US07709633B2
There is provided an aqueous formulation comprising an IR-absorbing naphthalocyanine dye of formula (II): or a salt form thereof, wherein: M is Ga(A1); A1 is an axial ligand selected from —OH, halogen, —OR3, —OC(O)R4 or —O(CH2CH2O)eRe wherein e is an integer from 2 to 10 and Re is H, C1-8 alkyl or C(O)C1-8 alkyl; R1 and R2 may be the same or different and are selected from hydrogen or C1-12 alkoxy; R3 is selected from C1-12 alkyl, C5-12 aryl, C5-12 arylalkyl or Si(Rx)(Ry)(Rz); R4 is selected from C1-12 alkyl, C5-12 aryl or C5-12 arylalkyl; and Rx, Ry and Rz may be the same or different and are selected from C1-12 alkyl, C5-12 aryl, C5-12 arylalkyl, C1-12 alkoxy, C5-12 aryloxy or C5-12 arylalkoxy; The formulation has a pH in the range of 3.5 to 7 and is particularly suitable for use as an IR-absorbing inkjet ink, providing compatibility with known CMYK inks together with an optimally red-shifted λmax.
US07709632B2
This invention relates to methods, compositions, and apparatuses for producing macrocyclic compounds. First, one or more reactants are provided in a reaction medium, which are capable of forming the macrocyclic compound through a desired reaction pathway that includes at least cyclization, and which are further capable of forming undesired oligomers through a undesired reaction pathway that includes undesirable oligomerization. Oligomerization of such reactions in the reaction medium is modulated to reduce formation of undesired oligomers and/or to reduce separation of the undesired oligomers from the reaction medium, relative to a corresponding unmodulated oligomerization reaction, thereby maximizing yields of the macrocyclic compound. The macrocyclic compound so formed is then recovered from the reaction medium. Preferably, the macrocyclic compound spontaneously separates from the reaction medium via phase separation. More preferably, the macrocyclic compound spontaneous precipitates from the reaction medium and therefore can be easily recovered by simple filtration.
US07709631B2
This application describes a bioresorbable biocellulose suitable for medical and surgical applications. In particular, the invention describes periodate oxidized microbial cellulose that can be produced to have any mechanical and degradation profile, depending on the desired application of the oxidized cellulose.
US07709624B2
Provided is an expression vector capable of constitutive expression of a foreign gene in a bacterium belonging to the genus Rhodococcus. The vector is a constitutive expression vector for a bacterium belonging to the genus Rhodococcus comprising: DNA comprising a nucleotide sequence of a mutated TipA gene promoter where a mutation is incorporated into a −10 region sequence of a TipA gene promoter, the mutated TipA gene promoter being capable of thiostrepton-independent and constitutive expression of a gene located downstream thereof; a promoter sequence for the constitutive expression of a foreign gene; a ribosome-binding site sequence located downstream of the promoter sequence; and a multiple-cloning site sequence capable of incorporating a foreign gene therein, located downstream of the ribosome-binding site sequence.
US07709619B2
An arsenic ion active DNAzyme includes a nucleotide sequence, which has a base sequence selected from ATCTCCTCCTGTTC (SEQ ID NO: 62), ATCTGCTCCTGTTC (SEQ ID NO: 63), ATCTCCTCATGTTC (SEQ ID NO: 64), ATCTCCTCTTGTTC (SEQ ID NO: 65), ATCTCCAACCTGTTC (SEQ ID NO: 66), and CCGTAGCGCAAAT (SEQ ID NO: 67). A mercury ion active DNAzyme includes a nucleotide sequence, which has a base sequence selected from AATTCCGTAGGTCCAGTG (SEQ ID NO: 68), AATTCCGTCGGTCCAGTG (SEQ ID NO: 69), AATTCCGCCGGTCCAGTG (SEQ ID NO: 70), GGTTCCGAGTCTCGCGTG (SEQ ID NO: 71), and CGTTCAAAAGGGGCACTG (SEQ ID NO: 72). Sensors incorporating the respective DNAzymes are also disclosed.
US07709617B2
The invention provides optimized methods and compositions for enhancing the immune response caused by immunostimulatory compounds used for the treatment of disease such as, but not limited to, treatment of cancer, autoimmune disorders, asthma, respiratory allergies, food allergies and infectious diseases in a patient. The optimized methods according to the invention provide synergy between the therapeutic effects of immunostimulatory oligonucleotides and immunomer compounds in accordance with the invention, and the therapeutic effect of cytokine immunotherapy and/or chemotherapeutic agents and/or radiation.
US07709614B2
Novel crystalline modifications (eta, theta, iota, kappa) of the C.I. Pigment Yellow 181, obtained when one of the known phases or another inventive phase of said pigment is treated with specific solvents. The novel crystalline phases are characterized by yellow shades and excellent coloring properties.
US07709608B2
The present invention provides clostridial toxin substrates useful in assaying for the protease activity of any clostridial toxin, including botulinum toxins of all serotypes as well as tetanus toxins. A clostridial toxin substrate of the invention contains a donor fluorophore; an acceptor having an absorbance spectrum overlapping the emission spectrum of the donor fluorophore; and a clostridial toxin recognition sequence that includes a cleavage site, where the cleavage site intervenes between the donor fluorophore and the acceptor and where, under the appropriate conditions, resonance energy transfer is exhibited between the donor fluorophore and the acceptor.
US07709603B2
The present invention is directed to novel polypeptides and to nucleic acid molecules encoding those polypeptides. Also provided herein are vectors and host cells comprising those nucleic acid sequences, chimeric polypeptide molecules comprising the polypeptides of the present invention fused to heterologous polypeptide sequences, antibodies which bind to the polypeptides of the present invention and to methods for producing the polypeptides of the present invention.
US07709596B2
Cyclic alkyl, particularly cyclohexyl, substituted glycolides and polylactides are described. The polylactides have a high glass transition temperature and improved clarity.
US07709587B2
An eraser composition for de-flakes is disclosed. The composition comprises (i) a SEBS copolymer (styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene) and SBS copolymer (styrene-butadiene-styrene) and TPE styrene, and the weight percentage being 10 to 35%; (ii) organic fillers of sodium carbonate, and pearl powder, and the weight percentage being about 30 to 60%; (iii) paraffin oil, and of a weight percentage of about 35 to 55%; (iv) palm oil, jojoba oil, linolein oil, moisturizer, deep cleanser, and olive oil, and a weight percentage of 5 to 15%; and (v) edible food pigments, or edible colorants, and the weight percentage of 0.1 to 0.5%.
US07709585B1
A method for solution polymerizing ethylene wherein an ethane purge stream is separated, subjected to high efficiency cryogenic distillation, and a side cut from that distillation recycled to the polymerization process while the overhead and bottoms from that distillation are removed from the polymerization process.
US07709582B2
An embodiment of the invention relates to an epoxy resin composition for fiber reinforced composite material having an epoxy resin that is liquid at room temperature (component 1), aromatic polyamine that is liquid at room temperature (component 2) and diaminodiphenylsulfone (component 3). The proportion of component (1) relative to the entire epoxy resin in the composition is 60-100 wt %. The sum of the proportions of components (2) and (3) relative to the entire polyamine in the composition is 70-100 wt %. The proportion of component (3) relative to the entire polyamine in the composition is 25-60 wt %. The stoichiometric ratio of the entire polyamine to the entire epoxy resin in the composition is 0.7-1.3. Additional embodiments of the invention relate to other aspects of the invention.
US07709580B2
The present invention is directed to a method for preparation of polyolefins containing exo-olefin chain ends. The method involves quenching a cationic quasi-living polyolefin polymer system with a nitrogen-containing five-membered aromatic ring having at least two hydrocarbyl substituent compounds attached to the ring.
US07709579B2
Curable compositions, such as benzoxazine-based ones, are useful in applications within the aerospace industry, such as for example as a heat curable composition for use as a matrix resin in advanced processes, such as resin transfer molding, vacuum assisted transfer molding and resin film infusion, and their use in such advanced processes form the basis of the present invention.
US07709573B2
A thermoplastic molding composition having improved properties is disclosed. The composition comprises polycarbonate resin, a first graft polymer, a first free copolymer, a second graft polymer and a second free copolymer; the weight-average molecular weight of the first free copolymer being lower by at least 32,000 g/mol with regard to that of the second free copolymer. The inventive composition features improved balance of melt flowability and ductility, good resistance to hydrolysis and process stability.
US07709570B2
Thermoplastic elastomers may be manufactured by mixing together plasticizing oil, a triblock copolymer and one or more additives, e.g., an antioxidant, an antimicrobial agent, and/or other additives, to form a mixture which is melted then cooled into the thermoplastic elastomer. During cooling the thermoplastic elastomer may be molded or otherwise formed into any number of articles including, but not limited to, prosthetic liners, prosthetic sleeves, external breast prostheses, breast enhancement bladders, wound dressing sheets, wound dressing pads, socks, gloves, malleolus pads, metatarsal pads, shoe insoles, urinary catheters, vascular catheters and balloons for medical catheters both vascular as well as urinary.
US07709567B2
The present invention herein provides an oxygen-absorbing resin composition which is excellent in the oxygen-absorbability and which can inhibit any deterioration through oxidation during the molding operations of the composition and does not accordingly undergo any coloration during the molding operations. The present invention thus provides an oxygen-absorbing resin composition characterized in that it comprises (A) a hydrogenated styrene-diene copolymer; (B) a thermoplastic resin including ethylenic structural units in its molecular structure; and (C) a transition metal catalyst, wherein the oxidation of the thermoplastic resin (B) proceeds while the copolymer (A) serves as a trigger and the composition thus absorbs oxygen. In this respect, the copolymer (A) comprises carbon-carbon double bonds derived from the diene in an amount ranging from 1×10.5 to 1×10.2 eq/g.
US07709549B2
A thermosetting resin composition which forms a cured coating is provided. This resin composition is capable of providing the supporting substrate with scratch resistance, crack resistance, smudge proof property, removability of oil-base felted markers by wiping, and antistatic property. Also provided is an article having a coating formed from such composition. More specifically, the photocurable resin composition comprises (1) a siloxane compound containing a photoreactive group produced by hydrolyzing and condensing a system comprising (a) photoreactive group-containing hydrolyzable silane represented by formula (i) or (ii), with the proviso that, when one hydrolyzable silane is used, the silane comprises a trifunctional silane, and when two or more silanes are used, at least 70% by mole comprise a trifunctional silane, (b) a dimethylsiloxane containing a hydrolyzable group at opposite ends represented by formula (iii), and (c) a fluorine-containing hydrolyzable silane represented by formula (iv) in the presence of a basic catalyst by using water at an amount in excess of the amount required for hydrolyzing and condensing all hydrolyzable groups; (3) (CF3(CF2)mSO2)2NLi (wherein m is 0 to 7); and (4) a radical photopolymerization initiator. The article has a coating formed from this composition.
US07709541B2
An improved skeletal iron catalyst is provided for use in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reactions for converting CO and H2 to hydrocarbon products. The skeletal iron catalyst is manufactured using iron and a removable non-ferrous component such as aluminum. The iron and removable non-ferrous component are mixed together to form a precursor catalyst and then a portion of the removable non-ferrous component is removed to leave a skeletal iron catalyst. One or more first promoter metals and optionally one or more second promoter metals are incorporated into the skeletal iron catalyst either by blending the promoter into the precursor catalyst during the formation thereof or by depositing the promoter on the skeletal iron. The first promoter metals comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, zirconium, vanadium, cobalt, molybdenum, tungsten, and platinum-group metals. The first promoter metal is selected to improve the yield of C5+ hydrocarbons when the skeletal iron catalyst is used in a Fischer-Tropsch reaction.
US07709534B2
Infections caused by parasitic nematodes of the genera Strongyloides, Ancyclostoma, Necator, Haemonchus, Ascaris, or Trichuris in humans and other mammals are treated by administration to an infected individual of an amount of a C8-C16-alpha,beta-unsaturated aliphatic aldehyde. Such compounds are useful for killing nematode worms of the genera listed above. A particularly useful compound of this class, effective against S. stercoralis infections, is E-2-dodecenal, having structural formula (1).
US07709530B2
The present invention relates to a rodenticidal composition in the form of fresh paste for enticing mice and rats wherein the flour used is mainly of a vegetable origin and the fatty matter incorporated essentially consists of palm oil.
US07709529B2
Provided are methods of treating cancer, and/or the side effects of cancer therapy, involving the administration of glutamine, optionally in combination with a carbohydrate carrier that enhances the absorption of glutamine.
US07709525B2
Methods for the prevention and/or alleviation of androgen-mediated disorders treatable by administering a chroman-derived anti-androgen compound are provided by the present invention. The invention further provides pharmaceutical and nutraceutical compositions containing chroman-derived anti-androgen compounds useful in the prevention and/or alleviation of androgen-mediated disorders, particularly prostate cancer.
US07709522B2
A selective kappa opioid receptor antagonist, (S)-3-Fluoro-4-[4-[2-(3,5-dimethylphenyl)pyrrolidin-1-yl-methyl]phenoxy]benzamide or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, useful for treating ethanol use disorder withdrawal, and anxiety and/or depression, or schizophrenia as independent comorbid conditions.
US07709520B2
Disclosed are methods and compositions for the treatment of a wide array of cancers and tumors. In illustrative embodiments, diindolylmethanes, C-substituted diindolylmethanes, and analogs thereof have been described, which when administered either alone, or in combination with other anti-cancer or anti-tumorigenic compounds, provide new therapies for the treatment of cancer.
US07709515B2
The present invention relates to novel ether compounds, compositions comprising ether compounds, and methods useful for treating and preventing cardiovascular diseases, dyslipidemias, dysproteinemias, and glucose metabolism disorders comprising administering a composition comprising an ether compound. The compounds, compositions, and methods of the invention are also useful for treating and preventing Alzheimer's Disease, Syndrome X, peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-related disorders, septicemia, thrombotic disorders, obesity, pancreatitis, hypertension, renal disease, cancer, inflammation, and impotence. In certain embodiments, the compounds, compositions, and methods of the invention are useful in combination therapy with other therapeutics, such as hypocholesterolemic and hypoglycemic agents.
US07709493B2
Compounds of formula I are disclosed, as well as compositions comprising them and methods of their use to treat, prevent and/or manage diseases and disorders:
US07709483B2
Tricyclic nitrogen containing compounds and their use as antibacterials.
US07709479B1
The use of a compound of formula (I) or a salt, ester, amide or prodrug thereof; where X is O, or S, S(O) or S(O)2, NH or NR12 where R12 is hydrogen or C1-6 alkyl; R5 is selected from a group NHC(O)OR9, NHC(O)R9, NHS(O)2R9, C(O)R9, C(O)OR9, S(O)R9, S(O)OR9, S(O)2OR9, C(O)NR10 R11, S(O)NR10R11 S(O)ONR10R11, where R9, R10 or R11 are various specified organic groups; R6 is hydrogen, optionally substituted hydrocarbyl or optionally substituted heterocyclyl; R7 and R8 are various specified organic groups, and R1, R2, R3, R4 are independently selected from halogeno, cyano, nitro, C1-3alkylsulphanyl, —N(OH)R13— (wherein R7 is hydrogen, or C1-3alkyl), or R15X1— (wherein X1 represents a direct bond, —O—, —CH2—, —OCO—, carbonyl, —S—, —SO—, —SO2—, —NR16CO—, —CONR16—, —SO2NR16—, —NR17SO2— or —NR18— (wherein R16, R17 and R18 each independently represents hydrogen, C1-3alkyl or C1-3alkoxy C2-3alkyl), and R9 is hydrogen, optionally substituted hydrocarbyl, optionally substituted heterocyclyl or optionally substituted alkoxy; in the preparation of a medicament for use in the inhibition of aurora 2 kinase.
US07709476B2
The present invention relates to compounds having the structure (I) useful as potassium channel inhibitors to treat cardiac arrhythmias, and the like.
US07709474B2
The present invention relates to enantiomerically pure compounds of formula 1 wherein the groups R1, R2, R3, m and Ym− may have the meanings given in the claims and specification, processes for preparing them and their use as medicaments, particularly as medicaments for the treatment of respiratory complaints.
US07709457B2
Methods and compositions for delivering pharmaceutical agents into cells, in particular urothelial cells of the bladder, are provided. In the methods and compositions of the invention, a solubilized cholesterol composition is used to facilitate delivery of pharmaceutical agents. Preferably, the cholesterol is solubilized by a cyclodextrin (e.g., methyl-β-cyclodextrin) and the pharmaceutical agent comprises a polynucleotide and either a cationic lipid, a cationic polymer or a dendrimer. Improved methods for transfecting polynucleotides into cells thus are also provided, using cationic lipids, cationic polymers or dendrimers and solubilized cholesterol, wherein the transfection efficiency is enhanced compared to use of cationic lipids, cationic polymers or dendrimers alone. Preferred methods of the invention involve transfecting polynucleotides into urothelial cells, preferably for therapeutic treatment of bladder cancer using, for example, a polynucleotide(s) encoding an interleukin(s), an interferon(s), a colony stimulating factor(s) and/or a tumor suppressor(s).
US07709455B2
The present invention provides pharmaceutical compositions and methods for liver proliferation and protection. Specifically useful are VEGFR modulating agents capable of promoting liver growth. Disclosed compositions and methods may be useful for promoting proliferation or treating pathological conditions in other organs of significant biological functions.
US07709454B2
The present invention relates to compounds, small interfering RNAs and compositions and methods of inhibiting tumorigenesis and methods of inhibiting tumor cell growth and proliferation using agents that inhibit the hedgehog and Gli signaling pathway, including agents that inhibit GLI synthesis and/or function. The present invention also relates to particular biomarkers that can be used in the diagnosis and prognosis of melanomas. Methods of treating cancer, including melanoma are also provided using small organic compounds, siRNAs and blocking antibodies that inhibit or block the SHH/GLI pathway. In addition, the use of agents that inhibit other signaling pathways is contemplated for use as second agents to be used in conjunction with the inhibitors of the GLI pathway.
US07709447B2
A spinosyn or a physiologically acceptable derivative or salt thereof for promoting or accelerating wound healing in humans.
US07709438B2
Disclosed herein are azeotrope compositions comprising 1,2,3,3,3-pentafluoropropene and hydrogen fluoride. The azeotrope compositions are useful in processes to produce and in processes to purify 1,2,3,3,3-pentafluoropropene. Additionally, disclosed herein are azeotrope and near-azeotrope compositions comprising 1,1,1,2,3,4,4,5,5,5-decafluoropentane and hydrogen fluoride.
US07709423B2
Lubricated surfaces, lubricant compositions for lubricating a surface, and methods for reducing friction coefficients in lubricants. The lubricated surface is provided by a lubricant composition containing a base oil of lubricating viscosity and an amount of at least one hydrocarbon soluble titanium compound effective to provide a reduction in the coefficient of friction of the lubricant composition greater than a reduction in the coefficient of friction of the lubricant composition devoid of the hydrocarbon soluble titanium compound.
US07709421B2
Single phase microemulsions improve the removal of filter cakes formed during drilling with oil-based muds (OBMs). The single phase microemulsion removes oil and solids from the deposited filter cake. Optionally, an acid capable of solubilizing the filter cake bridging particles may also be used with the microemulsion. In one non-limiting embodiment the acid may be a polyamino carboxylic acid. Skin damage removal from internal and external filter cake deposition can be reduced. In another optional embodiment, the single phase microemulsion may contain a filtration control additive for delaying the filter cake removal, destruction or conversion.
US07709420B2
Provided herein are organophilic clays that comprise a smectite clay modified by reaction with a protonated amphoteric surfactant. Also provided are fluids that comprise an oil and an organophilic clay comprising a smectite clay modified by reaction with a protonated amphoteric surfactant. Also provided are methods of preparing and using these organophilic clays.
US07709418B1
Described is a superconducting composition comprising an oxide complex of the formula [L1−xMx]aAbOy wherein L is lanthanum, lutetium, yttrium or scandium; A is copper, bismuth, titanium, tungsten, zirconium, tantalum, niobium, or vanadium; M is barium, strontium, calcium, magnesium or mercury; and “a” is 1 to 2; “b” is 1; “x” is a number in the range of 0.01 to 0.5 and preferably 0.075 to 0.5; and “y” is about 2 to about 4. The oxide complexes of the invention are prepared by solid-state reaction procedure which produce oxide complexes having enhanced superconducting transition temperatures compared to an oxide complex of like empirical composition prepared by a coprecipitation—high temperature decomposition procedure. With a solid-state reaction prepared oxide complex of the invention a transition temperature as high as 100° K has been observed even under atmospheric pressure.
US07709403B2
A gate insulating film which is an oxide layer mainly made of SiO2 is formed over a silicon carbide substrate by thermal oxidation, and then, a resultant structure is annealed in an inert gas atmosphere in a chamber. Thereafter, the silicon carbide-oxide layered structure is placed in a chamber which has a vacuum pump and exposed to a reduced pressure NO gas atmosphere at a high temperature higher than 1100° C. and lower than 1250° C., whereby nitrogen is diffused in the gate insulating film. As a result, a gate insulating film which is a V-group element containing oxide layer, the lower part of which includes a high nitrogen concentration region, and the relative dielectric constant of which is 3.0 or higher, is obtained. The interface state density of an interface region between the V-group element containing oxide layer and the silicon carbide layer decreases.
US07709401B2
An interconnect and method of making the interconnect. The method includes forming a dielectric layer on a substrate, the dielectric layer having a top surface and a bottom surface; forming a first wire and a second wire in the dielectric layer, the first wire separated from the second wire by a region of the dielectric layer; and forming metallic nanoparticles in or on the top surface of the dielectric layer between the first and second wires, the metallic nanoparticles capable of electrically connecting the first wire and the second wire only while the nanoparticles are heated to a temperature greater than room temperature and a voltage is applied between the first and second wires.
US07709395B2
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a semiconductor device fabrication method including forming a first mask on a semiconductor substrate, processing the first mask to form a first mask pattern of a fine portion, forming a second mask on the semiconductor substrate on which the first mask pattern is formed, forming a second mask pattern on a predetermined portion of the second mask, forming a third mask pattern by anisotropically etching the second mask by using the second mask pattern, removing the second mask pattern and the first mask pattern, and processing the semiconductor substrate by using the third mask pattern.
US07709380B2
One inventive aspect relates to a method of controlling the gate electrode in a silicidation process. The method comprises applying a sacrificial cap layer on top of each of at least one gate electrode, each of the at least one gate electrode deposited with a given height on a semiconductor substrate. The method further comprises applying an additional layer of oxide on top of the sacrificial layer. The method further comprises covering with a material the semiconductor substrate provided with the at least one gate electrode having the sacrificial cap layer with the additional oxide layer on top. The method further comprises performing a CMP planarization step. The method further comprises removing at least the material and the additional layer of oxide until on top of each of the at least one gate electrode the sacrificial cap layer is exposed. The method further comprises removing the sacrificial cap layer from each of the at least one gate electrode, yielding each of the at least one gate electrode still having the given height.
US07709374B2
The invention provides a method for fabricating a memory device. At first, a substrate having a plurality of gate electrode stacks and a source/drain region is provided, and a barrier layer and a sacrificial layer are sequentially formed on the substrate and cover the gate electrode stacks. A portion of the sacrificial layer is removed to form a sacrificial plug between the gate electrode stacks, and then a filling layer is formed over the substrate. Next, the sacrificial plug is removed, and a contact hole is formed. A clean step with a solution containing ammonia is carried out. The barrier layer at the bottom of the contact hole is removed, and a metal plug is then formed in the contact hole to electrically contact with the source/drain region.
US07709370B2
The present invention provides a method of fabricating an interconnect structure in which a patternable low-k material replaces the need for utilizing a separate photoresist and a dielectric material. Specifically, this invention relates to a simplified method of fabricating single-damascene and dual-damascene low-k interconnect structures with at least one patternable low-k dielectric and at least one inorganic antireflective coating. In general terms, a method is provided that includes providing at least one patternable low-k material on a surface of an inorganic antireflective coating that is located atop a substrate. The inorganic ARC is liquid deposited and comprises a polymer that has at least one monomer unit comprising the formula M-R1 wherein M is at least one of Si, Ge, B, Sn, Fe, Ta, Ti, Ni, Hf and La and R1 is a chromophore. At least one interconnect pattern is formed within the at least one patternable low-k material and thereafter the at least one patternable low-k material is cured. The inventive method can be used to form dual-damascene interconnect structures as well as single-damascene interconnect structures.
US07709366B2
A semiconductor device has a pair of impurity regions in a semiconductor substrate. A silicon layer is formed on the impurity region. A gate insulating film is formed between the impurity regions. A gate electrode is formed on the gate insulating film. A first silicon nitride film is formed on the gate electrode. A silicon oxide film is formed on a side surface of the gate electrode. A second silicon nitride film is partially formed on the silicon layer and on a side surface of the silicon oxide film. A conductive layer is formed on the silicon layer.
US07709359B2
A method of fabricating an integrated circuit with a dielectric layer on a substrate is disclosed. One embodiment provides forming the dielectric layer in an amorphous state on the substrate, the dielectric layer having a crystallization temperature; a doping the dielectric layer; a forming of a covering layer on the dielectric layer at a temperature being equal to or below the crystallization temperature; and a heating of the dielectric layer to a temperature being equal to or greater than the crystallization temperature.
US07709349B2
In one aspect, there is provided a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device that comprises placing a blocking layer, a CMP stop layer and a bulk oxide layer over an oxide cap layer that is located over gate structures and source/drains located adjacent thereto. The bulk oxide layer and the CMP stop layer are removed with a CMP process to expose the top of gate electrodes and are removed from over the source/drain areas with a wet etch. The CMP stop layer has a CMP removal rate that is less than a CMP removal rate of the bulk oxide layer and has a wet etch removal rate that is greater than a wet etch removal rate of the blocking layer.
US07709345B2
Embodiments of the disclosure include a shallow trench isolation structure having a dielectric material with energetic species implanted to a predetermined depth of the dielectric material. Embodiments further include methods of fabricating the trench structures with the implant of energetic species to the predetermined depth. In various embodiments the implant of energetic species is used to densify the dielectric material to provide a uniform wet etch rate across the surface of the dielectric material. Embodiments also include memory devices, integrated circuits, and electronic systems that include shallow trench isolation structures having the dielectric material with the high flux of energetic species implanted to the predetermined depth of the dielectric material.
US07709339B2
Method for producing a planar spacer, an associated bipolar transistor and an associated BiCMOS circuit arrangement. The invention relates to a method for production of a planar spacer, of an associated bipolar transistor and of an associated BiCMOS circuit arrangement, in which first and second spacer layers are formed after the formation of a sacrificial mask on a mount substrate. A first anisotropic etching process of the second spacer layer is carried out to produce auxiliary spacers. A second anisotropic etching step is then carried out, in order to produce the planar spacers, using the auxiliary spacers as an etch mask.
US07709329B2
Formation of an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device having a desired breakdown voltage (BV) is disclosed. The breakdown voltage (BV) of the device can be set, at least in part, by varying the degree to which a surface junction between two doped areas is covered. This junction can be covered in one embodiment by a dielectric material and/or a semiconductor material. Moreover, a variable breakdown voltage can be established by concurrently forming, in a single process flow, multiple diodes that have different breakdown voltages, where the diodes are also formed concurrently with circuitry that is to be protected. To generate the variable or different breakdown voltages, respective edges of isolation regions can be extended to cover more of the surface junctions of different diodes. In this manner, a first diode can have a first breakdown voltage (BV1), a second diode can have a second breakdown voltage (BV2), a third diode can have a third breakdown voltage (BV3), etc. This can provide substantial efficiency and cost savings where there may be varying ESD requirements.
US07709328B2
The semiconductor device includes a device isolation structure formed in a semiconductor substrate to define an active region, a bridge type channel structure formed in the active region, and a coaxial type gate electrode surrounding the bridge type channel structure of a gate region. The bridge type channel structure is separated from the semiconductor substrate thereunder by a predetermined distance in a vertical direction.
US07709327B2
Some embodiments include methods of forming voids within semiconductor constructions. In some embodiments the voids may be utilized as microstructures for distributing coolant, for guiding electromagnetic radiation, or for separation and/or characterization of materials. Some embodiments include constructions having micro-structures therein which correspond to voids, conduits, insulative structures, semiconductor structures or conductive structures.
US07709317B2
A semiconductor structure and a method of fabricating the same in which strain enhancement is achieved for both nFET and pFET devices is provided. In particular, the present invention provides at least one spacerless FET for stronger strain enhancement and defect reduction. The at least one spacerless FET can be a pFET, an nFET, or a combination thereof, with spacerless pFETs being particularly preferred since pFETs are generally fabricated to have a greater width than nFETs. The at least one spacerless FET allows to provide a stress inducing liner in closer proximity to the device channel than prior art structures including FETs having spacers. The spacerless FET is achieved without negatively affecting the resistance of the corresponding silicided source/drain diffusion contacts, which do not encroach underneath the spacerless FET.
US07709309B2
It is an object of the present invention to control the plane orientation of crystal grains obtained by using a laser beam, into a direction that can be substantially regarded as one direction in an irradiation region of the laser beam. After forming a cap film over a semiconductor film, the semiconductor film is crystallized by using a CW laser or a pulse laser having a repetition rate of greater than or equal to 10 MHz. The obtained semiconductor film has a plurality of crystal grains having a width of greater than or equal to 0.01 μm and a length of greater than or equal to 1 μm. In a surface of the obtained semiconductor film, a ratio of an orientation {211} is greater than or equal to 0.4 within the range of an angle fluctuation of ±10°.
US07709302B2
A purpose of the invention is to provide a method for leveling a semiconductor layer without increasing the number and the complication of manufacturing processes as well as without deteriorating a crystal characteristic, and a method for leveling a surface of a semiconductor layer to stabilize an interface between the surface of the semiconductor layer and a gate insulating film, in order to achieve a TFT having a good characteristic.In an atmosphere of one kind or a plural kinds of gas selected from hydrogen or inert gas (nitrogen, argon, helium, neon, krypton and xenon), radiation with a laser beam in the first, second and third conditions is carried out in order, wherein the first condition laser beam is radiated for crystallizing a semiconductor film or improving a crystal characteristic; the second condition laser beam is radiated for eliminating an oxide film; and the third condition laser beam is radiated for leveling a surface of the crystallized semiconductor film.
US07709296B2
An integrated optical I/O and semiconductor chip with a direct liquid jet impingement cooling assembly are disclosed. Contrary to other solutions for packaging an optical I/O with a semiconductor die, this assembly makes use of a metal clad fiber, e.g. copper, which will actually enhance cooling performance rather than create a design restriction that has the potential to limit cooling capability.
US07709291B2
The present invention is a method of disposing selectively on a surface of a substrate a first substance having a hydrophilic surface and a second substance having a surface coated with a hydrocarbon group. The substrate has on the surface thereof a hydrophilic first region, a second region coated with a hydrocarbon group, and a third region coated with a fluorocarbon group. The method of the present invention includes the steps of; (1) applying a solution containing the first substance and an aqueous solvent to the substrate; (2) removing the aqueous solvent from the surface of the substrate so as to dispose the first substance on a surface of the first region; (3) dipping the substrate in a liquid containing alcohol having fluorine in its molecule; (4) applying a solution containing the second substance and an organic solvent to the surface of the substrate that has been dipped in the liquid; (5) pulling the substrate out of the liquid; and (6) removing the organic solvent from the surface of the substrate so as to dispose the second substance on a surface of the second region.
US07709289B2
A memory element having a resistance variable material and methods for forming the same are provided. The method includes forming a plurality of first electrodes over a substrate and forming a blanket material stack over the first electrodes. The stack includes a plurality of layers, at least one layer of the stack includes a resistance variable material. The method also includes forming a first conductive layer on the stack and etching the conductive layer and at least one of the layers of the stack to form a first pattern of material stacks. The etched first conductive layer forming a plurality of second electrodes with a portion of the resistance variable material located between each of the first and second electrodes.
