US07775971B2
An capsule-type medical apparatus includes a sealed container; and a wiring board which is housed in the sealed container and on which a functional circuit performing a predetermined function while the capsule-type medical apparatus is inserted into a subject is mounted. The wiring board includes a plurality of comparatively rigid wiring board sections on which parts constituting the functional circuit are mounted, and a comparatively flexible wiring board section that connects the plurality of the rigid wiring board sections. The flexible wiring board is extended from a straight-line portion formed on the rigid wiring board sections, and the flexible wiring board section is folded so that the adjacent rigid wiring board sections oppose to each other.
US07775970B2
A harvesting device for an endoscope includes a harvesting member inserted through an outer tube member, including a harvesting portion arranged at the distal end portion of the outer tube member and to perform a harvesting, and configured to move so that the harvesting member moves and positions the harvesting portion at a harvesting position and a standby position, a wipe member inserted through the outer tube member, including a wipe portion arranged at the distal end portion of the outer tube member, and configured to move so that the wipe member moves the wipe portion to wipe a distal end portion of the endoscope, and a conversion mechanism to convert the movement of the harvesting member into that of the wipe member to interlock the wiping of the wipe portion with the positioning of the harvesting portion.
US07775968B2
This invention relates generally to lung access devices and methods of using the devices to gain access to the interior of a lung or to the mediastinal space around the lung. In particular, the invention relates to auxiliary access devices and tools for use with conventional bronchoscopes or other endoscopes to enable the delivery of more and larger devices to a target site than is currently possible through a typical endoscope or bronchoscope.
US07775966B2
An implantable restriction device is configured to provide a restriction in a patient as a function of the pressure of fluid. The implantable restriction device includes one or more pressure sensors configured to sense pressure of the fluid within the implantable restriction device. Pressure data obtained by the one or more pressure sensors may be communicated to a device located external to the patient, which may process the pressure data, and may further provide a display to a user including information relating to the processed pressure data. Where the implantable restriction device comprises an adjustable gastric band, the one or more pressure sensors may be located in any number of the following locations: an injection port, an interface between the injection port and a catheter, in a catheter, in-line with a catheter, adjacent to a catheter, in a gastric band, in a gastric band buckle, or elsewhere.
US07775965B2
A tissue graft is disclosed that includes a decellularized umbilical vessel having a luminal surface and an ablumenal surface, wherein the decellularized umbilical vessel is prepared by an automated dissection process. The decellularized umbilical vessel has not been substantially cross-linked. In one method of use, the decellularized umbilical vessel is capable of having at least one cell type seeded at least a portion of at least one of the luminal and ablumenal surfaces thereof. A process of preparing the tissue graft, methods of using the tissue graft, and kits which contain the tissue graft are also disclosed.
US07775964B2
The invention is directed to an implanted microphone having reduced sensitivity to vibration. In this regard, the microphone differentiates between the desirable and undesirable vibration by utilizing at least one motion sensor to produce a motion signal when an implanted microphone is in motion. This motion signal is used to yield a microphone output signal that is less vibration sensitive. In a first arrangement, the motion signal may be processed with an output of the implantable microphone transducer to provide an audio signal that is less vibration-sensitive than the microphone output alone. Specifically, the motion signal may be scaled to match the motion component of the microphone output such that upon removal of the motion signal from the microphone output, the remaining signal is an acoustic signal.
US07775962B2
Methods for using a centrifuge are presented. A vessel containing a sample and a separator substance is placed within a centrifuge. Upon sufficient centrifugation, the sample separates into two or more fractions separated by the separator substance. The centrifuge exposes the separator substance to a sufficient energy to polymerize the separator substance to produce a hardened barrier between the fractions.
US07775955B1
A cutting tool changing device to remove and reinstall a cutting tool in a tool magazine in a machine center is provided. The cutting tool changing device includes a mounting frame and a tool changing jig that slides in a horizontal forward and backward direction along the mounting frame. The tool changing jig includes a support platform mounted to the mounting frame, a lifting assembly mounted to the support platform, a lifting platform mounted to the lifting assembly, and a tool clamping assembly mounted to the lifting platform. The lifting assembly moves the tool clamping assembly in a vertical direction to remove and replace the cutting tool.
US07775949B2
The shoulder stretcher assembly detachably connects to a chair frame of a chair. It includes an elongated support assembly that includes a substantially vertical portion securely supportable adjacent to a rear portion of a chair frame of a chair. An upper portion of the elongated support assembly projects forwardly from the substantially vertical portion so as to extend over the chair. The upper portion includes a pulley assembly attaching element for attaching a pulley assembly for supporting a cable assembly.
US07775935B2
A system and method for overrun prevention is disclosed. Overrun of a one-way clutch may be prevented by determining a current torque value. When a current torque value approaches a negative value, a shift to a gear without a one-way clutch may be performed. Driving control may be increased by shifting from a gear associated with a one-way clutch when a current torque value approaches a negative value or another shifting parameter determines a shift is necessary.
US07775934B2
A control system and method for an internal combustion engine includes an intake manifold for directing airflow to a plurality of cylinders of the engine and an electronically controlled throttle valve disposed within the intake manifold for regulating airflow into the engine. An engine retard control determination module determines whether retard control of the engine is disabled. A throttle control module communicates with the electronically controlled throttle valve and modifies a throttle return trigger point during a transmission upshift when the retard control determination module determines that retard control of the engine is disabled.
US07775927B2
A traction drive of a machine has an internal combustion engine, a transmission module located downstream of the engine and having an adjustable output speed, and a drive axle with a differential transmission, having a mechanical drive connection with the transmission module. The transmission module is a removable, replaceable, and interchangeable transmission module (3) which can be selected from a plurality of transmission modules (3) having different transmission types, each with a standardized input interface and a standardized output interface. A first transmission module (3) can be a hydrostatic compact transmission having a hydraulic pump (5) with an adjustable hydraulic delivery volume, and a hydraulic motor (6) in a functional hydraulic connection with the pump (5). A second transmission module (3) can be an electric compact transmission having a generator (7) and an electric motor (8) in a functional electrical connection with it.
US07775920B1
A pitching shoe configured to have a size, shape, and weight of a conventional metallic shoe is made of elastomers having specific gravities in the range between 1.8 and 2.0 to enable reintroduction of the sport to correctional facilities and other applications where metallic shoes create too great a risk of injury. Suitable materials include neoprene, natural rubber, SBR, natural/SBR blend, or other natural or synthetic rubbers and rubber blends, and plastics which include high density fillers compounded into or mixed with a base plastic material.
US07775917B2
A basketball system may include a basketball goal with a backboard and a rim. The basketball system may also include a support structure that is sized and configured to support the basketball goal above a playing surface. The support structure may include an elongated support member that is generally vertically disposed relative to the playing surface and a single support assembly which connects the elongated support member to the basketball goal. The single support assembly may include first and second connecting members that connect the elongated support member and the basketball goal. Desirably at least a portion of the second connecting member is disposed within a portion of the first connecting member. In addition, the basketball system may include a height adjustment mechanism to allow the height of the basketball goal to be adjusted.
US07775906B2
A golf club has a shaft, and a head of a hollow structure fixed to an end of the shaft to be set to have a predetermined lie angle and a predetermined loft angle with respect to a reference horizontal plane. The head has a face portion which includes a ball hitting surface by which a ball is hit, a crown portion, a side portion, and a sole portion. A rib is provided at a part, which is lower than a central part of the face portion, on an inner surface of the face portion to protrude toward the center of the head.
US07775905B2
A golf club head comprises a body, a track formed in or attached to the body and having a length and a weight and weight retainer. The weight is continuously repositionable such that it can be positioned at any selected point along the track between its ends. The weight has a major dimension, and the weight retainer comprises a fastening member having a diameter not greater than about one half of the major dimension of the weight.
US07775898B1
A golf swing training system that straps to the rear or trailing arm of the golfer and guides movement of that arm to correctly delay release of the golf club on the downswing until the trailing arm bicep is approximately pointing toward the ground. A servo motor locks the trailing arm at the elbow from extension near the top of the backswing as the trailing arm reaches its fully bent position preventing premature club release during the initial downswing, and releases the elbow when the upper arm reaches a near vertical position on the downswing. The entire system is controlled by an on-board microprocessor encoded by input angle signals of the trailing arm bending movement adapted to the swing cycle of the individual golfer under study.
US07775892B2
A shaft includes endpieces welded to a tube shaft. The endpieces include a central axis; a first portion having a first end that is a connection end; and a second portion that is tubular and that is adapted to be welded to the tube. The second axial portion defines a second free end and has an outer surface, an inner surface, and an end-wall surface defined by an end-wall generatrix. The inner surface is of a shape that flares towards the second free end and is defined by an inner generatrix different from the end-wall generatrix. The endpiece is applicable to transmission shafts in motor vehicles.
US07775887B2
Systems and methods for playing live casino games involving multiple participants. The systems have casino tables with changeable displays which portray virtual playing cards or symbols to the live participants. The systems may include audio output to make the gaming experience more realistic. Shuffling, cutting, dealing, betting, audio output and return of playing cards are accomplished using data processing functions within an electronic game processor or processors which are mounted below the table and enable these functions to be performed quickly and without manual manipulation of playing cards.
US07775886B2
Advertising is targeted to a specific user of a user console. A product data request is received from a user console and includes a user identifier, user data, and at least a first product identifier. A user account record associated with the user identifier is identified. The user account record includes a subscription service level identifier and a user account history. The user data are then associated with the user account record. A product catalog is searched for any product related entries associated with the request, and when any product related entries associated with the product data request are found, each such product related entry is provided to the user console.
US07775885B2
Virtual environments in which player avatars can be altered based on events that occur in a video game, metaverse or virtual environment. One event is the failure to fulfill an obligation in a virtual contract. Avatars who fail to fulfill such obligations may have their appearance, voice, or smell altered, or may be followed by one or more non player character avatars.
US07775883B2
A surface-based interactive environment that utilizes low cost equipment to create a highly interactive environment for participants. The game can include electronic versions of traditional games, such as air hockey, football, soccer, and the like. The game can also include one or more electronically generated characters with whom the participants can interact. The system utilizes a high-mounted projector to create the game environment and/or generate the characters. A remotely mounted infrared light source and infrared camera are used to detect the participants as they move around within the interaction area of the game.
US07775875B2
Disclosed are central determination methods and systems in which pools and sub-pools of outcomes can be distributed among various units of the central determination system. The methods and systems are applicable to Class II and, in some implementations, Class III gaming configurations. The methods and systems disclosed herein can be implemented in a gaming machine network, wherein one of the gaming machines distributes game outcomes to other gaming machines in the network. The gaming machines can be oriented in a peer-to-peer configuration, a central storage medium configuration, a stand alone configuration, an autonomous gaming machine configuration, and other network configurations. Methods are disclosed for managing the distribution of outcomes among the gaming machines in the various networks.
US07775864B2
A coin processor according to the present invention includes a temporary storage portion that temporarily stores coins, and the temporary storage portion includes: a conveyor belt; a one side conveyor guide that is disposed on one edge side of the conveyor belt in a width direction thereof; an other side conveyor guide that is disposed on an other edge side of the conveyor belt in the width direction with a spacing narrower than a diameter of a coin to be stored between the one side conveyor guide and the other side conveyor guide, and that slopes upward toward outside in the width direction; a drive portion that drives the conveyor belt; and a stacking surface guide that is provided at one end portion of the conveyor belt in a lengthwise direction thereof, and that slopes upward toward outside of the conveyor belt in the lengthwise direction.
US07775862B2
Methods for producing encased products using selectable first and second horns to thereby produce products in selectable different casing types include: (a) providing an apparatus having a first horn that, in operation, is configured to be in fluid communication with a filler pump located upstream thereof; (b) removing the first horn from the apparatus; and (c) mounting a second horn assembly comprising an intermediate pipe segment in fluid communication with a casing horn to the apparatus. The casing horn can pivot side-to-side. Related apparatus, systems, kits, assemblies and computer program products are configured to allow dual operational modes of producing encased products using first or second horns.
US07775860B2
Apparatus for engaging a filler/product pump that include: (a) a horn having a length, an outer surface and an internal product channel extending therethrough; (b) a forming collar in communication with the horn, wherein, in operation, the forming collar is configured to cooperate with the horn to direct planar casing material to take on a generally tubular shape over an outer surface of the horn while product travels through the internal channel; (c) a netting chute sized and configured to receive a portion of the horn therein, the netting chute configured to hold a sleeve of elastic netting material thereon; and (d) an automated derucker operatively associated with the netting chute whereby the derucker is configured to automatically travel through a derucker stroke cycle comprising upstream and downstream locations to pull segments of netting material toward a downstream end portion of the netting chute while product is pumped out of the horn.
US07775858B2
In a machine for processing the edges and outer surfaces of flat workpieces, including a machine frame with a workpiece support surface 12 and at least one dressing head 14 with a work tool carrier, which work tool carrier is rotatably supported on the machine frame for rotation about a first axis perpendicular to the workpiece support surface 12 and is driven by a drive, and which work tool carrier carries at least two work tools 32 rotatably supported eccentrically to the first axis on the work tool carrier each for rotation about a second axis perpendicular to the workpiece support surface 12, and each of which tools is connected with a planet gear 44 which stands in meshing drive engagement with a sun gear 26 coaxial to the first axis so that each circulating work tool carrier defines an effective circle 46 of its work tools 32, with at least two dressing heads 14 being so arranged next to one another that the effective circles 46 of their work tools 32 overlap, with the movement of the work tool carriers of neighboring dressing heads 14 being so controlled that the work tools 42 arranged on their work tool carriers are displaced from one another in the circulating direction.
US07775856B2
Embodiments of the invention describe a method for reclaiming a substrate by removing surface films with media blasting. A substrate is provided having a surface film. Media blasting is performed on the substrate to remove the surface film from the surface. In one embodiment media blasting removes a film from the substrate top surface. In another embodiment media blasting removes a film from the substrate top surface and side surface.
US07775853B2
A polishing apparatus for polishing semiconductor wafers comprises a main polishing structure, which includes a plurality of polishing tables, a plurality of polishing heads and a plurality of load-and-unload stations, and an add-on polishing structure, which includes an additional polishing table and an additional polishing head. The add-on polishing structure can be attached to the main polishing structure to form a larger polishing structure with the additional polishing table and the additional polishing head.
US07775852B2
An apparatus and method of chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) of a wafer employing a device for determining, in-situ, during the CMP process, an endpoint where the process is to be terminated. This device includes a laser interferometer capable of generating a laser beam directed towards the wafer and detecting light reflected from the wafer, and a window disposed adjacent to a hole formed through a platen. The window provides a pathway for the laser beam during at least part of the time the wafer overlies the window.
US07775850B2
To provide a water toy with which infants can play joyfully in a bathroom, which is easy to be fixed in place and which prevents the infants from losing their interests in playing therewith, there is provided a water toy including a pedestal portion having a pump, a circular cylindrical shaped column fixed to an upper portion of the pedestal portion, which includes a water flowing tube in an interior and a water outlet port at an upper end thereof, a spiral water flowing rail fixed to a circumferential edge of the column, a first water flowing rail detachably coupled to a lower end of the spiral water flowing rail, which includes a windmill portion having a rotor turned by using a flow of water, a second water flowing rail detachably coupled to a lower end of the first water flowing rail while being fixed onto an auxiliary fixing base, a third water flowing rail detachably coupled to a lower end of the second water flowing rail, a fourth water flowing rail detachably coupled to a lower end of the third water flowing rail, and a sliding element which slides on water flowing surfaces of the respective rails.
US07775825B2
A cable connector assembly (100) in accordance with the present invention includes a housing (1), a terminal (2), a sleeve (5), and a strain relief member (7). The housing includes a mating end (11), a soldering end (12), and a passage formed through the mating and soldering ends. The terminal is received in the passage of the housing and includes a mating portion (21) exposed in the mating end and a soldering portion (22) extending beyond the soldering end of the housing and soldered to a cable (3). The sleeve is mounted to enclose a contact junction (8) between the cable and the terminal, and the strain relief member is molded over a part of the cable and the sleeve.
US07775814B1
Shipment and storage of systems poses integrity and economical issues. Such systems may require substantial packaging to protect components of the system during shipment and storage. Some components, such as a battery, may need to be separated from the system during shipment to prevent either actual or perceived damage by the user of the system. A battery directly connected to a system may discharge so as to be incapable of providing sufficient power to the system. Users may erroneously believe that the system is defective and place unnecessary service calls. Such service calls increase costs and affect future business activity. Configuring the terminals of high current connectors coupled to the battery and the system allow for an isolator to be inserted between the high current connectors to prevent conduction while allowing the connectors to mate which results in feasibly shipping the battery in tact within the system.
US07775805B2
An electrical terminal (30) received in an insulative housing (10), comprising: a main portion (31); a first contacting portion (32); a second contacting portion (33); wherein the first contacting portion comprises at least a flexible arm (321) and at least an inflexible arm (322), the flexible arm can be flexed along an up-to-down direction, and the inflexible arm hard to flex along the up-to-down direction, the flexible and inflexible arms defines a flexible contacting portion (3210) and inflexible contacting portion (3220), respectively. The flexible contacting portion is higher than the inflexible contacting portion along the up-to-down direction, the flexible contacting portion and the inflexible contacting portion are both contacted to a same corresponding electrical contacting portion; the insulative housing defining a plurality of holes, the main portion of the terminal been fixed in the hole, and the first and second contacting portion extending externally from the insulative housing.
US07775804B2
Interposer assembly includes an insulating plate with slots extending through the thickness of the plate and a flat metal contacts confined in the slots.
US07775802B2
High-speed backplane connectors systems for mounting a substrate that are capable of operating at speeds of up to at least 25 Gbps, while in some implementations also providing pin densities of at least 50 pairs of electrical connectors per inch are disclosed. Implementations of the high-speed connector systems may provide ground shields and/or other ground structures that substantially encapsulate electrical connector pairs, which may be differential electrical connector pairs, in a three-dimensional manner throughout a backplane footprint, a backplane connector, and a daughtercard footprint. These encapsulating ground shields and/or ground structures prevent undesirable propagation of non-traverse, longitudinal, and higher-order modes when the high-speed backplane connector systems operates at frequencies up to at least 30 GHz.
US07775800B2
A device for electrically interconnecting two relatively rotating members, such as a vehicle steering wheel and steering column assembly, has a stationary housing portion carried with the steering column assembly and a moving housing portion carried with the steering wheel. A plurality of flexible, electrically conductive wires are spirally wound around the device between the two housing portions. Each conductive wire is guided in a direction-reversing loop formed therein. Each conductive wire is affixed at each of its two respective ends at electrical terminals.
US07775793B2
An orthodontic bracket is provided. The bracket includes a rear wall coming to rest on a buccal or lingual tooth surface; and two guide surfaces running at right angles to one another, for guiding an archwire with a rectangular cross section, wherein the two guide surfaces are arranged distanced to the rear wall. A first gingival web runs below the first guide surface and at least one second occlusal web runs above the first guide surface, with a second passage being left free between the first web and the rear wall, and a first passage being left free between the second web and the rear wall.
US07775790B2
A food molding mechanism for a patty-forming machine that uses a servomotor to drive a crank arrangement. The crank arrangement drives a mold plate. The mechanism uses a reducer with a replaceable output shaft. The reducer engages a servomotor utilizing a double enveloping worm gear providing gear enmeshment across an arc portion of the servomotor main gear. A servomotor driven knockout apparatus comprises a cam and lever arrangement. Oil reservoirs for the knock-out cams are substantially sealed in the mold cover.
US07775788B2
A stack molding apparatus is disclosed having a stationary mold platen and a movable mold platen defining a parting line. The apparatus has a melt transfer nozzle extending within a well in the stationary mold platen, the melt transfer nozzle defining a melt channel for receiving and transporting a melt stream. The apparatus also includes a melt transfer component having a spigot portion, a melt channel and an aperture in a sealing surface thereof, wherein the melt transfer component is fixedly attached to the stationary mold platen such that the sealing surface defines a portion of the parting line. The spigot portion is slidably fit within the melt channel of the melt transfer nozzle so that the melt channels are in fluid communication. When the stack molding apparatus is brought to an operating temperature, the melt transfer nozzle slides over the spigot portion to accommodate thermal expansion.
US07775776B2
A single conduit lift pump is disclosed that only requires a single fluid conduit for both the driving fluid and the pumping action of the pump in a well bore. Fluid pressure communicated to the pump by the single fluid conduit drives the pump to load a resilient member. The fluid pressure is cycled off to allowing the lift of fluid by action of the resilient member upon the single fluid conduit. The single fluid conduit makes this pump suitable for downhole operations for the oil and gas production industries in wells that have substantial water cut that inhibits the production of gas.
US07775772B2
A system for manufacturing an integrally bladed rotor is provided. This system includes a ring component, wherein the ring component further includes at least one metal matrix composite and a continuous radially outwardly facing conical surface; an airfoil component, wherein the airfoil component further includes a plurality of individual airfoil blades, wherein at least a portion of each individual airfoil blade has been reinforced with at least one metal matrix composite, and wherein each of the plurality of airfoil blades further includes a radially inwardly facing blade conical surface; and inertia welding means for frictionally engaging under an axially applied weld load the ring component and the airfoil component to effect an inertia weld therebetween along the conical surfaces.
US07775771B2
A quick assembly blade for a ceiling fan includes a blade frame fixed inside with at least three studs respectively for a fastener to be inserted therein. A blade to be secured on the blade frame is bored with three assembling holes at the locations corresponding to the studs of the blade frame, and a clamping member made of elastic material is fixed on the blade. The clamping member is cut with three engage notches at the locations corresponding to the fasteners. The clamping member has its opposite sides compressed transversely to be received among the fasteners and, after released, the clamping member will recover its elastic force and have its engage notches respectively and quickly engaged on the fasteners, thus achieving effect of quickly and stably assembling the blade of the ceiling fan.
US07775766B2
A static gas turbine component, especially for an aircraft engine, is formed at least partially region-wise of metal foam. An abradable shroud lining of metal foam and a carrier allow a radial through-flow of gas.
US07775762B2
A modular header body is described for distributing fluid to an individually pumped fluid circuit. The modular header body has a valve to selectively isolate the header body's suction chamber from its volute, which permits a pump motor to be disconnected from the header body while the valve is closed. Each modular header body is constructed so that adjacent header bodies can be connected to each other to form a common suction chamber. Each header body's isolation valve operates independently so that the volute of one header body can be isolated from the common suction chamber without affecting fluid supply to the other header bodies.
US07775760B1
A wind driven energy source is providing utilizing a turbine wheel comprising a peripheral rim attached to a central hub via a series of spokes. A plurality of airfoil blades are assembled to the wheel, each blade being secured to a pair of spokes and positioned proximate an interior edge of the rim and extend only partially down the length of the spoke. This provides a central opening allowing airflow through the innermost region of the wheel. The blades are pivotally assembled to the spokes and can include an incident angle adjusting mechanism as well as a breakaway feature.
US07775754B2
A nut having an injection-molded insert or delay stopper is threaded onto an end of an anchor. A capsule containing a resin component and a catalyst component and the other end of the anchor are positioned in a bore hole in a mine roof, mine wall, side of a hill, concrete wall, or concrete floor. The threaded end of the nut contacts the insert and rotation of the nut rotates the anchor, breaking the capsule and mixing the components. After the components set, increased torque is applied to fracture the insert and move the nut up the threaded end of the shaft against roof stabilizing components on the shaft.
US07775747B2
A multi-component segmented retaining wall (SRW) block that may form a mortarless retaining wall. Each SRW block includes an interlocking face unit and an anchor unit that together form a vertically oriented hollow core bounded by the inner walls of the face unit and the anchor unit. Each face unit and anchor unit pair are interlocked by complementary connector elements.
US07775746B2
The present invention relates to a PHC pile used in a permanent retaining wall structure, and a connection method thereof, and more particularly, to a method of connecting PHC piles to each other by inserting a connection bar into connection pipes embedded in sheaths of the PHC piles. To this end, the PHC pile comprises a left connection pipe installed at one side of the sheath of the PHC pile and a right connection pipe embedded at the other opposite side of the sheath. Further, the method of connecting the PHC pile to each other comprises the steps of inserting a water-proof material into inner semi-cylindrical grooves of the connection pipes, inserting the connection bar between the connection pipes of the PHC piles, and consecutively connecting a plurality of PHC piles to one another by repeating the above steps.
US07775717B2
A compacted tube structure for forming bags. The structure includes a plurality of alternating inner and outer longitudinally extending folds that define a plurality of outwardly extending projections. The outwardly extending projections are stacked one upon another on a first side and a second side of the structure on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis. The structure may further include at least one S-fold extending across a width for shortening the length of the structure. Top and bottom projections on each side may include an edge tab. The top and bottom edge tabs may be sealed together to form an edge margin on each side for retaining the compacted configuration of the structure. The structure may also include a plurality of separation lines and sealed ends for defining one or more bags.
US07775713B2
An arrangement for dental imaging having an intraoral sensor, which receives radiation at the moment of exposure for providing image data. The intraoral sensor comprises a housing (1), which encloses a detector and electronics and an orientation sensor (5), which senses orientation of the intraoral sensor at the moment of imaging to provide orientation information. A display unit (6, 7) and data transfer elements (3, 4), are connected to the detector and electronics for transmitting the image data and orientation information to the display unit. The display unit has image processing software, which processes the image data and utilizes the orientation information relevant to the image data for having an image to be presented on a display unit shown the right way.
US07775711B2
An exemplary temperature measurement device includes a reference voltage source, a three-wire thermal resistor, a voltage drop amplifier, an operational amplifier and compensation resistors. By using connecting wires with resistance values of the compensation resistors, a relation between an output signal and a resistance of the thermal resistor gives rise to a monotonous function, which is independent of the resistances of the connecting wires. After A/D conversation of an output signal, the resistance of the thermal resistor and a temperature can be calculated based on known functions. Therefore, within an entire measurement range and any length of cable, an influence of the wire resistances can be compensated without switches or jumpers.
US07775709B2
A program comprises a code for implementing a method for regulating the temperature of an environment containing a product when the program is run in a computer system. The method includes measuring an environment temperature; detecting a product temperature; comparing the product temperature with a reference temperature; and varying the environment temperature on the basis of the outcome of the comparing. The detecting includes acquiring the product temperature internally of the product near its outside surface.
US07775707B2
Method for activation of temperature time monitors and temperature time monitors operating therewith
The invention relates to an activation of temperature time monitors (1), particularly for perishable products, such as medications, vaccines, stored blood, or food products, wherein the monitor (1) contains at least one electrical circuit (4-6), which is mechanically activateable/changeable, characterized in that the monitor (1) is activatable by means of an irreversible mechanical interruption of an electrically conductive connection (8) of the at least one electrical circuit (4-6), or that the monitor (10) is activatable by means of an irreversible mechanical removal of an electrically conductive area (15) of the at least one electrical circuit (16, 17). The invention is based on the object of improving an activation of temperature time monitors in such a way what it is particularly cost effective and reliable, and that an automated activation is possible.
US07775704B2
A device for continuously producing emulsions or dispersions while excluding air comprises a mixing vessel, which is closed on all sides and which has supply tubes and discharge tubes for introducing and discharging fluid substances or compositions, and also an impeller, which permits an agitating input into the emulsion or dispersion without generating cavitation forces and without high-pressure homogenization. For preparing the cosmetic emulsions of the invention, as well, emulsifiers are generally used.
US07775682B2
A seven-color light emitting module and a seven-color decorating lamp string comprising the same. The seven-color light emitting module includes a lampshade made of a transparent plastic or synthetic resin, and a lamp socket on which three colors self-flashing light emitting diode, a zener diode, a current limiting resistance and a double-side printed circuit board (PCB) are sealed. The three colors light emitting diodes connect with PCB and connect with the zener diode in parallel. One end of the zener diode or two ends of the zener diode connects with the current limiting resistance in series. A transparent epoxy resin or silicon glue is filled in the lampshade. The seven-color decorating lamp string include a power supply plugs, a power supply module which has a PCB and a rectifying and filter circuit connected by wires and a plurality of said seven colors light emitting modules.
US07775669B2
An illumination system including a first integrator, a first dichroic element, a second dichroic element, a first light source, and a second light source is provided. The first integrator has a first light incident end and a first light exit end. The first and the second dichroic elements are respectively disposed at two different parts adjacent to the first light incident end. The first dichroic element, the second dichroic element, and the first light incident end are arranged along a triangular track. The first light source emits a first color light. The second light source emits a second color light. The first color light passes through the first dichroic element and is partially reflected by the second dichroic element to the first light incident end. The second color light passes through the second dichroic element and is partially reflected by the first dichroic element to the first light incident end.
US07775668B2
A color-mixing laser module is disclosed, which is comprised of a laser unit capable of emitting red, blue and green laser beams; a beam combiner, for receiving and converging the laser beams emitted from the laser unit and then directing the converged laser light to illuminate on a light pattern adjusting unit; and the light pattern adjusting unit, capable of receiving the converged laser light from the beam combiner for adjusting the pattern of the same.
US07775663B2
The present invention provides a method for designing and making a customized ophthalmic lens, such as a contact lens or an intraocular lens, capable of correcting high-order aberrations of an eye. The posterior surface of the customized contact lens is designed to accommodate the corneal topography of an eye. The design of the customized ophthalmic lens is evaluated and optimized in an optimizing routine using a computational model eye that reproduces the aberrations and corneal topography of an eye. The present invention also provides a system and method for characterizing the optical metrology of a customized ophthalmic lens that is designed to correct aberrations of an eye. Furthermore, the present invention provides a business model and method for placing an order for a pair of customized ophthalmic lenses.
US07775653B2
An inkjet recording method for producing a black image on a recording medium by using an ink set having two or more types of ink compositions including at least one black ink composition and at least one color ink composition, wherein the recording medium has a recording surface with a 20-degree specular gloss value as defined by JIS Z8741 of 10% or larger, and an image clarity value as defined by JIS K7105 of 15-95%; and wherein the discharged weight of the black ink composition upon producing the black image is 0-10 weight % in proportion to the total discharged weight (100 weight %) of the ink composition discharged upon producing the black image.
US07775637B2
A nozzle arrangement ejects ink through apertures that each have an externally projecting peripheral rim. The nozzle arrangement has a substrate assembly defining an ink inlet passage and including heater element drive circuitry, a nozzle chamber structure formed on the substrate assembly, the nozzle chamber structure defining nozzle chambers in fluid communication with the ink inlet passage and apertures through which ink in each of the nozzle chambers can be ejected, and heater elements positioned between the drive circuitry and the apertures. The heater elements are connected to the drive circuitry and are individually supplied with current to eject ink from one of the apertures respectively.
US07775636B2
A nozzle arrangement is provided for ejecting ink. The nozzle arrangement includes a substrate assembly defining an ink inlet passage. A nozzle chamber structure extends from the substrate assembly to define a nozzle chamber in fluid communication with the ink inlet passage. The nozzle chamber structure defines an aperture through which ink in the nozzle chamber can be ejected. A pair of parallel heater elements extends from the nozzle chamber structure and into the nozzle chamber, and can be supplied with current so that ink in the nozzle chamber is ejected out through the aperture. The heater elements include legs embedded within the nozzle chamber structure and terminate in feet embedded within the substrate assembly.
US07775631B2
A modular pagewidth printhead assembly includes a plurality of printhead modules, a fluid delivery structure and a flexible printed circuit board. Each printhead module includes a printhead integrated circuit with a plurality of micro-electromechanical nozzle arrangements, and a fluid distribution assembly of liquid crystal polymer micromoldings defining a plurality of discrete fluid paths when joined for supplying discrete fluids to the nozzle arrangements. The fluid delivery structure is configured to receive the printhead modules and to supply said modules with discrete fluids. The flexible printed circuit board is sandwiched between the supply structure and the printhead modules, and is bonded to the supply structure to keep it in place. The circuit board extends around one edge of the supply structure for carrying data and power to said modules. The fluid distribution assembly includes at least one elastomeric pad to take up tolerance when the relevant module is located on the supply structure.
