US07872279B2
A light-emitting diode (LED) package including a carrier, a pair of conductive wire units, an LED chip, and a control circuit module is provided. The carrier has a carrying portion and a ring frame connected to the periphery of the carrying portion. The carrying portion has a dome-like upper surface and a pair of through holes. The pair of conductive wire units is disposed inside the through holes respectively, and each of the conductive wire units has a conductive wire and an insulating material encapsulating the conductive wire. The LED chip is disposed on the upper surface of the carrier and is electrically connected to the conductive wires. The control circuit module is disposed at a bottom of the carrier and is electrically connected to the conductive wires for controlling the operation of the LED chip.
US07872277B2
A light emitting diode device is disclosed, and the light emitting diode device includes a base, a substrate, a lead frame, a chip, a first mixed layer and a second mixed layer. The first mixed layer and the second mixed layer respectively contain a glue and a thermal conductance insulating material, such as diamond carbon, diamond-like carbon or ceramic. The substrate and the lead frame are set on the base. The first mixed layer is formed between the chip and the substrate to fix the chip and strengthen heat dissipation. The second mixed layer is covered on the substrate and the chip to reduce the difference of the refraction index such that the total internal reflection angle is wider and the emitting efficiency is enhanced.
US07872269B2
Provided is a gallium nitride semiconductor light emitting element capable of stabilizing a drive voltage by reducing carrier depletion attributable to spontaneous polarization and piezo polarization generated at the interface between an AlGaN semiconductor layer and a GaN semiconductor layer.A gallium nitride semiconductor crystal 2 including a light emitting region is formed on the R plane of a sapphire substrate 1. In addition, in another constitution, a gallium nitride semiconductor crystal 2 is formed on the A plane of a GaN substrate 3 or on the M plane of a GaN substrate 4. The growth surface of these gallium nitride semiconductor crystals 2 are not an N (nitrogen) polar face or a Ga polar face but are non-polar faces. This can decrease the strength of an electric field caused by spontaneous polarization and piezo polarization generated at the interface of GaN/AlGaN at the p side. Thus, carrier depletion can be avoided.
US07872253B2
A thermoelectric conversion material includes a superlattice structure produced by laminating a barrier layer containing insulating SrTiO3, and a quantum well layer containing SrTiO3 which has been converted into a semiconductor by doping an n-type impurity therein. The quantum well layer has a thickness 4 times or less the unit lattice thickness of SrTiO3 which has been converted into a semiconductor by doping an n-type impurity therein.
US07872245B2
Devices are disclosed herein which may comprise an EUV reflective optic having a surface of revolution that defines a rotation axis and a circular periphery. The optic may be positioned to incline the axis at a nonzero angle relative to a horizontal plane, and to establish a vertical projection of the periphery in the horizontal plane with the periphery projection bounding a region in the horizontal plane. The device may further comprise a system delivering target material, the system having a target material release point that is located in the horizontal plane and outside the region, bounded by the periphery projection and a system generating a laser beam for irradiating the target material to generate an EUV emission.
US07872244B2
A source configured to generate radiation for a lithographic apparatus is disclosed. The source includes an anode, and a cathode. The cathode and the anode are configured to create a discharge in a fuel in a discharge space between the anode and the cathode so as to generate a plasma, the cathode and the anode positioned relative to each other so that, in use, current lines extending between the anode and the cathode are substantially curved so as to create a force that substantially radially compresses the plasma only in a region proximate an upper surface of the cathode or of the anode.
US07872243B2
The invention concerns the use of the fluorescence polarization phenomenon to improve detection of fluorescent signals during a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). In particular, the invention concerns a method for improving signal/noise ratio in a FRET measurement. The invention also concerns an apparatus for measuring fluorescence following an energy transfer between a donor fluorescent compound and an acceptor fluorescence compound in a measurement medium.
US07872235B2
An electronic storage medium that comprises at least one radiopharmaceutical identity, SPECT measured values of at least one radiopharmaceutical kinetic parameter of a flow rate across a tissue membrane, for the radiopharmaceutical, and a set of instructions for associating the at least one radiopharmaceutical kinetic parameter with a disease signature.
US07872234B2
A color image sensing apparatus and a method of processing an infrared-ray signal are provided. The image sensing apparatus includes: a color filter array including a plurality of color filter units, each color filter unit including a red-pass filter, a preen-pass filter, and a blue-pass filter, and at least one of the red-, green- and blue-pass filters passing infrared-rays; an image sensor for providing an image signal corresponding to light passing through the color filter array, the image signal including a red light signal, a green light signal, a blue light signal, and an infrared-ray signal; and an image signal processor for correcting and processing at least one of the red light signal, the green light signal and the blue light signal in response to the infrared-ray signal.
US07872229B2
In a three-dimensional Paul RF ion trap at least one of the ring electrode and end cap electrodes is structured to produce a high capture efficiency for analyte ions introduced into the trap. The electrode structuring may be produced by an electrode surface profile having edges or protrusions, resulting in a scattering reflection of the introduced ions. Alternatively, at least one electrode may be formed by physically separate electrode components. In one embodiment, the trap can be switched between operating as a linear ion trap with good capture efficiency and operating as a three-dimensional ion trap with good ion reaction conditions.
US07872225B2
The invention provides a method and apparatus for trapping, releasing and/or separating sample components in solution passing through a channel with or without packing material present by passing ion current through the channel driven by an electric field. A portion of the ion current comprises cation and/or anion species generated from second solution flows separated from the sample solution flow path by semipermeable membranes. Cation and/or Anion ion species generated in the second solution flow regions are transferred into the sample solution flow path through ion selective semipermeable membranes. Ion current moving along the sample solution flow path is controlled by varying the composition of the second solutions and/or changing the voltage between membrane sections for a given sample solution composition. The sample composition may also be varied separately or in parallel to enhance trapping, release and/or separation efficiency and range. The invention when interfaced to an Atmospheric Pressure Ion Source, that may include Electrospray Ionization, with mass spectrometric analysis enables independent control of the on-line sample separation process and the Atmospheric Pressure Ion Source or Electrospray ionization processes.
US07872221B2
An apparatus and methods for calibrating pixelated detectors are provided. A method includes acquiring energy response data for a plurality of pixels of the pixelated semiconductor radiation detector and performing at least one of energy calibration and sensitivity calibration on each of the plurality of pixels based on the acquired energy response data.
US07872215B2
Methods and apparatus for guiding a projectile according to various aspects of the present comprise a force source disposed on the projectile and a control system operably connected to the force source. The control system is configured to initially activate the force source when the force source is substantially in a selected rotational position, and subsequently activate the force source when the force source rotates to substantially the selected rotational position a second time.
US07872213B2
An electric cooking appliance having a removable food support member and a base that supports a heating element and the food support member is provided. The appliance includes a plurality of handles that selectively engage the food support member to secure it to the base. The cooking appliance allows for cooking of foods on a cooking surface of the food support member and removing the food support member.
US07872207B2
A cascade source includes a cathode housing, a number of cascade plates insulated from each other and stacked on top of each other which together bound at least one plasma channel, and an anode plate provided with an outflow opening connecting to the plasma channel. One cathode is provided per plasma channel, which cathode includes an electrode which is adjustable relative to the cathode housing in the direction of the plasma channel. The clamp may be of the collet chuck type. At least a part of the housing of the source may be substantially transparent. A method for controlling the cascade source in use includes monitoring the electromagnetic radiation of the plasma through the substantially transparent housing part, and, dependent on the monitored radiation, controlling the plasma forming process in the source by variation of the gas supply, or variation of the potential difference between the cathode and the anode or a combination thereof.
US07872198B2
A cable comprising one or more electrical conductors or communications media or a core of two or more electrical conductors or communications media, each electrical conductor, communications medium, or core being surrounded by a layer comprising: (a) polyethylene; polypropylene; or mixtures thereof; (b) carbon nanotubes; (c) a conductive carbon black other than carbon nanotubes; and (d) optionally, a copolymer of acrylonitrile and butadiene wherein the acrylonitrile is present in an amount of about 30 to about 60 percent by weight based on the weight of the copolymer or a silicone rubber.
US07872186B1
A bassoon reed including first and second reed cane members and a tubular undersleeve within, and a method of manufacture therefor is disclosed. The first and second reed cane members each have inside and outside surfaces, proximal and distal end portions and two opposite longitudinal edges. The reed cane members are secured together in edge-to-edge fashion along the distal end portions. The tubular undersleeve is within and supports the distal end portions therearound.
US07872184B2
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH955795. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH955795, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH955795 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH955795.
US07872166B2
A process for isomerizing a feed comprising at least one aromatic compound containing eight carbon atoms per molecule is carried out in the presence of a catalyst comprising at least one modified zeolite with structure type EUO, at least one binder and at least one metal from group VIII of the periodic table, said catalyst having been prepared using a process which comprises the following in succession: a) a step for treatment of a zeolite with structure type EUO in the presence of at least one molecular compound containing at least one silicon atom, during which said compound, with a diameter greater than the maximum pore opening diameter in said zeolite, is deposited in the gas phase on the outer surface of said zeolite; b) at least one heat treatment step; c) forming said zeolite with a binder; d) at least one step for introducing at least one metal from group VIII of the periodic table onto a support based on said modified and formed zeolite.
US07872164B2
A process for selectively producing 4,9-dibromodiamantane includes a step of reacting diamantane with bromine in the presence of a Lewis acid and a solvent, wherein the solvent comprises a substituted or unsubstituted, straight-chain, branched-chain or cyclic saturated hydrocarbon containing from 3 to 10 carbon atoms, and a reaction solution after the step satisfies Formula (1): A/(A+B+C+D+E)>0.80 Formula (1) wherein A represents an area ratio (%) of 4,9-dibromodiamantane obtained by gas chromatography of the reaction solution, B represents an area ratio of diamantane, C represents a sum of an area ratio of 1-bromodiamantane and an area ratio of 4-bromodiamantane, D represents an area ratio of tribromodiamantane, and E represents a sum of an area ratio of 1,6-dibromodiamantane and an area ratio of 1,4-dibromodiamantane.
US07872159B2
Chemical production processes are provided that can include exposing a reactant composition to a catalyst composition to form a product composition. Catalyst compositions are also provided that can include metal phosphate compositions, metal phosphorous compositions, and/or solid support compositions with the solid support compositions including one or more of F—Al2O3, ZrO2—CO2, SiO2—Al2O3—CO2, SiO2 Al2O3, Alundum, and Silica such as Ludox AS-30.
US07872154B2
A method for the preparation of 4-fluoro-α-[2-methyl-1-oxopropyl]-γ-oxo-N-β-diphenylbenzenebutanamide also known as 2-[2-(4-fluorophenyl)-2-oxo-1-phenylethyl]-4-methyl-3-oxo-pentanoic acid phenylamide of the formula I containing about 0.1% or less of α-[2-methyl-1-oxopropyl]-γ-oxo-N-p-diphenylbenzene butanamide, about 0.05% or less of difluoro-α-[2-methyl-1-oxopropyl]-γ-oxo-N-β-diphenylbenzene butanamide and about 0.1% or less of 3-[2-(4-Fluorophenyl)-2-oxo-1-phenyl-ethoxy]-4-methyl-pent-2-enoic acid phenylamide.
US07872147B2
Disclosed are novel amino acid derivatives of formula (I) and (II) processes for the preparation thereof, and their use in the preparation of trans-5-chloro-2-methyl-2,3,3a,12b-tetrahydro-1H-dibenz[2,3:6,7]oxepino-[4,5-c]pyrrole.
US07872143B2
The invention relates to a facile synthesis of a series of 2-(4′-alkoxyphenyl)-5-cyanopyridine liquid crystal compounds which are represented by the following formula (I): wherein CnH2n+1 is a linear alkyl group having 2-12 carbon atoms. The synthesis of the liquid crystalline 2-(4′-alkoxyphenyl)-5-cyanopyridine is completed in a two-step reaction. First, a Grignard reagent (such as 4-alkoxyphenylmagnesium bromide) is added to a 3-cyanopyridinium salt (such as N-phenyloxycarbonyl-3-cyanopyridinium chloride) to get a 1,2-dihydropyridine. Then, the 1,2-dihydropyridine is oxidized with o-chloronil to obtain the 2-(4′-alkoxyphenyl)-5-cyanopyridine.
US07872142B2
Novel compounds composition capable of inhibiting TNFα and having antiimmunoinflammatory and autoimmune properties useful in a pharmaceutical composition, such as for a drug containing this as an active ingredient; and a therapeutic method with the use of these novel compounds.
US07872140B2
The invention relates to crystalline barium salt of (S)-omeprazole, which is (S)-5-methoxy-2-[[(4-methoxy-3,5-dimethyl-2-pyridinyl)-methyl]sulfinyl]-1H-benzimidazole. The invention also relates to processes for preparing crystalline barium salt of (S)-omeprazole and pharmaceutical compositions that include the crystalline barium salt of (S)-omeprazole so prepared.
US07872136B2
To provide an effective and simple process for producing 4-fluoroisoquinoline-5-sulfonylhalide or a salt thereof, and a simple method for separating for purification of the product from a by-produced position isomer thereof. The process for producing 4-fluoroisoquinoline-5-sulfonyl halide or a salt thereof, characterized in that the process includes reacting 4-fluoroisoquinoline or a salt thereof with sulfuric anhydride in the presence or absence of sulfuric acid, to thereby form 4-fluoroisoquinoline-5-sulfonic acid or a salt thereof, and, subsequently, reacting the formed sulfonic acid compound with a halogenating reagent.
US07872135B2
A process for preparing 17β-substituted 4-azaandrost-1-en-3-one compounds of the general formula (I): or a pharmaceutically approved salt thereof, where R is hydroxyl, optionally substituted, linear or branched (C1-C2)alkyl or (C1-C12)alkenyl; phenyl or benzyl; an —OR1 radical, or an —NHR1 radical, or an —NR1R2 radical; R1 is hydrogen, optionally substituted, linear or branched (C1-C12)alkyl or (C1-C12)alkenyl, or optionally substituted phenyl; R2 is hydrogen, methyl, ethyl or propyl; or —NR1R2 is a 5- or 6-membered heterocyclic ring, by (A) introducing protecting groups into the 3-keto-4-aza moiety of the corresponding 1,2-dihydro compound, so that a compound of the general formula (III) is formed: where R3 is trialkylsilyl or, together with R4, the —C(O)—C(O)— or —C(O)—Y—C(O)— radical; R4 is alkyloxycarbonyl or phenyloxycarbonyl, preferably Boc (=tert-butyloxycarbonyl); or trialkylsilyl, or, together with R3, the —C(O)—C(O)— or —C(O)—Y—C(O)— radical; Y is —[C(R5)(R6)]n— or —CH(R5)═CH(R6)—, or ortho-phenylene; R5 and R6 are each independently hydrogen, linear or branched (C1-8)alkyl or alkenyl, optionally substituted phenyl or benzyl; and n is an integer of 1 to 4; and where, in the case that R is hydroxyl, it has optionally reacted with a protecting group; (B) reacting the resulting compound in the presence (i) of a dehydrogenation catalyst, and in the presence of (ii) optionally substituted benzoquinone, allyl methyl carbonate, allyl ethyl carbonate and/or allyl propyl carbonate, and (C) removing the protecting groups R3 and R4 and optionally converting the resulting compound to a salt.
US07872123B2
The present invention is directed to a process of making α-aminooxyketone and α-hydroxyketone compounds. The synthetic pathway involves reacting an aldehyde or ketone substrate and a nitroso substrate in the presence of a catalyst of the formula (IV): wherein Xa-Xc represent independently nitrogen, carbon, oxygen or sulfur and Z represents a 4 to 10-membered ring with or without a substituent and optionally a further step to convert the α-aminooxyketone compound formed to the α-hydroxyketone compound which results in α-aminooxyketone and α-hydroxyketone compounds with high enantioselectivity and high purity. The present invention is also directed to a catalytic asymmetric O-nitroso Aldol/Michael reaction involving a cyclic α,β-unsaturated ketone substrate and a nitroso substrate. This methodology involves reacting the cyclic α,β-unsaturated ketone substrate and the nitroso substrate in the presence of a proline-based catalyst, to provide a heterocyclic product.
US07872115B2
The present invention comprises responsive promoters along with screening methods which make use of the promoters in order to identify anti-fungal substances.
US07872090B2
A reactor system operable to facilitate a chemical reaction in a reaction medium flowing therethrough. The reactor system includes a heat exchanger for heating the reaction medium and a disengagement vessel for disengaging vapor from the heated reaction medium.
US07872088B2
Disclosed are binders including urea-extended phenol-formaldehyde alkaline resole resins to which melamine-containing resin has been added, and non-woven fiber compositions made therewith. The disclosed binders may be cured to low formaldehyde-emission and low trimethylamine-emission, water-resistant thermoset binders.
US07872085B2
The present invention relates to a biaxially oriented polypropylene film containing: a polypropylene resin as a main component thereof, having a weight average molecular weight of 100,000 or more and 500,000 or less, the weight average molecular weight being determined by gel permeation chromatography, wherein at least one surface of the biaxially oriented polypropylene film has a protrusion volume of 2.0×104 μm3 or more and 3.0×104 μm3 or less, the protrusion volume being determined in an area of 560 μm×745 μm using a super-depth surface profile measurement microscope by determining an average plane of the surface based on distances between plural points on the surface and an irradiation source of the super-depth surface profile measurement microscope and measuring a volume of protrusions projecting from the average plane.
US07872082B2
Methods for preparing polymeric reagents bearing a maleimide are provided. Also provided are compositions comprising the polymeric reagents, and conjugates prepared by polymeric reagents obtained by the described methods.
US07872080B2
A production process of a polymerization catalyst component includes contacting compound (a) such as diethyl zinc represented by the defined formula [1], a compound (b) such as pentafluorophenol, represented by the defined formula [2], a compound (c) such as water, represented by the defined formula [3], and particles (d), such as silica, with one another in a hydrocarbon solvent under an agitator power of 0.05 kW/m3 or greater.
US07872073B2
A process is disclosed for dispersion spinning non-melt-processible fluoropolymer fiber in which a mixture of an aqueous dispersion of non-melt-processible fluoropolymer particles and an aqueous solution of a matrix polymer is formed. The non-melt-processible fluoropolymer particles have an SSG of less than about 2.40 and comprise a core of high molecular weight polytetrafluoroethylene and a shell of lower molecular weight polytetrafluoroethylene or modified polytetrafluoroethylene. The mixture is extruded into a coagulation bath containing a concentration of ions which coagulate the matrix polymer to form an intermediate fiber structure. The intermediate fiber structure is sintered to decompose the matrix polymer and coalesce the non-melt-processible fluoropolymer particles to form the fiber. The present invention also provides a spinning composition useful for the dispersion spinning of non-melt-processible fluoropolymer fiber.
US07872070B2
The present invention provides a composition containing a particulate solid, an organic medium and/or water and a compound of Formula (1) and salts thereof Formula 1 wherein R is H or C1-30-optionally substituted hydrocarbyl; or R may be R″C═O (an acyl group where R″ is hydrogen, alkyl, aryl or an optionally substituted alkyl or aryl); U is oxygen, —NH or —NR′″; R′″ is a C1-30-optionally substituted hydrocarbyl Y is C2-4-alkyleneoxy; T is the residue of substituted acetic acid or propionic acid; Z is the residue of a polyamine and/or polyimine; W is the residue of an oxide, urea or dibasic acid or anhydride thereof, or mixtures thereof; x is from 2 to 90; and v represents the maximum available number of amino and/or imino groups in Z which does not carry the group R—U—(Y)x-T-.
US07872068B2
Certain embodiments of the invention include forming a material in situ by introducing into a space within a patient a water soluble polymer precursor of at least about 10,000 molecular weight solubilized in a flowable aqueous solution. Functional groups on the polymer precursor undergo covalent bonding in situ to form a solid and nonbiodegradable material having a swellability less than about 20% v/v and a Young's modulus of at least about 100 kPa within about 30 seconds to about 30 minutes of initiating a chemical reaction of the functional groups to form the solid material.
US07872067B2
The present invention relates to amphiphilic polymer compositions, to a process for their preparation and to their use for preparing aqueous active compound compositions of water-insoluble active compounds, in particular active compounds for crop protection.The amphiphilic polymer compositions can be obtained by reacting a) at least one hydrophobic polymer P1 which carries functional groups R1 which are reactive toward isocyanate groups and which is constructed of ethylenically unsaturated monomers M1, comprising: a1) at least 10% by weight, based on the total amount of monomers M1, of monomers M1a of the formula I in which X is oxygen or a group N—R4; R1, R2, R3 and R4 are as defined in the claims and the description; a2) up to 90% by weight, based on the total amount of monomers M1, of neutral monoethylenically unsaturated monomers M1b whose solubility in water at 25° C. is less than 50 g/l and which are different from the monomers M1a; and a3) up to 30% by weight, based on the total amount of monomers M1, of ethylenically unsaturated monomers M1c which are different from the monomers M1a and M1b, b) at least one hydrophilic polymer P2 which carries functional groups R2 which are reactive toward isocyanate groups, c) with at least one compound V which contains isocyanate groups and, with respect to the isocyanate groups, has a functionality of at least 1.5.
US07872066B2
The invention provides a rubber composition for belt use suitable for industrial rubber belts with less energy loss and excellent durability such resistance to flex crack growth.The rubber composition for belt use comprises (A) 90-5 mass % of a vinyl-cis-polybutadiene rubber including (b) 1-30 mass % of specific syndiotactic 1,2-polybutadiene crystal fibers having an average fiber length of crystal fibers equal to 200 nm or below, an average aspect ratio of 10 or lower, the number of crystal fibers having a fiber length of 200 nm or below equal to 90 or more per 25 μm2, and a melting point of 170° C. or higher, and (a) 99-70 mass % of a cis-polybutadiene rubber; (B) 10-95 mass % of a diene-based rubber other than (A); and (C) 20-70 parts by mass of a rubber reinforcing agent compounded on the basis of 100 parts by mass of the rubber components (A)+(B), wherein the rubber reinforcing agent (C) contains at least carbon black and silica, wherein the compounding amount of the silica in the rubber reinforcing agent is 70 mass % or less.
US07872065B2
Less expensive adhesive compositions having good adhesive properties can be achieved by combining an S-I-S or (SI)nX block copolymers with an S-(I/B) diblock copolymer and a single tackifying resin. Furthermore, less expensive adhesive compositions can be achieved by combining S-I diblock copolymers with S-(I/B)-S or [S(I/B)]nX block copolymers and a single tackifying resin. These combinations result in lower costs of starting materials and manufacturing due to simpler processing.
US07872057B2
A liquid radiation and thermally curing composition characterized in, that said composition comprises at least one ester between at least one tri or polyalcohol and acrylic and/or methacrylic acid, which ester has at least two hydroxyl groups, at least one acrylic or methacrylic double bond, a hydroxyl value of 50-500 mg KOH/g and a double bond concentration of 1-10 mmoles/g, at least one crosslinking agent for hydroxyl functional compounds, which crosslinking agent optionally has at least one olefinic double bond, and an additive package comprising at least one photoinitiator, radical scavenger, light stabilizer, wetting agent and/or leveling agent, and optionally at least one monomeric or oligomeric reactive diluent.
US07872052B2
The present invention relates to heterocyclic inhibitors of stratum corneum chymotryptic enzyme (SCCE). More particularly, the invention relates to the use of compounds with the formula (I) or (II) for treatment of certain diseases, in particular skin diseases such as pruritus, as well as cancer such as ovarian cancer.
US07872050B2
A composition and method for treatment of cancer. The composition for treating a skin disorder, comprising: a Nitrogen Mustard or an HX salt of the Nitrogen Mustard, wherein the Nitrogen Mustard or the HX salt of the Nitrogen Mustard is in a non-aqueous vehicle or carrier that does not include petrolatum or ethanol, wherein the non-aqueous vehicle or carrier that does not include petrolatum or ethanol does not include petrolatum or ethanol. The method comprises topically applying the composition of a Nitrogen Mustard or a HX salt of the Nitrogen Mustard to the affected skin, wherein the Nitrogen Mustard or the HX salt of the Nitrogen Mustard is in a non-aqueous vehicle or carrier that does not include petrolatum or ethanol, wherein the non-aqueous vehicle or carrier does not include petrolatum or ethanol.
US07872049B2
A pharmaceutical preparation containing the active substance glyceryl trinitrate having improved storage stability in a container. The improved storage stability is achieved by the addition of a proton-absorbing substance either as part of the preparation as placed into the container or applied to the surface of the preparation's storage container before the remaining components of the preparation are placed into the container. The preparation can preferably be filled into a plastic bottle having a spray pump.
US07872032B2
The present invention is directed to 1,3,4-oxadiazalones, compounds of formula I and their pharmaceutically acceptable salts stereoisomers, tautomers, or solvates thereof. Novel compounds include those of formula I, in which radicals are as defined herein. The compounds of this invention are modulators of PPARdelta and therefore useful as pharmaceutical agents, especially for the treatment of demyelinating diseases and disorders of fatty acid metabolism and glucose utilization.
US07872029B2
The present invention relates to chalcone and chalcone derivatives and analogs which are useful as angiogenesis inhibitors. The present compounds, which are inexpensive to synthesize, exhibit unexpectedly good activity as angiogenesis inhibitors. The present invention also relates to the use of chalcone and its analogs as antitumor/anticancer agents and to treat a number of conditions or disease states in which angiogenesis is a factor, including angiogenic skin diseases such as psoriasis, acne, rosacea, warts, eczema, hemangiomas, lymphangiogenesis, among numerous others, as well as chronic inflammatory disease such as arthritis.