US07709288B2
The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a multi-junction solar cell which makes it possible to implement a 4-junction solar cell and to increase the area of a device. A nucleus generation site is disposed on a substrate 2 made of a first semiconductor. A first material gas is fed to the nucleus generation site to form a wire-like semiconductor 3 in the nucleus generation site. A third material gas and a fourth material gas are fed to form a wire-like semiconductor 4 on the semiconductor 3 and a wire-like semiconductor 5 on the semiconductor 4. A nucleus generation site is disposed on a substrate 6. The first material gas is fed to the nucleus generation site to form a wire-like semiconductor 2a in the nucleus generation site. A second material gas to the fourth material gas are fed to form the wire-like semiconductor 3 on the semiconductor 2a, the wire-like semiconductor 4 on the semiconductor 3, and the wire-like semiconductor 5 on the semiconductor 4. The bandgaps of the semiconductors decrease and increase consistently with the distance to the substrate 2 or 6. The nucleus generation site is made of catalytic particles such as Au. The semiconductors 2 and 2a are Ge, the semiconductor 3 is InxGa1-xAs, the semiconductor 4 is GaAs, and the semiconductor 5 is AlyGa1-yAs.
US07709284B2
A method for growing an improved quality device by depositing a low temperature (LT) magnesium (Mg) doped nitride semiconductor thin film. The low temperature Mg doped nitride semiconductor thin film may have a thickness greater than 50 nm. A multi quantum well (MQW) active layer may be grown at a growth temperature and the LT Mg doped nitride semiconductor thin film may deposited on the MQW active layer at a substrate temperature no greater than 150° C. above the growth temperature.
US07709275B2
A method of forming a pattern for a semiconductor device, in which, two hard masks are included between an upper spin-on glass (SOG) layer and a lower etching target layer. The SOG layer is etched twice through two different patterned photoresists respectively to form a fine pattern in the SOG layer. Subsequently, an upper hard mask is etched by utilizing the patterned SOG layer as an etching mask so the upper patterned hard mask can have a fine pattern with a sound shape and enough thickness. A lower hard mask and the etching target layer are thereafter etched by utilizing the upper patterned hard mask as an etching mask, so portions of the etching target layer that are covered by the two hard masks can be well protected from the etching processes.
US07709272B2
The present invention relates to a diagnostic method for the detection of small quantities of amniotic fluid in the vagina. More specifically, the invention relates to the detection of PAMG-1 in the vagina using anti-PAMG-1 antibodies.
US07709260B2
The invention relates to a method for preparing closed bacterial ghosts by way of specific interactions between partners of a bioaffinity binding pair, and to the bacterial ghosts which can be obtained in this way. Active compounds can be packed into the closed bacterial ghosts. The closed ghosts can be employed in medicine, in the agricultural sphere and in biotechnology.
US07709256B2
The present invention relates to methods for preparing an artificial immune system. The artificial immune system comprises a cell culture comprising a three-dimensional matrix comprising lymphoid tissue, a three-dimensional matrix comprising epithelial and/or endothelial cells, and diseased cells. The artificial immune system of the present invention can be used for in vitro testing of vaccines, adjuvants, immunotherapy candidates, cosmetics, drugs, biologics and other chemicals.
US07709253B2
Briefly described, embodiments of this disclosure include ligand-regulable transactivation systems, methods of producing ligand-regulable transactivation systems, methods of using ligand-regulable transactivation systems, reporter polynucleotides, method of producing reporter polynucleotides, activator fusion proteins, methods of producing activator fusion proteins, methods of regulating gene expression in vitro and in vivo for gene therapy, methods of screening estrogen receptor modulators with therapeutic treatments (e.g., anticancer, antiosteoporosis, and hormone replacement treatments), method of screening compounds (e.g., drugs and environmental pollutants) for the estrogenic effect, methods of evaluating the estrogen receptor pathway under different pathological conditions are provided, and the like.
US07709250B2
The present invention provides a thermal cycling device including: a heat exchanger body (3) having a longitudinal axis and longitudinally divided to provide at least two segments which are able to be heated to different temperatures so that said body has peripheral surfaces of different temperatures; a conduit (2) extending about said body so as to be in thermal contact with said peripheral surfaces; a first delivery device to deliver a first fluid to said conduit to cause said fluid to pass therealong and therefore change in temperature as the fluid passes said segments; and a second delivery device to deliver a second fluid to said conduit so as to flow with said first liquid and therefore also change in temperature. The fluid then leaves the device by conduit (4). The invention also is directed to an injector means for use in the thermal cycling device of this invention, comprising: a septum (26); a needle (20) which is able to pierce the septum; a reservoir (27) in fluid contact with septum (26) having an inlet (28) and an outlet (30); wherein when in use, the needle is urged through the fluid in said reservoir and then through the septum while continually purging the reservoir with said purge fluid. The present invention also includes a scanning detector (5) fitted to the outside of the heat exchange body (3) which monitors the course of reaction inside the conduit (2).
US07709248B2
To provide a bioassay system or the like, which can solve the problem of allocating spaces above detecting sections and can also stabilize servo-controlled operation of a disk-shaped plate.Provided is a bioassay system (U) or the like, which is equipped with at least means for immobilizing a nucleotide chain, a peptide, a protein, a lipid, a low molecular-weight compound, a liposome or any other biological substance as a detection substance (D) in a detecting section (3), dropping a target-substance containing solution (S) onto the immobilized detection substance (D), and causing the detection substance (D) and the target substance (T) to interact with each other to prepare a reaction product (R); and means for condensing fluorescence (F), which has been emitted from the fluorescence-labeled substance (D) by irradiating excitation light (P) of a specific wavelength onto the reaction product (R), by a lens (5) arranged on a side of a back surface (102) of the reaction section (3) to determine an intensity of the fluorescence (F).
US07709229B2
This invention relates to a process for the manufacturing of a protein in mammalian cells cultured in a serum-free medium.
US07709226B2
Disclosed herein are methods for humanizing antibodies based on selecting variable region framework sequences from human antibody genes by comparing canonical CDR structure types for CDR sequences of the variable region of a non-human antibody to canonical CDR structure types for corresponding CDRs from a library of human antibody sequences, preferably germline antibody gene segments. Human antibody variable regions having similar canonical CDR structure types to the non-human CDRs form a subset of member human antibody sequences from which to select human framework sequences. The subset members may be further ranked by amino acid similarity between the human and the non-human CDR sequences. Top ranking human sequences are selected to provide the framework sequences for constructing a chimeric antibody that functionally replaces human CDR sequences with the non-human CDR counterparts using the selected subset member human frameworks, thereby providing a humanized antibody of high affinity and low immunogenicity without need for comparing framework sequences between the non-human and human antibodies. Chimeric antibodies made according to the method are also disclosed.
US07709221B2
The present invention relates to a biosensor comprising a substrate with a coating system in which a Ruthenium complex and an enzyme is integrated. The enzyme is able to convert bioproducts, e.g. glucose, fructose or glycerol. The depletion of oxygen during these converting reactions can be monitored via the fluorescence of the Ruthenium complex. The inventive biosensor can be used in biotechnological processes, e.g. the synthesis of biofuels.
US07709217B2
Modified, furin resistant human TSLP polypeptides and polynucleotides encoding the modified human TSLP polypeptides are provided. Pharmaceutical compositions, B and T cell activation agents, assays and methods of use are also described.
US07709213B2
A method for diagnosing a pervasive developmental disorder, such as autism, comprising obtaining a sample of cerebrospinal fluid from a subject; obtaining a sample of serum from a subject; testing the cerebrospinal fluid of the subject for a concentration of TNF-α; testing the serum of the subject for a concentration of TNF-α; and positively diagnosing a pervasive developmental disorder when the concentration ratio of TNF-α in the cerebrospinal fluid of the subject to TNF-α in the serum of the subject exceeds approximately 2:1 over normal control concentrations.
US07709204B2
This document provides methods and materials related to assessing brain conditions within mammals. For example, methods and materials that can be used to determine whether or not a mammal (e.g., a human) with a brain aneurysm is likely to experience brain aneurysm rupture are provided.
US07709196B2
Compositions and methods are provided to identify functional mutant ribosomes that may be used as drug targets. The compositions and methods allow isolation and analysis of mutations that would normally be lethal and allow direct selection of rRNA mutants with predetermined levels of ribosome function. The compositions and methods of the present invention may be used to identify antibiotics to treat a large number of human pathogens through the use of genetically engineered rRNA genes from a variety of species. The invention further provides novel plasmid constructs to be used in the methods of the invention.
US07709184B2
A method of on-press developing a thermosensitive lithographic printing plate with ink and/or fountain solution is described. The lithographic plate comprises on a substrate a thermosensitive layer soluble or dispersible in ink and/or fountain solution and capable of hardening upon exposure to an infrared radiation. The printing plate can be a pre-coated plate in the form of sheet or web, or can be prepared on press by coating a thermosensitive layer onto a substrate that is a sheet material or a seamless sleeve mounted on a plate cylinder or is the surface of a plate cylinder of the lithographic press.
US07709180B2
The present invention relates generally to the fields of semiconductor lithography. More particularly, it concerns methods, compositions, and apparatuses relating to 157 nm, 167 nm, 193 nm, 248 nm, 365 nm, and 436 nm soft pellicles and the use of perfluorinated polymers in the creation of pellicles.
US07709172B2
The present invention discloses an oxidized mixed cyclic phenol sulfide which is a mixture of the oxidized cyclic phenol sulfide wherein m is 8 and the oxidized cyclic phenol sulfide wherein m is an integer other than 8, the oxidized cyclic phenol sulfide being represented by the following formula (1): wherein R is a straight or branched alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, m is an integer from 4 to 9, and n is 1 or 2; or an oxidized cyclic phenol sulfide of formula (1) wherein m is 8. The present invention also discloses a charge control agent which comprises the above sulfide(s) as the active ingredient; and a toner which comprises the charge control agent, a coloring agent and a binder resin. This charge control agent is particularly useful for color toners, and it speeds up charging risetime, and has a high charge amount and charging characteristics excellent in environmental stability. Further, the charge control agent is safe since it does not have any problem with the waste regulations.
US07709166B2
In photo-lithography, one may assess the effect of flare due to various exposure tools. In an example embodiment, in a photo-lithography process on a photo resist coated substrate, there is a method for determining the effect of flare on line shortening. The method comprises, at a first die position on the substrate and in a first exposure, printing a first mask that includes a flare pattern corresponding to one corner of the first mask, and in a second exposure, printing a second mask that includes another flare pattern corresponding to an opposite corner of the second mask. At a second die position on the substrate, a composite mask pattern based on features of the first mask and the second is printed. The printed patterns are developed and measurements are obtained therefrom. The effect of flare is determined as a function of the measurements.
US07709156B2
A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes a positive electrode containing a positive electrode active material; a negative electrode containing a negative electrode active material; and a non-aqueous electrolyte containing a non-aqueous solvent and an electrolyte salt. In order to improve the high-temperature storage characteristics and safety against overcharge due to high-rate charging of the battery, the positive electrode active material contains a layered lithium-transition metal composite oxide containing at least one of Mg, Al, Ti, and Zr. Furthermore, the non-aqueous electrolyte contains 3 to 80% by mass of a tertiary carboxylic acid ester expressed by Chemical Formula 2 below, based on the total mass of the non-aqueous solvent: where R1 to R4 are independent of each other and each represents an alkyl group having 4 or less carbon atoms and being able to be branched.
US07709145B2
A bipolar plate having hydrophilic surfaces is disclosed. The bipolar plate includes multiple surfaces including channels having channel surfaces. A hydrophilic coating is provided on the surfaces to enhance the water management capabilties of a fuel cell.
US07709134B2
Microfluidic biofuel cells comprising a bioanode and/or a biocathode are formed using microfluidic principles and soft lithography. The enzymes utilized in the redox reactions at the bioanode and/or the biocathode are stabilized in a micellar or inverted micellar structure. The biofuel cell is used to produce high power densities.
US07709131B2
A fuel cell endplate to be combined with a membrane/electrode assembly comprising a high-polymer electrolytic membrane and electrodes sandwiching the membrane; which comprises a resin substrate, a collector plate and a gasket; the collector plate being in contact with the surface of the resin substrate and the membrane/electrode assembly; the gasket being provided so as to surround the periphery of the collector plate; a terminal connector connected to the collector plate and being disposed at a position where it does not contact with the membrane/electrode assembly.
US07709124B2
The direct electrochemical oxidation of hydrocarbons in solid oxide fuel cells, to generate greater power densities at lower temperatures without carbon deposition. The performance obtained is comparable to that of fuel cells used for hydrogen, and is achieved by using novel anode composites at low operating temperatures. Such solid oxide fuel cells, regardless of fuel source or operation, can be configured advantageously using the structural geometries of this invention.
US07709104B2
There is provided an aminoanthryl derivative-substituted pyrene compound represented by the following general formula (1). The compound is useful as a compound for an organic light-emitting device exhibiting highly pure luminescent color, and an optical output with high efficiency, high luminance, and long life.
US07709102B2
An organic electroluminescence device comprising a pair of electrodes and a layer of an organic light emitting medium disposed between the pair of electrodes, wherein the layer of an organic light emitting medium comprises a mixed layer comprising (A) at least one hole transporting compound and (B) at least one electron transporting compound, an energy gap of the hole transporting compound represented by Eg1 and an energy gap of the electron transporting compound represented by Eg2 satisfy a relation: Eg1
US07709101B2
An organic electroluminescence device is disclosed which comprises an emitting layer and a hole blocking layer disposed between an electron injecting electrode (cathode) and a hole injecting electrode (anode), the material for the hole blocking layer being expressed by the following chemical formula 1: The organic electroluminescence device can improve the luminescence and driving characteristics.
US07709096B2
A coating composition including an amide group-containable macromolecule compound (A) having an amide group or to have an amide group and an anti-oxidizing material (B) capable of inhibiting oxidation of the amide group. The amide group-containable macromolecule compound (A) is an amide group-containing polymer (a1) having an amide group and an aromatic ring, and/or an amide group-containing-polymer precursor (a2) to convert into the amide group-containing polymer (a1) by baking at a time of coating with said coating composition. The anti-oxidizing material (B) accounts for 0.1 to 20 mass % of a total amount of said amide group-containable macromolecule compound (A) and the anti-oxidizing material (B).
US07709093B2
A coating composition, formed of a film-forming component comprising a functional group-containing resinous binder and, optionally, a crosslinking agent having at least two functional groups that are reactive with the functional groups of the film-forming component, wherein, when the composition is applied and cured to form a cured coating, the cured coating is characterized as having a bicontinuous morphology. Methods of making the coating composition and coatings prepared therefrom are also provided. The coating composition can provide improved physical properties, such as chip resistance, when incorporated into a coating.
US07709088B2
Inorganic fibers consisting substantially of silicon, carbon, oxygen and a transition metal, having a fiber size of no greater than 2 μm and having fiber lengths of 100 μm or greater.
US07709073B2
In an information recording medium on and from which information is recorded and reproduced by applying light or electric energy, a recording layer which generates reversible phase change is formed so as to include a material containing Ge, Bi, Te and an element “M” which material is expressed with (GeTe)x[(M2Te3)y(Bi2Te3)1-y]100-x (mol %) wherein “M” represents at least one element selected from Al, Ga and In, and “x” and “y” satisfy 80≦x<100 and 0
US07709059B2
A method for operating a machine for single or double sided application of a liquid or viscous coating medium by way of at least one applicator unit onto the surface of a mating material web, especially a paper or cardboard web is provided. The coating medium collecting unit is cleaned prior to, during or after an application process of the machine, by way of supplying cleaning liquid via the supply line. The valve arrangement can be switched to the second valve condition for clean-up and to the third valve condition for the collection of coating medium in the medium collecting device. The medium collecting unit can be cleaned after start of the application process, during coating, through elements of supplying cleaning liquid via the supply line.
US07709046B1
Disclosed are medical devices comprising a coil, coated with a multi-layer coating system and possess the flexibility, lubricity and trackability desired in applications where such devices are utilized. The coating system comprises a non-hydrophilic polymer primer coat and a hydrophilic polymer topcoat. These coating materials do not comprise any cross-linkers or reactive functional groups, and do not require the use of a hazardous solvent. The multi-layer coating system is very thin; having a maximum dry thickness in the range of about 15 microns to about 40 microns. Also disclosed are methods for coating and using these medical devices. The coatings are applied at low temperatures, in an aqueous environment, and in such a way that the coil is coated discretely, without forming a thick layer between the coil portions. Such coating prevents substantial bridging between the loops of the coil, thus preventing the coil tip from being stiff or non-trackable.
US07709043B2
Provided is a method of preparing processed root vegetables or fruit vegetables including: a) heat-treating vegetables selected from the group consisting of root vegetables and fruit vegetables; b) immersing the heat-treated vegetables in a sugar solution; c) preparing a paste of the heat-treated vegetables that are immersed in the sugar solution; d) shaping the paste into the original shape of the vegetables; e) spreading or coating a material having a similar color to the peel color of the original vegetables onto the surface of the shaped paste; and f) drying the spread or coated shaped paste.
US07709042B2
A process for producing a pretreated feedstock is provided. The feedstock is selected from grasses, cereal straws, stover, and combinations thereof, and least about 80% of the feedstock has a particle length of between about 2 cm and about 40 cm. This process comprises wetting the feedstock in liquid, pressing the wet feedstock through one roll press or a series of roll presses to remove at least a portion of water and soluble substances from the wetted feedstock and to shear the feedstock to produce feedstock particles of a size suitable for pumping at a solids concentration of about 8% to about 20% when slurried. At least one roll press, or at least one roll press in the series of roll presses comprises rolls with circumferential v-shaped grooves. The pressed feedstock particles are slurried to produce a slurried feedstock having a consistency of between about 8% and about 20%, and the slurried feedstock pumped into a pretreatment reactor. Dilute acid pretreatment of the slurried feedstock is carried out at a temperature of 160° C. to 280° C.
US07709041B2
Techniques for processing cocoa mass are provided. In general, the techniques involve solvent extraction of cocoa fat from cocoa mass, to achieve a desirable cocoa butter and low-fat cocoa powder. In one preferred process, the cocoa mass is the result of grinding cocoa nibs, with absence of a mechanical pressing and heating step, to advantage. Preferred products and uses are characterized.
US07709038B2
A dietary supplement is provided which includes at least one triglyceride-based edible fat and between 3% and 50% by weight of triglyceride recrystallized phytosterols. The dietary supplement can be in the form of a capsule, pill or wafer. Additionally, the dietary supplement can be combined with protein, vitamins, minerals, or combinations thereof.
US07709037B2
The present invention provides process cheeses comprising casein and whey protein with a ratio of casein to whey protein of from about 50:50 to about 75:25. Typically, the process cheese further comprises an emulsifier, milkfat, and may contain one or more other ingredients such as, but not limited to, whole whey, cheese, and lactic acid. The present invention provides methods for producing the process cheese of the current invention using a pre-cook or post-cook homogenization step, and/or a modified dairy protein source. The modified dairy protein source includes high viscosity whey protein, emulsified high fat whey protein powder, low calcium whey protein, and/or high solubility milk protein.
US07709035B2
A self-heating, self-hydrating pouch to simultaneously heat and hydrate a prepackaged, partially or completely dehydrated food or beverage product that is stored in the pouch. The pouch comprises multiple layers of material that prevent the transmission of water and gasses thereby preventing deterioration of the prepackaged food or beverage product. The pouch includes a membrane filter structure and flameless, exothermic reaction agents. The user adds potable or non-potable water to the pouch. When the water contacts the exothermic reaction agents, an exothermic reaction occurs which heats the water above 200° F. The membrane filter structure filters the heated water to remove bacteria, viruses, chemicals and by-products of the exothermic reaction. The filtered, heated water contacts the partially or completely dehydrated food product or dehydrated beverage product and simultaneously heats and hydrates the food or beverage product.
US07709028B2
A particulate containing a pantethine, a light anhydrous silicic acid and a microcrystalline cellulose, in which the total content of the light anhydrous silicic acid the microcrystalline cellulose amounts to a quantity that yields a 0.6 or higher adsorptivity. The present pantethine-containing particulate has a good flowability and an adequate particle size providing excellent handling properties. It is free from impediments such as blocking, and has a good storage stability.
US07708985B2
The present invention relates to new and improved interleukin-7 polypeptides, as well as compositions comprising the same, their preparation and uses. The invention more particularly relates to hyperglycosylated IL-7 polypeptides having improved properties, as well as their manufacture and therapeutic uses. The invention also discloses novel IL-7 polypeptides having modified amino acid sequences containing artificially created glycosylation site(s), as well as corresponding nucleic acid molecules, vectors and recombinant host cells. The invention also relates to the use of such polypeptides, cells or nucleic acids for curative or preventive treatment of mammalian subjects, including human subjects.
US07708983B2
The present invention relates to compositions and methods of using same to direct an immune response thereby enhancing the efficacy of an antigen containing vaccine by combining a chemokine in conjunction with the vaccine, wherein the choice of the chemokine directs the immune response in either the Th1 or Th2 direction.
US07708969B2
In a method and an apparatus for forming metal oxide on a substrate, a source gas including metal precursor flows along a surface of the substrate to form a metal precursor layer on the substrate. An oxidizing gas including ozone flows along a surface of the metal precursor layer to oxidize the metal precursor layer so that the metal oxide is formed on the substrate. A radio frequency power is applied to the oxidizing gas flowing along the surface of the metal precursor layer to accelerate a reaction between the metal precursor layer and the oxidizing gas. Acceleration of the oxidation reaction may improve electrical characteristics and uniformity of the metal oxide.
US07708966B2
A selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system includes an on-board ammonia generation system that produces nitrogen from air and hydrogen from a source of a hydrogen-containing compound, and generates an ammonia product from the nitrogen and hydrogen to provide the ammonia product into an exhaust from a NOx generator to reduce the NOx in the exhaust. Oxygen from one or both of the nitrogen generator and the hydrogen generation cell can be supplied to the NOx generator for cleaner combustion or to a particulate filter for cleaning the filter. H2O from the NOx generator can at least partially provide a water source for the hydrogen generation cell.
US07708958B2
A system and containers for water filtration and item sanitization are described herein. In one embodiment, a water filtration device uses an extruded carbon sheet or granulated activated carbon to filter unpurified, gravity-fed water. The device can be a stand-alone water container or incorporated within a water purification system having a further purification technology located in a base in fluid communication with the water container. Other sanitizing containers can be used with the base to sanitize items while the water in the container is being sanitized. The base can include controls for informing a user when the water filtration or item sanitization has been completed. A method of sanitizing items is also disclosed. Practical applications include drinking water filtration, sanitization of household items, medical equipment, and the like.
US07708955B2
The invention provides methods and systems for alkylating a paraffinic feed stream in a microchannel utilizing the staged addition of olefin.
US07708949B2
A microfluidic method and device for focusing and/or forming discontinuous sections of similar or dissimilar size in a fluid is provided. The device can be fabricated simply from readily-available, inexpensive material using simple techniques.
US07708938B2
Method and device for measuring and controlling the circulation of fluids in endoscope channels. Device includes hermetic chamber having a known volume and a low level and high level sensor to control filling and emptying. The chamber is connected to a filtered air compressor, an injection pump to inject a drying product and a circulation pump to circulate cleaning and disinfecting solutions contained in the tank. The tank can receive at least one endoscope and includes injectors connected by a solenoid valve to the hermetic chamber. The device is used to verify and record the flow of cleaning, disinfecting, rinsing and drying solutions passing through each of the endoscope channels during the cleaning and disinfecting operations.
US07708935B2
A process for producing a float bath bottom refractory brick which can suppress a reaction with Na2O from glass at the surface of the refractory brick and thereby prevent flaking phenomena, which process comprises adding a potassium compound to a clayey material comprising from 30 to 45 mass % of Al2O3 and from 50 to 65 mass % of SiO2 and having a Na2O content of at most 1 mass %, so that the K2O content in the float bath bottom refractory brick to be produced would be from 2 to 4 mass %; and a refractory brick useful for a float bath bottom for production of plate glass by a float process.
US07708915B2
This invention is an improved process to formulate polymeric microspheres/nanospheres and encapsulate therapeutic proteins or other useful substances, and a polymer sphere apparatus. The invention is also methods of purifying protein-containing-polymeric-microspheres from unused polymer, and an apparatus therefore.
US07708888B2
A filtration device is provided for withdrawing permeate essentially continuously from a multicomponent aqueous substrate containing growing microorganisms in a reservoir. A vertical skein of fiber is scrubbed with coarse bubbles which emanate from a conversion baffle positioned under the skein. The substrate is aerated with fine bubbles in a size range small enough to transfer oxygen to the substrate efficiently. The baffle traps the fine bubbles and converts them to coarse bubbles which are effective to scrub the fibers. In the most preferred embodiment, the finished headers of the skein are derived from composite headers comprising a fixing lamina of resin in which the fibers are potted near their terminal ends, and a fugitive lamina of fugitive powdery material in which the terminal ends of the fibers are potted. The fugitive lamina is removed, preferably by dissolving the powder, e.g. finely divided common salt in water.
US07708886B2
Method and apparatus in which a biomass is carried on a substrate that is fluidised. The fluidised substrate has a layer of distributor particles below it, through which the fluidizing medium passes prior to contact with the fluidised substrate and biomass associated therewith. The effect of the distributor layer is that the particles damp out excessive turbulence in the fluidizing medium, thus preventing undue turbulence of the medium within the fluidised layer. The particles may be recycled through the distributor layer to strip excess biofilm from the substrate particles prior to returning the substrate particles to the fluidised bed.
US07708885B2
The invention includes an anaerobic solids digestion apparatus comprising a digester, at least one draft tube; at least one nozzle and a biogas source; a method for digesting a waste stream in an anaerobic solids digestion apparatus comprises feeding a waste stream to a digester; reacting the anaerobically biodegradable material in the waste stream with anaerobic bacteria in the digester; introducing a mixed liquor into the digester and mixing the mixed liquor; and a method for minimizing the use of inhibitory polymers by concurrently digesting and concentrating the mixed liquor in the digester.
US07708884B2
A process for the stabilization and disinfection of sludge wherein a) raw sludge having a dry matter content of from 3 to 7% by weight is fed continuously or quasi-continuously into a first stage, where it remains for an average retention time of three to ten days under aerobic-thermophilic conditions to obtain a partially stabilized sludge; and b) the partially stabilized sludge is fed into a second stage in which disinfection of the partially stabilized sludge is effected at temperatures of at least 50° C., wherein prior to discharging, there is no charging until the partially stabilized sludge has been disinfected.
US07708874B2
An electrophoresis apparatus having a plate on which channels are formed, a tray on which the plate is to be set, a tray driving unit for rotary driving the tray on which the plate is set, a voltage application unit for applying voltage to a buffer agent in the channels on the plate, an optical detection part for irradiating the channels on the plate with light, and detecting fluorescence that is generated from the sample due to the light irradiation. A plate clamp pressing the plate at only the channel formation areas of the plate against the plate setting surface of the tray, thereby fixing and holding the plate on the plate setting surface of the tray.
US07708873B2
This invention provides devices and apparatuses comprising the same, for efficient pumping and/or mixing of relatively small volumes of fluid. Such devices utilize nonlinear electrokinetics as a primary mechanism for driving fluid flow. Methods of cellular analysis and high-throughput, multi-step product formation using devices of this invention are described.
US07708865B2
According to one embodiment of the invention, a vapor-compression evaporation system includes a plurality of vessels in series each containing a feed having a nonvolatile component, a mechanical compressor coupled to the last vessel in the series and operable to receive a vapor from the last vessel in the series, a pump operable to deliver a cooling liquid to the mechanical compressor, a tank coupled to the mechanical compressor and operable to separate liquid and vapor received from the mechanical compressor, a plurality of heat exchangers coupled inside respective ones of the vessels, the heat exchanger in the first vessel in the series operable to receive the vapor from the tank, at least some of the vapor condensing therein, whereby the heat of condensation provides the heat of evaporation to the first vessel in the series, and wherein at least some of the vapor inside the first vessel in the series is delivered to the heat exchanger in the next vessel in the series, whereby the condensing, evaporating, and delivering steps continue until the last vessel in the series is reached.
US07708864B2
The present invention is a method to identify a refinery solid foulant of unknown composition including the following steps: obtaining a solid foulant sample, removing trapped feed from the sample with a solvent to obtain an insoluble sample, scanning the insoluble sample with a scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive x-rays, performing a thermal gravimetric analysis including an ash test on the insoluble sample to determine the presence of polymer, coke and inorganic elements, performing an elemental analysis on the insoluble sample for the elements carbon, hydrogen, sulfur, nitrogen, halogens, and metals, performing an optical microscopy on the insoluble sample to determine the presence of wax, asphaltenes, anisotropic coke and isotropic coke, and identifying the solid foulant.
US07708861B2
An anti-blocking composition including about 75% to about 99% weight percent a metal salt of stearate and about 1% to about 25% weight percent stearic acid is provided. In addition, an anti-blocking composition including about 90% to about 99.5% a metal salt of stearate and about 0.5% to about 10% fiber is provided. The anti-blocking compositions may be formed into blocks and applied to a web of paper to reduce adherent properties of the paper. Further, a method of improving the handling properties of paper cut from a web is provided. The method includes the steps of coating a surface of a web of paper with an effective amount of a coating composition of the present disclosure, and cutting the web into sheets of paper.
US07708860B2
For a plasma processing apparatus that performs an etching process for the face of a wafer opposite the circuit formation face, ceramic insulating films having a ring shape are positioned on the mounting face of an electrode member in consonance with the location of a large wafer or a small wafer. When a large wafer is employed, a ring member is attached. And when a small wafer is employed, a blocking member is mounted to hide a gap between the insulating films deposited on the mounting face 3b and to cover suction holes. Further, a cover member is attached to cover the blocking member from the top. With this arrangement, the plasma process can be performed, using the same electrode member, for wafers having different sizes.
US07708859B2
A gas distribution system for supplying different gas compositions to a chamber, such as a plasma processing chamber of a plasma processing apparatus is provided. The gas distribution system can include a gas supply section, a flow control section and a switching section. The gas supply section provides first and second gases, typically gas mixtures, to the flow control section, which controls the flows of the first and second gases to the chamber. The chamber can include multiple zones, and the flow control section can supply the first and second gases to the multiple zones at desired flow ratios of the gases. The gas distribution system can continuously supply the first and second gases to the switching section and the switching section is operable to switch the flows of the first and second gases, such that one of the first and second process gases is supplied to the chamber while the other of the first and second gases is supplied to a by-pass line, and then to switch the gas flows. The switching section preferably includes fast switching valves operable to quickly open and close to allow fast switching of the first and second gases, preferably without the occurrence of undesirable pressure surges or flow instabilities in the flow of either gas.
US07708847B2
A method of forming a gypsum-based panel product including the steps of: mixing calcined gypsum, water, a foaming agent and a core strengthening agent to form a foamed slurry; depositing the slurry; shaping the slurry to form a board having a core and core surfaces, optionally sandwiched between sheets of liner; and allowing the core to set, and drying the board, wherein the strengthening agent is dextrin, used in an amount not less than 0.1% by weight, based on the amount of calcined gypsum, so that, after drying, there is provided a strengthening dispersion of dextrin throughout the core. Less than 5% dextrin in preferred.
US07708845B2
Disclosed is a method for manufacturing thin sheets of high-strength titanium alloys. The method includes the steps of preparing initial blanks, assembling the initial blanks into a pack within a sheath, and heating and hot rolling the pack of the initial blanks in the sheath. The method is characterized in that, in the step of preparing the initial blanks, blanks having an (α-phase grain size of not more than 2 μm are produced by hot rolling a forged or die-forged slab to a predetermined value of a relative thickness hB/hF, where hB is a thickness in mm of the initial blank before said pack hot rolling and hF is a final sheet thickness in mm, and by heat treating the initial blanks followed by rapidly cooling; and in that the step of pack hot rolling is conducted in quasi-isothermal conditions in longitudinal and transverse directions, while changing a rolling direction by about 90° after a predetermined total reduction in one direction is achieved. The method provides big-sized thin sheets made of high-strength titanium alloys and having homogeneous submicrocrystalline structure where an average grain size is less than 1 μm. The sheets have the required mechanical properties suitable for superplastic forming (SPF) at temperatures below 800° C.