US07775619B2
An image forming apparatus includes a transport belt rotating around rollers that transports a sheet by attaching the sheet thereto by an electrostatic force, an image forming unit which forms an image on the sheet transported by the transport belt by ejecting ink droplets from a recording head onto the sheet, and an duplex print unit which reverses the sheet, the first side of which has been printed, so as to form an image on the second side of the sheet. The apparatus stops the transportation of the sheet to the image forming unit after the image is formed on the first side of the sheet and before the image is formed on the second side of the sheet until at least the tip of the second side of the sheet is not apart from the transport belt.
US07775615B2
A inkjet printer including a plurality of heads installed in a staggered arrangement, and a relay board for receiving image data, a control signal conforming to each head, and a timing signal for determining timed intervals to emit ink particles from the control unit of the inkjet printer, and for sending the received image data, control signal and timing signal to the aforementioned plurality of respective drive signal generating circuits.
US07775612B2
An interlocking device for a drawer slide is disposed at the end of a drawer and comprises a positioning block disposed at the end of the fixed slide rail, at least one moveable slide rail received in the fixed slide rail, a control block assembly, a first locking member, a second locking member, a pivot control member and a spring. The first and second locking members are pushed to clamp the pivot control member by the spring. The control block of the control block assembly is fixed at the end of the moveable slide rail. The drawer is used to move a control block on the slide rail, and then the guiding portion and the pushing block of the control block can push the pivot control member to move. Therefore, the interlocking device for a drawer slide is simple.
US07775609B2
A brake control apparatus for a vehicle includes an actuator and a controller that controls the wheel cylinder pressure to a target hydraulic pressure by driving the actuator in response to a braking request. The controller sets a ceiling value for the rate at which the wheel cylinder pressure is changed in accordance with a temperature, and the wheel cylinder pressure is changed at a rate that is equal to or lower than the ceiling value.
US07775602B2
There is disclosed an insert suitable for use within a seating system of an automotive vehicle.
US07775593B2
An adjusting device of a chair backrest includes a movable base, a connecting block and a positioning unit. The movable base encompasses an adjusting opening having plural continuous V-shaped grooves in two vertical sidewalls, a stopping groove and a projecting-downward portion, and two sliding rails. The connecting block is fitted in the movable base, possessing a rectangular recess. The positioning unit is installed in the rectangular recess, having two upholding feet fixed with the connecting block and respectively having a locking projection and a locking groove corresponding to each other. A spring is put between the upholding feet to elastically expand them. With the movable base fixed with the backrest and the connecting block fixed with a connecting rod, the movable base can be moved up and down together with the backrest, with the height of the backrest adjusted.
US07775588B2
The present invention finds application in the field of support structures, and particularly relates to a seat structure, particularly for cycle and human body support frames. The structure comprises a support element (2) having a lower surface (4) and an upper surface (3), the latter being designed to support at least partially the weight of a user, and anchor means (5) associated to the support element (2) for anchorage thereof to a bicycle or human body support frame (T) in a longitudinally and/or angularly and/or vertically adjustable position. The anchor means (5) include at least one longitudinal extension (6), which extends downwards from said support element (2) and has at least one substantially horizontal member (7), designed to be clamped by at least one substantially horizontal clamping member (S), which is associated to the frame (T), and acts in a substantially vertical direction.
US07775587B1
A compact portable chair with attachable combination padded seat and backrest. The chair further includes a backrest framework hingeably joined with the seat framework. A back support framework is rotatable between an upwardly extended position for establishing a backrest and a laid-over position to parallel with the seat framework. Back and front leg support frameworks are hingeably joined to the underside of the seat framework and are rotatable inward and upward to parallel positions with the seat framework. The four legs are individually adjustable by means of a sliding sleeve and button locking system. The compact portable chair is further mountable onto a person's back by means of a detachable pair of shoulder straps connected to the backrest and seat frameworks. The chair further has cup holders included with a pair of armrests that are detachable. A further embodiment includes an attachable backpack.
US07775581B2
A sealing member that mitigates oscillating noises and its installation method is provided. In the sealing member for covering an opening formed at a door inner panel, at least one bead is installed at a covering portion facing the opening. Thus, the stiffness of the covering portion of the sealing member is increased. It is therefore possible to prevent the covering portion from oscillating, thereby inhibiting the sealing member from generating the oscillating noises.
US07775578B2
A vehicle seat assembly adapted to be removably coupled to a floor in a vehicle is provided. An electrical component is mounted to the seat assembly. A riser assembly is also mounted to the seat assembly. A first electrical connector is mounted to the riser assembly and electrically coupled to the electrical component. A second electrical connector is adapted to be mounted to the floor. The first electrical connector linearly slidingly engages the second electrical connector as the seat assembly is secured to the floor for electrically coupling the first electrical connector with a vehicle power source.
US07775577B2
A vehicle seat arrangement, e.g., for a motor vehicle, includes a base seat part and a folding seat part, with the base seat part including a vehicle seat and a side part, and with the folding seat part and the side part forming a further vehicle seat or a part of a further vehicle seat.
US07775576B2
An air pump assembly includes a pump module having an outer surface and a casing at least partially surrounding the pump module. The casing has an inner surface defining a cavity sized to snugly receive the pump module such that the outer surface of the pump module is in substantial engagement with the inner surface of the casing and is substantially prevented from moving with respect to the casing when the pump module is received within the cavity. At least one airflow passageway is defined between the inner surface of the casing and the outer surface of the pump module. The airflow passageway is configured so that air flowing through the passageway changes direction at least one time to reduce the transmission of noise from the air pump assembly.
US07775566B2
A push-button box-opening structure is provided in which a push button is pushed in from an unlocking starting position to an unlocking position to open a storage box. The unlocking starting position is set at a position where the push button is pushed in a given depth from a pushing-in starting position so as to prevent inadvertent opening of the storage box. The storage box does not open when the button is inadvertently pushed in up to the given depth.
US07775552B2
An occupant restraint device for a vehicle, including a side cheek protruding from a backrest of a vehicle seat. A supporting structure of the vehicle has an outer side facing an exterior space of the vehicle and an inner side facing away from the exterior space of the vehicle and facing the outer side of the side cheek. An airbag arranged in the vehicle seat is supported on the inner side of the supporting structure and exerts an opposing force on the outer side of the side cheek when the airbag is inflated, the force being directed onto the outer side of the side cheek. A pre-crash detection device for identifying an imminent application of force on the outer side of the supporting structure from the exterior space, the pre-crash detection device activating an expansion of the side cheek in an expansion direction along the supporting structure.
US07775543B2
A trailer of the type that is intended to be towed with a towing vehicle has a trailer body with an elevated front portion. The towing vehicle has a vehicle hitch assembly, and the trailer body has an elevated front portion, with a mounting arrangement extending downward from beneath the front portion. A reflector is integral with the front portion of the trailer body. The reflector faces forward and downward such that the driver of the towing vehicle may view the reflection of the vehicle hitch assembly and the mounting arrangement extending from the trailer body as the towing vehicle is backed up. This facilitates positioning the towing vehicle for connection to said trailer.
US07775542B1
An apparatus designed to aid in the lifting of support legs on fifth wheel travel trailers is herein disclosed. The device may be applied thereto one (1) or both front support legs of a fifth wheel trailer to aid in the lifting of support landing legs during the stowaway process, comprised of a “U”-shaped bracket and a retaining pin and fastener which fit around and through the bottom of the landing leg as provided as part of a trailer. A support arm is welded onto the face of the “U”-shaped bracket which is provided with a protective rubber tip. To use the invention, the trailer is attached to a tow vehicle as part of the customary towing process. During the landing leg stowaway process, the user simply removes the landing leg pin as provided with the trailer. Next, the leg is lifted using the invention until the leg is stowed in the upright position. This procedure ensures that the user's hands or fingers will not be pinched or crushed during the process.
US07775540B2
The present invention describes a non-rotating bicycle wheel display assembly that remains absolutely upright in relation to the rotation of a bicycle wheel and in relation to a parked bicycle wheel. The invention consists of a pair of disk assemblies mounted to both sides of a conventional bicycle wheel and in turn, to the front and rear of a bicycle frame. The disk assemblies are manufactured of a light weight inexpensive material that is formed to the convex shape of an outer surface of the bicycle wheel and includes a bearing assembly made of a high density, self lubricating plastic. A plastic retaining mechanism is secured to an outer disk and a bicycle frame member to hold the outer disk in an upright position at all times whether the bicycle is in motion or stationary.
US07775536B2
This invention relates to mounted, adjustable steps for vehicles and, in particular, to a multi-angle, extendable, and selectively height-adjustable step that can be mounted to a trailer such as a boat trailer, a camping trailer, trailers for all-terrain vehicles and motorcycles, and the like. The adjustable step assembly of the present invention includes a mounting bracket, an extension member, and a step. The extension member includes a first end and a second end. The first end of the extension member being pivotably connect to the mounting bracket to facilitate selective pivoting with respect to the mounting bracket through a range of motion including a first position and a second position being higher than the first position. The step may be connected to the second end of the extension member and configured to provide at least a first stepping area and a second stepping area when the extension member is selectively positioned in the first and second positions, respectively. In one embodiment, the first and second stepping areas are substantially equivalent in surface area and aspect ratio.
US07775534B2
A skateboard may include a pair of foot support boards connected by a torsion bar connecting element, a torsion bar cover tube mounted to the foot support boards and surrounding at least a portion of the torsion bar connecting element and an outer tube mounted for rotation around the torsion bar cover tube in response to contact with an obstacle. One or more bushings supporting the outer tube on the torsion bar cover for rotation. The skate board may include a tube mounted for rotation on a connecting element between the foot support areas. A method of skateboarding may include providing a skateboard having a longitudinal axis running between a pair of foot support areas and providing a tube mounted for rotation about the longitudinal axis between the foot support areas in response to contact with an obstacle.
US07775523B2
A method and apparatus for assembling one or more coherent images from a plurality of segments of the coherent image reproduced on parts, pieces, blocks, cards, or the like is disclosed. In one embodiment of the present invention, the face of each segment includes a portion of the resulting single coherent image. When all segments are correctly arranged and stacked, or overlapped, with the correct orientation, the visible images on the faces of the segments mesh to form one or more larger coherent images. A variety of plates or stands are disclosed to aid the player in stacking the segments and arranging them with the proper orientation during the reassembly process. Additionally, information or images may be included on the portions of the faces of each segment that are obscured by other segments when the segments are properly assembled, thereby allowing such games to have multiple uses.
US07775520B2
There is described a paper sheet conveyance apparatus, which makes it possible to surely separate the overlapping paper sheets from each other irrespective of a kind of paper. The apparatus includes: a thickness detecting section to detect a thickness of a paper sheet, currently conveyed in the conveyance path; a first suction device to adsorb the conveyance paper sheet currently passing through the first suction device; a second suction device to adsorb the overlap paper sheet currently passing through the second suction device; an overlapping conveyance path that is branched from the conveyance path; and a control section that activates the first suction device and the second suction device so as to separate the conveyance paper sheet from the overlap paper sheet, and to introduce the conveyance paper sheet and the overlap paper sheet into the conveyance path and the overlapping conveyance path, respectively.
US07775517B2
A card collection mechanism may include a card collection box for collecting a card, a feeding roller for carrying the card from a feeding passage to the card collection box, and a guide part for guiding the card to the card collection box. The guide part guides the card while the guide part causes the card to be resiliently bent in a direction where an urging force directed to a surface of the feeding roller is applied to the card when the card is fed to the card collection box, and the feeding roller carries the card to a state in which the card is capable of being collected in the card collection box. The card collection mechanism may be used in a card issuing device having a card issuing part.
US07775502B2
Ball valve with a rotatable body capable of being kept out of substantial contact with a seat member
A ball valve having a reduced sized is provided, that includes a first shaft that extends into a housing accommodating a valve body along a rotational axis of the valve body and is connected to the valve body; and a second shaft that extends into the housing to be oppositely located to the first shaft and is rotatable about an axis line, and has a pressing part that projects radially outwardly from at least a part of the outer circumference of the second shaft. The ball valve is capable of instantly and securely opening and closing communication passages, and changing the direction of fluid flow, while being capable of minimizing the wearing of a seat member for shutting off the communication passages, by having a valve body rotatable while being kept out of contact or substantial contact with the seat member.
US07775499B2
An improved moldable material forming system, including but not limited to concrete foundation footing and wall forming system, comprising at least one pair of prefabricated support units or structures designed to hold in place forms, and rebar or other materials intended to be placed within the structure, during the monolithic pouring of the moldable material for the structure, including method of using such support units to allow monolithic pouring of the moldable material for the structure.
US07775494B2
A foldable holder connecting to and supporting a display comprises a mount and a swinging part. The mount comprises a base and a pillar disposed on the base. The swinging part pivots around the pillar. The display, is disposed at a front side of the swinging part. The swinging part may be folded together with the display so as to be parallel with the base of the mount. Thus, the wasted space caused by the irregular geometry of the holder and the supported LCD can be significantly reduced. The design will greatly simplify the processes of packing, handling, and storage; therefore significantly lower the cost of business shipment. Since most of the unused space in the carton box is eliminated, the quantity of Styrofoam used as filler can also be significantly reduced, which contributing to environmental protection.
US07775493B2
A multi-functional decorative article having a body and three or more apertures in the body, wherein two or more apertures are continuous with each other within said body, whereby the apertures can be used to support and arrange products, mainly window treatments, in a variety of decorative arrangements; the optional coverings for the apertures can be used to support products and arrange products; and the optional fasteners can be used to fasten products to the body.
US07775488B2
A support for a camera comprises a central hub (45) adapted to releasably connect with a plurality of radially displaced interchangeable arm or foot sections (A, B), wherein the arm section is adapted to interconnect if desired with an additional arm section and/or foot section to form a radially extending leg of a desired length. The hub may have a Mitchell type plate and is provided with one or more access windows to allow access to a central cavity.
US07775480B2
The invention relates to a flying object being moved with transonic or supersonic velocities. Known flying objects comprise so called “aerospikes” used for reducing the wave drag and improving the airflow at the front surface of the flying object. The positive effect of these aerospikes is decreased or cancelled in case of the flying object moving in the airflow with an inclination angle between the longitudinal axis of the flying object and the aerospike.The present invention suggests pivoting the aerospike by means of active or passive measures in order to align the aerospike with the upstream airflow during a flight phase of the flying object.
US07775455B2
An object of the invention is to provide a railway rail supporting pad that allows easy operations at a field site. In the invention, there is provided an outer bag made of a synthetic resin sheet housing a first inner bag and a second inner bag, the first inner bag containing a first reaction solution, the second inner bag containing a second reaction solution, the first and the second inner bags being configured to open at least partly due to outer pressure, the outer bag being provided with a separable sub bag in a communicative manner, an inlet of the sub bag as a communication part between the outer bag and the sub bag being closed by an easily debondable sealed portion, an interior of the sub bag being formed with a plurality of partitioning spaces partitioned by another easily debondable sealed portion.
US07775454B2
A thermostat is provided that is capable of reliably reducing the operation of an air conditioner and other systems to provide energy cost savings to the consumer and load reduction to a utility provider. The thermostat includes at least one sensor configured to communicate information indicative of the temperature within the space, and a memory for storing at least one temperature offset value associated with a request for reduced heating or reduced cooling operation. The thermostat further includes a controller in communication with the at least one sensor, which is configured to periodically determine a temperature value for the space and to control heating or cooling of the space until the determined temperature value has substantially reached the set-point temperature. The periodically determined temperature value is in part based on information received from the at least one sensor, and may include at least one temperature offset value when a request for reduced operation has been received by the thermostat.
US07775446B2
Card type information device includes wiring board having a wiring pattern with an electronic component mounted on a first face of wiring board and an antenna connecting electrode, antenna board having antenna pattern with antenna terminal electrode formed on a first face of antenna board, magnetic material placed between wiring board and antenna board confronting each other, flexible wiring board for coupling the antenna connecting electrode to antenna terminal electrode, and housing for accommodating wiring board, antenna board, magnetic material, and flexible wiring board. Wiring board and antenna board are made from one and the same insulating motherboard.
US07775443B2
A portable data storage device (such as a USB flash drive) including a housing shaped to facilitate a reversible packaging of at least one such portable data storage device into an object having a shape of a ring, preferably having dimensions of a standard CD ROM, a non-volatile memory within the housing for storing digital information, and a connecting mechanism protruding from the housing for reversibly operationally connecting the non-volatile memory to a host. The housing includes a mechanism for reversibly packaging together the portable data storage device to other such portable data storage devices. The scope of the invention also includes a method of distributing such portable data storage devices.
US07775437B2
A camera portion of a portable consumer device obtains data from a field of view, and at least a portion of the data is used to determine existence of an object in the field of view for which the information is available from a reference source. An indication is then provided to the user that the object is in the field of view. This can all be accomplished by a functionality, such as computer software, that executes on one or both of the device and a distal server. Objects within the field that the system can identify and provide information are deemed “linkable.” Once a user is presented with an indication of which objects around him are linkable, he can then directly point and click on the linkable objects without the “trial-and-error” process of pointing and clicking on non-linkable objects.
US07775434B2
A bar-code reading apparatus includes a differential processor which generates a differential signal from an electric signal corresponding to an intensity of light reflected from a bar code, an extreme value detector which detects each extreme value of the differential signal and generates extreme value information including at least an electric signal value of the detected extreme value, a voltage difference calculator which calculates a voltage difference in electric signal between a target extreme value and at least one of extreme values adjacent thereto for each extreme value in the extreme value information, and an extreme value verifying unit which compares the voltage difference with a predetermined threshold value and determines the validity of the extreme value corresponding to the voltage difference for each voltage difference. Information encoded as the bar code is decoded by using extreme value information of the valid extreme value.
US07775423B2
An IC card used as a portable electronic device includes a CPU which performs various processes by executing control programs, a memory which stores data files, and a communicating portion which communicates with an external device. When receiving a command from the external device via the communicating portion, the CPU of the IC card determines whether or not a process corresponding to the command for the data string specified by the command received from the external device can be performed based on one of access conditions set for the respective data strings in the files stored in the memory and performs a command process when it is determined in the above determining process that the command process for the data string specified by the command can be performed.
US07775421B2
This measuring tool permits the measurement of all critical morphological characteristics of fish, including the new ones identified by the author in May 2005*, thereby allowing for the determination of gender (sex). The device incorporates three measurement scales in metric and standard units and a calibrated gender bar. In combination, these permit the determination of sex of a fish at any size, any age and at any time of the year. There are several variations of the device, which include: 1. Placement of the measuring arm in relation to the measurement scales and its size (to accommodate larger or smaller fish). 2. Variations of the range for male and female fish on the gender bar. 3. Inclusion of log-log scales for statistical applications. Clary, S.L., 2005. Age and Morphological Differences between Male and Female Kokanee Salmon, Fish and Wildlife Service Conservation Library, US Dept. of the Interior, Washington, D.C.
US07775420B2
In some embodiments, a reusable mailer capable of preventing the undesirable positioning during re-mailing thereof of at least one postal marking that may be made to the mailer during processing of the initial mailing thereof includes a removable initial seal flap disposed near the bottom of the mailer during the initial mailing thereof.
US07775411B2
A cycle bag with adjustable retention device for securement to a rack includes a cycle bag, at least one adjustable attachment device and at least two strap retainers. The cycle bag preferably includes a compartment for storing objects and a cover hinged to the compartment. Each adjustable attachment device includes a base, two hooks and two straps. Each adjustable attachment device is attached to a bottom of the cycle bag. The two hooks are slidable retained by the adjustable attachment device and a single strap is attached to each hook. Strap retainers are located inside the cycle bag. The cycle bag is placed on a rack. The at least two hooks are slipped over rails of the rack. One of the first or second straps is pulled, until the cycle bag is centered on the rack. The first and second straps are then secured in their respective strap retainers.
US07775397B2
An automatic valve assembly for a water cooler having a reservoir of the type that has its upper end generally sealed to the atmosphere by a water bottle adapter that receives and supports an inverted water bottle. The valve assembly includes a ventilation passageway providing for air to enter the reservoir, and an actuator arm hingedly mounted within the interior of the water cooler. The actuator arm is operable to move between an open and a closed position in response to changing water levels within the reservoir. When in its open position the actuator arm allows the unrestricted passage of air into the reservoir through the ventilation passageway. When in its closed position the actuator arm restricts the flow of air and fluids through the ventilation passageway.
US07775395B2
A hinged lid for a food container is provided. The lid structure includes a rim with an attached cover member. The lid structure also includes a mounting structure for mounting the lid structure to a food container. A tamper evidence latch is provided to releasably secure the rim in a closed configuration overlying the open end of the food container. The rim engages an upper rolled lip of the food container sidewall when the lid structure is in a closed configuration.
US07775385B2
An improved remote-controlled model railway vehicle coupling device comprising a coupler configured with a channeled shaft having a proximal and distal end, the proximal end forming an aperture designated for pivotably mounting within a housing, the distal end forming a head designated for limiting the pivotable displacement of a knuckle; the knuckle operable to pivot between a closed and an open position. An electronically automated locking assembly is substantially carried within the shaft of the coupler. The locking assembly includes a thermo-mechanical actuator capable of using an electric current to provide thermal energy to transpose between a martensite phase length and a shorter austenite phase length. The locking assembly further includes a bias-spring operable to both encourage the thermo-mechanical actuator towards its martensite phase length and urge the locking assembly towards the knuckle for substantial engagement with the knuckle to lock it in its closed position.
US07775380B2
A dish rack has a collector tray that has a compartment. A retaining block is seated in the compartment for holding knives or other utensils having sharp edges.
US07775377B2
A rack for holding and organizing hair extensions comprises a vertical stand upon which a cylindrical member is attached at the upper end. A plurality of rack arms radiate outwardly from the cylindrical member. Each rack harm comprises a plurality of parallel and spaced apart teeth, the teeth having a groove between them. The width of the groove is sized such that the individual strands of hair of the extension fit through the groove, but the protein polymer at the end of the extension is too large to fit through the groove, such that the extensions may be suspended from the rack arms. The rack arms may be angled to facilitate placing extensions within the grooves, and removing the extensions from the grooves.
US07775376B2
The invention relates to a filter for the separation of leukocytes from whole blood, comprising a hydrophobic support material and a polymeric coating material, whereby the surface of the filter has a critical surface wetting tension in the range 50 to 80 dyn/cm and the polymeric coating material may be obtained by polymerisation reaction of mixtures comprising hydrophobic and hydrophilic monomers. The invention further relates to a method for production of said filter and devices for the separation of leukocytes from whole blood and the use of the filter.
US07775374B1
A water purification unit to purify potentially contaminated water is provided. The water purification unit is in fluid communication with a water source and has a pump to draw water from the water source. The water is passed through at least a main filter to purify the water and dispensed through an outlet. Power is provided to the water purification unit by a battery bank and a non-grid power source.
US07775373B2
Method and system for batching of supplied objects in batches using one or more robots and a plurality of conveyors in such a manner that a batch fulfils predefined criteria as regards the number of objects, weight, orientation and/or type(s) of objects.
US07775357B2
The present invention discloses a syringe disposal device (10) for a single syringe (1) having an elongate body (2) with a needle (3) at one end and a finger engageable flange (4) at its other end. The device (10) comprises an elongate enclosed sheath (12) having a closed tip (14) at one end and a cuff (16) at the other end. A syringe detention device (26) is located adjacent the cuff (16) and has at least one inclined sloping surface (28) each of which has a frangible portion (31) rupturable by the syringe flange (4) passing the surface (28) to convert the sloping surface (28) into a cantilevered strip (28A).
US07775354B2
A waterproof enclosure for use with personal music players has a case formed of a flexible material and creates an interior sized to receive a personal music player. The case in one example can have a first part and a second part that together define the interior The case can be opened to expose the interior and can be closed along a joint. A watertight seal can be provided along the joint between the first and second parts when closed. In one example, a tether can connect the first and second parts of the case. In one example, the tether can be configured to create an attachment loop with the case in the closed position. The enclosure can also have a sound emitting device extending from the case. In one example, the sound emitting device can include a jack adapter integrally formed with the case.
US07775344B2
A device for buffering products comprises a plurality of accumulating conveyors, each having a supplying place for receiving products and a discharging place for discharging products. The device further comprises an adjustable diverter which is connectable to a supplying conveyor for supplying the products in at least one flow. The diverter is connected to a selected one of the supplying places of the accumulating conveyors for conveying the flow of products to the corresponding accumulating conveyor . The device further comprises a merging member which is connectable to a discharging conveyor for conveying the products in at least one flow. The merging member is connected to a selected one of the discharging places of the accumulating conveyors for conveying the products from the corresponding accumulating conveyor to the discharging conveyor. The accumulating conveyors (1) form at least a helical path, which results in a compact device.
US07775341B2
A bulk material handling accessory such as a conveyor belt cleaner for use in connection with a bulk material handling system. The bulk material handling accessory includes a main frame, a scraping member including an arm and a scraper blade pivotally attached to the main frame, and a damper mechanism coupled at one end to the main frame and at another end to the scraping member. A mounting mechanism is attached to the main frame for providing linear and rotational movement of the main frame and the associated scraping member and damper mechanism. The damper mechanism includes a damper having a piston and a housing having a fluid chamber. The viscosity of the fluid within the fluid chamber is selectively changeable to change the damping characteristics of the damper mechanism to accommodate changes in operating conditions.
US07775339B2
In a passenger conveyor according to the present invention, an inlet safety device, an operation device, an operation condition display device, and a passenger detecting device are all received in a end-deck cover at an end of a balustrade panel. Thus, the passenger conveyor is excellent in design because of a simple appearance of a platform and a vicinity thereof. Since an inclined surface of the end-deck cover on which a display part of the operation condition display device is disposed is inclined to face an upper side of a center part of the platform, an observability by a passenger of the display part of the operation condition display device can be exceedingly enhanced.
US07775326B2
In an elevator apparatus, first and second raised/lowered bodies are raised and lowered by hoisting machines. The second raised/lowered body has a raised/lowered main body and a rocking member rockably connected to the raised/lowered main body. The raised/lowered main body is suspended by a main rope via the rocking member. The main rope has a first rope end connected to the rocking member on one side of a rocking center of the rocking member and a second rope end connected to the rocking member on another side of the rocking center.
US07775325B2
A modular drive for an elevator installation and a method of converting and fastening the drive in the elevator installation includes combining the main drive components such as a drive device, a brake device and a drive pulley into a drive module. Connecting parts for fastening the drive within an elevator shaft or in an engine space, or for adjusting a support means spacing, are mounted on the drive as required.
US07775324B2
A lubrication assembly is provided for lubricating a surface with a lubricant. The lubrication assembly includes a tube adapted to be coupled to the surface. The tube defines a reservoir for storing the lubricant thereon. The lubrication assembly also includes a wiper that is coupled to the tube. The wiper includes a first portion in fluid communication with the lubricant and a second portion disposed for continuous contact with the surface for automatically transferring and supplying the lubricant from the reservoir to the surface. The lubricant reduces frictional properties of the surface.
US07775320B2
A method of controlling noise from a six cylinder engine that can selectively use in separate operating modes either three cylinders, four cylinders, or all six cylinders, is provided that uses a noise cancellation system to provide a cancellation sound at a first frequency representative of the engine operating mode. When the vehicle changes, for example, from a three cylinder utilization mode to six cylinder utilization mode, the method extends the provision of the noise cancellation sound, at a frequency representative of three cylinder operation, beyond the time when three cylinder mode is changed to six cylinder mode. As a result, a residual “pop” noise associated with the vehicle exhaust, that is traditionally heard during the transition period is cancelled and no longer noticeable. The method also includes implementation of a waiting time before a providing cancellation sounds of different frequencies, to avoid amplitude mismatch.
US07775313B1
A snowmobile includes a frame, a motor supported by the frame, an endless belt assembly supported by the frame, and a tunnel coupled to the frame and extending above the endless belt assembly. The tunnel includes an item attachment member accessible by a user and extending along a surface of the tunnel. The item attachment member is configured to couple to a fastener to mount an item on the tunnel.
US07775307B2
A power wheelchair includes a frame, on which a pair of front wheel sets, a pair of middle wheel sets, a pair of rear wheel sets and a pair of elastic devices are provided. Each of the front wheel sets includes a front wheel mount having a first connection portion pivoted to the frame, and a second connection portion connected to a front wheel. Each of the middle wheel sets includes a middle wheel mount having a first connection portion pivoted on the frame, and a second connection portion, connected to a middle wheel. The elastic device are provided between the front wheel mounts and the middle wheel mounts respectively to cushion a swing of the front wheel set and the middle wheel set relative to the frame.
US07775305B1
The present invention provides robotic vehicles having wheeled and hopping mobilities that are capable of traversing (e.g. by hopping over) obstacles that are large in size relative to the robot and, are capable of operation in unpredictable terrain over long range. The present invention further provides combustion powered linear actuators, which can include latching mechanisms to facilitate pressurized fueling of the actuators, as can be used to provide wheeled vehicles with a hopping mobility.
US07775301B2
A steering tool is movable by a drill string to form an underground bore along an intended path. A sensing arrangement of the steering tool detects its pitch and yaw orientations at a series of spaced apart positions along the bore, each position is characterized by a measured extension of the drill string. The steering tool further includes a receiver. At least one marker is positioned proximate to the intended path, for transmitting a rotating dipole field to expose a portion of the intended path to the field for reception by the receiver. The detected pitch orientation, the detected yaw orientation and the measured extension of the drill string are used in conjunction with magnetic information from the receiver to locate the steering tool. The steering tool may automatically use the magnetic information when it is available. A customized overall position determination accuracy can be provided along the intended path.
US07775300B2
An earth drilling device includes an auger, an encasing tube that surrounds the auger, a rotary drive for driving at least the auger in a rotating manner about a drilling axis, and an ejecting device for discharging drill spoil from the auger. The ejecting device has a discharge duct for the drill spoil, and a mast element along which the auger can be moved together with the ejecting device. A device for changing the length of the discharge duct is provided.
US07775296B2
An improved portable, ground stabilized, drop hammer assembly for impacting a ground surface and adapted to be removably coupled to a driven host transport apparatus is composed of a drop weight, a frame including a sidewall, bottom plate and a host transport apparatus engagement assembly, and a power assembly for vertically reciprocatingly moving the drop weight to impact the ground surface. A shock absorbing element is carried either the frame assembly close to the ground surface or by the drop weight at its end close to the ground. Such shock absorbing material absorbs any movement by the drop weight into the frame assembly close to the ground surface to prevent damage to the frame assembly.
US07775294B2
This invention discloses a percussion toggle device of a percussion driller. It includes bottom ratchet wheel that joggles the top ratchet wheel fixed in the output main shaft of the percussion driller, the locking ring used to lock the rotating direction of bottom ratchet wheel, the ejector rod to eject the locking ring, the slide rod that works with ejector rod to make it rise or fall, the percussion button connecting the slide rod, the positioning device to fixate the position of slide rod, and the reset device that works with the positioning device to remove the position limitation by the positioning device. This invention locks the rotating direction of bottom ratchet wheel through the independent percussion button, slide rod and ejector rod. In this way, the percussion toggle and the adjustment of torque force of the percussion driller can be separated. When using the percussion button, the user can toggle their operation between percussion and torque force. The user can do the toggle operation even when the motor is working. It is convenient, safe and effective.
US07775288B2
A retrievable frac mandrel and a well control stack are used to efficiently accomplish well completion, re-completion or workover. The retrievable frac mandrel is inserted in a tubing head spool of a well to be completed, re-completed or re-worked. The well control stack is mounted to a top of the tubing head spool and seals off against a top of the retrievable frac mandrel. Once well completion, re-completion or workover is completed, the frac mandrel can be retrieved from the tubing head spool without killing or plugging the well.
