367B1
The invention relates to a device equipped with a burner for combusting a fuel/oxidant mixture inside a combustion chamber in which a material (3, 3′, 3″, 3′″) is provided that endures a maximum temperature. The inventive device also comprises one or more supply lines (25, 26) for the fuel as well as for the oxidant which are provided for supplying the same into the combustion chamber. The inventive device is characterized in that it is designed for carrying out a combustion with a combustion temperature of the fuel/oxidant mixture that exceeds the maximum temperature. The device is designed in such a way that at least one additional supply line (30) is provided via which an additional gas having, in particular, a low calorific value can be supplied to the combustion chamber. Said additional gas enables the temperature during combustion to be lowered to a value that is less than the maximum temperature.
US07666365B2
A plurality of etchers such as poly-etchers 3 or the like are installed within a clean room 2. A duct 7 that is connected to all the etchers is connected to a PFC decomposition device 9, which is installed outside of the clean room 2. An exhaust gas which contains PFC as drained out of all the etchers within the clean room 2 is supplied by the duct 7 to the inner space of PFC decomposition device 9. After having heated up within the PFC decomposition device 9, the PFC is decomposed by the action of a catalyst which is filled within the PFC decomposition device 9. It is no longer required to provide a space for installation of the PFC decomposition device 9 in the clean room 2 with the semiconductor fabrication apparatus or the liquid crystal manufacturing apparatus installed therein, thus enabling size reduction or “downsizing” of the clean room. It is possible to reduce the size of a clean room in which a semiconductor fabricating apparatus or a liquid crystal manufacturing apparatus is installed.
US07666358B2
A tissue cassette assembly includes a housing having a recess formed therein, and a compressible reservoir disposed partially or wholly inside of, or otherwise attached in fluid communication with, the housing recess, the compressible reservoir containing a tissue embedding material. The tissue cassette further includes a port disposed in the housing, the port in fluid communication with the compressible reservoir at one end and terminating in a sample cavity at another end. During operation, the compressible reservoir is compressed or squeezed to release the tissue embedding material into the sample cavity containing the biological sample.
US07666355B2
The present invention provides a bar-code driven, completely automated, microplate-based analyzer system for performing chemical, biochemical or biological assays. The analyzer is a modular, bench-top instrument that compactly integrates subsystems for sample dispensing, liquid handling, microplate transport, thermal incubation, vortexing, solid phase separation and optical reading. An internal processor is included for automating the instrument, and a user interface to facilitate communication with the operator via a touch-sensitive liquid-crystal display (LCD), and communicating with a remote network via multiple protocols. The analyzer includes firmware resident within the processing system and the user interface allows the operator to select pre-defined assay batch protocols and the user interface is configured in such as way so as to restrict an operator from programming the firmware.
US07666353B2
An aluminum silicon die cast alloy having a very low iron content and relatively high strontium content that prevents soldering to dies into die casting process. The alloys of the present invention also have a modified eutectic silicon and modified iron morphology, when iron is present, resulting in low microporosity and high impact properties. The alloy comprises 6-22% by weight silicon, 0.05 to 0.20% by weight strontium and the balance aluminum. Preferably, the alloy of the present invention contains in weight percent: 6-20% silicon, 0.05-0.10% strontium, 0.40% maximum iron and most preferably 0.20% maximum iron, 4.5% maximum copper, 0.50% maximum manganese, 0.60% maximum magnesium, 3.0% maximum zinc, balance aluminum. On cooling from the solution temperature, the strontium serves to modify the eutectic silicon structure as well as create an iron phase morphology change if iron is present, facilitating feeding through the aluminum interdendritic matrix. This, in turn, creates a finished die cast product with extremely low levels of microporosity defects. The strontium content also appears to create a non-wetting monolayer of strontium atoms on the surface of a molten casting, preventing die soldering, even at very low iron contents. The alloy may be used to cast any type of object and is particularly suited for casting outboard marine propellers, driveshaft housings, gear case housings, Gimbel rings and engine blocks.
US07666345B2
An apparatus for melting a metal load includes a furnace having a melting chamber with a hearth and a molten metal outlet. The apparatus further includes non-regenerative burners that are operative to fire into the melting chamber, and regenerative burners that also are operative to fire into the melting chamber. The method includes the steps of firing non-regenerative burners into the chamber to provide heat for melting the load, and also firing regenerative burners into the chamber to provide heat for melting the load.
US07666344B2
The disclosed invention relates to ceramic matrix composites with ceramic fiber reinforcements.
US07666343B2
A process and apparatus for producing sub-micron fibers, and more specifically a process and apparatus for effecting formation of sub-micron fibers by fibrillation of polymer films, and nonwoven materials and articles incorporating them.
US07666342B2
A blow molding apparatus for expanding a polymer tube and a method for fabricating a stent using the apparatus is disclosed. The polymer tube is disposed within a tubular mold, over which a heated ring is made of a material having thermal conductivity greater than the tubular mold is translated. The ring is heated with heated fluid streams applied directly onto an outer surface of the ring, or heated fluid circulated within the ring, or an electrically resistive coil within the ring, or combinations thereof. The heated ring uniformly heats a circumference of the tubular mold that, in turn, uniformly heats a circumferential band of the polymer tube. The heated polymer tube is progressively expanded radially and axially while the ring is translated longitudinally over the polymer tube. The expanded polymer tube can be heat set and cooled prior to removal from the tubular mold.
US07666327B1
A high performance multifunctional cementitious nanocomposite material is made by adding a nano admixture to the water used in a conventional cementitious material manufacturing process. The nano admixture is made by dispersing nanomaterials in a solvent and sonicating the mixture, adding a hydrophilic emulsifier, thickener, additive or cellulose derived compound to hot water, where it separates and expands, cooling the water, causing the compound to dissolve, and then adding the solvent and nanomaterial mixture to the water and mechanically mixing. The contact between the nanomaterials and the surrounding matrix changes with applied stress, affecting the volume electrical response of the finished nanocomposite material. By measuring the electrical resistance of the material, its structural health, as well as the stress applied to it, can be monitored. A bridge made with the material is monitored for structural integrity and for the weight, speed, and location of traffic over the bridge.
US07666322B2
For forming a group or rows of nozzles in a substrate of an ink-jet head, firstly, a laser irradiation source and a masking material in which a plurality of holes arranged in two rows are formed, are arranged on an upper side of a position at which one group of rows of nozzles of the substrate is formed. Next, an ultraviolet laser is irradiated from an upper side of the masking material, and a laser which has passed through the masking material is irradiated on the substrate. Two rows of nozzles are formed in a portion of the substrate at which the ultraviolet laser is irradiated. Accordingly, by irradiation of the laser once, it is possible to form a plurality of nozzles arranged in a row.
US07666315B2
The invention relates to a method, devices and reagents which are used for Fenton reaction-based wastewater treatment. According to the invention, the oxidation reaction of the organic material with the oxygenated water is performed in the main oxidation reactor (12) in the presence of metallic catalysts. The Fenton reaction takes place in the reactor at absolute pressure of between 1 Kg/cm2 and 1.5 Kg/cm2 and at a temperature of between 110° C. and 120° C. Once treated and cooled, the effluent is conveyed to zone D to a neutralising tank (6) in which the pH is increased to a value greater than seven, thereby causing precipitation of the hydroxides. In addition, safety checks are carried out automatically.
US07666310B2
A method is described for removing water and other protic impurities from an organic liquid electrolyte, wherein the organic liquid electrolyte is brought into contact with one or more insoluble alkali metal hydride(s) and the insoluble reaction by-products formed thereby are separated off.
US07666305B2
Disclosed are a rotor for generating vortex water flow that creates shear intensity for removing solid material adhered to the separation membranes during the processing of water containing pollutant material, and a filtering apparatus employing the same. The rotor consists of a first rotor having first blades and a second rotor having second blades. The first and the second blades are extended in a radial direction from a rotational axis thereof, and are disposed at positions different from each other in the rotational axis direction. The first blades and the second blades have widths different from each other in a circumferential direction around the rotational axis, or disposed at positions different from each other in a circumferential direction. Protrusions can be attached on outer surfaces of the first blades and/or second blades. The pollutant material adhered to the separation membrane can be removed effectively since various types of vortex water flow are generated over wide range, and the energy loss of the filtering apparatus is reduced.
US07666299B2
A process for recovering polar hydrocarbons from non-polar hydrocarbons, such as aromatics from non-aromatics, naphthenes from paraffins and isoparaffins, or olefins from paraffins and isoparaffins, in feed mixtures containing at least a measurable amount of heavier hydrocarbons. This improved extractive distillation (ED) process recovers aromatic hydrocarbons including benzene, toluene, and xylenes from the C6-C8 petroleum streams containing a measurable amount of C9+ hydrocarbons. The ED process also recovers benzene and toluene from the C6-C7 petroleum streams containing a measurable amount of C8+ hydrocarbons. The ED solvent utilized to recover and purify the aromatic hydrocarbons from the petroleum stream with a heavier than intended feedstock of hydrocarbons is also regenerated and recovered.
US07666298B2
A method and apparatus for removing sulfur from a hydrocarbon-containing fluid stream wherein desulfurization is enhanced by improving the contacting of the hydrocarbon-containing fluid stream and sulfur-sorbing solid particulates in a fluidized bed reactor.
US07666297B2
An improved oxidative process that employ a robust, non-aqueous, and oil-soluble organic peroxide oxidant for effective desulfurization and denitrogenation of hydrocarbons including petroleum fuels, hydrotreated vacuum gas oil (VGO), non-hydrotreated VGO, petroleum crude oil, synthetic crude oil from oil sand, and residual oil. Even at low concentrations and without the assistance of catalysts, the non-aqueous organic peroxide oxidant is extremely active and fast in oxidizing the sulfur and nitrogen compounds in the hydrocarbon feedstocks. Furthermore, the process generates a valuable organic acid by-product that is also used internally as the extractive solvent for effective removal of the oxidized sulfur and nitrogen from the hydrocarbons without the need of a final adsorption step. Novel process steps are also disclosed to substantially prevent yield loss in the oxidative process.
US07666296B2
The invention relates to a process for converting heavy hydrocarbonaceous feedstocks carried out in a slurry reactor in the presence of hydrogen and in the presence of a catalytic composition obtained by: injecting a catalytic precursor of at least one metal of Group VIB and/or Group VIII in at least part of the feedstock to be treated in the absence of an oxide substrate, thermal treatment at a temperature of 400° C. or below, in the presence of H2S so as to form the dispersed sulphur-containing catalyst, bringing said catalyst into contact with particles of alumina oxide free from silica, said oxide particles having a polymodal porous structure composed of a plurality of juxtaposed agglomerates and each formed from a plurality of acicular platelets, the platelets of each agglomerate being oriented radially in relation to one another and relative to the centre of the agglomerate, said particles having an irregular non-spherical shape and being mainly in the form of fragments obtained by crushing with alumina balls, introducing the catalyst composition obtained into the reactor.
US07666294B2
A fuel composition useful for operating a jet engine or a diesel engine containing a petroleum derived kerosene fuel and a Fischer-Tropsch derived kerosene fuel is provided. The Fischer-Tropsch derived kerosene fuel contains normal and iso-paraffins in a weight ratio of greater than 1:1 and/or the freeze point of the composition is lower than the freeze points of both of the petroleum derived kerosene fuel and the Fischer-Tropsch derived kerosene fuel.
US07666288B2
Silica and boron are particularly removed at high rate in processing by the electrodeionization apparatus. An electrodeionization apparatus has an anolyte compartment 17 having an anode 11, a catholyte compartment 18 having a cathode 12, concentrating compartments 15, and desalting compartments 16. The concentrating compartments 15 and the desalting compartments 16 are alternately formed between the anolyte compartment 17 and the catholyte compartment 18 by alternately arranging a plurality of anion-exchange membranes 13 and a plurality of cation-exchange membranes 14. The desalting compartments 16 and the concentrating compartments 15 are filled with ion-exchanger. The anion exchanger/cation exchanger volume ratio is 8/2 to 5/5. Electrode water flows into the anolyte compartment 17 and the catholyte compartment 18. Concentrated water is introduced into the concentrating compartments 15. Raw water is fed into the desalting compartment 16 to produce the deionized water from the desalting compartment 16. Water containing silica or boron at a lower concentration than the raw water is introduced into the concentrating compartments 15 as the concentrated water in a direction from a side near an outlet for the deionized water toward a side near an inlet for the raw water of the desalting compartments 16. At least a part of concentrated water flowing out of the concentrating compartments 15 is discharged out of a circulatory system.
US07666287B2
A method for preparing an electrokinetic element is provided and generally includes providing a porous membrane adapted for use in an electrokinetic pump and encapsulating the porous membrane within a polymer substrate to yield an electrokinetic element base member having the porous membrane encapsulated by the polymer. In one embodiment, the method can include laminating the porous membrane between opposed sheets of a polymer before the step of encapsulating. The method can also include cutting the electrokinetic element base member into a plurality of slices and assembling an electrokinetic infusion pump by inserting a slice into a chamber of the pump.
US07666284B2
A sensor including a sensing layer is disposed over an electrode or an optode and a layer-by-layer assembled mass transport limiting membrane disposed over the sensing layer. The membrane includes at least one layer of a polyanionic or polycationic material. The assembled layers of the membrane are typically disposed in an alternating manner. The sensor also optionally includes a biocompatible membrane.
US07666281B2
Purified water for special purposes is produced using a falling-film multieffect evaporator. From the feed water, each effect produces a steam phase and a water phase. The steam phase is used for heating in the subsequent evaporating step, whereby the steam phase condenses to product water, and the water phase becomes feed water for the subsequent evaporation step. According to the invention, the product water may be wholly or partly recycled to the initial feed water, allowing process startup and sterilisation of the plant without conducting hot product water to the drain.
US07666279B2
A structure for extreme thermal cycling has a support element that supports a vessel primarily by bearing and frictional forces rather than by welds. The support element has a bearing portion that tapers inwardly beneath a knuckle that separates a cylindrical section of the vessel from a sloped lower section. The bearing portion of the support element follows that slope, providing an extended area of contact between the support element and the vessel. An annular section of the support element can be heated and expanded before placing it around the cylindrical section of the vessel to provide pre-stressing. If required, a strap may extend downwardly from the vessel over an upper edge of the support element.
US07666273B2
This invention relates to a process for preparing sized paper and paperboard which incorporates in the paper and paperboard at the size press size a composition comprising one or more “hydrophobic polymers” wherein hydrophobic polymers, the amount of such polymers and the weight ratio of starch to such polymer in the composition are selected such that the paper and paper board exhibits a Cobb Value equal to or less than about 25 and to a sized paper or paperboard web formed by the process.
US07666272B2
This invention relates to a process for preparing sized paper and paperboard which incorporates in the paper and paperboard at the size press size a composition comprising one or more “hydrophobic polymers” wherein hydrophobic polymers, the amount of such polymers and the weight ratio of starch to such polymer in the composition are selected such that the paper and paper board exhibits a Cobb Value equal to or less than about 25 and to a sized paper or paperboard web formed by the process.
US07666270B1
The invention presented is a method for applying heat spreaders to a plurality of display panels, including (a) providing a plurality of heat spreader composites, each of which comprises a heat spreader material having an adhesive thereon and a release material positioned such that the adhesive is sandwiched between the heat spreader material and the release material; (b) removing the release material from a plurality of the composites; and (c) applying at least one of the composites to each of the plurality of display panels each such that the adhesive adheres the heat spreader material to the display panel.
US07666269B2
An edge-wrapped panel and methods for edge-wrapping a panel. The panel comprises a substrate layer, a laminate layer, and at least one retainer. The laminate wraps around the substrate first edge and around the retainer first edge and sandwiches the substrate and the retainer between a first portion of the laminate and a second portion of the laminate. A method for edge-wrapping the panel includes the steps of securing the retainer to the laminate and then snap-wrapping the laminate flap around the edge of the panel. A stiffness and curvature in the retainer facilitates the swift snap-wrap movement.
US07666260B2
A vaporizer includes a vaporizing chamber configured to vaporize a liquid material and thereby form a gas material. A spray portion is configured to spray the liquid material in the vaporizing chamber. A delivery part is configured to deliver the gas material from the vaporizing chamber to a gas outlet. A heating portion is configured to heat the vaporizer. The delivery part includes a filter member covering the gas outlet and configured to allow the gas material to pass therethrough. A shield plate is disposed to cover the filter member on a side farther from the gas outlet.
US07666247B2
A method for spherically granulating and agglomerating metal particles such as tantalum and/or niobium powders is described in the present invention, which includes the steps of: a). comminuting the metal particles to form fine particles having D50 less than 50 μm; b). granulating the comminuted metal particles comprising volatile liquid, for example, tantalum and/or niobium particles comprising volatile liquid, to form wet spherical particles; c). still drying the wet spherical particles and removing volatile liquid to form flowable pre-agglomerated particles with increased bulk density; d). heat treating the pre-agglomerated particles; e). screening the heat treated powder to obtain the flowable agglomerated particles. The present invention provides a flowable spherical agglomerated metal particles, and especially tantalum and/or niobium particles having improved properties. The present agglomerated tantalum powder have a flow rate of at least about 2.0 g/sec, a BET surface area of from about 0.2 to about 6.0 m2/g, a FSSS of at least 1.0 μm, a Scott bulk density of from about 1.2 g/cm3 to about 5.5 g/cm3. The present agglomerated niobium powder have a flow rate of at least about 1.0 g/sec, a BET surface area of from about 0.5 to about 8.0 m2/g, a FSSS of at least 1.0 μm, a Scott bulk density of from about 0.7 g/cm3 to about 3.5 g/cm3. Said tantalum and/or niobium metal particles have improved pore size distribution of the sintered anodes and increased pellet crush strength. The present invention further provides an electrolytic capacitor anodes made from the tantalum and/or niobium particles according to the present invention having a capacitance of from about 5,000 μFV/g to about 300,000 μFV/g.
US07666240B2
A honeycomb filter includes a plurality of honeycomb fired bodies each having a longitudinal direction and a plurality of cells which are divided by cell walls and which extend in the longitudinal direction in substantially parallel with each other, each of the cells having one end sealed; and an adhesive material binding the plurality of honeycomb fired bodies. The plurality of honeycomb fired bodies includes outer peripheral honeycomb fired bodies each having a first outer wall and positioned at an outermost periphery of the honeycomb filter; and inner honeycomb fired bodies surrounded by the outer peripheral honeycomb fired bodies. Each of the inner honeycomb fired bodies has a second outer wall thinner than the first outer wall.
US07666239B2
The present invention provides a method of synthesizing abrasive particles and methods of using the same in chemical mechanical polishing slurry applications. The nanosized abrasive particles according to the invention are produced by hydrothermal synthesis using an insoluble source of cerium. The crystallites of the particles include cerium ions and titanium ions.
US07666238B2
A polishing composition comprising an abrasive and water, wherein the polishing composition has an index of degree of sedimentation of 80 or more and 100 or less; a process for producing a substrate comprising polishing a substrate to be polished using the above-mentioned composition; a process for preventing clogging of a polishing pad comprising applying the above-mentioned composition; a process for preventing clogging of a polishing pad comprising applying the above-mentioned composition to polishing with a polishing pad for a nickel-containing object to be polished; and a process for preventing clogging of a polishing pad comprising applying a composition comprising a hydrophilic polymer having two or more hydrophilic groups in its molecule and a molecular weight of 300 or more, or a compound capable of dissolving nickel hydroxide at a pH of 8.0, and water to polishing with a polishing pad for a nickel-containing object to be polished.
US07666236B2
A hydrogen generator of the invention includes: a reformer for generating a hydrogen-rich gas from a feed gas and water by a reaction using a reforming catalyst body and sending it out from an outlet port; a material feed system for feeding the feed gas to the reformer; a burner for supplying, to the reforming catalyst body, heat generated by mixing a fuel gas with air and burning it; and an air supply system for supplying air to the burner; wherein, when purging an interior of the reformer using the feed gas in shutting down the hydrogen generator, an amount of the air supplied is increased to put out a flame of the burner, and a purge gas sent out from the outlet port by the purging is mixed and diluted with the air in the burner and is discharged outside.
US07666230B2
An implant device for cartilage regeneration in loading-bearing regions uses the osteochondral defect model. The implant is formed of resorbable polymeric materials. The implant is designed such that load is transmitted from the articulating surface of the bone platform through the implant to the entire area of subchondral bone of the bone platform. Application of load in this manner results in reduced subchondral bone resorption, leading to joint stabilization and maintenance of normal joint biomechanics. The implant allows for the incorporation therein of a resorbable scaffold or matrix material. The present implant solves the current inability to regenerate cartilage in load-bearing articulating surfaces using engineered scaffold devices.
US07666228B2
The invention relates to an intervertebral implant comprising a spacer designed to be applied between two spinous processes of two vertebrae. The spacer comprises: two elements (10, 12) made of a first material, and each presenting a first end (10a, 12a) and a second end (10b, 12b), said first end (10a, 12a) being securable to a spinous process; and a connection piece (14) made of a second material of greater elastic deformability than said first material, said connection piece interconnecting said second ends (10b, 12b) of said two elements (10, 12) so that the stresses that are exerted on said two elements (10, 12) are damped, and said connection piece enabling said intervertebral implant to limit and brake the relative movements of said vertebrae.
US07666219B2
An introducer for an expandable endovascular prosthesis having a self a self-expanding stent includes a proximal prosthesis positioning mechanism that has a retention device to retain the self-expanding stent and a control member to selectively release the retention device from the prosthesis. The retention device includes an opening forming a tapered cavity. The control member includes a plurality of loops coupled to the prosthesis and a trigger wire. The trigger wire passes through a first aperture of the retention device, through the plurality of loops, and through and a second aperture of the retention device to retain the loops.
US07666208B1
A posterior cervical vertebral stabilizing system is disclosed. The system includes a device comprising an upper portion for positioning adjacent to a relatively superior vertebra of a patient's spine and a lower portion for positioning adjacent to a relatively inferior vertebra of the patient's spine. The upper portion forms a support for abutting the posterior surface of the superior vertebra and the lower portion forms a saddle for engaging a spinous process of the inferior vertebra. The device has an anterior face that, at each of the upper and lower portions, has a radius of curvature about an axis. The system includes a method of affixing the device to a spine of a patient by positioning the device posteriorly of the relatively superior and relatively inferior vertebrae, and looping cable about the device and the lamina of the vertebrae. The method may also include promoting fusion of the vertebrae together.
US07666207B2
A device for fixation of vertebral bodies including a longitudinal support with a central axis and two or more anchoring elements. Each anchoring element having a longitudinal axis, a front end, and a back end. The longitudinal axis of each anchoring element may be arranged at an angle of between 65 degrees and 115 degrees relative to the central axis of the longitudinal support, while the anchoring elements are designed to abut the back end. The anchoring elements may be shaped in the form of a blade toward the front end.
US07666203B2
Devices and methods for performing a transeptal puncture procedure are described. In certain embodiments, the device includes a blunt outer needle, and a second inner needle disposed longitudinally through the lumen of the outer needle, wherein the inner needle is flexible, e.g., has a flexible portion and/or a bend or other non-traumatic conformation at its tip.
US07666202B2
A guide wire for assisting in implantation and balancing of an orbital atherectomy device is disclosed. The guide wire is generally configured to be received within a driveshaft and cutting region of the orbital atherectomy device. The guide wire is sufficiently flexible to minimize trauma to the vessel walls is positioned within a patient. The distal end of the guide wire can include on or more weighted elements movable along the distal region of the guide wire to permit the balancing of an a rotating drive shaft and cutting region of an orbital atherectomy device. The guide wire can also include an atraumatic tip located on the end of the guide wire to reduce trauma to the vessels during implantation. Lubricious coatings are also provided to reduce friction between the driveshaft and cutting region of the atherectomy device and guide wire.
US07666191B2
A sterile drape with integrated sterile adaptor, a telerobotic surgical system, and method of use are provided for draping portions of a telerobotic surgical system to maintain a sterile barrier between the sterile surgical field and the non-sterile robotic system while also providing an interface for transferring mechanical and electrical energy and signals.
US07666187B2
A cutting block for resecting a bone, particularly the distal femur, has a body with a first generally planar bone contacting surface to contact the resected distal surface of the femur. The body has a second surface spaced from the bone contacting surface along an axis perpendicular to said generally planar bone contacting surface. The body has a perimeter surface extending between the first and second surfaces, wherein the perimeter surface is at least partially curved with respect to the axis in both a direction generally perpendicular thereto and generally parallel thereto. The perimeter surface may be polished.
US07666186B2
A reciprocating surgical file system for precisely removing bone and/or other tissue is described. The system allows a user to maneuver the system and navigate into hard-to-access sites under a direct vision mechanism. A transmission mechanism converts rotary motion from a motor into reciprocating motion and provides it to the surgical file for precision removal of bone or other tissue. A pulsatile pump mechanism is operatively coupled with the transmission mechanism and provides irrigating fluid to the surgical site.
US07666185B2
Translational bone fixation assemblies, kits containing such assemblies, and methods of use are described herein. The described assemblies may be used in spinal fusion procedures in which a damaged or diseased disc (or part of a disc) is removed from between a pair of vertebrae and a spinal fusion spacer is placed between the vertebrae. The assemblies may be applied to an anterior portion of the affected vertebrae to span the affected disc space, and may be fixed to the vertebrae using bone screws. The assemblies may function to maintain the vertebrae aligned during the initial period following fixation in which fusion of the spacer to the adjacent vertebrae occurs. The assemblies may also function to share some of the axial spinal load applied to the fusion spacer to prevent extreme subsidence of the spacer into the vertebral body, such as where the patient has poor bone quality.
US07666183B2
The invention concerns an electrode arrangement for a surgical instrument for the electrothermal coagulation of human or animal tissue, comprising an elongate carrier, at least two electrodes which extend in the longitudinal direction of the carrier and which are connectable to an external ac voltage, and a plurality of self-supporting metal bar profile members which extend in the longitudinal direction of the carrier and which are connected together by means of one or more insulating spacer elements and form the electrodes. It is achieved in that at least one bar profile member is in the form of a hollow profile member or a solid profile member.
US07666173B2
A disposable wearing article includes a partition provided in a front half of a crotch region divided by a transverse centerline bisecting a longitudinal dimension of the article so that the partition extends in the transverse direction on a topsheet. During use of the article, the partition curves in the transverse direction so as to describe a generally circular arc which is convex upward above the topsheet. The partition is thus spaced upward from the topsheet and the wearer's genital organ in contact with an outer surface of the partition is also spaced from the topsheet. In this way, the genital organ is protected from soiling with loose passage.
US07666167B2
An anchoring system includes a simply-structured device which permits a portion of a catheter tube or similar medical article to be easily anchored to a patient, desirably without the use of tape or needles and suturing. A unitary retainer desirably includes a base connected to a cover by way of a flexible hinge. The retainer is attached to a flexible anchor pad including an adhesive bottom surface, which can be attached to the patient's skin. A catheter is secured to a fitting, which in turn mounts to the retainer. Mounting the fitting to the retainer can be accomplished by inserting posts of the retainer through holes of the fitting, or by mounting the fitting within a channel defined by mounting structures integral to the retainer. The cover is then positioned over the base, by bending the flexible hinge, and latched to the base. Several embodiments of the latching mechanism are disclosed. In one form, the latching mechanism includes one or more posts on the base which can be releasably locked into corresponding slotted holes in the cover.
US07666140B2
For the purpose of suitably making comparison between a previously acquired reference image and a real-time image currently being acquired, a reference image and a scan condition therefor are stored, the reference image and scan condition are read out, a real-time image is acquired after setting the scan condition, and the reference image and real-time image are displayed side by side.
US07666131B2
A peri-arterial blood flow booster apparatus for improving blood pressure and flow, to be implanted around a blood vessel of a patient. The booster comprises a pressure applying device (56) comprising at least one balloon (44), placed alongside a portion of the blood vessel and a restrainer (54) for restraining the balloon and providing counter-forces. It further comprises a control console (60) comprising: an inflating unit (66) for rapidly inflating and deflating the balloon, the inflating unit connected to the balloon; sensing means (68) for sensing electrocardiograph signals of the patient; a control unit (72) for controlling the operation of the inflating unit correlating to the electrocardiograph signals detected by the sensing means. When the balloon is inflated the restrainer forces it to compress the portion of the blood vessel preventing backflow and exerting forces on the blood vessel forcing blood within the portion of the blood vessel to flow antegradely.
US07666126B2
A balancing device to assist a patient in exercising and rehabilitating balance. The balancing device includes a stationary support structure including an overhead support and a plurality of upright supports, and a suspended platform hanging from the overhead support by first and second suspending members. The platform is stabilized by at least two elastic supports having a first end attached proximate a portion of the periphery of the platform on opposite sides of the bisecting pivot line, and a second end attached to one of the plurality of upright supports. The patients standing on the platform can practice balancing and adjustments in a pivoting motion, and/or in ether a longitudinal and/or lateral direction.
US07666123B2
The subject invention provides an upper body exercise machine with increased joint range of motion along with more consistently applied torque to the joint throughout the entire range of exercise. The exercise machine includes dual axis, dual hinge mechanisms enabling a user emulate the natural biomechanical motion associated with free weights, while maintaining the stability of an exercise machine and providing more consistent loading than free weights. The dual axis, dual hinge mechanisms permit the handles to be independently or in combination moved longitudinally and laterally in a relationship selected by the user.
US07666122B2
An elliptical exercise machine features a pair of translating members to which a pair of foot members is axially secured. The foot members each pivots with respect to the associated translating member. The generated motion allows a user to lock a knee before beginning downward movement and allows a user to bend the same knee before beginning forward movement such that the motion is more natural for the user.
US07666121B2
A surfing exerciser includes a seat, a seat frame, a chassis, a swing device, and a torsion spring. The seat is secured on the seat frame. The swing device includes an upper freewheel, a lower freewheel, a Z-shaped swivel shaft, a small pulley shaft, and a belt. The Z-shaped swivel shaft includes a lower swivel shaft, an upper swivel shaft, and a connecting board. The lower swivel shaft is fixed to a lower surface of the connecting board. The upper swivel shaft is fixed to an upper surface of the connecting board. The axis of the lower swivel shaft obliquely intersects with the axis of the upper swivel shaft. By the rotation inertia of the upper freewheel and the lower freewheel, the seat of the present invention is driven to move up and down as well as left and right for providing surfing or horse riding simulation.
US07666119B1
A hurdle assembly includes spaced-apart left and right legs, a cross bar having two longitudinally opposite ends connected respectively to top ends of the legs, and at least one top frame including a vertical support section, a barring section extending longitudinally and horizontally parallel to the cross bar and having an end connected to a top end of the vertical support section, and a clamp element connected to a bottom end of the vertical support section and clamping releasably the cross bar in proximity to one end thereof.
US07666112B2
An electro-hydraulic control system is provided, preferably for a countershaft transmission, that uses logic valves to multiplex trim systems to more than one torque-transmitting mechanism, thereby minimizing the number of required components. Additionally, the electro-hydraulic control system preferably has more than one failure mode so that the transmission operates at a respective predetermined speed ratio in the event of an interruption in electrical power.
US07666108B2
A golf club head is composed of a first body having mass concentrations at the heel and toe ends joined by a relatively thinner central web portion that is recessed from the front, top and rear surfaces of the club head. A second body member selected from a plurality of second body members composed of a relatively less dense material is temporarily attached to the web portion of the first body to form a face portion that extends from the sole to the top rail of the club as well as the central portion of the top rail.