US07872028B2
Described are diaminopropanols of which are orally active and bind to renin to inhibit its activity. They are useful in the treatment or amelioration of diseases associated with elevated. levels of renin activity or in the treatment of aspartic protease mediated disorders. Also described is a method for the use of the diaminopropanols in ameliorating or treating renin related disorders in a subject in need thereof.
US07872027B2
Compounds and compositions for interfering with the association of Myc and Max are described herein. These compounds and compositions are useful in methods inhibiting growth or proliferation of a cell. Methods of inhibiting growth or proliferation of a cell are provided, comprising contacting the cell with an amount of a compound that interferes with Myc and Max association effective to inhibit growth or proliferation of the cell.
US07872021B2
Benzenesulfonamide derivative compounds corresponding to the general formula (I): and their pharmaceutically acceptable addition salts; a process for preparation of such compounds; pharmaceutical compositions containing such compounds, and the use of such compounds as a pharmacologically active substance, in particular in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, inflammatory diseases; hypercholesterolemia, and diabetes.
US07872015B2
The invention relates to the field of biology, genetics and medicine. In particular, the invention relates to novel methods for the detection, characterization and/or treatment (or management) of neurodegenerative pathologies. The invention also relates to methods for the identification or screening of compounds active in the aforementioned pathologies. The invention further relates to the compounds, genes, cells, plasmids or compositions which are used to carry out said methods. In particular, the invention is based on the identification of the role of phosphodiesterase 4B, the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR) and GABA receptors of the type GABA(A) in neurodegenerative pathologies and describes the use of same as therapeutic, diagnostic or experimental markers or targets for said disorders.
US07872005B2
This invention relates to compounds of formula (I): or pharmaceutically acceptable salts, solvate, clathrates hydrates or polymorphs thereof, their compositions and methods of use and methods of making thereof. The compounds (and compositions) are useful in modulating IL-12 production and processes mediated by IL-12.
US07871995B2
A method of contraception in mammalian females, which method comprises the parenteral or rectal administration of an estrogenic component and a progestogenic component to a female of childbearing capability in an amount effective to inhibit ovulation, wherein the estrogenic component is selected from the group consisting of substances represented by the following formula (1) in which R1, R2, R3, R4 independently are a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl group or an alkoxy group with 1-5 carbon atoms; each of R5, R6, R7 is a hydroxyl group; and no more than 3 of R1, R2, R3, R4 are hydrogen atoms; precursors capable of liberating a substance according to the aforementioned formula when used in the present method; and mixtures of one or more of the aforementioned substances and/or precursors. Another aspect of the invention concerns a drug delivery system for parenteral or rectal administration that contains the aforementioned estrogenic component and a progestogenic component, said drug delivery system being selected from the group consisting of suppositories, systems for intravaginal delivery, inhalers, nasal sprays and transdermal delivery systems.
US07871994B2
Method for hormone replacement therapy, in which at least in the established postmenopause a daily unit with at least one hormonal component, namely with at least estrogen (E) and/or at least one gestagen (G) is administered permanently and continuously every day, characterized in that in at least one ingestion period preceding the permanent administration of hormone daily units is provided an ingestion pause (P), in which either no daily units or placebos or daily units with a much lower estrogen and/or gestagen content than during the permanent administration of hormone daily units in the established postmenopause and during the ingestion phase(s) of the preceding ingestion period are administered, as well as administration form for hormone therapy.
US07871989B1
The invention discloses the nanoparticles composed of chitosan, poly-glutamic acid as drug carriers, and encapsulating at least one bioactive agent. The nanoparticles are characterized with a positive surface charge configured for promoting enhanced permeability for bioactive agent delivery.
US07871986B2
The invention provides a prostate specific antigen oligo-epitope peptide (PSA-OP) that is useful as an immunogen in the prevention or treatment of prostatic cancer and in the inhibition of prostatic cancer cells and in the establishment and characterization of PSA-specific cytotoxic T-cell lines. In particular, the invention provides methods for eliciting an immune response against PSA comprising administering (i) a priming inoculation of a first recombinant virus encoding PSA-OP and (ii) one or more boosting inoculations of a second recombinant virus encoding PSA-OP, wherein the first and second recombinant viruses are from a different genus.
US07871985B2
The invention relates to a double-stranded ribonucleic acid (dsRNA) for inhibiting the expression of the Factor VII gene.
US07871978B2
The present invention is directed to the use of bone tropic peptides identified through the use of a phage display library. More particularly, the invention is directed to compositions comprising the bone tropic peptides and methods for using such compositions to regulate osteogenesis, cell adhesion and angiogenesis, and diseases and disorders thereof, and to inhibit cancer cell metastasis and growth.
US07871977B2
The present invention provides a novel process for producing sterile suspensions of slightly soluble basic peptide complexes. The present invention further provides a novel process for producing sterile lyophilizates of slightly soluble basic peptide complexes. In addition, a novel process for producing sterile suspensions suitable for the parenteral administration of slightly soluble basic peptide complexes is provided. The invention moreover provides sterile suspensions and sterile lyophilizates of slightly soluble basic peptide complexes, and pharmaceutical formulations comprising them. The provided sterile suspensions, sterile lyophilizates and pharmaceutical formulations comprising them are particularly suitable for use in a parenteral dosage form as medicaments for the treatment and prophylaxis of diseases and pathological states in mammals, especially in humans.
US07871976B1
A laundry scent additive having polyethylene glycol and perfume. The laundry scent additive enables consumers to control the amount of scent imparted to their laundry.
US07871975B2
A fabric treatment composition is provided. The fabric treatment composition includes a fabric treatment agent and a carrier component for containing the fabric treatment agent in a solid form during operation conditions in a dryer. The fabric treatment composition is constructed for transferring the composition to wet fabric as a result of solubilizing the fabric treatment composition by contacting the fabric treatment composition with the wet fabric during a drying operation in a dryer. A method for treating fabric is provided.
US07871968B2
The present invention provides soap, including glycerine and sapropel. It also provides therapeutic uses thereof.
US07871953B2
As series of novel late transition metal catalysts for olefin oligomerization have been invented. The catalyst system includes a Group 8, 9 or 10 transition metal and an activator. The catalysts demonstrate high activity and selectivity for linear α-olefins. Preferably this invention relates to a catalyst system comprising the reaction product of: (a) an activator selected from the group consisting of alumoxane, aluminum alkyl, alkyl aluminum halide, alkylaluminum alkoxide, discrete ionic activator, and Lewis acid; and (b) a catalyst precursor wherein the catalyst precursor has the following formula: wherein (i) M is a Group-8, -9 , or -10 transition metal; (ii) N is nitrogen (iii) P is phosphorus; (iv) R1, R2, R3, and R4 are independently hydrocarbyl radicals; (v) Y is a hydrocarbyl bridge comprising a backbone wherein the backbone comprises a chain that is four or more carbon atoms long; (vi) X are independently abstractable ligands.
US07871952B1
A modified Ziegler-Natta catalyst system, a method for preparing the catalyst system, and a process for polymerizing an olefin in the presence of the catalyst system are disclosed. The catalyst system comprises a titanium or vanadium compound, an aluminum compound, and a 2-hydroxypyridine N-oxide. Improved properties such as increased molecular weight are obtained.
US07871947B2
Provided herein is a non-stratified, or homogeneous, non-woven composite having (a) strength-imparting fibers of a relatively high denier and (b) binder fibers of a lower denier that adhere the composite together and that form a smooth, stiff skin on the outer surfaces of the composite. In one instance, the strength-imparting fibers are staple fibers and the binder fibers are bicomponent fibers having a low melt component. In a variation, the composite also contains a small percentage by weight (that is, less than 20%) of flame retardant fibers that impart flame resistant properties to the composite. Preferably, all of the fibers are comprised of the same polymeric material (e.g., polyester), so that the composite is recyclable. The resulting composite exhibits excellent flame retardance, strength, and stiffness, as well as having a smooth surface for attachment of a decorative fabric or other material. A process for manufacturing such composites is also provided.
US07871932B2
In the semiconductor device manufacturing method of the present invention, first, the emissivity of a wafer placed in a chamber is measured. Then, the fluctuation rate of a wafer physical quantity that fluctuates in association with the given thermal energy is calculated based on an estimate expression, which are obtained in advance, presenting the relationship between the thermal energy quantity emitted from the heat source for heating the wafer, wafer emissivity and the wafer physical quantity fluctuation rate and on the measured emissivity. Subsequently, the processing time for the physical quantity to be a specific value is calculated based on the calculated fluctuation rate. Then, the thermal process is conducted for the calculated processing time.
US07871928B2
The present invention provides methods and systems for discretized, combinatorial processing of regions of a substrate such as for the discovery, implementation, optimization, and qualification of new materials, processes, and process sequence integration schemes used in integrated circuit fabrication. A substrate having an array of differentially processed regions thereon is processed by delivering materials to or modifying regions of the substrate.
US07871922B2
A method for forming a semiconductor structure includes forming a sacrificial layer over a substrate. A first dielectric layer is formed over the sacrificial layer. A plurality of conductive structures are formed within the sacrificial layer and the first dielectric layer. The sacrificial layer is treated through the first dielectric layer, at least partially removing the sacrificial layer and forming at least one air gap between two of the conductive structures. A surface of the first dielectric layer is treated, forming a second dielectric layer over the first dielectric layer, after the formation of the air gap. A third dielectric layer is formed over the second dielectric layer. At least one opening is formed within the third dielectric layer such that the second dielectric layer substantially protects the first dielectric layer from damage by the step of forming the opening.
US07871916B2
Various embodiments of the invention relate to a PMOS device having a transistor channel of silicon germanium material on a substrate, a gate dielectric having a dielectric constant greater than that of silicon dioxide on the channel, a gate electrode conductor material having a work function in a range between a valence energy band edge and a conductor energy band edge for silicon on the gate dielectric, and a gate electrode semiconductor material on the gate electrode conductor material.
US07871915B2
The present disclosure provides a method of fabricating a semiconductor device that includes providing a substrate having a first region and a second region, forming first and second gate stacks in the first and second regions, respectively, the first gate stack including a first dummy gate and the second gate stack including a second dummy gate, removing the first dummy gate in the first gate stack thereby forming a first trench and removing the second dummy gate in the second gate stack thereby forming a second trench, forming a first metal layer in the first trench and in the second trench, removing at least a portion of the first metal layer in the first trench, forming a second metal layer in the remainder of the first trench and in the remainder of the second trench, reflowing the second metal layer, and performing a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP).
US07871910B2
A flash memory device and method of fabricating thereof. In accordance with the method of the invention, a tunnel dielectric layer and an amorphous first conductive layer are formed over a semiconductor substrate. An annealing process to change the amorphous first conductive layer to a crystallized first conductive layer is performed. A second conductive layer is formed on the crystallized first conductive layer. A first etch process to pattern the second conductive layer is performed. A second etch process to remove an oxide layer on the crystallized first conductive layer is performed. A third etch process to pattern the amorphous first conductive layer is performed.
US07871909B1
Methods for forming patterns having triple the line frequency of a first pattern using only a single spacer are disclosed. For example, the first pattern is formed in a first and a second material using a lithographic process. Sidewall spacers are formed from a third material adjacent to exposed sidewalls of features in the second material. The width of the features in the first pattern in the first material is reduced. For example, the width is reduced to about the target width of features in a final pattern. The width of features in the first pattern in the second material is reduced using remaining portions of the first material as a mask. A second pattern is formed based on remaining portions of the second material and the sidewall spacers. The features in the second pattern may be lines having about ⅓ the width of lines in the first pattern.
US07871907B2
A mask includes a primary opaque pattern and a number of clusters of secondary opaque patterns. The primary opaque pattern defines a number of strip transparent slits whose extending directions are substantially the same. The clusters of the secondary opaque patterns are connected to the primary opaque pattern, and each of the clusters of the secondary opaque patterns is disposed in one of the transparent slits, respectively. Each of the clusters of the secondary opaque patterns includes a number of secondary opaque patterns, and extending directions of at least a portion of the secondary opaque patterns and the extending directions of the transparent slits together form included angles that are not equal to about 90°.
US07871904B2
A wafer processing method for improving gettering capabilities of wafers made therefrom is presented. The method includes the steps of preparing, annealing and ion-implanting. The preparing step involves preparing the wafer from a silicon ingot. The annealing step involves forming first gettering sites in both sides of the wafer by annealing the wafer. The ion-implanting step involves forming second gettering sites in a back side of the wafer in which the first gettering sites are already formed.
US07871903B2
A method and system for high-speed, precise micromachining an array of devices are disclosed wherein improved process throughput and accuracy, such as resistor trimming accuracy, are provided. Beam scanning and deflection are both used to distribute beam spots to elements of an array of elements for selective processing. The deflection can be performed with a solid state deflector.
US07871897B2
A mask pattern is formed on a semiconductor substrate in which a cell region, a PMOS region, and an NMOS region are defined. Trenches are formed in the cell region, the PMOS region, and the NMOS region. A sidewall oxide layer and a protection layer are formed in the trenches, and a portion of the protection layer in the PMOS region is removed. A first device isolation insulating layer is formed on the substrate, filling the trenches. Portions of the first device isolation insulating layer are removed to expose the mask pattern and the trenches of the cell region and the NMOS region and to leave a portion of the first device isolation insulating layer in the trench in the PMOS region. A liner is formed on the portion of the first device isolation region in the trench in the PMOS region and conforming to sidewalls of the trenches in the cell region and the NMOS region. A second device isolation insulating layer is formed on the substrate, filling the trenches in the cell region and the NMOS region. Portions of the second device isolation insulating layer are removed to expose the mask pattern and to leave portions of the second device isolation insulating layer in the trenches of the cell region and the NMOS region.
US07871893B2
Disclosed are embodiments of a hybrid-orientation technology (HOT) wafer and a method of forming the HOT wafer with improved shallow trench isolation (STI) structures for patterning devices in both silicon-on-insulator (SOI) regions, having a first crystallographic orientation, and bulk regions, having a second crystallographic orientation. The improved STI structures are formed using a non-selective etch process to ensure that all of the STI structures and, particularly, the STI structures at the SOI-bulk interfaces, each extend to the semiconductor substrate and have an essentially homogeneous (i.e., single material) and planar (i.e., divot-free) bottom surface that is approximately parallel to the top surface of the substrate. Optionally, an additional selective etch process can be used to extend the STI structures a predetermined depth into the substrate.
US07871892B2
A method for fabricating a buried capacitor structure includes: laminating a first dielectric layer having a capacitor embedded therein with a second dielectric layer to bury the capacitor therebetween; forming a first circuit pattern on a first metal layer of the first dielectric layer and a second circuit pattern on a second metal layer of the second dielectric layer; depositing a first insulating layer and a second insulating layer on the first metal layer and the second metal layer, respectively; electrically connecting a positive electrode end and a negative electrode end of the capacitor to the second metal layer by a positive through-hole and a negative through-hole, thereby manufacturing the buried capacitor structure.
US07871891B2
A semiconductor device may include a semiconductor substrate and a plurality of first capacitor electrodes arranged in a plurality of parallel lines on the semiconductor substrate with each of the first capacitor electrodes extending away from the semiconductor substrate. A plurality of capacitor support pads may be provided with each capacitor support pad being connected to first capacitor electrodes of at least two adjacent parallel lines of the first capacitor electrodes and with adjacent capacitor support pads being spaced apart. A dielectric layer may be provided on each of the first capacitor electrodes, and a second capacitor electrode may be provided on the dielectric layer so that the dielectric layer is between the second capacitor electrode and each of the first capacitor electrodes. Related methods are also discussed.
US07871889B2
A capacitor includes a lower electrode, a first dielectric layer formed over the lower electrode, a second dielectric layer formed over the first dielectric layer, wherein the second dielectric layer includes an amorphous high-k dielectric material, a third dielectric layer formed over the second dielectric layer, and an upper electrode formed over the third dielectric layer.
US07871883B2
The invention aims at enabling leakage current characteristics and a step coverage property to be improved by depositing a hafnium silicate film by utilizing an atomic layer evaporation method using a hafnium raw material, a silicon raw material and an oxidizing agent. Disclosed herein is a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device having a trench capacitor including a first electrode formed on an inner surface of a trench, a capacitor insulating film formed on a surface of the first electrode, and a second electrode formed on a surface of the capacitor insulating film. The method includes the step of depositing the capacitor insulating film in a form of a hafnium silicate film by utilizing an atomic layer deposition method using a hafnium raw material, a silicon raw material and an oxidizing agent.
US07871881B2
A method for fabrication of a monolithically integrated SOI substrate capacitor has the steps of: forming an insulating trench, which reaches down to the insulator and surrounds a region of the monocrystalline silicon of a SOI structure, doping the monocrystalline silicon region, forming an insulating, which can be nitride, layer region on a portion of the monocrystalline silicon region, forming a doped silicon layer region on the insulating layer region, and forming an insulating outside sidewall spacer on the monocrystalline silicon region, where the outside sidewall spacer surrounds the doped silicon layer region to provide an isolation between the doped silicon layer region and exposed portions of the monocrystalline silicon region. The monocrystalline silicon region, the insulating layer region, and the doped silicon layer region constitute a lower electrode, a dielectric, and an upper electrode of the capacitor.
US07871879B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor memory device includes forming a device separation film on a semiconductor substrate using a mask pattern for defining an entire source line region as an active region to separate a device separation region from an active region; forming a stack gate structure on the semiconductor substrate; forming a common source line by implanting impurity ions into the semiconductor substrate in the source line region; and performing an impurity ion implantation process on the semiconductor substrate to form a drain region.
US07871870B2
Methods, systems, and apparatuses for electronic devices having improved gate structures are described. An electronic device includes at least one nanowire. A gate contact is positioned along at least a portion of a length of the at least one nanowire. A dielectric material layer is between the gate contact and the at least one nanowire. A source contact and a drain contact are in contact with the at least one nanowire. At least a portion of the source contact and/or the drain contact overlaps with the gate contact along the nanowire the length. In another aspect, an electronic device includes a nanowire having a semiconductor core surrounded by an insulating shell layer. A ring shaped first gate region surrounds the nanowire along a portion of the length of the nanowire. A second gate region is positioned along the length of the nanowire between the nanowire and the substrate. A source contact and a drain contact are coupled to the semiconductor core of the nanowire at respective exposed portions of the semiconductor core.
US07871868B2
Lift-off method and half-tone photolithography are used to fabricate LCD TFT array plate. Only two photo masks are used to respectively define a first and a second metal layers to accomplish the LCD TFT array plate.
US07871860B1
The present disclosure provides a method of fabricating a semiconductor device. The method includes providing a chip and a substrate. The method also includes bonding the chip to the substrate. The method also includes, after the bonding the chip, dispensing a sealing material between the chip and the substrate. In accordance with the method, the chip and the substrate are maintained within a temperature range from the bonding the chip to the dispensing the sealing material, and wherein a lower limit of the temperature range is approximately twice a room temperature.
US07871859B2
A vertically mountable semiconductor device assembly including a semiconductor device and a mechanism for attaching the semiconductor device to a carrier substrate. The semiconductor device has each of its bond pads disposed proximate a single edge thereof. Preferably, at least a portion of the semiconductor device is exposed. An alignment device is attached to a carrier substrate. A mounting element on the vertically mountable semiconductor device package engages the alignment device to interconnect the semiconductor device and the alignment device. Preferably, the alignment device secures the vertically mountable semiconductor device package perpendicular relative to the carrier substrate. The distance between the bond pads and corresponding terminals on the carrier substrate is very small in order to reduce impedance. The vertically mountable semiconductor device package may also be readily user-upgradable.
US07871848B2
Provided are a semiconductor power module package and a method of fabricating the same. The semiconductor power module package includes a substrate, semiconductor chips arranged on a top surface of the substrate, and a temperature sensor mounted on a top surface of at least one of the semiconductor chips. The semiconductor chips and the temperature sensor are electrically connected to each other through leads. A sealing material covers the top surface of the substrate, the semiconductor chips, and the temperature sensor except for portions of the leads and a bottom surface of the substrate. The temperature sensor may include a thermistor, and the thermistor may include first and second electrode terminals connected to corresponding leads of the leads. A first wiring pattern may be in contact with the first electrode terminal, and a second wiring pattern may be in contact with the second electrode terminal.
US07871843B2
The object of this invention is to provide a high-output type nitride light emitting device. The nitride light emitting device comprises an n-type nitride semiconductor layer, a p-type nitride semiconductor layer and an active layer therebetween, wherein the light emitting device comprises a gallium-containing nitride semiconductor layer prepared by crystallization from supercritical ammonia-containing solution in the nitride semiconductor layer.
US07871841B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor light-emitting device includes steps of forming a vertical cavity structure including a layer to be oxidized on a semiconductor substrate, and then forming a circular groove having a depth which penetrates at least the layer to be oxidized from an upper surface of the vertical cavity structure, thereby forming a columnar mesa whose side face is surrounded by the groove, oxidizing the layer to be oxidized from the side face of the mesa, thereby forming a current confinement layer, and forming a mask layer covering at least a central region of the upper surface of the mesa and exposing at least an edge of the upper surface and the side face of the mesa to an external, and then etching at least the edge of the upper surface and the side face of the mesa by using the mask layer as a mask.
US07871840B2
The present invention provides a semiconductor laser diode prevents not only the adhesion of the upper electrode but the heat dissipation of the mesa from degrading. The laser diode includes a substrate, portion of which forms a mesa including an active layer, an insulating layer formed so as to bury the mesa, and an electrode formed on the mesa and the insulating layer. This insulating layer may be selected from SiO2, SiON, SiN, Al2O3 or ZrO2 and formed by the inductive coupling plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (ICP-CVD) technique.
US07871834B2
A semiconductor apparatus includes two thin semiconductor films bonded to a substrate, and a thin-film interconnecting line electrically connecting a semiconductor device such as a light-emitting device in the first thin semiconductor film to an integrated circuit in the second thin semiconductor film. Typically, the integrated circuit drives the semiconductor device. The two thin semiconductor films are formed separately from the substrate. The first thin semiconductor film may include an array of semiconductor devices. The first and second thin semiconductor films may be replicated as arrays bonded to the same substrate. Compared with conventional semiconductor apparatus comprising an array chip and a separate driver chip, the invented apparatus is smaller and has a reduced material cost.
US07871833B2
A semiconductor die includes proximity connectors proximate to a surface of the semiconductor die. This semiconductor die is configured to communicate signals with another semiconductor die via proximity communication through one or more of the proximity connectors. In particular, the proximity connectors include a first group of proximity connectors that is configured to facilitate determining a first separation between the semiconductor die and the other semiconductor die by comparing coupling capacitances between the semiconductor die and the other semiconductor die. Note that the first group of proximity connectors includes a first proximity connector and a second proximity connector, and the second proximity connector at least partially encloses an in-plane outer edge of the first proximity connector.
US07871832B2
The generation of a chip identifier supporting at least one integrated circuit, which includes providing a cutout of least one conductive path by cutting the chip, the position of the cutting line relative to the chip conditioning the identifier.
US07871830B2
A method for controlling the plasma etching of semiconductor wafers determines the impedance of a plasma chamber using values representing voltage, current, and the phase angle between them, as provided by a sensor. All or less than all of the data during a first time period may be used to calculate a model. During a second time period, real time data is used to calculate a version of the instant impedance of the chamber. This version of impendence is compared to a time-projected version of the model. The method determines that etching should be stopped when the received data deviates from the extrapolated model by a certain amount. In some embodiments a rolling average is used in the second time period, the rolling average compared to the model to determine the end point condition.
US07871829B2
A metal wiring forming method in a semiconductor device can include forming an interlayer insulating film on a lower metal wiring, the first interlayer insulating film having a non-planar upper surface; forming a stop layer on the interlayer insulating film and over the lower metal wiring; forming an interlayer insulating film pattern on the stop layer, wherein an upper surface of the interlayer insulating film pattern and an upper surface of the stop layer are substantially coplanar; removing a portion of the stop layer to form a stop layer pattern, wherein a portion of the interlayer insulating film over the lower metal wiring is exposed by the stop layer pattern; and etching the exposed portion of the interlayer insulating film to form a via hole therethrough, wherein the lower metal wiring is exposed by the via hole.
US07871815B2
Disclosed herein is a rhamnose-inducible expression vector.
US07871805B2
The present invention provides glucose dehydrogenase which is excellent in heat resistance and substrate specificity and is not affected by dissolved oxygen. Specifically, the present invention relates to glucose dehydrogenase characterized by being derived from an eukaryotic organism and keeping 90% or more activity after being treated with heat at 55° C. for 15 minutes in a liquid form compared with the activity before being treated.
US07871801B2
A method for producing an L-amino acid is provided which includes culturing in a medium a microorganism of the Enterobacteriaceae family which has an ability to produce an L-amino acid and which has been modified so as to enhance the mannose PTS activity, accumulating the L-amino acid in the medium or in cells, and collecting the L-amino acid from the medium or cells.
US07871799B2
A method of fabricating a DNA molecule of user-defined sequence. The method comprises the steps of preselecting a multiplicity of DNA sequence segments that will comprise the DNA molecule of user-defined sequence, separating the DNA sequence segments temporally, and combining the multiplicity of DNA sequence segments with at least one polymerase enzyme wherein the multiplicity of DNA sequence segments join to produce the DNA molecule of user-defined sequence. Sequence segments may be of length n, where n is an even or odd integer. In one embodiment the length of desired hybridizing overlap is specified by the user and the sequences and the protocol for combining them are guided by computational (bioinformatics) predictions. In one embodiment sequence segments are combined from multiple reading frames to span the same region of a sequence, so that multiple desired hybridizations may occur with different overlap lengths. In one embodiment starting sequence fragments are of different lengths, n, n+1, n+2, etc.