US07775283B2
A series of screens with restrictors to equalize flow through base pipe perforations downstream or upstream of each restrictor features a valve member in the openings so that the screens are closed to flow for run in. Pressure can be developed within the base pipe for operation of downhole equipment below the screens such as a mud motor or in the screen liner such as a packer with no need for an internal string or wash pipe. The openings can be opened selectively when the associated equipment connected to the base pipes has been operated. The valve member can be actuated to open in a variety of ways such as applied pressure, temperature or a change in well fluid condition.
US07775281B2
In a well stimulation method, a subsurface formation is fractured by freezing a water-containing zone within the formation in the vicinity of a well, thereby generating expansive pressures which expand or created cracks and fissures in the formation. The frozen zone is then allowed to thaw. This freeze-thaw process causes rock particles in existing cracks and fissures to become dislodged and reoriented therewithin, and also causes new or additional rock particles to become disposed within both existing and newly-formed cracks and fissures. The particles present in the cracks and fissures act as natural proppants to help keep the cracks and fissures open, thereby facilitating the flow of fluids from the formation into the well after the formation has thawed. Preferably, the freeze-thaw steps are carried out on a cyclic basis. Optionally, propagation of the freezing front into the formation may be enhanced by the introduction of low-frequency wave energy into the formation.
US07775279B2
An apparatus that is usable with a well includes a perforating system that is adapted to be fired downhole in the well. The perforating system includes a component, which includes an alloy that has a negative corrosion potential and is unable to passivate, or self-protect, while deployed in the well. The component is adapted to disintegrate to form substantially no debris in response to the firing of the perforating system.
US07775277B2
An expandable liner assembly including an expandable tubular, a plurality of openings in the tubular, and a plurality of beaded matrixes in operable communication with the openings. A method for completing a section of wellbore.
US07775276B2
An embodiment includes an apparatus that includes a sample carrier adapted to receive a sample and return it to the surface. An embodiment includes a formation tester adapted to load the sample carrier. An embodiment includes a retriever to remove the carrier from the drilling mud. The retriever also includes a device for removing the sample from the carrier.
US07775273B2
An apparatus for use in a wellbore includes a tool string and a plurality of sensors, which include at least a first sensor to detect pressure signals in an inner conduit of the tool string and at least a second sensor to detect pressure signals in an annulus outside the tool string. A controller actuates a tool in the tool string in response to a logical combination of outputs from the sensors, where the outputs of the sensors are responsive to the respective pressure signals.
US07775267B2
An evaporator 1 comprises a heat exchange core 10 comprising a plurality of tube groups 5 arranged in rows as spaced forwardly or rearwardly of the evaporator and each comprising a plurality of heat exchange tubes 4 arranged in parallel at a spacing laterally of the evaporator, and a lower tank 3 disposed at a lower end of the core 10 and having connected thereto lower ends of the heat exchange tubes 4 providing the tube groups 5. The lower tank 3 has a top surface 3a, front and rear opposite side surfaces 3b and a bottom surface 3c. The lower tank 3 is provided in each of front and rear opposite side portions thereof with grooves 29 formed between respective laterally adjacent pairs of heat exchange tubes 4 and extending from an intermediate portion of the top surface 3a with respect to the forward or rearward direction to the side surface 3b for causing water condensate to flow therethrough. Each of the grooves 29 includes a first portion 29a existing on the top surface 3a of the lower tank and having a bottom face which is gradually lowered from the intermediate portion of the top surface 3a toward a front or rear side edge thereof. The evaporator 1 can be diminished in the quantity of water condensate that will collect on the top surface 3a of the lower tank 3.
US07775257B2
The invention concerns a casting apparatus which includes a crucible support and induction heating means (14, 16, 18) arranged to receive and support a crucible (10) containing material which is to be melted and poured from an outlet (38). The outlet is positioned on a vertical axis (40). The support and induction heating means also operates to apply induction heating to the material to melt it in the crucible. There is also a translation mechanism which tilts the crucible while the crucible is still supported and while heat is continuously applied to it. This mechanism operates in such a way that during tilting, the outlet of the crucible is maintained on the vertical axis so that the molten material pours from the outlet on the vertical axis. In the embodiments described, the crucible is simultaneously moved vertically towards the mould into which the melt pours.
US07775251B2
A customizable garage door screen is disclosed that requires few components to deploy and store. Four elastic straps with hooks at each end are used with six grommets strategically placed on the screen for stability, and approximately one dozen screw and snap fasteners are installed around the perimeter of the screen and garage door frame for a tight enclosure to keep out pests. A partially oversized screen that can fit the average American garage door frame and requires little pre-fabrication effort is now possible with so few components. To open the garage door screen for egress and ingress, one simply unhooks one or both of the lower elastic straps, after unsnapping the desired number of end-caps, and latching upon the upper elastic straps or guide rails on either side. The elastic straps are also used to store the folded screen inside the top, backside of the garage door.
US07775248B2
A system including a supply roll of a laminate, a mandrel for wrapping the laminate therearound, feed rollers that spool the laminate off the supply roll onto the mandrel, the feed rollers being attached to a mounting plate by an adjustable bracket that sets an angle of the laminate with respect to the mandrel, adjacent windings of the laminate being joined to one another at overlaps thereof, wherein each winding of the laminate makes at least one complete revolution around the mandrel before the laminate advances to its next adjacent winding so as to form a seal at the overlaps of the adjacent windings, and a cutting station adapted to cut cylindrical tubes formed by windings of the laminate about the mandrel.
US07775247B2
A steel cord, formed of a plurality of steel filaments, has a construction of N×(7×2) wherein N=1 to 7 and within the circumference of the cross-sectional area, not more than 60% of the cord area is comprised of the steel filaments. The steel cord has an elongation at break of at least 3%.
US07775238B2
A vacuum vessel wall element is presented and described with a fixed flange element, with a separable flange element and with a line running from the inside of the vacuum vessel to the outside, the separable flange element being separably connected to the fixed flange element, with the line being held in the separable flange element and with an annular sealing area being provided between the fixed flange element and the separable flange element. The object of providing a vacuum vessel wall element with at least one line running from the inside of the vacuum vessel to the outside, where the separable flange element is connected to the fixed flange element vacuum-tight in such a way that during installation it is not necessary to lay the part of the line that is later in the vacuum through an opening provided in the fixed flange element is achieved in that the separable flange element is arranged on the side of the wall element facing the inside of the vacuum vessel and in that a bolt connection is provided inside the annular sealing area.
US07775234B2
Valve-to-fitting converter that mounts on the body of an existing valve in a piping system in place of the actuator for the valve and has a dam that mates with a weir in the valve body to block flow between sections of piping connected to the valve body, and ports that provide communication between the sections of piping and fittings connected to the converter. With such converters replacing two or more of the valves in a system, sections of piping can be isolated and/or re-routed without having to shut down the entire system for an extended period of time.
US07775233B2
Disclosed herein is an inline valve. The inline valve includes, a housing, a choke member in operable communication with the housing, a portion of the choke member being substantially immobile relative to the housing and a portion of the choke member being mobile relative to the housing. The inline valve further includes, an actuator in operable communication with the movable portion of the choke member, the actuator selectively causing the choke member to deform radially.
US07775215B2
A sense head comprises a plurality of coils and a needle window. The sense head is operable to receive RF signals communicated from a needle target such as an injection port located within a patient. A user interface is configured to visually display an indication to a user relating to the positioning and orientation of the sense head relative to the needle target. The positioning and orientation may be determined based on RF signals received by the coils in the sense head. With the sense head positioned based on information provided through the visual display, the user may insert a needle through the needle window to reach the needle target. The sense head may also receive communications relating to the pressure of fluid in an implanted device. The user interface may further display information relating to the fluid pressure in the implanted device.
US07775214B1
An interocclusal sports prophylaxis includes a core having an arch shaped occlusal plate with upwardly extending buccal and lingual walls. A labial force dispersal shield and molar framing braces extend downwardly from the plate at incisor and lingual zones of the plate. The occlusal plate is thickened at the molar and incisor zones so that breathing spaces are provided between mandibular occlusal surfaces not registered with the zones and a mandibular face of the plate. A shock absorption dentition encasement is molded over the upper surface of the core and also covers the molar and incisor zones. The prophylaxis is heated in water, seated in the mouth and then biting pressure is applied to embed the maxillary dentition in the encasement and the lower incisor and molar occlusal surfaces in the encasement covering the zones.
US07775210B2
The invention relates to a nasal cannula for an anti-snoring apparatus, comprising a forked tube pneumatically connected to apertures, which are embodied and positioned in such a way that air can be administered into the nose of a user via these apertures. The nasal cannula further comprises a heating wire extending in the interior of forked tube in such a way that the heating wire can heat the air supplied through the forked tube. The invention moreover relates to a nosepiece and to a Y-shaped element for nasal cannula including internal radius steps at tube connection points. The invention further relates to a nosepiece and to a Y-shaped element having rounded off transition regions. The invention finally relates to a method for avoiding condensation in nasal cannulas. To this end, the gas is heated as it flows through the tubes of a nasal cannula.
US07775184B2
A reciprocating internal combustion engine is based on Homogenous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) that occurs in a deformable, resonant combustion chamber and that is coupled mechanically to efficient, resonant, electro-mechanical transducers acting as motors and generators. The mechanical coupling also implements fuel/air intake valves and exhaust valves. Embedded sensors allow an electronic control system to start the engine and thereafter to maintain operational configuration of the moving components in response to the effects of imperfect mechanical fabrication and/or assembly and dynamic changes in mechanical properties of the materials with run-time temperature and engine life.
US07775183B2
The present invention removes voltage that accumulates over a period of time in an automotive engine cooling system. This accumulation of voltage is provided a path to travel inside the engine and cooling system by the cooling liquid used to cool the vehicles engine. This accumulation of voltage looks for a likable metal to bond with and the constant colliding of the voltage trying to bond with the metal creates damage know as electrolytic metal erosion. Overtime this act of nature erodes and weakens metal cooling system components causing them to fail. This process can lead to the vehicle breaking down due to its engine overheating. The electronic voltage remover is designed to remove and dissipate this harmful voltage from the vehicle's engine cooling system.
US07775180B2
A blower system for livestock may include a housing. An air inlet may be located on the housing. One or more motors may be located in the housing. One or more fans may be coupled to at least one of the motors. The fans may be located in the housing. The fans may draw air in through the air inlet and expel air out through an air outlet located on the housing. A valve may be coupled to the air outlet and the air inlet. The valve may recirculate at least some air back into the air inlet. The valve may selectively control the amount of air exiting the blower system and recirculating back into the blower system. The blower system may be portable. The blower system may allow a user to apply the air from the air outlet to livestock.
US07775173B2
A rudder mechanism for use upon a sailboat is capable of being raised or lowered at the discretion of the boater using a single connected cable operating system, so that the system may be called a “one-pull” system for both raising and for lowering the rudder. The rudder is preferably pivotal, using the cable operating system, greater than 90 degrees, and more preferably, about 180 degrees. A self-contained gas cylinder may aid in the raising and lowering operation and to dampen and smooth the vertical, pivotal movement of the rudder. The cylinder also may be utilized to retain the rudder in a raised or lowered position, once the boater/sailor has purposely placed the rudder in that position, and to return the rudder to the fully-lowered position after grounding has temporarily “kicked-up” the rudder.
US07775172B2
A watercraft (100) is disclosed having a rigid hull (110) and outboard stabilizing members (112) attached to the hull sides (116). The hull preferably has a V-shaped bottom (118) and comprises a planing hull. The stabilizing members are preferably foam stabilizers, but may alternatively be inflatable bladder members. The stabilizing members cover a portion of the hull sides, extending part way to the chine (120) defined between the hull sides and the hull bottom. The stabilizing members each include an elongate fin (130) that extends from a bottom surface of the stabilizing member, and disposed in a front portion of the stabilizing member and in the region of the greatest hull dead rise angle. The fins may be formed integrally with the stabilizing members or may attach to the stabilizing members. The fins define a channel between the hull sides and the fins, that is hydrodynamically pressurized during certain watercraft operations, an in particular during low speed maneuvering.
US07775156B2
An open top fry basket device suited for use in a semi-automated food processing station, system and method is provided that allows cooked food items to be dispensed through a pivotable bottom of the fry basket actuated by the operator. The efficient and ergonomic design permits emptying of the fry basket without necessitating the turning over of the basket to dump the contents into a food storage bin.
US07775149B2
An action rate control system for a gas operated firearm that includes an action sleeve and an action rate control cylinder. The action sleeve moves in a rearward direction in response to a volume of combustion gases that are generated during firing of the firearm and diverted from the barrel of the firearm through gas ports. The action rate control cylinder is connected to the action sleeve by a linkage that controls movement and slowing of the action sleeve as it approaches a rear limit for its movement. The resistance force generated by the rate control cylinder is a function of the velocity of the action sleeve during its movement. In another aspect, a gas operated firearm includes a barrel, a bolt assembly, an action system coupled to the bolt assembly, and a rate control cylinder coupled to the action system. The action system includes a sleeve assembly that is driven by a volume of combustion gases that are diverted from the barrel when a round of ammunition is fired. The rate control cylinder controls a terminal velocity of the sleeve assembly being driven by the volume of combustion gases. A resistance force generated by the rate control cylinder is a function of the velocity of the bolt assembly during the bolt assembly's rearward movement. The velocity of the bolt assembly follows a controlled and gradual reduction as the energy load associated with the firing is absorbed by the rate control cylinder.
US07775147B2
A latch including a first electrical explosive device disposed between first and second surfaces and a second electrical explosive device disposed between said first and second surfaces in series with said first electrical explosive device. In the illustrative embodiment, the vehicle is a missile or torpedo, the first surface is a drag door and the second surface is a vehicle body. In this embodiment, the first electrical explosive device is coupled to the vehicle body on a first end of the device and to a common series attachment on another end thereof and the second electrical explosive device is connected to the common series attachment on a first end and to the drag door on a second end thereof. An arrangement is included for activating the electrical explosive devices to effect a deployment of the drag door with a high degree of reliability.
US07775138B2
A Bowden wire is positioned at two points, that is, at a wire guide bracket and at a through-hole in a back plate between which a notch of an end edge of a plate-shaped trailing arm is interposed. A predetermined preset load is applied to and curves the Bowden wire, wherein the curved Bowden wire is pressed against and fixed to a groove-shaped recess provided in the notch of the trailing arm.
US07775133B2
A vehicle transmission includes first and second main shafts that enable switching of power transmission from an engine; a counter shaft connected to a drive wheel; and gear trains with a plurality of shift stages provided between each of the first and second main shafts and the counter shaft. The vehicle transmission also includes shifters which switch between engagement with and disengagement from a gear constituting part of each of the gear trains so as to switch the established states of the gear trains, and to prevent, during running at the most frequently used shift stage, the occurrence of gear rattle produced by a gear train other than the gear train with such a shift stage. With this configuration, in the running state of using a particular gear train with the highest frequency of the established states among the gear trains, the gear trains, excluding the particular gear train, are in the non-established state.
US07775128B2
A cassette-based power measuring apparatus includes a power sensing arrangement mounted within a cavity defined by a hollow bicycle cassette. The power sensing arrangement includes a torque sensing assembly including torque sensing elements configured to measure a user applied torque. The torque sensing elements are in communication with an electronics assembly configured to process the measured data and transmit it to a receiver. The torque sensing assembly may comprise a torque tube or a series of bending beams secured between a rear plate of the cassette and a freehub. The torque tube or bending beams may include strain gauges bonded thereto for measuring strain induced by application of forces in response to user-applied power.
US07775125B2
There is described a method of ultrasonic flow measurement for measuring a flow speed of a fluid in a conduit, the method comprising: providing an ultrasonic flow meter comprising a microprocessor, a clock, and a pair of ultrasonic transducers operable to transmit signals through the fluid and to receive the transmitted signals; switching the ultrasonic flow meter from a passive state to an active state at time intervals measured by the clock, an amount of power used by the ultrasonic flow meter in the passive state being less than an amount of power used by the ultrasonic flow meter in the active state; performing an ultrasonic flow measurement cycle; and switching the ultrasonic flow meter from the active state to the passive state following completion of an ultrasonic flow measurement cycle. There is also described an ultrasonic flow meter for measuring a flow speed of a fluid in a conduit.
US07775124B2
An ultrasonic sensor has at least two ultrasonic converters for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic signals, connected with a transmitting circuit and a receiving circuit. A switching device is provided, by which the ultrasonic converters are connected in series when in the transmission mode, and they are separated from each other when in the receiving mode.
US07775120B2
An electromechanical actuator test system includes an inertia simulator, a first load actuator, a second load actuator, and a test system control. The inertia simulator simulates the inertia of at least a portion of a system that is moved by a test actuator. The first load actuator supplies a first load to the inertia simulator to simulate at least one or more dynamic system loads, and the second load actuator supplies a second load to the inertia simulator to simulate at least one or more steady-state system loads. The test system control supplies the first actuator commands and the second actuator commands.
US07775118B2
Described herein is the sense element assembly for a capacitive pressure sensor and method for creating same that has increased sensitivity without additional size. The sense element assembly and method includes fabricating an off-centered elliptically shaped center electrode, at least one elliptical annular-like electrode around the center electrode, a ground electrode and a method for fusing the layers together to optimize sensitivity.
US07775111B2
A method of analyzing ultrasonic inspection data from turbine wheel or bucket dovetail fingers for a crack about a ledge thereof with the turbine wheel or bucket having a number of adjacent holes therethrough. The method may include inserting an ultrasonic probe into a first hole, rotating an ultrasonic beam of the ultrasonic probe to scan the adjacent holes, scanning each adjacent hole, and determining the presence of the crack in the ledge by the failure to receive a signal from one or more of the adjacent holes.
US07775108B2
The upgraded balancing machine for vehicle wheels comprise a supporting frame for gripping and rotation means for gripping and rotating a wheel to be balanced around a rotation axis, a first sensor for detecting the unbalance of the wheel with respect to the rotation axis suitable for generating a first analog signal, a second sensor for detecting at least one portion of the profile of the wheel suitable for generating a second analog signal, at least one analog to digital converter associated with at least one of the first and the second detection sensors and suitable for converting at least one of the first and the second analog signals into a corresponding digital signal, a processing and control unit associated with the conversion device and suitable for processing the digital signal, and an adjustment unit for adjusting the sampling frequency of at least one of the first and the second analog signals associated with the conversion device. The adjustment unit responds to a first signal generated by a shaft encoder, and responds to a programmable timer, so that the frequency of the sampling operation can be altered.
US07775104B2
To reduce power consumption by a thermal flowmeter while good flow-rate detection sensitivity is maintained, it is only necessary to reduce power consumption by a heat resistor under predetermined conditions. Specifically, provided that a width Wh of the heat resistor is between 100 micrometers and 400 micrometers inclusive (100≦Wh≦400), it is only necessary that a relationship among the length Lh of the heat resistor, a temperature increase ΔTh for the heat resistor, and a maximum permissible power Phmax to be supplied to the heat resistor be set so as to satisfy a formula 1.4≦ΔTh·Lh/Ph max≦2.8 in order to maintain good flow-rate detection sensitivity. Accordingly, the length of the heat resistor and the temperature increase in the heat resistor are set so that the maximum power consumption can be reduced within a range in which the formula is satisfied.
US07775099B2
An apparatus and method for determining forces on a downhole drilling tool is provided. The downhole tool is provided with a drill collar operatively connectable to the drilling tool, and a sensor mounted about the drill collar. The sensor is adapted to measure deformation of the drill collar whereby forces on the drilling tool are determined. The sensor may be part of a force measurement system, a strain gauge system or a drilling jar system. The drill collar is adapted to magnify and/or isolate the deformation applied to the drill string.
US07775098B2
A method for assigning a position of a tire, having a tire sensor, on a vehicle, includes transmitting, with the sensor, a signal including at least an identification number of the sensor following activation by a signal from an LF antenna connected to an evaluation unit. At a system start time, the evaluation unit first initiates an initialization including determination of the position of each tire having a sensor. The evaluation unit stores the identification number of each sensor together with the determined position of the tire having the sensor, before switching into a normal operating mode in which tire data, for example air pressure, is monitored by the sensors, with the position and preferably assignment of the sensor to a specific LF antenna, being stored in the sensor and kept available for retrieval. A device and a system for measuring air pressure in a vehicle tire are also provided.
US07775094B2
A reusable patch adhesively bondable to the inside of a tire. Disposed within the patch is at least one sensor that generates a radially outwardly directed signal and senses a reflection thereof from the tire's outer surface. Circuitry means is connected to the receiver for receiving data representative of the original and reflected signal and calculating a distance measurement representative of the distance between the sensor and the reflection point. Communication means then transmits the appropriate data to indication means, which triggers an indicator to alert the driver of a tire failure or potential tire failure.
US07775088B2
The present invention provides methods and apparatus for forming an array of multiple nanotube tips that can be utilized with AFM technology. The multiprobe tips may be independently modified or specifically left unmodified. Software can generate a composite image of data collected from two or more of the independently modified and unmodified tips.
US07775082B2
A test fixture for rollover crash testing of a test vehicle onto a moving surface employs a cradle to support and rotate the test vehicle. A vertical support structure to position and releasably holds the cradle. A moving sled having a contact surface and is carried by a guide extending beneath the structure and the cradle fixture. The cradle is rotated and released from the structure responsive to a sensor for contact within a drop impact zone on the contact surface of the moving sled. Vertical motion of the cradle is then arrested to prevent further damage to the test vehicle or the test structure.
US07775075B2
A lock cylinder including a housing defining a cylindrical cavity, and a plug disposed in the cylindrical cavity and rotatable between a locked position and an unlocked position. The plug includes an inner pin chamber aligned with an outer pin chamber of the housing when the plug is in the locked position. An inner pin is housed in the inner pin chamber and is engageable with the outer pin when the plug is in the locked position, and includes an outer surface having a non-axial groove. The non-axial groove has a curved surface that defines a substantially semi-circular cross-section. An engagement member is supported by the plug and has a substantially semispherical end portion extending into the non-axial groove such that the semispherical end portion is substantially engaged with the curved surface.
US07775064B2
The invention relates to an evaporative cooler having two medium circuits which are thermally coupled to one another by a number of heat-conducting vertical walls. These walls and the heat-conducting fins arranged thereon are provided with a hydrophilic, water-buffering covering layer, for example made from Portland cement. A humidification unit for moistening the covering layer is added to the dew point cooler. According to the invention, the humidification unit comprises a releasable cover which forms part of the casing of the dew point cooler and bears at least one sprinkler or nozzle for distributing water over the covering layer.
US07775063B2
An apparatus harvests latent energy and water by adiabatically decompressing a controlled volume of atmospheric air to lower its pressure and temperature below the saturation point of included water vapor, thus causing the water vapor to change state to nonvaporous water and release to the decompressed air thermal energy associated with the change of state. The apparatus then extracts the nonvaporous water, leaving the released thermal energy in the decompressed air. The apparatus then recompresses the decompressed air, which will have a resulting temperature, and thus a thermal energy, greater than those of the initially ingested air, and harvests the recompressed air and its increased thermal energy. The apparatus can also humidify and warm atmospheric air before it is ingested to increase appreciably the amount of harvested thermal energy.
US07775059B2
An air conditioner includes a fixed displacement-type first compression mechanism and a variable displacement-type second compression mechanism independent from each other in a refrigeration cycle, and further includes second compression mechanism displacement control means, compression mechanism operation switching control means, an evaporator for refrigerant, a condenser, a blower, evaporator temperature detection means, and evaporator target temperature calculation means. When the refrigeration cycle is operated only by the first compression mechanism, referring to a temperature (Teva) detected by the evaporator temperature detection means, a temperature (Toff) calculated by the evaporator target temperature calculation means and a predetermined value A, if a condition of Teva−Toff≧A is satisfied, both compression mechanisms are operated simultaneously. The condition of required cooling ability is properly determined, an optimum control for air conditioning is realized, and the loss of consumption power and the like can be adequately suppressed.
US07775044B2
A compound cycle engine (10) comprises a compressor and a turbine section (14, 18), and at least one cycle topping device (16) providing an energy input to the turbine section (18). The compressor section (14) compresses the air according to a pressure ratio PRgt. The cycle topping device (16) further compresses the air according to a volumetric compression ratio Rvc, and wherein PRgt×Rvc are selected, according to one aspect of the invention, to provide a cycle which permit a more compact and lighter compound cycle engine to be provided.
US07775043B2
A system for controlling boost pressure at various different altitudes of operation of a turbo charged internal combustion engine includes a wastegate valve, an actuator, and a controller. Signals delivered from an engine speed sensor, a boost pressure transducer, a barometric pressure sensor, and a turbocharger speed sensor are processed in the controller. A control signal delivered from the controller to the actuator controls the position of the wastegate valve, bypass of exhaust gasses, and the speed of the turbocharger. The controller is configured to compare the turbocharger speed to a predetermined threshold value and determine the control signal based on the comparison.
US07775017B2
A sealing heater for heat sealing a film onto a multi-compartment container comprises a heating block having a contact surface. The contact surface includes an outer sealing portion and an intermediate sealing portion. The outer sealing seals a film to a perimeter surface of a multi-compartment tray and the intermediate sealing portion seals a film to substantially all of an intermediate surface between the compartments of the multi-compartment tray. The outer sealing portion and the intermediate sealing portion defining recess perimeters in the contact surface that are positioned to correspond substantially to the compartment perimeters in the multi-compartment tray. A heating element is disposed within the heating block for generating heat at the contact surface of the heating block sufficient to heat seal the sealing film to the perimeter surface and the intermediate surface between the compartments of the multi-compartment tray.
US07775015B1
This invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a system and method for inserting contents into envelopes that generally reduces the number of operative device components, locates all components in a readily and accessible location, reduces the number of adjustments needed to change envelope size and contents size, provides an efficient and aesthetically pleasing design, allows for a highly flexible arrangement of backup hoppers to primary hoppers for feeding envelope contents and otherwise affords a substantial number of improvements over currently available envelope inserters. The illustrative embodiment includes a feed table with a low-slung swing arm for handling contents, a pivoting feed table that exposes the operative components on the underside, a novel raceway belt with projecting lugs for transporting contents to the insertion area, a primary and secondary contents hopper backup system, a mechanism for easily adjusting for different-sized envelopes, and a variety of other novel features.
US07775011B2
A sill assembly includes an integral sill assembly having a sill base and an inclined threshold. The sill base is overmolded in an injection molding process onto the inclined threshold. A rail assembly is adjustably secured to the sill base.
US07775006B2
The present invention describes a fire stop system for wall board construction. The patent addresses the problem of a gap between the head of a wall and a metal fluted deck. Described here-in is a fire resistance assembly made of multiple components of: a fire stop panel and a mounting channel. The fire stop panel or wall has a wallboard geometry manufactured to match the contour shape of a metal fluted deck in a “cookie cutter” fashion. This provides the advantages of saving time and material of wallboard construction, with a product that is novel, simple, and easy to manufacture and implement. The mounting channel of the fire stop system provides for an effective way to provide compliance of the stresses from the roofing/ceiling deck's stresses, easy assembly of the fire stop system, while allowing for a meeting of the fire safety rating.
US07774983B2
A door is pivotally secured to the back of a vehicle. A door opening device comprises a connecting rod including an upper end and a lower end. The upper end of the connecting rod is pivotally mounted to the door. The door opening device further comprises a guide member having a guide slit, a rack bar which slides up and down in the guide slit, a connecting shaft that pivotally connects the lower end of the connecting rod to an upper end of the rack bar and a driving unit for opening and closing the door via the connecting rod. The lower end of the connecting rod is pivotally coupled to the upper end of the rack bar.
US07774979B2
A process for photomorphogenically enhancing plants is presented wherein a natural or artificial light source emits light through a transmittive material. The material is optionally borosilicate glass with a steep edge situation at or near 280 nm so as to selectively filter out light in the UVC or low UVB regions. The glass allows high transmissibility such that as much as 98% of all light at or above the edge situation passes thorough the material. The percent transmission and edge situation may be defined by glass thickness or by combining multiple types of glass. The light is then contacted with a plant whereby a photomorphogenic response is elicited.
US07774976B2
An insect trap has a hollow body generally centered on an upright axis, having a central upwardly open output passage, and formed around the central output passage with an annular intake passage having a dark-colored inner surface. A light-colored foraminous wall upwardly covers the central output passage and has a surface area substantially greater than that of the intake passage. A blower in the body expels air from the body through the central output passage and through the foraminous wall at a predetermined low speed and draws air into the annular intake passage at a high speed substantially higher than the predetermined low speed. Insects attracted by the weak stream or by a contrast between the dark-colored inner surface and the light-colored foraminous wall are trapped in the annular intake passage.
US07774970B1
A pistol including a loaded chamber indicator to identify the presence of a cartridge loaded in the firing chamber. The pistol may generally include a barrel, a receiver attached to the barrel thereby defining a barrel-receiver assembly, and a chamber associated with the barrel-receiver assembly. An indicating element is provided which in one embodiment may be pivotally mounted in the barrel-receiver assembly. The indicating element is displaceable in response to contact by the cartridge from a first position which may in one embodiment correspond to an absence of a cartridge loaded in the chamber, to a second position which may in one embodiment correspond to a presence of a cartridge loaded in the chamber. A biasing member, such as a spring, may be provided to bias the indicating element towards the first position. In one embodiment, the indicating element protrudes outwards from the exterior of the pistol in response to contact by the cartridge rim to provide a visual and tactile indication of a loaded chamber condition to a user of the pistol.
US07774967B1
A rectangular banner display assembly for the rapid installation and replacement of ad banners having a frame with two horizontal members both of which are built of extruded segments with channels along which a pre-rolled banner is slid into position during installation. The frame includes a member supportive of a spindle over which the pre-rolled banner is placed and from which the banner is drawn longitudinally. A vertical end-cap with a hinge-able flap partially occludes the member supportive of a spindle while in a closed position, but is opened to access the spindle. A second vertical end cap with a hinge-able flap is opened to expel a banner to be replaced. A method of quickly replacing a previously installed ad banner with a new ad banner by taping the leading end of a new banner with the trailing end of previously installed banner is disclosed. While expelling the previously installed ad banner out the end of the banner display assembly, the new ad banner is drawn along to take its place.
US07774966B2
A system for mounting signage onto the door area of a vehicle is disclosed. The system includes a mounting assembly, a display pan, and one or more inserts removably received within the display pan. The fastener assembly permits the selective reorientation of the display pan from a first position, in which the pan is oriented along the rear face of the cargo area, to a second position, in which the display pan is oriented away from the rear face of the cargo area. The inserts may include an indicia panel, a backing panel, an electroluminescent panel, and/or a support or cushioning panel. In operation, the system is mounted onto the rear facing surface of a cargo vehicle containing overhead or swing-open doors.
US07774960B2
An apparatus (100) for applying canvas to a frame comprising a surface (112) for supporting a sheet of canvas and a frame, a pair of parallel members (114) mounted on the support surface of the apparatus, means (141) for retaining the canvas and the frame on the support surface and control means for controlling operation of the apparatus. Each member (114) has a clamping bar arrangement (128) operable to engage a side end of the canvas to be applied, a stretcher bar (137), clamping drive means (125) operable to engage the canvas against side edges of the frame and stretcher bar drive means (139) operable to stretch the canvas over the edge of the frame and retain the canvas in the stretched state to enable the canvas to be secured to the frame. Means (129) for adjusting the clamping bar arrangement (128) and the clamping drive means (125) are provided.
US07774955B2
An article of footwear is disclosed that includes an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper. The sole structure incorporates a support element that includes a fluid-filled chamber, a first insert, and a second insert. The chamber defines a first surface, an opposite second surface, and a sidewall extending between the first surface and the second surface. The first insert is secured to the first surface and at least partially recessed into the polymer material of the chamber, and the second insert is secured to the second surface. In addition, the chamber may be pressurized to deform the first insert or the second insert.