US07666102B2
A ball cage for a constant velocity plunging joint which having an outer joint part with a internally cylindrical guiding face and an inner joint part with an outer spherical guiding face and torque transmitting balls held in the ball cage. The ball cage includes a plurality of circumferentially distributed windows (3) for receiving the torque transmitting balls, and defining a central window plane (M); an outer free face (10) and an outer spherical control face (9) for guiding the ball cage relative to the outer joint part; and an inner spherical control face (16) for guiding the ball cage relative to the inner joint part. The center of the outer spherical control face (9) and the center of the inner spherical control face (16) are positioned at an axial distance from the central window plane (M). The outer spherical (9) is hard-machined and the outer free face (10) is soft-machined.
US07666099B2
A gaming machine with a communication multiplexer device that allows communications between the gaming machine and one or more game service servers all within a single network interface is described. The single network interface may be a wireless or wired network interface. The communication multiplexer device converts messages in native communication protocols used by the gaming machine to a network communication protocol such as TCP/IP for transmission over the single wired or wireless network interface. The communication multiplexer is designed such that the gaming machine may receive messages that have been transmitted using the native communication protocols without modifying regulated gaming software on the gaming machine.
US07666096B2
A 3D videogame system capable of displaying a left-right sequences through a different, independent VGA or video channel, with a display device sharing a memory in an immerse manner. The system has a videogame engine controlling and validating the image perspectives, assigning textures, lighting, positions, movements and aspects associated with each object participating in the game; creates left and right backbuffers, creates images and presents the information in the frontbuffers. The system allows handling the information of data associated to the xyz coordinates of the object's image in real-time, increases the RAM for the left-right backbuffer, with the possibility to discriminate and take the corresponding backbuffer, whose information is sent to the frontbuffer or additional independent display device sharing a memory in an immerse manner.
US07666086B2
A gaming device having a bonus game which is changed based on a wager in the base game. A wager in the base game determines if outcomes introducing other types of games into the bonus game are available to the player. In one embodiment, a plurality of masked player-selectable selections are presented to the player. A wager made by the player in the base game determines the number of picks of the selections provided to the player, and the wager determines the type of award or outcome associated with the selections. In one embodiment, a different type of game is introduced in the selection game such as a reel game. If the player wagers a predetermined amount, the gaming device provides an opportunity to spin the reels in the reel game. The symbols of the reel game, in one embodiment, represent portions of a product award which, if generated together along an active payline of the reels, is provided to the player. If less than all of the required combination of product award symbols occur on the reels, another type of award, such as a multiplier, is associated with the individual product award symbols on the payline and is applied to other awards provided to the player.
US07666081B2
A gaming system including a central server linked to a plurality of gaming machines and a plurality of bonus awards. The central server monitors wagers on the gaming machines. Based at least in part on the wagers the central server determines when bonus events will occur and which gaming machine(s) will provide the bonus awards. In one embodiment, the central server determines which gaming machine will provide a primary bonus award and any secondary bonus awards. In one embodiment, the number of secondary bonus awards is determined based on the number of active gaming machines. The selected gaming machine then determines a component of or the amount of the bonus award to be provided to the gaming machine selected by the central server.
US07666053B2
A toy vehicle package includes a planar backing board upon which an elongated hollow closed-end tube is supported in a spaced arrangement on the board. A slider extends beneath the center tube and supports capsules on either side of the center tube. Magnetic toy vehicles are captivated in both capsules while a third magnetic toy vehicle is movable within the center tube between the closed ends.
US07666049B2
An electrodeposition display panel manufacturing method capable of manufacturing a highly reliable display panel in a short time and effectively, an electrodeposition display panel, and an electrodeposition display device are provided. Openings (5A), (5B) are provided in a rear substrate (2) of the cell. A nozzle (7A) to which an injector (8) is connected on the other side is inserted into the opening (5A), and a nozzle (7B) is inserted into the opening (5B). On the other end side of the nozzle (7B), a container for recovering a spilled display material (6) and a decompressor are arranged. While the display material (6) is pressure-injected from the opening (5A), evacuation and discharging air bubbles and the like are performed from the opening (5B). Thereby, the display material (6) is filled in the cell.
US07666045B2
A buoyant device has a body and an elongate tail. The body carries a payload. The tail is moveable, e.g. by pivoting, between a closed and an open position. This movement changes the position of the center of mass of the device relative to the center of buoyancy. As a result the device can move through the water, with the tail in the closed position, with minimal drag. However, when the tail moves to the open position, the body pivots in the water so that the body, and hence the payload is supported in a stable manner.
US07666039B2
An outboard motor having a steering control and a rudder reference sensor, both connectible to a computer-operated guidance system. The steering control utilizes a linear actuator connected through a linkage to the motor. The actuator utilizes a rack that moves along the axis about which the motor pivots from its use position to its storage position, thereby enabling the rudder position sensor to remain connected to the motor when the motor is pivoted from its use position to its storage position. The sensor can include a follower disposed in a sloping groove on the rack, a pin on the rack engaged in a helical groove on a cylinder, or an externally mounted sensor connected to the steering linkage through an auxiliary linkage.
US07666037B2
An electrical series terminal with a terminal housing, with two conductor connecting elements located in it, and with two current busses, first end regions of which are each assigned to a conductor connecting element and second end regions of which together form an elastic contact region for accommodating the contact plug of a test plug. In the electrical series terminal, when the test plug is inserted into the test opening, elastic contact legs of the second end regions are bent back relative to one another and which together form a second elastic contact region for holding the contact plug of a test plug. The second contact region in the insertion direction is located in front of the first contact region so that an inserted contact plug first makes contact with the second contact region and only upon further insertion with the first contact region.
US07666035B2
A double-sided USB connector may include a first PCB that may provide a first set of electrical contacts on its first side and solder pads on its second side. The first PCB may further include a components side, solder pads, and signal traces. The double-sided USB connector may also include a second PCB that may provide a second set of electrical contacts on its first side and terminals on its second side. Contacts selected from the second set of contacts may be connected to selected terminals, for example through via paths in the second PCB. Contacts from the first and second sets of contacts may selectively be connected to components on the first PCB using signal traces rather than wires. The first PCB may be joined to the second PCB by using the terminals, and the two PCBs may be packaged using a common molded body.
US07666034B2
A card connector (100) includes a first connector (10), a second connector (20), a first ejecting mechanism (6) and a second mechanism (5). The first connector defining a first receiving space (14) includes a first insulating housing (30) located in the receiving space and a plurality of first terminals (4) retained in the first insulating housing. The second connector is assembled with the first connector and includes a second insulating housing (22) equipped with the first insulating housing to define a second receiving space (220), and a plurality of second terminals (24) assembled with the second insulating housing and protruding into the second receiving space. The first insulating housing forms a base section (31) and a base seat (33) extending laterally from the base section, and the first ejecting mechanism and the second ejecting mechanism are mounted on the base seat.
US07666011B2
An electrical connector for receiving a daughter card having a plurality of conductive surfaces is described. The electrical connector has a socket with an elongated slot for receiving the daughter card. The slot has electrical terminals for engaging the plurality of conductive surfaces on the daughter card and for electrically connecting the daughter card to the connector. A latch at each end of the elongated slot secures the daughter card to the connector. The latch includes a pair of inwardly directed opposing securing hooks and a pair of unlocking members.
US07666005B2
A connector assembly for a planar vertical printed circuit board includes a housing having a pair of parallel space planar vertical side walls defining an open-topped vertical chamber in which the printed circuit board is mounted. First electrical connectors mounted on the vertical end edges of the printed circuit board include body portions that extend outward beyond the vertical edges of the side walls, which extending body portions contain access openings affording communication with first connector contacts in electrical engagement with the printed circuit board. Protective side cover members are fastened to the housing side walls to partially enclose the extending connector body portions, which cover members contain openings opposite the connector body access openings. The cover members contain ventilation openings for cooling the printed circuit board, and the housing includes a mounting foot arrangement for mounting the printed circuit board assembly on a support rail.
US07666003B2
A contact device is provided, the device having at least a first contact region for electrical connection to an electric line and at least a second contact region for electrical connection to a flexible printed circuit board other contact medium which may damaged by repeated soldering. The first contact region and the second contact region are electrically connected. Between the first contact region and the second contact region, a third region is provided which has a lower thermal conductivity per unit length than the first contact region and/or the second contact region.
US07666000B1
A burn-in socket includes an insulative housing and a number of electrical terminal assemblies secured to the insulative housing. The terminal assembly includes a first contact and a second contact contacting with each other. The first and second contact each is provided with a mating end projecting beyond the insulative housing. The second contact includes a stem portion sliding along a slot in the connecting end of the first contact and a coiled spring. The coiled spring is connected with and surrounding the stem portion.
US07665980B2
A rack and pinion centering device for stack molding has at least one attachment device comprising a base attached to a mold member and at least one releasable clamp member, an end of a rack of a centering device being interposed between the base and the releasable clamp member and being held in a longitudinal location relative to the base within a range of adjustment by the releasable clamp members, whereby the longitudinal location of the rack relative to the mold member is determined within the range of adjustment. The attachment device permitting machining of mold members for attachment of centering devices while a mold assembly is removed from the clamp unit of a molding machine.
US07665979B2
A device and a method for layerwise, generative production of three-dimensional objects are provided. Multiple objects are produced in parallel in distinct process chambers (11, 12, 13, 14) by means of successive application of layers of a building material and subsequent solidifying of a layer and interconnecting of the layer with the previously applied layer, respectively, by means of radiation. The radiation is supplied to a part of the process chambers by a radiation source which is arranged outside of the process chambers, while an application of a layer takes place in another part of the process chambers.
US07665976B2
A high pressure fuel pump for an internal combustion engine having a cylinder, a plunger slidably fitted in the cylinder and a seal mechanism for blocking fuel leakage from an end of a sliding portion between the cylinder and the plunger and also for preventing an lubricant for a driving mechanism of the plunger from entering into the cylinder from the end of the sliding portion of the cylinder and the plunger. A holder surrounding the end of the sliding portion of the cylinder and the plunger is provided. The seal mechanism comprises two mutually independent seal devices mounted with a specific spacing in a longitudinal direction from the end of the sliding portion of the cylinder and the plunger along a circumference of the plunger. The two seal devices are held on the circumference of the plunger by the holder surrounding the end of the sliding portion of the cylinder and the plunger while keeping the specific spacing.
US07665972B2
An apparatus and a method for controlling an operation of a reciprocating compressor which can improve operational efficiency of the reciprocating compressor are provided. The apparatus for controlling the operation of the reciprocating compressor includes a resonance frequency operation unit for calculating a mechanical resonance frequency of the reciprocating compressor, an operating frequency reference value generation unit for comparing the calculated mechanical resonance frequency with a current operating frequency of the reciprocating compressor, and generating an operating frequency reference value according to the comparison result, and a controller for controlling a motor of the reciprocating compressor according to the generated operating frequency reference value.
US07665966B2
A flow-controlled wind motor rotor has one or more blades which are parallel to a central vertical axis. The blades are orientable to the direction of the wind. The rotor is equipped with a wind vane for detecting of a wind direction and also with a primary control mechanism which is controlled by the wind vane, and a secondary control mechanism, which is subordinate to the first control mechanism. The primary control mechanism is driven by a V-belt, while the secondary control mechanism is driven by a stepping engine with a worm gear.
US07665959B2
An inner diameter vane shroud of a variable vane assembly accommodates a synchronization mechanism for coordinating rotation of an array of variable vanes. The inner diameter vane shroud has a gear track that runs circumferentially through the vane shroud. An array of variable vanes is rotatably mounted in the vane shroud at an inner end. Each vane has a gear pinion at its inner end, which interfaces with the gear track. As one of the individual variable vanes is rotated by an actuation source, the other variable vanes of the variable vane array are rotated a like amount by the rack and pinion gear interface.
US07665949B2
An accessory for a forklift allows handling of cartoned goods a whole layer at a time and part of a layer. The head has a series of closely parked suction devices which are served by a common vacuum chamber. The head is carried by the forks and vacuum is supplied by a separate unit mounted on the forklift. In a modification, the head is carried on a sub assembly which allows the head to move to one side of the forklift.
US07665943B2
An apparatus for punching and binding a stack of papers is disclosed. The apparatus includes a paper clamp and a binding element insertion device that are movable relative to each other. The binding element insertion device is configured to receive and detect binding elements of different sizes. The apparatus also includes a punching mechanism, a controller, and a user interface. The controller controls movement of the paper clamp and the binding element insertion device based on the size of the binding element needed to bind the stack of papers together. The user interface is configured to provide information to a user of the apparatus and to receive input from the user before, during, and after the punching and binding operation.
US07665942B2
A combination of deformations on a single nail shank provides a nail with optimal withdrawal performance and shear slip resistance. In particular, a nail has a head, a tip, and an elongate shank with a first deformation and a second deformation. The first deformation is positioned closer to the tip. When the nail fastens a first substrate to a second substrate, the first deformation is positioned completely in the second substrate to provide withdrawal resistance from the second substrate. The second deformation intersects the plane between the first and second substrates to provide resistance to shear slip. Moreover, the second deformation makes contact with the inner surface of the bore created by the first deformation.
US07665933B2
A cutting insert having an insert body formed in a shaft-shape, wherein a cutting edge portion having a square rake face is formed on an end portion of the insert body, and wherein the rake face includes: a pair of side cutting edges extending in a longitudinal direction of the insert body; a front cutting edge extending in a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction between each front end of the side cutting edges; a pair of protruded streaks extending toward each of corner portions at which each of the side cutting edges intersect the front cutting edge, and a projection which protrudes and is separated from the protruded streaks between front ends of the protruded streaks in the vicinity of the corner portion and the corner portion.
US07665928B2
A quick release camming mechanism is used in a bicycle skewer that secures a hub to a fork. Whereas prior art quick release mechanisms have only a single lever, this mechanism has two independent levers. About half the force is required to independently push either lever closed as to push both levers closed simultaneously. Similarly, about half the force is required to open either lever individually as to open them simultaneously. A similar quick release camming mechanism also works well for a quick release seat post clamp with similar advantages. The present invention is not limited to use on bicycle components.
US07665921B2
In an offset pen structure for rapid assembling, a holding portion is disposed, and an offset portion extends from the side at the front part of the holding portion, and a writing device base is disposed at the end of the offset portion, wherein the offset portion together with the holding portion has a hollow passage formed therein such that the hollow passage has an opening formed at the front end of the offset portion; the opening being used for mounting a recording device and covered by a lid; the writing device base is disposed at the front end of the lid; a fixing portion is disposed at the rear end of the lid, the fixing portion being fixed at the end of the offset portion to fix and position the writing device base on the holding portion; and further a cap is disposed on the writing device base to form a protection, with a clip disposed on the side thereof, the clip being used to be inserted into a pocket of the user for convenient carry.
US07665916B2
Accurate coating and developing having high intrasurface uniformity is achieved by suppressing the influence of components of a resist that may be eluted while a substrate coated with the resist is processed by immersion exposure. A coating unit coats a surface of a substrate with a resist. then, a first cleaning means including a cleaning nozzle cleans the substrate and then the substrate is subjected to an exposure process. Since only a small amount of components of the resist dissolves in a transparent liquid layer formed on the substrate for exposure, an exposure process can form lines in accurate line-widths. Consequently, a resist pattern of lines having accurate line-widths having high intrasurface uniformity can be formed on the substrate by developing the exposed resist.
US07665912B2
An image-taking apparatus is disclosed which comprises an image-pickup device, an image processing unit, a display unit, a focus detection unit which detects a focus state of the image-taking lens, and an optical path splitting unit which is switchable between a first state in which it is disposed in an optical path from the image-taking lens and a second state in which it is retracted from the optical path. The optical path splitting unit transmits part of the light from the image-taking lens toward the image-pickup device and reflects the remaining part of the light toward the focus detection unit in the first state. A control unit performs focus control based on the detection result of the focus detection unit. The control unit performs the focus control in the first state such that an image-forming position matches a light-receiving surface of the image-pickup device in the second state.
US07665911B2
A disclosed optical waveguide holding device is attached onto a printed circuit board of an optical transceiver that performs conversion between an electric signal and an optical signal. The optical waveguide holding device holds an optical waveguide between an external optical fiber and a photoelectric conversion unit attached onto or formed on the printed circuit board. The optical waveguide holding device includes a first connection part configured to optically connect a first end of the optical waveguide to a light receiving/emitting part of the photoelectric conversion unit; a second connection part configured to optically connect a second end of the optical waveguide to the external optical fiber; an optical fiber forming the optical waveguide, disposed between the first end and the second end of the optical waveguide; a first holder configured to hold the optical fiber on a side of the first end; and a second holder configured to hold the optical fiber on a side of the second end.
US07665910B2
In one example, an optical subassembly positioning plate is provided that includes a substantially flat body that defines at least one edge. A port is defined in the body. The port is configured to receive and secure an optical subassembly in an x-direction and a y-direction when said optical subassembly positioning plate is positioned within an optoelectronic transceiver module. A plurality of fingers is defined along at least one edge of the body. Each of the plurality of fingers is configured to contact a shell of the optoelectronic transceiver module so as to bias a flange of the optical subassembly against a portion of the shell of the optoelectronic transceiver module such that the optical subassembly is substantially retained in a z-direction when the optical subassembly positioning plate is positioned within the optoelectronic transceiver module.
US07665903B2
A receptacle is provided that is suitable for use in smaller and larger format transceivers and that eliminates problems associated with electrically isolating the signal ground and chassis ground from each other. The receptacle is identical in shape to the receptacle currently used in the transceiver module, but the portion of the receptacle that comes into physical contact with metallic housing of the transceiver module is made of an electrically insulating material rather than metal so that no electrical current passes between the metallic portions of the receptacle and the metallic transceiver module housing. Thus, the signal ground of the TO header on which the transmitter or receiver package is based is electrically isolated from the chassis ground attached to the housing of the transceiver module. Because the shape of the receptacle is not altered from its current shape, the assembly process for assembling the transceiver module is not further complicated.
US07665902B2
Disclosed is a modified pre-ferrulized cable assembly that facilitates installation of an optical fiber communication cable through narrow cable guides having sharp bends. The pre-ferrulized cable assembly includes a communication cable having a free, front end, a semi-finished communication connector, and a suction plug. The invention further relates to efficient methods for installing the modified pre-ferrulized cable assembly through a cable guide.
US07665901B2
Devices to enhance the reliability of optical networks and to reduce the cost of repair are disclosed in this invention. In particular, compact and inexpensive fiber optic union adapters with built-in protective isolation prevent the transfer of damage from one connectorized fiber optic cable to another. The fiber optic union includes a split sleeve with an interior channel and a fiber stub centrally located within the interior channel. The fiber stub makes direct optical contact with the cable endfaces to enable efficient optical transmission between interconnected cables while providing a low loss, low back reflection adiabatic transition between the waveguide cores of the two cables.
US07665899B2
The straightness and parallelism of a track surface on which rollers roll are measured within a range “L2” as a range for measuring the straightness and parallelism. The range “L2” is a range such that L2≧0.8×L when a roller length is “L”. When the dimension from the corner P of the flange on the inner diameter side to the starting point of the range “L2” is “L1”, the dimension “L1” is ranged such that 0.8 mm≦L1≦2 mm. In this range, the straightness of the track surface of the outer ring in the axial direction is not more than 0.008 mm and the parallelism thereof is not more than 0.015 mm.
US07665891B1
A differential temperature sensor system and method of determining a temperature shift of an optical resonator and its surroundings are provided. The differential temperature sensor system includes a light generating device capable of generating a beam having a carrier frequency, a modulator capable of modulating the beam with a sideband frequency, and an optical resonator capable of supporting an ordinary mode and an extraordinary mode. The system includes an ordinary mode-lock setup capable of locking the carrier frequency of the beam to the ordinary mode of the optical resonator and an extraordinary mode-lock setup capable of locking the sideband frequency of the beam to the extraordinary mode of the optical resonator by providing a specific radio frequency to the modulator substantially corresponding to a frequency shift between the ordinary mode and the extraordinary mode of the optical resonator resulting from a temperature change of the optical resonator. A processor precisely calculates the differential temperature based upon the frequency shift between the ordinary mode and extraordinary mode of the optical resonator.
US07665888B2
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for providing a tabletop device which provides multiple functions to a user of the device, and in particular, to a tabletop device which includes a first functional element which establishes a preferred orientation on the tabletop for a first user of the device, and which includes a second functional element which is independent of the first functional element, and provides for simultaneous display of correlated information to both the first user of the device and a second user of the device.
US07665882B1
A lamp bulb provided with a lamp burner switch according to this invention comprises a plurality of LEDs. The LEDs are provided on a substrate and further connected to a lamp burner. Each of the LEDs has a first pin and a second pin that is connected to the lamp burner. A switch device is provided passing through the crest of lamp burner at a side opposite to the LED, and one terminal of the switch device is connected to a lamp socket; the other terminal is properly kept at an interval from the first pin of LED, and the switch device is pushed contact the first pin. Further, the switch device is connected to a power unit that is next connected to the lamp burner. Thus, the electric power of power unit may be applied to continuously illuminate for a determined period of time of power outage.
US07665880B2
The backlight assembly includes a lamp unit, a light guide plate and a receiving container. The light guide plate includes a light exiting surface, a light reflecting surface facing the light exiting surface, and side surfaces. The receiving container includes a frame plate and sidewall protruding from an outer edge of the frame plate to form a receiving space for receiving the lamp unit and the light guide plate. The first distance between an inner surface of the sidewall and an outer surface of the light guide plate at a first region is greater than a second distance between the inner surface of the sidewall and the outer surface of the light guide plate at a second region. The light guide plate is more spaced apart from the sidewall at the corners where much noise was made, in a general backlight assembly, so that the noise is reduced.
US07665867B2
A light source unit including an arc tube having a light emitting section, sealed sections, an elliptic reflector, and a secondary reflecting mirror to cover the front side of the light emitting section and reflect a luminous flux radiated from the light emitting section toward the elliptic reflector. The center of discharging emission from the arc tube is disposed at a first focal position of the elliptic reflector, and the secondary reflecting mirror is configured as a separate member from the arc tube, so that the outer peripheral portion of the secondary reflecting mirror is accommodated within a circular cone connecting a second focal position of the elliptic reflector and the distal end of the front sealed section of the arc tube when being mounted to the front sealed section of the arc tube.
US07665860B2
An illuminating product display providing customer interaction and product synchronization is disclosed. The product display may include an upright display member having an illuminating member and lighting niches through which dynamic light shows may be projected. A product may be positioned in a lighting niche. A product experience shelf may also be coupled to the upright display member. The product experience shelf may include translucent recesses for holding and illuminating demonstration products. The product experience shelf may also incorporate an illuminated ring or border lining the outer edge of each recess for additional lighting effects. An interactive customer interface may allow customers to adjust a control module which coordinates synchronized dynamic light shows throughout the display. The customer interface may also be illuminated and positioned on the product experience shelf. Furthermore, the dynamic light shows may be synchronized with the lighting products.
US07665852B2
Red, blue and green lasers respectively emit a plurality of red, blue and green laser beams having respective output powers. The beams are optically focused and collinearly arranged to form a composite beam which is swept by a pair of scan mirrors in a pattern of scan lines on a projection surface, each scan line having a number of pixels. A controller causes selected pixels to be illuminated, and rendered visible, by the composite beam to produce an image. A safety circuit detects a malfunction of at least one of the lasers and the scan mirrors, and deenergizes the at least one of the lasers and the scan mirrors upon detection of the malfunction.
US07665838B2
A recording apparatus is provided including: a recording medium setting portion on which a plural recording media are set in a stacked state; a feed roller that feeds a recording medium set on the recording medium setting portion in a feeding direction; a recording medium return lever that returns a recording medium next or subsequent to a recording medium continuously fed out from the recording medium setting portion along with the recording medium to be fed; a control unit that controls the recording medium return lever; and a recording unit that performs recording on the recording medium, wherein the control unit controls the recording medium return lever so that the position is switched from a first position, a second position and to a third position.
US07665837B2
A recording medium discharge apparatus includes a discharge pusher for discharging a recording medium; and a discharge tray in which the recording medium discharged through the discharge pusher is stacked. The discharge pusher is configured to be capable of conducting electric current, thereby eliminating the static electricity from the recording medium discharged to the discharge tray. For the electric conduction of the discharge pusher, the discharge pusher includes a conductive material. Alternately, an elastic member is made of a conductive material in such a way that a part of the elastic member is extended to a surface of the discharge pusher which comes into contact with the recording medium.
US07665834B2
A print roll includes an ink reservoir section. The ink reservoir section includes a plurality of bladder type containers for storing respective types of ink. A pair of print media roll sections is provided for carrying a wound length of print media. The print media roll sections can be fastened together to receive the ink reservoir section. A pair of outer casing sections can be fastened together to receive the print media roll sections.
US07665831B2
The image forming apparatus in which a plurality of ink chambers filled with ink are aligned, said ink chambers being expanded or contracted and ink being discharged from nozzles of the ink chambers onto a recording medium, by applying a voltage to piezoelectric elements provided on the outer perimeter or the outer side of the ink chambers, wherein said piezoelectric elements are arranged in a substantially parallel plane to the nozzle surface; and shorting devices which short the electrodes of said piezoelectric elements are provided.
US07665820B2
A printer functioning as a liquid ejection apparatus includes a recording head having nozzles, a flushing sheet feeding mechanism, and a cleaning mechanism. The flushing sheet feeding mechanism feeds a flushing sheet for absorbing ink, which is ejected from the nozzles, from a non-flushing position separated from the recording head to a flushing position facing the recording head and from the flushing position to the non-flushing position during flushing. The cleaning mechanism removes the ink absorbed in the flushing sheet after flushing.
US07665819B2
A handheld device for testing printer cartridges interfaces with a computer for processing of test results. Multiple testing devices may be coupled to the computer. In one embodiment, each testing device includes a base board and an adaptor board. The base board includes a host processor and a computer interface. The adaptor board comprises a cartridge-specific socket for retaining a printer cartridge to be tested and test circuitry. The adaptor boards may be interchanged. The device may obtain power from the computer interface. A computer program communicates with the test device and displays the results of the tests through execution of a suitable application or program. The application may present a pass/fail indication to a user and tally the number of passed/failed cartridges. The device for testing printer cartridges may include a sensor for detecting cartridge information and a computer program for altering the cartridge identification.
US07665818B2
An image-forming device forms an image having improving image quality by conveying a sheet in a nonuniform conveyance, and reduces a processing load required for calibrating a conveying length for the recording medium. In an image-forming device, a process for acquiring a theoretical conveying length for conveying a recording medium (S404) and for calibrating the theoretical conveying length (S409) is only executed for a large feed used to convey the recording medium a second conveying length greater than a first conveying length (S405: YES) and not for small feeds used to convey the recording medium the first conveying length (S405: NO). Since calibration is performed on the second conveying length, which is greater than the first conveying length, this method reduces a decline in precision for the conveying length of the recording medium, even when reducing the number of calibrations.
US07665817B2
A registration system suited to use in an imaging system, such as an inkjet printer, includes a first measuring device, such as an encoder, which provides information for monitoring a speed of a moving image receiving surface of the imaging system, such as a paper web. A second measuring device, such as a second encoder or a tension measuring device, provides information for monitoring a tension in the image receiving surface. A control system determines an actuation time for one of two marking stations, based on the information from the first and second measuring devices. This enables a registration of images applied to the image receiving surface by the two marking stations to take into account both changes in speed of the web and changes in tension in the web.
US07665813B2
A protection mechanism is provided for protecting connectors which are to be connected to electronic interfaces at a rear panel of a computer chassis. The protection mechanism includes a bracket secured to the rear panel, a first cover pivotally attached to the bracket for shielding the connectors, a second cover pivotally attached to the bracket, and a locking device. The first cover defines a plurality of slots for extension of cables of the connectors therethrough. The second cover is closed to abut against a side panel of the computer chassis to prevent the side panel from withdrawal. The locking device is so arranged between pivot ends of the first and second covers, that one of the first and second covers can be opened only when the other one is opened.
US07665812B2
A locking system for drawers may include a lock with a lock driver that is configured for engaging a drive actuator. The drive actuator may have a lock bar slider in communication with a lock bar. A slave actuator may also be provided in communication with the drive actuator through a shaft. The drive actuator and slave actuator may be respectively positioned so as to lock opposite ends of a drawer. The locking system may also provide the lock with a lock driver that is prevented from being moved into a locked position when the drawer is opened. One of several different resulting arrangements prevents unintentional or inadvertent locking until the drawer is placed into engagement with a drive actuator.
US07665805B2
It is a subject to provide a chair capable of realizing a condition in which movements of a seating person are preferably followed and a condition in which a back of the seating person can be preferably supported. For this purpose, a chair C comprising a lower frame portion that is supported to be rockable between a standing position and a rearward tilting position of a back frame with respect to the base and an upper frame portion that is supported to be rockable between a normal position and a rear end position, wherein the chair is further comprised with a movement range setting mechanism with which a movement range through the rocking movement of the upper frame portion with respect to the lower frame portion is made changeable in accordance with the position of the lower frame portion with respect to the base during the rocking movement.
US07665803B2
A climate controlled seat assembly includes an outer frame and one or more layers of fabric. A panel member attached to the opposite side of the frame defines an inner space located between the panel member and the fabric. One or more channels attached to or formed, in part, by the panel member are in fluid communication with an opening in the panel member and a plurality of orifices located on the channels. Air from a fluid module or other device enters the channels and is discharged through the orifices in the direction of the fabric. The air passes through the fabric and reaches an occupant situated on the seating assembly.
US07665796B2
Proposed is a functional device which is arranged on the outer side of a vehicle body, comprising a base element (18) and at least one pivoting element (20A) which is pivotable with respect to the base element (18) between two end positions. According to the invention, a multi-linkage mechanism is articulatedly connected to the base element (18), which multi-linkage mechanism comprises at least two linkages (24, 26) which are articulatedly connected with their ends remote from the base element (18) to the pivoting element (20A) which is pivotable with respect to the base element (18), with one of the linkages (24, 26) being connected to a drive device and with a spring device acting on at least one of the linkages (24, 26), which spring device is preloaded into the end positions of the pivoting element (20A) and counteracts the mass force of the latter.
US07665793B2
A shade system for a motor vehicle roof, with at least one first and one second shade arrangement which are arranged in line with one another in the lengthwise direction of the roof and each have a take-up shaft, a shade on which can be taken up thereon, and a pull which acts on the free end of the shade, and at least one compressively stiff drive cable which is driven by a drive and which is securely coupled at a first location to the pull of the first shade arrangement. The drive cable is securely coupled at a second point to the pull of the second shade arrangement in a first segment of motion of the second point and in a subsequent second segment of motion of the second point is decoupled from the pull of the second shade arrangement, the coupling or decoupling taking place automatically a locking element.
US07665786B2
A foldable tongs unit of the type having two pivotally joined legs has a storage position in which the legs lie in flush abutting relation so that the total thickness of the tongs unit in its storage position is the thickness of the two legs. Three transversely spaced fingers on each leg, when unstressed, reside in the plane of the leg and provide both the pivotal connection and the resilient bias against which the tongs are operated. The thickness of each of the joined non-flexing fingers is increased at the proximal end of the unit (i.e., at the hinge), permitting the pivot axis to be located substantially in the plane of abutment between the two legs in the storage position of the unit. In the actuation position, the ends of the foreshortened flexing fingers abut non-flexing fingers of the opposite leg to provide the desired resilient gripping function.
US07665784B2
A device for gripping containers from above, which includes a frame which has a number of corners, twist-locks arranged close to each of the corners of the frame for gripping an upper corner of the containers, and contact elements connected to the frame, which elements are biased to a position located at least partly under the frame and which are adapted to brake the movement of the frame in the vicinity of a container when the frame is placed on the container. The presence of these contact elements allows loads on the frame to be reduced and noise nuisance to be minimized. The contact elements, which may be arranged in or on the frame and may protrude through openings formed in the frame, may be elastically deformable or may be pivotally connected to the frame. Compression springs and/or hydraulic cylinders may be arranged between the frame and the contact elements.
