US07717834B2
In one embodiment, a shoulder exercise and stretching apparatus includes a forearm support, a forearm securing means for securing a user's forearm to the forearm support, an elbow support to capture the elbow of a user and keep the user's arm in a desired position to isolate the user's shoulder as a pivot point for rotation, and a rotation member coupled to the forearm support to rotate the forearm support through a desired plane and thereby provide an angular force to a target shoulder of the user. One or more handles, may be provided for grasping by a user's free hand to assist in the movement of the rotation member. Measurement means may be provided for determining the rotation of the apparatus. Resistance means may be provided to provide for resistance exercises of the shoulder.
US07717830B1
An exercise device includes a support frame and a running platform supported by the support frame. The support frame includes a front, a rear, a left side, and a right side and defines a horizontal plane having a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis. The running platform includes at least one support member extending longitudinally between the front and the rear of the support frame. A left track and a right track are each rotatably connected to the at least one support member and the support frame for lateral rotation. The left track and the right track are each operable between a horizontal position and an inclined position. The left and right tracks are substantially parallel to the horizontal plane in the horizontal position and are laterally rotated relative to the horizontal plane in their respective inclined positions.
US07717829B2
The invention relates to an engaging mechanism for a folding apparatus of a treadmill that is adapted to apply a proper engaging force to a positioning plate fixed at the bottom of the internal side of the handrail assembly such that an unexpected false pushing action caused by the driving behavior of a slope adjusting support by the lifting motor is prevented when the platform frame of the treadmill is moved in a horizontal operational position.
US07717817B2
The electrically variable transmission family of the present invention provides low-content, low-cost electrically variable transmission mechanisms including first and second differential gear sets, a battery, two electric machines serving interchangeably as motors or generators, four or five selectable torque transmitting devices, and possibly a dog clutch. The selectable torque transmitting devices are engaged to yield an EVT with a continuously variable range of speeds (including reverse) and at least one mechanically fixed forward speed ratio. The torque transmitting devices and the first and second motor/generators are operable to provide five operating modes in the electrically variable transmission, including battery reverse mode, EVT reverse mode, reverse and forward launch modes, continuously variable transmission range mode, and fixed ratio mode.
US07717812B2
A substantially hollow practice bat is disclosed, and is useable by baseball players and other athletes in training and/or rehabilitation sessions to develop stronger and more precise swinging habits. A user typically stands in a pool of water approximately chest-deep. He or she swings the device in an approximation of a proper swing for the sport. The device includes holes that tend to minimize turbulence that a standard bat would generate, yet provides both resistance and good haptic feedback to the user. These features develop or redevelop strength and consistency in the user's swing. Analogous training benefits are obtained for many activities, such as batting, golfing, and tennis.
US07717806B2
A putter head wherein a depth of a center of gravity, ZGR, is a value greater than half of a head width W, namely, ZGR≧W/2, and that a moment of inertia, IY, about the center of gravity is such that IY≧4000 g·cm2.
US07717805B2
One embodiment of a golf club head having movable weights includes a body with a face plate positioned at a forward portion of the golf club head, a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion of the golf club head and a skirt positioned around a periphery of the golf club head between the sole and the crown. Two or more weight ports are formed in the body and at least two weights are configured to be retained at least partially within the weight ports.
US07717799B2
An improved teeter-totter has a pair of seats mounted at opposite ends of a longitudinal seat support member. The seat support member is suspended from overhead pivots by a pair of linkage arms to provide riders with a motion that combines the up-and-down arcuate motion of a conventional teeter-totter with a back-and-forth gliding motion, thus creating a more stable and balancing effect allowing users of different weights, to use the teeter-totter without other counter balance features.
US07717773B2
A system for stunning poultry located in cages in which the system utilizing an automated control system and a series of stunning apparatuses for progressively increasing exposure of the poultry to a subduing gas. The system is adjustable to allow for varying concentrations of the subduing gas, as well as adjusting the time for which the poultry is exposed to the subduing gas. In addition, the conveyor system includes methods for maintaining the poultry in a calm state prior to dispatch.
US07717770B1
An apparatus for grinding both inside surfaces of a concrete joint simultaneously is disclosed. The apparatus includes a proximal grinding wheel having a rotational axis and a grinding implement fixed with a proximal side, and an external drive shaft fixed to the center thereof. A distal grinding wheel is included that has the same rotational axis a grinding implement fixed with a distal side. An internal drive shaft is fixed partially within the external drive shaft and to the center of the distal grinding wheel. The apparatus further includes a means for moving both grinding wheels apart, a source of rotational kinetic energy, and a means for coupling the source of rotational kinetic energy to each drive shaft.
US07717768B2
This wafer polishing apparatus includes: a polishing plate having a polishing pad; a carrier plate which is placed facing the polishing pad and which slides and presses wafers against the polishing pad, while rotating in a state of holding the wafers; and an abrasive slurry supply device, wherein the abrasive slurry supply device is able to supply different abrasive slurries, each of the abrasive slurries contains abrasives of which the average grain size is different from those contained in the other abrasive slurries. This method for polishing wafers includes: while supplying an abrasive slurry to a surface of a polishing pad, sliding and pressing wafers against the polishing pad, wherein different abrasive slurries are supplied to the surface of the polishing pad, and each of the abrasive slurries contains abrasives of which the average grain size is different from those contained in the other abrasive slurries.
US07717751B2
An electrical connector designed to be connected to the edge of a printed circuit card having a first face placed in contact with a support. Said connector comprises at least one metal blade designed to be in contact with an electrical track placed on a second face of the printed circuit card, and at least one securing means designed to secure the electrical connector on the edge of said card. Said at least one metal blade is designed to exert a gripping force on the printed circuit card to keep the latter in contact with the support, movement of the electrical connector and of the printed circuit card being limited in at least one direction perpendicular to the faces of the printed circuit card.
US07717745B2
An electrical connector (100) includes an insulative housing (1), a plurality of contacts (2) retained in the insulative housing (1) and a metal shell (3). The insulative housing (1) has a base portion (111). The base portion (111) has a front face (112), a top face (113) and a mounting face (114) opposite to the top face (113). The insulative housing (1) has a tongue (115) extending forwardly from the front face (112). The tongue (115) has a left face (1151) and a right face (1152). The metal shell (3) comprises a left wall (34) and a right wall (35). Each contact (2) has a contact portion (211, 221) extending to the left face (1151) of the tongue (115). The space between the left face (1151) and the left wall (34) is larger than that between the right face (1152) and the right wall (35).
US07717743B2
A coaxial connector connecting structure according to the invention includes a coaxial connector provided on an outer surface of a housing accommodating a module case of a high-frequency circuit. The module case has a thick side wall with a first through-hole to provide a coaxial space forming portion as a pipe structure so as to be separated from the housing.
US07717742B2
An apparatus is proposed for detachable mechanical and electrical and/or optical connection of a recording appliance to an imaging apparatus. The apparatus comprises a mounting board and an insert board, which is pushed into the mounting board. In this case, the mounting board has guides on opposite sides, which hold the insert board in an interlocking manner in the pushed-in state. Electrical and/or optical contacts on the mounting board and on the insert board are connected to one another when the insert board has been pushed essentially completely into the guides on the mounting board. In one embodiment, a locking lever is provided, which converts a rotary movement of the locking lever to a linear movement of the insert board in the insertion direction. A latching position is provided in an end position of the locking lever.
US07717741B2
Junction bolt having a shank and a foot arranged at one end of the shank and intended for attachment of the junction bolt to a part, the shank includes an outer surface forming a surface of contact for attachment of a junction element. The outer surface of the shank is surrounded by a protective sleeve covering the surface of contact on the shank and movable into a position in which the surface of contact is freely accessible.
US07717734B2
A method and apparatus are provided for monitoring and reporting cable connectivity such as patch panel port-level connectivity on a real-time basis. For patch panel systems, the approach is based upon a distributed architecture that may be modularly scalable and may reduce, if not eliminate, the need for a centralized signal processor and complex cabling between patch panels and the centralized signal processor. Each patch panel may determine port level connectivity independently. Polling delays and polling-related overhead processing may be reduced or eliminated by supporting real-time monitoring of port connectivity at the port level. The approach provides improved real-time reporting of patch panel connectivity with reduced cabling complexity, increased reliability, and decreased maintenance costs. In addition, the approach is compatible with (i.e., may communicate with and be controlled by) a multipurpose network management system (NMS). In addition, a compatible revision system is provided.
US07717726B2
The present invention generally relates to self-aligning electrical coupling devices and related methods. For example, one embodiment can include an aligning means for aligning a central axis of a male connector component with a central axis of a female connector component. The embodiment can also include a rotationally-aligning means for rotationally aligning a male connector component with a female connector component so as to achieve a predetermined rotational orientation. Some embodiments can also an electrically-communicating means for electrically communicating between the male connector component and the female connector component. Some embodiments relate to processes for assembling self-aligning electrical coupling device.
US07717712B2
A method for testing a language learner's ability to create semantically coherent grammatical text in a language, comprising generating text having at least one active region and inactive regions; displaying the text in a graphical user interface on a display unit, wherein at least one active region comprises a key word or phrase; identifying at least one active region in the graphical user interface; selecting at least one active region to display a menu of linguistic choices comprised of at least one grammatically correct linguistic choice and at least one grammatically incorrect linguistic choice; selecting one of the linguistic choices; and displaying an error message when at least one grammatically incorrect linguistic choice is selected.
US07717701B2
A burner includes a first oxidant conduit to transmit a first stream of an oxidant; a solid fuel conduit having an outtake and surrounding the first oxidant conduit, thereby forming a first annulus to transmit a mixture of a transport gas and particles of a solid fuel; a second oxidant conduit surrounding the solid fuel conduit, thereby forming a second annulus to transmit a second stream of the oxidant or an other oxidant; and means for segregating the mixture proximate the outtake into a lean fraction stream and a dense fraction stream. The first stream of the oxidant exiting the first oxidant conduit combines during combustion with the lean fraction stream, thereby forming an inner combustion zone adjacent the outtake, and the second stream of the oxidant, or the other oxidant, exiting the second oxidant conduit combines during combustion with the dense fraction stream, thereby forming an outer combustion zone.
US07717700B2
The present invention relates to a hybrid burner (1) for a combustor (7), in particular of a power plant, comprising a housing (2), in which a full oxidation catalyst (9) and a partial oxidation catalyst (10) are arranged. An inlet side of the housing (2) is connected to at least one oxidizer supply (3) and to at least one fuel supply (4, 5). An outlet side of the housing (2) is connected to a combustion chamber (7).
US07717691B2
A die rib for a tire mold defines the inlets to vent passages of the mold through the sides of the die ribs so that the vent passages do not open through the contour surface of the mold. In one exemplary configuration, the invention provides a die rib having a vent inlet disposed along at least one side of the die rib. The vent inlet may be disposed along up to 80 percent of the length of the die rib with at least one foot disposed against the contour surface of the tire mold section.
US07717688B2
An oil pump for a compressor is provided. The oil pump includes a pump body, a driving shaft coupled to the pump body, with a supply passage extending therethrough, and a plurality of pumping members which rotate with the driving shaft. Fluids such as oil are inhaled into the pump through various intakes, and the inhaled oil is directed towards the driving shaft, where the oil is supplied to the friction parts of the compressor for lubrication. The plurality of intakes into the pump provide for a continuous supply of oil to the friction parts.
US07717687B2
A scroll compressor may include a shell, a bearing housing, first and second scroll members, and a ring member. The bearing housing may be supported within the shell and may include at least three axially extending arms. The first scroll member may be supported on the bearing housing and may include a circumferential outer surface. The second scroll member may be supported on the bearing housing and may be meshingly engaged with the first scroll member. The second scroll member may be disposed between the first scroll member and the bearing housing. The ring member may include an open center portion surrounding the circumferential outer surface of the first scroll member therein. A portion of the ring member may be disposed between the arms of the bearing housing and the circumferential outer surface of the first scroll member.
US07717686B2
There is provided a compressor capable of feeding lubricating oil to a blade of a rotary type compression mechanism even if the oil level in an oil reservoir lowers. The compressor includes a low stage-side rotary type compression mechanism having a rotor, and a blade reciprocating with the rotation of the rotor while the tip end thereof is in contact with the rotor; a high stage-side scroll type compression mechanism for sucking and compressing refrigerant gas compressed by the low stage-side rotary type compression mechanism; a positive displacement lubrication pump for feeding lubricating oil to the high stage-side scroll type compression mechanism; and an oil feeding path for feeding the lubricating oil, which is fed to the high stage-side scroll type compression mechanism, toward the blade of the low stage-side rotary type compression mechanism.
US07717679B2
A structure of a balancing fan is disclosed. The fan comprises a hub and a rotation balancing unit. The hub comprises a top portion and a ring portion disposed around the top portion. A plurality of blades extends from the hub. The rotation balancing unit is disposed among the outer side of the top portion and the inner side of the ring portion and comprises a guiding portion and at least one movable weight member. The movable weight member is positioned on the inner side of the guiding portion such that the movable weight member can move along the guiding portion when the hub rotates to provide the dynamic-balance effect and thereby stabilize the rotation of the fan.
US07717671B2
A seal for restricting leakage of a fluid through a gap disposed between rotating and stationary components concentrically aligned within a gas turbine engine comprises a sealing member and a land. The sealing member is positioned on either the rotating or stationary component of the gas turbine engine and closes a gap between the rotating member and the stationary member. The land is positioned opposite the sealing member on either the rotating or stationary component of the gas turbine engine such that a clearance height is provided between the sealing member and the land. In one embodiment, the land is geometrically shaped according to expected changes in the gap and relative axial position of the sealing member and land during operation of the gas turbine engine. The sealing member and the land are positioned with respect to each other so that the clearance height is maintained approximately constant during operation of the gas turbine engine.
US07717670B2
A platform for a turbomachine is fitted to a variable-setting stator blade to repair a worn area on a plate of the blade. The worn area may be caused by contact between the plate and a part of a casing during operation of the turbomachine. The plate may be machined before the platform may be properly fitted to the plate. The platform may include an anti-rotation tab to prevent the platform from rotating relative to an axis of rotation of a pivot of the blade. The platform may also include a collar to cover an outer diameter of the plate. After the platform has been fitted to the plate, the case may contact the platform instead of the plate.
US07717669B2
A load absorption arrangement 40 for absorbing loads in a variable stator vane positioning system of a gas turbine engine includes a valve 42 which has a first operating condition to enable the load absorption arrangement 40 to transmit load, and a second operating condition, which is operable above a predetermined load, in which the valve 42 can release to enable the load absorption arrangement 40 to absorb the load thereon. The arrangement 40 is particularly suitable for absorbing shock loads which may arise under engine surge.
US07717666B2
Methods, apparatus and systems for machinery testing and inspection using a manipulator are provided. The apparatus includes a tubular shaft, an operator end coupled to the tubular shaft and including a first spool rotatably coupled to the operator end, an effector including an attachment end that includes a second spool rotatably coupled to the attachment end, and a control cable channeled through the shaft from the first spool to the second spool. The control cable is wound at least partially around the first spool and is wound at least partially around the second spool such that rotation of the first spool rotates the second spool using the control cable.
US07717660B1
A device and method for lifting and transporting a conventional hay bale feeder in association with the directed movement of a round hay bale and for facilitating the placement of the feeder around the bale. The device can be removably attached to the feeder and consists of a lift arm assembly, a lift arm support assembly, and an anti-slide stabilizing assembly. The lift arm assembly includes a lift arm that is angled away from the top of the feeder to provide feeder lift. The lift arm support assembly acts as a brace to support the lift arm. The anti-slide stabilizing assembly limits rearward and side to side rocking movement of the feeder when lifted and transported, respectively. In alternate embodiments, the device is integrated into circular and multi-sided feeders during manufacture, forming single stand-alone units. The method of using the device includes moving the bale toward the lift arm using a tractor or other vehicle, tilting of the feeder in an upward direction as the lift arm contacts and slides up the bale, terminating the bale movement when the lift arm rests on top of the bale, moving the hay bale in the opposite direction causing the lift arm to penetrate into the bale and pull the feeder in unison with the bale, terminating the bale movement at the feeding location, and pushing the feeder down over the bale or pushing the bale into the feeder until the feeder falls to the ground with the bale inside. Moreover, the design of the device allows the lift arm to be pivoted toward and secured to the feeder for manual rolling of the feeder in the traditional manner.
US07717654B2
A replaceable drill tip and drill shank combination has a serrated and dowel pinned drill tip and drill shank interface, wherein the drill tip has a serrated bottom surface and a channel for receiving a dowel pin which extends axially from a drill shank, the drill shank having a serrated distal end which engages with the serrations in the bottom surface of the drill tip, and fasteners which extend through the drill tip into the drill shank.
US07717645B2
An adjustable physical structure for producing hydraulic formations for whitewater recreationalists includes a control structure, and an adjustable lip located downstream of the control structure. The control structure can include a crest and a ramp. The crest constricts and/or elevates (dams) the flow water to increase it's energy and focus the flow of water. Downstream of the crest, the ramp routes the flow of the water to the adjustable lip. The ramp can have varying and non-linear slopes and plan configurations. Additionally, the ramp can be static or adjustable to elevate the flow of water and vary the velocity and energy of the supercritical flow as it is passed to the adjustable lip. An adjustable invert physical structure comprises a shaped structure configured for placement on the invert of the channel. The adjustable invert physical structure can be moved or adjusted in horizontal and/or vertical directions to shape the flow of water.
US07717643B2
The present invention relates to a hydrophilic revetment block constructed on the slope of seashore, harbor, river, reservoir, dam, etc. Whereas conventional revetment blocks are focused on their individual functional advantages, the revetment block of the present invention offers a variety of functions, namely, space for plants, conservation of ecosystem and protection of lakeshore through wave dissipation and reduction of water flow rate at once. On the block is provided a space for plants. The block is constructed lower than the water surface to offer living space for fish. Projections are formed at the front bottom of the block to prevent collapse of a revetment block by waves or water flow. The projections serve the purpose of stirs, so that people may have easy access to the shore. The space for water outflow and fish growing dissipates the energy of the water which flowed in through the water inlets formed at the bottom of the block, thereby offering better stability.
US07717627B2
A transceiver module is provided that includes an optical subassembly having an extension with traces corresponding to traces defined on an associated transceiver substrate. A connector element including a flexible, non-electrically conductive substrate within which is disposed an array of conductors is placed between overlapping portions of the extension and the transceiver substrate so that upper ends of some of the conductors contact the traces of the extension, while lower ends of those same conductors contact the corresponding traces of the transceiver substrate. In this way, the connector element provides electrical communication between the optical subassembly and transceiver substrate, while also accommodating misalignment that may be present, or develop, in the transceiver module components.
US07717611B2
An egg beater includes a base having an accommodating chamber fixed therein with a positioning projection and having its outer upper edge disposed with an engage groove having its lower side bored with an annular recess. A stirrer is installed in the accommodating chamber of the base, having its upper side provided with a whisking member and its underside bored with an insert groove. A waterproof washer is fitted around the engage groove of the base, and an upper cover is mounted on the base and has its inner wall bored with an annular recess. In using, open the upper cover and knock an egg against the whisking member to let the egg liquid flow into the accommodating chamber, and then fix the upper cover on the base and hold the base and the upper cover with hands and shake them in directions up and down or left and right.
US07717609B2
A digital video recording apparatus and an editing method for recorded broadcast programs are disclosed. In accordance with the disclosed apparatus and method, information of recorded broadcast programs is extracted from a broadcast stream which includes the broadcast programs. The extracted information is displayed on a display in the form of a program record list. Accordingly, the user can easily edit recorded broadcast programs by simply editing the program record list.
US07717606B2
A cables fixing apparatus for backlight a module includes a rear frame having a leading-out area in a side edge with a plurality of protrusions thereof; a lamp cable; and a mold frame having a plurality of crooks, wherein these crooks face to any one of these protrusions so as to define a cable groove to fix the lamp cable. These protrusions of the rear frame and these crooks of the mold frame are utilized to arrange and fix the lamp cable in the cable groove to avoid the fracturing problem of solder joint of lamp and prevent the interference as assembling because of the displacement issue of the lamp cable.
US07717605B2
A liquid-crystal display device is provided which has a backlight that applies light onto a liquid crystal panel. The backlight includes a light guide having an LED as a light-emitting device. The light guide has recesses on the light incident surface, in which electric elements are disposed. Disposing the electric elements connected to external driving circuit in the backlight can reduce the area for mounting the electric elements.
US07717604B2
A side-edge backlight module includes at least a light guide board, a reflector film, a plurality of optic films and a light source. The optic film has a surface on which a plurality of rib-like micro light guides is formed. Each micro light guide includes a plurality of ridges, which are of different heights and show variation of height. Either a high ridge or a low ridge of the micro light guide is made a continuous left-and-right wavy configuration and/or a continuous up-and-down height-variation configuration. Thus, light transmitting through the optic film and converged by the micro light guides leaves the optic film in a form that is not very regular so as to facilitate subsequent use of the light in for example a liquid crystal display panel.
US07717603B2
A light guide plate having a multi-periodic micro pattern, which can minimize chromatic dispersion, and an illumination apparatus for a display device employing the light guide plate are provided. The light guide plate includes a top surface and a micro pattern formed on the top surface and allowing light, which is incident from a first side surface of the light guide plate, to be emitted from the top surface. The micro pattern is a combination of at least two periodic patterns having different periods to reduce chromatic dispersion of light emitted from the top surface.
US07717589B2
A light emitting device comprises: an LED chip mounted in a recess formed in a mounting substrate; a wavelength converting member that is disposed so as to cover the recess and the edge area around the recess and that is excited by light emitted from the LED chip to emit light of a wavelength different from an excitation wavelength; and an emission control member disposed at a light output side of the wavelength converting member so as to allow emission of light coming from an area of the wavelength converting member that corresponds to the recess and to prevent emission of light coming from an area of the wavelength converting member that corresponds to the edge area around the recess. This can prevent variations in color between light emitted from the central part of the wavelength converting member and light emitted from the part of the wavelength converting member that is located on the edge area around the recess of the mounting substrate, thereby reducing unevenness of color on the irradiation surface.
US07717588B1
The light generation device contains a bowl-shaped reflection member for light focusing, a gas-discharge light bulb inside the reflection member, and a lens element positioned on the light bulb blocking the light beams emitted towards a front opening of the reflection member. In one embodiment, the lens element has a curved front surface so that incident light beams are refracted and redirected toward a focus point of the reflection member. In another embodiment, the lens element has a curved back surface of a specific curvature so that light beams traveling towards the lens element are reflected and redirected towards the reflection member which in turn are reflected again and focused by the reflection member.
US07717583B2
A responsive luminous pad includes a luminous module (10), and a pad (20) encloses the module (10) to a middle portion inside the pad (20). The module (10) includes a harden plastics (15) further encloses a printed circuit board (PCB) (11), a battery (12), light emitting diode (LED) (13), rolling ball switch (14), and integrated circuit (IC) processor (16) inside the plastics. Said pad (20) includes a waterproof first sheet (22B), and a waterproof second sheet (22A) printed with patterns. Rims of both first, second sheets (22B, 22A) are heat weld to form a cavity in between for receiving the luminous module (10) a widened middle portion inside the pad, and the rims further coupled to a surface of a textile (30).
US07717582B2
An underwater light display system for providing a decorative light display on the surface of a container holding a body of water and/or objects located within a body of water is provided. An exemplary system comprises a shell and a light assembly. The shell comprises a bottom and a top portion. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, the light assembly is preprogrammed to produce variable light patterns and is secured to the interior surface of the top portion so as to direct light downward. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, the light assembly may further comprise a plurality of lenses configured to direct light. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, the light assembly further comprises a weight having a lens configured to direct light.
US07717579B2
An LED display device for displaying a pattern on a rotatable object is disclosed. When the rotating object rotates with a high speed, the pattern will be displayed. The device comprises a first printed circuit board on the rotatable object; at least one bank of light emitting diodes being arranged on the first printed circuit board; a second printed circuit board having a bank of elastic sheets; a third printed circuit board having a conductive pattern thereon; the third printed circuit board do not rotate with the rotatable object. The first printed circuit board and second printed circuit board will rotate with the rotatable object; and the elastic sheets are capable of being in contact with the pattern of the third printed circuit board; and each elastic sheet is connected to a corresponding LED; and the third printed circuit board is connected to all the light emitting diodes.
US07717571B2
A projector/projection type switchable display apparatus includes: a main body unit having an image producing unit forming and emitting an image; and a cover unit that is rotatably connected to the main body unit. The cover unit includes an aspherical mirror enlarging and reflecting the image emitted from the main body unit; and a screen on which the image enlarged and reflected by the aspherical mirror is displayed.
US07717570B2
An image projector display device projecting an image onto a surface substantially parallel to a path of light emitted through a representation of an image and a projection/objective lens. The display device compensates for the varying distances of the surface onto to which the image is projected from the projection/objective lens to display a clear, non-distorted image.
US07717565B2
Exemplary embodiments provide a projection-type display apparatus, which can address or realize a reduction in weight and size, a reduction in power consumption, and a reduction in noise, and address or realize a reduction in price, and a control method for the projection-type display apparatus, as well as a control program for the projection-type display apparatus. The projection-type display apparatus includes a solid-state light source that emits light, a mirror device that controls an emitting direction of the incident light to thereby subject the incident light to temporal modulation, and a projecting device that projects the modulated light.
US07717561B2
In a sight line vector detecting system comprising: an infrared light source for illuminating either an eye or a face; a camera for photographing either the eye or the face; and a computer for processing photographed image data of said camera so as to calculate a sight line vector, the computer includes an image processing unit for detecting the true luminance point and the center of the pupil from the photographed image data; and a calculating unit for calculating the sight line vector; and the image processing unit performs such a processing operation that the image processing unit determines a luminance point capable of satisfying a predetermined requirement as the true luminance point among luminance points having the pupils at near places, calculates a center of the pupils, and further, calculates a center of a cornea ball.
US07717554B2
The invention relates to rimless eyeglasses comprising a bridge (13) interconnecting two lenses (V), and two side branches (11) connected to respective side zones of the corresponding lenses (V). In accordance with the invention, each side branch (11) essentially presents a wire structure comprising two main portions (11.1, 11.2) extending towards the rear or said branch, said main portions extending forwards, passing through two through holes (21, 22) in the lens (V), and being connected together in the vicinity of the front face of said lens by a front portion (11.3), a flexible bushing (15) being interposed in each through hole (21; 22) in order to clamp the associated main portion (11.1; 11.2) so as to hold the side branch (11) in place on the corresponding lens (V).
US07717552B2
A pair of adjustable focus eyeglasses having two lens units with at least one of the lens units having at least two lens elements. A mechanism is provided to pivot, about a pivot location outside each of the two lens elements, the position of at least one of the two lens elements relative to the other lens element in an angular direction generally perpendicular to a viewing direction. Specially designed surfaces are chosen such that small angular adjustments of the relative positions of the two lenses around a common pivot position in angular directions perpendicular or approximately perpendicular to a viewing direction results in changes in the combined focus of the two lenses of the lens unit. Preferred embodiments include two lens units with the lens system defining pairs of adjustable focus eyeglasses.
US07717550B2
A preservative solution contains water, a water-soluble organic solvent and a crown ether. Even when the preservative solution is employed in the ink passage of an ink-jet recording apparatus and comes into contact with rubber members employed in the ink passage, the occurrence of precipitation is prevented.
US07717549B2
A mounting structure for a printhead having a contact surface and a coupling member for connection to an ink supply line, the mounting structure including a casing which defines a bay for accommodating the printhead therein, and a biasing mechanism for biasing the printhead into engagement with the internal walls of the bay, the biasing mechanism containing a latch member mounted on the casing and movable relative thereto between an open position which permits the printhead to be inserted into the bay, and a latched position where it secures the printhead in the bay, and a contact member adapted to exert a force against the contact surface of the printhead in the latched position. A mating coupling member of an ink supply line is mounted on the latch member so as to be brought into engagement with the coupling member of the printhead when the latch member is moved into the latched position.
US07717541B2
A liquid container detachably mountable to a mounting portion of an apparatus, the mounting portion including a first locking portion and a second locking portion, the liquid container including a casing for containing liquid and a supply port for supplying the liquid to an ink jet head, the liquid container includes a first engaging portion provided at a first side of the casing and engageable with the first locking portion; a second engaging portion provided opposed to a second side of the casing which is opposite the first side, the second engaging portion being engageable with the second locking portion; a supporting member for displaceably supporting the second engaging portion; a contact contactable to a member provided in the mounting portion to permit information display means to display information relating to the liquid container, wherein the supply port is disposed in a third side of the casing which is between the first side and the second side, and the contact is disposed at a corner region between the second side and the third side.
US07717540B1
A method for detecting a clog in a suspect portion of an ink conduit of an ink delivery system, includes the steps of pumping a slug of ink of a known volume into the ink conduit, attempting to pump the slug past the suspect portion, and detecting the presence of ink at a position beyond the suspect portion.
US07717539B2
An apparatus for coating polyimide layer includes a print table for affixing a substrate thereon, an inkjet head installed over the print table and having a jetting surface with a plurality of nozzles for jetting polyimide liquid onto the substrate, a polyimide liquid supply tank for receiving a polyimide liquid therein, a cleaning liquid supply tank for receiving cleaning liquid, a wiper cleaning bar adjacent to the cleaning liquid supply tank, and a wiper movable from one side of the jetting surface to an other side of the jetting surface while the wiper contacts the jetting surface of the inkjet head, and rotatable to dip the wiper into the cleaning liquid and then contact the wiper cleaning bar so as to remove cleaning liquid from the wiper.
US07717534B2
This invention provides a printing apparatus and an information processing apparatus which can process precise information on the number of pixels printed by nozzles of the print head without degrading throughput and properly manage the service life of the print head. To this end, a plurality of nozzles of the print head are divided into a plurality of blocks and a nozzle in each of the blocks which prints a maximum number of pixels in a predetermined unit print volume is taken to be a representative nozzle. In each of the blocks, the numbers of pixels printed by the representative nozzle for every unit print volume are accumulated and managed.
US07717531B2
A print head and method that are capable of detecting a plurality of performance conditions such as a dry-fire, no-fire or clogged-nozzle condition. Pressure wave sensors within a print head are disclosed that are capable of detecting pressure waves generated by the firing of an ink expulsion mechanism. The characteristics of the pressure wave generated by the firing event (e.g., magnitude and timing) are indicative of the operating condition within the head. Multiple sensor types are disclosed.
US07717528B2
A recording apparatus, which operates by using a fuel cell as a power source, for performing recording with a printing material, includes a printing material storing portion for storing the printing material; a fuel tank for storing a fuel to be supplied to the fuel cell; a power generation portion of the fuel cell, for outputting electric power generated by the fuel supplied from the fuel tank to the recording apparatus; a heating portion for consuming the fuel from the fuel tank; and a control portion for performing control so that an excess amount of the fuel can be supplied to the heating portion such that when the printing material in the printing material storing portion is exhausted, the fuel in the fuel tank is also exhausted.
US07717520B2
An aircraft seat assembly configured in accordance with an example embodiment of the invention offers a light weight and comfortable seat cushioning system that also provides energy-absorption and enhanced passenger maneuverability in extreme conditions such as may be experienced in a hard landing situation. The cushioning system includes a crushable, energy-absorbing layer, a main cushioning layer, a smaller ishial insert layer which may be the same as the main cushioning material and a semi-dynamic pneumatic cell which uses a dual action breather valve to vary its inflation with changes in cabin pressure. The seat cushion may be finished with a covering of cloth or upholstery.
US07717508B2
The invention relates to a headrest of an automotive vehicle seat, said headrest comprising the following features: a carrier structure comprising at least one bar and being connected to a supporting member, said carrier structure being connected to said supporting member through at least one guide region and said supporting member being movable with respect to said carrier structure along a linear forward path of travel from a normal position of utilization into an accident position in which said supporting member is located both in the x direction and in the z direction in front of the position of utilization, a drive unit being provided, said drive unit comprising a tension spring and a blocking device, said blocking device comprising a first blocking part and a disengagement device, said first blocking part comprising an oblong opening through which engages a driver member of said carrier structure, in the position of utilization the tensile force of said tension spring abutting on said first blocking part and after the disengagement device has been actuated said first blocking part releasing said tension spring.