US07774943B2
A knife comprises a body, a feed blade store, a return blade store, a feed path along which a blade can be fed from the feed blade store to an operative position, and from the operative position to the return blade store, and control means operable to ensure that a returning blade is returned to the return blade store.
US07774940B2
A locking mechanism for a folding knife or tool with a handle having a cavity defined within the handle; a knife or tool blade having a heel-butt end with a female puzzle cavity portion cut out of a rear side of the heel-butt end, and the heel-butt end being rotationally interconnected to the front end of the handle wherein the knife or tool blade travels between an extended position and a closed position within the handle cavity; and a matching male puzzle portion at an end of a tang portion configured for engaging snugly and interconnectively with the female puzzle cavity portion at the heel-butt of the blade.
US07774936B2
A catalytic converter comprises an outer tube, a pair of catalyzed substrates positioned in the outer tube, and a heat shield positioned in the outer tube between the catalyzed substrates. A method of assembling the catalytic converter is also disclosed.
US07774933B2
An ultrasonic catheter is manufactured by providing an inner tube having an inner diameter sufficient to accommodate a guidewire, and mounting a tubular ultrasound radiating member around a distal region of the inner tube. Two electrical conductors are positioned along the inner tube, such that one of the electrical conductors contacts an inner side of the ultrasound radiating member while the other electrical conductor contacts an outer side of the ultrasound radiating member. An outer tube is then concentrically translated over the inner tube and the ultrasound radiating member, and radially shrunken onto the inner tube.
US07774930B2
An integrated composite beam structure. The structure has a substrate, which includes a surface and a thickness defined underlying the surface. The substrate is composed of a first material. A thickness of polymer based material includes a first portion, a length, and a second portion. The second is coupled to a portion of the substrate. The length is defined between the first portion and the second portion. The structure also has a spring constant (K) of less than a predetermined amount (e.g., 10 N/m, 1 N/m) characterizing the length of the polymer based beam structure. The first portion is capable of moving in a first direction characterized by the spring constant upon application of an externally applied force and is substantially fixed in a second direction, which is normal to the first direction. The second end is capable of returning to a predetermined state when the externally applied force has been removed. The second portion includes a selected geometric configuration to secure the second portion to the portion of the substrate.
US07774928B2
A robotic pallet drive arrangement in a robotic roller hemming system including a track and a plurality of pallets movable on the track. The arrangement also includes a robot having an arm adapted for engagement with the pallets. Movement of the robot arm while the robot arm is engaged with one of the pallets moves the pallet along the track.
US07774921B2
A horizontal axis washing machine includes a clothing receptacle rotated by a 4 pole rotor. A 36 slot stator having an interior bore with an interior diameter receives the 4 pole rotor in magnetic coupling relation and capable of operating within a flux weakening range of at least 5:1. The stator has a ratio of an interior diameter to a minimum exterior diameter greater than or equal to 0.63:1.
US07774916B2
A new shrink fitting method including deformation is disclosed, in which a high bonding force can be obtained without accurate mechanical process such as forming an insertion body having an outer diameter greater than an inner diameter of an object for receiving the insertion body. The shrink fitting method comprises preparing a pipe and a rod material whose inner and outer diameters are different from each other; bonding the pipe and the rod material to each other in a state that the pipe or the rod material is deformed by heating; deforming the pipe to allow the inner diameter of the pipe to be equal to the outer diameter of the rod material; and cooling the bonded pipe and rod material. The shrink fitting method can be widely used for various mechanical parts.
US07774915B2
A sealing gasket is shown for use in a ductile iron piping system to form a sealed joint between mating male and female pipe ends. A sealing gasket body is provided with a series of retainer inserts which extend outwardly from a leading nose region of the elastomeric gasket body. The mating male pipe end contacts the retainer inserts prior to contacting the remainder of the gasket body during the make up of the pipe joint. The inserts help to retain the gasket within its associated groove during high pressure field conditions. The inserts are spaced circumferentially about the gasket nose region, allowing the gasket the necessary flexibility to allow insertion within the groove provided in the female, belled pipe end.
US07774913B2
A device for separating opposed ceramic elements from a metal base member, the device including a rigid body shaped complementarily to an inside surface of the base member and receivable therein. Opposed wedge members are mounted are in the body wall. The body includes a threaded interior surface. A bolt is included for threaded engagement with the interior surface and has a conically-shaped end. Each wedge member is engageable with one of the ceramic elements, such that upon inserting of the body in the base member and threaded movement of the bolt inward to the body, the end of the bolt engages the wedge members to urge the wedge members outward through a body wall to engage the ceramic elements to urge the ceramic elements apart and to separate from the base member.
US07774911B2
A method for attenuating vibration in a driveline having a shaft assembly that transmits torque between first and second driveline components. The shaft assembly can have a hollow shaft member and at least one liner. The liner has a mass and a stiffness that are tuned such that the liner is a tuned resistive absorber for attenuating shell mode vibrations as well as at least one of a tuned reactive absorber for attenuating bending mode vibrations and a tuned reactive absorber for attenuating torsion mode vibrations. The tuned liner is inserted into the shaft member.
US07774910B2
Apparatus for performing operations on a workpiece includes a clamping assembly mounted on a tool support for movement along at least one axis independent of the axes along which the tool moves. The clamping assembly includes clamping devices for applying clamping pressure to the workpiece, and a rotary drive mounted on the tool support for rotating the clamping devices around the independent axis. The clamping devices include clamping packs having a clamping roller mounted on a pneumatically driven slide for applying a programmed amount of clamping pressure to the workpiece.
US07774907B2
A folding casket is cut from a sheet of a rigid material, such as cardboard or wood. The bottom, the top, and at least two of the four sides of the casket are produced as a single uninterrupted blank.
US07774906B2
A slide fastener (1) has a releasing end stop (15) having a shoulder (27) which impedes movement of the releasing end stop (15) through the channel (47) of the slider (35). The releasing end stop (15) is pivotable relative to the opposed coupling element (11) to allow movement of the releasing end stop (15) through the channel (47) of the slider (35) when additional force is applied to the slider (35). With this construction, the releasing end stop (15) enjoys a longer life span. Furthermore it is advantageously possible to use the same material for the top end stop (15) as for the coupling elements (11), so that the manufacturing process will be much simplified.
US07774904B2
In an apparatus in spinning preparation for separating foreign objects at a roll for opening or doffing fiber material, at least one device for separating the foreign objects is associated with a face of the roll. That device comprises an arrangement for producing a current of blast air flowing onto the face for detaching the foreign objects and carrying them away. The arrangement comprises a plurality of blast nozzles arranged across the width of the roll. To permit separation and allow rapid changes of the action of the blast air current, a bar for mounting the blast nozzles is present and the outlet of the blast nozzles is locally displaceable in relation to the face of the roll.
US07774901B1
A retractable handle assembly includes an outer pipe, an inner pipe, an outer mounting sleeve, a control seat, a positioning post, a movable pin, a control knob, and a link. Thus, the positioning post extends through the through bore of the outer mounting sleeve and is inserted into one of the two positioning holes of the inner pipe to lock the inner pipe onto the outer pipe, so that the inner pipe and the outer pipe are combined solidly and stably to bear a greater load, thereby enhancing the strength of the retractable handle assembly. In addition, the inner pipe and the outer pipe are not in frictional contact to prevent from incurring jam between the inner pipe and the outer pipe, thereby enhancing the lifetime of the retractable handle assembly.
US07774898B2
A vacuum cleaner has a discharge flow path and a discharged-air filter optimally positioned to reduce noise. The vacuum cleaner includes a body, a dust collection unit positioned in the body to filter foreign matter, a blower fan unit including a blower fan and a motor to generate suction force, an air vent through which air drawn into the body is discharged, and a discharge flow path to guide the air discharged through a discharge port of the blower fan unit to the air vent. The discharge flow path comprises a space defined between the dust collection unit and the blower fan unit.
US07774897B2
The vacuum cleaner that includes a fragrant odor generating apparatus is provided. The fragrant odor generating apparatus is mounted to a discharge port of a grill member housed in a main cleaner body, to discharge an air freshener to an air being discharged through the discharge port after air containing dust is drawn in from a surface being cleaned and dust is separated from the drawn-in air. The fragrant odor generating apparatus includes a housing comprising a first air passing hole in fluid communication with the discharge port, and a second air passing hole in fluid communication with outside, an outer cover member pivotably mounted to the housing to selectively open and close the second air passing hole, and the air freshener containing a fragrant agent.
US07774890B1
A sink drain insert for use with a sink equipped with a powered garbage disposal unit. The insert comprises a cylindrical base having debris dislodging means which may be one of brushes, a scraper or some combination thereof, wherein food debris that are adhered to utensils may be scrubbed or scraped to dislodged the debris, allowing the debris to fall into the garbage disposal. The outer wall of the sink drain insert further comprises a circular sealing member for affixing and restraining the insert into the sink drain at the user's discretion.
US07774888B2
A music-playing toothbrush having a hollow handle housing containing suitable solid state electronic components for selectively playing a musical tune with improved sound quality. The sound quality is expressly addressed in the handle design with an interior sealed speaker enclosure configured to direct the sound toward the listener with little internal leakage and with an undulating violin-like cavity shape that suppresses internal standing waves. Moreover, the handle provides a relatively large, relatively flat, substantially uninterrupted surface for receiving attractive and motivational graphics such as licensed cartoon characters, which may be compatible with the musical selection.
US07774887B2
A scrubber box is provided that includes a tank adapted to receive a substrate for cleaning, supports outside of the tank and adapted to couple to ends of scrubber brushes disposed within the tank, a motor mounted to each of the supports and adapted to rotate the scrubber brushes, a base to which the supports are pivotally mounted via spherical bearings adapted to permit toe-in of the scrubber brushes, a brush gap actuator adapted, via a crank and rocker mechanism, to substantially simultaneously pivot the supports toward or away from each other so as to permit the scrubber brushes to substantially simultaneously achieve or break contact with the substrate, and a toe-in actuator adapted to move two of the spherical bearings toward or away from each other so as to adjust a toe-in angle between the scrubber brushes.
US07774877B2
An evacuation mattress comprises an integral mattress including a mattress interior, a mattress top face sheet, four mattress side face sheets, and a bottom sheet. The bottom sheet forms both the mattress bottom face sheet and an evacuation bottom sheet. The integral evacuation mattress also includes a top evacuation sheet configured to be deployed over a patient who is disposed above the mattress top face sheet. The integral evacuation mattress further includes securing structure configured to secure the top evacuation sheet to the patient and the integral mattress. Transport structure is also included in the integral evacuation mattress and is configured for a person to drag the secured patient and integral mattress from a hospital.
US07774869B2
A protective toilet seat cover, particularly, but not by way of limitation, provides sanitary protection having a portion to overhang a side of a toilet and a forward bowl flap to hang down along the forward inside portion of a toilet bowl. A toilet seat cover made of a paper material is oversized to cover a toilet seat. Adhesive material may also be placed on the bottom of the toilet seat cover to prevent slipping on a toilet seat. A rear flap folds to contact a portion of the upper surface of the seat cover thereby forming a pocket. An edge of the rear flap may be provided an adhesive. The pocket may contain toiletries, such as personal wipes. The toilet seat cover may be folded and packaged with a disinfectant wipe, providing a convenient kit package for carrying and use.
US07774868B2
A toilet seat elevator assembly includes a mounting bracket for connection to a toilet bowl and a seat elevator removably connected to the mounting bracket. The seat elevator has a generally ring-shaped portion for resting on the toilet bowl and a mounting portion with opposing mounting projections. The mounting bracket has a pair of opposing side panels and an elongate slot formed in each side panel. Each elongate slot is adapted for slidably and rotatably receiving the mounting projections of the mounting portion, so that the seat elevator may be slidably and rotatably mounted to the bracket to facilitate installation, adjustment and removal of the seat elevator with respect to the toilet bowl.
US07774865B2
The present invention relates to athletic support garment having a support panel sized and shaped to encircle a person's waist or hips, and a crotch panel, the support panel having a front side, back side, top edge and bottom edge, the crotch panel having a front seamless portion sized and shaped to contain a person's genitals, a rear portion sized and shaped to cover the space between the buttocks but not restrict or impede movement of the person's legs and a strap portion joining the front portion and rear portion of the crotch panel, a first end of the crotch panel attached to the front side of the bottom edge of the support panel and a second end of the crotch panel attached to the rear side of the bottom edge of the support panel; wherein the support panel and crotch panel are formed from a fabric comprising a blend of a synthetic fiber and at least 10% of a stretchable fiber wherein the tensile strength of the fabric is sufficient to hold the genitals on top of and against the pubic bone above the crotch when in use.
US07774863B2
A combination bag-hat contains bag-hat-received matter and comprises a body assembly, a continuous hat-to-bag cinching cord, and a continuous open end-encircling cord. The body assembly comprises a cord-concealing, intermediate fabric layer, and a matter-containing, outer fabric layer. The outer fabric layer comprises opposing pairs of cord-letting apertures. The cinching cord is substantially disposed between the outer and intermediate fabric layers, and extends through the cord-letting apertures for forming opposing cord-linking loops. The outer and intermediate fabric layers conceal, fabric-guide, and frictionally engage the cinching cord during hat-to-bag cinching action. The encircling cord is disposed externally relative to the outer fabric layer and extends through the cord-linking loops. The encircling and cinching cords are tensionable for closing the open end and converting the bag-hat combination from a hat to a bag.
US07779479B2
A method of playing back content based on digital rights management (DRM) between a portable storage and a device and a portable storage for the same are provided. The method of playing back content using a portable storage includes requesting the portable storage to transmit a right to play back content protected through digital rights management (DRM), receiving the right to play back the content protected through DRM from the portable storage, and informing the portable storage of completion of the playback when a playback of the content protected through DRM using the right is completed.
US07779473B1
Methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for detecting malicious computer code in a host computer (1). A method embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of determining (32) whether data leaving the host computer (1) is addressed to exit a port (15) of the host computer (1) where outbound executable content normally does not appear; when the data is addressed to exit such a port (15), determining (33) whether a string (24) from a pre-established runtime database (9) of executable threads is present in said data; and when a string (24) from said runtime database (9) is present in said data, declaring (34) a suspicion of presence of malicious computer code in said data.
US07779465B2
A system and method for distributed peer attack alerting is disclosed. The method includes accessing a peer community wherein the peer community comprises a plurality of nodes comprising a network and wherein at least one of the plurality of nodes comprises an attack identifier. The method further includes identifying an attack at one of the plurality of nodes. In addition, the method includes transmitting an alert to the plurality of nodes, the alert comprising information associated with the attack and automatically configuring at least one attack identifier associated with one of the plurality of nodes in response to the alert.
US07779457B2
An electronic system is provided to confirm the identity of an individual or customer. The confirmation process permits businesses and other entities to access a preapproved list of authorize customers for purposes of preventing identity theft or fraud. Biometric data obtained from the person of the customer is compared against an authorized version of customer biometric data for this purpose. Even if an individual customer is not an authorized customer, the biometric data may be compared to a known fraud database to see if this individual has perpetrated past instances of fraud.
US07779455B2
Method for monitoring the usage of a service by a communication device coupled to a tamper resistant module, in particular a smart card. A said service is transmitted from a resource able to communicate with said communication device by way of a network. The service comprises a plurality of encrypted data flow and its use comprises successive decryption steps of data flow by a respective first key EK, said first key EK being encrypted in the data flow and decrypted in the tamper resistant module by way of a second key KEK stored in said tamper resistant module or derived inside said module. The invention is characterized in that said method comprises the following steps: a. A counting step, in which a memory location stores a count of occurrences of decryption steps of said first key EK attached to a same service; b. A using step, in which said counter is used to prove the amount of data flow which has been decrypted.
US07779452B2
A method is provided for improved computer access security, the method including protecting an access record to prevent password access to a computer via the access record, creating an alternate access record corresponding to the protected record, enabling password access to the computer via the alternate record, providing the alternate record with the access level of the protected record, and configuring the alternate record to indicate a supplemental security program to be executed once a correct password for the alternate record is provided.
US07779451B2
In an embodiment, a method is provided. The method of this embodiment provides receiving a packet having a wake-up pattern, and waking up if the wake-up pattern corresponds to one of a number of dynamically modifiable passwords on a pattern wake list, each of the dynamically modifiable passwords being based, at least in part, on a seed value.
US07779447B2
A virtual channel table for broadcasting protocol and a method for broadcasting by using the virtual channel table includes identification information identifying and permitting discrimination of active and inactive channels contained in the virtual channel table. At a receiver, the virtual channel table transmitted from the transmitting side is parsed, thereby determining whether the current received channel is an active or inactive channel.
US07779442B1
This invention relates to an information delivery system and method, an information transmission apparatus and method, and an information receiving apparatus and method for delivering a digital multi-channel service signal through a satellite and a cable network. A QPSK demodulation circuit demodulates an inputted TS and outputs it to an error correction circuit. The error correction circuit corrects the inputted signal and outputs it to a network information (NIT) conversion circuit. The NIT conversion circuit replaces the NIT for CS waves with NIT for cable TV and outputs it to a QAM demodulation circuit. The QAM demodulation circuit demodulates the inputted signal and pouts it to a frequency conversion circuit. The frequency conversion circuit converts the frequency of the inputted signal into a predetermined value and outputs the signal to a signal mixer.
US07779439B2
According to the invention, a method for suggesting alternative content for a video service in a content distribution system is disclosed. In one step, it is detected when a user stops viewing a program associated with a content provider. Alternative programs associated with the content provider are determined without considering content from other providers. Those alternative programs are presented to the user.
US07779434B2
Disclosed is a disk drive apparatus including a chassis having a disk insertion slot through which a disk-type recording medium is inserted and/or ejected; a disk transfer mechanism by which the disk-type recording medium is transferred between a disk ejection position and a disk loading position. The apparatus further includes a rotational drive mechanism including a disk loading portion; an optical pickup configured to record and/or reproduce an information signal on the disk-type recording medium; a pickup movement mechanism by which the optical pickup is moved along an information recording surface of the disk-type recording medium. The apparatus still further includes a base member with the rotational drive mechanism, the optical pickup and the pickup movement mechanism; and a base movement mechanism; and an attitude adjustment mechanism.
US07779433B2
An optical pick-up actuator includes a lens holder having tracking and focusing coils which substantially extend in two parallel planes at a side of the lens holder. A magnet system cooperates with the tracking and focusing coils and is arranged separately from the lens holder and extends beyond the planes. The coils are arranged for effecting tilt through cooperation with the magnet system and may be provided at each of two opposite sides of the lens holder.
US07779426B2
A flash driver can be used by file systems and other applications to determine more detailed attributes and properties, such as region geometry, that describe the underlying flash component. This allows a file system, for example, to be made aware of each flash region and its properties. The file system may then be optimized to more efficiently utilize the flash component. These optimizations may lead to increased component longevity and better read/write performance.
US07779423B2
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for detecting entity changes in a storage area network. A discovery module probes a plurality of entities of the storage area network to detect an event in response to a policy, stores attributes of the probed entities, and reports the event with a probe event reference. A monitor module receives a self-announced event reference of the event if an entity communicates the event. A configuration module records the event as an initiated event reference if the event is initiated by an administrator. An event manager synthesizes a report of the event from the event references.
US07779419B2
A template creator creates a template class that stores at least one template parameter. The template creator also specifies at least one additional object to be created when an instance of the template class is created. A template user initiates the creation of a new instance of the template class. If an error occurs during the creation of the new instance of the template class, the template user receives a report identifying the error.
US07779416B2
A load balancing method for processing a plurality of job requests from a plurality of clients includes receiving a first request from one of the clients at a load control module. The first request relates to performing a first function by one or more of a plurality of application servers that are coupled to the plurality of clients. The first request received is associated to one of a plurality of job categories that each of the servers is configured to perform, the one job category to which the first request is associated being a first job category. Whether or not a first condition associated with the first job category is satisfied is determined. The first request is sent to a load balancer if the first condition associated with the first job category is determined to be satisfied, so that the load balancer can assign the first request to one of the application server in order to perform the requested first function, wherein the load balancer is coupled to the servers and configured to balance loads of the servers by distributing requests to the servers. At the load control module first information from the load balancer, the first information relating to the time expended in processing the first request is received. The load control module uses second information relating to the first information to determine whether to send a second request received from one of the clients to the load balancer or to a queue, the second request relating to the same job category as the first request.
US07779415B2
A method, system, and computer program for dynamically adjusting the workload of an active resource associated with at least one parent workload group. The parent workload group includes a collection of workload units, with each associated to a key identifier such that workload units belonging to the parent workload group share an identical sequence of values at a specified depth value of the key identifier. The active resource independently determines whether an overload condition exists. If an overload condition exists, the depth value of the parent workload group is increased. The active resource may also consolidate a workload group if an under-load condition exists. Dynamically adjusting the workload of an active resource can be used as part of a method or system to dynamically adjust the workload of a distributed computing application across a dynamically varying set of active resources, and subsequently redirecting entities to the dynamically changing target resource.
US07779412B2
A system chip includes a plurality of processing elements for performing primary computations of a plurality of tasks, a plurality of non-processing elements for controlling flow of data associated with the tasks among the processing elements, and a main controller including a scheduler, a resource allocation module, and a power management module. The scheduler assigns the tasks on the processing and non-processing elements with reference to time parameters of the processing and non-processing elements. The resource allocation module controls operations of the processing and non-processing elements with reference to task assignments determined by the scheduler. The power management module performs dynamic voltage management upon the processing and non-processing elements according to the scheduled tasks.
US07779402B2
A system, method, and program product for updating a software program running in a middleware environment, such as a Java™ environment, are provided. An update request is received for a method loaded in the middleware environment. The request identifies a new version of the method and the method's class file. The new version is registered. Registering of the new version includes writing the new version to a heap managed by the middleware environment. In this manner, both the old version and the new version of the method can be executed. The update of the class file is scheduled for a future time. Subsequent requests are either routed to the old version of the method or re-routed to the new version. At the scheduled time, the class file is updated by replacing the old method with the new version.
US07779397B2
A computer-implemented system for accessing data stored in a computer-readable format comprises a data source indicator that identifies least one datum of a data source to be typed. The system also includes a type definition component that defines a strongly typed view of the at least one datum. Methods of using the system are also provided.
US07779395B1
A system and method is disclosed for routing data of a declarative source expression to a destination. Declarative source expressions are analyzed at compile-time to discover variable properties. As such properties are discovered, a binding object is created and a list of watcher objects is generated associated with the particular variable properties. The watcher object includes a change event notification which is broadcast when a change in the property is detected. When a change event notification is received, a binding object, which is also automatically generated by the compiler, is executed causing the variable property to be read and the declarative source expression to be re-evaluated which propagates the property changes through the application.
US07779389B2
A deployable template structure is described. In an embodiment, the deployable template structure includes sections for virtual machines deployable, filters, and component configuration settings. Parameters for the virtual machine section are broken down into three groups: memory, system, and additional.
US07779385B2
A method is provided for performing a component product integration synchronization. In the method, a component product extensible markup language (XML) schema is generated. A number of component products to be integrated together in a software system are then identified. A component product XML file is generated for each identified component product according to the generated component product XML schema. The generated component product XML files are used to verify compatibility of the identified component products when integrated together in the software system. Once compatibility of the identified component products is verified, the software system can be built with a high expectation of success.
US07779376B2
Operation analysis is performed for a semiconductor integrated circuit designed by using substrate bias control technology. Power supply potential and substrate potential are analyzed by using circuit information of the semiconductor integrated circuit, and from obtained power supply potential waveform information and substrate potential waveform information, potential difference information indicating a difference value between the power supply potential and the substrate potential is obtained. On the basis of this potential difference information, effects on circuit delay due to substrate noise are analyzed using a delay library showing a relationship between the difference value and the effects on circuit delay. Further, a determination is performed as to whether the difference value exceeds a predetermined difference restriction value.
US07779369B1
In a method for graphically representing and/or processing values of data types of a formally defined data structure existing as a value tree, a window is assigned as a graphical user interface to the data structure. Generic, scalable, graphical user-interface components are inserted hierarchically in the window, the value tree of the data structure being mapped onto the user-interface components. The graphical user-interface components are in a relation to the nodes of the value tree that is recognizable to the user. A graphical or textual representation of the value is selectable for each subtree of the value tree.
US07779364B2
The subject application is directed to a system and method for generating a graphical user input interface via an associated graphical user interface. Data representative of a user input interface from storage. Preferably, this data includes graphical representations of each character associated with a standard QWERTY keyboard, inclusive of modified characters. The retrieved graphical data is then used to generate a user input interface on an associated touch screen. The user then selects a character from those characters displayed via the touch screen. The selected character is then displayed to the user in an associated data field.
US07779361B2
An integrated console provides multiple users an ability to bring in signals from a plurality of disparate hardware subsystems the monitoring and control signals, all to be controlled from a virtual console on a single computer screen. Multiple users may arrange subwindows for any or all controlled hardware and arrange those subwindows on a computer screen, in accordance with each user's preference. The system may store personalized display layouts, receiving commands from multiple workstations, and routing the commands received to the appropriate subsystems. Meanwhile, the system provides apparatus and methods to automatically detect changes on the subwindows and notify a user thereof.
US07779360B1
A first map comprising one or more selectable regions is arranged in an interface environment. Each of the one or more selectable regions are associated with respective content. The interface environment also includes an abstraction associated with at least one of the one or more selectable regions, wherein the interface environment is configured to display a second map representing the at least one of the one or more selectable regions based upon an event.
US07779356B2
Displaying data sub-items corresponding to a cursor-selected object displayed on a computer screen involves determining that a cursor is positioned to point at an object on the computer screen, loading the cursor-selected object, evaluating the cursor-selected object to determine it has a fixed value, has related data sub-items or if the related data sub-items are capable of expansion into lower-tier sub-items. The values for the object and the related data sub-items are assembled and displayed in a window that indicates the values of the object and the related data sub-items along with an indication of a presence of lower-tier sub-items which can in turn be further examined.
US07779343B2
System(s), method(s), and/or technique(s) (“tools”) are described that enable a user to open a network-enabled electronic document in either a specific software application associated with the electronic document or a network browser. In some cases the tools do so using a single link. On selection of the link, if the user's computing device has access to the specific software application, the tools may load the electronic document using that application. Or, if the user's computing device does not have access to the specific software application, the tools may render the electronic document with a network browser. In so doing, the tools may make the document available to a larger set of potential users through their browsers, allow users the convenience of accessing the document within a browser, optimize users' experience in working with the document through a specific software application, or provide a simpler opening procedure.
US07779342B2
Disclosed is a method and device for selecting documents, such as Web pages or sites, for presentation to a user, in response to a user expression of interest, during the course of presentation to the user of a document, such as a video or audio selection, whose content varies with time. The method takes advantage of information retrieval techniques to select documents related to the portion of the temporal document in which the user has expressed interest.
US07779337B2
A digital television transmitting system includes a pre-processor, a packet generator, an RS encoder, and a trellis encoder. The pre-processor pre-processes enhanced data by coding the enhanced data for first forward error correction and expanding the FEC-coded enhanced data. The packet generator generates enhanced data packets including the pre-processed enhanced data and main data packets and multiplexes the enhanced and main data packets. Each enhanced data packet includes an adaptation field in which the pre-processed enhanced data are inserted. The RS encoder performs RS encoding on the multiplexed data packets for second forward error correction, and the trellis encoder performs trellis encoding on the RS-coded data packets.
US07779329B2
A method of terminating two or more constituent encoders of a turbo encoder employing a turbo code, comprising the step of: generating tail input bits at each of two or more constituent encoders, including deriving the tail input bits from each of the two or more constituent encoders separately from a contents of shift registers within each of the two or more constituent encoders, after an encoding of information bits by the two or more constituent encoders; puncturing one or more tail output bits such that 1/R output tail bits are transmitted for each of a plurality of trellis branches, wherein R is a turbo code rate employed by the turbo encoder during an information bit transmission. In yet another variation, the step of puncturing the tail output bits further comprises the step of: transmitting, during trellis termination, the tail output bits, only if they are sent from an output branch of one of the two or more constituent encoders that are used during information bit transmission.
US07779323B2
A method and apparatus for providing ordered capture clocks to detect or locate faults within N clock domains and faults crossing any two clock domains in an integrated circuit or circuit assembly in self-test or scan-test mode, where N>1 and each domain has a plurality of scan cells. The method and apparatus allows generating and loading N pseudorandom or predetermined stimuli to all the scan cells within the N clock domains in the integrated circuit or circuit assembly during the shift operation, applying an ordered sequence of capture clocks to all the scan cells within the N clock domains during the capture operation, compacting or comparing N output responses of all the scan cells for analysis during the compact/compare operation, and repeating the above process until a predetermined limiting criteria is reached. A computer-aided design (CAD) system is further developed to realize the method and synthesize the apparatus.
US07779313B2
Provided is test apparatus with higher testing efficiency, including: plurality of pattern generating sections generating test pattern to supply to devices under test; group control section controlling group of pattern generating sections out of the pattern generating sections, and generating control signal upon receiving signal output from any pattern generating section controlled; range information storage section storing range information indicating range of pattern generating sections, out of the pattern generating sections, that serve to test one independent device under test; and comprehensive control section receiving the control signal from the group control section, identifying any pattern generating section that supplies the test pattern to the same device under test as that to which the pattern generating section having output the signal supplies the test pattern based on the range information, and in response to the control signal, controlling any other group control section that controls the identified pattern generating section.
US07779312B2
A built-in redundancy analyzer and a redundancy analysis method thereof for a chip having a plurality of repairable memories are provided. The method includes the following steps. First, the identification code of a repairable memory containing a fault (“fault memory” for short) is identified and a parameter is provided according to the identification code. The parameter includes the length of row address, the length of column address, the length of word, the number of redundancy rows, and the number of redundancy columns of the fault memory. Since the parameter of every individual repairable memory is different, the fault location is converted into a general format according to the parameter for easier processing. A redundancy analysis is then performed according to the parameter and the converted fault location, and the analysis result is converted from the general format to the format of the fault memory and output to the fault memory.
US07779309B2
A system for reporting and/or displaying errors in a system that affect end-user tasks includes mechanisms for gathering, interpreting and displaying application status information in a convenient display. In one implementation, for example, distributed application programs in a system are configured to provide status reports (e.g., positive, negative, pending) to a centralized reporting service. The centralized service stores the status information in a database. An event interpreter module queries the database to identify the status of certain application components that affect or otherwise implicate performance of generalized end-user tasks, such as sending/receiving email, logging-in to the network, accessing the internet, remote computer management, or the like. A graphical user interface can then display this information to the administrator in a way that immediately indicates what end-user tasks might be affected by failure or correct execution of a given application component, as well as suggested corrective action as needed.
US07779304B2
Applications that utilize a database are managed through the use of meta-metadata. The database contains multiple database objects. Each database object has metadata that describes one or more operational characteristics of that database object. Each metadata has an associated meta-metadata, which describes a variance to the metadata. An application program is provided access to one or more database objects. If a change in behavior occurs for the application program that has accessed the database objects, the meta-metadata for the accessed database objects is correlated with the application program accessing the database objects.
US07779295B1
A method and apparatus that enable quick recovery from failure or restoration of an application state of one or more nodes, applications, and/or communication links in a distributed computing environment, such as a cluster. Recovery or restoration is facilitated by regularly saving persistent images of the in-memory checkpoint data and/or of distributed shared memory segments using snapshots of the committed checkpoint data. When one or more nodes fail, the snapshots can be read and used to restart the application in the most recently-saved state prior to the failure or rollback the application to an earlier state.
US07779286B1
Methods and apparatus are provided for allowing efficient clock domain crossing management in programmable chip systems. Components associated with different clock domains can be analyzed. Clock domain crossing components are automatically selected from a library of clock domain crossing components to allow connection between disparate clock domains. Clock domain crossing components can be shared, chained, and intelligently selected for increased efficiency.