US07665779B2
A vehicle has a forward end fashioned with a vehicle arresting device. The vehicle arresting device includes an elongate flexible member carried by opposed first and second supports having first and second outer ends, respectively. The first and second supports are mounted to the vehicle together for movement between stored and deployed positions relative to the forward end of the vehicle. The first and second outer ends of the first and second supports are disposed forwardly of the forward end of the vehicle in spaced apart relation in the deployed position of the first and second supports suspending the elongate flexible member therebetween.
US07665772B2
The invention provides for a metallic cutting ring for a screw connection for sealingly connecting a tube to an attachment part, which metallic cutting ring has a tube abutment section and a cutting section which adjoins the tube abutment section in the axial direction. The cutting section having a stop which points radially outward from the outer periphery of the cutting ring and has a stop face, which runs transversely with respect to the cutting ring longitudinal axil, for the attachment part. The stop for the attachment part has an annular peripheral stop edge which projects beyond the stop face.
US07665770B2
An all terrain vehicle includes a frame, an engine unit suspended from the frame, a fuel tank mounted on the frame, and a fuel pump disposed within the fuel tank. A protrusion protruding downward is provided on a bottom surface of the fuel tank and at a portion opposing a fuel suction vent of the fuel pump. The protrusion is arranged so that the protrusion opposes a throttle body connected to the engine unit.
US07665765B2
An air bag 12 is spread flatly. Along four lines “R” that extend radially outward, the air bag 12 is sandwiched and held by line part forming units. By using a first press pieces 44, a portion between the neighboring lines “R” is pressed toward the gas inlet opening to form a first gathering portion, and form a ear portion 52 along each line “R”. Then, each ear portion 52 is pressed by a second press piece 45 to form a second gathering portion 54 that is like a bellows. When a gas is introduced into the gas inlet opening 26, the second gathering portion 54 is quickly expanded and increase of internal pressure of the air bag can be controlled. In the folding process, there is no need of turning the air bag 12 and thus a production device can be made simple in construction.
US07665761B1
Inflatable restraint systems for restraining an occupant in a vehicle are disclosed herein. A personal restraint system configured in accordance with one embodiment of the disclosure includes an airbag carried by a web. The web has an end portion operably coupled to the vehicle and is configured to extend around a portion of the occupant. The airbag includes a first inflatable chamber in fluid communication with a second inflatable chamber. The first inflatable chamber extends adjacent to a portion of the web when inflated, and the second inflatable chamber extends outwardly from the first inflatable chamber adjacent to a portion of the occupant when inflated.
US07665754B2
A propulsion unit for a wheelchair wheel with a track. The propulsion unit comprising a body having a front portion, a rear portion and a handle, at least three rollers pivotally mounted to the body, front and rear friction elements positioned in the front and rear portions of the body respectively. When the handle is pressed forward the wheel is propelled forward and when the handle is pressed rearward the wheel is propelled rearward.
US07665750B2
A trunnion air ride suspension system. In one example, a trunnion suspension system includes a trunnion beam pivotably mounted to a hanger bracket, and an axle pivotably mounted to the trunnion beam. A brake actuator is secured to the axle and pivotably mounted to the trunnion beam, so that the brake actuator pivots with the axle relative to the trunnion beam. In another example, a trunnion suspension system includes a trunnion beam pivotably mounted to a hanger bracket, the trunnion beam having a longitudinally extending cylindrical portion positioned between two generally vertical plate portions. An axle is pivotably mounted to the cylindrical portion by a bushed connection, the bushed connection being retained longitudinally between the plate portions.
US07665744B1
A reverse drive for a motorcycle. In one embodiment, the drive includes a flexible frame. A plurality of rollers are mounted to the flexible frame and configured to be positioned substantially horizontally. A motorcycle-interface is attached to the frame.
US07665740B2
A sealing device for a reciprocating shaft capable of providing sufficient pressure tightness to a main lip and preventing troublesomeness of an assembling operation. The sealing device, which is interposed between a shaft and an outer peripheral member, includes a washer, a main lip integrally bonded to a sealed space side of the washer and slidably brought into close contact with an outer peripheral surface of the shaft, an auxiliary lip integrally formed in an outer peripheral side thereof, a backup ring fitted between an atmosphere side of a slidable surface of the main lip and an inner peripheral portion of the washer, and bearing the main lip from the atmosphere side and the inner peripheral side, a dust lip integrally bonded to the atmosphere side of the washer and slidably brought into close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the shaft, and an outer peripheral lip integrally bonded to an outer peripheral portion of the washer and brought into close contact with the outer peripheral member.
US07665739B2
An air swivel ring includes a non-rotating member having an air inlet, a rotating member having an air outlet, and a split seal having a first sealing surface and coupled to one of the non-rotating member and the rotating member so that the first sealing surface on the seal is disposed proximate a second sealing surface on the other of the non-rotating member and the rotating member.
US07665735B2
My child educational board game, “Word Battle”, requires players to approach word learning, sequencing, and construction from a naval/military strategist point of view in that instead of targeting objectives in a mere hit-or-miss situation, where the goal in and of itself is to reach and eliminate occupied coordinates, he/she must locate and actually identify the quality of opponents' pieces (these being letters) before the other competitors capture or eliminate out of play all his/her own word patterns.
US07665729B2
In a sheet processing apparatus that performs processing for sheets after image formation such as sorting or stapling of the sheets, when the sheets are subjected to processing in a processing tray, after the sheets are discharged to the waiting tray, a paddle operation is started to drop the sheets to the processing tray. When the paddle is in a position where the paddle does not come into contact with the sheets on the processing tray, the rotation of the paddle is stopped once to prevent the paddle from interfering with the sheets.
US07665725B2
A registration gate is mounted in a sheet feeding mechanism for rotation about an axis at about right angles to the direction of sheet feed into a feeder mechanism. The gate includes a plurality of fingers extending upwardly through slots in the tray. A motorized sequencing cam moves followers to rotate the gate to an open position to retract the fingers below the tray, to raise and lower a nudger in and to move a lever for locking and unlocking the gate into the closed position with the fingers upright for registering the leading edge of the sheets during user loading of the tray. The cam may be detented or locked by a pawl engaging a notch in the cam.
US07665722B2
In a method and an apparatus for guiding sheets to a sheet processing machines, provision is made to reduce the adhesion forces between sheets following one another by the trailing edge of the respective first sheet of a sheet stream being lifted. The sheet is lifted using a blowing/suction nozzle or a suction nozzle.
US07665720B2
A paper sheet processing apparatus includes a plurality of bundling devices, and a plurality of chute devices which temporarily hold bundles, which are bundled by the bundling devices. A second transfer conveyor, which is slower than a first transfer conveyor, is disposed on a downstream side of the first conveyor. A transmission sensor, which detects abnormality in length of the bundle, is provide along the second conveyor. The distance from a release position of the bundle from the chute device, which is located on a most downstream side, to a terminal end of the first conveyor and the length of the second conveyor are set such that a time until the bundle, which is released from the most downstream chute device, is transferred onto the second conveyor is longer than at least a time until the bundle, which is transferred from the first conveyor, passes through the second conveyor.
US07665718B1
A powered or hand-activated stationary and/or portable hose fitting insertion apparatus and method. A hose is preferably held in place with a clamp, strap or other apparatus on a platform or in a trough and a fitting is caused to be inserted into an end of the hose by a force applied to the fitting from a pad.
US07665717B2
A vacuum hold-down device comprising a base member (1) and a separate workpiece support (8) which co-operate to define a vacuum chamber. The device further comprises a venturi (15) having an inlet port (7) for connection to a source of pressurized fluid, an outlet (9) for fluid from the venturi, and a fluid connection (19, 5) from a low pressure region of the venturi (15) to the inside of the vacuum chamber, for providing a partial vacuum therein. The partial vacuum will hold the base member (1) and the workpiece support (8) together to maintain a peripheral seal therebetween. The workpiece support (8) is provided with securing means (16) for securing a workpiece (10) thereon. The invention also provides a vacuum hold-down system comprising the base member (1) and a plurality of interchangeable workpiece supports (8).
US07665714B2
A fail safe mechanism having a return member, valve stem extension, energy storage member, and locking assembly. The valve stem extension is driven by an electrical actuator and configured to drive the return member in a first direction and to be driven by the return member in a second direction. The energy storage member is configured to store energy when the electrical actuator causes the valve stem extension to drive the return member in the first direction and to release the energy stored therein when a disruption of power causes the return member to drive the valve stem extension in the second direction. The locking assembly is configured to hold the return member in a cocked position such that the valve stem extension rotates with the valve independently of the return member and free of influence from the energy storage member while the power is applied to the electrical actuator.
US07665710B2
The present invention relates to ICF (Insulated Concrete Form) building technology, offering an enhancement to existing practices by presenting a structure and method that enables concrete to be placed and shaped at any angle. In addition, the present invention provides a structure and method that offers aesthetic alternatives to flat surfaces characteristic of existing concrete forming building techniques.
US07665709B2
A trolley and rail system for use in relation to an extension and retraction arrangement with a trolley structure retained for axial extension and retraction along a body portion of a rail arrangement comprising first and second rails disposed in substantially parallel spaced orientation. The trolley structure can have a central portion and first and second wing portions with load bearing wheels for rolling along rigid bearing surfaces of the first and second rails. The bearing surfaces and the wheels can have correspondingly contoured profiles. The trolley structure can have a ventrally disposed alcove. Constant force springs can assist in a travel of the trolley structure in relation to the rail arrangement. The trolley structure or a support arm coupled thereto can have threaded mounting holes for retaining a flat panel monitor.
US07665697B1
An improved scissor-type clamp includes two opposing clam shell type members, one male and one female, that pivot together, are biased outwardly by coil springs and are held together by a thumbscrew. Embodiments feature rectangular and tapered opposed clam shell portions and one embodiment includes identical clam shell members.
US07665694B2
An inlet door assembly and method for reducing noise from an auxiliary power unit (APU) contained within an aircraft housing is provided. The inlet assembly includes an inlet duct, an actuator, and a door. The inlet duct is configured to extend from the auxiliary power unit to the aircraft housing and has a sidewall that defines a flow passage through which APU noise propagates. The actuator is disposed at least partially within the inlet duct. The door coupled to the actuator. The actuator is also configured to selectively rotate the door between at least a first position, in which at least a portion of the door deflects APU noise in a first direction, and a second position, in which at least a portion of the door deflects the APU noise in a second direction.
US07665691B2
An aerial vehicle launching system includes a launch platform and a restraint system coupled to the launch platform. The restraint system has at least one passive restraint suitably adapted to indirectly restrain an aerial vehicle. The restraint system is configured to coordinate the uniform retention and release of the passive restraint in order to launch the aerial vehicle.
US07665690B2
A structural mechanism for an aircraft includes a support, a hinged surface, and a hinge assembly joining the hinged surface to the support. An actuation system includes an actuator shaft engaged to the hinges and lying coincident with a hinged-surface hinge axis and extending through the aligned center passageways of the hinges of the hinge assembly. A lock is selectively operable to lock the hinged surface to the support when the actuator shaft engages the lock. An actuator structure is controllably operable to move the actuator shaft longitudinally along the hinge-surface hinge axis between a first shaft axial position wherein the actuator shaft engages the lock and the hinges, and a second shaft axial position wherein the actuator shaft does not engage the lock but does engage the hinges, and is controllably operable to rotate the actuator shaft about the hinged-surface hinge axis.
US07665686B2
A dispenser is described for a roll of cling wrap wound on a paper core (the “wrap core’), The dispenser comprises a main paper core which fits in the wrap core in such a way that the wrap core can rotate thereabout. A handle portion in the form of a paper core is wrapped around the main core on one side of the wrap core and a stop member formed of the same paper core is wrapped around the end section. The wrap core is held in position between the handle section arid the stop member. When the cling wrap has been fully used, the user disposes of the dispenser.
US07665680B2
A shredder plate assembly for a food waste disposer includes a disk with one or more water slinging devices attached, so that water flowing into the disposer flows over the water slinging device and against the inside of the disposer housing as the disk rotates.
US07665678B2
Grinding media, including shaped media such as spheres or rods ranging in size from about 0.5 micron to 100 mm in diameter, are formed from a multi-carbide material consisting essentially of two or more carbide-forming elements and carbon, with or without carbide-forming elements in their free elemental state. The media have extremely high mass density, extreme hardness, and extreme mechanical toughness.
US07665670B2
An integrated distributed control system incorporates a plurality of micro electromechanical system (MEMS) modules formed into a functional network which is in turn integrated into a management network. The functional network is configured to sense a condition such as an operating characteristic of a machine or the temperature within an area and to provide control functions to effect changes in the condition.
US07665654B2
Shipping containers having stacking support structures are provided. The shipping containers or cartons, are provided with three-panel inner support structures, in which the three panels form either triangular- (delta-) shaped cross-sections or L shaped cross-sections. In addition, the shipping containers or cartons, are provided with first outer support panels, and one or two second outer support panels. The shipping containers or cartons may be provided with no lid, one lid panel with closure panels for affixation to the end panels, or two lid panels, each with closure panels for affixation to the end panels.
US07665648B2
A fabrication method and structure for a PCBA, and tool for assembly of the structure. The structure includes a circuit board, at least one first solder joint, a plurality of second solder joints, and an electronic device. The circuit board has a solder mask, having a plurality of openings exposing at least one first pad and a plurality of second pads arranged beyond the first pad, on a surface. The first solder joint has a maximum width J1 and electrically connects to the first pad. The second solder joints respectively have a maximum width J2 exceeding J1 and respectively electrically connect to the second pads. The electronic device has a plurality of third pads, arranged substantially corresponding to the openings, respectively electrically connecting to the first pad and second pads.
US07665647B2
A surgical instrument for being endoscopically or laparoscopically inserted into a surgical site for simultaneous stapling and severing of tissue includes an elongate channel that is configured to operably support a staple cartridge therein. An anvil is operably coupled to the elongate channel and is selectively movable between open and closed positions. A closure tube assembly interfaces with the anvil to selectively apply a closing force thereto in response to a closing motion applied to the closure tube assembly. At least one force limiting member interacts with the closure tube assembly to limit an amount of the closing force applied to the anvil by the closure tube assembly in response to a resistive force experienced by the anvil when clamping tissue between the anvil and the elongate channel. The force limiting member may comprise one or more spring sections in the closure tube assembly or at least one leaf spring in the distal end of the closure tube assembly. Other embodiments may include steps formed in a ramp portion of the anvil for engaging the distal end of the closure tube assembly.
US07665639B2
A high-speed bulk filling tank truck is provided, which permits reduction of the filling time. The high-speed bulk filling tank truck delivers a liquefied gas in a truck tank to a bulk storage tank, and recovers a gas-phase gas in the bulk storage tank into the truck tank, thereby filling the bulk storage tank with the liquefied gas. The high-speed bulk filling tank truck includes a liquid feed pump, provided on a liquid line through which the liquefied gas flows, for feeding the liquefied gas in the truck tank to the bulk storage tank, and a gas compressor, provided on the gas line through which a gas-phase gas flows, for compressing the gas-phase gas in the bulk storage tank and delivering the same into the truck tank.
US07665637B2
A closure (5) suitable for mounting onto a container (80). A closure comprises a main closure (10) having a top portion (11) that has an aperture (32) therethrough and a skirt (12) depending downwardly from the top portion (11) that is attachable to the container. A sealing rib (16) extends inwardly from the inner surface of the main closure (10) and is adapted to form a seal with the end portion of the container (80). A spout (33) extends upwardly from the top portion (11) and defines a bore that is in fluid communication with the aperture (32) in the top portion (11). A plug (36) having radially outer surface is mounted to the spout (33). The closure further comprises a top cap (50) that is mountable to the spout and is relatively movable between a first position where the plug (36) seals an opening in the top cap (5) and at least a second position where the plug (36) is withdrawn from the opening. On relative movement of the top cap (50) from the first position towards the second position, a sealing member (59) of the top cap (50) rides up over one or more protuberances (40) extending outwardly from the spout so as to at least partially release the seal made by the sealing member (59) with the spout (33).
US07665634B2
A combination dispenser and implement holder is disclosed. The combination comprises a plurality of containers, each for retaining a liquid. Each container includes a bottom wall, at least one side wall, and a top wall. The top wall of each container preferably includes a dispensing nozzle. Each container is fluidly isolated from each other container by at least one of the side walls so that mixing of the liquids does not occur. A towel rack projects from at least one side wall of at least one container, and preferably a sponge holder projects from the same wall below the towel rack. Drain holes are included in a bottom wall of the sponge holder. In one embodiment of the invention having three containers, the width of the third container is preferably larger than the width of the sponge holder and the towel rack. As such, when viewing the combination from the front, neither the towel rack or the sponge holder are visible.
US07665629B2
A dispenser for consumer product packaging is disclosed, the dispenser including a removable region of the packaging creating a product opening upon removal, a reinforcement surface overlaying the removable region, a disposable adhesive label for initially opening the package by removal of the removable region of the packaging and reinforcement surface, and a durable enclosure, the durable enclosure bonded to the product packaging and resealable to allow access and preservation of a consumer product such as interleaved tissues in the packaging after initial opening.
US07665628B1
A tissue box cover with an integral tissue lifting device is provided. The tissue box includes a bottom portion having a base and four side members defining an opening for receiving a tissue box. The base has a lifting device. The lifting device includes a plurality of piercing members coupled to the base, the piercing members adapted to puncture a hole in a bottom surface of the tissue box. The lifting device further includes a plurality of lifting members corresponding to the plurality of piercing members, each of the plurality of lifting members having a resilient member that biases tissues within the tissue box toward a top surface of the tissue box. The tissue box cover also includes a top portion adapted to repeatably, removably couple to the bottom portion of the tissue box.
US07665621B2
A self movable boom system is provided. The self movable boom system include: a boom disposed on a plane perpendicular to a building clamp structure; and a moving unit apparatus including a circumferential moving unit which is disposed between the boom and the building clamp structure to move the boom on a plane perpendicular to the building clamp structure, a lifting-up unit of which one end is disposed toward the circumferential moving unit and of which other end is disposed toward the building clamp structure to move the boom along a longitudinal direction of the building clamp structure, and a boom moving unit which moves an object along the longitudinal direction of the building clamp structure and along a longitudinal direction of the boom.
US07665619B2
A shelf system having stable shelf supports and a reduced profile when installed. The invention also allows various configurations to be achieved without the need of tools. A modular shelf unit according to an embodiment of the invention includes upright supports and support brackets configured to attach to the back portion of each upright support. The support brackets may mimic the outer surface of the upright support. The support brackets may also comprise a clip, opening, or other structure configured to support or connect to an additional component, such as a garment rod. The shelves may include openings at either end configured to receive the upright supports. Various lengths and depths of shelves may be used, allowing for customization of the shelving unit or system.
US07665614B2
A screening arrangement in a vibrating screen for screening of material, such as crushed stone, gravel or the like, the screening arrangement having one or more screening decks placed at different heights and provided with directing means, where the directing means are provided on the underside of at least one upper screening deck to direct the screened material upstream onto a screening deck located below the at least one upper screening deck.
US07665607B1
A collectable item system for attachment to a container closure device and a method for distributing collectable items. The collectable item system includes a novelty object having a cavity area therein. A retainer is disposed in the cavity area of the novelty object and is fixedly attached to the novelty object. The retainer includes a pawl edge for engaging a detent area of a container closure device.
US07665600B1
A dental floss package for containing and dispensing a length of floss therefrom, the package including a dispensing envelope formed of thin paper-type material that includes two flat side walls folded over one another in overlapping relation to lie closely adjacent one another, a flap portion joined to one of the side walls and folded over the other side wall, and a cutter element is mounted on the dispensing package. A multi-use supply of dental floss is contained within the dispensing envelope, and has one exposed end thereof passing out through an exit opening in the dispensing envelope. An outer sleeve may be provided over the dispensing envelope, and the floss may be contained in a plastic pouch.
US07665589B2
A transmission box (3) for a wheeled machine having, within the box (3), a motor input shaft (4) driving a drive wheel to actuate at least one drive shaft of at least one wheel (2A, 2B) of the machine (1). A clutch mechanism is disposed between the drive wheel and the drive shaft of the wheels (2A, 2B) of the machine (1), this clutch mechanism being actuated by driving in rotation the drive wheel and axial movement of a member on the drive shaft of the wheels (2A, 2B) and deactuated by driving in rotation the drive shaft of the wheels (2A, 2B). The member which is axially movable in the drive shaft of the wheels carries ramps coacting with a member secured in rotation with the shaft.
US07665587B2
The invention relates to a torque transmission device with a clutch disk or friction plate that is connected by way of positive locking sections to an input part of a torsional vibration damping device so that they turn together but it can be slid axially. In order to produce a torque transmission device, by which the shifting quality of a converter bridge clutch in a hydrodynamic torque converter can be improved, the input part of the torsional vibration damping device has, in the circumferential direction between two positive locking sections, a seat area for one end of a spring shackle that extends from the clutch disk.
US07665585B2
A vehicle suspension system includes a mechanical spring portion adapted to undergo suspension deflection, a spring seat contacting and supporting the mechanical spring portion, and a mechanical gear assembly which is operatively connected to the spring seat to control spring seat position and which is adapted to be driven by an electric motor. A method for operating a vehicle suspension system undergoing suspension deflection, wherein the vehicle suspension system includes a mechanical spring portion having a spring seat with a movable spring seat position, includes determining a frequency content of the suspension deflection. The method also includes electromechanically controlling the spring seat position in response to suspension deflection when the determined frequency content is in a low-frequency range below a wheel hop frequency.
US07665582B2
The invention concerns an elevator system comprising an elevator car with a working platform arranged for carrying people or materials and which by means of the interaction between a gear wheel and gear rack can be moved along an elongated generally vertical mast constructed from a number of mast sections mounted on top of each other. To facilitate the erection, tearing down and anchoring of the mast to a nearby building structure, the moving unit comprises a passenger-carrying service and assembly platform, which, via a swing arm, is flexibly supported by the elevator car to allow a swivel action in a horizontal plane (C, D) relative to the elevator car.
US07665581B2
The method serves for automatic checking of the availability of technical equipment which is arranged in or at a building and executes at least one repeatable procedure, and comprises the following steps. There is determined at least one estimated value (NS(i,t)) for the frequency of the performance of the procedure for a first time period and/or second estimated value (NS(i,t+Δt)) for the frequency of the performance of the procedure for a second time period. A measured value Nm(i,t)) for the frequency of the performance of the procedure for the first time period is determined and the measured value is compared with at least one of the estimated values (NS(i,t), NS(i,t+Δt)). If the measured value (Nm(i,t)) is smaller by a predetermined amount (NS(i,t)−Nmin(i,t), ΔNs) than the respective estimated value (NS(i,t), NS(i,t+Δt)) at least one test of the technical equipment is carried out, in which test at least one reaction of the technical equipment is registered and compared with a target reaction, wherein in the case of availability of the technical equipment the reaction corresponds with the target reaction.
US07665576B2
A movable safety barrier system includes a flexible barrier member having a barrier member length with first and second ends, and a width. The barrier member can have a construction that is flexible in both directions along the length and width of the barrier member. First and second end supports are provided which are capable of supporting respective first and second ends of the length of the barrier member when the barrier member is extended between the end supports. The end supports can allow the extended barrier member to move in a direction transverse to the width of the barrier member when desired.
US07665575B2
A shock absorbing fabric structure is a one-piece webbing. The shocking absorbing fabric structure has a sheath and an elongation member inside of the sheath. The sheath and the elongation member are secured together at spaced apart connection locations and the elongation member is generally not secured to the sheath between the connection locations. Heat treatment shrinks the length of the elongation member. The sheath does not substantially shrink from heat treatment relative to the elongation member and gathers together in an accordion-like arrangement. A tensile load applied to the fabric structure stretches the elongation member and unfolds the gathered sheath. The sheath supports the tensile load when completely unfolded while the elongation member absorbs energy as it stretches or elongates.
US07665572B2
A vehicle steering system is provided which includes a variable angle ratio mechanism for changing an angle ratio of a steering angle of a steering member to a turning angle of a steering mechanism, the variable angle ratio mechanism including a first sun gear connected to a steering column, a second sun gear connected to the steering mechanism, and planetary gears each having a first toothed portion and a second toothed portion which are adapted to mesh with the first and second sun gears respectively, and are arranged to be spaced apart from each other in a tooth face width direction, the first toothed portion and the second toothed portion being formed integrally through forging.
US07665565B2
Disclosed is a support structure for a vehicle control pedal, which comprises a pedal bracket (3) supporting the control pedal (4) through a first support shaft (S1) inserted through a support hole (303), a swingable lever (7) adapted to, during a vehicle collision, come into interference with a vehicle body member (6) so as to be swingingly moved about a second support shaft (S2) while pushing the first support shaft (S1) downwardly to allow the first support shaft (S1) to drop out of the support hole (303), and a drop-out restriction member (8) engaged by a pin member (20) and coupled to the swingable lever (7) in a relatively unswingable manner, so as to restrict the drop-out of the first support shaft (S1). The support structure is designed such that, according to the swing movement of the swingable lever (7) during the vehicle collision, the restriction on drop-out of the first support shaft (S1) by the drop-out restriction member (8) is removed to allow the first support shaft (S1) to drop out of the support hole (303). The support structure of the present invention can prevent impact energy during a vehicle collision from being input to a leg of a driver through the control pedal while reliably restricting accidental drop-out of the control pedal in a normal condition.
US07665561B2
A motorcycle is provided with a compact, lightweight power unit that allows for increased maneuverability and increased bank angles while turning. The power unit includes an engine and transmission integrated into a single unit. Often, the balance and maneuverability of a motorcycle are influenced by the heaviest components of the vehicle, such as the engine or power unit. The present advantage is accomplished by providing the power unit with a water pump, oil pump and transmission which are balanced on the motorcycle, limiting the weight variations and protrusions from the motorcycle. This results in allowing the motorcycle to achieve greater bank angles for better turning speeds and maneuverability. It desirable to keep the vehicle center of gravity as low as possible in a motorcycle which is likely to lean steeply around corners. The present arrangement provides the vehicle with a lower center of gravity thereby increasing maneuverability.
US07665558B2
Engine misfire is detected by using threshold values that vary depending on whether damping control is executed. First threshold values are adopted at the setting of a gearshift position to a drive position or a park position where damping control is performed to reduce the vibration of an engine. Second threshold values are adopted at the setting of the gearshift position to a neutral position where the damping control is not performed, the second threshold values being greater than the first threshold values. Engine misfire detection is carried out by processing using the first and second threshold values.
US07665557B2
A method is provided for reducing engine idling time in a hybrid vehicle that includes a vehicle accessory and a hybrid powertrain having an engine, a generator operatively coupled to the engine, and an energy source. The method includes selectively powering the vehicle accessory using the energy source while the engine is not running, monitoring the energy source state of charge, selectively starting the engine when the energy source state of charge is less than or equal to a predetermined minimum state of charge, operating the engine driven generator to recharge the energy source to a predetermined maximum state of charge, and turning off the engine when the energy source state of charge is greater than or equal to the predetermined maximum state of charge. A hybrid electric vehicle power delivery system is also provided.
US07665540B2
A method of driving a fastener into a workpiece with a tool generally includes retracting a trigger into a housing of the tool to execute a driver sequence and establishing a magnetic field in a multistage solenoid. The magnetic field is established in at least one of a first stage and a second stage. The method includes drawing an armature member to an extended condition from a retracted condition with the magnetic field and determining a position of the armature member relative to at least one of the first stage and the second stage. The method also includes directing power between the first stage and the second stage during the driver sequence based on the position of the armature member.
US07665534B2
A zone isolation assembly (22) for a subsurface well (12) having a surface region (32), a first zone (26) and a second zone (28) includes a docking receiver (48) and a docking apparatus (50). The docking apparatus (50) is selectively moved relative to the docking receiver (48) between a disengaged position and an engaged position. In the disengaged position, the first zone (26) is in fluid communication with the second zone (28). In the engaged position, the first zone (26) is not in fluid communication with the second zone (28) during movement of a fluid between the first zone (26) and the surface region (32). The docking apparatus (50) can be maintained in the engaged position substantially by a force of gravity. The zone isolation assembly (22) can include a pump assembly (54) that pumps the fluid while the docking apparatus (50) is in the engaged position. The zone isolation assembly (22) can include a fluid collector (52) that collects the fluid when the docking apparatus (50) is in the engaged position.
US07665532B2
A mono-diameter wellbore casing is formed by radially expanding a first tubular liner off of a mandrel into contact with a second tubular liner. The first and second tubular liners are positioned within the wellbore in an overlapping relationship. The overlapping portions of the tubular liners include thin wall portions with compressible annular members that are expanded into contact with each other.
US07665531B2
A method and apparatus for facilitating the connection of tubulars using a top drive which, in one aspect, the apparatus includes a body connectable to said top drive. The body includes at least one gripping element radially displaceable by hydraulic or pneumatic fluid to drivingly engage a tubular to permit a screw connection between said tubular and a further tubular to be tightened to the required torque.
US07665525B2
A method for generating a heated product stream downhole is provided wherein a fuel rich mixture is reacted downhole by contact with a catalyst to produce a partially reacted product stream, the fuel rich mixture comprising fuel and oxygen. The partially reacted product stream is brought into contact with an oxidant thereby igniting combustion upon contact producing a combustion product stream. The combustion product stream may be cooled by injecting a diluent flow such as water or CO2. The cooled combustion product stream may be into an oil bearing strata in order to reduce the energy requirements for the production of heavy oil.
US07665512B2
A flat heat exchanger tube formed of a single strip of rolled aluminum, with at least one connection between the two broad sides. The connection is generally parallel to and spaced between the narrow sides and divides the heat exchanger tube into at least two chambers, and includes two legs consisting of bent opposite edges of the aluminum strip, the legs each having a head at adjacent bends along one of the broad sides and feet adjacent the other broad side. The legs lie against each other generally at their head over no more than half of the entire spacing between the two broad sides, with the legs enclosing an angle between them of about 20° to 100° or about 45° to 75°, advantageously 60°.
US07665508B2
A heat pipe includes a pipe containing phase changeable working media therein. A wick structure is located on an inner face of the pipe. A space is surrounded by the wick structure in the pipe. At least one muzzle with an inlet and an outlet is positioned inside the pipe; the inlet and the outlet are deferent in radius thereof.
US07665505B2
A control apparatus for positioning and counterbalancing an amount of flexible blind material wound onto or unwound from a rotatable shaft of a windable covering such as a blind. The apparatus includes a main body and a variable torque device, at least partially fitted within the main body, having means of achieving a variable torque to prevent rotation of the shaft due to a variable weight of blind material hanging from the shaft in any position between a wound position and an unwound position of the blind material defining full travel of the windable covering.
US07665502B2
A covering for an architectural opening includes a fixed stationary rail at one end of a plurality of slats and a movable rail at the opposite end of the slats with the slats being movable to and from the fixed rail to create extended and retracted positions of the architectural covering. At least one continuous drive cord is arranged in a loop with both its ends attached to the movable rail and at least one fixed cord return guide is provided. A drive spool adapted to be selectively rotatable in opposite directions of rotation and is operatively engaged with the drive cord so that the drive cord can be wrapped around the drive spool to establish driving engagement. An adjusting mechanism is provided for adjusting the plurality of slats and a drive shaft for rotatably driving the adjusting mechanism in opposite directions with the adjusting mechanism being adapted to rotatably engage the drive spool and wherein a lost-motion drive connection is operatively included between the adjusting mechanism and the drive spool.
US07665501B2
A covering for an architectural opening includes a cord which forms a loop hanging from one of the two ends of the headrail by which it is mounted. The loop is used to open and close the material suspended from the headrail and in front of the architectural opening. The cord extends within the headrail between its two ends, and may be pulled from the end lacking the loop in order to move the loop from one side to the other.