US07708844B2
A method for forming a metallic glass, which comprises a step of subjecting a metallic glass to a rough forming by die casting, to prepare a roughly formed article, and a step of heating the roughly formed article to a temperature region corresponding to an undercooled liquid thereof, followed by subjecting the heated article to warm press forming.
US07708839B2
The present invention is directed to a pig receiver used in a dewatering method for subsea pipelines. In the dewatering method a pig is placed in one end of the pipeline filled with water and a compressed gas is introduced behind the pig; in addition the water and pig are drawn by a subsea pump operated by a submersible vehicle (SV) operating near the sea floor to a pig receiver of the present invention. A feature of the pig receiver is a gas sensor that shuts the pump off when gas enters the receiver to prevent a gas (vapor) lock of the pump.
US07708834B2
A bolt which is driven into a female screw portion disposed in a brittle member in a wear environment includes a head formed of a wear resistant material, a body which is formed of a resin having elasticity or plasticity and has a first male screw portion, and a placed member disposed between the head and the body and formed of a wear resistant resin having elasticity or plasticity. The body further includes a second male screw portion disposed along a central axis of the body and the head includes a female screw portion which the second male screw portion is driven into. The placed member is of a plate shape and has a through hole in its central portion, and a diameter of the through hole is smaller than or equal to a nominal diameter of the first male screw portion and larger than or equal to a nominal diameter of the second male screw portion.
US07708824B2
In C. I. pigment red 57:1 of the present invention, the total content of 3-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid and a metal salt thereof, which is measured by quantitative analysis using liquid chromatography, is 2,500 ppm or less as converted into the 3-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid.
US07708820B2
A black ink composition is provided and contains at least two coloring materials, water and additives, wherein the coloring material on the short wave side of the two coloring materials is a water-soluble dye having 3 or more azo groups in one molecule and a naphthalene skeleton, and the additives are selected from the group consisting of a bronzing inhibitor and an ozone resisting improver.
US07708817B2
A hydrocarbon adsorber and a thermoplastic resin combined and formed to a porous scavenger for insertion into the air intake system of a motor vehicle engine. The resulting porous scavenger adsorbs volatile hydrocarbon molecules from raw fuel remaining in the air intake when the engine is shut off. The adsorbed molecules are then stripped or purged from the scavenger and reintroduced into the air intake when the engine is next started.
US07708813B2
Filter media for an active field polarized media air cleaner includes two layers of dielectric material with a higher resistance air permeable screen sandwiched between the lower resistivity electric layers. The filter media may further include a mixed fiber filter layer having fibers from different sides of the triboelectric scale. The filter media may further include a layer of relatively higher density dielectric material followed by a layer of relatively lower density dielectric material.
US07708811B2
A degassing apparatus is provided that accomplishes the connecting of a degassing element and a connecting member and/or the joining of a vacuum (reduced-pressure) chamber and the connecting member without using a fastening structure screwed together with the connecting member. A degassing apparatus includes: a reduced-pressure chamber having a through port for flowing a degassing target liquid therethrough; a degassing element, accommodated in the chamber, for passing the liquid therethrough; and a tubular connecting member joined to the chamber at the through port. The degassing element includes a gas-permeable tube, for passing the liquid therethrough, being covered with a joint piece at an end portion of the gas-permeable tube. The degassing element is fixed to the chamber by heat sealing the connecting member and the joint piece together.
US07708791B2
A cyclone dust separating apparatus for separating dust from external air drawn in thereto and discharging the separated dust, comprises at least one first cyclone body having a tubular shape and forming a first cyclone chamber where the external air is rotated; and at least one second cyclone body forming a second cyclone chamber where the air discharged from the first cyclone chamber is rotated again to separate dust, wherein the external air is drawn in through a lower end of the first cyclone chamber and discharged through an upper end of the first cyclone chamber, and the air discharged from the first cyclone chamber is drawn in through an upper end of the second cyclone chamber and discharged through an upper end of the second cyclone chamber.
US07708787B2
A manufacturing method for an electrode for an electrochemical capacitor according to the present invention comprises a first process (steps S1-S3) for forming a polarizable electrode layer on a current collector, a second process (step S4) for subjecting the front surface of the polarizable electrode layer formed on the current collector, to an embossment work, and a third process (step S5) for flattening the front surface of the polarizable electrode layer as has undergone the embossment work. In this manner, in the invention, the front surface of the polarizable electrode layer undergoes the embossment work, so that the polarizable electrode layer is effectively compressed, and it is consequently permitted to achieve a high volume capacitance of at least 17 F/cm3. Moreover, after the embossment work, the resulting embossment is flattened, so that porous grains contained in the polarizable electrode layer are prevented from falling off, and it is permitted to ensure a high reliability.
US07708786B2
Reactive dye mixtures comprising one or more dyes of the general formula (I), one or more dyes of the general formula (II) and optionally one or more dyes of the general formula (III) where D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, R0, R*, R**, T, b, f, v, and M are as defined in claim 1, the dyes of the general formulae (I)-(III) containing at least one fiber-reactive group of the formula —SO2—Z or —Z2, are prepared and used for dyeing hydroxyl- and/or carboxamido-containing fiber material.
US07708784B2
A prosthetic foot incorporate a foot keel and a calf shank connected to the foot keel to form an ankle joint area of the prosthetic foot. The foot keel has forefoot and hindfoot portions and a relatively long midfoot portion extending between and upwardly arched from the forefoot and midfoot portions. The calf shank includes a downward convexly curved lower end which is attached at a portion thereof to the keel midfoot portion by way of an adjustable fastener arrangement. The foot has biplanar motion capability and, in a preferred form, also has high low dynamic response characteristics. The adjustable fastener arrangement permits adjustment of the alignment of the calf shank and the foot keel with respect to one another in the longitudinal direction of the foot keel for tuning the performance of the prosthetic foot.
US07708783B2
An acetabular component for a prosthetic hip joint generally consists of an acetabular shell and an acetabular liner. The acetabular liner includes a cup portion and at least one constraining portion. The cup portion has a hemispherical or dome-shape that defines a hemispherical cavity for receiving a femoral head of a femoral component. The constraining portions may include extensions for retaining the femoral head in the cavity of the cup portion. The liner further includes cutout portions between the constraining portions. The acetabular liner is rotatable within the acetabular shell to provide a complete range of motion to the femoral component without fear of impingement, subluxation, or dislocation of the femoral head. The constraining portions may include inclined surfaces to induce rotation of the acetabular liner within the acetabular shell.
US07708777B2
A modular disc prosthesis system is provided that allows a disc prosthesis to be constructed, either pre- or intra-operatively, to have a desired degree of freedom or constraint when positioned between endplates of adjacent vertebrae. In particular, the components can be assembled to form a disc prosthesis having a center of rotation that is constrained or fixed such that, when the disc prosthesis is implanted between endplates of adjacent vertebrae, the adjacent vertebrae have one degree of freedom and move about a fixed center of rotation. Alternatively, one or more of the same components and one or more additional components of the system can be used to construct a disc prosthesis having a center of rotation that is unconstrained or that floats such that, when the disc prosthesis is implanted between the endplates of adjacent vertebrae, the adjacent vertebrae have multiple degrees of freedom and can move about a floating or moving center of rotation, i.e., a center of rotation that is not fixed.
US07708776B1
An improved total disc replacement system and related methods, wherein a pair of anchor plates, each adapted to engage a vertebral body, and a translating internal member are provided. The translating internal member boasts the ability to move or translate between the anchor plates without compromising the conformity of the interface between the translating internal member and the anchor plates. In a significant aspect, the anchor plates may be locked in place relative to one another after implantation to effect fusion between the vertebral bodies.
US07708770B2
A delivery device adapted to insert and deploy a stent within a body lumen. The delivery device includes a guide member adapted to retain a dilation assembly and a stent within a lumen thereof until the stent is to be deployed into the body lumen. The delivery device is configured to enable simultaneous insertion of the guide member, dilation assembly, stent, and optional guidewire within a body lumen. Following deploying the stent, the delivery device can be removed, while providing the capability of optionally maintaining the guide member or the guidewire to function or act as an exchange wire for additional surgical devices.
US07708769B1
A graft attachment assembly that may be easily and quickly assembled is provided. The graft attachment assembly includes an attachment member including a base portion having a convex top surface and a branch portion having a passageway therethrough. The branch portion projects outwardly from the base portion. A clamp member having a concave bottom surface is configured to sealingly engage the top surface of the base portion and an opening is dimensioned to slidably receive the branch portion. The clamp member is slidable about the branch portion to a position adjacent the base portion to clamp tissue therebetween. A locking member is slidable about the branch portion and dimensioned to secure a vessel thereabout.
US07708768B2
Methods for treating a network of organs including generating a map of at least a portion of the network of organs using a rendering system; selecting at least one treatment location within the luminal passageway of the network of organs; and applying an energy therapy to the treatment location to treat the smooth muscle tissue, where the energy therapy applied to the respective treatment location is defined by a plurality of parameters that are associated with a map. Such a system allows for historical or ideal treatment parameters to be identified, visually or otherwise to actual treatment locations. Also, control systems and methods for delivery of energy that may include control algorithms that prevent energy delivery if a fault is detected and may provide energy delivery to produce a substantially constant temperature at a delivery site. In some embodiments, the control systems and methods may be used to control the delivery of energy, such as radio frequency energy, to body tissue, such as lung tissue.
US07708761B2
A frustum shaped body has an aperture in a top surface and a pair of first and second opposed apertures in a side surface, first and second horizontal internal channels connect both the first and second opposed apertures. A vertical channel from the top aperture connects with the first and second channels. After the body is inserted into a hole in a facet joint, compatible synthetic or biologic material is inserted into the vertical channel until the material exits from the first and second apertures in the side surface. At least one pair of flanges on a portion of an exterior side surface of the body acts as a detent to hold the body in place within the facet joint hole.
US07708745B2
A medical device includes a handle, a sheath, and an object-engaging unit. The distal end portion of the sheath is strong enough to resist being deformed by the object-engaging unit, yet another portion of the sheath is flexible enough to bend sufficiently.
US07708737B2
An intramedullar distraction device for bone elongation that is completely mechanical in operation, wherein a novel rotating button system allows inverting the device ratchet movement, thereby enabling the reduction of the length of the device, if needed, in order to offer the surgeon operating flexibility before finally anchoring the device on the bone. Furthermore, a locking system allows for locking the ratchet once the desired elongation has been reached, thus avoiding potential mistaken elongations. In addition, a unique alignment hole provides a simple, precise tool to easily and correctly align the device within the bone. The present device operates without the assistance of external mechanisms, motors, or tools, and once inserted, the user can actuate the device without assistance. This device is available in a wide variety of diameters and lengths, and is useful in all long bones.
US07708734B2
Method and system for adjusting the amount of energy delivered to a handpiece of a surgical system based on feedback. A table is generated that correlates differences between voltages and rates of change of a voltage of the output of a charging element of the surgical system. Charge values of the table, such as minimum and maximum charge rates, can be generated using profile pulses and the time that is required for a pulse to reach a predetermined voltage. Intermediate charge rates can be determined using interpolation or other suitable methods. The output of the charging element is monitored at a voltage source, such as a capacitor, to determine first and second voltages at different times. These voltages are reduced if necessary for compatibility with electronic components and converted into digital values. A difference between two digital values is determined, and the determined difference is used to determine a corresponding rate at which the charging element charges the voltage source. The charge rate is provided as an input to the charging element to dynamically adjust the charge rate which, in turn, dynamically adjusts the energy provided by the voltage source to the liquefaction handpiece.
US07708724B2
A reduced pressure treatment appliance is provided for treating a wound on the body of a patient. In some embodiments, the appliance comprises a cover, which is further comprised of a top cup member and an interface member. The interface member comprises flow control means, which permit exudate from the wound to flow through the flow control means into the volume under the cover, but not in the opposite direction. Also, in some embodiments, the top cup member is further comprised of a lid member, a cup body member, and lid attachment means to removably attach the lid member to the cup body member. In some of these embodiments, it is possible to access the wound for monitoring, treatment and other purposes without removing the cover from the body. In other embodiments, the wound treatment appliance also includes a vacuum system to supply reduced pressure to the site of the wound in the volume under the cover. In yet other embodiments, a suction bulb may be used to provide a source of reduced pressure to a cover that covers the wound. Finally, methods are provided for using various embodiments of the treatment appliance.
US07708722B2
The subcutaneously implantable vascular access port has two parts including a body and a wing. The body supports a chamber covered by a septum, with a septum held in place over the chamber by a collar. The chamber is coupleable to a vascular structure, such as through tubing extending from the body, for delivery of medical preparations. The body is preferably elongate in form. The wing is configured to be adjustable in width. In one embodiment the wing rotates relative to the body and has an elongate form similar to that of the body. When the wing is rotated it extends laterally from the body and enhances a stability of the body. In another embodiment, the wing is provided as a deformable wing which can expand laterally out of side openings of a cavern in the body into which the deformable wing is inserted.
US07708710B2
Methods are disclosed for collecting and separating whole blood into one or more components. A disposable blood separation fluid circuit is provided which is adapted to cooperate with a reusable separation controller. The fluid circuit includes a fluid flow path for communication with a blood source and at least one container in fluid communication with the fluid flow path. The fluid flow path is connected to a blood source and quantities of whole blood are collected in the container and one other location within the fluid circuit. The source is then disconnected from the disposable fluid circuit. The quantities of whole blood are centrifugally processed, with processing of at least a portion of one of the quantities beginning after the source is disconnected from the fluid circuit.
US07708707B2
The invention relates to impulse therapy and particularly to a device for applying impulse pressure intermittently to a human foot to enhance blood circulation around the body. In the prior art impulse pressure is applied by means of an inflatable bladder applied to the foot. To be effective the bladder has to be filled rapidly and this produces unacceptable noise during operation. The bladder in accordance with invention is provided with internal means acting to dissipate fluid flow with accompanying reduction in fluid flow rates and consequent noise levels during the pressurization process.
US07708697B2
Airway monitoring apparatus 30 includes a driver 6 for applying sound in the audible frequency range to the airway of a subject and a detector 7 for monitoring the response of the airway, e.g. by detecting transmitted sound signal components and/or reflected sound signal components. Variations in the detected sound signal, e.g. energy, due to attenuation of the signal, give an indication of the state of the airway, e.g. airway patency, and can be used to monitor sleep-disordered breathing events, such as apnea and hypopnea, and to provide a breathing event index, e.g. AHI. The apparatus may provide servo-control for a respiratory assist device, such as a positive airway pressure device, so as to provide an appropriate pressure level setting. It may allow for home use of such devices and for home titration. It may also assist in discriminating central and obstructive breathing events, and in providing a measure of airway resistance.
US07708693B2
A system and method for cardiovascular analysis includes an implantable medical device capable of generating hemodynamic pressure waveform data based upon sensed pressure. Hemodynamic waveform data is analyzed to identify artifactual data represented in the hemodynamic waveform.
US07708687B2
A system and method provides active propulsion of endoscopes along body lumens. The propulsion system can be attached to a commercially available endoscope, or be provide affixed together, and moves the endoscope in a lumen by pulling it forward. A rotatable toroidal wall, e.g. annular invaginated balloon, provides the propulsion. A drive assembly rotates the toroid while maintaining the toroid's position along the endoscope. The toroid is radially extended or inflated within the lumen to engage its outer surface to the lumen. The toroidal rotation tracks the lumen wall for propulsion. Stops maintain the rotating toroid's position on the endoscope. A helical screw within the toroid engages patterned protrusions around the toroid; screw rotation advances the protrusions to rotate the toroid wall. A fitted belt coupled to a groove in the toroid provides alternative actuation. Colonoscopy is substantially improved, reducing anesthesia and other requirements and costs, and improving safety.
US07708682B2
A method and apparatus for planning a radiation therapy are disclosed. A radiation dose distribution is adapted on the basis of shape and position variations of the organs of interest determined from a comparison of a first image and a second image which were taken at different points of time during the radiation treatment process.
US07708679B2
Folding device for folding blanks, including an internal tool fit to cooperate with an external tool for forming a longitudinal fold in a blank, and a supporting guide fit to cooperate with the internal tool to sandwich the fold as the external tool folds the blank as the blank is conveyed.
US07708667B2
A trampoline has an enclosure system including a barrier of a flexible material (14) such as a net material surrounding the trampoline mat above the mat and having a lower peripheral part coupled directly or indirectly to the mat, and a plurality of resiliently flexible generally upright enclosure support members or rods (13) which are retained at or towards the lower ends of the enclosure support members and below the mat (1) by the frame (4) of the trampoline and which support the net above the mat, so that the enclosure is free to deform away from the mat when impacted by a user against an enclosure support member and/or against said barrier of flexible material.
US07708665B2
Various embodiments of a torque biasing device for a rotating transmission are operable to vary the proportion of the output torque transmitted to one or more output shafts. Multiple planetary gear sets are provided for speeding-up or slowing-down of one shaft with respect to another, under the control of a computer.
US07708661B2
The decoupler for a drive wheel arrangement for an auxiliary unit of an internal combustion engine has a belt pulley connected to a flexible drive element and a shaft. A damping device is arranged between the shaft and the belt pulley and includes a spring. The belt pulley is connected to a damper cage, which is connected via at least one spring to a damper cage which is positioned such that it can rotate on the shaft.
US07708650B2
A golf swing training device comprising a first shoulder guide portion for guiding a first shoulder of a user during at least a part of a practice backswing and a second shoulder guide portion for guiding a second shoulder of a user during at least a part of a practice backswing.
US07708648B2
A golf training device comprising an elongate member with a first positioning aid having an indicator thereon that is visually alignable with a portion of the club. When the indicator is so aligned, the training device is used to correctly position the golfer's hands around the circumference of the club handle. The training device includes additional aids to enable the golfer to correctly position the device linearly on the grip and to then correctly position his or her fingers and thumbs around the training device. The training device may further include pressure sensors and a speaker to aid the golfer in learning to grip the club correctly.
US07708646B2
The present invention is related to a billiard cue (11) comprising a shaft having a tip end (2) and a butt end, wherein the shaft has a non-linear tapered section with reduced diameter compared to a linear tapering at the tip end.
US07708640B2
A gaming machine for conducting a wagering game includes a controller for selecting a game outcome from a plurality of game outcomes and a persistence-of-vision display for displaying the game outcome. The wagering game may, for example, be slots, poker, keno, bingo, blackjack, or roulette, and may be a basic game or a bonus game. The POV display may, for example, be a 360 degree display or a display employing a rapidly moving structure such as a wand, a hoop, a fan, or a disc. A 360 degree display is shaped generally like a cylinder and displays the game outcome with 2D imagery that is generated by selectively illuminating LEDs spinning in a circular direction about a surface of the cylinder. A display employing a rapidly moving structure has disposed about the periphery of the structure a plurality of LEDs that are selectively illuminated as the structure is moved in a direction that is cyclical, orbital, horizontal, vertical, arced, circular, or rotational.
US07708633B2
A bingo game player may participate in a number of bingo games and obtain results for each of those games. These bingo game results are combined to amount to a cumulative result and a common graphic display is produced that is representative of the cumulative result. The common graphic display is then shown to the player on the display device of a particular electronic player station.
US07708630B2
A gaming device including a game operable upon one or more wagers. The game is operable for a first play and a second play. Each one of the plays involves a spin of a rotor. The rotor has a plurality of symbols and a plurality of ball landings adjacent to the symbols. A first quantity of the ball landings is available for the first play, and a lower, second quantity of the ball landings is available for the second play. The gaming device also includes an indicator that is operable to indicate information relating to the availability of the second quantity of ball landings.
US07708619B2
A method of producing a complex shape in a workpiece includes the steps of: i) grinding a workpiece at a maximum specific cutting energy of about 10 Hp/in3·min with at least one bonded abrasive tool, thereby forming a slot in the workpiece; and ii) grinding the slot with at least one mounted point tool, thereby producing the complex shape in the slot. The bonded abrasive tool includes at least about 3 volume % of a filamentary sol-gel alpha-alumina abrasive grain having an average length-to-cross-sectional-width ratio of greater than about 4:1 or an agglomerate thereof. A method of producing a slot in a metallic workpiece having a maximum hardness value of equal to, or less than, about 65 Rc includes the step of grinding the workpiece with a bonded abrasive tool at a material removal rate in a range of between about 0.25 in3/min·in and about 60 in3/min·in and at a maximum specific cutting energy of about 10 Hp/in3·min.
US07708618B2
A polishing apparatus includes an arrangement of a plurality of units to deal with various operations and a robot having at least one arm. The plurality of units are disposed around the robot and include a loading unit for receiving thereon a, e.g. dry, workpiece to be polished, a polishing system including at least one polishing unit for polishing the workpiece, a washing system and a drying system at least including one washing unit for washing and drying the polished workpiece, and an unloading unit for receiving thereon a resultant clean and dry polished workpiece.
US07708613B2
A method of producing a light emitting apparatus including a light emitting element, a light emitting element housing having a recess for housing the light emitting element, and a translucent substrate placed on the light emitting element housing is disclosed. The disclosed method includes a fluorescent-substance-containing resin forming step of forming a fluorescent-substance-containing resin on a first side of the translucent substrate which first side is opposite to a second side of the translucent substrate which second side faces the recess. In the fluorescent-substance-containing resin forming step, luminance and chromaticity of light that is emitted from the light emitting element and then transmitted by the fluorescent-substance-containing resin are measured and a thickness of the fluorescent-substance-containing resin is adjusted based on the measured luminance and chromaticity so that light emitted from the light emitting apparatus attains the specified luminance and chromaticity.
US07708612B2
A leash and information system assembly includes a flexible strap, a flexible tether cord, a data processing module, and a display module. The flexible strap and the flexible tether cord connect a water sports vehicle to a user of the water sports vehicle. The flexible tether cord is connected to the flexible strap and the second end is configured and dimensioned to connect to the water sports vehicle. The tether cord width is substantially less than the strap width and the tether cord length is substantially greater than the strap length. The data processing module is mounted within a water-proof enclosure and positioned along one of the flexible strap, the flexible tether cord, and the water sports vehicle. The data processing module is configured with logic to receive, parse, process, and output data generated by a source external to the data processor. The display module is mounted within a water-proof enclosure and positioned along the flexible strap and in electrical communication with the data processing module. The display module includes a plurality of display symbols representing at least one of time, atmospheric weather conditions, water conditions, and global positioning. The display module is configured with logic to receive, process data communicated from the data processing module to convey the data to the user by activating at least one of the display symbols.
US07708606B2
Disclosed herein is an electrical connector assembly. The electrical connector assembly includes a connector member, a wedge sleeve, a wedge, and outer sleeve, and an inner sleeve. The connector member has a first end section and a second end section. The wedge sleeve has a general tube shape. The wedge sleeve includes a front end and a rear end. The front end of the wedge sleeve is mounted onto the second end section of the connector member. The wedge is configured to be located between the wedge sleeve and a core member of a cable. The outer sleeve is located around the wedge sleeve. The outer sleeve has a front end which is attached onto the connector member. The inner sleeve is configured to be fitted between the outer sleeve and the cable. An outer surface of the inner sleeve comprises a first knurled area.
US07708603B1
An electrical connector (100) includes a number of conductive contacts (21-28), a first capacitive plate (31) and an insulator (40) fixing the number of conductive contacts (21-28) and the capacitive plate (31). The number of conductive contacts further include a first pair of conductive contacts (21, 22) to form a first signal channel and a second pair of conductive contacts (23, 26) to form a second signal channel. The first capacitive plate (31) is electrically connected with one conductive contact (23) of the second pair. The first capacitive plate (31) is disposed closer to one conductive contact (21) of the first pair than the conductive contact (23) which the first capacitive plate (31) is electrically connected to. The insulator (40) is partially hollowed out between the first capacitive plate (31) and the corresponding conductive contact (21) of the first pair to improve the crosstalk between the first and the second signal channels.
US07708593B1
An electrical connector includes a housing, a cable, a contact and an encapsulant. The housing extends from a cable exit to an opposite end along a longitudinal axis and from a mounting face to a top face along a vertical axis. The housing includes a cable opening that extends into the cable exit in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis and a window extending into the housing from the top face toward the mounting face in a direction parallel to the vertical axis. The cable extends through the window and into the housing through the cable opening. The contact is held by the housing and is configured to electrically couple the cable with a mating device when the housing face of the housing is mounted to the mating device. The encapsulant is disposed within the window to seal an interface between the cable and the housing. The encapsulant prevents ingress of moisture into the housing through the interface.
US07708590B1
A circuit board includes a board body of a thickness, and a socket. The board body defines a plurality of through holes therein. The socket includes a first line of short pin groups and a second line of long pin groups engaging the through holes of the board body. The socket defines a slot. The first line of short pin groups and the second line of long pin groups are respectively located on opposite sides of the slot. The first line of short pin groups has a length less than the thickness of the board body. The second line of long pin groups has a length sufficient that the second line of pin groups protrudes the board body.
US07708584B2
A semiconductor circuit arrangement is disclosed. In one embodiment, a semiconductor module is attached to a board using a screw, with a mechanical and electrical contact being made between module contacts on the semiconductor module and associated board contacts on the board at the same time by attachment using the screw.
US07708581B2
A replacement clip and method for repairing a modular cable connector having a broken locking clip. The replacement clip comprises a substantially u-shaped housing being configured to mount onto a modular connector having a broken clip, the housing having a top surface and a bottom surface opposite from the top surface, the top surface having an arm extension ending in a locking tab, the locking tab being spaced by the arm extension and located at an end opposite from the cable that the connector is connected to, the bottom surface having a slit therein running parallel to the cable, the slit being configured to mount the replacement clip onto the connector, such that, the locking tab securely holds the connector within a socket and such that mechanical and electrical connections between the connector and the socket are maintained.
US07708573B2
The connector includes: a male connector; a female connector which fits to the male connector when the male connector enters inside the female connector; a lever which is rotatably attached to one of the male connector and the female connector, and rotates so as to allow the male connector and the female connector to approach or leave each other; and a pressing projection which projects from one of the lever and the female connector toward the other of the lever and the female connector, wherein when the male connector and the female connector fit to each other, the pressing projection presses the female connector in a direction in which the male connector and the female connector adhere to each other. The male and female connectors can be easily securely fit to each other, and the male and female connectors after fitting can be maintained watertight to each other.
US07708572B2
A burn-in socket includes a base, a number of contacts received in the base, and a protecting device. The base has a first projection and a second projection. The protecting device is assembled to the base and moves from a first position to a second position relative to the base. The protecting device includes a planar bottom plate and a pair of spring arms extending upwardly from opposite sides of the bottom plate. Each spring arm has a first stopper for engaging with the first projection at the first position, and a second stopper for engaging with the second projection at the second position.
US07708565B2
An arrangement for connecting an electronic subassembly and an optical subassembly in an electro-optical communication device such as an electro-optical transceiver. The arrangement includes a body of a rigid dielectric material for mounting e.g. on the optical subassembly. The body has electrically conductive pathways provided thereon and includes a shaped portion providing a socket-like formation. At least one electrical contact element is coupled with e.g. the electronic subassembly. The electrical contact element is pluggable into the socket-like formation of the body of rigid dielectric material and includes an elastic device adapted to elastically co-operate with the socket-like formation of the body of rigid dielectric material to retain the electrical contact element plugged in the socket-like formation to provide electrical contact with the electrically conductive pathways provide thereon, while permitting vibrational displacement of the electrical contact element within the socket-like formation.
US07708561B2
A method and apparatus for extending the effective circumferential extent of an original an aircraft simulator mirror cell having a base support structure mounted to a movable platform, the base support structure being in generally the shape of a portion of a sphere of a predetermined radius and having a predetermined circumferential extent defined by original edges of the support structure configured to support a vacuum-shaped reflective film. The improvement includes a pair of extension wing structures having substantially the same spherical radius as the base support structure and a substantial circumferential extent, each of the pair of wing structures being attached to one of the original edges of the base support structure and substantially sealed thereto, the extension wing structures, when attached, extending the effective circumferential extent of the base support structure by a substantial amount, each of the pair of extension wing structures having outer edges for supporting a vacuum-shaped reflective film.
US07708560B2
The present invention is related to systems and methods for manufacturing dental prostheses, such as bridges and crowns. In particular, the present invention is directed to novel methods for managing machining jobs for manufacturing dental prostheses in a system having a plurality of machining devices.
US07708552B2
An injection molding machine comprises a stationary platen 46 and a movable platen 40. The stationary platen 46 and movable platen 40 may be supported on a base frame 10. A mold clamping frame 56 comprises a first member 54 joined to the stationary platen 46, a second member 24 joined to the movable platen 40, and connecting members 78 and 80 for connecting the first member 54 and the second member 24 at their approximate centers. A mold clamping cylinder 50 is disposed between the first member 54 and the stationary platen 46 or between the second member 24 and the movable platen 40. The stationary platen 46 and the first member 54 are joined in a flexible manner, and the movable platen 40 and the second member 24 are similarly joined in a flexible manner.
US07708545B2
Systems and methods are provided for integrated curing and cooling of golf ball cores. A plate die is used to separate hot golf ball cores from a post-mold matrix. The hot golf ball cores are held in an insulated unit to maintain the elevated temperature of the golf ball cores to achieve additional curing or cross-linking. The hot, cured golf ball cores are then passed through a cooling section where ambient, turbulent air is passed over the golf ball cores to achieve the desired level of cooling. The cooled golf ball cores are delivered to a pneumatic delivery system for additional processing. A cueing hopper is also provided between the insulated unit and the cooling section to serve as a buffer or accumulator in the system.
US07708544B2
The apparatus comprises a mold assembly including at least one bore therethrough having a cavity therein defining the shape of the finished microneedle shape to be formed therein. The bore has an inlet opening and an exit opening. The apparatus also comprises means for locating the polymer to be formed at one end of the cavity and means for introducing fluid into the inlet opening of said bore and into the cavity. The apparatus also comprises exhaust means communicating with the exit opening of the bore, so that introducing the fluid through the polymer causes the polymer to assume the shape of the cavity and the fluid forms a hollow channel to define a needle-like structure in the polymer as the fluid is exhausted through the cavity and the bore.
US07708542B2
Described are imprint lithography templates, methods of forming and using the templates, and a template holder device. An imprint lithography template may include a body with a plurality of recesses on a surface of the body. The body may be of a material that is substantially transparent to activating light. At least a portion of the plurality of recesses may define features having a feature size less than about 250 nm. A template may be formed by obtaining a material that is substantially transparent to activating light and forming a plurality or recesses on a surface of the template. In some embodiments, a template may further include at least one alignment mark. In some embodiments, a template may further include a gap sensing area. An imprint lithography template may be used to form an imprinted layer in a light curable liquid disposed on a substrate. During use, the template may be disposed within a template holder. The template holder may include a body with an opening configured to receive the template, a support plate, and at least one piezo actuator coupled to the body. The piezo actuator may be configured to alter a physical dimension of the template during use.
US07708538B2
The invention downsizes and simplifies structures of a compressor and its driving system apparatus, and achieves a reduction of a noise. An oil free screw compressor is constituted by compressor main bodies compressing a gas, a motor driving rotors of the compressor main bodies via step-up gears, a gear casing storing the step-up gears, cooling apparatuses cooling a discharge air and the like. An oil tank is provided independently from the gear casing, the motor is fixed to a common base, the gear casing is integrally attached to the motor via a flange, and the compressor main bodies are integrally attached to the gear casing via the flange. Further, the cooling apparatuses are arranged in an upper side of the driving system apparatus, and a cooling fan is installed in an upper side thereof.