US07779283B2
The invention discloses a computer which achieves household appliance applications with low power consumption, wherein a power consumption controller is further provided in the computer, which is connected to CPU on the mainboard and power supply of computer respectively; said CPU on the mainboard receives an external low power consumption operation command, detects a current application process, when media application process is detected, thus according to the media application, determines the due state of power supply of each of appliances of the media application at the media application, and low power consumption control command is sent to the power consumption controller according to the due state; said power consumption controller receives low power consumption control command, and a command for reducing the supply voltage or turning off the power supply of each equipment of the media application, is sent to the power supply of computer; said power supply of computer reduces the supply voltage or turns off the power supply of each appliance of the media application according to the command. The invention also discloses a method for achieving household appliance application with low power consumption by computer.
US07779277B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit including on a single chip a plurality of circuit blocks and a plurality of internal power supply circuits for delivering a common supply voltage to the plurality of circuit blocks includes: a shared power supply interconnection for connecting the plurality of circuit blocks and the plurality of internal power supply circuits; and an external pad connected to the shared power supply interconnection. Whether or not each of the internal power supply circuits delivers the supply voltage is controlled by a certain power supply control signal.
US07779275B2
Communication of information via an in-band channel using a trusted configuration space is provided. The introduction of using a trusted configuration space associated with a computer bus system, such as PCI Express® (PCIe™), for example, enables the design of trusted computing platforms capable of providing compliant devices with assurance that their trusted configuration registers can only be accessed by software running in the trusted software environment. Establishing device trust in the software that initiates trusted configuration requests makes it possible to secure and control access to certain secret, sensitive, or personally-identifiable information these devices may contain (e.g., a uniquely-identifying public key, as described above or certificate which the device provides for revocation purposes).
US07779265B2
An item inheritance system and method are provided. The item inheritance system can be employed to propagate access control information (e.g., an access control list) to one or more item(s), thus facilitating security of item(s). At least one of the item(s) is a compound item.The item inheritance system includes an input component that receives information associated with one or more items. The items can include container(s), object(s) and/or compound item(s). The system can be triggered by a change in security policy to the item(s), for example, adding and/or deleting a user's access to the item(s). Additionally, moving and/or copying a collection of items can further trigger the system.The system further includes a propagation component that propagates access control information to the item(s). For example, the propagation component can enforce the ACL propagation policies when a change to the security descriptor takes place at the root of a hierarchy.
US07779263B2
In a computer to support security of information, a user authentication request is received as a request of remote operation call through a network, a user using an external application program is authenticated based on the user authentication request. An authentication result capable of detecting a falsification is generated, and the authentication result is returned as a response of the remote operation call to a request originator through the network.
US07779257B2
A method of determining the compatibility of respective information associated with at least two parties is described. The method comprises: a first and second party each expressing their respective information in an agreed format; processing the information according to a two-phase double-encryption process, in which the first party encrypts their information under a personalized first-phase procedure and sends the results to the second party and the second party encrypts their information under a personalized first-phase procedure and sends the results to the first party, the second party encrypting the encrypted information received from the first party under a personalized second-phase procedure to produce a double-encrypted result and the first party encrypting the encrypted information received from the second party under a personalized second-phase procedure to produce a double-encrypted result, the first- and second-phase procedures being chosen such that a given element of information will always yield the same unique double-encrypted result regardless of which party it originates from; and comparing each party's double-encrypted information to determine the compatibility of the information of each party.
US07779239B2
A processor includes a feature control unit to enable or disable one or more processor features individually in response to a user selectable setting. The feature control unit is adapted to disable the processor feature(s) if the user setting has not been updated in accordance with an input regardless of the value of the user setting prior to the update and to enable or disable the processor feature(s) in accordance with the updated user setting after it has been updated. The feature control unit may also include a lock unit to prevent changes to the updated user setting and a software feature selection unit to enable or disable processor features in response to a software feature selection setting and, optionally, only enable or disable processor features whose corresponding updated user setting is user enabled. The feature control unit may also include mechanisms to detect illegal feature selection conditions.
US07779232B2
A method and apparatus for dynamically managing instruction buffer depths for non-predicted branches reduces wasted energy and resources associated with low confidence branch prediction conditions. A portion of the instruction buffer for a instruction thread is allocated for storing predicted branch instruction streams and another portion, which may be zero-sized during high prediction confidence conditions, is allocated to the non-predicted branch instruction stream. The size of the buffers is adjusted dynamically in conformity with an on-going prediction confidence that provides a measure of how well branch prediction mechanisms are working for a given instruction thread. An alternate instruction fetch address table can be maintained and multiplexed with the main fetch address register for addressing the instruction cache, so that the instruction stream can be quickly shifted to the non-predicted path when a branch instruction is resolved to the non-predicted path.
US07779229B2
A processor arrangement having a strip structure for parallel data processing is configured so that local data from the individual processing units or strips is brought together in a rapid manner. Input data, intermediate data and/or output data from various processing units are linked together in an operation which is at least partially combinatory. The data linking operation is not clock controlled. The linking of the local data from various strips in this manner reduces delays in parallel data processing in the processor arrangement. The combinatory data linking operation can provide an overall data linking outcome within an individual clock cycle.
US07779224B2
A method for storing data, consisting of distributing a first plurality of groups of logical addresses among one or more storage devices in a storage system, receiving a second plurality of data-sets containing the data to be stored, and assigning each data-set among the plurality of data-sets a random number chosen from a first plurality of different numbers. The method further consists of partitioning each data-set into multiple partitions, so that each partition among the multiple partitions receives a sequential partition number, assigning each partition within each data-set to be stored at a specific group of logical addresses in the storage system in accordance with the sequential partition number of the partition and the random number assigned to the data-set, and storing each partition in the storage system at the assigned specific group of logical addresses.
US07779221B1
A method and system for changing storage drive contents, including installing a virtual storage driver in a computer system, wherein the virtual storage driver redirects access requests directed to a main storage of the computer system to one of the main storage and a temporary storage; copying files from the main storage to the temporary storage; restoring files from a source storage into the main storage by overwriting corresponding files in the main storage; and redirecting, to the temporary storage, requests for access directed to files of the main storage that have been copied to the temporary storage.
US07779218B2
In one embodiment, a method comprises receiving, in a source controller, a signal indicative of a write request to a source volume managed by the source controller in response to the signal: writing data associated with the write request to a destination controller when a connection to the destination controller is available; and setting a synchronization flag associated with the data storage segment managed by the source controller when a connection to the destination controller is unavailable.
US07779212B2
In a memory system, multiple memory modules communicate over a bus. Each memory module includes a hub and at least one memory storage unit. The hub receives local data from the memory storage units, and downstream data from one or more other memory modules. The hub assembles data to be sent over the bus within a data block structure, which is divided into multiple lanes. An indication is made of where, within the data block structure, a breakpoint will occur in the data being placed on the bus by a first source (e.g., the local or downstream data). Based on the indication, data from a second source (e.g., the downstream or local data) is placed in the remainder of the data block, thus reducing gaps on the bus.
US07779207B2
A generic disk driver filter may be used to accelerate performance when writing to a disk. The generic disk driver filter may be connected between a file system and a disk driver and may be configured to be extensible and compatible with a variety of different file systems and different disk drivers. The generic disk driver filter has a filter component that intercepts and filters raw sector write commands from the file system before they are received by the disk driver. The generic disk driver filter may also have a cache memory component that stores a checksum for each sector which is written to the disk. The generic disk driver filter may also have a scavenger thread component that detects and removes latent checksum entries from the cache memory so as to preserve memory availability and reduce memory requirements.
US07779200B2
A method for a tape storage system to adaptively handle Space commands sent from a host computer system is disclosed. In response to a Space command from the host computer system, a determination is made as to whether or not the tape storage system is in a Read mode. If the tape storage system is in a Read mode, the estimated cost of performing a special read operation for the Space command is compared with the estimated cost of performing a normal space operation for the Space command. If the estimated cost for performing a special read operation is lower than the estimated cost for performing a normal space operation, then a special read operation is performed. But if estimated cost for performing a special read operation is higher than the estimated cost for performing a normal space operation, then a normal space operation is performed.
US07779193B2
A micro-watt class sensing device uses host-computer Input/Output (I/O) capabilities when transferring data to/from the host-computer directly from/to memory in the sensing device. This capability allows data to be directly transferred (downloaded/uploaded) to/from the host system at a higher rate when a host system is present.
US07779192B2
When initializing a card-shaped device inserted in a card interface, operation mode acquiring means incorporated in an electronic device acquires operation mode information, stored in a register file incorporated in the card-shaped device, by a predetermined procedure using a predetermined pin. Operation mode setting means incorporated in the electronic device executes signal assignment on a plurality of data pins peculiar to an operation mode indicated by the acquired operation mode information, thereby switching a data transfer width, and allowing the card-shaped device to operate in the operation mode.
US07779191B2
A system and method for transitions a computing system between operating modes that have different power consumption characteristics. When a system management unit (SMU) determines that the computing system is in a low activity state, the SMU transitions the central processing unit (CPU) into a low power operating mode after the CPU stores critical operating state of the CPU in a memory. The SMU then intercepts and processes interrupts intended for the CPU, modifying a copy of the critical operating state. This effectively extends the time during which the CPU stays in lower power mode. When the SMU determines that the computing system exits a low activity state, the copy of the critical operating state is stored in the memory and the SMU transitions the CPU into a high power operating mode using the modified critical operating state.
US07779175B2
The present invention introduces the notions of a rendezvous component and rendezvous functionality into the communications network environment. Using the invention, an application can express information regarding when an operation requested of a device should complete and at which location, and it enables the device to perform its operations respecting this information while also improving the device's overall behavior. In an embodiment, one or more data objects are distributed across one or more collections of storage devices using a dispersal technique. When access to a data object is desired, a rendezvous component issues a set of constituent requests to the collections of storage devices. These requests typically include location and timing rendezvous parameters specifying a destination location where and a given time when a given data object is to be reconstituted. The data object is then reconstituted at the destination location and at the given time, while respecting a given characteristic of a storage device access model. In this embodiment, the collection of storage devices may comprise disk devices, and the requests are issued by a given application, such as a media server.
US07779172B2
A DMA controller controls DMA transfer in an information processing system. Input and output devices are a transfer source or a transfer destination in DMA transfer and request DMA transfer. A DMAC activating unit is provided with an event monitoring unit and an event register. The event register registers an event subject to monitoring. The event monitoring unit detects an event generated in the input and output devices and determines whether the detected event matches an event registered in the event register. If it is determined that the events match, the event monitoring unit activates the DMA controller.
US07779169B2
Disclosed is a method and system for preparing a mirror batch within a data processing system. Upon determining that a first open batch is approaching or has reached a completion criteria, a controller may cause system elements contributing data to the first open batch to cease acknowledging transaction requests while not ceasing to execute the transaction requests.
US07779166B2
Embodiments of the invention relate to methods and systems for providing customized “haptic messaging” to users of handheld communication devices in a variety of applications. In one embodiment, businesses and organizations may each be associated with a distinct haptic logo and include their haptic logos in various messages sent to the handheld communication devices of their customers. In another embodiment, haptically-enabled avatars can be used in a chat session between users of handheld communication devices.
US07779159B2
An apparatus for downloading a multimedia file including a file converter configured to convert a larger multimedia file into a smaller multimedia file by deleting prescribed medial information based on a media format contained in the larger file. Further, the file converter converts the larger file into the smaller file by deleting multi bit-rate media not corresponding to a selected bit rate or by deleting enhancement layer video.
US07779158B2
In a network device which provides a predetermined network service according to a request of a user, an IP-address generating unit is configured to generate an IP address from a value having an association with the network service, the IP address indicating an objective association with the network service. A service provision unit is configured to set up the generated IP address for the network device to provide the network service using the generated IP address.
US07779156B2
Methods and systems for operation upon one or more data processors for efficiently processing communications based upon reputation of an entity associated with the communication.
US07779147B1
Users that visit a network site typically visit other sites in the same session. The surfing pattern or “trail” through the sites is significant because it may outline the underlining relationship between those sites. Once such data is available, the relationship between sites on the same user trails may be used to determine the placement of advertisements for sites by publishers. Additionally, the popularity or volume of traffic that navigates along a particular user trail may be used to affect the ranking/ordering of advertisements placed on a certain publisher site. An advertising broker may determine advertising pricing in part based on navigational path or user trail information. Thus, placing advertising on sites that are closer in proximity to the advertised site may cost more than placing advertising on sites not as close in proximity to the advertised site.
US07779142B1
A system delivers a media stream to a client using a delivery bandwidth. The system adjusts an amount of the bandwidth used to deliver the media stream based on a state of a buffer associated with the client that receives and buffers the delivered media stream.
US07779137B1
In one embodiment, a method for building a failover-enabled communications systems is provided. The method comprises clustering a plurality of Fiber Channel (FC) node devices to form a failover cluster. A primary link is established between a first FC node device in the failover cluster and a FC node device outside the failover cluster. In the event of failure of the primary link, a backup link is established between the FC node device outside the failover cluster and a second FC node device in the failover cluster.
US07779135B2
A hierarchical content distribution system includes a seeding server, a plurality of geographically distributed content platforms, and a distribution controller, all interconnected by a communications network. The seeding server initially receives content files for distribution to various content platforms that provide for the persistent storage of the content files. Each content platform includes a content file server responsive on-demand to requests for the transfer of content files. The distribution controller autonomously monitors the transfers of content files and selectively issues transfer directives to the content platforms to modify the distribution of content files among the content platforms. The content file servers respond to received transfer directives by issuing requests for the transfer of the directive identified content files, thereby conforming the specific distribution of content files to an optimal distribution pattern as determined by the distribution controller based on usage patterns.
US07779134B1
Cached or predictive negotiation of compression parameters over a modem relay network connection involves method and apparatus for determining at a gateway the identity of a client/server modem that is called or calling, and using a profile of such called or calling client/server modem, the profile being stored at the gateway or an affiliated agent, to transmit respectively a candidate response or command containing compression parameters. Preferably, a candidate response or command includes an exchange identification (XID) or link request (LR) command or response, either provisioned, i.e. manually configured or automated, i.e. computer-generated. The profile is stored in a memory. The actual achieved parameters for a given call also may be stored, e.g dynamic learning may be had. Finally, establishing such profiles by placing dummy calls once the modem's phone number is known also is described as a feature of the invention.
US07779130B1
In one embodiment, the invention provides a method for a data acquisition device to transfer a new data object to a user storage device. The method comprises detecting a new data object; determining an availability of one or more user storage devices to store the new data object in response to the detecting; establishing a communications session with at least one available user storage device; and sending the new data object to the at least one available user storage device for storage therein.
US07779129B2
The invention provides a system and method for providing a high availability application at low cost for a wide range of solution architectures. A user runs a simplistic web-based wizard to install the high availability application. Then, a user designs the high availability application's logic for an individual process or process-group using a finite state table. Next, a standard UNIX init process spawner subsystem is extended to implement the high availability application as a property of a process. Finally, the logic from the finite state table is used to make each process or process-group highly available.
US07779125B2
At a vendor-managed web site, purchasing information is received from a first terminal, including purchasing information that is customized for a customer. The customer includes first and second users having respective first and second levels of authorized access to the purchasing information. The first user is identified by a first identifier, and the second user is identified by a second identifier. To a second terminal, access at the vendor-managed web site is provided to: only a first portion of the purchasing information in response to receiving the first identifier from the second terminal which identifies the first user; and at least a second portion of the purchasing information in response to receiving the second identifier from the second terminal which identifies the second user. The second portion includes at least a part of the first portion and a third portion of the purchasing information. The part of the first portion includes at least a portion of the customized purchasing information.
US07779112B2
A method and device for deploying a distributed monitoring of a computer system having a plurality of resources forming at least one monitored domain. The method includes specifying for each indicator to be deployed, the domain or domains of the computer system in which each indicator should be deployed and deploying the specified configuration using a configuration deployment agent that creates, for each resource to be monitored, a configuration agent to handle the creation of the indicators.
US07779107B2
In a network system formed by one or a plurality of hosts having a function for accessing Internet, and a router for connecting each host and the Internet through an accessing communication path of a provider, two types of IP address including first type IP addresses and second type IP addresses are generated and selectively used by each host, according to two types of prefix including first type prefixes and second type prefixes that have shorter valid periods than the first type prefixes, which are advertised from the router periodically.
US07779103B1
One or more servers receive requests from clients and send responses. At least a subset of the responses including cookies produced by the one or more servers, and at least a subset of the received requests including cookies that were previously produced by the one or more servers and sent to the clients with responses to previously processed requests. Each of the cookies includes a respective user identifier. The one or more servers analyzing the received cookies to detect a first condition, which indicates that a respective plurality of clients may be using cookies that have a shared user identifier. Upon detecting the first condition, the one or more servers send at least one of the clients of the respective plurality of clients a response that includes a new cookie having a user identifier that is distinct from the shared user identifier.
US07779102B2
A managing device includes an identification information requesting unit that requests each network interface for the identification information of all the network interfaces belonging to the image forming device via the network, and an identification information receiving unit that receives reply information from the each network interface in response to the identification information request. When the identification information receiving unit receives a plurality of pieces of the identification information, an identification information equivalency judging unit judges whether a combination of the plurality of pieces of the identification information received from one of the plurality of network interfaces is identical to another combination of the plurality of pieces of the identification information received from another of the plurality of network interfaces. When the combinations are determined to be identical to each other, a managing unit manages the network interfaces as ones belonging to the same image forming device.
US07779099B2
A distributed intelligent system. The distributed network includes at least one gateway server configured for receiving meter data from one or more nodes of a distributed meter network and at least one subscriber station in communication with the at least one gateway server via a communication network. The at least one gateway server is further configured to selectively distribute the received meter data to the at least one subscriber station in accordance with a policy.
US07779092B2
A method to facilitate provision of services to a managed system (e.g., a PC, PDA, cell phone) includes causing installation of an agent application on the managed system, the agent application including an install component to install at least one of a plurality of service applications on the managed system. Each of the plurality of service applications is to facilitate provision of a service provided by a respective service provider of a number of service providers to the managed system. A service input (e.g., from an IT administrator) is received at the management system. The service input identifies a subset of a number of service applications to be installed on the managed system. The subset of service applications is distributed to the managed system for installation by the agent application on the managed system.
US07779088B2
Disclosed are a system, a method, and a computer program product to provide for the optimization of the output transfer load balance between the peer computers transferring data to one or more storage devices. The peer computers receive, organize and transfer the data to storage devices. The data set is composed of a plurality of data transfers. After an initial division of the data transfers between the two peers, each peer will have assigned responsibility for a number of data transfers. If the one of the peer computers completes offloading transactions earlier than the other peer, then the peer that is still transferring data will employ the other peer to execute a portion of the remaining data transfers. The operation of the system is symmetrical in that either peer may assist the other peer depending upon which peer has idle time. In addition the operation is autonomous and self-adjusting resulting in the peer nodes optimizing the size of the portion of data transfers that are reassigned during the operation of the invention resulting in the minimization of idle time for either peer. The self-adjusting feature allows the system to react to changing conditions that affect data transfer rates to the storage devices.
US07779087B2
Processing of numeric addresses is facilitated by using a user interface, rather than system modules, to handle name resolution. Processing the addresses at the user interface level avoids delays and packet blocking problems associated with using system modules to perform the task. Relieving the system modules from the responsibility of processing numeric addresses allows them to process other requests, improving overall system efficiency.
US07779083B2
A message transmitting queue delivers messages between a source controller and a destination controller. According to the message transmitting request of the source controller, sequentially distribute the free message row of the message transmitting queue, and set the message row to the distributed state. After the source controller writes the message of the message row, set the message row to the written state. At this moment, when the message row is in the position that is read sequentially by the destination controller, a read request is issued, so that the destination controller reads the message according to the read request when the reading completes, clears the distributed signal and the written signal, so that the message row goes back to the free state. When the message transmitting queue has no free message row, a no free message row signal to inform the source controller is issued.
US07779076B2
Perception of a personalization item is enabled in an instant messaging communications session by rendering, on an instant message recipient system, an instant messaging application user interface for an instant messaging communications session involving at least an instant message recipient and an instant message sender. An identifier that enables identification of a personalization item of an individual instant message user is obtained, and the identifier is associated with the personalization item. The personalization item is obtained independently of the message used to obtain the identifier, and the personalization item is rendered at the instant message recipient system.
US07779072B2
A system and method for providing an addition to the Session Initiation Protocol is disclosed. The addition is a new field header, preferably entitled “Feature”, that is added to the REGISTER message. This field would contain control information for various feature services, like the Do Not Disturb feature and other services provided by traditional PBX systems.
US07779070B2
A method to remotely interact with an application server (4) of a Unified Messaging System (1) via an end user terminal (2) featuring soft keys is described, wherein at least one functionality dedicated to at least one soft key is remotely controllable by the application server (4) in real time. Furthermore a communication system (1), a terminal (2) and a server (3, 4) to be used to execute the method, and a computer program product comprising computer readable program for causing a computer to perform the method are described.
US07779067B2
In a multimedia call center (MMCC) operating through an operating system, a client-specific self-help wizard is provided for active clients and updated periodically with information related to client transaction history with the MMCC. A connected client is presented by the wizard with a selective media function through which the client may a select a media type for interaction and help, and the MMCC will then re-contact the client through the selected media. The client, for example, may select IP or COST telephony, and the MMCC will place a call to the client to a number or IP address listed for the client, and interactivity will then be through an interactive voice response unit. Help information specific to a client is updated in the client's wizard periodically according to ongoing transaction history with the MMCC. The wizard may also monitor client activity with the wizard and make reports available to various persons.
US07779066B2
An information distributing machine distributes only information comparatively related to a user. The information distributing machine has a memory for storing a moving path of every user. The information distributing machine also has a distribution information entry unit for accepting distribution information including position information. A controller determines whether there is particular relationship between the moving path stored in the memory and the position information included in the distribution information. The information distribution machine transmits the distribution information to a user when there is the relationship between the moving path of that user and the position information.
US07779059B2
A method for processing two different types of geographic address data sets to establish candidate matched data includes entering address data into the system and accessing a point level address data set. A determination is made if the point level data set contains an exact match to the entered address data. Any exact address data match from the point level data set is output. Candidate address data matches from the point level data set are saved when no exact match is determined as existing in the point level data set. A centerline address data set is accessed and a determination is made of candidate address data matches from the centerline address data set. Candidate address data from both the point level data set and the centerline data set are scored and matched.A system for geocoding and address hygiene includes a processing system with an input and an output system coupled to said processing system. A point level data set is coupled to the processing system. A centerline data set is coupled to the processing system. A cascade geocoding scoring and matching engine is coupled to the processing system.
US07779058B2
A video network includes public kiosks having digital storage capacity. Centralized inventory control manages the video files stored at individual kiosks or network LANs. A user requests a multimedia file for download, and selects various ancillary files and control features, such as languages, subtitles, control of nudity, etc. The requested file is encrypted according to an encryption key, watermarked, and downloaded from a high-speed port of a public kiosk to a hand-held proprietary high speed memory device of a user. Payment is received at the time of request or at the time of download, and royalties are distributed by the video network to copyright holders. Computer applications or playback devices allow users to store and/or play video files that have been downloaded to a hand-held device while managing and enforcing digital rights of content providers through the watermarking and/or encryption.
US07779048B2
Embodiments of the invention relate generally to incremental computing. Specifically, embodiments of the invention include systems and methods that provide for the concurrent processing of multiple, incremental changes to a data value while at the same time monitoring and/or enforcing threshold values for that data value. For example, a method is provided that determines whether multiple incremental changes to a data field could pass a threshold based on keeping track of a possible value range for the data field.
US07779045B2
System(s) and method(s) facilitate improved performance for insert/update query requests in a database. A lazy updating based on delaying updates of newly inserted records combined with a master-staging partitioning scheme avoid deterioration of performance arising from updating indexes related to new records inserted in a database. Table partitioning as well as partitioning of indexes associated with the table allow new records to reside in manageable sections of memory for pre-configured periods of times prior to being updated. To avoid deterioration of performance associated with increasing size of table/index partitions, the size is maintained below specific thresholds that can be determined based on query workload and other historical data. Deployment of partitions among file systems and design of update delay times can further increase performance of lazy updating.
US07779042B1
An event reporting system includes a computational component 228 operable (a) to receive notification of a change to an attribute of an entity, the entity, prior to the change, being associated with a first surrogate key, and (b) to defer the use of a second surrogate key for the entity until a selected time. The second surrogate key was generated to reflect the change.
US07779041B2
In one aspect, in a computer-implemented method may make data anonymous, so that the data may be used during testing. The method may include receiving, from a user interface, an indication of a type of shuffling to be performed on data. Moreover, the data may be shuffled based on the received indication of the shuffling type. The shuffling may rearrange the data to make the data anonymous. The shuffled data may be provided to an application. Related systems, apparatus, methods, and/or articles are also described.
US07779036B2
Methods and apparatus for enabling efficient testing of application programming interface (API) frameworks and application code are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for capturing a call to an API using a framework including an execution engine that communicate with an adapter to cause the API call to be executed involves making the API call and constructing an object using metadata associated with the API call. The constructed object is converted into a node that is of a declarative metadata format, and the node is stored.
US07779035B2
According to the invention, a system for downloading audio or video to a browser is disclosed. The system includes a media server, a content database and a web page. The content database includes the content object, and the content database is linked to the media server. The web page presented to the browser and includes a link to the content object. The link avoids activating an autoplay feature of the browsers should the link be activated.
US07779034B2
A method and system for accessing a file in a directory structure associated with an application includes a method of accessing a file in a directory structure associated with an application. A request by an application for access to a file is intercepted. The request is redirected to a first isolation environment. A determination is made that the requested file does not exist in the first isolation environment. The request is redirected to a second isolation environment responsive to a determination that the file is identified in an enumeration of a directory structure including a plurality of application files residing on a remote machine. The requested file is retrieved from a file server, responsive to a determination that the second isolation environment does not contain the file and that the file is identified in the enumeration.
US07779033B2
A method for controlling a data processing device connected to a computer via an interface wherein a device specific command is generated on the computer by an application program, the command is stored in a special file and is then transmitted by the computer to the device with the aid of a write instruction of the computer operating system. The special file is received by the device, the device specific command is read out from the special file and the device processor executes the command. The method allows the device processor to execute a device specific command exclusively using the write instruction of the computer's own operating system without requiring particular administrator rights.
US07779030B2
A method and apparatus are provided for managing content using a remote user interface (RUI). A method for a first RUI server to provide content to a second RUI server includes: receiving a request to provide content from a device using an RUI provided by the first RUI server; and transmitting access information of the content to the second RUI server, wherein the device is an RUI client to which RUIs from the first RUI server and the second RUI server are provided. Accordingly, since the providing and use of content between a plurality of RUI servers can be managed through RUIs in remote, every RUI client, which can receive an RUI, can control content transmission between the plurality of RUI servers.
US07779029B2
To effect database queries and user interface screens that are independently refreshable and markup language-based, a machine-readable medium contains object-oriented code for defining a database query, including instructions for storing the result of the database query, based on a markup language element representation of the query, and object-oriented code for displaying a user interface screen based on a markup language element representations of the screen which has a display element that is based at least in part upon the result of the database query. The machine-readable medium also contains object-oriented code for refreshing the database query and object-oriented code for refreshing the screen that are capable of mutually exclusive instantiation based upon a user specification of one of a markup language element representing a refreshing of the database query and a markup language element representing a screen refresh. The markup language may be Extensible Markup Language (XML).
US07779028B1
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for communicating information among devices. In use, content is presented utilizing a first device. In one embodiment, a request for information associated with the content may then be received utilizing the first device. To this end, the requested information may be sent to a second device other than the first device. In another embodiment, a request for a contact associated with the content may be received utilizing the first device. Thus, in response to the request, contact may be established with the second device in regards to the content.
US07779026B2
In one particular embodiment, the disclosure is directed to a network management system. The network monitoring system includes at least one device definition file, a simple network management protocol enabled communications interface, and a data access interface. The definition file includes query instructions associated with portions of MIBs associated with a network device. The simple network management protocol enabled communications interface may access the network device using the query instructions and may receive response data from the network device. The data access interface may be configured to provide external access to the response data and configure thresholds.
US07779012B2
A search system for finding information relevant on an intranet in response to a user query. Separate from the query, the system crawls the intranet to select at least some of the pages in the intranet. The system determines, for items in a selected page, an indication of the specificity or generality of that information based on structural information, such as display formatting or a number of links in a shortest path from a root page to the identified page. The system can also determine the level of specificity of a search query. When a user provides a query to request information over the intranet, pages matching the query can be ranked by comparing the level of specificity or generality of the query to the level of specificity or generality of the terms that match the query.
US07779011B2
A method and system are provided of processing a search query entered by a user of a device having a text input interface with overloaded keys. The search query is directed at identifying an item from a set of items. Each of the items has a name including one or more words. The system receives from the user an ambiguous search query directed at identifying a desired item. The search query comprises a prefix substring of at least one word in the name of the desired item. The system dynamically identifies a group of one or more items from the set of items having one or more words in the names thereof matching the search query as the user enters each character of the search query. The system also orders the one or more items of the group in accordance with given criteria. The names of the one or more items of the identified group are output to be displayed on the device operated by the user as ordered with the characters of the one or more words in the names corresponding to the prefix substring of the search query being highlighted.
US07779009B2
A query phrase may be automatically classified to one or more topics of interest (e.g., categories) to assist in routing the query phrase to one or more appropriate backend databases. A selectional preference query classification technique may be used to classify the query phrase based on a comparison between the query phrase and patterns of query phrases. Additionally, or alternatively, a combination of query classification techniques may be used to classify the query phrase. Topical classification of a query phrase also may be used to assist a search system in delivering auxiliary information to a user who entered the query phrase. Advertisements, for instance, may be tailored based on classification rather than query keywords.
US07779000B2
A method and system associate conditional formats with selected data points or groups of data points within a summary table. In one embodiment, related groups of data are determined based upon currently highlighted cells in a summary table. A user then selects from the groups and identifies conditional formats to be associated with the specified data points. The conditional formats are associated with currently displayed as well as non-displayed data within the summary table. The associated conditions are saved relative to the data points rather than the original cell positions so that the conditions remain associated with the data points following a reorganization of the summary table.
US07778999B1
A method for allowing individuals and groups of individuals to establish accountability relationships which are useful for generating shared commitments to avoid undesirable digital materials is disclosed. A application is loaded on a client which accesses a blacklist database of inappropriate words. The blacklist database associates a rating for each inappropriate word in the database. As a monitored user accesses digital content, a capture module captures the digital content in real time. All textual components of the digital content is examined and an overall appropriateness rating for each individual piece of digital content is developed. Via an access server, the data is recorded and reported and a monitoring user may a report on the data accessed by the monitored user.
US07778980B2
Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided for providing disparate content as a playlist of media files for rendering on a portable media player. Embodiments include aggregating content of disparate data formats from disparate data sources, wherein the aggregated content is in a data format incompatible with the portable media player; assigning a portion of the aggregated content to a channel; creating a plurality of media files including the portion of the aggregated content assigned to the channel, the media files being in a data format compatible with the portable media player; and storing the plurality of media files as a playlist.
US07778979B2
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for compressing a log record information provided e.g. to a monitoring system. Frequent patterns in the log information are detected and, then, redundant frequent patterns whose value or record combination is a subset of a value or record combination of another one of said detected frequent patterns are removed. Accordingly, a general method is provided which can be applied to all event logs arising from communication networks or other monitoring systems. The detection of frequent patterns is only based on value or record combinations and is thus independent of the specific application. On the other hand, the size of the stored log files can be decreased remarkably while remaining readable for human beings.