US07665500B2
The invention is directed to a temporary window shade that may include an elongated cover having a top end and a bottom end, and that may be adapted to be oriented in a retracted position, an extended position, and a plurality of intermediate positions. The temporary window shade may also include a top rail that may be attached to the top end of the elongated cover, a cord having a first end that may be connected to the top rail, and a bottom rail that may be attached to the bottom end of the elongated cover. The bottom rail may have a slot disposed through a surface of the bottom rail, and the slot may be adapted to receive the cord. At least a portion of the slot may have a width less than the thickness of the cord such that the slot may engage the cord to support the weight of the bottom rail and an accumulated portion of the elongated cover when the cord is engaged by the at least a portion of the slot.
US07665491B2
A multi-part biowaste container configured to provide a low profile design while providing sufficient storage volume to accommodate the amount of blood, tissues, and other biological materials generated during a typical surgical procedure. The multi-part biowaste container includes an anti-splash container, a dual purpose lid container, and a supplemental container. The use of three separate container members increases the total volume and storage capacity of the biowaste containers while minimizing the overall profile or height of the containers.
US07665485B2
A closing system for pressurized pipes, includes an annular supporting structure, designed to be secured to one end of the pipe, a closing hatch mounted on the annular support, and elements for locking the hatch including a locking ring inserted into an annular cavity in the support to lock the hatch, wherein the inside edge of the hatch is tapered to form an inclined wall for coupling to a corresponding inclined wall in the annular support. The collapsible ring includes a number of sectors, one of which is fixed and integral with the hatch, while the others are hinged to the adjacent sectors, so that they can rotate on a plane parallel with the hatch until they exit from the annular seating and allow the hatch to open. The hatch is opened and closed simply by rotating it around a hinge.
US07665480B2
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods and devices for conveying or containing fluids under pressure in which seals are provided with a defined path to vent fluid in the event of a seal failure.
US07665470B2
The present invention relates to a novel tobacco cultivar designated AOB 176, which has low to intermediate nicotine content. The invention provides seeds of the cultivar AOB 176, plants and parts thereof of the cultivar AOB 176, a tissue culture derived from the cultivar AOB 176, hybrids produced from cultivar AOB 176 and lines derived from cultivar AOB 176, as well as genetically modified forms of the foregoing plants and tissue culture. Also provided are methods of producing cultivar AOB 176 plants, cultivar AOB 176 hybrid plants, and tobacco lines derived from cultivar AOB 176. In addition, products produced from the plants of the present invention are provided.
US07665469B1
This is a device to pack cigarettes into a standard cigarette pack. It is designed to be portable and is comprised of a series of wheels, which are located in the interior of the casing. A handle on the outside of the device rotates a wheel, which in turn rotates another wheel and allows the device to operate.
US07665468B2
A cigarette making machine includes a web roll (8) from which a web W having bands previously formed is drawn, and a suction brake (14) arranged between the web roll (8) and a garniture tape (2) of a wrapping section (6). When a band (B) for a cigarette (C) is out of a proper region (CR), the suction brake increases the tension to be applied to the web W to elongate the web to thereby bring the location of each band (b) back to within the proper region.
US07665467B2
Architectures and techniques for treating conditions of the eye, such as presbyopia, utilize sources of treatment energy, such as electromagnetic energy emitting devices, to implement non-corneal manipulations. According to these devices and methods, the sources of treatment energy are activated to direct energy onto parts of the eye, such as the conjunctiva and sclera, to treat presbyopia. The treatments can affect at least one property of the eye and enhance an accommodation of the eye.
US07665464B2
A respiratory mask having a flexible, mask seal portion for engagement with the face of a user, a gel forehead cushion and a rotatable elbow coupling having integral exhaust ports. The mask seal portion has a thin section which permits the mask to more easily adapt to the contour of the face of the user. The gel forehead cushion provides increased compliancy and resiliency to better adapt to multiple user physical profiles. The elbow coupling includes tapered through holes in a polycarbonate arc piece to provide a quiet passage of gas through the holes.
US07665463B2
A hyperbaric oxygen chamber for treatment of large animals such as horses is disclosed. The chamber is large enough for a horse to fit inside and comfortably move around. A specially designed davit door, though quite heavy, is easily manipulated and may be used to corral the horse during ingress or egress, and is serviceable using fluorocarbon lubricants. The door, sidewalls, and floor of the hyperbaric chamber are coated with a static dissipative polyurethane material suitable for oxygen environments and may protect the horse from injury and prevent sparks. The flooring is specially designed to allow the horse to eliminate during treatment, and may be cleaned easily and thoroughly without disassembly. The control mechanisms of the hyperbaric chamber include electro-pneumatic controls, for avoiding a fire hazard.
US07665461B2
A nebulizer for a fluid and a container holding the fluid which is insertable in the nebulizer are proposed. To improve safety in use it is proposed that the nebulizer comprises first coding means and the container is associated with second coding means, so that the container can only be inserted in the nebulizer or used therewith if the codes match. Preferably, the code associated with the container comprises clear identification of the fluid contained in the container.
US07665459B2
A solar collector includes a plurality of elongated parabolic reflectors mounted within a glass-topped enclosure for pivotal movement such that each reflector is incrementally pivoted throughout the course of a day to remain substantially perpendicular to the sun. The incremental pivotal movement is caused by a motor energized from a solar switch having solar cells that also pivot throughout the day so that in one position of the switch, no electricity is being generated and transferred to the motor, but in a second position, the switch receives solar radiation and energizes the motor to again incrementally pivot each reflector along with the solar switch. The reflectors are therefore incrementally pivoted throughout the course of a day to follow the sun for optimal collection of solar radiation which is used to heat liquid carried by tubes positioned at the axis of generation of the parabolic reflectors and/or strips of solar cell material so that electricity can be generated alone, liquid heated alone, or liquid heated and electricity generated simultaneously.
US07665455B2
The trigger safety mechanism is a pivoted element (102) in which lower part there is a shaped fork (103) through of which linear guide (106) there is a guidance means (104); in which upper part there is an articulated transmission rod (101) that is supported by its other end on the hammer, being a separation space (100) between the hammer (6) and the operation end of the valve (12a) when the trigger (5) is in resting position; and in a point of the surface of the pivoted element (102) there is a rotation axis (107); so that when the trigger is moved to an active position, the guidance means passes through the interior of the linear guide so that the said pivoted element drags the rod, allowing the hammer (6) to impact the valve.
US07665450B2
The present invention relates to an internal combustion engine, and more particularly, to an internal combustion having improved performance by promoting mixing of fuel and air using a fuel mixing means installed at an intake port to improve the flow property of the mixture introduced into a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine according to the present invention, a fuel mixing means is installed at an intake port for use in supplying a mixture of fuel and air into a combustion chamber. The fuel mixing means is provided with a stream-disturbing body having a plurality of vanes for disturbing a stream passing through the intake port. The stream-disturbing body is installed rotatably in the intake port to generate a vortex or turbulence so that fuel and air are mixed uniformly and then supplied into the combustion chamber.
US07665443B2
A control arrangement for a fuel injection apparatus of an internal combustion engine, the fuel injection apparatus comprising at lest two fuel injector nozzles, the injection action of which is controllable via a solenoid, and at least two control units arranged to control the solenoids controlling the injection action. According to the invention, each injector nozzle is provided with a first and second solenoid and the first and second solenoid are in connection with a different control unit.
US07665440B2
A method for making cylinder liners and cast engine blocks having cylinder liners having a strong mechanical bond with the engine block. The method includes providing a cast metallic cylinder liner having an outer surface of the cylinder liner. The surface of the cylinder liner is preferably machined to remove surface effects or defects present from the casting process. Grit particles are directed at the outer surface of the cylinder liner with a grit blasting device at a predetermined angle of contact at a sufficient velocity to form cavities on the outer surface. The cavities that are formed have a geometry capable of forming a mechanical bond with the casting material of the engine block.
US07665439B2
A starter for moving a movable portion of an engine to start the engine includes a gear housing, a gear assembly within the gear housing, an output member at a first end of the gear assembly adapted to operably couple to the movable portion of the engine, a motor housing, and a rotor rotatably mounted within the motor housing. The rotor has a shaft portion and a vane portion that are an integral, unitary piece. The shaft portion has splines for mating with the gear assembly. The splines prevent relative rotational movement between the rotor and the gear assembly and permit relative axial movement. The rotor is formed from aluminum and at least a portion of the rotor includes an anodized coating.
US07665437B2
In a cam journal (12A) in which a timing-advance oil passage (12a) and a timing-retard oil passage (12b) are provided as a first oil passage for VVT, an oil passage (102c) for HLA is provided as the second oil passage. The timing-advance oil passage (12a) and the timing-retard oil passage (12b), which are formed on the surface of the intake camshaft (12), are separated from the oil passage (102c) for HLA by a lower cam bearing (202). Thus, it is possible to provide the control oil passages for VVT and the oil supply passage for HLA in one cam journal (12A).
US07665436B2
A timing belt system for an air cooled Twin Cam V-Twin motorcycle engine is provided. The timing belt system includes a crankshaft pulley assembly including a crankshaft pulley affixed to the crankshaft and a pulley flange affixed to the crankshaft pulley. The timing belt system also includes a camshaft pulley assembly including a spider gear having spindle affixed to the rear cam end of the Twin Cam engine and a hub having slotted apertures fastened to a camshaft pulley fastened. A timing belt having teeth is connects the crankshaft pulley to the camshaft pulley to turn the camshafts in synchronized rotation with the crankshaft. The spider can be rotated relative to the camshaft pulley and fastened thereto using bolts extending through the slotted apertures to Advance or Retard the timing of the camshafts relative to the crankshaft.
US07665435B2
An internal combustion engine has a camshaft holder 20 attached to a cylinder head 1, and two camshafts 11 and 12 are rotatably supported by the camshaft holder 20. A high-pressure pump 60 has a driving shaft 63 rotatively driven by the camshaft. An accessory holder 30 provided with a mounting seat 40 to which the high-pressure fuel pump 60 is attached is formed integrally with a lower camshaft holder 21 included in the camshaft holder 20. The mounting seat 40 is formed integrally with the accessory holder 30 and is provided with a through hole 41 in which the driving shaft 63 is received. Thus the cylinder head 1 is formed in a small size and a light weight. The accessory holder 30 can be formed with a high rigidity in a small size.
US07665432B2
Apparatus and methods for hydraulic valve actuation of engine valves are disclosed. An exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a plurality of slave piston assemblies that impart motion to the engine valves, wherein the motion is operable to open and close the engine valves. A dual diameter master piston assembly may be used to drive the plurality of slave pistons. The dual diameter master piston assembly may be divided into two or more elements with, for example, a spring bias or a button and T-slot assembly to hold the two elements together.
US07665424B2
A harness for use in coupling with an animal interface, the animal interface comprising one or more of conduits for transmitting fluid, electrical signals, or optical signals. Swivel extension tether for quick connect to harness, dual-ended swivel, an extension line, and connection to upstream monitoring equipment. Method for using the harness in an animal for fluid communication access, an electrical signal interface, and an optical interface.
US07665423B2
A method and apparatus for reducing the risk that a thrown toy will injure an animal. The apparatus consists of a toy which when thrown bounces erratically, which compressively elastically deforms, which includes a soft fabric outer surface that compresses to absorb blows, and which can withstand being bitten or chewed by a dog.
US07665413B2
A pointer assembly includes the pointer and hub that are both illuminatable. The hub includes a main portion with a concave surface. A reflector is partially received within a slot through the concave surface and is supported on top of the hub. The reflector includes a reflective surface that directs light onto the concave surface. Light from a light source is directed by separate reflective surfaces on the pointer and the reflector to illuminate both the hub and the pointer.
US07665412B2
A flag having a first panel having an outer surface and an inner surface, the first panel bearing a first indicia visible from the outer surface when the flag is turned outside-out, and from the inner surface when the flag is turned inside-out; and, a second panel having an outer surface and an inner surface, the second panel bearing a second indicia visible both from the outer surface when the flag is turned outside-out, and from the inner surface when the flag is turned inside-out; the first and second panels each having a perimeter, the perimeters of the first and second panels substantially secured to one another to form a pouch having a single opening to accommodate turning the flag inside-out.
US07665410B2
A drill for seeds and/or solid fertilizer having a support frame and a plurality of planter row units extending transversally of the direction of travel which are separated in first, second and third groups. A central member supports the first group and is attached to the support frame in a transverse manner so that the units of the first group are in contact with the ground in an operational position. First and second outer members respectively support the second and third groups and are attached respectively to a first and second end of the central member so that the outer members can rest in a first operational position collinear with the central member with the units of the second and third groups in contact with the ground, in a second position parallel to and over the central member, and in a third position perpendicular to and over the central member.
US07665405B2
Disclosed herein are various exemplary mechanisms by which external forces applied to doors and their locking mechanisms are deflected or directed away from the critical components of the locking system thereby preserving the integrity of the locking system and preventing unauthorized entry. Detailed information on various example embodiments of the inventions are provided in the Detailed Description below, and the inventions are defined by the appended claims.
US07665396B1
An apparatus for launching a projectile, such as a paintball. The apparatus includes a body defining a combustion chamber and a bore. A front bolt is provided that moves between a first position and a second position in which at least a portion of the front bolt is disposed within the combustion chamber in the first position. A rear bolt is movable between a third position and a fourth position such that at least a portion of the rear bolt is disposed within the combustion chamber in the fourth position. A drive mechanism is provided to urge the rear bolt to the fourth position. The apparatus includes an igniter device adapted to ignite a combustible mixture within the combustion chamber to propel the projectile through the bore. A portion of the rear bolt is configured to actuate the igniter device when the rear bolt moves to the fourth position. Typically, the igniter device includes a plunger and a portion of the rear bolt axially moves the plunger when the rear bolt moves from the third position to the fourth position.
US07665388B2
A pedal adjustable device includes a case fixed to an end of a link and a first member and a second member are connected between two sidewalls of the case respectively. The first part includes a polygonal hole and the second part includes a circular hole. The polygonal hole is larger than the circular hole. A support plate has one end pivotably connected to the case and an extension extends from an underside of the other end of the support plate. A pedal is fixed on the support plate. The extension includes an elongate hole and a plurality pairs of protrusions extend from two insides of the elongate hole to define a space between each pair of the protrusion. An operation member includes a polygonal section and a circular rod. The polygonal section is engaged with the polygonal hole and set on one of pairs of the protrusions.
US07665381B2
A control device for a marine propulsion system includes a base and at least two levers. Each one of the levers is supported by the base at a first end for pivotal movement about a common pivot axis and extending generally normal to the pivot axis to have a second end. The second end has a grip. The grip of one of the levers extends toward the second end of the other one of the levers. The respective grips are nested with each other when the levers extend generally parallel to each other.
US07665374B2
The present application relates to a surface-coated SPME with an extracting tip that resists breaking during analysis. Rather than utilizing a hollow fiber tip, a resilient surface coated rod is utilized. Specifically, several grooves are machined into the tip of the SPME device, allowing an adsorbent material to be retained thereon. The resulting surface coated SPME device is more rugged in laboratory use and allows for testing of analytes in chemical environments that result in failures when using fiber tipped SPME devices.
US07665368B2
An electromagnetic flow meter for measuring flow rate of a fluid passing therethrough includes a conduit defining a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet and a measuring section positioned between the inlet and the outlet. The flow meter also includes a single coil for generating a magnetic field across the measuring section and electrodes for detecting induced electrical potential due to the fluid passage. The flow meter also includes means for conditioning the flow through the measuring section. The combination of the single coil and the flow conditioning means provides a flow meter with a desired level of accuracy. The single coil and the electrodes may be arranged so that the integral of a weight function, which defines the sensitivity of the flow meter to fluid velocity through different parts of the measuring section, over the first half of a measuring section closest to the coil is between 0.4 and 1.3 times the integral of the weight function over the other half of the measuring section.
US07665362B2
Some embodiments of the present invention provide systems, methods and apparatus for more accurately determining the thickness of a refractory lining included in an operating metallurgical furnace. Specifically, in some embodiments a transient propagated stress wave is used to determine the condition of a refractory lining, and additionally, provide a systematic way to include the affect that temperature has on the velocity of a compressive wave through a heated refractory material and/or accretions. As identified in aspects of the present invention, and contrary to the common understanding in the art, the velocity of a stress wave, at each frequency and in a refractory material, is not necessarily constant over a temperature range. In accordance with aspects of some specific embodiments of the invention, a scaling factor α can be calculated for each refractory material to adjust for the presumed velocity of the stress wave through each refractory material.
US07665357B2
A field device for monitoring and/or determining a process variable of a medium, wherein the process variable preferably is fill level, viscosity or density of the medium. The field device includes: an oscillatable unit; a driving/receiving unit, which excites the oscillatable unit to oscillate, or which receives the oscillations of the oscillatable unit, as the case may be; and a control/evaluation unit, which controls the oscillations of the oscillatable unit, or which evaluates the oscillations of the oscillatable unit, control/evaluation unit produces an accretion alarm, when the oscillation frequency (f) of the oscillations of the oscillatable unit falls below an adjustable limit value (G; GMinimum; GMaximum). The limit value (G; GMinimum; GMaximum) is determinable and/or calculable at least from measured and/or calculated dependencies of the oscillation frequency on process conditions and/or on the process variable to be monitored and/or determined.
US07665353B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a device for detecting as to whether or not the heterogeneous tires are set on the right and left wheels, respectively, and accurately detecting the loss of the pneumatic pressure in the tire, even when heterogeneous tires are set on the right and the left wheels, respectively. This is a method for detecting as to whether or not the kinds of the tires set on a vehicle are different based on the rotational velocity of the wheels set on the vehicle, so that, when the pneumatic pressure of the tire set on said vehicle is normal, the velocity ratios of the right and left front wheels or the velocity ratios of the right and left rear wheels are obtained by each velocity region of the vehicle as described above, and comparison is made between the wheel velocity ratios of the right and left front wheels by each velocity region or between the wheel velocity ratios of the right and left rear wheels by each velocity region, thereby detecting that the heterogeneous tires are set between the right and left sides. Furthermore, the method for detecting loss of the pneumatic pressures of tires according to the present invention is designed to modify the threshold value for judging loss of the pneumatic pressures of the tires based on the results detected by the method for detecting the heterogeneous tires as described above.
US07665352B2
A method of monitoring pressure of oil that is implemented within an internal combustion engine includes determining an expected oil pressure value based on engine operating conditions and monitoring an actual oil pressure value based on a signal generated by an oil pressure sensor. A difference between the expected oil pressure value and the actual oil pressure value is calculated and is compared to a threshold difference. A diagnostic trouble code is generated when the difference exceeds the threshold difference.
US07665350B2
The invention relates to a dynamic-mode surface (12) scanning method in which a cantilever (10) provided with a probe (18) is non-positively coupled to the surface and is made to oscillate in a resonant fashion using positive feedback, wherein the resonant oscillation contains at least one higher harmonic whose frequency represents an integer multiple of the basic resonance frequency of the cantilever which is force-coupled to the surface. According to the invention, the amplitude or the phases of the at least one higher harmonic oscillation is determined as a control variable in order to regulate the distance between the probe (18) and the surface (14).
US07665345B2
A gaseous product detecting device (1; 20; 30; 40; 70) has a measuring cell (6; 59; 60), a filtering element (3; 45) for retaining particulate present in the air entering the measuring cell (6; 59, 60), and a detecting element (13; 50, 56) housed inside the measuring cell (6; 59, 60). A wall (9; 49, 61; 79, 82) of the measuring cell (6; 59, 60) is movable in fluidtight manner between a withdrawn position, in which the measuring cell (6; 59, 60) has a maximum volume, and a forward position, in which the measuring cell (6; 59, 60) has a minimum volume and the detecting element (13; 50, 56) is prevented from being impressed by resting against a shutter surface (5a; 43a, 49b; 82a) of the measuring cell (6; 59, 60).
US07665344B2
A device for testing exhaust emissions of an internal combustion engine utilizing wireless real time data transfer to permit outdoor testing via an indoor base station. A hand portable display device provides instructions to an operator, and a gas sensor/analyzer detects combustion gas content. The base station, display device and sensor/analyzer preferably communicate by radio.
US07665342B2
A universal offset pulling head assembly for exerting an axial pulling force on a fastener allows the same pulling head assembly to be utilized for a variety of different fastener sizes and types by exchanging a front plate assembly, where the front plate assembly may comprise variable nose pieces according to the type of fastener to be installed. Because the front plate assembly is subject to the most severe wear, other components of the pulling head assembly may continue to be utilized and the front plate assembly discarded. The disclosed pulling head assembly utilizes a stationary guiding member which prevents damage which might otherwise occur because of severe bending moments.
US07665340B2
A method for manufacturing a one piece turnbuckle includes preparing a board of metal; deep drawing the board to form two protrusions and shaping the board into a form which has two opposite ends, with the opposite ends defined by the protrusions; deep drawing the board to reduce its thickness and to form a recess; punching the recess off so as to form a through opening; boring a hole through each of the protrusions; and tapping each hole to form a threaded section.
US07665336B2
A lock and key system with a very large number of code combinations. The lock (200) includes side locking tumblers (206) having pivoting fingers (208) with asymmetric key contacting portions (220r), which engage with a wave-like code pattern (105) formed at the side of the key (100).
US07665331B2
A method and machine for obtaining bent glass sheets. Glass sheets are brought to their softening temperature, then they are caused to travel over a shaping bed of advancing elements for advancing them which are arranged along a path having a circular arc-shaped profile, the sheets progressively assuming their shape on entering the bed and over a first shaping zone, then being hardened by tempering or cooling in a second zone of the bed until they leave, and then the bent glass sheets thus obtained are recovered. The shaping bed is produced with a profile extending in a circular arc of more than 90°, and, on leaving the shaping bed, the hardened glass sheets are moved in a direction opposite that in which they were fed in.
US07665328B2
A method for rendering a contaminated biomass inert includes providing a first composition, providing a second composition, reacting the first and second compositions together to form an alkaline hydroxide, providing a contaminated biomass feedstock and reacting the alkaline hydroxide with the contaminated biomass feedstock to render the contaminated biomass feedstock inert and further producing hydrogen gas, and a byproduct that includes the first composition.
US07665323B2
A first casing includes a first baffle plate, and a second casing includes a second baffle plate. The second baffle plate is contiguous to a guide rib, which is disposed underneath the second baffle plate, having a horizontal side wall and a slanted side wall. A slit is defined between the horizontal side wall and the slanted side wall, wherein the slit extends to an end face of a partition wall. When the first casing and the second casing are connected to each other, the first baffle plate is slidably inserted in the slit. The first baffle plate projects slightly from the slit into a liquid reservoir chamber, by a distance that is not large enough to increase air resistance with respect to air flowing in the vehicular air conditioning unit. An expansion valve is sandwiched between the first baffle plate and the second baffle plate.
US07665321B2
The invention relates to an evaporator control by use of an expansion valve and an internal heat exchanger IHE. The evaporator control is controlled after the start of the evaporation process and the temperature of the compressor suction vapor, oil and hot gas as well as coolant liquid is controlled and regulated upstream of the expansion valve.
US07665315B2
A method of proofing a refrigeration system operating state includes monitoring a change in operating state of a refrigeration system component, determining an expected operating parameter of the refrigeration system component as a function of the change, and detecting an actual operating parameter of the refrigeration system component after the change. The method also comprises comparing the actual operating parameter to the expected operating parameter of the refrigeration component and detecting a malfunction of the refrigeration system component based on the comparison. The method may be executed by a controller or stored in a computer-readable medium.
US07665308B2
A method facilitates operating a gas turbine engine. The method comprises supplying steam to a nozzle, supplying primary fuel to the nozzle, discharging the steam into a combustor from a plurality of circumferentially-spaced steam outlets defined in a tip of the nozzle, and discharging the primary fuel into the combustor from at least one outlet that is spaced circumferentially between the steam outlets.
US07665297B2
An internal combustion engine has a separate exhaust passage for each one of banks. An exhaust purifying catalyst is provided in each exhaust passage. The mass flow rates G1, G2 of exhaust gas that flow through the exhaust passages are individually estimated. The flow rate of exhaust gas is individually adjusted per each bank by controlling the operation of each one of exhaust gas recirculation valves such that the difference between the estimated mass flow rates G1, G2 is decreased.
US07665291B2
A system and method for recovering heat from dirty gaseous fuel (syngas), wherein the pressure of clean fuel gas is elevated to a pressure higher than that of the dirty syngas and then the pressurized clean fuel gas is fed to a heat recovery unit for heat exchange with the dirty syngas. Consequently, in the event of a leak in the heat recovery unit, the flow is from the clean fuel side to the dirty syngas side, thereby avoiding the possibility of contamination of the clean fuel gas.
US07665286B2
A mulch deck attachment for reducing grass clippings into particles of mulch which return nutrients back to the soil. The mulch deck attachment of the present invention may be coupled to a lawnmower and may include one or more rotating blades coupled to the mulch deck attachment. A first baffle may be coupled to the mulch deck attachment and may define one or more apertures. The first baffle may also at least be partially disposed within a turning radius defined by the one or more rotating blades. A second baffle may be coupled to the mower deck and may be disposed between the first baffle and the leading edge. One or more third baffles may also be coupled to the mower deck and may be partially disposed around a circumference defined by the one or more rotating blades. A fourth baffle may be coupled to the rear portion of the mulch deck attachment and may be partially disposed about the rotating blade.
US07665279B2
A suture winding device is provided that includes a holder and a base having a needle holder for receiving a needle with a quantity of attached suture attached thereto. A plurality of rods is disposed on the base that may be arranged in one or more arrays. The plurality of rods at contribute to the alignment of a retainer disposed on the base that includes first and second members that may be joined together using pressure and/or heat. Prior to joining the first and second members of the retainer, the base may be rotated to form loops of suture around the arrays of rods.
US07665278B2
Methods of automatically packaging an object in netting include: (a) automatically extending a product pusher having a pusher head through a product chute; (b) pushing at least one object from a location upstream of the product chute, through a product chute to a location downstream of the product chute in response to the extending step; (c) pulling netting material upstream of the product chute off an exterior surface of the product chute to automatically enclose the object in the netting material as the object exits the product chute; (d) automatically retracting the pusher head after the pushing step extends the pusher head outside the product chute; then (e) automatically directing a clipper to pivot into position when the pusher head is partially retracted a distance sufficient to position the pusher head inside the product chute; and (f) applying at least one clip to the netting material using the clipper to secure the object in the netting material.
US07665277B2
An optical disc receptacle adapted for storing an optical disc is provided. The optical disc receptacle includes a body configured for disposal about the optical disc. The body includes an end portion arcuately disposed about the optical disc and extending to a perimeter. The perimeter forms a window configured to visually display the optical disc. The body includes a pliable first layer and a second soft fabric layer configured to engage digital data readable portions of the optical disc. The optical disc can include a first side having digital data readable portion and a second side having digital data readable portions.
US07665275B2
A packaging system (10) and method for supplying and distributing dunnage products to multiple packing stations (14, 16) is characterized by a supply of dunnage products (12), a plurality of packing stations (14, 16), and a distribution assembly (20) that selectively distributes the dunnage products from the supply (12) to selected ones of the packing stations (14, 16). The supply of dunnage (12) may include a converter (22) that converts sheet stock material into a relatively less dense dunnage product. The distribution assembly (20) includes a conveyor (40), an alignment device (50) downstream of the conveyor (40), and a tiltable dunnage product support surface (60) below the alignment device (50). The alignment device (50) controls the descent of a dunnage product therethrough to the support surface (60). The support surface (60) is tiltable to selectively direct the dunnage product toward respective packing stations (14, 16).
US07665268B2
Floor covering, including hard floor panels which, at least at the edges of two opposite sides, are provided with coupling parts, cooperating which each other, substantially in the form of a tongue and a groove, wherein the coupling parts are provided with integrated mechanical locking elements which prevent the drifting apart of two coupled floor panels in a direction (R) perpendicular to the related edges and parallel to the underside of the coupled floor panels, and provide a snap-action coupling.
US07665265B2
Floor covering, including hard floor panels which, at least at the edges of two opposite sides, are provided with coupling parts, cooperating which each other, substantially in the form of a tongue and a groove, wherein the coupling parts are provided with integrated mechanical locking elements which prevent the drifting apart of two coupled floor panels in a direction (R) perpendicular to the related edges and parallel to the underside of the coupled floor panels, and provide a snap-action coupling.
US07665249B2
A modularized approach for rapidly and cost effectively assembling a structure suitable for housing radiation emitting equipment is disclosed. The modules include reinforced walls to contain radiation shielding fill material. The modules are transported empty and then filled on site with the fill material to form a radiation shielding barrier around radiation emitting equipment.
US07665245B2
A combined sealing system for use with a combination of a panel and a frame includes a first sealing system and a second sealing system. The first sealing system is positioned within a first side of the frame, and the second sealing system is positioned within a second side of the frame separate from the first side of the frame. The first and second sealing systems have a locked configuration and an unlocked configuration upon the panel being positioned within the frame. The panel pivots relative to the frame, and the first sealing system is a reciprocal motion sealing system.
US07665241B2
A firearm handgrip includes a housing and a bipod movable between stored and deployed positions. The bipod is adapted for panning (horizontal rotation), tilting (up-down) and canting (right-left) movements when deployed and includes a torsion spring enabling tracking a horizontal angle for quick leg realignment. The bipod includes a piston, a deployment spring between the piston and the housing, and a locking assembly for holding the bipod in the stored position. The locking mechanism preferably first and second magnet pieces respectively located on a release ram near the top of the housing and on the piston. Alignment between the magnet pieces in a first ram position holds the bipod in the stored position while movement to a second ram position creates magnet misalignment for bipod release.
US07665240B1
An elongated forend member is the principal component of the modular system rifle stock. The forend member can be injection molded or milled from an aluminum billet. The forend member has laterally spaced left and right side walls whose bottom edges are connected to a bottom wall to form an elongated chamber that extends substantially the length of the forend member. The elongated chamber can accommodate most of the receivers/actions of existing rifles and shotguns. The rear wall of the forend member has a protruding boss member or specifically shaped recess that allows either a slider or firearm stock to be secured thereto.
US07665238B2
A device adapted to discharge a volatile material includes a display frame having a front face and a rear face and an opening disposed in the rear face. The device further includes a dispenser disposed within the display frame. The dispenser includes a blister that holds a volatile material and a permeable membrane that extends across an open end of the blister. The rear face includes an integral foot member connected to an upper portion of the display frame at a hinge and the integral foot member is actuable between first and second states about the hinge. Further, the permeable membrane is disposed adjacent the rear face and regulates release of the volatile material therethrough.
US07665228B2
A flow enhancing air grill for a laundry dryer includes a plurality of apertures through which air flows from a rotatable drum to an air duct. The air grill is positioned over the air duct and extends beyond the air duct. In addition, a primary surface of the air grill is positioned in spaced overlying relationship to a front bulkhead surface so as to form a gap between the primary air grill surface and the underlying front bulkhead surface. The air grill may extend arcuately in conformance to the circular shape of an access port of the dryer in which it is positioned, up inclined wall surfaces of the access port. The arrangement reduces airflow obstruction by allowing adequate air flow in the event the portion of the air grill directly overlying the air duct inlet becomes covered by items of the laundry load.