US07708531B2
There is provided an axial piston device that includes a housing, a rotary shaft, a cylinder block, and a piston. The housing includes a housing body opened at a first end thereof and a plate disposed at the first end of the housing body. The rotary shaft is rotatably supported about an axis by the housing body and the plate. The cylinder block is rotated together with the rotary shaft and is accommodated inside the housing. The piston is accommodated in the cylinder block in slidable a manner in an axial direction. Furthermore, the plate is provided with a pair of first oil passages having first ends communicating with a discharge port and a suction port of the cylinder block and second ends opened to the surface of the plate, and a drain oil passage for allowing at least one of the first oil passages to communicate with an oil sump. The drain oil passage is provided with a rotary valve which can selectively switch a shutoff position at which the drain oil passage is shut off and a communication position at which the drain oil passage is communicated.
US07708529B2
A rotor of a turbo engine, e.g., a gas turbine rotor, has a rotor base member, the rotor base member having a groove extending in the circumferential direction of the rotor base member, and having a plurality of rotor blades, each rotor blade having a blade, a blade root and a blade platform positioned between the blade and the blade root, and the rotor blades being anchored in the groove of the rotor base member by their blade roots. The groove and the blade roots have a profile, such that the blade roots of the rotor blades are insertable by a tilting motion or swiveling motion into the circumferentially extending groove of the rotor base member, and in the circumferential direction, a width of the blade root corresponds approximately to a width of the blade platform of the specific rotor blade.
US07708523B2
In the aspect of the present invention, an installing a wind turbine is achieved by forming a blade assembly in which a plurality of blades are attached to a rotor head, by attaching a suspension structure to the rotor head, by lifting the blade assembly through the suspension structure by a first crane, and by installing the blade assembly to a nacelle of a wind turbine tower.
US07708522B2
A rotor of a supersonic rotary heat engine comprises a rotor axis about which the rotor is adapted and configured to rotate, a plurality of thrust matter passageways, and a plurality of cooling passageways. Each of the thrust matter passageways is at least partially bound by a gas permeable wall. The outlet port of each thrust matter passageway is adapted and configured to discharge gaseous fluid into an exhaust environment external to the rotor in a manner creating a torque on the rotor about the rotor axis. Each of the cooling passageways is in fluid communication with a respective one of the thrust matter passageways via the gas permeable wall that at least partially bounds the respective thrust matter passageway.
US07708520B2
A gas turbine engine is provided with turbine sealing structures including knife edge seals which extend at an angle relative to an axial center line of the engine. Each knife edge seal is associated with a concave pocket defined between a radially inner surface and a spaced radially outer surface. The concave pockets and their associated knife edge seals create a pair of vortices which prevent leakage into radially inner portions of the turbine section.
US07708519B2
A vortex spoiler (180) for delivery of a cooling airflow (192) in a turbine (108) engine (100) including a plurality of inlet ports (182) formed circumferentially about a radial exterior sidewall (188), and a plurality of outlet ports (184) formed circumferentially about a radial interior sidewall (190). The plurality of inlet ports (182) are coupled to the plurality of outlet ports (184) via a plurality of ducts (186). Each of the ducts is formed having an interior diameter at the inlet port and the outlet port formed at a preselected angle normal to the surface of the each of the radial sidewalls to form a radially curved profile such that a cooling airflow (192) may pass radially inwardly through each of the plurality of ducts (186) with minimal tangential stress and minimal static pressure loss.
US07708511B2
A fastener assembly includes a collar configured to be secured to a structure, and a D-ring that may include a main ring body, end joints rotatably secured to the collar, and smooth intermediate sections integrally connecting the main ring body to the end joints. The smooth intermediate sections gradually transition the main ring body to the end joints. The main ring body may have a bow-tie cross-sectional shape that provides directional strength to the main ring body.
US07708508B2
A method and apparatus for stabilizing cargo within a transport container. First and second tubular elements are provided having generally cylindrical bodies and bearing members at a terminal end which can react against opposing surfaces within the transport container and stabilize cargo within the container. An extension mechanism allows for the extension and selective translation between the first and second tubular members allowing the apparatus to extend and fill the space between opposing surfaces within the transport container and stabilize the cargo. A method for stabilizing cargo within a transport container includes providing an extensible load stabilizer having first and second tubular elements, each having a bearing member, positioning the load stabilizer between opposing surfaces within the transport container, and extending the tubular members with respect to each other, and stabilizing a surface of cargo against an opposing surface.
US07708501B2
A gabion deployment system comprising: a container for retaining a gabion and a gabion of the folding type comprising hingedly attached, connected side walls and cross-members such that it can be folded for storage and deployed for use; a retaining means associated with the container for retaining the gabion in the container; and at least one releasable attaching, connecting or retentive engaging means for attaching, connecting or retentively engaging at least one part of the gabion to the retaining means; wherein the at least one releasable attaching, connecting or retentively engaging means is adapted to attach, connect or retentively engage a part of the gabion to the retaining means when the gabion is folded but to release the gabion from the retaining means when the gabion is deployed.
US07708492B2
A road traffic barrier module comprises a hollow body adapted to receive ballast and adapted at either end to link with similar modules to form a barrier in which there is a pair of upper and lower horizontal bolts passing through mating ends of adjoining modules and there is also a pair of cables the ends of which are also secured by the bolts. In an alternative form adjoining modules are linked by vertical pins passing through mating ends of the adjoining modules and there is a pair of cables the ends of which are also secured by the pin. The modules are molded from a plastic material and the walls may also be clad with metal pressings to increase structural integrity and to protect against damage.
US07708490B2
A clamp for clamping a cylindrically shaped structure within a hollow cylindrical structure includes means to maintain the angular and axial position of the structures fixed while the clamp is tightened.
US07708484B2
A cleaning implement includes a cleaning head having on the bottom a cleaning operation surface and a valve opening and closing device that is connected to the cleaning head and can hold a first container for receiving a first fluid or a second container for receiving a second fluid. The cleaning implement further includes a first circulation path through which the first fluid is ejectable from the cleaning head and a second circulation path through which the second fluid is ejectable by interrupting the first circulation path.
US07708477B2
In the focal plane shutter for cameras, a shutter base plate, an shank for attaching the first blade drive component and the second blade drive component respectively so as to enable to be rotated, an shank for attaching a set component so as to enable to be rotated, and an shank for attaching the first blade and the second blade so as to enable to be rotated respectively are made of synthetic resins. Each of the shanks is fabricated after a shutter base plate was fabricated beforehand, and grooves for sump having cross section of V letter shape are formed at the same interval of angle extending toward the axial direction of the shank at the circumferential side surfaces of the shanks.
US07708472B2
It is to enhance mass-productivity through quick adhesion of an optical element 11 to an optical module holder 14 using an ultraviolet curable adhesive 7. When an optical element 11 is adhered to an optical element attaching section 5 by an ultraviolet curable adhesive 7 through ultraviolet rays being irradiated onto the ultraviolet curable adhesive 7 applied onto a predetermined application surface 5a on an inner circumferential surface of the optical element attaching section 5 from an outer side of the optical element attaching section 5, a thin-walled section 20 for maintaining a transmittance of the ultraviolet rays transmitted through the optical element attaching section 5 at a predetermined value or higher is formed on the optical element attaching section 5.
US07708461B2
A method for determining the temperature of an away-facing surface of an object, wherein at least one ultrasonic pulse is transmitted through a surface of the object facing a transmitter/receiver unit into said object; the at least one ultrasonic pulse is reflected at least partially in the direction of the transmitter/receiver unit on the surface of the object facing away from the transmitter/receiver unit; and the reflected part of the at least one transmitted ultrasonic pulse is received by the transmitter/receiver unit. At least one temperature value for the object surface facing the transmitter/receiver unit is also determined; at least one value is determined for the propagation time of the at least one ultrasonic pulse through the object, and at least one temperature value for the object surface facing away from the transmitter/receiver unit is determined by the at least one temperature value for the object surface facing the transmitter/receiver unit and the at least one propagation time value.
US07708450B2
A liquid crystal display device includes an LED backlighting unit and a liquid crystal display panel disposed on the backlighting unit. The backlighting unit includes a light source of an array of LEDs and a reflector disposed so as to cover the light source and configured to reflect light emitted from the light source. And a light shielding spacer member is provided between the reflector and the LED light source.
US07708448B2
An all-in-one light guide plate, a backlight apparatus employing the same, and a method of manufacturing the all-in-one light guide plate are provided. The all-in-one light guide plate has a structure in which a plurality of protrusion type refractive elements for outputting light are integrated into the light guide member. It is possible to improve optical properties by more densely arranging the refractive elements with distance from the light source.
US07708446B2
Disclosed herein is a display film stack for a backlight display system. In one embodiment, the display system comprises: a light source, a first film comprising a first surface texture layer that is formed of a first material of a first refractive index, and a second film comprising a second surface texture layer that is formed of a second material of a second refractive index. The second film is disposed between the light source and the first film. The second refractive index is greater than the first refractive index. The light source is disposed in optical communication with the first film and the second film. The first surface texture layer and the second surface texture layer comprise unit structures independently selected from the group consisting of hemispherical structures, partial hemispherical structures, ellipsoidal structures, immersed spherical beads, ellipsoidal beads, “bell-shape” bump and complex lens shape structures.
US07708445B2
A light guide device (21) includes an incident surface (211), an emitting surface (212) and a plurality of protrusions (212a). The incident surface is configured so as to allow an incident light to pass therethrough. The emitting surface is adjoining the incident surface and configured so as to allow the light to emit out of the light guide device. The protrusions are formed on at least a portion of the emitting surface. The protrusions are configured for concentrating light that emits out from said portion of the emitting surface. The present application is also concerned to a backlight module (2) including a light source (22) and the light guide device.
US07708441B2
An electronic display includes a light source system and a light guide system, where the light guide system emits light features laterally, i.e., from the side, at selected positions along its length. The light source system includes one or more electronically controllable light sources and further includes optical switches or other arrangements for coupling the light sources to the optical fibers or other light guides of the light guide system. The light source system can sequentially or progressively increase the selected longitudinal position at which the light feature is emitted, resulting in the appearance of movement of the light feature along the length of the light guide system.
US07708438B2
A lighting fixture for a vehicle includes: at least one light source; and a housing including a housing main body and an outer lens. The housing includes a partition wall which partitions a housing space, formed by the outer lens and the housing main body into a housing space exposed portion and a housing space shielded portion which houses and shields the at least one light source. The partition wall includes: at least one opening provided ahead of the at least one light source and through which outputted light passes from the housing space shielded portion to the housing space exposed portion; and at least one reflection wall portion including a reflection surface which reflects the outputted light toward a direction on the side of the vehicle such that an irradiating region of the outputted light is widened, and extending to the housing space exposed portion to shield the at least one light source so as to prevent the at least one light source from being visually contacted from a direction front of the vehicle. The irradiating light is formed by reflected light of the outputted light reflected by the reflection surface and outputted through the outer lens.
US07708437B2
An instrument panel system. The instrument panel system provides an aesthetically appealing instrument panel by including a number of concealed switches. The switches are concealed such that an area proximate the switch on the surface of the instrument panel appears to be uninterrupted by the switch. In operation, the position of the switches is revealed by illuminating a switch display.
US07708434B2
A proposed method to illuminate optimally, or at least in an improved fashion compared with existing solutions, a road taken by a vehicle in question implementing the method whilst ensuring that other vehicles are not dazzled. To this end, it is not proposed in the invention to detect the distance between the vehicle in question and the first vehicle liable to be dazzled by the vehicle in question, and to generate accordingly a light beam optimized in terms of range on the road, and advantageously light intensity; according to the invention, the optimization of the light beam produced is achieved by the use of the motorway function available on the vehicle in question. The use of this function in this context also ensures a gradual transition between the function of the dipped type and the function of the main-beam type in the context of automatic switching operations between these functions.
US07708421B2
An illuminated article of adornment, such as jewelry, having a conductor loop, a magnetically connectable clasp housing a removable battery, and a medallion having internal light emitting diode (“LED”). The clasp consists of two magnetically connectable clasp components, at least one of which is adapted with an interior chamber for containing a battery power source. Each clasp component includes a vertex end connected to an electrical conductor, and a magnetically attractable base. At least one of the clasp components contains a magnet thereby allowing the clasp components to be magnetically connectable in base-to-base relation without requiring precise manual alignment. No further mechanical connection is required. Once connected the clasp completes an electrical circuit resulting in the illumination of an LED electrically connected to the necklace opposite the clasp portion. The LED is preferably connected to or embedded within a crystal to enhance the illumination effect.
US07708419B2
An ambient light system applied in a TV including a display panel, a loudspeaker and a plurality of ambient light sources includes an audio level detector, a pattern generator, and an ambient light controller. The audio level detector detects the level of an input audio signal to obtain a detected level. The pattern generator generates an ambient light pattern based on the detected level by reference to a selected operation mode. The ambient light controller controls the intensity of one or more ambient light sources based on the ambient light pattern.
US07708412B2
A DLP optical system is provided. The DLP optical system includes a lamp unit, an optical engine unit, a DMD, a prism, a projection lens, and a light-blocking part. The lamp unit provides light, and the optical engine unit is optically connected with the lamp unit, has optical parts for converting light incident from the lamp unit into an image signal therein, and includes a primary lens for transmitting the image signal. The DMD reflects the image signal transmitted from the primary lens, and the prism is formed closely to the DMD to adjust a path of light. The projection lens projects an on-beam of light from the prism that contributes to forming of an image onto a screen. The light-blocking part is provided on an incident side of the projection lens to transmit only the on-beam and shields light of a flat state region located between an on-beam and an off-beam.
US07708409B1
An ophthalmic illumination system includes planar shapes serially positioned in a path for a collimated beam, along an optical axis. The shapes are rotationally symmetric with one another relative to the optical axis. Each shape has a central rotational axis intersecting the optical axis. Generally wedge-shaped segments of the shapes are spaced apart around and converge at the optical axis to provide generally wedge-shaped apertures to the beam between the segments. The shapes are rotatable on the rotational axes along the optical axis to assume a plurality of configurations to vary intensity of the beam. The beam can fill spatial modes at substantially all radii of the optical fiber entrance pupil.
US07708403B2
An apparatus that measures images of at least a portion of an eye and records data sets indicative of a neurological condition. A method of the invention employs a plurality of images, or a plurality of data sets, or at least one image and at least one data set to provide an interpretive result based on the interrelation of the images and data sets, such as by superposition. The apparatus and method thereby provide guidance as to the presence of a medical condition in a patient. The apparatus includes modules that observe images and/or data sets, that analyze the information, and that superpose the information. Modules are provided to store information, to provide data output, to provide reports, and to display information, including superposed images and data. Modules can be provided in hardware, in software, in firmware, or in combinations thereof.
US07708401B2
A method and system for providing the characteristics of an ophthalmic lens, the ophthalmic lens comprising a data carrier for carrying data associated with the ophthalmic lens, the data carrier having a device operable to emit data in response to activation by an electromagnetic wave activating signal applied by an external means.
US07708398B2
A printing apparatus includes: (A) a transport mechanism transporting a medium in a forward direction and a backward direction; (B) a head printing dots on the medium; (C) a sensor sensing existence of the medium in a non-contact manner; (D) a reversion mechanism reversing the medium; and (E) a controller controlling the sensor to sense an end of the medium when the transport mechanism transports the medium in the forward direction so as to allow the head to print the dots on the surface of the medium and controlling the sensor to sense the end of the medium when the transport mechanism transports the medium in the backward direction so as to allow the reversion mechanism to reverse the medium after the dots are printed on the surface thereof.
US07708397B2
The ink-jet recording apparatus has an ink passage into which a water-based ink or a preservation solution is filled. The ink passage employs a rubber member formed from an ethylene propylene diene rubber in which a sulfenamide-based vulcanization accelerator or a thiazole-based vulcanization accelerator is employed. The water-based ink has a dynamic surface tension at a lifetime of 100 ms of about 35 mN/m to about 45 mN/m as measured by means of a maximum bubble pressure method at a measurement temperature of 25° C. Furthermore, the preservation solution has a dynamic surface tension at a lifetime of 100 ms of about 30 mN/m to about 35 mN/m as measured by means of the maximum bubble pressure method at a measurement temperature of 25° C.
US07708384B2
A printing apparatus which discharges an electroconductive ink includes an ink transporting head having a head main body in which a discharge port and an individual ink channel are formed, an individual electrode which is formed on a surface defining the individual ink channel, and an insulating layer which covers the individual electrode, and a transfer drum which is rotatably supported. When a drive voltage is applied to the individual electrode, since a liquid repellent property of the insulating layer is declined due to an electrowetting phenomenon, the ink is discharged from the discharge port. Furthermore, a distance between the discharge port and the transfer drum is less than a diameter of a liquid droplet equivalent to a liquid discharged at a time from the discharge port. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a printing apparatus having a simple structure, and of which a size can be reduced easily.
US07708381B2
A fluid ejection device that has a firing chamber from which heated fluid is ejected, a heating element that heats fluid in the firing chamber and drive circuitry for the heating element. At least part of the drive circuitry is positioned within 60 microns of the heating element.
US07708380B2
A printhead module is provided for an inkjet printhead assembly. The printhead module includes a support defining a plurality of internal ink chambers. An elongate ink distributor is mounted to the support. A subassembly includes a micro-electromechanical integrated circuit (IC) configured to eject ink and mounted to the distributor so that ink from the ink chambers can be distributed to the IC by the distributor. The support, distributor and subassembly are shaped to define complementary formations on opposite sides of the printhead module so that a pair of the printhead modules can be mated together.
US07708378B2
A case body of an ink cartridge has a recording ink storage chamber containing a recording ink and a waste-ink storage chamber containing an ink coagulant. The recording ink is supplied to a recording head of an ink jet recording apparatus. A head cleaning unit collects waste-ink from the recording head and feeds it to the waste-ink storage chamber. A heater heats the waste-ink and the ink coagulant in the waste-ink storage chamber, so that the ink coagulant melts and mixes with the waste-ink. The mixture of the ink coagulant and the waste-ink is cooled and solidified into gel. The gelled mixture of the waste-ink and the ink coagulant can be easily taken out of the waste-ink storage chamber by heating to liquefy it again, facilitating recycling the case body.
US07708375B2
A method of removing particulates from an ink ejection face of a printhead is provided. The method comprises the steps of: (i) flooding the face with ink from the printhead, thereby dispersing the particulates into the flooded ink; and (ii) transferring the flooded ink, including the particulates, onto a disposable sheet moving through a maintenance zone adjacent the face, wherein the sheet does not contact the face.
US07708372B2
An inkjet printhead with a wafer substrate and an array of ink ejection nozzles formed on the front side by lithographic etching and deposition techniques; and,a plurality elongate ink feed channels etched from the back side for supplying ink to the nozzles.Etching the ink feed channels from the back surface of the wafer removes the need for ink feed channels beside the chambers. This provides more room for the power and print data connections to each nozzle along the front surface of the wafer. Individual ink feed channels for each nozzle eliminates fluidic cross talk between adjacent nozzles. An ink feed channel that supplies several nozzles from the side of each chamber needs to incorporate special features such as pinch points to deal with fluidic cross talk. However, a back etched ink feed channel can supply several nozzles without fluidic cross talk.
US07708367B2
The present invention provides a printing apparatus, a printing system, and a printing method which can excellently print various images while taking the advantages of driving of a print head in a time divisional manner. Dispersive driving control or sequential driving control is selected in accordance with the attributes of an image to be printed to drive a plurality of print element groups in the print head in a time divisional manner under the selected dispersive or sequential driving control. The dispersive driving control drives the plurality of print element groups in a time divisional manner so as to sequentially drive the print element groups not located close to each other. The sequential driving control drives the plurality of print element groups in a time divisional manner so as to sequentially drive the print element groups located close to each other.
US07708366B2
A liquid ejection apparatus, a liquid ejection system, and a liquid ejection method are achieved which allow starting and ending positions for ejecting liquid to be set appropriately. A controller is provided which executes position determination control for determining at least one of the starting position and the ending position for ejecting liquid from a moving ejection head onto a medium that is fed by a feed mechanism, wherein the position determination control by the controller differs for when ejecting the liquid from the ejection head to a region within a predetermined range from a front edge or a rear edge, in a feed direction, of the medium, and for when ejecting the liquid from the ejection head to a central region, in the feed direction, of the medium.
US07708365B2
A liquid-discharge recording head includes large nozzles for discharging large liquid drops and medium and small nozzles for discharging medium and small liquid drops that are smaller than the large liquid drops. The large nozzles are arranged on one side of an ink-supply opening and the medium and small nozzles are arranged on the other side of the ink-supply opening. The number of large nozzles is greater than the number of medium and small nozzles, and the liquid-discharge recording head performs high-speed printing using the large nozzles, high-speed photo printing using the medium and small nozzles, and high-quality photo printing using the small nozzles.
US07708364B2
An ink-jet recording apparatus, including plural ink-jet head units which are daisy-chain-connected to a control section and eject ink; and the control section which sends serial driving data to the plural ink-jet head units, wherein each ink-jet head unit includes a head drive control section, which includes: a serial/parallel conversion section which converts the serial driving data inputted from a pre-ceding ink-jet head unit to parallel driving data, and sends the parallel driving data to a post-ceding ink-jet head unit; an identification information setting section which sets identification information for selecting a signal essential to drive the ink-jet head unit, a data extracting section which selects the signal essential to drive the ink-jet head unit, based on identification information, and a data processing section which conducts process for driving the ink-jet head unit, by the signal essential to drive the ink-jet head unit selected by the data extracting section.
US07708363B2
A printing apparatus includes a head and a drive signal generating section. The head has an element performing operation for ejecting ink and ejects a plurality of types of inks, an amount of each ink ejected by the head being different depending on a designated tone value. The drive signal generating section generates a drive signal having a waveform section for operating the element and generates a plurality of types of the drive signals for a specific tone value, the waveform section of each of the drive signals for the specific tone value being different depending on the types of inks.
US07708361B2
The inkjet recording apparatus initially deposits ink on a front surface of a recording medium and subsequently deposits ink on a rear surface of the recording medium in such a manner that images are formed by the ink on the front surface and the rear surface of the recording medium, wherein, when time after depositing the ink on a first region of the front surface of the recording medium until depositing the ink on a second region of the rear surface of the recording medium which corresponds to the first region is taken to be ΔT1 (sec) and viscosity of the ink to be deposited on the first region and the second region of the recording medium is taken to be η (mPa·sec), then the inkjet recording apparatus deposits the ink on the first region and the second region in such a manner that a following relationship is satisfied: ΔT1<0.45×η.
US07708360B2
A computer network system and method for printing purchase transaction receipts includes a novel printer physical structure, data structure, and control logic for printing on both sides of a register receipt, business rules designed to facilitate the two sided printing, and print paper designed to facilitate two sided printing.
US07708357B2
Disclosed is an automatic locking apparatus used in a guide rail for a drawer. The automatic locking apparatus is provided at an end portion of a fixing slider to lock a movable slider when the drawer is closed. The automatic locking apparatus prevents the drawer from being opened and smoothly locks the drawer. A stopper ring is attached to the movable slider, and the automatic locking apparatus is provided on the fixing slider to cooperate with the stopper ring. The automatic locking apparatus includes a fixing plate attached to the fixing slider, a body fixed to the fixing plate while protruding toward the movable slider, an elastic member having a substantially “C” shape and being rotatably coupled to one end of the body, and a rotating member having a substantially “reverse-L” shape and being rotatably coupled to the other end of the body.
US07708349B2
An auditorium chair comprised essentially of four parts that interconnect creating a frame with a three point stability system. The auditorium chair structure has the following components: fastening with screws, snap tight buttons, or other fasteners, dimensioning in accordance with use in current auditorium chair sizes, and fabrication design enabling efficient shipment while maintaining stability and stacking capability.
US07708347B2
An article of seating furniture includes a base, a seat and a back. The back includes a reclining mechanism. The seat is interconnected with the reclining mechanism such that reclining movement of the back moves the seat forwardly and upwardly. When the back is fully reclined and the seat is fully raised, an upper surface of the seat is coplanar with an upper surface of the back. A footrest is movable between a retracted position and an extended position. When extended, the footrest is generally coplanar with the seat. The back includes a spine having a lower end pivotably interconnected with the base. The spine includes a seat mounting extension to which the seat is pivotably mounted. Mounting links between the seat and the base provide movement of the seat when the back is reclined. The base is pivotably mounted to a frame for movement between a horizontal orientation and a Trendelenburg orientation in which the back is lowered relative to the seat, and a latch between the frame and the base maintains the base in the desired orientation.
US07708326B2
A lock device capable of locking, in a closed state, a lid member for each of side trunks provided on both sides of the vehicle body rear portion of a motorcycle. The lock device includes a plurality of catch mechanisms with catches that are swingably supported by a trunk main portion via a plurality of associated pivots, respectively. The lock device so configured expands the possibility of the layout of a plurality of catch mechanisms.
US07708325B2
Systems and methods for rotating objects that shift the center of gravity of an object, such as a wing assembly, from a position outside the rotation axis area of the object to a position within the rotation axis area of the object. In one example, a material handling system that employs rotatable slings may be used to rotate an object by shifting the suspended center of gravity from a position outside the rotation axis area (i.e., outside the rotatable slings in at least one position of rotation) to a position within the rotation axis area (i.e., between the slings at all positions of rotation). The suspended center of gravity may be shifted using at least one ballast component (or other suitable force-applying device) that exerts a force on the object in a direction and magnitude sufficient to so shift the suspended center of gravity of the object.
US07708320B2
A plug-in part for a plug connector arrangement is provided. The plug-in part being in the form of a piece of tubing and having a sealing portion, comprising a sealing element enclosing the piece of tubing in a circumferential direction, and a locking portion with at least one undercut, and it being possible for the plug-in part to be plugged into the receptacle of a coupling part of the plug connector arrangement in order to produce a fluid-tight connection, and for at least one locking element of the coupling part to engage behind the plug-in part in the region of the undercut. In order to develop the plug-in part so as to reduce the risk of the sealing element being adversely affected, the undercut is formed by a protrusion which projects from the outside of the piece of tubing and extends circumferentially merely over a sub-region of the piece of tubing.
US07708318B2
A tube-to-hose coupling includes an elongated hollow insert connected between an end of the tube and defining an insert receiving portion and the end of the hose defining an insert receiving portion. The insert is disposed in the insert receiving portion of the tube end and the insert receiving portion of the hose end in fluid tight sealing relation. Thermoplastic polymeric material is bonded between the insert and the hose during insertion of the insert into the bore of the hose. The tube is connected to the insert and the hose by plastic deformation. In one embodiment the polymeric material is a layer defining the internal bore of the hose. In another, the polymeric material defines an outer layer on the insert.
US07708289B2
A multiple tube, multiple lights effects neon or fluorescent lighting system for a skateboard produces a variety of controlled light effects and combinations. A pair of high strength colored protective transparent elongated casings house the light tubes. The casings are removably attached in a highly visible position on the side edges of a skateboard or under the skateboard adjacent to the side edges. The casings are secured by industrial strength mating hook and loop fasteners.
US07708281B2
A method of sealing a joint between components especially in an aircraft comprises the steps of identifying the sealing gap to be sealed; selecting a suitable sealing material having a fractional maximum sealing thickness and a fractional fully-compressed thickness and selecting a suitable thickness of that sealing material, based on a consideration of the fractional maximum sealing thickness and the fractional fully-compressed thickness of the sealing material and on the sealing gap; locating, between the mating surfaces of the components to be sealed, the suitable thickness of the suitable sealing material; and fastening the components together.
US07708271B2
An apparatus for accumulating sheets in a stack, such as would be used in a printer or copier, comprises a tray for retaining sheets. A conductive member, which may include brush filaments, is disposed less than 10 mm from a location of an edge of the sheets, and does not contact any sheets on the tray.
US07708261B2
The present invention generally relates to a securing apparatus for a carpenter's square and a method for using the same. The apparatus is especially suitable for securing at least two planar surfaces in a fixed position. More specifically, the apparatus may allow a user to secure at least two planar surfaces in a fixed position to, for example, perform work on the planar surfaces. The present invention allows a user to easily secure a clamp onto a carpenter's square.
US07708253B2
A valve for surgical or medical instruments includes a passage that can be at least partially sealed by twisting a flexible section (1) of the passage wall, an element for rotating a mobile end (3) of flexible section (1), characterized in that the actuating element includes a cable for transmitting movement to mobile end (3) of the flexible section. Also described is a surgical or medical instrument including a valve as detailed.
US07708252B2
A wall hanging assembly including a wall décor item having a generally horizontally oriented receiving surface and a wall mounting rail. The wall mounting rail having an elongate base portion with a back surface adapted to mount adjacent to a wall and a front surface. The wall mounting rail further having a level receptacle on the front surface and a level carried by the receptacle. The wall mounting rail includes a generally horizontally oriented support lip extending along at least part of the wall mounting rail and arranged to bear against the receiving surface of the wall décor item.
US07708245B2
Disclosed is a multi-purpose vacuum suction apparatus which can be easily attached to or detached from a smooth and hard object surface and which can substantially increase suction force. The multi-purpose vacuum suction apparatus includes an elastic member for returning one or more operating members to the original positions thereof, and a vacuum suction plate unit having a multi-purpose connector, wherein an ornamental member for use in various ornamentation or advertisement can be fitted into or assembled with the top end of the multi-purpose connector.
US07708244B2
A vehicle stabilization device for use in stabilizing a vehicle to enable safe and rapid victim extrication operations by first responder and other personnel. The device includes a base plate for enabling its emplacement on an underlying support surface beneath the vehicle to be stabilized. First and second extender members, each having a base end and a distal end, are hingedly connected to each other at their distal ends. The base ends are rotably mounted to the base plate and are moveable toward each other from an initial spaced position. This reduction of spacing between the base ends acts in conjunction with the hinged attachment between the distal ends to increasingly incline the extender members with respect to the base plate and thereby increasingly elevate the distal ends above the base plate. A vehicle contact and support member is secured to the distal hinged ends, and elevates with the distal ends of the extender members until contact is made with the overlying portion of the vehicle. The drawn together base portions are retained in the position where contact with the vehicle is achieved, to provide stabilizing support to the vehicle.
US07708243B2
A stand includes a frame, a sliding member, and two torsion springs. The frame has two guide rail subassemblies. The sliding member is slidably attached to the guide rail subassemblies. A first end of each torsion spring is connected to the frame, and a second end of each torsion spring is connected to the sliding member to provide an elastic force to overcome the total weight of the sliding member and a load.
US07708241B2
A decanting apparatus for wine and the like and method of use thereof wherein a source vessel is compressed within a cradle having an open end where the lip of the mouth of the source vessel communicates with the lip of a decanting receptacle. A pair of adjustable vertical support members are hinged to the open end of the cradle. The apparatus has a drive mechanism for tilting the vessel relative to the vertical support members and a control unit for operatively controlling the means for tilting, allowing for an unattended decanting operation.
US07708237B2
A fastening system for medical devices includes a column-shaped interface profile (1) having a lens-shaped cross section with at least one convexly shaped, longer front surface (2) and with two shorter lateral surfaces (3), which are parallel to one another and pass over into the longer front surface (2) via a tappet-shaped projection (4) each. A clamping device (6), fits the longer front surface (2) of the interface profile (1) with the two tappet-shaped projections (4) in a positive-locking manner for fastening medical devices. The clamping device (6) has a concavely shaped outer surface and is provided with clamping jaws (8) that can be set on one side or on both sides for detachable fixation on the interface profile (1). This construction offers the possibility of receiving medical devices and accessories on up to a maximum of four sides simultaneously, especially also via standardized rail elements (7).
US07708236B2
An apparatus for collecting leaves and other yard debris supports a flexible bag in an open configuration. The apparatus has a frame for supporting the flexible bag, and a retaining element for securing the flexible bag to the frame. A handle can be attached to the frame. The apparatus can be used as a tool to collect leaves or other yard debris directly. The frame can have a shape that defines an opening through which the flexible bag is draped. The shape of the frame can have at least one substantially straight side.