US07778971B2
Connection architectures, methods, systems and computer readable media are described. In one exemplary embodiment, a computer readable medium comprises a first software component which is configured to interface, through first software based messages, with synchronization software components during a structured data synchronization process between a host and a device and which is configured to interface, through second software based messages, with a plurality of different stream handlers for a corresponding plurality of physical interfaces. Systems, methods, architectures and other computer readable media are also described.
US07778970B1
A method for managing object evolution in a distributed object store (DOS) involving requesting an update of an object, wherein the object includes an active globally unique identifier (AGUID) object and at least one version globally unique identifier (VGUID) object, wherein the at least one VGUID object includes a first generation number and a first serializer name, locating a first serializer using the first serializer name, wherein the first serializer is associated with the first generation number, obtaining an order of the update using the first serializer, and creating a new VGUID object, wherein the new VGUID object includes a new version number, the first generation number, and the first serializer name.
US07778967B2
A system and method of providing efficient management of distributed, diversified, large sized spatial data as a scalable solution.The system and method are based on the combination of the following:Distributed spatial data is managed by spatial data servers which are deployed next to each spatial data source that needs to be accessed allowing spatial data to remain in the location where it was created. Spatial data indices allow fast delivery of large spatial data sets and are automatically updated whenever spatial data sets are modified.Spatial meta servers coordinate the spatial data servers, publish the existence of the spatial data, define access permissions and communicate with other spatial meta severs extending the spatial data connectivity into other networks.Spatial data providers deployed next to each location requiring access to the spatial data allow spatial data to be discovered and accessed directly from the spatial data servers.
US07778955B2
Provision of a database access method allowing an open environment such as a Web system to access a main database constituted by a hierarchical database. A system for accessing a hierarchical database, including a storage section for storing schema information related to the hierarchical database converted to tree-structured data, and an access request generating section for generating a second access request to the hierarchical database based on the schema information converted to the tree-structured data corresponding to a first access request.
US07778953B2
A document management apparatus according to the invention is aimed at easily processing, managing and reusing newly taken image data in accordance with user's needs. The apparatus includes: a document area analyzing unit; a text information analyzing unit; a text information semantic analysis unit; a managing unit; an integrated information presenting unit; and a user-designated semantic setting unit capable of allowing the user to change the semantics of the text information presented by the integrated information presenting unit and to set the changed semantics.
US07778947B2
An anomaly monitoring device includes two neural networks which are switchable between a training mode by using training samples and a checking mode for classifying, based on a training result, whether an amount of characteristics obtained by an operation of an apparatus indicates that the operation of an apparatus is normal and a mode switching unit controlling one of the neural networks to operate in training mode and the other neural network to operate in the checking mode. Further, the anomaly monitoring device includes a switching determining unit computing a judgment evaluation value serving to evaluate reliability of a judgment result of the other neural network operating in the checking mode, and for instructing the mode switching unit to have the one of the neural networks operate in the checking mode and the other neural network operate in training mode when the judgment evaluation value does not meet evaluation criteria.
US07778937B2
Systems and methods are provided to automatically predict wait times for customers to obtain service transactions at a service establishment, wherein wait times are estimated based on a combination of wait time values determined from current and historical service information that is collected, stored and processed over time.
US07778935B2
A system and method for biometric-secure point-of-sale or online transactions and/or authentication and ID verification for restricted access that simplifies the checkout process and eliminates fraudulent transactions. The system employs a credit-card-sized device with integral fingerprint reader, on-board memory with pre-designated card number, infrared coder, power strip, plus at least one magnetic strip (encoded with designated financial account to be used for transactions, including routing number), one magnetic strip for personal medical and identification information and a bar code and photo ID for security. The card scanner is activated by an activation scan in which a subset of “minutia” are stored locally. To consummate a transaction (after registration), the user simply plugs their card scanner into a multi-function reader, and scans their own fingerprint. Upon authentication the card transmits the card/user ID to the reader as authentication of the transaction, the reader reads the encoded account numbers and routing information, offers a choice of account to charge to, verifies the total charge and completes the transaction. The process is fully secure.
US07778933B2
A system and method of allowing individuals to categorize transaction information. A user of the system may establish transaction identifiers that may be employed during or subsequent to a transaction in order to categorize transaction information.
US07778932B2
Device-based access to financial account functions is provided. Access to functions is based upon the protocols supported by the device. More secure protocols are used to access all account functions including more sensitive account functions, such as making online payments and transferring funds. Less secure protocols, such as those used by mobile telephones and wireless communication devices, can still be used to access the account in order to perform less sensitive account functions, such as checking account summaries or balances. In one embodiment, the user can alter security settings to determine which account functions are allowed based on the type of protocol being used.
US07778922B2
An agent device is connected to a user device for browsing a merchant site, for selling products online and being served up on the Internet, the merchant site, and a server device of a credit-card company. In the case where an instruction of purchasing a product browsed by the user device is output, the instruction is sent to the agent device. The agent device extracts a credit card number of a credit card held by a user having purchased the product, and inquires of the server device of the credit card company whether the product is to be purchased with the credit card. As an inquiry result, in the case where the product can be purchased online with the credit card, the agent device sends an instruction that the user purchases the product online with the credit card.
US07778919B2
In a preferred embodiment, the invention comprises a computer-implemented system and method of managing market information across a network of data providers, comprising the steps of: (a) electronically receiving first data including confidential information regarding market participants in a first system that protects said first data behind a firewall; (b) electronically receiving second data including confidential information regarding market participants in a second system that protects said second data behind a firewall; (c) electronically receiving an order and targeting parameters from a first market participant; (d) electronically issuing an advertisement request message to said first system and said second system, said advertisement message comprising display attributes of said order and comprising said targeting parameters; (e) electronically prompting said first system and said second system via the advertisement request message to each send a coordination request message to a Coordination Hub, said coordination request message comprising information deduced from said confidential information regarding market participants in said first and second systems, wherein the selection of the information that is sent to the Coordination Hub is based at least in part on said first market participant's targeting parameters; (f) electronically prompting based on the coordination request message said Coordination Hub to issue permissions to advertise the order to selected market participants, wherein market participants are selected based, at least in part, on said received information regarding market participants; and (g) electronically prompting based on the permission to advertise the order said first system and said second system to route information about said order from first participant to said selected market participants.
US07778911B2
Systems and methods are provided for processing derivative product orders at an exchange. Traders provide derivative product order risk data to the exchange. The order risk data may include maximum delta, gamma and/or vega utilization values for derivative product contracts based on the same underlying product. Before executing a trade, a match system analyzes the trader's current utilization state and the utilization that would result after the trade. The match system may then execute all or a portion of the trade.
US07778910B2
A computer-implemented method for analyzing corporate investments to measure the performance of a company is provided. The method may include: receiving financial data, the financial data including a plurality of operating investments of the company and a Future Value (FV) of the company; determining with a data processor a plurality of data points from the financial data, each of the plurality of data points indicative of a ratio between one of the plurality of operating investments and the Future Value (FV) of the company; determining a first benchmark and a second benchmark, the first benchmark indicative of a threshold ratio between the FV and the operating investment, the second benchmark indicative of a threshold operating investment; and displaying the data points, the first benchmark, and the second benchmark to advise a user of an effectiveness of the operating investments.
US07778908B1
Convertible financial instruments with cash settlement features. The present invention provides a way for an issuer to conduct a convertible instrument offering with a feature that allows the issuer to account for bonds using the “treasury stock method” of accounting. This bond offering feature is referred to herein as the “net share settlement feature” and includes both specific terms incorporated into the debt instruments, and a documented intention on the part of the issuer to settle the par, or the accreted face amount, of convertible bonds in cash. With the net share settlement feature in place, an issuer takes the convertible instruments into account using the treasury stock accounting formula to calculate its diluted earnings per share (EPS).
US07778906B2
A system for analyzing financial data to determine the cost of fraud related to financial presentation devices that are presentable to providers of goods or services is provided. A fraud assessment module executable by a processor receives sales data and operating cost data both related to financial presentation devices and determines a direct fraud loss and fraud operating cost based on the received data.
US07778904B1
The present invention is a method for providing a low cost source of mortgage funding to sub-prime borrowers which reduces the desire of quality sub-prime borrowers to leave the mortgage pool. A lender may receive an amount of money from a financial institution in the form of a borrowing instrument. A lender may deliver an amount of money in the form of a collateralization loan to a housing agency. Housing agency may invest loan in one or more financial products, such as lender underwritten insurance policies. Housing agency may deliver individual mortgage loan recommendations to lender. Lender may borrow funds used in the collateralization loan by selling the interest bearing borrowing instrument to a financial institution. Lender may also sell individual mortgage loans to one or more government sponsored entities. From these financial products, borrowing instruments, and individual mortgages, mortgage funding may be provided to sub-prime borrowers.
US07778902B2
A method for opening an on-line brokerage account includes the steps of opening an on-line brokerage account for a user based on account information received from the user, the on-line brokerage account having one or more restrictions, generating an application based on the account information: requesting that the user submit required information with the application within a predetermined time to remove the one or more restrictions from the on-line brokerage account, and removing said one or more restrictions from the on-line brokerage account when the application including the required information is received within the predetermined time.
US07778900B2
Methods, computer systems, and computer-readable media describe the computerized processing of invoices. Invoices having a balance larger or smaller than preselectable values are selected from a plurality of invoices presented to two or more customers. It is determined whether payments according to the selected invoices have been made before or at the time of selection, and invoices that have been partially paid or not paid are automatically presented to a collector or collection specialist.
US07778891B1
A system and method for inventory management is provided. An indication of a removal of a first resource at a first location is received, and a risk value associated with the first resource at the location is calculated. A determination is made if the risk value is less than a predetermined threshold, and a request to transfer a second resource from a second location to the first location is generated.
US07778889B2
A system in accordance with the invention creates a predesigned software product generally for e-commerce applications that is modifiable by a company-user in terms of not only look and feel, but also functionality and flow. Such a system includes a set of predesigned business modules where each business module performs a unique function. Each business module is accompanied by a respective set of templates, each of which models a web page. Within each template is embedded one or more commands. To customize its system, the company-user (1) selects which business modules it desires, (2) selects which templates it desires to use with each business module, and (3) customizes each template in terms of look and feel. By selecting the modules, the company-user determines the system's overall functionality, and by selecting the templates, the company-user determines the look and feel and flow of the system. Once customized, the company-user populates a database for use of the system with company-specific data.
US07778883B2
A system and method for generating a filtered product list from a master product list, and for electronically facilitating subsequent contractual activities executed pursuant to a contract. The contract comprises a Business Rules Book containing a set of rules from which specific rules may be selected for inclusion in the contract. A Terms and Conditions Set representing a unique set of instances of rules selected from the Business Rules Book is selected from a plurality of stored Terms and Conditions Sets. The seller and the buyer settle the provisions of the contract by agreeing to a mutually acceptable set of Terms and Conditions. The administering organization creates a Product List Filter specific to each seller or buyer, targeting products in which there is a mutual interest. The Business Rules Book, Terms and Conditions and Product List Filter are linked in a contract profile, to create a contract representing the agreement between the seller and the buyer, and the contract is locked. The Product List Filter allows the product list visible to the buyer or seller to be altered unilaterally by the administering organization, by modifications to the master product list.
US07778880B2
Remote access to a computerized inventory, which includes images of items stored in a storage unit that is assigned to a customer, is provided so that the customer may view the images of the stored items. The remote access may further allow the customer to select particular items, according to the images, and send instructions to a storage facility representative, concerning those selected items.
US07778879B2
This invention relates to a process for ordering a selection in advance, characterized in that it includes a step in which a menu is displayed followed by a selection in this menu, to make specific requests and particularly: a step displaying the event for which the advance order of a selection is made, and then selection of the event; a step displaying the identity of destination equipment on which the selection is to be played, and then selection of this equipment; a step displaying the date and time at which the selection is to be made on the destination equipment; a step in which particular requests are recorded and downloaded onto a file only after payment has been verified.
US07778877B2
A novel communications network tracks and manages Merchant and Affiliate promotional efforts in a seamless, integrated fashion. Operative characteristics include central control over new, Rich Media promotional links, allowing sophisticated promotions employing Java-based presentations or similar to be easily applied across a broad network of connected Affiliate sites. The system accomplishes this, in part, by providing a selective API for use in wrapping the promotional links. In accordance with this protocol, these links may be hosted by the Clearinghouse or Merchant, and sourced from a variety of third-party vendors.
US07778871B2
A system and method for optimizing and sequencing marketing events for offering to candidates. The system comprises a software application stored on a computer readable medium. The software application comprises an optimization tool and a timing tool. The optimization tool optimizes marketing events from a first list for candidates from a second list. Each marketing event from the first list comprises a marketing offer and an identified channel means for communicating the marketing offer. The timing tool determines an optimal sequence for offering each of the optimized marketing events to the candidates.
US07778868B2
A redemption system for use with Low Authentication Promotion (LAP) programs. The redemption system includes a method for use with a network promotion system. The network promotion system provides awards to consumers for participation in promotion programs. The method performs steps of receiving award transaction information describing awards earned by consumers for participation in promotion programs, maintaining an award history database that contains the award transaction information, receiving a request from a consumer to redeem at least a portion of the awards earned by the consumer, and determining a level of consumer authentication required from the consumer to redeem the at least a portion of the awards, wherein the level of consumer authentication is determined from the award transaction information maintained in the award history database.
US07778865B1
A distributional assessment system for assessing the job performance of individuals within an organization. A rater, uses the distributional assessment system to rate the performance of a ratee, such as an employee. The distributional assessment system guides the rater through a job function description process to generate a set of assigned weights and a best feasible performance rating. The weights and best feasible performance rating are used along with an actual performance rating to generate an overall distributional assessment of the ratee. The ratee may use the weights and distributional assessment to determine the lowest cost path to improving personal job performance. In addition, an organization can use aggregate distributional assessments to determine the overall performance rating of an organization and determine the lowest cost path to improving the organization's performance. Individual distributional assessments and new job function weights may be used to identify the most likely candidates for a job promotion.
US07778858B1
The present invention is directed to the storage of a customized greeting in an on-line calendar entry of a subscriber and providing the customized greeting to a contactor contacting the subscriber when the calendar entry is current.
US07778857B2
Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to a system and method for service parts planning in a multi-echelon network having one or more service parts. For at least a subset of the one or more service parts, a calculation is performed to determine a location within the multi-echelon network at which allocating the service part provides the greatest gain in system availability per item cost. In one embodiment, the calculations take into consideration violations of incremental optimal allocation. In an embodiment, the calculations take into consideration violations of convexity.
US07778856B2
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of modeling operational risk comprising the steps of: defining one or more reporting hierarchies, wherein said reporting hierarchies are composed of operational units; associating operational risk data to one or more of said operational units, wherein said operational risk data includes data associated with a plurality of first loss events; and calibrating a plurality of loss processes and a plurality of loss process attributes using said plurality of first loss events, wherein a plurality of loss processes are generated for use in at least one of risk management, operations management, and financial management.
US07778854B2
A system and method for managing channel partner responsibilities. According to an embodiment, an application receives an assignment of a responsibility to a channel partner or the channel partner's employees and assigns the responsibility thereto. According to another embodiment, an application receives a command by the brand owner to search for a channel partner or channel partner's employee based on responsibility data of the channel partner or the channel partner's employees, generates a search rule based on the command, executes the search rule in order to perform the search, and provides results of the search to the brand owner. According to another embodiment, in response to a command, an application searches a database for a channel partner to perform a job, selects a channel partner to perform the job whose responsibilities most closely match the job, and automatically dispatches the job to the selected channel partner. According to yet another embodiment, a data structure comprises one or more data elements identifying a responsibility associated with the channel partner or the channel partner's employees.
US07778848B1
A seamless and compatible system comprised of various hardware and software components for storing and carrying digital medical records on bodily worn devices, accessing said medical records from bodily worn devices via wireless interface wands, displaying said medical records on portable hand held devices and screens, transmitting said medical records to either base unit computers or patient monitoring modules in emergency rooms, Also disclosed are unique methods for organizing and prioritizing said medical records via a unique weighted average risk factoring based on pre-existing conditions, access to medical records and prognosis during treatment. Also disclosed is a unique means of interfacing the system to the Internet to access said medical records from remote locations and for convenient updating of said records via remote locations.
US07778846B2
Transition probability sequencing models and metrics are derived from healthcare claims data to identify potentially fraudulent or abusive practices, providers, doctors, clients, or other entities. Healthcare reimbursement claims from hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, doctors, etc., are processed to identify sequences of states, and transition probability metrics are determined from frequency information pertaining to the states. The metrics can these be further analyzed in predictive or rule based models, or other tools.
US07778836B2
A system and method are disclosed for switching contexts within a spoken dialog between a user and a spoken dialog system. The spoken dialog system utilizes modular subdialogs that are invoked by at least one flow controller that is a finite state model and that associated with a dialog manager. The spoken dialog system includes a dialog manager with a flow controller and a reusable subdialog module. The method includes, while the spoken dialog is being controlled by the subdialog module that was invoked by the flow controller, receiving context-changing input associated with speech from a user that changes a dialog context and comparing the context-changing input to at least one context shift. And, if any of the context shifts are activated by the comparing step, then passing control of the spoken dialog to the flow controller with context shift message and destination state.
US07778833B2
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for computer generated voice in an interactive voice response system (IVR). A user will normally be able to identify the pre-recorded segments from the synthesized ones played by the IVR. According to an aspect of the invention there is provided a method of processing voice prompts in an IVR. The method can include: identifying a set of voice prompts within an application for output in a single voice, the set having a pre-recorded voice prompt and a computer generated voice prompt; providing reference voice characteristics formed from the pre-recorded voice prompt; and playing the computer generated voice prompt using the reference voice characteristics whereby the computer generated voice prompt sounds like the pre-recorded voice prompt.
US07778820B2
A system and method for inferring informational goals and preferred level of details in answers in response to questions posed to computer-based information retrieval or question-answering systems is provided. The system includes a query subsystem that can receive an input query and extrinsic data associated with the query and which can output an answer to the query, and/or rephrased queries or sample queries. The query subsystem accesses an inference model to retrieve conditional probabilities that certain informational goals are present. One application of the system includes determining a user's likely informational goals and then accessing a knowledge data store to retrieve responsive information. The system includes a natural language processor that parses queries into observable linguistic features and embedded semantic components that can be employed to retrieve the conditional probabilities from the inference model. The inference model is built by employing supervised learning and statistical analysis on a set of queries suitable to be presented to a question-answering system. Such a set of queries can be manipulated to produce different inference models based on demographic and/or localized linguistic data.
US07778815B2
A computer system simulation method starts with algorithmically implementing a specification model independently of hardware architecture. High level functional blocks representing hardware components are connected together using a bus architecture-independent generic channel. The bus architecture-independent generic channel is annotated with timing and protocol details to define an interface between the bus architecture-independent generic channel and functional blocks representing hardware components. The interface is refined to obtain a CCATB for communication space. The read( ) and write( ) interface calls are decomposed into several method calls which correspond to bus pins to obtain observable cycle accuracy for system debugging and validation and to obtain a cycle accurate model. The method calls are replaced by signals, and the functional blocks representing hardware components are further refined to obtain pin/cycle-accurate models which can be manually or automatically mapped to RTL, or be used to co-simulate with existing RTL components.
US07778813B2
Modify H.263-type quantization with an adaptive quantization parameter floor; this limits clipping of quantized DCT coefficients and consequent artifacts. The maximum absolute level of AC coefficients of a DCT transformed macroblock provides a minimum quantization parameter from integer division by 256 when the quantized levels are clipped to a range such as −127 to +127.
US07778803B1
An error bound that indicates how well a hypothesis function approximates an unknown target function over a set of out-of-sample examples is computed from known error bounds for basis functions, as follows. An optimization problem is formed in which basis function error bounds imply constraints on feasible outputs of the target function over out-of-sample inputs. The optimization problem is solved to find an upper bound on the differences between the hypothesis function outputs and feasible target function outputs. This upper bound is a an error bound for the hypothesis function.
US07778797B2
A system and method for detecting abnormal situations associated with a stirred vessel in a process plant receives statistical data associated with a pressure within a stirred vessel. A pressure signal associated with the pressure in the vessel is filtered by a digital filter to isolate a frequency component corresponding to pressure changes caused by the movement of a blade of an agitator through a fluid. For example, a pressure sensor device disposed at least partially within the stirred vessel may generate the statistical data based on a pressure signal. The statistical data is analyzed to detect whether one or more abnormal situations associated with an agitator of the stirred vessel exist. For example, the statistical data may be analyzed to detect whether the agitator is broken/unbalanced, corroded, missing a blade or multiple blades, etc. If an abnormal situation is detected, an indicator of the abnormal situation may be generated.
US07778793B2
A wireless sensor is provided to obtain information relating to vibration of wafers or substrates in a semiconductor processing system. In one exemplary embodiment, a wireless substrate-like sensor is provided and includes a power source adapted to provide power to the sensor, a wireless communication module coupled to the power source, and a controller coupled to the power source and the wireless communication module. An acceleration detection component is operably coupled to the controller to provide information relative to acceleration of the sensor in three axes.
US07778790B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes a plurality of flip-flops configured to form a scan chain in a scan path test to operate as a shift register. The first flip-flop of the plurality of flip-flops latches a first input signal in synchronization with a clock signal, outputs a first output signal and fixes the first output signal based on the first selection control signal. A second flip-flop of the plurality of flip-flops latches a second input signal in synchronization with the clock signal, outputs a second output signal, and fixes the second output signal based on a second selection control signal. The semiconductor integrated circuit device further includes a control circuit configured to generate the first and second selection control signals such that a period during which the first flip-flop fixes the first output signal is different from a period during which the second flip-flop fixes the second output signal.
US07778787B2
A time-of-flight PET nuclear imaging device (A) includes radiation detectors (20, 22, 24), electronic circuits (26, 28, 30, 32) for processing output signals from each of detectors (20), a coincidence detector (34), a time-of-flight calculator (38) and image processing circuitry (40). A calibration system (48) includes an energy source (50, 150) which generates an electrical or optical calibration pulse. The electrical calibration pulse is applied at an input to the electronics at an output of the detector and the optical calibration pulse is applied to a preselected point adjacent a face of each optical sensor (20) of the detectors. A calibration processor (52) measures the time differences between the generation of the calibration pulse and the receipt of a trigger signal from the electronic circuitry by the coincidence detector (34) and adjusts adjustable delay circuits (44, 46) to minimize these time differences.
US07778782B1
The present invention includes methods and apparatus for use in rapid testing for and prediction of a PPARα response (i.e. a response similar to that of PPARα agonists). The invention includes a PPARα response signature comprising a set of twenty genes. The invention discloses methods whereby the differential expression of the genes of the PPARα response signature may be used to predict whether a compound will induce a PPARα response in a test subject.
US07778781B2
The present invention relates to automated generation of multi-dimensional structure activity and structure property relationships.
US07778778B2
Measurements made by a multi-component induction logging tool are corrected for tool eccentricity in a deviated borehole. The eccentricity angle is determined from single frequency skin-effect corrected data and is then used to correct multifrequency data. Multifrequency focusing is then applied to the corrected multifrequency data. An inversion is then used to recover formation resistivity and relative dip and azimuth of the borehole.
US07778773B2
Transportation costs are minimized with a novel system for optimizing a route for a service vehicle, for example, a package delivery van. Based upon static and dynamic information, a computer on board the service vehicle determines an optimum route for the vehicle to travel between multiple locations. The computer on board the service vehicle communicates wirelessly to receive any pertinent dynamic information which has changed (e.g., traffic congestion, the presence of a customer at a deliver location, or a modification of location). The computer then recalculates the optimum route for the vehicle and guides the driver of the vehicle in accordance with the newly determined optimum route. The on board computer continues to check for any updates, and recalculates the optimum route throughout the day. Thus, the optimum route may be selected based upon the latest available information white avoiding heavy signal traffic on the wireless network.
US07778764B2
A fuel injection control apparatus for a multi-fuel engine can optimize a fuel injection quantity, using only one basic injection map, irrespective of alcohol concentration of a fuel. An E-concentration determining apparatus determines alcohol concentration of a fuel, based on a measured oxygen amount in exhaust. Basic injection quantities are stored in a basic injection map. E-concentration coefficients are stored in an E-concentration coefficient table for a plurality of alcohol concentrations in the fuel. A basic injection quantity, corresponding to a current rotary engine speed and a throttle opening, is selected from the basic injection map. A concentration coefficient, corresponding to the alcohol concentration and the basic injection quantity, is selected from the E-concentration coefficient table. A fuel injection quantity calculator determines an applied fuel injection quantity by multiplying the basic injection quantity by the concentration coefficient. Further adjustments using a number of additional correction coefficients may be made, as needed.
US07778758B2
This invention provides a vehicle cruise control system which, during recognition of a shape of a road extending in a frontward direction of host vehicle, can calculate the road shape rapidly and accurately from a positional relationship with respect to the host vehicle. The system includes at least: a position change detector that detects, from information on the road existing in the frontward direction of the vehicle, a horizontal distance from a line segment orthogonal to a traveling direction vector of the vehicle, to a centerline of the road, the detection being conducted at a plurality of measuring points in an extending direction of the traveling direction vector; a road shape recognizer that identifies the shape of the road from data relating to linearity of changes in each of the horizontal distances, the linearity data being obtained by the position change detector; and a cruise controller that controls traveling of the vehicle according to results of the identification by the road shape recognizer.
US07778753B2
A vehicle operation assist system includes as assist yaw rate calculator which calculates a necessary moving amount to avoid an obstacle based on a detection result of the obstacle by a radar device, and a vehicle movement controller controls lateral movement of the vehicle based on the calculated moving amount. When an avoiding operation detector determines initiation of an obstacle avoiding operation by the driver, the vehicle movement controller operates a braking device to control the lateral movement of the vehicle, so that the obstacle can be reliably avoided. When a restoring operation detector determines initiation of a restoring operation, the vehicle movement controller operates a power steering device to control the lateral movement of the vehicle, so that delay in the steering operation by the driver, and excessive restoring operation of the steering handle to compensate for the delay are suppressed, thus stabilizing vehicle behavior.
US07778751B2
Automotive service equipment and method of servicing an automotive vehicle use an automotive service machine having at least one automatic mode of operation during which an operator is not required to be present. A first, stationary communication module connected to the service machine receives first signals from the machine indicating the status of an automatic mode of operation of the machine and wirelessly transmits second signals communicating when an operator's attention to the machine is required. A second, portable communication module remotely receives the second signals and in response activates a signaling device in the second module for signaling an operator that attention to the machine is required. Thereby, during vehicle servicing the operator can perform other tasks within the workshop, thus being more productive and efficient.
US07778736B2
A sprinkler system having a method and computer program comprises one or more sprinklers each comprising a sprinkler valve adapted to regulate an amount of fluid delivered by the sprinkler in response to a control signal; a master unit adapted to transmit digital data; and a sprinkler controller comprising a receiver adapted to receive a signal representing the digital data; a media access controller adapted to obtain the digital data from the signal; and a processor adapted to produce the control signal based on the digital data obtained by the media access controller; and an output circuit adapted to provide the control signal to the sprinklers.
US07778731B2
In a control system of a legged mobile robot having a body and legs connected to the body and driven by a leg actuator, there is provided an operation controller which generates gaits based on an external force, more specifically gaits for walking by taking a hand of a human being or with the hand being taken by the hand of the human being and controls operation of at least the leg actuator based on the generated gaits. With this, it becomes possible to control the robot to come contact with a human being to establish communication therewith, while enabling to keep a stable posture during the contact.
US07778724B2
A device for estimating machining dimensions of a machine tool which employs tool members each being rotatably driven by a driving unit includes: a vibration sensor; a characteristics extracting unit for extracting amounts of characteristics from an output of the vibration sensor; a neural network for classifying the amounts of characteristics into categories; and a conversion unit. Amounts of characteristics of generated output by racing the tool member are used for training the neural network, and inputted again to the trained competitive learning neural network to excite neurons so that the relationships between Euclidean distances and machining dimensions of workpieces are registered in the conversion unit. The Euclidean distances are obtained between weight vectors of the excited neurons and respective corresponding training samples, and the machining dimensions are obtained when the workpieces are machined by the tool members at the same condition as the respective corresponding training samples are obtained.
US07778720B2
A method and system for a product line management is presented. The system is capable of performing steps of the method. The method includes a first step of obtaining a product line architecture (PLA). A second step of obtaining a Change Management Workflow (CMW), the CMW includes a plurality of change activities, and the CMW being capable of interacting with the PLA. A third step of obtaining value stream maps for both the PLA and the CMW. A fourth step of creating activity lines for each of the change activity according to the PLA and the CMW. A fifth step of computing risk indicatives for the PLA and the CMW. A sixth step of triggering changes in the PLA and the CMW according the change activity, activity line, risk indicatives, or any combination thereof. And another step of repeating the steps of obtaining value stream maps onwards while managing the product line.
US07778699B1
Techniques are provided for controlling the recording of intracardiac electrograms (IEGMs) within an implantable medical device such as a pacemaker, wherein the device is capable of recording different channels of IEGMs in response to different diagnostic triggers. Exemplary triggers include pacemaker-mediated tachycardia; atrial tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, etc. In one example, the device stores, for each diagnostic trigger, a physician selection of particular IEGMs to be recorded for subsequent review. Then, whenever a trigger is detected, the device senses and records only the particular IEGMs that had been selected by the physician for that particular trigger. The IEGMs are eventually transmitted to an external programmer for review. In this manner, the physician can specify particular IEGMs to be stored in response to particular diagnostic triggers, thereby providing considerable diagnostic flexibility, while also conserving memory. Triggers can be classified as atrial-related or ventricular-related, with appropriate IEGMs stored. Pre-trigger IEGM storage can also be accommodated.
US07778698B1
Methods and systems may identify a vector or a vector configuration, such as a combination of electrodes, for monitoring ischemia. The method may include: selecting a first combination of sensors as a first candidate to be used for monitoring ischemia; detecting a shift in a ST segment of one of an electrocardiogram and a cardiac electrogram using the first candidate; selecting a second combination of sensors as a second candidate to be used for monitoring ischemia; detecting a shift in a ST segment of one of an electrocardiogram and a cardiac electrogram using the second candidate; comparing the ST shifts for the first and second candidates; and identifying one of the first and second candidates for monitoring ischemia based on the comparison. A multi-electrode implantable cardiac device may include a controller configured to effectuate such functions.
US07778679B2
An implantable sensor includes electronic circuitry for automatically performing on a periodic basis, e.g., every 1 to 24 hours, specified integrity tests which verify proper operation of the sensor.
US07778678B2
A tablet type computer for radio communication with other radio devices using two or more antennas in which, when sending radio waves, a radio communication control unit switches the antennas so that sending of radio signals is made using the antenna disposed at a position farthest from the operator or disposed at a position where the possibility of a part of the operator body coming in touch with the antenna is the lowest. With this operation, even a tablet type computer can keep away as much as possible a hand or a part of the body of the operator from the antenna which is a source of harmful electromagnetic waves.
US07778672B2
A device holder is placed on the lower region of a display unit, and part of an operating unit is placed on the holder. The operating unit is overlapping the display unit. Moreover, operating buttons other than those mounted on the holder are shaped so that the portions thereof projecting from a housing will have a substantially triangular cross section. Consequently, a finger with which the operating buttons are manipulated touches the portion of each of the operating buttons corresponding to the apex of the triangular cross section, that is, touches each of the operating buttons along a line. A degree to which the operating buttons are incorrectly manipulated is decreased, and the maneuverability of the operating buttons is held satisfactory. Moreover, the space between adjoining operating buttons is narrowed. Consequently, a portable cellular phone is greatly downsized to an extent equivalent to both a degree to which the operating unit is overlapping the display unit and a degree to which the space between adjoining operating buttons is narrowed.