US07665222B2
A gauge (1) for checking radial dimensions of a workpiece (60), e.g. the diameter of a crankpin orbitally rotating during grinding operations, includes a casing, a V-shaped reference device (4) and a rod that can move within the casing (2) with respect to the reference device, an end of the rod projecting from the casing and carrying a feeler (20) for touching the surface of the workpiece to be checked and transmitting the movements of the feeler to a transducer (22). A sealing system for preventing coolant, dust or other foreign matter from getting inside the casing includes a pneumatic conduit (6) for allowing compressed air to be blown from inside the casing to outside, and an internal seal that—in the non-operative condition—seals the opening through which the rod projects from the casing. According to an advantageous embodiment, the seal is fastened into a bushing guiding the rod and cooperates with a surface of the rod in order to get the tightness.
US07665220B1
The present invention is a towel or absorbent cloth adapted for use by a fisherman for grasping a freshly caught fish with measurement means visible on a surface of the towel or absorbent cloth. In a preferred embodiment, attaching means provide for attachment of the towel to a belt or pants top of a user so that it can be easily reached upon catching a fish. In another embodiment, a grasping part of the towel or cloth is adapted to minimize absorbency to preserve the protective slime coat of a freshly caught fish so that it can be safely released after measurement.
US07665215B2
A head for string trimmer machines uses fixed length segments of line including at least two line segments. The head includes a generally cylindrically shaped main housing member with at least two sets of first and second line entry holes on the housing member intermediate the first and second ends. At least two sets of first and second line exit openings also are found on the main housing member intermediate the first and second ends and spaced apart a greater distance than the distance between the first and second line entry holes. Arcuate guide channels are located between the respective entry holes and exit openings where the corresponding entry openings and exit openings of corresponding sets are located at different distances measured axially on the main housing member from the first end thereof.
US07665212B2
Endodontic instruments having a desired cutting edge are formed, at least in part, using a cold forming process. The method of forming the endodontic instrument includes providing a blank metal thread or wire and at least one die that has a negative impression of a cutting edge. The die is pressed against the blank with sufficient force in order for the die to form an at least partially formed cutting edge in the blank. Any desired shape can be formed into the blank by selecting a die with the proper corresponding negative impression. Cold forming techniques suitable for forming endodontic instruments include roll forming, flat rolling, radial forming, cold drawing, and similar techniques. The files can be sharpened or otherwise modified before or after cold-forming using techniques such as cutting, grinding, and chemical milling.
US07665209B2
There is provided a wiring substrate for connecting a mounting board on one surface thereof and mounting an integrated circuit chip on the opposite surface to the surface. The wiring substrate has a conductive connecting portion penetrating the substrate for connecting to at least a portion of a wiring layer of the integrated circuit chip, with the portion of a wiring layer formed on the substrate, and an insulating portion formed at a lateral side of the connecting portion for surrounding the connecting portion via a portion of the wiring substrate.
US07665208B2
A first through hole is formed in a laminate by trepanning machining using laser light, for example. The trepanning machining refers to a process for irradiating laser light along such a trajectory that the laser light is first irradiated onto a substantially central area of a first through hole to be formed, the laser light is irradiated along a circumference corresponding to the bore diameter of the first through hole to be formed, and the laser light is finally irradiated onto the substantially central area of the first through hole to be formed again. A second through hole being substantially concentric with and having a larger bore diameter than the first through hole is formed by irradiating the laser light, similarly to the first through hole.
US07665203B2
An insulator-combining apparatus which can correctly detects whether or not insulators are lined up in a predetermined sequence is provided. The plate-combining apparatus includes a plate-setting jig which includes a frame, holder, combining part and erroneous attaching-preventing part. The holders hold insulating plates and are provided being spaced from each other and supported by the frame capable of approaching and leaving each other. The combining part includes a pair of nipping members which positions the holder therebetween so as to cause the holders to approach each other. The erroneous attaching-preventing part prevents the holders from approaching each other until the insulators combine with each other when an incorrect insulating plate is attached on the holder.
US07665200B1
A multiple purpose CNC machine that is mountable on a framed, mobile dolly. The machine includes: an open frame base Y-axis (200), a gantry X-axis (300), and a double angle plate (400) that provides mounting surfaces for tooling/instruments such as a Z axis module (500). The double angle plate also allows for mounting of a second Z axis module on the opposite face. The modular Z axis module includes a horizontally rigid counterweight assembly. The counterweight assembly facilitates the adding/subtracting of counterbalancing weights. The Y axis base includes provisions for placement of a tooling plate that is secured on precision machined pads of the Y axis base. The pads also include reference dowel pins. The CNC machine is multiple purpose and can be configured with a high-speed spindle or other material-removing tools, can be used with tooling such as in robotic applications, or can be used with a camera system such as for inspection tasks. The CNC machine can be configured with positioning control motors of either a closed loop servo system or an open loop stepper/linear motor system.
US07665196B2
Provided is a method of manufacturing a multi-frequency surface acoustic wave (SAW) device on a common piezoelectric substrate. The method features varying the resonant frequency of waveguide elements of the SAW device using a single etch step. The etch step removes a sub-portion of multiple layers of conductive film disposed on the substrate.
US07665194B2
A slide fastener with a slider locking mechanism comprising a slider body, a tab attached to the slider body rotatably, and a slider having a locking pawl formed integrally with the tab, wherein the locking pawl has a pawl portion fitted into between the elements, and the pawl portion comprises: a first contact surface which, when the tab is rotated after sliding operation of the slider is ended, contacts with a first element of an element row attached to a fastener stringer to stop the tab's rotation temporarily; and a second contact surface which, when the slider starts a forced movement in an element separating direction with the tab's rotation stopped, contacts with a second element to stop the slider's forced movement in a state where the tab restarts to rotate and the pawl portion is fitted into between the elements.
US07665192B2
A slider is adapted for use with a reclosable fastener for bags containing material. The reclosable fastener includes a first track and a second track. The first track includes a first profile, while the second track includes a second profile. The first and second profiles are releasably engageable to each other. At least one of the first and second profiles has an interior portion. The slider comprises a body that includes a top, a first side, a second side and a separation member on an underside of the top. The separation member is adapted to open and close the fastener and includes a slider finger that extends generally downwardly from the top. The slider finger extends into an interior portion of the first profile so as to assist in removing material trapped in the interior portion of the first profile when closing the reclosable fastener.
US07665186B2
A hinge for a clamshell-type phone includes first and second hinge sections with cooperative anti-skewing features to prevent skewing of the hinge in the open and/or closed positions. The first hinge section includes at least one anti-skew tab extending normal to the pivot axis of the hinge and a second hinge section includes at least one U-shaped anti-skew member to engage the anti-skew tab on the first hinge section in an open or closed position.
US07665185B2
A hinge assembly containing a receiver member having a corrugated inner surface and a locking pin for being pivotally disposed within the receiver portion about an axis. The locking pin and receiver member have complementary corrugated engaging surfaces that allow the hinge to provide support for a cantilevered structure when the pin and receiver are engaged. When the complimentary pin and receiver are disengaged, the pin member can be incrementally rotated so as to allow the cantilevered structure to be positioned in a different position or orientation.
US07665182B2
Provided is a damper installation structure of a vacuum cleaner. The structure includes a damper, and a damper support part concaved into an inner portion of a main body of the vacuum cleaner and having a plurality of support bars. To firmly support the damper, the damper support bars are branched and extended toward an outward direction.
US07665177B2
A cleaning swab has an elongated handle defining a longitudinal axis and having a diameter. The handle has a cleaning head end. A cleaning head is formed from a sheet of non-linting material having a predetermined thickness so as to form a predetermined cleaning head diameter. The material forms a seal-less tip and a pair of longitudinal side seals extending along longitudinal sides of the cleaning head. Excess material forms a cleaning surface suitable for standard polish and angle physical connector polished end faces. A sleeve has a central opening for receiving the handle such that the cleaning head extends beyond an open end of the sleeve. Use of a first predetermined thickness of material forms a first swab having a cleaning head having a first diameter cleaning head and use of a second different predetermined thickness of material forms a second swab having a second different diameter. The sleeve is configured to interchangeably receive the first swab and the second swab.
US07665174B2
A cleaning head for use with a floor cleaning machine comprises first and second cleaning tools, at least one motor and a cleaning tool support. The at least one motor is configured to respectively drive rotation of the first and second cleaning tools about first and second horizontal axes. The first and second cleaning tools each have an exterior cleaning surface configured to engage the floor during floor cleaning operations. The cleaning tool support is configured to support the first and second cleaning tools for movement of the first and second horizontal axes relative to each other in a plane that is transverse to the first and second horizontal axes. Another embodiment of the invention is directed to a floor cleaning machine that includes embodiments of the cleaning head.
US07665171B2
A fluid operated wash brush is provided. The wash brush includes a casing having a downwardly opening top cover. The casing includes a liquid inlet for connection to a fluid supply. The wash brush also includes a rotary wash brush and a mounting shaft supported by the casing for relative rotation on which the rotary wash brush is carried. A retention mechanism is carried on a distal end of the mounting shaft for releasable engagement and disengagement with the rotary wash brush.
US07665159B2
A bathtub cushion and method includes an elastomeric gel with a matrix of intersecting buckling columns defining open ended cells therebetween. The cushion can have a foam mat with at least one recess to receive the elastomeric gel. A scrim can be coupled to the foam mat and can extend across the at least one recess. The scrim has a plurality of holes through the scrim. The elastomeric gel can be attached to the scrim, and can extend across the recess.
US07665155B2
A closure for use with a pocket for a protective garment is provided. The closure includes a margin, a closure body and an edge. The edge is thicker than the closure body so as to provide better tactile feedback for the wearer. The edge may also include an insert located within the edge.
US07665152B2
As combined with a protective garment having a generally tubular portion, such as a protective coat having a sleeve, or such as a pair of protective pants having a pants leg, which may be regarded as being generally tubular, and a drag harness, which is assembled to the generally tubular portion and which facilitates dragging a wear from a hazardous situation. The drag harness includes a loop, which is assembled to and within the generally tubular portion, and a grip, which extends through an aperture in the generally tubular portion. The loop and the grip may be made from a single length of strapping or, alternatively, the loop and the grip may be made from separate lengths of strapping. The loop may have a fixed length or, alternatively, the drag harness may have a running noose, by which the loop is adapted to tighten when the grip is pulled.
US07665151B1
A garment with bib attachment consists of a garment body having a front, opposed first and second sides, an upper end, a neck-receiving opening formed in the upper end of the garment body, a first arm stall formed in the upper end of the garment body on a first side of the neck-receiving opening, and a second arm stall formed in the upper end of the garment body on a second side of the neck-receiving opening. First and second pockets are formed in the upper end of the garment body on either side of the neck-receiving opening. A bib is formed a first extension extending into the first pocket and a second extension extending into the second pocket. The first and second extensions are detachably secured to the garment within the first and second pockets, respectively, suspending the bib on the front of the garment body under the neck-receiving opening.
US07665150B2
A disposable elastomeric glove has a secondary cuff disposed distally of a primary cuff on a wrist region of the glove. The secondary cuff may be grasped by an opposite hand to safely remove the glove with the primary cuff in place to protect the skin on the wrist from contaminants on the opposite hand. The secondary cuff approximates the design of the primary cuff such that the removal process is similar to that of a conventional glove.
US07669246B2
A system comprises a business entitlement object, a primary account associated with a first user, wherein the primary account is linked to the business entitlement object, a secondary user condition defined by the first user, and a first secondary account, wherein a second user links the first secondary account to the business entitlement object according to the secondary user condition.
US07669243B2
A method for detecting a stack buffer overflow attack is provided that includes receiving a memory access request from a processor core of a system, and determining that the memory access request indicates a stack buffer overflow attack. The method may further include preventing completion of the memory access request and/or executing a security violation response. A system is also provided that includes a processor core coupled to a plurality of busses and an execution stack in a random access memory coupled to the plurality of busses. The system further includes a buffer overflow protection (BOP) logic coupled to the plurality of busses to receive memory access requests from the plurality of busses. The BOP logic is operable to detect a buffer overflow attack comprising a memory access request addressing the execution stack initiated by a program executing on the processor core.
US07669241B2
A distinct-count estimate is obtained in a guaranteed small footprint using a two level hash, distinct count sketch. A first hash fills the first-level hash buckets with an exponentially decreasing number of data-elements. These are then uniformly hashed to an array of second-level-hash tables, and have an associated total-element counter and bit-location counters. These counters are used to identify singletons and so provide a distinct-sample and a distinct-count. An estimate of the total distinct-count is obtained by dividing by the distinct-count by the probability of mapping a data-element to that bucket. An estimate of the total distinct-source frequencies of destination address can be found in a similar fashion. By further associating the distinct-count sketch with a list of singletons, a total singleton count and a heap containing the destination addresses ordered by their distinct-source frequencies, a tracking distinct-count sketch may be formed that has considerably improved query time.
US07669240B2
A detection and response system including a set of algorithms for detection within a stream of normal computer traffic a subset of TCP packets with one IP Source Address (SA), one Destination Port (DP), and a number exceeding a threshold of distinct Destination Addresses (DA). There is efficient use of a lookup mechanism such as a Direct Table and Patricia search tree to record sets of packets with one SA and one DP as well as the set of DA values observed for the given SA, DP combination. The existence of such a subset and the header values including SA, DP, and multiple DAs of the subset are reported to a network administrator. In addition, various administrative responses to reports are provided.
US07669239B2
A network computer system for providing security that includes a monitoring function for the network computer system utilizing compartments that can be logical or separate physical hardware, at least one outside server for an untrusted computer network, e.g., global computer system, at least one proxy server, at least one inside server, wherein the at least one outside server is able to read and write software code to the at least one proxy server and the at least one proxy server is able to read and write software code to the at least one inside server, wherein the monitoring function can read and execute software code from the at least one outside server, the at least one proxy server and the at least one inside server. There is a top/down security function to prevent access to higher compartments.
US07669234B2
Methods and associated systems for processing data are disclosed. A hashing function sequentially processes a hash key to generate a hash value. A policy management system processes packets according to defined policies.
US07669232B2
Systems and methods for authentication using paired dynamic secrets in secured wireless networks are provided. Each authenticated user is assigned a random secret generated so as to be unique to the user. The secret is associated with a wireless interface belonging to the user, so that no other wireless interface may use the same secret to access the network. The secret may be updated either periodically or at the request of a network administrator, and reauthentication of the wireless network may be required.
US07669231B2
According to an aspect of the invention, a management of each authentication subprocess assures the each authentication subprocess, and assurance contents can be verified by verification side, so that trustworthiness of the whole authentication process can be improved. An authentication system includes authentication entity devices which separately execute authentication subprocesses P1 and P2 and a verification device which verifies the executed contents of each of the authentication subprocesses P1 and P2. The entity device includes a confidential information management unit which manages confidential information, an authenticator generating unit which generates an authenticator using the confidential information, and a context generating unit which generates a specific context pursuant to a specific format from the authenticator and the executed contents.
US07669230B2
Methods and systems are provided for secure switching of a roaming wireless terminal. The system includes a network having a plurality of access points for communicating with a wireless terminal. The network includes a first access point configured to couple with the wireless terminal, and a second access point configured to couple with the wireless terminal. The first access point is further configured to generate a first authentication information with the wireless terminal, and connect the wireless terminal with the network upon an authentication of the wireless terminal based on the first authentication information. The first access point is further configured to transmit the first authentication information to the second access point via the network upon the authentication of the wireless terminal. The second access point is further configured to connect the wireless terminal with the network using the first authentication information. The method includes the steps of generating a first authentication information during authentication of the wireless client with a first access point, broadcasting the first authentication information from the first access point to other access points of the network via the network, and connecting the wireless client with the network at a second access point using the first authentication information.
US07669211B2
A disk-chucking device comprises a pressing member including a circular groove which is provided around a circumference of the clamp member, and a clamping member mounted on a turning plate for clasping the circular groove of the pressing member. The turning plate provides a through hole at the center thereof which allows the pressing member passing through, and a plurality of first notch portions disposed along the circumference of the through hole. The turning plate is slidably connected to a mounting board through the clamping member. The turning plate can rotate with respect to the mounting board to move the pressing member vertically. Thus, the pressing member can be pressed onto and removed from a disk support of the displayer according to the rotation of the turning plate. The present disk-chucking device can chuck the disk securely regardless of the position of the disk player.
US07669201B2
The invention provides a method and system for creating a single, common installation file for multiple target device types. In one approach, the method comprises providing a base engine, compiling the engine into an intermediate language code, and just-in-time compiling the intermediate code into executable code. The latter code is executed to gather the appropriate data sets and concatenate the data sets with the engine to form the installation file. The present invention also provides a method and system for utilizing the installation file to retrieve the appropriate data set(s) for the identified target device type, and to install the retrieved data set(s) onto the target device.
US07669198B2
A method of testing a computer program written for use in a foreign language can include identifying text presented upon a display screen, wherein the text is in a first language, and automatically acquiring the text from the display screen. The text can be translated from the first language to a second language. The translated text can be presented in the second language upon the display screen.
US07669196B2
A data processing system including a data generating device and a data outputting device. The data generating device includes: a generation program updating section for updating the version of the generation program, which causing a computer to generate data, from a current version to a next version. The data outputting device includes: a receiving section for receiving data from the data generating devices, a data accumulating section for accumulating data received at the receiving section; an outputting section for processing and outputting data in the data accumulating section in accordance with the output program executed by the computer; an output program updating section for updating the version of the output program from a current version to a next version; a compatibility determining section for determining the compatibility between the next-version output program and data in the data accumulating section before the output program is updated; and a controlling section for determining an operation to perform on data in the data accumulating section based on the result of the determination by the compatibility determining section.
US07669191B1
Implementing a type-safe heterogeneous containers in a memory arrangement of a computing system. In one embodiment, a main object of a class is specified in program source code. The class has a variant type, and the variant type provides at least two different data types, at least one of which is a linear array of objects of one of the data types. The class includes methods for putting and getting a variant object of the variant type in and from the main object. An application of a visitor method, which includes a respective operator for each of the different data types, is specified in the program source code for each method for getting a variant object from the main object. Compilation of the source code results in code that executes the one of the operators corresponding to the data type of a referenced variant object of the main object.
US07669181B2
A method and system for employing client interfaces for packages. In one embodiment, an access object associated with a service provided by a first package is located, where the service is seeking to access content residing at a second package. A client interface is then created at the second package using the access object. The client interface is used to provide access to the content by exposing the content to the service via the client interface.
US07669177B2
The present systems and methods disclose a system for personalizing computer functionality. End-users are provided with tools to easily write rich and complex preferences, for example, by using a plurality simple IF-THEN propositional logic. The preferences are then transformed into queries and executed efficiently on structured data. Preferences that are satisfied then execute actions such as providing notification or storing data in a particular folder. Furthermore, according to an aspect of the invention, data, logic, events, inter alia, are all schematized, thereby enabling sharing of data between application components and across applications.
US07669172B2
A pattern creation method, including laying out data of a most extreme end pattern of integrated circuit patterns on a first layer and laying out data of the integrated circuit patterns excluding the most extreme end pattern on a second layer, extracting data of a first most proximate pattern being most proximate to the most extreme end pattern from the second layer and converting the extracted data to a third layer, generating data of a contacting pattern which contacts both the first most proximate pattern and the most extreme end pattern in a fourth layer, generating data of a non-overlapping pattern of the contacting pattern excluding overlapping portions with the most extreme end pattern and the first most proximate pattern in a fifth layer, extracting data of a second most proximate pattern being most proximate to the non-overlapping pattern and converting the extracted data to the first layer.
US07669171B2
A prediction model for exposure dose is indicated by the following formula, E=E0+EC, wherein E represents an optimized exposure dose, E0 represents a preset exposure dose of a process control system, and EC represents an exposure dose compensation value, and EC=[(MTTdiff/X)/(CDmask/X)]×(ES/A′)×(Wlast+Wavg), wherein MTTdiff represents the differences between the MTT value of a previous lot and the MTT value of a next lot, CDmask represents the actual critical dimension of the mask, X represents the magnification of the mask, ES represents the actual exposure dose of a previous lot, A′ represents an experimental value obtained from the results of different lots, Wlast represents the last batch of weights and Wavg represents an average weight, and CDmask, ES, A′, Wlast and Wavg are set parameters built into the process control system.
US07669170B2
A circuit layout methology is provided for eliminating the extra processing time and file-space requirements associated with the optical proximity correction (OPC) of a VLSI design. The methodology starts with the design rules for a given manufacturing technology and establishes a new set of layer-specific grid values. A layout obeying these new grid requirements leads to a significant reduction in data preparation time, cost, and file size. A layout-migration tool can be used to modify an existing layout in order to enforce the new grid requirements.
US07669165B2
Method and system for equivalence checking of a low power design are disclosed. The method includes receiving a register-transfer level (RTL) netlist representation of a circuit, receiving a power specification file for describing power requirements of the circuit, creating a low power gate netlist for representing a design implementation of the circuit using the RTL netlist and the power specification file, creating a reference low power RTL netlist for representing a design specification of the circuit using the RTL netlist and the power specification file, and performing equivalence checking between the low power gate netlist and the reference low power RTL netlist. The method further includes annotating low power information described in the power specification file into the reference low power RTL netlist, and creating low power logic in the reference low power RTL netlist.
US07669148B2
A Mixed Media Reality (MMR) system provides mechanisms for forming a mixed media document that includes media of at least two types (e.g., printed paper as a first medium and digital content and/or web link as a second medium). The MMR system provides mechanisms for forming a mixed media document that includes media of at least two types, such as printed paper as a first medium and a digital photograph, digital movie, digital audio file, or web link as a second medium. Furthermore, the MMR system facilitates business methods that take advantage of the combination of a portable electronic device, such as a portable video player or a portable audio player, and a paper document for the portable electronic device to provide information.
US07669145B2
A software object display system using an adaptation layer to obtain information concerning a number of software objects is described. The adaptation layer communicates to a presentation layer which produces a display for the software objects. The adaptation layer isolates the presentation layer from the details of the structures of the software objects to be displayed. The adaptation layer provides a standard set of data to the presentation layer for the presentation layer to display.
US07669129B2
Transformation hierarchies and effects trees may be defined in the same user interface by treating animated transformations as another type of time-varying data stream. Effects operators in the effect tree are provided with an input to receive a transformation. The effects operators can be set to either use a transformation having parameters specified by the user, or use an input transformation, or both. Transform operators may generate an output transform based on user specified parameters or based on a function of data input to the transform operator. If there is no input connected to a transform operator, the transform operator may generate its own local transform. In the user interface, the user can connect the output of one transformation operator to the next (e.g., parent to child) using the same output to input port connections as used for images and effects operators. The result of a graph of transformation operators is then visually connected to the input of the image processing (rendering or rasterizing) effect, such as a DVE, that is capable of using the final transformation. The user can then identify clearly which image effects are consumers of the transformation matrices. Using the data flow user interface, it also becomes possible to supply the same transformation as input to several image processing effects.
US07669120B2
A method and system for encoding a mark-up language document is provided, in which, the structure of the mark-up language document is condensed by removing those parts of the structure that are fixed, and by expressing the variable parts of the structure in terms of whether or how often they occur. A template that specifies which parts of the structure are fixed and which parts are variable may be provided to both the device that is transmitting the mark-up language document and the device that is receiving the mark-up language document.
US07669116B2
Methods for efficiently publishing electronic versions of traditionally paper-based government forms and utilizing the electronic forms for web-based transactional services are disclosed. Standard paper-based government forms are automatically converted to XML format, including data fields for entry of information by customers. Multiple electronic forms are accessible to the customer at a single access point, such as a web site. At the web site, the customer selects a form for filing with any of a plurality of government agencies. When presented to the customer, the selected form is presented with some of its data fields being pre-populated according to information retrieved from a database and specific to that customer. The customer completes the form, and a back-end system integrated with the web site handles the completed form, determines the appropriate government agency for filing the form, and transmits it as a transaction to the determined government agency.
US07669115B2
A method and system for facilitating information exchange between individuals and entities interacting on a shared project are provided, and more particularly to a method and system for horizontal. i.e. non-hierarchical, participation in and/or contribution to a spreadsheet-based project. The method and system is Web-based and utilizes conventional browser and spreadsheet technology to achieve collaborative exchanges of information on an enterprise-wide basis. The method and system also facilitate efficacious remote information access and exchange, e.g., over a computer network such as the Internet and/or the World Wide Web, through a caching function that combines individual queries initiated by a spreadsheet program before transmitting across a network to a server for consideration.
US07669106B1
Described are an iterative decoder and method for implementing an iterative decoder which can be used for error correction in data communications. In one implementation, the method includes implementing a first function including a first plurality of Gilbert cells, and implementing a second function including a second plurality of Gilbert cells, where examples of the first and second functions include an equality constraint function and a parity check function. Each of the first plurality of Gilbert cells and the second plurality of Gilbert cells includes n m-input Gilbert multipliers, in which n is an integer greater than (3) and m=(n−1).
US07669105B2
A reconfigurable maximum a-posteriori probability (MAP) calculation circuit that reuses the arithmetic logic unit (ALU) hardware to calculate forward state metrics (alpha values), backward state metrics (beta values), and extrinsic information (lambda values) for the trellis associated with the MAP algorithm. The alpha, beta and lambda calculations may be performed by the same ALU hardware for both binary code (i.e., WCDMA mode) and duo-binary code (i.e, WiBro mode).
US07669102B1
A memory coupled to a programmable logic device (PLD) is configured through the PLD's JTAG port. A soft core loaded into the PLD connects to the JTAG port and memory. An external programming host device connects to the JTAG port, sends instructions and data to and receives data from the memory via the JTAG port and soft core. A synchronization JTAG instruction is loaded, and a Shift Data state of the JTAG port state machine is used. The programming host device and soft core are synchronized, and a memory chip select is asserted. A memory instruction, such as READ, WRITE or ERASE is loaded into the memory. An RTI state of the state machine is used to wait for instruction completion and the chip select is deasserted. Another instruction is processed starting with using the Shift Data state. Alternatively, a PLD Shift Data Register is used in conjunction with the soft core.
US07669099B2
An optimized JTAG interface is used to access JTAG Tap Domains within an integrated circuit. The interface requires fewer pins than the conventional JTAG interface and is thus more applicable than conventional JTAG interfaces on an integrated circuit where the availability of pins is limited. The interface may be used for a variety of serial communication operations such as, but not limited to, serial communication related integrated circuit test, emulation, debug, and/or trace operations.
US07669096B2
Apparatus and methods are provided for debugging an integrated circuit. Local multiplexer circuits are provided near first and second circuit blocks in the integrated circuit. Each multiplexer circuit includes input nodes, a control node, and an output node. A first input node of the first multiplexer circuit is coupled to an internal node of the first circuit block, a first input node of the second multiplexer circuit is coupled to an internal node of the second circuit block, second input nodes of the first and second multiplexer circuits are coupled to logical 0, and the control signal nodes of the first and second multiplexer circuits are coupled to a control signal. An OR gate is provided that includes an input node coupled to the output node of the first multiplexer circuit, another input node coupled to the output node of the second multiplexer circuit, and an output node. The control signal is used to select the internal nodes of the first or second circuit blocks for monitoring at the output node of the OR gate.
US07669088B2
A system and method for monitoring the availability of an application in a distributed data processing environment are provided. The performance aspects of application availability are defined in terms of easily observed and computed characteristics of the application as it behaves in a deployed environment with the deployed configuration. The system and method observe the application processes, the structural resources they require, and the consumable resources they require from the running system itself. These observations are then used to derive minimum requirements for the resource requirement aspects of availability as well as derive criteria for normal behavioral conditions. These minimum requirements and normal behavioral conditions are then used to establish monitoring rules or conditions for monitoring the operation of the application to determine if availability of the application is degrading such that a notification needs to be sent to an administrator.
US07669084B2
A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for self-diagnosing remote I/O enclosures with enhanced FRU callouts. when a failure is detected on a RIO drawer, a data processing system uses the bulk power controller to provide an alternate path, rather than using the existing RIO links, to access registers on the I/O drawers. The system logs onto the bulk power controller, which provides a communications path between the data processing system and the RIO drawer. The communications path allows the data processing system to read all of the registers on the I/O drawer. The register information in the I/O drawer is then analyzed to diagnose the I/O failure. Based on the register information, the data processing system identifies a field replacement unit to repair the I/O failure.
US07669081B2
A computer-implemented method for performing a process is provided. The method comprises: (a) receiving a request to perform a process, the process comprising a plurality of tasks and at least a scheduler rule; (b) receiving a plurality of checkpoints associated with the process, each checkpoint comprising checkpoint state data and at least a respective checkpoint rule governing execution of the process; (c) determining a first task of the plurality of tasks to be scheduled into a priority queue, in accordance with the scheduler rule; (d) determining the first checkpoint of the plurality of checkpoints that is to be the first checkpoint used in processing the first task, in accordance with the scheduler rule; (e) creating the checkpoint state data for the first checkpoint; (f) saving the checkpoint state data for the first checkpoint; (g) processing the first task in accordance with the checkpoint rule associated with the first checkpoint; (h) determining the next task in the plurality of tasks to perform, based on the checkpoint rule associated with the first checkpoint; (i) updating the saved checkpoint data for the first checkpoint with the data and state associated with the first task; and (j) repeating steps (c) through (i) for each subsequent task and checkpoint, in accordance with the respective scheduler and checkpoint rules, until a predetermined condition has been reached.
US07669080B2
A method, system, and computer program product for reducing likelihood of data loss during performance of failovers in a high-availability system comprising a primary system and a standby system are provided. The method, system, and computer program product provide for defining a halt duration, periodically determining a halt end time, halting data modifications at the primary system responsive to failure of data replication to the standby system, resuming data modifications at the primary system responsive to a last determined halt end time being reached or data replication to the standby system resuming, and responsive to the primary system failing prior to a previously determined halt end time, determining that a failover to the standby system will not result in data loss on the standby system with respect to the primary system.
US07669079B2
A device and method for switching over in a computer system having at least two execution units are provided, in which switchover units are included which are designed in such a way that they switch between at least two operating modes, a first operating mode corresponding to a comparison mode and a second operating mode corresponding to a performance mode. A programmable interrupt controller is assigned to each execution unit, and a storage element is included, in which information is stored that describes at least parts of a configuration of at least one of these interrupt controllers.
US07669078B2
The present invention provides for an apparatus employed to debug a program operating in a supplemental processor when the processor's registers are not readable directly by the debugging operation of a main processor. A program operating in main memory halts due to operational errors. The program code lines save to a cache. In the main processor, a pool of memory is reserved. A copy of the data from the nominally inaccessible supplementary processor registers also transfers to the reserved storage area for processing of the program needing debugging. After the program debugging is complete, a copy of the contents of the memory pool is restored to the memory of the target supplemental processor. A copy of the local store register state and remaining local store data returns to main memory.
US07669077B2
A SAN manager acquires configuration information from devices constituting a SAN and produces a corresponding relationship between a host computer and a virtual volume (virtual volume mapping) and a corresponding relationship between the host computer and a real volume (real volume mapping). Based on those pieces of mapping information, the SAN manager outputs a corresponding relationship between virtual and real volumes. Meanwhile, the failure notification messages received from the in-SAN devices are construed to detect and output an influence of the failure upon the access to a real or virtual volume. Furthermore, when receiving a plurality of failure notifications from the devices connected to the SAN, the plurality of failure notifications are outputted with an association based on the corresponding relationship between real and virtual volumes.
US07669068B2
The present invention includes a circuit, system and method for selectively turning off internal clock drivers to reduce operating current. The present invention may be used to reduce power consumption by reducing operating current in a memory device. Operating current may be reduced by turning off internal clock drivers that deliver a clock signal during selected periods of time. According to an embodiment of clock control circuitry of the present invention, an internal clock is disabled if a no operation command is detected during periods of time when no read or write burst operation is taking place. Methods, memory devices and computer systems including the clock control circuitry and its functionality are also disclosed.