US07717501B1
A portable outdoors chair system for efficiently allowing an individual to sit comfortably against a stationary object, such as a tree. The portable outdoors chair system generally includes an elongated primary support to be leaned against a stationary object from a ground surface in a transverse manner and a seat extending from the primary support. The first end of the primary support defines an acute angle with the stationary object towards a lower end of the stationary object and an opposing second end of the primary support defines an acute angle with the stationary object towards the lower end. The seat extends from the stationary support in a manner as to define an acute angle with the primary support towards the second end in a manner to have the seat positioned in a horizontal configuration.
US07717500B2
A roof hatch for a collapsible or fixed vehicle roof includes panels which are displaceable away from an opening in the transverse direction of the vehicle. The panels are disposed in guides along the front and rear edges of the opening. The arching of the panels is adapted to follow the contours of the vehicle roof, seen from the sides of the vehicle. Where a collapsible roof is employed, extra storage space may be made available in the luggage compartment when the vehicle roof is in its collapsed position. The extra space is created in that light luggage is stored in the opening of the roof hatch when the panels are located in their open positions.
US07717488B2
A vehicle seat of a vehicle is basically provided with a seat cushion, an annular frame, a hook or striking member and a vehicle body engagement element. The seat cushion is disposed within the vehicle. The annular frame disposed within the seat cushion. The striking member is attached to the annular frame to attach the vehicle seat to the vehicle body. The vehicle body engagement element is attached to the annular frame so as to serve as a load transferring point at which the vehicle body engagement element transfers a bending load of the annular frame to the vehicle body as the vehicle seat is being initially lifted.
US07717487B2
A seat holding portion structure has a side member that extends substantially in a vehicle longitudinal direction. The side member has a kick portion whose front and rear end sides are bent and that joins a front portion and a rear portion of the side member that are offset in a vehicle vertical direction. A floor reinforcement is installed within the side member from an opening portion of a vehicle body floor. A rear end portion of an elongated seat holding member is inserted in the floor reinforcement. A connecting body having a closed cross-sectional structure is fixed to a rear end portion of the seat holding member and is disposed at a rear end side bent portion of the kick portion, and, together with the floor reinforcement, is mounted to the side member.
US07717486B2
A truck bed accessory for accommodating weights and stored articles. At least one panel is adapted to be situated between the wheel wells of the truck and over the rear axle of the truck. A receptacle is defined within the interior of the main panel over the rear axle. A weight holder for disposition in the receptacle includes a plurality of weight receiver bins adapted to secure weights therein so that the weight over the rear axle can be varied to increase traction. When the weight holder is not in use, the accessory can store other articles for covered transport.
US07717485B1
A mechanism to affect the coordinated movement of an expandable room in a recreational vehicle. The mechanism comprises a drive chain assembly and a lift assembly. The drive chain assembly has a pair of drive chains (upper and lower) that move generally vertically along vehicle structural members and then the chains are redirected for horizontal travel as the main hydraulic cylinders are actuated to extend or retract the expandable room. The movement of the upper and lower drive chains is synchronized by a rack-and-pinion mechanism. The lift assembly controls vertical movement of the room so that when the room is fully extended, the floor of the vehicle and the floor of the expandable room are substantially flush. The lift assembly comprises at least one lift cylinder for raising and lowering the room. The lift cylinder is vertically combined with the lower end of the structural member.
US07717484B2
Vehicle Partition with a flexible partition constructed of standard netting, a rigid partition enclosure. A standard roll up spring within the enclosure allows the partition to roll up into the enclosure when not in use. A left and right retaining strap holds the enclosure to the head rest posts of a standard vehicle. A plurality of upwardly facing sockets located on the upper surface of the enclosure can engage a secondary partition having a plurality of downwardly facing posts. A pair of retaining clips are attached to the lower horizontal bar of the flexible enclosure. The clips can clamp to the lip of a standard seat pocket. A preferred embodiment includes the left and right retaining strap include a standard buckle also having the ability to adjust strap length.
US07717482B2
A vacuum conveying apparatus capable of adhering and conveying a sticky material such as an intermediate process material for tire, and of immediately separating the same at a release position. A vacuum face (120) of the vacuum conveying apparatus (100) is provided with a multitude of vacuum adhesion orifices (122) communicating with a vacuum duct, in a region below the vacuum duct, and there are provided a plurality of press-down pins capable of protruding from the vacuum face (120) at a release position of the material as adhered for forcibly adhering the same material and a plurality of air nozzles (125). Further, a plurality of L-shaped vacuum adhesion grooves (127), (128) are disposed in regions at respective end parts of the vacuum face (120) other than the region below the vacuum duct, for adhering the tip of the material to be adhered which moved in a slightly zigzag direction.
US07717480B2
A latch assembly includes a latch bolt, a housing, an actuating plate connected with the latch bolt, a positioning casing, a lower connecting plate and an upper connecting plate engaged with each other and disposed in the positioning casing, and a driving plate disposed between the actuating plate and the lower connecting plate. The actuating plate is formed with a long slot and two symmetrical protrusions projected from the bottom. The driving plate includes a square hole, whose front end can be engaged with the protrusions and driving the actuating plate to move. The upper connecting plate includes two pairs of symmetrical recesses and the positioning casing includes two protrusions corresponding to the recesses of the upper connecting plate. By connecting the protrusions of the positioning casing with two pairs of the recesses, the latch assembly can be adjusted from a backset to the other backset dimension.
US07717475B2
An elbow barbed fitting for use with flexible pipe and the like is provided with a barbed fitting drive cap for cooperating with a compatible drive tool, such as a socket or nut driver. The barbed fitting drive cap is configured as a hexagonal cap, square cap, star cap or other common driver shapes. The barbed fitting drive cap is positioned on the fitting body opposite the opening to the barbed end, but coaxially aligned with the barb. The cross-sectional body width of the barbed fitting drive cap is narrower than a corresponding width of the fitting body for exerting a drive force on the fitting body. Alternatively, the elbow barbed fitting is provided with a drive recess configured as a hexagonal recess, slotted recess, cross point recess, square recess, star recess or other common driver shapes for cooperating with a compatible driver. Common elbow fitting types include 90° or 45° ells.
US07717469B2
A sheet of embossed paper including a sheet-like body portion, at least one embossed or depressed line located on the body portion, and at least one printed line located on and extending at least partially along the embossed or depressed line. The invention may also include a notebook including a plurality of sheets of paper, each sheet including a sheet-like body portion, at least one embossed or depressed line located on the body portion, and at least one printed line located on and extending at least partially along the embossed or depressed line. The notebook may include binding means binding the plurality of sheets together.
US07717451B2
A sliding device for a fifth wheel coupling, which includes two guide rails mounted on a vehicle in the longitudinal direction thereof and a slide which can be displaced on the guide rails. A locking device mounted on the slide can be brought into an open position and a locked position by an actuator. In order to improve handling of the sliding device, at least one locking sensor for detecting the locked position is provided. The locking sensor is connected to a display device and/or to the vehicle electronics.
US07717441B2
A three piece belly-band crossmember is provided which may be installed as a single assembly and from which the center subassembly may be removed after installation, allowing access to the vehicle powertrain. The crossmember maintains integral strength as a result of a tab and slot arrangement and overlapping frame mounting holes between its three subassemblies. It may be provided with a suspension component mounting point. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. 37 CFR 1.72(b).
US07717434B2
A sealing system has a gasket (25) which in the undeformed state can be placed against a component (1) to be sealed. In the deformed state, the gasket engages the component (1) such that the gasket (25) is captively held on the component (1).
US07717432B2
There is provided a plunger seal (1) for a fuel injection pump for a direct-injection gasoline engine, in which, even if a resin material is used for a fuel seal member (12), the plunger seal can be made compact, sealing ability is increased, and assembling man-hours can be reduced, and in which set sealing performance can be achieved when a U-shaped elastic member (33) for applying an energizing force in a diametrical direction is used in a groove (41) formed in the fuel seal member (12). The resin fuel seal member (12) and an oil seal member (13) are assembled to form one seal system. Further, when the U-shaped elastic member (33) is installed in the groove (41), an axial position (L1) of an end surface (44a) at the side opposite to the sealed object of a fixing collar (44) formed on an inner peripheral surface of the groove (41) is positioned at the side (B) opposite to the sealed object than the axial position (L2) of a leading end portion (15b) of a seal lip (15) of the fuel seal member (12).
US07717425B2
An enhanced reel strip includes a base reel strip and an overlay strip, wherein the base reel strip has symbols applied thereto and the overlay strip has designated portions thereof removed to create cut-outs. The base reel strip and overlay strip are affixed in such a manner that the symbols of the base reel strip are visible through the cut-outs of the overlay strip. The joined strips produce an enhanced reel strip. Furthermore, these enhanced reel strip production methods dramatically improve the quality and appearance of reel strips while utilizing a relatively simple manufacturing process that maintains cost effectiveness.
US07717416B2
A paper sheet separation and transfer apparatus has a take-out roller which takes out stacked paper sheets onto a transfer path, a first separation unit, and a second separation unit. When the front end of a first paper sheet in the transfer direction reaches a nip of the second separation unit, the take-out roller and first feed roller are “decelerated”.
US07717411B2
Provided is a high-strength stainless steel spring exhibiting a good workability and having a high load characteristic. Thus, the high-strength stainless steel spring of the invention has an chemical component containing 0.04 to 0.08% by mass of C, 0.15 to 0.22% by mass of N, 0.3 to 2.0% by mass of Si, 0.5 to 3.0% by mass of Mn, 16 to 20% by mass of Cr, 8.0 to 10.5% by mass of Ni, 0.5 to 3.0% by mass of Mo, and the balance of Fe and inevitable impurities, and when the average diameter of the coil is represented by D and further the diameter of the steel wire is represented by d in the case that cross sections of the stainless steel wire are in a complete round form or the value obtained by subtracting the average coil diameter from the outer diameter of the coil is represented by d′ in the case that the cross sections of the stainless steel wire are in a form other than the complete round form, the spring has a spring index D/d or D/d′ of 2 to 6.
US07717405B2
Disclosed is a shell side contactor which can be used to form ozonated water. The contactor includes a shell and a plurality of porous perfluoroalkoxy resin thermoplastic hollow fibers that are potted at each end of the shell. The perfluoroalkoxy resin hollow fibers can be unskinned, skinned on their inner surface, or skinned on their outer surfaces. The contactor is provided with a spacer that spreads the hollow fibers adjacent an inlet to the shell, thereby permitting liquid flow at desirably high flow rates with acceptable pressure drop through the shell. The mass transfer efficiency of the contactor can be enhanced by jetting water into the fiber bundle and introducing gaps into the bundle.
US07717402B2
A power or manually operated winch mechanism for handling the running rigging lines of a sailing yacht. The winch includes a winding drum, operating in conjunction with a level wind mechanism, which winds and stores the line during line retrieving operations and controllably releases the line when desired. Novel level wind features enable the lines to be appropriately tensioned during retrieval, to assure proper windup of the line in organized coils on the drum. During line release, the line is placed under tension by the level wind mechanism and thus positively drawn from the unwinding winch drum even when the line is not under load from the sail to which it is attached. The arrangement enables lines to be automatically released from one winch and retrieved on a second which, under a common control, as when tacking or resetting the sails of a yacht, all without the necessity of any physical line handling by crew members, resulting in a significant improvement in the safety and convenience of the crew. The new winch mechanism preferably includes a novel alternate arrangement for manual operation of the system in the event of a failure of the power system.
US07717398B2
A damper assembly exploiting a crankshaft to induce displacement of a damper means from one position to another.
US07717390B1
An improved lightbulb ceiling fixture having a canister transversely affixed to a location of a canister frame, comprising two pairs of slidable bar hangers retained on respective opposite sides of the canister frame by retaining mechanisms located on each side of the frame. Each pair of slidable bar hangers comprises an inner sliding bar hanger slidably inserted into an outer sliding bar hanger so that the overall length of the bar hanger can be readily adjusted. A bar hanger stop means such as a wing screw with an interior ratchet mechanism enables the exact overall length of the two bar hangers to be fixed at any desired joint lengthwise distance. A rotatable press fit mounting bracket with rotatable adjustment means is rotatably affixed to one exterior end of one of the sliding bar hangers, thus. The improvement facilitate speed of installation and safety for the worker installing the fixture.
US07717387B2
A rail clip for securing a strip heater to a rail that resists removal when subjected to intense vibration, such as when rail cars are passing overhead. The rail clip is configured with a U-shaped rail flange receiving area wherein the opposite sides of this receiving area are configured with at least one tooth each for securing the rail therebetween. For greater securement, multiple teeth on each side of this U-shaped receiving area would be employed and with at least one tooth on each side thereof being in alignment with the other. Furthermore, the teeth on at least one side of this receiving area would include multiple teeth, both pointed and elongated.
US07717384B2
A stand of display device is provided. The stand of the display device includes a sliding part extending straight from the display device, a support part slidably support a lower portion of the sliding part, and a base rotatably supporting a lower portion of the support part. Accordingly, the height and inclination angle of the display device can be adjusted in various manners, and such facilitation in position adjustment of the display device improves user's convenience and makes a package volume of the display device small, thereby reducing a distribution cost and facilitating moving the device.
US07717374B2
A keyboard palm rest assembly comprises a frame having an opening therethrough, the opening located corresponding to a position of a palm of a user when the user is utilizing a keyboard located adjacent the opening. The keyboard palm rest assembly also comprises a panel coupled to the frame and disposed across the opening, the panel enabling an airflow therethrough from a side opposite the user's palm to a side corresponding to the user's palm.
US07717373B2
A deformable aerodynamic profiled member has a front profile area and a rear profile area in the outflow area. It is bounded by shells on the pressure side and/or on the suction side, converging in a rear profile edge (6). D33 piezo actuators are provided in at least some locations for deformation of the profiled member. The piezo actuators are aligned such that their length changes essentially in the direction of the planes of the shells when acted upon by electricity.
US07717365B2
In one aspect of the invention, a cone crusher has at least one crushing surface disposed on either a cone and/or an inverted bowl of the crusher. The crushing surface has at least one insert having an impact head with a stem protruding from a base end of the head. The stem has a smaller cross sectional thickness than the head.
US07717358B2
The present invention provides an improved nozzle assembly for use with a thermal spray apparatus for applying a coating to a workpiece. The nozzle assembly including a housing supporting a nozzle defining a gas conduit having an inlet and an outlet at opposing ends of the housing. The inlet for receiving a carrier medium from a thermal spray apparatus. The housing and the nozzle cooperating to define a material feed opening such that the material feed opening intersects the gas conduit proximate the outlet end of the nozzle. The material feed opening being angularly disposed relative to the gas conduit and intersecting the gas conduit proximate the outlet end of the nozzle such that coating material injected into the gas conduit through the material feed opening is heat-softened and propelled towards a workpiece to be coated by the carrier medium flowing outwardly from the nozzle.
US07717357B2
A process for cost-effectively and rapidly insulating a desired surface with spray foam insulation is described which includes the application of a polyurethane foam dispensed through heated conduits into a dispensing gun having a nozzle with essentially planar divergent lips having a triangular prism opening, the lips of the nozzle diverging at an angle of between about 5 and 35° inclusive, more preferably between 8 to 15° inclusive, most preferably 10 to 12° inclusive, thereby achieving application rates which are in excess of 70 Ft2/min, and optimally in excess of 100 Ft2/min.
US07717344B2
The disclosed methods and apparatus relate generally to the electronics media industry, such as cable television (CATV), home shopping services, on-line computer services and computer memory applications. These methods and apparatus allow a user to access and make use of electronic media input and output devices by reference to and/or utilization of standard printed matter, such as magazines, textbooks, or any other printed matter that can be correlated to electronic media.
US07717339B2
A passbook printing apparatus prints a color face image and private information of the owner of a passbook in the passbook with a built-in IC chip including a passbook number recorded previously. In this time, the passbook printing apparatus first reads the passbook number from the IC chip built in the passbook, creates private information including the read passbook number, face image of the owner and printing information, and prints the printing information reflecting the passbook number read from the IC chip on a printing page of the passbook.
US07717324B2
The embodiments of the present invention provide a blank of foldable material configurable to form a container. When formed, the container includes a removable top portion of panel assemblies that converts the container from shipping container to a display container.
US07717323B2
A shirt box suitable for receiving a shirt includes a base, a box cover and a transparent protective member (insert). The base has a floor and a plurality of upstanding walls that define an interior compartment and the box cover has a top wall and a plurality of walls that surround the top wall (e.g., around a peripheral edge thereof). The top surface has a first opening formed therein that is formed at a location that permits a consumer to see the shirt or other item that is contained within the box. The transparent protective member (insert) has a top surface and a plurality of peripheral walls that surround the top surface (e.g., around a peripheral edge thereof) so as to define a structure that is free standing and independent from both the base and the cover.
US07717322B2
Cartons are formed from two or more continuous webs that can individually or concurrently provided with cuts, scores, or other lines of disruption.
US07717319B2
A reclosable folding box of paperboard with at least one tamper-evident closure is provided, which comprises a cover flap with an insertion tab, wherein the closure of the folding box can be closed by machine without the need for gluing, and the closure can be opened only by destroying the tamper-evident closure. It is characterized in that it comprises, in the interior, retaining means and a tear-off tab connected to the insertion tab by way of a predetermined break line, and in that the closure is set up in such a way that, the first time the box is opened, the tear-off tab cooperates with the retaining means and is torn off at the predetermined break line when the insertion tab is moved beyond the tearing edge.
US07717303B2
A pump enabling a fluid substance to be manually dispensed through a hollow stem projecting from a hole in a ring cap sealedly applied to one end of a pump.The stem can sealedly translate within said hole in the ring cap, which in its turn can be sealedly mounted on the mouth of a container containing the fluid substance to be dispensed.
US07717296B1
A portable, flexible, fabric-composite-based, tank system with internal baffles capable for transporting water and other liquids on a non-dedicated truck is herein disclosed. A heavy textile tank is impregnated with a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is available in multiple sizes capable of being transported by pickup, flatbed or tractor-trailer trucks. The fabric tank have a series of internal inflatable baffles to aid in the stability of the tank by preventing sloshing of the liquid contents while traveling with the tank partially filled. The internal baffles inflate to sizes large enough to force liquids out of the tank through the discharge valve by displacing fluid with air without the need for a pump. When finished with use, the fabric tanks can be cleaned, dried, and collapsed for storage, thus allowing the truck's transport platform to be used for other tasks if necessary.
US07717294B2
A mixed-gas beverage dispensing system for driving beverages from a container to a tap with a predetermined ratio of carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen (N2) gas includes one or more monitors to detect excessive consumption of N2. The system may include a N2 generator, with a monitor monitoring the N2 generator to detect excessive operation thereof. The system may include a N2 reservoir, with a monitor monitoring the pressure in the N2 reservoir. The system may include a volumetric gas flow meter interposed in one or more mixed-gas distribution lines to monitor the flow of mixed gas. Upon detecting consumption of N2 gas in excess of a predetermined threshold, a monitor may trigger an audible, visual, or electronic alarm; may shut down operation of the system; and/or may switch to one or more backup gas tanks containing CO2, N2 or a predetermined blend thereof, for continued beverage dispensing operation.
US07717291B2
A bottle adapter is disclosed for accurate squirt dispensing of a drink. The bottle adapter comprises a coupler for removable attachment to a squeezable bottle. The coupler has a valve that is configured to remain closed until a predefined pressure difference is present across the valve, so that when the valve is opened, the liquid inside the container emerges in a stream and maintains a substantially straight trajectory for at least a predefined distance. A targeting orifice is positioned at the predefined distance from the valve so that the stream trajectory extends through the targeting orifice.
US07717289B2
An LNG storage tank comprises a heat insulating wall on an inner surface of the storage tank, a sealing wall contacting LNG on the heat insulating wall, and a structure to support the sealing wall. The structure comprises an anchor structure, which comprises an anchor member between the inner surface of the storage tank and the sealing wall to secure the sealing wall to the inner surface, and a heat-insulating material around the anchor member. The anchor member is coupled at several portions to the inner surface. The structure provides a simple configuration to the heat insulating wall and the sealing wall, and a simple connection therebetween, enabling convenient construction thereof while increasing sealing reliability. The structure simplifies an assembled structure and a manufacturing process, reducing a construction time of the tank while efficiently relieving stress on the tank.
US07717284B2
A cap is provided for a laboratory vessel. The cap includes a lid that can be rotated relative to the laboratory vessel from a closed position to an open position. The lid includes at least one tab dimensioned and disposed for receiving manual digital pressure for opening and/or closing the lid. The tab is in an offset position to prevent a thumb or forefinger from passing over and in contact with the opening to the vessel. Additionally, the lid includes a shield inwardly from the tab for further preventing contact between a finger and the open top of the vessel.
US07717281B2
A closure cap may include a base portion and a lid. The base portion may include a dispenser orifice. The lid may include a sealing stud arranged to be engaged in the dispenser orifice when the lid is closed. The sealing stud may comprise at least one portion in relief arranged to snap-fasten in the base portion. The sealing stud may also include an elastically deformable zone of increased deformability, in which at least part of the portion in relief may be formed.
US07717272B2
There are disclosed a ceramic porous membrane formed with less membrane formation times and having less defects, a small and uniform thickness and a high resolution, and a ceramic filter. A silica membrane as a ceramic porous membrane is formed on a titania UF membrane as an ultrafiltration membrane (a UF membrane) formed on a porous base member which is a microfiltration membrane (also referred to as an MF membrane) and having an average pore diameter smaller than that of the porous base member, the silica membrane has an average pore diameter smaller than that of the titania UF membrane and a part of the silica membrane permeates the titania UF membrane.
US07717268B2
A consumer package having a viewing angle dependent image. The consumer package includes an image that provides a perception of at least two attributes selected from among motion, depth of field, image flip, and image zoom. The perception provided by the image changes according to the viewing angle the image is observed at. The consumer package may comprise a portion of a kit that also includes a consumer product at least partially enclosed in the consumer package. The kit may further include a package holder that may cooperate with the package to enhance the perception provided by the viewing angle dependent package.
US07717264B2
A system for organizing, protecting, sterilizing, storing and delivery of surgical instruments, implants and related devices. Post and button fasteners are removably mounted to a tray and hold rigid and flexible bracketry for securing devices within the assembly. A flexible bar for holding items is mounted by a pair of rigid brackets in turn mounted either directly to the tray floor or to a base wall positioned atop the tray floor.
US07717261B2
A hinge lid pack has a lower pack outerframe and an upper lid hingedly attached to the lower pack outerframe for movement between opened and closed positions. The lid includes front, top, back and opposite sidewall portions. An innerframe is within and upwardly extends from the outerframe, and the innerframe has front and opposite sidewall portions. Microencapsulated aroma surfaces on the pack move across roughened perforations on the pack upon opening of the pack to thereby release flavor by rupturing the microcapsules.
US07717260B2
In a hinge-lid box comprising a box part (13), lid and collar (15), the collar (15) is configured such that the collar side tabs (29, 30) lie at a distance from the box side walls (26). The collar side tabs (29, 30) are supported by supporting tabs (35, 36; 40, 41) on the box side walls (26).
US07717257B1
A sealed multi-compartment package includes a wipe and a mold release agent which are kept separate from one another until the time of use. The package includes a first compartment for containing a fabric-like wipe and a second compartment in sealed separation from the first compartment containing a mold release agent. The first and second compartments are in communication and separated by a displaceable seal. Upon displacement of the seal, the mold release agent and the wipe are brought into mutual contact.
US07717246B2
A shift device includes a hub, a sleeve splined with the hub, a pair of speed gears located at both sides of the hub, and a pair of synchronizer rings arranged between the hub and the speed gears. Thrust pieces are respectively engageable with projections of the sleeve and movable in notch portions of the hub in an axial direction the shift device. The thrust pieces are formed with first slanted surfaces pressable on chamfers of the synchronizer rings and second slanted surfaces contactable with slanted surfaces of the hub. The thrust pieces engage and move together with the sleeve in the axial direction when the first slanted surfaces press the chamfers of the synchronizer ring and are disengaged from the sleeve before the splines of the sleeve and the speed gear are engaged.
US07717245B2
A hydromechanical transmission having a self actuating clutch assembly. The self-actuating clutch assembly comprises a first and second gear clutching elements and a shaft clutching element that engages a shaft. The shaft clutching element is a cone clutch that is actuated by a ball element that is biased towards the shaft clutching element by a spring element that is disposed through the shaft.
US07717237B2
A passenger or cargo elevator is disclosed that relies on pull chains in a closed system in which the chains are used both to pull the elevator car and also to pull the counterweights. In this way, it is possible not only to use counterweights that exceed the actual weight of the elevator car, but also additional counterweights of up to 50% of the load to be lifted may be employed without incurring the problem of the chains being jerked suddenly owing to inertia during braking. The pulling motor devices, such as planetary-type speed reducers, are coupled to servomotors which can be used to program the characteristics of the movements required by the elevator. The control system includes a programmable logic controller (PLC) and a servomotor controller which, together with the coders of the servomotors, provide position, speed, and torque characteristics for operation of the system.
US07717226B2
The present invention relates to an ear cap intended for use as hearing, the ear cap having a sound-reflecting outer shell and a liner of sound absorption materials. The ear cap is characterized by at least one sound-reflecting and vibration-damping weight element arranged on or within the sound absorption liner to at least partly block an audio mode of vibration that would have existed in the cap in the absence of the weight element.
US07717225B2
A motor-driven steering assist apparatus includes a single unit body covered by first to third housings, an upper end portion of an input shaft and a torque sensor are supported to the first housing, an upper end portion of an output shaft, an electric motor, a worm gear and a worm wheel are supported to the second housing, and a lower end portion of the output shaft is supported to the third housing.
US07717223B2
An output shaft of a power unit having a driven gear for supplying a power of an internal combustion engine via a transmission mechanism and for outputting the power to an outside of a unit case. Borne members are connected respectively at each end of a cylindrical member of the output shaft. The borne members are rotatably supported by the unit case via a pair of bearings. The driven gear is fitted to one of the borne members in a position adjacent to one of the bearings. As a result, the output shaft of the power unit can be manufactured by a compact manufacturing apparatus, and the output shaft can be reduced in weight while maintaining the strength.
US07717214B2
A motorcycle having a frame, front and rear wheel assemblies and a motor and transmission assembly. The motor and transmission assembly attaches to the frame through a front mounting assembly and a rear mounting assembly such that the motor is selectively movable horizontally with respect to the frame. The front and rear mounting assemblies are preferably isolation mounted to dampen vibrations from the motor to the frame. In an embodiment a countershaft is mounted to the frame, the countershaft having a drive sprocket on one side, and a driven sprocket on the opposite side. Therefore, the transmission power take-off engages the countershaft through a chain on one side of the motorcycle, and the rear wheel assembly engages the countershaft through a chain on the other side of the motorcycle. Because the horizontal position of the motor is adjustable, the transmission chain can be adjusted independently of the rear wheel chain.
US07717211B2
To provide a rear wheel structure which can easily perform the mounting and dismounting of a rear wheel without causing a fluctuation in a banking angle. In the rear wheel structure which includes a pair of left and right swing arms which are arranged to sandwich a rear wheel, a driving force transmission device is provided for transmitting a driving force to the rear wheel along one swing arm, and a spacer which is arranged on an axle of the rear wheel. A muffler is arranged outside the swing arm on a side opposite to the driving force transmission device. The spacer is arranged between the swing arm on the driving-force-transmission-device-side and the rear wheel for mounting the rear wheel relative to the one swing arm.
US07717208B2
A closeable motor vehicle radiator grill arrangement (1), comprising a radiator grill (2) which comprises at least one through-flow opening (3) for air in the direction of the approach flow (A) and which is provided on the outer side of the radiator grill arrangement. The inventive device also comprises a single pieced connection element structure (5) which is provided on the inner side of the radiator grill arrangement (1) adjacent to the radiator grill (2). The connection element structure can be moved in relation to the radiator grill in order to close the air through-flow opening (3).
US07717206B2
An off-road vehicle includes a frame and four wheels that support the frame. Two seat assemblies are disposed side by side on the frame. The seat assemblies are separated from each other to define a space therebetween. An engine powers the wheels. The engine defines an air intake port that communicates with a combustion chamber. An air intake system delivers air to the intake port. At least a portion of the air intake system extends through the space.
US07717194B2
One embodiment includes an apparatus comprising a steerable well bore drilling tool having a main tool body. The steerable well bore drilling tool includes an inertial measurement unit to output a measurement used to determine an azimuthal deviation and inclination of the steerable well bore drilling tool during a drilling operation.
US07717193B2
An electrically-powered service rig utilizes an engine-driven generator to power a propulsion system, a drawworks system and a sandline system, all mounted on a single mobile platform. The rig utilizes lightweight permanent magnet motors to enable integration of the systems onto a single mobile platform which meets transport regulations. The rig's power plant is capable of powering other onsite equipment such as mud pump motors through use of umbilicals connected to the engine-driven generator.
US07717185B2
A combination penetration tool for access to the control system of a subsurface safety valve also has a lockout for the flapper that operates by latching into a nipple profile near its upper end as a series of collet fingers pass through a sleeve that is held in the locked position on the valve housing. One or more dogs on the collet fingers line up with the flapper already pushed open by the advancing collet fingers to push the flapper further back. A second series of dogs get past the sleeve after moving through it. With a jar up force the second series of dogs overcomes a lock on the sleeve and shifts the sleeve to overlap the open flapper and allow the lock ring that moves with the sleeve to latch into the housing. The second series of dogs is sheared off but retained by the tool for removal from the well. The penetrator portion of the tool is a known device that preferably works by jarring up.
US07717183B2
An apparatus for actuating a downhole tool within a well bore comprises a cylindrical mandrel extending longitudinally through the downhole tool; an interventionless, hydrostatic, top-down actuating piston disposed about the mandrel and forming a first chamber and a second chamber therebetween; and a rupture disk that prevents fluid communication between the well bore and the first chamber until sufficient hydrostatic pressure is applied to the well bore to fail the rupture disk.A method of actuating a downhole tool comprises connecting a top-down actuating module to the downhole tool, running the downhole tool to a desired depth within a well bore, pressuring up the well bore without pressuring up an internal flow bore extending through the top-down actuating module, hydrostatically actuating an upper piston of the top-down actuating module to exert an actuation force onto the downhole tool, and actuating the downhole tool.
US07717171B2
A method for treating a tar sands formation is disclosed. The method includes heating a first portion of a hydrocarbon layer in the formation from one or more heaters located in the first portion. The heat is controlled to increase a fluid injectivity of the first portion. A drive fluid and/or an oxidizing fluid is injected and/or created in the first portion to cause at least some hydrocarbons to move from a second portion of the hydrocarbon layer to a third portion of the hydrocarbon layer. The second portion is between the first portion and the third portion. The first, second, and third portions are horizontally displaced from each other. The third portion is heated from one or more heaters located in the third portion. Hydrocarbons are produced from the third portion of the formation. The hydrocarbons include at least some hydrocarbons from the second portion of the formation.
US07717159B2
A mold clamping apparatus for a die casting machine is provided. The apparatus can include a base, a fixed die plate standing fixedly on an end of an injection side of the base and defining a cavity therein, and a moving die plate arranged so as to proceed and retract on the base facing the fixed die plate and defining a cavity therein. A first versatile main mold can be disposed in the cavity of the fixed die plate and adapted to receive an insert die. Further, a second versatile main mold can be disposed in the cavity of the moving die plate and adapted to receive an insert die.
US07717156B2
A device for creating an angular biasing force for the roller tube of a security shade, which roller tube is mounted to a fixed structure of a vehicle. The device comprises an element attached to the fixed structure of the vehicle and a plurality of force units, each including a torsion spring exerting a biasing force between the structure and the roller tube, wherein the torsion springs each have a first inner end associated with the fixed structure and a second outer end associated with the roller tube so the torsion biasing force of each spring is in a direction from the fixed structure to the roller tube. The total angular force of the device is the sum of the biasing forces of all of the torsion spring force units when the units are connected in parallel. When connected in series, the magnitude of angular rotation is the sum of the angle of rotation of all units.
US07717153B2
A drive unit for a vertical Venetian blind includes a shared driving element (15) for the displacing motion and the rotating motion of vertical slats. A differential gear (13) is provided with a driving element coupled to the shared driving element (15), a first driven element (17) coupled to the first drive means (21) for the rotating motion of the vertical slats, and a second driven element (16) coupled to second drive means for the displacing motion of the vertical slats. Displacing motions and rotating motions of the vertical slats can be driven by the shared driving element (15). A complete closing of the vertical slats is made possible in both directions of rotation and, at the same time, a hooking up of the vertical slats by means of displacing same in an unsuitable rotating position is prevented.
