US07780861B2
Contemplated whole blood separators tubes include a curable composition with a density intermediate to the density of serum and the cell-containing fraction. After centrifugation, the curable composition is located between the serum and the cell-containing fraction and preferably irradiated with UV light to initiate a curing reaction in which the curable composition solidifies to a barrier that is immobilized and resistant to breakdown at freezing temperatures and extended storage.
US07780860B2
An apparatus is disclosed that allows for separating and collecting a fraction of a sample. The apparatus, when used with a centrifuge, allows for the creation of at least three fractions in the apparatus. It also provides for a new method of extracting the buffy coat phase from a whole blood sample. A buoy system that may include a first buoy portion and a second buoy member operably interconnected may be used to form at least three fractions from a sample during a substantially single centrifugation process. Therefore, the separation of various fractions may be substantially quick and efficient.
US07780849B2
A magnetically enhanced oil filter apparatus includes an oil filtration assembly which includes a filtration assembly base having oil inlets and an oil outlet located in the filtration assembly base. A filtration material support bracket rests on the filtration assembly base. A quantity of filtration material is supported by the filtration material support bracket. A flow director shroud is connected to the filtration material support bracket. A top portion of the flow director shroud extends over the filtration material. A retainer spring urges the filtration material support bracket in firm contact with the filtration assembly base. A magnetic flux assembly rests on the oil filtration assembly, and assembly-to-assembly connection means are provided for connecting the magnetic flux assembly to the oil filtration assembly. The apparatus of the invention permits ferromagnetic particles to be removed from oil prior to being filtered through a quantity of filtration material.
US07780847B2
A process for producing gasoline having reduced sulfur content while maintaining or improving octane rating is provided. A gasoline fraction having a substantial amount of olefinic and sulfur compounds produced from fluidized catalytic cracking or coking is contacted first with an adsorbent to selectively remove alkylated thiophenic, benzothiophene, and alkylated benzothiophenic sulfur compounds. The adsorptively treated gasoline fraction is then introduced into a conventional hydrodesulphurizing catalyst bed with hydrogen for further removal of sulfur compounds. Adsorbent containing alkylated thiophenic, benzothiophene, and alkylated benzothiophenic compounds are regenerated through washing with a hydrocarbon solvent and subsequent drying-out by warming.
US07780844B2
Contact of a crude feed with one or more catalysts produces a total product that includes a crude product. The crude feed may include at least 0.1 grams of vacuum gas oil per gram of crude feed. The crude product is a liquid mixture at 25° C. and 0.101 MPa. The crude product may have a vacuum gas oil content of about 30% to about 70% of the vacuum gas oil content of the crude feed. One or more other properties of the crude product may be changed by at least 10% relative to the respective properties of the crude feed.
US07780827B1
The present invention relates to a biosensor. The biosensor includes a support substrate, an electrically conductive coating positioned on the support substrate, the coating being formed to define electrodes and a code pattern, wherein there is sufficient contrast between the conductive coating and the substrate such that the code pattern is discernible, and a cover cooperating with the support substrate to define a channel. At least a portion of the electrodes are positioned in the channel.
US07780822B2
An electrolytic cell consisting of two semi-shells and encompassing mainly the inlet and outlet devices, components for the flow control, a membrane as well as anode and cathode.
US07780821B2
A method for treating/processing substrates/workpieces in a multi-chamber treatment/processing apparatus, comprising: providing a multi-chamber treatment/processing apparatus comprising at least a pair of operatively interconnected upstream and downstream treatment/processing chambers; providing each of the chambers with at least one substrate/workpiece; treating/processing the at least one substrate/workpiece positioned in each of the chambers; evacuating process gas from each of the chambers during or upon completion of the treating/processing of the at least one substrate/workpiece positioned therein; removing the at least one substrate/workpiece from the downstream treatment/processing chamber and initiating transport of the at least one substrate/workpiece from the upstream treatment/processing chamber to the downstream treatment/processing chamber, comprising initiating a flow of the process gas to the evacuated downstream treatment/processing chamber prior to completion of transport of the substrate/workpiece.
US07780818B2
A nonwoven fibrous mat or web forming or treating system is disclosed comprising a movable, permeable wire or belt for carrying the fibrous mat or web over at least one suction tube assembly comprising a primary suction tube having a suction slot at the top of the primary suction tube and an exit tube communicating with the primary suction tube mounted beneath the permeable belt to have the suction slot on or close to the bottom surface of the movable belt. The suction slot is at least 3.6 meters long and up to more than 5.3 meters long, and the exit tube of the suction tube assembly communicates with the primary suction tube through an opening in the primary suction tube, the opening being generally centered around a centerline of the suction slot. This primary suction tube assembly provides a more uniform suction distribution along the suction slot and reduces fouling of the suction slot compared with previous suction tube assemblies.
US07780815B2
In a rotary drum for condensing pulp from a pulp slurry vat, the drum including radial conduits delivering filtrate from a pulp mat on an outer surface of the drum to at least one filtrate conduit coaxial with a drum rotational axis, a valve segment in the filtrate conduit including: an outer surface juxtaposed against drainage outlets of the radial conduits as the conduits pass through an angular range extending from an upper drum position to an immersed in a vat position, wherein the valve segment does not block the drainage outlets during a majority of the rotation of the drum; at least one inlet aperture on the outer surface aligned with the drainage outlets, said inlet aperture extending at least a majority of a width of the valve segment, and a closed passage extending from the inlet aperture to a gas vent external to the filtrate conduit, wherein the closed passage is offset from and below a centerline of the filtrate conduit.
US07780814B2
A plasma reactor for processing a workpiece in a reactor chamber having a wafer support pedestal within the chamber and process gas injection apparatus, an RF bias power generator coupled to the wafer support pedestal and having a bias frequency, a source power applicator, an RF source power generator having a source frequency and a coaxial cable coupled between the RF source power generator and the source power applicator includes a filter connected between the coaxial cable and the source power applicator that enhances uniformity of etch rate across the wafer and from reactor to reactor. The filter includes a set of reflection circuits coupled between the source power applicator and a ground potential and being tuned to, respectively, the bias frequency and intermodulation products of the bias frequency and the source frequency. The filter may further include a set of filter circuits coupled to the source power applicator and being tuned to, respectively, a second harmonic of the bias frequency and intermodulation products of the second harmonic of the bias frequency and the source frequency.
US07780812B2
A co-extrusion head for forming high-aspect ratio gridline structures in a micro extrusion apparatus includes multiple sheets (e.g., metal plates) that are machined and assembled to define three-part fluidic channels having associated outlet orifice disposed along an edge surface of the head. Reference surfaces are also etched in the sheets and are aligned in a straight line that intersects output junctions of the three-channel cavities. After assembly (e.g., using high pressure bonding techniques), each reference surface is located inside a notch defined in the edge surface. The edge surface of the co-extrusion head is then trimmed (e.g., machined by wire EDM) using the reference surfaces as a precise guide, thereby producing uniform length outlet orifices with uniform flow impedance.
US07780810B2
Adhesion device for applying and releasing biomimetic microstructure adhesive from a contact surface
An adhesion device is made up of three parts: an anchor portion; a peeler layer; and a “biomimetic microstructure adhesive” (BMA) portion. The anchor portion has one side affixed to a part of an object to be releasably adhered to a surface. The peeler layer has an inwardly facing side thereof affixed to the other side of the anchor portion. The BMA portion is affixed to an outward side of the peeler layer with its setae facing outwardly towards the surface to be adhered to. The anchor portion is affixed to the peeler layer at a position offset from the position at which the BMA portion is affixed, so that the object may be releasably detached from adhesion with the surface.
US07780789B2
Embodiments of the invention relate to apparatuses and methods for depositing materials on substrates during atomic layer deposition processes. In one embodiment, a chamber for processing substrates is provided which includes a chamber lid assembly containing an expanding channel extending along a central axis at a central portion of the chamber lid assembly and a tapered bottom surface extending from the expanding channel to a peripheral portion of the chamber lid assembly. The tapered bottom surface may be shaped and sized to substantially cover the substrate receiving surface. The chamber lid assembly further contains a conduit coupled to a gas passageway, another conduit coupled to another gas passageway, and both gas passageways circumvent the expanding channel. Each of the passageways has a plurality of inlets extending into the expanding channel and the inlets are positioned to provide a circular gas flow through the expanding channel.
US07780788B2
Apparatus and method for forming thin layers on a substrate are provided. A processing chamber has a gas delivery assembly that comprises a lid with a cap portion and a covering member that together define an expanding channel at a central portion of the lid, the covering member having a tapered bottom surface extending from the expanding channel to a peripheral portion of the covering member. Gas conduits are coupled to the expanding channel and positioned at an angle from a center of the expanding channel to form a circular gas flow through the expanding channel, The bottom surface of the chamber lid is shaped and sized to substantially cover the substrate receiving surface. One or more valves are coupled to the passageway, and one or more gas sources are coupled to each valve. A choke is disposed on the chamber lid adjacent a perimeter of the tapered bottom surface.
US07780775B2
The invention pertains to a novel, simpler dry-milling method for comminuting crude pigments (especially crude phthalocyanines) for use in offset inks, wherein a high amount of resin is used, at least part of which is a low molecular phenol-modified rosin, an esterified rosin or a hydrocarbon resin of similar properties, preferably together with an antioxidant, and dry-milling is performed at relatively low temperature. The invention also pertains to the thus obtained, new compositions, which are extraordinarily easily dispersible in hydrocarbon solvents, and their use for the preparation of inks or ink concentrates. Pigment dispersions obtained from the preferred compositions are also claimed.
US07780771B2
A composition and method are disclosed. The composition both conditions and activates a dielectric material for metal deposition. The metal may be deposited on the dielectric by electroless methods. The metallized dielectric may be used in electronic devices.
US07780768B2
A feed gas drying system is described for a PSA or VPSA oxygen concentrator. A membrane dryer is inserted into the feed gas path to the concentrator absorbent beds, such that the moisture in the feed gas is directed to a part of the dryer exposed to the concentrator exhaust, thus achieving efficient operation of the membrane dryer with no loss of concentrator feed gas.
US07780765B2
A method for removing mercury from flue gases generated by the combustion of coal comprises: storing a starter batch of activated carbon in an agglomerated state; de-agglomerating the starter batch in a separation device to create a contact batch of activated carbon; transporting the contact batch to a contact location; injecting the contact batch into contact with the flue gas at a contact location having a temperature between 400° F. and 1100° F., whereupon the activated carbon of the contact batch adsorbs mercury from the flue gas; and removing the activated carbon having mercury adsorbed thereon from the flue gas. The transporting step is conducted with substantially no intermediate storage of the contact batch following the de-agglomeration of the starter batch to prevent re-agglomeration of the activated carbon prior to injection.
US07780762B2
Cartridge for the treatment of a gas by reaction with a reactive substance, comprising a cohesive assembly of alveolate cells that are at least partly filled with the reactive substance, the alveolate cells possessing one part of their wall which is permeable to the gas and impermeable to the reactive substance, said wall part being intended to be in contact with the gas.
US07780760B2
In a method and a system for sorting shredder residues of metal-containing wastes, in particular from vehicle body shells, shredder residues are separated into a shredder light fraction and a non-ferromagnetic fraction. The method and system provide for a raw-granulate fraction being produced during the sorting of the shredder light fraction and the shredder heavy fraction in preliminary processes and a main process, by separating out at least one ferromagnetic fraction, a nonferrous-metal fraction, a fiber fraction, and a sand fraction, and the raw-granulate fraction being split up in a refining process.
US07780745B2
This invention is a method of fabricating a conformal lithium polymer battery comprising the steps of: selecting a slab of lithium polymer battery material of a desired height, containing a desired number of cells; freezing the slab; vertically cutting the slab to a desired shape; attaching a lead to each anode conductor; and attaching a lead to a each cathode conductor. The slab may contain one or many cells. The leads may be made of multistranded, metallic wire, metallic ribbon, low melting point alloy, self-healing metal, and litz wire. Attachment is accomplished so as to minimize tension on the leads. The cut slab may need to be deburred after cutting and before attaching leads. Preferably, burr formation is prevented by recessing the edge of the anodic or cathodic half cells.
US07780743B2
The invention relates to the dyeing of keratin materials using naphthylimide thiol/disulphide thiol fluorescent dyes, and to a dyeing process which has a lightening effect on keratin materials, in particular keratin fibres, especially human keratin fibres such as the hair, using said composition. It similarly relates to novel thiol/disulphide fluorescent dyes and to uses thereof in lightening keratin materials.This composition makes it possible to obtain a particularly resistant and visible lightening effect on dark keratin fibres.
US07780739B2
An acetabular prosthesis and method for its use in an orthopedic surgery is disclosed. The acetabular prosthesis forms a metal bearing, which articulates with a femoral head. The acetabular prosthesis is also configured so as to accept a polymer constraining ring. Should a revision surgery be necessary, the acetabular prosthesis may accept a polymer bearing liner over the metal bearing. The polymer bearing liner then articulates with the femoral head.
US07780734B2
An apparatus and method for distracting, in a given direction, and supporting two tissue surfaces. A plurality of wafers are consecutively inserted between the two tissue surfaces to create a column of wafers. The column of wafers is oriented between the tissue surfaces so as to expand in the given direction as the wafers are consecutively added to the column.
US07780733B2
An artificial spinal disc implant method for intervertebral disc replacement (0810) is disclosed which is formed from an upper (0801) and lower (0802) bracket which mate to upper and lower spinal vertebrae via upper (0831) and lower (0832) vertebral contact surfaces on the upper (0801) and lower (0802) brackets. The upper (0801) and lower (0802) brackets are joined together via springs (0811) connected to the upper bracket (0801) which rest in spring guide tracks (0812) on the lower bracket. The springs (0811) are connected to the upper bracket (0801) via the use of spring fasteners (0821, 0822). The upper (0801) and lower (0802) brackets may be installed in sections (0851, 0861, 0871, 0852, 0862, 0872) using laparoscopic surgical techniques and are attached to upper/lower spinal vertebrae respectively via adhesive means applied using injection holes/ports (0841, 0842) in the upper (0801) and lower (0802) brackets respectively.
US07780732B2
The present invention provides a fusion cage comprising a first housing, a second housing, and an alignment portion adapted to be received between the first and second housings such that the first and second housings are held in place by said alignment portion. The alignment portion can be varied in shape such that the fusion cage is wedge-like in shaped, or slanted to one side. Further, the alignment portion is constructed of a radiolucent material to allow for visualization of a bone fusion within the fusion cage.
US07780731B2
An intervertebral implant device includes an upper part, a lower part and a core element. The upper part includes an upper surface for engaging a vertebrae and a lower surface which includes a convex portion. The lower part includes a lower surface for engaging a vertebrae and an upper surface having a convex portion. The core element has an upper concave portion to operatively engage with the convex portion on the upper part and a lower concave portion to operatively engage with the convex portion of the lower part. Limited universal movement and translational movement is provided between the upper part and lower part.
US07780722B2
A venous valve with a frame and a cover on the frame for unidirectional flow of a liquid through the valve.
US07780719B2
A stent and method of its use, the stent in its expanded configuration, exhibiting varying outward radial force along its length. In use, the expanded stent is of a tapered configuration which provides greater force in vessel regions requiring greater force and less force in regions requiring less. In particular the stent is useful in the ostium regions and at areas of bifurcation in vessels. Varying force over the length of the stent is achieved by varying the number of elements, the density of elements, the thickness of the elements making up the stent body, and maintaining a substantially metal to artery ratio in the expanded stent over its length.
US07780718B2
Endovascular prostheses and methods for their use are disclosed. The prostheses include an endovascular member in need of repair and a patch therefore, as well as prostheses comprising two or more endovascular members, such as stent-grafts, which may be assembled in situ. Components of the prostheses are held together in substantially fluid tight engagement as the result of hook and loop structures which are present on the members. The hooks engage the loops to secure the components to one another. As a result, the present invention is particularly useful for the in situ repair of damaged prostheses and for the in situ assembly of bifurcated endovascular prostheses, particularly for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms.
US07780714B2
An apparatus for delivering an implant within a lumen or passageway is provided. The apparatus comprises a flexible, hollow outer member having an elongated section that is inserted into and navigated through the lumen of passageway. The implant is mounted within the distal end of the elongated section. An elongated fluid chamber is defined within the outer member between two valves or seals. The valves or seals permit fluid flow in a pre-determined direction during loading of fluid into the chamber, but prevent fluid to exit the chamber during deployment of the implant. A shaft is in contact with the proximal end of the fluid column. During deployment, the shaft is held in a fixed position and the outer member actuated in a proximal direction. The implant exerts compressive forces on the outer member as it is actuated proximally. These forces are transmitted to the fluid column which resists buckling.
US07780710B2
A fracture fixation system is provided for a fracture of a head portion of a long bone which has subchondral bone defining a convex articular surface. The system includes a plate element positionable on the long bone substantially opposite the head portion of the long bone and on a first side of the fracture, and a post element extending from the plate and into the head portion and across the fracture. A support structure for supporting of the subchondral bone of the articular surface is coupled to the post.
US07780701B1
A resorbable suture anchor operable to hold a suture within a bone. The suture anchor has a cannulated tip that receives a driver during implantation of the anchor, the driver extending from the tip when the anchor is seated on the driver. The anchor further has at least one engagement surface to prevent migration of the anchor from the implantation site. The anchor is made of a resorbable material to permit resorbtion of the anchor within a patient at a desired rate.
US07780695B2
A vascular occlusion device deployment system for placing an occlusion device at a preselected site within the vasculature of a patient. The deployment system employing a pusher having a lumen with an opening at the distal end of the pusher. A vascular occlusion device is connected to the distal end of the pusher by a portion that is removeably disposed within the opening. The portion of the occlusion device is forced out of the opening by an expandable reaction chamber, thereby deploying the occlusion device.
US07780675B2
In order to improve a surgical instrument for removing an intervertebral implant from an intervertebral space of a human or animal spinal column, comprising a coupling part arranged at the distal end of the instrument for placement on the intervertebral implant in a placement position, the coupling part being able to be brought from the placement position into a coupling position in which the intervertebral implant is held with force locking and/or positive locking on the coupling part, the coupling part comprising at least one first coupling element and at least one second coupling element, which are engageable with the intervertebral implant in the coupling position, so that it may also be used for removing different intervertebral implants of different sizes and shapes, it is proposed that the at least one first coupling element and the at least one second coupling element be arranged so as to be movable relative to each other in such a way that a spacing between the at least one first coupling element and the at least one second coupling element in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis defined by the instrument is alterable for transferring the instrument from the placement position to the coupling position and/or vice versa.
US07780664B2
The system includes an elongate intramedullary nail which is rigidly fixed under compression to the endosteal surface of a bone with unicortical locking machine screws inserted through the bone and into a plurality of longitudinally displaced threaded holes in the nail. A jig is provided for drilling holes through the bone in alignment with the screw holes in the nail. The nail and jig each include anti-rotation structure at which the nail and jig can be coupled together in a fixed alignment. A method is also provided for implanting an intramedullary nail on two sides of a bone fracture, and clamping the bone with sufficient force to immobolize the fracture by forcing the implant against an endosteal surface of the bone and applying a compressive force against the outer surface of the bone.
US07780663B2
An electrosurgical stapling instrument includes an end effector capable of applying bipolar RF energy into tissue. The end effector has a first pole electrode and a second pole electrode for forming an RF contact circuit with tissue. At least one of the electrodes may have a dielectric coating thereon to create a RF circuit with tissue. The dielectric coating can cover one of the electrodes to create a capacitive coupling circuit with tissue, or can have at least one open passageway extending through the dielectric coating to enable tissue contact with the electrode and the passage of RF energy therethrough. The dielectric coating on the electrode can be masked to create passageways through the dielectric, or the dielectric coating can be locally removed with a variety of techniques to form passageways. The dielectric coating may provide a barrier to prevent shorting between the dielectrically coated electrode and a conductive fastener embedded within tissue. Alternately, a cartridge coating can be used to reduce an electric surface sheet charge on the cartridge thermoplastic that can occur during the application of RF energy to tissue.
US07780648B2
A medical device allows movement control of a distal end portion of the medical device and is adapted for one-handed operation. The medical device is capable of omni-directional control of the distal end portion of the device. The device has an elongated member including a deflectable portion at a distal end portion of the elongated member. The device also has a control portion disposed on the elongated member. This control portion can be a handle for one-handed use by an operator of the medical device. The control portion comprises an elastic element and a flexible element. Angular movement of a first portion of the control portion with respect to a second portion of the control portion results in amplification of that angular movement in the deflectable portion of the device.
US07780622B2
There is described an artificial blood vessel for use in a region of a living body which needs to be repeatedly pierced with a needle. The artificial blood vessel includes a main section having a vessel wall which includes a laminated assembly comprising an inner layer, an outer layer, and an intermediate layer positioned therebetween, and a pair of anastomotic sections disposed on the respective opposite ends of the main section. Each of the anastomotic sections has an intermediate layer thinner than the intermediate layer of the main section or is free of an intermediate layer, so that the anastomotic section as a vessel wall thinner than the main section.
US07780612B2
A medical device is arranged to provide adjustable, user-controlled, perpendicular compression to soft tissues. In a preferred embodiment, the pressure is adjusted by a threaded bolt or threaded bolt assembly incorporated into the design of a threaded mounting plate.
US07780608B2
Methods, apparatus, and kits detect and/or treat vulnerable plaque of a blood vessel. A temperature differential can be sensed along a lumen surface with temperature sensors on a balloon filled with warm gas. Treatment methods include controlled and safe cryogenic cooling of vulnerable plaque to inhibit release of retained fluid within the vulnerable plaque so as to inhibit acute coronary syndrome and to help maintain patency of a body lumen.
US07780604B2
In a method for intermittently occluding the coronary sinus, in which the coronary sinus is occluded using an occlusion device, the fluid pressure in the occluded coronary sinus is continuously measured and stored, the fluid pressure curve is determined as a function of time, and the occlusion of the coronary sinus is triggered and/or released as a function of at least one characteristic value derived from the measured pressure values. The pressure increase and/or pressure decrease per time unit each occurring at a heart beat are used as characteristic values.
US07780602B2
Methods and system for controlling an ultrasound system are described. One method includes acquiring ultrasound data relating to an object and iteratively adjusting acoustic power output of the ultrasound system based on the acquired ultrasound data.
US07780591B2
The invention refers to a surgical method to correct penis curvature, as well as a method to determine the location of the main incision line, method to determine the geometrical distribution and size of forked ends of the main incision line and a method to determine dimensions of a defect, being all methods geometrical and auxiliary to a surgical intervention to correct penis curvature. Furthermore, the invention also refers to an auxiliary device for the surgery to correct penis curvature.
US07780570B2
An ECU executes a program for implementing a method that includes: a step of performing control so that torque capacity Tch of a frictional engagement device that is brought from an engaged state into a disengage state by a downshift operation is gradually reduced to start an inertia phase when a power-on downshift is performed; and a step of stopping the gradual reduction of the torque capacity Tch when the rate of change in an input shaft rotation speed NI of an automatic transmission has reached a desired rate of change ΔN(1). Variation in output torque is kept small, and the shock that can occur at the time of a shift is thus reduced.
US07780569B2
A traction drive type continuously variable transmission, comprising a first input/output shaft (6) rotatably supported on a casing (10), a second input/output shaft (7) rotatably supported on the casing (10), a V-pulley (4) supported on the first input/output shaft (6) and having a pair of pulley members forming a V-groove with variable grove width, a ring (3) engaged with the V-pulley (4) and supported at the outer periphery thereof, and a mechanism for moving the ring (3) to the periphery of the second input/output shaft (7).
US07780563B2
A drive force distribution apparatus is provided with an input shaft, first and second output shafts, a first epicyclic gear group, a second epicyclic gear group and a motor/generator. The first epicyclic gear group has two degrees of freedom, with the first epicyclic gear group including a first gear coupled to the input shaft, a second gear coupled to the first output shaft and a third gear. The second epicyclic gear group has two degrees of freedom, with the second epicyclic gear group including a first gear coupled to the input shaft, a second gear coupled to the second output shaft and a third gear. The motor/generator is operatively coupled to the third gears of the first and second epicyclic gear groups so that mutually different drive forces are transmitted from the motor/generator to the first and second epicyclic gear groups.
US07780560B2
A power transmission belt has a compression section, a tension section, and a load carrying section. The load carrying section has a plurality of reinforcing cords. The reinforcing cords are formed from poly(p-phenylene-2,6-benzobisoxazole) (PBO). In each reinforcing cord, the cords have a yarn twist greater than the cord twist, and the cord twist is in the range of one-forth to one-half of a ply twist.
US07780554B1
An expandable arrow broadhead used for releasable attachment to one end of a hollow arrow shaft. The broadhead includes a sliding shaft with a pointed tip and tip base having two or more of cutting blades mounted thereon. Each of the blades includes an outer cutting edge and an inner edge. A portion of the sliding shaft is slidably received inside a hollow collar. The collar is attached to a sliding shaft housing. The sliding shaft housing is attached to an arrow shaft insert. The arrow shaft insert is adapted for receipt inside one end of the arrow shaft. In a retracted position, the blades are disposed next to and parallel to the length of the sliding shaft. When the pointed tip engages a target, the sliding shaft moves inwardly and rearwardly sliding inside the collar and inside a sliding shaft bore hole in the sliding shaft housing. As the sliding shaft moves rearwardly, a beveled cam surface of the blades engages a portion of the collar, which moves the blades outwardly into an extended position.
US07780552B2
A golf tee is able to decrease the number of parts, and an assembling process is simplified, and a manufacture and assembling work do not cost a lot, and an easier maintenance and a desired advertisement effect can be obtained. The golf tee comprises an upper body which has a spherical mounting surface formed on its upper surface for mounting a golf ball; a lower body which supports the upper body from a lower side with its lower end being sharp for an easier planting into a ground, with a rubber cord being installed so as to provide a certain tensional force so that the upper body is pulled all the time to be straight with respect to the lower body.
US07780549B2
A golf club head comprising a strike face having a heel portion, a toe portion, and an intermediate portion. The intermediate portion includes one or more score lines. At least a portion of one or more score lines include a different average surface roughness and associated surface reflectance than at least the intermediate portion. A method for producing such a club head is also provided.
US07780547B2
A golf club head of a hollow wood type, that includes: a face portion; a body portion including a crown portion; and a film provided on the face portion and at least a front part of the crown portion. A film thickness T1 of the face portion is greater than or equal to a film thickness T2 of the body portion.
US07780544B2
A system is provided for indicating a region of a golf swing. The system includes a strip configured to encircle the feet of a golfer preparing to conduct the golf swing of a golf club. The strip is marked with one or more markings for a respective golf swing region. More particularly, the strip is positioned such that during an outer extremity of the golf swing region, the golf club is positioned above a respective marking.
US07780536B2
A water transportation system and method are described, generally related to water amusement attractions and rides. This transportation system comprises at least two water stations and at least one water channel connecting the at least two water stations for the purpose of conveying participants between the at least two water stations. In addition, a floating water park positioned in a body of water is described, as well as, a floating marine park. A floating marine/water park may include one or more floating containers positioned in a body of a first fluid. One or more of the floating containers may function to hold a second fluid, marine life, and/or participants in water amusement activities. A floating marine park may include one or more convertible roofs functioning to substantially cover at least a portion of one or more of the floating containers.
US07780527B2
In one embodiment, a gaming machine includes a separate touch screen located in an area where buttons are typically located. The touch screen virtual buttons may be both configurable by the player and configurable by the gaming machine. In one embodiment, the touch screen is 3-dimensional in that areas for being touched by the player are raised to give the impression of a physical button. Each raised portion may give tactile feedback to the player when pressed.
US07780515B2
A gaming machine includes: a display; an operation unit that allows a player to input operations; a controller that performs game process for providing a game to the player by displaying a progress of the game on the display in accordance with the operations input through the operation unit; and a storage that stores information indicating a first magnification and a second magnification that is larger than the first magnification. The controller performs the game process including: accepting an input of a bet of a game value on the game through the operation unit; selecting one of the first magnification and the second magnification based on an amount of the game value bet on the game; and paying out an award that is determined by multiplying the game value bet on the game by the selected one of the first magnification and the second magnification. The controller performs selecting the second magnification when the amount of the game value bet on the game is equal to or more than a predetermined value.
US07780512B2
Systems and methods for playing live casino games. The systems have changeable displays which portray virtual symbols to live participants. Assignment of symbols are accomplished using data processing functions within an electronic game processor or processors which enable these functions to be performed. The invention allows casinos to speed play and reduce the risk of cheating while allowing multiple participants to play a multiple participant capable slot machine.
US07780507B2
A method of cutting beef short ribs having a first, concavely shaped inside surface and a second convexly shaped outside surface comprises the steps of: separating the short ribs into a plurality of generally equally sized individual rib meat portions, each having a rib bone, by cutting completely through the short ribs from the first surface to the second surface along cut lines extending generally midway between and generally parallel to the rib bones; and making a series of generally parallel cuts into the meat on at least one of the first and second surfaces of each of the rib portions, the cuts made into each rib portion extending generally perpendicular to the rib bone along the entire length of the meat from one end of the rib bone to the other end of the rib bone and being spaced apart from each other by a first predetermined distance.
US07780502B2
A partial undergarment for covering a female's exposed cleavage area when an outer garment is worn over a bra, the partial undergarment includes a piece of material configured to extend from a first strap of the bra to a second strap of the bra, and between cups of the bra, and a plurality of fasteners respectively connected to the piece of material so that the material is attachable to the bra. The piece of material is attachable to at least two of the first strap of the bra, the second strap of the bra, and between the cups of the bra.
US07780500B2
A ride-on activity device is disclosed, wherein the device includes a seat, a base and a connector for movably connecting the seat relative to the base. The connection between the seat and the base allows multiple degrees of freedom such that the seat is capable of bouncing and rotating relative to the base. The connection between the seat and the connector includes a rotation safety mechanism that allows rotation at the connection when the seat is occupied by a user and prevents rotation at the connection when the seat is unoccupied. Furthermore, the connector includes a resilient member that allows the seat to bounce vertically relative to the base.
US07780498B1
A remote controlled aircraft may include a deployable main parachute, deployable paratroopers stored in the coils of helical spring actuator and moved into deployment position by rotation of the actuator. The actuator may be operated within a storage compartment configured to fit the actuator and to maintain alignment of the paratroopers before deployment. The remote control may include individual engine boost buttons and selectable, preprogrammed engine speeds. A secondary remote controlled aircraft may also be mounted for deployment on the main aircraft. Various configurations and combinations of elements and features are disclosed and may be claimed.
US07780494B2
This invention provides a method for maintaining vacuum of a panel module and a structure of the panel module. A sealing material is suspended inside the panel module right above an exhaust opening of the panel module connecting with an exhaust tube. After exhausting the inside of the panel module, the sealing material is heated and molten so as to drop down to seal the exhaust tube. As such, the panel module becomes vacuum-tight. During a subsequent annealing process to heat the exhaust tube to its melting temperature, ambient air is prohibited from flowing into the panel module.
US07780492B2
Apparatus and methods for resizing COTS AMLCDs or other electronic displays, as well as resized displays made using these apparatus and methods, are provided. The electronic display includes a front plate, a back plate, a perimeter seal spacing the front and back plates apart, and image-generating medium contained in an area between the front and back plates. A target portion of the display may be identified and separated from an excess portion of the display, e.g., by cutting and breaking the plates of the display, thereby creating an exposed edge along the target portion. The plates of the target portion are pressed towards one another, e.g., to stabilize or compress the target portion. An adhesive is applied to the exposed edge, and the pressure is released to draw the adhesive between the plates along the exposed edge.
US07780481B2
A power supply apparatus includes a main body, a power input device, a first power output device and a second power output device. The first power output device includes a first cable and a first connector. The first cable is connected to a first surface of the first connector and includes at least a stop block and at least a fastening element. The second power output device includes a second cable and a second connector. The second cable is connected to a first surface of the second connector and includes an extension part and a retaining wall. An edge of the retaining wall is confined by the stop block and the extension part is clamped by the fastening element so as to selectively combine the first connector with the second connector as a composite connector assembly and facilitate securely fixing the composite connector assembly in a common power socket.