US07669062B2
It is an object of this invention to, in an image processing apparatus executing load distribution processing over a network, perform appropriate processing in accordance with an instruction from a user at power shutdown. There is provided an image processing apparatus which is connected to a network and performs processing requested by another apparatus over the network, including a notifying unit which, if the apparatus is instructed to shut down power during execution of the requested processing, provides notification to a user that the requested processing is being performed, an input unit for a user to input an instruction in response to the notification, and a termination processing unit which shuts down power after performing processing corresponding to the instruction.
US07669058B2
A method, system and apparatus for secure password validation can include a local authentication process configured for coupling both to local authentication data and to a remote authentication process. The system also can include a comparator disposed in the local authentication process and programmed to detect an extended password string in the local authentication data. Finally, the system can include a remote authentication handler disposed in the local authentication process and programmed to outsource password validation to the remote authentication process responsive to the comparator detecting an extended password string retrieved for a supplied user identifier. Preferably, the remote authentication handler can be a remote procedure call to the remote authentication process.
US07669057B2
An enhanced security method is provided for accessing information from a second computer using a password at a first computer. According to such method, a password used for accessing information is inputted to the first computer and stored on the first computer. Thereafter, the stored password is encoded using an encoding algorithm which is system specific to the first computer, and the encoded password is then transmitted to the second computer. The encoded password is used at the second computer to grant or deny access to the requested information, without the second computer having to decode the encoded password to obtain the password stored on the first computer.
US07669054B2
A system is provided for upgrading a legacy security system having a legacy control panel and a legacy card reader, without interfering with legacy system operation. A new control panel is installed between the legacy card reader and the legacy control panel. Also, a new token reader is installed next to the legacy card reader and connected to the new control panel. The new control panel passes credentials it receives from the legacy card reader to the legacy control panel, avoiding interference with legacy system operation. When the new control panel receives credentials from the new token reader, it evaluates them against an access rights list administered independently of the legacy access rights list. When the new control panel determines that an access request should be granted, it sends a memorized legacy credential associated with full access rights to the legacy control panel, causing it to open the door.
US07669052B2
A data processing system, recording device, data processing method and program providing medium are provided to execute authentication processing and content storing processing between apparatuses. Program localization is employed to restrict access to program content. A plurality of key blocks store key data for authentication processing. Key block designation information is set in a recorder/reproducer, which is configured for executing authentication processing with the recording device by designating a key block. The recorder/reproducer can set a key block for each product, model or the like. In addition, data stored according to a selected key block cannot be utilized in a recorder/reproducer in which a different key block is set. Furthermore, an encryption processing controlling section of a recording device executes control in accordance with a pre-defined setting sequence. Furthermore, an illegal instrument that has not completed the authentication processing can be prevented from utilizing program content.
US07669049B2
A system and method is provided for handling network communications between a client and a target server on the Internet to protect the privacy and anonymity of the client.For a session between the client and the target server, a routing control server sets up a routing chain using a plurality of Web servers randomly selected from a pool of participating Web servers as routers for routing messages between the client and the target server. To prevent traffic analysis, an “onion encryption” scheme is applied to the messages as they are forwarded along the routing chain.A payment service cooperating with the routing control server allows a user to pay for the privacy protection service without revealing her real identity.
US07669048B2
Described is a technology by which a computing device is booted into a normal mode of operation or a limited mode of operation, depending on whether the computing device was operating correctly (e.g., with respect to policy) prior to a reboot. The reboot may be forced. Examples of incorrect state include an overdue payment on a leased computer, or improper execution of certain important software. A metering mechanism evaluates the state of the computing device, and when an incorrect state is detected, configures the computing device for operation in the limited mode, by setting the computing device to boot via one boot path (e.g., a limited-mode BIOS) instead of another boot path (e.g., a normal-mode BIOS). A BIOS selector switches to the limited BIOS on the next reboot, wherein the computing device is restricted to the limited mode of operation (regardless of subsequent reboots) until the correct state is restored.
US07669047B2
A biometrics signal input device with a USB interface is connected to a computer apparatus to control BIOS booting procedures of the computer apparatus. The computer apparatus communicates with a USB controller of the input device through the USB interface according to a USB communication protocol and regards this device as a USB device. Then, the computer apparatus executes a program stored in a memory of the input device and enables a biometrics sensor to read biometrics data of a user. Then, to-be-identified biometrics data and biometrics template data pre-stored in the memory are transferred to a main memory of the computer apparatus. A CPU of the computer apparatus compares the to-be-identified biometrics data with the biometrics template data. After the comparison passes, the BIOS booting procedures are allowed to be continued until the CPU has completely loaded an operation system stored in a main storage device of the computer apparatus.
US07669028B2
Embodiments of the present invention optimize data bandwidth across an asynchronous buffer in a system with a variable clock domain. A move signal may be asserted to transfer data associated with a command into the asynchronous buffer. After the data has been moved into the buffer, an acknowledge signal may indicate that the transfer is complete. A launch signal may transfer the data in the asynchronous buffer to memory. Embodiments of the present invention allow the processing of a next command to begin at the earliest possible time while data associated with a previous command is being transferred into and out of the buffer, thereby increasing throughput and improving performance.
US07669020B1
A system, method, and computer-accessible medium for centralized backup of a plurality of virtual machines are disclosed. Each virtual machine comprises at least one virtual volume. The plurality of virtual volumes are accessed through a central computer system. The central computer system is used to backup data from the plurality of virtual volumes in a manner substantially independent of execution of the plurality of virtual machines.
US07669019B2
This storage apparatus that provides to a host computer a logical device for storing data sent from the host computer includes a nonvolatile memory for storing the data, a disk-shaped memory device for storing the data, and a controller for controlling the nonvolatile memory and the disk-shaped memory device. The controller redundantly configures the logical device with the nonvolatile memory and the disk-shaped memory device.
US07669015B2
The present disclosure describes a unique way for each of multiple processes to operate in parallel using (e.g., reading, modifying, and writing to) the same shared data without causing corruption to the shared data. For example, each of multiple processes utilizes current and past data values associated with a global counter or clock for purposes of determining whether any shared variables used to produce a respective transaction outcome were modified (by another process) when executing a respective transaction. If a respective process detects that shared data used by respective process was modified during a transaction, the process can abort and retry the transaction rather than cause data corruption by storing locally maintained results associated with the transaction to a globally shared data space.
US07669005B1
Content addressable memory (CAM) devices use both hard and soft priority techniques to allocate entries of different priority therein. The priorities of multiple CAM array blocks within the CAM device may be programmed before or as entries are loaded therein and may be reprogrammed during operation as the allocation of entries within the CAM device changes. The allocation of entries may change in response to additions or deletions of entries or as entries are reprioritized. The CAM devices include preferred priority resolution circuits that can resolve competing soft and hard priorities between multiple hit signals that are generated in response to a search operation. Such hit signals may be active to reflect the presence of at least one matching entry within a CAM array block. The resolution of which active hit signal has the highest overall priority among many can be used to facilitate the identification of the location (e.g., array address and row address) of a highest priority matching entry within the entire CAM device. A priority resolution circuit may also resolve competing hard priorities between two or more active hit signals having equivalent soft priority. This aspect of the priority resolution circuit is provided so that an active hit signal having a highest overall priority can be resolved whenever multiple CAM array blocks having the same soft priority are detected as having matching entries therein during a search operation.
US07668986B2
A peripheral device having: an interface for connection to a host device; a memory for storing software for use by the host device for operating with the peripheral device; and a processor for controlling the operation of the device such that the device has two operating modes over the interface: a first mode in which it operates as a storage device storing the said software and a second mode in which it operates as a device for providing other functionality to a device connected to it via the interface by means of the software; the peripheral device being configured so that on connection of the interface to a host device it operates in the first mode and so that it subsequently operates in the second mode.
US07668972B2
A multi-layered network for transporting data comprises a first network layer that provides a first session topology, and a second network layer that provides a second session topology. The second network layer uses the first network layer to transport data. In one embodiment of the invention, the data sent by the second layer is real-time audio data, such as voice. Each session topology may be either peer-to-peer or client/server. The first and second layers may have different topologies and/or different session hosts. A deterministic algorithm is provided whereby a new session host is selected when the current host leaves the session.
US07668967B2
The present apparatus and method control the flow of communication between a host and a data storage device. A plurality of data transport streams are maintained as active while a first burst of data for a first transport stream is initiated. The first burst is interrupted prior to the complete communication of the burst. The first transport stream is maintained as active and a first burst of data for a second transport stream is initiated. The first burst of the second transport stream is interrupted, the second transport stream is maintained as active and the method and apparatus return to continue the communication of the first burst of the first transport stream. Typically, a first stream ID is asserted prior to initiating the first burst of the first transport stream and a second stream ID is initiated prior to initiating the first burst of the second transport stream.
US07668964B2
A system constructed comprises a plurality of devices interconnected to a network. At least two of the devices in the system can access streaming audio information over the network, and are capable of providing audio and rendering timing information to other devices in the system. One device, as the handed-off device, is configured to determine correspondences in connection with two information streams received from two information sources. That device comprises an information receiver module, a position identifier module, and a corresponding position utilization module. The information receiver module is configured to receive the two information streams. The position identifier module is configured to identify corresponding positions regarding corresponding sequences in the two information streams. The corresponding position utilization module is configured to utilize the identification of the corresponding positions in the two information streams.
US07668953B1
A method is disclosed for detecting symptoms in a network infrastructure, combining one or more symptoms into a problem, then optionally applying detailed diagnosis to the network elements experiencing the problems, ultimately providing detailed problem determination.
US07668945B2
Embodiments of a system and method for enabling a target computer to download a boot image and operating system from a boot server computer over a network are described. The target computer system includes a host processor environment and a platform management coprocessor subsystem that includes a microcontroller for providing manageability of the target computer platform. During a network boot procedure, the platform management coprocessor code employs a network access channel to retrieve the boot server name and a network address for the target computer. The platform management coprocessor code implements security measures to help ensure secure interaction between the boot server and the target computer. Once the secure association is established, the network boot process uses the BIOS code for the successive bulk downloads of the operating system to be loaded onto the target computer. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US07668942B2
A template or wrapper tree for a document such as a web page is generalized from the bottom up (from leaf toward root of a logical tree structure of the template). At a given level in the tree, sub-trees are clustered and the clustered sub-trees are generalized, and the process is repeated at a next higher level in the tree, resulting in a generalized template or wrapper tree. This can be done by generating a nested pattern regular expression based on the sub-tree clusters, merging sub-trees based on the nested pattern regular expression, and then replacing sub-trees in a tree-based regular expression of the template or wrapper at the given level with the merged sub-trees. This process is repeated at a next higher level of the tree (progressing from leaf towards root) until the wrapper or tree-based regular expression that represents the template is fully generalized.
US07668938B1
A system and method for purposing a computing device is disclosed. A management controller system is used to copy a system image from a library of system images to a target partition of the computer to be repurposed. The system image may include a configured copy of an operating system and an application program. The system image may also include logic for generating and assigning a unique security identifier to the computer. The invention includes a managed node service for monitoring the status of the computer and for performing some of the necessary steps in purposing the computer. Additionally, the invention includes facilities for loading a default operating system on the computer when the computer is first connected to a network.
US07668937B2
To enable use of an application on an application server at a mobile communication device, at a transaction server, a message received from the mobile is pushed out to the application. Any return messages is routed back to the mobile. The transaction server may use a queue to store all messages destined to a given application and attempt to push all messages on a given queue on receipt of a further message for the queue.
US07668927B2
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for deletion in data file forwarding framework. A framework includes a network of interconnected computer system nodes in which data files are continuously forwarded from computer memory to computer memory without storing on any physical storage device in the network, a central server coupled to the network, and a deletion server coupled to the network.
US07668912B2
A method and system for providing technical support for networked devices includes a first client component on a networked device having a conferencing application to enable communication exchange with a second client component. A server component is configured to distribute video and audio data streams to the first client component and the second client component in a conference session. A conference channel communication connection is established over which the video and audio data streams are carried between the first client component, the server component, and the second client component, and a back-channel communication connection is established for transmission of diagnostic and status information. A service call is managed by a service center dispatcher, who connects a technician client and a networked device client in a multi-party conference hosted on one of a plurality of load balanced servers.
US07668890B2
Prefix searches for directing internet data packets are performed in a prefix search integrated circuit. The integrated circuit includes an array of search engines, each of which accesses a prefix search tree data structure to process a prefix search. An SDRAM is dedicated to each search engine, and SDRAMs share address and control pins to plural search engines on the IC chip. Internal nodes of the tree data structure are duplicated across banks of the SDRAMs to increase bandwidth, and leaf nodes are stored across the SDRAM banks to reduce storage requirements. Within each search engine, data stored in a data register from an SDRAM is compared to a prefix search key stored in a key register. Based on that comparison, an address is calculated to access further tree structure data from the SDRAM. Packet descriptors containing search keys are forwarded to the search engines from an input queue and the search results are forwarded to an output queue, the same packet order being maintained in the two queues.
US07668886B2
A method of and apparatus for storage and retrieval of resumé images in a manner which preserves the appearance, organization, and information content of the original document. In addition, summaries or “outlines” of resumé images, broken down into multiple fields, are stored, and can be searched field by field. A user interface is provided which is based on a familiar paper-based method already in common use, thus reducing the training required to effectively use the system.
US07668876B1
A method, system, computer system, and computer program product to provide an infrastructure for replicating data across multiple nodes in a network. Changes to data are written to each of a set of mirrored copies of a log on one node. When a storage area containing a portion of one of the mirrored copies of the log becomes full, the storage area is disassociated from the set of mirrored copies. After detaching the storage area, changes are no longer written to the storage area, thereby providing a stable image of that portion of the log data. Log data stored in the storage area are replicated from the storage area to another node. By replicating from a separate detached storage area, log data are replicated without disturbing the disk heads writing changes to each of the set of mirrored copies of the log.
US07668872B2
A data management method for a network. Whether a first record in a database is updated is automatically determined. Content of the first record is organized in a hierarchical structure. Which of a group of clients is affected by update of the first record is automatically determined. A data format corresponding to an affected client is automatically determined. A message is automatically generated by modifying the hierarchical structure according to the data format. The message comprising the result of modifying the hierarchical structure is automatically transmitted to the affected client.
US07668865B2
Documents having a structured nature such as contracts, legislation, etc. can be formatted to emphasize their logical structure. In a document formatting method, a set of document element classes each representing a logical operator may be defined. Each document element class may have a set of document section formatting rules and a defined set of document elements such as text strings that provide an expression of the logical operator of the class. Document elements within a document may be identified and used to classify a document section containing the document elements into one or more of the document element classes. The formatting rules of the classified class may then be used to re-format the particular document section so that a reformatted version of the document section accords with the formatting rules for document sections of that class.
US07668850B1
A navigation system is used in combination with a data retrieval system to more effectively locate the correct answers or information in search content. The navigation system provides taxonomies that identify different information categories and sub-categories (facets). Classifiers automatically classify the search content by identifying the content corresponding with associated facets. The facets, in conjunction with the associated classifiers, provide robust classification and correlation between both structured and unstructured content. Rules can be used in conjunction with the facets and classifiers to automatically control different navigation operations. The navigation system can also leverage ontologies to dynamically create taxonomies and provides unique facet expansion and intra-document classification operations.
US07668849B1
A method for processing data is provided. In this method, unstructured data and structured data are captured and the unstructured data is associated with the structured data. After capture, the unstructured data and the structured data are correlated to define a link between the unstructured data and the structured data. The unstructured data and the structured data then are stored in a data structure based on the link. A system for processing data also is described.
US07668843B2
Identifying anomalies or outliers in a set of data records employs a distance or similarity measure between features of record pairs that depends upon the frequencies of the feature values in the set. Feature distances may be combined for a total distance between record pairs. An outlier is indicated for a certain score that may be based upon the pairwise distances. Outliers may be employed to detect intrusions in computer networks.
US07668842B2
Enabling efficient navigation of a playlist of media files stored on a computer-readable medium. Aspects of the invention define a playlist structure to have one or more playlist units. Each playlist unit identifies one or more media files in the playlist and includes metadata for the media files. A consumer electronic device retrieves the playlist units and displays the metadata contained therein to a user to enable navigation of the playlist. Aspects of the invention reduce the memory requirements of the consumer electronic devices and reduce the quantity of disk seek operations needed for playlist navigation.
US07668841B2
A method for accelerating storage access in a network. The method comprises receiving a data record having a plurality of data segments. The data segments are stored in a local memory of a network controller (NC). A virtual write buffer (VWB) entry is assigned for the incoming data record in the NC local memory. The data segments of said data record are reassemble using the VWB. The data record is sent from the network controller directly to an I/O controller of a storage device.
US07668839B2
An application management system includes a first application manager which manages one or more first applications based on a first network protocol and manages first unit processing related to an execution of each of the first applications; a first unit processing replica generator that generates a replica of the first unit processing; a second application manager which manages one or more second applications based on a second network protocol and manages second unit processing related to an execution of each of the second applications; and a second unit processing replica manager that converts the second unit processing to the first unit processing and causes the first unit processing replica generator to generate a replica of the converted first unit processing for generating a replica of the second unit processing.
US07668830B2
A device and method define an access right to a shared data item. The method includes defining a group of one or more contacts in a contact list, assigning an access right to the group of one or more contacts, and assigning the group of one or more contacts to a shared data item. A device and method also provide a service based on the access right to the shared data item. The method includes receiving a request for a service from a user at a second device, the request including a resource identifier, selecting a user identifier for the user, selecting an access group identifier from a contact list using the user identifier, selecting an access right for the user using the access group identifier, determining if the user has permission to access a data item identified by the resource identifier, if the user has permission to access the data item, determining if the access right allows performance of the service, and providing the service at the first device if the access right allows performance of the service.
US07668824B2
When a start key is operated, an inferring process of estimating a demand of a user is executed on the basis of preset situation data, a user profile, and situation data manually input via a situation setting key. Based on the inference result, a genre list and a contents list are reconstructed so that genres and contents items are arranged in order of the degree of a demand of the user. The top three genres extracted from the reconstructed genre list are associated with three selection keys, and the names of the associated genres or labels of the genres are displayed in genre name display parts. It enables the user to easily and instantaneously select one of contents items to be processed.
US07668816B2
In response to characters entered within a Find dialog box, a minifind window is dynamically updated to provide corresponding search strategies and quick matches from content search data that are being searched. The search strategies and quick matches that are listed are dynamically updated as the user inputs additional characters in the Find dialog box. At any time, the user can initiate a full text search to populate a search results pane, based upon the characters input, by selecting a Go control or pressing the Enter key. Alternatively, the user can select one of the quick matches or search strategies, to populate the search results pane with corresponding items obtained from the content search data, which are most likely to relate to the information desired by the user. This approach is applicable to finding information in almost any data accessed locally, or over a network.
US07668815B2
The present invention provides methods, systems and apparatus for integrating browser-incompatible information in a Web content file and for displaying the information on a computing device of a browser environment. A Web content providing means is capable of providing the Web content file, and performs the following steps: receiving the Web content file that comprises an element having a remote procedure call (RPC) request generating instruction for generating an RPC request from the browser environment; interpreting the Web content file for displaying on the browser environment; interpreting the RPC request generating instruction to generate the RPC request; transmitting the RPC request to a data server indicated in the RPC request generating instruction of the element; receiving response data from the data server; and modifying the displaying of the Web content file on the browser environment by the response data.
US07668803B2
A method for estimating a runtime of a query of a data repository may abstract, extract, or otherwise generate one or more parameters of the query. Thereafter, the abstracted parameters may be associated with one or more statistical query records. From these statistical query records, a query runtime may be estimated. Related apparatuses, computer program products, and computer systems are also described.
US07668800B2
A client-server based project schedule management system comprises multiple editors accessible through a web browser to perform various scheduling tasks by members of a project. Client-executable code is generated by the server for the client, which is passed to the client along with schedule-related information for populating the respective editors. The client executes the server-generated code to display the respective editor with pertinent information populated therein, and to manage and maintain any new or updated information in response to user interactions with the editor. Rows of tasks are represented by corresponding objects, where editor elements are object attributes which are directly accessible by the respective objects. Database queries are generated by the server based on constant strings containing placeholders which are replaced with information used by the query.
US07668791B2
Facts are extracted from electronic documents by recognizing factual descriptions using a fact-word table to match to words of the electronic documents. The words of those factual descriptions may be tagged with the appropriate part of speech. More detailed analysis is then performed on those factual descriptions, rather than on the entire electronic document, and particularly to the text in the neighborhood of the fact-word matches. The analysis may involve identifying the linguistic constituents of each phrase and determining the role as either subject or object. Exclusion rules may be applied to eliminate those phrases unlikely to be part of facts, the exclusion rules being based in part on the linguistic constituents. Scoring rules may be applied to remaining phrases, and for those phrases having a score in excess of a threshold, the corresponding sentence part, whole sentence, paragraph, or other document portion may be presented as representing one or more facts.
US07668778B2
A user sends data for requesting a service provider to provide predetermined service and signature data created based upon the data to the service provider, the service provider calculates a fee based upon this data and requests a bank to collect the fee from the user. The bank informs the user of the fee requested from the service provider. When the user protests against the amount of the fee, the service provider discloses the data and signature data received from the user to the bank and when the bank judges based upon this signature data that this data is valid, it calculates a proper fee based upon this data and collects it from the user. As described above, it is enabled to collect a proper fee for service.
US07668776B1
A risk system that performs a risk assessment of a financial transaction to obtain a first risk score, and based on first risk score performs post-score assessments by selectively utilizing various scoring models and databases. The post-score process re-assesses some of the borderline risks in order to capture beneficial transactions that may fail standard risk assessments that use a cutoff risk score to divide the transactions into either authorized or declined groups.
US07668774B1
A system, method, and corresponding computer program product facilitates trading of a standardized contract. The terms of the contract may be such that it provides a payout from one party to the other based on the price, yield, level or other measure of an asset, basket, index, financial contract, other financial instrument or some economically significant variable observed at or around two specified times, both such times being after the time that the standardized contract is first available for trading. Alternatively, the terms of the contract may be such that it provides that one party has the right but not the obligation either to purchase or to sell some asset at a price which is determined at a first specified time, such right to be exercised at some time not later than the second specified time, both such times being after the time that the standardized contract is first available for trading. These and other related contracts are described.
US07668772B1
This invention provides system and methods for managing accounts of clients at customer financial entities so that deposits of up to $100,000 or greater are insured, so that interest income earned on a portion of all of the account balances may be flexibly allocated according to customer instructions, and so that withdrawals are not limited. These objects are satisfied by holding client funds at interest-earning money market deposit accounts at one or more banks or savings institutions. More particularly, this invention provides methods for receiving client transaction information, determining a net transfer of funds into or out of each client account from transaction information, causing transfer of funds from the insured, interest-bearing deposit accounts to match the net transfer of funds into or out of each client account, and allocating interest earned by the deposit accounts to clients according to customer instructions. This invention also provides systems and software products implementing these methods.
US07668761B2
The present invention provides a system and method whereby companies can optimally resolve the conflicts with respect to product availability. Embodiments of the invention allow users to search for product availability throughout its entire supply chain network to address conflicts as they arise. In particular, the present invention creates time-phased inventory plans that meet customer requirements while minimizing inventory and maximizing profit by ensuring that a company is carrying the right inventory at the right locations. Using the present invention, companies can orchestrate the time-phased storage and flow of a given product's supply to match demand by creating an optimal inventory strategy that includes deployment plans, master production schedules, and procurement requirements.
US07668759B2
A method, apparatus, and computer implemented instructions for generating a customized catalog for an entity or organization. Items from a base catalog are presented to a user located at a remote data processing system. One or more items are selected by a user through a process of “meta-shopping”. The selected items are placed in a set, also referred to as a “meta-shopping cart”, used to generate the customized catalog. Terms for purchasing items in the customized catalog are associated with the customized catalog. Further, a protocol for purchasing items from the customized catalog may be established, and the customized catalog is then placed on a Web site.
US07668758B2
Architecture for presenting m-commerce transaction data to a user. An m-commerce device includes a device reading apparatus adapted to read a dataform. At least one item for purchase has associated therewith an item dataform readable by the m-commerce device, the item dataform linked to item information of the item. A terminal is provided for interactive presentation of information to the user. The m-commerce device and terminal are in communication over a network such that item information input to the m-commerce device is transmitted to the terminal for interactive presentation to the user.
US07668757B2
According to the invention disclosed herein, methods and systems are disclosed that proactively and anonymously reach out to potential service providers, through a virtual calling agent, to screen and select one or more service providers for the consumer. Such methods would be time-consuming to conduct manually but are automated efficiently and flexibly as described herein. These methods and systems are not limited to service providers who have pre-registered at any particular web site or directory.
US07668741B2
A computer-implemented method, system, and program for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment are provided. A grid service for managing compliance with service level agreements in a grid environment detects a grid job passing a timing entry point, and flowing towards a grid environment provided by a grid vendor. When the grid job is detected passing the timing entry point, the grid service starts a timer to monitor an amount of time from the grid job passing the timing entry point until a result of the grid job passes a timing exit point while flowing away from the grid environment. When the grid service detects the result of the grid job passing the timing exit point, the grid service determines whether a value of the timer exceeds a timing term agreed to in a service level agreement specifying performance requirements for said grid job agreed to by said grid vendor, such that compliance with the service level agreement is automatically managed within the grid environment.
US07668731B2
A medication delivery system (20) having features of the present invention comprises a medical container (26) holding a prescribed medication (27) to be delivered to a patient, a tag 24 adapted to be worn by the patient, a handheld computing device (22), and an electronic medication delivery device (30). Data on the medication (27) is contained in a first label (28) on the medication container (27). The first label (28) also contains the instruction on how the medication is delivered to the patient, including the appropriate settings for an electronic medication delivery device for delivering the medication to the patient. Patient data is contained in a second label (29) on the tag (24) worn by the patient. The medication data, medication delivery instruction, and patient data are provided in machine readable formats. The handheld computing device (22) reads the medication data and the medication delivery instruction on the medication container (26) and the patient data on the patient tag (24). The handheld computing device (22) stores the information obtained and performs a matching check to confirm that the medication data matches with the patient data. Upon a confirmed match, it transmits the medication delivery instruction to the electronic medication delivery device (30), which downloads the instruction, programs the delivery device 30, and prompts an operator to begin delivering the medication (27) to the patient according to the downloaded instruction.
US07668726B2
The invention provides a data visualisation system comprising a data value memory in which is maintained a finite set of data values and display means arranged to display a contoured representation. One or more of the data values are displayed as contours around one or more data points and each data value is centred on a data point. The invention also provides a method of data visualisation and a data visualisation computer program.
US07668720B2
Methodology for voice-enabling an application minimizes code add-ons or code insertions. As an example, in applications used by a plurality of remote devices, the method may include dividing a master wordlist associated with the application into a plurality of wordlists respectively associated with the plurality of remote devices, and then converting the plurality of wordlists to a plurality of grammar lists respectively associated with the plurality of remote devices. Accordingly, the methodology voice enables applications with minimal alteration of the code of the applications.
US07668707B2
Systems and methods for determining active constraints in a surface facility network, which include the use of slack variables and multipliers in system equations to eliminate the extraneous (inactive) constraints.
US07668704B2
A method and an apparatus for simulating the operation of a pressured air source or sink such as a compressor or a turbine for a vehicle internal combustion engine calculates momentum sources at interfaces in the compressor or the turbine. A model stores steady state values of mass flux and enthalpy change related to rotational speed, inlet pressure and temperature and outlet pressure. The simulation can be an input to an engine control module for controlling the operation of the vehicle engine connected with the compressor or turbine.
US07668703B1
One or more workloads are simulated on a resource, where each of the one or more workloads represents at least one application configured to run on the resource. A required capacity of the one or more workloads is determined based on the simulation.
US07668697B2
A method to be implemented on or in a computer is disclosed, where the method includes data collection, calibration, candidate selection, and analysis of data streams associated with each candidate to classify single molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer events. Once classified, the classification can be related to the nature of the events, such as the identification of dNTP incorporation during primer extension to obtain a base read out of an unknown template.
US07668691B2
Systems and methods that infer and classify user activity based in part on routing data. A storage medium can store raw data collected, and such acquired data can be subsequently be analyzed or distilled to generate abstract qualities about the raw data (e.g., velocity of user during route, level of difficulty, and the like). Various machine learning techniques, artificial intelligence methodologies, decision trees, and/or statistical methods can be employed to supply inference regarding the acquired raw data and/or the abstract qualities.
US07668689B2
This disclosure concerns a velocity detector comprises a memory storing preset tentative angles and a trigonometric function value corresponding to each of the preset tentative angles; a first register storing a first coordinate (x1, y1) of a body; a second register storing a second actual coordinate (x2, y2) of the body; a first calculator calculating a first calculational coordinate represented by an addition or a subtraction between x1 and a result of shifting a figure of y1 based on the trigonometric function value; a second calculator calculating a second calculation coordinate represented by the addition or the subtraction between y2 and a result of shifting a figure of x2 based on the trigonometric function value, wherein the first and the second calculators calculate the first and second calculational coordinates respectively so that the first actual coordinate (x1, y1) and the second actual coordinate (x2, y2) are closer to each other.
US07668681B2
An integrated chemical, biological, metals, radiation, nuclear, explosives sensor system I-CBMRNE deployed on a common platform supports chemical, biological, metals, radiation, nuclear, explosives (CBMRNE) surveillance systems. The common platform provides a database for collected sensor and video data, spectral analysis for sensor data, pattern recognition systems, data analysis and communications. An I-CBMRNE sensor system provides modular sensor interfaces to enable integration of any commercial off the shelf or proprietary sensor, and provides for ease of integration for new sensor technologies as they emerge. An I-CBMRNE sensor system provides critical functions for sensor support enabling accurate calibrated data to be presented for analysis.
US07668679B2
Systems and methods for strobe signal timing calibration and control in strobe-based memory systems are provided below. These strobe-offset control systems and methods receive a strobe signal from a memory device and in turn automatically generate separate per-bit strobe signals for use in receiving data on each data line of a memory system. The systems/methods generate the optimal per-bit strobe signals by automatically calibrating per-bit offset timing between data signals of individual data bits and corresponding strobe signals. The strobe-offset control system effectively removes the detected phase difference between the data signal and the strobe signal.
US07668674B2
At least one exemplary embodiment of to present invention includes a method comprising obtaining a first frequency and a second frequency. The method also comprises creating a table of values comprising a plurality of target frequencies intermediate to the first and second frequencies, the table of values also comprising a pulse width, a pulse count, and a differential pulse width corresponding to each of the target frequencies from the plurality of target frequencies. The method further comprises outputting at least a portion of the values to a motion device.
US07668671B1
The present invention provides a system, method and medium for monitoring and managing the resource consumption and resource infrastructure of at least one building in real time. The present invention integrates field studies of at least one building's resource consumption and resource infrastructure with real time resource usage. The integrated information can be operated on by the analytical tools of the present invention to forecast future resource consumption and obtain resource market information. The integrated resource information can also be used to feed back into the building resource management system of at least one building to control the resource states of the at least one building. The present invention provides a graphical user interface for monitoring and managing the components of the resource consumption and resource infrastructure of at least one building. The system, method and medium of the present invention can communicate with a resource trading platform that facilitates the buying and selling of resources. The system, method and medium of the present invention can aggregate the resource consumption and resource infrastructure of multiple buildings which can then be managed through the graphical user interface of the present invention.
US07668664B2
A computer-implemented method as follows. Providing a list of target sequences associated with one or more organisms. Providing a list of candidate prototype sequences suspected of hybridizing to one or more of the target sequences. Generating a collection of probes corresponding to each candidate prototype sequence, each collection of probes having a set of probes for every subsequence. The sets consist of the corresponding subsequence and every variation of the corresponding subsequence formed by varying a center nucleotide of the corresponding subsequence. Generating a set of fragments corresponding to each target sequence. Calculating the binding free energy of each fragment with a perfect complimentary sequence of the fragment. Determining which extended fragments are perfect matches to any of the probes. Assembling a base call sequence corresponding to each candidate prototype sequence.