US07717141B1
A forming fabric for a papermaking machine that includes a machine-side layer and a paper-side layer. The machine-side layer includes bottom warp yarns and bottom weft yarns that weave with at least some of the bottom warp yarns. The paper-side layer includes top warp yarns and top weft yarns that weave with at least some of the top warp yarns to create a weave pattern in a repeating pattern area, and at least one of the top weft yarns includes a paper-side float in the repeating pattern area that passes over a number of consecutive top warp yarns. The forming fabric further includes a set of dual combination binder weft yarns disposed adjacent a top weft yarn. At least one dual combination binder weft yarn of the set weaves with some of the bottom warp yarns and some of the top warp yarns. Each dual combination binder weft yarn of the set includes at least one segment in the repeating pattern area that passes over at least one top warp yarn. The at least one segment is disposed adjacent to a segment of another dual combination binder weft yarn of the set. The at least one segment and the adjacent segment combine to form a long weft float that passes over the number of consecutive top warp yarns passed over by the paper-side float to match the weave pattern of the top weft yarns. The long weft float occurs at least once in each repeat of the dual combination binder weft yarns.
US07717139B2
The present invention relates to polyamide/polyolefin blends containing carbon nanotubes. The invention also relates to structures comprising at least one layer of these blends and optionally at least one layer of another material. These structures may be in the form of bottles, tanks, containers, hoses, pipes and vessels of any kind. These structures may be manufactured using the standard techniques for thermoplastics, such as injection moulding, extrusion-blow moulding and coextrusion. The present invention, according to one embodiment, relates to a multilayer tube comprising, in its radial direction from the outside inwards: an outer layer (1) form from a polyamide chosen from PA-11 and PA-12; a layer (2) formed from a tie; an optional layer (3) formed from an EVOH; optionally, a tie layer (this does not exist if no layer (3) is present); an inner layer (4) formed from a polyamide (A)/polyolefin (B) blend having a polyamide matrix and containing carbon nanotubes; with the layers being successive and adhering to one another in their respective areas of contact.
US07717134B2
A quick draining air valve comprises a first valve having an air inlet device for inputting high pressure air; a second valve having at least one channel which is extended to a surface of the second valve; a distal end of the channel extending with a tube which is connected to the air inflation tube; the second valve being connected to the first valve so that high pressure air enters into the tube through the channel and then into the air inflation tube; and a cover plate being openable, high pressure air providing by the first valve being drained out with a high speed from the second valve; by the channel of the second valve, residue air in the air inflation tube connected to the tube of the second valve is drained out from the second valve.
US07717130B2
A fluid control valve capable of rapidly opening and closing. The valve includes a housing with an annular-shaped spool cavity that contains an annular-shaped spool capable of axial movement within the spool cavity between first and second spool positions. The spool has axially-spaced circumferential spool sealing features and optionally radial passages therethrough. The housing has axially-spaced circumferential housing sealing features configured and disposed within the spool cavity so that, with the spool in the first spool position, fluid flow is enabled through the spool cavity axially between the spool sealing features and the housing sealing features, which provide axial force balancing of the spool. With the spool in the second spool position, the spool sealing features and the housing sealing features cooperate to substantially prevent fluid flow through the spool cavity.
US07717128B2
A switching control valve for use in controlling the motion of a hydraulic component is provided. The valve includes a housing that defines a feed port, an outlet port, a drain port, and a longitudinal opening through the housing. The valve also includes an inlet valve moveably positionable in the longitudinal opening for selectively fluidly connecting the feed port to the outlet port, as well as a drain valve moveably positionable in the longitudinal opening for selectively fluidly connecting the outlet port to the drain port. The valve further includes a valve shaft that is moveably positionable in the longitudinal opening, such as by a solenoid or similar control device, and is operably connected to the inlet valve and the drain valve. The housing, the inlet valve and/or the drain valve are configured to provide permanent fluid communication between the outlet port and the drain port.
US07717120B2
A low sidestream smoke cigarette comprises a conventional tobacco rod, and a combustible treatment paper having a sidestream smoke treatment composition. The treatment composition comprises in combination, an oxygen storage and donor metal oxide oxidation catalyst and an essentially non-combustible finely divided porous particulate adjunct for said catalyst.
US07717117B2
A surgical draping method for a patient on an operating table and an adjacent movable medical tool may include positioning a patient drape having a surgical access opening in a medial portion thereof over the patient on the operating table so that the surgical access opening exposes a surgical site on the patient. Opposing medial side portions of the patient drape may be fastened together underneath the operating table to provide a pathway thereunder for passage of at least one portion of the medical tool therethrough. An equipment drape may be positioned adjacent a side of the operating table aligned with the pathway to cover the at least one portion of the medical tool when moved through the pathway.
US07717115B2
Disclosed is an apparatus for deploying a bronchial isolation device in a bronchial passageway in a lung of a patient. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes an outer shaft having a distal end. A housing is coupled to the distal end of the outer shaft and configured to receive the bronchial device. An inner shaft is slidably disposed within the outer shaft. A handle is adapted to move the outer shaft relative to both the inner shaft and the handle while the inner shaft remains fixed relative to the handle so as to eject the bronchial isolation device from the housing.
US07717110B2
A system and method for delivering a flow of breathing gas to an airway of a patient. A characteristic that varies based on variations of the flow of the breathing gas is monitored and used to determine a Target Flow for the gas delivered to the patient. The Target Flow is set to a level sufficient to treat Cheyne-Stokes respiration or a sleep disordered breathing event. The Target Flow is altered if the patient experiences a sleep disordered breathing event. In a further embodiment, the system determines an apnea detection time (Tapnea) as Tinsp plus a constant, and delivers a machine triggered breath if an amount since the start of inspiration reaches Tapnea. Yet another embodiment monitors the characteristic during an inspiratory phase of a respiratory cycle, and controls the flow of gas during the inspiratory phase of the respiratory cycle based on a result of this comparison.
US07717105B2
A gas radiation burner for improving the efficiency of burning by promoting mixing of fuel gas and air is disclosed. The gas radiation burner includes a gas supply member for injecting gas, at least one mixing pipe for suctioning air along with the gas injected from the gas supply member to produce mixture gas and injecting the produced mixture gas, a burner pot for receiving the mixture gas supplied from the mixing pipe, a burner mat mounted at a top of the burner pot and adapted to emit radiation heat that is generated as the mixture gas supplied from the burner pot burns on the burner mat, and a burner housing located on a top of the burner mat and defining a burning chamber therein. The mixing pipe is connected to a predetermined position of a lateral portion of the burner pot such that the mixture gas supplied from the mixing pipe flows along an inner peripheral surface of the burner pot.
US07717100B2
A breather structure of an engine having a crank case and a cylinder fastened to an upper side of the crank case can improve the strength of a cylinder and can prevent an increase of weight of the engine. The breather structure is provided with a breather chamber integrally formed with the cylinder in an outer peripheral wall of the cylinder, and the breather chamber separates air including an oil mist within the crank case into an oil component and a gas component, returns the oil component into an oil reservoir of the engine, and discharges the gas component out of the crank case.
US07717096B2
The present invention provides methods and apparatus for premixing fuel and oxidant for combustion. The methods and apparatus may include a two stage vortex, each stage accommodating different flow rate ranges. The vortex pulverizes fuel and optimally mixes the fuel with an oxidant prior to introduction into a combustion chamber. The premixing results in more complete combustion and, consequently, fuel efficiency may be increased and pollution may be decreased. The present invention also enables introduction of fuel and oxidant to an engine without creating any shockwaves in engine cylinders, which may otherwise occur with current fuel injection systems.
US07717094B2
A power generating apparatus has a frame, an engine disposed inwardly of the frame and configured to drive a generator, a fuel tank for storing fuel to be supplied to the engine, and a canister containing an adsorbent for adsorbing fuel vapor from the fuel tank. The canister includes a communicating tube, which places the canister in communication with the atmosphere. The canister is also in communication with an intake system. The canister is movably positioned in a space S between the frame and the intake system so as to prevent an increase in the size of the power generating apparatus when the canister is added to the power generating apparatus.
US07717092B2
A fuel system of an engine is provided with a venting assembly to vent air that accumulates within a fuel filter of the fuel system and provides anti-drainback of clean fuel back toward the fuel filter when the engine is turned off. In one embodiment, the venting assembly includes a piston valve that provides both the vent and anti-drainback. The valve is actuatable by fluid pressure to a first position that restricts drainback, a second position that restricts venting, and intermediate positions between the first and second positions which permit venting.
US07717072B2
An adjustment device (1) for adjusting the relative rotational angle position of a camshaft (2) in relation to a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine is provided, with the device having an adjustment mechanism (3), which is embodied as a triple-shaft transmission and provided with an input part (4) fixed to the crankshaft, an output part fixed to the camshaft, and an adjusting shaft (7) connected to an adjusting motor shaft (5) of an adjusting motor (6). The motor (6) is provided as an electric motor and is arranged parallel to the camshaft (2). The motor generates an adjustment torque that is transmitted to the adjustment shaft (7) via a secondary drive (18) that has a belt drive, a chain drive, a cardan drive, or an additional spur gear stage.
US07717070B2
The present invention provides engine-cooling module assemblies. One engine-cooling assembly includes an engine block and a cooling module including a coolant channel integrated into the engine block. Parallel to the coolant channel is a bypass channel integrated in the engine block and through which a portion of a coolant stream is conducted to an oil/coolant heat exchanger. The present invention also provides a method for cooling oil circulating in an oil circuit of an engine by means of a coolant. The coolant runs through a coolant channel that is formed of both a portion of the engine block and a portion of the cooling module.
US07717060B2
An electroless metal deposition process to make a semiconductor device uses a plating bath solution having a reducing agent. A sample of the bath solution is taken and the pH of the sample is increased. The hydrogen evolved from the sample is measured. The hydrogen evolved is used to determine the concentration of the reducing agent present in the sample. Based on the determined reducing agent concentration, the plating bath solution is modified.
US07717059B2
A liquid adhesive dispensing system operable for more uniformly applying liquid adhesive foam onto moving substrates, notwithstanding changes in line speed, adhesive liquid flow rates, or foaming/atomizing air pressures. The illustrated liquid adhesive system includes a header having a plurality of air atomizing spray guns; the spray guns each having a respective variable speed positive displacement pump for directing a metered quantity of liquid adhesive from a liquid adhesive supply to the respective spray gun; and a control for controlling the operating speed of the positive displacement pumps in relation to the speed of the moving substrate and the foaming/atomizing air pressure to the spray guns in relation to the operating speed of the positive displacement pumps. The control further is operable for monitoring pressures across the positive displacement pumps for insuring the accurate direction of metered quantities of liquid to the spray guns. The spray guns are adapted for enhanced liquid adhesive foaming and atomization, and the header is convertible into a closed housing structure effective for containing cleaning and purge liquids during an automatically operable cleaning cycle of operation.
US07717058B2
The invention relates to a method of preparing turbine blades for spray coating their blade region that is subjected to the medium flowing through during operation in a spray coating apparatus, in which the turbine blade is inserted with its blade root into a cavity of a mounting in such a way that it protrudes with the blade region that adjoins the blade root from an opening of the cavity to form a gap between the rim of the opening and the turbine blade, and in which the gap is bridged by a shielding fixed on the mounting, which is characterized in that a shielding layer of a plastic which is resistant during the spray coating is used for the shielding, the shielding layer being arranged in such a way that it reaches up to the boundary between the blade root and the blade region.
US07717049B2
A gripper (3) for a tufting machine comprises a gripper body (9) having a cutout (22) for a cutting insert (10), said cutting insert preferably consisting of a hard metal. Connecting means acting in a form-closed manner are provided for the connection of the cutting insert (10) with the gripper body (9). In their simplest embodiment, said connecting means are formed by the deformation regions (37, 38) that are provided on the gripper body (9) and that reach around matching cutouts (33, 34) of the cutting insert (10).
US07717046B2
A system for providing highly pressurized raw fuel to a pressure reactor. The system includes an inlet for receiving the raw fuel and a roller system communicating with the inlet. The roller system includes a plurality of independent rollers arranged in two converging planes. The rollers of the roller system successively compress the raw fuel as the raw fuel passes through the roller system between the rollers, such that the fuel is highly pressurized when it reaches an output end of the roller system. An outlet is located adjacent the output end of the roller system to dispense the pressurized raw fuel to the pressure reactor.
US07717043B2
Methods and apparatus for decelerating a train are provided. The method including: disposing a movable surface configured to be moved by the train as the train passes the movable surface; and converting a kinetic energy of the train into potential energy upon movement of the movable surface by the train to thereby decelerate the train. The apparatus including a railway upon which a train travels. The railway including: a movable surface extending in a direction of the train's travel; and potential energy storage device operatively connected to the movable surface for converting a kinetic energy of the train into potential energy upon movement of the movable surface thereby slowing the train.
US07717041B2
A simple device for generating pyrotechnic effects, in which an enveloping body (11) is formed from a plurality of interconnected plate-like layers between which the pyrotechnic charges (10) as well as the igniter means (12) are embedded. A configuration of the igniter means (12) as heating resistors, in particular as heating resistors whose conductors run in a meandering path. Such igniter means (12) are particularly suitable for use in the formation of a plate-like enveloping body consisting of a plurality of layers. By virtue of this enveloping body, the device assumes a shape comparable to that of a credit card or bank card.
US07717039B2
A rotating body of a printing press includes a barrel that has a base body and an outer body which at least partially surrounds the base body. The external body, or at least one channel which is located in the barrel is traversed by a temperature control medium. The outer body or the at least one channel is thermally insulated with respect to the base body.
US07717036B2
A multifunctional tape printer of tape measure, is provided with a main frame (1), a small number (for foot) roller (3) with the perimeter of 3 feet or/and a small number (for meter) roller (5) with the perimeter of 1 meter mounted on the main frame (1), pinch rollers and rubber brush on the rollers as well as ink supply device and tape conveying devices, which constitute the main body of the tape printer, the tape printer being featured by that an additional functional component of a large number (foot) roller (4) or/and large number (meter) roller (6) are mounted on the main frame (1) for matching with the small number (for foot) roller (3) with the perimeter of 3 feet or/and the small number (for meter) roller (5) with the perimeter of 1 meter, the large number roller(s) is/are kept at the same linear velocity to that of the small number roller(s), moreover, the large number roller and small number roller, through the proportioning of mechanical transmission rotating speed, achieve that when a small number roller rotates for one circle, the corresponding large number roller will rotate for an angle of a large number unit. It can print both large numbers and small numbers mechanically at the same time, which has high efficiency, fine printing precision and low rate of rejects and can reduce labor intensity.
US07717028B2
There is provided a toaster grill having a lower housing that supports a lower cooking surface and an upper housing that supports an upper cooking surface. The upper housing pivots with respect to a “U” shaped frame that is hinged with respect to the lower cooking surface. A locking hinge allows the pivoting motion of the frame to be automatically arrested in an intermediate orientation between the fully closed and fully open grill orientations. The locking hinge automatically resets when the upper housing is rotated from the fully open grill orientation to the fully closed orientation.
US07717026B1
A multicontrolled, fresh beverage brewer (20) with a dispense manifold heater (104) for selectively instantaneously heating pre-heated hot water from a hot water tank (29) immediately before the preheated hot water is dispensed into the brew basket (49) in sensed temperature of the beverage within the brew basket the preheated water immediately prior to being added to the brew basket, a photosensor (106) for sensing a level of light conductance of the beverage for controlling at least one of a brew dispense valve (37), a bypass valve (38) and a brew basket drain hole closure (94) in response to photosensor sensing a level of light conductance level of the beverage, and brew basket pressurization system (50, 69, 51) for selectively pressurizing the brew basket (49) to selectively accelerate the flow rate of hot water though an ingredient within the brew basket. A rotary spray head drive (110) rotates a rotating spray assembly to provide an even distribution of hot water over the surface of the ingredient, and a spray distribution plate employs open channels of differing length (156) to channel the water to different desired location are open for easy cleaning and elimination of clogging from lime residue. A brew basket filter holder (72) insert for insertion into the filter holder has a cylindrical, water impervious wall to prevent side passage of the hot water through the layer of beverage ingredient.
US07717023B2
Apparatus and accompanying methods for the detection and subsequent destruction or disablement of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) while maintaining a satisfactory level of human safety. Operationally, our inventive method and apparatus detects the IED using one or more methods including: detecting internal battery components; detecting magnetic signature(s) of the IED; detecting a characteristic energy spectrum of the IED; and/or detecting characteristic chemical signatures of the device(s). Once detected, the device may be further characterized and then subsequently deactivated and/or destroyed by a shaped pulse charge directed at the device or its power source (battery) from a safe distance.
US07717010B2
The invention relates to a gearbox comprising a shift fork (4) that is displaced by an actuator using a shaft (2), whereby a rotational displacement of said shaft is translated into a displacement of the shift fork. To achieve an accurate displacement with minimum installation space, the gate (14) is configured on a sleeve (13) that is connected to the shift fork unit (4) in a rotationally fixed manner, said sleeve acting on the shift fork unit (4) in the direction of the displacement by means of a spring (24) and the shaft (2) runs through the sleeve (13), said shaft comprising a finger (11) that protrudes radially and co-operates with the gate. The shift fork unit (4) forms a housing (8) that surrounds the sleeve (13) and the spring accumulator (24) and that comprises bearing surfaces (34), by means of which the shift fork unit (4) is guided on the shaft (2) in the direction of the displacement.
US07717005B2
A slide mechanism of a linear transmission apparatus includes an actuating mechanism, a guide screw and a slide mechanism. The slide mechanism includes a fixing base, a primary guide rail, left and right secondary guide rails and a slide element. The fixing base has a through hole for passing the guide screw. The primary guide rail and each secondary guide rail are engaged to the guide screw and connected to the fixing base. The primary guide rail has a top panel and two side panels. Each secondary guide rail has an extended panel protruded from a side proximate to the primary guide rail. The top of each extended panel is not lower than the bottom of the side panel, and the slide element is sheathed onto the exterior of the guide rail, and a nut secured to the guide screw is formed in each guide rail.
US07716995B2
A Coriolis flow meter (5) is provided according to an embodiment of the invention. The meter (5) includes one or more flow conduits (103), at least two pickoff sensors (105, 105′) affixed to the one or more flow conduits (103), a driver (104) configured to vibrate the one or more flow conduits (103), and meter electronics (20) coupled to the at least two pickoff sensors (105, 105′) and to the driver (104). The meter electronics (20) vibrate the one or more flow conduits (103) of the flow meter (5) with a first vibration frequency and in a first out-of-phase bending mode, measure a first vibrational response, with the first vibrational response being generated in response to the first vibration frequency, vibrate the one or more flow conduits (103) with at least a second vibration frequency and in the first out-of-phase bending mode, measure a second vibrational response, and determine at least a mass flow rate and a viscosity using the first and second vibrational responses.
US07716986B2
An acoustic wave sensing device integrated with micro-channels and a method for the same are described. The present invention uses a piezoelectric substrate with a thinner portion serving as a sensing area and formed via a micromaching or chemical process. An inter-digital transducer (IDT) is located on the thinner portion to produce flexural plate waves (FPW). The micro-channels can be formed together with the thinner portion via the same manufacturing process, or integrated into the piezoelectric substrate via linkage. In the present invention, a novel manufacturing process and design are proposed for fabrication of the acoustic wave sensing devices with a good piezoelectric characteristic, a stable temperature compensation property, and a robust structure. Thereby, the techniques of flexural plate waves can be applied for liquid sensors. In this way, the drawbacks of the conventional acoustic wave sensing devices, such as poor piezoelectric properties and fragile film structures, are removed.
US07716982B2
One embodiment of a propeller tuner assembly formed in accordance with the present disclosure includes a frame and a bearing assembly having a coupler adapted to selectively couple a propeller to the frame. The coupler is selectively movable from a first position where at least a portion of the coupler is substantially isolated from tuning loads applied to the bearing assembly.
US07716978B2
In a method and apparatus for estimating a downhole fluid parameter include a body having an elongated cavity defined by an electrically conductive inner surface, an central electrical conductor located coaxially within the cavity, wherein an annular region is defined by the cavity inner surface and an outer surface of the electrical conductor. A fluid is conveyed to the annular region. A first electrode is coupled to the central electrode, a second electrode coupled to the central electrode, and at least one intermediate electrode coupled to the central electrode between the first electrode and the second electrode. An input signal is applied to the central electrode and first and second output signals are emitted from the second electrode intermediate electrode. The output signals are used in part to estimate the fluid property of the fluid existing in the annular region.
US07716972B2
A method for monitoring the performance of a compression-ignition, internal combustion engine which method comprises lubricating the engine with a crankcase lubricant, and introducing a fuel to the engine to operate the engine characterized in that the fuel comprises greater than 50% by weight of petroleum-based, middle distillate fuel oil and/or a Fischer Tropsch derived middle distillate fuel oil and 2.5% to 25% by weight of at least one lower alkyl ester of a fatty acid, and the performance of the engine is monitored by measuring the rate of ingress of lower alkyl ester of a fatty acid from the fuel into the crankcase lubricant by infra red spectroscopic analysis of the crankcase lubricant.
US07716956B2
The invention provides a three-dimensional structure having at least one structure surface, the structure being adapted to be attached to an apertured surface with the structure surface facing the apertured surface; and a curved hook element having a base and a distal end, the distal end of the hook element being adapted for insertion into an aperture in the apertured surface, and the base of the curved hook element being slidably affixed to the structure surface of the three-dimensional structure such that movement of the base is constrained along a line within the structure surface. The device can be used in a method of attachment onto an apertured surface, in particular the inner surface of an automatic laundry washing machine drum, and is particularly suitable for dispensing rinse additives into the rinse cycle of an automatic washing machine.
US07716945B2
A pressure equalization port for a refrigeration unit is provided. The port includes a conduit having a thermally conductive body. The conduit includes a first opening exposed to a refrigeration chamber enclosed within the refrigeration unit, and a second opening exposed to a space external to the refrigeration chamber. At least one heat-dissipating refrigerant flow coil surrounds a portion of the thermally conductive body to heat said body.
US07716936B2
A method for affecting a scheduled defrost operation for a refrigeration system includes the steps of: (a) after an extant the scheduled defrost operation commences, evaluating at least one predetermined parameter relating to operation of the refrigeration system; (b) if the at least one predetermined parameter manifests a behavior of at least one first predetermined nature over at least one first time interval, continuing the extant scheduled defrost operation; and (c) if the at least one predetermined parameter manifests a behavior of at least one second predetermined nature over at least one second time interval, discontinuing the extant scheduled defrost operation.
US07716925B2
The invention relates to a closure with a thermal safeguard function, comprising a closure body (1), which is used to seal a cavity (10) that is to be closed; a fusible safeguard element (2), which is inserted into the closure body and which keeps closed, at least indirectly, a through-opening (1.1), which is formed in the closure body. The inventive closure with a thermal safeguard function is characterized by the following features: the closure body comprises a bushing (3) provided with a continuous bore (3.1); the bushing is inserted into the through-opening of the closure body at an axial end (1.3) in such a way that the continuous bore and the region of the through-opening that is axially adjacent to the bushing are aligned flush with each other; the fusible safeguard element completely fills the continuous bore of the bushing over the entire cross section thereof along a given axial length.
US07716912B2
A propulsion thrust control system and method for controlling thrust in a rocket motor includes configuring valves of an energized rocket motor to an initial total valve area according to a total thrust command. The total thrust command is converted into a commanded propellant mass flow discharge rate. A varying total valve area is computed from an error between the commanded propellant mass flow discharge rate and a calculated propellant mass flow discharge rate. The valves are reconfigured according to a distribution of the varying total valve area. The propulsion system includes a pressure vessel with valves and a controller for regulating the valve area according to a propellant mass flow discharge rate from the pressure vessel.
US07716905B2
A sensing assembly comprises a forward point for mounting on a crop divider associated with a header. At least one movable arm is capable of interacting with one or more plants standing in a field. A sensor detects a position of the movable arm. A mounting assembly operably supports the movable arm and the forward point, where a rear portion of the forward point is spaced apart from a forward edge of the crop divider and the at least one movable arm is located above a bottom portion of the forward point when the mounting assembly is secured to the crop divider.
US07716904B2
A cutterbar drive mechanism cover for use in a specialty crop harvesting header to optimally direct severed crop material from the cutterbar to a crop conveying apparatus which then laterally converges the crop material from outboard ends of the cutting header toward an interior discharge zone for formation of a windrow or for further processing. Crop flow smoothing by the drive cover also reduces disturbances to the crop material during movement within the header which reduces seed loss in seed-bearing specialty crops.
US07716899B2
Various building components and building construction techniques are disclosed. One embodiment comprises a joist end bearing condition wherein a joist rim is supported on a support structure adjacent to a bearing wall and attached thereto. Joists are attached to the joist rim and noncombustible board may be supported on the joists to form a floor surface. Other embodiments include metal joist rims that also function as headers for walls and headers for window and door openings in walls. Various methods of constructing walls from prefabricated panels formed from cold-formed steel components are also disclosed.
US07716895B2
A portable light emitting stage component and portable stage system. The stage components having a deck supported by a support portion. The support portion includes at least one light producing element arranged and disposed to direct light through the deck. The support portion further includes at least one connector having at least one of a latch member and a receiving member. The latch member has features that clampingly secure stage components together when engaged with features of a receiving member to form a substantially planar surface made up of a plurality of decks.
US07716893B1
A wall resurfacing kit for allowing users to quickly and easily resurface a damaged wallpapered surface includes a plurality of rectangular mesh screen sheets. The plurality of mesh screen sheets are made of fiberglass and are directly attachable to the wallpapered surface. The wall resurfacing kit further includes a reinforcing member. The reinforcing member is applied directly onto the mesh screen sheets such that the reinforcing member penetrates through the mesh screen sheets. The reinforcing member directly couples the plurality of mesh screen sheets to the wallpapered surface. The wall resurfacing kit further includes a set of instructions indicating a decoration mode. The decoration mode is used to decorate the wallpapered surface.
US07716888B2
A composite deck assembly includes a baseplate and a top plate secured to the baseplate. The baseplate is formed from a first composite matrix comprising strands of reinforcing fibers oriented in first direction and a polymer resin. The baseplate includes a plurality of ribs and a plurality of laterally extending open channels disposed between the ribs. The top plate is formed from a second composite matrix of reinforcing fibers in a polymer resin, and is secured, optionally releasably, to the baseplate so as to generally enclose at least a portion of the channels. All the reinforcing fibers in the baseplate may be limited to being either the strands oriented in the first direction or matted reinforcing fibers having a random orientation. At least one of the base section and the top plate may be translucent. The open channel configuration simplifies manufacture and lowers cost.
US07716876B2
An inflatable air beam having a laceloop assembly affixed thereto, a structure utilizing same and a method of constructing a structure is provided. In the structure, the fabric is laced to a structural support, typically, an air beam to position and properly tension the fabric thereon. The laceloop assembly includes spaced apart adjacent laceloops that are interconnected to secure the fabric panel to the structural support. In practicing the method, the laceloops are passed through fabric panels and through adjacent laceloops to interconnect the adjacent laceloops and secure the fabric panels to the structural support.
US07716866B2
An avian decoy including a decoy body; a stake having an upper end for rotatably supporting the decoy body, and having a lower end for being anchored to a support surface; and a guide for guiding the upper end of the stake into proper position in the decoy body.
US07716860B1
A retractable banner display includes an easily replaceable banner core. Housing for the banner core includes an end cap with a reentrant opening on its top edge that receives and retains an end peg of the banner core. The end peg has a height greater than its width so that its movement is restricted within the reentrant opening. A retention member, such as a notch, may be included to hold the core within the reentrant opening when the banner is pulled to its extended position. A plurality of replacement banner cores may be included with a display assembly. The banner core may be configured to lock in a first orientation and unlock in a second orientation to assist in loading the core into the housing and assist in maintaining tension in the core. An adapter may be used to adjust the display angle of the banner.
US07716858B2
Disclosed is an iron having a soleplate capable of easily pleating cloth, as well as ironing the cloth. The iron 10 includes a soleplate 13 and a body positioned on the soleplate and having a switch 12 and a handle 11 installed thereon. A connecting plate 14, which is provided with operating spaces 16 formed on front and rear surfaces thereof, is fixed to a bottom of the body. Guides 15 are formed on the front and rear surfaces, opposite to the operating spaces. The soleplate 13 provided with a space 19 corresponding to the guides 15 is assembled to the guides 15 using fastening bolts 20, which is inserted into a spring 21. The heat coils 17 serving as a heat source are built in the connecting plate 14 and the soleplate 13, respectively. The heat coil in the connecting plate 14 is connected to the heat coil in the soleplate 13 by a heat-coil connector 18, so that the cloth is pushed into a pleating part 22 through a mouth 23 provided between the connecting plate 14 and the soleplate 13 to pleat the cloth.
US07716855B2
A snowshoe (1) includes a binding (4) intended to retain the boot of the user and a plate pivoting around a transverse pivot axis (X, X′) including a retaining assembly for the boot. A longitudinal position of the rear retaining assembly is adjustable for in order to conform the longitudinal dimension of binding, with the size of the boot, by displacement toward the front or towards the rear and locking it in the chosen position. The front retaining stirrup is mounted to a front horizontally extending plate (7), which is pivotally retained on the webbing around the pivot axis (X, X′), while the rear retaining part is mounted on a lower support wall (9), extended toward the front by a sliding member (10) intended to cooperate, with a slide channel of corresponding form defined under the front plate (7) of the front retaining assembly (4a).
US07716854B2
A sports boot comprising a part comprising at least two superposed layers of plastics and comprising an opening that can be closed by catching means distributed on either side of this opening, wherein one of the two layers has one or more recesses lying on an axis in order to define a deformation axis of the shell, allowing that part of the shell that is around this axis to move away in order to enlarge the opening and make it easier to put the boot on and to take it off.
US07716853B2
A suction fitted garment is disclosed. There is provided a garment for water-related activities, said garment including a body shaped to fit a wearer and a pump mounted to the body for operation out of water and underwater to remove the air and water trapped between the body and the wearer and to generate a vacuum between the body and the wearer. Generating a vacuum between the body and the wearer provides a close fit to the wearer, whereby said close fit enhances the wearer's tactile sensitivity through the body.
US07716852B2
Disclosed are articles of footwear and soles therefor, in particular sports shoe soles that include openings for ventilation and vapor exchange. The soles include an insole layer with a plurality of first openings, a support layer with a plurality of second openings that partially overlap the plurality of first openings, and an outsole layer with at least one third opening that at least partially overlaps the plurality of second openings to provide fluidic communications through the sole from an interior of the shoe to an exterior of the shoe. A substantial portion of the plurality of first openings in the insole are interconnected to provide a path for diffusion. The shoes and soles can include a cushioning layer, a tread layer, a breathable membrane, and additional support elements. In addition, the shoes can be used with climate control socks to further enhance the climate control properties of the shoes.
US07716848B1
A tape measure device for measuring lengths is provided. The tape measure device comprises a housing having a slotted opening. A retractable measuring tape is wound within the housing with the measuring tape having a free end extending through the slotted opening and a secured end secured within the housing and the measuring tape being alternatingly extractable from and receivable into the housing. A viewing slot is formed in the measuring tape. A triangular-shaped tab is secured to the free end of the measuring tape. A rotating mechanism provides rotation of the tab relative to the free end of the measuring tape.
US07716847B2
A probe system includes a probe head and a transceiver element. Due to contact of a stylus, a sensor signal is able to be generated by a sensor element. The probe head and the transceiver element are configured such that a wireless data transfer is able to be produced between them, so that readiness information is transmittable from the probe head to the transceiver element. The readiness information is transmittable by two bit strings including high bits and low bits, the bit strings being transmittable following defined time intervals, and the second bit string having fewer high bits than the first bit string.
US07716845B1
This apparatus is designed to accurately measure or compare loaded or unloaded ammunition cartridges of all shapes and sizes. It measures between the base of a cartridge and any of its flat or tapered surfaces above. This apparatus is comprised of an adjustable v-block that is secured to the stem of a digital or mechanical indicator that is mounted on a vertical shaft above a flat pedestal. As the v-block and stem are raised, a cartridge case is then positioned between the v-block and the pedestal of this apparatus. The cartridge can then be engaged by lowering the v-block to contact any upper location on a cartridge. After this v-block rests on any upper location of a cartridge, the indicator is then reset to zero. The indicator is then prepared to measure or compare the difference of each cartridge in relation to its base. The measurement from the cartridge shoulder to its base is known as headspace. The measurements taken from the bullet back toward the base will reveal variations in bullet seating depth. No other tools or special bushings are required to operate this apparatus.