US07708235B2
A support device is provided herein and includes a pliable support structure. The support device further includes a plate structure for use with the pliable support structure. The plate structure is disposed on the support structure. A coupling member is associated with the plate structure allowing for other members to be coupled to the support device. Elevating assemblies are optionally further included to elevate elongate structure supported by the support device.
US07708233B2
Apparatus and methods are provided for mounting a flat panel display to an outer surface of a control panel over a panel opening therein, e.g., for retrofitting an existing display. A display is secured to a frame, and the frame is mounted to the control panel such that the display is disposed over the panel opening. Wires from the display are directed through the control panel, and coupled to circuitry behind the control panel. For example, a box with circuitry to operate the display may be mounted behind the control panel, e.g., generally opposite the display. The display may be a resized liquid crystal display, e.g., including one or more diagonal corners. The resulting display may be larger than the existing display and/or may maximize the size of an active area of a display given a fixed area available on a control panel.
US07708211B2
A nozzle for the discharge of a flowable substances, for example adhesive or sealing compositions, having a discharge orifice with a variable geometry. The adjustable nozzle permits the user to select the optimal discharge profile suited to a particular application of the composition being discharged.
US07708206B2
An irrigation unit (10) includes a housing (200), a nozzle (220), a first mover (238) and a second mover (268). The nozzle (220) is secured to the housing (200) and is in fluid communication with a fluid source (18). The first mover (238) rotates the nozzle (220) about a first axis, and the second mover (268) rotates the nozzle (220) about a second axis that is different than the first axis. In one embodiment, the second axis is substantially perpendicular to the first axis. At least a portion of the housing (200) can movably extend along the first axis. The second mover (268) can rotate the nozzle (220) about the second axis based upon a pressure of a fluid (19) within the housing (200) and/or upon position of an area (30) relative to the nozzle (220). Further, the second mover (268) can oscillate the nozzle (220) about the second axis. The rotation of the nozzle (220) about the second axis can also be based upon at least one of a wind direction and a wind speed near the nozzle (220).
US07708191B2
A telebanking apparatus for performing monetary transactions from remote dispersed locations and, more particularly to apparatus for transferring cash value or monetary value between two parties, either nationally or across national borders. The telebanking apparatus is equipped to receive, store and transfer cash value to or from electronic cash value cards, credit cards, debit cards and the like, as well as to use such cash value and credit cards for the electronic payment of bills online. The disclosed apparatus additionally includes a handheld electronic device also providing such value transfer and bill payment services while traveling.
US07708188B2
A waste disposal device comprises a container having hamper. The hamper is insertable and removable through a movable door of the container.
US07708187B2
The embodiments of the present invention provide a blank foldable material that may be configured to form a container. When formed, the container is self-locking and includes air cell structure that allows for a container with a constant outside volume to have a variable inside volume. The air cell structure containers functions to prevent telescoping of vertically stacked container and for strength and stability. The container may be partially assembled for shipping and hand set into final assembly as needed.
US07708186B2
The present invention is a liquid-in-box container. A liquid-in-box container in accordance with the present invention may comprise: (a) a box; (b) a liquid-containing receptacle; (c) a spout; (d) a spout outlet aperture; (e) a first hand-hold aperture; (f) a second hand-hold aperture; (g) a third hand-hold aperture; and (h) a fourth hand-hold aperture.
US07708184B2
A gas turbine engine includes alternating rows of rotary airfoils or blades and static airfoils or vanes. The vanes are made of a base metal, such as cobalt or nickel superalloy. If a crack forms in one of the vanes, a braze alloy is applied to the crack. The braze alloy is a powdered slurry. The braze alloy includes approximately 50 to 100% of a base material and approximately 0 to 50% of a braze material. The base material of the braze alloy has the same composition as the composition of the base metal of the vane. The airfoil is then exposed to microwaves which melt the braze alloy in preference to the base metal to repair the crack in the vane.
US07708181B2
Described herein are endoscopic staplers used to apply one or more fasteners to body tissue. In one embodiment, a fastener-applying device, which is preferably a stapler, is passed transorally into the stomach and used to plicate stomach tissue by engaging tissue from inside of the stomach and drawing it inwardly. In the disclosed embodiments, the tissue is drawn inwardly into a vacuum chamber, causing sections of serosal tissue on the exterior of the stomach to be positioned facing one another. The disclosed staplers allow the opposed sections of tissue to be moved into contact with one another, and preferably deliver staples for maintaining contact between the tissue sections at least until serosal bonds form between them. Each of these steps may be performed wholly from the inside of the stomach and thus can eliminate the need for any surgical or laparoscopic intervention. After one or more plications are formed, medical devices may optionally be coupled to the plication(s) for retention within the stomach.
US07708176B2
A guiding apparatus and method for a shift generated by a web during web transportation is provided, in which a coarse position guiding module and a fine position guiding module function to directly adjust the web so as to compensate the shift occurred during the process of transportation according to a position of the web. By means of monitoring a location of the fine position guiding module at any time, a reference of the coarse position guiding module will be adjusted when the location of the fine position guiding module satisfies the condition defined in the guiding method, so as to change a position where the web enters into the fine position guiding module.
US07708173B2
An orienting skirt joined to an aerosol can, the orienting skirt having a generally arcuate rim extending outward such that when the can is placed on a flat surface, the rim urges the can into a predetermined generally stable horizontal configuration with the discharge nozzle oriented in an upright direction. A full release actuator is disposed adjacent to the valve stem of the aerosol can and has a trigger and a discharge nozzle such that when the trigger is pressed the contents of the aerosol can are dispensed through the discharge nozzle. With the discharge nozzle in an upright direction, the contents of the can are dispersed more evenly on the interior surfaces of the trash can.
US07708172B2
A drink supply container for a machine which dispenses beverages. The drink supply container includes an end member having a side wall and a support connected to the side wall. The support is substantially positionable in a plane. The drink supply container also has a gas inlet valve, a portion of which extends along an axis that is perpendicular to the plane of the support. The drink supply container has a drink supply outlet valve, a portion of which extends along an axis that is perpendicular to the plane of the support.
US07708167B2
A dispensing apparatus is disclosed. The dispensing apparatus comprises a liquid dispenser and a towel dispenser. The liquid dispenser further comprises a container member and an expelling member. The towel dispenser is disposed adjacent to and in contact with a portion of the container member of the liquid dispenser. Liquid is dispensed, through the expelling member of the liquid dispenser, in a substantially downward direction.
US07708166B2
A pump assembly with a first pump to displace a first volume and a second pump to displace a second volume greater than the first volume. The first pump draws liquid from a reservoir and dispenses it to the second pump. The second pump draws in the discharge from the first pump and an additional volume of air such that the second pump discharges both liquid and air. The first pump preferably has a piston movable in a first inner chamber and the second pump has the same piston movable in a second outer chamber. The first and second chambers communicate together. In one version, a one-way valve provides flow outwardly only from the first chamber to the second chamber and the first pump discharges while the second pump draws in, and vice versa.
US07708150B2
The invention provides methods for preparing reverse osmosis membranes having improved permeability as well as membranes prepared by such methods.
US07708145B2
The present invention discloses a combined dry sorting bed, the sorting bed is arranged with an inclination, and the inclination between the longitudinal extending of said bed surface and horizontal plane is from −2° to +4°, and the inclination between the lateral extending of said bed surface and horizontal plane is from 0° to +15°. By reasonable setting of the angle of inclination, the material being separated spiral overturn continuously on the sorting bed under the influence of the rising air currents and the force of vibration, with the result that the light material in the upper layer is separated under the influence of weight. The material is sorted for many times during the circularly movements, the product with different content of ash can be obtained. This invention also relates to a combined dry sorting device that comprises frame, sorting bed, vibrator and air supply device. This invention further relates to an apparatus for separation that comprises a feeding device, an air supply and dedusting device and a separating device, the above mentioned sorting bed is used in the sorting device and apparatus, therefore different products with vary quantity of ash are generated according to the gravity of material, and the accuracy of separation is improved.
US07708143B2
A container suitable for storage of food and drink items is disclosed that allows for a quick visual check of whether the container has been properly and completely packed. The container also can be easily and inexpensively constructed from a single sheet of fiberboard. The container includes a base, wall sections, and a lid that is hingedly connected to one of the wall sections. The lid can include a handle and an aperture that allows the top of a drink bottle to extend out of the container. This provides a way to quickly verify the contents of the container.
US07708139B2
An enclosure for securing a disc having a central aperture includes a base and a pivotable cover. A two part disc securing rosette has a first part on the base including at least two upstanding, circularly spaced apart segments with arcuate outer peripheral surfaces dimensioned for engaging the central aperture of a disc and a second part including at least two elongate, upstanding ribs extending radially from a position on the cover which is centered on the segments on the base, the number of ribs on the cover corresponding to the number of segments on the base, the ribs being positioned and dimensioned such that, when the enclosure is closed, the ribs on the cover enter the first part radially inwardly of the segments with the ribs contacting the radially inside surface of the corresponding arcuate segments for bracing the arcuate segments against breakage.
US07708138B2
In a method for manufacturing a package for holding multiple media discs, comprising, a plurality of media disc trays is provided, each tray having a side hinging surface. The trays are arranged into a stack, such that their respective side hinging surfaces line up with each other to form a composite hinging surface. A label is positioned over the composite hinging surface. The label is affixed to the composite hinging surface, such that the label provides a hinge between each tray in the stack and at least one adjacent tray.
US07708126B2
A hydrokinetic coupling device is intended, in particular, for a motor vehicle. The hydrokinetic coupling device comprises a casing rotationally connecting a driving shaft and an impeller wheel, a turbine wheel fixed to a turbine hub rotationally connected to a driven shaft, a clutch locking the coupling of the driving and driven shafts, and a damping element comprising elastic washers for restricting the essentially-radial circulation of the fluid at least inside a front axial space which is located between a front guide washer and a web, such that the fluid circulates though the lockup clutch of the device.
US07708125B2
A piston-cylinder assembly has a working piston attached to a piston rod and dividing a working cylinder into two working spaces. An external reservoir partially filled with damping medium is provided outside the piston-cylinder assembly and is connected to one of the working spaces by a connecting pipe. The piston-cylinder assembly is provided with a stepped bore for receiving the connecting pipe, in the larger-diameter part of which a seal is held in place by the connecting pipe.
US07708124B1
An anchoring sleeve assembly for securing a plurality of component systems to an axle tube housing. In one aspect, the anchoring sleeve assembly is pre-machined prior to installation on the axle tube housing to reduce the need for further machining operations once coupled to the axle tube housing. In particular, the anchoring sleeve assembly includes an annular portion defining a sleeve bore and a plurality of fixation apertures positioned about the annular portion. The anchoring sleeve assembly includes a plurality of extended portions projecting outwardly from the annular portion. Each extended portion from the plurality of extended portions fixedly receives a respective component system from the plurality of component systems to ultimately secure the component system to the axle tube housing.
US07708111B2
There is provided an acoustic diaphragm which includes a diaphragm base material composed of a paper article comprised of fine mica flakes, pulp fibers, and polyvinyl alcohol fibers and formed to be a multi-cellular structure; and a sheet material combined with the paper article or the diaphragm base material.
US07708109B2
An ECU determines whether the orientation of the vehicle is deflecting at the time of braking. In addition, in a case where it is determined that the orientation of the vehicle is deflecting, the ECU controls operation of an EPS actuator in order to reduce the assist force provided to the steering system.
US07708105B1
An all-terrain vehicle (ATV) includes a straddle-type seat mounted on a frame of the vehicle generally above and between left and right rear wheels. A left rear fender of the ATV is disposed over the left rear wheel and includes a left surface extending alongside a left side of the seat, the left fender surface may be disposed flush with or above a seating area of the seat. A right rear fender is disposed over the right rear wheel and includes a right fender surface extending alongside a right side of the seat, the right fender surface may be disposed flush with or above the seating area of the seat. The left and right rear fenders may each further provide a resilient interface for an operator shifting over the left and right sides of the seat, respectively.
US07708104B2
There is provided a working vehicle having first and second hydraulic pump units operatively driven by a driving source and arranged away to each other in a width direction of the vehicle. In the working vehicle, each of the first and second hydraulic pump units includes a pump body; a port block formed with an oil passage for supplying/discharging an operating fluid to/from said pump body; a pump case connected to the port block so as to define a pump body accommodating space for surrounding the pump body; and a pump shaft for rotatably driving the pump body, the pump shaft having an input end operatively connected to said driving source. A drain port for opening the pump body accommodating space outward and a charge suction port for drawing in an oil from an oil tank in order to supply a charge oil to a hydraulic circuit fluidly connecting with the corresponding hydraulic motor unit are provided respectively in first and second assemblies formed by the corresponding pump case and port block. The drain port is provided on a wall surface other than an opposing wall surface facing each other of the wall surfaces of said first and second assemblies when arranging the first and second assemblies so that the input ends of each pump shaft are directed in the same direction.
US07708097B1
An electrical center for a vehicle is disclosed. The electrical center may be positioned generally proximate to a continuously variable transmission. The electrical center may be covered with a cover. The cover may include a holder to hold a vehicle replacement component and/or a tool for use with a vehicle replacement component.
US07708086B2
The present invention relates to devices and methods for conveying power and/or data signal along a wellbore bottomhole assembly (BHA) having a steering unit, a bidirectional data communication and power (“BCPM”) unit, a sensor sub, a formation evaluation sub, stabilizers. A power and/or data transmission line enables power transfer and two-way data exchange among these BHA components. In one embodiment, a drilling motor includes a transmission unit that transmits power and/or data between modules adjacent the motor via conductive elements in the rotor and/or the stator. A power/data transfer device is adapted to transfer power and/or data between the rotating and non-rotating sections of the transmission unit. The tooling and equipment making up the BHA can be formed as interchangeable modules. Each module can include electrical and data communication connectors at each of their respective ends so that power and data can be transferred between adjacent modules via modular threaded connections.
US07708079B2
A multi-lock adapter used to inject high-pressure well stimulation fluids through an independent screwed wellhead includes an adapter pin having a central passageway with an internal diameter at least as large as a passageway through the wellhead. A lockdown flange secures the adapter pin to a casing mandrel of the wellhead. The lockdown flange ensures that stress on connection points to the screwed independent wellhead due to elevated fluid pressures used for well stimulation procedures does not exceed engineered specifications.
US07708077B2
A bottom hole assembly in a casing-while-drilling operation is retrieved attaching a wireline to the bottom hole assembly. The density of the fluid in the casing string is lightened to a lesser density than the fluid in the annulus, thereby creating a pressure differential between fluid above the bottom hole assembly and fluid below the bottom hole assembly to exert an upward force on the bottom hole assembly. The operator pulls upward on the wireline to assist the upward force in moving the bottom hole assembly up the casing string.
US07708071B2
Methods and compositions including, in one embodiment, a method of cementing in a subterranean formation comprising introducing a cement composition into the subterranean formation, wherein the cement composition comprises cement; a strength-enhancing additive consisting essentially of aluminum chloride and a metal halide; and water; and allowing the cement composition to set. Another method of cementing in a subterranean formation comprises preparing a cement composition that comprises cement, a strength-enhancing additive consisting essentially of aluminum chloride and a metal halide, and water, wherein the aluminum chloride and metal halide are not combined prior to preparing the cement composition; introducing the cement composition into the subterranean formation; and allowing the cement composition to set.
US07708070B2
A shaft plug for a mine shaft, the shaft plug comprising an inflatable bladder adapted to be inflated by pressurised gas, the bladder being adapted to be positioned within a shaft prior to inflation and to be inflated to contact the walls of the shaft to thereby seal the shaft and provide support to the shaft wall. A plurality of shaft plugs are adapted to by linked together in a manner to provide gas communication between the shaft plugs to provide a shaft plug to enable the shaft to be substantially filled by the shaft plug when inflated. Also defined is a method of sealing a mine shaft and supporting the shaft wall by use of a shaft plug.
US07708066B2
Downhole tools and methods for producing hydrocarbons from a wellbore. A downhole tool can include a body having a bore formed therethrough and at least one end adapted to threadably engage one or more tubulars. A sliding sleeve, adapted to move between a first position and a second position within the body, can be at least partially disposed within the body. A valve assembly including a valve member having an arcuate cross section wherein the valve member is adapted to pivot between an open and closed position within the body can be disposed within the body. A valve seat, having an arcuate cross-section adapted to provide a fluid tight seal with the valve member assembly can be disposed within the body.
US07708062B2
A retrievable packer assembly for use in operations into wellbores is provided. The packer assembly comprises a continuous mandrel with a valve body including seal cups to seal against an inner surface of a casing, and a gap defined between the valve body and the mandrel to permit or prevent circulation of fluid between the interior of the mandrel and a section of the casing above the seal cups in response to the movement of the valve body.
US07708060B2
An apparatus to protect the mounting area of casing and a locating profile and optionally a sliding sleeve valve and a flow path from the outside of the valve to the annulus when subsequent attachment of an expanded liner is intended and the expanded liner is to be cemented in place. A barrier sleeve, nose, and outer sleeve define a sealed cavity having a loose incompressible material inside that covers the mounting location on the casing. A locating profile and an optional sliding sleeve valve and a flow path from the outside of the valve to the annulus can be provided. The cementing of the casing takes place through the barrier sleeve. After the cementing, the sleeve and nose are drilled out and the incompressible material is removed to the surface with the drill cuttings. A liner is inserted in the casing and is preferably expanded into sealing contact with the mounting location on the casing. After expansion a cement retainer positioned at the bottom of the expanded liner and the sliding sleeve located either above the mounting location of the liner in the casing shoe or in the liner below the mounted top section allow cement to be delivered outside the expanded liner and the displaced wellbore fluid to return into the casing through so that the liner can be cemented. The cement retainer can be delivered with either the liner or the expansion tools to allow expansion and cementing in a single trip. A shifting tool can be run on the expansion string to actuate the sliding sleeve and if necessary to allow for cement to be pumped from the drill string into the annulus through the sliding sleeve. The cement retainer can be milled out in a separate trip.
US07708053B2
A thermodynamic system includes a cyclical heat exchange system and a heat transfer system coupled to the cyclical heat exchange system to cool a portion of the cyclical heat exchange system. The heat transfer system includes an evaporator including a wall configured to be coupled to a portion of the cyclical heat exchange system and a primary wick coupled to the wall and a condenser coupled to the evaporator to form a closed loop that houses a working fluid.
US07708045B2
The spindle for fitting vehicle wheel rims on workshop machines, particularly tyre-changing machines or the like, comprises a frame associable in rotation around a work axis with a workshop machine, at least three gripping adapters of the rim of a wheel associable with the frame and moving along respective approach and away movement directions with respect to the work axis, at least a fluid-operated actuator cylinder associated with one of the gripping adapters and suitable for moving the adapter along the corresponding approach and away movement direction, at least three racks, each of which is associated with one gripping adapter and extends substantially parallel with the corresponding approach and away movement directions, and a pinion meshed with the racks.
US07708034B2
A circular sheet metal duct having a sealant applied across the longitudinal seam. The sealant will improve the efficiency and will reduce or eliminate air leakage from the longitudinal seam. The sealant is applied during the manufacturing processes so that an installer does not have to seal the duct work. The method of manufacturing the sealant is provided.
US07708033B2
A flexible tubular lining material impregnated with a thermosetting resin is folded and bound with binding members to provide a reduced width. Two elastic and rigid strip members are inserted into loop members attached to the lining material and are removably attached so as to sandwich the lining material. During pipeline lining work, the lining material to which the strip members have been attached is first inserted into a lateral pipe from a main pipe. The strip members are then removed from the lining material so that the lining material may remain inside the pipeline. The strip members are extracted from the pipeline, and the lining material is then made to expand via application of pressure from the inside. While kept in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the pipeline, the lining material is heated in order to cure the thermosetting resin thereof.
US07708032B1
An apparatus and method for lining sewer pipes that utilize an adjustable form configured to conform to the shape and dimensions of the interior of a man-entry sized pipe line. The adjustable form can be used to position a sheet of liner material immediately adjacent the inner sewer walls. An air cushion system is utilized to reduce friction and drag between the sheet of liner material and form so that the liner sheet can be easily adjusted prior to bonding to the inner walls of the pipe line.
US07708027B2
A connector includes a housing having a first female-side connecting port, a liquid circulation space, and a male-side connecting section communicating with the liquid circulation space, a first valve disk made of elastic material and having a hollow section and a top slit formed in the top and received in the housing, a pin movably installed in the housing, and an urging section for urging the pin axially. In this connector, the top slit spreads and communication is established between a tube interior and the hollow section, and at the same time the top of the pin is pressed to cause the pin to move axially, enlarging the clearance between the hollow section and the pin, thereby establishing communication between the tube interior and the male-side connecting section interior successively through the top slit, the hollow section and the liquid circulation space.
US07708026B2
Pressure actuated oil jets have long been used to cool the underside of the pistons in such reciprocating engines. The present disclosure is a fluid jet for providing fluid under pressure to a desired location. The fluid jet comprises a valve body, at least one fluid passage extending longitudinally within at least a portion of the valve body, a fluid pressure actuated valve element located within the valve body and moveable longitudinally therein between a valve open position and a valve closed position, and a sleeve extending inwardly within said valve body, wherein said valve element is retained within said sleeve when oil pressure drops below a predetermined threshold.
US07708018B1
The present invention is a mouth guard which is worn to protect a person's teeth when the person is engaged in a sports activity such as football. A strap which has a quick release mating member at each end interconnects the mouth guard with a bar on a helmet worn by the person. One quick release mating member is removably connected to a bar on the helmet and the other quick release mating member is removably connected to a receiving member in the mouth guard. In the event of a collision between participants in the sport which results in the helmet flying off the person's head, one or both of the quick release members will disengage the strap from either the bar on the helmet, the mouth guard, or both to thereby avoid damage to the person's teeth.
US07708015B2
A process, system and device are provided for automatically recording pressure-vs.-volume curves during artificial respiration with a respirator. The inspiration pressure is increased during the supply of a breathing gas volume flow under the control of a control unit. The resulting breathing gas volume flow rate is detected and the volume is determined from the latter by integration. The control unit compares the breathing gas volume flow detected during the phase of expiration with a preselected set point and acts on an expiration valve (12) in the expiration line (8) by means of a controller in case of deviation from the set point in order to return the breathing gas volume flow to the set point.
US07708009B1
The present invention generally relates to a reusable personal heating system including a sealed container filled with a supercooled supersaturated solution and an activator located in a fixed position within the container which triggers an exothermic crystallization process when depressed. The removable and reusable personal heating system fits into a garment worn under other clothing and is easily activated through other clothing. The present invention provides a personal heating system that allows the wearer to participate in outdoor activities in cold conditions while permitting ease of mobility and range of motion.
US07708008B2
A double oven combination is configured to be “built-in” an area of a household—in other words, permanently secured relative to the household area and integrated with other elements of the household area to provide a consistent decorative appearance. The double oven combination comprises an upper oven and a lower oven each of which may be a convection or non-convection oven that cooks and heats food and other substances via radiant and convective heating, and a control panel. The double oven combination has an integrated cooling air and exhaust air flow arrangement for efficiently guiding exhaust air away from the upper oven and the lower oven while at the same time effectively flowing cooling air relative to the double oven combination to promote desired cooling of the double oven combination.
US07707999B2
Fuel efficient devices and methods for protecting an exhaust system, and components thereof, when the exhaust gas temperature increases excessively are provided. The exhaust gas temperature is estimated in response to an internal resistance of an Air/Fuel ratio sensor element. The estimated temperature is corrected in a transition time based on the exhaust gas flow rate and the engine's operating region. When the exhaust gas temperature reaches an upper limit (Tmax), a delay period is set in response to the change ratio of the exhaust gas temperature. The delay period is based on the margin of time before an exhaust system component reaches the allowable heat resistance temperature Tem. The delay period can be corrected based on the outside air temperature and the vehicle speed. After the delay time has elapsed, a fuel increment is started in order to decrease the exhaust temperature.
US07707998B2
The invention relates to a method for operating an internal combustion engine, in which the exhaust gas generated by the internal combustion engine is returned to the internal combustion engine by means of an exhaust gas recirculation device having at least two cooling devices which are each associated with a bypass, the exhaust gas being cooled in the exhaust gas recirculation device as a function of the load state of the internal combustion engine. The operation of the internal combustion engine is divided into at least four load states, and as a function of the instantaneous load state the exhaust gas is returned to the internal combustion engine via a flow path in the exhaust gas recirculation device specifically assigned to this load state. The invention further relates to an internal combustion engine having an exhaust gas recirculation device.
US07707995B2
Rotation recognition means for recognizing a revolution of a crankshaft based on the cylinders before the combustion cycle of a cylinder in question is provided. When the supply of fuel by injection from an injector to a certain cylinder of the six cylinders has become impossible, then control is performed to change the number of cylinders targeted by the rotation recognition means so as to recognize the revolution of the crankshaft for all six cylinders whose combustion cycles are consecutive prior to the combustion cycle of the cylinder in question, and to stop the supply of fuel from the injectors for supplying fuel to cylinders whose combustion cycles are equally spaced from the cylinder to which the supply of fuel is not possible, so that the spacing between the combustion cycles in the cylinders whose combustion cycles come before and after and sandwich the cylinder to which the supply of fuel is not possible becomes uniform.
US07707994B2
A single fuel injection is performed in either one of cylinders during fuel cut control of a diesel engine to sense torque generated with the single fuel injection based upon an increase amount of rotation speed of a crankshaft at the time. Presence/absence of abnormality in an injection start timing of an injector is determined based on a difference in torque caused when the single fuel injection is performed at multiple command injection start timings. Thus, the presence/absence of the abnormality in the injection start timing can be sensed without using a nozzle lift sensor, whereby inhibiting an increase in the number of components.
US07707993B2
A mechanically actuated electronically controlled fuel injector includes a first electrical actuator that controls the position of a spill value, and a second electrical actuator to control pressure on a closing hydraulic surface associated with a nozzle check valve. The fuel injector is actuated via rotation of a cam to move a plunger to displace fuel from a fuel pressurization chamber either to a spill passage or at high pressure out of a nozzle outlet of the fuel injector for an injection event. Pressure in the fuel injector is moderated when the plunger is moving and the nozzle check valve is in a closed position by briefly cracking open the spill valve to relieve some pressure during the dwell between injection events, such as between a large main injection event and a small close coupled post injection event. This strategy allows for longer dwell times between injection events as well as smaller injection quantities in the post-injection.
US07707984B2
The invention relates to a method for controlling a low-voltage-powered plug (2) for preheating a diesel engine (1) air/fuel mixture. The plug (2) is powered by pulses having a predetermined amplitude and duration, said amplitude being less than a maximum amplitude (PWM_MAX). The amplitude and duration of the voltage pulses powering the plug (2) are controlled as a function of first parameters including the duration of the preceding pulses and the duration between successive preceding pulses.
US07707967B2
An adjustable water supply pipe has a pair of bite nozzles at a bottom end and a wall bracket holding the pipe vertical but allowing the height of the pipe to be adjusted. The bracket has a wall plate with top and bottom plates bent outwardly to define two aligned openings for the pipe. The top plate has a slot which holds the pipe fixed in the upstanding position but with a mouth at one side to release the pipe to an inclined position. The bottom plate is inclined to the horizontal such that the upstanding pipe is jammed against sides of the opening and such that the inclined pipe is free to slide longitudinally. The top plate includes fingers which cooperate with a locking ring on the pipe to hold the pipe upright and the slot is shaped to hold a non-circular portion of the pipe against rotation.
US07707963B2
A system for forming a multi-layer film, where the system includes a backing support having a surface and a close-coupled unit configured to be disposed adjacent the surface of the backing support. The close-coupled unit includes a corona electrode and a coating die disposed at a downstream location along the surface from the corona electrode.
US07707953B2
The inventive gripper device for a tufting machine comprises a gripper device (10). The gripper device contains a gripper (11) and a guide member (12) that has a cutting edge. The gripper (11) has two gripper sections that are at a distance from each other in the direction of movement and are preferably separated from each other by a step (33) and/or by an extension (34), said gripper sections being configured as gripper edges that are parallel to each other, but spaced apart and offset with respect to each other in view of the pile height direction. The reversal between cut pile operating mode and looped pile operating mode takes place by means of the longitudinal adjustment of the gripper (11).
US07707949B2
A table may include a table top with first and second sections that are connected by a hinge to allow the section to move between a folded position and an unfolded position. The table may also include legs that are movable between a use position and a storage position relative to the table top. The hinge may facilitate folding of the table top when the legs are in the storage position. On the other hand, the hinge may resist folding of the table top when the legs are in the extended position. In addition, the table may include components that expand and/or contract in different fashions in response to changes in temperature. For example, the table top and the frame may be constructed from different materials with different coefficients of expansion in response to temperature changes. The table is preferably sized and configured to accommodate these differences in expansion and contraction.
US07707948B2
A collapsible table has a blow-molded tabletop comprising two table top halves. Each tabletop half has a substantially planar top surface, a bottom surface opposite the top surface, an inner edge, and an opposing outer edge which is substantially parallel to the inner edge. A hinge assembly pivotally connects the two tabletop halves along their inner edges, allowing the two tabletop halves to be folded together into a storage position. Four collapsible legs are attached to the bottom surface of the tabletop halves. Each collapsible leg is operable to collapse independently of any of the other legs. A first pair of the legs collapse to positions which are substantially parallel to the outer edges of the tabletop halves, and a second pair of the legs collapse to positions which are substantially diagonal to the outer edges of the tabletop halves.
US07707945B2
A safety system for a walkway of a locomotive. The safety system includes an operator cabin adjacent to a front end of the locomotive, and a walkway extending from the operator cabin along a first side of the locomotive to facilitate a locomotive operator performing regular maintenance. More particularly, the safety system includes a resistive grid exhaust in a sidewall of the first side of the locomotive for directing hot air along a path from a resistive grid within the sidewall to external the locomotive during a self-load mode of the locomotive. A barrier bar is positioned adjacent to the base of the resistive grid exhaust, and is extendable to an extended position over the walkway during the self-load mode to prevent the operator from walking into the path of the hot air from the resistive grid exhaust. Upon the barrier bar retracting from the extended position over the walkway, the locomotive switches out of the self-mode into a normal mode to shut off the supply of the hot air from the resistive grid through the resistive grid exhaust to permit the operator to safely walk in front of the resistive grid exhaust.
US07707942B1
An ammunition cartridge includes: a basewad disposed within a tube proximate the aft end of the tube; a projectile wad disposed within the tube proximate a fore end of the tube; a propellant charge disposed within a chamber formed between the projectile wad and the basewad; and a projectile disposed within the tube between a forward facing surface of the projectile wad and the fore end of the tube. The aft end of the projectile wad has a powder cup skirt formed thereon, and a chamfer is formed around an outer perimeter of a lip of the powder cup skirt. The chamfer allows the powder cup skirt to be slidably received within a skirt of the basewad to form the chamber. The chamfer provides a clearance at the powder cup skirt lip, which helps to insure undisturbed entry into the mouth of the basewad skirt.
US07707937B2
A print structure includes a pattern layer that selectively actuates one or more of a plurality of actuators to selectively form one or more wells in a print surface to create a defined pattern on the print surface. A material is applied to the one or more wells and subsequently transferred to another surface in order to transfer the pattern.
US07707931B2
Some food pathogens are not well controlled by lethality treatments followed by refrigeration. A food processing facility according to this invention reduces the likelihood that food pathogens will be able to enter the food processing facility, or spread should they be able to enter. The food processing facility is divided into a plurality of area, with different areas having different allowed actions that can be taken on the food product, different rules and/or procedures for persons who are allowed entry, and/or different levels of cleanliness. The food processing facility includes a plurality of separate rooms for processing the food product, each including separate food processing machines, air handling systems, drain systems and/or often-used supplies and tools. Different air pressures within different areas limit the possible movement of airborne food pathogens. Sanitizing stations are placed between various ones of the different areas.