US07780478B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for connecting together two audio components that have different size connectors and/or a different configuration of electrical contacts between them. In one embodiment of the present invention, an audio adaptor is designed having an audio plug of one size to mate with a first electrical device, such as an integrated mediaphone such as the iPhone™, and an audio jack having a different size to mate with a second electrical device, such as a conventional cell phone headset having a single earpiece. In that instance, the plug would be a four-prong, 3.5 millimeter stereo device, while the jack would be a three-prong, 2.5 millimeter monaural device. The adaptor includes circuitry that takes one audio channel (i.e., the left or right channel), and couples it to the audio input on the monaural jack.
US07780474B2
Each of the ground contact terminals of a contact unit has a pair of bifurcated terminals located on opposite sides of a pair of transmission contact terminals formed adjacent to each other.
US07780469B2
An arrangement between a power semiconductor module and a printed circuit board is disclosed, A printed circuit board includes strip conductors, and a power semiconductor module includes a module housing and power terminals. The power terminals extend to the exterior of the module housing and into contact with the strip conductors. A heat sink is disposed on a side of the power semiconductor module opposite the circuit board. A deformable means is disposed between the module housing and the circuit board and is configured to relieve a contact pressure load on the power terminals. A contact-pressure element is disposed on a side of the circuit board opposite the power semiconductor module. The contact-pressure element is integral with a first housing part of an arrangement housing, and the heat sink is integral with a second housing part of the arrangement housing. The two housing parts enclose the circuit board.
US07780460B2
The invention relates to a connecting terminal with an insulating housing and a clamping contact positioned in the connecting terminal housing for the purpose of connecting an electrical conductor, such that a contact spring, which is electrically connected to the clamping contact in the housing, is guided through an initial hole in the housing of connecting terminal to the outside of the housing, and where the contact spring is so designed that it presses against the contact surface of the circuit board when the connecting terminal is mounted on a circuit board, to thereby produce an electrical contact between the circuit board and the clamping contact.
US07780458B2
A cable assembly includes a cable having a plurality of signal lines; a plug portion connectable to a connection target; a circuit board, a first end portion of the circuit board being provided with a plurality of connection portions that are respectively connectable by soldering to the signal lines of the cable, and a second end portion of the circuit board being connectable to the plug portion; and a holder for holding the circuit board. The holder is provided with a plurality of signal line guide grooves for positioning and fixing the signal lines with respect to the connection portions of the circuit board.
US07780445B2
The present invention embodies to a palatal expansion device that includes one or more stabilizers attached to the blocks; a ratchet that engages the screw; and a built-in activator that communicates with the ratchet. This design allows essentially unidirectional rotation of the screw. The ratchet system embodies a pin/pocket arrangement, or a ratchet wheel/spring arrangement. The present invention involves kits and methods for expanding the maxillary arch or mandible using the palatal expansion devices of the present invention.
US07780443B2
The present invention provides designs for a self-ligating orthodontic bracket. According to one embodiment, the self-ligating orthodontic bracket includes a mounting base for attachment to a tooth surface, an archwire slot formed upon the base and sized for receiving an orthodontic archwire, a rotary ligating cover selectively rotatable between an open position permitting access to the archwire slot and a closed position covering the archwire slot, and one or more locking features for holding the rotary cover in a closed position. In one embodiment, the bracket includes one or more locking tabs on the rotary cover aligned in coplanar relation to the rotary cover and cooperatively mating with cutout portions in the base. The bracket may include cutouts on the sides of the rotary cover for easier manipulation of the cover. Lead in chamfers on the archwire slot may also be incorporated into the bracket base. Recessed channels and detents may be included for allowing the cover to be held in open or closed positions.
US07780436B2
A combustion method and apparatus which produce a hybrid flame for heating metals and metal alloys, which hybrid flame has the characteristic of having an oxidant-lean portion proximate the metal or metal alloy and having an oxidant-rich portion disposed above the oxidant lean portion. This hybrid flame is produced by introducing fuel and primary combustion oxidant into the furnace chamber containing the metal or metal alloy in a substoichiometric ratio to produce a fuel-rich flame and by introducing a secondary combustion oxidant into the furnace chamber above the fuel-rich flame in a manner whereby mixing of the secondary combustion oxidant with the fuel-rich flame is delayed for a portion of the length of the flame.
US07780425B2
A piston compressor contains at least one cylinder (2), inside of which a reciprocating piston (4) forms two working chambers (10, 12) disposed on opposing sides of the piston, which each have at least one inlet and one outlet opening, in which a respective inlet valve (20, 22) or an outlet valve (24, 26) operates. A housing (32) surrounds the cylinder, and has a suction port (34) and an exhaust port (36). A space between the cylinder and the housing is divided by a separating wall (28, 30) in such a way as to connect the suction port with the inlet openings and the exhaust port with the outlet openings. A driving arrangement (42, 44) reciprocally moves the piston. The inlet valve of one working chamber opens and the inlet valve of the other working chamber closes for each stroke of the piston, and the outlet valve of the one working chamber closes, while the outlet valve of the other working chamber opens.
US07780424B2
A bearing configuration for use in electrical submersible pumps having improved stability. The bearing configuration comprised of a plurality of pads, each able to freely tilt and adjust to the surface of the shaft.
US07780422B2
An arrangement for pumping fluids has an electronically commutated external-rotor motor. The latter has a stator arranged on a stator carrier and a rotor joined to a first permanent magnet, which rotor is rotatably journaled, in a bearing tube, with respect to the stator. This bearing tube is arranged, at least partly, radially inside the stator carrier. The first permanent magnet is arranged in an annular interstice between the stator carrier and the bearing tube. A fluid pump has a pump wheel arranged rotatably inside a pump housing, which wheel is joined to a second permanent magnet, a liquid-tight but magnetically transparent partition being provided between the first permanent magnet and the second permanent magnet. This keeps fluid away from the motor wiring. The first permanent magnet forms, by coaction with the second permanent magnet, a magnetic coupling to the fluid pump, which magnetic coupling automatically produces a rotation of the pump wheel as a result of rotation of the motor rotor.
US07780420B1
A thin compressor blade used in a small aircraft gas turbine engine, in which the blade includes a main blade portion formed from a fiber reinforced resinous composite material to provide a lightweight and strong blade, and in which the leading edge or the trailing edge of the blade is formed from a foam metal reinforced composite material that defines a sharp edge for improved performance of the thin blade. The fibers of the main body extend into the edge region in order that the resin used to bind the foam metal will also bind with the fibers of the laminates to secure the edge to the main blade body. The blade tip can also be formed from the porous foam metal and resin material to make a strong and lightweight rotor blade.
US07780419B1
A compressor blade for a gas turbine engine that includes a composite leading edge insert attached to a titanium blade by a row of fastener pins along an aft edge of the insert to prevent unzipping. Each insert is also secured by an electrochemically disbondable composition for easy removable of a damaged insert from an integrally bladed disk. One or more of the fastener pins provides for an electrical conductive path that bypasses the disbondable composition during a lightening strike so that the insert does not release. Each replaceable insert includes a root portion that fits within a slot of the rotor disk, with each insert being secured against radial displacement by two shear pins secured within two shear pin slots formed in both the insert root portion and the rotor disk slot. The shear pin slots are curved and follow the curvature of the airfoil at the junction to the rotor disk. A retaining and balancing ring is secured within an annular groove and functions to retain the shear pins within the slots and to balance the rotor disk. The combination of the fastener pins, the electrochemically disbondable composition, and the shear pins in the slot provide for three methods of securing an insert to the blade so that a damaged insert can be easily replaced.
US07780416B2
Four wide frames are fixed to a vertical axis. The frames have horizontal bars ten centimeters apart. On each horizontal bar, a sheet of cloth twenty centimeters high and as wide as the frame is hung such that the sheets of cloth are all on the same side of the frames so that when the wind blows from any direction, the windmill rotates in the same direction. For frames facing the wind direction, on one side of the axis, the wind will blow the sheets of cloth away from the frame, and the wind will pass through the frame. On the other side of the axis, the wind will blow the sheets of cloth, but the horizontal bars will stop them from blowing to the other side of the frame such that the sheets of cloth stick to the frame and prevent the wind from passing through. The frame on that other side will act like a big sail.
US07780411B2
A device for adjusting an angle-of-attack (δ) of blades in a lift-type vertical axis turbine comprising a vertical rotating axis, a rotatable cantilever support wing fixed on the vertical rotating axis, a wind rotor comprising a plurality of blades mounted on the cantilever support wing, at least one cam disposed along an axial direction of the vertical rotating axis, the axial direction of the cam being parallel to the rotating axis, and for any point in a contour line of the cam, the angle of attack δ being set according to the following formula: δ=β−α, wherein δ is the angle of attack; β is an azimuth angle; α is a rotating angle for blades; and δ, β, and α are preset values.
US07780408B2
A flow straightener for axial fans particularly for conditioning systems, being constituted by a plurality of flat deflection walls, which form a substantially star-shaped profile which is adapted to be arranged coaxially and proximate to the impeller of the axial fan with which it is associated.
US07780407B2
A rotary machine and a method of assembling a rotary machine having a casing extending at least partially around a rotor are provided. The method includes providing a diaphragm patch ring. The method also includes assembling a diaphragm assembly by configuring a diaphragm bore portion to receive the diaphragm patch ring and forming a diaphragm patch member sub-assembly by coupling the diaphragm patch ring to the configured diaphragm bore portion, such that the diaphragm bore portion defines at least one dowel passage and at least one bolt passage. The method further includes inserting at least one dowel generally radially into the at least one dowel passage, inserting at least one fastening bolt generally radially into the at least one bolt passage to secure the diaphragm patch ring to the diaphragm bore portion, and positioning the diaphragm assembly in a gap formed by the casing and the rotor.
US07780404B2
A fan housing with a noise-reducing structure includes a housing having a side wall. An air inlet is defined in the housing and an air outlet defined in the side wall of the housing. A plurality of supporting ribs are disposed in the air inlet and connected between inner and outer peripheries of the air inlet for supporting a motor base. At least one of the supporting ribs is adjacent to the air outlet and extends in a direction coincident to or intersects with a longitudinal line of the air outlet extending through a rotational axis of the motor base.
US07780397B1
A method and apparatus for rapid loading stacks of items aboard vessels which can include rotating palletized items to depalletize the items, and then placing the items on a lifting robot, lifting the robot and items into the hold of a vessel, removing the items from the robot using a load push lift truck, and then using the load push lift truck to stow the items in a stowage location. The empty robot can be removed from the hold of the vessel and put in a position to receive a another depalletized stack of cartons. In one option the robot has a plurality of fork channels for receiving the blades of a load push lift truck along with receiving the blades or a rotating lift truck.
US07780395B2
A lift arm for a skid-steel loader, in which a pair of right and left lift arms are divided in two so that they are constituted as first arm portions and second arm portions. Each of the first arm portions is constituted as a long member which is constituted from a sheet metal material and a hollow portion is formed from a proximal end to a front end of the first arm portion. Reinforcing plate-shaped bodies are fixed on both side faces from a central portion to the front end. Each of the second arm portions is constituted from a plate-shaped body and constituted between a front wheel and a loader main body so as to be inserted loosely. With this structure, it is possible to provide the lift arm which enables an entire length of the skid-steer loader to be shortened.
US07780393B1
A transporter for transporting and deploying vehicle security barriers includes a central carrier that is rotatable between a longitudinal transport orientation and a transverse deployment orientation. A cable lift apparatus is connectable to the security barriers on the ground and operable to lift the barriers into the central carrier irrespective of the orientation of the central carrier. A plurality of pivoted dogs is arranged around the central carrier at vertically spaced levels to define transport positions for the security barriers within the central carrier. The pivoted dogs are mounted to allow the barriers to pass upwardly past the dogs, but not be lowered past the pivoted dogs unless the dogs have been manually pivoted to permit the barriers to be lowered. The barriers can be transported longitudinally on the transporter and deployed transversely through rotation of the central carrier which can rotate ninety degrees to either direction.
US07780392B2
The present invention comprises a stocker. The stocker comprises multiple container storage locations arranged in a horizontal array. The horizontal array of storage locations may be suspended from the facility ceiling or supported by the facility floor. The stocker may include one or more stocker robots for transporting a workpiece container within the stocker and/or to a material transport system. The stocker may also include features such as container elevators and conveyor loops.
US07780390B2
To provide a container inspection/cargo-handling system capable of efficiently inspecting import/export containers.In order to solve the aforesaid problem, a container inspection/cargo-handling system of the present invention includes an automated guided vehicle (AGV) 18 that travels in circulation in a quay area. Further, on a circulation travel line of the AGV 18, provided are a quay crane 16 loading/unloading a container 14 to/from the AGV 18, a radiation inspection device 20 inspecting a cargo in the container 14 loaded on the AGV 18, and a container transfer means 22 for transferring the container 14 between the AGV 18 and a manned transport vehicle (container transport vehicle) 24.
US07780386B2
A coupling mechanism is provided. The coupling mechanism includes a bushing assembly adapted to establish a coupling when rotated, a housing that is rotatable when torque is applied to the housing, a torque-limit member positioned between the housing and the bushing assembly such that when the torque-limit member is in a positive-lock state, the housing and bushing assembly rotate jointly upon the application of torque until a predefined torque level is attained. A compressible member is included that engages the torque-limit member to define through frictional resistance of moving parts and parts geometry a predefined torque level. The torque-limit member switches from the positive-lock state to a ratchet state when the predefined torque level is attained. When the torque-limit member is in the ratchet state, the housing rotates relative to the bushing assembly.
US07780369B2
An organizer which includes a plurality of holders for holding recording media such as disposable cards. A first holder has a first upper edge and a second holder has a second upper edge and a second lower edge. The second holder is disposed behind the first holder and attached thereto at the second lower edge so that the second upper edge is above the first upper edge. The first holder and second holder are movable with respect to each other about the second lower edge. A method for organizing information includes recording information on a plurality of items of a disposable recording medium in accordance with categories of information, each item corresponding to one category and one subcategory; and arranging those items in the organizer including removing and/or inserting the items.
US07780361B2
In various exemplary embodiments, the present invention provides improved card guide and heatsink assemblies for pluggable electro-optic modules utilized in optical communications networks and the like. More specifically, the present invention provides a solderable surface-mounted card guide assembly and a staggered heatsink assembly. These assemblies are utilized with small-form factor pluggable electro-optic modules and the like, and the concepts presented herein can be extended to XFP, XENPAK, XPAK, and X2 electro-optic modules, for example. The solderable surface-mounted card guide assembly of the present invention finds particular applicability with small-form factor pluggable electro-optic modules not utilizing any type of module cage, while the staggered heatsink assembly of the present invention finds particular applicability with small-form factor pluggable electro-optic modules both not utilizing and utilizing any type of module cage.
US07780359B2
The present invention provides a longer optical transmission line in an photoelectric flexible wiring board to downsize the photoelectric flexible wiring board and obtaining high flexibility and good optical transmission characteristics.In an photoelectric flexible wiring board 30, photonic devices 45 and 55 performing photoelectric conversion and drivers 60 and 70 therefor are excluded. The photonic devices 45 and 55 are mounted in connectors 40 and 50 for connecting the photoelectric flexible wiring board 30 to mounting boards 12 and 22. The drivers 60 and 70 are mounted on the mounting boards 12 and 22 together with the connectors 40 and 50.
US07780346B2
Methods and apparatus for a fully isolated NPN-based temperature detector are disclosed. A disclosed method to determine the temperature of a circuit comprises generating a first current that increases as temperature increases, generating a second current that decreases as temperature increases, and detecting the temperature by receiving a first and second signal based on the first and second currents to determine whether the temperature exceeds at least one temperature threshold.
US07780342B2
A spring device having an inside-end wheel that moves in conjunction with the inside end of a mainspring; an outside-end wheel that moves in conjunction with the outside end of the mainspring; a torque return unit that transfers part of the output torque of the mainspring from one to the other of the inside-end wheel and outside-end wheel; a duration time indicating unit that operates in conjunction with both the inside-end wheel and outside-end wheel and indicates the number of winds in the mainspring; and a torque transfer clutch unit that disengages torque transfer between the inside-end wheel and outside-end wheel by means of the torque return unit when the mainspring unwinds and the duration time indicating unit indicates a predetermined reference number of winds.
US07780339B2
A vortex motion paint mixing machine having a paint container holder spinning and orbiting in a paint mixing assembly pivotally connected to a base, one or more viscoelastic polymer dampers and a control arm.A method of damping vibration in a paint mixing machine by: a) providing a receptacle for receiving one of a cylindrical or a non-cylindrical paint container on a mixing assembly; b) pivotally mounting the mixing assembly on a base; c) providing one or more viscoelastic vibration dampers between the mixing assembly and the base; d) connecting the mixing assembly and the base with a control arm; e) rotating a paint container in the receptacle in a spinning motion about an axis of the receptacle and in an orbiting motion about an axis separate from the axis of the receptacle; and f) damping vibration between the mixing assembly and the base using the viscoelastic vibration damper.
US07780334B2
A lamp for a decorative light string includes an LED received within a translucent cover and mounted in a fixture including a cover holder and base which are mutually connected. The cover is received in the cover holder and electrical cables are secured to the base. The cover holder is, in turn, received in the base in a manner allowing simple and reliable electrical connection between the post and anvil of the LED and the conductors of the cable. The cover is elongate and has a closed end defining a concave/convex lens portion. Ribs are provided on the cover for connection to the cover holder and an internal shoulder in the cover is provided for abutting the LED.
US07780333B2
A backlight module includes a frame, a plurality of lamps in the frame, and an optical plate including a main body having a light input surface, and a light output surface opposite to the light input surface. The light input surface is adjacent to the lamps, and at least one bracket extension is integral with one end of the main body for fixing the optical plate to the frame. The at least one bracket extension includes a top surface for supporting a liquid crystal display panel, a side surface connecting with the top surface and being farthest from the main body, and a protecting protrusion located on the side surface for protecting a drive circuit connected to the liquid crystal display panel.
US07780331B2
A plurality of convex strip portions are formed on a front surface (or a back surface) of a light guiding plate, extending in a direction from a light incidence plane to an opposite side surface. A concave portion is formed on a side surface of each convex strip portion. An inner wall of the concave portion is formed from at least two flat planes inclined with respect to three axial directions orthogonal to each other (X, Y and Z axial directions), respectively. Thereby, damage to the surface illuminant equipment such as a light guiding plate due to the interference between a back surface and units disposed on the back surface of the light guiding plate is prevented, while preventing a linear part with relatively low luminance from being viewed from the front surface of the light guiding plate.
US07780330B2
A solid waveguide comprises opposite TIR surfaces further comprising: a) at least one light input surface for coupling light from a solid state light source; b) at least one mixing section; c) at least one light emitting surface; and d) a desired pattern of light redirecting features located on one TIR surface or between the TIR surfaces.
US07780329B2
Optical assembly includes a light emitting panel member having at least one light input area for receiving light from two or more different colored light sources. A pattern of individual optical deformities on or in at least one surface area of the panel member contains at least two different configurations of optical deformities to promote color mixing within the panel member and cause light of a preferred color to be emitted therefrom.
US07780327B2
An image generating apparatus capable of uniformly brightening an emission surface even when a light-emitting device portion is arranged on a position deviating from the center of the emission surface is obtained. This image generating apparatus includes a light-emitting device portion emitting light, a light guide member, so arranged as to enclose the light-emitting device portion, including a peripheric emission surface, a peripheric light guide portion guiding the light emitted from the light-emitting device portion to the emission surface and a dome portion, having a light guide function, provided inside the peripheric light guide portion continuously with the light guide portion for covering the light-emitting device portion and a lid member so provided as to cover the dome portion. The image generating apparatus further includes a wall portion adjusting the light emitted from the light-emitting device portion and guided to the peripheric emission surface.
US07780326B2
An optical fiber lighting apparatus includes an exciting light source, a first optical fiber, a second optical fiber, and a wavelength conversion unit. The first optical fiber guides the exciting light emitted from the exciting light source. The wavelength conversion unit receives the exciting light exiting from the first optical fiber to generate a wavelength-converted light having a wavelength different from that of the exciting light. The second optical fiber guides at least part of the wavelength-converted light generated by the wavelength conversion unit.
US07780325B2
A luminous turning button for an electric circuit, including a handle mounted to pivot about an axis to actuate at least one electric switch unit and that is illuminated by a light source substantially disposed along the axis. The handle includes a cap forming a disk and a gripping tab that protrudes in a diametral plane. The cap is made of translucent or transparent material capable of allowing the light to travel to the outside, the gripping tab being hollow and covering an integrated mechanical base made of opaque material.
US07780320B2
A street lamp system includes a hollow lamp post, an illumination device, a wind turbine, a connecting shaft and a number of fan leaves. The lamp post has an air flowing channel defined therein. The illumination device includes a solid-state light source and a heat dissipation device thermally coupled to the solid-state light source, and is coupled on the lamp post with the heat dissipation device disposed in the air flowing channel. The wind turbine is mechanically coupled to the lamp post to be driven by wind energy to rotate, thereby directing flowing of the air in the channel from the air inlet to the air outlet.
US07780315B2
A heat dissipation component for a vehicle lighting and/or signalling device of the type comprising a printed circuit board, a light-emitting diode comprising a heat dissipation base and a pair of electrical connection tabs and a heat dissipater extending facing the printed circuit board, wherein the heat dissipater comprises a heat exchange portion held against the base the diode and in that the heat exchange portion of the heat dissipater comprises means for orienting the diode that protrude substantially perpendicularly to the heat exchange portion of the dissipater, the heat exchange face of the base of the diode being arranged on an orienting means in such a way that the diode is oriented relative to a reference orientation and a reference plane of the dissipater.
US07780306B2
A light guide plate is provided. The light guide plate includes a light source hole part configured to accommodate a light source, the light source hole part provided at a back surface on the opposite side of a light emitting surface; and a recessed part provided on the side of said light emitting surface opposed to the light source hole part. The recessed part has, at the bottom portion of the recessed part, a slant surface inclined against the light emitting surface.
US07780301B2
An asymmetrical mirror lens, usable on front fenders of school buses and similar vehicles, which has a plurality of mirror sections, each having a distinct constant radius of curvature to reduce image distortion. Optional sections located between sections of the constant radius of curvature have a step-wise changing radii of curvature to smooth the image sizes as an object moves across the mirror lens.
US07780298B2
Extenders are provided that can be mounted on the existing rearview mirror mounting hole of motorcycle handlebars to provide a new mounting hole for the rearview mirrors that is laterally spaced from the original hole. The extenders allow the stock mirrors to be positioned for greater visibility without causing undue vibration in the mirror. The extenders can be constructed with a blind hole that allows for a clean and visually appealing installation. The extenders can also be constructed with spaced apart arms that define a hole. The hole can serve to reduce wind drag, reduce construction costs or function as a place for mounting things to the motorcycle.
US07780294B2
Systems, methods, and devices for determining an aberration in an optical tissue system of an eye are provided. Techniques include inputting optical data from the optical tissue system of the eye, where the optical data includes set of local gradients corresponding to a non-circular shaped aperture, processing the optical data with an iterative Fourier transform to obtain a set of Fourier coefficients, converting the set of Fourier coefficients to a set of modified Zernike coefficients that are orthogonal over the non-circular shaped aperture, and determining the aberration in the optical tissue system of the eye based on the set of modified Zernike coefficients.
US07780291B2
A wavefront aberration compensating apparatus includes: a deformable mirror which compensates a wavefront aberration of a light flux entered, the deformable mirror including a plurality of electrodes, and a thin-film mirror which changes a configuration thereof in accordance with a voltage value applied to each of the electrodes; an optical system provided with the deformable mirror, and including an object subjected to aberration compensation; a wavefront sensor which receives the light flux traveled through the object and the deformable mirror, and which measures the wavefront aberration of the light flux; and a controller configured to calculate the voltage value applied to each of the electrodes, on the basis of differences, from a signal outputted from the wavefront sensor, between application points on the thin-film mirror and target points both corresponding to the electrodes, respectively, and to repeat compensation of the configuration of the thin-film mirror of the deformable mirror on the basis of the calculated voltage value, such that the wavefront aberration of the light flux measured by the wavefront sensor is suppressed.
US07780290B2
An intraocular lens for correcting or reducing the astigmatism of a cornea includes a pupil that is spatially divided into discrete zones, with each zone having a particular astigmatism magnitude and astigmatism orientation. In one embodiment, the zones all have the same astigmatism magnitude, which is equal and opposite the cornea astigmatism magnitude to within a particular tolerance, such as 0.25 diopters. In one embodiment, some or all of the zones all have different astigmatism orientations, with the angular separation between astigmatism orientations being on the order of the rotational misalignment tolerance of the lens to the cornea. The visual performance of such a lens deteriorates more slowly with rotational misalignment, when compared to a comparable lens having a uniform astigmatism orientation across its entire pupil, leading to more relaxed tolerances for a surgeon that implants the lens.
US07780278B2
An ink coupling for connecting an inkjet printer and a replaceable cartridge configured to not drip ink upon detachment. The coupling has a cartridge valve on the cartridge side of the coupling and a printer conduit on the printer side of the coupling. The cartridge valve and the printer conduit having complementary formations configured to form a coupling seal when brought into engagement. The cartridge valve is biased closed and configured to open when brought into engagement with the printer conduit. Upon disengagement, the coupling seal breaks after the cartridge valve closes, and an ink meniscus forms and recedes from the complementary formations as they separate, the cartridge valve having external surfaces configured so that the meniscus travels across the external surfaces and only pins itself to the printer conduit surfaces. The invention keeps residual ink off the exterior of the cartridge valve by careful design of the external surfaces with respect to known receding contact angle of the ink meniscus. As the coupling seal breaks and the meniscus forms, the ink properties and hydrophilicity of the respective valve materials will determine where the meniscus stops moving and eventually pins itself.
US07780269B2
An ink jet nozzle assembly is provided having a wafer substrate defining an ink supply passage, a drive circuitry layer formed on the wafer substrate, an ink chamber structure on the drive circuitry layer, the ink chamber structure defining an ink chamber in fluid communication with the ink supply passage and an ink ejection port, and a layered actuator having a first layer electrically coupled to the drive circuitry layer so that the drive circuitry layer can electrically actuate the actuator to thereby eject ink from the ink ejection port.
US07780260B2
An inkjet printer includes a recording head having a nozzle face provided with a nozzle for discharging an ink to form an image on a recording medium, and a detachable cap for capping the nozzle face. The cap of the inkjet printer is provided with an annular rim and an annular groove, which are provided along a periphery of the cap, the groove being opposed to the nozzle face in a state where the cap is abutted against the nozzle face. In the inkjet printer, a during non-image-forming period, the rim of the cap is abutted against the nozzle face, thus capping the nozzle face.
US07780257B2
A recording apparatus provided with an interface for supplying an electric power to a connected electronic apparatus, and capable of performing a recording operation on a recording medium by the use of a recording head. A power source supplying unit supplies predetermined electric power to the electronic apparatus connected to the interface, and a detecting unit detects that the electronic apparatus has been connected. An acquiring unit acquires power information of the electronic apparatus, such as information indicating the nature of the interface or information indicating the power requirements. Based on detection of the connection by the detecting unit and the power information acquired by the acquiring unit, a control unit effects a change over of control of the recording operation.
US07780256B2
An inkjet printer comprising: an array of nozzles arranged into rows, each row consisting of a plurality of nozzle groups, the nozzles in each group being interspersed with nozzles from the other groups; and, associated drive circuitry for actuating the nozzles in the row in accordance with a firing sequence, the firing sequence enabling the nozzles in each group to eject printing fluid simultaneously, and enabling each of the groups to eject printing fluid in succession; wherein, the nozzles in each group are spaced from each other by at least a predetermined minimum number of nozzles and, each of the nozzles in a group is spaced from the nozzles in the subsequently enabled group by at least the predetermined minimum number of nozzles.
US07780245B2
A service brake/traction control valve includes a service brake control port, a traction control port, an exhaust port, and a control chamber. The control chamber fluidly communicates with the service brake control port and the traction control port as a function of a service brake event and as a function of a traction control event. The control chamber fluidly communicates with the exhaust port when the service brake event is released. The control chamber fluidly also communicates with the exhaust port when the traction control event is released.
US07780242B2
A compressible sleeve for fitting around the shank of a rotatable tool has a cut out portion at the forward end thereof. The sleeve is compressed to a diameter less than the inner diameter of the bore of a tool holder by an annular wear ring having an inwardly directed projection that retains the cylindrical sleeve to a diameter that is less than the diameter of the bore of the tool holder. When the shank of the tool is driven into the bore of the tool holder, the wear ring is forced forwardly along the sleeve until the projection falls in the cut out portion of the sleeve allowing the sleeve to expand to the diameter of the bore of the tool holder and locking the wear ring from rotating with the tool.
US07780240B2
The belt can be pulled out of the housing against a spring force, and the length of the belt is fixed by inserting the belt buckle into the holder.
US07780235B2
A vehicle seat (1), in particular a motor vehicle seat, is provided including a seat substructure (5), a seat cushion (31, 33) with a seat shell (31) and an inclination adjuster (21) with a drive (43). The inclination adjuster (21) with drive (43) is used to change the inclination of the seat cushion relative to the seat substructure (5). The inclination adjuster (21) is loosely positioned on the seat substructure (5) or on the seat cushion (31, 33) and movably attached to the other respective sub-assembly.
US07780231B2
A media system for a vehicle having a seat comprises a housing mounted to the seat, and a media unit that is capable of being coupled to the housing, wherein the housing includes a receiving portion that pivots with respect to the housing and receives the media unit in the receiving portion.
US07780228B2
An open air system for an automotive vehicle includes a moveable roof panel and can include a single pair of guide tracks that extends along the vehicle through which the moveable roof member travels. A backlite of the open air system and the roof panel can have a similar transverse contour. A seal member can define a boundary between a dry area and a wet area and the guide tracks can be positioned outside of the seal member in the wet area. A wind deflecting assembly can be included and can have a wind deflector moveable between a retracted position and a raised position and can be automatically actuated by a drive member that drives movement of the roof panel. The open air system can be a modular open air system that can be installed into a vehicle as a modular unit.
US07780221B2
When a drive shaft is in a non-drive state, a second drive rotor is in a non-engaged state with a driven rotor with respect to its own rotating direction. When the drive shaft is in a drive state, a rotating force of a first drive rotor is transmitted to the second drive rotor through an urging member. As a result, a power transmitting member revolves, and a centrifugal force arranges the power transmitting member at a second clamping position. The second drive rotor receives a reaction force from a driven rotor via the power transmitting member. As a result, the second drive rotor is relatively rotated in an opposite direction to a rotating direction of the first drive rotor with respect to the first drive rotor, against an urging force of the urging member. As a result, the first drive rotor is engaged with the driven rotor with respect to its own rotating direction. Accordingly, the clutch is stably operated.
US07780214B2
The invention starts with a windshield wiper device (10), in particular for a motor vehicle, with at least one drive element (16) that can be fastened to the vehicle body (26) and that has a driven shaft (28) and at least two axially rigid fastening elements (22), which engage in receiving openings (24) on the vehicle body (26) and are provided with at least one damping element (76, 90, 96) for damping mechanical vibrations. It is proposed that the damping elements (76, 90, 96) are fastening blocks made of a rubber-elastic material and are fastened to the drive element (16), that said damping elements are provided with slots (78) and are arranged in such a manner that they can be inserted in a first assembly direction (64) in the receiving openings (24) and prompted by a movement in a second assembly direction (32) transverse to the first direction the damping elements reach across the first edge (88) of the receiving opening (24) with a slot (78), and that a locking element (30, 52, 66, 80, 92, 98) secures the final position in the second assembly direction (32).
US07780213B2
Heavy equipment having a tool box opening in forward direction of the equipment is provided, in which a tool box door mounted on an upper frame of an excavator can be simply opened and closed through pressing of a button, an auxiliary structure, such as a handrail that is used when an operator ascent toward an engine room, is not required, and the shape of the tool box door can be freely designed to sufficiently secure storage space. The heavy equipment includes a lower driving structure; an upper frame mounted on the lower driving structure to be swiveled; a cap and an engine room mounted in front and in the rear of the upper frame; working devices including a boom fixed to the upper frame, an arm, a bucket, and hydraulic cylinders for driving the boom, the arm, and the bucket, respectively; a counter weight mounted in the rear of the upper frame to keep the balance of the equipment during working; a tool box door mounted on the upper frame to open from the rear to the front side of the equipment, and forming storage space; and a gas spring for opening the tool box door when a button mounted on an external surface of the tool box door is pressed.