US07716833B2
A knuckle hub assembly (10) and a method for manufacturing same whereby brake run out is produced includes a knuckle (12), a bearing (28) press fit into the knuckle (12), and a wheel hub (14) coupled to the bearing (28) and rotateable with respect to the knuckle (12). The wheel hub (14) has a flange surface (34) having a relief channel (60) formed therein. A plurality of wheel studs (44) are press fit into bolt opening (42) formed in the relief channel (60). This arrangement provides a flat flange surface (34) for mating with a rotor (42) to minimize brake run out. The knuckle hub assembly (10) is mounted into a floating tool for finish turning of the flange surface (34) to provide minimal run out and maximum flatness.
US07716829B2
A heat exchanger including a header having a plurality of header openings with rigid tubes that may be made of plastic are inserted in the openings. The tubes are sealed to the header to prevent leakage between the header and the tubes to prevent water and air leakage between the wet, scavenger air stream flowing through the tubes and a dry air stream flowing around the tubes. A method of making the heat exchanger includes providing the openings with a flange and uses an interference fit between the rigid heat exchange tubes and the header openings. A self-leveling sealant may be used to seal the heat exchanger tubes to the header using, for example, a paint roller and/or a paint sprayer.
US07716827B2
The present invention concerns an apparatus for aligning and/or installing reluctor rings on crankshafts. The apparatus include a tool body having first and second alignment mechanisms which register with crankshaft and reluctor ring apertures for aligning the reluctor rings on the crankshafts in a correct phase orientation for proper ignition timing.
US07716826B2
A circuit substrate manufacturing method including the steps of preparing a substrate on which a metallic foil is formed in a releasable state, forming a build-up wiring on the metallic foil, obtaining a circuit member having a structure that the build-up wiring is formed on the metallic foil by releasing the metallic foil from the substrate, and exposing a lowest wiring layer of the build-up wiring by removing the metallic foil of the circuit member.
US07716822B2
A method and placement device are provided for moving at least two elements in and opposite to a predetermined direction. The second element is simultaneously moved by means of the first element. The first element is moved in the predetermined direction, whereas the second element is moved relative to the first element in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction and vice versa.
US07716809B2
Provided is a method for making a double-walled yoke that allows an inner yoke (4) and outer yoke (3) to be integrally joined to each other both easily and securely. Such a yoke provides an adequate cross sectional area for a magnetic path of the yoke while minimizing the weight of the yoke. A tubular member (14) destined to be form the inner yoke and a cup-shaped member (13) destined to form the outer yoke are both fitted on a punch (7) and a drawing process is executed by using an appropriate drawing die (8). The outer yoke may have a small wall thickness as long as it is capable of retaining its shape during use or supporting a bearing for the motor. The inner yoke is required to be relatively small in size as long it is capable of forming a satisfactory magnetic path for the motor. A satisfactory magnetic path can be obtained if the yoke is provided with an adequate wall thickness so as to provide an adequate cross sectional area for the magnetic path.
US07716804B2
A method is provided for self-pierce riveting which reduces a setting force required for setting the rivets. For this purpose, a clamping force produced by a clamping device is substituted by the force produced by a rivet on a punch. The clamping force varies within a known magnitude, whereas the setting force is reduced by 20%.
US07716799B2
An apparatus for repairing steering knuckle (kingpin) bearings includes a table having multiple, adjustable slides for receiving and securing the steering knuckle to the table, a boring bar and cutter, two adjustable bearing supports for receiving and positioning the boring bar along an axis coincident with the axis of the kingpin bearings, a first drive assembly for advancing the boring bar and a second drive assembly for rotating the boring bar. A method of repairing a steering knuckle comprises securing the knuckle to the slides and the slides to the table, utilizing cylindrical centering rings to align the boring bar with the axis of the kingpin bearings, supporting and securing the boring bar on the previously established axis in a pair of bearing supports and rotating and feeding the boring bar and cutter to create new surfaces in the steering knuckle adapted to receive bearing sleeves. Upon installation of both bearing sleeves, the boring bar and drive unit are reinstalled and the inside diameter of the sleeve is bored to the proper size to receive the kingpin.
US07716792B2
Molded touch fastener elements or hooks that feature a head or crook that is quite large with respect to the size of the overall hook, or with respect to the entrance below the hook heads through which the loops must pass for engagement to occur. The hooks are particularly useful for high cycle life applications when mated with low loft loops.
US07716781B2
A cleaner (1) has a DC brushless motor (15) with stator (203) and rotor (212). Stator is mounted on a shaft and rotor is mounted inside and to a tubular body (207) about stator (203). Impeller (17) is mounted to and outside tubular body (207). The motor (15) and impeller (17) are mounted in a housing having an intake (17) and an exhaust (9). Operation of the motor and rotation of the impeller causes a partial vacuum at the intake (7) to draw air. The air is exhausted through the exhaust (9). A filter (61) prevents particles from entering the motor (15). Particles are collected in a receptacle (5) prior to the filter (61). The impeller (17) may be a squirrel cage fan, bladed fan, or centrifugal fan. A secondary exhaust (11) expels particles from the filter (61) and/or receptacle (5) by rotation of the impeller (17) in an opposite direction or by the use of a secondary DC motor and impeller. The housing (2) can fit in a cavity between conventional wall studs.
US07716777B2
Dusting article structure including a duster body and a handle. The duster body includes layers of holding sheets, a fibrous-filament layer, and a cleaning base sheet. A lower layer of the holding sheets and the cleaning base sheet are symmetrically cut to form strip-like cleaning pieces. The filaments of the fibrous-filament layer include numerous tiny pores disposed thereon. The handle includes a grip portion and a connector portion. A coupling block is disposed on the grip portion and includes inserting posts and pivoting grooves to respectively engage with pivoting holes and a pivoting rod of the connector portion thereby. The grip portion is mounted pivotally onto the connector portion having retaining rods to be engaged with holding spaces of the thermo-fusion bonded duster body. The tiny pores disposed at the fibrous-filament layer absorb and trap small grains of dust. The grip portion of the handle may be bent for folding.
US07716765B1
A combination mattress for putting babies to sleep without disturbing the babies and waking them up includes a platform piece and baby-carrying piece. When the baby-carrying piece is placed in the platform piece, the two form a complete sleeping surface for a baby. When the caregiver needs to put the baby to sleep, the caregiver removes the baby-carrying piece from the platform piece, puts the baby on top of the baby-carrying piece, and cuddles the baby to sleep. When the baby is asleep, the caregiver moves the baby-carrying piece with the baby lying on top of the baby-carrying piece into the platform piece, where the baby continues to sleep. By avoiding touching the baby or creating pressure points with the baby's body, the caregiver avoids waking up the baby while transporting the baby to the platform piece.
US07721346B2
A technology is provided to improve tamper resistance in encrypting data to be secured and inputting/outputting the data between a recording device and a host device. When the recording device issues an input/output command to a storage device to input/output data to be secured, the recording device attaches an ID to the command to identify to which cryptographic input/output processing the command belongs. Upon reception of a sequence command, the storage device receives the command if its ID has been allocated and the command is verified to have been issued in the correct sequence. The sequence ID is used to identify a process system while appropriately managing the steps of executing commands.
US07721340B2
Tampering with pieces of software is inhibited. Registry protection prevents changes made to keys and values in a central hierarchical database. Hardware protection prevents hackers from forcing various pieces of software from running on unauthorized pieces of hardware. The obfuscation of a software image so as to becloud the comprehension of hackers in reverse engineering pieces of software comprising the software image is provided. Image verification ensures the originality of the pieces of software to be installed.
US07721324B1
A system and method for preventing untrusted nodes from sending or receiving management communications. In an environment such as an InfiniBand communication fabric, a management packet (e.g., a packet traversing virtual lane 15) is one of four types: 1) Request from a manager node (e.g., Subnet Manager or SM) to an endnode; 2) Reply from an endnode to a request from the manager; 3) Request from an endnode to the manager; and 4) Reply from the manager to the endnode. Switches (and other routing devices) are configured to allow untrusted nodes to send management packets of types 2 and 3 only, and to receive management packets of types 1 and 4 only. Trusted nodes (e.g., manager nodes, switches) can send and receive all types. Each port of a switch or routing device has an associated indicator reflecting the level of trust afforded the node or switch coupled to the port.
US07721323B2
A method and apparatus for including network security information in a frame is disclosed. Network security information is included in a secure portion of overhead of a frame. The network security information is configured to facilitate network security. A network device configured to process a frame is also disclosed. The frame includes frame security information and network security information. The frame security information is configured to facilitate securing a portion of overhead of the frame, and the network security information is located in the secure portion of the overhead of the frame and is configured to facilitate network security.
US07721302B2
A method of installing a first self-contained data handling application to operate with a second, previously installed, self-contained data handling application having at least one call routine which is executed when the second data handling application is operated, is described. The method comprises a) determining the presence of the second data handling application and, if it is present, b) generating a link to a software routine provided by, and utilizing when executed, the first data handling application, which will be executed by the call routine in the second data handling application.
US07721296B2
A communications system in which event based charging is implemented and in which service flows between end user equipments and application servers are filtered for charging purposes by a traffic plane function (TPF). The TPF identifies a service flow between an end user equipment and an application server and implements event based charging by sending a message to an Event Owner for the service flow requesting notification of Events associated with the service flow. The Event Owner sends a message containing an Event Result to the TPF when an Event associated with the service flow occurs and the TPF correlates the Event Result with the service flow. This correlation may include the matching of the Event Result to the service flow which the TPF then notifies to a billing control function so that the billing control function can bill the end user appropriately based on the Events. This correlation may also include the matching of the Event Result to a data download detected by the TPF on the service flow so that the system operator can confirm that the service flows filtered by the TPF match the Events notified to the TPF by the Event Owner.
US07721285B2
A user interface function for a virtual machine system based on a server or a PC is provided only by applying software without using SVP or the like. A control virtual machine is provided for controlling a virtual machine control screen which is displayed for defining virtual machines and instructing operations to the virtual machines. A virtual machine control program exclusively displays either a screen for each virtual machine or the virtual machine control screen in response to a screen switching instruction from an input device.
US07721280B1
A systems and methods for automatically delivering at least one file from an originating computer system to at least one respective destination computer system comprising at least one delivery directory residing on the originating computer system to be scanned periodically. This directory can be adapted to receive at least one file from an application running on the originating computer system. The at least one file is placed into the directory, and that placement serves as a signal to initiate the process of automatically delivering that file to a given destination computer system.
US07721275B2
A system and method to perform post pass optimizations in a dynamic compiling environment. A dynamic compiler emits machine code. Responsive to the emission of the machine code a post pass processor creates an abstract representation of the code from the dynamic compiler. Data flow analysis is then conducted on the abstract representation. Redundant instructions in the machine code are identified and eliminated as a result of the data flow analysis.
US07721274B1
Performance information can be utilized for comparison of resolving an external object reference through a linking module against accessing the external object directly (“relocation processing”). With the performance information, a determination of whether performing relocation processing on a runtime linked external object reference provides improved runtime performance sufficient to outweigh the runtime linking overhead incurred from the relocation processing is made. If the improvement in runtime performance is sufficient, then the runtime linked external object reference, or the code section that includes the reference, is marked to indicate that relocation processing should be applied.
US07721266B2
An integrated tracing and logging system for an enterprise network. One embodiment of the integrated logging and tracing system has an object-oriented architecture which includes a controller class with two sub-classes: a tracing sub-class and a logging sub-class. Instances of the tracing sub-class (tracing modules) are associated with specified program code regions of network applications. The tracing modules receive method calls from the network applications and process the method calls based on defined severity levels. Instances of the logging sub-class (logging modules) are associated with specified “categories” related to the enterprise network (e.g., system, database, etc). The logging modules receive and process method calls from network components associated with the categories. The integrated logging and tracing system allows the format of tracing and logging messages to be configured without recompiling any source code.
US07721260B2
A system and method for testing input and output paths connected to an embedded processor. Specialized test software operating on the embedded processor creates one or more test workers or threads, each having a specific routine to perform, which are executed in parallel, stressing various communication paths. The results may be analyzed to help in many different ways during the life cycle of the device with the embedded controller.
US07721254B2
A programming interface provides functions for generating applications, documents, media presentations and other content. These functions allow developers to obtain services from an operating system, object model service, or other system or service.
US07721253B2
The invention provides a software development support system capable of reflecting the content added by a person to source code in source code generated again, without modifying design information.A generator 41 generates source code in which plural insertion markers are inserted on the basis of design information. An extracting portion 43 extracts code (inserted code) contained in a range specified by each insertion marker in source code. Each extracted inserted code is associated with its identification information and stored into a saving portion 32. When the generator 41 generates source code, a combining portion 44 performs a process of combining inserted code with the relevant source code and outputs the processed source code, wherein the relevant inserted code is included in plural pieces of inserted code stored in the saving portion 32, source code identified by the identification information for the relevant inserted code coincides with the relevant source code and an insertion marker identified by this identification information exists in the relevant source code and coincides with the relevant insertion marker.
US07721252B2
An apparatus and a method for a product-line description and verification is provided. The apparatus includes: a product-line architecture model conversion tool for classifying related architecture model components according to variant characteristics by analyzing inputted scenarios, generating a dependency relationship model by extracting a dependency relationship between architecture model elements based on a variant element, and generating a product-line architecture from an inputted architecture model based on the dependency relationship model; and a product-line architecture verification tool for receiving a scenario of a system requirement, mapping the scenario to related architecture model components, analyzing an architecture model dependency by analyzing static modeling information and dynamic modeling information of a product architecture, and generating an aspect model of the requirements, the scenario and the related architecture model components.
US07721250B2
A system (and method, and method for deploying computing infrastructure) for facilitating fixing program development errors found during different phases of program development using different programming tools, such as compilers, linkers, library managers, and debuggers, and can be integrated into a program development environment encompassing all tools. The exemplary aspects of the present invention can detect a qualified set of problems from which to recover with sufficient information, as typically provided by a user or other intelligent or artificial intelligent means, and upon error detection, can initiate a communication with the user (or other support software), to acquire information that could remedy the problem.
US07721249B2
A user interface apparatus which is capable of registering a substitute processing operating procedure that can be performed by another apparatus on a network. It is determined whether or not processing specific to a MFP 110 is included in processing corresponding to a processing operating procedure when the processing operating procedure is registered. A user is urged to register a substitute processing operating procedure when it is determined that the processing specific to the MFP 110 is included in the processing corresponding to the processing operating procedure registered.
US07721248B2
Methods, systems, program products are disclosed that control placement of dummy shapes about sensitive circuit elements such that the dummy shapes are at least substantially similar for each circuit element even though the dummy shapes are auto-generated. In one embodiment, the invention includes providing dummy shape pattern pitch information to a designer, and allowing placement of circuit elements at integer multiples of one or more of the pitches such that the dummy shapes are at least substantially similar about each instance of the circuit element. Another embodiment includes allowing placement of a marker about a circuit element to indicate an area in which dummy shapes are to be substantially identical, and then using the marker to place the circuit element. Dummy shapes generated within the marker ensure substantially identical dummy shapes for each instance of the circuit element. The invention also includes the integrated circuits formed.
US07721247B2
A method for detecting the presence of side lobes in a full chip layout having a main pattern designed on a mask includes surrounding the main pattern with a pattern of polygons or circles. A lithography rule check is performed and uses the pattern of polygons or circles to search the main pattern for side lobes. The location of a side lobe is preferably marked with an error flag.
US07721246B2
One embodiment of the present invention determines the effect of placing an assist feature at a location in a layout. During operation, the system receives a first value which was pre-computed by convolving a model with a layout at an evaluation point, wherein the model models semiconductor manufacturing processes. Next, the system determines a second value by convolving the model with an assist feature, which is assumed to be located at a first location which is in proximity to the evaluation point. The system then determines the effect of placing an assist feature using the first value and the second value. An embodiment of the present invention can be used to determine a substantially optimal location for placing an assist feature in a layout.
US07721245B2
A method, data processing system, and computer program product are provided for routing a circuit placement a number of times, resulting in a number of routings. An electromigration quality value is computed for each of the routings, and the routing with the best electromigration quality value is selected. In one embodiment, each routing is analyzed with attention to the current that passes through each of the routing's segments in order to compute a current distribution that is used to compute a routing quality vector. In another embodiment, multiple placements are generated and the electromigration placement quality vectors are computed for the various placements with the placement with the best electromigration quality vector being selected. In one embodiment, the placement with the best electromigration quality vector is routed the number of times to determine the routing with the lowest (best) electromigration quality value.
US07721239B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit according to the present invention includes a cell array composed of elements, conductive lines with a pattern of a line & space arranged on the cell array, connecting lines formed upper than the conductive lines, and contact holes which connect the conductive lines to the connecting lines. One end side of the conductive lines sequentially departs from an end of the cell array when heading from one of the conductive lines to another one, the contact holes are arranged at one end side of the conductive lines, and size of the contact holes is larger than width of the conductive lines.
US07721237B2
Disclosed is a method, system, and computer program product for timing closure with concurrent models for fabrication, metrology, lithography, and/or imaging processing analyses for electronic designs. Some embodiments of the present invention disclose a method for timing closure with concurrent process model analysis which comprises the act of generating a design for the one or more interconnect levels; analyzing the effects of the concurrent models to predict feature dimension variations based upon the concurrent models; modifying the design files to reflect the variations; determining one or more parameters based upon the concurrent models; and determining the impact of concurrent models upon the electrical and timing performance. Some embodiments disclose a computerized system for implementing the method(s) disclosed herein. Some embodiments also disclosed a computer program product comprising executable code for the method(s) disclosed herein.
US07721228B2
An embodiment of the invention, for controlling a context menu, used with a Web page, wherein the Web page is divided into regions, can comprise downloading additional menu items that are not part of the context menu prior to download, and monitoring for when a user calls for a context menu. Upon detecting a context menu call, it is determined what region was selected by the user, and at least one of the additional menu items is made available to the user as part of the context menu interface. At least one of the additional menu items is chosen based on the region selected by the user.
US07721226B2
The present invention provides a glom widget to the pen user of a PC that allows them to access contextual tools near a location where they are writing. If the user selects the glom widget, a context menu drops down that contains several of the most common tools and/or commands that a user creating handwriting might want to access. The glom widget menu can also contain contextual commands that are easier to comprehend and use since they are presented directly next to the content on the page to which they relate.
US07721213B2
Information for configuring control apparatus for a power system including a plurality of controlled power supplies is produced using a graphical interface which displays the topology and sequencing of the power supplies in the power system. A database is used to select power supplies to add in determining the power system topology. Sequencing is represented by displacing icons representing the power supplies along lines representing their input and output voltages, and arrows representing startup sequence dependencies. A processor produces the configuration information, consistent with the displayed topology and sequencing, using information for the selected power supplies from the database, for downloading to the control apparatus.
US07721205B2
A graphical object is generated according to a first application in a document of a second application. The graphical object is constructed as a composite, data-driven object. The graphical object's data is organized so that the semantic data (e.g., relationship among individuals on an organizational chart) is persisted separately from presentation data (e.g., the layout and style of shapes and connectors for visualizing the organizational chart). The semantic data and presentation data are combined to provide the rendered view of the graphical object within the document. The graphical object displays and functions equivalently to when the graphical object is rendered by the first application.
US07721203B2
A method and system for checking the validity of a sequence of input characters according to the syntactical rules of a selected language is provided. If an input character may not begin a valid sequence of characters, or if the input character may not be appended to a previously input sequence of characters according to the rules of the selected language, the newly input character may be prohibited from being displayed singularly or appended to the previous sequence and displayed on the user's computer. Previously input character sequences may be edited by determining the sequence validity context of previously input sequences of characters.
US07721195B2
A template processor converts an initial template document into an XSL template that can be used to automatically generate reports from report data extracted from a database or other application. Users create initial template documents using a word processor or other rich-text editing application. The initial template document employs the word processor's native formatting features to specify the formatting of report data. The initial template document includes placeholder tags inserted by the user to define the locations of report data in the report. The initial template document also includes transformation tags that dynamically define the content of a report based on the value or quantity of report data. The template processor can include a reader adapted to read portions of the initial template file and a parser adapted to create corresponding XSL code from these portions. The XSL template can be combined with XML-formatted data to create a report.
US07721194B2
A storage manager represents XML-compliant documents as a collection of objects in memory, allowing the storage manager to manipulate the document, or parts of the document, with a consistent interface and to provide for features that are not available in conventional XML documents, such as element attributes with types other than text and documents that contain binary rather than text information. The XML-compliant document may be associated with a schema document which defines the arrangement of the document elements and attributes. The schema data associated with a document can contain a mapping between document elements and program code to be associated with each element. The storage manager further has methods for retrieving the code from the element tag. The retrieved code can then be invoked using attributes and content from the associated element and the element then acts like a conventional object.
US07721193B2
Communication can be passed between components, such as an enterprise system and a client application, by utilizing schemas. A schema can ensure that a communication, such as a request or response, is in the proper format for one of the components. For instance, metadata can be received from an enterprise system in response to a request from a client application. That metadata can be transformed into an XML document that conforms to an XML schema, such as by an XML schema mechanism. At least portions of the XML document can be validated against the XML schema, such as by using a schema object model. The XML document can be passed on to the client application after validation.This description is not intended to be a complete and accurate description of the invention or to limit the scope of the invention. Other features, aspects, and objects of the invention can be obtained from a review of the specification, the figures, and the claims.
US07721189B2
A worksheet overview system comprises an item information handler, an overview element handler, an overview area handler, and an overview synchronizer. The item information handler obtains item information relating to items of a worksheet. The overview element handler manages overview elements based on the item information. Each overview element represents item information of a corresponding item of the worksheet. The overview area handler provides an overview area for containing the overview elements to make the overview elements contained in the overview area accessible by a user. The overview synchronizer synchronizes between each overview element in the overview area and its corresponding item of the worksheet.
US07721188B2
Differencing and merging tree-structured documents, such as eXtensible Markup Language (XML) documents, is disclosed. A differencing-and-merging system for tree-structured documents of one embodiment of the invention includes a difference processing unit and a merging processing unit. The differencing processing unit performs a difference operation on at least two tree-structured documents, in accordance with difference configuration information regarding the documents. The merging processing unit performs a merging operation on the tree-structured documents from correspondence information generated by the difference processing unit, based on the difference operation configuration information regarding the documents. The correspondence information indicates differences among nodes of the documents. The difference operation configuration information specifies one or more nodes among the documents that are to be considered equivalent when the difference operation is performed, and one or more nodes among the documents that are to be ignored when the difference operation is performed.
US07721184B2
Efficient methods for encoding and decoding Half-Weight codes are disclosed and similar high density codes are disclosed. The efficient methods require at most 3·(k−1)+h/2+1 XORs of symbols to calculate h Half-Weight symbols from k source symbols, where h is of the order of log(k).
US07721183B2
The invention provides circuits that are tolerant to soft errors, such as a single event upset (SEU). The circuits have a chain of permitted state changes. Redundant elements, including redundant literals and assignments, are designed and implemented in the circuit. The design is such that a disruption or change of state on a single element by an SEU will not change the state flow of a circuit or lead to impermissible state changes. In one embodiment, the invention is implemented in quasi-delay-insensitive (QDI) asynchronous circuits.
US07721173B2
A broadcaster, system, and method for reducing test data volume and test application time in an ATE (automatic test equipment) in a scan-based integrated circuit. The scan-based integrated circuit contains multiple scan chains, each scan chain comprising multiple scan cells coupled in series. The broadcaster is a combinational logic network coupled to an optional virtual scan controller and an optional scan connector. The virtual scan controller controls the operation of the broadcaster. The system transmits virtual scan patterns stored in the ATE and generates broadcast scan patterns through the broadcaster for testing manufacturing faults in the scan-based integrated circuit. The number of scan chains that can be supported by the ATE is significantly increased. Methods are further proposed to reorder scan cells in selected scan chains, to generate the broadcast scan patterns and virtual scan patterns, and to synthesize the broadcaster and a compactor in the scan-based integrated circuit.
US07721164B2
A method and apparatus that is configured to issue an echo extended link service with a payload of data patterns that are known in the art of fiber channel to produce jitter. The inventive apparatus is configured to use an echo extended link service to send data with a specified data pattern. Failing data patterns are compared against data patterns that are known in the art of fiber channel to create jitter and the results may be presented to the user.
US07721149B2
A secure system has two computers that are intrinsically safe and implements a method for verifying the redundancy for the outputs where a very high level of safety is required. The method makes it possible to handle inconsistencies in the outputs of the two computers when they are working in redundant mode. Each computer receives the output states determined by the other computer and compares them to states calculated. A state of divergent operation is detected if the computers have determined two different states for a single output. If a divergence is detected for at least one output, the state of that output is determined by preventing any transition from a restrictive state to a permissive state.
US07721143B2
The present invention provides a method for reducing rebuild time on a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) device. A first stripe of the RAID device is selected. Write-back caching on a drive being built is enabled. Data and/or parity may be read from at least one other drive. The at least one other drive and the drive being built belong to a same stripe of the RAID device. When a RAID level of the RAID device is 5, the at least one of data or parity is XORed (exclusive ORed) to obtain a result. When the RAID level of the RAID device is 1, the at least one of data or parity is data and treated as the result. The result is written to a second drive, which is a repaired, replaced, or hot-spare drive for the drive being built.
US07721136B2
Systems and methods for I/O fencing in a shared storage environment are provided. Prior to initiating an I/O request, when feasible, the current time from a local timer is compared to the current state of an interval obtained for the target device. As a result, a device reset occurring while the interval is viable does not arbitrarily end a multiphase I/O operation. However, a device reset occurring once the lease has expired results in a delay or termination of the multiphase I/O operation. As a result, multiphase I/O operations from initiating hosts that have lost contact with the shared storage environment are not allowed to corrupt the shared storage devices.
US07721127B2
A multithreaded microprocessor includes a thread scheduler and voltage-frequency scheduler (VFS). The thread scheduler uses application-specified QoS requirements, which include required instruction completion rates, and instruction completion information from execution units to schedule the priorities of the threads at which the thread scheduler issues instructions to the execution units. Concurrently, the VFS uses the instruction completion and QoS information to calculate an aggregate utilization of the microprocessor by all the active threads when it is time to scale the voltage-frequency. The aggregate utilization is an effective measure of the amount of work left to be performed relative to the rate requirements. The VFS scales the voltage-frequency based on the aggregate utilization.
US07721121B2
An apparatus and method for controlling the power supplied to a fixing unit are provided. The apparatus includes a voltage detector detecting a voltage of input power supplied to heat at least one heating lamp, a synch signal generator generating a synch signal in response to the detected voltage, a switching unit switching a supply path of the input power to be applied to the at least one heating lamp, and a controller having table information of temporal duty level values of the input power that is initially supplied, and outputting a control signal for controlling a switching operation of the switching unit using the generated synch signal and the table information, wherein the switching unit performs the switching operation corresponding to the control signal. Accordingly, by sequentially increasing the input power for initial heating of the heating lamps, flickering and harmonic characteristics of a display device can be reduced, and by setting the duty level values to supply the maximum input power within a certain time, an initial heating time of the heating lamps can be minimized.
US07721116B2
Provided is a security system for managing which CD-ROM is used for a game device not having identifying information in advance. When a game device accesses a server via a communication network, a device ID, which is issued from the server, is stored in a nonvolatile memory This device ID is generated based on the time and date when the game device accesses the server via a communication network (e.g. Dec. 10, 2000 at 21:05:37). The server associates a serial number (SN) of a CD-ROM used in the game device and a device ID of the game device with each other and registers them on a database. This makes it possible to manage which CD-ROM is used in each game device.
US07721101B2
A communication apparatus with a memory (418) holding CA information A(301a) including (i) a CA certificate A(106a) indicating that an AP server certificate A(402a) (that indicates the validity of an application server (401)) is valid and (ii) a URL B(302b) indicating the URL of a download server B(406b) where CA information B(301b) including the next valid CA certificate B(106b) is stored. The communication apparatus also having a server authentication unit (416) verifying the AP server certificate A(402a) using the CA certificate A(106a), and having a CA information update unit (417) obtaining the CA information B(301b) from the download server B(406b) indicated by the URL B(302b), wherein, when the CA certificate A(106a) becomes revoked, the server authentication unit (416) authenticates the application server (401) using the CA certificate B(106b) included in the CA information B(301b) obtained by the CA information update unit (417).
US07721088B2
To provide a content distribution system which can prevent use of content which has been temporarily stored after the valid period.A content distribution system (1) including a license server (101) which issues a license, a content server (102) which transmits the content, a terminal device (103) which controls use of the content based on the issued license. The terminal device (103) does not allow the use of the received encrypted content when it is judged that the encrypted content received from the content server (102) is not the content received in real time.
US07721085B1
The invention provides for encryption of hierarchically structured information. In one embodiment, a method is provided for encrypting hierarchically structured information. The hierarchically structured information includes a particular node and zero or more descendent nodes, each node having a name and zero or more additional data for the node. The name of the particular node is encrypted and the encrypted name is stored. The one or more descendent nodes are stored with the parent-child relationships of the one or more descendent nodes exposed. Additional data for the particular node may be encrypted. Further, some, none or all of the data for the descendent nodes may be encrypted.
US07721084B2
A method of filtering a tunneled data packet including an outer header and an outer payload, the outer payload including an inner data packet including an inner header and an inner payload, where the value of at least one outer header field of the tunneled data packet is matched to a first rule, and the action defined in the first rule is taken. Taking the action defined in the first rule includes detecting the inner data packet within the tunneled data packet, matching the value of at least one field of the inner data packet to a second rule, and taking the action defined in the second rule.
US07721078B2
A system and method for accessing a hidden partition during a boot sequence is disclosed. An information handling system can include a basic input output system (BIOS) that can be operable to access a master boot record (MBR) of a storage device. The digital media storage device can include a fixed number of visible partitions and at least one hidden partition. The information handling system can further include a processor operable to detect a boot event operably associated with initiating a request to access contents that can be stored within an associated hidden partition of the storage device. The information handing system can also include a memory that can be operable to store at least a portion of the contents of the hidden partition. The contents can be stored upon accessing the hidden partition using an association established between one of the fixed number of visible partitions and the hidden partition.
US07721063B2
System, method and program for data mirroring. In response to identification of a new storage volume on a primary storage subsystem being designated for use, a plurality of parameters for the new storage volume needed for data mirroring are automatically determined. Also, a corresponding storage volume in a second storage subsystem to mirror data from the new storage volume in the primary storage subsystem is automatically determined. The parameters of the new storage volume are automatically entered in a data mirroring table. The table identifies the new storage volume, the parameters for the new storage volume and the corresponding storage volume. The table also maps the new storage volume to the corresponding storage volume such that data updates to the new storage volume are mirrored to the corresponding storage volume. The parameters for the new storage volume can be determined by determining that a prior storage volume and a subsequent storage volume in the primary storage subsystem have same values for the parameters. In response, these values are entered for the parameters for the new storage volume in the data mirroring table.
US07721053B2
In one embodiment, a storage controller comprises a first I/O port that provides an interface to a host computer, a second I/O port that provides an interface to a storage device, a processor that receives I/O requests generated by the host computer and, in response to the I/O requests, generates and transmits I/O requests to the storage device, and a memory module communicatively connected to the processor. The memory module comprises logic instructions which, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to collect performance data and availability data for a plurality of logical devices (LDEVS) managed by the storage controller, and present the performance data and availability data to a reporting interface.
US07721052B2
A computing node which reduces substantially and effectively reduces the power consumed by a memory is provided without affecting the efficiency whereby a processor accesses the memory. The computing node executes a user program sent by a control node. In case of which a message including the capacity of the memory required to execute a user program is received, a memory rank corresponding to the capacity of the required memory is made active by a memory controller before the user program is loaded into the memory.
US07721050B2
In a cache coherency protocol a re-snoop may be utilized to resolve a data request conflict condition. The re-snoop may avoid a conflict resolution phase, which may reduce system inefficiencies.
US07721049B2
A disk drive includes a first flush cache memory location, a second flush cache memory location, and a controller for writing information associated with a flush cache write command alternatively between the first flush cache memory location and the second flush cache memory location.