US07707928B1
A vertical rotisserie sub-assembly, comprising: (a) a housing; (b) a motor; (c) an energy source; (d) a switch; (e) a rotating member; (f) a lower suspending member; and (g) an upper suspending member.
US07707916B2
An adjustable socket having a housing with a longitudinal axis. A collar is couplable to and movable along the housing. The collar's lower end is bevelled. A plurality of circumferentially spaced apertures extend through the housing. A jaw is mounted in each aperture for slidable, radial movement through the aperture. Each jaw has a flat inward face and a bevelled outward face. The jaws are biased radially outwardly away from the axis. Rotation of the collar around the housing in a first direction forces the collar's bevelled end against the jaws' bevelled faces, forcing the jaws radially inwardly and forcing their inward faces against a fastener located between the inward faces. Rotation of the collar in the opposite direction allows the jaws to be biased radially outwardly to release the fastener.
US07707915B2
An apparatus includes first and second coupling devices each having a lever end, a gripping end, and an elongated slot: an axle disposed within the elongated slot of each coupling device where the coupling devices may pivot relative to each other about the axle: a threaded shaft operatively attached to both a bushing pivotally disposed at the first coupling device lever end and a threaded seat pivotally disposed at the second coupling device lever end and configured to advance the lever ends toward each other as the threaded shaft is rotated in a first direction; and a pair of latches rotatably attached to a respective gripping end of a respective coupling device, each latch having a distal toe plate configured to engage a circumference of one of a pair of washers, the apparatus configured to tighten or loosen the pair of washers by imparting opposite rotational forces to the washers.
US07707895B2
The invention relates to a method for examining the resistance of a connection between two bodies, whereby one of the bodies only has a small mass. A correspondingly directed force is exerted upon the connection until disconnection thereof. The force used is the centrifugal force which acts at a distance from a rotational axis in a concentric manner about said rotated connection. Said method is particularly advantageous if the body having a small mass is a coating which is applied to the other body. In order to obtain a sufficiently high centrifugal force, an examining stamp is applied to the body having the small mass and/or the coating on the side oriented away from the connection. The adhesion between the body and/or the coating and the examining stamp is greater than between both of the bodies and/or the coating and the other body.
US07707894B2
An apparatus structure and measurement method are provided to retain high precision and high reliability of a semiconductor mechanical quantity measuring apparatus which senses a mechanical quantity and transmits measured information wirelessly. As to a silicon substrate of the semiconductor mechanical quantity measuring apparatus, for example, a ratio of a substrate thickness to a substrate length along a measurement direction is set small, and a ratio of a substrate thickness to a substrate length along a direction perpendicular to the measurement direction is set small. The apparatus upper surface is covered with a protective member. It is possible to measure a strain along a particular direction and realize mechanical quantity measurement with less error and high precision. An impact resistance and environment resistance of the apparatus itself can be improved.
US07707889B2
A method for determining oscillations of a rotating blade disc of a turbomachine is provided. The method utilizes the steps including, arranging a substance that emits a light quanta when excited by an external excitation source to emit the light quanta, exciting the light emitting substance by the external excitation source to emit the light quanta, sensing the emitted light quanta by a light sensor, and evaluating a signal from the sensor tot determine the osciallation behavior of the blade disc. A corresponding apparatus is also provided.
US07707886B2
The invention relates to a microgyroscope, that is to say an inertial micromechanical sensor dedicated to the measurement of angular velocities, which is produced by micromachining techniques, and has a novel arrangement of the modules for measuring the movement of the vibrating masses. The gyroscope comprises two symmetrical moving assemblies (30, 50; 30′, 50′) that are coupled by a coupling structure (20, 20′, 22). Each of the two assemblies comprises a moving mass (30) surrounded by a moving intermediate frame (50). The frame (50) is connected to the coupling structure (20, 20′, 22) and can vibrate in two degrees of freedom in orthogonal directions Ox and Oy of the plane of the wafer. The mass (30) is connected, on one side, to the frame and, on the other side, to fixed anchoring regions (34, 36) via linking means (40-46; 52-58) that allow the vibration movement in the Oy direction to be transmitted to the mass without permitting any movement of the mass in the Ox direction. An excitation structure (70) is associated with the frame in order to excite its vibration along Ox. A movement detection structure (90) is associated with the mass (30) in order to detect its vibration along Oy.
US07707881B2
Described is a component for a fill level measuring device or for a pressure measuring device. The component may include a coating with a microsmooth surface so that the microsmooth surface remains essentially free of any deposits.
US07707872B2
A manufacturing process, system, and method is described that facilitates the assembly and testing of a hydraulic manifold with integral closed loop pressure sensing and feedback.
US07707862B2
A multi-point door lock assembly has a central lock and an extension bolt for securing the door to a door frame. The assembly has an actuator positioned at the central lock and moveable between a first and second position along an axis. The assembly further has an elongated extension bolt residing along a bolt axis. The actuator and the bolt are secured in a configuration that displaces the axis of the bolt in spaced relationship from the axis of the actuator by an adaptor having a body length. The adaptor has a first end connected to the actuator and a second end connected to the extension bolt, and an intermediate portion between the first and second ends configured to displace the bolt axis for the bolt to pass through an interior portion of an associated door member.
US07707859B2
A fabric treatment appliance comprises at least one of a tub and drum defining a fabric treatment chamber, a steam generator having a steam generation chamber and configured to supply steam to the fabric treatment chamber, and a conduit fluidly coupling a water supply to the steam generation chamber. The fabric treatment appliance can also include a flow controller and/or a flow meter fluidly coupled to the conduit to facilitate controlling the supply of water to the steam generation chamber. The disclosure provides methods of water supply control that can employ the flow controller and/or the flow meter.
US07707851B2
An air conditioner is provided. The air conditioner includes two or more heat exchangers, a refrigerant pipe, a compressor, an accumulator, and an overcooler. The heat exchangers perform heat exchanging between air or water and refrigerant. The refrigerant pipe guides refrigerant circulating between the two or more heat exchangers. The compressor compresses refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant pipe to a high temperature and pressure. The accumulator is provided on one side of the compressor, to separate an inflowing refrigerant into a liquid refrigerant and a gaseous refrigerant. The overcooler is provided on one side of the heat exchangers, to further cool refrigerant passing through the heat exchangers.
US07707845B2
A climate control system (10) for a cab/berth of a vehicle, comprises a climate control circuit (12) in which a first refrigerant circulates between at least an energy accumulator (20) in which an accumulator refrigerant is in heat exchange with the first refrigerant, a radiator (22) in the cab/berth to adjust a temperature of the cab/berth, and a heat-exchange unit (23). A refrigeration circuit (14) is provided for submitting a second refrigerant to a refrigeration cycle. An evaporation stage (43) is in heat-exchange relation with the heat-exchange unit (23) of the climate control circuit (12) such that the second refrigerant absorbs heat from the first refrigerant. A controller system (50) is powered by an electric power source (A) of the vehicle and selectively actuates the climate control circuit and the refrigeration circuit (14) so as to store cold or hot energy in the energy accumulator (20) when the electric power source (A) is charged, and selectively actuates the climate control circuit (12) to cool the cab/berth with the radiator (22).
US07707842B2
A heat pump, and in particular a heat pump for heating a hot water supply is provided with an improved defrost mode. The defrost mode is actuated to remove frost from an outdoor evaporator that may accumulate during cold weather operation. An algorithm for operation of the defrost mode is developed experimentally by seeking to maximize the heat transfer provided by the refrigerant. A heating system condition is experimentally related to the heat transfer capacity. One then maximizes the average heat transfer capacity to determine the optimum initiation point for the defrost mode. Further, protections are included into the defrost mode. When the heat pump is utilized to heat hot water, methods are provided to prevent the water that remains in the heat exchanger from becoming unduly heated. In one method, the water pump may be periodically operated to move the water. In a second method, a control ensures the discharge pressure of the refrigerant leaving the compressor is reduced, and that the water pump is not stopped until that reduced temperature falls below a predetermined maximum. The temperature reduction is achieved through a dual control loop wherein a temperature that is too high results in a new desired discharge pressure. The control achieves the new desired pressure by controlling the expansion device. In another protection feature, as a control determines that the defrost mode is nearing its end, an evaporator fan is run to remove melted water from the evaporator coils, and also to ensure the refrigerant leaving the evaporator does not reach unduly high pressure or temperatures.
US07707841B2
A method and apparatus for cooling a workpiece, tool or the like by subjecting the workpiece, tool or the like to a coolant that has been heated to have a temperature near the temperature at which the coolant changes phase from liquid to gas. Thus, the coolant can quickly draw a substantial amount of heat from the workpiece, tool or the like in order to effect a phase change from liquid to gas. Typically, the coolant is preheated to within a predefined range of the phase change temperature, such as within 5° C. or even 1° C.
US07707830B2
Embodiments of the invention are directed toward a novel pressurized vapor cycle for distilling liquids. In some embodiments of the invention, a liquid purification system is revealed, including the elements of an input for receiving untreated liquid, a vaporizer coupled to the input for transforming the liquid to vapor, a head chamber for collecting the vapor, a vapor pump with an internal drive shaft and an eccentric rotor with a rotatable housing for compressing vapor, and a condenser in communication with the vapor pump for transforming the compressed vapor into a distilled product. Other embodiments of the invention are directed toward heat management, and other process enhancements for making the system especially efficient.
US07707813B2
A method of producing a disk mower cutter bar housing and the housing produced. The method forms an upper plate and a lower plate of a housing, assembles the formed upper plate and the formed lower plate by welding to form a casing, and cuts out holes on the casing, by a laser beam. The holes are configured to receive bearings of disks and intermediate drive gears.
US07707793B2
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.
US07707792B2
A flooring panel includes a decorative upper surface and a lower surface. The flooring panel further includes a plurality of edges extending between the decorative upper surface and the lower surface. The plurality of edges are shaped and dimensioned for selective coupling with adjacent flooring panels, wherein each of the plurality of edges includes an edge profile having at least a male coupling member or a female coupling member. The flooring panel also includes at least one notched transition section that extends between one of the plurality of edges of the flooring panel and the decorative upper surface of the flooring panel. When adjacent flooring panels are brought together, the at least one notched transition section of the adjacent flooring panels defines a grout receiving recess into which a material may be poured for creation of the a grout line between the adjacent flooring panels.
US07707790B2
A free-standing, partition-type furniture system adapted to subdivide an open space of a room, comprising a plurality of first partition panels, each including a first body portion having a pair of side edges, and a first screen member operably coupled to the first partition panel and laterally shiftable with respect to the first partition panel such that the first screen member extends from one of the side edges of the first body portion. The furniture system also includes a plurality of second partition panels each including a second body portion having an upper edge, and a second screen member operably coupled to the second partition panel and vertically shiftable with respect to the second partition panel such that the second screen member extends from the upper edge of the second body portion. The plurality of first and second partition panels are operably coupleable and arrangeable so as to subdivide the open space of a room.
US07707789B2
A crawlspace access panel assembly for covering a crawlspace accessway opening in a building exterior wall is provided. The crawl space access panel assembly having a substantially rigid panel member adapted to cover the opening and a seal attached around a perimeter of the substantially rigid panel. A number of fasteners connected to the substantially rigid panel for removably fastening the substantially rigid panel to the exterior wall, the fasteners being located only on a minimum number of sides of the substantially rigid panel to stably hold the panel to the exterior wall. When fastened the fasteners only on the minimum number of sides of the substantially rigid panel urge the panel against the exterior wall causing the seal to seat around the perimeter so that the substantially rigid panel seals the opening.
US07707787B2
Installed on a top of a structure (1) is a base stand (11) against which damping body (3) movably rests via a linear guide mechanism (12). Mounted between the damping body (3) and the structure (1) or between the damping body (3) and a top of a support housing (14) erected on the structure (1) is a characteristic-frequency adjusting spring or springs (13) with an initial tension being applied vertically. Movement of the damping body (3) causes the spring or springs (13) to be obliquely and longitudinally expanded to apply horizontal component to the damping body (3) upon restoring.
US07707776B2
A frameless glass door arrangement for a doorway bounded in part by a top section and a bottom section is disclosed. The frameless glass door arrangement includes two hinge parts rotatably embedded in the respective top section and bottom section; and a glass door leaf including a main body including a top edge, a bottom edge and a lateral edge, the glass door leaf further including two tongue-shaped extensions disposed adjacent to the lateral edge. The extensions extend outward from the respective top edge and bottom edge of the main body and into the respective hinge parts so that the doorway is completely transparent after the glass door leaf is installed in the doorway.
US07707775B2
Under a method to control a sliding speed in accordance with this invention, the motor is initially accelerated for a predetermined reference speed, and then during the initial acceleration period, if a rotational speed of the wire drum is of and above a given value, a difference between a rotational speed of the wire drum and a rotational speed of the motor is of and above a given value, and a rate of acceleration of the wire drum is of and above a given value, the rotational speed of the motor is reduced temporarily judging the slide door is in a state of abnormal acceleration, and then the motor is accelerated again at a lower rate than the initial acceleration toward the reference speed.
US07707768B2
A landscape device having a growth section surrounded by at least one upwardly-extending wall. Located within the growth section are a plurality of displaceable elements which are capable of being displaced by the growth of a plant located in the growth section of the landscape device. A second upwardly-extending wall may be located between the first upwardly-extending wall and the growth section, forming a reservoir between the walls. Water, soil, and other elements may be placed in the reservoir, which will contain weep holes to permit passage of water into the underlying ground. A cover plate may be positioned over the reservoir to inhibit evaporation of water. The cover plate may also include a fitting for connecting to a water source such as a hose. A method for manufacturing variations of the landscape device is also disclosed.
US07707767B2
The present invention provides a method, system and apparatus for controlling the movement of insects such as termites by using a vibration device that produces mechanical vibrations within a certain frequency range. The frequency range may be chosen to attract or repel. The source may be coupled with insect food sources or other attractants. The present invention can be used to protect a natural or man-made structure from termite infestation. The present invention can also be used for controlling activity of other social insects such as ants, bees and wasps.
US07707761B2
A method for manufacturing double barrel shotgun barrels, including the steps of providing an elongated metal stock material having a first end and a second end, forming two index holes in both the first end and the second end of the material, forming a first and second bore hole through the material, and then profiling the material into a desired gun barrel profile. 16. Double barrel shotgun barrels formed from a single piece of elongated solid metal stock material according to the process of the invention are also taught.
US07707753B2
A self-adjusting snow plow for use with pickup trucks, SUVs, all-terrain vehicles or other land vehicles. The snow plow includes a mounting apparatus for attachment to a vehicle and a plow blade, preferably including a mold board and a retention apparatus assembly. The retention apparatus assembly disengageably secures the plow blade to the mounting apparatus when the plow blade is in a snow displacement position. The snow plow further includes an elongated strap selectively connectable between the plow blade and the mounting apparatus in at least one position, wherein the position is a constrained orientation wherein the elongated strap resists upward movement of the plow blade when the plow blade is disengageably secured to the mounting apparatus or an elevated orientation, wherein the elongated strap suspends the plow blade a desired distance from the ground to prevent the plow blade from contacting the ground and/or snow on the ground.
US07707744B2
A fluid-filled chamber for an article of footwear and a method for manufacturing the chamber are disclosed. The chamber may be incorporated into a sole structure of the footwear and includes a central area and a plurality of lobes extending outward from the central area. The lobes are in fluid communication with the central area and are formed from a first surface, a second surface, and a sidewall. The sidewall joins with the first surface with the second surface to seal the fluid within the chamber, but no internal connections are generally utilized to join interior portions of the first surface with interior portions of the second surface. The fluid within the chamber may be air at a pressure that is approximately equal to an ambient pressure.
US07707727B1
The invention comprises of a trimmer body with pivotally mounted handle mechanism attached to a flexible curvature adjuster band going through a plurality of cutting units articulately arranged side by side with a flexible scissor type mechanism attached to every cutting unit and trimmer body to maintain equidistant spacing between cutting units and to prevent the formation of an uneven curvature. The curvature of the cutting section is adjusted with the release of the restraining mechanism with the thumb of one hand and the pivotal movement of the front handle mechanism with the other hand. The one hand operated foliage trimmer's cutting blades are arcually reciprocated by electromagnets. The elongated foliage trimmer's head body and cutting section's hemispherical spatial orientation is adjustable and restrainable with the rear handle mechanism.
US07707725B2
An electric shaver has a pivotally mounted longhair cutter unit that is pivoted outward into an operating position by motion of an operating switch of the shaver via an actuator that also causes the cutting blades of the longhair cutter unit to extend from the longhair cutter housing. Because the longhair cutter retracts into the longhair cutter housing when the longhair cutter unit is folded shut, the sharp edges of the blades are protected.
US07707723B2
A method is provided for producing a roller thrust bearing having a plurality of rows of rollers, the bearing featuring reduced differential slip, reduced friction and wear, and increased longevity without flaking. The method includes forming a cage to accommodate the rollers, crowning the rollers, and arranging the rollers in pockets such that the rollers held by a pocket have respective end surfaces in direct contact with each other.
US07707713B2
A method of fabricating a component-embedded board including detecting, before the board is covered with an insulating layer, the actual position of an electronic component formed on the surface of the board, calculating a displacement between the design position of the electronic component and the actual position of the electronic component on the surface of the board, and for holding the displacement as displacement data, and correcting, based on the displacement data, design data to be used for processing the board after the board is covered with the insulating layer.
US07707711B2
A vented cover includes a pair of cross-flow ventilation ducts each including an acoustic noise reduction lining. The ducts are “cross-flow” in that they cross and bypass one another. The cover is affixed to an enclosure containing components of a computer system and abuts against a panel of the enclosure having an airflow aperture. An air moving device (AMD) passes air through the enclosure from the ducts if the cover is an intake cover, and/or into the ducts if the cover is an exhaust cover. The ducts increase the air path length, and the acoustic absorbing surface, thereby increasing acoustic attenuation. Airflow resistance is reduced by reducing surfaces perpendicular and close to the area where air enters and by reducing sharp turns in the ducts. The cover has a relatively thin depth because the ducts cross and bypass each other in a very space efficient manner.
US07707709B2
A bearing race and pinion bearing race installation tool kit or set includes a pneumatic and manual driver handles in combination with a multiplicity of separate drivers. The component parts may be selected from the kit, combined and then used for installation of a bearing raceway.
US07707707B2
A method of temporarily protecting an electrically sensitive component from damage due to electrostatic discharge includes defining a shunt having first and second leads electrically connected in parallel with the component and separated by a gap. A portion of a shield layer is deposited to form the shunt between the first and second leads to span the gap therebetween and form a shunted assembly. The shunted assembly and component are lapped to form the ABS at the location of the component, a sacrificial carbon overcoat is deposited on the ABS, and additional processing is performed on the shunted assembly. A portion of the shunted assembly, the shunt, and portions of the sacrificial carbon overcoat are then removed to form an electrical open for an unshunted assembly having ABS features comprising an air bearing cavity/deep gap at a former location of the shunted assembly.
US07707706B2
A method is provided for producing a smart card comprising a chip module with at least one contacting area, the chip module arrangeable in a mounting location of a substrate, wherein one contacting loop is formed from a wire connector fed by a wire guiding unit for at least one of the contacting areas, respectively by attaching a first section of the wire conductor to a surface of the substrate outside the mounting location, wherein a second section of the wire conductor proximate to the first section is guided to form the contacting loop along with and protruding from the surface, wherein a subsequent third section of the wire conductor is attached to the surface outside the mounting location, wherein the chip module is inserted into the mounting location and wherein the second section is bent over and electrically contacted to the contacting area.
US07707694B2
The invention relates to a positioning mechanism (1) for releasably fixing at least one position of a positioning means (3) which can be displaced more or less linearly relative to positioning means (2) fixedly connected to a structure (45), e.g. a shoe, which provides a mount for at least one displaceable coupling means (9) which engages under the action of a spring system (39) in a female coupling part (20) of the positioning means (2) connected to the structure (45) in a position which fixes the position of the positioning means (2, 3) relative to one another. The coupling means (9) is mounted in the displaceable positioning means (3) so that it can be linearly displaced in a direction perpendicular to the displacement direction of the positioning means (3) and, in a position fixing the position between the positioning means (2, 3), engages by means of a coupling projection (21) with the female coupling part (20) of the positioning means (2) connected to the structure (45) and in a positioning seat (42) disposed in the displaceable positioning means (3).
US07707688B2
A sliding member held by a movable case is interposed between the movable case and a stopper plate. During opening and closing operations, the movable case does not wear because the stopper plate and the sliding member slidably contact.
US07707687B2
An opening/closing device for a double flap door of an item of furniture, wherein the top part and the bottom part of the door are not hinged to each other. The device is connected to the furniture item to cause the top part of the door to rotate with respect to the furniture item and an articulated quadrilateral causes the bottom part of the door to rotate with respect to the top part concomitantly with the rotation of the top part of the door with respect to the furniture item. The articulated quadrilateral includes a first and a second arm each having one end hinged to the bottom part of the door and the other end hinged to the device.
US07707685B2
A carpet attachment fixture functions as a common tack strip for securing a carpet edge in place and also as a terminal decorative strip mating with a base board molding, a floor surface, and a raised floor surface. Elements of the fixture are flexible so as to flex in admitting the carpet edge between two opposing edges while compressively gripping the carpet edge so inserted. In one embodiment, a common tack strip is married to a further element, while in a second embodiment, a monolithic unit is molded which provides all of the advantages of the compound version.
US07707681B1
The present invention is directed to a windshield wiper clip adapted for connecting a scrubbing blade to a windshield wiper, the clip comprising a base member; a first end wall connected to the base member and a second end wall connect to the base member opposite the first end wall, a first top component to the first end wall and a second top component connected to the second end wall; at least one further top component connected to the base member, the further top component including at least one finger projection, the at least one finger projection, base member, first end wall and first top component defining a scrubber receiving portion, and at least one of the finger projections, the base member, second end wall and second top component defining a wiper receiving portion; wherein the clip connects a scrubber to a wiper in order to accommodate bug removal during movement of the wiper about a windshield. The invention also includes and integrated clip and scrubber, as well as wiper-scrubber system. A novel scrubber mount having rounded shoulders is also described.
US07707671B2
A spin cycle controlling apparatus for a washing machine includes a storage unit in which an acceleration rate, an allowable maximum unbalance amount and an allowable minimum unbalance amount according to an amount of laundry are pre-stored; and a controlling unit for repeatedly controlling an operation of increasing and decreasing revolutions per minute (RPM) in a region between the allowable maximum unbalance amount and the allowable minimum unbalance amount until an unbalance amount detected is less than the allowable minimum unbalance amount.
US07707669B1
A mattress lift for elevating a bed mattress and tucking in sheets or bed covers beneath or under the bed mattress between the bed mattress and a box spring or other supporting surface comprising a lift device including a base or body having a longitudinally disposed substantially oblong recess formed in the upper surface thereof with a longitudinally disposed oblong slot formed in the base or body symmetrically disposed within the longitudinally disposed substantially oblong recess, a lift handle formed or coupled to a proximal portion of the base or body configured to be grasped by the user, a lift ramp including an inclined surface formed or coupled to a distal portion of the base or body configured to slide between the bed mattress and box spring to tuck the sheets or bed covers therebetween and a lift support device including an upper lift coupler movably or slidably disposed within the longitudinally disposed substantially oblong recess interconnected or coupled to a lower lift support member disposed beneath the base or body by an interconnecting member at least partially disposed within the longitudinally disposed oblong slot movable or slidable from the proximal end of the longitudinally disposed oblong slot to a distal end of the longitudinally disposed substantially oblong slot to support the lift device in an elevated position to hold the side edge portion and end edge portion of the bed mattress in spaced relationship relative to box spring or support.
US07707668B2
A pillow for relieving pressure on a neck of a user. In one embodiment, the pillow includes a body section, a first lobe member integrally bound to the body section and adaptable for supporting a nape of a neck of a user, and a second lobe member integrally bound to the body section and adaptable for supporting a cheek bone and a jaw of the user. The pillow also includes a channel formed in the body section between the first lobe member and the second lobe member, wherein the channel is adaptable for receiving the neck of the user to relieve pressure on the neck of the user.
US07707661B2
The present invention discloses a sanitary paper that is designed to be appropriate for dual functions: (1) as a tissue paper for wiping and cleaning by a user, and (2) as a toilet seat-cover. The sanitary paper is a folded continuous sanitary paper strip comprising detachable sections of tissue paper, where some sections are toilet seat-covers which are defined by appropriate transverse seat-cover perforation lines. Various embodiments are described regarding the folding of the sanitary paper strip. A precut bowl flap, in each of the detachable seat-covers, is provided as well. The sanitary paper strip can be made of a single or multi-ply paper. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sanitary paper is made of a duplex paper, where each surface best serves the intended function of that surface. Additionally, the sanitary paper strip can be impregnated with various chemicals.
US07707655B2
A self warming mask is disclosed. The self warming mask includes a facing layer configured to cover at least a portion of a person's face. Attached to the facing layer is at least one thermal delivery pad. The thermal delivery pad contains an exothermic composition. Once the mask is removed from a sealed package, air contacts the thermal delivery pad causing the mask to elevate in temperature . The thermal delivery pad can be constructed so that the rise of temperature and the length of time the mask remains heated is carefully controlled. The mask product can be used in combination with a fragrance or vapor delivery device for also releasing a fragrance, a vapor, or both as the mask is heated. In one embodiment, the fragrance or vapor delivery device can be attached and removed to the mask as a user desires.
US07707650B2
A hunting garment is provided that comprises an article of clothing. The hunting garment includes an inflatable cushion and a pouch attached to the article of clothing and configured to retain at least a portion of the cushion therein. The hunting garment further includes an inflation device connected to the cushion and configured to inflate and deflate the cushion.
US07712146B2
A rights management module controls access to a data set by processing requests for flexibly defined types of access to the data set and determines if the requested access may be granted. The requester's right for the requested type of access is verified by a verification module that may be part of the rights management core or verified through expansion rights verification modules. Extension verification modules may be contained within the data set itself or obtained from a separate store. Extension verification modules are authenticated by the rights management core.
US07712138B2
Managing the selection and scheduling of security audits run on a computing network. The computer network is surveyed by a security audit system to determine the function and relative importance of the elements in the network. Based on function and priority, a more thorough type of security audit is selected to run against each of the network elements by the security audit system. The security audit can also be automatically scheduled based on the information gathered from the survey. Once the system runs the security audit, a vulnerability assessment can be calculated for each element in the network. The vulnerability assessment can be presented in a format that facilitates interpretation and response by someone operating the system. The vulnerability assessment can also be used to configure and schedule future security audits.
US07712132B1
Tools and techniques are provided for detecting a particular type of spyware. Network activities and user update activities are monitored automatically, and the results are analyzed to identify related processes which perform network transmissions without performing substantive user updates. These processes are identified to a user and/or an administrator as potential spyware, and are then quarantined or otherwise handled based on instructions received from the user or administrator. In some cases, the monitoring and analysis begins with selection of a group of processes to monitor, while in other cases it begins with monitoring of network and/or user update activities in order to narrow the group of suspect processes. Devices, configured media, and method products are also described.
US07712131B1
A method, an apparatus, and a computer program are provided to secure diagnostic software from a software or hardware manufacturer for a computer. Traditionally, diagnostic software was distributed to professionals and other personnel in limited numbers. However, it was still possible to obtain unauthorized copies of the diagnostic software. Therefore, to alleviate the possibility of having unauthorized copies, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) memory device containing identification number can be used and a hidden partition that is inaccessible by an end-user where an encrypted version of the identification number is stored. In order to use diagnostic software, the specific USB memory device must be physically interfacing a computer. Hence, by limiting the number of USB memory devices, unauthorized copies can be prevented.
US07712123B2
A technology is provided for a viewer of broadcast information or recorded information to easily obtain information related to the broadcast information or recorded information from a server, in which, in a system in which a viewer apparatus and a content providing server for providing content information related to video or voice are connected via a network, the viewer apparatus obtains related information necessary for obtaining the content information; sends the related information to the content providing server so as to request the content providing server to send the content information; and obtains the content information sent from the content providing server.
US07712117B1
An implementation of a technology, described herein, for multiple channel display on a multimedia presentation system. One implementation, described herein, simultaneously presents video content, audio-based content, and/or electronic program guide (EPG) data of multiple television channels. With this implementation, a user may greatly increase his speed and efficiency when channel surfing. This abstract itself is not intended to limit the scope of this patent. The scope of the present invention is pointed out in the appending claims.
US07712098B2
A digital system and method of operation is provided in which several processors (440, 450) are connected to a shared memory resource (460). Translation lookaside buffers (TLB) (400, 402) are connected to receive a request address (404a-n) from each respective processor. Each TLB has a set of entries that correspond to pages of address space. Each entry provides a set of task memory attributes (TMA) (412a-n) for the associated page of address space. Task memory attributes are defined by a task control block associated with a currently executing task. For each memory transfer request, the TLB accesses an entry corresponding to the request address and provides a translated physical memory address and a task memory attribute value associated with that requested address space page. Functional circuitry (470) performs pre/post-processing on data that is being transferred between a processor and the memory in accordance with the task memory attribute value provided by the TLB with each memory transfer request. Thus, data accessed at the same address by different tasks on a same processor or on different processors can be pre-processed or post-processed in a manner defined by a task control block. Such pre/post-processing may include compression/decompression, encryption/decryption, or formatting, for example.
US07712095B2
A system for autonomous decentralized control in which a client terminal and a center server are connected, as a network through a WAN and/or LAN, to a remote control server connected to a monitored/-controlled target device through a control communication network. The system is characterized in that a virtual machine, which is described as the other self of the monitored/controlled target device having the same information as that possessed by the monitored/controlled target device, and which is a software object having communication protocols used for communication with the monitored/controlled target device and concealed in the software object, is moved in the system with transparency and/or is held in the client terminal, the center server, or the remote control server.
US07712094B2
An apparatus and method for obtaining a storage medium with a deeply customizable set of installed content. Soft assets (e.g., programs, songs, videos, etc.) that form the content are selected from among a much larger set of preinstalled soft assets previously stored on storage media, such as disk drives. In some embodiments, based on a user's selections, the non-selected assets are permanently erased from a storage medium, while the remaining assets are available as installed (wherein substantially no further processing is required to install them). In some embodiments, a new device uses the storage medium to provide its user with a fully functional device without the need to separately install the soft assets from a plurality of sources (e.g., from program-distribution CDROMS and the like). Some embodiments include the storage medium having the soft assets installed, and including a program that elicits selections from a user and erases non-selected assets.
US07712093B1
Analysis of object flow during execution of individual instructions of a method within an object-oriented application provides information regarding the creation and flow of objects during an invocation of the method. This analysis information is used to track where objects enter an invocation of the method and track their path during the execution of the method. The operand stack, register, and local variables references to the objects are tracked as each instruction in the method is executed. Where objects are passed to elements outside of the method invocation is tracked as well. This tracking of object flow uses an iterative data-flow analysis. If an object is passed to the method or created within the method, the embodiments described herein may be used to determine where that object can go from that point onwards, whether to other method invocations, arrays, or data fields within the application.
US07712086B2
A portable storage device includes an interface and one or more flash memories. The one or more flash memories store one or more executable files that can be executed by a host computer to which the device is coupled without altering any environment settings on the host computer even though the one or more executable files include instructions to access environment settings. Additionally, the application is bound to the portable storage device during an activation process.
US07712084B2
A method for monitoring the execution of a program executable on at least one microprocessor of a micro controller using a debug logic of the micro controller, with an exception, particularly an interrupt of the program execution, being triggered by the debug logic upon access to a specific address range during the program execution time. In order to provide monitoring of the execution of a program, executable on a microprocessor, for faults, which is particularly reliable yet conserves resources as much as possible, it is suggested that the debug logic be configured by the microprocessor and that an exception routine be executed by the debug logic after an exception has been triggered during the program execution time. The debug logic is advantageously configured during the startup of the micro controller. Preferably, the micro controller is reset and started up again and the monitored program is initialized during the execution of the exception routine.