US07871798B2
Disclosed herein are mammalian cells transformed or transfected with a VEGF-D nucleic acid consisting of a nucleotide sequence encoding continuous portions of VEGF-D polypeptides.
US07871796B2
The invention overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art by providing a rapid approach for isolating binding proteins capable of binding small molecules and peptides via “display-less” library screening. In the technique, libraries of candidate binding proteins, such as antibody sequences, are expressed in soluble form in the periplasmic space of gram negative bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, and are mixed with a labeled ligand. In clones expressing recombinant polypeptides with affinity for the ligand, the concentration of the labeled ligand bound to the binding protein is increased and allows the cells to be isolated from the rest of the library. Where fluorescent labeling of the target ligand is used, cells may be isolated by fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS). The approach is more rapid than prior art methods and avoids problems associated with the surface-expression of ligand fusion proteins employed with phage display.
US07871787B2
Provided herein is a method for diagnosing and monitoring endometriosis in a subject by measuring levels of the β-subunit of fibrinogen.
US07871776B2
A method for purifying PrPc, a purified preparation of PrPc and methods and kits for identifying the presence of PrPc are provided.
US07871763B2
Genes up-regulated in hepatocellular carcinomas and polypeptides encoded by these genes are provided. Vectors, transformants and methods for producing the recombinant polypeptides are also provided. Probes and primers of these genes and antibodies against the polypeptides are also provided. The probes, primers and antibodies can be used as reagents for detecting hepatocellular carcinomas. Methods for detecting hepatocellular carcinomas using such detection reagents are further provided. Antisense nucleotide sequences of these genes are also provided and can be used to inhibit growth of hepatocellular carcinomas.
US07871750B2
A process for preparing a mixed color toner obtained by mixing two or more kinds of color toners of which each color is different, including the following steps (1) and (2): (1) determining zeta potential distributions of each of the color toners, and (2) mixing the color toners in combination so that an overlapping ratio of the zeta potential distributions is 70.0% or more; a mixed color toner obtainable by the process; a two-component developer containing the toner; and a method of forming fixed images using the toner. The mixed color toner obtainable by the present invention is used for, for example, developing a latent image formed in electrophotography, electrostatic recording method, electrostatic printing method, or the like.
US07871740B2
A fuel cell, which can supply stable output even at elevated temperatures and can maintain its power generation performance over a long period of time, can be realized by an electrode for a fuel cell comprising a catalyst layer formed of a catalyst composite and a binder, the catalyst composite comprising a proton-conductive inorganic oxide and an oxidation-reduction catalyst phase supported on the proton-conductive inorganic oxide, the proton-conductive inorganic oxide comprising a catalyst carrier selected from tin(Sn)-doped In2O3, fluorine(F)-doped SnO2, and antimony(Sb)-doped SnO2 and an oxide particle phase chemically bonded to the surface of the catalyst carrier. The catalyst composite is manufactured by dispersing a catalyst carrier in a solution containing a material as a starting material for an oxide particle phase, heat treating the dispersion to form a proton-conductive inorganic oxide, further dispersing the proton-conductive inorganic oxide in a catalyst precursor-containing solution, and subjecting the dispersion to heat treatment or pH adjustment to deposit a catalyst phase.
US07871738B2
A method of preparing a nanosegregated Pt alloy having enhanced catalytic properties. The method includes providing a sample of Pt and one or more of a transition metal in a substantially inert environment, and annealing the sample in such an environment for a period of time and at a temperature profile to form a nanosegregated Pt alloy having a Pt-skin on a surface. The resulting alloy is characterized by a plurality of compositionally oscillatory atomic layers resulting in an advantageous electronic structure with enhanced catalytic properties.
US07871733B2
In a fuel cell structure having an assembly of an electrolyte layer and an electrode formed on the electrolyte layer, a gas separator 25 is laminated on the electrolyte layer and the electrode and forms, in combination with the electrode, a gas flow path to make a flow of a reactive gas that is subjected to an electrochemical reaction. A first water guide element is provided between the electrode and the gas separator 25 and is arranged to enable migration of water from and to the electrode and to continuously guide water in an electrode plane direction. A gas outlet 68 is open at one end of the gas flow path to be at least partly overlapped with one end of the first water guide element and discharges the flow of the reactive gas from the gas flow path. The gas outlet 68 is designed to have a higher flow resistance of the reactive gas than a flow resistance in the gas flow path. This arrangement effectively improves the water discharge efficiency from the gas flow path formed in the fuel cell structure.
US07871732B2
A fuel cell stack (32) includes a plurality of fuel cells in which each fuel cell is formed between a pair of conductive, porous, substantially hydrophilic plates (17) having oxidant reactant gas flow field channels (12-15) on a first surface and fuel reactant gas flow field channels (19, 19a) on a second surface opposite to the first surface, each ˜f the plates being separated from a plate adjacent thereto by a unitized electrode assembly (20) including a cathode electrode (22), having a gas diffusion layer (GDL) an anode electrode (23) having a GDL with catalyst between each GDL and a membrane (21) disposed therebetween. Above the stack is a condenser (33} having tubes (34) that receive coolant air (39, 40} to condense water vapor out of oxidant exhaust in a chamber (43). Inter-cell wicking strips (26) receive condensate and conduct it along the length of the stack to all cells. In-cell wicking strips (1G, 1 ˜a) on one or both surfaces conduct the water from the inter-cell wicking strips downwardly along the entire planform of each cell. Reactant air is provided to an air inlet manifold (47) through an air inlet conduit (48) from an air pump (49).
US07871731B2
A method of operating a fuel cell assembly and a fuel cell system use a simple construction to restrain deterioration of power generating performance of a fuel cell assembly at a startup in a subfreezing environment. If an ignition switch is turned off is STEP 1, a control unit determines in STEP 3 whether the temperature of a fuel cell assembly (the internal temperature of the fuel cell assembly) is lower than a predetermined temperature, which is higher than the temperature at which the water produced during power generation freezes. If the internal temperature of the fuel cell assembly is the predetermined temperature or higher, then the processing proceeds to STEP 4 wherein a power generating condition is adjusted to cause the internal temperature of the fuel cell assembly to rise. In STEP 5, an alarm device is actuated. The power generation is continued until the internal temperature of the fuel cell assembly reaches the predetermined temperature or higher, and then the power generation is stopped in STEP 8.
US07871730B2
A fuel gas supply channel connecting a fuel gas supply passage and a fuel gas inlet are provided in a separator, a channel lid member, and a circular disk member. A filter mechanism for filtering a fuel gas supplied from the fuel gas supply passage to a channel unit is provided in the fuel gas supply channel. The filter mechanism has a plurality of holes, and the cross sectional area of the opening of the hole is smaller than the cross sectional area of the opening of the fuel gas inlet.
US07871725B2
A secondary battery includes a can having an interior space, an electrode assembly provided in the interior space of the can, and a cap assembly seated on an opening formed in the can to seal the can and electrically connected to the electrode assembly. The cap assembly includes a cap plate connected to the opening to seal the can; a tab plate mounted to one side of the cap plate and connected to the electrode assembly; an insulating plate interposed between the cap plate and the tab plate; an electrode pin passing through the cap plate, the tab plate, and the insulating plate to interconnect these elements; and an insulating gasket interposed between the cap plate and the electrode pin. Also, the electrode pin includes a head portion mounted to one side of the cap plate and formed in multiple stages in an area contacting the insulating gasket; and a column extending from the head portion and passing through the insulating gasket, the cap plate, the insulating plate, and the cap plate.
US07871723B2
A power source device includes a battery assembly which includes a plurality of batteries each having a positive electrode at one end and a negative electrode at the other end, a plurality of connecting members, each of which connects the positive electrode of one battery and the negative electrode of the other battery of the battery assembly, the one and the other batteries adjoining each other, and a plate to which the connecting members are attached, and the plate adapted to the battery assembly. The battery assembly and the plate include a positioning section that relatively positions the battery assembly and the plate. The battery assembly and the plate include a plate displacement section that displaces the plate so that the connecting members relatively abut against the corresponding positive electrodes and negative electrodes of the battery assembly when the plate is mounted on the battery assembly.
US07871716B2
A damage tolerant component (90) for use in a high temperature combustion gas environment. The component includes a plurality of ceramic tiles (94) bonded to a substrate (92) for isolating any impact damage to the damaged tile(s). A grout (98) may fill gaps between adjacent tiles to blunt any crack tip extending from a damaged tile. Ceramic tile insulation may be applied in two layers (56, 58) with the material properties of the two layers being different, such as with a bottom layer selected for its thermal insulating properties and a top layer selected for its impact resistance properties. A layer of sealing material (100) may be applied over at least a portion of the ceramic tiles.
US07871705B2
A method of transporting precision equipment materials without absorption of thermal energy through the heat sensitive material or device such as flat panel displays. The transfer member has a carbon fiber reinforced composite material body with a layer of metal film on the top and bottom surfaces of the transfer member that provides a reflective surface. Flat panel displays, for example, release radiant thermal energy that is absorbed by the carbon fiber reinforced composite which is detrimental to the flat panel display. The reflective surface created by the metal film prevents the energy absorption by the carbon fiber reinforced composite. A glass fiber and epoxy layer on the metal film surface protects the metal film.
US07871700B2
A method of manufacturing composite fibers comprising two distinct layers having different compositions and physico-chemical properties and controlled, homogenous thicknesses, wherein one of two layers comprises carbon nanotubes and the composite fibers are obtained from carbon nanotube fibers and a first solution of a selected concentration of colloidal particles intended to constitute the second layer, comprising the following steps: placing the fibers in contact, by lateral surfaces thereof, with a surface of a second solution which is adapted to chemically cause aggregation of the colloidal particles and is completely or partially immersed in the second solution, the immersed thickness of the fibers defining the immersion area, placing the thus pre-coated fibers in contract, on the same lateral surface, with a surface of the first colloidal particle solution and immersed in it at most up to the immersion area to locally form a colloidal gel with a fixed thickness determined by the concentration of the first solution, separating the fibers covered in the first solution, and drying and/or evaporating the solvent of the first solution.
US07871691B2
An object of the invention is to provide such an oriented polyester film that has a constant thickness, and is excellent in dimensional stability at a high temperature and dimensional stability to temperature change in a working temperature range. The invention relates to an oriented polyester film containing as a major component of a substrate layer polyethylene -2,6-naphthalene dicarboxylate, being stretched at least in one direction, and having a film thickness of from 12 to 250 μm, wherein (1) a coefficient of linear thermal expansion αt at a temperature of from 30 to 100° C. is from 0 to 15 ppm/° C. in both longitudinal and width directions of the film, and (2) a thermal shrinkage rate at 100° C. for 10 minutes is 0.5% or less in both longitudinal and width directions of the film.
US07871688B2
A honeycomb structure includes a ceramic block formed by bonding a plurality of pillar-shaped honeycomb fired bodies by interposing an adhesive layer therebetween, and a sealing material layer provided on the periphery of the ceramic block. Each of the honeycomb fired bodies has a large number of cells disposed in parallel with one another in a longitudinal direction with a cell wall therebetween. The adhesive layer and the sealing material layer are integrally formed with substantially no interface to divide the two layers.
US07871681B2
Coating for an offset paper comprising a catalyst for fixing polymerisable or crosslinkable constituents of the offset ink. The chemical drying time can be substantially reduced if such a catalyst system is added to the coating, wherein preferentially such a catalyst is a transition metal complex/salt, like Mn (2-ethylhexanoate, bpy).
US07871678B1
The present invention relates to an enhanced cyclic deposition process suitable for deposition of barrier layers, adhesion layers, seed layers, low dielectric constant (low-k) films, high dielectric constant (high-k) films, and other conductive, semi-conductive, and non-conductive films. The technique increases the chemical reactivity of a precursor used in the process.
US07871677B2
A surface treating method for a conductive substrate by using a photo-excitation process, wherein a conducive substrate is placed in a process chamber (1) maintained between 0.001-1 atmospheric pressure, while a negative bias voltage is applied to a substrate (2), ultraviolet having a photo energy of 3-10 eV larger than the work function of the substrate surface is applied from a ultraviolet source (5) housed in a chamber having a light output window, and a process gas is supplied into the process chamber container (1) to thereby produce ions and radicals (6) caused by the collision of process gas molecules with emitted electrons from the substrate surface and allow them to reach the surface of the substrate (2), whereby it is possible to surface-treat a substrate simply, highly efficiently, inexpensively and easily even in the case of a large-area substrate.
US07871676B2
The present invention relates to an enhanced sequential atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique suitable for deposition of barrier layers, adhesion layers, seed layers, low dielectric constant (low-k) films, high dielectric constant (high-k) films, and other conductive, semi-conductive, and non-conductive films. This is accomplished by 1) providing a non-thermal or non-pyrolytic means of triggering the deposition reaction; 2) providing a means of depositing a purer film of higher density at lower temperatures; and, 3) providing a faster and more efficient means of modulating the deposition sequence and hence the overall process rate resulting in an improved deposition method.
US07871675B2
Moisture curable compositions which cure to produce hard coatings contain prepolymers bearing alkoxysilyl groups of the formula —X—CH2—Si(OR)3-xR1x where X is —O— or —O—CO—NR″—. The compositions are storage stable and can be cured without use of tin catalysts.
US07871672B2
There is provided an industrial fabric comprising a layer of batt of fibres optionally needled to a base cloth, whereby during manufacture of the fabric a dispersion of particulate, polymeric material has been applied to the layer of batt of fibres and thermally activated to provide a discontinuous layer containing a mixture of batt fibres and a polymer-baft fibre matrix.
US07871671B2
A process for producing a metallic component that includes shot peening the surface of a metallic material, wherein almost no dimensional change or roughening of the surface profile of the metallic material occurs, the iron fraction adhered to the surface of the metallic material is removed efficiently, and the fatigue properties of the produced metallic component are improved. First particles containing iron as the main component and having an average particle size of not less than 0.1 mm and not more than 5 mm are projected onto the surface of a metallic material containing a lightweight alloy, and second particles containing essentially no iron and having an average particle size of not more than 200 μm are then projected onto the surface of the metallic material.
US07871670B2
A method of selectively and electrolessly depositing a metal onto a substrate having a metallic patterned-nanostructure surface is disclosed. The method includes providing a tool having a patterned-nanostructure surface, the patterned-nanostructure surface having surface regions having a nanostructured surface, replicating the tool patterned-nanostructure surface onto a substrate to form a substrate patterned-nanostructure surface, disposing a metal layer on the substrate patterned-nanostructure surface to form a metallic patterned-nanostructure surface region, forming a self-assembled monolayer on the metallic patterned-nanostructure surface region, exposing the self-assembled monolayer to an electroless plating solution comprising a deposit metal, and depositing electrolessly the deposit metal selectively on the surface regions having a metallic nanostructured surface. Articles formed from this method are also disclosed.
US07871668B2
The invention is directed to CVD methods and systems that can be utilized to form nanostructures. Exceptionally high product yields can be attained. In addition, the products can be formed with predetermined particle sizes and morphologies and within a very narrow particle size distribution. The systems of the invention include a CVD reactor designed to support the establishment of a convective flow field within the reactor at the expected carrier gas flow rates. In particular, the convective flow field within the reactor can include one or more flow vortices. The disclosed invention can be particularly beneficial for forming improved thermoelectric materials with high values for the figure of merit (ZT).
US07871666B2
A pattern forming system including a feeding reel for feeding a tape form substrate that is wound up, a winding reel for winding up the tape form substrate that is fed up, and a droplet discharge apparatus for discharging a droplet onto the tape form substrate, between the feeding reel and the winding reel, to form a pattern, wherein the droplet discharge apparatus includes a table that can move while sucking the tape form substrate, with a slack mechanism for the tape form substrate being placed on the both ends of the table in the longitudinal direction of the tape form substrate.
US07871661B2
A stretchable electronic apparatus and method of producing the apparatus. The apparatus has a central longitudinal axis and the apparatus is stretchable in a longitudinal direction generally aligned with the central longitudinal axis. The apparatus comprises a stretchable polymer body, and at least one circuit line operatively connected to the stretchable polymer body, the at least one circuit line extending in the longitudinal direction and having a longitudinal component that extends in the longitudinal direction and having an offset component that is at an angle to the longitudinal direction, the longitudinal component and the offset component allowing the apparatus to stretch in the longitudinal direction while maintaining the integrity of the at least one circuit line.
US07871659B2
A method of rapid visualization of an implantable medical device using technology for viewing inside of a mammalian body. These technologies include ultrasound echocardiography and video imaging such as that used during laparoscopic procedures.
US07871651B2
An article of manufacture includes (a) a three-dimensionally shaped edible candy including chocolate; and (b) a hollow container including a wall defining an exterior surface and an interior surface, the interior surface defining a hollow portion having a shape which substantially conforms to the three-dimensional shape of the candy for releasably securing the candy within the hollow shape of the container, wherein the container includes at least two portions removably secured to one and the other for releasably securing the candy, and further wherein the container includes a plastic material, such as a thermoformed plastic material.
US07871650B2
The present invention relates to a gum base formulation suitable for the production of a chewing gum with good sensory properties and good flavor release in combination with anti-adhesive properties in respect of teeth, dentures and the like typical of formulations containing polyvinyl acetate. This gum base formulation does not stick to teeth and it is characterized by having the following composition by weight: (a) elastomers 8-16% (b) emulsifiers and/or technological auxiliaries18-30% (c) adjuvants15-40% (d) vegetable resins and/or vegetable resin esters26-45% (e) antioxidants0-2% and by not containing polyvinyl acetate.
US07871646B2
A method of preparing an amniotic membrane extract including the steps of obtaining a healthy amniotic membrane from a pregnant mammal, such as a pig, cow, horse or human, homogenizing the membrane to obtain a homogenate solution, freezing the homogenate solution, and lyophilizing the frozen homogenate solution to dryness is disclosed. Preferably, the lyophilized homogenate is pulverized to a powder. The lyophilized homogenate is then reconstituted before use, e.g., in a liquid, such as a balanced salt solution or fresh amniotic fluid, or in another substance, such a gel, an ointment, a cream or a soap, depending on the intended use. Also disclosed is a pharmaceutical composition prepared according to the method of the invention, for prophylaxis and/or treatment of a disease or condition, especially of the eye or the skin. Exemplary pharmaceutically acceptable carriers for the composition of the invention include an ophthalmic solution for eye drops, a gel, an ointment, an emulsion, a cream, a powder and a spray.
US07871642B2
A nanodispersion comprises (a) a membrane-forming molecule, (b) a coemulsifier and (c) a lipophilic component, in pharmaceutical end formulations, the nanodispersion being obtainable by (α) mixing the components (a), (b) and (c) until a homogeneous clear liquid is obtained, and (β) adding the liquid obtained in step (α) to the water phase of the pharmaceutical end formulations, where steps (α) and (β) may be carried out without high energy mixing or homogenization. The nanodispersions prepared according to this invention are suitable as transport vehicles for pharmaceutical active agents.
US07871637B2
Dry cross-linked gelatin compositions are prepared that rapidly re-hydrate to produce gelatin hydrogels suitable as hemostatic sealants. Gelatin is cross-linked in the presence of certain re-hydration aids, such as polyethylene glycol, polyvinylprovidone, and dextran, in order to produce a dry cross-linked gelatin powder. The use of the re-hydration aids has been found to substantially increase the re-hydration rate in the presence of an aqueous re-hydration medium, typically thrombin-containing saline.
US07871636B2
The present invention relates to aqueous concentrate compositions of pendimethalin which are flowable, have improved storage stability and do not show a slowed release of active ingredient. The composition contains i. particles a) of microencapsulated pendimethalin, ii. particles b) of non-encapsulated pendimethalin and iii. at least one surface-active substance.
US07871635B2
A method of using a compound to lighten the skin by inactivating protein kinase A. The compound may be in a composition with either a pharmacologically or cosmetically acceptable medium. Depending upon the medium and concentration of the compound, the composition may be used either therapeutically or non-therapeutically.
US07871625B2
Modified HCV multiple epitope fusion antigens (MEFAs) are described. The proteins include modified sequences such that proteolytic cleavage of the MEFAs by HCV NS3 protease is inhibited. HCV immunoassays including the modified MEFAs are also described.
US07871610B2
Tie1 and Tie2 are receptor tyrosine kinase proteins that include a transmembrane domain. Tie1 and Tie2 are present on endothelial cells. This disclosure describes agents, such as antibodies, that bind to Tie1, Tie2, and Ang, including ones that inhibit endothelial cell activity.
US07871608B2
A method of treating a subject, the method including administring a composition that includes a reversibly inactivated acidfied plasmin substantially free of a plasminogen activator, in a low buffering capacity buffer, wherein the composition is a solution suitable for pharmacenutical use that can be raised to physiological pH by adding no more than about 5 volumes of serum to the solution relative to a volume of the solution.
US07871603B2
Use of interferon-beta (IFN-β) and/or IFN-λ for treating rhinovirus (RV) infection in elderly people, particularly elderly people who are, or have been long-term smokers, especially those who have a clinical history of recurrent RV infections, and may have other medical conditions, such as cardiac or circulation problems, and who are liable to suffer severe complications/high mortality from poor innate ability to fight such a viral infection.
US07871597B2
Pharmacological compositions, and methods for administration, of the type employing an iron oxide complex with a polyol or polyether. The methods of administration may comprise parenteral administration of an effective dose of the complex formulated in a biocompatible liquid delivered at a rate of from about 1 mL/sec to less than 1 mL/min and wherein upon administration the complex provides minimal detectable free iron in a subject, and minimal incidence of anaphylaxis. The pharmacological compositions are of the type employing a polyol or polyether iron oxide complex, which, upon parenteral administration to a subject, are substantially immunosilent, provide minimal anaphylaxis and minimal free iron, and undergo minimal dissolution in vivo.
US07871594B2
The present invention describes a reactor (1) for continuously preparing hydrogen sulfide H2S from hydrogen and sulfur, comprising a distributor device (15) for distributing gaseous hydrogen in a sulfur melt (9) present at least in a lower part of the reactor. The distributor device (15) is arranged in the sulfur melt (9) and comprises a distributor plate (16) which is arranged in the reactor (1) and has an edge (17) extending downward and, if appropriate, has passage orifices (19). The hydrogen from a hydrogen bubble which forms below the distributor plate (16) is (for example through the passage orifices (19)) distributed in the sulfur melt (9) via the distributor plate (16).
US07871584B2
A process for the recovery of nickel and cobalt from nickel and cobalt containing ores, including the steps of first leaching a laterite ore and/or a partially oxidized sulfide ore with an acid solution to produce a pregnant leach solution containing at least dissolved nickel, cobalt and ferric ions, and subsequently leaching a sulfide ore or concentrate with the pregnant leach solution to produce a product liquor. Alternatively, the laterite ore and/or partially oxidized sulfide ore can be leached in a combined leach with the sulfide ore or concentrate. The ferric ion content in the pregnant leach solution or in the combined leach is sufficient to maintain the oxidation and reduction potential in the sulfide leach high enough to assist in leaching nickel from the sulfide ore or concentrate.
US07871581B1
A medical instrument holding assembly for improved pre-sterilization cleaning with or without lubrication of the instruments is provided. The medical instrument holding assembly includes a coil or a series of plates defining instrument receiving gaps, opposing support ends, a perforated retracting member that maintains the instruments in an open position so that cleaning can reach the hard to reach areas of the instrument, and restraint bands for holding the instruments in the medical instrument holding assembly during handling. The method is also included for improved pre-sterilization cleaning using the medical instrument holding assembly.
US07871579B2
A tubular reactor having an insert for improving heat transfer characteristics of the tubular reactor. The insert comprises a catalyst and metal structures consecutively arranged in a lengthwise direction of the tube. The metal structures have radially expandable side walls and orifices for squeezing fluid between the metal structures and the tube wall. The radially expandable side walls form hollows between the radially expandable side walls and the tube wall of the tubular reactor. The radially expandable side walls deform responsive to the fluid pressure difference between the inside of the metal structure and the outer space between the metal structure and the tube wall thereby maintaining the gap between the orifice opening and the tube wall to adjust for tube creep.
US07871576B2
A metal foil has a material thickness in a range of from 0.15 mm to 0.02 mm and a structure with elevations and depressions which extend over a length of the metal foil and are disposed adjacent one another. At least some of the elevations or depressions have at least one first indentation and at least one second indentation adjacent the at least one first indentation. The at least one second indentation is at a different distance from the corresponding elevation or depression than the first indentation. An assembly having filter material, a honeycomb body and an exhaust gas treatment device for mobile internal combustion engines, are also provided.
US07871574B2
A flask for preparing a fixer-based cytological suspension is equipped with a filtering element (4) at least partly immersed in the suspension. The filtering element is in the form of a basket-forming filtering material web, whereof the periphery (5) is fixed on the flask and whereof the center (6) is connected to a tube (7), extending towards the opening (2) of the flask, associated with a position-maintaining element (8) in the flask and adapted to allow through a pipette for drawing the suspension.