US07721038B2
Provided is a System on Chip (SoC) system for a multimedia system enabling high-speed transfer of a large amount of multimedia data and a processor to rapidly control a peripheral device. The SoC system includes a processor; a plurality of peripheral devices; a plurality of physically divided memories; a control bus for transferring a control signal from the processor to the peripheral devices and the memories; a data bus for transferring data between the processor, the peripheral devices and the memories; a bridge for coupling the control bus and the data bus to the processor; a plurality of memory controllers coupled to the control bus and controlling each of the memories; a Direct Memory Access (DMA) controller coupled to the data bus and the control bus and controlling data transfer between the peripheral devices and the memories; and a matrix switch coupled between the DMA controller and the memory controllers and enabling simultaneous multiple memory access.
US07721036B2
A target interface system for flexibly routing and timing communication signals exchanged between selected components of a communication system and methods for manufacturing and using same. Under the control of a host system, the target interface system samples an output data signal provided by the host system and includes a reconfigurable datapath for flexibly routing the sampled data signal to a selected target I/O pin of the target interface system. The selected target I/O pin provides the sampled data signal as an outgoing target data signal to a target system and likewise receives an incoming target data signal from the target system. Upon sampling the incoming target data signal, the target interface system flexibly routes the sampled data signal to the host system as an input data signal. The target interface system thereby facilitates exchanges of communication signals between the host system and the target system.
US07721027B2
A physical layer device (PLD), comprising: a first serializer-deserializer (SERDES) device having a first parallel port; a second SERDES device having a second parallel port; a third SERDES device having a third parallel port; and a path selector being selectively configurable to provide either (i) a first signal path between the first and second parallel ports, or (ii) a second signal path between the first and third parallel ports.
US07721025B2
A session-level cache provides space to reuse a task object and associated memory resources for a new request. Any additional resources necessary for the task are allocated by the system memory allocator.
US07721021B2
Apparatus and methods are provided for managing SAS zone group permission tables using associated version identifiers. Zone group permission tables of a SAS domain may have associated version identifiers, indicating a version of the zone group permission table. The version identifier may be used to determine whether the zone group permission table is the same as the current version for the SAS domain without comparing the contents of the zone group permission table with the contents of the current version. The version identifier may also be used for determining which of a plurality of zone group permission tables of the SAS domain is the current version if two or more SAS zoning expanders are storing different zone group permission tables.
US07721020B2
Methods, systems and apparatus for suppressing redundancy in data transmission over networks are provided. Data segments are transmitted from a transmitting DPU to a receiving DPU. Initially, only signatures of the transmitted data segments are stored in a cache at the transmitting DPU. A data segment is stored in the cache only if it satisfies a redundancy-suppressing admission policy. Such a data segment is referred to as a redundant data segment. The redundant data segment is also stored in a cache at the receiving DPU. The transmitting DPU transmits the signatures of the redundant data segments to the receiving DPU, which then extracts the redundant data segments from its cache. Therefore, transmission of the redundant data segments is suppressed.
US07721018B2
A direct memory access controller has a data register for transferring data from a source to a destination address. A pattern register is provided and a data comparator is coupled with the data register and the pattern register for comparing the content of the data register with the content of the pattern register. A control unit coupled with the comparator controls the data flow and stops a data transfer if the comparator detects a match of the data register and the pattern register.
US07721009B2
A method for implementing large scale parallel file I/O processing includes steps of: separating processing nodes into compute nodes specializing in computation and I/O nodes (computer processors restricted to running I/O daemons); organizing the compute nodes and the I/O nodes into processing sets, the processing sets including: one dedicated I/O node corresponding to a plurality of compute nodes. I/O related system calls are received in the compute nodes then sent to the corresponding I/O nodes. The I/O related system calls are processed through a system I/O daemon residing in the I/O node. The plurality of compute nodes are evenly distributed across participating processing sets. Additionally, for collective I/O operations, compute nodes from each processing set are assigned as I/O aggregators to issue I/O requests to their corresponding I/O node, wherein the I/O aggregators are evenly distributed across the processing set. Additionally, a file domain is partitioned using a collective buffering technique wherein data is aggregated in memory prior to writing to a file; portions of the partitioned file domain are assigned to the processing sets.
US07721000B2
Disclosed is a method of compressing and decompressing an executable file in a mobile communication terminal capable of improving a compression mode of an executable file necessary for an operation of the mobile communication terminal to reduce a booting time of the terminal and to smoothly carrying out a wireless upgrade service. The method of the invention divides storage spaces in which executable files are stored into plural areas depending on properties of the executable files using a scatter loading file and selectively compressing each of the areas.
US07720999B2
A multimedia stream is compressed in parallel by plural encoders, the compressed stream outputs of which are dynamically evaluated for merit. A best one of the compressed streams is transmitted, along with information regarding the particular compression algorithm that was used, so that the receiver's decoder can decompress the stream for presentation.
US07720984B2
Systems and methods for stream processing message data relating to a web service application are described. One system has an input pipe for receiving multiple interrelated session based messages according to an order with which they originate. A processor processes an accumulation of the messages upon reaching a trigger point related to grammar characterizing the messages.
US07720976B2
In one embodiment, a method for processing, at an enhanced Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) proxy (e-proxy), (1) a SIP INVITE message to a first user at an IPv4/IPv6 dual-stack (DS) host, connected to an IPv6 network, from a second user at an IPv4 host, connected to an IPv4 network. The e-proxy receives the SIP INVITE message from the IPv4 network. When the e-proxy determines that Dual Stack Transition Mechanism (DSTM) service is required, the e-proxy obtains a temporary IPv4 address for the DS host, finds a suitable tunnel end-point (TEP), and sends a corresponding, but modified, INVITE message to the DS host. The modified INVITE message body includes invocation of DSTM service, the temporary IPv4 address, the TEP's IPv6 address, and the IPv4 host's IPv4 address. The e-proxy sends a BIND message to the TEP to bind the DS host's IPv6 address to the temporary IPv4 address for proper tunneling.
US07720969B2
A description document for a service offered by a server in a communication network comprises a first abstract part adapted to describe at least one message exchanged on the communication network when a service is implemented and a second concrete part adapted to describe the information relating to the transmission of the messages over the communication network. This service description document comprises, in the first abstract part, a description of abstract constraints associated with a binary multimedia document. It has particular use for validating a multimedia document from the extraction (E11) of the description of abstract constraints and the extraction (E12) of the MPEG7 description of this multimedia document.
US07720966B2
A data network, method and a computer program product, wherein the data network is implemented by a first network level (104) having a first addressing scheme and at least a second network level (108) having a second addressing scheme. Each network level provides connectivity over at least one network domain. A first group of Network Resource Managers, NRMs, (b-d)) is arranged to control the resources of the first network level and a second group of NRMs (e-g) is arranged to control the resources of the second network level. The NRMs of the first group (b-d) and second group (e-g) exchange resource requests by using the first addressing scheme and the NRMs (e-g) of the second group perform an address mapping between the first and second addressing schemes.
US07720956B2
A system and storage medium for providing continuous communication between passive and active equipment are provided. The system includes a conversion unit coupled to at least one the passive and active equipment, which monitors signals received from the equipment. The signals relate to an equipment state. Upon detecting a state change, the system converts a signal associated with the state change to a TCP/IP-formatted request. The system also includes a message handler coupled to the conversion unit, which receives the request from the conversion unit and transmits the request to a host system. The message handler also removes TCP/IP formatting from the request resulting in a file transfer protocol message. The conversion unit converts the file transfer protocol message to a signal and responds to the signal by the equipment. The conversion includes decoding the file transfer protocol message and setting a signal line to a requested state.
US07720952B2
When starting subscribe for acquiring presence information, there is no need of acquiring an identifier of the presentity or an identifier of the group, which have been conventionally indispensable. There is provided a state information management system including a management server for managing state information on a plurality of terminals. Instead of specifying a presentity, a condition of the presentity, such as a value of presence, is specified for subscribing. For example, when subscribe is established by specifying the identical current position as a condition, subscribe for the user matched with the condition is automatically started and the presence can be acquired. When the presence of a partner or user himself/herself is changed to a different value, the presentity is automatically changed.
US07720946B2
A system, method and computer program product are provided for enhancing participation in an educational environment using networked devices. In one embodiment, feedback is received from a plurality of individual group members regarding material being presented by a group leader utilizing a plurality of networked devices operated by the individual group members. Subsequently, such feedback is processed. The processed feedback is then transmitted to the networked devices operated by the individual group members. Such processed feedback includes the feedback received from each of the individual group members thus allowing each individual group member to view the feedback of other group members. The present invention thus creates an inobtrusive, anonymous means for group members to recognize when their individual perception of the class discussion is actually a shared perception, thereby motivating group members to participate.
US07720944B2
A system for process control comprises a server digital data processor and a client digital data processor that are coupled by a network, such as the Internet or an Intranet. The server digital data processor, which is additionally coupled to a control/sensing device and any associated interface equipment (collectively, referred to as “process control apparatus”), includes a command processor that transfers information between the network and the process control apparatus. The client digital data processor includes an information client (e.g., a so-called Internet web browser) capable of requesting and receiving an applet from the server digital data processor. The information client, further, defines a hardware-independent and operating system-independent virtual machine environment within the client digital data processor. The client digital data processor executes, within that virtual machine environment, an applet for configuring the client digital data processor as a “process controller” that establishes communications over the network with the command processor and that monitors and/or controls the process control apparatus via those communications.
US07720942B2
A virtual private network device enables individual machines at a remote subnet to be visible and addressable from a central site by establishing a private address range for the remote machines, forming a virtual private network tunnel from the virtual private network device to the central site, and communicating the private address range to the central site to enable connections from the central site to individual machines on the remote subnet.
US07720938B2
A function is added to a Web page that communicates with a refresh control helper. The Web page is associated with a session identifier. If an information update that affects the Web page occur, an update notification is associated with the session identifier. Periodically, the function in the Web page sends the session identifier to the refresh control helper. The refresh control helper calls a refresh controller and passes the session identifier. The refresh controller checks a data store to determine if update notifications associated with the session identifier have been received. If updates are available for the page, the refresh controller informs the refresh control helper that new data is available and removes any update notifications for the session identifier from the data store. The refresh control helper then informs the function in the Web page that new data is available and the function requests a page reload.
US07720933B2
A method, apparatus and system for data transfer is disclosed. For example, settings from multiple entities arranged in a multi-tier control plane are used to set data transfer policies. The policies are use to govern data transfers such as between end users or from an origin server.
US07720927B2
A secondary device receives an instruction message accompanied by a counted value and compares the received counted value with a counted value stored in an internal memory. Thus, it is determined whether the currently received instruction message is the same as a previously received instruction message and an execution of a process based on the previous instruction message was completed. When the received instruction message is not the same, the secondary device transmits a response message after executing a process according to the received instruction message. In contrast, when the instruction message is the same, the secondary device transmits a response message based on a process history in the internal memory without executing the process according to the received instruction message.
US07720915B2
The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for reminding a user to include an e-mail attachment file with an e-mail communication. The e-mail application is configured to provide a menu of different types of e-mail for the user to select, and to provide templates that require the user to attach an attachment file when that option is selected.
US07720904B2
The present invention provides an entity projection in a client. The entity projection is an encapsulation of data, from an owning service, and residing on a consumer of that service. The entity projection provides an abstraction that conforms to an entity programming model on the consumer. The entity projection may illustratively include a subset of the properties of an entity in the owning service, the subset being only those properties required by the entity and those properties desired by the consumer.
US07720899B2
An arithmetic operation unit, which generates information representing whether or not an arithmetic operation result has been shifted when the arithmetic operation result is normalized, has an arithmetic logical unit outputting the arithmetic operation result, a normalizer having a plurality of shifter normalizing the arithmetic operation result, a shift amount calculator calculating a plurality of shift amounts for the plural shifter, and a predictor generating interim information that is a result of prediction of whether or not the arithmetic operation result is to be shifted when the arithmetic operation result is normalized, by using the plural shift amounts, and a generator generating the information by using the interim information. The cycle time required to generate a sticky bit is shortened to efficiently generate the sticky bit, and the hardware resources for generating the sticky bit is reduced.
US07720896B2
An apparatus for post processing a raw bit sequence generated by a noise source, comprises a derivation unit for deriving a random word from each bit sequence input into the derivation unit and a skip unit for skipping skip sequences of consecutive bits of the raw bit sequence and inputting intervening sub-sequences of bits of the raw bit sequence between the skip sequences into the derivation unit.
US07720895B2
Random number generator including a first signal source outputting a first signal having a first frequency, a second signal source outputting a second signal having a second frequency which is lower than the first frequency, and time delay elements, wherein the output signals are delayed by a time interval with respect to the input signal. The output of one time delay element is connected in series to the input of another time delay element. The input of the first time delay element is connected to the output of the first signal source. The output of the first signal source and the output of each of the time delay elements are connected to the data input of a corresponding sample and hold element. Clock signal inputs of the sample and hold elements are each connected to the output of the second signal source. Outputs of the sample and hold elements provide random values.
US07720890B2
A system and method for synchronizing a database having metadata and raw data. Metadata may be fully synchronized between two systems, with copies stored on both systems. Raw data may be selectively synchronized, so that a client system need not store all of the raw data locally. When disconnected, the client system may identify certain portions of the raw data to store locally, and such data may be synchronized when reconnected to a server system.
US07720886B2
A computer system and computer program product for generating and displaying an information catalog relating to a business model. The method includes accessing technical metadata from a data warehouse, accessing business metadata from a first source outside of the data warehouse, accessing presentation metadata from a second source outside of the data warehouse, and applying the presentation metadata to the technical metadata and the business metadata to generate the information catalog. The information catalog comprises the technical metadata and the business metadata in accordance with the presentation format specified by the presentation metadata. The technical metadata is associated with data used by computer applications. The computer applications support business processes of the business model.
US07720884B1
A database environment includes a staging database and master database. Among other functions, the staging database provides a location to store data prior to be copied over the master database. Each time the database environment is modified (e.g., a developer specifies a different configuration associated with the staging database and/or the master database), a database administrator initiates execution of an auto-repository process to automatically generate a corresponding new set of routines enabling management of the database environment. Accordingly, each time there are changes to (one or more schemas associated with) the database environment, there is no need for a programmer to manually modify the corresponding management routines based on the changes. Instead, the auto-repository process automatically generates the corresponding set of custom routines to enable management of the database environment.
US07720880B2
A setting method relating to measurement of measuring apparatus that minimizes the modification locations in an application program when the setting functions are modified, analyzing system, data processing apparatus, and storage medium are provided. When an application program is executed, setting data are processed to setting item data, setting parameter data, and setting value data. A data tree is generated in which setting item data are the root nodes, setting parameter data are the intermediate nodes, and setting value data are the leaf nodes, and the settings of the application program and measuring apparatus are accomplished using this data tree.
US07720878B2
An improved data compression method and apparatus is provided, particularly with regard to the compression of data in tabular form such as database records. The present invention achieves improved compression ratios by utilizing metadata to transform the data in a manner that optimizes known compression techniques. In one embodiment of the invention, a schema is generated which is utilized to reorder and partition the data into low entropy and high entropy portions which are separately compressed by conventional compression methods. The high entropy portion is further reordered and partitioned to take advantage of row and column dependencies in the data. The present invention enables not only much greater compression ratios but increased speed than is achieved by compressing the untransformed data.
US07720877B1
Various embodiments of a system and method for enhancing applications for Java Data Object (JDO) persistence are disclosed. A class structure based data object enhancer may operate on the classes of an application in the absence of user input, to produce metadata to determine a persistence structure corresponding to the application classes. The class structure based data object enhancer may use the generated metadata to produce enhanced application classes. For example, the class structure based data object enhancer may incorporate calls to a JDO persistence mechanism into a class at each point where a field designated by the persistence structure to be persisted, is accessed. The class structure based data object enhancer may also generate a database schema, which may specify how the fields designated for persistence are stored in a persistent data store.
US07720876B2
An improved method and system for controlling free space distribution by key range within a database. In one embodiment, a data structure including key ranges of a plurality of database tables and indexes, and a plurality of key range free space parameters is created. The plurality of database tables and indexes may include a plurality of page sets, which may include rows of data and keys. Time values may be associated with the plurality of free space parameters. The key range free space parameters may have values assigned to them. The key range free space parameters may be user-defined or automatically generated using growth trend analysis, based on key range growth statistics. The rows of data and keys within the plurality of page sets may be redistributed by a reorganization process. The redistributing may reference the key ranges of the data structure and the key range free space parameters.
US07720863B2
A method, system and computer program are useful for enforcement of business application security rules in connection with applications external to the business application. To support secured access to data stored in a database system managed by a business application, a rule directed from the business application to a database system specifying security criteria for access to the data is received. A database view to select a subset of the data in accordance with the security criteria is then created, and a representation of the database view is stored in the database system to support the secured access to the subset of the data in connection with a query from the application external to the business application. When the query is then received, the user is identified along with a specification of the database view to return the subset of the data authorized by the security criteria for that user.
US07720859B2
There is provided a device, which comprises a storage unit configured to store a plurality of items relating to setting of a predetermined device and parameters associated with the plurality of items, a search unit configured to search the storage unit for at least one item that matches a keyword, and a setting screen generation unit configured to generate a setting screen for the setting of the at least one setting item searched by the search unit, using the parameters associated with the at least one item.
US07720856B2
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, related to cross-language searching. Input characterizing search criteria in a first language may be received and a search may be performed on a database having records in a second language. The search may be performed on the database with synonyms of the search criteria that are in the second language. A user may be able to select or edit search criteria in the second language from suggested search criteria. Context information may be used to find search criteria in the second language or results that may be more relevant. The results may be translated for a user to the first language.
US07720850B2
A self-uploaded indexing and data clustering method and apparatus. In one embodiment, a method of a server device includes processing a merchant-uploaded inventory data to determine a set of meta-data attributes associated with the merchant-uploaded inventory data and creating an index data using the set of meta-data attributes associated with the merchant-uploaded inventory data. The merchant-uploaded inventory data may be compared with a previous inventory data of a particular merchant associated with both the merchant-uploaded inventory data and the previous inventory data to identify at least a portion of the set of meta-data attributes which do not need to be updated. The index data may be created using an incremental algorithm that builds on preexisting indexes which have substantially similar data as the index data and wherein the incremental algorithm builds on preexisting indexes by infusing into preexisting indexes the set of meta-data attributes associated with the merchant-uploaded inventory data other than the portion of the set of meta-data attributes which do not need to be updated.
US07720846B1
Various exemplary systems and methods for linking entity references and identifying associations are presented. In particular, a method for linking a plurality of entity references to at least one entity using one or more constructed ghost entity references is provided. The method comprises the steps of identifying, for one or more common data fields, at least one unique field value from one or more entity references linked to a given entity and constructing, for the given entity, at least one ghost entity reference including the at least one unique field value, wherein the at least one ghost entity reference represents at least one potential entity reference for the given entity. The method further comprises linking at least one of the plurality of entity references to the given entity when a match probability between the at least one entity reference and the ghost entity reference is greater than a defined threshold.
US07720840B2
A database engine and optimizer framework support the use of transitive closure to assist in rewriting GROUP BY and ORDER BY clauses to reduce the number of referenced tables (optimally to a single table if possible) and to free the join order selected for the query plan. The SQL parser and optimizer, by performing transitive closure on the selection, or search, conditions is able to identify which fields referenced by the ORDER BY and GROUP BY clauses can be replaced with equivalent fields to improve the performance of the query. In one instance, the fields are replaced so that the ORDER BY or GROUP BY clause references only a single table. If more than one such possible ORDER BY or GROUP BY clause exists, then the optimizer selects from among the different possible clauses to select the one that provides the best performing join order.
US07720839B2
A method, apparatus, system, and signal-bearing medium that in an embodiment replace an element in a query with a backup if the element is not available, but the backup is available. An element may also be removed from the query if the element is not required. In various embodiments, the element may be a table or a user-defined function. In this way, the query may still execute even if the element is not available.
US07720837B2
Systems and methods for multi-dimensional aggregation. Exemplary embodiments include a method for retrieving data from an inverted list index within a computer system, wherein the index comprises annotated postings, the method including receiving a query in a system, converting the query into a query language, scanning at least one list of postings for data from the query, aggregating the data in the list, thereby resulting in an aggregated list, wherein the aggregating includes recording the occurrence of unique values from the list, mapping the values using a user-provided definition to an alternate value, grouping the values by a user-provided mapping of values to groups, recording and mutating data associated with the unique value in the list, relating the recorded data values with other values in the index and returning the requested data from the aggregated list in a return format.
US07720835B2
TruCast is a method for management, by way of gathering, storing, analyzing, tracking, sorting, determining the relevance of, visualizing, and responding to all available consumer generated media. Some examples of consumer generated media include web logs or “blogs”, mobile phone blogs or “mo-blogs”, forums, electronic discussion messages, Usenet, message boards, BBS emulating services, product review and discussion web sites, online retail sites that support customer comments, social networks, media repositories, and digital libraries. Any web hosted system for the persistent public storage of human commentary is a potential target for this method. The system is comprised of a coordinated software and hardware system designed to perform management, collection, storage, analysis, workflow, visualization, and response tasks upon this media. This system permits a unified interface to manage, target, and accelerate interactions within this space, facilitating public relations, marketing, advertising, consumer outreach, political debate, and other modes of directed discourse.
US07720828B2
A method and system for automated intelligent electronic advertising. The method and system parse electronic information messages (e.g., e-mail messages, instant messages, etc.) for keywords and make search engine queries or database queries for electronic links based on the identified keywords. The electronic links returned from search engine queries or database queries are added to the electronic information messages creating a modified electronic information message. This allows additional electronic information to be accessed from the modified electronic information message based on information content of the original electronic information message.
US07720820B2
Systems and methods that create persistence for an execution state via employing a logless component with persistent stateful functionality. The logless component is introduced as part of a runtime service that supplies transparent state persistence and automatic recovery for component based applications. Such logless component can avoid logging at a middle tier, and exploit logging that is already performed at a client side and/or various end point servers. The execution state can be re-created entirely via replay of the component execution, without the need to replicate the execution state or save the component's interactions in the middle tier.
US07720804B2
A data warehouse solution system comprises a metadata model, a user interface and an engine. The metadata model has an information needs model including metadata regarding information needs for building reports by users, and a data information model including metadata describing data that is available for building reports. The user interface has a customer user interface for presenting the information needs model to the users for report generation, and a modeling user interface for presenting the data information model to the users for manipulating data warehouse objects. The engine has a report management service unit for providing report management service using the information needs model, and a data management service unit for providing data management service including generation of a data warehouse using the data information model.
US07720787B2
Method of and system for analysing a set of exhaustive and exclusive hypotheses, including assessing and assigning base rates for each hypothesis; determining a set of items of evidence that are relevant to, have a causal influence on, or would disconfirm more than one hypothesis; assessing and assigning base rates for each item of evidence; deciding, for each item of evidence, whether the item should be treated as being a causal influence or diagnostic indicator with respect to the set of the hypotheses; if the item of evidence is to be treated as a causal influence—making a judgement as to the likelihood of each hypothesis, both if the evidence were true, and also if the evidence were false; if the item of evidence is to be treated as a diagnostic indicator—making a judgement as to the evidence being true if the hypothesis were true; assessing the belief for each item of evidence being true; deciding a set of interim beliefs in each hypothesis for each individual item of evidence by: employing a conditional inference operator for evidence that is to be treated as a causal influence; and employing a reverse conditional inference operator for evidence that is to be treated as a diagnostic indicator; and deciding the overall belief in each hypothesis by employing a consensus operator on the respective set of interim beliefs.
US07720785B2
A dynamic rule classifier for mining a data stream includes at least one window for viewing data contained in the data stream and a set of rules for mining the data. Rules are added and the set of rules are updated by algorithms when an drift in a concept within the data occurs, causing unacceptable drops in classification accuracy. The dynamic rule classifier is also implemented as a method and a computer program product.
US07720767B2
The invention relates to method for deriving a sub-right from a right, the right comprising a plurality of components, each of which specifies an aspect of the right. A component may be, for example, a principal, an action, a resource, and a condition. The invention also relates to a method for integrating a first right with a second right. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method of sharing rights by deriving a sub-right from a right, allowing use of the sub-right, and integrating the sub-right with the right. In addition, the invention relates to a system to support rights sharing by enabling the derivation of a sub-right from a right, the right comprising plural components each of which specifies an aspect of the right, the system comprising a receiving module for receiving a sub-right, the sub-right comprising plural components each of which specifies an aspect of the sub-right, and a confirmation module for confirming that the values of the components of the sub-right can be derived from the values of the corresponding components of the right. The invention further relates to a method for deriving a sub-right from a pool of rights granted by a grantor to a grantee for controlling use of resources within a computing environment, the computing environment having a mechanism for enforcing rights within the environment to control use of resources in accordance with the rights.
US07720757B2
The invention includes systems and methods for providing a credit account for debt recovery. A recovery credit account is provided for a customer with an existing charged-off debt. Some of the customer's charged-off debt may be forgiven as part of a settlement when the customer enrolls in the recovery credit account, but the opening balance of the recovery credit account will represent the entire debt obligation of the customer going forward. The recovery credit account includes a credit limit that is lower than the opening balance. Reducing the account balance to less than the credit limit triggers open-to-buy status, issuance of a credit card, and activation of over the limit fees for future balances over the credit limit.
US07720754B1
A technique for transferring money between a customer and a beneficiary comprises a financial institution, serving as a money-transfer company, a plurality of selling agents, paying agents and ATM (automatic teller machine) card distributors that communicate via a telephone network and/or the Internet. Selling agents distribute transaction cards to customers for use in initiating a money transfer to a particular beneficiary. A selling agent uses a transaction card to transmit a customer's request to the company, which creates a unique transaction record. The company returns a unique, secret fund pick-up (“folio”) number to the customer. The customer discloses the folio number to the beneficiary, who collects the transferred money. Specifically, the beneficiary may obtain an ATM card from an ATM card distributor and use that card to collect the transferred funds at a conventional ATM.
US07720753B1
A method of quantifying the value added by an internal company credit rating system is described. The method includes determining an internal company credit rating for each of a plurality of securities. The internal company credit rating for each of the plurality of securities and an external credit research agency original credit rating for each of the securities are inputted in a ratings history database. Data representative of a change of the external credit research agency original credit rating for at least one security of the plurality of securities to a new credit rating is received. Responsive to the change, data representative of a current price of the at least one security and a benchmark price of the at least one security is received. At least one metric is calculated to determine the number of times the internal company credit ratings for each of the plurality of securities was correct.
US07720743B1
An on-line market-place includes an auction wherein one or more predefined terms, qualities, incentives, or other such indicia (generally, “Program Terms”) are associated with the particular product and/or service which is the subject of the auction. Customers rank or otherwise designate their preference for the these Program Terms (e.g., by selecting a “Preferred Program Term”), and the system then partitions the customers into “pools” in accordance with the selected Program Terms Merchants then compete to obtain that pool of customers by bidding on the Preferred Program Term. Customers may be pooled according to demographic or other customer characteristics (“Characteristic Pooling”), or according to level of commitment to purchase (“Commitment Pooling”).In one embodiment, customers who would otherwise be partitioned into different pools are grouped in the same pool, and changes to a first Preferred Program Term associated with a first customer automatically causes a bid of equivalent value to be made to a second Preferred Program Term associated with a second customer. In another embodiment, “ghost pools” are used select preferred merchants for particular auctions. In yet another embodiment, an electronic marketplace is provided wherein Program Terms can be highly tailored by the purchaser immediately.
US07720738B2
A portfolio analysis technique determines a distribution of possible values of a portfolio at a future time and percentiles or cumulative probabilities for each possible future value. The future return distribution may be determined in accordance with a variety of techniques. In accordance with some embodiments, the distribution is determined using a model of future returns. In accordance with other embodiments, the distribution may be determined by resampling past returns of the portfolio. In general, the techniques described herein may be implemented on an electronic system, such as a computer that executes software.
US07720735B2
A system includes one or more remote check deposit locations, and one or more treasury receipt servers to receive check information captured from the one or more remote check deposit locations, and to receive transaction data from an originating depository financial institution (ODFI), the transaction data including an amount of funds available from clearing the captured check information.
US07720731B1
A method for leasing multiple vehicles, including the steps of compiling information as to vehicles available for leasing and time periods in which the vehicles are available for leasing; presetting at least one group of N vehicles from the compiled information; setting a total lease term for each group of N vehicles; dividing the total lease term into P sub-lease terms; selecting a plurality of M individuals for leasing the vehicles in each group, where N, P and M are integers and M is less than or equal to N; calculating lease costs for leasing each vehicle in each group for each sub-lease term; entering into a lease agreement with each individual for leasing a plurality P of the vehicles in the P sub-lease terms for a preset one of the groups of N vehicles; and removing the selected vehicles from the compiled information.
US07720728B2
A compensation contract supporting system that supports a compensation contract which provides a customer compensation for a profit risk created by a plurality of risk factors that influence a profit of the customer, comprising: a database for storing statistical data of the plurality of risk factors; a first probability calculation unit for calculating a probability, in which a part of the plurality of the risk factors satisfy a predetermined first condition, and a probability, in which remaining plurality of the risk factors satisfying a predetermined second condition using the database, and at least one of the first condition and the second condition being a non-financial condition that is not related to a financial product; and a ratio calculation unit for calculating a ratio between a first compensation amount to be paid or received by the customer when the part of the risk factors satisfy the first condition and a second compensation amount to be paid or received by the customer when the remaining risk factors satisfy the second condition using the probability calculated by the first probability calculation unit.
US07720721B1
Tools and techniques are described for analyzing interactions to identify dissimilar items that may contain synonyms. Methods described herein may retrieve activity records that represent interactions between a visitor and a server-based system, and may identify within the activity records inputs that the visitor provided during the interaction. The methods may identify items within the activity record that are associated with the inputs, and may access additional activity records that also contain the same inputs. The methods may then identify additional items within the additional activity records that are associated with this same input, and may establish similarity ratings for the two items, with the similarity ratings indicating a likelihood that documents respectively associated with the items contain synonyms.
US07720720B1
A data processing system generates recommendations for on-line shopping by scoring recommendations matching the customer's cart contents product page, configuration page, email and/or history using predetermined scoring criteria, such as item availability, item price, relevance of the item to the customer, item clarity, item exposure, total purchase amount in the cart, margin, recommendation confidence and lift, shopper profile matches, seasonality, customer history, time dependency, product marketing emphasis, substitutability, item popularity and/or product attributes associated with the recommended item. The scored recommendations may be ranked and/or filtered to prioritize the recommendations so that the best recommendation is selected for presentation to the customer. In addition, one or more scoring criteria or product attributes for the recommended item may be used to select a specific selling point/message text for inclusion with the selected recommendation.
US07720702B2
The present invention provides a system and method for integrating travel and expense management. The present invention enables an entity to integrate not only data that matches exactly, but also determine the likelihood that data that does not match exactly nevertheless corresponds to each other. The system comprises: a network; at least one terminal coupled to the network; and at least one server coupled to the network. The server comprises a program that includes: retrieving travel data records corresponding to travel requests; retrieving expense data records reflecting expense transactions; comparing the expense data records to the travel data records; and determining a likelihood that the expense data records match the travel data records.
US07720701B2
A user (e.g., medical office manager, medical office insurance administrator, doctor) utilizes a medical practice configuration interface (e.g., web page) to input information about the user's medical practice (e.g., address, insurance plans, doctors, hospitals that the doctors utilize). Based on this information and/or rules associated with the insurance plans accepted at the user's medical practice, additional information is requested from the user about the user's medical practice (e.g., information needed for an insurance plan, information needed for a hospital). The user inputs the requested additional information utilizing the medical practice configuration interface. Configuration information for the user's medical practice is generated based on the information and/or the additional information inputted by the user. A user interface (e.g., web pages interfacing with the medical practice management server) and/or rules for the medical practice can be generated based on the configuration information.
US07720686B2
A system and method for providing personalized music playback over a network. Via a browser, a user computer may be connected to a server and the user may tune to one of a plurality of radio stations. The user may receive a playlist of songs in the musical style of the radio station selected by the user. The playlist includes a plurality of unique identifiers for each song that indicate a location on the Internet from which the song may be streamingly transmitted to a media player for playback on the user's computer. Additionally, each user may submit requests for songs which that user desires to be included on a future playlist. For each radio station, requests from a plurality of users are aggregated over a predetermined time period to determine which songs are most requested. A user request for a song may be time-delayed or satisfied in real-time.
US07720676B2
An audio signal encoded in the form of data is spectrally reconstructed so part of the frequency spectrum of the audio signal is decoded with a spectral band limiting encoder (i.e., a core encoder). The complementary part of the frequency spectrum of the audio signal is decoded with an extension encoder. Information representing at least one cut-off frequency of the signal decoded by the core decoder is used to select, from amongst the data to be decoded or the data decoded with the extension decoder.