US07780210B1
An implement (10) for moving a box (48) within a pickup box (42) is disclosed. The implement (10) includes an elongated body (12) having a hooking section (22). A head (28) is associated with an end of this hooking section (22). The head (28) may be disposed within a groove (46) associated with the bed (43) of the pickup box (42), and may be slid along this groove (46) until positioned under the box (48). The implement (10) can then be rotated to engage the head (28) with the underside of the box (48). A user may then pull on the implement (10) to in turn pull the box (48) along the bed (43) of the pickup box (42). The hooking section (22) of the implement may also be disposed behind a box (48) to pull the box (48) to a desired position.
US07780206B2
A device for protecting first and second con fronting furniture components includes a base member having opposite first and second faces. The first face is adapted to contact the first furniture component, and the base member has a cushioning projection that extends outwardly from the second face of the base member and covers a void within the base member. The projection is adapted to contact the second furniture component as it confronts the first furniture component.
US07780205B2
A vehicle door latch comprising a catch, the catch having a main catch surface; a reset spring for resetting the catch; a cushioning stop mounted on the catch for rotation therewith and for providing a point of attachment for the reset spring; a cushioning element for cushioning the catch; and a latch housing having a receiving groove; wherein the cushioning element is disposed in the receiving groove; the cushioning element is stacked above the main catch surface; the cushioning stop limits opening movement of the catch by engaging against the cushioning element; and the reset spring is connected to the cushioning stop.
US07780200B2
A connecting structure for a joint member is constituted by a joint member formed from a metal material and having a hexagonal shape in cross section, which is inserted into a first port of a valve body made from a resin material. A U-shaped clip is inserted into a clip hole that confronts the first port and engages with a pin groove, which is formed on an outer peripheral surface of the joint member. In accordance therewith, axial displacement of the joint member accommodated within the first port is regulated. Further, rotational displacement of the joint member with respect to the first port, which also is formed with a hexagonal shape in cross section, is regulated while the joint member is connected with respect to the first port.
US07780199B2
Bicycle frame, of the type which consist of a diagonal tube (1) of quadrangular section, in which at least in the mid-upper zone (11) of the diagonal tube (1) which faces the bicycle wheel, the outer side (10) of said quadrangular section is concave, and the size (a) of said outer side (10) increases approximately from the upper section (A:A) to the central section (C:C) of the diagonal tube (1).
US07780198B2
A chassis skirt mounting assembly (110) for a vehicle having a tank (14) and a chassis skirt (16) includes a tank strap bracket (120) attached to the tank, the tank strap bracket having a first adjustment slot (130) with a first length dimension. An adjustment bracket (122) is attached to the chassis skirt (16) and has a second adjustment slot (138) with a second length dimension oriented generally 90-degrees offset from the first length dimension of the first adjustment slot (130). A double-sided stud (140) is disposed through the first adjustment slot (130) and the second adjustment slot (138) to allow the independent adjustment of the double-sided stud with respect to the first adjustment slot from the adjustment of the double-sided stud with respect to the second adjustment slot.
US07780192B2
An air bag system includes an inflator operable to release inflation fluid, an inflatable cushion inflatable upon release of inflation fluid from the inflator, an air bag housing substantially surrounding the cushion, and an internal valve in fluid communication with the inflator. The internal valve includes at least one fluid diverter movable between a first position and a second position. As the fluid diverter moves from the first position to the second position, fluid flow into the cushion decreases and fluid flow through the vent increases.
US07780191B2
A side airbag apparatus includes an inflator assembly and an airbag. The airbag includes an upper chamber and a lower chamber, which communicate with each other via a communication portion. In the side airbag apparatus, gas is discharged from the inflator assembly in response to an impact from the side of a vehicle. The gas causes the lower chamber to be inflated and deployed beside the occupant with the internal pressure higher than that of the upper chamber. The side airbag apparatus further includes an auxiliary inflation section, which is part of the airbag and is inflated by gas around the communication portion. In the inflation process of the airbag, when the auxiliary inflation section starts inflating, the flow passage area of the communication portion is reduced, thereby suppressing the flow of gas in the communication portion.
US07780186B2
A cover for an airbag module includes at least a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer. The first layer includes a predefined tear line and the third layer is configured to face into a passenger compartment of a vehicle.
US07780177B2
The invention relates to a wheel suspension for steered wheels of motor vehicles having a telescoping shock absorber which is preferably permanently connected to the wheel carrier and a helical compression spring which surrounds it and which is clamped between a lower spring plate which is preferably permanently connected to the shock absorber tube and an upper, body-side spring plate. According to the invention for vertical adjustment of the body around the shock absorber there is an actuator, and the actuator acts by way of an actuating pinion with the interposition of an axial anti-friction bearing on the upper spring plate.
US07780175B2
A wheel assembly and a method of using the wheel assembly are provided. The wheel assembly is attachable to various objects and capable of quickly and easily collapsing or folding to become more compact for more efficient and cost-effective transportation or shipping. It is then capable of being quickly and easily expanded.
US07780173B2
A sealing assembly for forming a seal about an elongate object includes a resilient seal member and a loading mechanism. The resilient seal member includes an inner wall surface defining a channel to receive the elongate object. The seal member has first and second opposed sides. The loading mechanism includes a first pressure member on the first side of the seal member; a second pressure member on the second side of the seal member; a biasing member on the second side of the seal member and interposed between the seal member and the second pressure member; and an adjustable displacement mechanism accessible and operable from the first side of the seal member to displace the first and second pressure members relative to one another to selectively apply a compressive load to the seal member such that the inner wall surface is expanded inwardly to exert a sealing pressure on the elongate object.
US07780169B2
A pull-tab poker variant card game includes at least one ticket having images of playing cards selected from a conventional deck of cards. Each of the card images on the ticket has a face suit and an associated face value. The rules include each player placing an original wager before any card images are revealed; giving the player an opportunity to increase the wager by a first amount after revealing three card images; giving the player an opportunity to increase the wager by a second amount after revealing a first hole card image; revealing a second hole card image; and paying a player having a winning hand for the total wager including the original wager and the first and second amounts based upon a predetermined payout table that indicates what hands are winning hands.
US07780166B1
A game for multiple players having an instruction unit and a plurality of game cards each having gameplay indicia disposed thereon. The instruction unit includes a mechanical number selection device, such as a Pop-O-Matic type die agitator, configured to randomly select one of a plurality of available numbers for the game, a first input device operatively connected to the mechanical number selection device and responsive to actuation of the mechanical number selection device, and a first output device, such as single or multicolored LEDs and/or a speaker. The instruction unit is actuated by a player actuating the mechanical number selection device and the detection of the actuation of the mechanical number selection device by the first input device. The instruction unit selects one of a plurality of colors associated with the game in response to the actuation of the mechanical number selection device, and causes the first output device to provide a sensory perceptible output corresponding to the color selected by the instruction unit.
US07780163B2
An apparatus and a method for aligning bank notes in a transport system in which, when aligning bank notes in a transport system the alignment of a bank note transported separately in the transport system is detected, that it is checked, whether the detected alignment of the single bank note is a misalignment, that the single bank note according to the detected misalignment is aligned in a desired alignment by a movement of the single bank note in a direction deviating from the transport direction of the transport system, the alignment of the single bank note during the aligning being detected, and the aligning being terminated, as soon as the single bank note has the desired alignment.
US07780160B2
A post-processing apparatus having a conveyance device to convey a sheet, a sheet bundle storing device to load and store the sheets conveyed by the conveyance device as a sheet bundle, a moving device to enable the sheet bundle storing device to be movable, a post-processing device to carry out post-process for the sheet bundle accumulated in the sheet bundle storing device, wherein the sheet bundle storing device can be withdrawn to outside the post-processing apparatus main body through the moving device so as to be capable of storing the sheet bundle from outside.
US07780159B2
The present invention provides a sheet processing apparatus comprising a sheet holding device capable of storing supplied sheets, a first sheet stacking tray on which sheets are stacked at a downstream side of the sheet holding device in a sheet conveying direction and on which the sheets are subjected to processing, a sheet discharging device for discharging the sheets stacked on the first sheet stacking tray, a second sheet stacking tray on which the sheets discharged by the sheet discharging device are stacked, and a controller for controlling the sheet discharging device and the sheet holding device if sheet jam occurs at an upstream side of the sheet holding device, in such a manner that, after the sheets on the first sheet stacking tray are discharged onto the second sheet stacking tray, the sheets stored in the sheet holding device are discharged onto the first sheet stacking tray.
US07780158B2
Provided is a post-processing apparatus which sequentially receives sheets one by one from an image forming apparatus to execute a post-processing on the sheets, including: a first transport device which receives the sheets delivered from the image forming apparatus and transports the sheets; a sheet overlap device which stays the sheets transported by the first transport device and causes another sheet transported sequentially by the first transport device to overlap at least one stayed sheet; a second transport device which transports a plurality of sheets overlapping each other by the sheet overlap device; a plurality of stacking devices capable of stacking a plurality of sheets transported by the second transport device; and a controller which changes control of sheet overlapping caused by the sheet overlap device depending on which stacking device selected from among the plurality of stacking devices the sheets are to be transported to.
US07780155B2
The invention relates to a device to filter and damp the vibrations between a first element subjected to an incident vibratory wave and a second element radiating a filtered vibratory wave.This device comprises an interface structure to transfer vibratory energy constituted by at least one elastic component and at least one dissipative component attached in parallel to the elastic component to ensure the filtration and damping of the incident vibratory wave, the dissipative component being constituted by two separate rigid frames ensuring, punctually or continuously, deflection functions, if required, by a lever arm effect, amplification of the vibratory energies generated by the elastic components towards a dissipative material positioned between them, the dissipative component providing damping for the elastic component.
US07780148B2
A sand dune or snow fence having slats with a substantially triangular cross-section, rather than rectangular slats. The slats are arranged to eliminate parallel surfaces there between such that air moving between the slats is not compressed or accelerated. The non-parallel surfaces provided by the triangular slats disrupt the flow of air and generate vortices. One configuration includes multiple wings radiating from a center post and anchored on each end by an end post. The asterisk-pattern of this configuration provides a robust structure sufficient to survive extreme weather. Accordingly, this design provides the additional benefit of eliminating the cost associated with replacing damaged and lost fences of the prior art.
US07780143B2
An object is to provide a gate valve capable of preventing operational deficiencies caused by particulate materials accumulating in a valve box, thus providing superior sealing properties and high durability, having a simple structure, and allowing inspection and maintenance to be performed easily. A gate valve installed in a transport line for transporting fluid containing particulate material at a coal gasification plant includes a valve box having an inlet portion and an outlet portion in which a channel constituting a part of the transport line is formed; a valve unit, provided between the inlet portion and the outlet portion, which extends in an opening-and-closing direction orthogonal to an axial direction of the channel, and which is movable in the opening-and-closing direction; a wedge plate provided between the valve unit and the inlet portion so as to extend in the opening-and-closing direction; and a guide plate provided between the valve unit and the outlet portion so as to extend in the opening-and-closing direction. Areas between the valve unit and the wedge plate and between and the valve unit and guide plate are sealed by means of surface contact.
US07780142B2
An oil pan (1) provided with a drain mechanism (10) in which an adjustable valve body (11) is disposed in a drain opening (13) in the oil pan wall and is adjustable between a closed position and an open position. A sealing member (12) made of a flexible material is arranged on the valve body (11) of the drain mechanism (10) for closing the drain opening (13) in the oil pan wall when the valve body is in the closed position. The valve body (11) is secured by a closing element on the wall of the oil pan (1) when in the closed position, and the sealing member (12) is held in the closed position by the closing element.
US07780138B1
A seat moving track assembly comprising a stationary rail having at a lower part of one side thereof recesses and having at an upper part of the other side thereof openings, a moving rail having first side holes to correspond to the recesses and second side holes to correspond to the openings, a locking member having first stopping protrusions projecting through the first side holes coupled into the recesses and second stopping protrusions projecting through second side holes coupled into the openings, an elastic connecting member having a shaft supporting part to rotatably support the locking member, an elastic pressing part to rotate the locking member, and unlocking means for rotating the locking member in the other direction to release a coupling between the first stopping protrusions and the recesses and a coupling between the second stopping protrusion and the openings, thereby providing stability and a simplified configuration.
US07780134B2
An anchor assembly structured for use in connection with ceiling or roofing structures for hanging industrial or commercial components, such as, for example, electrical conduits, heating units, water pipes for automatic water sprinkler systems, and the like. The anchor assembly is easy and quick to install, and also provides enhanced swivel capabilities or angular ranges of movement so as to accommodate various system and spatial requirements in connection with the suspension of the components. Suspension and lateral restraint systems are also disclosed.
US07780130B2
A shackle for supporting a platform support on an upright comprising a first side member and a second side member, an inner load bearing jaw and an outer load bearing jaw mounted on the first and second side members with the inner load bearing jaw for engaging a first surface of the upright and the outer load bearing jaw for engaging a second surface of the upright, and a locking jaw mounted on the side members and movable between an upright engaging condition to prevent the lowering of the shackle on the upright and an upright non-engaging condition to allow for the lowering of the shackle on the upright.
US07780126B2
As one of the examples, one of the main features is that the setup is small enough that it can live with the camera full-time, and carried around by the user. The legs fold into a very compact size that fit within the footprint of the camera, used for any type camera, e.g. compact point-and-shoot camera, camera phone, or SLR camera. The tripod can then live unnoticed on the bottom of the camera, until a shot requiring a tripod is needed. Then, the legs can be deployed to act as a firm stand. Another one of the main features of this tripod is that all the legs do not share a common end-point or pivot-point. This allows the legs to form a very wide stable platform, even when they are short. In general, for N legs, some legs may have common end-points or pivot-points, but not for all N legs. (N is a positive integer, greater or equal to 3.) This invention can be applied to any camera (e.g. compact camera) and any measurement equipment that uses a conventional tripod or similar setup, such as the ones used by civil engineers or surveyors for the survey of the land and construction measurements or calibrations, or the ones used in optical measurements or laser experiments (e.g. for general level measurements and adjustments). Other variations are also discussed.
US07780124B2
A shrinkable and adjustable multi-functional TV includes a display, a support device, a shrinkable and angle adjusting device. The display has a mirror on its rear side, and an LCD screen on a front side, pivotally received in an interior of a U-shaped frame of the support device and by means of a tightening button respectively threadably combined with two sides of the U-shaped frame and with two sides of the display so that the display can be turned for an angle and also turned over. The support device has its lower end pivotally connected with a first free end of the shrinkable and angle adjusting device, which has its second end pivotally connected to a suspended arm base fixed on a wall, a foot frame or a chair. Thus the TV can be shrunk for altering its viewing angle and position.
US07780105B2
A backlash prevention apparatus for a bait reel is provided. The apparatus can stepwise control a braking power of a spool according to a user's request by stepwise releasing restraint of first to eighth brake shoes that generate a friction force by manipulating a control dial installed in a side cover.
US07780100B2
A nozzle head, having a feed line for a high-pressurized fluid, a channel for delivering an abrasive substance, with which the fluid can be loaded, as well as a discharge line, from which the fluid, loaded with abrasive substance, can issue, is designed such that the feed line and the channel run parallel or almost parallel to each other, and that the discharge line issues sideways from the nozzle head so as to run at an angle to the feed line.
US07780082B2
A reader/writer that reads or writes information from or in an Integrated Circuit (IC) module, in which one or more applications are loaded, in response to an instruction issued from a controller in which counter-applications compatible with the applications are loaded. The reader/writer includes a memory in which one or more pieces of IC access authentication information that are associated with the applications in the IC module and that are used to authenticate the associated applications respectively are stored. The memory also stores pieces of group authentication information. A control unit authenticates a counter-application using group authentication information and, if the authentication succeeds, permits the counter-application to use IC access authentication information belonging to a group identified with the group authentication information.
US07780074B1
An automated banking machine system and method includes ATMs which can accept checks and dispense cash. Cash can be dispensed to an authorized user in exchange for one or more checks received from the user during a transaction session. Following closure of the transaction session, the ATM analyzes image and magnetic data from a received check to determine an analyzed check value. The ATM then determines whether the analyzed check value corresponds to a check value inputted by the user. With corresponding values, the user account is credited with the check value. Without corresponding values, the user account balance is adjusted accordingly and the user is notified of the discrepancy.
US07780069B2
A mailer is disclosed for distributing advertisements and invoices. The mailer provides an envelope for returning the invoices and a buck slip for displaying advertisements and incentives. The buck slips and return envelope are attached to the mailer so that these papers are removed from the mailer simultaneously upon the opening of the mailer.
US07780060B2
Methods and articles for receiving times and temperatures for stages of a profile including solder heating stages to rework a populated printed circuit board (PCB), the rework including removing a first integrated circuit (IC) from the PCB, focusing heat on the first integrated circuit using an oven element during rework of the PCB, collecting actual temperature information from a plurality of temperature sensing elements to detect actual temperature information associated with the first integrated circuit, and generating a suggested modification for an operator to modify the time and/or the temperature of at least one of the stages in the profile in response to a fail status indicating that the collected actual temperature information did not meet temperatures for a variable.
US07780058B2
Improved solder and soldering methods are disclosed. In accordance with one technique, a solder having a plurality of individual wire strands braided together is used. In accordance with another technique, the braided solder comprises both the same solder composition and wire gauge in the individual solder wire strands. In accordance with another technique, the braided solder comprises at least two different solder compositions used in the individual solder wire strands. In accordance with another technique, the braided solder comprises at least two different wire gauges used in the individual solder wire strands. In accordance with another technique, the braided solder comprises at least one wire strand where the primary surface is coated with a thin layer of a noble metal. In accordance with another technique, the braided solder comprises at least one wire strand where flux material is present. In accordance with one soldering technique, a method of soldering is accomplished by melting a plurality of braided solder strands to join a plurality of metallic surfaces together.
US07780052B2
A system for removing chips from a web is disclosed, the system having a rotationally variable speed shoe for receiving a chip, a rotationally constant speed transfer roll for receiving a portion of a web from a die and anvil system, with the shoe initially rotating at a constant speed, slowing to allow a portion of the web to rip away from the chip at a leading rotational edge of the chip, next increasing in rotational speed to allow the chip to rip away from the web at a trailing rotational edge of the chip.
US07780050B2
The cargo rack assembly a support rack such as the roof rack of a vehicle to assist in the loading and unloading of cargo onto the support rack. The assembly includes load bars connected to base bars via a pivoting lever; the load bars include straps and load arms for securing cargo to the assembly. The base bars are affixed to the support rack and the load bars and pivoting levers transition between a secured position and a loading/unloading position in a smooth motion. The assembly may include a tensioning system for biasing the load bars to the secure position to aid the user in lifting the cargo.
US07780045B2
The invention relates to a device which is used for the non-vented dispensing of liquid products from a container including a mobile base, an exhaust conduit and a push element which co-operates with a piston and a return spring. The invention is characterized in that the device includes a sealing and dosing bush bearing a sealing needle valve which can move in translation in a discharge channel in the bush, the needle valve being connected by means of a drive link to an axial guide rod which can slide in the exhaust conduit of the container that is connected to the channel by pressing on the bush and compressing the spring.
US07780042B2
A fluid dispenser pump having: a pump body; a pump chamber; at least a first piston that slides in the pump chamber between a rest position and an actuated position so as to dispense the fluid; and a dispenser orifice; the pump chamber including an inlet valve that separates the pump chamber from a channel that extends towards a fluid reservoir, a bypass being provided between the channel and the pump chamber, the bypass being disposed upstream from the inlet valve, the bypass connecting the pump chamber to the reservoir when the piston is in its actuated position.
US07780040B2
A cylindrical-shaped particle dispenser cartridge includes a dispenser nozzle. The dispenser nozzle outer surface includes sealing ribs that surround an included nozzle opening. The dispenser nozzle is arranged to engage a shutter that slides over the sealing ribs, thus sealing the nozzle opening. When the cartridge rotates about the cartridge axial in a shutter-opening or leading direction (X) with respect to the shutter, the sealing ribs move in a like direction with respect to the shutter, thus unsealing the particle dispenser cartridge nozzle opening. The dispenser cartridge is arranged to dispense particles such as, for example, toner particles. The dispenser nozzle outer surface includes outer shutter rails disposed on inboard and outboard sides of the sealing ribs.
US07780038B2
A dispensing apparatus (1) comprising a housing containing a dosage counter comprising at least two annular members (11, 13) and a cog (12), each being mounted rotationally. The housing is suitable for receiving, in use, a container (1) containing a product for dispensation. Each actuation of the apparatus causes the first annular member to incrementally rotate which, after a predetermined number of actuations of the apparatus, causes the cog to rotate, the rotation of the cog causing the second annular member to incrementally rotate.
US07780035B2
The present disclosure provides various embodiments of a container and dish. In certain embodiments, the container and dish includes a container portion having a plurality of sides defining a cavity in the container portion. A mouth on one of the plurality of sides is in communication with the cavity in the container portion. In particular implementations, the container and dish includes a funnel on at least one of the plurality of sides of the dish portion. In further implementations, the dish portion and the container portion are movable from a nested, storage configuration to an open configuration for dispensing and/or refilling where the container portion and the dish portion are at least substantially co-planar. In yet further implementations, the dish portion is movable with respect to the container portion and may be nested within a depression formed in the container portion.
US07780024B1
A self peelable seal having one or more layers for sealing containers by heat induction, conduction, or other means and having a stiffening structure. A portion of the seal is axially retained within a closure thereby allowing the peelable seal to be loosened from the container neck by placing a lifting force on the seal with the closure upon removal of the closure from the container.
US07780022B2
A trainline support casting is provided to support flexible brake hoses between adjacent rail cars. The trainline support casting is capable of partial rotational movement during use and is supported on a mounting bracket adapted to mount directly to a coupler head of a cushioned car coupler, insuring a constant distance from the end of the coupler to the trainline support casting and a constant distance of the brake hoses above the ground according to AAR standards.
US07780020B2
An article transport facility comprisesan article transporting mobile body movable along a moving path and having an article holding unit;an article support for article storage, the article support movable between an article transfer position for receiving an article from the holding unit of the mobile body and transferring the article to the holding unit, and an article storage position; anda operating device provided on the mobile body for moving the article support between the article storage position and the article transfer position when the mobile body is at an article transfer location corresponding to a location of the article support.
US07780017B2
Disclosed is a vertical tool rack storage device which includes a hollow upright pivot shaft, a plurality of flat tool racks for holding tool bits and parts, and a plurality of connectors for pivotally coupling the flat tool racks to the hollow upright pivot shaft for enabling the tool racks to be arranged in a stack and individually turnable about the hollow upright pivot shaft.
US07780013B1
An improved fire department connection (FDC) having an accessible debris filter box interposed vertically in the line to permit the removal of undesired introduced solids to prevent the solids from clogging the sprinkler system which is in fluid communication with the base of the FDC. The box has a permanent filter, or removable filter media or a combination of the two types of filters, all accessible via a front removable plate thereon. The debris filter box may also be interposed vertically in other fluid flow systems that are subject to the introduction of undesired solids.
US07780005B2
A vacuum release device is provided for temporarily immobilizing objects, the device comprising: a substrate; a plurality of vacuum release subunits which can be operated independent of each other, each vacuum release subunit comprising an adhesive layer over a surface of the substrate; and a spacing material positioned between the substrate and the adhesive layer so as to form a chamber within which a vacuum may be formed, application of the vacuum causing the adhesive layer to recess toward the chamber.
US07780003B2
The carton of this invention is capable of carrying the plurality of containers stacked upon their ends in two tiers with a unique dispenser that permits the dispensing of containers on their sides. The dispenser is formed in a top side wall and extends into the end wall with most of the end wall being torn open but leaving a portion near the bottom side wall to prevent the bottom layer of containers from rolling out. Angled projections in the dispensing end of the carton near the top panel and bottom panel prevent the top layer of containers from rolling out. A divider may be inserted between the two tiers of containers to facilitate loading the carton and preventing the containers from accidentally rolling out when the dispenser is open.
US07780002B2
A golf bag and travel system for providing a multi-component, modular golf bag that enables golf clubs to be carried therein. The system includes a rigid inner body core and a plurality of modular, interchangeable, soft outer body members. The rigid inner body core includes a rigid top loop region, a rigid central loop region, a rigid bottom end, and a rigid belly region that connects the top loop region, the central loop region, and the bottom end. Each soft outer body member is selectively attachable to the top loop region, bottom end, and belly region of the inner body core, since each soft outer body member is shaped and sized to be selectively attachable to the correspondingly shaped and sized rigid inner body core. A cross-sectional area of the central loop region is smaller than a cross-sectional area of the top loop region, and a cross-sectional area of the central loop region is smaller than a cross-sectional area of the bottom end. As a result, a non-protruding zone is bounded by an outer perimeter of the top loop region that extends longitudinally to an outer perimeter of the bottom end of the inner body core. Each soft outer body member includes one or more storage areas. The smaller cross-sectional area of the central loop region enables a majority of at least one of the storage areas in a soft outer body member to be contained within the non-protruding zone.
US07780001B2
A file wrapper for wrapping is provided. The file wrapper for wrapping comprises a file wrapper for wrapping comprising: a the cutting body, which comprises a unit piece of a covering paper and a backing paper of integral constitution that is bent to form a bag shape, sealing pieces provided to the covering paper and the backing paper, at the opening portion of the bag shape for inserting commodities, respectively, and side sticking pieces provided to the both sides portion of the covering paper. The one sealing piece is provided with a stopper of commodities after inserting them, and the other sealing piece is provided with the connecting piece inserted in the notch hole of the stopper and engaged thereto.
US07779998B2
The invention relates to a package intended for thermal treatment comprising a fiber-based packaging material treated with a hydrophobic size and comprising one or more layers for reduced water penetration outside and/or inside the fiber substrate. The package of the invention is characterized by the fiber substrate being treated with a combination of a wet-strength size, a hydrophobic size and an aluminum and/or calcium compound for increased heat resistance of the packaging material, and in that the ratio of hydrophobic size to the aluminium and/or calcium compound is 1:1-1:10.
US07779994B1
A Belt Positioning Unit “BPU” operation which in use for facilitating the maintenance of long, heavy conveyor belts of conveyor systems comprises the steps of (a) monitoring a conveyor belt for event sites, (b) spotting an event site and logging into a computer (1), sufficient data from which the computer determines and records the footage location of the event site on the belt, (2) belt drift footage data, and (3) take up belt footage data, and (c) using said data to control operational aspects of the conveyor system components, e.g., belt speed, drive motor power-off point (POP), or belt scraper pressure which affect the maintenance or condition of said event site.
US07779990B2
In a manufacturing system for tobacco products, a cigarette maker and a cigarette packer are linked by a transfer device consisting in a flat top chain conveyor that comprises a plurality of modular molded plastic elements connected one to the next by way of hinge elements and fashioned with respective tops combining to create a transport surface on which a layer of cigarettes advances en masse from one machine to the other; the flat tops of the single modular elements present a soft outer layer having a high coefficient of friction, which is co-molded with the relative modular element.
US07779984B2
An arrangement for extracting extraction products in caving in which the extraction product is extracted downwards through an extraction funnel into an extraction path and from this is transferred onto an extraction conveyor arranged in a conveyor path, in which arrangement the extraction path extends transversely between the conveyor path and an auxiliary path parallel to this, a loading ramp is arranged in the extraction path which forms a ramp surface orientated transversely to the conveying direction of the extraction conveyor and inclined towards it. The extraction path is provided with a rail guidance attached to the bottom and extending in the area between the auxiliary path and the conveying path, on which the loading ramp is guided and along which it can be moved by a displacement drive (20) in the direction of the conveyor path and in the opposite direction.
US07779982B2
A method and device for evaluating currency bills using a strapping unit that allows a currency evaluating device to automatically strap stacks of currency bills. Currency bills are placed in an input receptacle and an evaluating unit processes each currency bill one at a time. The currency bills are then transported to a plurality of output receptacles within a strapping unit. A stack moving mechanism transports a stack of currency bills, which contains a predetermined number of currency bills, from each of the plurality of output receptacles to the strapping unit or a strapping position. Each stack of currency bills is strapped using strapping material.
US07779976B2
An item of luggage is provided that has foldable shelves and collapsible drawers. The drawers and shelves may be folded relatively flat and stored in the main housing of the luggage when not in use. The luggage may have a cover support to hold the cover of the luggage open at various angles and under various loads when the cover is open.
US07779963B2
A motorcycle having a tail pipe formed from a pair of branch pipes that branch from a main pipe and that ensures a sound absorbing effect. A muffler has a casing that surrounds a rear section of an exhaust pipe, and a sound absorbing material that is filled between the casing and the rear section of the exhaust pipe. The rear section of the exhaust pipe includes a main pipe that is connected to the exhaust pipe and that extends to the rear, and first and second branch pipes that are connected to and branch from the main pipe and extend to the rear. A cross sectional area of the casing, when viewed from an exhaust gas flow direction becomes larger as the casing extends toward the branch pipe side.
US07779961B2
The diffuser can be used at an end of a vehicle exhaust system. The diffuser can have a generally hollow body with an inlet for receiving exhaust gasses from a substantially vertically-extending component of the vehicle exhaust system, and a substantially flat outlet grate through which the exhaust gasses are to be released to the atmosphere, the outlet grate being configured and adapted for use in a roof of the vehicle, in an aligned position therewith, with the hollow body of the diffuser positioned inside the vehicle and below the outlet grate.
US07779941B1
A method and apparatus for reducing or eliminating the energy required by an operator of a delivery cart to start the cart moving in a predetermined direction at a predetermined speed as well as to recover some or all of the energy used to start the cart moving. The apparatus includes a cart, a drive wheel, a motor for driving the drive wheel, and a rechargeable energy source to power said motor where the rechargeable energy source is recharged during normal, unpowered movement of the cart. The method includes charging a power source while moving the cart, actuating a directional button to initiate movement in a desired direction, energizing a clutch to couple the motor to the driven wheel, energizing the motor to drive the driven wheel in the desired direction. After a predetermined time period, set by a run timer, the clutch is decoupled while the motor remains activated, and thereafter the motor is deactivated.
US07779939B2
A method for conducting the motion of a transporter under riderless conditions. The transporter has two laterally disposed primary wheels. In accordance with the method, an input is received via a user input disposed on the transporter and a control signal corresponding to the input received is generated. Then a torque is applied to the laterally disposed wheels so as propel the transporter on the basis of at least the control signal.The control signal may correspond to either a commanded torque or to a commanded transporter velocity. The torque may include coadded terms where the terms are, respectively, proportional to the control signal, to a counteracting artificial friction proportional to the common velocity of the wheels, and a term proportional to the differential rotation of the wheels to facilitate turning of the transporter.
US07779937B2
An earth-boring bit has at least one steel tooth with a scoop-shaped profile. The scoop-shaped profile is formed by milling and hardfacing a tooth to have at least one flank with a concave profile. Additionally, the tooth may contain one flank with a concave profile and another with a convex profile. The centerline axis of the tooth may be moved to alter the angle between the flanks and the centerline to vary the manner in which the tooth engages the formation.
US07779932B2
Implementations of the present invention relate generally to methods, systems, and apparatus for absorbing vibration and shock impulses created during drilling operations. In particular, implementations of the present invention include drill-string shock absorbers adapted to absorb longitudinal forces produced during a drilling operation. For example, drill-string shock absorbers in accordance with at least one implementation of the present invention include a generally cylindrical housing having a first end and a second end coupled together by a radially interlocking joint. Such a configuration can reduce mechanical failure and increase the operating life of the shock absorber by transmitting torsional forces directly between the ends of the housing and reducing stresses from being transferred to fastening means securing the first and second ends of the cylindrical housing together.
US07779925B2
Methods and apparatus for sealing a plug within tubing that the plug is designed to be landed and set in are disclosed. The plug includes a seal assembly having a seal on the plug that is acted on by a piston. Wellbore fluid pressure acts on the piston when the valve is closed, thereby moving the piston to force the seal into sealing contact with an inside surface of the tubing.
US07779923B2
A method for expanding a tubular member in a wellbore includes applying a downward force to an expansion cone through a work string to anchor the tubular member in the wellbore and pulling upwards on the expansion cone with the work string to expand the tubular member. The expansion cone is disposed in a launcher portion connected to the tubular member being expanded.