US07871570B2
The instant application provides a fluidic array device having an elastomeric body that provides easy fluidic control of the device. The elastomeric body may include plurality of intersecting row and column channels. Reactions may occur at the intersection spots formed by the intersecting channels. Pinching applied at suitable locations along the channels enables the channels to be opened or closed, and thus provides control of fluids pumped through the device. The surfaces of the channels and intersection spots may be engineered to have certain properties. In particular, the intersection spots may be nanoengineered to have surface properties differing from those of the channels, and thus reactions may be selectively controlled to occur only, or highly preferentially, in the intersection spots.
US07871565B2
A method of generating a microbial deactivation fluid to circulate through an apparatus that has a decontamination chamber for holding medical instruments and devices, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a first compartment and a second compartment in the circulation system; (b) providing a chemical reagent in the first compartment and a builder composition in the second compartment; (c) causing a fluid to flow through the second compartment to mix with the builder composition to create an alkaline fluid; (d) when the alkaline fluid has reached a predetermined pH level, causing the alkaline fluid to flow through the first compartment to mix with the chemical reagent to dissolve the chemical reagent to generate a microbial deactivation fluid; and (e) continuing steps (c) and (d) to continue the generation of the microbial deactivation fluid.
US07871562B2
Process for manufacturing composite metal/ceramic thin films, consisting of: a) preparing a suspension (S) in an organic solvent starting from a substantially homogenous mixture of ceramic reinforcements, metallic particles, a binder, a plasticizer and a dispersant, the metallic particles constituting at least 5% by weight of the suspension; b) tape casting the suspension to form a thin film, and then de-binding said thin film; c) densifying the de-binded thin film in a furnace.
US07871555B2
A method for producing a profiled bead made of a plastic, particularly of a polymer, on a piece, particularly on a window pane. In the method at least a partial portion of an edge region or lateral face region of a surface of the piece is brought into contact with a forming face. The plastic is deposited stuck to at least part of the periphery of a surface of the piece untouched by the forming face and the external dimensions of the profiled bead formed are also defined by the forming face. The forming face is pressed against the edge region or lateral face region of the fixed piece using a flat support, the shape of which can vary under the pressure of a fluid. This then gives a better matching of the forming face to the contour and to any dimensional discrepancies of the piece.
US07871554B2
The invention is directed to a process for producing polyimide film, including stretching, at 150° C. to 380° C. and a stretch ratio of 1.2 to 4.0, an unstretched polyimide film which is formed from a polyimide having a repeating unit represented by formula (1): (wherein R represents a tetravalent group derived from cyclohexane; and Φ represents a divalent aliphatic, alicyclic, or aromatic group, or a combination thereof that has a total number of carbon atoms of 2 to 39 and may have at least one connecting group selected from the group consisting of —O—, —SO2—, —CO—, —CH2—, —C(CH3)2—, —OSi(CH3)2—, —C2H4O—, and —S—) and which has an organic solvent content of 0.5 wt. % or more and less than 30 wt. %. The produced polyimide film exhibits transparency, excellent heat resistance, and reduced dimensional changes.
US07871550B2
A method of making an ePTFE tubular structure includes the steps of (a) forming a tube of polytetrafluoroethylene; (b) longitudinally stretching the polytetrafluoroethylene tube to form an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene tube, where the expanded polytetrafluoroethylene tube includes fibrils oriented in a longitudinal direction of the tube and nodes oriented in a circumferential direction of the tube; and (c) placing the expanded polytetrafluoroethylene tube circumferentially exterior to a longitudinal foreshortening and radially expanding mechanism, where radial pressure from the foreshortening mechanism radially expands the ePTFE tubular structure and reorients the fibrils non-longitudinally.
US07871548B2
A method and means for determining a critical elongation strain rate of a polymer melt, which make it possible to subject a polymer melt to elongation to prepare a bulk oriented melt, are established, and a process for producing bulk polymer oriented crystals and polymer oriented crystals are provided. In the critical elongation strain rate determination process or critical elongation strain rate determining method, a polymer melt (3) in a disc shape having a radius x0 and a thickness of Δz0 is held between transparent plates (an upper transparent plate (1) and a lower transparent plate (2)). The polymer melt (3) is cooled to a supercooled state and is press in a thickness direction at a constant rate v by using the transparent plates. The critical point radius x*, at which the polymer melt (3) is turned to an oriented crystal, is measured, and the critical elongation strain rate ε is calculated by equation ε*=ax*3 wherein α=v/(2Δz0x03).
US07871542B2
A plasma display device comprising phosphor layer wherein the phosphor layer comprises blue-emission divalent europium activated alkaline earth silicate phosphor which is represented by the following compositional formula (Ae)3-x(Ae′)Si2O8:Eux, wherein x satisfies 0.01≦x≦0.1, Ae is at least one alkaline earth element selected from the group consisting of Sr, Ca, and Ba, and Ae′ is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Zn or (Zn plus Mg).
US07871538B2
A liquid crystal composition is provided and includes: at least one kind of liquid crystal R exhibiting a liquid crystal phase having a positive birefringence property; and at least one kind of liquid crystal D exhibiting a liquid crystal phase having a negative birefringence property. The characteristic birefringence Δn (λ) at wavelength λ of the liquid crystal phase exhibited by the liquid crystal R satisfies the equation (II): Δn (450 nm)/Δn (550 nm)<1.0.
US07871529B2
Novel applications of nanocoil technology and novel methods of fabricating nanocoils for use in such applications and others. Such applications include microscopic electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) devices including nanocoil mirrors, nanocoil actuators and nanocoil antenna arrays. Inductors or traveling wave tubes fabricated from nanocoils are also included. A method for fabricating nanocoils with a desired pitch includes determining a desired pitch for fabricated nanocoil, selecting coiling arm orientation in which coiling arm orientation is arm angle between coiling arm an crystalline orientation of underlying substrate, whereby coiling arm orientation affects pitch of fabricated nanocoil, patterning coiling arm structure with selected coiling arm orientation, and, releasing coiling arm, whereby fabricated nanocoil is formed.
US07871527B2
The present invention relates to stationary cloth media filtration systems and devices, as well as processes and devices for uniform flow distribution and improved cloth media filter backwashing.
US07871525B2
A method, system, apparatus and program for effecting the decomposition of organic waste material comprises: providing a treatment tank for decomposition of organic waste material, the treatment tank containing an active biomass comprising at least one bacteria that decomposes organic material; providing at least two inlets to the treatment tank, a first inlet comprising an inlet for organic material and a second inlet comprising an inlet for an aqueous stream; a processor that receives and stores information on: the status of chemical oxygen demand of the active biomass; and the oxygen provision capability of a first organic material that can be fed into the treatment tank through the first inlet; a mass flow control system controlled by the processor which feeds the at least one organic material through the first inlet at a rate based at least in part upon the status of chemical oxygen demand in the treatment tank as recognized by the processor.
US07871520B2
A membrane module comprising an outer casing having an interior region, a plurality of hollow fiber membranes extending through at least a portion of the interior region, and having exterior surfaces and inner hollow regions, where the inner hollow regions are configured to provide flow paths for a distillate fluid. The membrane module further comprises an opening extending through the outer casing for providing a feed solution to the interior region adjacent the exterior surfaces of the plurality of hollow fiber membranes, where the feed solution provided to the opening has an elevated temperature that is greater than an atmospheric-pressure boiling temperature of the feed solution, and an elevated pressure at which an effective boiling temperature of the feed solution is greater than the elevated temperature.
US07871503B2
An electrochemical discharge machining device includes a base, a sensor disposed on the base, a shaft rotatably disposed on the base, an electrode disposed at one end of the shaft and contacting with a work piece, an isolating element disposed between the sensor and the shaft, and a control module connected to the sensor. Current flows to the electrode via the shaft to machine the work piece, and the force exerted on the electrode by the work piece is transmitted via the shaft and the isolating element to the sensor converting the force into a signal sent to the control module for raising or lowering the base to maintain contact between the electrode and the work piece. The sensor serves as a detecting mechanism to ensure appropriate contact between the electrode and the work piece.
US07871501B2
The laser-based method for removal of sulfur (DMDBT) in hydrocarbon fuels provides for deep desulfurization of hydrogen fuels through the elimination of dimethyldibenzothiophene (DMDBT) from hydrocarbon fuels. The method involves photoexciting atomic or molecular oxygen to a singlet or triplet energy state, mixing the photoexcited oxygen with the hydrocarbon fuel, and irradiating the hydrocarbon fuel with UV radiation from a tunable laser source at a wavelength corresponding to an absorption band of dimethyldibenzothiophene. The hydrocarbon fuel may be in a liquid or an aerosol state. The oxygen may be provided by pure oxygen gas, by N2O, or by air, and may be diluted by an inert carrier gas, such as N2. Exemplary wavelengths of the laser radiation include 193 nm, 248 nm, and 266 nm. Sulfur is eliminated from DMDBT as elemental sulfur or gaseous sulfides and sulfur oxides, which are easily separated from the hydrocarbon fuels.
US07871481B2
A method of continuously manufacturing a hermetic plastic zipper wherein the plastic zipper has a readily peelable plastic layer prolonging in a lengthwise direction of the plastic zipper, the readily peelable plastic layer is welded using ultrasonic wave so that the peeling intensity of the welded portion is within a certain range, the method is characterized in that while the engaging portions are brought into a engaged state, the portion of the plastic zipper where the readily peelable plastic layer exists is inserted between an ultrasonic horn and an anvil, and the readily peelable layer is welded by using ultrasonic wave under a condition wherein the distance L between the ultrasonic horn and the anvil is uniformly held at an distance of H≧L≧0.85H wherein H stands for a maximum thickness of the plastic zipper under the engaged state.
US07871476B2
A magnesium alloy exhibiting high strength and high ductility, characterized in that it comprises 0.03 to 0.54 atomic % of certain solute atoms belonging to 2 Group, 3 Group or Lanthanoids of the Periodic Table and having an atomic radius larger than that of magnesium and the balanced amount of magnesium, and has a fine crystal grain structure wherein solute atoms having an average crystal grain diameter of 1.5 μm or less and being unevenly present in the vicinity of crystal grain boundaries at a concentration being 1.5 to 10 times that within crystal grains, wherein an atom selected from the group consisting of Ca, Sr, Ba, Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Th, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu can be used as the above solute atom; and a method for producing the magnesium alloy. The above magnesium alloy is novel and achieves high strength and high ductility at the same time.
US07871475B2
The object of the present invention is to provide a rare earth magnet which enables to achieve a good balance between high coercive force and high residual magnetic flux density, and its manufacturing method. The present invention provides a rare earth magnet in which a layered grain boundary phase is formed on a surface or a potion of a grain boundary of Nd2Fe14B which is a main phase of an R—Fe—B (R is a rare-earth element) based magnet, and wherein the grain boundary phase contains a fluoride compound, and wherein a thickness of the fluoride compound is 10 μm or less, or a thickness of the fluoride compound is from 0.1 μm to 10 μm, and wherein the coverage of the fluoride compound over a main phase particle is 50% or more on average. Moreover, after layering fluoride compound powder, which is formed in plate-like shape, in the grain boundary phase, the rare earth magnet is manufactured by quenching the layered compound after melting it at a vacuum atmosphere at a predetermined temperature, or by heating and pressing the main phase and the fluoride compound to make the fluoride compound into a layered fluoride compound along the grain boundary phase.
US07871471B2
It is intended to prevent an increase in the quantity of particles on a test-piece substrate having undergone processing executed at a low temperature equal to or lower than 0° C. In an inspection method adopted when inspecting the state inside a processing chamber by measuring the quantity of particles on a test-piece substrate, i.e., a test-piece wafer, the test-piece wafer W having undergone a specific type of test processing inside the processing chamber is carried out into a transfer chamber via a loadlock chamber after holding it in the loadlock chamber over a predetermined length of time while delivering a dried inert gas into the loadlock chamber. The predetermined length of time is set to a value at which the increase in the quantity of particles on the test-piece wafer can be kept down at least within an acceptable range.
US07871468B2
Ultra-fine microcrystalline cellulose compositions are disclosed which comprise co-attrited microcrystalline cellulose and a hydrocolloid. The compositions have a mean particle size of less than 10 microns. The compositions are prepared by subjecting a high solids mixture of microcrystalline cellulose and a hydrocolloid to high shear forces in the presence of an anti slip agent preferably an aqueous solution of an inorganic salt. The compositions are especially useful in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic and industrial applications.
US07871465B2
Problem: To improve clogging and ink droplet deflection.Solving Means: An ink composition comprising at least water, a colorant and an aromatic compound having a carboxyl group, which contains at least one member selected from the group consisting of a sodium ion, a potassium ion and an ammonium ion and also contains a lithium ion. Alternatively, an ink composition comprising at least water, a specific cyan dye and an aromatic compound having a carboxyl group, which contains a lithium ion and also contains a sodium ion and/or a potassium ion.
US07871463B2
A dust collection device has a tank, a suction unit, a filtering unit, a dust removal unit, a first detection unit, and a control unit. The tank has an air inlet for accommodating dust. The suction unit aspirates the dust through the air inlet. The filtering unit captures the dust through the air inlet. The dust removal unit removes the dust from the filtering unit. The first detection unit detects an operational state of the suction unit. The control unit controls the suction unit and the dust removal unit. The control unit activates the dust removal unit, when the first detection unit detects that the suction unit operates for a first predetermined time period and then stops operating.
US07871462B2
A dialysis fluid cassette includes a rigid portion defining at least one valve chamber, the rigid portion further defining an air separation chamber, the air separation chamber when in an operating position including an inner surface, a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet and configured to cause a dialysis fluid to spiral around the inner surface toward the fluid outlet, such that air is removed from the dialysis fluid.
US07871458B2
There is provided a heating system for a building comprising; i) a heater; ii) a media flow passage through which a medium heated by the heater passes in order to distribute heat through the building; and iii) a heat recovery apparatus for recovering latent heat of adsorption from a humid gas. The heat recovery apparatus comprises a) a gas flow passage connected at one end to a source of humid gas; b) a desiccant material provided within the gas flow passage such that the humid gas contacts the desiccant material and water vapor is adsorbed releasing latent heat of adsorption; wherein the media flow passage and gas flow passage are in heat exchanging relationship, such that when the desiccant material adsorbs water vapor from the exhaust gas the latent of the adsorption is at least partially transmitted to the medium.
US07871453B2
A specifically defined powder composition is provided wherein there is a requirement that the specified lubricant always be liquid at room temperature. Such powder composition contains coarse iron or iron-based powder having an average particle size between 75 and 300 μm wherein less than 10% of the powder particles have a size below 45 μm and the amount of particles above 212 μm is above 20%, and as a lubricant at least one non-drying oil or a vegetable or animal based fatty acid having a crystalline melting point below 25° C., and a viscosity (η) at 40° C. above 15 mPas, wherein said viscosity is temperature dependent according to the following formula: 10 log η=k/T+C, wherein k is the slope, T is the temperature in degrees Kelvin, and C is a constant, in an amount between 0.04 and 0.4% by weight of the composition and optional additives. The slope preferably is above 800.
US07871448B2
A system and method for the conversion of free fatty acids to glycerides and the subsequent conversion of glycerides to glycerin and biodiesel includes the transesterification of a glyceride stream with an alcohol. The fatty acid alkyl esters are separated from the glycerin to produce a first liquid phase containing a fatty acid alkyl ester rich (concentrated) stream and a second liquid phase containing a glycerin rich (concentrated) stream. The fatty acid alkyl ester rich stream is then subjected to distillation, preferably reactive distillation, wherein the stream undergoes both physical separation and chemical reaction. The fatty acid alkyl ester rich stream is then purified to produce a purified biodiesel product and a glyceride rich residue stream. Biodiesel may be further recovered from the glyceride rich residue stream, by further separation of and/or processing of glycerides/free fatty acids contained therein. The glycerin rich second liquid phase stream may further be purified to produce a purified glycerin product and a (second) wet alcohol stream. Neutralization of the alkaline stream, formed during the alkali-catalyzed transesterification process, may proceed by the addition of a mineral or an organic acid.
US07871445B2
The present disclosure relates to a dye composition for keratin fibers, such as keratin fibers, for example the hair, comprising, in a medium suitable for dyeing: at least one nonionic derivative of cellulose comprising at least one hydrophobic substituent containing from 8 to 30 carbon atoms; at least one oxidation base chosen from diaminodiazacyclopentene derivatives; and at least one oxidation coupler; and a process for dyeing keratin fibers using such a composition.
US07871443B2
Apparatus and methods for a keel for use in a prosthetic foot. In an embodiment, the keel comprises a forefoot portion having a toe end, wherein the forefoot portion comprises a first material. In addition, the keel comprises a mid-foot portion contiguous with the forefoot portion, wherein the mid-foot portion comprises a second material. Further, the keel comprises a heel portion contiguous with the mid-foot portion, wherein the heel portion comprises a third material. Still further, the second material and third material comprise different materials.
US07871441B2
A cervical fixation device, for insertion between a pair of adjacent cervical vertebrae, includes a frame comprised of a first material. The frame has a generally rectangular proximal end and a generally rectangular distal end. The distal end is connected to the proximal end by at least one upper arch and at least one lower arch. The upper and lower arches are spaced apart from each other. The frame has a generally hollow interior, substantially open lateral sides between the upper and lower arches and a substantially open proximal end.
US07871437B2
An intraocular lens for providing accommodative vision to a subject includes a frame disposed about an optical axis, a first optical element, a second optical element, and a connecting element operably coupling the frame to the optical elements. The frame comprises an anterior frame element and a posterior frame element. The connecting element is configured to convert a first displacement between the frame elements in a direction that is substantially parallel to the optical axis into a second displacement between the optical elements that is substantially perpendicular to the optical axis. The second displacement may be translational and/or rotation. In some embodiments, the optical elements are two varifocal lenses.
US07871434B2
Described are percutaneous vascular valves (11) free of attached support structures and deployment systems (31) and methods for providing attachment of the valves within a vascular vessel.
US07871433B2
The invention is directed to two minimally invasive therapeutic procedures, particularly for patients with congestive heart failure, and devices and systems for such procedures. One procedure involves providing a valved passageway through the patient's left ventricular wall at the apex of the patient's heart and advancing instruments through the valved passageway to connect the valve leaflets of the patient's heart valve, e.g. the mitral valve, in a “Bow-Tie” configuration to prevent or minimize regurgitation through the valve. The second procedure involves advancing a pacing lead and a pacing lead implanting device through a trocar in the patient's chest and implanting the pacing lead on an exposed epicardial region of the patient's heart wall. The pacing lead has a penetrating electrode which is secured within the heart wall. One or both procedures may be performed on a patient with CHF.Improved devices for these procedures include a minimally invasive grasping device having an inner lumen for advancing connecting members and other instruments through the device to the distal end thereof. Other improved devices include a pacing lead implant instrument which is releasably secured by its distal end to the exposed heart wall to facilitate penetration of the pacing lead electrode into the heart wall. Other improved instruments include a leaflet connector with an artificial cordae tendenae strand secured to an end of the leaflet connector.
US07871428B2
A surgical barrier device includes an inflatable thermal blanket with an attached surgical drape. The inflatable thermal blanket is inflatable through an inlet by a thermally-controlled inflating medium. An aperture array on the undersurface of the inflatable thermal blanket exhausts the thermally controlled inflating medium from the inflatable thermal blanket. The surgical drape extends from the inflatable thermal blanket and is sized to substantially cover the entirety of the patient's body. Where patient access is required, that drape has an opening to provide access to a surgical site.
US07871427B2
A system and method for portably delivering a therapeutic dose of heat to the skin to relieve pain, reduce accommodation of thermal nerve receptors, promote healing, and deliver transcutaneous medications. The heating device is user programmable or pre-programmed to deliver according to a variety of cycles, patterns and algorithms. The cycles, patterns, and algorithms of the heat are programmable parameters, are under the user's control, and increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the device. The heating algorithms are designed to interact with an individual user's thermal nerve receptors and other tissue characteristics and to reduce the tendency of the receptors to accommodate to the external stimuli with back pain, muscular pain, dysmenorrhea, headaches, fibromyalgia, post-herpetic neuralgia, nerve injuries and neuropathies, and sprains and strain. The device can also be used in conjunction with existing medical devices such as Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulators (TENS) to increase the effectiveness of TENS devices.
US07871426B2
An implantable spinous process stabilization assembly includes a body, a bent arm and a straight arm. The body includes first and second crosspieces arranged parallel to each other, a first plate extending in a direction at right angle to first ends of the first and second crosspieces, first and second rings extending from second ends of the first and second crosspieces, respectively and a second plate extending from a base of the first and second rings, at right angle to the first and second crosspieces and in an opposite direction to the first plate's direction. The bent arm and the straight arm are configured to pivot around an axis perpendicular to the first and second rings and to set first and second pivot angles with the first and second plates, respectively, thereby defining first and second spaces configured to receive and lock onto first and second spinous processes, respectively.
US07871423B2
Forceps for performing endoscopic or arthroscopic surgery include a body assembly, a tube assembly, and a pair of handles that pivot with respect to the body. The tube assembly is removably attached to the body assembly. The tube assembly includes a hollow tube and a tip assembly. The tip assembly includes an electrode or a blade for performing the surgery. The tip assembly and the blade are connected to the body and the handles by a cable. As the handles pivot, the cable slides within the tube to move the blade. When a different tube assembly (i.e., a bipolar or a monopolar electrode) or another style of tip assembly are desired, the installed one is removed and replaced by a new tube assembly or tip assembly as desired.
US07871421B2
A therapeutic ring to be worn on an outer finger. The therapeutic ring includes a ring band and a pair of projections, the pair spaced on the ring band and extending from an inner surface of the ring band to apply continuous pressure to opposed sides only of an arterial or meridian channel in the outer finger.
US07871417B2
Methods and devices for perfusing a blood vessel during the entire course of an end-to-side or end-to-end anastomosis procedure. One method can be used to form an end-to-side anastomosis of a saphenous vein graft to a coronary artery during an off-pump, beating heart, coronary artery bypass graft. In this example, the distal end of an elongate tube carrying a saphenous vein graft is advanced into an arteriotomy distal to an occlusion in the coronary artery. Perfusing blood flow is provided through the tube to the coronary artery, the vein graft is advanced over the tube to the arteriotomy and sutured completely to the coronary artery. The elongate tube can be retracted through the now secured vein graft, and the coronary artery supplied again from the proximal end of the vein graft. Some tubular devices include a reversibly expandable distal region, to form a seal between the inserted tube and the coronary artery being perfused, to prevent blood flow into the surgical field.
US07871410B2
A system (10) for heating a biological site in a patient's body includes a transformer (14) having a primary winding and a secondary winding. The secondary winding has a tap (24) to provide a ground reference and two sources of radio frequency (RF) energy. An active electrode (16) is connected to each source to apply energy from its associated source to the site, the energy applied by one electrode (16) being out of phase with the energy applied by the other electrode (16).
US07871409B2
Methods and devices for forming a lesion in a target tissue having a cavity within. A first RF electrode and a second RF electrode can be coupled to opposite poles of an RF current source. The second electrode can be inserted into the tissue cavity and expanded to contact the target tissue from within. The first electrode can be externally disposed against the target tissue while applying RF current between the first and second electrodes to ablate the target tissue. Some methods are directed to ablating tribiculated atrial wall tissue to treat atrial fibrillation. The second electrode can contact the tribiculated tissue directly from within to provide a direct path between the two electrodes. In some methods, the second electrode is inserted through an incision made to remove an atrial appendage. The methods can provide deeper, narrower lesions relative to those made using remote, indifferent electrodes. Atrial fibrillation ablation procedures can be performed using the invention, requiring fewer incisions than conventional methods.
US07871407B2
An electronic circuit for identifying an electrical surgical tool and for providing a selectable constant current appropriate to the identified electrical surgical tool.
US07871399B2
A disposable injection device has a dispensing chamber housing, a plunger, a needle, and a temperature control device. The dispensing chamber housing has an inner surface and an outer surface. The inner surface partially defines a dispensing chamber for receiving a quantity of a substance. The plunger is engaged with the inner surface of the dispensing chamber housing, is capable of sliding in the dispensing chamber housing, and is fluidly sealed to the inner surface of the dispensing chamber housing. The plunger has a plunger interface. The needle is fluidly coupled to the dispensing chamber. The temperature control device at least partially surrounds the dispensing chamber housing and alters a temperature of the substance in the dispensing chamber. The substance is injected after the temperature of the substance is altered.
US07871395B2
The present invention may include a medical device having a handle, a catheter coupled to the handle, and an expandable element coupled to the catheter. The medical device may also include first and second elongate bodies that traverse a length of the handle and catheter. A housing may be disposed within the handle, wherein the housing defines a first opening able to receive a portion of the first elongate body, a second opening able to receive a portion of the second elongate body, and a third opening opposite the first and second openings able to receive a portion of both the first and second elongate bodies. A separation element may be disposed within the housing, with the separation element defining a path able to receive a portion of the second elongate body, and whereby a portion of the first elongate body forms a loop around the separation element.
US07871389B2
A structural element for a sports shoe provided with a casing able to be selectively configured between a first rigid condition and a second flexible condition. The structural element comprises a tongue, shaped and provided at least with a first segment, or lower segment, attached to the casing, and a second segment, or upper segment, pivoted to the first segment, so as to be selectively taken to a first operating position in which the second segment is rigidly aligned with the first segment, and a second operating position in which the second segment is free to incline with respect to the first segment and substantially follows the movement of the tibial zone of the user's leg.