US07720654B2
Methods for generating realistic waveforms with controllable voltage noise and timing jitter in a computer-based simulation environment and the simulation of a subset of those waveforms with system elements along the signal path is disclosed. By deriving a generic, re-useable, parameterized Fourier series, time-domain clock and pseudo-random data signals are generated from a subset of their true harmonic components. Time-domain signal parameters including high, low, and common-mode voltage levels, transition slew-rates, transition timing, period and/or frequency, may be designated by the user, and the computer calculates the harmonic components that will combine through the inverse Fourier transform to provide the required time-domain characteristics. By computing the frequency content of the signal directly it is possible to simulate the interaction of the signal with various system blocks while remaining in the frequency domain, thereby reducing simulation time and memory requirements. By allowing the parameters of the signal model to vary on a cycle-to-cycle basis, signal characteristics such as voltage noise and timing jitter may be modeled with flexibility and precision down to the numerical limitations of the simulator.
US07720653B2
A method for optimizing the operation of a metallurgical plant using a model by modeling supply and discharge media streams, predetermining structure parameters which define the media streams, linking the media streams to one another, predetermining starting parameters which describe initial states, predetermining input operating parameters, determining and outputting output operating parameters, and determining and outputting end parameters, which describe end states of the units, by the model, predetermining the structure parameters to an optimization computer by a user and transmitting the parameters from the optimization computer to a model, and determining optimized operating parameters by the optimization computer on the basis of the starting parameters and an assessment criterion in accordance with an optimization algorithm using the model, wherein the assessment criterion is predetermined to the optimization computer by the user.
US07720651B2
A compression technique compresses interaction data. The interaction data can include a matrix of interaction data used in solving an integral equation. For example, such a matrix of interaction data occurs in the moment method for solving problems in electromagnetics. The interaction data describes the interaction between a source and a tester. In one embodiment, directional sources and/or directional testers are described. The directional sources produce a very weak (or negligible) effect except in selected directional regions. The directional testers are relatively insensitive to an incoming effect except in selected directional regions. Depending on their locations and directional properties, relatively many of the directional sources and directional testers interact weakly (or negligibly). The weak interactions can be effectively removed from the interaction matrix, thereby reducing the effective size of the interaction matrix.
US07720640B2
Provides a diagnostic apparatus for diagnosing a measured object based on time-series data of a plurality of parameters measured from the measured object. An example of an apparatus includes a change-point score calculating portion for calculating a time-series change-point score with which each of the plurality of parameters changes according to passage of time based on the time-series data on the parameter, a change-point correlation calculating portion for calculating a change-point correlation indicating strength by which each of the plurality of parameters is associated with each of other parameters based on the change-point scores of the parameter and the other parameter, and a parameter outputting portion for outputting a set of parameters of which calculated degrees of associations are higher than a predetermined reference change-point correlation as a set of mutually strongly associated parameters.
US07720619B2
The apparatus and methods calculate a plurality of sum of differences for a power distribution system quantity with a sum of difference filter, provide a set of predetermined blocking conditions, provide a trending and memory with an output, generate a set threshold with an adaptive tuning algorithm; establish a reference based upon the plurality of power distribution quantities differences from the one-cycle difference filter and the set threshold, calculate a ratio of the difference between the plurality of sum of differences from the sum of difference filter and the reference, memorize a time and form a trend output if the ratio of the difference exceeds the set threshold, and determine the existence of a high-impedance fault with decision logic based on the trend output and the set of predetermined blocking conditions.
US07720616B2
A method for submitting information for an engagement is disclosed. The method might include the steps of generating a tracking screen for tracking the submission of a plurality of files, including a tax file and an image file, each file having the same client identification code, receiving the tax file from a first client device, and updating the tracking screen to reflect the submission of the tax file. The method further might include the steps of receiving an image file from a second client device, updating the tracking screen to reflect the submission of the image file, and transmitting the plurality of files to a remote server system.
US07720609B2
A method of assessing acquisition errors in seismic images in a seismic data volume. The method includes selecting a seismic attribute in a seismic data volume and then stacking seismic quality image measurements taken along the selected attribute. The stacked measurements are then related on the basis of any vertical correlation and any vertically correlated feature is identified as a cobweb. Any identified cobwebs are removed from the seismic data volume.
US07720607B2
Method for processing a set of seismic cubes corresponding to the same acquisition zone and at different source/receiver offset and/or angle of incidence values, characterized in that at least one seismic cube is determined, which is an estimation of the component common to at least two seismic cubes corresponding to different offset and/or angle of incidence values.
US07720604B1
A satellite constellation optimized for stationkeeping fuel consumption is provided. The satellite constellation includes a plurality of satellites, each satellite having a corresponding inclined elliptical orbit, each orbit having an initial right ascension of ascending node (“RAAN”) value, a RAAN drift rate, a semi-major axis, an eccentricity, an argument of perigee and an inclination. Each satellite has a fuel consumption value required to maintain the RAAN drift rate, the semi-major axis, the eccentricity, the argument of perigee and the inclination of the corresponding orbit. The initial RAAN value and the RAAN drift rate for each orbit correspond to a minimized fuel consumption value for the satellite having the highest fuel consumption value. The initial RAAN value and RAAN drift rate may be determined by calculating, for each possible data combination of an initial RAAN value for each orbit and a RAAN drift rate for the constellation, a fuel consumption value for each satellite in the constellation, and selecting, from the fuel consumption values thus determined, the data combination corresponding to a lowest fuel consumption for a highest fuel-consuming satellite.
US07720602B2
A positioning device includes a moving amount determination section which determines a moving amount of the device in a period between a preceding positioning time and a present positioning time; a moving amount evaluation section which determines whether or not the moving amount is within a predetermined allowable moving range; a positioning section which locates a position of the device based on a satellite signal which is a signal from a positioning satellite; an average position calculation section which calculates an average position by averaging a preceding located position and a present located position when the moving amount evaluation section has determined that the moving amount is within the predetermined allowable moving range; and a position output section which outputs the average position.
US07720596B2
Tour guide contents utilized by a user at a travel destination consist of guide information including POI information, map data and the like, and user information including memoranda written by the user. The user can access a contents server from a user terminal, and is able to customize at the contents server the tour guide contents to be utilized at a travel destination. Customized tour guide contents are stored into a memory medium at a business terminal, and the memory medium is installed in an electronic guide apparatus, such as at an airport counter. The user receives the electronic guide apparatus and a GPS on a rental basis at the airport counter, and takes them to the travel destination. Then, the user is able to utilize the tour guide contents customized for the user at the travel destination.
US07720590B2
An ECU switches a combustion mode of an HCCI engine from HCCI combustion to spark ignition combustion. The ECU executes the following operations a) and b) before switching an intake lift amount from a first intake lift amount to a second intake lift amount: a): switching an exhaust lift amount from a first exhaust lift amount to a second exhaust lift amount while ensuring an internal EGR amount, and b): delaying a closing timing of an exhaust valve so as to reduce the internal EGR amount after switching the exhaust lift amount from the first exhaust lift amount to the second exhaust lift amount.
US07720589B2
A vehicle control device using brake hydraulic pressure includes a hydraulic unit having a housing and an electronic control unit having a casing. The housing of the hydraulic unit is mounted on a mounting surface of the casing of the electronic control unit so that the casing of the electronic control unit protrudes from the housing of the hydraulic unit to one side. On the protruding area of the casing, a bulge is formed in which a vehicle behavioral sensor is mounted. A control connector is also provided on the protruding area of the casing. The bulge does not protrude from the substantially square contour of the vehicle control device. Thus, the bulge will scarcely increase the installation space of the vehicle control device. A vehicle behavioral sensor is mounted on a small substrate. By adjusting the angle and position of the small substrate relative to a control substrate in the casing, the position of the sensor can be adjusted relative to the travel direction, lateral direction and vertical direction of the vehicle. With the position of the sensor adjusted, the small substrate is fixed to the bulge of the casing.
US07720588B2
A process for assisting the driving of a vehicle provided with a braking system including brake calipers able to be activated as a function of a target braking force, including the steps of: determining an instantaneous state of the vehicle defined by state variables measured by sensors with which the vehicle is provided; testing a logical entry condition verified when the velocity of the vehicle is zero and when the slope is greater than a pre-defined slope; when the logical entry condition is verified, testing a logical exit condition; automatically operating the braking system to keep the vehicle static on the slope while the logical exit condition is not verified; and automatically releasing the activation of the braking system when the logical exit condition is verified.
US07720587B2
A method for variable operation of a vehicle transmission using rough road sensing includes defining a first set of parameters to calibrate the vehicle transmission for a smooth road condition and a second set of parameters to calibrate the vehicle transmission for a rough road condition. The method includes sensing a road condition, generating a road condition signal corresponding to the road condition, and measuring a magnitude of the road condition signal. The method includes switching from the first set of parameters to the second set of parameters to operate the vehicle transmission when the magnitude of the road condition signal exceeds a first predetermined threshold. The method includes switching from the second set of parameters to the first set of parameters to operate the vehicle transmission when the magnitude of the road condition signal is less than a second predetermined threshold that is different than the first predetermined threshold.
US07720582B2
In a method of controlling the hardness of a damper in an aircraft landing gear, the aircraft having a structure that is deformable at a natural frequency, the hardness of the damper is adjusted during a contraction of the damper as a function of the natural frequency.
US07720576B2
An intelligent auxiliary power supply system for supplying power to a load such as a furnace or air handler using a rechargeable power source. An intelligent controller determines appropriate periods for switching to auxiliary power, thus allowing the user to realize increased energy related cost savings. A plurality of sensors including a current transducer, an indoor and outdoor temperature sensor, and a clock transmit information to the intelligent controller. Implementing user configured algorithms, the intelligent controller continuously compares information transmitted from said sensors and said load, to information inputted by the user via an electronic device to determine the appropriate power configuration. A remote electronic device may also be connected to the system, allowing the user to control the system while not in close proximity to said system and also allowing the user's energy provider to send requests to switch to auxiliary power.
US07720574B1
A fluid flow monitoring, evaluation, and control system providing accurate dispensing of fluids in low volume, high pressure systems. The system includes one or more fluid flow sensors mounted on positive displacement dispensing valves and a processor that receives cycle signals from the fluid flow sensors to determine fluid flow information. If the fluid flow is not within specified limits, a signal is sent to a pump control device to adjust the pump to return the fluid flow to desired level. A dispensing valve can include a display to show cycle time or other fluid flow measurement. The system can include dispensing valves having single inputs and single outputs for measuring fluid dispensed at a point of use, which measurement can be compared to measurements taken at a divider block earlier in the hydraulic path to verify that fluid sent into the path was actually dispensed.
US07720572B2
A robot system includes a base station and a robot. The base station includes a wireless transceiver configured to communicate TCP/IP transmissions over a local wireless protocol, a wired Ethernet connector for communicating TCP/IP transmissions over a local wired Ethernet accessing the Internet, and an access point circuit for transferring TCP/IP transmissions between the local wired Ethernet and local wireless protocol. The access point circuit is limited to a predetermined IP address locked to the robot, a predetermined shell level encryption locked to the robot, and predetermined ports to the Internet open only to the robot. The robot includes a wireless transceiver configured to communicate TCP/IP transmissions over a local wireless protocol and a client circuit for transferring TCP/IP transmissions over the local wireless protocol.
US07720568B2
A device for dispensing products senses when the respective products are accessed. A signal indicative of day and time of access can be transmitted to a remote monitoring station. Received signals can be compared to a pre-established schedule.
US07720563B2
Disclosed is a stocking system that effectively copes with contingencies such as a sudden increase in the number of units to be stocked or malfunctions that render a port disabled. The stocking system includes a plurality of input ports and output ports that are operated automatically, and in input/output port that is normally operated manually, but is configurable to be operated automatically in conjunction with the other input ports and output ports. The stocking system also includes a conversion controller for switching the input/output port between manual and automatic mode.
US07720560B2
A system and method for monitoring a semiconductor manufacturing process is disclosed. The system communicates with one or more process tools, and monitors each tool during a predetermined process window time. Errors and warnings are provided to users, allowing corrective action to be taken. Additionally, the system of the present invention can initiate automatic adjustment of the process tools to maintain an efficient manufacturing operation.
US07720556B2
A method, system, and program product includes an interactive network-based site that permits a user to specify, compile, analyze and export memory configuration data associated with at least one memory component manufactured in a manufacturing environment. Such memory configuration data can be specified, compiled analyzed or exported in response to a particular user input through the interactive network-based site.
US07720553B2
A system and method is disclosed for the automated real-time collection, extraction, transformation, analysis and presentation of statistical process control (SPC) information. One or more monitored systems or processes generate operational process control information that is stored in its native form. An SPC system iteratively accesses this information, transforms it as required, and performs statistical processing to generate database tables, control charts and other predetermined forms of data output. The statistical processing output is then extracted by an automated SPC data extraction system in real-time. The extracted data is placed in a data wrapper and submitted, likewise in real-time, to one or more statistical analysis systems or models, which process the data to derive new specification limits. The new specification limits are applied to monitored systems and processes resulting in the generation of new operational measurements, which are in turn collected and processed. The process continues to repeat automatically, providing a real-time view of trends for involved control metrics.
US07720549B2
This present embodiment relates generally to the electrical treatment of malignant tumors and neoplasms by applying a voltage to affected tissue. Devices and various adaptations therein are described for use in electrical therapy. Additionally, various ambulatory devices are described which advantageously increase versatility of the electrical therapy system. The ambulatory devices may include an internal and external power source and/or a first and second power source. The ambulatory devices may also include communication means for communicating between various portions of the device.
US07720545B2
A method and apparatus are provided for controlling interrogation of an implantable device such as a pacemaker, an implantable cardioverter, or a defibrillator utilizing an external device in a home environment. The method controls how frequently a patient can retrieve status information from the implantable device based on a time period elapsed since a last interrogation and a power level of a battery.
US07720543B2
An implantable medical device (IMD) includes a telemetry module to communicate with an external device according to a given protocol. To establish a communication session, the IMD will extend active periods of reception on a given channel when some confirmed data is received from the external device. In addition, once a session has been opened, the programmer transmits a short data set (or preamble) for each cycle which the IMD is set to receive. This data set indicates whether additional data will or will not be sent. If no additional data is to be sent during that cycle, then the IMD powers down the receiver for that cycle.
US07720542B2
An implantable device is described. An implantable transducer converts between electrical energy and acoustic energy. An implantable electronics module is in communication with the transducer and processes electronic data signals associated with the transducer. A fluid filled catheter has a proximal end coupled to the transducer, and a distal end having a distal opening to cerebrospinal fluid in an implanted patient.
US07720541B2
An approach to providing disordered breathing therapy includes detecting disordered breathing and adapting a therapy to mitigate the disordered breathing. The therapy may be adapted to enhance therapy effectiveness, to provide therapy that reduces an impact of the therapy on the patient, or to achieve other therapeutic goals. Cardiac electrical therapy to mitigate the disordered breathing may include various cardiac pacing regimens and/or delivery of non-excitatory electrical stimulation to the heart.
US07720538B2
An implantable active medical device is disclosed and includes a hermetically sealed housing defining a sealed housing interior, a power source and electronics in electrical communication and disposed within the sealed housing interior, and a lead connector projecting into the sealed housing interior. The lead connector includes a closed end, an open end, an outer surface, and an inner surface defining a lead aperture. The lead connector includes one or more electrically conducting contact rings spaced apart by electrically insulating rings. The one or more electrically conducting contact rings are in electrical communication with the electronics and the lead connector provides a hermetic seal between the lead connector outer surface and the lead connector inner surface.
US07720537B2
An implantable medical device operates according to a ventricular pacing protocol (VPP) that precludes ventricular pacing in any cardiac cycle where a sensed ventricular event has occurred in the preceding cycle. Improved ventricular sensing, detection and classification is provided.
US07720524B2
A method and system of detecting a disease state in a targeted organ is described using nuclear medicine techniques. In preferred embodiments, a radiotracer with specific uptake for diseased portions of the targeted organ is administered to a patient. A gamma ray counter with at least one gamma ray detector is used to count gamma rays emitted by the radiotracer. By placing the gamma ray detector over the location of the targeted organ, the gamma ray counter can provide a quick yes or no answer on whether the disease state exists in the targeted organ.
US07720522B2
This document discusses, among other things, fiducial marker devices, tools, and methods. One example illustrates a combined imagable fiducial locator and divot for receiving a positioning wand of an image-guided surgical (IGS) workstation. A further example is reflective such that it is locatable by a remote detector of an optical positioning system. A generally cylindrical (e.g., faceted cylindrical) columnar locator permits easy application of reflective tape. Other examples discusses a unitary fiducial marker with multiple divots and a swiveling and/or tilted fiducial marker divot, each of which allows manipulation of a positioning wand into a remote camera's field of view. Another example includes at least one reflector that can be aimed. A further example discusses an imagable fiducial marker carrier that is attachable to a single location on a patient's skull to reduce trauma. A keying arrangement fixedly defines the orientation of the carrier, allowing detachment and reattachment in the same orientation.
US07720515B2
In a disclosed embodiment, a mobile unit includes a codec, a vocoder, and an audio decoder. The vocoder and the audio decoder provide respective outputs to an audio mux. A stereo/mono control unit receives an audio mux input from the audio mux. A control output generated by the stereo/mono control unit is coupled to a number of components in a receive audio processing path of the codec. By disabling at least one of the components in, for example, the right channel of the receive audio processing path of the codec, the control output of the stereo/mono control unit results in significant power savings. Such disabling can occur, for example, when the audio mux input received by the stereo/mono control unit contains voice signals, as opposed to music signals.
US07720514B2
Receiver circuits using nanotube based switches and logic. Preferably, the circuits are dual-rail (differential). A receiver circuit includes a differential input having a first and second input link, and a differential output having a first and second output link. First, second, third and fourth switching elements each have an input node, an output node, a nanotube channel element, and a control structure disposed in relation to the nanotube channel element to controllably form and unform an electrically conductive channel between said input node and said output node. The receiver circuit can sense small voltage inputs and convert them to larger voltage swings.
US07720506B1
A software defined radio system is described. The software defined radio comprises a modem bank at least partially defined by software running on a processor. The SDR also comprises an antenna group translator coupled to the modem bank. Further, the SDR comprises at least one antenna coupled to the antenna group translator. The antenna group translator comprises an antenna switch comprising RF filtering functions and RF front ends comprising frequency conversion functions. To greatly reduce the complexity and cost of the system, the architecture includes an antenna group translator having RF front end hardware that is specific to the frequency band of each antenna. In addition, the modem bank includes banded frequency converters.
US07720504B2
To provide a radio communication apparatus and a mobile station sensitive to change in the radio environment. A mobile station corresponding to the HSDPA and transmitting the CQI information used for the adaptive modulation control executed by a radio base station, comprising a radio environment supervising unit for supervising change in the radio environment on the basis of the received signal from the radio base station, a CQI generating unit for generating the CQI information reflecting change in the reception quality from the radio base station in accordance with the result of supervising by the supervising unit, and a transmitting unit for transmitting the generated CQI information to the radio base station.
US07720491B2
The present invention provides a method of managing SMS type telephone messages in a telecommunications network (R), said method comprising a step of receiving an SMS type telephone message (S1, S2) containing information (I1, I2) in a telephone terminal (1, 2) of said network,the method being characterized in that it comprises the following steps: a step of forwarding said information (I1, I′2) to a server (3) of said telecommunications network; and a step of identifying said telephone terminal; and in that it further comprises the following successive steps: a step of storing said information (I1, I′2) in a memory (331, 332) of said server associated with said telephone terminal; and a step of sending said stored information (I1, I′2) to data processing equipment (4, 5, 6) of said telecommunications network and selected as a function of said telephone terminal.
US07720489B2
The claimed subject matter provides systems and/or methods that facilitate sending a network initiated USSD message via a mixed network to user equipment. An application server component can communicate to user equipment. A location component can aggregate location data associated with the user equipment, wherein the location component can utilize the last known location data to send a network initiated USSD message to the user equipment via a mixed network.
US07720483B2
A sub-channel assignment apparatus and method of minimizing interference caused by sub-channel frequency overlaps when assigning sub-channels for sectors of a base station in an OFDMA system of a FDMA type. The apparatus includes: a plurality of sector channel management parts that assign at least one channel having assignable channel indexes in response to requests from users in a sector managed by the sector channel management part, and report sector load information regarding the total number of the requests from the users in the sector; and a channel assignment scheduler for using the sector load information reported from each channel management part to calculate the number of assignable channels per class for each of the sectors, and determines the assignable channel indexes per class for each of the sectors according to the number of assignable channels, and forwards the assignable channel indexes to each of the sector channel management parts.
US07720482B2
A method and apparatus of optimizing transitioning between EVDO and CDMA 1X systems in a hybrid access terminal, the method having the steps of preventing a reconnect data call from being sent from the hybrid access terminal. The preventing step including checking whether a transition between an EVDO and a CDMA 1X system is successful; and if not blocking the data call, and/or checking whether an EVDO received signal strength indication is greater than or equal to a receiver sensitivity on the hybrid access terminal; and if yes, allowing the hybrid access terminal to connect to the EVDO system, and/or delaying a connection timer for connecting to the EVDO system and/or applying fast dormancy to the hybrid access terminal in an EVDO state.
US07720481B2
The invention discloses a wireless communication handset comprising licensed wireless communication signal processing circuitry and unlicensed wireless communication signal processing circuitry. The invention further discloses a control circuit connected to both the licensed wireless communication signal processing circuitry and the unlicensed wireless communication signal processing circuitry, and a computer readable memory for directing the control circuit to function in a specified manner. This memory includes instructions to formulate a measurement report containing signal strength information that corresponds to the strength of a signal received through the unlicensed wireless communication signal processing circuitry. The measurement report also contains a request to transfer a wireless communication session from a licensed wireless system to an unlicensed wireless system. The memory further includes instructions to transmit the measurement report to the licensed wireless system through the licensed wireless communication signal processing circuitry.
US07720480B2
To improve efficiency of a radio section while reducing a no-communication period in the case of handoff in communication used DRC and DSC signals. A communication connection apparatus (BS) 200 provided in a communication system accumulates data transmitted from the communication control apparatus (BSC) 300. In a state in which a DSC signal from a communication terminal (AT) 100 designates an owed BS, when a DRC indication from the AT 100 is switched from another BS to the owned BS, the BS 200 transmits data received from the BSC 300 last to the AT 100 out of the data accumulated in the BS 200. Consequently, missing data is requested from the BS 200 at a handoff destination in accordance with a retransmission request function existing in the AT 100. Moreover, retransmission processing for data by a retransmission request message is performed in the BS 200.
US07720478B2
There is provided a control device enabling switching of communication of a mobile terminal with one system to communication with another system while reducing power consumption and workload of the mobile terminal. The control device is used in a communication system including a first mobile communication system, a second mobile communication system, and a mobile terminal being in communication with the first mobile communication system. The control device comprises a position measuring unit for measuring the position of the mobile terminal, a judgment unit for making a determination whether or not to switch the communication of the mobile terminal from the first mobile communication system to the second mobile communication system according to a position measurement result of the position measuring unit, and a switching unit for performing the above switching operation according to the determination of the judgment unit.
US07720473B2
Disclosed are a system and a method for optimizing a handover process in a mobile broadband wireless access system. The method performs handover in a mobile communication system including a mobile subscriber station, a serving base station currently providing service to the mobile subscriber station, and at least one neighbor base stations adjacent to the serving base station. The method includes the steps of receiving a handover request from the mobile subscriber station by the serving base station; instructing the mobile subscriber station to perform handover by the serving base station in response to the handover request from the mobile subscriber station and performing by the mobile subscriber station a network reentry process for fast handover in accordance with information included in a handover instruction from the serving base station.
US07720462B2
The present invention facilitates security maintenance in a communication network. Present invention embodiments adjust power level and/or communication permission based upon designated parameters. The designated parameters can include time indications, days of the week, failed access attempts, source and destination indications and/or information content indications. For example, a present invention system and method can reduce and/or turn off power to a wireless communication port during designated intervals (e.g., during non standard work hours) and prevent unauthorized access via the wireless communication port.
US07720457B2
An apparatus and method are provided for minimizing noise on a power supply line (105) of a mobile radio, such as generated in a vehicular environment. An adaptive power supply conditioner (100) detects unwanted noise on the vehicle's power supply line (105) and via the use of an adaptive noise canceller (140), generates a cancellation signal (145) having the same amplitude but opposite phase of the input signal's detected noise. The cancellation signal (145) is fed forward and combined with the power supply line (105) in order to minimize unwanted noise on the supply line (105) leading to the mobile radio. The conditioner's output (165) is checked for further error and is fed back to the adaptive noise filter (140) for further filtering and the generation of an updated cancellation signal based on current noise conditions.
US07720455B2
A technique includes providing a sidetone path to generate sidetone content in response to audio data and disabling at least part of the sidetone path during an active mode of a radio. The technique includes storing the sidetone content in an outgoing audio buffer that is operational during the active mode of the radio and establishing a delay in the sidetone path to prevent the outgoing audio buffer from being depleted of the sidetone content during the active mode of the radio.
US07720451B2
A receiver includes a first oscillator supplying a reference frequency signal; a reference signal generator producing a first frequency conversion signal and a local calibration signal from the reference frequency signal; a first frequency converter responsive to the first frequency conversion signal to down-convert the received signal during normal receive operation and to down-convert the local calibration signal during calibration processing; a second frequency converter responsive to a second frequency conversion signal from a second oscillator to further down-convert the received signal and the local calibration signal; a demodulator that demodulates the received signal at a demodulation frequency; and a frequency error processor that determines a frequency error from the local calibration signal at the demodulation frequency, wherein the reference signal generator adjusts a frequency of the first frequency conversion signal used during normal receive operation in response to the frequency error to compensate for the frequency error.
US07720448B2
A signal generation power management control system (100) for use in a portable communications device includes a digital signal processor (DSP) (101) for processing a digital source input and providing a digital processed bit stream A digital-to-analog converter (DAC) (103) is used for converting the digital processed bit stream to provide an analog signal. A power management controller (115) within the DSP (101) is then used for interpreting control parameters of signal processing components used within the portable communications device and dynamically adjusting the bias current of these components based on minimal signal requirements of the analog signal.
US07720441B2
An apparatus and method for minimizing inter-signal interference in a wireless communication system are provided. The polarization phases of Mobile Stations (MSs) are measured. An MS group including a predetermined number of MSs is determined and a polarization phase of the MS group is compensated. The polarization phase of a transmission signal is matched to the compensated polarization phase and the matched signal is sent to the MS group.
US07720425B2
A tandem color electrostatographic printer apparatus has five or more color printing stations or modules for applying respective color separation toner images to a receiver member to form a pentachrome color image in a single pass. A fuser station fuses the pentachrome color image. A clear toner overcoat is then applied to the fused pentachrome toner image and enhanced glossing of the image is provided by a belt glosser to improve color gamut.
US07720422B2
A fuser cleaning apparatus and method of operating a fuser cleaning apparatus for use with an image forming device. Heat is efficiently transferred to a guide member of a fuser, thereby allowing for relatively easy performance of a cleaning operation of the fuser, since a heating roller of the fuser is heated by a heater while the heating roller is not in motion. It is also possible to prevent melted toner remnants from contaminating the heating roller since a sheet of paper which has waited at an entrance of the fuser is conveyed and passed between the heating and pressure rollers of the fuser after the heating roller is heated while it is not in motion.
US07720418B2
A developing unit develops a latent image on an image carrier with toner. A toner cartridge is detachably arranged in parallel with the developing unit, and supplies the toner to the developing unit. An opening is disposed between the developing unit and the toner cartridge, through which the toner passes. The toner cartridge includes a space forming unit that forms a space in the toner stored in the toner cartridge. The space allows the toner to flow into from the developing unit.
US07720406B2
An optical device includes an optical element that transmits or reflects light, and scans the light onto a target surface to form a latent image on the target surface. The optical element includes a conducting portion that is located on at least any one of a light transmitting surface and a light reflecting surface, and a bias applying unit that applies a predetermined bias to the conducting portion.
US07720401B2
A method for reducing gloss variation in prints, in an electrostatic printing system having a fuser for fusing sheets having marking particles thereon, the method including transporting a first sheet to the fuser; transporting a second sheet to the fuser; and abutting a trailing edge of the first sheet to a leading edge of the second sheet prior to the trailing edge of the first sheet entering the fuser.
US07720399B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing body that bears a developer image, a transfer member for transferring the developer image to a recording medium, a storing section in which a stored temperature value and a stored electric resistance value of the transfer member are stored, a temperature detecting section that detects a temperature of the transfer member, a calculating section that calculates a temperature variation value, a comparing-and-determining section that determines whether the temperature variation value is less than a temperature variation threshold, an output control section that determines a transfer output based on the stored electric resistance value stored in the storing section in the case where the temperature variation value is less than the temperature variation threshold, and an output applying section that applies the transfer output to the transfer member.
US07720394B2
An optical reception circuit and an identification level controlling method for an optical reception circuit are disclosed wherein reception sensitivity degradation arising from transmission waveform degradation by chromatic dispersion can be suppressed. The optical reception circuit includes a photoelectric converter for converting reception light into an electric signal, a pre-amplifying unit for amplifying the electric signal, a main amplifier for amplifying an output of the pre-amplifying unit, a monitor for monitoring the output of the pre-amplifying unit, and a controller for controlling an identification level in the main amplifier based on an output of the monitor. The monitor includes a limiter amplifier for amplifying the output of the pre-amplifying unit, and an average value detector for detecting a time average value of an output amplitude of the limiter amplifier.
US07720374B2
The present invention relates to a camera module, which comprises a packaged image sensor, an IR filter, a lens and a holder for holding these components and has a reduced overall size and height. A camera module according to the present invention comprises an image sensor package having a translucent substrate formed thereon; and a holder having a lower end attached to the translucent substrate of the image sensor package. At this time, the holder comprises a horizontal portion formed with a through-hole and a connecting portion extending downwardly from an edge of the horizontal portion, and an end surface of a lower end of the connecting portion is formed with an inner stepped portion so as to be attached to a peripheral portion of a top surface and a lateral surface of the translucent substrate. Alternatively, the holder comprises a horizontal portion formed with a through-hole and a connecting portion extending downwardly from an edge of the horizontal portion, and an end surface of a lower end of the horizontal portion is formed to be flat such that it is attached to a peripheral portion of a top surface of the translucent substrate. Otherwise, the holder comprises a horizontal portion formed with a through-hole, and a bottom surface of the horizontal portion is attached to at least a peripheral portion of a top surface of the translucent substrate.
US07720361B2
A system for fluid transport at elevated temperatures having a conduit having a fluid inlet end and a fluid outlet end and at least one heating element disposed within the conduit providing direct heating of a fluid flowing through the conduit. The system is particularly suited for preventing condensable constituents of a high temperature fluid from condensing out of the fluid prior to analysis of the fluid. In addition, operation of the system so as to prevent the condensable constituents from condensing out of the fluid surprisingly does not alter the composition of the fluid.
US07720358B2
A recording system is constructed with at least first and second recording devices, both of which are connected to a network and have channel selection functions and functions of reserving the recording of broadcast program information forming a broadcast program. The first recording device includes a first memory for storing recording reservation information from a user, a judgment circuit for judging whether the recording reservation information is for a receivable broadcast channel, and a sending circuit for producing a recording reservation request containing the recording reservation information and for sending it to the network when it is judged that the recording reservation information is not for a receivable broadcast channel. The second recording device includes a circuit for selecting a broadcast channel other than a channel which can be received by the first recording device, a second memory for storing the recording reservation information, a receiving circuit for receiving information transmitted through the network, a reservation request receiving circuit for storing the recording reservation information corresponding to the recording reservation request when the information received by the receiving circuit is a recording reservation request from the first recording device, and a reservation recording control circuit for recording in a recording medium the program information forming the broadcast program corresponding to the recording reservation information stored in the second memory.
US07720356B2
The recording medium has a data structure for managing reproduction of at least multiple reproduction path video data recorded on the recording medium. One or more management areas of the recording medium store path change information. The path change information indicates where changes in reproducing at least one of the reproduction paths of video data are permitted.
US07720355B2
A BD-ROM has a video stream, playlist information, and an entry map recorded thereon. The playlist information defines a playback path by indicating a sequence of one or more pairs of a playback start time (In_time) and a playback end time (Out_time) within the video stream. The entry map (EP_map) indicates positions (SPN_EP_start) and playback times (PTS_EP_start) of a plurality of intra pictures in the video stream, in one-to-on correspondence with flags (is_angle_change_point). Each flag indicates whether a corresponding intra picture is an intra picture (IDR picture) for causing decoder refresh or an intra picture (Non-IDR picture) having reference to a preceding picture.