US07668659B2
Gene expression profiling between normal B cells/plasma cells and multiple myeloma cells revealed four distinct subgroups of multiple myeloma plasma cells that have significant correlation with clinical characteristics known to be associated with poor prognosis. Diagnosis for multiple myeloma (and possibly monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance) based on differential expression of 14 genes, as well as prognostics for the four subgroups of multiple myeloma based on the expression of 24 genes were also established. Gene expression profiling also allows placing multiple myeloma into a developmental schema parallel to that of normal plasma cell differentiation. The development of a gene expression- or developmental stage-based classification system for multiple myeloma would lead to rational design of more accurate and sensitive diagnostics, prognostics and tumor-specific therapies for multiple myeloma.
US07668658B2
Processes and methods for creating a database of genomic samples from healthy human donors, methods that use the database to identify and correlate polymorphic genetic markers and other markers with diseases and conditions are provided.
US07668656B2
A method for creating minimal data representing a source image is presented. The source image is divided into a grid of cells. A color is selected for each cell corner based on sampling an area defined by the cell corner. An indication of the selected color is stored in an array dependent on the co-ordinates of the cell corner in the source image.
US07668652B2
A navigation system includes an operator interface module (OIM) including a display and keypad. A computer module (computer module) includes a CPU, map database and the motion and position sensors. A docking station is fixedly mounted in each of a plurality of vehicles. The docking station includes an electrical connector connected to the vehicle power supply and an electrical connector connected to a GPS antenna and an electrical connector connected to a display extension harness. The computer module and OIM are transportable among each of the vehicles. The computer module slides into the docking station and simultaneously makes electrical contact with the vehicle power supply, GPS antenna and display extension harness. The OIM is connected to the display extension harness, thereby connecting the OIM to the computer module. The OIM and computer module are thus transportable among multiple vehicles having the appropriate docking station.
US07668645B2
A control system (18) and method for an automotive vehicle (10) includes a roll rate sensor (34) for generating a roll rate signal, a lateral acceleration sensor (32) for generating a lateral acceleration signal, a longitudinal acceleration sensor (36) for generating a longitudinal acceleration signal, and a yaw rate sensor (28) for generating a yaw rate signal. A safety device or system (44) and the sensors are coupled to a controller. The controller (26) determines an added mass and the height of the added mass on the vehicle, or a roll gradient, a roll acceleration coefficient, and/or a roll rate parameter that take into account the added mass and height from the roll rate, the lateral acceleration, the longitudinal acceleration, and the yaw rate of the vehicle, and controls the safety system in response thereto.
US07668643B2
An exhaust emission data processing system for inspecting automatically exhaust emission of the vehicle and wirelessly transmitting exhaust emission inspection data to a remote server is provided. The system includes an exhaust emission processing module, a wireless connection module, and a remote server. The exhaust emission processing module receives OBD data indicating the exhaust emission inspection data from an OBD system embedded in the vehicle via an OBD connector. The exhaust emission processing module creates an exhaust emission inspection package with the vehicle identification and the exhaust emission inspection data. The exhaust emission processing module transmits the package to the remote server for further diagnosis through the wireless connection module. The remote server sends the diagnosis reports back to the vehicle through the wireless connection module.
US07668634B2
An electronic control system has the ability to programmably assign or map various input functions to different output functions. This allows for a much greater degree of customization of the control system for an individual user and allows inputs to be matched to different outputs to suit the individual users needs more optimally.
US07668623B2
The disclosure is directed to a saturated water spraying system configured to rapidly respond to rapid load changes by implementing a single integrated DCS control block. The integrate DCS control block may include a plurality of process control routines that are necessary to control the operation of the spraying system. For example, upstream and downstream PID control routines may determine and output control variables, and other control routines may be provided as necessary to handle disturbances within a boiler affecting the outlet and spray steam temperatures, and to ensure that the steam temperatures do not fall into the saturation region during operation of the boiler. Because the routines are part of the same control block, the common storage for the control block may be accessed by each of the routines without the necessity of establishing additional communication links for transferring the information as is required when using cascaded function blocks.
US07668617B2
The invention relates to a method of calibrating an ophthalmic-lens-piercing machine, a device used to implement one such method and a ophthalmic-lens-machining apparatus comprising one such device. The inventive method applies to a machine including a piercing tool, a lens support which is associated with a first reference mark (O1, X1, Y1), and programmable tool-control means which are associated with a second reference mark expressing set co-ordinates which define a target piercing point (M). A template is placed on the support, and the template includes pre-applied markings defining a third reference mark (O3, X3, Y3), such that the third reference mark in essentially in line with the first reference mark. The template is pierced at a pre-determined point corresponding to a target point, and an image of the template this point position, and a correction is applied to the set co-ordinates that can compensate for the misalignment. A device is also provided which is used to implement the method, and to an ophthalmic-lens-machining apparatus including one such device.
US07668616B2
A method of replacing an existing part or parts on a structure such as an aircraft. The structure is inducted for modification. An existing part is removed and a new part is temporarily installed. Hole locations are digitally transferred to the new part, e.g., photographically captured in a three-dimensional coordinate measurement system, converted to targets printable in a laser projection system. Targets are laser projected or printed on the replacement part. Holes are drilled at each printed target. The holes drilled at printed targets match hole locations on the existing part. Then, the new/replacement part is permanently attached to the structure.
US07668607B1
The control precision of one or more parameters of an integrated circuit (IC), for example the output voltage of a voltage regulator comprised in the IC, may be improved even when using inaccurate components external to the IC. Control of the output voltage, or any parameter, using components external to the IC may include coupling a resistor to the IC and measuring the actual resistance value of the resistor, and based on the measured value, selecting a nominal resistance value from a set of resistance values previously specified by the user. The output voltage, or parameter, may be generated according to the nominal resistance value instead of the actual resistance value, thereby reducing the error that may be incurred due the actual resistance value of the resistor not matching the expected nominal value of the resistor. The difference between each adjacent resistance value in the set of resistance values may be selected to be greater than the greatest measurement error that may be incurred during measuring the actual resistance value.
US07668605B2
An industrial control system includes a motor drive, a wireless interface module, and a wireless user interface. The motor drive has at least a first port. The wireless interface module is coupled to the first port of the motor drive. The wireless user interface is operable to connect to the wireless interface module and establish a first connection through the wireless interface module to access the motor drive. A user interface operable to connect to a device within an industrial control system includes a display and a processing unit operable to establish a connection with the device and display an image representative of the device on the display responsive to establishing the connection.
US07668603B2
A composition of microscopic devices utilizable in a medical diagnostic or therapeutic procedure. Each microscopic device includes a nanostructure provided with a ligand for effectively coupling the nanostructure to a predetermined chemical or molecular site. A medical method in part comprises inserting the medical devices into a patient, attaching the nanostructures via the respective ligands to instances of a predetermined type of target structure inside the patient, and thereafter activating the nanostructures to perform a preselected medical diagnostic or therapeutic function.
US07668601B2
Medical leads having at least one segmented row of electrodes, as well as at least one ring electrode that extends substantially completely around the periphery of the lead, are described. The electrodes in a segmented row extend around only a portion of the periphery of the lead, rather than substantially around the entire periphery. The electrodes in a segmented row may be distributed at respective locations around the periphery of the lead and separated by insulating material. The ring electrodes and segmented rows are located at respective axial positions. For example, in some embodiments, a plurality of segmented rows, such as two rows having three electrodes each, are located between two ring electrodes. Such a lead may, for example, provide a variety of stimulation modalities because of localized stimulation capabilities.
US07668596B2
An implantable medical device includes a radio-frequency (RF) telemetry circuit connected to an energy source through a power connection module to obtain power when a user initiates an RF telemetry session. After the session is completed, the power connection module shuts off the at least one portion of the RF telemetry circuit. Power-on examples include a wireless telemetry activation signal received by a low power radio receiver in the implantable device, a physical motion detected by an activity sensor therein, an activation of an inductive telemetry circuit therein, a magnetic field detected by a magnetic field detector therein, and/or a telemetry activation signal detected by a sensing circuit included therein. Power-off examples include a wireless termination signal received by the implantable device, a delay timeout after the session, and/or a signal received by an inductive telemetry circuit in the implantable device.
US07668595B2
A method of optimizing inter-site delay is disclosed for a cardiac rhythm management device that includes a dual chamber pacemaker, especially designed for treating congestive heart failure by pacing a plurality of sites. A microcontroller is operative to adjust the pacing mode and inter-site delay of the pacemaker so as to achieve optimum hemodynamic performance. Atrial cycle lengths measured during transient (immediate) time intervals following a change in the mode inter-site delay are signal processed and a determination can then be made as to which particular configuration yields the optimum performance. Performance is optimized when the patient is at rest and when the patient exercises so that a rate-adapted dynamic value of the optimum performance can be applied.
US07668586B2
The present invention is directed to a method of detecting a neurodegenerative disease in a mammal by activating brain tissue of the mammal by application of radiation under conditions effective to promote a simultaneous multiphoton excitation of the brain tissue and to emit a fluorescence characteristic. The fluorescence characteristic is then compared to a standard fluorescence emitted by exciting healthy brain tissue of the mammal under the same conditions used to carry out the activating step. Brain tissue where the fluorescence characteristic differs from the standard fluorescence is identified as potentially having a neurodegenerative disease. Another aspect of the present invention is directed to a method of producing an image of brain tissue from a mammal by activating brain tissue of a mammal with radiation applied under conditions effective to promote a simultaneous multiphoton excitation of the brain tissue and to produce fluorescence. The fluorescence is then collected to produce an image of the brain tissue.
US07668581B2
A CAM (current arrow map) 71 and another CAM 72 are obtained from magnetocardiogram waveforms measured from both front and back sides of a subject using data at a point of time of an R-wave peak, then the coordinates of the CAM 72 are inverted in both x and y axis directions to obtain a CAM 73. The coordinates of each of the CAMs 71 and 73 are converted to polar coordinates to obtain CAMs 74 and 75 at both front and back sides of the subject. After that, the CAM 74 is adjusted to the CAM 76 in scale to obtain a CAM 76 , and CAMs 74 and 76 are combined. Then, the CAM data at measuring points on each measuring-points-missing radius vector is inserted through an arithmetic processing by interpolation so that CAM data at every measuring point on a planispheric chart 77 are connected to each another consecutively.
US07668580B2
A biosignal measurement device includes an electrode and a signal processing member. The electrode includes an insulation sheet having a hole, a device contact portion provided on the top surface of the insulation sheet and a body contact portion provided on the bottom surface of the insulation sheet, the device contact portion and the body contact portion electrically connected to each other via the hole. The signal processing member includes an externally exposed terminal to make surface contact with the device contact portion, an analog signal processing unit, an A/D signal converter and a digital signal processing unit. Also, the device contact portion and the body contact portion are formed of a material which is both conductive and adhesive. Accordingly, the signal processing member may be directly attached. Noise may be reduced. Also, a biosignal may be accurately measured.
US07668578B2
A solid structure includes a substrate and a layer located on a surface of the substrate. The layer includes crystalline or polycrystalline MgB2.
US07668576B2
A carriage receives and secures a portable digital music player in a vehicle audio system. The carriage is mechanically engagable with a dock of the vehicle audio system. Access and control over a portable digital music player received and secured by the vehicle audio system may be provided.
US07668571B2
A speaker system for a mobile device includes first and second audio processing units and first and second speakers for reproducing audio signals and outputting the reproduced audio signals. The speaker system also includes a controller configured for transferring the audio signal to the second speaker if a battery is connected to the mobile device. The first speaker is embedded in a main body of the mobile device and the second speaker is embedded in the battery of the mobile device.
US07668563B2
A method for configuring gain factors in a WCDMA telecommunication system is provided in which the gain factor for defining power required for normal reception of uplink data in an environment supporting an uplink service over an E-DCH can be configured using minimal signaling information. First gain factors for first TFs corresponding to a part of a TF set including a plurality of TFs available for an uplink service are received. One of the first TFs is determined as a reference TF for a second TF other than the first TFs in the TF set. Then, a second gain factor for the second TF is calculated using the first gain factor for the determined reference TF. The second gain factor is used for transmitting or receiving uplink data.
US07668562B1
A method and apparatus for geofencing mobile transmissions. The method includes determining a geographic location of a mobile transmitter. Then, a geographic interference contour of the mobile transmitter is determined. The mobile transmitter is operating over a specific frequency at the geographic location. A neighboring service contour is then determined. The neighboring service contour is associated with an FCC license that allows transmissions over a specific channel that includes the specific frequency. The interference geographic contour and the service contour are compared to determine if there is overlapping. Thereafter, transmissions from the mobile transmitter are controlled in order to comply with FCC regulations.
US07668560B2
A first communication device without direct network access sends a message to a second communication device connected to a remote network by relaying the message through one or more mobile communication devices. In one embodiment, a mobile communication device comprises a wireless communication circuit configured to establish a temporary wireless communication connection with the network isolated device and to receive data transferred via the temporary wireless communication connection. Further, the wireless communication circuit is configured to terminate the temporary wireless communication connection, to establish a subsequent communication connection with a communication device and to transfer the data to the communication device via the subsequent communication connection. According to some embodiments, a user of the device is offered an incentive to enable the device to transfer the data.
US07668553B2
Disclosed is a mobile communication system and a method for capturing information of other mobile communication terminals, that can identify criminal who harmed a user of mobile communication terminal based on information of the criminal's mobile communication terminal by capturing information of other mobile communication terminals, located within a certain distance from the user's mobile communication terminal when the crime happened, according to the user's instructions in an emergency situation.There is provided a mobile communication system for capturing information of other mobile communication terminals, comprising: a first mobile communication terminal for transmitting capture signal, location information and identification information; the second mobile communication terminals for transmitting location information and identification information of the second mobile communication terminals; and a base station for transmitting the GPS means driving signal to the second mobile communication terminals and capturing information of the second mobile communication terminals.
US07668543B2
The invention relates to the efficient treatment of location requests by a home register and GMLCs of various versions by means of a method for treating a location request relating to a subscriber in a mobile radio network. Once a request (SRI) from a first location request treatment device (GMLC-R5) arrives in a subscriber data bank (HLR) in a mobile radio network, relating to switching device address data (MAP (MSC/SGSN)) in a switching device (MSC/SGSN) or location request treatment device (V-GMLC), enabling (MSC/SGSN/V-GMLC) a subscriber (MS) to be currently reached, the subscriber data bank (HLR) indicates the address (MAP (H-GMLC) of another location request treatment device (H-GMLC-R6) instead of a switching device address (MAP (MSC/SGSN)) in an answer (Ack (MSC(SGSN)) if the request is a request from a version (R5) of a location request treatment device wherein said version (R5) includes provision such that the location request treatment device (GMLC-R5) receives switching device data (MAP(MSC/SGSN) from the subscriber data base (HLR) as an answer.
US07668539B2
The present invention is a method of managing missed calls providing a calling party, who initiates a call that is not pick-up by a called party (i.e., intended recipient), the autonomy to retain or delete telephone number of calling party in phone registered on the called party phone as caller identification (ID) through a mobile service provider (MSP) of a telecommunications network. The method may be implemented as part of a telecommunication system or as part of a computer program. Also, provided is a method and system for calling party to create annotation in a mobile service provider system parenthetical information for called party to retrieve or to alert called party.
US07668538B2
The present invention provides systems and methods for acquiring ring content (e.g., a ring tone or a ring view) for a mobile phone.
US07668533B2
In a wireless communication network system of the invention, in response to a request for connection authentication sent from each of multiple wireless communication terminals to a base station to establish a communication link, a link management module receives authentication information of each wireless communication terminal, which is generated corresponding to a piece of identification information allocated by an identification information management module and registered in the wireless communication terminal, from the wireless communication terminal via a wireless network. The link management module compares the authentication information received from the wireless communication terminal with multiple possible options of authentication information generated corresponding to multiple different pieces of identification information allocated by the identification information management module, and authenticates the wireless communication terminal that has sent the authentication information matching with one of the multiple possible options of authentication information. The identification information management module manages a mapping of each specific piece of identification information, which corresponds to a specific option of authentication information matching with the authentication information of the authenticated wireless communication terminal, to the authenticated wireless communication terminal.This arrangement of the invention assures simple, convenient, and safe authentication of multiple wireless communication terminals, while unequivocally identifying a process utilized by each user and the user's wireless communication terminal.
US07668527B2
A frequency-mixing device performing voltage multiplying and low-pass filtering operations in addition to the frequency mixing is provided. The three operations may be carried out with the same components by designing the frequency mixer appropriately. The frequency mixer comprises a balanced input port to receive a balanced input signal, an oscillator signal input port to receive a first and a second oscillator signal and a first, a second, and a third capacitance. First switching means are arranged to connect, in response to the first oscillator signal, the first and the second capacitance between a first and a second input port of the balanced input port. Second switching means are arranged to connect, in response to the second oscillator signal, the first capacitance between the first input port and the third capacitance and the second capacitance between the second input port and the third capacitance. An output port is connected to terminals of the third capacitance.
US07668522B2
A wideband combiner includes a core amplifier for receiving first and second pairs of differential input signals and providing a single pair of differential output signals. The pair of differential output signals are a combination of the first and second pair of differential input signals and a signal gain is implemented between the received first and second pairs of differential input signals and the single pair of differential output signals. The core amplifier is configured to provide a gain value between the first and second pairs of differential input signals and the single pair of differential output signals. The signal gain is substantially constant across the frequency bandwidth of the core amplifier. A bandwidth peaking network is coupled to the core amplifier and includes (a) a first coil and a first resistor connected in series and (b) a second coil and a second resistor connected in series.
US07668519B2
A system, apparatus and/or method provides frequency response adjustment of an RF input filter of an RF tuner based on impedance of an antenna system that is providing reception of RF signals to the RF tuner. The frequency response adjustment is preferably accomplished dynamically and/or with respect to each frequency tuned. Particularly, the system, method and/or apparatus provides compensation at the RF tuner level for mistuning effects produced on the RF tuner by antenna system impedance presented at the antenna input that is other than a designed for impedance. Frequency response of an RF input filter for the RF tuner is electronically adjustable with an independent or semi-independent control voltage signal based on one or more measured parameters of a tuning frequency. Frequency response adjustment may include adjustment of a center frequency of the RF input filter bandpass frequency range and/or altering the bandpass frequency range of the RF input filter. The subject invention expands the capability of an RF signal receiver, particularly one using at least one electronically adjustable RF filter at the input of an electronic alignment type tuner.
US07668518B2
A wireless communication system and method is disclosed. The system and method includes at least one base station controller setting resource allocation priority and producing a carrier loading information request in response to a request made by a mobile unit; a plurality of base stations coupled to at least one base station controller, each of the plurality of base stations operates on a plurality of carriers, at least one candidate base station transceiver of the plurality of base stations receiving the carrier loading information request, determining its carrier loading information, and responding with a carrier loading information response; and the at least one base station controller operating to assign the mobile unit to at least one candidate carrier within the one responding candidate base station of the plurality of base stations based upon both set resource allocation priority and received carrier loading information.
US07668510B2
A transmitting/receiving apparatus wherein a decision of performing SDM communication accompanied by a directivity control is correctly performed to improve the transmission efficiency. In the apparatus, a channel estimating part (205) performs channel estimation by use of known symbols included in a received signal. A channel variation deciding part (206) determines a correlation value between a channel estimation result of an immediately preceding process and that of a current process to determines the magnitude of a channel variation, and the determines, based on the magnitude of the channel variation, whether to perform SDM communication accompanied by a directivity control of perform SDM communication not accompanied by the directivity control. When a radio receiving part (107) receives a transmitting weight, a switching part (108) outputs the received transmitting weight to multipliers (103-1 to 103-n). When the receiving part (107) receives a signal an instruction of performing SDM communication not accompanied by the directivity control, the switching part (108) outputs, as the transmitting weight, “1” indicative of performing no directivity control, to the multipliers (103-1 to 103-n).
US07668508B2
A Wireless Connection Utility (WCU) provides a unified user experience for managing various types of wireless connections, including Wireless WANs, Wireless LANs, and Bluetooth networks. The WCU functions as a gateway for a user of a computer to monitor the computer's wireless network status, to switch wireless connections, to configure wireless connection settings, and to diagnose wireless connection problems through a Wireless Helper Utility (WHU). The WCU thus provides a unified U/I layer on the top of the existing operating system components for ease of use.
US07668503B1
Disclosed is a secure remote repeater. The secure repeater includes a first remote control signal detector, a remote control signal processor and an emitter. Among other functions, the secure repeater can forward secure remote signals to an electronic device using non-secure commands native to that electronic device. Additionally, the secure remote repeater can filter remote signal chatter.
US07668501B2
A medium supplying apparatus is assembled to an image forming apparatus. A medium tray supports a medium thereon, and is pivotal about a first axis and extends from the first axis. The medium tray has a guide path that extends in the first radial direction. A feeder frame has a pickup roller rotatably mounted to the feeder frame, and is pivotal about a second axis substantially parallel to the first axis. The medium tray and the feeder frame are drivingly coupled via a link. When the medium tray pivots to its open position or closed position, the link transmits the motion of the medium tray to the feeder frame in such a way that the feeder frame drivingly pivots to its open position or closed position.
US07668500B2
An image forming device includes an image forming device body having an image forming unit in the interior thereof, and at least one paper tray attached to the image forming device on which paper is to be mounted. The paper tray includes a paper mounting unit having a paper mounting surface on which paper is to be mounted, and at least one movable auxiliary mounting unit. The auxiliary mounting unit is supported by the paper mounting unit, and includes an auxiliary mounting surface that is deployed from the paper mounting unit and which serves to extend the mounting surface. The brightnesses of the mounting surface and the auxiliary mounting surface of the paper tray are lower than the brightness of the paper to be mounted on each mounting surface, and the brightness of at least a portion of the auxiliary mounting surface is higher than the brightness of the mounting surface.
US07668498B2
A fixing apparatus according to the present invention ensures a nip width larger than a certain value by a heating roller which has a thin film metal conductive layer, and a foamed rubber layer which is bonded to the end part of the metal conductive layer, formed with a gap in a center part, and not bonded to the metal conductive layer.
US07668495B2
An image heating apparatus including: a pressure member; a fixing roller to rotate on the pressure member; a heater to heat an external surface of the fixing roller; and a film to be heated by the heater. While passing through a gap between the pressure member and the fixing roller, the film may form a nip with the pressure member. The image heating apparatus may reduce an initial warm-up time through a film heating operation, and may utilize the fixing roller as a heat reservoir by heating the fixing roller.
US07668487B2
The invention provides a printed circuit board (PCB) printing system. In a particular embodiment, the system includes a liquid electrophotographic printing device. At least one supplier of electrically conductive ink supplying electrically conductive ink to the electrophotographic printing device is also provided. In addition, at least one supplier of dielectric ink supplying dielectric ink to the electrophotographic printing device is also provided. The liquid electrophotographic printing device is operable to apply the electrically conductive ink and the dielectric ink to a provided substrate such that substantially immiscible boundary delineation occurs at any points of contact between the applied electrically conducive ink and the applied dielectric ink. An appropriate method of use for the rendering of a printed circuit board is also provided.
US07668486B2
The image forming unit 100 includes a photosensitive drum 11, a rotary developing device 30, and a rotation speed control device 70. Electrostatic latent images are formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 11. The rotary developing device 30 includes a plurality of developing apparatuses 13 having a developing roller 14 disposed in opposition to the photosensitive drum 11, and a distance regulating collar 73 that regulates the distance between the photosensitive drum 11 and the developing roller 14. The rotation speed control device 70 includes a rotation speed control device 71 that controls the rotation speed of the rotary developing device 30 so that for a predetermined period of time until the developing apparatus 13 reaches the developing position the rotation speed of the photosensitive drum 11 and the movement speed in the circumferential direction of the distance regulating collar 73 are equal.
US07668483B2
Provided is an image forming apparatus which includes a cylindrical image carrier, on which at least an electrostatic latent image is formed, and a charge roller for non-contact charging the image carrier with a predetermined charge gap, and applies at least an alternating current (AC) voltage to the charge roller to non-contact charge the image carrier, wherein a predetermined number of partition members for partitioning an internal space of the image carrier into a plurality of sub-spaces are arranged at a central position of an axial direction of the image carrier or in the vicinity of the central position of the axial direction of the image carrier, in the image carrier.
US07668477B2
A cleaning device has: a cleaning member contacting a body-to-be-cleaned at a predetermined nip width, and cleaning a surface of the body-to-be-cleaned; and a supporting member supporting a peripheral surface of the cleaning member. The cleaning member is supported with predetermined degrees of freedom by the supporting member and a surface of the body-to-be-cleaned.
US07668474B2
An image forming apparatus is supplied which is able to eliminate redundant item in checking and adjusting print quality before executing print process and only perform item check being really necessary so as to reduce waiting time of user. In the image forming apparatus, a non-operation time calculating section 14 sets an end of last print process as a start point and calculates a non-operation time; a print controlling section 15 controls an adjustment of print quality on the basis of an acquirement of the print quality corresponding to quality item previously set and an acquirement result of the print quality, according to a length of the non-operation time.
US07668473B2
There are provided a fixing device and an image forming apparatus capable of reducing a sensing error of a surface temperature of a heating roller. The fixing device includes a temperature sensor for sensing the surface temperature of the heating roller, and a temperature calculation circuit. The temperature calculation circuit includes a noise removal prevention circuit. The temperature sensor includes an infrared ray sensing thermistor and a compensation thermistor, and the noise removal prevention circuit prevents removal of a part of an AC component (such as a high frequency component in a noise) included in a difference between outputs (difference output) of the infrared ray sensing thermistor and the compensation thermistor. Thus, the AC component is prevented from being offset when the difference outputs are averaged, thus reducing the sensing error of the surface temperature of the heating roller based on the average value of the difference outputs.
US07668470B2
A toner supplying device includes: a toner density sensor for detecting a density of toner contained in a developer tank; a toner hopper for supplying toner to the developer tank; a toner cartridge for supplying toner to the toner hopper; and a control section, when a request to supply toner to the developer tank is made in accordance with a signal detected by the toner density sensor, for controlling a hopper driving motor and a cartridge driving motor so that (i) the toner hopper supplies toner to the developer tank and (ii) the toner cartridge supplies toner to the toner hopper. Thus, in a structure having first and second toner supplying sections disposed on top of each other, toner can be stably supplied to a developer tank.
US07668469B2
The present invention provides an optical receiver that enables to vary the sensitivity depending on the transmission speed. The optical receiver provides a photodiode to generate the photocurrent, the pre-amplifier to convert the photocurrent to the voltage signal, the lead pin to supply the bias voltage to the photodiode, and the control block to generate the switching signal for varying the current-to-voltage conversion efficiency and the frequency bandwidth of the pre-amplifier based on the control signal. The control signal is commonly provided from the lead pin through which the bias voltage is applied. The control block interprets the signal applied to the lead pin and generates the switching signal.
US07668464B2
An optical transceiver module having digital control of laser current peaking is disclosed. The optical transceiver module comprises a controller and integrated post-amplifier/laser driver, which are included on a printed circuit board disposed in the module. Transmitting and receiving optical sub-assemblies are also disposed in the module. A digital signal interface interconnects the controller with the integrated post-amplifier/laser driver. Digital control signals produced by the controller are transmitted via the digital signal interface to the integrated post-amplifier/laser driver, where they are converted to analog control signals. The analog control signals are forwarded to control components responsible for governing the electrical current supplied to the laser of the transmitting optical sub-assembly. The laser current is intermittently peaked by the control signal in order to hasten the transition from light to no-light emission, thereby improving laser response and performance.
US07668459B2
In a wavelength division multiplexing optical transmission system, in order to know an influence amount of a temperature dependency of a dispersion slope, a method of monitoring a dispersion variation amount in two or more of wavelength channels is provided. Further, a method of compensating a wavelength dependency of a temperature dependency of the dispersion by providing an appropriate dispersion individually to the channels or summarizingly for all of bandwidths based on the monitored dispersion variation amounts is provided. According to the present invention, in the WDM optical transmission system, a deterioration in a transmission characteristic by influence of a temperature variation of the dispersion slope can be reduced.
US07668457B2
A image archiving apparatus is connected to a digital still camera and acquires the serial ID and product ID of the camera. The image archiving apparatus reads image files from the camera. If a camera folder corresponding to the connected camera has been generated, the read image files are stored in this folder. If the folder has not been generated, a new folder is generated and the read image files are stored in the generated folder. Image files are organized and stored in a folder that corresponds to the model of the camera that applies the image files to the image archiving apparatus.
US07668451B2
An image taking method includes the steps of taking an image of an object to be taken, thereby generating image data. A predetermined objective body is detected from the image data. Exposure and/or focusing position are determined for each of the detected objective bodies. The image taking means is caused to take an image of each objective body according to the exposure and/or the focusing position determined for each of the detected objective bodies in response to one image-taking action.
US07668448B2
A flash apparatus is provided. The flash apparatus includes: an attachment portion capable of being attached in a freely detachable manner to an attachment target portion provided on an imaging apparatus; a main body supported in a turnable manner in an anteroposterior direction with respect to the attachment portion by means of a first turning portion; and a light-emitting portion supported in a turnable manner in an anteroposterior or vertical direction with respect to the main body by means of a second turning portion, including a light emitter directly or indirectly emitting light to a subject.
US07668446B2
The present invention enables a user to photograph and edit a photograph suiting one's taste slowly and while having fun. The automatic photo studio of this invention has a counter for a person to receive a user, a plurality of satellites having a function of receiving operations of a user and a function of showing various displays to the user, and a plurality of studios for photographing a subject. The automatic photo studio further includes a counter system provided in the vicinity of the counter for performing visitor processing and checkout processing to the user, a printer system provided in the vicinity of the counter for printing images based on subject images photographed in the studio, a satellite system provided to the satellite for enabling the user to edit the subject images photographed in the studio, and a studio system provided to the studio for controlling the photo shooting conditions and photo shoot timing. The satellite system and the studio system determine whether the user is an authorized user based on information written in a player information storage medium as an information storage medium in the possession of the user, and permit the user to use the satellite or the studio when the user is an official user as the authorized user.
US07668442B2
An apparatus for simulating flames includes a light source, a viewing screen capable of diffusing and transmitting light, a rear reflector disposed behind the viewing screen, and a light producer for producing moving beams of light. The light source is disposed below the reflector and behind the viewing screen. The light producer is disposed in front of the light source and below the screen and light from the light source is reflected by the light producer onto the reflector and is reflected by the reflector onto the screen to produce a perceptible image viewable on the screen.
US07668437B1
A recording apparatus for recording video data to a rewritable optical disc is disclosed, that comprises an encoding means for encoding video data corresponding to a compression-encoding process, a converting means for converting the data structure of the encoded video data received from the encoding means into a file structure that allows a moving picture to be synchronously reproduced by computer software without need to use specially dedicated hardware, and a recording means for recording data having the file structure to an optical disc, wherein the file structure has a first data unit and a second data unit, the second data unit being a set of the first data units, and wherein a plurality of the second data units is matched with a successive record length of which data is written to the optical disc.
US07668432B2
Multi-drop closure systems for fiber optic cabling include an enclosure and a ganged drop plug. The enclosure defines a splice chamber therein and has a main cable access opening and a drop cable access opening into the splice chamber. The drop cable access opening is displaced from the main cable access opening. The ganged drop plug is configured to be sealingly inserted into the drop cable access opening. The ganged drop plug has a plurality of drop cables extending therefrom.