US07779920B2
A bottom hole assembly in a casing-while-drilling operation is retrieved by displacing the fluid in the casing string with a less dense fluid than the fluid in the annulus. The bottom hole assembly moves upward in the casing string in response to an upward force due to the different densities of fluid in the casing string and in the annulus. Displaced fluid flows out of the casing string and through a restrictive orifice of a choke. The flow area of the orifice is varied as the bottom hole assembly moves upward to control the rate at which the bottom hole assembly moves upward.
US07779917B2
A subsea connection apparatus to allow connecting a surface blowout preventer stack and riser to a subsea wellhead is disclosed. The subsea connection apparatus uses a single cavity blowout preventer with a set of shearing blind rams. Hydraulically actuated wellhead connectors are secured to the top and bottom of the blowout preventer to allow connection to a subsea wellhead below the subsea connection apparatus and a wellhead hub profile on the lower end of a riser above the apparatus. A control system can operate both of the hydraulically actuated connectors and the blowout preventer independently. A frangible bore protector is disposed in the bore of the blowout preventer to protect the shearing blind rams from pipe, tools and fluids being passed through the blowout preventer and can be sheared by the shearing blind rams along with any drill pipe in the bore.
US07779908B2
The present invention relates to an arrangement for affixing an expandable packer 22, 32 in a hole 30, wherein the arrangement includes a piston-and-cylinder device 11, 12 with which the piston can be caused to move in the cylinder with the aid of a pressurized medium. Expansion of the packer is effected with the aid of the movement of the piston 11, by transferring the force generated by piston movement to an expandable part 24, 34 of the packer 22, 32 so that said part will expand. Expansion of the packer results in the packer being firmly affixed in the hole by means of friction. The arrangement also includes an elongate main body 1 that has a through-penetrating aperture extending in the longitudinal direction of the body. The main body 1 has a front end 3, which faces inwardly of the hole when fastening the packer and towards the packer. The body includes a rear end 4 which carries means 9 for connection to a filler supply means, wherewith filler is delivered to the hole via the through-penetrating aperture 2 and via the packer 22, 32 subsequent to having affixed the packer in the hole. At least a part of the main body 1 is formed as a piston rod 16 on which and along which the piston 11 can move. The arrangement also includes pressure connection means 10 for connection to said pressurized medium, and a connection 19 between said pressure connection means and the piston 11.
US07779907B2
A downhole shock absorber preferably is filled with well fluid in a chamber that is reduced in volume due to impact. A rupture disc can hold the initial non-compressible liquid charge until impact. Upon impact, the rupture disc breaks to allow the fluid to be forced through an orifice to absorb some of the shock that occurs when a string hits a fixed object after dropping in the wellbore. The nose of the shock absorber is a soft material that has voids so that the combination of the softness of the material and the voids allow the nose to reshape until it encounters a surrounding tubular wall and then to collapse inwardly into the voids, making it simple to remove. The nose is releasably mounted to the shock absorber so the two can separate if the nose gets stuck after impact.
US07779892B2
An investment casting core combination includes a metallic casting core and a ceramic feedcore. A first region of the metallic casting core is embedded in the ceramic feedcore. The metallic casting core includes a plurality of body sections. The first region is along at least some of the body sections. The metallic casting core includes a plurality of springs spanning gaps between adjacent body sections and unitarily formed therewith.
US07779890B2
A system for producing cast components from molten metal. One form of the present invention includes a system for the precision pouring of molten metal within a casting mold. The precision pouring system is driven by a pressure differential.
US07779882B2
An apparatus for manufacturing for a rubber sheet reinforced with a cord, it consists of a first cylinder formed to wrap around a rubber coated cord on a surface of the cylinder by rotating centering an axis of the cylinder and a second cylinder that is a smaller cylinder diameter than a cylinder diameter of the first cylinder and is established in parallel aligning a cylinder axis direction to the first cylinder, spirally winding continuously a great number of rubber coated cords on the surface of the cylinder contacting with each other by transferring the rubber coated cord from the first cylinder to the second cylinder.
US07779881B2
A machine for making collapsible cellular structures folds two fabric webs into a V-shape or C-shape, connects the webs together with strands of adhesive, applies glue lines and collects the webs on a wheel. A variable speed motor, a fabric drive system which enables glue to be applied when the fabric is not stretched and a lay-on wheel assembly with movable arm that directs the fabric onto the collector can be provided in the machine.
US07779877B2
A take apart vehicle wheel assembly includes at least a first, a second and a third wheel part operatively connected together to form the take apart vehicle wheel assembly. A first one of the first, second and third wheel parts is provided with a plurality of first stud receiving holes spaced circumferentially therearound in a first unevenly spaced circumferential pattern such that each of the first stud receiving holes is spaced apart from a next adjacent first stud receiving hole by a different angular spacing. A second one of the first, second and third wheel parts is provided with a plurality of second stud receiving holes spaced circumferentially therearound in unevenly spaced circumferential pattern which corresponds to the first unevenly spaced circumferential pattern of the first stud receiving holes to enable stud bolts and nuts to be used to releasably connect the first one and the second one of the first, second and third wheel parts together.
US07779874B2
A method of filling kegs with a liquid beverage in a keg filling plant in which kegs are moved from a conveyor belt into a keg-filling machine by a star wheel structure, the star pockets of which or the arms of which can be individually adjusted to accommodate different-sized containers. The abstract of the disclosure is submitted herewith as required by 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b). As stated in 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b): A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification must commence on a separate sheet, preferably following the claims, under the heading “Abstract of the Disclosure.” The purpose of the abstract is to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. The abstract shall not be used for interpreting the scope of the claims. Therefore, any statements made relating to the abstract are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.
US07779873B2
A filling device for use to manually or automatically refill a fuel cartridge using a separate fuel container or a second fuel cartridge is disclosed. The filling device provides for the sharing or fuel among numerous fuel containers and fuel cartridges in various consumer electronic devices. Fuel cartridges can be filled in-situ using an adapter for connecting the fuel container to the fuel cartridge. The adapter includes an input connector and an output connector arranged to adapt various fuel containers and fuel cartridges together. The adapter can be arranged as a passive device or as an active device and can include pumps, valves, power sources and control units as desired.
US07779864B2
Process and equipment for rapid and reliable infusion of treatment substances into a liquid mainstream. The equipment includes diversion of some of the liquid, boosting its pressure into an aspirating injector, which adds treatment substance and in turn discharges to a pair of opposed nozzles that inject the diversion stream with treatment substances back into the mainstream flow.
US07779862B2
A reservoir assembly for retaining a fluid includes a body having a base and external side walls defining a cavity. A baffle has a top surface spanning the cavity and includes a peripheral wall substantially conforming to the external side walls and extending to the base. A lid is connected to the body. The cavity is divided into a first, second and third compartment by a cooperation between the top surface of the baffle, a plurality of walls of the baffle, the base of the body and the external side walls of the body. The first and second compartments are in fluid communication with each other through the third compartment. An inlet port and an outlet port for allowing fluid to enter and exit the cavity are fluidly connected to the body and are fluidly connected to each other by the first compartment to direct a flow of the fluid.
US07779851B2
An elongated structural support member for truss sections of collapsible shelters having a cellular core structure including internal dovetailed wall portions and an internal medial wall portion joined at opposite ends to the dovetailed wall portions.
US07779849B2
The invention adds one or more vertically-deployable sun shades to an umbrella for selectively providing shade for one or more users of an umbrella. More specifically, the sun shade resembles a conventional shade or set of blinds for covering a window. The size, shape, materials, and arrangement of the sun shade can vary according to user preferences or the intended manner or place of use.
US07779848B2
Method and apparatus for precisely removing dusts from a side edge of a wafer, improving a production yield of wafers, and reducing a manufacturing cost for semiconductor devices. The apparatus includes: a retaining table having a circular top plan view, capable of retaining the wafer disposed on the top surface, and being rotated in the wafer cleaning; a feeding unit for supplying a cleaning solution to a top surface of the wafer; a cup member for recovering the cleaning solution supplied to the wafer, the cup member surrounding a radially outer circumference and a bottom of the retaining table; and a guard member disposed inside the cup member so as to be spaced apart from the retaining table, which surrounds the radially outer circumference of the retaining table.
US07779843B2
Vaginal splints and methods for their use for treating various pelvic floor conditions are provided. One embodiment of the vaginal splint includes a base portion having a configuration defined by first and second sides, a first connecting portion at a proximal side of the base portion and extending between a first end of each of the first and second sides, and a second connecting portion at a distal side of the base portion and extending between a second end of each of the first and second sides. The splint further includes an adjustable portion coupled to the base portion and positioned substantially adjacent to and distal of the second connecting portion of the base portion. The adjustable portion is removable by a user to thereby change the size of the splint.
US07779841B2
A respiratory therapy device including a housing and an interrupter valve assembly. The housing includes a patient inlet, an exhaust outlet, a chamber, and a supply inlet. The interrupter valve assembly is associated with the housing and includes a control port fluidly connecting the patient inlet and the first chamber, and a valve body adapted to selectively obstruct fluid flow through the control port. In a passive mode, positive fluid flow to the supply inlet does not occur, and the interrupter valve assembly interacts with exhaled air create an oscillatory PEP effect. In an active mode, fluid flow to the supply inlet occurs and the interrupter valve assembly operates to create a CHFO effect. The respiratory device can serve as a passive oscillatory PEP device, and when connected to a positive pressure source, as an active device.
US07779839B2
A fluid dispenser device including at least one individual reservoir (21) containing a single dose of fluid, opening means (40) being provided for opening an individual reservoir (21) each time the device is actuated, said opening means (40) comprising perforator and/or cutter means (41) and movable support means (50), said movable support means (50) being adapted to displace an individual reservoir (21) against said perforator and/or cutter means (41) on each actuation.
US07779838B2
An inhalation therapy device includes a supply element for a gaseous medium, for example ventilation air of a ventilation device, and a flow influencing element, by means of which a sheath flow is formed around an expansion area for an aerosol generated by an aerosol generator for therapeutic administration. Deposition of aerosol droplets or particles on the inner way of the housing of the inhalation therapy device is effectively prevented in this manner.
US07779833B2
A diving helmet (10) of the type having an air supply pumped to it during use. The helmet (10) including a head portion (12) substantially formed from a transparent material such that a user can see both forwardly and rearwardly. The helmet (10) further including a body contacting collar portion (18) extending from the head portion (12). The collar portion having a shoulder engaging portion (24) adapted to prevent said helmet (10) from tipping during use.
US07779822B2
An intake assembly, such as a supercharger assembly, is provided for an internal combustion engine. The intake assembly includes a housing having a wall defining an inlet passage through which intake air enters the intake assembly. A plurality of stiffening ribs is provided on the wall opposite the inlet passage and at least partially defines at least one cavity. A plate is mounted to the wall of the housing and further defines the at least one cavity. The wall defines at least one orifice configured to provide communication between the inlet passage and the at least one cavity. The at least one cavity and the at least one orifice cooperate to form at least one resonator. A method of forming the intake assembly having integral resonators is also provided.
US07779819B2
Control method for an overpressure valve in a common-rail fuel supply system, the method including the phases of: delivering fuel under pressure, via a high-pressure pump, to a common rail equipped with the overpressure valve that is set to discharge the fuel present in the common rail into a discharge line when the fuel pressure inside the common rail exceeds a safety value; piloting, during a diagnostic test, the high-pressure pump to increase the fuel pressure inside the common rail beyond the safety value in order to trigger operation of the overpressure valve; determining, during the diagnostic test, the flow of the high-pressure pump and/or the fuel pressure inside the common rail; and comparing the flow of the high-pressure pump and/or the fuel pressure inside the common rail during the diagnostic test with respective threshold values.
US07779816B2
An open-loop and closed-loop control method for an internal combustion engine (1) with a common rail injection system, in which a rail pressure (pCR) is subject to closed-loop control during normal operation. A second actual rail pressure is determined by a second filter, a load reduction is detected when the second actual rail pressure exceeds a first limit, and when a load reduction is detected, the rail pressure (pCR) is controlled by setting the PWM signal (PWM) to a PWM value that is increased compared to normal operation by a PWM assignment unit.
US07779809B2
A sensor unit includes a unit main body mounted on a throttle device, and a pressure sensor chamber that is provided at the unit main body and that accommodates an intake pressure sensor to detect an intake pressure through an intake pipe. The pressure sensor chamber is divided by a partition into a pressure receiving area to receive a pressure in the intake pipe and a pressure detecting area to detect the pressure by the intake pressure sensor, such that the pressure receiving area communicates with the pressure detecting area through a communication portion. A foreign substance is prevented from flowing into the intake pressure sensor when guiding air in the intake pipe to the intake pressure sensor, thereby improving detection accuracy by the intake pressure sensor.
US07779791B2
The invention relates to a circuit arrangement (K), with a low-temperature coolant circuit (1) for the cooling of charge air on a motor vehicle with a charging device, comprising a charge air/coolant cooler (2). A temperature sensor (4) is provided at the exit of the coolant from the charge air/coolant (2), or directly thereafter, for the measurement of the coolant exit temperature. The invention further relates to a method for operation of such a circuit arrangement (K).
US07779785B2
Disclosed is a producing method of a semiconductor device comprising a first step of supplying a first reactant to a substrate to cause a ligand-exchange reaction between a ligand of the first reactant and a ligand as a reactive site existing on a surface of the substrate, a second step of removing a surplus of the first reactant, a third step of supplying a second reactant to the substrate to cause a ligand-exchange reaction to change the ligand after the exchange in the first step into a reactive site, a fourth step of removing a surplus of the second reactant, and a fifth step of supplying a plasma-excited third reactant to the substrate to cause a ligand-exchange reaction to exchange a ligand which has not been exchange-reacted into the reactive site in the third step into the reactive site, wherein the first to fifth steps are repeated predetermined times.
US07779780B2
There is provided a layer forming apparatus for forming a photosensitive layer of an electrophotographic photoreceptor, containing no bubbles in a coating liquid. In the layer forming apparatus for forming the photosensitive layer of the electrophotographic photoreceptor through the dip coating method, a lower end port of a dipping cylinder is distanced away in a horizontal direction from a coating liquid discharge port, and the coating liquid discharge port is disposed above the lower end port of the dipping cylinder, in order to prevent a bubble from moving into a coating liquid portion used for actual coating even when a bubble exits in the course of circulation of the coating liquid.
US07779765B2
A pallet having first and second decks with at least two post assemblies extending between the first and second decks to maintain the first and second decks at a distance from one another. Each post assembly includes an outer post member including a substantially hollow body extending axially from a base connected to the first deck to a free end and an inner post member including a body extending axially from a base connected to the second deck to a free end. The inner post body free end is configured to be received in the outer post body with the inner and outer posts positioned relative to one another such that at least one of the post free ends contacts the respective opposed deck and supports the first and second decks in spaced relationship.
US07779760B2
A shaped charge assembly (10) comprises a housing (20), first shaped charge (24), a wave shaping relay charge (44) and a second shaped charge (30) located in the housing. The assembly (10) is configured such that a first active element formed by initiation of the first shaped charge (24) causes detonation of the wave shaping relay charge (44), which in turn causes initiation of the second shaped charge (30) to form a second active element. The first active element moves beyond a second end (25) of the housing to cause damage of a first kind to an external target and the second active element also moves beyond the second end to cause damage of a second kind to the target.
US07779759B2
A water-entry projectile capable of supercavitation and spin-stabilization comprises a forward section having one or more forward stepped sections, each stepped section being symmetrical in rotation about an axis and having a radius at an aft end that is different from a radius of a front end of an adjacent rearwardly located stepped section; an aft section having an aft stepped section, the aft stepped section being symmetrical in rotation about the axis and having a maximum radius larger than a maximum radius of the forward section; and wherein the aft section is located substantially aft of a center of gravity of the projectile.
US07779758B2
A system to remove most or substantially all of the residual ink from an ink chamber prior to post print washing, said ink chamber comprising an ink chamber profile provided with a space for ink, at least one inlet and at least one outlet, and with upper and lower doctor blade members detachably mounted on the ink chamber profile, said blades bounding an opening which, in operation, faces and engages with the outer circumference of an engraved cylinder and which extends over the length of the ink chamber profile, the ink chamber profile being sealed at its extremities by flexible seals, said ink chamber profile, end seals, doctor blades and engraved cylinder demarcating an ink cavity, characterized in that there is further provided a shuttle member within the ink cavity, said shuttle member being movable substantially along the entire length of the ink chamber profile in order to aid purging of residual ink from said ink cavity, said shuttle member further being provided with associated drive means to induce movement within said ink cavity.
US07779752B1
A method and apparatus for pitting and stuffing food items include a processing tool that may pit any type of fruit of vegetable product. The same processing tool then stuffs the fruit or vegetable with another food item. The processing tool may include two sets of opposed knife assemblies that work in combination to remove a core of the first food item by cutting into the food item from one side to push the core toward the other knife. The second knife assembly defines and cuts the interior space of the first food item. The core may be retracted by the second knife assembly or completely pushed out by the first knife assembly. The second food item is loaded into the second knife assembly and then pushed into the space created in the first food item by a piston within the second knife assembly.
US07779751B2
An integrated beverage infuser and lid are adapted for use with an insulated drinking vessel for brewing a consumable product, such as tea, in an insulated travel mug, tumbler, or the like. The lid includes a main body adapted for movable receipt on a drinking vessel that forms a downwardly directed, open-ended cavity. A fluid-permeable brewing basket defines an enclosable receptacle for removable receipt of the brewing consumable product. The basket is movable between a stowed position, substantially within the cavity above the liquid level of the hot water in the tumbler, and a deployed position, below and substantially outside of the cavity for submersion in the hot water contained in the drinking vessel. A lever arm forms a part of the transfer mechanism and has a portion that penetrates the main body to the outside thereof so that the transfer mechanism can be operated by an individual without removing the lid from the insulated drinking vessel, tumbler, or the like.
US07779749B2
The invention relates to a device (1) for preparing a beverage suitable for human consumption and having a fine-bubble foam layer. The device is provided with a beverage unit (2) for delivering the beverage under pressure and at least one nozzle (4) which is in fluid communication with the beverage unit for supplying the beverage to the nozzle such that the nozzle can generate a jet (12) of beverage. The device further comprises a receiving unit (14) into which the jet is directed for obtaining the beverage with the fine-bubble foam layer. The receiving unit is provided with a chamber (16) with at least one drain opening (18) for delivering the beverage with the fine-bubble foam layer and a jet impact member (20) accommodated in the chamber and having a top (22) that lies free from an inner wall (24) of the chamber. The nozzle and the jet impact member are mutually oriented such that-the jet hits against a portion of the top of the jet impact member, so that the jet after hitting against the jet impact member forms a mist of the beverage. The beverage with the fine-bubble foam layer subsequently leaves the drain opening. The device is constructed such that air (34) can only be supplied to the chamber through the at least one drain opening and/or through an air supply channel which extends through the jet impact member into the chamber.
US07779748B2
A piston pump, having a pump housing in which a pump piston is guided in an axially moving fashion so that when the pump piston is actuated, a fluid is conveyed from a suction side to a pressure side via a pumping chamber that adjoins the pump piston; a region for guiding the pump piston in the pump housing includes a guide ring, which is provided with a sealing section and is affixed to the pump housing.
US07779743B2
A kit for modifying a bolt carrier group actuating apparatus of a firearm manufacturer-configured with a gas-driven bolt carrier comprises a gas expansion assembly, an operating rod driven bolt carrier and an operating rod. The gas expansion assembly is configured for receiving combustion gases from an as-manufactured OEM gas block of the firearm and for facilitating expansion of said gases for generating a bolt carrier driving force. The operating rod driven bolt carrier includes an operating rod engaging lug. The operating rod driven bolt carrier is configured for being operably engaged within an as-manufactured OEM receiver body of the firearm with the operating rod engaging lug located in a gas tube lug receiving portion of the as-manufactured OEM receiver body. The operating rod is engagable between the gas expansion assembly and the operating rod engaging lug.
US07779742B2
An armor module having a rigid casing having a front face, a top face and a bottom face, and a plurality of multi-layer planner cassettes fixedly mounted within the casing. Each cassette has a top base plate and a bottom base plate, sandwiching between them at least a one other layer. The top base plate of an uppermost cassette constitutes the top face of the casing, and a bottom base plate of a lowermost cassette constitutes the bottom face of the casing.
US07779736B2
A miter saw having a securable positioning structure for a blade guard thereof includes a saw blade, a rotatable handle, a movable blade guard, a control unit, a positioning unit, and a rope. The rotatable handle is provided for the user's holding for the cutting operation. The movable blade guard is shiftable between where it covers the saw blade and where it does not cover the saw blade. The control unit is mounted to the rotatable handle. The positioning unit is provided for blocking the movement of the movable blade guard. The rope is connected with the control unit and the positioning unit. Accordingly, the user only needs to operate the control unit to drive action of the positioning unit via the rope to hold the movable blade guard in position, thus securing the safety of the operation. In addition, the rotatable handle can be turned smoothly without any barrier.
US07779735B2
Apparatus for causing paper webs to tear off within rewinding machines, the web (2) being provided, at regular intervals, with transverse perforation which subdivide the web into sheets joined to each other but able to be separated in correspondence of said perforation lines, the apparatus comprising means to cause the tearing of the web (2) upon the passage of a perforation line (p) which separates the last sheet of a log (RO) in the course of formation from the first sheet of the next log to be formed, characterized in that the tearing means are of pneumatic type (SP) able to direct a jet of compressed air toward the line (p).
US07779734B2
In the present invention, a fastener drive-starter includes a primary shaft having a hollow drive end, a drive tip within the drive end, and a spring mounted within the primary shaft biasing the drive tip toward the drive end. A releasable fastener-locking mechanism is attached to the primary shaft. A tightening member is movably mounted to the primary shaft and is movable between a first position wherein the locking mechanism is open and a second position wherein the locking mechanism is closed toward the fastener shaft at the head. The fastener is secured to the driver by pressing the fastener on the drive tip to compress the spring, moving the tightening member into its second position, and releasing the fastener such that the spring-biased drive tip presses the shaft-transverse undersurface of the fastener head against the cross-portions of the locking mechanism.
US07779732B2
Screwdriver handle has a storage chamber for screwdriver bits, the storage chamber being displaceable from a closed position into an open position by axial displacement of two parts of the handle with respect to one another. One handle part has a core, which is disposed in a cavity in the other handle part. The two handle parts are held in the closed position of the storage chamber by latching means movable out of a latching position by pressure on an actuating zone (8) associated with an end side of the handle.
US07779726B2
In an adjusting device having a gear, high gear ratios are often demanded. High transverse forces often arise in the gear and must be intercepted by suitably dimensioned bearings. In the adjusting device proposed here, having a basic body and a cap, an embedded device is provided between a shaft, serving to support a gear wheel, and the cap. With the aid of the embedded device, good bearing of the gear wheel on both sides is attained, regardless of component tolerances. The adjusting device is intended especially for vehicles having an internal combustion engine.
US07779723B2
An anti-loosening device for a parking brake is provided to securely park a vehicle comprising: a ratchet wheel (20) having multiple teeth (21) formed on an arc-shaped edge, a pivot hole (22) located at a center of the arc, an operating lever (40) having an upper portion forming a tube-shaped handle, a lower portion forming a flat and narrow cavity, a latching mechanism (60) consisting of a pawl (61), a slot (62), a rotating shaft (31), and an elastic spring (80), a lever operating mechanism consisting of an operating rod (70), a coil spring (71), and a push button (72), wherein the operating lever (40) is mounted on the ratchet wheel (20) for rotation with respect to the pivot shaft (30), one end of the operating rod (70) is mounted on the push button (72) with the coil spring (71) and the other end of the operating rod (70) is connected to the slot (62) of the latching mechanism (60).
US07779716B2
A quick disconnect tooling apparatus for releasably latching an end effector tool to a manipulator. The present invention provides a base module connectable to a manipulator, and a tool module connectable to the end effector tool. A power source coupling has a first portion coupled to the base module, and a second portion coupled to the tool module, wherein the first and second portions of the power source coupling may cooperatively engage one another to allow for the passing of power between the manipulator and the end effector tool. A releasable latch is connected to the base module and is moveable between a latched position, wherein the latch cooperatively engages a latch pin connected to the tool module to secure the tool module to the base module and allow the first and second portions of the power source coupling to communicate with one another, and an unlatched position, wherein the releasable latch does not engage the latch pin thereby allowing the base module and the tool module to be disconnected and the first and second portions of the power source coupling to be disconnected.
US07779704B1
A torque sensing and control device for tools comprises: a torque sensing and transmitting adapter fabricated with rib structure and mounted on or built in a fastening tool; at least a torque sensor secured on at least a rib evenly spaced and formed on the adapter and operatively sensing a torque signal when applying a torque on a work or object when rotatably operating the fastening tool; and a digital display control module operatively receiving the torque signal, displaying a torque data and generating an audio or visual warning signal for reminding the user for stopping operation of the fastening tool, or for switching off power or air supply to the fastening tool, and or actuating a delay control to restart a next fastening operation in a pre-determined time interval.
US07779694B2
Disclosed are an ultrasonic testing system and an ultrasonic testing technique for a pipe member capable of detecting minute flaws of several hundreds of microns or less located at positions in the wall thickness inside portion of a welded portion of a seam-welded pipe and the like without omission and further easily setting optimum conditions when the size of the pipe is changed. A transmitting beam, which is focused to the welded portion at an oblique angle, is transmitted using a part of the group of transducer elements of a linear array probe as a group of transducer elements for transmission, a receiving beam, which is focused at the focusing position of the transmitting beam at an oblique angle, is formed using the transducer elements of a portion different from the above group of transducer elements for transmission as a group of transducer elements for reception, and a flaw echo is received from the welded portion.
US07779689B2
A transducer package 20 includes a substrate 32 having a first axis of symmetry 36 and a second axis of symmetry 38 arranged orthogonal to the first axis of symmetry 36. At least a first sensor 50 and a second sensor 52 each of which are symmetrically arranged on the substrate 32 relative to one of the first and second axes of symmetry 36 and 38.The first and second sensors 50 and 52 are adapted to detect movement parallel to the other of the first and second axes of symmetry 36 and 38. The first sensor 50 is adapted to detect movement over a first sensing range and the second sensor 52 is adapted to detect movement over a second sensing range, the second sensing range differing from the first sensing range.
US07779674B2
The present invention has as its object a method for testing bottles or containers having flexible walls, made to be inserted in lines for filling bottles made from plastic material or aluminum containers or containers made from polyethylene-coated paperboard, containing any type of liquid. Positioned at the output of the filling system it is able to simultaneously check for the correct fill level, the presence of possible leaks in the sealing system of the container and possible constructive defects in the container. The test is carried out through the combination of two measurement systems, which are the fill level test and the measurement of the tension of the walls of the container. The results obtained from the level and wall tension measurements, suitably interpolated, provide the indicators necessary to establish whether the product being analyzed should be considered suitable or else to be discarded since it is defective.
US07779673B2
An engine ECU executes a program including the steps of: calculating an absolute value ΔS(I) of the deviation of the vibration waveform detected by a knock sensor and a knock waveform model from each other at each crank angle; when ΔS(I) greater than threshold value ΔS(0) is present and the number of ΔS(I) greater than threshold value ΔS(0) is equal to or smaller than Q(1), correcting the vibration waveform; calculating a correlation coefficient K which is a value related to the deviation of the corrected vibration waveform and the knock waveform model from each other; and when the number of ΔS(I) greater than threshold value ΔS(0) is greater than predetermined number Q(1), calculating the correlation coefficient K without correcting the vibration waveform. Based on the correlation coefficient K, whether knocking is present or absent is determined.
US07779671B2
A micro fluid analyzer that may be highly sensitive, fast and very compact. The analyzer may use sufficiently low power per analysis to be easily implemented with an equivalently small battery pack or other portable power source. There may be energy conservation features in the analyzer, such as optimal adsorber film thicknesses in the pre-concentrator, concentrator and chromatographic separators. There may be special timing of the phased heating elements in the concentrators and separators to further reduce energy consumption. Various kinds of detectors and sensors may be incorporated in the analyzer for achieving low probability for false positives and detection versatility. There may be a controller that provides data acquisition and analyzes, drive signals for control, management of wireless signal transmission and reception, processing, and other operational uses of the micro analyzer.
US07779664B2
A device (1) for the stepped displacement of workpieces inside a press (2) or similar processing equipment is provided. The device includes at least one or two gripper rails (4) that can be displaced back and forth in the direction of a longitudinal extent thereof and in the feed direction, the rails being displaced transversely in relation to one another in order to engage workpieces. To execute a gripping movement, the gripper rail (4) includes levers (5) that run at an angle and in opposite directions to one another, whereby the ends of the levers that face away from the gripper rail can be displaced towards or away from one another. Pivoting arms (11), which together with the levers (5) form scissors or half scissors type drives, are hinged on the levers (5) to guide the resultant transverse movement. A scissors drive of this type permits a parallel displacement of the gripper rail (4), even where space is limited, without the use of a drive that protrudes beyond the longitudinal extension of the gripper rails (4).
US07779655B2
The invention provides a method for knitting fabric with bare spandex comprising: providing bare spandex yarn; providing hard yarn; drafting the bare spandex; knitting fabric from the hard yarn and the drafted bare spandex with the hard yarn and the drafted bare spandex plated in every course; and contacting the knit fabric with a continuous phase aqueous solution under conditions of temperature and pressure for a time sufficient to set the bare spandex without heating the knit fabric on a tenter frame above 160° C. in air having a relative humidity of less than 50%. The invention further provides a bare spandex-containing knit fabric containing spandex in every knit course that has been exposed to manufacturing process temperature no higher than 160° C. as shown by molecular weight analysis of the spandex and that exhibits wash shrinkage of less than about 14%.
US07779651B2
In a process for manufacturing a micro-structured optical fibre, an intermediate preform is made by forming a sol; pouring the sol in a cylindrical mould including a set of structural generating elements defining internal structural elements of the intermediate preform; transforming the sol into a gel so as to obtain a cylindrical gel body defining the intermediate preform; and removing the cylindrical intermediate preform from the mould.
US07779648B2
A complete refrigeration system (CRS) including at least one heat exchanger which is designed to occupy an irregular volume to reduce the overall profile of the CRS. The heat exchanger may be a condenser or an evaporator, and includes a substantially solid body made of a thermally conductive metal, plastic, or other material. A plurality of fluid and refrigerant passageways are defined substantially within the solid body for conducing fluid and refrigerant, respectively, through the solid body and facilitating the transfer of heat between the fluid and refrigerant. Also disclosed is a method wherein the spatial orientation of each passageway is optimized with respect to all of the other passageways and the walls of the solid body by determining the relative distance of each passageway from all of the other passageways and the walls of the solid body at a plurality of points along each passageway, followed by adjusting the spatial orientation of the passageway accordingly.
US07779647B2
An ejector cycle device includes a compressor that draws and compresses refrigerant, a radiator that radiates heat of high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor, an ejector, a branch passage branched from a refrigerant passage between the radiator and a nozzle portion of the ejector and coupled to a suction port of the ejector, a throttle unit that is arranged in the branch passage and decompresses refrigerant, and an evaporator that is arranged on a downstream side of refrigerant flow of the throttle unit in the branch passage and evaporates refrigerant. Accordingly, even when a suction performance of the ejector is lowered, refrigerant can flow through the evaporator.
US07779640B2
Disclosed are a low vibration cryocooler and a method of reducing vibration in a cryocooler. The cryocooler can be a Stirling class cryocooler includes at least one motor that drives a mass, the motor having a main drive winding and a separate trim winding. A motor controller outputs a main drive signal that is coupled to the main drive winding and a separate vibration reducing signal that is coupled to the trim winding.
US07779638B2
Apparatuses and associated methods and systems to provide localized cooling to a microelectronic device are generally described. In this regard, according to one example embodiment, a microelectronic cooling apparatus comprising a microelectronic device thermally coupled to one or more thermally conductive pin(s) provides cooling to one or more hot spot(s) of the microelectronic device.
US07779635B2
A solar energy power generator comprises a solar energy heating device for absorbing solar energy for heating medium flowing therethrough; a secondary heating device for further heating medium flowing through the solar energy heating device so as to generate air convection; and a power generator for generating electric power by air convection for driving a load. The solar energy heating device and the secondary heating device heat air so that air convection generates in the hot air convection space so as to drive the power generator to generate electric power for driving a load.