US07720340B2
A device for coupling multimode pump light and a laser signal into or out of a cladding-pumped fibre laser is disclosed, comprising an output optical fibre, a substantially un-tapered feed-through optical fibre, an annular waveguide having a tapered section, and a plurality of multimode pump fibres such that: the signal feed-through fibre is located within the annular waveguide; the signal feed-through fibre is fused into the annular waveguide in the tapered section so that the annular waveguide becomes an additional cladding layer of the feed-through fibre; the end of the feed-through fibre that is fused into the annular waveguide is optically coupled to the output optical fibre; the multimode pump fibres are optically coupled to the annular waveguide in the un-tapered section. Methods of forming the device are also disclosed.
US07720339B2
An all-optical logic gates comprises a nonlinear element such as an optical resonator configured to receive optical input signals, at least one of which is amplitude-modulated to include data. The nonlinear element is configured in relation to the carrier frequency of the optical input signals to perform a logic operation based on the resonant frequency of the nonlinear element in relation to the carrier frequency. Based on the optical input signals, the nonlinear element generates an optical output signal having a binary logic level. A combining medium can be used to combine the optical input signals for discrimination by the nonlinear element to generate the optical output signal. Various embodiments include all-optical AND, NOT, NAND, NOR, OR, XOR, and XNOR gates and memory latch.
US07720337B2
In general, in one aspect, a method includes forming conductive layers on a wafer. A through cavity is formed in alignment with the conductive layers. The through cavity is to permit an optical signal from an optical waveguide within an optical connector to pass therethrough. Alignment holes are formed on each side of the through cavity to receive alignment pins. The wafer having the conductive layers, the through cavity in alignment with the conductive layers, and the alignment holes on each side of the through cavity forms an optical-electrical (O/E) interface. An O/E converter is mounted to the metal layers in alignment with the through cavity. The alignment pins and the alignment holes are used to passively align the optical waveguide and the O/E converter.
US07720323B2
Subterranean oilfield high-temperature devices configured or designed to facilitate downhole monitoring and high data transmission rates with laser diodes that are configured for operation downhole, within a borehole, at temperatures in excess of 115 degrees centigrade without active cooling.
US07720321B2
A fiber optic sensor including a fiber having a modified surface integral with the fiber wherein the modified surface includes an open pore network with optical agents dispersed within the open pores of the open pore network. Methods for preparing the fiber optic sensor are also provided. The fiber optic sensors can withstand high temperatures and harsh environments.
US07720310B2
The scaling down of data is provided. At least two blocks of transformed data samples representing at least two blocks of original data samples are received. One of at least two tables of constants is selected wherein each table of constants is capable of reducing the number of transformed data samples by a different factor. The constants taken from the selected table are applied to the at least two blocks of transformed data samples to produce one block of transformed data samples representing one block of final data samples. The data is processed one dimension at a time by multiplying the data in one dimension with selected constants taken from previously developed tables corresponding to the desired scale down factor. Scaling down by different factors in each dimension as well as scaling down in one dimension and scaling up in the other dimension may be achieved. In addition, the de-quantization of the quantized transform coefficients may be accomplished by pre-multiplication of the selected constants when the quantization values are known. In a similar way the re-quantization may be accomplished by a pre-division of the selected constants. Both de-quantization and re-quantization may be combined when the input quantized transform coefficients and output quantized transform coefficients are desired.
US07720309B2
A similar-image detecting part detects similar image regions similar to one another in a plurality of frame images captured by rolling shutter type exposure. A displacement-vector detecting part detects a displacement vector of each of the similar image regions with respect to a reference position in each of the plurality of frame images. An average calculating part calculates an average of displacement vectors in the plurality of frame images. A correcting part shifts a similar image region in one of the plurality of frame images such that the displacement vector of the similar image region becomes the average calculated by the average calculating part.
US07720308B2
Disclosed herein is a 3-D image display unit that can be controlled flexibly to protect the user from eyestrain and operated easily. The 3-D image display unit includes measuring means for measuring a display time of a 3-D image, parallax adjusting means for instructing 3-D image forming means to adjust the parallax of the 3-D image. In the case where the 3-D image display time measured by the measuring means exceeds a predetermined time, the parallax adjusting means instructs the 3-D image forming means to reduce the parallax of the 3-D image to be formed, thereby the display means comes to display a 3-D image having a small parallax. The user can thus be protected from eyestrain.
US07720307B2
An image matching method capable of matching images with a high precision and a program and an image matching system for the same, providing a conversion unit for performing image processing based on a registered image and a match image for converting points in each image to patterns of curves based on a distance from a reference position to the closest point on a straight line passing through each point in the image from the reference position and an angle formed by a straight line passing through the reference position and the closest point and an x-axis as a reference axis including the reference position, converting linear components in the images to patterns of a plurality of overlapped curves, and generating converted images, a correlation value generation unit for performing correlation processing based on the converted images and generating a correlation value, and a matching unit for performing the matching based on a signal indicating the correlation value generated by the correlation value generation unit.
US07720305B2
A method is provided which comprises providing a block of IWT (integer wavelet transform) coefficients for preferably one high frequency sub-band of an image; determining a mean value of said coefficients within said block; and establishing an encoded mean value to embed one of a logical-0 bit value and a logical-1 bit into said first block.
US07720302B2
An analyzing means first calculates the blur direction and blur level of a digital photograph image based on edge widths and histograms of the edge widths obtained in each direction, and discriminates whether the image is a blurred image or a normal image. Then, it further calculates the camera shake level and blur width for the image discriminated to be a blurred image. A parameter setting means sets a one-dimensional correction mask and a two-dimensional correction mask based on the blur width. It also sets a correction level based on the blur level. It further makes an adjustment to the ratio between the one-dimensional and two-dimensional correction masks based on the camera shake level.
US07720298B2
An image representation format for representing a digital image comprises: image information stored as a bitstream representing sequential image blocks, each block comprising one or more components, each component comprising one or more data units and each data unit being represented as a Huffman-coded stream of coefficients of basis functions, wherein a zeroth order coefficient is represented as a difference to the previous zeroth order coefficient of the corresponding component, and a block information table, which comprises: indicators to the first coefficient of a specified order of each image block in said bitstream, information indicating the number of bits in the bitstream between adjacent coefficients of said specified order of the image block, and the zeroth order coefficient of at least the first data unit of each component, said zeroth order coefficient being represented in a non-differential form.
US07720297B2
An image coding apparatus includes: an entropy coding unit for outputting code data based on control information for every coding pass; a rate control information extracting unit for judging both a continuation and an end of the coding pass based on a calculation result of a distortion and a code amount, which are required in a rate control; and a unit for extracting the code data up to the coding end pass based on control information. The rate control information extracting unit includes: calculation units for calculating both a distortion and a code amount produced by coding each of the coding passes; another calculation unit for calculating a slope based on a relationship between the distortion and the code amount, and a coding pass conducting unit for outputting control information based on a slope, a total code amount of all components, and a total code amount of a specific component.
US07720296B2
In a method to determine a selection vector that indicates a displacement of an image area from a first position in a first image to a second position in a second image, a set of prediction vectors and a set of test vectors are provided. Using selected test vectors, an image comparison is performed to supply an image comparison result for each selected test vector. The selected test vectors and at least one prediction vector are compared to provide at least one test vector comparison result for each selected test vector. The image comparison result and the at least one test vector comparison result are linked to provide at least one quality characteristic for each selected test vector. A ranking order is determined for these quality characteristics, where at least one test vector is selected as the displacement vector based on the ranking order determined.
US07720295B2
A region of interest is set within an image, the region of interest is tracked along motion of an object marked out within the image, and coding is performed in a manner that image quality differs between the region of interest and a region other than the region of interest. A wavelet transform unit applies a low-pass filter and a high-pass filter in the respective x and y directions of an original image, and divides the image into four frequency sub-bands so as to carry out a wavelet transform. A quantization unit quantizes, with a predetermined quantizing width, the wavelet transform coefficients outputted from the wavelet transform unit. A motion detector detects the motion of an object. A ROI setting unit moves a ROI region according to this motion of an object. In the case of moving images where a viewpoint changes, the background may be separated from the object and then the ROI region may be moved according to the motion of the object and the motion of the background.
US07720285B2
A head detecting apparatus, including a foreground extraction section for extracting a foreground region in which a person is captured from an input image; a first main axis computing section which includes a first moment computing section for computing a moment around a center of gravity of the foreground region and calculating a main axis of the foreground region based on the moment around the center of gravity of the foreground region; a head computing section for computing a head region included in the foreground region as a part thereof based on the main axis of the foreground region and a shape of the foreground region; and an ellipse determining section for determining an ellipse to be applied to a person's head based on a shape of the head region.
US07720282B2
Real-time segmentation of foreground from background layers in binocular video sequences may be provided by a segmentation process which may be based on one or more factors including likelihoods for stereo-matching, color, and optionally contrast, which may be fused to infer foreground and/or background layers accurately and efficiently. In one example, the stereo image may be segmented into foreground, background, and/or occluded regions using stereo disparities. The stereo-match likelihood may be fused with a contrast sensitive color model that is initialized or learned from training data. Segmentation may then be solved by an optimization algorithm such as dynamic programming or graph cut. In a second example, the stereo-match likelihood may be marginalized over foreground and background hypotheses, and fused with a contrast-sensitive color model that is initialized or learned from training data. Segmentation may then be solved by an optimization algorithm such as a binary graph cut.
US07720278B2
In a misregister amount detection method, printed register marks of colors are sensed, and the inverted R, G, and B image data of R, G, and B image data respectively containing R, G, and B as red, green, and blue color components of the register marks are extracted. The minimum value of the pixel values of corresponding pixels of the generated inverted R, G, and B image data is extracted and converted into the pixel value of a corresponding pixel of K image data containing K as a black color component. Differential R, G, and B image data are obtained by subtracting the pixel value of each pixel of the K image data from the pixel values of corresponding pixels of the inverted R, G, and B image data. Enhanced R, G, and B image data are obtained by adding the pixel values of pixels of the differential R, G, and B image data or values corresponding to the pixel values to the pixel values of corresponding pixels of the inverted R, G, and B image data. The misregister amount between the colors is obtained on the basis of the pixel values of pixels of the enhanced R, G, and B image data. A misregister amount detection apparatus is also disclosed.
US07720275B2
With the objective of achieving defect kind training in a short period of time to teach classification conditions of defects detected as a result of inspecting a thin film device, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a visual inspection method, and an apparatus therefore, comprising the steps of: detecting defects based on inspection images acquired by optical or electronic defect detection means, and at the same time calculating features of the defects; and classifying the defects according to classification conditions set beforehand, wherein said classification condition setting step further includes the steps of: collecting defect features over a large number of defects acquired beforehand from the defect detection step; sampling defects based on the distribution of the collected defect features over the large number of defects; and setting defect classification conditions based on the result of reviewing the sampled defects.
US07720266B2
A method for enhancing an ultrasound image is provided, wherein the ultrasound image is segmented into a feature region and a non-feature region, while sufficiently utilizing features contained in the ultrasound image, in particular including some inconspicuous features. The enhanced image according to present invention is not susceptive of the image segmentation and avoid dependence of the enhancement effect on the segmentation template, so as not to produce an evident artificial boundary between the feature region and the non-feature region but to highlight some special information in the image and to remove or mitigate invalid information. Thus the enhanced ultrasound image is particularly suitable for the visual system of the human beings.
US07720262B2
In a method for recording reference fingerprint data for a person, at least two fingerprint images are recorded that depict at least partially different areas of one and the same finger of the person. Data from these images is stored in at least two alternative sets of reference fingerprint data that are to be used in checking the identity of the person. This method makes it possible to use a small sensor that only records partial fingerprints, both when recording reference data and when verifying, without the person having to make repeated attempts during the verification in order for the sensor to record the same area on the finger both when recording reference data and during the verification. In addition, a method is described for checking identity, in which method the fact is utilized that there are alternative sets of reference fingerprint data, and devices for carrying out the methods.
US07720252B2
An image processing method of arranging orientation detection information for detecting an image orientation in an image includes arranging the orientation detection information in at least two positions that are symmetric with respect to a center of the image.
US07720251B2
A multimedia device includes input ports dedicated to receiving a real-time media signal and a processor system dedicated to capturing the real-time media signal. The processor system defines an embedded environment. The input ports and the processor system are integrated into the multimedia capture device. The input ports include an audio input port and at least one of a visual-capture input port or a digital-image input port.
US07720243B2
A device and method for tailoring the audio frequency response of a hearing instrument, such as a hearing aid, by altering the physical characteristics of the device to more accurately compensate for a user's specific hearing loss attributes. The device has a bore formed within its housing which provides a passage for the transmission of sound from the receiver of the hearing instrument toward the user's eardrum. The bore has a custom-designed geometric shape to emphasize desired sound frequencies and therefore produce a predetermined frequency response of sound in combination with any frequency response changes directed by the hearing instrument's circuitry.
US07720241B2
A sound image localization apparatus for localizing a reproduced sound image at a sound source position convolves an impulse response through each path from an optimal position of localization of a sound source to the left and right ears of the listener into an audio signal to generate an audio signal for localization on the left and right channels. The impulse response is convolved after down sampling the audio signal localized to the position of the sound source behind the listener and thereby the amount of operation required of a signal processor for convoluting the impulse response is greatly reduced without spoiling a spatial localization of the sound image.
US07720239B2
A capacitor microphone includes a microphone unit having one acoustic terminal or more than one acoustic terminals at one end or opposite ends thereof; an acoustic resistor provided near the acoustic terminal or near one of the acoustic terminals; and a case housing the microphone unit. The acoustic resistor is constituted by a conductive elastic material such as a woven or nonwoven fabric of metal threads, and is electrically connected to the microphone unit and the case.
US07720234B1
A communications interface device is wearable about a user's neck, and can have various audio communications devices—such as cellphones, walkie-talkies, radios, scanners, digital music players, etc.—connected to the interface device to serve as a central communications hub. An audio input microphone is provided on the device to pick up audio messages that the user wishes to deliver, with such messages then being directed to the appropriate connected communications device. Speakers, which preferably extend from the interface device via flexible leads, supply audio from one or more of the connected communications devices to the user's ears. A switch or other selector is provided on the interface device to allow user selection of the communications devices from which the user wishes to receive (and to which the user wishes to send) messages.
US07720233B2
A signal processor includes: a first adaptive filter that takes a first signal as input and generates a first pseudo signal; a first subtractor that subtracts the first pseudo signal from a second signal to supply a first differential signal as output; a second adaptive filter that takes the first signal as input to generate a second pseudo signal; a second subtractor that subtracts the second pseudo signal from the second signal to supply a second differential signal as output; a first step size control circuit that generates a first step size used in updating the first adaptive filter in accordance with the relation between the second pseudo signal and the second differential signal; and a second step size control circuit that generates a second step size used in updating the second adaptive filter in accordance with the relation between the first signal and the second signal.
US07720232B2
A processor operates on samples of a digital output signal to determine samples of a digital correction signal. The output signal samples are directed to an output channel for transmission from a speaker. The digital correction signal samples are supplied to a first digital-to-analog converter for conversion into an analog correction signal. The subtraction circuit generates a difference between a first analog signal provided by a microphone and the analog correction signal. The analog correction signal is an estimate of a contribution to the first analog signal due to a direct path transmission between the speaker and the microphone. The processor also receives a digital input signal derived from the difference signal, and, performs acoustic echo cancellation on the digital input signal to obtain a resultant signal. The acoustic echo cancellation is configured to remove contributions to the digital input signal due to reflected path transmissions.
US07720231B2
The encoder transforms the audio signals (x(n),y(n)) from the time domain to audio signal (X(k),Y(k)) in the frequency domain, and determines the cross-correlation function (Ri, Pi) in the frequency domain. A complex coherence value (Qi) is calculated by summing the (complex) cross-correlation function values (Ri, Pi) in the frequency domain. The inter-channel phase difference (IPDi) is estimated by the argument of the complex coherence value (Qi), and the inter-channel coherence (ICi) is estimated by the absolute value of the complex coherence value (Qi).
US07720221B2
A passport authentication protocol provides for encryption of sensitive data such as biometric data and transfer of the encryption key from the passport to the authentication authority to permit comparison to a reference value.
US07720217B1
A method and apparatus for providing a mute condition indicator is presented. In a communication set for a telephone, the communication set including a speaker and a microphone, a mute condition is indicated with an indicator disposed adjacent the microphone. The indicator is operable to indicate to a user of the communication set that a mute condition for the microphone is active while the user is using said communication set.
US07720213B2
A phone (12) identifies the nature of a desired communication by receiving data related to a purpose of the communication from parsers (26) and comparing the data to predetermined criteria specified by filters (24). A ring tone is selected from a set of ring tone responsive to the comparison. The ring tone could provide either audio or tactile stimulation, or both. Tactile stimulation could be provided, for example through different vibration patterns. Alternatively, a graphic may be shown responsive to the comparison.
US07720211B1
A telecommunications service provisioning method and system are disclosed having customer-want date (CWD) oriented scheduling. In one embodiment, the method comprises: (a) accepting order entry notifications; and (b) initiating an initiator process for each order entry notification. The initiator process initiates multiple processes including a truck roll process that arranges for a visit to the customer premises for installation of equipment. The truck roll process may implement a jeopardy timer that sends an alert message if prerequisites for the truck roll process have not been satisfied by some predetermined time in advance of the installation date. The initiator process may send a customer reminder two days before a prearranged installation date. One or more of the other initiated processes may arrange for activation of a service component (e.g. 911 emergency location service) a predetermined period before the installation date.
US07720195B2
The inspection methods and systems of the present invention are mobile, rapidly deployable, and capable of scanning a wide variety of receptacles cost-effectively and accurately on uneven surfaces. The present invention is directed toward a portable inspection system for generating an image representation of target objects using a radiation source, comprising a mobile vehicle, a detector array physically attached to a movable boom having a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end is physically attached to the vehicle. The invention also comprises at least one source of radiation. The radiation source is fixedly attached to the distal end of the boom, wherein the image is generated by introducing the target objects in between the radiation source and the detector array, exposing the objects to radiation, and detecting radiation.
US07720174B2
A method of encoding data for transmission from a source to a destination over a communications channel is provided. A plurality of redundant symbols are generated from an ordered set of input symbols to be transmitted. A plurality of output symbols are generated from a combined set of symbols including the input symbols and the redundant symbols, wherein the number of possible output symbols is much larger than the number of symbols in the combined set of symbols, wherein at least one output symbol is generated from more than one symbol in the combined set of symbols and from less than all of the symbols in the combined set of symbols, and such that the ordered set of input symbols can be regenerated to a desired degree of accuracy from any predetermined number, N, of the output symbols.
US07720161B1
Embodiments of the present invention can be used to generate a family of core training sequences having desired cross-correlation and out-of-phase auto-correlation properties for a communications system. The family can be generated by selecting seed sequences, so that the worst-case cross-correlation of the seed sequences is below a first initial threshold and the worst-case out-of-phase auto-correlation of the seed sequences is below a second initial threshold. Then, sequence families can be generated by inserting additional symbols into a corresponding seed sequence. Then, reduced sequence families can be generated by eliminating those sequences from the sequence families that have a worst-case out-of-phase auto-correlation above a third threshold. A sequence is selected from each reduced sequence family, so that the worst-case cross-correlation of the selected sequences is below a fourth threshold.
US07720159B2
In some embodiments, the inventions includes a transmitter including a cycle encoding circuit to receive a data input signal and to provide a full cycle encoded signal in response thereto by continuously joining portions of different encoding signals. Some of the encoding signals have a different frequency than others of the encoding signals and some of the encoding signals have a different phase than others of the encoding signals. Data is represented in data time segments of the full cycle encoded signal and no data time segment has more than one cycle of an encoding signal. In some embodiments, a receiver receives the cycle encoded signal and recovers data of the data input signal.
US07720149B2
An image decoding apparatus is capable of decoding coded bit streams with different coding schemes. The image decoding apparatus includes a coding scheme decision section for deciding a coding scheme from coding scheme identification information multiplexed into a coded bit stream, a setting unit for setting header information on a second coding scheme in accordance with header information in a first coding scheme, and a decoder for decoding image coded data in the first coding scheme in response to the header information on the second coding scheme, which is set.
US07720147B2
An MPEG processor is provided. According to one aspect of the processor, multiple MPEG data streams for corresponding channels are individually stored in an off-chip memory. Corresponding data for a channel is then retrieved from the off-chip memory for processing. The retrieved data is then decoded. The decoded results and associated information are stored on the off-chip memory. Some or all of the associated information that can be used for decoding subsequent data is stored in an on-chip memory. When video images need to be displayed, the corresponding data that is needed for that purpose is then retrieved from the off-chip memory and provided to an analog encoder for encoding in a format that is compatible with an analog display device.
US07720146B2
A video compression system is disclosed that is optimized to take advantage of the types of redundancies typically occurring on computer screens and the types of video loss acceptable to real time interactive computer users. It automatically adapts to a wide variety of changing network bandwidth conditions and can accommodate any video resolution and an unlimited number of colors. The disclosed video compression encoder can be implemented with either hardware or software and it compresses the source video into a series of data packets that are a fixed length of 8 bits or more. Sequences of one or more of these packets create unique encoding “commands” that can be sent over any network and easily decoded (decompressed) with either software or hardware. The commands include 3 dimensional copying (horizontal, vertical and time) and unique efficiencies for screen segments that are comprised of only two colors (such as text). Embodiments are also disclosed that improve the video compression depending on the popularity of pixel colors.
US07720143B2
The present application discloses a signal processing apparatus. Particularly, it discloses a signal processing apparatus comprising a first decoder for generating video data by decoding data and a second decoder for generating video data by decoding data, wherein, regarding predetermined operations for generating the video data by decoding the data, the number of the predetermined operations that can be executed by the second decoder for each unit time is lower than that of the predetermined operations that can be executed by the first decoder for each unit time.
US07720133B2
Disclosed is a wireless communication apparatus for receiving a code-spread transmission signal. The wireless communication apparatus includes: an RF section; and a baseband section, wherein, in the baseband section, despreaders of an integral submultiple, which is 1/n1, of the number of chips of a spread code are arranged in parallel, and there is provided a propagation measurement section that measures a propagation channel by using the plurality of despreaders a plurality of times in a time-division manner and performing despread of each period corresponding to a chip rate of the spread code.
US07720128B2
Provided are a laser diode generating passive mode locking that does not contain non-linear sector of an SA, and a method of creating an optical pulse using the same diode. The laser diode includes a DFB sector serving as a reflector and a gain sector. The gain sector is connected to the DFB sector and includes an as-cleaved facet formed at the end of the gain sector. When a current less than a threshold current is applied to the DFB sector to allow the DFB sector to operate as a reflector, passive mode locking occurs swiftly and therefore a sector of the SA is not required, which makes manufacturing simple. Also, it is possible to effectively extend a frequency variable region compared to using of the SA.
US07720126B2
A laser amplification system is disclosed that enables reliable operation over large ambient temperature operating window, as well as a significant reduction of laser temperature sensitivity typically associated with diode pumped lasers. The techniques employed by the system effectively eliminate damaging gain hot spots and lower ASE and ESA thresholds, thereby increasing laser peak and average power levels. Additionally, the techniques allow for thermal programming of active gain medium material to minimize thermally induced aberrations. In one particular example embodiment, a variable dopant concentration multi-pass laser amplifier is provided having a customized active ion concentration profile, tailoring the combination of laser absorption and gain distribution using a ceramic YAG host.
US07720118B2
A laser unit having a preparatory function for activating the unit and an activation method for the unit, capable of stabilizing the temperature of each component of the laser unit in the preparation stage when the laser unit is activated in a low-temperature or high-temperature environment, and then effectively judging completion of the preparation. During a period of time Ta from T1 to T2, a first trial of laser oscillation is performed. After a period of time Tb in which the laser is not oscillated, a second trial of laser oscillation from T3 to T4. Such an operation is repeated until a predetermined criterion is satisfied. Laser output values P2, P4, P6, . . . , at the last moment in each trial of laser oscillation are recorded. Then, each difference between the laser outputs at the last moments of two neighboring or continuous trials, is calculated. When the difference is lower than a predetermined criterion value, the preparation of the laser unit is judged to be completed.
US07720116B2
A tunable laser for providing a laser beam with a selectable wavelength. In one example, the tunable laser includes a gain medium for generating the laser beam; a waveguide for processing the laser beam, the waveguide having liquid crystal material or other electro-optic material disposed therein; an optical path length control element disposed within said waveguide for controlling an effective optical path length of the laser cavity; and a wavelength selective element for controlling the wavelength of the laser beam. The tunable laser may be designed without any moving mechanical parts if desired.
US07720107B2
A source-synchronous parallel interface divides a wide data bus into clock-groups including a sub-group of the data lines and a clock line carrying a copy of the transmit clock. The traces in a clock-group are located physically close together to minimize skew between the signals carried on the traces of the clock-group. Deskew logic on the receiver compensates for skew between received clock-group signals.
US07720101B2
A hybrid cable modem includes wideband circuitry configured to receive data over multiple different downstream channels at the same time. The wideband circuitry demodulates signals on the different downstream channels and then formats the demodulated signals back into packets or frames for sending out over an Internet Protocol (IP) home network. Narrowband cable modem circuitry is coupled to the wideband circuitry and selectively extracts Data Over Cable Service Interface Specifications (DOCSIS) data from one of the multiple downstream channels being processed by the wideband circuitry.
US07720098B1
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for dynamic bandwidth expansion for wireless clients of a wireless wide-area network (WWAN), wherein each client has an allocated bandwidth for communicating over the WWAN and the clients are within wireless signal reception of each other. The WWAN clients may voluntarily or in a predetermined manner join a pool of bandwidth-sharing clients. A wireless aggregation server and a wireless pool boss work in cooperation to utilize unused transmit and receive bandwidth from each of the pool members.
US07720090B2
A two way communication system is adapted for compatible inter-operation of a plurality of devices operating in accordance with a plurality of protocols. The communication system includes a first group of one or more remote devices that interface with a local host in accordance with a first protocol and a second group of one or more remote devices that interface with the local host in accordance with a second protocol. The local host includes a protocol processor that identifies transmissions from the first and second groups of remote devices and routes transmissions from the first group of remote devices to a first processor operating in accordance with the first protocol and also routes transmissions from the second group of remote devices to a second processor operating in accordance with the second protocol.
US07720088B2
A method for TDM data transport is disclosed. Configure a TDM logical port in the transmitting and receiving side respectively, and create a relationship between the TDM logical port of the transmitting side and that of the receiving side. When transmitting the TDM data, map original TDM data to a package data format via the TDM logical port. Encapsulate the acquired package data and a CID into a MAC data package according to the predetermined encapsulation information. Then send the data package to the receiving side via a shared transmission channel. The receiving side MAC layer obtains the de-encapsulation information and the receiving side TDM logical port identifier according to the CID of the received data package, de-encapsulates the data package, maps the acquired data to the corresponding receiving side TDM logical port to implement high efficiency TDM data transport.
US07720082B2
A system and method are disclosed for communicating messages between users that use different messaging services. A message from a user communication device is communicated to a remote user communication device using a first messaging service. The remote user communication device communicates messages using a second messaging service. The message from the user communication device is routed to a messaging interface gateway in accordance with configuration information associated with the remote user communication device. The message is routed from the messaging interface gateway to a messaging server associated with the remote user communication device. The messaging server is configured to use the second messaging service. The message is delivered to the remote user communication device using the second messaging service.
US07720079B2
A data transfer procedure enables data of a data sequence to be transferred between a transmitting entity (13) and a receiving entity (19). The entities each comprise a higher data handling layer (11, 17) and a lower data handling layer (12, 18). The procedure comprises transferring down from the higher data handling layer (11) of the transmitting entity (13) to the lower data handling layer (12) of the transmitting entity a data unit of the data sequence, which data unit comprises one or more segments. The or each segment is transmitted from the lower data handling level (12) of the transmitting entity (13) to the lower data handling level (17) of the receiving entity (19) via a transmission link between the transmitting entity (13) and the receiving entity (19). An acknowledgement of receipt of the or each segment is sent from the lower data handling level (17) of the receiving entity to the lower data handling level (12) of the transmitting entity. The or each segment is transferred from the lower data handling layer (17) of the receiving entity to the higher data handling layer (18) of the receiving entity in data sequence order. The higher data handling layer of the transmitting entity (13) is arranged to retain a copy of the data unit until such time as an at least implied acknowledgement of receipt of earlier segments in the sequence is sent back from the receiving entity (19) to the lower data handling level of the transmitting entity.
US07720067B2
A transfer apparatus includes a control unit to execute control such that one or more of received multicast packets are transferred to at least one receiver, a storage unit to store the received multicast packets or the one or more multicast packets to be transferred to the at least one receiver, and a determining unit to determine whether transfer of the stored multicast packet can be started when a multicast subscribe request is received from the receiver. The control unit transfers the multicast packet based on a determination result of the determining unit such that the multicast packet which is to be first transferred to the at least one is a head packet of a frame coded by a first coding technique which does not require information of any other frames when the multicast packet is decoded.
US07720064B1
Method and system for transmitting data using a network protocol and a storage protocol via an adapter is provided. The method includes receiving an input output control block (IOCB) from a host system for transferring data stored in a host system memory; acquiring data from the host system memory; copying a header template in a local memory of the adapter, wherein the header template is created by a driver executed by the host system; creating a header for the network protocol and a header for the storage protocol; wherein a first module for the adapter creates the network protocol packet header and the first modules uses an assist module to create the storage protocol packet header; and creating a packet to transfer a portion of the acquired data, wherein a packet size is based on a payload size for the storage.
US07720056B1
A method and system including messaging center connectable to a first communication network and a second communication network. The messaging center is arranged to receive a message having a destination address based on the first communication protocol for delivery to a wireless access terminal. The messaging center has a storage device and a central processing unit in communication with the storage device. The storage device stores a mapping between a first destination address corresponding to a first communication protocol destination address of the wireless access terminal in the first communication network and a second communication protocol destination address corresponding to a destination address of the wireless access terminal in the second communication network. The central processing unit evaluates the mapping to determine the destination address of the wireless access terminal in the second communication network and transmits the message to the wireless access terminal using the second communication network.
US07720046B2
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for maintaining a vocoder and channel codec in substantial synchronization. The method may include receiving a configuration message that includes rate information and an effective radio block identifier at a mobile station, coding a current radio block via a vocoder and channel codec, configuring an encoding portion of the vocoder and channel codec with the rate information after performing the coding, and then coding the effective radio block using the rate information. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US07720039B2
A method of routing calls from a mobile unit to a destination location can include registering the mobile unit with a wireless adjunct, wherein the wireless adjunct is in communication with a switching unit and a packet based network and is operable to receive data from the switching unit and place the data, in packetized form, on the packet based network. The method can further include responding to a call setup request from the mobile unit and querying a subscriber database to determine if the mobile unit is a resident or a guest. If the mobile unit is a resident, communications data can be routed from the mobile unit through the switching unit to a first destination location. If the mobile unit is a guest, communications data can be routed from the mobile unit through an RF source to a second destination location.
US07720035B2
Provided is an access mediator system for mediating convergence services of communication and broadcasting using a non-communicative appliance. The access mediator system includes: a non-communicative appliance access interface unit performing an interface function so as to converge a non-communicative appliance comprising an interface supporting image and voice multimedia data but not including a communication function; a broadband convergence network access interface unit performing an interface function so as to access a broadband convergence network connected to various service provider servers via wire and wireless interfaces; and a main processor accessing a selected service provider server via the broadband convergence network access interface unit to mediate the selected service provider server and the non-communicative appliance.
US07720034B2
A method for providing precoding weights for data symbols of data control subframes includes generating a downlink frame having control subframes which individually correspond to one of a plurality of downlink data subframes, and inserting weight information into each of the control subframes, such that the weight information is to be applied to data symbols present in the corresponding one of the data subframes. The method further includes transmitting the control subframes and the inserted weight information to a receiving device.
US07720028B2
In the field of monitoring communications systems, it is necessary for a monitoring system to be aware of an association of a Mobile Country Code (MCC), a Mobile Network Code (MNC) and an IP Address of a Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN) of a first network when a mobile terminal is roaming into a second network. Probes monitoring links with the second network generate transaction data. The transaction data is generated from messages communicated as part of a dialogue to establish a data “tunnel” between a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) of the second network and the GGSN of the first network. The MCC, MNC and IP address data are extracted from the transaction data and used to update an address network name table.