US07778668B2
A portable cellular phone terminal device having a communication function for communicating via a network and at least one accessory function in addition to the communication function, the portable cellular phone terminal device including: a reading section for reading ID information containing information for connection with the network from a storage media that stores the ID information and is configured to be detachable; and a control section for restricting on utilizing the accessory function in a case where the storage media is detached or the communication by use of the ID information is not allowed.
US07778665B2
A PDA arrangement includes a PDA station and a PDA device detachably mounted thereto. The PDA station includes a first casing and a second casing pivotally connecting thereto edge-to-edge, wherein the first casing includes a first PDA-functional keypad and a computer-functional keypad on inner and outer sides thereof, wherein the second casing includes a second PDA-functional keypad. The first casing further has an accessing window. The PDA device is detachably mounted at the accessing window of the PDA station and is wirelessly communicating with the PDA station. The PDA station further has a plurality of card holders provided on the second casing, wherein each of the card holders is adapted for operatively holding a data card thereat such that data stored at the PDA device is synchronously copied to the data cards respectively held at the card holders through the PDA station.
US07778658B2
A mobile terminal for communicating with a network entity includes a RF module for communicating with the network entity, a display for displaying information to a user, a memory for storing data relating to operation of the mobile terminal, and a processor. The processor may be configured to adjust power control step size of the mobile terminal by receiving signal condition data from the network entity, and adjusting the power control step size based on the signal condition data. The mobile terminal may also be configured to operate with 1xEV-DO systems.
US07778653B2
A method and communication system is provided for optimizing paging of a mobile communication device in cells of a multi-cell communication system. The communication system includes the cells, a network controller, and the mobile communication device. Each of the cells has a base station located therein for transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals. The network controller is coupled to each of the base stations and provides information thereto for transmission as RF signals within an associated cell, the network controller also receiving information from the base stations that is received from RF signals transmitted in the associated cell. The mobile communication device travels within the cells during one or more mobile communication device runs and detects RF signals transmitted from the base stations. Thereafter, the mobile communication device provides run information to the network controller identifying acquired cells acquired during the one or more mobile communication device runs and neighbor cells adjacent to the acquired cells and detected during the one or more mobile communication device runs at a signal strength greater than a predetermined signal strength. The network controller receives the run information and defines a user specific paging zone for the mobile communication device, the user specific paging zone including a portion of the ells selected in response to the run information.
US07778639B2
A network-initiated area event triggered positioning method for a roaming terminal in a session-based position information system is disclosed. Network-initiation of area-based positioning of a roaming terminal is discriminated according to a proxy mode and a non-proxy mode, and area-based positioning for the roaming terminal is performed in various manners according to whether an SLP for performing the positioning procedure with respect to the discriminated modes is a V-SLP or an H-SLP.
US07778636B2
A system and method for receiving an electronic response to an advertisement that is wirelessly transmitted to a mobile wireless communications device involve routing a connection from the wireless communications device to a source based at least in part on a location of the mobile wireless communications device. A wireless communications device has an input and a display and, in response to an input indicating interest in that which is advertised, transmits its location for use in routing a connection with a source associated with the advertisement.
US07778634B2
Area quality information is collected from a user terminal without applying an excessive traffic load to a system. Operation maintenance center (OMC) (307) transmits a confirmation signal to a wireless access terminal AT (305) through a base transceiver station BTS (301), and receives a wireless access terminal identifier from the wireless access terminal. The OMC stores the received identifier of the wireless access terminal correspondingly to an identifier of the base transceiver station. In a case where a performance value acquired from the BTS is a previously determined limit value or less, the OMC reads the identifier of the wireless access terminal corresponding to the identifier of the base transceiver station. The OMC transmits an acquisition instruction of information to the wireless access terminal. The OMC acquires area quality information including position information of the wireless access terminal and radio waves information between the wireless access terminal at the position and the base transceiver station.
US07778633B2
A system for remote monitoring and control of remotely located equipment that minimizes wireless airtime includes an interface device coupled with the remote equipment. The interface device selectively communicates over a wireless network with a central server and/or a user device. Wireless communication with the interface device is field configurable by a user to be selectively triggered base on user specified operational conditions. Communication by the interface device may be with one of a first protocol and a second protocol based on user specified operating conditions to optimize wireless airtime. The first protocol includes a user configured data string to select information to be transmitted based on the user specified operating conditions. The second protocol includes a user configurable datafile selectively transmitted over a voice channel of the wireless network based on the user specified operating conditions. Messages communicated with the first and second protocol may be selectively utilized to generate an alert message to the user device based on a user configured message profile.
US07778632B2
A multi-modal multi-lingual mobile device that facilitates intelligently automating an action. The device can automatically synchronize a user schedule based upon a user state, intention, preference and/or limitation. The device can employ sensors to automatically detect criteria by which to automatically implement an action. Moreover, the system can interrogate a user thus converging upon a user intention and/or preference. An analyzer component can intelligently evaluate the compiled criterion in order to automatically perform an action. The multi-modal multi-lingual mobile device can automatically facilitate identification of an individual. Other actions that are automatically performed can include modifying personal information manager data, translating languages into a language comprehendible to a user, etc. Implementation of these actions can be based at least in part upon an environmental factor, a conversation, a location factor and a temporal factor.
US07778631B2
Techniques for synchronization of stored service parameters are disclosed. In one aspect, a configuration identifier is transmitted from a mobile station to a base station, and compared with an identifier generated in the base station. If the identifiers match, the configuration is used for communication. In another aspect, the identifier is generated by selecting an identifier associated with a configuration from a configuration table. In yet another aspect, the identifier is generated by computing a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) of the configuration. Various other aspects are also presented. These aspects have the benefit of preventing attempted use of unsynchronized stored service parameters and associated call setup failures and subsequent renegotiation, with the net effect of reducing call setup time and more efficient use of system resources.
US07778629B2
The invention enhances mobile device software such that upon receipt of a specially formatted SMS message, the software can automatically dial a telephone number that was specified in the message after a configurable timed interval. A further enhancement comprises improvements to the integration between collaboration software (such as Lotus Notes) and mobile device software to enable employees to utilize this invention for connecting to conference calls. During the method of the present invention, a potentially contentious situation is detected. After this detection, this method, disrupts the capability of the system to automatically connect the user to a previously scheduled telephone conference, and notifies the user and querying the user and giving the user options to determine how the user desires to handle the one or more incoming calls. The user options can depend on the particular situation detected.
US07778625B2
An operation-mode control unit controls switching of an operation mode of a portable wireless terminal apparatus between a normal mode and an alarm mode. An alarm-data sending unit sends data pertaining to a situation of a user to a predetermined destination as alarm data, when the operation mode is switched to the alarm mode. In the normal mode, the portable wireless terminal apparatus performs normal functions, such as a phone call and an e-mail. In the alarm mode, the portable wireless terminal apparatus performs a user protecting function in addition to the normal functions, such as sending the alarm data to the predetermined destination.
US07778621B2
Some embodiments include a method disposing an integrated circuit die within a housing, the integrated circuit die having integrated circuitry formed thereon, the integrated circuitry including first transponder circuitry configured to transmit and receive radio frequency signals, wherein the integrated circuit die is void of external electrical connections for anything except power supply external connections; and disposing second transponder circuitry, discrete from the first transponder circuitry, within the housing, the second transponder circuitry being configured to transmit and receive radio frequency signals, wherein the first and second transponder circuitry are configured to establish wireless communication between one another within the housing, the second transponder circuitry being disposed within 24 inches of the first transponder circuitry within the housing.
US07778617B2
In an embodiment, a receiver for processing a RF input signal having a variable signal strength includes an RF amplifier, an IF amplifier, and a controller. The RF amplifier is configured to receive and amplify the RF input signal. The IF amplifier is coupled to an output of the RF amplifier. The controller controls gains of the RF amplifier and the IF amplifier during times of falling signal strength. A gain of the IF amplifier is increased as the signal strength falls until a first amplitude threshold is reached for the falling signal strength. If the signal strength falls beyond the first threshold, a gain of the RF amplifier is increased until a second amplitude threshold is reached. The second amplitude threshold is lower than the first amplitude threshold. If the signal strength falls below the second amplitude threshold, the gain of the IF amplifier is further increased.
US07778616B2
One illustrative method of reducing signal interference in a wireless receiver includes receiving a radio frequency (RF) signal; amplifying the received RF signal with a gain G; producing a baseband signal from the amplified RF signal; producing a signal-to-interference (S/I) ratio from the baseband signal; and adjusting the gain G based on the S/I ratio. Preferably, the gain G is varied over a time period to produce a plurality of S/I ratios, so that the gain G corresponding a maximum S/I ratio produced over the time period can be selected for optimal performance. With this technique, higher accuracy is provided as intermodulation distortion is accounted for in the S/I ratio. Advantageously, the S/I ratio calculations and the gain adjustments are performed digitally by one or more processors such as a digital signal processor (DSP).
US07778614B1
A receiver contains a demodulator system that can extract digital data from wireless radio frequency signal. The digital data contains at least three sets of compressed digital audio data each corresponding to an audio program. At least two of the three sets of compressed digital audio data are stored in storage. Each of the stored sets of compressed digital data is associated with a set of index data. The receiver contains an output device allowing a user to perceive the sets of index data. The receiver also contains a digital to analog converter. If a user selects one of the sets of compressed digital audio data, the selected compressed digital audio data is decompressed and converted to analog audio data.
US07778605B2
A method for reporting, through a wireless network, information related to interference components received by a first telecommunication device which has M antennas to a second telecommunication device which has N antennas, the method comprises the steps executed by the first telecommunication device of: measuring the interference components received by the first telecommunication device, determining at most M weighting vectors from the measured interference components, weighting at most M pilot signals with the at most M determined weighting vectors, and transferring the at most M weighted pilot signals to the second telecommunication device.
US07778603B2
A system for managing the operation of a plurality of radio modems contained within the same wireless communication device. The radio modems may be managed so that simultaneous communication involving two or more radio modems utilizing conflicting wireless communication mediums may be avoided. More specifically, a multiradio controller may identify when scheduled communication time in a radio modem using a more dominant, or high priority, wireless communication medium will in actually go unused, and may reallocate some or all of the now available scheduled time to radio modems using a lower priority wireless communication medium that have messages to transact.
US07778597B2
A telecommunications chassis, module, and repeater circuit for use with signals having data rates including STM-1 (155.52 megabits per second) are disclosed. The chassis provides structures for establishing shielding and heat dissipation for the circuitry modules it contains including an outer and an inner Faraday box with an integrated ventilation pattern for circulating air. The module provides its own structures for establishing shielding and heat dissipation including a Faraday box and a ventilation pattern. The repeater circuit provides the ability to bridge a data signal between a monitor jack of one device and a higher signal level input jack of another device through multiple amplification stages and circuit board structures. The telecommunications chassis, module, and repeater circuit can be used in conjunction.
US07778590B2
Either a “list of song names” or a “list of artist names” is set (in a step S12) as a first display ordering which is to be a basic display ordering for songs, and, along with displaying (in steps S13 and S14) a song selection screen according to a display sequence setting table based on this first display ordering which has been set, particularly an appealing portion of a PV of a song which has been displayed in a song candidate display section and which has been selected with a music selection cursor is displayed in a selected PV display section; and furthermore (in steps S15, S20, S26, and S33) a appealing portion of the song is outputted via speakers.
US07778589B2
A method and apparatus for adjusting the print area by positioning a sheet in an imaging device utilizing length data from a prior sheet. A first sheet length is measured and thereafter utilized to determine the print zone for a subsequent sheet.
US07778587B2
An auto document feeder which loads and feeds a document to a read position provided on a read surface of a reader, the auto document feeder including a conveying device having an upstream roller placed upstream of the read position and a downstream roller placed downstream of the read position, the conveying device conveying the loaded document through the read position, a stabilizing roller provided upstream of the read position and opposing to the read surface, the stabilizing roller stabilizing movement of the document conveyed by the conveying device, and a guide member provided downstream of the read position and opposing to the read surface, the guide member guiding the document conveyed by the conveying device, wherein the following relationship is established the thickness of the document
US07778577B2
A developer container storing a developer of the present invention includes a developer outlet formed in the side wall thereof, and a shutter member for selectively opening or closing the developer outlet. The shutter member opens the developer outlet when the developer container is mounted to the body of an image forming apparatus or closes it when the former is dismounted from the latter. The toner container with this configuration surely prevents the developer from leaking when the developer container is dismounted from an image forming apparatus.
US07778572B2
An opening and closing assembly includes: (a) a first casing body; (b) a second casing body pivotable to be selectively placed in open and closed positions relative to the first casing body; and (c) a support stand for supporting the second casing body to maintain the open position. The support stand includes (c-1) a proximal end portion pivotably connected to one of the first and second casing bodies and (c-2) a distal end portion slidably connected to the other of the first and second casing bodies. The other of the first and second casing bodies includes (i) a guide portion for guiding the distal end portion of the support stand, and (ii) first and second wall portions cooperating with each other for gripping the distal end portion of the support stand. The distal end portion of the support stand includes a gripped portion having a thickness that is increased in a direction away from the distal end portion of the support stand toward the proximal end portion of the support stand.
US07778556B2
A toner supply device including: a toner bottle filled with toner; and a toner supply assembly mounting mechanism having the toner bottle mounted thereon and feeding toner discharged from the toner bottle to a developing unit and supplying toner to the developing unit in accordance with the amount of toner consumed in the developing unit for the process of printing, further comprises: a toner bottle releasing mechanism which, when the amount of toner left in the toner bottle has been reduced to a predetermined level or lower, causes the toner bottle to move in the direction opposite to the direction in which the toner bottle is set into the toner supply assembly mounting mechanism and separate from the toner feed device.
US07778555B2
A time point at which a predetermined period elapses since the start of use of a copying machine as a detection subject after factory shipment or repair is obtained. Pieces of set information, which are combinations of various types of information until the time point is reached are sequentially stored to construct a normal set information group. After the time point is reached, presence of abnormality in the copying machine is determined based on the normal set information group and the various types of information obtained.
US07778553B2
In an optical transmitter of the invention, continuous light from a light source is a (CS)RZ-D(Q)PSK modulated by two optical modulators connected in series, and a part of the optical signal output from a post-stage optical modulator is branched by an output monitor section, and the power of a preset frequency component, excluding a frequency component corresponding to a baud rate, included in an electrical spectrum acquired by photoelectrically converting the branched beams is measured. The relative phase of drive signals applied to the optical modulators is then feed-back controlled so that the power becomes a minimum. As a result, a delay shift due to a temperature change or the like between drive signals applied to respective optical modulators, can be reliably compensated.
US07778541B2
An imaging apparatus includes a flash light emitting portion moving between a housed position and a light emitting position, a biasing means for biasing the flash light emitting portion toward the light emitting position, a member to be locked moving with a movement of the flash light emitting portion, a locking means for locking the member to be locked in a state in which the flash light emitting portion exists at the housed position and suppressing change of the position of the flash light emitting portion, opposing a biasing force by the biasing means and a lock releasing means having an electromagnet and a moving portion, for releasing a locked state of the member to be locked by moving the moving portion in a direction apart from the electromagnet by applying electric current to the electromagnet and by allowing the locking means to pivot about an axis.
US07778508B2
Image display optical systems are disclosed that extend the angle of view longitudinally and transversely while saving space. The image display optical system includes a prism-shaped substrate transparent to an image-carrying light flux to be projected to a viewing eye, an introduction unit that guides the image-carrying light flux to a propagation path through which the image-carrying light flux propagates in a direction in which the image-carrying light flux from the outside enables internal reflection at least at three surfaces including at least one side of the substrate, and an output unit that guides the image-carrying light flux propagating through the substrate from the substrate to the viewing eye. By internally reflecting the image-carrying light flux at all the sides, i.e., three or more sides of the prism-shaped substrate, the propagation path is folded to be smaller and extends the opening angle of the light ray included in the image-carrying light flux longitudinally and transversely without increasing the substrate's size.
US07778507B2
A light guide comprising a base body and a plurality of outcoupling elements that are disposed on an outcoupling side of the base body and are provided to couple radiation out of the base body, said outcoupling elements being applied on a film. A method of producing the light guide.
US07778502B2
An optical transmission assembly consists of an upper cladding; a lower cladding; a core formed between the upper cladding and the lower cladding; a surface light emitting device mounted to an upper surface at one end of the upper cladding, a light emitting surface of the surface light emitting device facing the core and emitting wavelength λ1 light thereto; a reflective surface formed in the core and at a position facing the light emitting surface of the surface light emitting device, and inclined in a longitudinal direction of the core; an inclined surface formed in the core and facing the reflective surface in a longitudinal direction of the core, and inclined in a thickness direction of the upper or lower cladding; a wavelength filter formed on the inclined surface and transmitting wavelength λ1 light incident in a longitudinal direction of the core while reflecting wavelength λ2 (λ2≠λ1) light incident in the opposite longitudinal direction of the core to the incident direction of the wavelength λ1 light, in a thickness direction of the lower cladding; and a light receiving device mounted on a lower surface of the lower cladding and facing the wavelength filter.
US07778501B2
Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to integrated circuits having photonic interconnect layers and methods for fabricating the integrated circuits. In one embodiment of the present invention, an integrated circuit comprises an electronic device layer and one or more photonic interconnect layers. The electronic device layer includes one or more electronic devices, and the electronic device layer is attached to a surface of an intermediate layer. One of the photonic interconnect layers is attached to an opposing surface of the intermediate layer, and each of the photonic interconnect layers has at least one photonic device in communication with at least one of the electronic devices of the electronic device layer.
US07778500B2
An optical fiber strain sensor, a method of fabricating the same, and a method of sensing strain. The method of strain sensing comprises providing an optical fiber having a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) formed therein; subjecting the optical fiber to a strain inducing force such that a grating period in a first portion of the FBG compresses and a grating period in a second portion of the FBG extends; and optically interrogating the FBG to determine a measure of a change in bandwidth of the FBG as a result of the compression and extension of the grating periods in the first and second portion respectively; whereby the measure of the change in the bandwidth is representative of the strain induced.
US07778496B2
Provided is a method for processing dump data packets in a low earth orbital (LEO) satellite. The method includes the steps of: a) extracting table identification (ID) information from a header of high-resolution camera (HRC) dump data transmitted from the LEO satellite; b) searching a HRC dump table from a HRC dump table list based on the extracted table ID information; c) extracting sequence information from the transmitted HRC dump data; d) completing and storing an complete table based on the sequence information searched in the HRC dump table and the extracted sequence information; and e) reading and displaying the HRC dump table upon request of an operator.
US07778494B2
A half sample and quarter sample pixel value interpolation calculation classifies a set of all possible half sample and quarter sample pixel value interpolation calculations into a plurality of interpolation types. A function kernel for each interpolation type includes a half sample pixel and all quarter sample pixels whose value calculation depend on a value of said half sample pixel value. The correct function kernel is called invoking the corresponding value interpolation calculation. The function kernels operate iteratively over a plurality of macroblocks of at least two macroblock sub-partition sizes. The calculation of dependent quarter sample pixel values preferably employs a packed average instruction.
US07778491B2
An “Oblique Image Stitcher” provides a technique for constructing a photorealistic oblique view from a set of input images representing a series of partially overlapping views of a scene. The Oblique Image Stitcher first projects each input image onto a geometric proxy of the scene and renders the images from a desired viewpoint. Once the images have been projected onto the geometric proxy, the rendered images are evaluated to identify optimum seams along which the various images are to be blended. Once the optimum seams are selected, the images are remapped relative to those seams by leaving the mapping unchanged at the seams and interpolating a smooth mapping between the seams. The remapped images are then composited to construct the final mosaiced oblique view of the scene. The result is a mosaic image constructed by warping the input images in a photorealistic manner which agrees at seams between images.
US07778488B2
Disclosed are systems for and methods of registering (i.e., aligning) a deformable image with a reference image subject to a plurality of regions within the deformable and reference images. Different members of the plurality of regions may be used in different phases of a deformation algorithm and the identity of these regions may change between different iterations of the deformation algorithm. In some embodiments, most of an image is used for calculation of the internal force of the demons algorithm while a smaller subset of the image is used for calculating the opposing external force.
US07778478B2
An image processing device changes degree of noise reduction for image data in accordance with tone correction to be performed according to the image data and includes a change rate acquisition part and a noise reduction part. The change rate acquisition part obtains, at a plurality of portions in the image data, a change rate of a signal level of the image data before and after tone correction. The noise reduction part controls a degree of noise reduction for each portion in the image data according to the change rate.
US07778476B2
A method and system are provided where image data is encoded in the spatial domain, and transformed in a two dimensional transform process to thereby recover a frequency domain representation of the image data. The frequency domain representation is then quantized to obtain an integer representation. The integer representation is ordered by frequency. Then, the hi-frequency coefficients are recreated and intelligently randomized at selective frequencies. This provides high quality encoded picture results, with fewer artifacts than those that would result from conventional approaches afflicted by artifacts due to loss of high frequencies.
US07778475B2
A motion picture processing device has: an input circuit having a buffer memory, an image data taking-in section and a bus interface; a motion estimation circuit; an encoding circuit; and a failure control circuit having a counter and an enabling signal outputting section. When an enabling signal is supplied, the image data taking-in section takes-in image data, and when image data of one screen is stored in the buffer memory, the image data taking-in section outputs a valid signal. The encoding circuit compresses and encodes image data, and, when the encoding circuit finishes external output of an output signal, the encoding circuit outputs an end signal. The counter increments a count value due to the valid signal, and decrements the count value due to the end signal. When the count value reaches a number of regions of the memory circuit, the failure control circuit stops output of the enabling signal.
US07778473B2
A disclosed image processing apparatus for compressing image data through multiple operations includes multiple processing units corresponding to the operations. Each of two or more of the processing units includes a regular processing subunit perform regular processing and a simplified processing subunit to perform simplified version of the regular processing; and a control unit to select one of the regular processing subunit and the simplified processing subunit of each of two or more of the processing units to perform a corresponding one of the operations.
US07778472B2
A method for decoding significance coefficients in an encoded video sequence is described. An encoded video bitstream is received. Codebook table information is retrieved from the bitstream. Significance symbols are decoded using the retrieved codebook table information. Significance coefficients are decoded using the significance symbols. A plurality of transform coefficients is dequantized. An inverse transform is applied to a residual signal. A video sequence is constructed. A method for coding significance coefficients in a video sequence is also described.
US07778468B2
A decoding apparatus includes a distribution generating section and a correcting section. The distribution generating section generates a frequency distribution of quantization index values. The correcting section corrects dequantization values corresponding to the quantization index values based on the frequency distribution of quantization index values generated by the distribution generating section.
US07778463B2
A pattern recognition system, pattern recognition method, and pattern recognition program capable of increasing the accuracy in computing the false acceptance probability and capable of ensuring a stable security strength are provided. Pattern recognition systems 10 and 10a comprise a first probability computation unit 32, and a second probability computation unit 33 coupled to the first probability computation unit 32. The first probability computation unit 32 computes a first probability PFCR based on the number n of corresponding characteristic points cs1 to csn and cf1 to cfn indicating points corresponding between characteristic points s1 to sns in a first pattern and characteristic points f1 to fnf in a second pattern. The first probability PFCR indicates the probability of existence of a third pattern that has a greater number of corresponding characteristic points to the first pattern than the number n of the corresponding characteristic points. The second probability computation unit 33 refers to the first probability PFCR to compute a false acceptance probability PFAR indicating the probability of falsely determining that the first pattern and the second pattern correspond to each other.
US07778459B2
Provided are an image encoding/decoding method and apparatus, in which one of a plurality of color component images of an input image is predicted from a different color component image using a correlation between the color component images and the encoding order of the plurality of color component images is adaptively determined according to the characteristics of the input image. In the image encoding method and apparatus, prediction errors or the amounts of generated bits for the remaining color component images predicted using a previously encoded color component image according to encoding orders are compared to determine the optimal encoding order and encoding is performed using a correlation between the color component images according to the determined encoding order.
US07778458B2
The photographing means of the present apparatus photographs a piece of wood, while the image processing means calculates degrees of circularity from the photographed images of the piece of wood, and detects images with significant degrees of circularity as knots. In addition, the image processing means 1 clips a portion including a knot from the photographed image of the piece of wood, deems a portion clipped at a predetermined threshold among the color spaces of each pixel of the clipped portions to be a blackened portion, and determines black portions with a high proportion of a number of pixels of the blackened portion to the number of pixels of the clipped portion of the knot as dead knots.
US07778455B2
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a system of and method for processing a digitized image derived from detector instrumentation (11) to form a reconstructed image. In a typical image processing system (9), γ-rays (10) impinge upon a gamma camera unit (11), defining detector instrumentation, and then pass through a lead collimator (12) to cause a scintillator (14) to emit light in the visible electromagnetic spectrum at given locations above an array of analogue photomultiplier tubes (16). With appropriate circuitry (18) these analogue signals may then be digitized, by means of processor (20), and then stored in memory (22). The present invention aims to more accurately reconstruct these digital images, with, in broad terms, the raw data stored in memory (22) being sent to a processor (24), which processes the data in terms of algorithms that form part of the invention. According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a method of processing a digitized phantom image derived from detector instrumentation to form a reconstructed point spread function image.
US07778452B2
An image reconstruction method for structuring planar images into three-dimension images is disclosed in the present invention. The image reconstruction method, being adopted to perform an image reconstruction operation upon a measured value of at least a line of response (LOR) obtained by detecting an object-to-be-imaged using an inspection system, comprises steps of: utilizing a plurality of voxels, each having a first radioactivity value, to construct an image domain with reference to the object-to-be-imaged; projecting the LOR while comparing the result of the projection with the measured value to obtain a calibrated value; performing a back-projection operation basing on the relationship between the calibrated value and the first radioactivity value of each voxel of the LOR; performing a calculation basing on the relationship between the calibrated value and the first radioactivity value of each voxel to obtain a second radioactivity value; utilizing the second radioactivity value to update the first radioactivity value of each voxel of the LOR while enabling an image reconstruction operation by an iteration manner. By the method of the invention, images with preferred contrast comparing to those of prior art can be obtained such that the method of the invention can have better tumor detection ability.
US07778446B2
Methods and systems are described for three-dimensional pose estimation. A training module determines a mapping function between a training image sequence and pose representations of a subject in the training image sequence. The training image sequence is represented by a set of appearance and motion patches. A set of filters are applied to the appearance and motion patches to extract features of the training images. Based on the extracted features, the training module learns a multidimensional mapping function that maps the motion and appearance patches to the pose representations of the subject. A testing module outputs a fast human pose estimation by applying the learned mapping function to a test image sequence.
US07778436B2
A vibration-sound generating device and yoke thereof are described. The vibration-sound generating device comprises a diaphragm, a vibration part comprising a magnet and a yoke, which is positioned apart from the diaphragm by a desired distance, a suspension elastically supporting the vibration part, a supporting part supporting the diaphragm and the suspension, and a voice coil electromagnetically driving the diaphragm and the vibration part. The yoke of the invention has higher specific gravity and magnetic permeability than iron. So that it can improve performance of vibration and sound device.
US07778433B2
A two-piece wireless hearing improvement system having a pocket piece and an earpiece, wherein the pocket piece includes a microphone adapted to receive analog signals, a first processor coupled to the microphone to convert the analog signals to digital signals, and a first transceiver coupled to the processor to transmit the digital signals. The earpiece includes a second transceiver for receiving the digital signals, a second processor coupled to the second transceiver for converting the digital signals to analog signals, a speaker coupled to the second processor for transmitting the analog signals, and a movement detector for detecting relative movements between the earpiece and the pocket piece and generating a first signal according to the relative movements. The first processor provides signal compensation based on the first signal.
US07778431B2
Stands for a portable audio device include a housing and a mounting member. The mounting member is configured to couple the audio device to the housing at a location selected to reflect sounds generated by a speaker of the audio device away from the housing. Stands may include a resonator cavity in the housing with an outlet opening extending to the resonator cavity from an exterior surface of the housing and a volume of the resonator cavity and a size of the outlet opening extending thereto may be selected to provide a desired resonant frequency response of the resonator cavity to amplify sounds generated by the speaker of the audio device.
US07778430B2
A microphone is installed on a surface of the skin immediately below the mastoid of a human to implement a sound sampling method including sampling at least one of a non-audible murmur, a whisper, or an audible sound. The microphone includes a condenser microphone portion having a pair of diaphragm electrodes and a contact portion which has an acoustic impedance close to the acoustic impedance of soft tissues in a body of a speaker, which is stuck tightly to the condenser microphone portion with no intervening air space, and which conducts an input speech from a skin surface of the speaker to the condenser microphone.
US07778427B2
In an embodiment, a phase compensation system shifts the phase of an audio signal in a mid-range frequency band to compensate for phase distortion created when an electrical audio signal is converted to audio by an electronic transducer, such as a loudspeaker. An audio enhancement system mixes at least the phase compensated signal, an enhanced audio signal, and the left and right audio input signals to generated phase compensated left and right audio output signals.
US07778426B2
A method of processing a sound signal in an audio amplification device using frequency transposition, the method including the steps of: (a) receiving (11) an input sound signal, (b) determining (19) gains for amplifying the input sound signal at a plurality of input frequencies, (c) transposing (20) one or more of the input frequencies of the amplified sound signal to generate one or more output signals at transposed frequencies, (d) determining (31-33) the presence of an undesired feedback signal component resulting from the amplification and frequency transposition of the input sound signal at the input frequencies, and (e) correcting (34) the output signal at each of the transposed frequencies to compensate for the presence of the undesired feedback signal component.
US07778407B2
A system, method, and apparatus are directed towards managing an audio message, such as a Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) message over a network. The invention employs a statistical mechanism to automatically optimize a gain control for setting a volume of an audio message being sent by a client device. An initial gain value is automatically adjusted based, in part, on a statistical sampling of energy levels in the audio message. Environmental factors, such as a sound card within the client device, background noise, and the like, may also be considered through a setting of a servo coefficient that may be used to map between volume levels and decibel levels. The servo coefficient may also be adjusted based, at least in part, on decibel (dB) feedback information from a destination device for which the audio message is intended.
US07778404B2
A method to be executed in a session initiation protocol (SIP) environment is provided that includes initiating a conversion process that involves a change from a first communications platform to a second communications platform. One or more routing tables associated with the first communications platform are then dumped. A conversion script is executed such that one or more patterns associated with a dial plan corresponding to the second communications platform are provided in a dial plan format. One or more files associated with the dial plan are loaded into one or more endpoints that are designated to change to the second communications platform.
US07778398B2
Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for creating a record with a customer. One method receives at a communication center a request for support from the customer. A data field is presented to an agent for entry of information identifying the customer. A menu of options is presented that allows the agent to make selections describing the customer's request for support. A preformatted note is populated with selections received from the agent. The preformatted note has fields corresponding to the menu of options, with the preformatted note formed by populating a particular field with the corresponding selection by the agent. The preformatted note is stored as the record of the customer's request for support, wherein the preformatted note has a standardized format regardless of the agent.
US07778391B2
A field emission cathode has a field emitter and an extraction grid, and the field emitter and the extraction grid can be moved relative to one another. Such a field emission cathode is highly durable and exhibits a longer lifespan. An x-ray tube has a field emission cathode composed of a field emitter and an extraction grid that can be moved relative to one another. Such an x-ray tube is highly durable and exhibits a longer lifespan.
US07778381B2
The present invention provides an X-ray CT apparatus capable of obtaining each tomographic image indicative of X-ray tube voltage dependent information of a subject with the optimum image quality by less reduced exposure. The X-ray CT apparatus includes device for setting a plurality of X-ray tube voltages and sets imaging conditions used in the photography using the respective X-ray tube voltages in such a manner that respective image noise of tomographic images photographed at the X-ray tube voltages become substantially identical to one another. The setting of the imaging conditions is the setting of X-ray tube currents. The X-ray tube currents are set based on geometrical characteristic amounts of the subject determined from each scout image in such a manner that the respective image noise of the tomographic images photographed at the plurality of X-ray tube voltages become substantially identical to one another.