US07871388B2
Provided is a device for improving the posture of a patient comprising a garment and a pair of tension straps. The garment is configured to tightly envelope the patient's torso and the patient's upper arms. The garment has an inner surface, a front side and a back side. The front side includes a chest portion. The back side includes a back portion. The garment defines opposing shoulder portions and a waist portion. The tension straps are releaseably securable to the back portion in diagonal relation to one another. Each one of the tension straps has opposed free ends that extend upwardly from the back portion to the chest portion and downwardly to the waist portion. The device includes viscoelastic pads releaseably mounted on the inner surface of the garment generally opposite the free ends and are configured to restrict movement of the free ends relative to the patient's skin.
US07871387B2
A compression apparatus is provided that includes a sleeve configured for disposal about a limb. The sleeve includes a first portion defining a first expandable chamber and a second portion defining a second expandable chamber and a third expandable chamber. The second portion includes a connector in fluid communication with a pressurized fluid source and the chambers thereby facilitating fluid communication between the pressurized fluid source and the chambers. The first portion is removable from the second portion. The first portion may be connected to the second portion via a perforated attachment. The sleeve may define at least one ventilation opening. The connector can communicate with the chambers via a tubular pathway. The sleeve may be convertible from a length extending from below a knee to above the knee, to a length extending solely below the knee.
US07871386B2
A miniature electrically powered massage vibrator includes an outermost shell slideably holding a vibrating body, i.e., a vibration generator. The vibrating body contains a power source of button-type battery cells for powering a motor of the vibration generator encased inside the body, and a power switching mechanism. Sliding movement of the outermost shell relative to the vibrating body provides the switching on/off functions of the electric power. The massage vibrator is useful for sexual assistance or marital aid or therapeutic use.
US07871382B2
The preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a single microprocessor-based interface that connects between a noninvasive blood pressure (NIBP) sensor and an invasive blood pressure (IBP) monitor or module. The interface effectively emulates an IBP transducer in such a way that the IBP monitor sees the interface as if it were a regular IBP transducer from a fluid-filled blood pressure monitoring line. It receives the signal from an NIBP sensor and determines the blood pressure corresponding to the signal. It accepts the excitation voltage provided by the IBP monitor. From the excitation voltage and a known transducer sensitivity which the IBP monitor is configured to work with, the interface emulates the IBP transducer output signal corresponding to the blood pressure. The interface also emulates the input and output impedances of the IBP transducer which the IBP monitor is configured to work with. Zeroing of the interface with the IBP monitor can be easily performed in a way that is similar to that for a fluid-filled system. A noninvasive system comprising a suitable NIBP sensor and this interface can be used as an alternative to the fluid-filled monitoring line.
US07871380B2
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus having a function of obtaining a tomographic image and an elastic image is adaptable to not only a close examination mode, but also a screening mode, and obtains an elastic image suitable for each examination purpose. Accordingly, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention comprises tomographic image acquisition means for transmitting an ultrasonic wave from a probe to a body being examined, and receiving a reflection echo signal corresponding to the transmission of the ultrasonic wave to obtain a tomographic image, elastic image acquisition means having a first acquisition mode for determining a tissue elasticity amount of a biomedical tissue of the body being examined on the basis of the reflection echo signal to obtain an elastic image, and display means for displaying at least the elastic image. The elastic image acquisition means has a second acquisition mode different from the first acquisition mode.
US07871379B2
A display mode switching unit is provided to input a display mode switching signal for selecting a dynamic image display mode and a freeze image display mode. A display format setting unit is provided to set a first display format for displaying image data and time-series data by Left/Right. The display format setting unit sets a second display format for displaying the image data and time-series data by Up/Down or for displaying the time-series data. A display data generation unit generates display data including the first display format when the dynamic image display mode is selected. The display data generation unit generates display data including the second display format when the freeze image display mode is selected.
US07871376B2
Method for treating a medical condition in a human patient comprising choosing a psychological strategy for treating the medical condition, encoding electronic instructions for an interactive video game in such a way that the interactive video game implements the psychological strategy, loading the electronic instructions into a microprocessor-based unit equipped with a display for displaying the interactive video game and with an patient input device for receiving responses to the interactive video game from the human patient, and instructing the human patient how and when to use the microprocessor-based unit to play the interactive video game. The interactive video game contains instructions for a scoring procedure for quantitatively analyzing the medical condition of the human patient, and/or counseling instructions or self-care instructions. The video game can be used in conjunction with a physical parameter measuring device connected to the microprocessor-based unit.
US07871375B2
The present invention provides an LED lighting apparatus and a method of using the same for illumination of a body cavity. In one aspect, the present invention provides a method of surgery in which one incision is made for hands and surgical instruments, and another incision is made for insertion of an LED lighting device. Both incisions open into the same cavity, and the lighting device provides continuous internal lighting to the body cavity where the operation is occurring. In another aspect, a method and apparatus are described that provide internal chandelier lighting to an internal body cavity using a plurality of switched LED's for surgical without damaging tissue within the body cavity.
US07871371B2
An endoscope system comprises an endoscope, manipulating unit, and controlling unit. The endoscope is equipped with an elongated and flexible insertion tube being inserted into an object being examined and formed to be used in combination with a therapeutic instrument. The insertion tube has a distal section accommodating therein at least an optical system for imaging and presenting a longitudinal direction. The manipulating unit is manually manipulated for commanding operations of at least the therapeutic instrument and formed to be loaded to the insertion tube and slidable along the insertion tube in the longitudinal direction thereof. The controlling unit controls at least the therapeutic instrument based on a command from the manipulating unit.
US07871365B2
An apparatus is described for irradiating cervical cancer, comprising multiple source guide tubes with a coupling piece situated outside the patient that connects the tubes outside the patient. The source guide tubes are formed such that the portions of the tubes situated in the patient upon insertion hook to each other so that the tubes are locked relative to each other. In an embodiment, the apparatus further comprises a central catheter tube to be guided into the uterus, which is provided with a flange-shaped stop for stabilizing the central tube relative to the uterus, the stop being formed for securing a position of the central tube relative to the further source guide tubes.
US07871356B2
An arm mechanism for an elliptical exerciser comprises a linkage having a first end pivotally mounted to a frame of the elliptical exerciser, and a second end receiving a reciprocating movement from a foot pedal of the elliptical exerciser. An arm member has a handling portion to be handled by a user of the elliptical exerciser, and a coupling portion to be coupled to the first end of the linkage. A coupling mechanism releasably couples the linkage to the arm member such that the linkage and the arm member rotate jointly about the frame upon the linkage receiving the reciprocating movement from the foot pedal in a coupled position of the coupling mechanism, and for decoupling the arm member from the linkage in a decoupled position of the coupling mechanism to prevent rotation of the arm member while the linkage rotates.
US07871350B2
A locking differential includes an annular center cam member freely rotatably supported within an annular central driver member without the use of any keying device, such as a snap ring, thereby to simply the construction and assembly of the differential, and to reduce cost. The center cam member is longitudinally maintained in place by the biasing forces applied to the clutch members arranged on opposite sides of the central driver member by helical compression springs arranged externally concentrically about the side gears, respectively, and by the holdout rings that are connected with the clutch members. The center cam member and the central driver member have adjacent outer and inner circumferential surfaces, respectively, that are smooth, continuous, and uninterrupted. The holdout rings are rotatably connected at their remote ends with the clutch members by integral annular outer ribs that extend within corresponding grooves contained in the counterbore wall surfaces.
US07871346B2
A bicycle derailleur includes a mounting member, at least one linkage member, a movable chain guide and a chain guide tensioning mechanism. The mounting member is configured to be attached to a bicycle frame. The linkage member is supported to the mounting member. The movable member is movably coupled to the mounting member via the linkage member. The chain guide is pivotally connected to the movable member to pivot about a pivot axis that extends through the movable member. The chain guide also supports a guide pulley and a tension pulley. The chain guide tensioning mechanism is supported to the movable member at a point spaced apart from the pivot axis configured to bias the chain guide in a direction about the pivot axis.
US07871334B2
A golf club head includes a club head having a plurality of components and a plurality of retaining members, with each retaining member positioned on one of the components. A tensioning assembly for releasably securing the components of the club head together includes a tension element coupled to the club head components by way of the retaining members, and a tensioning member for introducing tension into the tension element.
US07871330B2
An electro-mechanical device for providing an input to a computer program and said computer program providing a tactile output through said electro-mechanical device to a user. More specifically, the present invention provides an electro-mechanical virtual sword game apparatus that receives positional information from sensors on the sword apparatus and the sword apparatus contains a propulsion gyrostat that under the control of a computer process may be topple to provide a torque on the housing of the sword apparatus that may be used to simulate the impact of sword blows.
US07871320B2
A thresher basket arrangement for a combine with a thresher basket and with a harvested crop processing arrangement located ahead of the inlet to the thresher basket which includes a body with a first group of projections and a second group of projections arranged on the surface of the body, where the body can be pivoted about a pivot axis extending along the inlet side of the thresher basket between a first position in which the projections of the first group interact with the harvested crop and a second position in which a smooth guide surface interacts with the harvested crop. The body is provided with a consistent shape at least in the area of the smooth guide surface and of the projections of the first group and that it is spaced at the same distance from the pivot axis in the area of the smooth guide surface and of the projections of the first group.
US07871318B2
An oscillator device is configured to be attached to a vent in an interior of an automotive vehicle. The device includes a housing and a fan element pivotally coupled thereto. The fan element has a plurality of radially outwardly extending channels for causing rotation of the fan element relative to the housing and for distributing air radially outwardly from the vent as air passes from the vent and through the housing.
US07871316B2
A passage opening and closing device has first and second doors for respectively opening and closing passages defined in a case. The first and second doors have first and second rotation shafts, respectively. Each of the first and second rotation shafts includes a projection on its first end and a cylindrical portion defining an engaging hole on its second end. When the first and second doors are assembled in a first assembled condition where the projections extend in opposite directions and the cylindrical portions are rotatably engaged with a second supporting portion of a shaft receiving portion, the first and second rotation shafts are independently rotatable. When the first and second doors are assembled in a second assembled condition where the projection of the second rotation shaft is engaged with the engaging hole of the first rotation shaft, relative rotation of the first and second rotation shafts is restricted.
US07871315B2
Devices for gathering sausage casings (1) filled with filling material, include at least one gathering element (2a, 2b) which can be fed from an initial position to an end position in the direction of the casing axis, and a mechanical drive (4a, 4b) for this gathering element (2a, 2b), which is assigned a control unit (6) for the movement sequence of the gathering element (2a, 2b). The devices are characterized in that the control unit (6) is designed in such a way that, automatically, the gathering element (2a, 2b) can be stopped during the feed movement in a forward reversal position between initial and end position, moved back in the direction of the initial position, stopped again in a rear reversal position and set moving in the direction of the end position again.
US07871311B2
A belt sander is disclosed that may include a sanding assembly having a first roller and a second roller, the sanding assembly being configured to receive a sanding belt around the first roller and the second roller to define a sanding surface therebetweeen. The belt sander may include a motor operationally coupled to the sanding assembly and opposite the sanding surface, the motor being configured to rotate at least the first roller and thereby rotate the sanding belt around the first roller and the second roller, as well as a handgrip formed around at least a portion of the motor and substantially encasing the motor.
US07871294B2
A connector has an insulative housing and two edge card-receiving slots disposed in a stacked arrangement with in the insulative housing. Each slot receives an edge card of an electronic module therein. The slots support conductive terminals that extend from a plurality of individual terminal assemblies. The housing may be positioned in a cage that includes receptacles on a front face of the cage.
US07871288B1
A power connector structure is provided. The present invention includes a cable having a plurality of cores and each core provided with a terminal electrically connected thereto, an inner holder structure configured for fixing those cores and providing electricity isolation among those terminals, an inner case, a strain relief structure, and an external cover. The inner case has a main body and a plurality of out-extending positioned protrusions extending outwards from the edge of a side opening of the main body and towards the cable, wherein the out-extending positioned protrusions are disposed between those cores to separate those cores from each other. The strain relief structure is set on the side opening and substantially filled with the gap within the side opening, wherein the strain relief structure covers the out-extending positioned protrusions and a portion of the cable.
US07871282B2
A new and improved aircraft power connector, for electrical connection to an aircraft electrical connector, has incorporated thereon a dual-position mechanism which can effectively alter the engagement force level defined between the electrical connector contact pins of the aircraft power connector and the aircraft electrical connector. When the mechanism is disposed at a first position, the force level is relatively low so as to easily permit connection and disconnection, whereas when the mechanism is disposed at a second position, the force level is relatively high so as to ensure the connection of the aircraft power connector to the aircraft electrical connector and thereby prevent the inadvertent disconnection of the aircraft power connector from the aircraft electrical connector.
US07871279B2
Receptacles configured to securely mate with hazardous area plugs are provided. The receptacles include a housing, a locking plate, and a sliding lockout key. The sliding lockout key prevents the locking plate from rotating when the receptacle and plug are disconnected or when a standard plug is inserted into the receptacle. When the proper plug is inserted into the receptacle, the sliding key portion is depressed and allows rotation of the locking plate. Upon rotation, pins from the plug contact internal pins of the receptacle and make an electrical connection.
US07871264B2
A burner assembly for a gas powered cooking appliance is provided. The burner assembly may include a burner body including a central region and a plurality of radiating extensions extending radially outward from the central region. The burner assembly may include a burner cap with a central region and a plurality of radiating extensions extending radially outward from the central region. The burner cap is positioned on top of the burner body when the burner is assembled. The burner cap may include at least one overhang positioned on the outer perimeter of the central region and between an adjacent pair of radiating extensions. The at least one overhang forms a gap between the exterior wall of the burner body and the interior wall of the overhang. This gap, or flame stabilization chamber, provides for collection of gases and flame that aid in maintaining the flame during low temperature operation.
US07871231B2
An elevation conveyor 5 includes a turntable 17 and a roller conveyor 18. The roller conveyor 18 is supported onto the turntable 17. A turntable controller 7 turns the turntable 17 so that the roller conveyor 18 matches with a carrying direction of a conveyor rail for receiving or delivering a load and then drives the conveyor rail and the roller conveyor 18 to receive or deliver an FOUP 8. An elevation conveyor 5 is held in a cable 20a installed in an elevation space 9 through a coupling member 20b of a cableveyor 20, and can freely elevate and stop at a port 21 installed on each floor while being interlocked with motion of the cableveyor 20 caused by reciprocating circulation of the cableveyor 20 in a vertical direction by an elevation conveyor controller 4.
US07871218B2
A coupling mechanism, in particular for medical instruments, having a coupler plug and a coupler socket for inserting the coupler plug, where the coupler socket and coupler plug can be secured to one another by at least one spring-loaded catch connection, where the catch connection can be actuated by a safety mechanism and can be released by the coupler plug inserted into the coupler socket. To create a coupling mechanism that is simple to operate and ensures secure catching connection of the components and that are to be connected with one another, the safety mechanism should be configured as a spring-loaded catch element positioned in the coupler socket.
US07871216B2
A medium supporting member, which is used in an image forming apparatus, includes: a plurality of ribs that support a recording medium; and an irradiation target portion that has a flat and smooth surface which is irradiated with a light by a light emitting unit of the image forming apparatus, wherein: a reflected light of the light emitted by the light emitting unit is detected by a light receiving unit of the image forming apparatus, and a presence or absence of the recording medium in the irradiation target portion is detected based on a quantity of the reflected light; and a distance between the irradiation target portion and the recording medium is increased in a direction from the light receiving unit to the light emitting unit.
US07871214B2
According to one embodiment, a keyboard unit that includes a keyboard body having a key top and a detecting unit detecting water. The detecting unit is positioned on the keyboard body so as to facing to an under side of the key top.
US07871213B2
A printer configured to print on substrates that undesirably tend to collect debris before being printed, comprises a print station including a printhead, and a printer body configured to receive a replaceable cartridge that holds a printer consumable (such as a ribbon) and a substrate cleaning structure. The printer body is constructed and arranged so that when a cartridge is received in the body, the cleaning structure is operable to at least assist in removing debris from a substrate. The cleaning structure may comprise a tacky or sticky belt, web or roller. The cleaning structure may be configured to present a sticky surface to a primary cleaning member that engages and cleans the substrates. Alternatively, the cleaning structure may be configured to directly engage and clean the substrates. Preferably, the useful lives of the cleaning structure and the printer consumable are commensurate. Also disclosed is a replaceable cartridge that holds both a printer consumable and a substrate cleaning structure, the cartridge being configured so that when it is received in a printer it is operable to at least assist in removing debris from a substrate. Also disclosed are a method of cleaning an information-receiving surface of a substrate and a method of cleaning a substrate-cleaning member of a substrate printer.
US07871211B2
A coating and developing system has a first processing block, a second processing block, and a transfer block interposed between the first and the second processing block. A first direct carrying means carries substrates from a carrier block to the transfer block. The transfer block distributes the substrates to respective film forming unit blocks of the first and the second processing block. Substrates on which films have been formed by the first and the second processing block are collected temporarily in the transfer block. A second direct carrying means carries the substrate collected in the transfer block from the transfer block to an interface block. Use of the first and the second processing block can improve the throughput of the coating and developing system. Since a carrying route from the carrier block to the first processing block, and a carrying route from the carrier block to the second processing block are the same, a carrying program is easy to create.
US07871208B2
A lens barrel unit with a lens barrier highly resistant to infiltration of external dirt, dust, and water has a pair of blade members each pivotally movable about a barrier joint hole. Engaging shafts connect to the blade members. The engaging shafts extend coaxially with the barrier joint holes about which the blade members pivotally move. A barrier driving ring applies a driving force to each engaging shafts to rotate it about the corresponding barrier joint hole. The lens barrel has a pair of through holes through which the engaging shafts are rotatably inserted. The engaging shafts are driven for rotation by the driving force transmitted to hook parts of the rotary shaft. The blade members are pivotally movable in the optical axis direction. The lens barrel also serves as a barrier base plate and is disposed between the blade members and the barrier driving ring.
US07871205B2
A base, securely attachable to any type of watertight housing for an underwater camera without causing rotational displacement during its use for underwater photography, includes an elongated main body and a holder plate disposed on the main body which is transversely movable. The base has a protrusion for preventing transverse motion of a pedestal or a leg structure on the housing. A pair of set screws is provided in addition to a fixing screw that is passed through a fixing hole through the base main body to fasten the base to the camera housing. The base main body has a fixing hole for the fixing screw and a pair of elongated holes for passing the set screws so as to be transversely movable. The holder plate has an elongated hole for passing the fixing screw so as to be transversely movable and screw holes for engaging the set screws.
US07871204B2
Disclosed is a lens barrel capable of placing at least a part of multiple lens groups in a retraction status in which the part of the multiple lens groups are accommodated in the lens barrel, and at least a part of the multiple lens groups in a photographing status in which the part of the multiple lens groups are moved closer to an object. The distance between a first lens group (11) located closest to the object and a second lens group (12) located second closest to the object changes in the optical axis direction. A spring mechanism (30) having a compression spring function and a torsion coil spring function in combination is arranged between the first lens group (11) and the second lens group (12). This spring mechanism biases (30) at least the second lens group (12) in the optical axis direction and in a rotational direction in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis.
US07871198B2
A high-temperature thermocouple and methods for fabricating a thermocouple capable of long-term operation in high-temperature, hostile environments without significant signal degradation or shortened thermocouple lifetime due to heat induced brittleness.
US07871192B2
An LED night light for night time or dark area use, such as a plug-in wall outlet night light or direct current (DC) operated night light, includes projection or image features to project or present an image, message, data, logo, or time on a ceiling, walls, floor, or other desired surface, or an optics element surface. The optics means may include an optics-lens, slide, convex lens, concave lens, openings, cut-outs, film, grating, or holographic element to create an image at a desired location. The night light may have an adjustable angle or distance between light source and optics-means, as well as other adjustable position, location, or orientation features.
US07871191B2
A side light type backlight having a light source including a plurality of LEDs, and a light guide plate. Opposing end surfaces of the light guide plate are light incidence surfaces at which the plurality of LEDs are arranged. Wherein a plurality of rows of the LEDs are arranged in a direction of a thickness of the light guide plate. Under a first option, each row of LEDs is arranged in a longitudinal direction of the light incidence surface of the light guide plate, and electrically connected to one another in series. Under a second option, each row of LEDs is arranged in a longitudinal direction of the light incidence surface of the light guide plate, with N number of the LEDs being electrically connected in series in which the LEDs adjacent to each other belong to different rows.
US07871190B2
A motor vehicle headlight that is able to emit a light beam on a roughly longitudinal axis and that comprises a housing that has a rear bottom and inside which there are arranged; at least one light source that is mounted fixedly in the housing; and at least one reflector that is mounted so as to pivot about a transverse axis with respect to the housing; wherein the headlight comprises an attached intermediate support element that is fixed inside the housing and on which the reflector is pivotally mounted.
US07871189B2
A warning lamp and handlebar assembly for a bicycle includes a handlebar, a warning lamp mounted on a distal end of the handlebar, and a clamping body mounted between the handlebar and the warning lamp to attach the warning lamp to the handlebar. Thus, the warning lamp is attached to the handlebar by clamping connection of the clamping body to provide a lighting and warning effect. In addition, the warning lamp and the handlebar are clamped by the clamping body so that the warning lamp is attached to the handlebar solidly and stably. Further, the warning lamp is locked onto and unlocked from the handlebar by tightening and loosening the clamping body, so that the warning lamp is mounted on and detached from the handlebar easily and quickly.
US07871184B2
A heat dissipating structure includes a cover. The cover includes an inner heat dissipating body and an outer heat dissipating body. The inner heat dissipating body includes a cylinder and a plurality of first fins extending from an outer surface of the cylinder. The outer heat dissipating body includes a ring portion encircling a part of the inner heat dissipating body and a plurality of second fins extending from one side of the ring portion. In this way, more heat dissipating fins and larger heat dissipating surface area can be formed to enhance heat conduction and dissipation effect when restricted by the size of cover. A lamp with this heat dissipating structure is also provided. A service life of the LED in the lamp can be greatly prolonged.
US07871180B2
A lighting bar assembly includes at least two lighting bar and at least one connector. Each lighting bar of the at least two lighting bars includes an enclosure, a circuit board, at least one power supply device, four male terminals, and two end caps. The enclosure is coupled to the circuit board. The circuit board includes a plurality of light-emitting diodes. The enclosure forms an interior space receiving the at least one power supply device. Each male terminal, the at least one power supply device and the circuit board are in electrical connection with one another. Opposite ends of the enclosure are respectively closed by the two end caps with the two end caps being in tight engagement with the enclosure. Each end cap forms a connection window in which the at least one connector is fit into the connection windows of the end caps. As such, advantages of easy manufacturing, enhanced lighting, small size, and easy replacement can be obtained.
US07871177B1
A light mounting apparatus is being proposed herein. The light mounting apparatus is formed to as to allow for versatile usage, in connection with a wide variety of tools, structures, and surfaces. Furthermore, the light mounting apparatus includes suitable connection structures to a light source in order to provide multiple degrees of freedom, thereby allowing a user to easily direct light beams to a desired location.
US07871176B2
An illuminator has two lines of LEDs on inwardly-directed faces of an elongate body which forms a mullion for a display cabinet. Heat conduction through the body to outer surfaces provides the durable effect of anti-sweat heating to prevent condensation in doors of the cabinet.
US07871175B1
An apparatus and method of drawing with light. The apparatus comprising of a cylindrically shaped body which houses a light emitting diode of various colors and intensities. The apparatus additionally comprising of a lens which focuses the light emitted through an aperture of various sizes. Under darkroom conditions, the apparatus is manually passed over chosen areas of light sensitive paper to create drawings. Thereafter, the paper is developed with photo chemicals to expose the drawn images.
US07871174B2
A head band for diagnostic instruments comprising a light source and a battery has, at its back support part (12), a flat housing (21) for adjusting and fixing the head band length by means of a rotary knob (22). An accumulator module (31) optimized with regard to volume, weight and weight distribution can be mounted and detached by means of bayonet-type grooves (25) at the housing (21) and pins (33) at the accumulator module (31), and can be fixed by means of a resilient spring (26) at the housing (21) and a recess (34) in the accumulator module (31) without impairing the function of the rotary knob (22).
US07871169B2
A vehicular signal mirror includes a reflective mirror element comprising a mirror reflector on a light-transmitting substrate. The visible light reflectance is at least about 40% for visible light incident upon the front side of the reflective mirror element. A turn signal light display and/or a blind-spot indicator light display is disposed to the rear of the reflective mirror element and configured so that the light emitted by the light display passes through the reflective mirror element to be viewed by a viewer viewing from the front of the reflective mirror element. The light display exhibits, when electrically powered and when operated in the vehicle during day time driving conditions, a display luminance of at least about 60 foot lamberts as measured with the light display placed behind, and emitting light through, the reflective mirror element.
US07871168B2
An illumination system includes a first light source, a second light source, a light-uniforming component and a color wheel. The first light source is disposed at a side of the color wheel and provides a first light beam, and the second light source is disposed at another side of the color wheel and provides a second light beam. The light-uniforming component has a light incidence end and a light emitting end opposite to the light incidence end, and the first light source and the second light source are disposed beside the light incidence end. The color wheel includes a plurality of filter units with different colors, each includes a transmissive portion and a reflective portion for respectively making a part of the first light beam pass through to reach the light incidence end, and reflecting a part of the second light beam to reach the light incidence end.