US07720027B2
Systems and methods are provided for processing forward link only (FLO) signals. A device receives a FLO signal, processes a TDM pilot comprising a TDM Pilot 1, a TDM Pilot 2, a WIC, a LIC, a Transition Pilot Channel, and a Positioning Pilot, from the FLO signal, processes an overhead information symbol (OIS) comprising a wide-area OIS and a local-area OIS, from the FLO signal, processes an FDM pilot comprising a wide-area FDM pilot and a local-area FDM pilot, from the FLO signal; and processes data comprising wide-area data and local-area data, from the FLO signal.
US07720024B2
In a communications system where a mobile node seeks to establish contact with a server node within or outside the home network of the mobile node by first providing the general location information and the server type of the server node to a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server. The DHCP server then matches the provided information with its record in storage to arrive at an IP (Internet Protocol) address of the sought server node. The DHCP server then sends the IP address to the mobile node, thereby allowing the mobile node to directly access the server node.
US07720022B2
A method and apparatus for maximizing the use of available capacity in a communication system having a base station and a plurality of mobile stations. The forward link includes a plurality of traffic streams sent on at least one channel from the base station to the mobile stations. The forward link is subject to a maximum power ceiling. A first output power level associated with simultaneously transmitting a first set of one or more traffic streams on the forward link is initially determined. Next, the first output power level is compared to the maximum power ceiling; and at least one time frame in the forward link having available capacity for transmitting a portion of at least one further traffic stream is identified. The first set of traffic streams and the portion of the at least one further traffic stream are then transmitted simultaneously during the at least one frame on the forward link.
US07720021B1
A method for a setting up a call to a mobile station using an intermediary mobile station. The intermediary mobile station is a multi-mode device that may exchange data according to at least two different protocols. One protocol is a cellular communication protocol, such as CDMA. A second protocol is a WLAN protocol, such as 802.11. When a RAN attempts to setup a call with a first mobile station and the call attempt fails, the RAN establishes a cellular wireless link with the intermediary mobile station instead, and the intermediary mobile station establishes a WLAN link with the first mobile station. Call setup and bearer communication may then proceed between the RAN and the first mobile station with the intermediary mobile station functioning as a wireless bridge.
US07720019B1
A network packet is encapsulated and has at least one field in the header of the encapsulation. A multicast delivery tree is written into a field of the encapsulating header. A method for operating a router to use the multicast delivery tree encapsulated in the header of the network packet has the following steps. The router receives a packet from a computer network, the packet having an encapsulated field. The router then reads a multicast delivery tree from the encapsulated field, the multicast delivery tree having a route to each of a plurality of destination stations. Then, the router forwards the packet to an address selected in response to the multicast delivery tree.
US07720008B2
In one aspect, a method for determining a leading subscriber in a network consisting of a plurality of network elements, with initially the same privileges and tasks is provided. A request message is sent to all network elements, the request message being marked by a sequence number taken randomly from a first set of numbers. Request messages sent by the remaining network elements over a pre-defined period of time are receive. The sequence number transmitted during the interval is compared with the intrinsic sequence number transmitted during the first stage. If the intrinsic sequence number has the numerically highest value in comparison with all of the received sequence numbers, the network element in question is identified as the leading subscriber.
US07720000B2
To enable network control (particularly, transmission band allocation) that excels in follow-up ability to follow changes in a network, locality, and responsiveness. A network control apparatus controls a wireless ad-hoc network and includes: a routing processing unit (402) which establishes routing within a wireless ad-hoc network using routing information including information regarding a local transmission quality within the wireless ad-hoc network; a routing processing unit (406) which obtains the information regarding the transmission quality from the routing information used for establishing the routing; and a bottleneck estimating unit (411) which estimates a relay apparatus as a bottleneck candidate, based on a distribution of plural transmission qualities within the wireless ad-hoc network, which are indicated by the obtained information.
US07719993B2
A wireless network access point can operate as a closed loop MIMO device when communicating with a station that is operating as an open loop MIMO device. Transmit/receive chains in the access point are calibrated to support aggregate channel reciprocity.
US07719987B2
A radio communication device includes a reception unit for receiving a route request message from another radio communication device, a route control message processing unit for judging whether the received route request message is addressed to itself or not, a route request message management unit for deciding a delay amount for delaying response transmission or relay forwarding with regard to the route request message according to an operating state of the radio communication device when the route request message is not addressed to itself, and a delay processing unit which performs response transmission or relay forwarding to the route request message when the delay amount time has expired. Thus, a route selected giving preference to radio communication devices having a preferable operating state can be obtained.
US07719986B2
A register stores the earliest time (IRL) at which a packet can be subsequently transmitted from a transmitting device in order to obey an allowable bandwidth given to the transmitting device, the earliest time (RL-1 to n) at which the packet of each class can be transmitted in order to obey the allowable bandwidth of the class, and a final time (RG-1 to n) at which the packet of each class is to be subsequently transmitted in order to maintain the guarantee bandwidth of the class. When a packet transmittable timing is reached, the packet of a class m which the final time (RG-1 to n) approaches is transmitted preferentially from the classes in which a current time reaches the earliest time (RL-1 to n). When the transmission of a packet is started, the next earliest time (IRL), earliest time (RL-m) of the class m and final time (RG-m) is determined based on the data volume of the packet.
US07719981B2
A hybrid transmission cycle (HTC) unit of bandwidth on a shared transmission medium is defined to include an adaptive, time division multiplexing transmission cycle (ATTC), which is allocated in portions sequentially among all participating network entities, and a residual transmission cycle (RTC), which is allocated in portions, as available, to the first network entity requesting access to the shared medium during each particular portion. The ratio of logical link virtual channels, or D-Channels, to data payload virtual channels, or B-Channels, within the ATTC is adaptive depending on loading conditions. Based on transmission profiles transmitted on the D-Channels during the ATTC, each network entity determines how many B-Channels it will utilize within the current HTC. This calculation may be based on any decision network, such as a decision network modelling the transmission medium as a marketplace and employing microeconomic principles to determine utilization. The ratio of the duration of the ATTC segment to the duration of the RTC segment is also adaptive depending on loading conditions, to prevent unacceptable latency for legacy network entities employing the shared transmission medium. During the RTC, utilization of the shared medium preferably reverts to IEEE 802.3 compliant CSMA/CD transmission, including transmissions by HTC-compliant network entities.
US07719971B1
A method and system for connecting a guest browser with a proxy includes: sending a registration request for a proxy from a peer to a proxy director; selecting a proxy by the proxy director and sending a proxy name to the peer; sending a registration request with a peer name and the proxy name from the peer to a dynamic domain name server (DNS); and registering a dynamic DNS record with a DNS name server by the dynamic DNS to associate the peer name with the proxy name. Thus, the dynamic DNS is used to convert the registration request from the peer to standard DNS. When a guest browser wants to connect to the peer, it performs a standard DNS look-up for the peer name at the DNS name server, which tells it which proxy to connect to. No proprietary locator service is needed to accomplish this connection.
US07719965B2
Methods and systems for coordinated monitoring of network transmission events. Predetermined information for the network transmission event is obtained at a first network location and the network transmission event predetermined information is provided to a predetermined monitoring location (or server). From the predetermined monitoring location, the predetermined information is provided to other network monitoring devices at one or more other network locations. At the one or more other network locations, the network transmission event, corresponding to the predetermined information obtained at the first location, is monitored. Network transmission event information, corresponding to the predetermined information obtained at the first location, is provided to the predetermined monitoring location from the first location and the other network locations. The monitoring of network transmission can be thereby coordinated.
US07719963B2
A method for managing data traffic in nodes in a fabric network, each node having internally-coupled ports, follows the steps of establishing a managed queuing system comprising one or more queues associated with each port, for managing incoming data traffic; and accepting or discarding data directed to a queue according to the quantity of data in the queue relative to queue capacity. In one preferred embodiment the managed system accepts all data directed to a queue less than full, and discards all data directed to a queue that is full. In some alternative embodiments the queue manager monitors quantity of data in a queue relative to queue capacity, and begins to discard data at a predetermined rate when the quantity of queued data reaches the threshold. In other cases the queue manager increases the rate of discarding as the quantity of queued data increases above the preset threshold, discarding all data traffic when the queue is full.
US07719959B2
In one embodiment a switch has active and standby LAYER 2 switch interfaces coupled, respectively, to device interfaces of first and second LAYER 2/LAYER 3 network devices. The active switch interface is configured to forward all egress traffic and accept all ingress traffic and the standby switch interface is configured to forward only IGMP messages and configured to block all ingress traffic.
US07719956B2
In a trunk network, each node, when notified from another node of a change in the state of a group to which external connection ports belong, changes the states of the external connection ports to cause external devices to detect the failure of the transmission route. A port state monitor unit classifies external connection ports into groups in advance and stores the correspondence of the external connection ports and the groups. The port state monitor unit then detects changes in the states of external connection ports. When a change of the state of any external connection port is detected in the port state monitor unit, a group state management unit reports state information that includes the states of groups that correspond to the external connection port to other nodes that make up the trunk network. Upon receiving state information from any other node, the group state management unit, in accordance with the states of groups that are included in the state information, changes the states of external connection ports that belong to these groups.
US07719955B2
An Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing, OFDM, transmitter comprises a signalling data generator (113) which generates a set of data symbols indicative of physical layer characteristics of data transmissions from the OFDM transmitter (100). A first symbol generator (115) and second symbol generator (117) generates a first and second OFDM signalling symbol by allocating the set of data symbols to subcarriers. The allocation of the physical layer data symbols to subcarriers is different for the first OFDM signalling symbol and the second OFDM signalling symbol. A data packet generator (105) and transmitter (101) generate a data packet and transmit this to an OFDM receiver (300). The OFDM receiver (300) determines the physical layer data symbols by combining the data symbols of corresponding subcarriers of the first and second OFDM signalling symbols and uses the resulting information to decode the user data of the data packet.
US07719954B2
An apparatus and method for measuring noise in a reception apparatus of a wireless communication system supporting Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM). The apparatus and method converts a preamble signal of a received OFDM frame into a frequency domain, and measures signal strength at each of subcarriers to which a null signal is allocated, from the preamble signal converted into the frequency domain. Further, the apparatus and method determines signal strength caused by noise depending on an average of signal strengths measured at the subcarriers. The preamble signal includes multiple subcarrier signals, and the subcarrier to which a null signal is allocated is a subcarrier over which no signal is transmitted by the transmission apparatus.
US07719950B2
A disk drive apparatus includes: head means for performing laser irradiation to and detection of reflected light from an optical disk recording medium and having a focus bias mechanism and a spherical aberration correction mechanism; focus bias means for driving the focus bias mechanism to add a focus bias to a focus servo loop; spherical aberration correction means for driving the spherical aberration correction mechanism based on a spherical aberration correction value; evaluation value creating means for creating an evaluation value based on reflected light information obtained by the head means; adjustment means for adjusting the focus bias and the spherical aberration correction value; and control means for determining whether data is written on at least one track of the tracks adjacent to an adjustment use range on the recording medium and controlling an adjustment operation on the focus bias and the spherical aberration correction value by the adjustment means based on the determination result.
US07719944B2
A method for recording information on an optical recording medium in which a laser beam modulated into one or a plurality of write pulses with one or a plurality of write powers in accordance with target data to be written is projected onto a recording layer of the optical recording medium to form a record mark. During recording the information on the optical recording medium, a data level and a weight index are assigned to each channel bit in reference data trains before and after the target data. Recording compensation of the target data is carried out in accordance with the sum totals of the products of the data level and the weight index in the reference data trains, so that it is possible to easily carry out high a real recording by writing fine mark/space trains.
US07719942B2
A power controlling method for eliminating output power offset of a pick-up head in an optical disc drive. The power control method includes measuring a first predetermined power related to a first predetermined control signal in a predetermined procedure, inputting a test data containing a plurality of first bits and a plurality of second bits, activating a sample/hold circuit to form a close loop so that the first predetermined control signal can be received and utilized for driving a pick-up head to output a first power when the plurality of first bits are received, and calculating an offset power based on the first predetermined power and the first power for rectifying output power of the pick-up head.
US07719937B2
A method of optimizing the write power for recording marks in an information layer of a record carrier by irradiating the information layer with a (pulsed) radiation beam. The method includes recording a pattern of test marks including short marks having a predetermined short nominal runlength onto the record carrier by applying at least three different write powers; measuring the runlengths of the recorded short marks obtained by applying the at least three different write powers; and determining an optimum write power based of the deviations of the measured runlengths from the nominal runlength of said short marks.
US07719930B2
A digital contents playback and a method for playing the same are provided. The digital contents playback comprises an arrangement unit for re-arranging digital contents stored in a recording medium by selecting a “breath first arrangement mode”, a “depth first arrangements mode” and a “disk all arrangement mode”. The “disk all arrangement mode” consists of a “filename first arrangement mode” and a “physical address first arrangement mode”. The “physical address first arrangement mode” arranges digital contents stored in the recording medium in physical address sequence. The arrangement unit arranges the digital contents to be suitable for a determined mode by user's selection, and the digital contents are played in the arranged sequence. When digital contents are arranged depending on the “physical address first arrangement mode” in a playback using a compact disk as a recording medium, driving distance of an optic pick-up module for playing digital contents on the compact disk is shortened, which results in reduction of power consumption and noise.
US07719921B2
A duty detection circuit includes discharge transistors, charge transistors, detection lines, and a comparator circuit that detects a potential difference of these detection lines, and also includes a gate circuit that controls the discharge transistors and the charge transistors in response to the internal clock signal of an even cycle. As a result, the detection lines are charged and discharged in response to the internal clock signal of the even cycle. Consequently, the duty detection circuit can be applied to a multi-phase DLL circuit, and a potential difference appearing in the detection line can be sufficiently secured.
US07719920B2
The present invention relates to a system and method for processing the read and write operations in a memory architecture. The system processing the read and write operations includes at least one local memory block and a synchronously controlled global controller coupled to the local memory block and adapted to extend the high portion of a clock pulse. The method for processing the read and write operations includes skewing a clock pulse using at least one word line interfacing with the global controller.
US07719914B2
A cell array has a word line and a bit line coupled to memory cells, and a redundancy word line and a redundancy bit line coupled to redundancy memory cells. A read unit reads data held in the memory cell. A defect detection input unit receives a defect detection signal from a test apparatus. A dummy defect output unit outputs a dummy defect signal during a predetermined period of time after the defect detection input unit receives the defect detection signal. A data output unit inverts a logic of the read data output from the read unit during an activation of the dummy defect signal. Accordingly, an artificial defect can be generated by the semiconductor memory without changing the test apparatus or a test program. As a result of this, a relief efficiency can be enhanced and a test cost can be reduced.
US07719913B2
A sensing method for a memory cell as described herein includes selecting a memory cell. A first bias applied to the memory cell induces a first response in the memory cell. A second bias applied to the memory cell induces a second response in the memory cell, the second bias different from the first bias. The method includes determining a data value stored in the memory cell based on a difference between the first and second responses and a predetermined reference.
US07719912B2
A semiconductor memory device for sensing voltages of bit lines in high speed includes: a first bit line pair to a fourth bit line pair each coupled to a different unit cell array; a bit line sense amplifying unit coupled to the first bit line pair to the fourth bit line pair for amplifying data transmitted through the first bit line pair to the fourth bit line pair; and a switching block for connecting one of the first bit line pair to the fourth bit line pair with the bit line sense amplifying unit in response to a control signal.
US07719904B2
A data input circuit for a semiconductor memory apparatus includes a data latch block that, according to a data strobe signal, latches data and outputs the latched data; a data output controlling unit that determines a phase difference between the data strobe signal and a clock signal, and activates a data output control signal; and a data delay block that, when the data output control signal is activated, delays the data output from the data latch block for a predetermined time, and outputs the delayed data.
US07719902B2
Channel boosting is improved in non-volatile storage to reduce program disturb. A pre-charge module voltage source is used to pre-charge bit lines during a programming operation. The pre-charge module voltage source is coupled to a substrate channel via the bit lines to boost the channel. An additional source of boosting is provided by electromagnetically coupling a voltage from a conductive element to the bit lines and the channel. To achieve this, the bit lines and the channel are allowed to float together by disconnecting the bit lines from the voltage sources. The conductive element can be a source line, power supply line or substrate body, for instance, which receives an increasing voltage during the pre-charging and is proximate to the bit lines.
US07719901B2
Memory devices adapted to process and generate analog data signals representative of data values of two or more bits of information facilitate increases in data transfer rates relative to devices processing and generating only binary data signals indicative of individual bits. Programming of such memory devices includes programming to a target threshold voltage range representative of the desired bit pattern. Reading such memory devices includes generating an analog data signal indicative of a threshold voltage of a target memory cell. This analog signal may then be processed to convert it to a digital representation of the individual bits of the bit pattern represented by the analog signal. Such memory devices may be incorporated into bulk storage devices, and may utilize form factors and communication protocols of hard disk drives (HDDs) and other traditional bulk storage devices for transparent replacement of such traditional bulk storage devices in electronic systems.
US07719900B2
A semiconductor storage device which includes a memory array including a plurality of memory cells for storing data by using a difference in a threshold voltage and at least one reference cell for storing data indicative of a state of a corresponding memory cell by using a difference in a threshold voltage, a control circuit for determining a read voltage based on data stored by a reference cell corresponding to a memory cell adjacent to a memory cell to be read, a read unit for executing reading from a memory cell to be read by using a determined read voltage, and a write unit for executing writing, when executing writing to a memory cell to be written to bring the memory cell into a written state, data indicating that the memory cell is in the written state to a reference cell corresponding to the memory cell.
US07719897B2
A non-volatile memory device includes page buffers arranged in groups, each group being coupled to a corresponding data output line so that data from more than one of the page buffers in each group may be simultaneously represented on the corresponding data output line during a program verification operation. Page buffers may be arranged in repair units with data from more than one page buffer simultaneously coupled to a data output line during a column scan operation.
US07719891B2
In a non-volatile memory device, the level of a verifying voltage supplied to a word line is adjusted in accordance with occurrence of a source line bouncing phenomenon. The non-volatile memory device includes a bouncing sensing circuit configured to compare a source line current passing through a common source line with a reference current, and output a bouncing sensing signal in accordance with the comparing result, and a word line voltage controller configured to provide a verifying voltage increased by a certain level to a word line in accordance with level of the bouncing sensing signal.
US07719890B2
A portion of a nonvolatile memory array that is likely to contain, partially programmed data may be identified from a high sensitivity read, by applying stricter than usual ECC requirements, or using pointers to programmed sectors. The last programmed data may be treated as likely to be partially programmed data. Data in the identified portion may be copied to another location, or left where it is with an indicator to prohibit further programming to the same cells. To avoid compromising previously stored data during subsequent programming, previously stored data may be backed up. Backing up may be done selectively, for example, only for nonsequential data, or only when the previously stored data contains an earlier version of data being programmed. If a backup copy already exists, another backup copy is not created. Sequential commands are treated as a single command if received within a predetermined time period.
US07719889B2
A memory system includes a first block in which data is stored with a low density and a second block in which data is stored with a high density. When data is received it is written to the first block, and in parallel some of the data is written to the second block, so that the second block is partially programmed. The second block is later fully programmed by copying additional data from the first block.
US07719888B2
The present disclosure includes methods, devices, modules, and systems for operating memory cells. One method embodiment includes applying sensing voltages to selected access lines for sensing selected memory cells. The method also includes applying a dynamic pass voltage to unselected access lines while the sensing voltages are applied.
US07719886B2
An integrated circuit includes a first electrode and a second electrode. The integrated circuit includes a first resistivity changing material between the first electrode and the second electrode and a second resistivity changing material between the first electrode and the second electrode. The first resistivity changing material and the second resistivity changing material have different crystallization speeds.
US07719872B2
A nonvolatile memory, such as a write-once memory, includes a memory cell array that has first memory cells and at least one second memory cell. The memory also includes a first writing circuit that is capable of writing data to the first memory cells and the second memory cell, a second writing circuit, and a verify circuit which is capable of confirming whether the data is normally stored in the first memory cells. When the writing of data to one of the first memory cells fails, the second writing circuit is arranged to assign an address of the one of the first memory cells to the second memory cell. The first memory cells and the second memory cell are arranged to irreversibly change their electrical resistance when the data is stored in them. The first memory cells and the second memory cell include an organic compound layer interposed between a pair of electrodes.
US07719869B2
A memory cell array includes a plurality of floating body memory cells, which are arranged in cell rows, and world lines, wherein each word line is configured to control memory cells associated with a pair of cell rows. The memory cell array also includes bitlines, wherein each bitline is electrically connected to an individual memory cell of each pair of the cell rows.
US07719865B2
In a power conversion apparatus that boosts a solar light voltage, converts it to AC and supplies AC power to a load or system, power loss is reduced and efficiency is improved. An inverter unit, in which AC sides of three single-phase inverters receive DC power from respective sources with a voltage ratio of 1:3:9 as respective inputs are connected in series. Gradational output voltage control of an output voltage is carried out using the sum of the respective generated AC voltages. Also, a solar light voltage is boosted by a chopper circuit to generate the highest voltage DC power source. When the solar light voltage exceeds a predetermined voltage, the boosting of the chopper circuit is stopped, thereby reducing power loss due to the boosting.
US07719857B2
A structure of mounting a shield cover according to the present invention includes a shield cover having an insertion part which is inserted into a gap formed between a circuit substrate and a shield cover fastening part along the circuit substrate. The insertion part of the shield cover includes a convex part that is elastic and deformable, and the end of the insertion part and the shield cover fastening part come in contact with each other by the elasticity with the convex part being in contact with the circuit substrate as the fulcrum.
US07719856B2
A hinge comprises a first member having a protrusion, wherein the protrusion has a cam profile shape; and a second member having a cavity operable to receive the protrusion, wherein a cam profile shape of the cavity corresponds to the cam profile shape of the protrusion such that, when the protrusion is in a first position, a gap is present between the second member and the protrusion and, when the protrusion is in a second position, substantially no gap is present between the second member and the protrusion.
US07719854B2
An assembly integrating commercially available capacitors into filtered feedthroughs. A feedthrough assembly comprises a plurality of Input/Output (I/O) conductors, wherein the I/O conductors pass through a hermetic seal such that a first end of the I/O conductors reside on a non-hermetic side of the hermetic seal and a second end of the I/O conductors reside on a hermetic side of the hermetic seal, a printed circuit interconnect substrate residing on the hermetic side of the hermetic seal, and a plurality of ceramic chip capacitors mounted on the printed circuit interconnect substrate, wherein a first end of each capacitor is connected via the interconnect to the second end of an I/O conductor and a second end of each capacitor is connected via the interconnect to a constant voltage level.
US07719851B2
This publication discloses an electronics module and a method for manufacturing it. The electronics module includes at least one component (6) embedded in an insulating-material layer (1), which has a first contacting surface, in which there are first contact terminals (7), from which the component (6) is connected electrically to the conductor structures contained in the electronics module. In addition, the component (6) has a second contacting surface opposite to the first contacting surface, in which there is at least one second contact terminal (7′), from which the component (6) is connected electrically to the conductor structures contained in the electronics module. With the aid of the invention, it is possible to achieve an electronic-module construction that saves space compared to the prior art.
US07719850B2
A power supply module arrangement with an integrated circuit mounted on a bearing unit and a power supply includes an integrated circuit mounted on a bearing unit and a power supply module arrangement that is placed on the combination of bearing unit and integrated circuit. The power supply module arrangement includes a base extending at least partially over the base of the integrated circuit and/or all around the base of the integrated circuit. The power supply module arrangement allows for greater permissible load jumps, greater permissible current change rates and ever tighter tolerances regarding the constancy of the supply voltage.
US07719842B2
An apparatus for mounting a plurality of heat sinks onto a circuit board during testing while the circuit board is tested in a fixed manufacturing station. The apparatus has a polygonal shaped frame with a size that is limited to an area on the circuit board which contains a plurality of data processing elements to be cooled. At least four apertures are on the frame, wherein each of the apertures corresponds to a different one of the plurality of data processing elements to be cooled. A slot is positioned on the frame to receive oversized processing elements. At least four pillars extend from the frame and mount into mounting holes provided on the circuit board. The apertures on the frame support the heat sinks above the data processing elements to be cooled. No additional screws, adhesives, clips or other fixing mechanisms are required to secure the heat sinks.
US07719837B2
A method and apparatus adapted to cool a circuit board in a rack-mountable housing includes transferring heat from a heat source on the board to a primary heat storage medium positioned at an edge of the board or within a rack-mountable housing using at least one heat pipe, transferring heat from the primary heat storage medium to a secondary heat storage medium positioned in the rack-mountable housing through contacting surfaces of the primary and secondary heat storage mediums, transferring heat from the secondary heat storage medium to a heat exchanger, which may be positioned within the rack-mountable housing, using at least one heat pipe, and cooling the heat exchanger. A method and apparatus adapted to cool a printed circuit board includes transferring heat from a heat source on the board to a heat exchanger positioned in the rack-mountable housing using at least one heat pipe, and cooling the heat exchanger.
US07719836B2
A cooling fan module is disclosed. The cooling fan module includes a module housing, a fan assembly, a fan control circuit board, and an electrical connector. The fan assembly is disposed within the module housing and includes a fan housing, a motor disposed within the fan housing, and a blade assembly coupled to the motor. The fan control circuit board is disposed between the module housing and the fan housing, and is coupled to the motor. The electrical connector is coupled to the fan control circuit board and projects outside of the module housing.
US07719833B2
An upper lid forming an upper portion of a casing is formed by a metal (an aluminum alloy or the like) having a high heat radiation performance. The upper lid serves as a heat sink (a heat radiation member) radiating heat generated from electronic components within the casing to an external portion. A plurality of flat plate-shaped heat radiation fins are provided in an upper surface of the heat sink. A groove forming each of the heat radiation fins is open in a side surface of the heat sink without forming a step.
US07719830B2
A docking station is disclosed. The docking station has an adjustable opening that accommodates portable electronic devices with differing sizes and shapes. The opening is capable of expanding to accommodate larger devices and retracting to accommodate smaller devices while still supporting the portable electronic device in its proper position within the docking station.
US07719825B1
A faceplate for a housing of a computing device including a processor includes a bezel with interior and exterior surfaces. The bezel removeably covers at least a portion of an opening defined by the housing. A wireless local area network (LAN) unit is mechanically coupled to the interior surface of the bezel and comprises a data interface that enables data transfer between the wireless LAN unit and the processor.
US07719817B2
An apparatus in an electronic control system allows two or three wire operation. A power supply can supply power to the enclosed circuitry in both two and three wire installations. Two separate zero cross detectors are used such that timing information can be collected in both two and three wire installations. Both zero cross detectors are monitored and are used to automatically configure the electronic control. Over voltage circuitry senses an over voltage condition across a MOSFET which is in the off state and turns the MOSFET on so that it desirably will not reach the avalanche region. Over current circuitry senses when the current through the MOSFETs has exceeded a predetermined current threshold and then turns the MOSFETs off so they do not exceed the MOSFETs' safe operating area (SOA) curve. Latching circuitry is employed to keep the protection circuitry in effect even after a fault condition has cleared. Lockout circuitry is used to prevent one protection circuit from tripping after the other circuit has already tripped from a fault condition. The protection circuitry output is desirably configured such that it can bypass and override the normal turn on and turn off impedance and act virtually directly on the gates of the MOSFETs. Preferably, the system has a high efficiency switching type power supply in parallel with a low frequency controllably conductive device.
US07719812B2
A power converter includes a controller having at least one input for monitoring a rate of change of an operating parameter of the power converter. The controller is configured for comparing the monitored rate of change of the operating parameter with an allowable rate of change for the operating parameter, and for generating a fault signal when the monitored rate of change of the operating parameter deviates from the allowable rate of change for the operating parameter. The operating parameter for which the rate of change is monitored may be, for example, a temperature, a current and/or a voltage in the power converter.
US07719807B2
Methods and apparatus for enabling internal circuitry associated with a device to be efficiently replaced in an operating environment for the device are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a device includes an enclosure that defines an interior of the device, and a circuit arrangement that is located in the interior. A data port interface is located in the interior, and the device also includes a receptacle and a protection circuitry arrangement. The receptacle is coupled to the circuit arrangement, and the protection circuitry arrangement provides protection to the circuit arrangement. The protection circuitry arrangement has an interface that is removably coupled to the receptacle such that at least a portion of the protection circuitry arrangement is contained in the interior of the device.
US07719804B1
The present invention is directed to an electrical wiring protection device that includes a housing assembly having a plurality of line terminals and a plurality of load terminals. A fault detection circuit is coupled to at least one of the plurality of line terminals and configured to generate a fault detection signal in response to detecting at least one fault condition in the electrical distribution system. A circuit interrupter is coupled to the fault detection circuit, The circuit interrupter is configured to couple the plurality of line terminals to the plurality of load terminals to form a conductive electrical path in a reset state, and decouple the plurality of line terminals from the plurality of load terminals in response to a fault detection signal in a tripped state. A voltage transient suppression circuit is coupled to at least one of the plurality of line terminals. The voltage transient suppression circuit is configured to generate a signal simulating the at least one fault condition in the event of failure.
US07719797B1
A multi-step shock limiter in a disk drive suspension assembly has a load beam and a flexure, with a plurality of limiting pairs. A first limiting pair has a clearance less than that of any other limiting pair, and is flexible. During a shock condition, vertical movement of the flexure with respect to the load beam causes the first limiting pair to engage and absorb shock. Further movement engages at least one additional pair, redistributing the shock thereamong until all pairs engage, thereby substantially anchoring the flexure to the load beam and limiting further movement of the flexure. The limiters may comprise a double tee shape having two legs and a cross member, with the first limiter defined by the cross member between the legs, and two additional limiters defined by the ends of the cross member that extend beyond the legs. The limiters engage corresponding tabs or tongues.
US07719796B2
In a dynamic electric test, a head slider is to be fixed positively to a suspension and to be removable easily from the suspension in accordance with the result of the test. In one embodiment of the present invention a head gimbal assembly includes a head slider, a gimbal and a load beam. The head slider is disposed on a gimbal tongue and is held with an urging force of a resilient clamp at a position between the resilient clamp formed on the leading side of the head slider and connecting terminals formed on the opposite side thereof.
US07719779B2
A lens driving device is provided with a holder that holds a lens, a supporting portion that supports the holder displaceably along an optical axis of the lens, and at least one magnet that is arranged symmetrically with respect to the optical axis on side surfaces of the holder. The supporting portion is provided with a coil so as to face toward the magnet. The supporting portion is also provided with a magnetic member so as to face toward the magnet.
US07719765B2
A compact Keplerian optical system includes a telescope having an image-rotator (Pechan roof prism pair), and an eyepiece and objective lens operative to form an intermediate image plane within the image-rotator, thereby decreasing the overall length. The objective lens optionally forms part of a replaceable cap, and plurality of replaceable caps may be provided, each with a different focal length to adjust for working distance. In the preferred embodiments, the eyepiece includes a singlet and a doublet lens to minimize eyestrain, and the objective lens includes a doublet and singlet field lens operative to increase depth of field and field of view. A practical implementation includes a pair of the telescopes, one for each eye of a user. Such a configuration may take the form of loupes mounted relative to eyeglass frames for surgical, medical or dental viewing applications.
US07719763B2
The present invention provides a light-diffusing member having no non-uniformity in stripes. The light-diffusing member according to the present invention is for diffusing at least a part of transmitted light by totally reflecting the same. The light-diffusing member comprises a light-diffusing part that has a diffusing-part base having a plurality of grooves tapered down toward the incident side, formed on the light-outgoing side in juxtaposition with one another, and light-absorbing parts formed, in the grooves in the diffusing-part base, by a radiation-curing resin composition. The radiation-curing resin composition includes colored particles. The colored particles have a mean particle diameter of 3.5 μm or more and 20 μm or less.
US07719762B2
The present invention provides a see-through transmitting-reflecting projection screen excellent in transparency, capable of sharply displaying, on its both sides, identical or different images even under bright environmental light.A transmitting-reflecting projection screen 10 comprises a reflection-type screen 11 and a transmission-type screen 12. The reflection-type screen 11 reflects a specific polarized component of imaging light projected. The reflection-type screen 11 does not reflect a polarized component, different from the specific polarized component, of the imaging light, and this polarized component passes through the reflection-type screen 11 and the transmission-type screen 12.