US07779629B2
Rotational force from a driving device 11 is transmitted to an eccentric cam 32 through a rotating rod 31, and the eccentric cam 32 causes a piston 22 and a piston rod 25 to move up and down in a reciprocating manner by its rotation. Atmospheric air is inspired into a first chamber R1 in a cylinder 21 upon the descent of the piston 22. Upon the rise of the piston 22, the air in the first chamber R1 is compressed, and the compressed high-pressure air is discharged to an accumulator 12 through a discharge valve 25. The accumulator communicates with a second chamber R2 in the cylinder 21. When the air pressure in the accumulator 12 increases, this high-pressure air pushes the piston 22 to cancel the contact between the piston rod 26 and the eccentric cam 32, whereby the power transmission from a power transmission device 30 to a pressure conversion mechanism 20 is cut off.
US07779628B2
A hydraulic drive system for storing and releasing hydraulic fluid includes a high pressure storage device, a low pressure storage device, and a pump-motor operating at a range of pump-motor speeds for converting between hydraulic energy and mechanical energy. The pump-motor is disposed between the high pressure device and the low pressure device. In normal operation, the hydraulic drive system enters a motoring mode where hydraulic energy is released from the high pressure storage device and converted to mechanical energy using the pump-motor. It also enters a pumping mode where mechanical energy is converted into hydraulic energy. A neutral state exists where hydraulic energy is neither stored nor released from the high pressure storage device. An approach for exiting either the motoring mode or the pumping mode promotes efficiency within the hydraulic drive system.
US07779624B2
The present disclosure relates to an access joint for an engine exhaust system. The access joint includes first and second exhaust conduits each having a conduit body and a flange unitary with the conduit body. The flanges have first surfaces that face toward one another and second surfaces that face away from one another. The joint also includes a clamp having a channel that receives the flanges and that compresses the flanges toward one another when the clamp is tightened.
US07779623B2
In an exhaust gas purification apparatus for an internal combustion engine, a technique is provided which makes it possible to recover an exhaust gas purification ability more efficiently than ever. In the exhaust gas purification apparatus for an internal combustion engine which recovers an exhaust gas purification ability of a filter by supplying fuel to the filter that is arranged on an exhaust passage of the internal combustion engine for purifying an exhaust gas, in case where the exhaust gas purification ability of the filter is to be recovered, the supply of fuel is executed so as to make the degree of fuel atomization relatively low, as shown in (b), when the temperature of an exhaust gas flowing into the filter is in a first predetermined range, and when the temperature of the filter is in a second predetermined range, whereas the supply of fuel is executed so as to make the degree of fuel atomization relatively high, as shown in (a), when the temperature of the exhaust gas flowing into the filter is lower than a lower limit temperature of the first predetermined range, or when the temperature of the filter is higher than an upper limit temperature of the second predetermined range.
US07779617B2
A sliding pulley drive mechanism in cutting platform of lawn mower is disclosed. The drive mechanism includes an engine for the fixed to a chassis; a cutting platform connected to, and capable of moving up and down in relation to the chassis; cutting platform drive belts fitted over the output shaft of the engine, an external spline shaft is fixed to the output shaft of the engine, and a belt pulley with an internal spline is mounted on an external spline shaft. Through a spline mechanism, the belt pulley on the engine can slide up or down on the output shaft of the engine as the elevation of the cutting platform is adjusted, so that the cutting platform drive belts are kept in the same plane, and therefore the belt service lifespan is elongated.
US07779598B2
The invention relates to a lattice support structure comprising lattice rods interconnected in an articulated manner, wherein, in accordance with the invention, a first structure having small cross-sections extending constantly over its length can be spread apart into a truncated double pyramid structure which tapers toward its ends, with a plurality of first structures being able to be joined together and with the joined together first structures being able to be interconnected by lattice rods to form a second structure, with the additional lattice rods engaging at corner points of the spread-apart cross-sections.
US07779597B2
Hard panels formed from a wood-based material and having a decorative layer for floor coverings are provided, at least on two opposite edges, with coupling devices made in one piece with the panels wherein similar panels may be coupled together to form a floor covering, wherein these coupling devices provide for an interlocking in a direction perpendicular to the plane of coupled panels, as well as in a direction perpendicular to the edges concerned and parallel to the plane of coupled panels. These coupling devices are constituted of a tongue and a groove. The top side of the tongue has a protrusion that cooperates with a meshing recess located in the lower side of the upper lip of the groove of the coupling devices, and a portion extending generally parallel with the plane of the panel to form a contact surface cooperating with the lower side of the upper lip of the groove.
US07779593B2
A wall angle for a suspended ceiling, which may either be a drywall suspended ceiling or a lay-in tile suspended ceiling, has a cross-section forming a substantially right angle of the vertical leg and a horizontal leg. The horizontal leg is adapted to support an inverted tee-runner that has a vertical web and opposed flanges, the opposed flanges being adapted to rest on the horizontal leg of the wall angle. The horizontal leg is formed with a plurality of pairs of locating tabs, at least one tab in each pair being upwardly extending and vertically-oriented. The tabs in each pair are spaced apart a distance sufficient to accommodate the width of the opposed flanges of the tee-runner. At least one of the tabs in each pair has a downwardly extending detent adapted to permit installation of a tee-runner, but to inhibit removal of the tee-runner. The pairs of tabs are spaced, on center, a pre-determined distance that depends upon the intended application of the wall angle.
US07779590B2
A system and method of constructing a composite floor system having increased shear transfer between a slab and support members of the system is described. The composite floor system may include any combination of the following elements: a support member, a reinforcing member, a transfer member, a decking material, a fastener, and/or a slab.
US07779583B2
A muntin clip has a bar support adapted to be connected to a muntin bar end and a base member adapted to be connected to a spacer frame. The bar support has a plurality of flexible support members attached thereto, which are adapted to contact the opposed interior walls of the muntin bar end and deform in response to such contact. The base member has latching structure adapted to be connected to the spacer frame. The base member further has an abutment member adapted to be engaged by an ejector pin to facilitate removal of the muntin clip from a mold.
US07779576B2
The invention is BURROWING PEST CONTROL DEVICE, while mixing together oxygen and a flammable gas and injecting it into an underground burrow. The device includes the feature of being operated from a remote position, a vortex injection of the gases, and a device for generating a shockwave to propagate combustion throughout the stream of mixed gases.
US07779574B1
A mole trap includes a steel rod frame having parallel spaced legs adapted to penetrate the ground on opposite sides of a mole hill or tunnel. The legs are integrally connected by a handle portion and also by a stop bar, and a spike plate having depending spikes is preloaded against the stop bar by compression springs mounted on the legs. An L-shaped latch lever is pivotally supported by the stop bar and supports a trip plate adapted to contact the ground where the mole tunnel has been depressed. The spike plate and spikes are retracted upwardly against the springs to a set position by pulling a flexible strap extending from the handle portion around a roller supported by the spike plate for rotation on an eccentric axis to provide a mechanical advantage. A roller on the latch lever automatically blocks the spike plate when elevated to the set position.
US07779573B2
The invention is a fishing pole with an integrated line tension measuring device. Measured line tension is displayed in quantitative units, pounds or kilograms. A line tension warning system activates when the sensed line tension exceeds a threshold set by the fisherman. The line tension measuring device does not touch the fishing line so the fishing pole with integrated line tension measuring device fishes and operates like a normal fishing pole. The line tension measuring device may be integrated into the fishing reel seat which, in turn, is an integral part of the fishing pole.
US07779571B1
The present invention can have an adjustable length adapter that attaches to the firearm, and in one embodiment directly to an existing load tube. A mounting assembly and an indexing assembly are further provided. The mounting assembly has a mounting plate with an alignment hole for allowing a shell to pass there through from an aligned tube and into the adapter. The indexing assembly indexes relative the mounting assembly to successively align one of a plurality of tubes with the alignment hole. As one tube fills, the invention can be rotated to index the next tube and tension a rotator that can be positioned generally parallel to the firearm barrel. This process can be repeated until all four tubes are full. Upon emptying of a tube, a pin can be automatically activated to allow the indexing assembly to rotate relative the mounting assembly to align the next successive tube.
US07779569B2
A business form including a wristband is provided with a print area forming a badge, the badge having a length less than and a width greater than a width of either of two straps used to attach the wristband to the wrist, the badge thus having a greater print area to improve the readability of the indicia displayed therein. A business form including a wristband has a bulged rectangularly shaped print area to allow information to be printed transversely across the print area to improve readability of the indicia displayed in the print area. Thus, the bulged rectangularly shaped print area can accommodate one or both of bar codes printed thereon in ladder as well as picket fence fashion. A security seal is disclosed which comprises a small, adhesive coated patch of laminate for sealing the joinder of the wristband ends and which has points of weakness such as X's die cut therein so that it separates or destructs upon removal to provide an indication of tampering with the wristband. Also disclosed is an embodiment of the wristband form that is imprinted with identifying indicia for collecting, tracking and administering a patient's blood collection and blood product compatibility.
US07779563B2
A snow deflector apparatus that easily attaches to a snowplow, a kit that includes two snow deflector apparatus and a control system, and to a snowplow system that includes two snow deflector apparatus and a control system. The snow deflector apparatus includes a deflector plate, a deflector plate rotator mechanism and at least one spring. The deflector plate is dimensioned to obstruct at least a substantial portion of the end of the blade of the snowplow such that an amount of snow that is sloughed off of the blade is minimized when the deflector plate is in a deployed position.
US07779554B2
The present invention provides a strip-like holding gripper which holds a semiconductor wafer when measuring a shape of the semiconductor wafer, wherein a side where the semiconductor wafer is held has a round shape, a groove which holds an edge of the semiconductor wafer along a side surface of the round shape portion is provided on the side surface, and the groove comes into contact with the edge of the semiconductor wafer from a periphery of the wafer to hold the semiconductor wafer. As a result, it is possible to provide the gripper, which can stably hold the wafer in a fixed state even if the gripper is inclined when holding the wafer, a holding method, and a shape measuring apparatus.
US07779553B2
A method for scanning a surface of a workpiece using a scanning probe 2 mounted on a support 3 on a coordinate measuring machine 4. The support contains drive means 5, 7 for actuating the movement of the scanning probe 2 relatively to the support 3. The method further involves detecting means 9 to measure a contact force F applied between the tip 10 of the probe and the surface 1, control means 13 coupled to the drive means, and memory means 14 for storing theoretical profiles 19 and coordinates 20 of the surface. This method is characterized by the fact that the control means 13 adjust the actuation of the drive means 5, 7 along a scanning path 18 in order to maintain the contact force 11 within the defined range of values 15 during the whole scanning operation along the scanning path 18.
US07779547B2
An apparatus for determining a desired height of a height adjustable furniture item, characterized in that it includes: a scale adapted to measure a length of the lower leg of a patient, means to determine a desired height of said item of furniture from said length and a means to translate said desired height to said furniture item.
US07779545B2
The invention concerns a spirit level (10) including a base body (11), e.g., in the form of a hollow profile, as well as a bubble level vial (12), formed of a vial body (14) with enclosed cavity (16), preferably of barrel shape, the vial being secured in the base body by means of a holder (28). The cavity contains a liquid (18) with gas bubble (20) floating therein and the vial body has end face regions (32, 36) running transversely to the lengthwise axis of the cavity. In order to achieve a high contrast between the end of the bubble and the liquid, it is proposed that the vial body (14) be joined to the holder (28) by an intimate material connection in the at least one end face region (32, 36) and that the holder and/or the intimate material connection be contrast intensifying in the region of the at least one end face region.
US07779541B2
Method for manufacturing a stator component or rotor component (10) including at least one ring element (3). A joining material is provided in contact with at least one of the blade (2) and the ring element (3). The blade and the ring element are arranged in relation to one another in such a way that they are joined together via a butt joint when heated, and when such heat-treatment is subsequently carried out, the joining material forms a melt that joins the parts together upon solidification.
US07779529B2
A coupling between a device and a mating part includes an elastic material and perhaps a tensioner coupled to the elastic material. The elastic material is wrapped around at least part of the device. The tensioner or other method is used to stretch the elastic material, thereby reducing the thickness of the elastic material. With the thickness of the elastic material reduced by the stretching, the device is inserted into a hole in a mating part. Then the tension on the elastic material is removed, allowing the elastic material to increase in thickness, so as to fill at least part of the gap between the device and the mating part. The coupling may act as an effective heat transfer device for transmitting (by conduction) heat produced by the heat-producing device, to the mating part, which may act as, or be thermally coupled to, a heat sink.
US07779528B2
A leak detector includes a leak detector inlet to receive a test gas; a vacuum pump coupled to the leak detector inlet; a test gas sensing unit connected through a passage to the leak detector inlet; and a membrane that is permeable to the test gas disposed in the passage between the leak detector inlet and the test gas sensing unit, the membrane having a permeance to the test gas that varies by less than five percent over a temperature range of T0−20K to T0+20K, where T0 is a design temperature. In addition, methods are provided for making a composite membrane that includes a semi-permeable membrane and a porous membrane. Furthermore, a reference leak, which includes a composite membrane is provided.
US07779525B2
Replaceable refiner fillings used for refining of lignocellulosic and other natural and synthetic fibrous materials in the manufacture of paper, paperboard, and fiberboard products. The refiner fillings include a pattern of blades and spacers defined by a bar cluster, with the bar cluster being the basis of formation of the filling. A method of manufacture provides bar cluster patterns based on factors including pumping angle, plurality of segments in a refiner filling, and the number of clusters in a segment. A bar set cluster is established for uniform fabrication of bar clusters for the refiner fillings.
US07779522B2
Techniques are described for forming actuators having piezoelectric material. A block of piezoelectric material is bonded to a transfer substrate. The block is then polished. The polished surface is bonded to a MEMS body.
US07779521B2
Fibers are hydroentangled at temperatures near or above their glass transition temperature, the resultant fabrics are then rapidly cooled. A process of preparing a nonwoven fabric that includes depositing fibers on a foraminous support; impinging hot or warm water upon the fibers to hydroentangle them; and then rapidly cooling the resultant fabric is disclosed. The hydroentangled fabric resulting from this process, products made from the hydroentangle fabric, and the equipment used to prepare the fabrics are described.
US07779512B2
A feeding device for fiber flocks or opened fibers for feeding a textile machine, especially a carding machine, has a first, upper vertical fiber chute which supplies the fibers or fiber flocks to rolls for opening of the fibers, and a lower fiber chute which accepts the fibers released by the rolls and discharges a fiber mat at the bottom end of the fiber chute by way of discharge rolls. The feeding device also has a segmented intake trough with several intake trough segments which cooperate with a segmented, clothing-covered first roll, which is divided into several roll segments, wherein the torque of the roll segments can be controlled individually and the widths of the gaps between the intake trough segments and the associated roll segments can be adjusted on a segment-by-segment basis.
US07779509B2
A sliding hinge is mounted between a cover and a base of an electronic device and has a stationary leaf, a moving leaf, a resilient device, a main linkage and a secondary linkage. The stationary leaf is connected to the base. The moving leaf is connected to the cover and is mounted slidably on the stationary leaf. The resilient device is mounted pivotally on the stationary leaf. The main linkage is mounted pivotally on the stationary leaf and is connected pivotally to the moving leaf and the resilient device. The secondary linkage is mounted pivotally on the stationary leaf and is connected pivotally to the moving leaf. The cover is moved to slide relative to the base by the moving leaf and the main and secondary linkages. Furthermore, the resilient device keeps the cover closed or fully opened without external forces.
US07779503B2
A quick-release paint roller having a roller cover that can be removed from a frame without requiring the user to apply a force directly to the roller cover. The frame includes a pair of arms having base portions received in a hand grip. The arms diverge outwardly to form a Y-shaped frame, wherein distal ends of the arms have mounting cones configured to receive opposing ends of the tube-shaped roller cover in a rotatable manner with respect to the frame. The paint roller has a roller capture mechanism that pivots the arms between a roller-capture position in which the roller cover is captured between the arms and a roller-release position in which the roller cover is decoupled from the arms. A roller-release button is configured to actuate the capture mechanism to pivot the arms between their roller-capture positions and their roller-release positions.
US07779495B2
A composite rod design having a core element, the core element made of at least one flexible and resilient core, a foam cell material shaped into annulus configuration and having the core element snuggly located therein, the foam cell material having a length of at least equal to the length of the core element, and an outer covering provided upon the foam cell material and wrapped around the composite rod design to the extent necessary to provide the necessary diameter for the composite rod for convenient usage.
US07784107B2
An system for the measurement, analysis, and imaging of objects and surfaces in a variety of sizes is provided. In the most general terms, the invention relates to a device capable of measuring an object using a combination of low-resolution optical, high-resolution optical, SPM/AFM and/or material analysis techniques. The data gathered at various resolutions is correlated to absolute locations on the object's surface, allowing selected regions of the object's surface to be analyzed to any desired degree of precision (down to atomic scale). In a specific embodiment of the present invention, a system for collecting measurement data regarding an object of interest is disclosed. The system includes a sample stage adapted to hold the object of interest. The system further includes an optical lens assembly disposed above the sample stage. The optical lens assembly is configured to capture an optical image of the object of interest. The system additionally includes a Scanning Probe Microscope (SPM) assembly having a probe tip. The SPM assembly is configured coaxially with the optical lens assembly. In addition, the system includes a positioning system configured to position the optical lens assembly and the SPM assembly with respect to the object of interest held on the sample stage. The probe tip of the SPM assembly is visible within the optical image obtained by the optical lens assembly.
US07784102B2
A method for the secure access of files within a document repository includes the use of a Document Access Document with digitally signed and encoded conditions of use, such that the Document Access Document serves as a physical access credential to its specified documents within the repository.
US07784090B2
Postage stamps are dispensed by receiving payment from a customer for a postage value at a point of sale terminal. The point of sale terminal requests and receives an authorization key from an authorization system. The authorization key is provided to the customer. Thereafter, the customer provides the authorization key to a postage dispensing machine, which provides postage stamps equivalent to the postage value.
US07784083B2
A home server including a contents storage unit storing contents, a control unit acquiring first section information from an information supply apparatus, a generating unit generating second section information, and a section information storage unit storing pieces of first and second section information by correlating them with contents. The information supply apparatus including a storage unit storing a plurality of pieces of first section information corresponding to a plurality of contents, and an extracting unit extracting pieces of first section information corresponding to the contents stored in the contents storage unit from the storage unit and supplying the extracted pieces of first section information to the home server.
US07784082B1
A unified system of programming communication. The system encompasses the prior art (television, radio, broadcast hardcopy, computer communications, etc.) and new user specific mass media. Within the unified system, parallel processing computer systems, each having an input (e.g., 77) controlling a plurality of computers (e.g., 205), generate and output user information at receiver stations. Under broadcast control, local computers (73, 205), combine user information selectively into prior art communications to exhibit personalized mass media programming at video monitors (202), speakers (263), printers (221), etc. At intermediate transmission stations (e.g., cable television stations), signals in network broadcasts and from local inputs (74, 77, 97, 98) cause control processors (71) and computers (73) to selectively automate connection and operation of receivers (53), recorder/players (76), computers (73), generators (82), strippers (81), etc. At receiver stations, signals in received transmissions and from local inputs (225, 218, 22) cause control processors (200) and computers (205) to automate connection and operation of converters (201), tuners (215), decryptors (224), recorder/players (217), computers (205), furnaces (206), etc. Processors (71, 200) meter and monitor availability and usage of programming.
US07784076B2
A method of adaptively encoding video in response to an estimation of bandwidth over a transmission channel, where bandwidth estimation uses feedback packets from a receiver acknowledging receipt of video packets transmitted during an interval when the transmitted packets are not stored in a buffer of a lower network layer.
US07784071B2
A method for enabling at least one of a plurality of user devices to provide a service flow is described. In one example, a code is transmitted to a home identification device (HID) to be combined with an HID identification number. The combined response, which is comprised of the code and the HID identification number, is then transmitted from the HID and received by the user device(s). If the combined response is equivalent to at least one predetermined match key, which is stored in the user device(s), that user device(s) provides the service flow to a respective television(s).
US07784049B1
This invention is a system and method related to providing a plurality of different virtual computing environments in a data storage environment. A system and method that includes configuring the server as a virtual machine server including a plurality of virtual machines and a virtual kernel. A plurality of logical units are assigned to virtual machines. The logical volumes are available to the virtual machine server through a mirroring operation. The logical volumes are associated with metadata to create a plurality of different virtual computing environments.
US07784046B2
The invention is an efficient system and method for re-partitioning an existing system-level design by boosting the fraction of system functionality that is implemented using embedded software. The invention comprises automated techniques for identifying hardware targets to be softened and techniques for automatically generating a new system-level architecture having a new hardware/software boundary.
US07784042B1
Techniques for reordering the data section of a computer program are provided for improving the run-time performance of the program. A computer program that comprises a data section and a code section is compiled. After the computer program has been compiled, the data section of the computer program is reordered based at least on annotation information that is included in a plurality of object files that represent the object code of the program. A specific binary file that is a specific executable version of the computer program is generated. The specific binary file includes the data section of the computer program that has been reordered. The data section of the computer program may be reordered during the linking of the plurality of the object files. Alternatively, the data section may be reordered after the computer program has been linked into a first binary file by rewriting the first binary file into the specific binary file.
US07784041B2
A method is disclosed for reducing dynamic pauses during dynamic compilation. Applications running on a system detect the rendering of dynamic output to a user. The dynamic output represents a change in visual or audio data while any application is running. When an application detects such output it notifies the system, which monitors the frequency of the dynamic output. If the frequency of the dynamic output exceeds a threshold, the system informs a compiler on the system to suspend compilation. Compilation normally occurs when an interpreter on the system is instructed to pass processing control to the compiler. One way this occurs is if a method currently being processed by the interpreter has been marked for compilation. Thus, in order to suspend compilation, the compiler ceases to mark methods for compilation so that the interpreter will not be instructed to pass processing control to the compiler.
US07784038B2
A method, apparatus, and computer program product are provided by the present invention for a programming framework for easy pattern matching and transformation of intermediate language expression trees. With expression matching and transformation framework (EMTF) of the present invention, pattern matchers may be defined and embedded in a C++ program code in a manner that resembles their intermediate representation. EMTF also provides capabilities for unification, unbinding, transformation, intra-pattern referencing, common operators, creation of pattern objects in a storage pool. Recursive sub-expression matching and recursive transformation are also included.
US07784033B2
Applications can interact with a database using a JDBC subsystem. The JDBC subsystem includes a connection pool with multiple connections, and parses database requests to produce statements to be sent to a database management system (DBMS). A previously parsed statement can be stored in a prepared statement cache. A profiling component can be used to maintain profile information concerning the connection pool and the prepared statement cache.
US07784021B2
A method for specifying, deploying and updating work flows. A work flow comprising manual and automatic steps is created in a computing system A first XML schema set represents the automatic steps. The XML schemas in the first XML schema set identify software routines for performing the automatic steps. A second XML schema set represents the manual steps. The XML schemas in the second XML schema set include instructions directing human representatives to perform the manual steps. A runtime component executes the first and second XML schema sets. Without terminating the runtime component, a manual step is represented in an XML schema to be added to the first set. Representing the manual step includes transforming the manual step into an automatic step represented in the XML schema and adding to the XML schema a class name and method name identifying a software routine that performs the automatic step.
US07784016B2
A method for generating lithography masks includes generating integrated circuit design data and using context information from the integrated circuit design data to write a mask.
US07784014B1
A method is provided for generating a hardware description language (HDL) specification of a network packet processor from a textual language specification of the processing of network packets by the processor. The processor includes a look-ahead stage, an operation stage, an insert/remove stage, and an interleave stage. The textual language specification identifies the ports of the processor. The textual language specification includes formats for the type or types of the incoming and outgoing network packets. Each format includes the fields of the type of network packet. The textual language specification includes a procedure for each input port and for each type of incoming network packet received at the input port. Each procedure includes one or more actions for modifying the fields of a type of network packet as a function of state data and/or the fields of the type of network packet.
US07784010B1
A system automatically routes interconnect of an integrated circuit design using variable width interconnect lines. For example, a first automatically routed interconnect may have a different width from a second automatically routed interconnect. The system will vary the width of the interconnect lines based on certain factors or criteria. These factors include current or power handling, reliability, electromigration, voltage drops, self-heating, optical proximity effects, or other factors, or combinations of these factors. The system may use a gridded or a gridless (or shape-based) approach.
US07784002B2
Systems for using relative positioning of items or components in a structure with dynamic ranges, such as an elastic I/O bus design for an Integrated Circuit (IC), are disclosed. Embodiments may include a user-defined type module having user-defined types representing relative instance positions within a structure. Embodiments may also include a translation helper module to receive information associated with a hierarchy and to return location information associated with the hierarchy and a translation module to translate between a specific location and a relative position of the instance based on one or more user-defined types and location information returned from the translation helper module to generate a list of translated results. Further embodiments of the translation module may include a relative position determiner to translate specific locations to relative positions and may also include a specific location determiner to translate relative positions to specific locations.
US07783993B2
Techniques are disclosed for a content-based navigation and launching for portable computing devices such as PDAs and smart phones. A content navigator and launcher allows a user to personalize content groupings. The techniques can run on top of any OS file system that has a mechanism to associate files with their creating applications. Personalization of the content-based navigation and launching scheme can be set-up on the user's work station, and then transmitted and synchronized with a target mobile device. A central server can be used to carry out content harvesting and/or configuring the personalization scheme. The content and/or personalization scheme can then be pushed on to the mobile device (e.g., via a GSM network or other suitable communication link). APIs can be used by application vendors to register the content types of their own choice. A preferences utility allows users to manage the content types and associations.
US07783980B1
A user may make a digital item available to other users of a computer network, such as an instant messaging system, a chat environment, or a subscription-based computer network. Examples of digital items that may be shared with other users include digital representations of graphic images, photographs, audio segments, songs, video segments, movies, and text (such as lists of favorites (e.g., a list of favorite books, a list of favorite movies, and a list of favorite places to visit)). On-line presence information is provided to indicate the on-line presence of users with whom a digital item has been shared, may be shared or is being shared. For instance, an indication of the on-line or offline status of a user with whom an item has been shared or is being shared may be presented.
US07783978B1
The invention relates to a system and information processing device for user selectably presenting information. It comprises a display screen (101) having various areas or zones for facilitating the exploration of the information. A flow zone (102) shows links or pointers (103) to various information units or content, which links continuously flow in a certain direction. The user is allowed to control the flow speed and flow direction and select any link so as to view a full presentation (108) of the related content in a presentation zone (106). The flow zone may be controlled to include only links to selected content in dependence on a user selectable filter agent (105). Personal links may be stored into and loaded from a physical token, using a token detector (113) and token area (110) displaying the personal links. The token can be used to carry personal links between information processing devices of the system according to the invention.
US07783974B2
The invention provides a method and system for entry and editing of multimedia objects for communication and presentation, associating multimedia objects with received sequences of keystroke or mouse action abbreviations. When an abbreviation is detected, the abbreviation is replaced with the associated multimedia object. Each multimedia object has editable properties, and each set of multimedia objects can be collected into an ensemble, which itself can have editable properties. One such ensemble property is a “theme,” which presents a variant of each multimedia object consistent with the theme.
US07783969B1
The invention features systems, methods, and computer program products for typesetting a sequence of character glyphs. In on implementation, the invention provides a spacing classification file for a character set, the classification file being a text file, containing text form definitions of multiple character classes, each character class definition being structured to define a character class as having one or more arbitrary characters, the classification file further containing, in text form, multiple inter-class spacing definitions, each inter-class spacing definition defining, for an order pair of character classes, one or more spacing parameters for the ordered pair and an associated priority for each defined spacing parameter. A line of text can be compressed or expanded according to the inter-class spacing definitions for each sequential pairs of characters in the sequence of characters defined in the classification file according to their respective priorities.
US07783968B2
A method and system are disclosed for acquiring and transforming existing content (e.g., Hyper Text Markup Language HTML content) for display and execution on multiple platforms and architectures. In one embodiment, capture templates are created to harvest content from disparate content sources on multiple platforms. Data is extracted from the content from the disparate content sources using the created capture templates that drives extracting process. A standardized data stream is generated from the extracted data. The standardized data stream is provided for display on one or more different type of platforms.
US07783963B2
Encoded symbols of a concatenated convolutional-encoded and block encoded signal are presented to a conventional first stage of a concatenated decoder, comprising in sequence a soft metric generator, a Viterbi decoder, a first de-interleaver and a first block decoder such as a Reed-Solomon decoder. The encoded symbols are also presented to a delay chain to produce progressively delayed encoded symbols. Where an output block of the conventional decoder is indicated as being a valid codeword by the first block decoder, the bytes in this block are marked as being correct. These bytes that are known to be correct are then used after interleaving and serialization as known bits input to a second stage of the decoder process operating on the delayed encoded symbols and incorporating a modified soft metric generator constrained by the known bits. This process can be extended to further iterations as required. A modified Viterbi decoder, which is also constrained by the known bits, may also be used in the second and subsequent iterative stages.
US07783942B2
An integrated circuit device according to an embodiment of this invention includes: a memory having: a first port to which a first clock signal is input, and a second port to which a second clock signal is input; and a built-in self test circuit having: a first signal generating circuit to which the first clock signal is input, a second signal generating circuit to which the second clock signal is input, a clock selecting circuit to which the first and second clock signals are input and which selects and outputs one of the input clock signals, and a controlling circuit which outputs a clock requesting signal requesting one of the first and second clock signals to the clock selecting circuit, operates in accordance with the clock signal selected and output by the clock selecting circuit, and outputs a controlling signal for controlling one of the first and second signal generating circuits.
US07783927B2
A method and system capable of executing software for recording and playback of actions associated with events occurring during execution of the software configured for processing a software, wherein the software comprises a set instructions for performing one or more system requirements and generating an output; recording an event at a first instance and the associated action taken by the user during execution of the software; creating an action map of the event and respective response for the event as recorded by the user; storing the action map and detecting occurrences of an unexpected event at a next instance during execution of the software; associating a respective response from the action map with the unexpected event; and providing the user with an respective response which comprises the action taken.
US07783920B2
A method, computer program product, and data processing system for providing optional exception recovery features in operating system kernel code are disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, a segment of mainline code may designate a recovery routine for that segment by calling a kernel service provided for that purpose. The kernel service pushes the address of the designated recovery routine, context, and re-entry point information corresponding to the segment to a recovery stack. An additional “footprint” region is also allocated on the recovery stack and used to store other state information needed for recovery. A mask value or barrier count value is also stored on the recovery stack to allow recovery to be disabled for non-recoverable routines.
US07783918B2
A data protection method of a storage device is provided. In the method, a system management interrupt program orders a hardware control unit to obtain a type and an address message of an error in a block in a first storage device, and stores the type and address message in a second storage device. An interrupt service routine (ISR) reads the type and address message of the error from the second storage device. The ISR orders an operating system to search for a block that may be accessed normally and not damaged in the first storage device, and sets the block as a reserved block. The ISR transmits the address message of the error to the OS, such that the OS copies the data in the block having the error to the reserved block, thereby increasing the available capacity of the storage device and improving the reliability of the computer.
US07783908B2
A method of communication comprising sending communication signals switched between dominant and recessive values at clock intervals in frames over a serial data bus from at least one of a plurality of sending nodes to a plurality of receiving nodes. The receiving nodes have an operational state and a standby state in which the current consumption of the node is reduced compared to the operational state. The receiving nodes include wake-up trigger means for triggering transition from the standby state to the operational state in response to the communication signals. The frames of the transmitted signals include an identifier field during which the communication signal alternates between the dominant and recessive values in successive clock intervals with at least one significant occurrence during which the communication signal remains at one of the dominant and recessive values during at least two successive clock intervals, and the trigger means is selectively responsive to the position of the occurrence within the identifier field for triggering the transition from the standby state to the operational state.
US07783901B2
The invention describes a method for hardening a security mechanism against physical intrusion and substitution attacks. A user establishes a connection between a network peripheral device and a network via a security mechanism. The security mechanism includes read only memory (ROM) that contains code that initiates operation of the mechanism and performs authentication functions. A persistent memory contains configuration information. A volatile memory stores user and device identification information that remains valid only for a given session and is erased thereafter to prevent a future security breach. A tamper-evident enclosure surrounds the memory elements, which if breached, becomes readily apparent to the user.