US07871155B2
A fluid cartridge includes a fluid container, with the fluid container having a fluid chamber configured to store a fluid, a first passage configured to supply a fluid from an interior of the fluid chamber to an exterior, a first flexible sheet portion with first and second surfaces, and a second flexible sheet portion with third and fourth surfaces. The first flexible sheet portion deforms when a pressure difference is greater than or equal to a first value, and the second flexible sheet portion deforms when a pressure difference is greater than or equal to a second value. The fluid cartridge may also be used in a fluid amount detection system, with a light emitting portion, and a light receiving portion, where the second flexible sheet reflects light so that the reflected light reaches the light receiving portion.
US07871149B2
A head unit comprises: first and second heads, each having an ink ejecting face including a nozzle group, the nozzle group including plural nozzle rows extending in a first direction and arranged in a second direction orthogonal, each nozzle row including a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink arranged along the first direction at a predetermined interval; and a holder for holding the first and second heads. Each of the nozzle groups of the first and second heads includes a rectangular region in which the plurality of nozzles are arranged apart at a predetermined distance in the first direction to form a rectangular shape. The first and second heads are held by the holder in parallel with each other so that the plurality of nozzles included in the rectangular regions of the first and second heads, respectively, are arranged apart at the predetermined distance in the first direction.
US07871148B2
An inkjet cartridge printhead seal that is an elastomeric band with an outer perimeter, an inner perimeter and a width. The inner and outer perimeters define at least a first and a second thickness, with the second thickness greater than the first thickness. The band also has a seal located along the portion of the band that has the second thickness.
US07871139B2
A slide rail assembly is capable of being attached to a chassis associated with a post extending therefrom. The slide rail assembly includes a slide rail defining a mounting slot for receiving the post, a retaining member having a mounting portion fixed to the slide rail, an intermediate member slidably attached to the slide rail, and a releasing member pivoted connecting to the retaining member. The intermediate member includes a cutout configured to receive the post and be aligned with the mounting slot of the slide rail. The retaining member is capable of keeping the intermediate member from sliding with respect to the slide rail. The releasing member is capable of being pivoted to enable the intermediate member to slide with respect to the slide rail.
US07871137B2
A seal for a switchgear enclosure is described. The switchgear enclosure includes a case having an opening defined by a face frame the face frame having an inner frame surface along a face frame hinge side and a door for covering the opening. The door includes a door inner surface and a door hinge side pivotally attached to the face frame along the face frame hinge side. The seal includes a sealing member disposed along the door hinge side of the door adjacent the door inner surface and configured for movement substantially perpendicular to the door hinge side between a disengaged position and an engaged position. The sealing member comprises a flange for overlapping at least a portion of an inner surface of the face frame along the face frame hinge side when in the engaged position.
US07871134B2
A wheel hub, which has a central section and a radial section that is radially connected to the central section, a bearing section which axially protrudes from the central section and is used to receive a wheel bearing, and an axially opposing receiving section for receiving a brake disk and a wheel rim. Holes for receiving lug bolts are formed in the radial section. In order to produce an especially light wheel hub that can withstand all operating loads and provides a brake disk with a secure abutment surface under all operating conditions, the wheel hub has recesses at least between some holes, which fully penetrate the wall of the radial section of the wheel hub, and at least one reinforcing element is embodied on the radial end of the wheel hub.
US07871132B2
A seat belt system comprises a seat belt, a tongue, and a buckle. The seat belt includes webbing with a lap portion and a shoulder portion. The buckle receives and latches the tongue. The tongue includes a slot to receive the webbing. The webbing slides within the slot to connect the webbing to the tongue. The tongue further includes a cinching mechanism to cinch the webbing in the slot. The system also includes a cinching control module that initiates the cinching mechanism to cinch the webbing in the slot when a load of about 3.0 kN or more is exerted on the seat belt. The cinching mechanism prevents translation of the seat belt from the lap portion to the shoulder portion.
US07871131B2
A panel having particular utility in a chair or other apparatus for receiving an occupant in a seated position includes an envelope of resilient material having at least one small opening for receiving a substantially rigid and U-shaped envelope support frame. The envelope support frame is inserted into the envelope through the opening and positioned inside the envelope to tension the resilient material of the envelope in one or more tension zones. A rear support frame bar is then inserted into the opening and connected to the envelope support frame. The small opening may then be sewn closed, knitted, or heat sealed. The width of each tension zone when the envelope is in its relaxed state is different than the width of each immediately adjacent tension zone.
US07871125B2
An infant support includes a base member, a tray, a first leg, a second leg and an adjustment member. The base member includes a seat portion and an upright portion. The tray is configured to be removably coupled to the upright portion. The first leg is configured to support the base member and is slidably coupled to the base member such that the first leg can be selectively placed in a first position in which the first leg is retracted and a second position in which the first leg is fully extended. The second leg is configured to support the base member and is slidably coupled to the base member. The adjustment member is slidably coupled to the base member between the first leg and the second leg and is configured to retain the first leg in at least one of the first position or the second position.
US07871120B2
A four-door motor vehicle having a door sealing system for frameless doors, the body of which motor vehicle has a front (9) and a rear (11) door cutout, with an associated front door (7) and rear door, and a B pillar (4) between the door cutouts (9, 11), which B pillar (4) ends at the level of the sill (6), wherein the door cutouts (9, 11) are bordered by a primary seal (15, 17, 18). In order to meet high demands on impermeability, the primary seal (15, 17, 18) forms, at its part which surrounds the sill region of the B pillar (4), a sealing cushion (16) which projects outward from the B pillar, and the doors (7, 8) have, in the region of the cushion (16), molded parts (25, 35) which, when the doors are closed, bar against one another and against the sealing cushion (16), wherein the molded parts (25, 35) on the one hand seal off the windowpanes (23, 33) with respect to the door plates (20, 21, 30, 31) and on the other hand form a secondary seal (12) with one another, wherein the secondary seal seals off the region between the end faces, which face toward one another, of the two doors (7, 8).
US07871115B2
A video system for selective mounting within a cradle secured to a ceiling of an automobile includes a video housing in which a video monitor and a video source are mounted and a base secured to the video housing in a manner that permits rotation of the video housing. The video housing includes a mounting bracket and the base includes a mounting bracket for use in pivotally coupling the video housing to the base. A motorized first hinge connects the base to the video housing for facilitating pivotal movement between the video housing and the base between a use position and a storage position, the first hinge includes a pivot pin having a first end and a second end and extends between, and is coupled to, the mounting bracket of the video housing and the mounting bracket of the base, the second end of the pivot pin is fixedly coupled to the mounting bracket of the base. The drive motor assembly is mounted to the video housing. The drive motor assembly includes a drive shaft having a distal end secured to a distal tip at the first end of the pivot pin permitting rotational motion to be imparted by the drive motor assembly to be transfer to the video housing.
US07871112B2
A reversible, double deadbolt latch bolt assembly for securing and locking a door is provided according to the invention. It comprises a lock body to which is slidably mounted a live bolt for movement between an extended position and a retracted position, the live bolt being operated by an actuator, such as a handle cam rotated by means of a door knob or lever-operated spindle. Also slidably mounted to the lock body are at least two cam-operated deadbolts on opposite sides of the live bolt for movement between a locked position and an unlocked position. These cams may optionally be linked to each other within the lock body, so that operation of one of the cams by, e.g., a key cylinder or thumb turn causes simultaneous operation of the other cam. Because of the symmetrical design and structure of the latch bolt assembly of the present invention, it enables a door into which it is inserted to be installed for both left-hand and right-hand hinged applications by mere flipping of the door by the installer without the need to remove the latch bolt assembly in order to further remove and invert the live bolt contained therein, as is customary within the industry. Alternatively, a bi-directional actuator for the live bolt can be used in conjunction with a single deadbolt, such combination still permitting the door to be flipped to accommodate both left-hand and right-hand hinged applications of a door during installation.
US07871104B2
A side airbag of a vehicle side airbag apparatus has a concave portion that is provided at a position corresponding to the shoulder of an occupant and is thinner than other portions of the side airbag. The upper portion of the side airbag is formed to be deployed before the lower portion of the side airbag upon deployment of the side airbag.
US07871100B2
A collapsible stroller is provided. The collapsible stroller comprises a frame body and a seat unit, wherein the frame body comprises: an upper frame unit consisting of two upper frame tubes; two connecting members connecting the two upper frame tubes to two front legs respectively and each connecting member having a first locking device; two base frame tubes pivotally coupled to the front legs respectively; two rear legs pivotally coupled between the connecting members and the base frame tubes respectively; and the seat unit comprises a seat portion, a backrest portion pivotally coupled to the seat portion, and two linking members disposed at two sides of the seat unit respectively, one end of each linking member thereof being pivotally coupled to the frame body and the other end being pivotally coupled to the seat portion so as to pivotally mount the seat unit to the frame body, wherein when the upper frame tubes pivotally collapsed with respective to the front legs, the upper frame unit, the front legs, the rear legs, the base frame tubes and the seat unit will move toward one another into a collapsed state in which they are substantially parallely stacked. The collapsible stroller of the present invention may further comprise baising device disposed at a joint between a supporting tube of the seat unit and the front leg to prevent the stroller being put into use before it reaches its completely expanded and locked state.
US07871093B2
A torsion beam suspension includes a pair of lateral trailing members, each of which has a front end portion pivotally supported by a vehicle body and also has a rear end portion adapted to suspend wheels. The suspension also includes a torsion beam adapted to have an open face, in which a vehicle front side or a vehicle rear side thereof is opened, and arranged to extend in a lateral direction of a vehicle. Intermediate portions of the pair of trailing members are respectively bonded to corresponding end portions of the torsion beam. On an inner side wall of each of the trailing members, a patch member connecting a corresponding one of the trailing members to the torsion beam is disposed.
US07871081B1
A shock absorbing system includes an air container, a power source to supply a high-pressure air into the air container, a plurality of shock absorbers each provided with at least one air spring, a central controller including a plurality of control units each connected between the air container and a respective one of the shock absorbers, and a drive unit to control operation of the central controller in a wireless way. Thus, each of the shock absorbers can be lifted to lift the chassis of the car so as to prevent the chassis from being worn out or broken due to a violent hit when the car passes a rugged road and can be lowered to lower the chassis of the car so as to enhance maneuverability of the car.
US07871072B2
The present application is directed to methods and devices for aligning media sheets in an input tray of an image forming device. The input tray includes a support surface and at least two spaced apart side walls. A first side wall includes a reference surface to align the media sheets. A second side wall includes a plurality of biasing members. The biasing members bias the media sheets toward the reference surface.
US07871071B2
The invention relates to a grouping device (1) for processing a fast running series of individual sheets, said grouping device having several conveying means for transporting said sheets which pass at least one delivery area and at least one conveying area. Said conveying means have at least one transport means (10; 15; 16) and at least one removal means (14), wherein said device comprises at least one grouping table (18; 19), said delivery area as well as the stacking area having an adjustable length and said transport means (10) acting exclusively in said conveying area of said sheets in order to avoid smearing of said sheets.
US07871070B2
A conveyor conveys sheets and deposits the sheets at a location to be stacked. The conveyor includes a sensor for determining the presence of a sheet before the sheet arrives at the location. A controller is coupled to the sensor and responsive to sensor inputs for controlling a movable support for projecting into a projected orientation to receive the sheets as the sheets exit the conveyor. The movable support moves to a retracted orientation to assist a stack to be withdrawn therefrom. Apparatus for manipulating pallets includes a conveyor, a mechanism for tilting the conveyor between a generally horizontal orientation and an orientation in which a first end of the conveyor is elevated above a second end of the conveyor, a first shifting mechanism to shift the conveyor horizontally along a first axis, a second shifting mechanism for shifting the conveyor horizontally along a second axis generally perpendicular to the first axis, and an elevator mechanism for raising and lowering the conveyor along a third axis generally perpendicular to the first and second axes. Apparatus for dispensing a pallet includes vertically spaced magazines, conveyors, and an elevator. The conveyors and elevator are selectively operable to deliver a pallet from the magazine in which that pallet is located to a common location.
US07871067B2
A paper cassette feeder and an image forming apparatus having the same are provided. The paper cassette feeder includes: a main frame; a loading unit on which paper is loaded; a first paper guide which is tilted up with respect to the loading unit; and a second paper guide which is disposed at the first paper guide in a turnable manner, and is tilted up with respect to the first paper guide according to a position of the second paper guide. Accordingly, a paper cassette feeder can be easily separated from an image forming apparatus when paper is jammed in a paper feeding path, so as to remove a paper jam easily.
US07871061B1
The invention is a dual spreading link mechanism for application with gate valves. The invention also extends to gate valves employing the inventive dual spreading link. In one application to pendulum gate valves, a valve carriage assembly moves in a pendular manner within a gate valve housing and operates to seal off the flow channel of the housing. The valve carriage assembly is comprised of a valve plate having a valve seat face for engaging with the housing in a sealing manner, a tensioning member which along with a plurality of clip springs provides a contracting force to the valve carriage assembly, and an actuating member which moves laterally within the carriage assembly to alternately spread and contract the assembly. The actuating member is stacked between the valve plate and tensioning member and the actuating member is coupled to the valve plate and tensioning member by a plurality of oblong rotatable links which comprise the dual spreading link.
US07871059B2
A valve for adjusting the flow-rate of fluids, servo-controlled by an electric motor having within a hermetic enclosure capsule and supported rotatably with a support for reducing rotary friction, the rotor component of the electric motor with a screw-and-nut coupling with a flow control element restrained to perform only axial translational motions in a valve body provided with intake and discharge ports and fixed coaxially to the capsule. The support is provided by a radial bearing and associated with the rotor component in a position corresponding to the portion of the rotor component inside which the screw-and-nut coupling is provided.
US07871055B1
A lightweight concrete formwork panel has a wooden rectangular frame with perimeter members and inner ribs that define openings in the frame. A lightweight core material substantially fills the openings in the wooden frame. An outer skin substantially covers the frame. The outer skin has a layer of transversely oriented fibrous material and a layer of longitudinally oriented fibrous material.
US07871052B2
An adjustable cover hold down system designed to be used with an awing cover or a tarp that includes a flexible elongated body capable of being rolled into a compact roll during storage and then unrolled prior to being used. The system includes a plurality of clips designed to attach to an enlarged, longitudinally aligned, perimeter beaded edge that extends the entire length of the body. The clips may include adjustable clamp, a hook clip or an elongated traveler that enables them to be attached to the lower free edge of a trap, a tarp gusset, or the slot formed on a roller bar used on an awning cover, respectively. The body includes a bladder with at least one port opening with a removable cap that allows the bladder to be selectively filled with different volumes of a fluid material, such as water or sand.
US07871043B2
A method for controlling the drag area growth of a parachute canopy during airborne descent with sensors attached to the payload for facilitating modification of the schedule of release of a parachute canopy reefing mechanism. A control processor is included that can receive and/or calculate a schedule for disengaging the reefing on the parachute. One or more wireless transmitters at the payload transmit the releasing signal from the payload to the reefing mechanism normally located adjacent the parachute canopy. The control processor can also be configured to receive input information from multiple sensors attached to the payload that monitor parameters such as altitude, position, load force, dynamic pressure, time and others to facilitate instantaneous recalculation of the disreefing schedule responsive to such conditions.
US07871038B2
Systems and methods for providing airflow in an aerospace vehicle are disclosed. A system in accordance with one embodiment includes an aerospace vehicle having an interior volume with a first portion and a second portion. The system can further include an external air supply device positioned to provide supply air to the interior volume at a variable supply flow rate and a recirculation fan configured to move air positioned within the interior volume between the first portion of the interior volume and the second portion of the interior volume. The system can still further include a controller operably coupled to the recirculation fan and configured to vary a rotation speed of the recirculation fan. Variations in the rotation speed of the recirculation fan can be associated with variations in a recirculation flow rate. In selected embodiments, the system can include sensors and/or data link devices operably coupled to the controller.
US07871030B2
A spinning reel includes a holder base having two racks, an accommodation space defined between the racks and two axle holes in communication with the accommodation space at two sides, two transmission shafts respectively mounted in the axle holes, slide blocks at two sides of the holder base, a steering mechanism, which comprises two swivel brackets pivotally mounted in the accommodation space and biasable relative to each other, a skirted spool mounted in between the swivel brackets, a driving mechanism coupled to one transmission gear and adapted for rotating the skirted spool by means of a driving gear set and a rotating device coupled to the other transmission shaft and adapted for moving the slide blocks through a drive gear set and a follower gear set to force one transmission shaft into engagement with one end of the skirted spool and to bias one swivel bracket and the skirted spool between a horizontal position and a vertical position.
US07871026B2
A method and apparatus for separating long, unwound items like fiber, fiber strands, yarn, etc. into short lengths is disclosed. The apparatus has a backup roll, a blade roll that uses novel dummy blade slot fillers between each pair of chopping blades on the blade roll to eliminate or substantially reduce vibration normally encountered when making longer chopped lengths of chopped product.
US07871025B2
A inventive feeding mechanism continuously feeds and continuously subjects to shredding, cutting, recycling, sorting, or other processing, a load consisting of a mixture of different-thickness materials, such as a mixture of paper, compact disks (CDs), cassette tapes, videotapes, etc. The auto-adjusting feeding mechanism is useable in high-security destruction, food processing, recycling, sorting, processing, and other applications.
US07871018B2
A tank sprayer includes a tank having an opening and a cup configured to move between a first position and a second position. The cup is configured to retain a quantity of liquid when the cup is in the first position and is configured to pour the quantity of liquid into the tank when the cup is in the second position. A removable barrier covers the opening in the tank, wherein the cup is blocked from moving from the first position to the second position when the barrier covers the opening in the tank. The cup is allowed to move from the first position to the second position when the barrier does not cover the opening in the tank.
US07871012B2
A portable adaptor for using a smart card of a first configuration with a smart card reader of a second configuration. For instance, the adaptor may enable use of a contactless smart card with a contact smart card reader, or vice versa. The adaptor is provided with a casing that is configured to engage a contact smart card or a contactless smart card, and where intended for use with a contact smart card reader is provided with an exterior portion that physically cooperates via a contact pad with a contact smart card reader. The adaptor is provided with an interface passing signals between a smart card of a first configuration and a smart card reader, of a second configuration. For instance, an interface for passing signals between a contact smart card and a contactless smart card reader or vice versa.
US07871009B1
Maintaining faulty radio frequency identification (RFID) labels on a surface of a web carrier. The various embodiments of the invention provide apparatus for controlling whether RFID labels are separated from a label web. In one embodiment, a frame has first and second side members, and a peel bar is mounted between the first and second side members. The peel bar has a radial portion that causes an RFID label to be separated from the surface of the web carrier as the web carrier contacts and travels over the radial portion. A cam bar is mounted on the frame and is rotatable. In a first position the cam bar causes the web carrier to contact and travel at least partially around the radial portion of the peel bar, and in a second position the cam bar prevents the web carrier from contacting and traveling at least partially around the radial portion of the peel bar.
US07871008B2
A wireless IC device includes a radiation plate, a wireless IC chip, and a substrate provided with a feed circuit that includes a resonant circuit and/or the matching circuit including an inductance element and that is electromagnetically coupled to the radiation plate. The substrate is made of a resin material. A recess is provided in a first main surface of the substrate. The substrate is provided with a wiring electrode arranged along a bottom surface and an inner circumferential surface of the recess and the first main surface of the substrate and electrically connected to the feed circuit, and a wedge member made of a different material from the resin material and extending between the bottom surface of the recess and a second main surface of the substrate spaced apart from the wiring electrode. The wireless IC chip is mounted in the recess and coupled to the wiring electrode.
US07871007B2
A microcircuit card (31) comprising a microcircuit and a card body, characterized in that this card body is formed of a base (10) in which is formed a cavity provided with a bottom and an internal part fixed in the cavity and to which the microcircuit is joined, the internal part and the microcircuit (12) together constituting at least a part of a second microcircuit card (11) including at least a part of the body of said second card.
US07871006B2
A detachable trigger unit for a wearable device (e.g., a wearable data acquisition device) includes (i) a trigger housing having a triggering mechanism for engaging a housing unit of the device; (ii) a strap housing detachably coupled to the trigger housing; and (iii) a protective membrane coupled to the strap housing and protecting a body part of a user. The trigger housing includes a first connector for receiving a corresponding second connector of the housing unit. The housing unit is rotatable about an axis substantially perpendicular to a bottom surface thereof.
US07871005B2
An information reader has a light source, an optical system having a light receiving sensor and a lens, and a board supporting the source and sensor such that a sensor axis of the sensor perpendicular to the sensor and passing an intersection of an optical axis of the optical system and the sensor is parallel to an emission axis of the source. A positional relation among the lens, sensor and source satisfies a distance Di between the lens and sensor, a distance Da between an optical axis of the lens and the axis of the source, and a distance Do between the lens and a readable area. The axis of the sensor is shifted from the optical axis of the lens by an offset value F=Da×Di/Do in a direction away from the source. The reader optically reads a code placed in the readable area.
US07871001B2
A remotely-alterable electronic-ink based display device employing an addressable display assembly including a layer of electronic ink including a bi-stable non-volatile imaging material. The device includes an integrated circuit structure having a storage element for storing instructions, programs and data, and a programmed processor in electrical communication with the addressable display assembly and an antenna structure. A signal transmitting structure transmits signals from the antenna structure to the remote activator module. A signal receiving structure receives electromagnetic signals from the remote activator module, using the antenna structure. An on-board battery power structure, operably connected to the integrated circuit structure, supplies electrical power the integrated circuit structure, which is responsive to electromagnetic signals received from the remote activator module by the antenna structure and the signal receiving structure. The addressable display assembly is responsive to output signals generated by the programmed processor, to display the determined graphical indicia. The antenna structure, integrated circuit structure, signal transmitting structure, signal receiving structure, on-board battery power structure are arranged and stacked together behind and within the spatial extent of the addressable display assembly so as to form the remotely-alterable electronic-ink based display device having a stacked construction.
US07870997B2
An ATM extends a stack of currency notes through a cash outlet opening for presentation to a customer. Each dispensed stack, including those of different sizes, is centered in the opening. The centering of a stack is based on its thickness. The thickness can be based on the quantity of notes in the stack. Different sized stacks require different amounts of movement to be centered. A stack is centered in the opening to facilitate grasping thereof by the customer.
US07870996B1
An automated teller machine (ATM) includes a movable bulk sheet acceptor disposed outside a secure chest, a sheet storage container disposed within a secure chest, and a movable sheet transport to enable sheets to pass from the sheet acceptor to the sheet storage container through an opening in the secure chest. The sheet acceptor and the sheet storage container may be pre-positioned relative to the movable sheet transport in an undocked position, and thereafter moved into operative positions as the sheet transport is docked. A driving gear carried on the sheet acceptor is placed in operative engagement with a gear member located adjacent the sheet transport. Operation of the driving gear is operative to move the components into the operative positions.
US07870993B2
A carton for packaging articles can be carried and unloaded in an upright condition. The carton is formed as an elongated tubular structure with opposed open ends. An end wall partially closes the first open end. At least one edge of the end wall is free from the tubular structure so as to define an open region therebetween that facilitates grasping the end wall for removal of the end wall to reveal the articles for dispensing. A handle formed from at least one aperture is positioned proximate to the detachable end wall to facilitate carrying of the carton in an upright condition with the dispensing end up. An end flap is hingedly connected to the tubular structure includes a second aperture that is reinforcingly aligned with the first aperture.
US07870985B2
A carrying apparatus for a cycle-type vehicle comprises a pair of object carriers releasably mountable on corresponding transverse sides of the cycle, a pair of upper support members which extend transversely between the cycle and the object carriers to support upper portions of the object carriers, and, a pair of lower support members which extend transversely between the cycle and the object carriers to support lower portions of the object carriers.
US07870984B2
The invention relates to a device for holding objects, preferably a telephone, in particular for use in a center arm rest and/or the center console of a vehicle, with a frame or receptacle and a reversibly closable lid which is mounted so that it may be swiveled in each case about one of the rotary axes arranged in the region of the upper closing edges of the side walls of the frame or container and lying essentially parallel to the closing edges. The lid has an opening and closing mechanism which is arranged in a function carrier frame that may be connected to the lid. In addition, the invention relates to a method for the production of a device for holding objects, in particular for use in a center arm rest and/or the center console of a vehicle.
US07870982B2
A utility shoulder belt (10) configured to be slung over a user's shoulder and across a user's chest includes an elongate strap (12) with a first end and a second end (18) configured to be coupled to each other. The strap (12) has an interior surface (59) to be placed against the user and an exterior surface (57) opposite the interior surface. A support frame assembly (14) is attached to the strap (12) and outwardly extends from the exterior surface (57) of the strap, and a pocket assembly (16) is disposed between the strap and the support frame assembly.
US07870977B2
A dispenser for use with a liquid product including beads which are rupturable to release additives when rubbed between the hands of a user. The dispenser includes a discharge head reciprocable between pressure and return strokes, and a valve assembly for respectively allowing and preventing liquid product from being discharged during the pressure and return strokes. The valve assembly includes ribs for guiding movement of a check valve disposable in respective valve open and closed positions in which the check valve is disposed out of and in contact with a valve seat. The valve assembly includes primary fluid passages for permitting passage of the liquid and beads into a pump cylinder, and secondary fluid passages for permitting displacement of the beads during translation of the check valve between the valve open to the valve closed positions for thereby preventing accumulation of beads between the check valve and its valve seat.