US07712083B2
A probe determines a value for a metric for a site. A message is generated, including the value for the metric, and is delivered to a monitoring apparatus. The monitoring apparatus determines if the value is acceptable, based on the metric and possibly the site that the probe is monitoring. If the value is not acceptable, then the monitoring apparatus displays an alert to a possible problem.
US07712080B2
The present invention relates generally to computer programming, and more particularly to systems and methods for parallel distributed programming. Generally, a parallel distributed program is configured to operate across multiple processors and multiple memories. In one aspect of the invention, a parallel distributed program includes a distributed shared variable located across the multiple memories and distributed programs capable of operating across multiple processors.
US07712071B2
A lithographic mask is illuminated with light from different directions such that intensities of a plurality of incident beams of light provide a largest possible integrated process window defined in terms of an allowed range for defining shapes. Constrained sets of intensity parameters are imposed. A first set of intensity parameters represents maximum possible intensities that can be permitted for overexposed tolerance positions. A second set of intensity parameters represents minimum possible intensities that can be permitted for underexposed tolerance positions. Optimum source intensities of incident beams are defined using a linear program and constraints. The optimum source intensities maximize an integrated range of dose and focal variations without causing printed shapes to depart from the allowed range. Apparatus are detailed and variations are described.
US07712068B2
A system for calculating electrical properties of features to be created in an integrated circuit. All or a portion of a desired layout design is corrected for photolithographic or other process distortions using one or more resolution enhancement techniques. A simulated layout image of a corrected layout is used as an input to a field solver program that calculates the electrical properties of the features as they will be printed on a wafer.
US07712065B2
An automatic layout method for performing an automatic layout of components on a diagram, the automatic layout method includes: generating a layout engine control object based on an operation of an application program; selecting at least one layout engine object from a plurality of layout engine objects for calculating coordinates of the components by different algorithms, at least one layout engine object being selected based on an instruction of the application program by the layout engine control object; and creating the diagram by the application program based on the coordinates calculated by the selected layout engine object.
US07712061B2
A method, system and computer program product for generating and verifying the correctness of isolation logic modules in design of integrated circuits (ICs). The method disclosed generates an isolation logic module for each power domain specified by a user, instantiates the generated module in a pre-determined wakeup domain, and then simulates shutdown conditions to ensure the correctness of the generated isolation logic module. The isolation logic is generated based on user-defined voltage constraints.
US07712049B2
An improved user interface is provided for allowing the application of two properties or pieces of metadata to an object with a single user action. A two-dimensional radial menu (user interface) is provided. The radial menu is a generally pie-shaped user interface that is divided into two or more slices associated with two or more corresponding types of a first property that may be applied to a selected object. The menu is further divided to two or more circular sections so that each slice of the pie-shaped radial menu is further divided into two or more sections. Each circular section is associated with a type of a second property that may be applied to the object. By selection of a given section in a given slice of the radial menu, one type of the first property associated with the given slice and a one type of the second property associated with the given circular section of the slice are applied to the selected object with a single user action.
US07712047B2
A motion desktop, including a moving image, may be presented on a display screen of a processing device. Foreground items such as, for example, icons and associated text, or other information, may appear on a surface of the motion desktop. In embodiments consistent with the subject matter of this disclosure, foreground content may be rendered to a composing surface, which may be an alpha-enabled surface capable of presenting translucent items. A motion desktop module may render content for at least a portion of a background of the motion desktop to a respective shared memory, shared with a composer. The composer may periodically copy the rendered content from the shared memory to the composing surface, where the composer may compose and blend a scene from background and foreground content. The composed scene may then be presented as the motion desktop.
US07712044B2
An automatic scrolling mechanism converts an information repository into media that can actively present and “push” information to the users/viewers while retaining existing “pull” and interactivity functions. Automatic scrolling can be controlled by placing a cursor on control icons, such as boxes, lines, and arrow clusters. While the cursor is on an icon, automatic scrolling brings into view content that extends beyond the field of view. The scrolled content is moved into the field of view of the display window in a predetermined direction designated by the icon. Sub-windows are also designed to be independently and automatically scrolled or floated with respect the main window. Links created in an information repository may be automatically activated to retrieve the linked information, and to automatically present and scroll the information. As the content is automatically scrolled, the repository is pushed and the user is allured to further navigate through the repository.
US07712042B2
Techniques are provided for viewing mappings between objects. A main view is displayed, wherein the main view shows one or more source objects, one or more target objects, and zero or more mappings between the one or more source objects and the one or more target objects. Input selecting a type of view to be displayed in the main view is received, wherein each type of view provides a different amount of detail regarding the mappings. In response to receiving the input, the selected type of view is created, and the created view is displayed.Additionally, techniques are provided for viewing objects. One or more objects along with mappings between the one or more objects are displayed. View filters are provided that may be applied to the one or more objects, wherein the view filters enable hiding at least one of mapped or unmapped objects.Moreover, techniques are provided for viewing nodes. A structure is displayed that includes one or more nodes. A hide option is provided that may be applied to the one or more displayed nodes, wherein selection of the hide option hides one or more selected nodes of the displayed nodes and descendants of the selected nodes.
US07712041B2
Multi-user multi-input desktop workspaces and applications are described. In one aspect, a single computing device presents multiple workspaces on a desktop area. The desktop area is designed for multiple users to provide in parallel inputs. Each workspace is configured for use by a particular set of users. Responsive to user direction, user access restrictions to a particular workspace of the multiple workspaces is suspended to allow a new user to interface within context of a particular workspace.
US07712039B2
A setting control may be mapped to an edge of a user interface to facilitate control of various settings and access thereto. The mapping may be implemented based on a number of setting values associated with the setting control and a size of a specified edge of the user interface. Additionally, multiple edges of a user interface may be mapped to a variety of setting controls. The edge-mapped setting controls may also be automatically reconfigured according to user preferences and interaction with the interface. Indicators are also generated to provide visual indications about the setting controls and/or a current setting. The appearance of indicators may be altered to convey a variety of information such as the current setting of a control or the type of setting control.
US07712026B2
A layout process using content data as output and a template containing regions to which content data is assigned is provided. A document processing apparatus performing the process includes a priority order setting unit that independently sets, for regions to lay out contents data, priority orders by assigning contents data in the regions and a determining unit for determining the size of a region for which a first priority is set. The determining unit uses a template containing the regions and sizes of contents data to be assigned to regions, and determines a size and a position of remaining regions using a portion of the template to which the regions having higher priorities than the remaining regions not laid out and sizes of the contents data to be assigned to the remaining regions.
US07712023B1
A method for supporting a plurality of financial source forms that includes receiving a user selection of a source form of the plurality of financial source forms to obtain a user-selected source form, and dynamically populating field text within a plurality of dynamic fields on a worksheet associated with the user-selected source form, wherein the worksheet is used for tax preparation.
US07712017B2
Video recordings of meetings and scanned paper documents are natural digital documents that come out of a meeting. These can be placed on the Internet for easy access, with links generated between them by matching scanned documents to a segment of the video referencing the scanned document. Furthermore, annotations made on the paper documents during the meeting can be extracted and used as indexes to the video. An orthonormal transform, such as a Digital Cosine Transform (DCT) is used to compare scanned documents to video frames.
US07712014B2
A testing circuit includes a signal generator operative to provide a control signal in response to a reference clock signal. The control signal may include both alignment and timing information operative to synchronize the timing and output of the signal generator with a device under test. A clock recovery instrument is electrically coupled to the signal generator. The clock recovery instrument generates the reference clock signal in response to a clock signal from the device under test. The reference clock signal is synchronized with the clock signal from the device under test such that signal generator operation is synchronized with the device under test independent of the behavior of the device under test.
US07712006B1
A system for conveying information includes a signal transport device. The signal transport device includes a set of links operable to convey a first set of information signals from a first computer module to a second computer module and a link operable to convey a transaction request credit signal associated with the first set of information signals, the signal indicating whether at least a portion of a transaction request message may be sent using the first set of information signals. The device also includes a set of links operable to convey a second set of information signals in the opposite direction of the first set of information signals and a link operable to convey a transaction request credit signal associated with the second set of information signals, the signal indicating whether at least a portion of a transaction request message may be sent using the second set of information signals.
US07712003B2
A method and apparatus determines and sets operating voltage on a JTAG interface by incrementally increasing a test voltage applied thereto. The contents of a register is monitored to detect when the contents switch (change) from a first value to a second value. The voltage occurring at the switch is doubled to establish the operating voltage.
US07712002B2
The present invention provides a test circuit for a semiconductor integrated circuit that can be used for testing plural of logic blocks each having plural input-output terminals. This test circuit is provided with scanning flip-flop (SFF) circuits whose output terminals are connected to the input terminals of the logic blocks. The SFF circuits hold test data which is sequentially supplied, supply the test data to the logic blocks and receive logic operation data generated from the logic blocks. The logic operation data may be sequentially supplied from the SFF circuits, on the basis of which performances of the logic blocks are examined.
US07711997B2
A method of controlling a transceiver module which includes a physical-layer integrated circuit having a physical-layer register unit, and a control integrated circuit having a control-side register unit. In the method, the physical-layer register unit is emulated by the control-side register unit and the physical-layer integrated circuit is prohibited from generating a first error signal giving notice of detection of a specific error directly to a higher-layer device. A second error signal is output from the physical-layer integrated circuit to the control integrated circuit, giving notice of a high-speed error associated with communication processing and that is detected by the physical-layer integrated circuit. The high-speed error is specified in response to the outputting of the second error signal. A bit is set in the control-side register unit in response to the specifying of a high speed error and the control integrated circuit delivers to the higher-layer device the second error signal.
US07711986B2
A primary server transmits a write transaction to N backup devices. Each backup device records the write transaction to a local redo log stored at a high-performance storage and then transmits a notification to the primary device. When the primary device receives notifications from M of the N backup devices, it commits the write transaction, recording it to a low-performance storage. Once the write transaction has been recorded to the low-performance storage, the primary device requests that the backup devices delete their logs. If the primary device incurs a fault, one of the backup devices becomes the new primary device and determines which backup device has the newest local redo log. The backup device having the newest log sends it to the other backup devices, which update their local redo logs to the same state as the newest log. Thereafter, the new primary device is ready to resume transaction processing.
US07711975B2
In some embodiments it is determined if a speed of a Universal Serial Bus cable of greater than 480 Mb per second is supported at each end of the Universal Serial Bus cable, the length of the Universal Serial Bus cable is calculated, and the speed of the Universal Serial Bus cable is increased beyond 480 Mb per second in response to the determining and the calculating. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US07711972B2
A control system for controlling a power supply having an operating function. The power supply to supply an output current to an integrated circuit having at least one circuit block that is controllable by an enable signal or a clock signal. A receiver to receive the enable signal. A controller to determine a loading status of the at least one circuit block as a function of the enable signal or the clock signal and to control the output current of the power supply as a function of the loading status of the at least one circuit block such that the power supply preemptively changes the output current.
US07711966B2
In general, the disclosure is directed to techniques for reducing power consumption within computing devices, such as wireless communication devices. A device dynamically adjusts the CPU clock frequency based on CPU load in order to reduce power consumption. The device monitors the load of the CPU using a number of sample interrupts. The device determines whether to adjust the clock frequency based on the monitored load of the CPU. In general, the device increases the clock frequency when the load of the CPU is high and decreases the clock frequency when the load of the CPU is low.
US07711964B2
The present invention relates to a secure method of distributing configuration data for a programmable logic device (PLD). The configuration data is encrypted to generate encrypted configuration data. A decryption key is encrypted using a silicon key. The encrypted configuration data and the encrypted decryption key are transferred to a PLD. Within the PLD, the encrypted decryption key is decrypted using the silicon key. Then, also within the PLD, the encrypted configuration data is decrypted using the decryption key to recover the configuration data. The PLD is then configured using the configuration data. The silicon key may be communicated to the PLD by tying predetermined input pins to an active high voltage level or signal ground, to form a binary code.
US07711962B2
An apparatus (1) on a sending side sends a first signal (S1) containing encrypted data that was encrypted using conversion constants (Y, Zy′), and a conversion constant (X) to an apparatus (1) on the receiving side; the apparatus (1) on the sending side sends a second signal (S2) containing encrypted data that was encrypted using conversion constants (X, Zy′), and a conversion constant (Y), and pattern-conversion constants (Zy) that correspond to conversion constant (Zy′) to a relay apparatus (2). The relay apparatus (2) transfers a second′ signal (S2′) in which a pattern-conversion constant (Zy) in the second signal (S2) has been converted to a conversion constant (Zy′) to the apparatus (1) on the receiving side. The apparatus (1) on the receiving side reads the encrypted data and conversion constants (X, Y, Zy′) from the first signal (S1) and second′ signal (S2′), then decodes and authenticates the encrypted data.
US07711950B2
Registration information is sent form a customer to a registration system over a network. The registration system creates an electronic account for the customer and facilitates the validation of the customer's identity. When the customer's identity is validated, the registration system activates the electronic account. The electronic account includes a unique electronic account number, a physical address of the customer, and an electronic address of the customer.
US07711949B2
An apparatus for frustrating unwanted access to data stored with a host device includes: (a) A data disrupting unit coupled with the host device for disrupting the data in response to an action signal. (b) At least one power source unit coupled with the host device. (c) A sensor unit coupled with the host device and with the at least one power source unit. The sensor unit is configured and coupled for sensing at least one alert condition associated with the host device. The sensor unit generates an alerting signal when at least one respective alert condition of the at least on alert condition is sensed. At least one respective power source unit of the at least one power source unit responds to the alerting signal to present the action signal to the data disrupting unit.
US07711941B2
A multiple-processor system and boot procedure are provided. The system includes an integrated circuit having first and second embedded processors. A volatile memory and a non-volatile memory are shared by the first and second processors. The non-volatile memory includes a set of boot load instructions executable by the first and second processors.
US07711917B2
A semiconductor device according to the present invention comprises a first non-volatile memory, a second non-volatile memory in which initial data is stored, and an initialization controller for initializing the first non-volatile memory, wherein the second non-volatile memory has anti-stress properties higher than those of the first non-volatile memory, and the initialization controller reads the initial data from the second non-volatile memory when the first non-volatile memory is initialized and copies the read initial data in the first non-volatile memory to thereby initialize the first non-volatile memory.
US07711916B2
Techniques are described for storing portions of files on different storage devices based on the devices' respective storage class. For example, different extents from a large file within a system, application, or database may be stored on different storage devices. The storage devices may be part of a single storage system that includes some storage devices that have different performance capabilities. The decision of where, within the storage classes, to store data may be based on the access patterns of the data. Access patterns regarding file extents are tracked using respective access bits, which are set when a memory block associated with an extent is accessed via an I/O operation. In one embodiment, an access bitmap is modified to account for cached blocks of file extents.
US07711911B2
A single information processing device capable of configuring an information system that maintains matching between information retained by a self device and information retained by a partner device in a way that links up a plurality of information processing devices with each other, has a storage unit including a memory cell retaining a predetermined quantity of information and a comparing unit that compares the information retained by the memory cell at the present with information written afresh to the memory cell, an extraction unit extracting the information written afresh to the memory cell about which the comparing unit judges that the information retained at the present is different from the information written afresh, and a transmitting unit transmitting the extracted information to the partner device linking up with the self device.
US07711903B2
A mechanism is provided for efficiently managing the operation of a translation buffer. The mechanism is utilized to pre-load a translation buffer to prevent poor operation as a result of slow warming of a cache. A software pre-load mechanism may be provided for preloading a translation look aside buffer (TLB) via a hardware implemented controller. Following preloading of the TLB, control of accessing the TLB may be handed over to the hardware implemented controller. Upon an application context switch operation, the software preload mechanism may be utilized again to preload the TLB with new translation information for the newly active application instance.
US07711894B1
A network device may operate to increase application performance over a wide area network. In one particular implementation, the network device may monitor accesses to a disk drive from entities and determine whether an entity is accessing the disk drive in a manner that causes a disproportionate amount of performance degradation. If so, the network device may throttle access to the disk drive for the entity.
US07711878B2
A method and apparatus for advancing initialization messages when initializing an interface is presented. In one embodiment, one of a sequence of training sequence messages are sent in serial mode across the data lanes of a generally-parallel interface between two agents. When one agent correctly receives a fixed number of messages, it may begin sending its messages with an acknowledgement. Thereafter, when that agent correctly receives a fixed number of messages including an acknowledgement, that agent may advance to sending the next training sequence messages in the sequence.
US07711869B1
A system having a processor, a printed circuit board, and an adapter board, coupled to the processor through the printed circuit board. The adapter board provides a first signal having a first state when the adapter board is in a proper operating condition and a second state when the adapter board is in an improper condition. The adapter board produces a second signal having the second state for less than a predetermined time when an adapter board requires a reset signal from the processor. The adapter board combines the first signal with the second signal a single signal fed to the processor through the printed circuit board. When the processor detects that the single signal is in the second state for a time less than the predetermined period of time, the process interprets the single signal as indicating the adapter board requires a reset.
US07711867B2
Consistent with one example embodiment, communications systems, using a serial data transfer bus having a serial data line and a clock line used to implement a communications protocol, incorporate programming of parallel slave devices concurrently using an I2C serial bus. At least two slave devices are coupled in parallel on the data transfer bus and configured to load serial data over the serial data line using the communications protocol. Each slave device includes a programmable configuration register configured to be programmed, using the communications protocol, to select one of a plurality of selectable slave device configurations. One of the selectable slave device configurations causes the at least two slave devices to load the serial data in parallel, and another of the selectable slave device configurations causes the at least two slave devices to be loaded one at a time.
US07711864B2
Data processing systems which operate in different modes, including a mode which supports providing an output of images through a port on the systems. In one embodiment, a data processing system includes a processing system, a cellular telephone transceiver, and a port which is configured to provide, as an output from the handheld data processing system, data representing movie video images. Methods and machine readable media are also described.
US07711862B2
A data processing apparatus and a program data setting method that can minimize a manufacturing cost. The data processing apparatus includes a plurality of In System Programming (ISP) devices to store program data used to drive the data processing apparatus, a connector to receive the program data from an external program providing device, and a switch to switch a connection between the connector and the plurality of ISP devices. The data processing apparatus can adjust the connection between the connector and the plurality of ISP devices using the switch. Accordingly, the data processing apparatus does not require an additional connector or a separate program to distribute the program data received at the connector to each ISP device so that the manufacturing cost can be minimized and a structure can be simplified.
US07711861B2
A secure communication channel between first and second radio frequency communication devices is indicated by the synchronized indicators on each of the two devices. The indicator may be a light or speaker. After a secure channel is established, the indicators may be simultaneously operated so that a user may definitively and positively determine that the two devices are securely connected to each other. Any interloper devices would not be indicating on the same pattern and thereby be identified.
US07711857B2
A method and system for demultiplexing packets of a message is provided. The demultiplexing system receives packets of a message, identifies a sequence of message handlers for processing the message, identifies state information associated with the message for each message handler, and invokes the message handlers passing the message and the associated state information. The system identifies the message handlers based on the initial data type of the message and a target data type. The identified message handlers effect the conversion of the data to the target data type through various intermediate data types.
US07711853B2
A system, apparatus, method, and computer-readable medium are provided for resolving a name to a network endpoint. According to one method, naming providers are registered with a computer system that are operative to resolve names to network endpoints for one or more domains. A provider can claim to be a primary provider or a secondary provider for a domain. A provider can also register as a wildcard provider. Once the providers have been registered, requests may be received to resolve an e-mail address into a network address of the corresponding computer system. In response to such a request, one or more of the registered providers are identified as being able to resolve names in the domain to network addresses. Requests are transmitted to the identified providers requesting that they resolve the e-mail address to a corresponding network address. The manner in which the requests are made depends upon whether authoritative results are required. Once the results of the name resolution have been returned, the results are utilized to establish a network connection to and communicate with the computer system identified by the returned network address.
US07711846B2
A system and methodologies are disclosed for determining the geographic location of an Internet host. A first method infers host location based on the DNS names of the host of interest or other nearby network nodes. A second method employs network delay measurements from geographically distributed locations to triangulate the coordinates of the host. A third method couples partial host-to-location mapping information obtained from one or more sources with BGP or other routing information in order to infer location of the host of interest.
US07711831B2
Methods, systems and computer program products provide for establishing a connection originated by an application executing on a data processing system in a cluster of data processing systems. A dynamic network address is associated with the application at the data processing system on which the application is executing. If a request is received for the data processing system to originate a connection that is associated with the application, the connection is established utilizing the dynamic network address associated with the application as a source address for the connection.
US07711828B2
Call Control entities in a network communicate between themselves by amending call processing messages to include encrypted network information. As such, a call may be established whose path through the network is dependent on the paths of other calls. Information of a scope larger than a Call Controller normally possesses can, as a result of this communication, be made available to Call Controllers for constraining call establishment. This information could relate to other calls and connections associated with those other calls. The information may also relate to gateways in and to adjacent networks and the Call Controllers in the adjacent networks that are related to the current Call Controller.
US07711823B2
An arrangement and method for establishing and maintaining a connection between users' communication devices via a public data network. Communication devices belonging to users of a system are terminals of a telecommunication network, say mobile phones, and, in addition, they are adapted to a link to a data network via a wireless transfer system. Interfaced with the data network there is at least one server that keeps a register of communication devices. A communication device brought near a data network terminal reports itself to the server using a device-specific identifier. This reporting message also contains network address of the terminal. When a connect request arrives from a communication device via a terminal, the server provides for necessary network connection if the called device specified in the connect request can be reached.
US07711821B2
A system and method are provided for autonomic system management in a computing system containing system resources including network resources and multiple resource demands, or processes. The computing system may be a stream-processing system or other real-time computer management system, such as workload management, or a virtualization engine. The system and method enables achieving a better level of performance than would occur in the computing system using only existing mechanism. It permits, with very low computational overhead, achieving or driving the system closer to a user-defined system performance objective. To do so, a system performance equation is defined to determine a level of performance of the system as a function of the allocation of two or more system resources among a plurality of system resource demands or processes. From this system performance equation, a plurality of resource-specific change equations is derived. Each resource-specific change equation is capable of calculating changes in the level of performance of the system attributable to changes in the allocation of one of the system resources. The resource-specific change equation yielding the greatest change in the level of system performance at a given allocation of all of the system resources and the system resource associated with the identified resource-specific change equation are identified. The allocation of the identified associated system resource to at least one system resource demand to provide the largest increase in the level of performance of the system, and allocations for all system resources are adjusted in accordance with the modified allocation of the identified associated system resource.
US07711819B2
In a load balancer preserving a function of server consistency maintenance during communications even if a terminal is a mobile terminal, identifying information specific to a mobile IP terminal is extracted from an arrival packet, and a destination server to be connected is determined based on the identifying information. Also, a home agent or a terminal is requested to notify a change of the care-of address when the care-of address of the terminal has changed, and a destination server to be connected is determined by regarding the notified care-of address as identifying information.
US07711807B2
A network device to selectively filter the exception data units based on the type of the exception data units. The network device generates a first threshold value for a first type of exception data units and a second threshold value for a second type of exception data units. The first threshold value and the second threshold value are determined based on the weight factors associated with each the first type and the second type of exception data units and a scratch pad threshold value. The network data unit determines the type of exception data units and a scratch pad fullness value and filters the first type and the second type of exception data units based on the first and the second threshold values.
US07711806B1
A method for dynamically adjusting the frequency of content-transmissions to a communication device is disclosed. The device logs and reports to a network entity, such as a content server, how often content-related user-interaction has occurred on the device, such as simply when the last such interaction occurred. The network entity then determines a frequency at which to transmit content to the device, based on how often the content-related user-interaction has occurred on the device. And the network entity then transmits content to the device at the determined frequency. The invention can be usefully employed to adjust the frequency at which content-channel updates or content-catalog updates are transmitted to communication devices such as cellular wireless devices for instance.
US07711804B2
The method of asynchronous delivery of digital data according to the invention is implemented in at least one server system and at least one client system connected via a network.According to the method, at the time of a request for data coming from a client system, an item of context information (CINF) representing a first state of the client system on sending out the request is associated with the latter.On delivering to the client system a response, the response incorporates the context information (CINF).The client system is adapted to put itself in a second state analogous to the first state mentioned above, in accordance with the context information (CINF, CUID).The method according to the invention provides context management enabling the user to associate the responses received with requests sometimes made well beforehand.
US07711803B2
The present invention is directed to a method and system for management and configuration of remote agents. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, at least one web service is provided. At least one remote agent on a network is detected by the web service by retrieving agent metadata from network devices based on one or more detection parameters. At least one of managing and configuring the at least one remote agent is performed based on the web service.
US07711802B2
A method, system, and computer-program product are disclosed, each of which enable the receipt of SIAs (Server Initiated Actions) on non-SMS-enabled devices, using existing infrastructure. An existing IP-based messaging protocol, such as “chat” architecture, is utilized as a transport for the SIAs. A network server constructs an SIA chat message and delivers it to the mobile client. The mobile client examines the chat message and, if it is configured to indicate that it is an SIA message, then the message is not shown on the mobile device, and an initiation command is executed, e.g., an indication is displayed to a user of the mobile client (e.g., to indicate the receipt of new email). Alternatively, upon receipt and identification of the SIA message, the mobile client can execute an initiation command causing the performance of a function identified by the SIA message, for example, to begin to download email immediately.
US07711800B2
The present invention provides a method by which the connectivity status of network connections on a PC is determined in real-time by passively reviewing packet information from the TCP/IP stack. To achieve high accuracy of the connectivity status determination, the method involves the determination of the edge of a local network. In cases where little or no network traffic is observed on the network, scalable active probing methods are designed to make accurate connectivity determination. Special considerations for network setups like networks with web proxy servers, NAT or edge firewalls are also included to improve the accuracy of the determination in those environments.
US07711798B1
A system method and computer program product for redirecting a consumer (i.e., user) to a previously selected Web site is provided. In an embodiment of the invention, the user acquires a product or service from a first Web site. In the course of acquiring the product or service, the first Web site places a cookie on the user's computer. The cookie identifies the first Web site and associates it with the product or service the user has purchased. Subsequently, the user will receive a Universal Resource Locator (URL) from a second Web site offering the same product or service. When the user activates the URL, they are directed to the second Web site. In response, the second Web site searches for a relevant cookie located on the user's computer. If found, the second Web site determines from the cookie whether the user already possesses the particular product or service being offered by the second Web site. If the second Web site determines that the user already possesses the product or service, the second Web site redirects the user to the first Web site, which is specified by the cookie. If the second Web site determines that the user does not possess the product or service, the second Web site proceeds to offer the product or service to the user. As a result, a user who already possesses the product or service will not receive duplicate offers to supply the product or service from multiple Web sites.
US07711794B2
Adjusting timing between automatic, non-user-initiated pollings of server to download data therefrom
The timing between automatic, non-user-initiated pollings of a server to download data from the server is changed. In one embodiment, user input in relation to polling the server to download data from the server is detected. In response, the timing between automatic, non-user-initiated pollings of the server is changed based at least on the user input detected. In another embodiment, the amount of data downloaded from the server at each polling is tracked. The timing between pollings of the server is thus changed based on the amount of data downloaded from the server during the pollings of the server. The server may be an email server, such that the data downloaded therefrom includes email messages.
US07711780B1
A datacenter system including a plurality of nodes configured to send and receive a service request, a service table on the plurality of nodes configured to store route information extracted from a signaling mechanism, and a forwarding engine configured to route the service request to at least one of the plurality of nodes using route information from the service table.
US07711776B2
The present invention provides a data distributing system for transmitting and receiving data between a terminal device and a server via a network. The server stores, for content data, additional data for modifying the content data or new content data obtained as a result of the modification of the content data and, in response to download and/or stream reproduction of the additional data and the new content data from the server by the terminal device, executes settlement processing and/or value point granting processing with respect to the additional data or the new content data.
US07711774B1
An interactive, multi-user media delivery system having a number of media storage mediums, each of containing a particular media selection, and a number of media players structured to selectively deliver the media selection to users. Each of the media players includes a control assembly structured to selectively control and regulate delivery of the media selection to the user, and at least one of the media players is selectively designatable as a slave unit. A master control assembly is further provided and is operatively associated with the media players, a connectivity assembly being included to establish a communicative link at least between the slave unit(s) and the master control assembly. The master control assembly is further structured to receive synchronization data from each of the media players, and to simultaneously and uniformly control the delivery of the media selection by the media players.
US07711770B2
There is provided a method of enabling a consumer of a media content to communicate with a producer of the media content, comprising receiving an originating message concerning the media content from the consumer, assigning metadata to the originating message based on the media content or the content of the originating message, determining the producer based on the media content or the content of the originating message, forwarding the originating message through a message support network for distribution to the producer, retrieving a responsive message provided by the producer from among message updates stored on a message database, and associating the responsive message with one or more content subsets of the content according to the metadata assigned to the originating message. In one embodiment, media content and instructions comprising an interactive communication control application are stored on a computer readable medium.
US07711764B2
A method and ALU for implementing logarithmic arithmetic in a multi-stage pipeline is described herein. According to one embodiment, a master function is decomposed into two or more sub-functions. Memory associated with the pipeline stores a look-up table for each stage of the pipeline, where each table represents function values generated based on the corresponding sub-function, and where the look-up table associated with one stage differs from the look-up table(s) associated with at least one other stage. Each stage computes a stage output based on the stage input and the corresponding look-up table. By combining the stage outputs, the multi-stage pipeline outputs the logarithmic arithmetic output.
US07711758B1
Methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for storing a character string in a HII database in an EFI environment are provided. According to one method, a request is received to store a character string in an HII database within an EFI environment. Included in the request are one or more attributes that distinctly identify the character string to be created and added to the HII database. A determination is then made as to whether a character string having identical or nearly identical distinct attributes was previously stored in the HII database. If a character string having identical distinct attributes was previously stored in the HII database, the character string is not stored in the HII database and the previously stored string's unique token is retrieved. If a character string having distinct attributes was not previously stored in the HII database, then the character string is stored in the HII database and a new unique token for the string is retrieved.
US07711751B2
Network performance data is collected, recorded, and normalized. In one embodiment, a set of first performance data collected by an agent in response to network transactions initiated by the agent and a second set of performance data resulting from passively monitoring traffic on the network are received. The first and second sets of performance data are normalized to create a set of constantly formatted network performance data capable of convenient analysis.
US07711748B2
An online service provider is equipped to receive a request from a client to access a subscribed online service of a subscriber at the online service provider. Comprising the request is a globally unique identifier (GUID) of the subscriber. Once the request is received, the online service provider, determines if the GUID is associated with the subscriber, and if the GUID is associated with the subscriber, the online service provider facilitates access to the subscribed online service of the subscriber. As a result, a user is able to access online services without having to manage several a logon Id and password pair. In one embodiment, the GUID is also caused to be stored in an email with an email service provider. The novel storage enables the subscriber to access his/her subscribed services from another location, or even after the subscriber has reconfigured the original location.
US07711746B2
An SQL procedure deployment system deploys a query procedure comprising a procedural logic component and a database request component from a source system to a target system. At generation of the query procedure, the system generates a query procedure source code, a symbol table, and an encapsulated optimization results to regenerate run-time instructions for query statements of the database request component and make the query statements function with a deployed procedural logic component. The system maintains an association between the procedural logic component and the database request component during deployment. The system copies an internal representation of the procedural logic component to the target system without regeneration. The system regenerates the database request component to recreate the query procedure on the target system and to maintain a consistent interface between the procedural logic component and database request component.
US07711745B2
In accordance with the present invention, when a user makes an information assistance call to an information/call center requesting a listing, the user can make arrangements for various services relating to the requested listing in the same call. These services may be presented to an operator as options, and in turn presented to the user for selection. However, the options undesired by the user, based on personal preferences stored in a personal profile, or unsupported by the telephone service to which the user subscribes are not presented to the operator and thus not made available to the user. If the user is interested in any of the available options, the operator accesses the selected option and makes an appropriate arrangement for the underlying service for the user.