US07783899B2
A system and method for providing a conjunctive keyword search over encrypted data is presented. A plurality of encrypted data is maintained. Each encrypted data includes a plurality of keyword fields that each contain a keyword. The keywords for the keyword fields are encrypted for each encrypted data. A capability is generated for two or more such encrypted keywords that includes a plurality of parameters defining a conjunctive keyword search. The capability is sent from a requestor to a server. The capability is applied to the encrypted keywords with the server to generate a result and the result is provided to the requestor.
US07783898B2
Encryption and decryption of data stored from a computing system to a storage medium is disclosed wherein the processing employs a non-accessible encryption key that is unique to the computing system. The unique encryption key can be embedded in non-removable hardware of the computing system or generated, e.g., from identification numbers ascertained from non-removable hardware of the computing system. Processing includes establishing the unique encryption key, encrypting data using the unique encryption key and storing the encrypted data to the storage medium without storing the unique encryption key on the storage medium. The storage medium can comprise any non-removable or removable storage medium, including for example a computer hard drive, floppy diskette, or recordable compact disk.
US07783888B2
An audiovisual product (400) is recorded with a set of watermark characters (421, 701) as video or audio objects. A sequence of the watermark characters (421, 701) is selected and reproduced upon playback to uniquely identify a particular playback instance. Ideally, a user identity code is received upon playback amongst a predetermined set of user identity codes, and the sequence of watermark characters (421, 701) is selected and replayed according to the received user identity code. The sequence of watermark characters (421, 701) allows the user identity code to be traced should the audio and/or visual output of the audiovisual product (400) be recorded such as with a video cassette recorder (VCR).
US07783880B2
The invention provides mechanisms for transferring processor control of secure Internet Protocol (IPSec) security association (SA) functions between a host and a target processing devices of a computerized system, such as processors in a host CPU and a NIC. In one aspect of the invention, the computation associated with authentication and/or encryption is offloaded while the host maintains control of when SA functions are offloaded, uploaded, invalidated, and re-keyed. The devices coordinate to maintain metrics for the SA, including support for both soft and hard limits on SA expiration. Timer requirements are minimized for the target. The offloaded SA function may be embedded in other offloaded state objects of intermediate software layers of a network stack.
US07783876B2
A system that comprises a first electronic device comprising a non-volatile memory. The system also comprises another electronic device in communication with the first electronic device and comprising a second non-volatile memory. The system further comprises a control logic coupled to the first and second electronic devices. Each of the non-volatile memories stores electrical characteristics associated with a corresponding electronic device. Prior to booting up the first or second electronic device, the control logic obtains and compares at least some of the electrical characteristics and disables the communication as a result of the comparison.
US07783874B2
A method for initiating a system is provided. In the present invention, a specific data, which is not used for executing an initiating program of an interface device, is moved from a conventional memory to an extended memory temporarily, such that the available space of the conventional memory is increased. As a result, the computer system can have enough conventional memory space for loading and executing the initiating program of the interface device during a Power-On Self Test (POST) so as to achieve the purpose of initiating the system.
US07783873B2
A method is disclosed comprising initializing and/or modifying a first set of computer configuration data for a first user based on the first user's membership in a first group, initializing and/or modifying a second set of computer configuration data for the first user without regard to the first user's membership in the first group The first or second sets of computer configuration data may be stored in an initialization file. The computer configuration data may be computer hardware of computer software data.
US07783872B2
An information handling system including a local event timer operably associated with a management application interface is disclosed. The information handling system can also include a remote event timer accessible by a system management application. The remote event timer can be used relative to use of the local event timer. The information handling system can also include an event timer detection module operable to determine an availability of the local event timer relative to an operating system type. The event timer detection module can also initiate use of the local event timer, and disable use of the remote event timer in response to detecting a local event timer enabled operating system. A method and a chipset configured to be used by an information handling system are also disclosed.
US07783869B2
A data processing apparatus is disclosed that comprises: a processor for processing a stream of decoded instructions; a prefetch unit for fetching instructions within a stream of instructions from a memory prior to sending said stream of instructions to said processor; branch prediction logic operable to predict a behaviour of a branch instruction; a branch target cache for storing predetermined information about branch operations executed by said processor, said predetermined information comprising: identification data for an instruction specifying a branch operation and data relating to whether said branch is taken or not; wherein said data processing apparatus is operable to access said branch target cache and to determine if there is data corresponding to instructions within said stream of instructions stored within said branch target cache and if there is to output said data; said data processing apparatus further comprising: a data store operable to store data indicative of a behaviour of a branch instruction; and said data processing apparatus is operable over a period of time to access predetermined information corresponding to more instructions within said branch target cache than instructions it prefetches from said memory such that said accesses to said branch target cache develop an advance in said instruction stream with respect to accesses to said memory; and said prefetch unit is operable to access said data store and to determine if there is data corresponding to an instruction within said data store that indicates that said instruction specifies a branch operation that will be taken and will cause a change in instruction flow.
US07783866B2
A computer implemented method, apparatus and computer program product for processing instructions. A determination is made as to whether an instruction is a start instrumentation instruction in response to identifying the instruction for execution while executing the instructions using a normal set of processor resources in a processor. Subsequent instructions are executed using an alternate set of processor resources until an end instrumentation instruction is encountered.
US07783865B2
A method, system and computer program product for managing a conditional data watchpoint in a set of instructions being traced is shown in accordance with illustrative embodiments. In one particular embodiment, the method comprises initializing a conditional data watchpoint and determining the watchpoint has been encountered. Upon that determination, examining a current instruction context associated with the encountered watchpoint prior to completion of the current instruction execution, further determining a first action responsive to a positive context examination; otherwise, determining a second action.
US07783863B1
A method of handling a trace to be aborted includes receiving an indication of a trace to be aborted and an indication of an abort reason corresponding to an execution of the trace to be aborted. The trace to be aborted has a trace type associated therewith and includes a sequence of the operations, and represents a sequence of at least two of the instructions. The method further includes identifying a corrective action based at least in part on the type of the trace to be aborted and on the abort reason, not taking into account a correspondence between the at least one operation that caused the execution to be aborted and the at least one instruction that the at least one operation at least in part represents. A next trace and its trace type is determined for execution, where the determining is based on the trace to be aborted and on the corrective action.
US07783858B2
Mechanisms for reducing memory overhead of a page table in a dynamic logical partitioning (LPAR) environment are provided. Each LPAR, upon its creation, is allowed to declare any maximum main memory size for the LPAR as long as the aggregate maximum main memory size for all LPARs does not exceed the total amount of available main memory. A single page table is used for all of the LPARs. Thus, the only page table in the computing system is shared by all LPARs and every memory access operation from any LPAR must go through the same page table for address translation. As a result, since only one page table is utilized, and the aggregate size of the main memory apportioned to each of the LPARs is limited to the size of the main memory, the size of the page table cannot exceed the size of the main memory.
US07783855B2
Various embodiments of a computer-implemented method, system and computer program product are provided. A first plurality of key entries of a first index page are compressed in accordance with an order specified by a first keymap of the first index page. The first keymap also indicates respective positions of the key entries of the first plurality of key entries. A second keymap is generated indicating the order and also indicating respective post-compression positions of the key entries of the first plurality of key entries. The compressed first plurality of key entries is stored on a second index page with the second keymap.
US07783854B2
A method and system is introduced to allow expanding the storage capacity of a storage device using other storage device units in a dynamic manner. The expanded device may emulate a single large capacity media device. Files existing on device prior to device expansion may remain valid following device expansion. Capacity of storage devices and digital appliances making use of storage devices may be expanded. Instead of replacing a device with a larger capacity device, storage capacity can be expanded. The device may allow implementing file access policies to protected files.
US07783851B2
Methods of operating a non-volatile memory device that includes a first data block that stores first data and a first log block that stores an updated version of at least some of the first data is provided in which valid portions of the first data in the first data block are copied to a free block that has no data to generate a second data block. The updated version of at least some of the first data from the first log block is copied to the second data block. The first log block is designated as a reusable log block without erasing the data therefrom in response to at least one predetermined condition being satisfied.
US07783849B2
A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product for using trusted user space pages. A kernel accesses a set of trusted pages in user space. The set of trusted user space pages are read-only pages in user mode. Each trusted user space page in the set of trusted user space pages is set to be a readable and writeable page by the kernel. Data captured by the kernel is saved directly to a trusted user space page in the set of trusted user space pages.
US07783840B2
A cache-status maintaining unit stores address information of data stored in each entry of a cache memory, and maintains a status of each entry as any one of “strongly modified”, “weakly modified”, “shared”, and “Invalid”. A data-fetching-procedure selecting unit selects, upon receiving a data read request, at least one data fetching procedure based on the address information and the status. A read-data delivering unit selects latest data from among the data fetched, and delivers the latest data to a processor that issued the data read request. A cache-status updating unit updates, when registering the address information of the data, updates the status of the entry based on a type of the data read request.
US07783836B2
Aspects of the invention relate to improvements to the Least Recently Used (LRU) cache replacement method. Weighted LRU (WLRU) and Compact Weighted LRU (CWLRU) are CPU cache replacement methods that have superior hit rates to LRU replacement for programs with poor locality, such as network protocols and applications. WLRU assigns weights to cache lines and makes replacement decision by comparing weights. When a cache line is first brought into the cache, it is assigned an initial weight. Weights of cache lines in WLRU increase when hit and decrease when not hit. Weights in WLRU also have upper limits, and the weight of a cache line never increases beyond the upper limit. CWLRU is a more space-efficient implementation of WLRU. Compared to WLRU, CWLRU uses fewer bits per cache line to store the weight.
US07783832B2
A fault-tolerant and efficient way of deducing a set of inconsistent stripes for a network RAID protocol, wherein clients forward input/output (I/O) to a particular controller device called the coordinator, which executes RAID logic and which sends out device IOs to the relevant storage devices. If the coordinator fails then a new coordinator reconstructs its state from the storage devices.
US07783824B2
A data processing device 1 has flash ROM having a plurality of sectors, and a CPU for erasing data stored in a predetermined area of the flash ROM. A plurality of erase areas is set in the flash ROM based on the sector structures of a plurality of flash ROM devices. The CPU erases data using the erase areas set in flash ROM.
US07783822B2
Systems and methods for improving performance of a rentable fabric are disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment a system may comprise a plurality of compute nodes, a routable fabric, and a plurality of chipsets connected by the routable fabric to the plurality of compute nodes. The chipsets have range registers dynamically directing traffic from any device to any of the plurality of compute nodes over the routable fabric.
US07783818B1
Described are electronics enclosures having an I/O (input/output) module, a CPU (central processing unit) module having a root complex, and a pluggable, field-replaceable interconnect module electrically connected to the root complex of the CPU module by a first set of differential signal pairs and to the I/O module by a second set of differential signal pairs. The field-replaceable interconnect module provides a serialized communication path between the first and second sets of differential signal pairs for carrying serialized differential signaling corresponding to communications exchanged between the root complex of the CPU module and the I/O module.
US07783816B2
A computer capable of automatic bandwidth configuration according to I/O expansion card (e.g., PCI-Express expansion card) type is provided. A motherboard of the computer includes an I/O expansion slot, a chipset, and a configuration setting circuit. When the I/O expansion slot supports different types of I/O expansion cards having multiple interface card slot combinations, a corresponding bandwidth configuration message is generated on the I/O expansion card. The bandwidth configuration message is used to indicate the type of the I/O expansion card that is being used and thereby control the configuration setting circuit to adjust the bandwidth configuration in the chipset.
US07783815B1
A hard disk controller comprises a first circuit that transmits a first signal to control data transfer between the hard disk controller and a read/write channel. A second circuit transmits or receives data under control of the first signal. A third circuit transmits a second signal to control data transfer between a storage media and the read/write channel. A mode circuit transmits mode data under control of the second signal. A read channel circuit comprises a data circuit and a first circuit that receives a first signal that controls the transfer of data to and from the data circuit. A second circuit transmits or receives data under control of the first signal. A mode circuit receives mode data under control of a second signal. Data is transferred to and from the input/output circuit in accordance with the second signal.
US07783814B2
A safety module (5) with terminals for connection to a bus system control module (2), which is provided for connecting input/output modules (4a, 4b) for field devices, via a databus (3), has a data processing unit (μC2), which is set up corresponding to the bus system control unit (2) for identical processing of the data transmitted via the databus (3). The data processing unit (μC2) for ensuring correct data communication with a safety function is set up in such a way that mutual checking of the safety function takes place by means of data exchange via the databus with the bus system control unit (2).
US07783811B2
An efficient interrupt system for a multi-processor computer. Devices interrupt a processor or group of processors using pre-defined message address and data payload communicated with a memory write transaction over a PCI, PCI-X, or PCI Express bus. The devices are configured with messages that each targets a processor. Upon receiving a command to perform an operation, the device may receive an indication of a preferred message to use to interrupt a processor upon completion of that operation. The efficiency with which each interrupt is handled and the overall efficiency of operation of the computer is increased by defining messages for the devices within the computer so that each device contains messages targeting processors distributed across groups of processors, with each group representing processors in close proximity. In selecting target processors for messages, processors are selected to spread processing across the processor groups and across processors within each group.
US07783809B2
Architectures and techniques that allow legacy pin functionality to be replaced with a “virtual wire” that may communicate information that would otherwise be communicated by a wired interface. A message may be passed between a system controller and a processor that includes a virtual wire value and a virtual wire change indicator. The virtual wire value may include a signal corresponding to one or more pins that have been eliminated from the physical interface and the virtual wire change value may include an indication of whether the virtual wire value has changed. The combination of the virtual wire value and the virtual wire change indicator may allow multiple physical pins to be replaced by message values.
US07783808B2
A network comprises a plurality of nodes; a plurality of bi-directional point-to-point communication links, wherein a priority-based arbitration scheme is used to communicate over each of the plurality of point-to-point links; and a hub that is communicatively coupled to each of the plurality of nodes via the plurality of point-to-point links; wherein when the hub determines that one or more of the nodes is transmitting a message via the hub, the hub selects which node's message should be forwarded to the other nodes based, at least in part, on the priority-based arbitration scheme and forwards the selected node's message to the other nodes with elevated priority.
US07783792B2
An apparatus and method for enabling a circuit board or data storage module located within a slot in an enclosure to determine the identification of the slot by detecting a characteristic feature of the slot. In this manner the circuit board or data storage module can be instructed to operate in accordance with the function of that slot. This is important when a plurality of slots having different functions contains identical circuit boards or modules.
US07783791B2
An apparatus for treating addresses employed in an environmental control network that involves at least one control unit communicating with a plurality of components, each respective component of the plurality of components having an address selected from a predetermined number of address values, includes: an address extending unit coupled with the at least one control unit and with at least one coupled component of the plurality of components. The address extending unit treats each address for each coupled component to establish a respective unique treated address for each coupled component. The at least one control unit identifies each respective component by the respective treated address.
US07783790B2
The disclosure relates to a method for configuring field devices in a process automation system wherein the field devices are connected to other automation components by means of a field bus. In order to minimize the load placed on the field bus, a copy of the current configuration of each field device is stored in a configuration tool, the appropriate set of configuration and parameter data is transmitted to each field device during initial start-up and modifications in relation to the previous copy of the configuration and parameter data are transmitted to the respective field device.
US07783785B2
A computer with a network controller has suitable programming for determining the address of the network controller by means of the computer BIOS. Suitable instructions can be provided to obtain the MAC address of an ETHERNET-based system or the UUID of a 1394-based network controller. The BIOS is optionally programmed to obtain information about other characteristics of the network controller and perform diagnostics related to the network controller.
US07783779B1
A virtual computer system, including one or more virtual machines (VMs), is connected to a redundant data storage system having multiple paths for routing data between the computer system and the data storage system. The VMs are supported by a kernel, which includes a resource manager for allocating system resources among the VMs, including data storage space and data storage bandwidth. A storage path manager (SPM) is integrated into the kernel for routing data between the computer system and the data storage system, including providing functions such as failovers and failbacks, as well as load distribution. Integrating the SPM into the kernel improves the kernel's ability to manage the VMs and to provide SAN resources to the VMs. For example, the SPM may enhance the isolation between multiple VMs by routing their respective data over different data paths. Also, the SPM may improve the allocation of system resources by coordinating with the resource manager.
US07783778B2
A method and apparatus for determining and identifying types of Virtual Private Networks is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of representing the network by a model containing a plurality of object classes, evaluating an import/export relationship of a first one and a second one of the object classes and identifying the network type based on the evaluated relationship.
US07783773B2
Glitch-free media streaming is provided by a client computing device (“client”) independent of whether a remote computing device (“host”) associated with media content provides real-time media content streaming services. Specifically, the client computing device (“client”) provides a user with real-time media content streaming services by establishing multiple connections to the host to read respective portions of the media content by sending byte-range transport protocol requests to the host. As the reading operations progress, the client evaluates transmit rates over respective ones of the connections in view of a real-time media content playback rate to regulate data flow into a streaming media buffer and provide the user with a consistent high-quality (glitch-free) streaming media presentation.
US07783772B2
Session description message extensions include information describing a multimedia presentation or a single media presentation. The session description message is typically sent from one device to another device to which the multimedia or single media presentation will be streamed. Several extensions are described that extend the information that can be included in the session description message.
US07783769B2
In one embodiment, a method is provided. The method of this embodiment provides receiving an indication on a network component that one or more packets have been received from a network; the network component notifying a TCP-A (transport control protocol—accelerated) driver that the one or more packets have arrived; a TCP-A driver performing packet processing for at least one of the one or more packets; and the TCP-A driver performing one or more operations that result in a data movement module placing one or more corresponding payloads of the at least one of the one or more packets into a read buffer.
US07783767B2
A distributed media sharing and streaming system and method is disclosed, wherein an encrypted resident micro web server stores media files in a universal media format including an embedded, automated streaming media player, where the micro web server further fingerprints and authenticates media file contents, indexes media files, manages user permission, group permissions and sharing functionality, shares authenticated media files over a network via a distributed system employing other users on the network with the resident micro web server and the authenticated media file, shares media file and user information with a central index server, and streams authenticated media files to a sharing user using an embedded streaming media player regardless of whether the sharing user has the micro web server or any particular media codec.
US07783766B2
Network Clustering Technology (“NCT”) creates an controlled environment that allows organizations to manage their networks, information resources, users and uses through a common structure. Although that capability is valuable in and of itself, it has the additional advantage of being both highly configurable and extensible. NCT is implemented so that it can function as a multiple-redundant implementation configuration to ensure that the network experiences minimal downtime with optimized throughput through one or more connections. As part of a Global Information Architecture (“GIA”), NCT provides the capability to establish rules for prioritizing and optimizing network traffic for specific users or classes of users, and specific classes of information traffic.
US07783756B2
Mechanisms and methods for providing a mobile/wireless device with protection against false access-point/base-station attacks using MAC address protection are presented. The mobile/wireless device known as mobile client (MC) gains access to wireless network by discovering and selectively associating with an access point (AP). The MAC addresses of both the AP and the MC are protected during all communications between the AP and MC during the discovery phase. This protection mitigates MAC address spoofing type attacks on both the AP and the MC.
US07783752B2
A usage data collection and evaluation mechanism may collect usage information from various sources and summarize the usage information to determine a role for a system. The role and usage information may be transmitted to a centralized server for aggregation and analysis. The collection and transmission of usage data may be governed by and conform to a privacy agreement and may be collected when an end user agrees to such collection. Role determination may be performed using data collected from a single device, multiple devices, or from a network monitoring system. The usage data collection and evaluation mechanism may determine an installed role base and any changes in the installed role base since a previous report.
US07783750B1
A method for service call data logging, including intercepting a call to a data processing service; generating first log data corresponding to the call; transmitting a request message to the data processing service, the request message including the first log data and the call; intercepting a response message corresponding to the request message, the response message including a service response to the call and second log data corresponding to the first log data and including log information corresponding to processing of the call; generating third log data corresponding to the first log data and the second log data; and storing the third log data.
US07783744B2
To facilitate gathering of information required for root cause analysis associated with the abnormal behavior of an attribute (“problem attribute”), a user can specify causation attributes associated with the problem attribute. When the abnormal behavior is detected for the problem attribute, the causation attributes are automatically polled and stored in a database. The user can later examine the values of the causation attributes to determine if there is a causal relationship to the abnormal behavior of the problem attribute.
US07783737B2
Digital content is stored in a logical volume provided in a storage system connected to a communications network. A sub-management computer selects a destination computer forming a supply destination for digital content from a plurality of business computers or virtual computers, further selects the address information corresponding to the selected destination computer from a plurality of address information components, and allocates the selected address information to the digital content itself or to the storage device.
US07783718B2
In a computing environment incorporating multiple computing systems capable of intercommunication, a computing system assists in locating a service offered by other computing system(s). For instance, upon receiving a query that represents a scope of a service to be located, the scope represented in the query may be compared with compiled scope information, each scope compiled using different matching rules. The provider of the service may then be located based on the comparison. The service provider may then be identified.
US07783717B1
An application server may include a Web service client having a service endpoint interface. The service endpoint interface may expose a method of a Web service to the Web service client. The Web service client may also include a logical port to define a configuration of the service endpoint interface.
US07783716B2
Systems and methods for optimizing storage network functionality. The methods and systems of the present invention are particularly useful for optimizing storage network performance for cases in which some components of the network may be separated by significant distances and/or which include communication links with relatively limited bandwidth. In certain aspects, the present invention provides methods and systems for implementing access to and management of geographically distributed storage resources through multiple peer-to-peer storage network array management functions (AMFs) that may also be geographically distributed. The methods and systems of the present invention, in certain aspects, provide geographically aware cache sharing, cache replication, cache coherence, traffic routing, redundancy group structure, source and destination selection, pre-fetching of data, message gathering and other useful features.
US07783698B2
The claimed subject matter provides systems and/or methods that facilitate providing a generalized web service. An interface component can obtain data from a client component. Additionally, a general web service component can store the data with user selected access permissions and enable retrieving and modifying the data from any location. The general web service component can employ a centralized infrastructure, a peer-to-peer infrastructure built upon any number of client components, or a combination thereof.
US07783690B2
A crossbar (20) circuit with multiplexer (22A, 22B) circuits implemented in a polygonal form on a chip. The crossbar can be used for implementing a permutation of input bits (24A, 24B) controlled by a bit vector (25). Horizontal and vertical wiring lengths in the crossbar (20) are reduced by stacking the operand latches (24A, 24B, 25) and horizontal or vertical multiplexers (22A, 22B). This implementation decreases the latency of the crossbar and avoids latches to store intermediated results, thus reducing area and power consumption.
US07783685B2
An information recording/reproducing apparatus is disclosed which includes: a recording section for recording files to a storage medium; an arranging section for arranging the files into groups by attribute so as to establish allocation of the files on the storage medium; and a controlling section for controlling the recording section so as to record the files to the storage medium based on the allocation established by the arranging section and to record concurrently allocation information reflecting the allocation to a predetermined location on the storage medium.
US07783678B2
A method for automating a software manufacturing process based on user interface form design designs a user interface form and then automates a manufacturing process to produce business program in a reverse order. This method includes generating a user interface form for business program including item name display section, data input section, and function-discernible event buttons, as graphic-user interface; allowing an interface form designer to designate DB name and table name; analyzing each interface form and automatically extracting field design information of table based on the item name and size of the data input section; generating ERD referring to the field design information and the table name, as graphic interface; automatically composing and executing SQL statement referring to the field structure to generate physical database; and automatically composing SQL statement executed in linkage with operation of the event button and linking the SQL statement to the event button.
US07783671B2
An information management system includes a database comprising a B-Tree data structure. The B-Tree includes a plurality of nodes associated with disk blocks, handles stored in the nodes, and version numbers attached to each of the handles and disk blocks. In addition, a method is provided that can include initially assigning version numbers to disk blocks, wherein the disk blocks are associated with nodes in a B-Tree data structure, and then performing an allocate operation whereby a handle identifying a disk block is returned along with the disk block's version number.
US07783655B2
Among other things, a user is enabled to identify arbitrary data records of interest that belong to a file of data records that are expressed in an arbitrary format. Pre-generated information about the records of the file is used to enable a user to view a portion of the arbitrary data records that a machine is capable of displaying at one time. The amount of time required to enable the user to view the portion after the data records of interest have been identified is essentially independent of the number of records in the file. The file and the pre-generated information about the records of the file are each too large to be stored, as a whole, in a memory that is used by the machine in accessing the arbitrary data records in response to the user's identification of records of interest.
US07783653B1
When a user selects to seek to a point in a non-indexed media file, a search starts for the beginning of the frame. Using a search algorithm, the bytes surrounding the selection point are examined to find data equal to a known frame beginning indicator. Once such a byte is found, a subsequent test is performed on the next byte to determine if it contains a valid frame length. The system examines the byte at this length to determine if it contains a value that points to the frame beginning indicator under examination. If such a pointer does exist, the system concludes that the byte with the value equal to a known frame beginning indicator is likely the byte beginning the frame. Additional tests may be performed on the bytes surrounding this frame to increase the confidence level that it is, in fact, a valid complete frame.
US07783647B2
The invention comprises a method and apparatus for determining a rank of a query value. Specifically, the method comprises receiving a rank query request, determining, for each of the at least one remote monitor, a predicted lower-bound rank value and upper-bound rank value, wherein the predicted lower-bound rank value and upper-bound rank value are determined according to at least one respective prediction model used by each of the at least one remote monitor to compute the at least one local quantile summary, computing a predicted average rank value for each of the at least one remote monitor using the at least one predicted lower-bound rank value and the at least one predicted upper-bound rank value associated with the respective at least one remote monitor, and computing the rank of the query value using the at least one predicted average rank value associated with the respective at least one remote monitor.
US07783642B1
The disclosure presents a method, system and computer-readable medium related to automatically analyzing structure for a web page. The method embodiment comprises building a training corpus comprising a broad stylistic coverage of web pages, segmenting a web page into information blocks, identifying semantic categories of the information blocks using the training corpus and applying the identical semantic categories in a web-based tool.
US07783641B2
Network-based and client-based operating environments implement computerized systems and techniques for organizing and discovering digital media objects originating from personal digital media sources. The association between a user-selected computer-usable descriptor and a particular digital media object serves as a semantic medium for exchange of information about the digital media object via a network, independent of whether the digital media object is registered with an established digital content sharing service. A user-selected computer-usable descriptor is part of one or more collections of such descriptors that are organized into published data structures having data elements corresponding to particular real-world meanings. Leveraging the consistent associations of computer-usable descriptors with the subject matter of personal digital media content within digital media objects enables the widespread and efficient computerized discovery of relevant digital media objects.
US07783639B1
A ranking component ranks documents, such as web pages or web sites, to obtain a ranking score that defines a quality judgment of the document. The ranking score of a particular document is based on the ranking score of the documents which link to it and based on affiliation among the documents.
US07783635B2
Techniques for providing recommendations for content are provided. Content is received from a source at a service provider. The content includes first recommendation information from the source. A service provider does not own the content provided from the source. A model is generated for the content using the first recommendation information and additionally a second recommendation information that is associated with the service provider. One or more recommendations based on the model are then generated. The recommendations are then provided to an entity, such as the user that requested the content.
US07783633B2
An improved method, apparatus, and computer instructions displaying search results. A query is received in a first language. A snippet in the document containing the word is selected in response to identifying a document in a second language in which the document contains a word matching a query word in the query. This snippet is translated into the first language.
US07783631B2
A user's prior searching and browsing activities are recorded for subsequent use. A user may examine the user's prior searching and browsing activities in a number of different ways, including indications of the user's prior activities related to advertisements. A set of search results may be modified in accordance with the user's historical activities. The user's activities may be examined to identify a set of preferred locations. The user's set of activities may be shared with one or more other users. The set of preferred locations presented to the user may be enhanced to include the preferred locations of one or more other users. A user's browsing activities may be monitored from one or more different client devices or client application. A user's browsing volume may be graphically displayed.
US07783615B1
An improved policy enforcement architecture includes several components that improve the performance of policy enforcement in a hierarchical storage environment. A File System Query instruction permits a richer set of queries to be expressed by a policy engine, thereby permitting more complex policies to be implemented with ease. The File System result is generated at the file server, and only files of interest are forwarded to the policy engine. The file system query advantageously may be applied against a pre-generated index having one more characterizing attributes to further reduce the processing required to retrieve policy data. An Index Build instruction, added to a programming interface, allows a policy engine generate the characterizing indices in advance of use. Index maintenance techniques maintain consistency between the index and the file system to ensure that the policy can be enforced using accurate file information.
US07783609B2
When a VTOC and a VVDS are established for information used to access data sets of a volume, unused space remains in both structures. The data sets, VTOC and VVDS are stored on a recordable medium. For VSAM data sets, other, vital information about the data set is also stored in the VTOC; for non-VSAM data sets, vital information about the data set is also stored in the VVDS. If the VOTC entry of a non-VSAM data set becomes corrupted, the vital information in the VVDS may be used to access the stored data set. Similarly, If the VVDS entry of a VSAM data set becomes corrupted, the vital information in the VTOC may be used to access the stored data set.
US07783607B2
A technique is described that reduces the complexity and resource consumption associated with performing record expiry in a distributed database system. In accordance with the technique, a record is checked to see if it has expired only when it has been accessed for a read or a write. If at the time of a read a record is determined to have expired, then it is not served. If at the time of a write a record is determined to have expired, then the write is treated as an insertion of a new record, and steps are taken to treat the insertion consistently with regard to the previous expired version. A background process is used to delete records that have not been written to or actively deleted by a client after expiration.
US07783602B2
In a system having a plurality of caches, a method for maintaining cached objects includes storing an object in a plurality of caches. In response to a request to update the object, a future invalidation time is determined when the object should be invalidated in caches currently storing the object. Updating of the object is delayed until the invalidation time has passed.
US07783600B1
A system for a redundancy management service for peer-to-peer (P2P) networks includes one or more processors and memory coupled to the processors. The memory stores program instructions executable by the processors to receive a request at a device to upload a data object from the device into a P2P network. In response to receiving the request, the instructions are executable to identify a redundancy manager associated with the device and to transmit the data object to the redundancy manager. In addition, the instructions are executable to upload, from the redundancy manager to one or more target devices of the P2P network, a plurality of data blocks derived from the data object, such that the data object may be recovered from a subset of the plurality of data blocks.
US07783591B2
An exemplary system includes a plurality of heterogeneous data subsystems maintaining local data and a coordinator subsystem configured to maintain global data mapped from the local data, the global data including a plurality of global data relationship views. One of the heterogeneous data subsystems is configured to initiate a data conversion of at least one local data record included in the local data from an origin data schema to a target data schema and to provide at least one data update message representative of the data conversion to the coordinator subsystem. The coordinator subsystem is configured to receive the data update message and asynchronously propagate the data conversion through to at least a subset of the global relationship views in the global data.
US07783559B1
A system and method are provided for modifying how market updates are provided in an electronic trading environment upon detecting one or more triggering events. One example method includes defining an event to be used to trigger modification of how market updates are provided to a client entity, receiving a market update from an electronic exchange, and, when the event is detected, modifying how the market update is provided to the client entity. As an example, the modification of how the market update is provided to the client entity may include providing less data in relation to market updates, and sending the market updates less frequently.
US07783556B1
Market data, such as order information, is displayed in relation to a derivative of price. A derivative of price refers to anything that bears some relationship to price, examples of which, include net change, yield, profit and loss, volatility, momentum indicators, and more. According to various aspects of the preferred embodiments, market data is received from one or more electronic exchanges and a value axis is generated based on a user's preferences. Then, market data can be displayed in relation to the value axis to provide a user interface that allows a trader to view the market from a more desirable perspective.
US07783553B2
An article of manufacture is provided to make decisions regarding funding additional contributions to an investment that is funded using an asset accumulation strategy. A data processor automatically determines an absolute value of a compound average annual rate of return of the investment for a plurality of successive time instances, and an absolute value of an internal rate of return of the investment for a plurality of successive time instances. The data processor then identifies a first time instance when the absolute value of the compound average annual rate of return of the investment exceeds the absolute value of the internal rate of return of the investment. Another article of manufacture identifies a first time instance when the compound average annual rate of return of the investment exceeds the internal rate of return of the investment and when a total return is greater than zero. Another article of manufacture identifies a first time instance when the net present value of the investment is less than zero and the total return is greater than zero. The first time instance represents the time in which it is recommended that funding of additional contributions to the investment should be stopped. The data processor then outputs a message recommending that funding of additional contributions to the investment should be stopped upon identifying the first time instance.