US07870976B2
The invention relates to a pressurized can comprising a body, a valve arranged in a dome, a base (16), an inner shell (1) with detachable, push-off type cover (8) arranged on the base (16) and a movable shaft (7) arranged in a fixing element (2) and extending through the base (16) into the inner shell (1) and serving as release element for the inner shell with the inner shell (1) being connected to the base (16) via the fixing element (2), moreover comprising a piston element (3) movable in longitudinal direction of the inner shell (1) and being arranged inside the inner shell (1), the piston element yielding a sealing effect at the inner shell's (1) inner wall and interacting with the shaft (7) in such a manner that when the shaft (7) is moved into the inner shell (1) the piston element (3) causes a liquid present inside the inner shell (1) to be pressurized so that the cover (8) is forced off.
US07870973B2
An apparatus for dispensing solid articles includes a dispensing channel, a housing and an article supply regulation system. The dispensing channel has an inlet and an outlet and defines a dispensing path therebetween. The housing defines a hopper chamber to hold the articles. The hopper chamber is in fluid communication with the inlet of the dispensing channel. The housing includes a floor. The article supply regulation system includes a first divider wall, a second divider wall and a third divider wall configured and positioned in the hopper chamber to define, in combination with the housing: a front region between the inlet and the first divider wall; a first rear region between the first divider wall and the second divider wall; a second rear region between the second divider wall and the third divider wall; and a third rear region on a side of the third divider wall opposite the second rear region. The first divider wall forms a front choke passage between the front region and the first rear region and between the first divider wall and the floor. The second divider wall forms a first rear choke passage between the first rear region and the second rear region and between the second divider wall and the floor. The third divider wall forms a second rear choke passage between the second rear region and the third rear region and between the third divider wall and the floor and/or a side wall of the housing.
US07870968B2
The present invention relates to a beverage bottle with a container cap. In particular the beverage bottle has a reversible means for holding the container cap on the outside of the container during use of the bottle which prevents loss of the cap.
US07870967B2
A vial includes a container having a receptacle formed to include an interior region and a mouth opening into the interior region and a child-resistant closure for the container. The closure includes a cap to be mounted on the receptacle in a closed position to close the mouth and separated from the receptacle to open the mouth. A latch coupled to the closure mates with a lug coupled to the container to retain the closure in a closed position on the container.
US07870960B2
A disaster pack comprising a pillow, a blanket, and a mattress pad compressed to a volume of about five and one-half percent of their free state volume. A method for making the packaged product comprises the steps of placing the compressible dry good within a bag; placing the compressible dry good disposed within the bag on a platen; compressing the compressible dry good within the bag; sealing the open end of the bag to form a sealed bag; and removing the dry good within the sealed bag from the platen.
US07870954B2
A golf bag has a partially collapsible side and a bag stand mounted to the partially collapsible side of the bag. The action of the partially collapsible side of the bag collapsing causes the bag stand to deploy. A circumferential stay is mounted to the partially collapsible side of the golf bag to prevent the body of the bag from folding inward as the partially collapsible side collapses.
US07870949B2
A roller for a conveyor comprising a cylindrical core defining a support surface; a helical groove disposed in said support surface and lagging bonded to said support surface.
US07870948B2
A rolling conveying device including guide rails 6, 6′, 5′ in which, respectively, at least one rolling body 1, 1′, 8 with a plurality of freely rotatable rollers 2 is arranged in operational interaction with a plurality of conveying bodies 10 which are freely displaceable between the rollers of the rolling body. The rolling body or bodies form tracks closed in themselves, they are not, however, chains because they are neither pulled nor pushed. Solely the conveying bodies are displaced, respectively, driven between the rolling bodies.
US07870947B2
A gripper for holding and conveying flat objects (P) in a firmly held manner, in particular printed material such as newspapers, magazines or brochures, includes two clamping tongues (4 and 5) which can pivot relative to one another into an open and into a closed configuration, wherein the clamping tongues (4 and 5) are pressed against one another in the closed configuration. The distal ends of at least one of the clamping tongues (4 and 5) are fitted with two elastic arms (30) that extend laterally away from the clamping tongue, in the same direction as the clamping force, a clamping jaw (10, 11) being arranged at the free end of each of the arms. The contact surfaces of the clamping jaws of at least one clamping tongue adapt to fit the contact surface of an opposite clamping jaw or a clamped object, under compression force, for example, they are mounted on the arm (30) by means of a ball joint.
US07870943B2
An apparatus comprises a moving arrangement for supporting and moving along an advance direction a plurality of articles; and orienting units movable along said advance direction and such as to contact and orient the articles by displacing angularly each article around an axis thereof so as to position the articles in respective output positions, the orienting units being such as to maintain the articles in contact with the moving arrangement, a detector being provided for each orienting unit for detecting an initial angular position of a respective article associated thereto and for promoting a desired angular displacement such that each article is brought in the output position.
US07870936B2
A bicycle suspension system including a travel adjustment apparatus. The bicycle suspension system includes a piston tube and a piston assembly slidably disposed in the piston tube forming a shock-absorbing mechanism. The piston assembly is in contact with the piston tube. The travel adjustment apparatus includes first and second fluid chambers, a fluid valve mechanism for controlling fluid flow between the first and second fluid chambers, and an actuating assembly operatively connected to the fluid valve mechanism operable between at least two rider-selectable travel settings to operate the fluid valve mechanism between at least two valve settings corresponding to the rider-selectable travel settings. The first and second fluid chamber are configured such that operation of the fluid valve mechanism between two of the at least two valve settings permits the piston assembly to be moved from a first initial position relative to the piston tube to a second initial position relative to the piston tube such that the suspension system changes from a first of the at least two amounts of travel to a second of the at least two amounts of travel.
US07870934B2
A self-retracting lanyard having a housing; a rotatable drum in that housing; a line for winding about that drum; and an improved braking mechanism for preventing the drum in that housing from ratcheting due to line rebounding after a fall arrest event. The braking mechanism has a plurality of pawl lockout elements for flexibly engaging with a stationary component of the lanyard to keep at least one pawl in a locked position during reverse rotation of the drum thereby preventing ratcheting from occurring.
US07870923B2
Idle running of a drive wheel of a motorcycle is prevented without complicating the motorcycle structure. The motorcycle includes an engine, a drive wheel, a centrifugal clutch, a brake lever, a control unit for detecting actuation and de-actuation of the brake lever, a main stand that can be switched between a stored state where the rear wheel contacts a road surface and an upright state where the rear wheel is lifted off the road surface, and a main stand switch for detecting the upright and stored states. Engine operation inhibition control executed in the upright state permits operation of the engine when the brake lever is actuated and inhibits operation of the engine when the brake lever is not actuated.
US07870919B2
A materials handling vehicle is provided comprising a frame including a longitudinal centerline and an operator compartment; first and second front wheels coupled to the frame; a rear steer wheel assembly coupled to the frame; mast apparatus coupled to the frame and including a pair of forks; and a battery associated with the frame and having a center of gravity. The battery is preferably positioned such that the battery center of gravity is laterally offset from the longitudinal center line. A stability triangle for the vehicle is defined by a first point at the first front wheel, a second point at the second front wheel and a third point at the rear steer wheel assembly. Preferably, the stability triangle defines a scalene triangle.
US07870913B1
Various aspects of the present invention relate to bearing assemblies configured to accommodate non-uniform loading and misalignment with an adjacent bearing assembly. In one aspect of the present invention, a bearing assembly is disclosed. The bearing assembly comprises a compliance ring including a plurality of beams. Each of the beams is circumferentially spaced apart from each other. The bearing assembly further comprises a plurality of bearing elements, with each of the bearing elements positioned adjacent to a corresponding beam of the plurality of beams. Each of the bearing elements deforms one of the corresponding beams when loaded. An additional aspect of the present invention is directed to a bearing assembly in which bearing elements thereof may be mounted to a support element without using a brazing process. Further aspects of the present invention are directed to a thrust-bearing apparatus, a radial-bearing apparatus, and a downhole motor that incorporates disclosed thrust-bearing and radial-bearing assemblies.
US07870893B2
A cooling device includes a base having cells. A pipe is coupled to the base for each of the cells. The pipes include passages that carry fluid toward the cell and away from the cell. A magnetohydrodynamic pump system coupled to the pipe circulates an electrically conductive cooling fluid within the passages and the cell. An orifice may emits jets of fluid into the cells. A controller coupled to the cooling device may independently control flow rates in two or more cells of the cooling device. The controller may receive information from the temperature sensors on the base of the cooling device for use in controlling the flow rates in the cells.
US07870890B2
A heat dissipation device includes a base for thermally engaging with an electronic device, a fin assembly including of multiple fins, a first heat pipe and a second heat pipe. The first heat pipe includes two evaporation sections engaged in the base, two interconnecting condensation sections parallel to the evaporation sections and respectively thermally inserted in a central portion of the fin assembly, and two connecting sections interconnecting corresponding condensation sections and the evaporation sections. The second heat pipe includes two evaporation sections engaged in the base, two interconnecting condensation sections parallel to the evaporation sections and respectively thermally inserted in an upper portion of the fin assembly far away from the base, and two connecting sections interconnecting corresponding condensation sections and evaporation sections of the second heat pipe.
US07870889B2
A heat dissipation device comprises a radiator comprising a collar, a core received in the collar and a helical heat pipe embedded in a circumferential face of the core. The collar has a receiving hole and a plurality of fins extending radially and outwardly from an outer face of the collar. The core together with the heat pipe is received in the receiving hole of the radiator. The core has a flat bottom face and a top face opposite to the bottom face. The heat pipe is located between the radiator and the core and thermally contacts the collar of the radiator and the core. The heat pipe extends from the bottom face of the core to the top face of the core, and has a flattened bottom face coplanar with the bottom face of the core for contacting with an electronic device.
US07870875B2
A corrugated tube which can easily bend a wiring harness in one direction and can make the wiring harness hardly bend in another direction crossing the one direction at right angles. The wiring harness is made so that it can hardly bend in the other direction, so that the slack of the wiring harness for use in supplying electric power to a slide door can be effectively prevented from occurring. The corrugated tube includes: dented grooves and projecting strips formed on an outer periphery of the corrugated tube and arranged alternately in a longitudinal direction of the corrugated tube; and a reinforcing rib formed projecting from an outer peripheral surface of the dented groove and extending beyond an outer peripheral surface of the projecting strip, the reinforcing rib being formed in the longitudinal direction of the corrugated tube.
US07870871B1
A fuel pressure damper (10′) includes a housing (15) defining an inlet (46) constructed and arranged to receive fuel. An orifice disc (54) is provided at the inlet and includes at least one orifice (58). A cover (22) is coupled to the housing. A flexible diaphragm (12) has a periphery fixedly secured to at least the housing or the cover and has a freely movable central portion (36). A compression spring (14) biases the diaphragm to a normal position. In an operating position, the central portion of the diaphragm alone, or in combination with the spring, is constructed and arranged to dampen fuel pressure pulsations at the inlet. The orifice is constructed and arranged to ensure that pressure pulsations of a certain magnitude are prevented from entering the damper and damaging the diaphragm.
US07870868B1
An apparatus and method for capturing filtered rainwater during wet weather, storing the filtered rainwater in an elevated storage tank, conveying the filtered rainwater by gravity to a toilet tank and controlling its introduction into the toilet tank. The apparatus preferably comprises an inline filter for installation in a horizontal or sloping section of a rain gutter, a storage tank that is mountable at an elevation higher than the elevation of the toilet tank, water transfer tubing or piping for conveyance of filtered rainwater to the storage tank, water supply tubing or piping for conveyance of stored water to the toilet tank, and a control valve for introducing the stored water into the toilet tank when it is needed. In a preferred embodiment, the components of the apparatus are provided to the consumer in the form of an easily installed kit.
US07870865B2
A pressure relief bursting disc has a flange portion, a sloping portion interior of the flange portion and a dished portion interior of the sloping portion. The sloping portion has its wider end joined to the flange portion and slopes up from the flange portion in a first direction and is joined at its narrower end directly to the dished portion. The dished portion has its concave side facing in the first direction. In use pressure is applied to the concave side of the dished portion. The disc has a line of weakness, in the sloping portion. This shape achieves reliability of the burst strength, because the sloping portion buckles at the burst strength.
US07870863B2
A drawer-type dishwasher includes a frame assembly, a wash tub, a plurality of wash system components and a sump. The sump is either integrally formed with or separately formed and mounted to a bottom wall portion of the tub, while being provided with a plurality of fluid conduits that extend from a central intake ring to a respective plurality of attachment flanges. A wash pump and a drain pump are supported by respective ones of the plurality of attachment flanges so as to direct a flow of wash fluid into and out of the wash tub. The sump also includes structure for mounting a heater and a filter housing, as well as other wash and safety system components.
US07870850B2
A crankcase ventilation system for an internal combustion engine has a jet pump suctioning scavenged separated oil from the oil outlet of an air/oil separator and pumping same to the crankcase.
US07870848B2
A system for managing fuel-vapor emission from a fuel tank of a vehicle using a vortex-effect flow separator coupled in the fuel-vapor purging system of the vehicle. The warmer-flow outlet of the separator is coupled to the engine intake, and the cooler-flow outlet is coupled to the fuel tank. In this way, less fuel vapor is delivered to the engine intake.
US07870847B2
The invention relates to an injector for injecting fuel into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine. According to the invention, an injection valve member, which opens or closes at least one injection opening, is controlled by a control valve. The control valve opens or closes a connection from a control chamber into a fuel return line by the positioning of a closing element in a seat or by the opening of the seat. A bore is embodied in the closing element, and a pin is received in the bore. The diameter of the bore essentially corresponds to the diameter of the seat. The pin is supported on one side against a pressure rod, against a spring seat, or against the injector housing.
US07870846B2
A method for determining a point in time of a start of combustion in a cylinder of an internal combustion engine includes: providing a base compression pressure model which gives a curve of a compression pressure in the cylinder as a function of the operating point; adjusting the base compression pressure model using measured cylinder pressures of at least one operating state of the internal combustion engine at points in time at which no combustion is taking place in the cylinder, in order to obtain an adjusted compression pressure model; and determining a point in time of a start of combustion with the aid of a pressure curve determined by the adjusted compression pressure model.
US07870840B2
A cattle management system and method for managing numerous routine and non-routine management activities. The system and method incorporate a data processing system wherein comprehensive data is gathered and maintained on each individual animal as well as on selected groups of animals. Preferably, a central database is used which allows enhanced functionality with respect to not only data entry and data transfer, but also with respect to providing system generated management recommendations. Some significant functionality of the present invention includes the ability to track the location of each individual animal by utilizing unique identification data for each animal, recording all monitored events that take place at each location during the animal's production cycle, and reporting the events and locations as required to government entities, financial institutions, and other entities within the cattle industry.
US07870837B2
A blower system for livestock may include a housing. An air inlet may be located on the housing. One or more motors may be located in the housing. One or more fans may be coupled to at least one of the motors. The fans may be located in the housing. The fans may draw air in through the air inlet and expel air out through an air outlet located on the housing. A nozzle may be coupled to the air outlet. The nozzle may have a wide, narrow slit opening for air to exit the nozzle. The blower system may be portable. The blower system may allow a user to apply the air from the air outlet to livestock.
US07870834B1
A painters stand comprising a pair of extensible supports for rotatably securing a workpiece therebetween. Each support is comprised of a stanchion having a collar mounted thereon with a plurality of divergent legs extending therefrom with the stanchion having an intermediate workpiece support approximate the top end and a receiver for a workpiece fastener that will be fastened to a workpiece end whereby the workpiece can be supported between the stanchions. Once mounted in the workpiece receiver a plurality of radially positioned apertures are provided within the workpiece fastener so that one can be selectively co-aligned with a workpiece receiver aperture for insertion of a pin to secure the workpiece while a desired operation is performed, such as sanding and or painting.
US07870831B2
An anchor incorporates a release mechanism that is releasably assembled to a shank. An anchor chain is affixed to a crown section of the anchor. The chain is slideably inserted through a tubular release mechanism body. A tension controlling mechanism is elastically coupled between the release mechanism and the anchor chain. A pair of release interface notches is formed within the proximal end of the release mechanism; the slots are placed on opposing sides of the release mechanism. A pair of release interface fasteners is disposed along a distal end of the shank. The release mechanism is held in a mooring configuration by engaging the release interface notches and the release interface fasteners. The release mechanism maintains the chain in a mooring configuration until the release mechanism is rotated perpendicular to the shank, wherein the release interface notches disengage from the release interface fasteners changing a tensile force from an anchor engaging direction to a releasing direction.
US07870829B1
A securement assembly is provided. A support has a lower end and an upper end. The lower end is coupled to the securement assembly. A spear has a leading end and trailing end with a central extent between the leading and trailing ends. A cylindrical member has a passageway slidably receiving the spear between the leading and trailing ends. Adjustment components couple the cylindrical member to the upper end of the support. The adjustment components are adapted to move the cylindrical member and spear between any of a plurality of orientations. The plurality of orientations include a generally horizontal orientation for storing and transportation and a generally vertical orientation for deploying and use.
US07870827B2
An agricultural implement for delivering ammonia gas to soil includes a soil cutting device for forming a furrow in the soil to be fertilized, a closing device trailing the cutting device for closing the furrow, and an ammonia gas delivery tube extending downwardly into the furrow between the cutting device and the closing device, and then extending rearwardly along the furrow to the closing device for delivering ammonia gas onto at least one wall of the furrow rearwardly of the trailing end of the cutting device and of the leading end of the closing device. A discharge nozzle is mounted on the trailing end of the ammonia gas delivery tube for discharging ammonia gas onto the bottom and/or sides of the furrow. The ammonia gas delivery tube and the discharge nozzle may be made of non-metallic material, such as polymeric material, to reduce or avoid freezing of soil and moisture on the implement.
US07870824B2
The present disclosure is directed to a printing assembly incorporating an improved double-sided image transfer station. The present disclosure also describes a product processing apparatus including a cross feed processing architecture. The single-pass double-sided image transfer station and cross feed processing architectures described herein provide numerous advantages over prior art product processing devices. In particular, the single-pass double-sided image transfer station provides for reduced print times, less shuttling of the product during printing, and a less complex, therefore, more reliable printing operation overall. The cross feed architecture provides an efficient processing path for the product through the device and facilitates processing modularization.
US07870820B2
A method and apparatus for preparing a jerky food product. The method comprises: (a) preparing a raw meat to obtain a moldable meat dough; (b) contacting at least a portion of the meat dough with a jerky mold apparatus having a pre-determined geometric configuration, wherein a plurality of sectors are spatially separated and defined by supported partitions arranged in a pre-determined pattern; (c) causing at least one of the partitions of the jerky mold to impale the meat dough to dispose portions of the meat dough into at least one of the sectors, thus separating the meat dough into a plurality of meat segments having a size and shape corresponding to that of the sectors; (d) removing the meat segments from the jerky mold; and (e) treating the meat segments to produce a plurality of jerky pieces.
US07870819B2
A piston device and its manufacturing method are disclosed. The piston device comprises a piston body having at least one annular groove on the side wall of the piston body, and at least one piston ring made of flexible material and mounted in the annular groove. The outer diameter of the piston ring mounted on in the annular groove is larger than the diameter of the piston body, so that the piston ring contacts with the inner wall but the piston body has no contact with the inner wall while the piston device moves reciprocally at the axial direction of the cylinder.
US07870818B2
A piston-cylinder assembly includes a working cylinder, and a one-piece stamped and formed piston body which is attached to a piston rod, the piston body being axially movable in the cylinder and dividing the cylinder into two working spaces. The piston body has at least one first opening provided with a first valve for passing fluid when the piston moves in a pull direction, and at least one second opening provided with a second valve for passing fluid when the piston moves in a push direction. A circumferential surface of the piston body is formed with a shallow groove which holds a seal between the circumferential surface and the working cylinder.
US07870817B2
An actuator using a fluid cylinder in which rigidity may be attained with a simple configuration, includes a fluid cylinder, a first choke valve device, and a second choke valve device. The first choke valve device is disposed between a fluid pressure source and a first chamber, and the second choke valve device is disposed between the fluid pressure source and a second chamber. An opening of a valve of a discharge valve mechanism included in each of the choke valve devices is set so as to be in inverse proportion to a target pressure in the chamber in which the fluid pressure is adjusted by the choke valve device.
US07870808B2
A displacement member can be displaced in a direction substantially perpendicular to a moving direction of a translation member that is held on a base member so as to reciprocatingly move thereon linearly, and an elastic mechanism secured to the base member accumulates and releases elastic energy in accordance with the distance to the displacement member. Protruding members of the translation member are pressed against a transmission member by generated force provided by the energy release from the elastic mechanism; thus, a distance adjusting operation between coupling mechanisms coupling the transmission member and the displacement member is controlled by a control device so that the relative position and relative angle between the displacement member and the transmission member are changed.
US07870802B2
An engine-flywheel hybrid in which the engine power is varied mainly by the frequency of power cycles, not by the power per power cycle. The flywheel absorbs the energy from the power cycles and delivers energy. The rotary stop start mechanism stops and starts a crankshaft efficiently with minimal energy loss. This is accomplished by varying the offset of a double crank four bar linkage. The invention allows an engine's flywheel to be quickly be brought up to speed in about a half of a revolution, followed by combustion, expansion, and stopped one revolution after starting. Further, utilizing offset, the engine crankshaft will turn faster than the input shaft when the piston is at top dead center, shortening the time of highest heat transfer, making the engine more efficient. Also, that when used as an auto engine, the part load efficiency would be near the maximum efficiency of the engine, nearly doubling the miles per gallon of the auto.
US07870800B2
One embodiment of the present invention is an apparatus including a fluid coupler interfaced to a test head that includes: (a) a first ring having a top surface disposed in a first plane; (b) a first movable ring, the first movable ring being movable substantially normal to the first plane relative to the first ring; (c) a first flexible diaphragm attached to the first ring along a first attachment perimeter that encloses a first effective surface area, the first flexible diaphragm being attached to the first movable ring; (d) a second ring having a top surface disposed in a second plane; (e) a second movable ring, the second movable ring being movable substantially normal to the first plane; and (f) a second flexible diaphragm attached to the second ring along a second attachment perimeter that encloses a second effective surface area, the second flexible diaphragm being attached to the second movable ring; wherein: (i) the first flexible diaphragm and the second flexible diaphragm form a first channel for fluid flow, there being an intake aperture in the first channel and an exhaust aperture in the first channel; (ii) the test head has an intake channel to internal fluid channels and an exhaust channel from the internal fluid channels, and the test head is movable substantially normal to the first plane; (iii) the first plane is substantially parallel to the second plane; and (iv) the intake aperture in the test head is alignable with the exhaust aperture in the first channel.
US07870798B2
A system and method are disclosed for using a test slider to test the resonance performance of a head gimbal assembly. The test slider has a two-stripe air-bearing surface to allow the test slider to glide above a surface and a block with a mass equal to the combined mass of the electrical slider and the micro-actuator. The leading edge of the slider is tapered and has a main air groove to facilitate gliding. A back step on the side of the test slider opposite the air bearing surface maintains a parallel gap between the slider and the suspension tongue of the head gimbal assembly.
US07870797B2
A liquid aspirating and dispensing apparatus and method of using the apparatus. Among other elements, the apparatus includes a liquid handling device having one or more channel members, each of which has a removable liquid holding tip attached, and a signal transmitting device. A signal transmitted from the signal transmitting device may be used in a variety of ways to yield information regarding the performance of the apparatus. This information may be provided via direct detection of the signal by an operator of the apparatus. Alternatively, the signal may be detected by a programmable signal detecting device, interpreted by the apparatus, and then displayed in a form that is understandable to the operator. Furthermore, the liquid holding tip may be modified to enable different forms of signal transmission.
US07870793B1
Ultrasonic transit time flow meters using transducers mounted on insertion probes spaced apart along a pipe axis provide an economical way to measure fluid flow. The accuracy of these flow meters can be improved by providing additional transducers to measure the current speed of sound of a working fluid; the actual spacing of the probes; and the diameter of the pipe through which the fluid is flowing.
US07870790B2
A method for evaluating feeling of hitting of a golf club, includes: measuring vibration of a golf club appearing in a circumferential direction of a shaft when a golf ball is hit by the golf club having the three-axis accelerometer attached to the shaft by a three-axis accelerometer; analyzing the vibration of the golf club along the circumferential direction of the shaft measured by the three-axis accelerometer by a hand-arm vibration measurement filter; and evaluating feeling of hitting of the golf club in accordance with a result of analysis of vibration of the golf club appearing along the circumferential direction of the shaft by the hand-arm vibration measurement filter.
US07870784B2
A sensor assembly for use in measuring wind velocity is described that includes a body that includes at least one surface a flow path defined at least partially by the at least one surface. The sensor assembly further includes a wire extending from the at least one surface, and the wire further extends at least partially through the flow path. The sensor assembly is configured to determine wind velocity when a current is induced to the wire as air flows through the flow path.
US07870783B2
The present invention provides a method for measuring the turbulence intensity of a horizontal axis wind turbine that is capable of accurately obtaining the value of the turbulence intensity without the effect of the rotor and by taking into consideration the motion of the nacelle. In the method for measuring the turbulence intensity of a horizontal axis wind turbine, with the nacelle located on the upwind side of the rotor of the horizontal axis wind turbine, measurement values are obtained from an anemometer that is located on the nacelle and an acceleration sensor that is fastened to the nacelle, and the absolute value of the turbulence intensity is calculated based on the measurement values from the anemometer and the measurement values from the acceleration sensor. As a result, it is possible to accurately calculate the absolute value of the turbulence intensity that includes the effect of the movement of the nacelle.
US07870781B2
In a method for monitoring the tire condition in a vehicle, the vertical acceleration is measured at one axle of the vehicle, a reference stiffness value is determined from the vertical acceleration, and a tire pressure is assigned to the reference stiffness value. In the case of a detected tire pressure loss, the tire pressure is assigned to the tire of the wheel having the pressure loss.