US07778378B2
Fuel rods of fuel assemblies of a boiling water reactor are tested for leaks. A plurality of fuel assemblies are each arranged adjacent to one another in a cell of the upper core grid of the boiling water reactor. A hood is placed above a plurality of cells A water sample is taken from each of the cells, and the water samples from a plurality of cells forming a group are combined and tested for the presence of radioactive fission products A plurality of groups are analyzed simultaneously in a number, which number corresponds to the number of groups, of measurement channels. Where a result of a group is positive, the cells of the group are tested separately by the measurement channels. Those fuel assemblies of a cell that is found positive are tested individually outside the hood.
US07778377B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for generating a frequency with a predefined offset from a reference frequency. A spread spectrum generator circuit is disclosed that comprises a voltage controlled delay loop for generating a plurality of signals having a different phase; and at least one interpolator for processing at least two of the signals to generate an output signal having a phase between a phase of the at least two of the signals, wherein the output is varied between a phase of the at least two of the signals to generate the spread spectrum. A spread spectrum having a frequency lower than an applied clock signal is generated using a continuous phase delay increase and a spread spectrum having a frequency higher than the clock signal is generated using a continuous phase delay decrease.
US07778374B2
A dual reference input receiver, and a method of receiving, wherein the input receiver includes a first input buffer which is synchronized with and enabled by a clock signal, senses a difference between the input data signal and a first reference voltage, and amplifies the sensing result; a second input buffer which is synchronized with and enabled by the clock signal, senses a difference between a second reference voltage and the input data signal, and amplifies the sensing result; and a phase detector which detects a difference between a phase of output signals of the first and second input buffers, and outputs a signal corresponding to the detection result. The first and second reference voltages may respectively be higher and lower than a median voltage of the input data signal. Thus, a single input data signal is advantageously used and a wide input data eye is provided.
US07778361B1
A method and apparatus for decoding digital quadrature phase shift keying data includes converting and intermediate frequency signal from an analog signal to a digital signal and digitally processing the digital signal to detect and decode the digital quadrature phase shift keying and extract encoded data.
US07778359B2
A method for clock synchronisation between an amplitude-modulated or phase-modulated received signal (r(t)) and a transmitted signal (s(t)) estimates the timing offset (ε) between the received signal (r(t)) and the transmitted signal (s(t)) by means of a maximum-likelihood method. The maximum-likelihood method in this context is realised by an estimation filtering (S40; S140) dependent upon the transmission characteristic, a subsequent nonlinear signal-processing function (S50; S150) and an averaging filtering (S60, S100; S180, S200). The received signal (r(t)) is especially a modified vestigial-sideband-modulated received signal (rVSB′(t)). The nonlinear signal-processing function (S50; S150) maintains the alternating component in the spectrum of the pre-filtered vestigial-sideband-modulated received signal (vVSB′(t)).
US07778358B2
A receiver includes a memory for storing DC offset amounts generated by an analog circuit; an amplifier; a DC offset amount generator for generating a first offset value and a second offset value to be removed from the received signal amplified at the amplifier; a first DC offset component-removing unit for removing the first DC offset value from the received signal before the amplifier; a second DC offset component-removing unit for removing the second DC offset value from the received signal after the amplifier; and an updating unit for updating the DC offset amount stored in the memory in view of the second DC offset value generated by the DC offset amount generator. A maximum value of the second DC offset value is set larger than a multiplication value of a gain of the amplifier by a minimum resolution value of the first DC offset value.
US07778348B2
A transmitter includes: a limiter performing clipping in which an amplitude part at a level higher than an amplitude level based on a predetermined clipping level is clipped from an input signal, separating the input signal into an input signal after the clipping, which contains a predetermined out-of-band component, and a clip signal clipped from the input signal through the clipping, and outputting the input signal after the clipping and the clip signal; a high-pass filter subjecting the clip signal inputted from the limiter to high-pass filtering for blocking an in-band component contained in the clip signal while passing an out-of-band component contained in the clip signal, which is opposite in phase to the out-of-band component contained in the input signal after the clipping; an adder performing an addition process on the out-of-band component received from the high-pass filter and the input signal after the clipping received from the limiter; and an amplifier performing power amplification on a signal outputted from the adder, and outputting the amplified signal.
US07778344B2
A system for combining a plurality of signals of various phases having a wide frequency range includes a signal transmuter configured to receive a plurality of input signals of different phases. The signal transmuter is also configured to generate at least one output signal based on one or more of the input signals. The system also includes at least one switch configured to receive a control signal and operable to selectively couple at least one associated capacitor to the at least one output signal. The coupling is such that the capacitor is coupled to the at least one output signal when the switch is closed. The control signal is set to substantially reduce the saturation of the at least one output signal.
US07778335B2
A communication system (10) using hierarchical modulation includes at least one satellite (12 & 13) transmitting a data stream and a hierarchical modulated data stream, and at least one terrestrial station (16) transmitting the data stream and the hierarchical modulated data stream. The communication system can further include at least one receiver (18) for demodulating and combining the data stream from at least one satellite and from at least one terrestrial station and for hierarchically demodulating and combining the hierarchical modulated data stream from at least one satellite and the hierarchical modulated data stream from at least one terrestrial station. The terrestrial station can be a terrestrial repeater repeating the data stream and the hierarchical data stream from at least one satellite. The system can also include an uplink (11) having a hierarchical modulator for modulating both the data stream and the hierarchical data stream.
US07778333B2
A power efficient and reduced electromagnetic interference (EMI) emissions multi-transmitter system for unshielded twisted pair (UTP) data communication applications. For each transmitter, digital transmit data is converted to a current-mode differential signal analog waveform by a digital-to-analog converter (DAC). The output current from each DAC is used to generate the required transmit voltage on the respective UTP line. Timing circuitry staggers the time base of each transmitter to reduce the aggregate EMI emissions of the multi-transmitter system.
US07778331B2
An encoding apparatus and an encoding method, a decoding apparatus and a decoding method, a recording medium, and a program suitable for encoding image signals with a higher compression ratio for transmission or accumulation. In an arithmetic coding section, from among the syntax elements of input image compression information, the frame/field flag is first encoded by a frame/field flag context model. When the macroblock to be processed is subjected to frame-based encoding, a frame-based context model, specified in the current H.26L standard, is applied. On the other hand, when the macroblock to be processed is subjected to field-based encoding, a field-based context model is applied for the syntax elements described below. The present invention is applied to an encoder for encoding image information and a decoder for decoding image information.
US07778330B2
The invention relates to a method of measuring blocking artefacts on the basis of video data encoded in accordance with a block encoding technique. This method comprises a step of computing a monodimensional inverse discrete transform (31) of a first row of a first block of encoded video data, suitable for supplying a value of a first virtual border pixel (vep1). It also comprises a step of computing a monodimensional inverse discrete transform (32) of a first row of a second block of encoded video data, the second block being adjacent to the first block, suitable for supplying a value of a second virtual border pixel (vep2). Finally, the method comprises a step of computing (33) a blocking artefact level (VEP-L) on the basis of an absolute value of the difference between the values of the first and second virtual pixels. This method finds its application, for example, in video encoders, decoders and transcoders.
US07778327B2
Low complexity (16 bit arithmetic) H.264 video compression replaces a single quantization table for all quantization parameters with multiple quantization tables and thereby equalizes quantization shifts and round-off additions; this eliminates the need for 32-bit accesses.
US07778326B1
A system and method is provided for dynamically adjusting one or more characteristics of a multimedia transmission between a content provider and a content recipient. In one embodiment, the system responds to a change in available bandwidth between the content provider and the content recipient.
US07778304B2
A measuring arrangement comprises a radiation device (SE), having at least one first surface emitting semiconductor component (1) with a vertical emission direction, a detection device (DE) for detecting reflected radiation, and an evaluation circuit (AS), set up for controlling the radiation device (SE) and the detection device (DE) and for processing a detection result of the detection device (DE). The semiconductor component (1) comprises a semiconductor body (2) with a plurality of active regions (4a, 4b) suitable for generating radiation and arranged at a distance from one another in a vertical direction. In this case, a tunnel junction (5) is monolithically integrated in the semiconductor body (2) between two active regions (4a, 4b) and the two active regions (4a, 4b) are electrically conductively connected by means of the tunnel junction during operation of the semiconductor component (1).
US07778297B2
A convex-portion forming layer is formed between a current-confinement aperture and a multilayer mirror, and forms a convex portion on each boundary between layers forming the multilayer mirror. The convex portion includes a plane equal to or larger than a spot size of the laser light, where the spot size is decided by a diameter of the current-confinement aperture, a predetermined diffraction angle of the laser light due to the current-confinement aperture, and a distance from the current-confinement aperture.
US07778288B2
Provided is a high speed bit stream data conversion circuit that includes input ports to receive first bit streams at a first bit rate. Data conversion circuits receive the first bit streams and produce second bit stream(s), wherein the number and bit rate of the first and second bit stream(s) differ. Symmetrical pathways transport the first bit streams from the input ports to the data conversion circuits, wherein their transmission time(s) are substantially equal. A clock distribution circuit receives and symmetrically distributes a clock signal to data conversion circuits. A central trunk coupled to the clock port and located between a first pair of circuit pathways with paired branches that extend from the trunk and that couple to the data conversion circuits make up the clock distribution circuit. The distributed data clock signal latches data in data conversion circuits from the first to the second bit stream(s).
US07778282B2
A sync community may include a group of synchronization endpoints. When two synchronization endpoints of the sync community synchronize with one another, a synchronization data conflict may be detected when the two synchronization endpoints make a change to a same particular data item and the two synchronization endpoints were unaware of the changes to the same particular data item made by the other respective synchronization endpoint at the time the changes were made. Resolution of the detected synchronization data conflict may be delayed and data indicative of the detected synchronization data conflict may be propagated to other synchronization endpoints during a synchronization operation.
US07778273B2
An application-level multicasting architecture that enables multiple nodes to interact in real time with data packets that are routed based on information about the connection states between the nodes is provided. Each node shares their connection states with other nodes in the same interactive session. The data packets may be routed in the application level using multiple packet transport protocols that are available on the sending node. A particular transport protocol may be selected based on a Quality of Service (QoS) requirement of the data packet. Nodes in the interactive session may relay data packet to other nodes according to a routing map that is created based on the connection states. The application-level multicasting architecture may be implemented for any multiparty interactive application, such as an application for videoconferencing, multiplayer games, distance learning, virtual meeting, and voice communication.
US07778272B2
Although the AMR coding mode control in a cellular telecommunication system is mainly centrally performed, preferably controlled by the RNC, and based on the system load quality measurements, such as, e.g., FER measurements, the MS is nevertheless allowed to change the AMR mode in certain situations.
US07778268B2
Systems and methods for redundancy in a network device are disclosed. An exemplary network device comprises: a plurality of data forwarding elements (DFEs); and a redundant control plane. The redundant control plane comprises: an active control processor for configuring forwarding operation of each of the DFEs; an active layer-2 switch coupled to the active control processor and to each of the DFEs; a standby control processor; and a standby layer-2 switch coupled to the standby control processor and to each of the DFEs. The active control processor is programmed in a full-mesh so that the active control processor is in communication with each of the DFEs. The standby control processor is programmed in a full-mesh so that the standby control processor is in communication with each of the DFEs.
US07778267B2
A bus system for providing a common data transmission path for N data sources that have M data bits. The N data sources are connected to M interconnections correspondingly through N bus cells each of which includes logic circuits for selectively providing the data bits of data sources into the interconnections. The bus cells are controlled to connect each of the data bits of the data sources to the selected one of the interconnections. The bus system is capable of adapting to delay times or loads of the data sources. The bus system reducing the number and the length of the interconnections.
US07778262B2
An apparatus for interfacing with devices using different communication protocols. The apparatus may scan a range of known frequencies for a communication protocol. The apparatus may decode and translate the communication protocol into a common interface language. The apparatus may include a pair of separate and co-located transceivers to accomplish the interface.
US07778258B2
The invention provides a method and system for distributing personalized content to potentially large numbers of recipients. A pool is selected, from among all content available for distribution, of those content elements that will be made available for simultaneous distribution, and personalized content is selected for distribution from that pool. The content of the pool can change with new selections over time. For each individual recipient, content elements in the pool are examined to determine if they are predicted to be of sufficient interest to that recipient for distribution, and if so, those content elements are distributed. If not, successive content elements in the pool are examined, relaxing the standard for sufficient interest, until at least one content element is found and distributed to the individual recipient.
US07778257B1
The present disclosure includes systems and techniques relating to virtual Ethernet switches. In some implementations, a system includes two or more Ethernet switches. Two or more components are included in the system to open at least one tunnel, over a network, between the two or more Ethernet switches to connect the two or more Ethernet switches together. In addition, two or more components are included in the system to operate a protocol over the opened at least one tunnel to manage the two or more Ethernet switches as a single unit that shares at least one network feature among all of the two or more Ethernet switches.
US07778255B2
A network enables a transfer path to be formed between nodes in the network so as to transfer frames. A terminal for transmitting frames located outside the transfer path, upon transmitting a frame through the transfer path, writes the transfer path selection information related to the transfer path and the output line information related to the output line from the terminating node of the transfer path in the frame according to the destination information set in the frame and transmits the frame to the destination. The starting node of the transfer path decides the transfer path used for transferring the frame according to the transfer path selection information set in the frame to transmit the frame while the terminating node of the transfer path decides the output line used to output the frame according to the output line set in the frame, thereby transmitting the frame to the output line.
US07778252B2
Local Interconnect Network message budget calculation error is reduced by utilizing an eight bit time measurement of the sync byte in the message header. The method determines the header budget separately from the data budget, simplifying the required logic. The sync byte reference time is multiplied by the message data size to determine the data budget.
US07778237B2
Embodiments disclosed herein relate to a wireless mobile device wireless air interface that enables both circuit-switched and packet-switched wireless communications between a wireless mobile device and one or more remote stations that can be computer telephony integration servers, or peer devices such as smart telephones or wireless smart telephones, or wireless mobile devices.
US07778235B2
Each mobile router in a mobile ad hoc network is configured for identifying routes to nearby nodes that are within a prescribed distance, based on storage of explicit paths specified within routing headers of packets transmitted from a host node to a destination node. Each mobile router also can selectively compress the routing header, based on the storage of the explicit path, resulting in a loose source route type routing header in the packet output from the mobile router. In addition, a routing header of a received packet can be expanded based on the mobile router inserting the explicit path, enabling mobile hosts in the explicit path to forward the packet according to strict source routing. The storage and compression of explicit paths also can be applied to packets specifying reverse routing headers, minimizing the size of the reverse routing headers.
US07778230B2
A wireless mobile router (300) includes a CPU (222) and one or more network interfaces for hosting locally reachable devices. The router (300) includes one or more cellular network interface devices (316) configured to make a network connection with a cellular network. The router (300) operates to translate data packets received from locally reachable devices and to direct the translated data packets to public IP address over the cellular network. In addition, a stack of mobile routers (400) includes two or more mobile routers (300) interfaced together to make two or more network connections with a cellular network for increasing bandwidth and for load balancing network traffic passing from the router (300) to the cellular network. The wireless mobile router (300) and the stack (400) are suitable for use in a moving vehicle.
US07778212B2
An apparatus and method for multicast transmission of packet data in a mobile communication system. To multicast packet data to a group of MSs, a BS divides a plurality of MSs within its cell area into a plurality of multicast groups. Here, the MSs of each multicast group are to receive the same data. The BS assigns a MMAC index to each multicast group. Upon receipt of a multicast traffic channel request message from an MS, the BS transmits to the MS a traffic channel assignment message with the MMAC index of a multicast group to which the MS belongs and transmits forward packet data to the MS on a traffic channel corresponding to the MMAC index.
US07778211B2
Described herein is a method for obtaining a downlink beamforming weighting vector in a wireless communications system based on channel information about an uplink channel. The method comprises obtaining the channel information about the uplink channel by a means selected from the group comprising of training signals, pilot signals, and data signals, wherein the uplink channel comprises a set of uplink sub-channels, calculating a spatial signature of the uplink channel with the channel information, and computing a downlink beamforming weighting vector of a downlink channel with the spatial signature of the uplink channel, wherein the downlink channel comprises a set of downlink sub-channels that share few or no sub-carriers with the set of uplink sub-channels.
US07778203B2
Described is looking up network information (e.g., port data) on demand upon receiving a (e.g., DHCP) request packet containing a MAC address. The MAC address may be looked up in a cache to find the port data. If not cached or cached but outdated, the lookup continues via a querying process that finds the relevant switch containing the port data; the cache is updated based on the querying process result. Successful querying results in a valid cache entry, while unsuccessful querying results in an invalid entry. For port data associated with the MAC address found via the cache or via querying, the port data is used to respond to the request packet, e.g., to assign an IP address to a network device corresponding to that MAC address. For a MAC address determined to be invalid via the cache or via querying, the request is rejected.
US07778193B2
The setting of the connection of devices to a home gateway apparatus is simplified by providing the apparatus with a gateway function interconnecting a residential network and an external network; a database holding information setting the states of devices getting connected to the residential network and software for the setting, as settings information for each device; and a device setting processing part, setting, for a device newly requesting connection, the state of the device via the residential network by using the settings information, and, when getting accessed from the external network, making settings, with respect to the gateway function for making the firewall settings and the network address translation settings, on the basis of the network information further included in the settings information and the IP address granted to the device.
US07778192B2
A system and method to perform double-ended measurements of a network is provided. The system includes a test device that makes measurements at the customer end and a portable computing device that interfaces with the test device, a customer gateway and database at a network location to analyze the data and determine a performance metric of the network.
US07778190B2
In one embodiment, correlating label switched paths of a pseudowire includes receiving a first message at a second label switching router. The first message is sent from a first label switching router and includes a pseudowire identifier and a first label switched path identifier. The pseudowire identifier identifies a pseudowire, and the first label switched path identifier identifies a first label switched path that implements the pseudowire. A second message is sent from the second label switching router to the first label switching router. The second message comprises the pseudowire identifier and a second label switched path identifier. The second label switched path identifier identifies a second label switched path that implements the pseudowire.
US07778186B2
Medium-range and global network information and control for a vehicle is achieved with a portable wireless key fob, a user-provided nomadic device, and a vehicle-installed telematics unit including a medium-range RF transceiver and a wireless network transceiver. The fob includes a medium-range RF transceiver for bi-directional communication with the telematics unit, and a short-range wireless transceiver for bi-directional communication with the nomadic device. The fob communicates with the telematics unit in a conventional manner, and also relays information between the telematics unit and the nomadic device. If a communication initiated via the fob cannot be completed because the fob is out of range, the communication is sent to the nomadic device for network transmission to the telematics unit. If a communication initiated via the nomadic device cannot be completed due to inadequate signal reception, the communication is sent to the fob for RF transmission to the telematics unit.
US07778182B2
This invention provides for a technique for selectively off-loading traffic from congested sub-regions of a network to more lightly-loaded regions by making use of Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS). For each network element, an Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP) routing is employed to provide re-routing and to identify congested links caused by re-routed trunks for each single failure. The re-routed traffic is then analyzed and alternate Label Switched Paths (LSPs) are identified for such traffic trunks so that the traffic is directed to the alternate LSPs during the single failure event.
US07778180B2
Negotiation of RSVP reservations prior to the setup of a call, rather than negotiating reservation parameters during the call. RSVP reservation parameters are negotiated prior to ringing a device, rather than after. In some embodiments, this is achieved by including information in the initial call signaling elements. This added information allows negotiation with each device in the proposed data path to determine, prior to ringing the terminating device in the data path, whether each of the devices can support the proposed data link.
US07778174B2
A shaper circuit includes a storage part storing a current token, an add token, and a max token, a subtraction part subtracting a packet length of a dequeue target from the current token stored in the storage part and storing the current token in the storage part, an addition part adding the add token stored in the storage part to the current token stored in the storage part at constant periodic intervals and storing the current token in the storage part, a comparison part comparing the result of the addition with the max token stored in the storage part and preventing the addition result from exceeding the max token, and a determining part outputting a dequeue permission request. A number of bits in a decimal part of the current token are set and a number of bits in an integer part of the add token are set.
US07778171B2
A method and system for providing connectionless configurations for stress testing timing and synchronization in data packet networks. Packet traffic of interest is transmitted through multiple interconnected switching nodes such that different packets can be transmitted over different paths through the switching nodes. The nodes can support background traffic in order to generate delays for the packets at each of the switching nodes. By allowing packets to use multiple paths in a single testing configuration, a connectionless packet flow can be utilized for adaptive packet timing recovery stress testing.
US07778169B2
Media that is normally packetized into many separate individual packets and then queued for individual transmission during a transmit window is combined together into one, or a few, packets. The larger packets more efficiently carry media over a time slotted communication media since only one, or a few, packet headers are used for carrying a larger amount of media. Since packets cannot be transmitted until the start of a new transmit window, the larger packets do not substantially add to the overall packet delay that normally occurs when larger packets are formatted and transmitted in non-time slotted networks.In another aspect of the system, probe packets are used to identify the start of the transmit window. The transmit window start time is inferred from the round trip times for the probe packets and media packetization is then synchronized with the identified transmit windows.
US07778165B2
Performance metrics between any two arbitrary end-hosts are predicted based upon previous measurements on the Internet between a plurality of geographically dispersed vantage points and clusters of end-hosts. Each cluster comprises end-hosts that are related based upon their IP address prefixes. In response to a central agent that stores the measured data for each of a plurality of predicted paths on the Internet, the vantage points use traceroute software to measure and periodically update performance metrics such as latency, bottleneck capacity, bandwidth, and packet loss rate for links comprising the predicted paths between the vantage points and one (or more) destination points associated with each cluster, and gather such data using distributed application systems. A user or client application can subsequently request predicted performance metrics for communication between specific end-hosts, based upon the previous measurement data.
US07778164B2
A communication apparatus for implementing a communication session based upon a congestion window specifying a signal amount that can be sent out continuously to a network employs a signal propagation time in the communication session, thereby to estimate a congestion degree of a bottleneck circuit, and decides an increased-width of the congestion window in a congestion avoidance action based upon the estimated circuit congestion degree. As the increased-width, the smaller value is decided as the estimated circuit congestion degree increases. When the communication apparatus enlarges the congestion window, it employs the decided increased-width, thereby to calculate size of the congestion window that should be applied.
US07778156B2
Disclosed is a device for providing an improved switching from one of two or more working resources to at least one spare resource in a telecommunication apparatus, each of the working resources comprising a profile with a set of parameters and configuration information, wherein the at least one spare resource comprises a bank of profiles, each profile of the bank corresponding to a profile of the working resources, and further comprises means for selecting a profile of the bank so that when a working resource has to be replaced by a spare resource, a profile in the bank corresponding to the profile of the working resource is selected for provisioning the spare resources accordingly. According to an embodiment, the working and spare resources are embodied in ports of a telecommunication apparatus.
US07778149B1
A system for providing a fast access channel is disclosed. The system includes a transmitter configured to transmit a first long contention symbol and one or more subsequent long contention symbols. The first long contention symbol is followed by the subsequent long contention symbols. The system further includes a receiver configured to receive the first and subsequent long contention symbols and determine a contention code and a contention channel transmitted with the contention code based on the first and subsequent long contention symbols. Each of the first and subsequent long contention symbols includes a long cyclic prefix and a number of identical contention symbols.
US07778144B2
According to one embodiment, an optical recording medium is provided in which interlayer crosstalk is low and in which stable and high-quality recording characteristics can be obtained. To this end, an optical recording medium comprises a first recording part which includes a first recording layer and a first light reflecting layer and which is disposed on a side closer to a light receiving surface, and a second recording part which includes a second recording layer and a second light reflecting layer and which is disposed on a side farther from the light receiving surface, the first recording part and the second recording part being stacked, wherein the thickness of the first light reflecting layer is smaller than the thickness of the second light reflecting layer.
US07778140B2
An offset-free tracking signal enables stable tracking control even if an optical disc is a multi-layer disc having three or more layers. Light receiving portions of a main region light receiving portion group are arranged between a projection line of a third dividing line on a photodetector and a projection line of a fourth dividing line on the photodetector by stray lights from information layers adjacent to the one, on which a light beam is focused, out of a plurality of information layers. Further, light receiving portions of a subregion light receiving portion group is arranged between a projection line of a first dividing line on a photodetector and a projection line of a second dividing line on the photodetector by the stray lights from the information layers adjacent to the one, on which a light beam is focused, out of the plurality of information layers.
US07778139B2
There is provided an objective lens used for an optical information recording/reproducing device for recording information to and/or reproducing information from two types of optical discs, by selectively using one of two types of substantially collimated light beams including first and second light beams. When wavelengths of the first and second light beams are respectively represented by λ1 (nm) and λ2 (nm), λ1<λ2 is satisfied. The objective lens includes a first optical element, and a second optical element made of material different from that of the first optical element. The first and second optical elements are cemented via a cementing surface. Further, the objective lens is configured to satisfy a condition: 0.006 < { ( nR 2 - nR 1 ) - ( nB 2 - nB 1 ) } × [ { ( k 2 r 2 3 ) + 8 × A 42 } × f 1 3 + 2.29 ] < 0.038 . ( 1 )
US07778138B2
An optical element for optical pickup device is provided with an optical path difference providing structure which provides a substantial phase change to a light flux having a predefined wavelength. The optical path difference providing structure is provided with a step portion having a smaller step difference than the predefined wavelength in an optical axis direction.
US07778137B2
A very small spot-size light beam forming apparatus of the present invention comprises: a conductive film for generating a surface plasmon when an inputted light is applied thereto: a plurality of nano projections, each connected to the conductive film at one end, for receiving a portion of the surface plasmon, and outputting a plurality of input surface plasmons, respectively, from the other end of each of the plurality of nano projections, the other end of each of the plurality of nano projections having a diameter smaller than a wavelength of the inputted light; a coupling unit, connected to the other end of each of the plurality of nano projections, for receiving and coupling the plurality of input surface plasmons, so as to generate a coupled surface plasmon; and a negative-refractive-index lens, connected to the coupling unit and having a negative refractive index, for receiving a near-field light generated due to the coupled surface plasmon, and collecting the near-field light on a recording surface of the optical information storage disk, and a near-field light obtained through collection on the recording surface has a diameter smaller the wavelength of the inputted light.
US07778136B2
An optical recording medium driving apparatus supporting an optical recording medium having multiple recording layers includes head means including a focusing mechanism and a spherical aberration correction mechanism; focusing control means for driving the focusing mechanism on the basis of a reflected light to perform focusing control on each recording layer; spherical aberration correcting means for driving the spherical aberration correction mechanism on the basis of a spherical aberration correction value to correct spherical aberration; and control means for controlling the focusing control means so as to set the spherical aberration correction value given by shifting the spherical aberration correction value appropriate for the midpoint between a target layer and a first recording layer by a desired value in the spherical aberration correcting means and controlling the focusing control means so as to perform the focusing control with the spherical aberration correction value after the shift being set.
US07778135B2
The present invention provides an optical information medium capable of suppressing the influence of reflection light from an unnecessary information recording face and effectively eliminating spherical aberration at the time of recording/reproducing information to/from a recording medium having a plurality of information recording faces. When reflectance of an information recording face is αh and transmittance between information recording faces is th, αh and th of the optical information medium are set so as to satisfy ((α(h−1)2×α(h−2))/(th2×αh))<0.01.
US07778131B2
An optical disk writing apparatus maintaining appropriate write power in real time with a simple configuration includes a buffer for recording data, a binarization circuit supplying data to the buffer, an LD writing data recorded in the buffer onto a DVD disk, a detector reading out from the DVD disk a signal representing data written by the LD at an arbitrary time during a period starting from when the amount of data recorded in the buffer and not yet written onto the DVD disk becomes zero until the amount of data reaches a predetermined number of ECC blocks, and a servo processor correcting an error in the data read out by the detector for every data amount susceptible to error correction at one time, evaluating the writing of the LD using the corrected signal, and controlling the energy density to be employed in writing data onto the DVD disk by the LD according to its own evaluation.
US07778127B2
An optimal recording method for optical recording media which is capable of recording information about optimum recording conditions on an optical recording medium in order to allow a subsequent recording of data at an optimum recording power, based on the recorded optimum recording condition information. In this method, test data is recorded to allow derivation of an optimum power value based on reproduction characteristics of the test data. An intrinsic recorder ID information of an optical recording/reproducing apparatus, used to record data on the optical recording medium, and information about the record speed of the apparatus are recorded, along with the derived optimum power value, onto the count area of the optical recording medium or respective lead-in areas of sessions. The apparatus reads out the recorded optimum recording condition information when data is subsequently recorded onto the optical recording medium. When it is determined based on the read optimum recording condition information that both the read ID code and record speed are identical to those of the apparatus, data is recorded at the optimum recording power value derived based on the optimum recording condition information. The optimum recording condition information is updated while reflecting a variation of the recording environment.
US07778121B2
Detection of a wobble cycle of wobble formed at a groove of an optical disc is started. A phase locked loop time that is from reset of phase locked loop circuit until a signal read from the wobble locks is calculated. The focus balance value corresponding to the minimum phase locked loop lock time is set as the focus balance value for ADdress In Pre-groove. When ADdress In Pre-groove information being address information is read, focusing servo control is performed with the focus balance value for ADdress In Pre-groove.
US07778120B2
Calibration methods are provided for determining servo parameters to enhance an optical drive in reading and writing a blank optical disc. First, test data is written on the blank disc with various writing parameters. Second, the written test data is read from the optical disc with various reading parameters. A plurality of quality measures are obtained, each corresponds to a specific combination of the writing parameter and the reading parameter. An optimal writing parameter and an optimal reading parameter are determined by comparing the quality measures with respect to both the reading and writing parameters respectively.
US07778117B2
A time adjustment device having a satellite signal reception unit that receives satellite signals containing satellite time information transmitted from a positioning information satellite; a time information generating unit that generates time information; and a time information adjustment unit that adjusts the time information based on the satellite time information received by the satellite signal reception unit. The satellite signal reception unit includes a positioning information satellite selection unit that selects the positioning information satellite from which the satellite time information is received; and the positioning information satellite selection unit selects a positioning information satellite based on variation in the transmission frequency of the satellite signal transmitted from the positioning information satellite.
US07778113B2
A technology capable of improving receiver sensitivity and improving insulation withstand voltage in an ultrasonic transducer is provided. An ultrasonic transducer comprises: a lower electrode; an insulator covering the lower electrode; a cavity portion disposed on the insulator so as to overlap with the lower electrode; and an upper electrode disposed so as to overlap with the cavity portion. In this ultrasonic transducer, an insulator is inserted between the upper and lower electrodes in a part not having the cavity portion. By this means, sum total of thickness of insulators between the upper and lower electrodes in a part not having the cavity portion is larger than sum total of thickness of insulators between the upper and lower electrodes in a part having the cavity portion.
US07778106B2
Shifts in the apparent charge stored on a floating gate (or other charge storing element) of a non-volatile memory cell can occur because of the coupling of an electric field based on the charge stored in adjacent floating gates (or other adjacent charge storing elements). The problem occurs most pronouncedly between sets of adjacent memory cells that have been programmed at different times. To account for this coupling, the read process for a particular memory cell will provide compensation to an adjacent memory cell in order to reduce the coupling effect that the adjacent memory cell has on the particular memory cell.
US07778103B2
A semiconductor memory device in which a mode of a memory bank may be independently selected and a method of controlling the semiconductor memory device may be provided. The semiconductor memory device with a plurality of banks may include a plurality of bank groups that each may have at least one bank from among the plurality of banks, and a memory controller that may control a read/write operation to be performed on a bank belonging to a bank group from among the plurality of bank groups, in response to a control signal, where different modes or the same mode may be applied to the bank groups. Accordingly, different modes or the same mode may be applied to the banks so that the read/write operation may be performed on a bank having a mode that is advantageous to the type of data, thereby minimizing consumption of power and a time delay.