US07783552B2
An apparatus, method and data structure for procuring and analyzing information, regarding the financial markets and a system to execute financial transactions using Internet-based front end graphics that resembles casino games and betting games. The system provides a comprehensive combination of financial information and transactions in a format that facilitates known and new casino/betting like front end graphics.
US07783551B1
An improved method for simulating noise-varying risk factor values in a parametric simulation comprises analyzing historical data to determine the actual value of the risk factors and other attributes in the model and using this data to generate historical residual values which reproduces the historical price when used in the model with corresponding historical attribute values. The set of historical residual values is standardized and can be bootstrapped to increase the number of members in the set or vary the sets properties. Values of the historical residuals are then selected, e.g., at random, and used in place of the random noise components to produce simulated risk factor values which are used in the parametric model to simulate the evolution of the instrument price.
US07783550B1
A fluctuating annuity payment is determined and generated, and that annuity payment is subsequently fixable. The fluctuating annuity payment may be based on an interest rate, such as the market yield of a 1-year U.S. Treasury adjusted to constant maturity, for example. The fluctuating annuity payment may be determined on a certain date, or periodically, for example. The annuity payment, while fluctuating, may have a predetermined floor or minimum threshold amount that is does not pay less than. At some point, a request may be received to fix the payment, and the fluctuating annuity payment is converted to a fixed annuity payment. The fixed annuity payment may be based on a long term interest rate, for example. After receiving a request to fix the annuity payment, a payment schedule may be determined based on the value of the remaining payments that are to be made.
US07783548B1
Disclosed are systems and methods for providing a loan having an interest rate and a loan period. The systems and methods dynamically adjust the interest rate during the loan period based on actual payment performance of a borrower, thereby resulting in an improved reward structure, greater borrower loyalty and an improved experience for the borrower.
US07783543B2
A financial activity network includes a central managing system connected to a plurality of participant terminals. Rules governing operation of the financial activity are stored for future reference. A participant provides investment information such as a map location for the predicted strike by the natural peril event and, optionally, one or more secondary parameters relating to the natural peril event, such as the time interval between the time of investment and the time of an event strike and/or the severity of the event strike according to an established scale. In one example, an external objective independent information source is consulted, with the external objective independent information source providing monitoring, interpretation and derived determination of parameters pertaining to the natural peril event. Methods and articles of manufacture are also disclosed.
US07783542B2
A financial activity network includes a central managing system connected to a plurality of participant terminals. Rules governing operation of the financial activity are stored for future reference. A participant provides investment information such as a map location for the predicted strike by the natural peril event and, optionally, one or more secondary parameters relating to the natural peril event, such as the time interval between the time of investment and the time of an event strike and/or the severity of the event strike according to an established scale. In one example, an external objective independent information source is consulted, with the external objective independent information source providing monitoring, interpretation and derived determination of parameters pertaining to the natural peril event. Methods and articles of manufacture are also disclosed.
US07783540B2
A system and method for enabling information providers using a computer network such as the Internet to influence a position for a search listing within a search result list generated by an Internet search engine. The system and method of the present invention provides a database having accounts for the network information providers. Each account contains at least one search listing having at least three components: a description, a search term comprising one or more keywords, and a bid amount. The network information provider may add, delete, or modify a search listing after logging into his or her account via an authentication process. The network information provider influences the position for a search listing through a continuous online competitive bidding process. The bidding process occurs when the network information provider enters a new bid amount, which is preferably a money amount, for a search listing. The system then compares this bid amount with all other bid amounts for the same search term, and generates a rank value for all search listings having that search term. The rank value generated by the bidding process determines where the network information providers listing will appear on the search results list page that is generated in response to a query of the search term by a searcher located at a client computer on the computer network. A higher bid by a network information provider will result in a higher rank value and a more advantageous placement.
US07783537B1
A system and method for conducting conditional payments includes receiving an application for a financial account and an authorization to credit an amount to the financial account. Information identifying a substitute collection technique is also received. The transaction is then finalized after receipt of both the application for the financial account and the authorization. The transaction can be finalized in several different ways, depending upon whether the application is approved or rejected. For example, if the application is approved, the transaction can be finalized by crediting the financial account by a first amount, which may represent, for example, the price of an item sold by a seller plus an incentive amount. If, however, the application is rejected, the transaction can be finalized by changing a second amount, without the incentive, to collection technique.
US07783536B2
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for determining taxes that is configurable for local jurisdictions. The system includes a tax knowledge base that provides the facility to store data pertaining to taxes in local jurisdictions, and a tax rule base that provides the facility to store rules for applying taxes in local jurisdictions. The system also includes a tax determination manager that determines the tax for a transaction using the tax knowledge base and, optionally, the tax rule base.
US07783535B2
A video game apparatus includes a CPU that detects a program control code included in a land object in the vicinity of a player object, and then, the CPU determines a kind of the land object. If the land object is “hole”, the CPU executes a “hole operation” subroutine. Similarly, if the land object is “wall”, “door” or “ladder”, the CPU performs “wall operation”, “door operation” or “ladder” subroutine.
US07783531B2
A container stock management technique in a hospital and a culture center is provided. A stock management device (1) manages both transfer (outgoing transfer) of cells sampled at the hospital to the culture center, and transfer (incoming transfer) of the cells cultured from the sampled cells at the culture center, to that hospital, with one working code. The ID of containers used individually for the outgoing transfer and the incoming transfer are made to correspond to an identical working code. The optimum transfer route including the procurement of containers is determined by examining the container stock in each of the hospital and the culture center.
US07783528B2
A method and system for automatically generating a naturally reading narrative product summary including assertions about a selected product. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of determining at least one attribute associated with the selected product, selecting an alternative product, retrieving assertion models to describe the product and to recommend an alternative product in a natural manner, and generating a naturally reading narrative by combining the attribute and the selected alternative product with the retrieved assertion models such that the generated narrative includes a recommendation of the selected alternative product. A system is provided for implementing the described method.
US07783525B2
A system, apparatus and method for facilitating the selection, purchasing and ordering glass products, which is informative to guide a novice user in selecting a glass product, even where the glass is comprised of glass panels of more than one manufacturer, the present invention providing an apparatus with a processor which is controlled by software to facilitate a selection process which integrates the comparison of glass products and their properties, as well as, including particular properties of particular components of a glass product, the apparatus can work with a user input device, such as a keyboard or mouse, and is programmed to display graphics associated with selections and potential selections for glass products. The system and method providing selection menus for display on a display device and an animation graphic associated with a selection presented to the user. The system, apparatus, and method integrates the glass product selection information which the user chooses, and preferably the invention makes selections for the user, based on the user's previous choices and specified target performances to present to the user potential glass products.
US07783517B2
The present invention generally relates to a system and method for distributing a transaction instrument. The system includes the steps of: offering for sale, in a retail environment, the transaction instrument; selling a selected transaction instrument; communicating with the issuer of the transaction instrument via an internet accessible web site, and enabling the use of the transaction instrument. The transaction instrument may be, for example, an open pre-paid card. The distribution of the transaction instrument may also include the step of sending a message, through the web site, in substantially real time, causing the pre-paid transaction instrument to be funded but not activated until later through an interactive voice response system, for example. In another example, an associated transaction account may be funded and activated at the time of distribution. Furthermore, an issuer system may be suitably configured to leverage existing Travelers Cheque infrastructure for inventory and related processes.
US07783510B1
A methodology for automatic a priori data pattern analysis is provided. Described methods allow consistent and objective determination of outliers; trend; seasonality; and level shifts; and the production of better models and more accurate forecasts. In addition, a two-step way to automatically determine seasonality and locate possible events in the data set is described. Decomposition of data into seasonal, trend and level components; detection of outliers and level-shift events in the time series based on statistical analysis of the time series; detection of seasonality based on statistical analysis of clusters of data, known as cluster-based seasonality analysis, or CBSA; evaluation of the goodness of fit of a model to data, using the existing goodness of fit indicator, R2; and seasonality analysis, using a sequence of cluster-based seasonality analysis (CBSA) and Fourier analysis are described.
US07783508B2
A system coupled to one or more vending machines, such as soft drink vending machines, via a wireless data link can acquire operational vending data, for example sales data, hardware status, and product temperature. The system can compile data from multiple vending machines dispersed across a geographic area such as a city or state. The system can include software that refines the vending operations of one or more such vending machines based on analysis of acquired data, taking into consideration other information such as market, business, seasonal, or environmental factors. Refining vending operations can include adjusting product offerings, relocating vending machines, replicating favorable conditions, and addressing unexpected sales variations.
US07783505B2
The invention relates generally to a computer system and method for integrating insurance policy underwriting. In one aspect, it integrates an older legacy insurance policy generating system to on-line rating systems where users access the system through browsers. The computer system to perform the process of dynamically rating includes generating an input XML file of risk information that is sent to a web service and calculated in a calculation engine. The processed data is retrieved by the web service and transmitted as an XML file to a user interface that parses the rating information and displays the data.
US07783504B1
A health care claim payment system and method receives a claim for a health care service provided to a participant in a benefits plan. The claim is received by a payment services system, and a portion of the claim is payable by the participant. The payment services system remits the portion of the claim payable by the participant on behalf of the participant so that payment can be remitted to the provider in a single payment and accepts risk of delinquency and/or non-payment by the participant. In one example, the health care provider receives payment for the participant portion and employer portion of the claim within 30 days of issuing a health care service.
US07783502B2
An system for constructing formularies is disclosed. The system includes a central computer system and at least one additional computer. The central computer system compiles a list of various pharmaceutical products and sort them into different categories. Formularies are then created by selecting individual products or categories of products that will be covered. When prescription claims are received, coverage is either accepted or denied based on whether the products in the prescription claims are covered by the formulary.
US07783501B2
A method of transaction approval and substantiation employing accumulator logic for medical, dental, and vision claims. For example, a health care plan member may utilize an electronic payment card to pay for various health care related expenses where that electronic payment card is deducting from that member's flexible spending account, health reimbursement arrangement, or other such accounts. For substantiation of a card transaction, in addition to copay matching, paid claim matching, and recurring transaction matching for medical, dental, and vision claims, the method of the current invention further employs accumulator logic processing where the transaction is substantiated if the card swipe amount for that transaction is less than or equal to the sum in an accumulator for the previously paid claims in the appropriate medical, dental, or vision claim area.
US07783499B2
A framework for Web services integration can include a Web services integrator having a scheduler coupled to a control. The control can have a coupling to a consumer preferences repository. The scheduler, by comparison, can have couplings both to a state data repository and also to a service activation repository. Finally, the framework can include an interface to the Web service integrator. Notably, an agenda can be disposed within the scheduler. Moreover, a collection of service activation rules can be disposed within the service activation repository. The framework yet further can include a collection of service requestor preferences disposed within the consumer preferences repository. Finally, the framework can include service request state data disposed within the state data repository.
US07783490B2
A user speech interface for interactive media guidance applications, such as television program guides, guides for audio services, guides for video-on-demand (VOD) services, guides for personal video recorders (PVRs), or other suitable guidance applications is provided. Voice commands may be received from a user and guidance activities may be performed in response to the voice commands.
US07783489B2
A method and system for direct audio capture and identification of the captured audio. A user may then be offered the opportunity to purchase recordings directly over the Internet or similar outlet. The system preferably includes one or more user-carried portable audio capture devices that employ a microphone, analog to digital converter, signal processor, and memory to store samples of ambient audio or audio features calculated from the audio. Users activate their capture devices when they hear a recording that they would like to identify or purchase. Later, the user may connect the capture device to a personal computer to transfer the audio samples or audio feature samples to an Internet site for identification. The Internet site preferably uses automatic pattern recognition techniques to identify the captured samples from a library of recordings offered for sale. The user can then verify that the sample is from the desired recording and place an order online. The pattern recognition process uses features of the audio itself and does not require the presence of artificial codes or watermarks. Audio to be identified can be from any source, including radio and television broadcasts or recordings that are played locally.
US07783480B2
An audio encoding apparatus and the like are disclosed which can improve the sound quality of encoded audio signals even in a case of scalable CELP encoding the audio signals in sections that vary with time. In this apparatus, an enhancement layer extended adaptive codebook generating part (102) generates an extended adaptive codebook (d_enh_ext[i]) from both one frame of core layer drive sound source signals (exc_core[n]) received from a core layer CELP encoding part (101) and past enhancement layer drive sound source signals (exc_enh[n]) received from an adder (106), and further inputs the generated extended adaptive codebook (d_enh_ext[i]) to an enhancement layer extended adaptive codebook (103) for each of sub-frames. That is, the enhancement layer extended adaptive codebook generating part (102) updates the extended adaptive codebook (d_enh_ext[i]) for each of the sub-frames.
US07783479B2
A system for use in providing a wideband signal from a received narrowband signal is set forth. The system comprises an extracted narrowband feature vector that corresponds to at least one characteristic of the narrowband signal. A narrowband codebook having one or more narrowband codebook index vectors is also employed, where each narrowband codebook index vector is associated with one or more corresponding narrowband codebook parameters. An analyzer is provided to correlate the extracted narrowband feature vector with an entry in the narrowband codebook. More particularly, the analyzer is responsive to the extracted narrowband feature vector to identify the narrowband codebook feature index vector that best matches the extracted narrowband feature vector. A signal mapper is provided to execute a mapping function of the extracted narrowband feature vector and/or the narrowband codebook index vector identified by the analyzer. In executing the mapping function, the signal mapper uses mapping parameters that correspond to the narrowband codebook entry associated with the narrowband codebook index vector identified by the analyzer. The signal mapper generates at least one estimated wideband feature vector through execution of the mapping function. The estimated wideband feature vector is used by a signal generator to generate a wideband signal that corresponds to an extended bandwidth version of the received narrowband signal.
US07783469B2
A simulated collaborative mix workload for determining the performance of enterprise software includes a combination of mail, instant messaging, electronic meetings, documents, and electronic learning. The workload is generated by executing a team spaces path, documents path, learning path, messaging path, web conference path, or various combinations thereof. The team spaces path generates a simulated discussion with team members and generates a search query for locating a forum within the team space. The documents path generates a library search to locate, open, and read the document, and generates a simulated chat about the document. The learning path launches a simulated course and assessment activity. The messaging path reads a simulated email, attaches a document thereto, and sends the email. The web conference path generates a web conference attended by a plurality of simulated users. At least one of the workload tasks is performed more than once.
US07783465B2
A computer-implemented method for solving parallel equations in a circuit simulation is described. The method includes partitioning a circuit Jacobian matrix into loosely coupled partitions, reordering the voltage vector and the matrix according to the partitions, and splitting the Jacobian matrix into two matrices M and N, where M is a matrix suitable for parallel processing and N is a coupling matrix. M and N are then preconditioned to form M−1Jx=(I+M−1N)x=M−1r and the Jacobian matrix J is solved using an iterative solving method.
US07783464B2
A card for simulating peripheral component interconnect (PCI) loads includes an interface configured for electrically connecting to a motherboard and a load circuit configured for simulating the different loads. The load circuit comprises at least one power module receiving a voltage from the interface. The power module is capable of changing resistance of the power module thereby to thermally consume various powers to simulate the different loads. Because the card consumes various power according to testing requirement, the stability of the motherboard can be tested in various load power without connecting actual PCI loads to the motherboard.
US07783459B2
A parallel dynamical system for computing sparse representations of data, i.e., where the data can be fully represented in terms of a small number of non-zero code elements, and for reconstructing compressively sensed images. The system is based on the principles of thresholding and local competition that solves a family of sparse approximation problems corresponding to various sparsity metrics. The system utilizes Locally Competitive Algorithms (LCAs), nodes in a population continually compete with neighboring units using (usually one-way) lateral inhibition to calculate coefficients representing an input in an over complete dictionary.
US07783435B2
Disclosed are methods, systems, and computer program products for determining a volume of liquid product in a manifold set of tanks. The method includes identifying a plurality of book volumes of liquid product in the manifold set of tanks. The method further includes identifying a plurality of measured physical volumes of liquid product in the manifold set of tanks, each measured physical volume being associated with one book volume of the plurality of book volumes. Following collecting the volumes, the method includes determining a variance between each measured physical volume of the plurality of measured volumes and each book volume of the plurality of book volumes and then using those variances to generate an expected variance to each of the plurality of measured physical volumes, the combination of the expected variance and the measured physical volume being the volume of the liquid product in the manifold set of tanks.
US07783433B2
A system, method and computer program product is provided for automated defect detection of corrosion or cracks using synthetic aperture focusing technique (SAFT) processed Lamb wave images. The method comprises processing the first image using a synthetic aperture focusing technique (SAFT) to enhance a resolution and a signal to noise ratio of a first extracted ultrasonic image, applying a systemic background noise suppression algorithm to the first extracted ultrasonic image to render a second extracted ultrasonic image having reduced noise, and applying a deconvolution linear filtering process to the second extracted ultrasonic image to render a third extracted ultrasonic image.
US07783432B2
A method for nondestructive testing of the pipes for detecting surface flaws using magnetic leakage flux is disclosed. With of the method, flaws can be detected and analyzed in near-real-time while the pipe is produced. The data obtained with inductive coils, Hall sensors or GMR sensors are digitized, the digital data are buffered in a first memory, and a subset of the digital data are copied into a second memory. The copied data are transformed with a wavelet transformation and the resulting wavelet coefficients are filtered and/or modified. In an alternative embodiment, the digital data can be continuously supplied to a routine for wavelet transformation, which is performed using cascaded digital signal processing routines. The evaluated variable is compared with a reference value, wherein a determined flaw-based signal can be unambiguously associated with the position of the flaw.
US07783425B1
An integrity monitoring method for an aircraft is disclosed. The integrity monitoring method includes determining a set of non-uniform weights. The non-uniform weights are based on a least squares approximation of a linearized measurement equation. The integrity monitoring method also includes applying the non-uniform weights in a receiver autonomous integrity monitoring (RAIM) system. Further, the integrity monitoring method includes determining a reduced integrity limit based on the output of the RAIM system.
US07783416B2
A navigation server capable of guiding a mobile subject such as an automobile by a navigation device, while appropriately evaluating the level of safeness of individual link in a disaster occurring area in consideration of the actual disaster condition is provided. According to the navigation server of the present invention, the links included in the disaster occurring area are extracted, and the cost of each of the extracted links is evaluated on the basis of the probe information. There is high probability that the spatial and temporal moving pattern of the automobile (a first mobile subject) represented by the probe information reflects the influence of the disaster. Therefore, the level of the safeness of individual link included in the disaster occurring area may be evaluated as the cost of individual link accurately in consideration of the actual disaster condition and road condition. Further, by transmitting the road traffic information generated on the basis of the cost of individual link to the navigation device, it becomes possible to make the navigation device guide the automobile (a second mobile subject) to avoid the influence of the disaster in consideration of the actual disaster condition and road condition.
US07783392B2
A traveling apparatus is provided with two wheels parallel each of which is driven independently, being controlled to be stable in an anteroposterior direction between the two wheels and traveling. The traveling apparatus includes a mechanism estimating an inclination of a plane where a pitch angular velocity sensor is horizontally installed with respect to a horizontal plane by using a sensor measuring a tilt of a vehicle body in a roll axis direction and a mechanism calculating a correct pitch angle by obtaining a yaw rate mixed in the pitch angular velocity sensor based on the estimated inclination and a turn velocity of the vehicle body and by canceling the yaw rate mixed.
US07783391B2
An apparatus and method for controlling vehicle by teeth clenching are provided. The apparatus includes: an electromyogram signal obtaining unit including electromyogram sensors disposed at both sides for generating an electromyogram signal according to a predetermined muscle moved when a disabled person clenches teeth, and a ground electrode connected to a body of the disabled persons for providing a reference voltage; and a vehicle driving unit including a control command generating unit for generating a vehicle driving command according to the electromyogram signal by classifying the electromyogram signal based on a side of teeth clenched, a duration time for clenching teeth and a sequence of teeth clenching motions made by the disabled person, a control command interface for generating a predetermined level of voltage according to the created vehicle driving command, and a vehicle driving unit for driving the vehicle according to the generated voltage.
US07783375B2
Systems, methods and mediums are provided for dynamic adjustment of sampling plans in connection with a wafer (or other device) to be measured. The invention adjusts the frequency and/or spatial resolution of measurements on an as-needed basis when one or more events occur that are likely to indicate an internal or external change affecting the manufacturing process or results. The dynamic metrology plan adjusts the spatial resolution of sampling within-wafer by adding, subtracting or replacing candidate points from the sampling plan, in response to certain events which suggest that additional or different measurements of the wafer may be desirable. Further, the invention may be used in connection with adjusting the frequency of wafer-to-wafer measurements.
US07783374B2
The present invention includes a method of performing a dual damascene procedure using Site-Dependent (S-D) procedures, the method including receiving a plurality of wafers and associated data by a S-D transfer subsystem coupled to a lithography-related subsystem, determining S-D wafer data for each wafer, establishing a first Dual Damascene processing sequence, determining a first set of S-D processing wafers to be processed, establishing real-time operational states for a plurality of first S-D processing elements in the lithography-related subsystem, transferring a first number of the first set of S-D processing wafers to a first number of the first S-D processing elements in the lithography-related subsystem and delaying other S-D wafers in the first set of S-D processing wafers for a first amount of time.
US07783365B2
An elongate medical electrical lead conductor includes a layer of hydrolytically stable polyimide formed thereover.
US07783358B2
Method and apparatus for treating obesity by an energy delivery device, such as a high focus ultrasound transducer, mounted for movement along two or three axes relative to the esophagus to deliver transesophageal energy to interrupt the function of vagal nerves. Preferably, movement along a longitudinal axis of the esophagus changes the site to which the energy is directed and movement transversely along a radius of the esophagus focuses the energy on a vagal nerve. The third degree of freedom relative to the esophagus is to rotate the transducer about the longitudinal axis of the esophagus.
US07783341B2
A data acquisition module for use in monitoring a plurality of physiological signals is disclosed herein. The data acquisition module may include a first signal processing path for biopotential data, a second signal processing path for therapeutic event data, and a processing unit that receives and processes the data from the first and second signal processing paths. The data acquisition module may further compare identified likely therapeutic events in each of a plurality of psychological signals. A method of identifying an electronic therapeutic event from a physiological signal is also disclosed herein the method may include steps of obtaining a plurality of psychological signals, removing any biopotential data from the physiological signals, using a first technique to identify likely therapeutic event data, comparing the identified likely therapeutic event data from each of the plurality of physiological signals and refining the identification of likely therapeutic events based on the comparison between each of the plurality of physiological signals.
US07783328B2
Cellular phone control apparatus, method of controlling same and hands-free call placement apparatus
A cellular phone control apparatus uses a predetermined association between a cellular phone and a call destination for controlling use of plural cellular phones. The predetermined association is stored in a memory of the control apparatus, and the call destination specified by a user is reflected to a selection of the cellular phone for placing a call to the call destination based on the predetermined association. In this manner, the user can selectively use plural cellular phones without changing configuration of the cellular phone control apparatus.
US07783321B2
A cell phone device having a camera, an imaging unit and a display unit, which are joined with each other. The imaging unit and the display unit may be separated and used in a separated state. A display housing includes the display unit, a speaker, and a microphone. A keypad housing includes the imaging unit. The display housing and the keypad housing each include a local communication IF unit for performing wireless communication and a battery for supplying power to each function block. When the display housing and the keypad housing are separated, the image generated by the imaging unit is output to the display unit via the local communication IF units. A recording instruction is then generated by operating the display housing while checking the image on the display unit.
US07783316B1
A public safety communications network uses asymmetric channels for receiving requests for data from a mobile client over a narrowband land mobile radio system (LMRS) channel and delivering wideband data over a digital television (DTV) network channel to a DTV datacast receiver with the mobile client. An emergency operations center connected to the LMRS receives and processes the data requests and forwards the requested data. DTV network stations have a data multiplex insertion system for inserting the requested data into a DTV signal. The DTV network may be a public television network. An addressing system identifies unique mobile client addresses and unique mobile client group addresses and selects a DTV transmitter for delivering response messages in accordance with the addresses. A forward error correction (FEC) regulation system is used in transmitting requested data with FEC strength regulated as a function of historical bit-error-rate or receive power for a geographical location.
US07783312B2
Systems and methods for improving the performance of wireless telecommunications networks by reducing data communications between a mobile station and a base station. One embodiment of the invention is implemented in an IS2000 (cdma2000) network. This network communicates data from a base station to a mobile station over a supplemental forward channel. In order to maintain the best communication channel for data transmissions, the mobile station monitors the signals received from an active set of base stations and identifies the strongest signal of a reduced active set so that the corresponding base station can be selected for data communications. Upon the occurrence of conditions indicating that a new base station within the reduced active set should be selected, the mobile station provides a notification to the base stations in the reduced active set so that further data transmissions will be made by the newly selected base station.
US07783311B2
A receiving station used in a wireless communication system receives information from one or more transmitting stations. The receiving station comprises a receiving unit (112) configured to receive information containing ID information of a transmitting station, and a data extracting unit (1011) configured to extract the ID information from the received information. Transmit timing sequence acquiring means (2012, 2013 and 2014) of the receiving station estimates a transmit timing sequence (Hs) of the transmitting station based on the extracted ID information. Synchronizing means (2014) of the receiving station brings the receive timing of the receiving station in synchronization with transmit timing of the transmitting station based on the transmit timing sequence.
US07783306B2
A system and associated method receives a command from a user's mobile device to locate points of interest near the mobile device's location. The points of interest are associated with different, user-identified, point of interest categories. Based at least in part on the mobile device's location, the system substantially simultaneously provides a list of points of interest for at least some of the point of interest categories.
US07783305B2
A method for providing menu tree assistance includes receiving a voice request from a user via a telematics unit and a wireless network and determining a voice menu tree based on the voice request. The method further includes receiving at least one response based on the voice menu tree, determining a failure or confirmation based on the at least one response and converting the response to data based on the determined confirmation. The method further includes recording the response based on the determined failure and providing the recorded response and data to an advisor at a call center. A system and a computer readable medium including computer program code are also disclosed.
US07783302B2
An apparatus for determining a current position of a mobile device in an environment in which at least one transmitter is disposed includes a means for providing a cartographic map of the environment, the cartographic map including field strength reference values at reference points, a means for determining a field strength value, a means for deriving a reference point within reach that can be reached starting from a previous position of the mobile device by movement of the mobile device in the environment within a predetermined time interval, from the cartographic map of the environment, and a comparator for comparing the field strength value with a field strength reference value at the reference point within reach in order to determine the current position. By including the cartographic map of the environment, the position determination is simplified.
US07783295B2
When n mobile stations performing communications using a shared channel and m mobile stations performing communications using a dedicated channel are used in a mixed manner, necessary radio resources to satisfy the transmission data rate aimed by a mobile station performing communications using a shared channel are calculated, the quality of the shared channel is guaranteed, and call admission control of a dedicated channel is performed. An HS terminal allocation power calculation unit calculates necessary transmission power to satisfy the target transmission data rate by n mobile stations based on the radio channel quality and the target transmission data rate of the n mobile stations using a shared channel. Call admission of a mobile station newly performing communications using a dedicated channel is controlled based on the necessary transmission power to satisfy the target transmission data rate by n mobile stations using a shared channel, the initial transmission power of a mobile station newly starting communications using a dedicated channel, and the transmission power of m mobile stations using a dedicated channel.
US07783293B2
A method and system of training a communication system is disclosed. The method includes a first transceiver transmitting signals through one or more antennas of the first transceiver. A second transceiver selects a subset of a plurality of antennas of the second transceiver, wherein the selected subset provides a largest aggregate received signal power. The second transceiver transmits pilots on a subset of sub-carriers of multi-carrier signals through the selected subset of the plurality of antennas of the second transceiver. The first transceiver receives the pilots, and extracts channel knowledge from the received pilots.
US07783288B2
A remote mobile network part (2, 11, 12) may be on an aircraft, a ship, or in a geographically remote location. It comprises a gateway (6) which communicates with a central gateway (9) via a satellite link. The two gateways (6, 9) together are a base station controller (BSC), the satellite link being used for BSC-internal communication. Such communication can be optimised to make best use of the limited bandwidth available on the satellite link.
US07783277B2
A low power rf control system includes a controller that operates at a low clock speed when an associated rf receiver is deenergized and a high clock speed when the controller energizes the receiver. The receiver can be on for a short period, off for a short period if no preamble pulses from a remote control device are received, on for a short period, and then off for a longer period until the next cycle. The receiver remains on to process a command signal when a preamble signal is detected. A DC-DC down converter can be used as a power supply for the receiver, and a SAW resonant circuit can be used as an IF oscillator for the receiver. An LC filter can be associated with the receiver for filtering the IF signal.
US07783274B2
A chopped intermediate frequency (IF) wireless receiver is disclosed. The wireless receiver includes a local oscillator (LO), a first and a second mixers, an LO frequency control module, an IF filter, a digital down converter and a down conversion controller. The LO provides a local oscillating signal to the first and second mixers. The first and second mixers converts a received radio frequency signal to an in-phase IF signal and a quadrature IF signal, respectively. The LO frequency control module alternately down converts a channel frequency by changing an oscillation frequency of the LO. Coupled to the digital down converter, the down conversion controller adjusts a complex sine wave within the digital down converter while the in-phase IF signal and the quadrature IF signal are being down-converted by the digital down converter to a baseband signal.
US07783271B2
A method and apparatus for receiving a radio frequency signal and a method and apparatus for transmitting a modulation signal in a multiple channel radio system. The method for receiving the radio frequency signal involves mixing the radio frequency signal with a demodulating signal, tunable in frequency steps greater than the channel spacing of the multiple channel radio system to facilitate rapid frequency adjustments. The resultant intermediate signal is then mixed with another demodulating signal, tunable in relatively smaller frequency steps in order to select the channel containing the radio frequency signal.
US07783262B2
The present invention pertains to a transmitter that can exploit feedback to help it organize information which is subsequently sent to a receiver. More specifically, the transmitter receives a feedback signal from the receiver and then uses data about a channel in the feedback signal to adapt at least one of a coding, interleaving and modulating scheme to organize information which is subsequently transmitted to the receiver. In this way, the transmitter can obtain the best match of a channel and a given information payload.
US07783257B2
A wireless piconet network device includes a GPS receiver to determine and provide earth coordinates to a gatekeeper of a wireless network so as to provide a level of security to wireless networks which requires accessing wireless devices to be within predefined boundary coordinates. The automatic restriction of access to a wireless network (e.g., a wireless local area network (LAN) such as a piconet network) by requiring a wireless network device to provide earth coordinates (e.g., GPS location information) as part of an establishment or maintenance of a connection to a wireless network, independent of a range of communication of any device in the wireless network. A wireless piconet network device outside of predetermined earth coordinates of a secured area (e.g., a building, a room in a building, a desk in a room in a building, etc.) may be denied access to resources on the wireless network, and/or required to provide additional authorization information so as to confirm authorized secured status of the entering wireless device.
US07783251B2
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention described and shown in the specification and drawings is a transceiver with a receiver, a transmitter, a local oscillator (LO) generator, a controller, and a self-testing unit. All of these components can be packaged for integration into a single IC including components such as filters and inductors. The controller for adaptive programming and calibration of the receiver, transmitter and LO generator. The self-testing unit generates is used to determine the gain, frequency characteristics, selectivity, noise floor, and distortion behavior of the receiver, transmitter and LO generator. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or the meaning of the claims.
US07783250B2
An apparatus for frequency up conversion and down conversion using frequency multiplier circuits. The frequency multiplier circuits receive a lower frequency signal and are operated in a forward direction to provide a higher frequency output. The same frequency multiplier circuits are operated in a reverse direction by receiving a higher frequency signal and producing a lower frequency output. The frequency multiplier circuits preferably use heterojunction barrier varactor diodes to eliminate the need for DC bias or idler circuitry.
US07783248B1
A method and apparatus for connecting a primary uplink site and a diverse uplink site includes a satellite and a communication line that couples the primary uplink site and the diverse uplink site. The primary uplink site receives television signals and communicates the signals over the communication line using a video-over-internet protocol. The primary site forms primary uplink signals and selectively communicates the primary uplink signals to the satellite. The diverse uplink site receives the television signals from the primary uplink site through the communication line and forms the diverse uplink signals and selectively communicates the diverse uplink signals to the satellite.