US07711743B2
A search of information collected from a root URL (Websites, Web pages, documents or database fields) is dynamically linked back to a directory (contact) record where information from both data sets are displayed to the end user who is performing the search. Additional information can be displayed as it relates to each contact.The dynamic linking includes importing a plurality of directory (contact) records with assigned IDs into a first table of a database and defining a group of root URLs with assigned IDs into a second table of the database. Establishing a coordinating third table of the database to link each of the directory (contact) records with root URLs, thus allowing directory (contact) records to share root URLs. Each root URL is spidered to capture target content (all Web pages within a Website, documents within a directory or content within an individual document) and links the content found to the root URL. The content is parsed, broken down into text and stored in a fourth table of the database. Links between the first, second, and fourth tables are established in the coordinating third table.A response to a search request includes searching the first and fourth tables for a target containing corresponding data in the tables and the search term and, if a target with corresponding data is found, the target and the appropriate directory (contact) record(s) linked to the targets root URL is then displayed in response to the search request.
US07711742B2
Techniques are disclosed for programmatically determining one or more logical choices to be offered to users as conditions of a data query (e.g., for searching a content source), and enabling extensions to already-established queries to be programmatically created. A number of different aspects are described, and include programmatically determining all query conditions as well as allowing a user to specify (or request programmatic determination of) further conditions.
US07711738B1
Systems, methods and computer-readable media using the Internet for submitting search requests for court case records and retrieving court items or documents associated therewith. Users specify a number of search criteria and each search request is stored in a memory to be executed by a server. Stored search requests are selected for executing by the server based on several factors, including the number of times the search request failed, how old the search request is, how busy the court database is and how many phone lines the court database has available for access. When search requests are selected, the server seamlessly accesses the court databases associated with the search requests regardless of whether the court databases are accessible through the Internet or through dial-up connections. Once court databases are accessed, the server executes the search request. Using various data processing algorithms, search request results are parsed, filtered, sorted and analyzed for data consistency so that users may conveniently view and select particular items or documents contained in court case records for retrieval, including purchasing and delivery. Search request results and data processed results are stored for later retrieval.
US07711727B2
A privacy-preserving index system addresses the problem of providing a privacy-preserving search over distributed access-controlled content. Indexed documents can be readily reconstructed from inverted indexes used in the search. The privacy-preserving index system builds a centralized privacy-preserving index in conjunction with a distributed access-control enforcing search protocol. The privacy-preserving index utilizes a randomized algorithm for constructing a privacy-preserving index. The privacy-preserving index is strongly resilient to privacy breaches. The privacy-preserving index system allows content providers to maintain complete control in defining access groups and ensuring its compliance, and further allows system implementors to retain tunable knobs to balance privacy and efficiency concerns for their particular domains.
US07711722B1
A metadata extraction and display system and method are provided in which the system extracts metadata from a presentation and then, based on a configuration, displays the extracted metadata synchronized with the display elements of the presentation.
US07711709B2
A facility for efficiently storing and querying snapshot measures from a relational data warehouse is provided. The facility allows for the efficient query of measures at any given point in time by efficiently modeling snapshot measures. In one technique, the facility stores periodic snapshots of a metric at longer time intervals, and computes intermediate snapshots of the metric as necessary in between these time intervals. Under this technique, the facility can compute an intermediate snapshot measure of a metric for any specified time by determining the last snapshot measure of the metric from the most recent periodic snapshot, and adding to the last snapshot measure the value of the changes to the metric that happened since the time of the most recent periodic snapshot and the specified time.
US07711694B2
Systems and techniques to manage work related procedures. In general, in one implementation, the techniques include providing a user-interface with a user-selectable list of work-items, each work-item having metadata describing a predefined user-selectable list of guided procedures associated with the work-item, receiving a response that includes a selected work-item and selected guided procedures, and triggering the selected guided procedures associated with the selected work-item.
US07711684B2
A method and system determines respective reputation values for one or more users of a network-based community, the respective reputation values being based on one or more user attributes associated with the one or more users. The method and system receives content included in one or more communications from one or more respective users, the one or more communications identifying the content as objectionable within a network-based community and then evaluates the content based on respective reputation values of the one or more users to determine an action to take with respect to the content.
US07711681B2
A system for distributed information processing and interaction includes a plurality of output devices arranged to produce a respective output portion of a system output, a plurality of application processors and a state server in data communication with the plurality of application processors. Each respective output portion is defined by context information. Each application processor is configured to process one or more respective application programs and is responsive to the context information. Each application processor is coupled with an associated respective output device for controlling the output device in producing the respective output portion. The state server provides the context information to the plurality of application processors. The architecture is extended to a more general system in which output devices produce a variety of outputs including device actuations, as well as video displays, and receive a variety of inputs.
US07711667B2
In an electronic communication system, relevance levels of an incoming or outgoing message for presenting it to an interlocutor is measured without having to actually interact with the interlocutor, by a method comprising the steps of extracting from the message, a flow of digital signals pertaining to transmission/reception context features, to content of the message and/or to other interlocutors with the interlocutor; weighting probabilistically the digital signals by means of indicators of relative and interrelated frequencies of occurrences of the same digital signals extracted from previous messages; from the results of the above steps, auto-generating a Bayesian network that allows the interlocutor to obtain a probabilistic prediction on the attractiveness of sent/received signals or messages, or find most probably interested interlocutors for a given information or message, each node of the Bayesian network being associated with a signal.
US07711666B1
Embodiments of prime indexing and/or other related operations are disclosed.
US07711664B2
An object of the present invention is to control crack propagation, either by predicting shaft dovetail crack propagation with high accuracy, or by determining operation conditions under which the crack does not extend. The crack propagation prediction system includes an operation processing unit, an interface unit, and a memory unit. The operation processing unit includes a stress calculation unit that calculates the mean stress generated in the shaft dovetail, a factor range calculation unit that calculates the stress intensity factor range for the crack in the shaft dovetail, and a crack propagation amount calculation unit that calculates an amount of the shaft dovetail crack propagation for an arbitrary time period, from the obtained mean stress and the stress intensity factor range, an operation pattern, an operation time, and data on the crack. The stress calculation unit includes as individual calculation units that calculate separately different types of mean stress, a contact surface pressure stress calculation unit, a thermal stress calculation unit, and a residual stress calculation unit, as well as a mean stress calculation unit that sums these mean stresses.
US07711654B2
Systems and methods collect data concerning a supply chain and perform statistical analysis on the collected data to facilitate identification of anomalies or inefficiencies in the process. One method disclosed involves storing, in memory accessible to at least one processor, an electronic copy of an advanced shipping notification (ASN) that was transmitted from a shipping location to a receiving location in advance of shipping at least one item therebetween, and also storing, in memory accessible to the at least one processor, data reflecting at least one determined value of at least one monitored aspect of the shipment between the shipping location and the receiving location. The at least one processor uses at least some information from the ASN stored in memory, with at least some of the data stored in memory, to generate at least one report involving the at least one determined value.
US07711646B2
The present invention provides systems and methods which afford a technical application for insuring, bonding, and underwriting a transmission of a data set, streaming data, and/or document over the Internet through TCP/IP and all other electronic media such as WAP, VOIP, fiber optic channels, microwave channels, and through standard electrical switches, electrical outlets and power lines. The present invention includes a computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions to cause a system perform a method for insuring, bonding, and/or underwriting data transmission. The method includes enabling a first remote client coupled to a communications network to insure, bond, and/or underwrite a transmission of an electronic data set, streaming data, and/or document, with a selected coverage type for a selected coverage amount, from the first remote client to one or more second remote clients. The method includes charging a fee to an appropriate account for the selected coverage type and amount.
US07711644B2
A system for processing a composite trading order comprises a memory operable to store market data received from one or more market centers. The system further comprises a processor operable to generate a composite value based at least in part on the market data. The processor is further operable to receive a composite trading order associated with at least a portion of the composite value. The processor is further operable to generate a plurality of constituent trading orders that, when filled, combine to satisfy the composite trading order.
US07711627B2
Methods and systems for providing and implementing crossing markets are provided. These methods and systems preferably include facilitating trading at crossing markets by establishing crossing market trading rules, incentivizing crossing market participants, and improving the efficiency of crossing market trading.
US07711624B2
A computer-implemented method of calculating a value of a benefit for an annuity contract including a minimum contract accumulation value provision is disclosed. The method includes determining a current minimum contract accumulation value, determining a current value of the annuity contract investments, determining a predetermined reset percentage contained in the annuity contract, calculating the product of the current value of the annuity contract investments and the reset percentage and a fifth step of resetting the minimum contract accumulation value to the greater of the minimum contract accumulation value or the product of the current value of the annuity contract investments and the reset percentage.
US07711620B2
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for gift card services. In general, data characterizing a request to provide a merchant credit service to an intended recipient is received and a message to be sent to the intended recipient is generated, where the message characterizes a phone number to call to activate the merchant credit service. Data characterizing authentication by a call to the phone number to activate the merchant credit service from the mobile phone number of the intended recipient is received, where the authentication includes checking caller identification of the call to ensure the call is from the mobile phone number of the intended recipient. The merchant credit service is activated. Credit associated with an account of a merchant credit service may be redeemed by providing an account number of the service. Redemption may be authorized based on caller identification of a mobile phone number associated with an account.
US07711616B2
An entity initiates a transaction with a provider by sending an entity identification to a first anonymity service. In response, the entity receives a transaction identification, based on and uniquely associated with the entity identification, from the first anonymity service. Thereafter, the entity initiates acquisition of goods associated with the transaction by sending an acquisition request and the transaction identification to a second anonymity service. In this manner, enhanced security and privacy is achieved.
US07711615B2
In some embodiments, a method includes: generating entries for at least one cost plan, each of the entries including a planned amount and a descriptor, wherein the descriptor identifies a general ledger account. In some embodiments, a method includes: generating postings for at least one ledger, each of the postings including an actual amount, a first descriptor and a second descriptor, wherein the first descriptor identifies a general ledger account and wherein the second descriptor identifies a general ledger account.
US07711612B1
In accordance with the present invention, a method, system, and program for controlling the replenishment process in the manufacturing process by maintaining a common database is disclosed. The present invention connects the acquiring entity, supplier, and the replenishment service center (“RSC”) to efficiently coordinate the replenishment process using the days of supply at the RSC as the key benchmark. By allowing access to the common database, the acquiring entity, supplier, and RSC can view and update changes in the replenishment process in real time increasing the communication and efficiency of delivering components to manufacture a product. In addition, the present invention facilitates the ability for the invoice process to be conducted electronically over the computer network.
US07711608B2
An auction system for use in auctions is provided. In the auction system, a recording medium is attached to an auction item. An auction participant reads information about the auction item out of the recording medium using a mobile data device. In order to place a bid on the auction item, the auction participant writes a bid price to the recording medium using the mobile data device.
US07711605B1
An electronic information system and method pursuant to which at least one user interface is adapted for interaction with a user; at least one database comprising adult digital content associated with a server is remotely accessible and accessed by the user, and a network provides remote access to the at least one database to enable downloading of adult digital content.
US07711597B2
In one embodiment, optimizing inventory includes accessing service level band sets. Each service level band set is associated with a policy group, and includes service level bands. Each service level band of a service level band set has a service level priority with respect to any other service level bands of the same service level band set. An inventory band set is determined for each service level band set. Each inventory band set includes inventory bands, where each inventory band satisfies a corresponding service level band assuming an unconstrained network. Each inventory band of an inventory band set has an inventory priority with respect to any other inventory bands of the same inventory band set. A feasible supply chain plan that satisfies the inventory band sets is generated in order of the inventory priorities until a constrained network is depleted.
US07711586B2
A method and system for unused ticket management, that identifying travel data related to one of future or past travel data for one or more travelers; identifying one or more unused travel purchase; generating a value for the unused travel purchase, the value corresponding to the one or more travelers, the respective values based at least in part on the travel data of the one or more travelers; and presenting to at least one of the one or more travelers, one or more options of unused travel purchases and the respective generated values.
US07711568B2
A digital speech enabled middleware module is disclosed that facilitates interaction between a large number of client devices and network-based automatic speech recognition (ASR) resources. The module buffers feature vectors associated with speech received from the client devices when the number of client devices is greater than the available ASR resources. When an ASR decoder becomes available, the module transmits the feature vectors to the ASR decoder and a recognition result is returned.
US07711566B1
Systems and methods for using an annotation guide to label utterances and speech data with a call type. A method embodiment monitors labelers of speech data by presenting via a processor a test utterance to a labeler, receiving input from the labeler that selects a particular call type from a list of call types and determining via the processor if the labeler labeled the test utterance correctly. Based on the determining step, the method performs at least one of the following: revising the annotation guide, retraining the labeler or altering the test utterance.
US07711562B1
Disclosed are various elements of a toolkit used for generating a TTS voice for use in a spoken dialog system. The invention in each case may be in the form of the system, a computer-readable medium or a method for generating the TTS voice. An embodiment of the invention relates to a method for preparing a text-to-speech (TTS) voice for testing and verification. The method comprises processing a TTS voice to be ready for testing, synthesizing words utilizing the TTS voice, presenting to a person a smallest possible subset that contains at least N instances of a group of units in the TTS voice, receiving information from the person associated with corrections needed to the TTS voice and making corrections to the TTS voice according to the received information.
US07711561B2
The present invention relates to speech recognition systems, particularly speech-to-text systems and software and decoders for the same. The present invention provides a decoder for an automatic speech recognition system for determining one or more candidate text unit concatenations according to a predetermined criterion and which correspond to a speech segment, the decoder comprising: means for receiving a sequence of feature vectors corresponding to the speech segment; means for mapping with different likelihood values the feature vectors to sequences of nodes in a decoding network, every sequence representing a concatenation of text units; means for determining one or more candidate node sequences in the decoding network corresponding to the candidate text unit concatenations by implementing a dynamic programming token passing algorithm in which each token corresponds to a node and is associated with a number of text unit concatenations and likelihood values for these concatenations, and wherein a token associated with a node in the decoding network is derived from the tokens associated with the previous nodes in the network; wherein tokens from different nodes that are to be passed to a common node are combined to generate a new token corresponding to the common node and associated with an identifier for text unit concatenations and likelihood values associated with the previous tokens of said different nodes. This is combined with means for merging a said token having a said identifier, the text unit concatenations of the said previous tokens being associated with said merged token dependent on their corresponding likelihood values.
US07711560B2
A speech recognition apparatus equipped with the garbage acoustic model storage unit storing the garbage acoustic model which learned the collection of unnecessary words. A feature value calculation unit calculates the feature parameter necessary for recognition by acoustically analyzing the unidentified input speech including the non-language speech per frame which is a unit for speech analysis. A garbage acoustic score calculation unit calculates the garbage acoustic score by comparing the feature parameter and the garbage acoustic model, and a garbage acoustic score correction unit corrects the garbage acoustic score calculated by the garbage acoustic score calculation unit so as to raise it in the frame where the non-language speech is inputted. A recognition result output unit outputs, as the recognition result of the unidentified input speech, the word string with the highest cumulative score of the language score, the word acoustic score, and the garbage acoustic score which is corrected by the garbage acoustic score correcting unit.
US07711547B2
A method for creating and using a cross-idea association database that includes a method for associating words and word strings in a language by analyzing word formations around a word or word string to identify other words or word strings that are equivalents or near equivalents semantically. One method for associating words and word strings includes querying a collection of documents with a user-supplied word or word string, determining a user-defined amount of words or word strings to the left and right of the query string, determining the frequency of occurrence of words or word strings located on the left and right of the query string, and ranking the located words.
US07711535B1
A method and apparatus are provided to allow co-verification of hardware and software elements asynchronously from a programmable logic device (PLD).
US07711527B2
A mechanism for translating objects between applications that use different formats is described. As described, a source object is generated using a source application. The source object is then translated to a target object in a target application. The target application having a format that is not supported by the source application. A first modification, which is not supported by the source application, is then performed to the target object. A second modification is also performed to the source object in the source application. Based on the modifications, the target object in the target application is revised to reflect the second modification to the source object without removing the first modification to the target object.
US07711522B2
Systems and methods are provided for monitoring a machine. In one implementation, a system for monitoring the machine includes a monitoring server in communication with a machine. The monitoring server receives data from the machine, estimates, based on the received data, an operating condition of the machine, and estimates a depreciation value of the machine based on the operating condition.
US07711510B2
A signal processing system compensates for the relative phase difference between multiple frequency bands so that the combination of the bands is constructive throughout a substantial portion of the band overlap or crossover region. In one embodiment, a signal combining system may include a comparator for determining a relative phase difference between the two signals within a predefined crossover region, a phase adjusting element for adjusting a phase of one of the two signals; and a combiner for combining the phase-adjusted signal and the other of the two signals.
US07711509B2
A method of calibrating a fluid-level measurement system is provided. A first response of the system is recorded when the system's sensor(s) is (are) not in contact with a fluid of interest. A second response of the system is recorded when the system's sensor(s) is (are) fully immersed in the fluid of interest. Using the first and second responses, a plurality of expected responses of the system's sensor(s) is (are) generated for a corresponding plurality of levels of immersion of the sensor(s) in the fluid of interest.
US07711508B2
Two position sensors provide, as outputs, two signals that vary sinusoidally at a pitch of wavelength λ with respect to a displacement of a target and have phases shifted from each other by 90°. A memory unit has stored therein offset values for the two signals, and two subtractors eliminate the offset values from the two signals, respectively. The two signals after offset elimination are converted into position data in an interpolation calculator. A radius calculator calculates a radius value of the two signals after offset elimination. An FFT calculates offset values based on the position data and the radius values, and the calculated offset values are used to update the values stored in the memory unit. An amplitude ratio correction value and a phase difference correction value for the two signals are updated similarly. By performing elimination of the components that degrade interpolation accuracy at every rotational position, interpolation accuracy is improved.
US07711500B1
A pressure relief valve monitoring system and method is disclosed. In one aspect there is an online pressure relief valve monitoring system that includes at least one acoustic sensor located about a pressure relief valve that obtains ultrasonic measurements therefrom. One or more temperature sensors located about the pressure relief valve obtain temperature measurements therefrom. A data acquisition system receives the ultrasonic measurements from the at least one acoustic sensor and the temperature measurements from the one or more temperature sensors. An online monitor monitors the measurements received by the data acquisition system for detection of a leak about the pressure relief valve. The online monitor detects the presence of the leak as a function of the ultrasonic measurements and temperature measurements.
US07711499B2
A method of synthesizing nondestructive examination data of a component that combines data sets acquired at least two different frequencies. At least one of the data sets is interpolated or extrapolated to the equivalent of data acquired at one of the other frequencies employing a third, reference set of eddy current inspection data that is acquired at each of the inspection frequencies being combined.
US07711494B2
Disclosed is a method for determining survival and relapse of a patient undergoing therapy for a tumor by determining a residual cancer burden index based on the bidimensional diameters of a primary tumor bed of said tumor in a resection specimen, the proportion of the primary tumor bed area that contains invasive carcinoma, the number of regional lymph nodes containing metastatic carcinoma, the diameter of the largest metastasis in an regional lymph node; and the fractional reduction in lymph node size with each added positive lymph node.
US07711493B2
The present invention comprises one or more microprocessors programmed to execute methods for improving the performance of an analyte monitoring device including prediction of glucose levels in a subject by utilizing a predicted slower-time constant (1/k2). In another aspect of the invention, pre-exponential terms (1/c2) can be used to provide a correction for signal decay (e.g., a Gain Factor). In other aspects, the present invention relates to one or more microprocessors comprising programming to control execution of (i) methods for conditional screening of data points to reduce skipped measurements, (ii) methods for qualifying interpolated/extrapolated analyte measurement values, (iii) various integration methods to obtain maximum integrals of analyte-related signals, as well as analyte monitoring devices comprising such microprocessors. Further, the present invention relates to algorithms for improved optimization of parameters for use in prediction models that require optimization of adjustable parameters.
US07711486B2
A system and method for producing fluid from a completed well is provided wherein the method in one aspect includes determining a first setting of at least one first device under use for producing the fluid from the well; selecting a first set of input parameters that includes at least one parameter relating to health of at least one second device and a plurality of parameters selected from a group consisting of information relating to flow rate, pressure, temperature, presence of a selected chemical, water content, sand content, and chemical injection rate; and using the selected first set of parameters as an input to a computer model, determining a second setting for the at least one first device that will provide at least one of an increased life of at least one second device and enhanced flow rate for the fluid from the completed well.
US07711481B2
A navigation system for use in a vehicle receives a GPS signal for having a GPS time data that rolls over at an interval of 19.7 years with a start time of 0 a.m. Jan. 6th, 1980 from a GPS satellite, and acquires map generation date information that specifies map data generation time from map database in the navigation system. The GPS time data and the map data generation time information are utilized for calculating an accurate current date and time.
US07711472B2
A navigation system for a vehicle includes a man-machine interface to enter at least one key word for characterization of a point of interest and to enter a geometric figure and a search module to search for at least one of the points of interest assigned to the key word within a geographic area defined by the geometric figure.
US07711469B2
A process and device for controlling the brake system of a motor vehicle with all-wheel drive are described. The process and the device include an electronic control unit which controls at least one coupling unit for engaging and disengaging an all-wheel drive, so that at least one wheel can be decoupled, from the drive. After stopping the motor vehicle, for example on a sloping roadway, a predefined brake pressure on at least one wheel of the motor vehicle is held either depending on or independently from the extent of brake pedal actuation. The brake pressure is held until a brake pressure reduction condition is present, such as during a brake pressure holding time. During that time, the brake pressure on at least the one wheel is reduced and the wheel is decoupled from the drive to detect slippage, while at least one other wheel remains pressurized with brake pressure.
US07711459B2
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for determining the order of wagons in a train. The invention configures a plurality of wagons of a train to sense at least one environmental condition that the wagons are respectively exposed to when the train is moving. The invention configures the wagons to generate a corresponding announcement message in response to a change in state of the environmental condition. The invention configures the first wagon of the train to listen for the announcement message generated by any of the plurality of wagons. The invention configures the first wagon to compute a sequence of the announcement messages from an order in which the wagons have been heard.
US07711456B2
The field of the invention is that of safe devices for operating the actuators of aircraft and more specifically the flight control actuators of a helicopter. The invention consists of a safe control device for commanding an actuator (15) movement comprising at least two independent calculation chains (120), (130), a circuit for mixing instructions (65) and a power stage (88), each calculation stage delivering a direction of movement instruction and a speed of movement instruction for the actuator, the instructions being transmitted to the circuit for mixing instructions (65) in order to generate a primary movement command for the actuator comprising modulated pulse trains, the power stage receiving the primary movement command and delivering a power movement command to the actuator (15). According to the invention, the circuit for mixing instructions (65) compares the direction of movement instructions and the speed of movement instructions in pairs in order to generate the primary movement command for the actuator.
US07711447B2
In accordance with various aspects of the present invention, a system and method for automated generating of a cutting curve on a surface is provided. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, a computer-implemented method for automated generating of a cutting curve on a gingival surface to facilitate cutting of an aligner material comprises the defining of initial gingival curves along the line around a tooth (LAT) on a patient's jaw, including within an interproximal area between teeth. The initial gingival curves are replaced with a modified, dynamic cutting curve comprising an offset adjustment configured to minimize weakening of a region of the aligner material within the interproximal area. This process for generating a modified, dynamic cutting curve within an interproximal area can be suitably applied or continued for each of other the teeth and interproximal areas between those teeth to define a complete dynamic cutting curve. The resulting complete dynamic cutting curve can then be output for conversion into machine executable code to facilitate cutting of the aligner material.
US07711440B1
Systems and methods that enable query based formulation requests to an embedded historian and data acquired thereby, via employing a browser engine. Accordingly, users can browse data collected by the plurality of embedded historians based on numerous selection criteria such as for example, type of data collected, location/time of data collection, and the like. Query specific request can be inputted to the browser engine, and data that match such request can subsequently be presented to the user. Thus, history data can be viewed based on user preferences, and in a meaningful manner to such user.
US07711437B1
A lead fixation device that includes a helix having a surface, and a layer of electrically insulating material that covers one or more selected regions of the surface leaving one or more additional regions of the surface exposed. The insulating material defines one of a plurality of individual exposed portions along the length of the helix having a plurality of different configurations, e.g. shapes and sizes, or an insulating strip that wraps around the helix while advancing along the length of the helix.
US07711425B2
A nondefibrillating and nonfibrillation-inducing energy is delivered at a first internal thoracic location. A first resulting electrical signal is detected at a second internal thoracic location in or near a target region of a heart. A first defibrillation threshold is estimated using the nondefibrillating and nonfibrillation-inducing energy, the first resulting electrical signal, and a target electric field strength. The defibrillation threshold represents an energy that when delivered at the first internal thoracic location creates an electric field strength in the target region of the heart that meets or exceeds the target electric field strength.
US07711422B2
Adjusting the maximum ventricular stimulation frequency according to the hemodynamic state of the patient in an active implantable medical device. This device provides for limiting ventricular stimulation to a maximum frequency (Fmax), the rate of delivery of the stimulation pulses, measuring an intracardiac bio-impedance (Zn, Zn+1), and adjusting the maximum frequency according to the measured intracardiac bio-impedance. The adjusting process can include evaluating a parameter representative of the cardiac flow (dn, dn+1) utilizing the intracardiac signal of bio-impedance; controlling a predetermined variation (X %) of the frequency (f) of delivery of the stimulation pulses; evaluating the correlative variation (y %) of the cardiac flow; and adjusting the value of the maximum frequency (Fmax) according to the variation of the cardiac flow thus evaluated.
US07711408B2
The present invention realizes a medical device guidance system capable of improving propulsion control characteristic. The capsule guidance system 1 includes a rotating electromagnetic field generating device 4 for generating a rotating electromagnetic field for applying from the outside of a subject into the subject; a capsule 3 to be inserted into the body cavity of the subject; a magnet 16 provided in this capsule 3 and acting on the rotating electromagnetic field generated by the rotating electromagnetic field generating device 4; a spiral projection portion 12 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the capsule 3 and converting the rotational movement generated by the magnet 16 into a thrust; a controller 6 for controlling the rotating electromagnetic field generating device 4 to continuously change the state of the rotating electromagnetic field generated by rotating electromagnetic field generating device 4; and a capsule rotational direction pattern generator 41 for interchanging the rotational directions of the rotating electromagnetic field generated by the rotating electromagnetic field generating device 4 for each set rotational direction.
US07711407B2
A localization mechanism, or fixture, is used in conjunction with a breast coil for breast compression and for guiding a core biopsy instrument during prone biopsy procedures in both open and closed Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines. The localization fixture includes a three-dimensional Cartesian positionable guide for supporting and orienting an MRI-compatible biopsy instrument, and, in particular, a sleeve to a biopsy site of suspicious tissues or lesions. A z-stop enhances accurate insertion, prevents over-insertion or inadvertent retraction of the sleeve. The sleeve receives a probe of the MRI-compatible biopsy instrument and may contain various features to enhance its imagability, to enhance vacuum and pressure assist therethrough, etc.
US07711402B2
Devices and methods for determining analyte levels are described. The devices and methods allow for the implantation of analyte-monitoring devices, such as glucose monitoring devices, that result in the delivery of a dependable flow of blood to deliver sample to the implanted device. The devices comprise a unique microarchitectural arrangement in the sensor region that allows accurate data to be obtained over long periods of time.
US07711400B2
The invention relates to personal communications devices and casings for such devices. The casing for a portable communications device comprises at least a front face having edge portions, a housing element having a portion that extends over the edge portions of the front face, the housing element being fixed in a position such that the portion of the housing element overlying the edge portions of the front face and the front face are pressed together so as to hold them firmly with respect to each other.
US07711399B2
A mobile communication terminal is provided that can be opened or closed when the mobile communication terminal is shaken in one direction. By simply shaking the mobile communication terminal held in hand to move a weight pendulum, a second body of the terminal can be opened and closed with respect to a first body for user convenience.
US07711398B2
A portable terminal comprises: a terminal body having a keypad; a display unit having a display screen for displaying information; and a hinge unit mounted between the terminal body and the display unit, rotatably supporting the display unit so as to dispose the display unit crosswise, and rotatably supporting the terminal body so as to dispose the terminal body crosswise, thereby rotating the terminal body to be disposed crosswise as well as the display unit. Accordingly, the portable terminal can facilitate a key manipulation during a game or the like and additionally perform various functions.
US07711396B2
A mobile communication terminal and operating method thereof. The terminal includes a housing configured such that one portion of the housing can rotate against the other portion of the housing. A joint mutually joins an upper housing with a lower housing of the mobile communication terminal and enables one of the upper and lower housings to be obliquely twisted to rotate against the other. After providing an input signal to the mobile communication terminal having thus joined, twisting to rotate either the upper or lower housing against either the lower or upper housing in one direction obliquely orients a microphone near a user's mouth. Twisting the upper and/or lower housing also sends the input signal to a base station automatically.
US07711394B2
A display interface (interface device) of a mobile telecommunication terminal is provided. The mobile telecommunication terminal includes a main body having a processor, and a display coupled to the main body. The processor is configured to implement mobile telecommunication terminal functions. The interface device includes a digital-to-analog converter configured to convert digital pixel information to an analog color signal. The interface device also includes graphic signal lines operatively connected to the digital-to-analog converter, configured to carry the analog color signal to the display. The interfere device also includes a clock line operatively connected to the digital-to-analog converter, configured to provide a timing reference used to sample the analog color signal. The interface device also includes a data enable line operatively connected to the digital-to-analog converter, configured to control transmission of the analog color signal through the graphic signal lines based on a selective switching operation.
US07711390B2
An apparatus and method for displaying a message on a display of a mobile terminal includes storing an unsent message in memory responsive to a system event, such as receiving an incoming call at the mobile terminal, and automatically displaying on the display at least one of an indicator or the stored unsent message after a predetermined period of time has elapsed.
US07711389B2
A high frequency module for transmitting and receiving, for example, communication signals of GSM/DCS/PCS/WCDMA systems through a single antenna, is provided at a relatively small size and low cost. The high frequency module includes a diplexer arranged to separate communication signals from the antenna into GSM communication signals in lower frequency bands and POS/DOS/WODMA communication signals in higher frequency bands, a diode switch circuit that is connected to a input and output terminal of the GSM communication signal of the diplexer and is arranged to switch transmission and reception of the GSM communication signal, and a multipoint GaAsIC switch that is connected to the GSM/DCS/PCS/WCDMA communication signals of the diplexer and is arranged to switch transmission and reception of these signals. The high frequency module switches the four types of communication signals by changing the patterns of controls signals VcG, VC1, and Vc2 that are applied to the diode switch circuit and the GaAsIC switch.
US07711373B2
A system for managing the simultaneous operation of a plurality of radio modems in a single wireless communication device (WCD). The multiradio control may be integrated into the WCD as a subsystem responsible for scheduling wireless communications by temporarily enabling or disabling the plurality of radio modems within the device. The multiradio control system may comprise a multiradio controller (MRC) and a plurality dedicated radio interfaces. The radio interfaces are dedicated to quickly conveying delay sensitive information to and from the radio modems. This information may be requested by the MRC, or provided by one or more of the plurality of radio modems, if a change occurs during operation.
US07711369B2
Data packets are transmitted from a first access network to a first interface of a multiple interface device (MID), and identical data packets are transmitted concurrently from a second access network to a second interface of the MID. Some of the data packets that are transmitted to the MID from the first access network are not received by the first interface. The MID inspects identifiers of data packets from the first and second interfaces in order to send to the application a stream including all of the data packets. For example, the MID sends to the application the data packets from the first interface, buffers the data packets from the second interface, and sends data packets from the buffer to the application upon detecting that data packets in the buffer were transmitted to the first interface but not received by the first interface.