US07668429B2
This invention provides a methyl methacrylate resin light guide for use in a surface light source device. The methyl methacrylate resin light guide can reduce the occurrence of dark lines and can improve the screen image quality of a surface light source device. The light guide characterized by including a methyl methacrylate resin and fine particles. Herein, not less than 0.01 parts by mass and not more than 0.5 parts by mass of the fine particles are dispersed in 100 parts by mass of the methyl methacrylate resin. In addition, the absolute value of a difference in refractive index between the fine resin particles and the methyl methacrylate resin is not less than 0.001 and not more than 0.02, the fine resin particles have an average particle size of not less than 1 μm and not more than 10 μm.
US07668425B1
A bi-directional cable assembly for use with a fiber optic cable that includes at least one cable optical fiber that can carry bi-directional optical signals. The cable assembly is connected to the fiber optic cable at a mid-span location, where the cable fiber is preterminated to form upstream and downstream cable fiber sections. A tether having an upstream and/or a downstream tether fiber is spliced to corresponding preterminated upstream and/or downstream cable fibers at respective one or more splice locations. At least one of the tether fibers is a bend-resistant optical fiber that includes a bend angle equal to or about 180 degrees so that the tether extends in one direction from the mid-span access point along the fiber optic cable. A low-profile protective cover covers the mid-span access point and an end-portion of the tether. A protective tube may be used to house the bend-improved fiber and the splices that connect the cable fiber sections to the tether fibers.
US07668424B2
Apparatus which adjusts an optical connection between a waveguide and an optical interconnection component that launches light into the waveguide or receives light emitted from the waveguide. The apparatus includes: an excitation light element emitting light that causes the waveguide to fluoresce into the waveguide via the optical interconnection component; an observation unit that observes the waveguide from a side face, different from the end face into which light is launched into the waveguide or light having propagated through the waveguide is emitted, and which receives fluorescent light emitted by the waveguide; and a connection adjusting component that adjusts the optical connection between the optical interconnection component and the waveguide based on the intensity of the fluorescent light received at the light observing section.
US07668421B2
The present invention relates to an optical coupling lens and light source module. An optical coupling lens is provided for converging a light flux emitted from a light source to an entrance aperture. The optical coupling lens satisfies a predetermined condition according to a third-order astigmatisms coefficient of the optical coupling lens. A light source module includes: a light source; an optical waveguide; and an optical unit including one or more of an optical coupling lens for converging a light flux emitted from the light source onto the optical waveguide. At least one optical coupling lens satisfies predetermined condition according to a third-order astigmatism coefficient of the optical coupling lens.
US07668417B2
The invention relates to RF termination for reducing electrical signal reflections at the end of transmission line electrodes on an electro-optical (EO) optical modulator. The disclosed termination incorporates a RF tap which permits the monitoring of the RF power and reflection conditions at the EO modulator. The integrated termination/tap can also be integrated with detection circuitry, such as RF diodes and passive components, giving improved performance, lower cost manufacturability as well as a more compact and efficient package.
US07668412B2
A distributed sensing system for detecting partial electric discharge along the length of an extended object or objects. An optical fiber having a cladding integrated with luminescent material and a silica core of less than 500 micro-meters in diameter with a first reflective end deployed in proximity to test objects. A photo detector is positioned at the second end of the optical sensing fiber and receives and measures both a direct emission light from an electric partial discharge event and the reflected emission light from the reflection end of the optical sensing fiber. The measured signals and their arrival times are used to determine the location and magnitude of a partial electrical discharge.
US07668404B2
A method and system of deskewing an image. The method and system includes capturing a first image, forming a number of regions within the first image, generating a bounding rectangles for each region, calculating an area for each bounding rectangle, rotating each region by an angle within a predefined range, finding the angle that minimizes the area of each bounding rectangle, and rotating each region by the angle found.
US07668394B2
One exemplary method of the present invention is for background intensity correction of a scan of pixel values of a document, wherein the scan has at least one background pixel area and at least one non-background pixel area. The method includes segmenting the scan into the at least one background pixel area and the at least one non-background pixel area. The method also includes calculating a gray background pixel value of at least a portion of the scan. The method also includes compensating only the pixel values of the at least one background pixel area for background intensity using the calculated gray background pixel value.
US07668393B2
An apparatus and method which takes into consideration the real world where data was acquired, and enables obtaining of processing results which are more accurate and more precise as to phenomena in the real world. A data continuity detecting unit detects the continuity of data of second signals, having second dimensions that are fewer than first dimensions had by first signals which are real world signals and are projected whereby a part of the continuity of the real world signals is lost, wherein the continuity to be detected corresponds to the continuity of the real world signals that has been lost. An actual world estimating unit estimates a real world image by estimating the continuity of the real world image that has been lost, based on the continuity of the data detected by the data continuity detecting unit.
US07668391B2
The disclosed is to provide an image signal processor and its method in which the enhancement of resolution and the effective reduction of noise are compatible. The image signal processor is provided with an edge character detector that detects a character of an edge of an object, an image signal frequency zone limiter that executes a noise removing process, an image signal frequency zone enhancer that executes a resolution enhancing process and a gain controller that changes each intensity of the image signal frequency zone limiter and the image signal frequency zone enhancer according to an output result of the edge character detector.
US07668387B2
A method of selectively sharpening an image may include, for at least some pixels in the image, determining a frequency content associated with a pixel value in the image. The pixel may be linearly sharpened if the frequency content exceeds a threshold. The pixel may be non-linearly sharpened if the frequency content does not exceed the threshold. In some implementations, the non-linear sharpening may include wavelet decomposition of the image and enhancement of decomposed components.
US07668386B2
The present invention is related to routines for the processing of quantized vector data into one or more arrays of integers whose values are closer to zero than the integers in the quantized vector data. The arrays are input to a compression engine resulting in compressed bytes of data that may be transferred to a computing device for the decompression of the data. The quantized vector data can include vertices expressed as a pair of integer values that may represent geometric, spatial elements, such as points, interconnected lines (polylines), and polygons. These geometric objects may be representative of information on a map. The compressed bytes may be grouped according to grids, wherein each grid represents a distinct geographic area of a map, so that a consumer can store and decompress only the portion of the map data which is of interest.
US07668383B2
Image processing, compressing, decompressing, transmitting, sending and receiving devices and methods, their programs and a displaying device, in which a bit plane number is increased again after the bit plane number is first reduced to enable it to largely improve or remove granular quality deterioration in a mild gradation area and a plain gradation area within an image. For data compression, a first image processor includes a block coder for executing a reversible compression of image data of pixels of a raster image and a bit plane compressor for conducting an irreversible compression of the image data. For data decompression, a second image processor includes a bit plane decompressor for carrying out an irreversible decompression of the compressed data and a block decoder for executing a reversible decoding of the compressed data, to output decompressed image data to a display for displaying a reproduced raster image. The compressed data is once stored in a memory.
US07668372B2
In a method and system for collection of data from documents present in machine-readable form, at least one already-processed document stored as a template and designated as a template document is associated with a document to be processed designated as a read document. Fields for data to be extracted are defined in the template document. Data contained in the read document are already extracted from regions that correspond to the fields in the template document. Should an error have occurred or no suitable template document having been associated given the automatic extraction of the data, the read document is shown on a screen and fields are manually inputted in the read document from which the data are extracted. After the manual input of the fields in the read document, the read document with field specifications is stored as a new template document or the previous template document is corrected corresponding to the newly input fields.
US07668371B2
System and method for distinguishing between foreground content and background content in an image presentation. An initial background model is provided, and a final background model is constructed from the initial background model using the image presentation. The foreground content and background content in the image presentation are then distinguished from one another using the final background model. The present invention permits foreground content and background content to be separated from one another for further processing in different types of computer-generated image presentations such as digital slide presentations, video presentations, Web page presentations, and the like.
US07668368B2
A correction processing section 1 performs a color correction such that a movement amount indicating how much input values of image signals should be moved for the purpose of color correction becomes smaller as the distance between the input values and the coordinates of the center of region to be corrected becomes larger in the region to be corrected, based on the input values of the input signals (L signal, *a signal, *b signal), conditional data (such as radius r) defining a local region to be corrected, the coordinates (Lc, *ac, *bc) of the center of the region to be corrected and the coordinates (Lm, *am, *bm) of the center of an ideal color region to be targeted.
US07668367B2
A method of processing successive images of a video signal to generate a representative color value indicative of a representative color of an image sub-area. The method includes detecting a color property of the image sub-area in a current image, generating a filtered color property in respect of the current image by combining a color property for the current image with a filtered color property derived in respect of a corresponding sub-area of a previous image, and deriving the representative color value in dependence on a difference between the color property of the sub-area of the current image and the filtered color property.
US07668359B2
In some preferred embodiments, a system for the automatic identification of cortical and/or medulla regions of the kidneys in renal dynamic studies is provided that includes: a computer module configured to perform principal component analysis on a dynamic sequence corresponding to only one of the kidneys based on a linear combination of the first few component images with coefficients for the principal component analysis as normalization factors.
US07668352B2
A method, system, and method of doing business in a standards-based medical imaging environment is described in relation to the communication of computer-aided detection (CAD) results among devices, with one embodiment relating to the DICOM standard. CAD results are fixably integrated into the pixels of a secondary image derived from a source image, and the secondary image is transferred using a DICOM Secondary Capture Image Information Object Instance (SCI-IOI). The DICOM SCI-IOI is transferred to a viewing workstation, whereby a clinician can open, manipulate, and view the secondary image in a side-by-side comparison with the source image or derivative images thereof. Advantageously, CAD results are communicated to the clinician in a DICOM-conforming manner independent of whether the viewing workstation supports standard DICOM accommodations, such as CAD Structured Report Information Object Instances (CAD SR-IOIs), for the type of CAD results that need to be presented. Optionally, an equipment information entity identifier in a CAD SR-IOI and/or the SCI-IOI can be modified to change or shield the identity of the manufacturer of the CAD processing unit.
US07668342B2
The present invention discloses a method for generating elevation maps or images of a tissue layer/boundary with respect to a fitted reference surface, comprising the steps of finding and segmenting a desired tissue layer/boundary; fitting a smooth reference surface to the segmented tissue layer/boundary; calculating elevations of the same or other tissue layer/boundary relative to the fitted reference surface; and generating maps of elevation relative to the fitted surface. The elevation can be displayed in various ways including three-dimensional surface renderings, topographical contour maps, contour maps, en-face color maps, and en-face grayscale maps. The elevation can also be combined and simultaneously displayed with another tissue layer/boundary dependent set of image data to provide additional information for diagnostics.
US07668341B2
An image recognition apparatus is capable of recognizing an image of an object of interest with high recognition accuracy even when the object is difficult to recognize only from image information acquired by an image pickup apparatus. The image recognition apparatus includes image information acquisition means for capturing image information of an image taken on a road, road feature information acquisition means for acquiring, from map information, road feature information C associated with a feature in the neighborhood of a position where the image information is taken, and image information recognition means for recognizing the image information using the road feature information C to recognize an image of an object to be recognized corresponding to the feature included in the image information.
US07668332B2
Both water intrusion and wind noise issues are addressed with an audio porting assembly including a single frame (102) having a speaker cavity (110) and a microphone cavity (112) formed therein. An opening (114) formed within the frame (102) between the speaker cavity (110) and the microphone cavity (112) provides a path for indirect porting from the speaker cavity into the microphone cavity. A unitarily molded membrane (104) provides a seal over the frame (102).
US07668329B2
An acoustic structure of seat back, with an acoustic unit provided in a hole of padding of the seat back. The acoustic unit includes speaker unit(s) and a support box in which the speaker unit(s) is/are supportively received. The support box is accommodated in the afore-said hole of padding, with an opened side thereof facing to a forward side of the padding. A sound-conductive cushion element is supported by that support box so as to lie on a forward side of the speaker unit(s). The support box may include an acoustic hollow portion therein. Those padding and sound-conductive cushion element are covered with a trim cover assembly. A speaker support cushiony element may be provided in the support box to support the speaker unit(s), with a high sound conductivity. The speaker support cushiony element and/or the sound-conductive cushion element may be of network structure.
US07668319B2
The present invention relates to a signal processing system, a signal processing apparatus and method, a recording medium, and a program in which high frequency components of a narrow-range signal having suppressed high frequency components can be restored with high accuracy. A narrow-range audio signal having low frequency components is divided into frames by a frame-unit dividing unit 11, and is spectral-transformed into a signal on a frequency domain by a DCT transform unit 12. A learning-produced-data table 14 extracts, at an address corresponding to a class code supplied from a classifying unit 13, high-frequency-component DCT spectrum data. In a spectrum combining unit 16, the extracted high-frequency-component DCT spectrum data is combined with low-frequency-component DCT spectrum data output from the DCT transform unit 12. Subsequently, a broad-range audio signal having combined high frequency components and low frequency components is output. The present invention can be applied to cellular phones.
US07668316B2
A method of encrypting metadata that can be represented by a tree structure. The method involves generating an encryption key for a predetermined node of the metadata using a function that takes as input parameters an encryption key for an upper node of the predetermined node and information specifying the predetermined node, and encrypting data of the predetermined node using the generated encryption key.
US07668315B2
Methods and apparatus are presented for providing local authentication of subscribers travelling outside their home systems. A subscriber identification token 230 provides authentication support by generating a signature 370 based upon a key that is held secret from a mobile unit 220. A mobile unit 220 that is programmed to wrongfully retain keys from a subscriber identification token 230 after a subscriber has removed his or her token is prevented from subsequently accessing the subscriber's account.
US07668314B2
An encrypted data communication system for communicating an encrypted stream as an encrypted data stream from a device at transmitting end to a device at receiving end to suppress the effect of an erroneous detection of a dummy code is disclosed. A device at transmitting end generates a data stream having the bit sequence of a marker for determination, a synchronization marker and a location identification code after the data, encrypts the bit sequence of the data and the marker for determination and transmits the encrypted stream. A device at receiving end receives the encrypted stream, detects the bit sequence of the synchronization marker and the location identification code and decrypts the encrypted stream. In the case where the bit sequence of the data and the marker for determination is decrypted, the detection of the valid bit sequence is determined, while the detection of a dummy bit sequence is determined otherwise.
US07668309B2
A portable electronic accessory holder for insertion into an existing vehicle cup holder includes a body having a continuous side wall that is sized to be received within the vehicle cup holder and an upper surface that coincides with at least a portion of the side wall. A pair of spaced sides extend upwardly from the upper surface to thereby define a gap therebetween. The gap is dimensioned to receive and hold a portable accessory, such as a portable phone, with the upper surface defining a support surface for the portable accessory. One or more cavities may also be located in the holder for providing multiple mounting positions for portable accessories.
US07668306B2
Described herein is a method and apparatus for connecting packet telephony calls between secure networks and non-secure networks.
US07668304B2
The present invention is directed toward methods and systems for providing advanced features to a telecommunication device. The systems and methods determine a hierarchical relationship of participants of a conference call and when one participant is communicating with another participant, the parties are made aware of their hierarchical relationship relative to each other.
US07668297B2
In an X-ray tube 1A that makes electrons emitted from an electron gun 17 into a target 9 of an anode 8 arranged in a tubular vacuum enclosure body 6, and extracts the X-rays through an X-ray exit window 18, the anode 8 is arranged on a tube axis C1 of the vacuum enclosure body 6, and in a sealing portion 5g provided at an end portion of the vacuum enclosure body 6, provided is the X-ray exit window 18 eccentric with respect to the tube axis C1 of the vacuum enclosure body 6.
US07668288B2
A medical imaging system, e.g., a computed tomography system includes at least one radiation detector that is relatively rotatable with respect to an object of interest. The angular range is divided into discrete continuous acquisition ranges and unsampled angular ranges, wherein the discrete continuous acquisition ranges are separated by unsampled angular ranges.
US07668278B2
An oscillator (30) supplies a high frequency signal (S) to a frequency divider (31). A phase comparator (32) produces a signal measuring phase difference between the divided frequency signal (QA) and a reference signal. A low-pass filter (34) controls the oscillator on the basis of the measurement signal. A measurement window, of duration defined by counting cycles of the high frequency signal, is generated in response to each active edge of the divided frequency signal. The measurement signal is activated during the measurement window so that it comprises, when an active edge of the reference signal falls within the window, a first pulse between the start of the window and this edge and a second pulse, opposite to the first, between this edge and the end of the window.
US07668273B2
In a method for synchronization of a mobile radio receiver to a base station, the received signal is sampled using oversampling, by which means sample values are obtained from different sampling phases. The oversampled signal is correlated with a local code, with sample values that are associated with a first sampling phase being processed with a frequency offset with respect to sample values that are associated with a second sampling phase.
US07668270B2
Methods and systems for a programmable filtering offset may include filtering desired data located at a variable offset from a start of a particular message in a data stream using a programmable hardware filter module. The variable offset may be specified in bits or bytes. The programmable hardware filter module may start filtering from an offset corresponding to the start of the desired data. The programmable hardware filter module may be a variable length filter or a fixed length filter. An offset from the start of a particular message may be determined, where the desired data that may be compared may start after the offset from the beginning of the message. The programmable hardware filter module may be configured with the determined offset.
US07668265B2
A method of wirelessly communicating is disclosed. The method comprises determining a matrix W based in part on limiting a plurality of active interference cancellation tone values (416), determining the active interference cancellation tone values (416) based on W and based on a plurality of information data values (410), and transmitting an orthogonal frequency division multiplex signal (310) based on the plurality of active interference cancellation tone values (416) and the information data values (410).
US07668264B2
A decision feedback equalizing apparatus and a method of decision feedback equalization make a channel property of an inferior receiving signal to mild by using a channel-matched filter and decrease decision errors of symbol detector output signals by using a trellis decoder with decreased complexity, whose trace back depth is 1 (TBD=1).
US07668254B2
Systems and methods for evaluating electrical characteristics of a transmitter in real time are provided. A particular system includes a code generator configured to generate reference code and test code. The reference code and test code both include a plurality of frames of data. The code generator is further configured to output the reference code at a first rate and to output the test code at a second rate that is different than the first rate. The system also includes a modulator configured to modulate the reference code into a first modulated code. The system further includes a correlator configured to correlate the first modulated code with test code that has been modulated and transmitted by a transmitter as a second modulated code.
US07668244B2
A system for receiving data on a communication channel. The system examines the state of a bit that was previously received on the channel. If the state of the previously received bit was high, the system looks for a falling edge while receiving a subsequent bit on the channel. Otherwise, the system looks for a rising edge while receiving the subsequent bit on the channel. While looking for a rising edge or looking for a falling edge, the system samples a signal on the channel at discrete time steps within a symbol interval, wherein the symbol interval is a time period during which the signal can change states. The specific discrete time step at which the signal changes state is associated with a specific decoded output symbol. Note that the signal can also convey information by not changing states. Also note that not all symbols require the same time to be transmitted, because some symbols can be associated with signal transitions that happen sooner, whereas other symbols can be associated with signal transitions that happen later.
US07668243B2
System and method for synchronizing clocks and maintaining packet timing relationships in a wireless communications system. A preferred embodiment further comprises periodically synchronizing local clocks at a transmitter and a receiver to a clock reference, adding a timestamp to each application packet at a transmitter of a wireless network, setting the timestamp to a value of a local time at the transmitter plus a link delay, buffering a received packet at a receiver, and releasing the buffered packet to an application level when a value of a local time at the receiver equals the timestamp value in the packet. This can help to ensure that the timing relationships between data packets present at a transmitter is maintained at a receiver, regardless of transport delays (waiting, transmission and processing) incurred by the data packets.
US07668242B2
A method of interfacing non-integrated media processing system elements is presented, the method comprising identifying one or more characteristics of one or more media processing system elements, and dynamically negotiating which system elements will perform certain media processing tasks based, at least in part, on the identified one or more characteristics of the system elements.
US07668238B1
A method and apparatus for advantageously utilizing the reset state of an RTZ shift register to guarantee proper data alignment at the feedback taps to facilitate decision feedback equalization (DFE). An input data stream (DATA) is sliced into an even data stream and an odd data stream. Each bit of the even data stream is propagated through RTZ latches and each bit of the odd data stream is propagated through RTZ latches. At any given instant in time, half of the RTZ latch outputs contain zero information, so that each latch output may be summed in a current mode without the need for any intervening logic. The input data stream is then summed in current mode with the feedback data and converted to voltage prior to sampling of the currently received data bit.
US07668230B2
In one embodiment, a first device for communicating over a digital-subscriber-line (DSL) line comprises a digital-subscriber-line transceiver to transmit and receive data over the DSL link. A set of one or more performance parameters are associated with the DSL link by which the quality of the DSL link can be determined. The first device further comprises a controller coupled to the digital-subscriber-line transceiver. The controller causes a non-intrusive transmitter adjustment operation to be performed by the digital-subscriber-line transceiver.
US07668228B2
A receiver for position-determining ranging signals transmitted by earth-orbiting satellites uses a set of accumulators, each of which accumulates signal samples corresponding with a position along the rising edges of incoming PRN pulses. An MMT processor calculates the rising edges of the direct path component of the received signal, selects the accumulator whose content correspond to a reference value related to the pulse height of the direct path component and compares the timing of the samples in that accumulator with the timing of the reference value on a reference pulse.
US07668218B2
The present invention provides a nitride semiconductor laser element, comprising: a nitride semiconductor structure having a first nitride semiconductor layer, a second nitride semiconductor layer, and an active layer provided between the first and second nitride semiconductor layers; a cavity end face provided to the nitride semiconductor structure; and a protective film having a hexagonal crystal structure, and having a first region provided on a first crystal surface of the nitride semiconductor structure in the cavity end face and a second region provided on a second crystal surface in the surface of at least one of the first and second nitride semiconductor layer, the first and second regions of the protective film are oriented in the same axial direction as that of the respective first and second crystal surfaces.
US07668216B2
The invention provides a method of reducing a time-averaged coherence of laser radiation for current-tunable lasers, and a laser apparatus realizing the method, by modulating the laser drive current using a modulation function optimized for obtaining a pre-determined time-averaged spectral profile of the laser radiation. In a preferred embodiment, the pre-determined time-averaged spectral profile has a substantially Gaussian shape. The method is described in reference to laser diodes.
US07668212B2
An improvement in a method of controlling lasing in a semiconductor laser fabricated in a photonic crystal laser having a plurality of holes into which a birefringent material with low refractive losses and low optical loses with controllable spatial refractive index orientation has been infiltrated comprises the step of rotating the molecular orientation or changing the physical orientation of the birefringent material infiltrated into the holes of the photonic crystal laser to switch cavity modes. The liquid crystal is aligned by use of an alignable photo addressable polymer layer adjacent to the liquid crystal. The cavity modes are optically switched within the laser without any requirement of external energy to maintain the lasing state of the laser, which allows its use as a memory element.
US07668205B2
Identifying artifacts are inserting in radio frequency broadcast data at the transmitter and retrieved at a receiver, allowing verification of the receipt of the transmitted data, authentication of transactions that use the transmitted data, or activation of processes dependent on receipt of the carrier data. A content system receives content data to serve as carrier data, and an identifying artifact insertion system inserts artifact data into the carrier data based on predetermined characteristics of the carrier data without requiring human intervention, and then generates a composite data sequence. A data transmit system connected to the identifying artifact insertion system and the content system transmits the composite data sequence. A receiver system performs real-time, automated extraction of identifying artifacts within lossy carrier data and verifies the reception of the data artifacts in the carrier data.
US07668198B2
A method for inserting a PDU LI in an RLC is disclosed. According to the preferred embodiment, if a current PDU size corresponds to the total size of components of the PDU and the current PDU has information indicating that the current PDU size corresponds to the total size of components of the PDU, a component of the next PDU does not include information indicating that the current PDU size corresponds to the total size of components of the PDU. Therefore, the next PDU is free from unnecessary insertion of the LI value so that waste of network resources can be prevented and overhead required for processing unnecessary LI values also can be reduced.
US07668195B2
A method for transmitting and receiving data over a shared access carrier network with a plurality of user devices is provided. The user devices each have a modem associated therewith and a network interface for communicating over a local network. The method begins by transmitting a query from each one of the user devices over the local network requesting remaining ones of the plurality of user devices to specify available resources pertaining to shared access carrier network connectivity capabilities of the modem associated therewith. A reply is received over the local network in response to the query from each of the remaining user devices. Based on the replies from each of the remaining user devices, at least one of the user devices is selected to serve as a master device that provides connectivity to the shared access carrier system through which the other of the plurality of user devices transmit and receive data.
US07668191B2
An apparatus for determining transmission policies for a plurality of transmissions of different types based on a first transmission data associated to a first transmission being of a first transmission type, and on a second transmission data associated to a second transmission being of a second transmission type is described, comprising means for obtaining a first score within a common range, said first score being based on an evaluation of said first transmission data in a first transmission type specific manner, means for obtaining a second score within the common range, said second score being based on an evaluation of said second transmission data in a second transmission type specific manner, and means for determining, based on said obtained first and second score, for said first and second transmission a respective first and second transmission policy each defining one or more transmission parameters such that a sum of a first and second expected score is maximized.
US07668188B2
Methods and systems for processing signals in a communication system are disclosed and may include pipelining processing of a received HSDPA bitstream within a single chip. The pipelining may include calculating a memory address for a current portion of a plurality of information bits in the received HSDPA bitstream, while simultaneously storing on-chip, a portion of the plurality of information bits in the received bitstream that is subsequent to the current portion. A portion of the plurality of information bits in the received HSDPA bitstream that is previous to the current portion may be decoded during the calculating and the storing. The calculation of the memory address for the current portion of the plurality of information bits may be achieved without the use of a buffer. Processing of the plurality of information bits may be partitioned into a functional data processing path and a functional address processing path.
US07668173B2
A method and system for an adaptive wireless routing protocol in a mesh network are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises routing datagrams between a plurality of nodes in a mesh network. Update messages are routed to one or more of the plurality of nodes, wherein the update messages include hello packets and update packets.
US07668159B2
Methods and apparatus for use in processing Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) calls in a network environment which includes a circuit-switched (CS) network and an Internet Protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) network. In one illustrative technique, a SIP Register message is sent from a mobile communication device to the IMS network for registration of the mobile device. A SIP 200 OK message is received by the mobile device from the IMS network in response to sending the SIP Register message. The SIP 200 OK message has one or more variable call parameters or a network address at which to obtain the variable call parameters. The variable call parameters may include an E.164 number which may be dynamically assigned to the mobile device by the IMS network, and/or a time or timer value which defines a time period for which the E.164 number remains assigned to the mobile device. Other information may be included such as preferred access network/technology information. The variable call parameters are stored in memory of the mobile device and utilized for processing each one of a plurality of SIP calls involving the mobile device. After registration, the mobile device may initialize a timer with the timer value, run the timer and, when processing a SIP call, cause a CS call setup message which includes the E.164 number to be sent to the IMS network for routing of the call if the timer has not yet expired. If the timer has expired, the mobile device may refrain from utilizing the deassigned E.164 number in the CS call setup message and alternatively obtain and utilize a new E.164 number or an altogether different technique for processing of the SIP call. Alternative techniques for obtaining parameters and formatting the data are also described.
US07668158B2
A packet voice switch 60 and method for its operation are disclosed. The switch comprises a network switching means, preferably implemented within its host processor 78, that allows calls to be routed between a circuit-switched connection at circuit-switched interface 74 and either another circuit-switched connection at interface 74 or a packet-switched connection at packet-switched interface 76. The network switching means selects call routing for calls based on a comparison of the current quality of service for the call over the packet-switched connection vs. the extra cost of connecting the call over the circuit-switched connection. Preferably, the comparison can be adjusted for call distance, the user's own quality of service preference, and current system load.In a preferred embodiment, switch 60 communicates with a similar packet voice switch (handling the other end of the same call) in order to initiate a mid-call network switch that is transparent to the calling and called parties. This embodiment provides a guaranteed minimum quality of service for packet voice applications, and provides a reliable backup in case of a packet data route failure.In a second embodiment, users may initiate network switching themselves if they desire higher quality, by entering an appropriate sequence on their DTMF keypad.
US07668148B2
A method and apparatus are provided for allocating radio frequency carriers in a radio service area having a plurality of radio frequency TDMA carriers and FDMA carriers. The method includes the steps of receiving a call, when the received call is a FDMA call and a FDMA carrier is not available for the FDMA call, then preempting a pre-existing call on a TDMA carrier of the plurality of radio frequency TDMA carriers for the FDMA call and when the received call is a TDMA call and a TDMA slot is not available for the TDMA call, then preempting a pre-existing FDMA call on a TDMA capable carrier of the plurality of radio frequency TDMA carriers for the TDMA call.
US07668146B2
A hierarchical directional internet-oriented ad-hoc network, defined by a software infrastructure, is composed of fixed gateway nodes and a plurality of wireless nodes, which may be fixed or mobile, and which may act as subscribers, routers, or both. The infrastructure hierarchy is defined by the hop count of each node (distance of that node to a fixed gateway node). The software infrastructure includes two tables associated with each node in the network: the upstream routing table which provides shortest routes to fixed gateway nodes through upstream neighbors, and the downstream routing table which provides shortest routes to subscribers through downstream neighbors. These two tables are used by routing algorithms. A peer table can also be used for alternate routes. The maintenance of the aforementioned tables is performed by autonomous algorithms operating locally on each node by receiving and processing signals from their neighbors.
US07668141B2
Various embodiments are described to address the need for more effective management of packet data loss in wireless communication systems. When a packet data destination (131) that is receiving a flow of packets for a packet data service instance indicates to the packet data source (141) of the flow that the flow should be suspended, it also indicates to the source how to process packets for the service instance while the flow transmission is suspended. For example, the packet data destination may indicate an event or condition that is triggering the flow suspension, the source can then begin buffering packets, discarding packets, starting timers, and/or taking other packet processing actions to manage packet data loss in view of the packet data destination's indication. Alternatively, the packet data destination may explicitly indicate the packet processing actions the source should take while the packet flow is suspended.
US07668138B2
Soft handover techniques are disclosed for use in a system comprising a base station and a plurality of user equipments. The amount of data in the data buffer of each of the user equipments is determined, the amount of data in the data buffers is compared to obtain a relative indicator, the relative indicator indicating how full a user equipment's data buffer is in comparison to the data buffers of the other user equipments, and a base station is selected as an active base station in dependence on the relative indicator.
US07668137B2
It is the object of this invention to provide a method of increasing the data throughput of a multi-hop wireless link. A method is provided which mitigates self-interference, without precluding the use of omni-directional transceivers. Distributed protocols for channel allocations in a multi-hop wireless communication system are described. These protocols result in channel allocations that increase the capacity utilization of the network and render the system robust to localized interferers and jammers.
US07668133B2
A presence server unit, which manages presence information relating to the availability of a communication unit and informs a plurality of checking units about changes to the presence information on the basis of a notification ranking which is specified by priority information.
US07668132B2
A received channel power indicator (RCPI) value is used as a measure of the received RF power in the selected channel, measured at the antenna connector. This parameter is a measure by the PHY sublayer of the received RF power in the channel measured over the PLCP preamble and over the entire received frame. RCPI is a monotonically increasing, logarithmic function of the received power level defined in dBm.
US07668131B2
A method is provided for efficiently allocating a transmission period in a wireless network system. An access point (AP) transmits a PSMP frame indicating a downlink period provided to each station (STA) and a minimum amount of an uplink period allocated to each STA, and at least one sub PSMP frame indicating an uplink period additionally provided for an STA that transmitted a resource request message for remaining queued data in the uplink period indicated by the PSMP frame. If the uplink period indicated by the PSMP frame is insufficient to transmit the queued data, the STA transmits a data unit including a part of the queued data and a resource request message for the remaining queued data in the uplink period. After transmitting the resource request message, the STA receives the sub PSMP frame after the full period indicated by the sub PSMP frame, and transmits the remaining queued data to the AP in the uplink period indicted by the sub PSMP frame.