US07783247B2
A home satellite receiving system employs a transmodulating outdoor unit (ODU) that tunes to multiple signals, demodulates those signals into streams of data packets, and filters the streams of data packets to select data packets pertaining to viewer-specified programs. The ODU then constructs an integrated bitstream from the selected data packets and modulates that bitstream for transmission to an indoor IRD. This allows transfer of multiple programs from different satellite sources to the indoor IRD over a single coaxial cable. The indoor IRD reconstructs the packet stream timing for the viewer-specified programs from the integrated bitstream.
US07783238B2
The present invention provides a transfer charger which provides an intermediate transfer belt with a sufficient transfer efficiency, does not wear in contact with an inner surface of the intermediate transfer belt, has a low frictional property, and is excellent in its friction stability and an image-forming apparatus. A transfer charger (62) is mounted inside the image-forming apparatus where a toner image held on an image holder (12) is transferred to an intermediate transfer belt (31) to obtain an image. The transfer charger (62) makes a surface contact with an inner surface of the intermediate transfer belt (31), with the transfer charger (62) being pressed toward the image holder (12) owing to a pressing member (61). The transfer charger (62) is a sheet material consisting of a resin composition containing 100 parts by weight of non-injection-moldable ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene resin, 2 to 15 parts by weight of electrically conductive carbon, and 0.5 to 5 parts by weight of at least one powder selected from among PTFE resin powder, graphite powder, and silicone resin powder.
US07783233B2
A developing device for an image forming apparatus that uses developing agent supplied from a supplying device. The developing device includes a developing roller configured to bear the developing agent thereon and develop a toner image on an image bearing member. The device also includes a supply and circulation system configured to receive developing agent from the supplying device, and being configured to supply the developing agent to the developing roller and circulate the developing agent within the developing device. The system includes an agitate conveying member, and a circulation route having at least a portion that extends upward. The agitate conveying member is provided within the upwardly extending portion of the circulation route, and is configured to convey the developing agent upward through the upwardly extending portion of the circulation route.
US07783217B2
In a fixing apparatus which is included in an image forming apparatus that is capable of selecting a sheet transport speed, a paper sheet is transported between a fixing roller and a pressure roller, so that an unfixed image formed on the paper sheet is fixed on the paper sheet under heat of the fixing roller. The fixing apparatus is provided with an endless belt which heats the outer surface of the fixing roller by external contact with the outer surface of the fixing roller, and a halogen lamp, a heat source control device, and a thermistor all of which are for changing a temperature of the endless belt in accordance with the sheet transport speed. This makes it possible to fix an image on a paper sheet without the occurrence of offset phenomena.
US07783215B2
An image forming apparatus and a toner replenishment control method according to the present invention are configured such that a concentration of toner in a developer detected by a toner concentration detection sensor is measured and the measured toner concentration value is stored. These are configured such that regions of image data corresponding to an electrostatic latent image on an image bearing member to be developed by the developer are specified and an amount of toner to be consumed in the developer is predicted based on the image data of the specified regions, then a post-development concentration value of toner in the developer is estimated based on the measured toner concentration value and the predicted toner consumption amount, and control of replenishment of toner to the developer is carried out based on the estimated post-development toner concentration value and a toner setting concentration value that has been set in advance.
US07783213B2
A surface potential distribution measurement method and device including setting a sample having a surface with a surface potential distribution in a sample installation unit wherein both an electric field intensity formed on the sample surface and a potential bias component of the sample are variable, and scanning the sample surface in a one-dimensional or two-dimensional manner by irradiating a charged particle beam to the sample. The method also includes obtaining a detection signal from charged particles generated by the scanning, to measure the surface potential distribution of the sample by varying the electric field intensity and the potential bias component in order to control a quantity of the detection signal obtained from the charged particles.
US07783212B2
A thickness variation detector of a photoconductor includes: a current detection unit that detects a value of current being used for charging a surface of the photoconductor in a state in which a charging unit is in contact with a surface of the photoconductor; and a thickness variation detection unit that detects a thickness variation along a rotation direction of the photoconductor based on the value of current.
US07783210B2
Systems and methods are described that facilitate replacing cleaning blades employed to chisel excess toner from a photoreceptor surface. For example, a cleaning unit can comprise a blade holder with a plurality of cleaning blades attached thereto, which is rotated (e.g., by an actuator) to remove a used cleaning blade from the photoreceptor surface and position a new cleaning blade against the photoreceptor surface. Blade replacement can be triggered by a detected defect on an output image or by detected excess toner on the photoreceptor surface downstream from the cleaning blade. Additionally, blade replacement can be triggered as a function of blade use (e.g., measured in time, prints, photoreceptor cycles), friction force on the blade, or a combination thereof, to achieve a desired (e.g., low) cleaning unit failure probability.
US07783189B2
An imaging apparatus includes an image sensor, a diaphragm control unit configured to control an aperture value of a diaphragm, and an electronic shutter control unit configured to control an operation of an electronic shutter for adjusting a charge accumulation time of the image sensor by adjusting a driving timing of the image sensor, wherein, if driving of the diaphragm overlaps a charge accumulation time when the aperture value is changed from a first aperture value to a second aperture value, the electronic shutter control unit controls a time of charge accumulation corresponding to the second aperture value in the charge accumulation time such that a brightness of an image signal output from the imaging unit when the first aperture value is set and a brightness of an image signal output from the imaging unit when the second aperture value is set become approximately equal to each other.
US07783187B2
An illumination controller for controlling an illumination device that irradiates an object to be photographed with illumination light. The illumination controller includes an introducing unit that introduces ambient light emitted to the object from a light source other than the illumination device; a processing unit that processes the ambient light introduced by the introducing unit to have a same characteristic as that of the illumination light; and an irradiation controlling unit that controls the ambient light processed by the processing unit so as to irradiate the object therewith as illumination, from a same path as the irradiation path of the illumination light.
US07783180B2
In an imaging apparatus, an imaging element picks up an object image focused thereon through an image pickup lens. An angle-rate sensor detects a shake amount of the imaging apparatus. An optical shake-compensation unit is prepared to move the image pickup lens based on the shake amount detected by the angle-rate sensor to compensate for a shake of the object image. A base plate shake-compensation unit is prepared to move the imaging element based on the shake amount detected by the angle-rate sensor to compensate for a shake of the object image and a control unit selectively controls operation of the optical shake-compensation unit and operation of the base plate shake-compensation unit, thereby compensating for a shake of the object image focused on the imaging element.
US07783166B1
A recording medium has a first recording area on which recording information is recorded, and a second recording area on which management information for managing the recording information is recorded. The second recording area includes a bit rate recording area for recording a bit rate.
US07783163B2
This application discloses a system for recording medical image data for production on a portable digital recording medium such as CDs and DVDs. This system includes a receiving module, a processing module and an output module, with viewing program for viewing medical image data stored on the portable digital recording medium. It also discloses a method of storing medical image data on a portable digital recording medium, including the steps of receiving the medical image data, processing the data and storing the data on the portable digital recording medium, with a viewing program for viewing medical image data stored on the portable digital recording medium. It further discloses a method of selecting medical image data for recording on a portable digital recording medium, including the steps of connecting a browsing terminal to a computer database that stores the medical image data, selecting a first set of the medical image data from the computer database, and recording the selected first set of medical image data on the portable digital medium, with a viewing program for viewing the medical image data stored on the portable digital recording medium. It also discloses the method and system of retrieving medical image data that are related to the received/selected original medical image data, and recording the original and related medical image data on a portable digital recording medium.
US07783162B2
With this invention, at least one of a video file containing video information, a still picture file containing still picture information, and an audio file containing audio information and a management file having management information on a control method of reproducing the information in the file are recorded on an information storage medium. This realizes a data structure that causes the recording and deleting places on the information storage medium to correspond spuriously to places on a single tape, such as a VTR tape. Use of the data structure provides users with an easy-to-use interface.
US07783145B2
An optical device includes optical layer and an electrode configured to reduce eddy currents. The electrode includes an electrically conductive base portion and a plurality of nanofilaments in connection with the electrically conductive base portion. The nanofilaments are configured to conduct an electric current between the optical layer and the base portion of the electrode.
US07783144B2
An electrooptically tunable waveguide-coupled microresonator. In one example embodiment, the switch includes a photoalignment layer that enhances control of liquid crystal alignment in the cladding near the coupling region of the microresonator and waveguide.
US07783135B2
An embodiment provides for enabling retrieval of a collection of captured images that form at least a portion of a library of images. For each image in the collection, a captured image may be analyzed to recognize information from image data contained in the captured image, and an index may be generated, where the index data is based on the recognized information. Using the index, functionality such as search and retrieval is enabled. Various recognition techniques, including those that use the face, clothing, apparel, and combinations of characteristics may be utilized. Recognition may be performed on, among other things, persons and text carried on objects.
US07783129B2
An image processing apparatus, an image processing system and an image processing method can correct the distortion of an image at a low cost and can generate a high quality image in real time. An image processing apparatus is provided which is an image processing apparatus for correcting an original image having distortion. The apparatus includes a horizontal one-dimensional interpolating unit (501) for correcting the distortion in the horizontal direction by performing a one-dimensional interpolation operation using a horizontal correcting parameter Xm which indicates a correction quantity in the horizontal direction at a pixel point constituting the original image, and a vertical one-dimensional interpolating unit (502) for correcting the distortion of the original image in the vertical direction by performing the one-dimensional interpolation operation to the image obtained by the correction by the horizontal one-dimensional interpolating unit (501), using a vertical correcting parameter Ym which indicates a correction quantity in the vertical direction at the pixel point constituting the original image.
US07783127B1
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for determining parameter values for adjusting an image. A first function of a local attribute is specified based on values of the local attribute in the image. A second function of the local attribute is specified based on an image adjustment depending upon an adjustment parameter. An object function value is calculated for each of two or more values of the adjustment parameter, each object function value including accumulated differences between the first and second function at multiple values of the local attribute. Based on the calculated object function values, a value of the adjustment parameter is determined for adjusting the image.
US07783120B2
A scene of an image sequence is compressed using a number of foveation zones, each foveation zone being weighted based on a probability of a viewer looking at a corresponding portion of the first scene. Another scene of the image sequence is compressed using a different number of foveation zones, each foveation zone being weighted based on a probability of a viewer looking at a corresponding portion of the second scene.
US07783115B2
A plurality of images are classified into hierarchical categories. A degree of importance for each of the categories is set according to at least one of: the number of images therein, the number of images in an upper-level category, the number of categories related to the category, the number of hierarchical levels below the category, and the number of hierarchical levels from the uppermost level to the level of the category.
US07783108B2
A document management apparatus acquires block information of each page, which is obtained by executing block segmentation processing for each page of document data of a first version. A matched block and a mismatched block between the first version and a second version are discriminated on the basis of the block information acquired in association with the document of the first version and block information obtained by executing block segmentation processing for each page of document data of the second version. A page is generated by laying out a block that is determined as a matched block and exists in a page containing a block determined as a mismatched block in the document data of the first version and a block that is determined as a mismatched block in the document data of the second version while maintaining the block sequence in the whole document data of the second version.
US07783106B2
Techniques for media segmentation are disclosed. A number of measures used to generate similarity values are compared. Two different approaches to calculate feature vectors based on pairwise frame similarity in combination with different kernel functions are disclosed. A supervised classification method is used with the feature vectors to assess segment boundaries.
US07783104B2
A defect detecting apparatus captures images of a protein chip formed on each die of a wafer at a plurality of different focal positions, with respect to every division region obtained by dividing each die in plurality; stores inspection target images for every division region at every focal position together with an ID for identifying each division region; creates a model image for every division region at every focal position by calculating an average luminance value of pixels of each inspection target image having the corresponding ID; extracts a difference between the model image and each inspection target image as a difference image; extracts a Blob having an area larger than a preset value from each difference image as a defect; and classifies the kind of the defect based on a feature point of the extracted Blob.
US07783076B2
A moving-object region is specified on an image captured by an imaging apparatus, and a plurality of calculation points are arranged on the specified region. A group of local motion vectors is determined for the calculation points, and a moving-object motion vector is obtained based on the determined local motion vectors. A group of calculation points whose local motion vectors are the same as or similar to the moving-object motion vector is continuously used to calculate the local motion vectors, and is updated by moving the position of the group of calculation points along the moving-object motion vector, and a calculation point whose local motion vector is different from the moving-object motion vector is rearranged by placing a new calculation point at a position near any of the continuously used calculation points. A movable mechanism including the imaging apparatus is controlled in accordance with the moving-object motion vector.
US07783069B1
The ergonomic performance chamber 50 improves audio production efficiency for recording vocals or other sound sources with a microphone. The basic embodiment features an openable, lightweight, easily portative, molded flexible plastic, elemental structure 20, that surrounds only the microphone, and includes, a top 42 portion, a bottom 43 portion, an outer surface 21, a plurality of abutting surfaces 22, an audio source opening collar 23, an audio source opening 24, a microphone attachment collar 25, a microphone opening 26, an acoustically controlled air space 27, an inner chamber surface 28, a chamber body 29, and a plurality of insert slots 31. Acoustic inserts 30 are used to modify the quality of sound in the acoustically controlled air space 27. A desktop support 39 is used for desktop installation. The present invention combines acoustic control and ergonomics to facilitate production workflow and meet the needs for a wide variety of performers.
US07783067B1
A method and system to optimize the relative position of an inductive field of a hearing aid compatible device and a telecoil of a hearing assistive device, are provided. A Steerable Hearing Aid Compatible Device (SHAD) has a steerable inductive field for locating an inductive field in accordance with the location of a telecoil in the hearing assistive device. A Telecoil Hearing Assistive Device (THAD) has a telecoil and telecoil orientation tag. The location of the telecoil of the THAD is determined with respect to a reference system and this telecoil location information is stored on the telecoil orientation tag as Telecoil Location Information (TLI) and provided to the SHAD. In an exemplary embodiment the telecoil orientation tag may be an RFID tag that is read by a tag reader of the SHAD. The SHAD receives the TLI and generates an inductive field in accordance with the TLI, such as a position that is parallel to the telecoil of the THAD.
US07783065B2
A wireless headphone kit for use with a media player. The wireless headphone kit includes a wireless headphone unit with an RF wireless receiver, a communication attachment unit that is adapted to physically attach to a media player device and communicates therewith, with the communication attachment unit having an RF wireless transponder that is adapted to communicate with the wireless headphone unit, and a wireless control device including a volume control, pause/play control, a forward control and a reverse control, which controls the communication attachment unit. The wireless headphone unit that is worn around a user's neck and includes earplugs with length adjustable wires.
US07783049B2
A method for processing an audio signal, comprising: receiving a downmix signal in time domain; if the downmix signal corresponds to a mono signal, bypassing the downmix signal; if the number of channel of the downmix signal corresponds to at least two, decomposing the downmix signal into a subband signal, and processing the subband signal using a downmix processing information, wherein the downmix processing information is estimated based on an object information and a mix information is disclosed.
US07783041B2
A method for authenticating a data agreement between first and second network entities can include the first network entity committing to the agreed data value, and transmitting the committed data value and a first random value to the second network entity. The first network entity can receive a second random value, and can then open the committed data value such that the second network entity can check the committed data value. If successful, the second network entity can calculate a third check string, and the first network entity can similarly calculate a fourth check string, based upon the data value and the first and second random values. The first network entity can calculate the fourth check string without the second network entity committing to the data value. The method can then include comparing the check strings such that the agreed data can be considered authenticated based upon the comparison.
US07783036B2
Disclosed is an apparatus for encrypting/decrypting a real-time input stream. The present invention includes a control unit, a key schedule unit, and a block round unit. Accordingly, the present invention realizes the encryption and decryption of AES algorithm in a manner of hardware, thereby enabling to carry out the encryption and decryption of the real-time input stream real-timely. And, the present invention finds the key for encryption or decryption of one block every round when realizing the encryption and decryption of the AES algorithm in a hardware manner, and then outputs the found keys to the block round unit. The present invention reduces the size of the key register required for the encryption/decryption of block data, thereby enabling to reduce a size of hardware as well as cost of product.
US07783029B2
A method of managing calls at a call service center is disclosed and includes monitoring a plurality of calls that are received at the call service center. Further, the method includes monitoring service transactions that are handled by a plurality of customer service agents. The method also includes determining a sales success metric of each of the plurality of customer service agents for each of a plurality of services offerings and ranking the customer service agents in terms of the service success metric for each of the plurality of service offerings. Additionally, the method includes recording the customer service agent rankings for each of the service offerings.
US07783028B2
Disclosed is a method, system and computer program for handing over a communication from a first party to a second party. The method comprises the steps of analyzing an audio communication with said first party for quality; and transcribing to text said audio communication with either a speech recognition function or a shadow or a human transcription service, based on said analyzing. The method comprises the further steps of editing the transcribed text; aligning said text with visual information viewed during said audio communication; and sending said transcribed text along with said visual information to said second party. The preferred embodiment of the invention provides a tool that can be used to great effect in the “Call Handover” scenario.
US07783018B1
A directory display and configurable entry system having a user interface providing an intuitive multi-page graphical user interface useful for enabling a user to readily access occupant related information that is contained in a database of the system. The system may also include a relay interface module, which may be remotely located from a computer unit of the system. The relay interface module enables either new and or legacy devices to be coupled to the hardware of the system, including the computer unit. This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract, and is submitted with the intention that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope and meaning of the claims.
US07783007B2
An irradiation device for radiation treatment and a collimator (1) are used to define a beam of high-energy rays (2) with beam limitation by means of an iris diaphragm (5) having adjusting elements (7), and a mechanism that is used to direct the beams (2′) limited by the collimator (1) to the object to be treated (4) from all sides, wherein the parameters for direction, surface area, intensity and time of irradiation can be specified with the help of a control mechanism. An exact three-dimensional irradiation profile is produced, while keeping the costs and efforts regarding mechanical engineering, computation and irradiation time low. This is achieved by using at least one further iris diaphragm (6) located in coaxial alignment in the optical path, whereby the leaves (9, 9′, 9″, 9′″, 9″″, 9′″″) of the iris diaphragms (5, 6) are arranged in a staggered manner and in a rotational sense around their axis (11), so that the beam limited by the collimator (1) has the cross-section of a polygon (12), the number of corners of which complies with the number of the leaves of all iris diaphragms (5, 6), so that the leaves (9, 9′, 9″, 9′″, 9″″, 9′″″) allow for linear adjustment movements (13), the control mechanism being suitable to enable the irradiation of an irregular space through the overlaying and adjoining of many irradiated spaces (28).
US07783004B2
The present invention is directed to a portable inspection system for generating an image representation of target objects using a radiation source. A detector array having a first configuration and a second configuration is connected to a housing and at least one source of radiation. The radiation source is capable of being transported to a site by a vehicle and of being positioned separate from the housing. The radiation source is housed in a radiation source box and movable within the radiation source box using an actuator. The actuator is operably connected to the radiation source and provides a translational energy that moves the radiation source between an operational position and a stowed position.
US07783000B2
A photodetecting unit having a favorable attaching operability is provided.In a photodetecting unit 1, two structures for attachment 30 are fixed to the rear face of a supporting substrate 20 formed by a sintered body of a ceramic. In the process of manufacturing the photodetecting unit 1, a laminate of green sheets is fired, so as to form a sintered body of a ceramic, and then each structure for attachment 30 is bonded to the rear face of the supporting substrate 20. This allows the structures for attachment 30 to be arranged accurately on the rear face of the supporting substrate 20, thereby ameliorating the attaching operability of the photodetecting unit 1.
US07782999B2
Systems and methods for data acquisition in computed tomography (CT) applications are provided. The systems and methods are particularly adapted for scanning and acquiring/processing data in connection with high-power cone-beam CT applications. The electron beam is moved/scanned along the anode surface to multiple focal positions. Data acquisition for a full projection at one focus position and one view angle is achieved by activating each focus position multiple times during the data acquisition for one angle of the gantry. The detector array and associated data processing system are adapted to rapidly switch between the different focus positions during the acquisitions for one view angle and to collect all data belonging to the same projection into the same data set. Adaptive electron optics are utilized to move/scan the electron beam along the anode surface to the various focus positions. Alternatively, a plurality of cathodes may be provided for respective focus positions and the system may support fast switching therebetween to achieve desirably short spot times. The disclosed CT system permits greater power densities without risk of heat damage to the anode and effectively increases the track velocity of the electron beam on the anode surface. The CT system and associated data acquisition methods have particular utility in CT applications requiring increased time resolution and/or spatial resolution, e.g., cardiac CT applications.
US07782988B2
A system and method for synthesizing a frequency using a multi-phase oscillator. A state machine operating on one of the phases of the oscillator computes, based on a pair of input integers, a phase select vector that indicates when a particular phase of the multi-phase oscillator should be selected when a transition of the waveform of the output frequency is needed. The phase select vector is then re-timed to form a retimed phase vector so that each phase select signal is in phase with signal it is designed to select. The signals in the retimed phase vector then can be combined to create the output frequency directly or can be used to select the corresponding phase of the multi-phase oscillator, if more accuracy is desired. In one embodiment, the multi-phase oscillator is a rotary traveling wave oscillator which provides highly accurate multiple phases.
US07782956B2
A multi-scanner scans a signal according to several different patterns. A scanning pattern selector determines which scanning pattern produced the most efficient coding result, for example, for runlength coding, and outputs a coded signal, coded most efficiently, and a selection signal which identifies the scanning pattern found to be most efficient.
US07782954B2
Tools and techniques for applying scan patterns during encoding and decoding of progressive video are described. For example, a video decoder entropy decodes transform coefficients in a one-dimensional array and scans the transform coefficients into a block according to a scan pattern. The block is 8×4, and the scan pattern biases the vertical direction for at least the lowest frequency AC coefficients in the horizontal and vertical directions. Or, the block is 4×8, and the scan pattern biases the horizontal direction for at least the lowest frequency AC coefficients in the horizontal and vertical directions. A corresponding video encoder applies the scan patterns to scan transform coefficients from blocks to one-dimensional arrays.
US07782950B2
Methods include receiving a multi-view video stream including a random access picture including a random access slice referencing only a slice corresponding to a same time and a different view of the picture; obtaining identification information representing the stream including initialization information of a reference picture list for the slice; obtaining the initialization information based on the identification information, the initialization information representing view relationships between several views and including view number information and view identification information for the views; obtaining type information indicating whether the slice is predicted from one or two reference pictures; initializing the list using the view number and view identification information according to the type information; determining a prediction value of a macroblock in the picture based on the initialized list; and decoding the macroblock using the prediction value, the initialization information being obtained from an extension area of a sequence header.
US07782949B2
Methods include receiving a multi-view video stream including a random access picture including a random access slice referencing only a slice corresponding to a same time and a different view of the picture; obtaining identification information representing the stream including initialization information of a reference picture list for the slice; obtaining the initialization information based on the identification information, the initialization information representing view relationships between several views and including view number information and view identification information for the views; initializing the picture list for inter-view prediction by appending an inter-view reference index to an initialized temporal reference picture list for temporal prediction based on the view number and identification information; determining a prediction value of a macroblock in the picture based on the initialized list; and decoding the macroblock using the prediction value, the initialization information being obtained from an extension area of a sequence header.
US07782947B2
Methods include receiving a multi-view video stream including a random access picture including a random access slice referencing only a slice corresponding to a same time and a different view of the picture; obtaining identification information representing the stream including initialization information of a reference picture list for the slice; obtaining a random access flag indicating whether a picture is random access picture type; obtaining initialization information of a reference picture list for the slice from the stream based on the flag, the initialization information representing view relationships between several views and including view number information and view identification information; initializing the list using the view number and identification information; determining a prediction value of a macroblock in the picture based on the initialized list; and decoding the macroblock using the prediction value, the initialization information being obtained from an extension area of a sequence header.
US07782940B2
Disclosed herein in one embodiment is an adaptive coding threshold algorithm for a videoconference system which alleviates problems due to the erroneous recoding of stationary areas of images caused by image noise. The algorithm, which is preferably implementable on a videoconference encoder, assesses the coding parameters for a current macroblock and the coding parameters for that same macroblock the last time it was coded. If for both macroblocks the coding was non-intra, with a [0,0] motion vector, and with a low quantization parameter, a determination is made that the current macroblock depicts a stationary image. Accordingly, the algorithm increases the coding threshold (T1) for the blocks within that macroblock, so that it becomes more difficult for those particular blocks to be recoded. This renders the block with stationary content less susceptible to erroneous recoding, while preserving system bandwidth and improving image quality. Additionally, related noise assessment techniques can be employed at the encoder or decoder without the adjustment of the coding threshold T1.
US07782939B2
A source model in combination with an interest structure is provided to generate a quantization value for use in encoding a video signal. The interest structure is generated from a region of interest manually identified by a user viewing the video on an interactive user display or automatically by a system which recognizes the regions of interest automatically. The region of interest in the video signal is encoded using a quantization value calculated from the interest structure in combination with the source model, and the region of interest is encoded at a higher resolution level than surrounding regions.
US07782932B2
A circuit and method for evaluating serializer deserializer (SERDES) performance that is particularly advantageous when the SERDES has a decision feedback equalizer (DFE). In one embodiment, the circuit has a data processing path and an operational feedback loop coupled to said data processing path and containing an equalizer, perhaps a DFE. In that embodiment, the circuit includes an eye scanning circuit coupled to said data processing path but separate from said equalizer and configured to measure at least one dimension of an eye relative to which said equalizer is configured for operation without substantially affecting said operation.
US07782930B2
Optimized short initialization after low power mode for digital subscriber line (DSL) communications
A digital subscriber line (DSL) system that provides fast exit from an idle state includes a central office (CO) modem for communicating with a customer premises equipment (CPE) modem. Prior to entry into a low-power or idle state for the DSL link between the CO modem and the CPE modem, seamless rate adaptation is performed in order to improve the operating margin from that used in full-on operation, for example by selecting a reduced data rate. Transmission parameters, including data rate, and bits and gains, and corresponding to the improved operating margin are stored at the modems. Upon executing short initialization to return from the idle state, the stored transmission parameters are more likely to be adequate to meet current channel conditions, so the exchange of transmission parameters during short initialization is more likely to be avoided.
US07782925B2
An ultra wideband direct sequence code division multiple access (UWB DS-CDMA) (101) transmitter is provided. It includes a first multiplier (125) receiving two input signals, where the input signals are selected from a multi-level code signal (117), a transmit data signal (123), and a radio frequency (RF) center frequency signal (121), and responsive to the two input signals, generating a combined signal (127). Further included is a network (119) receiving a code-clock signal (113) aligned with the multi-level signal (117), multiplying the frequency of the code-clock signal (113) by a factor, and responsive thereto, producing the RF center frequency signal (121). Also provided is a second multiplier (129) receiving the combined signal (127) and the other of the input signals (117, 123, 121), and responsive thereto, generating an output signal (131).
US07782924B1
Embodiments of the present invention provide a system and method for reducing the power of a UWB signal over a desired range of frequencies. Embodiments of the present invention reduce power over the desired range of frequencies by reducing the sidelobe power of tones comprising the UWB signal. Embodiments of the present invention reduce sidelobe power by applying a particular windowing function to the UWB signal.
US07782921B2
An electrical-optical coupling and detecting device. An apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a reflective surface defined on semiconductor material. The reflective surface is to reflect an incident optical beam towards an optical destination. An optical detector is monolithically integrated in the reflective surface of the semiconductor material. The optical detector arranged in the reflective surface of the semiconductor material is to detect the incident optical beam.
US07782914B2
A device for generating a high-energy particle pulse is provided which comprises a laser system producing laser pulses with pulse length shorter than 100 fs (femtoseconds), and capable to be focused to peak intensities greater than 10A18 W/cmA2, preferred greater than 10A20 W/cmA2 (watts per centimeter squared), a device for shaping the temporal intensity profile accompanying said at least one laser pulse for increasing the laser contrast above 10^5, preferably above IL 0A7, especially 1OA10, and a target capable of releasing a high-energy particle pulse, particularly an electron or a proton pulse, upon irradiation with at least one of said laser pulses. A. corresponding method using the device is also described.
US07782908B2
A feed circuit accepts a stream of digital payload data and inserts it at predetermined first positions into a stream of digital transmission data. The feed circuit generates supplementary digital data using the stream of digital payload data and inserts it at predetermined second positions into a stream of digital transmission data. The feed circuit feeds the digital transmission data into a transmission medium. Said circuit determines the supplementary digital data in such a way that at least one frequency's portion of a frequency spectrum of the stream of digital transmission data will be minimized.
US07782906B2
A method for carrying Frame Relay over Ethernet comprises: receiving a Frame Relay frame, and removing header and tail flag sequences from the Frame Relay frame; determining a control word and performing payload encapsulation; mapping a DLCI to a VCE ID and encapsulating the VCE ID; encapsulating an Ethernet frame header, generating an Ethernet FCS and transmitting the Ethernet frame to Ethernet; and, receiving the Ethernet frame, checking the Ethernet frame and removing the Ethernet frame header; removing the VCE ID, and mapping the VCE ID to the DLCI; obtaining the control word, obtaining Frame Relay information from the payload and reconstructing the Frame Relay frame according to the control word; adding flag sequences to the Frame Relay frame, and transmitting the Frame Relay frame to a Frame Relay network. According to the invention, Frame Relay carried over Ethernet may be implemented without relying on the types of the upper layer protocols.
US07782894B2
In a mobile environment, a mobile device includes an attached memory stick (removable memory) having a high speed—memory and storage with direct memory access embodied in an integrated circuit chip coupled to an ultra-wideband (UWB) transceiver. The mobile device communicates with other like base devices, portable or stationary, via UWB transmissions using pulse bursts up to 1 Gbit per second. Data transfers between the devices occur in the simplex or duplex mode, after a low power communication connection is established between the devices. The communication link between the devices is in the range of 10-20 meters. The communication system allows existing device bus interfaces (which are much slower than ultra-wideband transmissions) to communicate between the fast read/write cycles of the memories integrated within the memory stick. Duplex transmission can occur by pulse interleaving sending side transmitters and receiving side transmitters.
US07782893B2
An apparatus and method is provided for allowing I/O devices to be shared and/or partitioned among a plurality of processing complexes within the load/store fabric of each of the processing complexes without requiring modification to the operating system or driver software of the processing complexes. The apparatus and method includes a switch for selectively coupling each of the processing complexes to one or more shared I/O devices. The apparatus and method further includes placing information within packets transmitted between the switch and the I/O devices to identify which of the processing complexes the packets are associated with. The invention further includes an apparatus and method within the shared I/O devices to allow the shared I/O devices to service each of the processing complexes independently.
US07782890B2
There is provided herein a system and method for dynamically creating and/or joining multi-user text communication groups, wherein the user is not restricted to the technical limitations of standard communications protocols and wherein the user is able to create and/or join this multi-user group without a need for elaborate installation or configuration steps. The system and method will primarily be intended for the market of mobile devices and the instant disclosure is generally directed to users who have modern mobile devices that feature support for the Bluetooth communication protocol or have support for Wi-Fi technology and that furthermore allow the user to use that communication protocol/technology for communications with other users.
US07782884B2
A method for expanding a data connection. A first user selection of a first profile is received from a plurality of profiles. The first profile selected by the user is implemented. A determination of a current time is made. Bandwidth available to the user is increased through a data connection in response to determining that the first profile allows for the bandwidth increase at the current time. A second user selection of a second profile is selected from the plurality of profiles. The second profile being implemented to adjust the bandwidth available to the user.
US07782880B2
A peer to peer network, a method, a computer program product for a new node joining the network and a computer readable medium are disclosed. The peer to peer network comprises a plurality of nodes and a new node. Each of the nodes has its own partner list. Each of the partner lists records nodes that are able to provide data to the owner of the partner list. The nodes recorded in the partner list are called the partners of the owner of the partner list. When the new node intends to join the network, each of the nodes of the network decides whether to accept the new node according to the number of its partners but not according to a random manner. The stability of the network can be enhanced and the load of the network can be balanced.
US07782864B2
An apparatus and a method for providing a QoS for a multi protocol label switching (MPLS) traffic are provided. According to the apparatus and the method, a label and an experimental (EXP) are extracted from an MPLS packet input to an MPLS network system, and then applied to a predetermined hash function to generate at least one hash value. Also, a QoS policy is applied to an MPLS session, and the MPLS packet is forwarded. Therefore, the QoS for transmitting the MPLS packet input to the MPLS network system can be ensured.