US07870774B2
In an initial state of roller hemming processing, an erected flange 65 begins to be bent by a roller 48. At this time, a first plate 63 and a receiving face 15 are brought into tightly contact with each other at a contact point 70 between the roller 48 and the erected flange 65 by strongly pinching by the roller 48 and an auxiliary roller 51. On the other hand, in portions other than the contact point 70, the receiving face 15 tends to be separated from the first plate 63 by reaction. Since slider blocks 22 and 22 are movable along rails 21 and 21 on a side of the receiving die 10, the receiving die 10 rotates clockwise in the drawing about the contact point 70. A tight contact in the contact point 70 is guaranteed as the receiving die 10 rotates about the contact point 70. As a result, the hemming processing with a good shape can be achieved without wrinkling, ruffling, or deformation.
US07870772B1
An exterior lever lock device with a clutch assembly is mounted on a door, is connected to a bolt and an indoor lever lock device and has a lever assembly, a driving assembly, a clutch assembly and a driven assembly. The driven assembly has an inner sleeve and a locking panel fastened to the clutch assembly and selectively engaging the inner sleeve. Therefore, whenever the lever lock is locked or unlocked, as long as there is a turning force applied to the lever assembly, the lever assembly turns and is not broken easily. An endurance of the exterior lever lock device is prolonged for improved lock performance.
US07870771B2
A lock device having a key and a lock cylinder. The lock cylinder includes a fixed cylinder housing and a cylinder core mounted to rotate therein. The key shaft (10.3) has an edge profile and may be inserted in a key way of the cylinder core in which displaceable tumblers (41, 42) are located transverse to the above. The key shaft (10.3) has profiled recesses running in the longitudinal direction. The recesses have a pair of follow points for each tumbler (41, 42) for coding the key, whilst the tumbler (41. 42) has a pair of counter follow points which are the basis of the corresponding counter coding. A space-saving design of the lock device is achieved with a large range of variation for the coding wherein both follow points are on the key shaft (10.3) in the form of recesses, arranged on opposing lateral surfaces to an edge (57.2; 57.3) of the edge profile of the key shaft (10.3). A web (22: 23) is thus generated in the corner region of the edge profile between both recesses. The web functions as a code web (22; 23), as the opposing web edges serve for the coding. The corresponding tumblers (41, 42) have a cut-out, which in use enclose the code web (22; 23) on opposing web edges. The lateral limits of the cut-out form the counter follow points in the tumblers (41, 42).
US07870768B2
The present invention suppresses rattle and assembly inaccuracies of a magnet and magnet detection sensor, and detects with certainty the position of a lock bolt. The power steering lock unit includes a lock bolt, which is movable between lock and unlock positions, an actuator for causing the lock bolt to move; a transmission mechanism for transmitting the drive force of the actuator to the lock bolt; and position detection sensor for detecting the movement position of the lock bolt. The position detection sensor includes a movable member to which a magnet is fixed, a base plate on which a magnetic detection sensor for detecting the magnetic force of the magnet is disposed, and a holder for movably holding the movable member at a prescribed spacing from the base plate. A linking mechanism is provided for operating the movable member in response to operation of the lock bolt or the transmission mechanism.
US07870759B2
In a process for supplying a pressurized gas, a pressurized gas at a high production pressure is produced as an end product by separating a gaseous mixture in a separator apparatus (3, 5), a liquid to be pressurized is stored in a store (9), storing liquid is tapped, and it is pressurized with a pump (11) and at least part of the pressurized liquid is sprayed in a sprayer (27) to produce the pressurized backup gas (29) having substantially the same pressure or a pressure higher than the pressurized gas to be produced, liquid is circulated in a substantially vertical duct (13), optionally within the cold box (33) of the separator apparatus, and at least part of the duct length is at a level above the sprayer and before and/or after starting up the pump (11), liquid is sent from the duct to the sprayer where the liquid is sprayed to provide pressurized backup gas having substantially the same purity or a purity higher than the pressurized gas to be produced (31).
US07870756B2
A refrigerator includes an evaporator zone and a cooling zone separated from each other in a refrigerator housing. A fan drives a cold air flow from the evaporator zone into the cooling zone via a central inlet port that is arranged next to a heat-insulating partition located between the evaporator zone and the cooling zone. A distributing device that diverts a partial air flow into a distributor pipe that extends along a wall of the cooling zone is mounted upstream of the central inlet port in the direction of flow of the cold air. The distributor pipe is provided with holes that are distributed along the height of the wall and extend into the cooling zone.
US07870749B2
A method of regulating the refrigerant temperature for a beverage machine, including a refrigeration system for producing a frozen beverage, operating at least one compressor at a speed to flow the refrigerant through the refrigeration system of the beverage machine and cooling the refrigerant with at least one condenser. The method may also include controllably varying the flow of air across the at least one condenser or the speed of the at least one compressor.
US07870744B2
A system for attaching the end of a shaft of a gas turbine engine engaged inside a coupling supported by a bearing is disclosed. The system includes a nut with a first thread which is screwed into the shaft and a second thread which is screwed to the coupling. Advantageously, the screw pitches of the two threads of the nut are reversed relative to one another so as to form an adjusting nut.
US07870738B2
The present invention is directed to a seal for sealing a gap between transition sections of adjacent can annular combustors in a turbine engine such that the seal is usable in applications for sealing pressure drops of 0.5 bar or greater. The seal includes a plate configured to extend between adjacent transition sections and the plate may have at least one perforation extending from the front surface of the plate to the rear surface of plate. The seal further includes a porous matrix formed from materials capable of withstanding turbine combustion gas temperatures, wherein a portion of the porous matrix may be fixedly attached to a surface of the plate.
US07870736B2
A premixing injector for use in gas turbine engines assists in the lean premixed injection of a gaseous fuel/air mixture into the combustor of a gas turbine. The premixing injector is designed to mix fuel and air at high velocities to eliminate the occurrence of flashback of the combustion flame from the reaction zone into the premixing injector. The premixing injector includes choked gas ports, which allow the fuel supply to be decoupled from any type of combustion instability which may arise in the combustor of the gas turbine and internal passages to provide regenerative cooling to the device.
US07870729B2
The invention relates to a hydraulic control device for a priority, first hydraulic consumer and a subordinate, second hydraulic consumer, pressure medium being deliverable to the first or the second consumer via a first or a second metering diaphragm. A pressure scale which allows a constant pressure difference to be adjusted above the first metering diaphragm is mounted upstream from the first metering diaphragm. For this purpose, said pressure scale is provided with a valve piston encompassing a first control edge, by means of which a first flow area between a feeding duct and the first metering diaphragm can be controlled. A second control edge which allows a second flow area to be controlled between the feeding duct and a load signaling line is provided on the valve piston of the first pressure scale.
US07870724B2
The present invention provides a thermally stable catalyst for treating automobile exhaust by-products is provided. The catalyst of the invention comprises a first section that includes a precious metal present in a first concentration and a second section that includes a precious metal present in a second concentration. The catalyst of the invention is characterized by a unique precious metal concentration profile in which the first concentration of the precious metal is lower than the second concentration of the precious metal. When placed with an automobile exhaust system, the second section is positioned downstream of the first section. The present invention also provides a lean NOx trap utilizing the unique precious metal concentration profile. The NOx trap is found to possess improved NOx conversion performance relative to a NOx trap with the same total amount of precious metal deposited uniformly over the volume of the trap.
US07870722B2
Systems and methods for passively directing aircraft engine nozzle flow are disclosed. One system includes an aircraft nozzle attachable to an aircraft turbofan engine, with the nozzle including a first flow path wall bounding a first flow path and being positioned to receive engine exhaust products, and a second flow path wall bounding a second flow path and being positioned to receive engine bypass air. The first flow path wall is positioned between the first and second flow paths, and the second flow path wall is positioned between the second flow path and an ambient air flow path. Multiple flow passages can be positioned in at least one of the first and second flow path walls to passively direct gas from a corresponding flow path within the flow path wall through the flow path wall to a corresponding flow path external to the flow path wall. Neighboring flow passages can have neighboring circumferentially-extending and circumferentially-spaced exit openings positioned at an interface with the corresponding flow path external to the flow path wall.
US07870721B2
A nacelle assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a fan cowl disposed about an axis, a core cowl within the fan cowl and a bleed passage having an inlet that receives a bleed airflow and an outlet that discharges the bleed airflow in an upstream direction from the outlet. The bleed airflow is selectively introduced near a boundary layer of an inlet lip section of the fan cowl.
US07870718B2
The exhaust within an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system should be purged to allow for access to the components of the EGR system. A system and method for purging the EGR system is provided. The system and method may incorporate an: EGR purge fan, an EGR purge blower, or a turbomachine. The system and method may draw the exhaust out of the EGR system. The system and method may drive the exhaust out of the EGR system.
US07870715B2
There is provided a steel cord including a plurality of untwisted core filaments of steel aligned in parallel, and a layer of sheath filaments of steel twisted around the core filaments so as to be unevenly distributed around the core filaments, wherein interstices between the filaments are maintained during vulcanization thereby achieving improved rubber penetration (sufficiently adhering rubber to the core filaments). Since the cross sectional length of the steel cord 10 is greater than the minimum cross sectional length, interstices A are maintained between sheath filaments 14 under the tension and pressure p of the surrounding rubber 16 applied to the steel cord 10 during vulcanization. Rubber 16 penetrates into the steel cord 10 through the interstices A, and sufficiently adhere to core filaments 12 to achieve high rubber penetration.
US07870712B2
An apparatus for automatically pruning vines grown in a row in a cordon-leading manner has a chassis, a pre-pruning module, a clear-cutting module and a position sensor. The clear-cutting module is positioned behind the pre-pruning module and has cutters thereon. The position sensor is forward of the clear-cutting module so as to locate the cordon and to position the cutter so as to achieve a clear cut from a periphery of the cordon. The clear-cutting module has upper cutters, lower cutters and lateral cutters.
US07870710B2
A mower deck is selectively coupled to the front of a propelling vehicle. The deck includes an electric mowing height adjustment assembly to permit the user to vary the cutting height of the mower deck. The deck is movable about a lift shaft from a generally horizontal use position to an upright storage/servicing position while the deck is coupled with the vehicle. An electric actuator and a switch mount of the mowing height adjustment assembly not only provide the user with a way to adjust the cutting height but also cooperate with the remainder of the mowing height adjustment assembly to allow movement of the deck from the use position to the storage/servicing position. Movement of the switch mount from a generally horizontal, engaged use position to a unengaged position permits the deck to be moved from the use position to the upright storage/servicing position.
US07870708B2
A storage system for storing and preserving food items or the like includes a sealable storage bag having attached to it a one-way valve element that communicates with the interior volume of the storage bag. The system also includes an evacuation device that can be positioned over the one-way valve element to evacuate air entrapped in the interior volume via the valve element. To avoid possible damage to the storage bag, the valve element, or the stored food items, the evacuation device is configured to have a maximum evacuation pressure of 6 pounds per square inch absolute or greater. In an embodiment, to control the maximum evacuation pressure of the evacuation device, the evacuation device can include a pressure control feature which in further embodiments may be pressure activated or user selectable.
US07870707B2
Methods, devices and computer program products automatically package an object, such as, for example, whole muscle meat pieces, in a covering material, such as, for example, netting, by: (a) automatically pushing at least one object through first and second axially aligned product chutes; (b) pulling covering material from an exterior surface of a covering material chute residing about the second product chute to automatically enclose the object in the material as the object exits the second product chute; (c) applying at least one clip to the material to secure the object in the material; and (d) pivoting the covering material chute and second product chute together to load a sleeve of material onto the covering material chute.
US07870697B2
A skirting board comprising a base profile and a guard profile. The base profile comprises a receiving portion and a deflecting arm. The guard profile comprises a protruding portion, that interfaces with the receiving portion of the base profile, and a curved portion. The guard profile combines with the base profile to provide at least one open space. Finally, the deflecting arm and the curved portion combine to provide a surface used to finish a corner produced by a floor and a wall.
US07870692B2
A gutter cover distributing water across the face of the cover and controlling the rate of water ingress through the cover into the gutter thereby assisting in the separation of water and shedding of debris from the passing runoff water and debris, and preventing debris from building up on the gutter cover.
US07870689B2
A mount comprising a connecting portion attachable to a firearm, a first member connected to the connecting portion to be rotatable about a first axis, a second member connected to the first member to be rotatable about a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis, and an attachment system connected to the second member for receiving an accessory. Also, a mount attachable to a firearm and having a dampener system connected to base and body portions thereof, the dampener system acting to dampen a recoil force produced by the firearm. Further, a mount attachable to a firearm and allowing a first rotation varying an azimuth of an accessory and a second rotation varying an angle of elevation of the accessory, and control means adjusting the second rotation to obtain a desired value and automatically producing the first rotation to correct a lateral drift of the firearm.
US07870686B2
A subway tunnel light box for displaying a back-lighted image to a viewer inside of a subway car traveling in the subway tunnel in which a transparent video display for displaying a number of images, such as an LCD, is mounted in the light box and a narrow light source, preferably having a width of one pixel, is positioned in the box behind each of the images at a distance less than a typical viewing distance so that each image is illuminated by an associated narrow light source with an associated narrow light source horizontal illumination angle substantially the same as a preselected perceived horizontal viewing angle calculated for the typical viewing distance based upon a physical height of the transparent video display and a desired aspect ratio of a perceived image.
US07870683B2
A method for trenching below the water table in environmentally sensitive areas such as the Florida Keys is shown. A first pass made by a trencher digs a first trench from the surface to the water table. During the first pass, relatively dry spoil is removed from the first trench. Next, a much deeper second trench is dug below the first trench; however, wet spoil remains in the now combined first and second trench, the combined first and second trench being large enough to accumulate the wet spoil with expansion. Thereafter, the combined first and second trench may be filled with the relatively dry spoil, packed and driven upon. Later, the packed spoil may be removed and water pipes, electric cables, sewer lines or the like buried in the trench. According to the requirements of the work area, the spoil may be used to partially fill the combined first and second trench or be hauled away.
US07870666B2
A wire routing tool includes a guiding tip, a malleable shaft having a first end operatively connected to said guiding tip and a second end, and a guiding head having a first end operatively connected to said second end of said malleable shaft and a second end including a connector.
US07870664B2
A method of making a circuitized substrate including a resistor comprised of material which includes a polymer resin and a quantity of nano-powders including a mixture of at least one metal component and at least one ceramic component. The ceramic component may be a ferroelectric ceramic and/or a high surface area ceramic and/or a transparent oxide and/or a dope manganite. Alternatively, the material will include the polymer resin and nano-powders, with the nano-powders comprising at least one metal coated ceramic and/or at least one oxide coated metal component. An electrical assembly (substrate and at least one electrical component) and an information handling system (e.g., personal computer) utilizing such a circuitized substrate are also provided.
US07870659B2
A method for defining a perpendicular magnetic head is provided. The method includes forming a portion of the read and write head including depositing a sensor film on a surface only over a region of the read head to form a sensor; depositing a full-film shaping pole layer over the write head; defining a track width of the sensor; patterning a photoresist to define a pole tip of the write head including write track width and flare position, and at the same time to define a back edge of the sensor; removing material of the sensor and pole tip from the areas not covered by the photoresist; completing the fabrication of the write and read head layers; and lapping the write pole concurrently with the sensor to define the flare position of the pole tip and to define a sensor height with accurate positioning of write head flare.
US07870656B2
Method for connecting two or more metal sheets or profile parts, especially of an automobile body segment as well as said automobile body segment.A method is described for joining two or more metal sheets and/or profileparts of which typically one is a high strength steel with the following steps. a) mechanically joining in a force-locking or frictional manner the metal sheets or profile parts at one or more connecting sites and subsequently b) thermally joining the connecting sites by means of pressure welding. With the method according to the invention in particular in the motor vehicle sector automobile body segments can be produced which display qualitatively very high quality point weld joints.
US07870653B2
A product package clip has tamper evident protection which is formed integrally with the clip. Breakage of frangible connectors indicates that the clip, and thus the package, has been the target of tampering.
US07870643B2
The invention relates to a hinge arrangement, in particular for a tailgate of a motor vehicle, having a first hinge part, in particular firmly connected to the body, which is knuckle-jointed with a second hinge part, and having an energy accumulator, the force application points of which are positioned in relation to both hinge parts in such a way that the force released upon its discharge supports the rotation of the two hinge parts around the hinge axis from a first rotation position, which corresponds in particular to a closed position of the tailgate, to a second rotation position, which corresponds in particular to the open position of the tailgate. To obtain useful improvements, a transposition device is proposed for transposing at least one force application point in one of the two rotation positions, so that after a transposition onto the hinge parts a force acts in the opposite rotation direction.
US07870640B2
A convertible blower/vacuum for selectively blowing or vacuuming debris. The blower/vacuum may include a housing to which a blower/vacuum tube is coupled. The tube may be movable, relative to the housing, to allow a primary passageway of the tube to selectively communicate with either an air inlet of the housing or an air outlet. The blower/vacuum may further include a vacuum receptacle having an opening that selectively communicates with the air outlet when the passageway of the tube communicates with the air inlet.
US07870638B2
A bare floor cleaner for wet and dry bare floor surfaces comprises a base with wet and dry suction nozzles and a handle pivotally connected to the base. A diverter mounted in the working air conduit between each of the dry suction nozzle and the wet suction nozzle to a recovery tank is movable by movement of the handle between a dry suction position and a wet suction position for selectively at least partially blocking working air flow from the wet suction nozzle and the dry suction nozzle, respectively, to the recovery tank.
US07870637B2
A cleaning apparatus for cleaning a surface in which cleaning solution is dispensed to the surface and substantially simultaneously extracted along with the dirt on the surface in a continuous operation is provided. The cleaning apparatus includes a base portion for movement along the surface and a handle pivotally connected to the base portion. A solution tank for supplying a flow of cleaning solution to the surface is removably mounted to the handle. A recovery tank is removably mounted to the handle. A suction nozzle is secured to the base portion and in fluid communication with the recovery tank. A suction source is in fluid communication with the suction nozzle for generating suction to draw dirt and liquid through the suction nozzle and into the recovery tank. The recovery tank and solution tank are in an aligned stack arrangement when the handle is in both the upright and working positions.
US07870634B2
The dust mop with multiple handle holders is a dust mop having a handle, a dust mop frame, and a dust mop head. The frame has multiple handle holders, including a central handle holder in the center of the fame and another handle holder at one or both ends of the frame so that the handle can be attached to the central handle holder for general use, and may optionally be attached to a handle holder at the end of the frame to dust under objects raised above the floor and in areas too narrow to accommodate a conventional dust mop. The dust mop head is a fabric cover supported on the frame, and has an opening through which the handle can be connected to the handle holders. The handle may have a quick connect, clip-type fitting at one end for attachment to the handle holder.
US07870630B2
A closeout assembly is suitable for use with a ramp assembly disposed within a vehicle having a floor. The ramp assembly includes a ramp portion rotatably coupled at a first end for reciprocating movement between a stowed position and a deployed position. A panel assembly is hingedly coupled to the first end of the ramp portion. The close out assembly includes an end cap hingedly coupled at a first end to the first end of the ramp portion. A link is hingedly coupled at a first end to a second end of the end cap. A second end of the link is hingedly coupled to the panel assembly. When the ramp portion reciprocates between the stowed position and the deployed position, the hinged coupling of the end cap to the ramp portion moves along an arcuate path .
US07870628B2
An enhancing mechanism to be placed primarily below the neutral axis of a girder is presented. The movement and deflection of the girder causes the enhancing mechanism to alter the bending moment distribution of the girder. The mechanism is configured so that when combined with the girder, the overall dimensions of the combined system is not much bigger than the dimensions of the girder alone. A tension member may be incorporated into the lower boundary of the enhancing mechanism, and connections are used to attach the mechanism to the girder below the neutral axis. The girder and the enhancing mechanism may be made of the same material or different materials. The compression forces developed in the long diagonal members of the enhancing mechanism become a reaction at the girder end points. A direct connection of the long diagonal members to support points load shear directly to the end supports.
US07870623B2
A weighted article for providing deep pressure therapy includes a plurality of patchwork pieces including a plurality of layers. At least some of the patchwork pieces include a filler of weighted material contained between at least two of the plurality of layers. The plurality of patchwork pieces are fastened together at edges.
US07874013B2
A method and apparatus for a secure and granular index for information is described herein. According to one embodiment of the invention a computer-implemented method is described including evaluating a user query against a set of documents having sub-document level security control, determining a security access for said user, and providing a result for the user query based on the security access for the user and the sub-document level security control.
US07874004B2
Provided is a method of copying data stored in a first storage medium to a second storage medium. The method includes recording the encrypted data stored in the first storage medium on the second storage medium; reproducing a first content key, which is used to encrypt the encrypted data, using a first drive into which the first storage medium is loaded; encrypting the first content key; sending the encrypted first content key to a second drive into which the second storage medium is loaded; and recording the encrypted first content key on the second storage medium. In this method, encrypted data stored in a first storage medium is sent to a second storage medium via a host without decrypting the encrypted data, thereby preventing the data from being hacked or being accessed by unauthorized users and increasing a speed of copying the encrypted data.
US07874001B2
A method and system for determining whether resources of a computer system are being hidden is provided. The security system invokes a high-level function of user mode that is intercepted and filtered by the malware to identify resources. The security system also directly invokes a low-level function of kernel mode that is not intercepted and filtered by the malware to identify resources. After invoking the high-level function and the low-level function, the security system compares the identified resources. If the low-level function identified a resource that was not identified by the high-level function, then the security system may consider the resource to be hidden.
US07873995B2
A method and apparatus are provided for generating passwords that may be memorized by a user, yet not easily guessed by an attacker. A user is presented with one or more textual, audio or visual hints. A password is automatically generated based on the selected hint (and possibly further input from the user). The presented hints may include poems, songs, jokes, pictures or words. The generated password and selected hint can be presented to the user during enrollment for further reinforcement and stored in a user database for subsequent reinforcement and verification. The enrollment process may schedule the sending of one or more reminder messages to the user containing the hint to reinforce the password in the user's memory.
US07873991B1
The invention prevents server overload and possible server crippling due to a flooding of connectionless datagrams caused by intentional attack or otherwise. In response to a datagram from a host for a specified port, the number of datagrams already queued to the port from the host is determined. If this number exceeds a first threshold, the datagram is discarded. In the preferred embodiment, the threshold is determined by multiplying a percentage P by the number of available queue slots remaining for the port.
US07873985B2
Methods and apparatus for determining, in a reliable manner, a port, physical location and/or device identifier, such as a MAC address, associated with a device using an IP address and for using such information, e.g., to support one or more security applications is described. Supported security applications include restricting access to services based on the location of a device seeking access to a service, determining the location of stolen devices, and verifying the location of the source of a message or other IP signal, e.g., to determine if a prisoner is contacting a monitoring service from a predetermined location.
US07873983B2
Apparatus, methods, and program products that enable an audience member of a local device to navigate, by activation of user selectable controls, through an experiential data stream presented on the local device.
US07873975B2
A television receiver is connected to a multi-directional antenna, and stores, in a memory, a receiving direction table containing: channel numbers; best receiving directions of the multi-directional antenna for receiving the respective channels; and register channel information indicating whether the channels are registered as selectable or non-selectable. The receiving direction table is used for selecting each channel. Based on the operation of a user interface by a user (S42), the register channel information of the receiving direction table can be changed (S44, S46), so that the user can optionally set selectable channels. Best receiving directions of channels registered in the receiving direction table as non-selectable are deleted from the receiving direction table (S45), so that the amount of information stored in the memory can be reduced, thereby saving capacity of the memory.
US07873947B1
A method is provided for comparing malware or other types of computer programs, and for optionally using such a comparison method for (a) searching for matching programs in a collection of programs, (b) classifying programs, and (c) constructing a classification or a partitioning within a collection of programs. In general, there are three steps to the comparison portion: selecting and extracting tokens from a pair of programs for comparison, building features from these tokens, and comparing the programs based on the frequency of feature occurrences to produce a similarity measure. Pairwise similarity is then used for optionally searching, classifying, or constructing classification systems.
US07873942B2
A design-time architecture that allows for flexible creation of application programs is disclosed. A composer core generates displays of application components and application interfaces that define patterns of functions and interactions between interfaces. A pattern base kit tool may provide common logic for the application components. A repository stores the application components and interfaces during run-time.
US07873941B2
A distributed software application comprises a first and second software component. A manager component of a management infrastructure for the distributed software application in one example causes a first software component of the distributed software application to obtain information from a second software component of the distributed software application for initialization of the first software component.
US07873938B2
A method for designing a video processor with a variable and programmable bitwidth parameter. The method comprises selecting logical operations having propagation delay that scales linearly with the bitwidth; determining a desired tradeoff curve; and grouping instances of a logic operation having same properties; for a single instance of each logic operation, matching an actual curve of the logic operation to the desired tradeoff curve, wherein the actual curve is determined by the propagation delay and bitwidth of the logic operation.
US07873934B1
A method for designing a system to be implemented on a field programmable gate array (FPGA) includes identifying an adder from an intermediate representation of the system. Components on the target device are designated to support and implement the adder as a partitioned adder having a plurality of sub-adders each registering an intermediate result.
US07873932B2
A method for analyzing a component mounting board comprising a step (A) for forming a multilayer substrate shell model of a multilayer wiring board, a step (B) for forming a multilayer component shell model divided by element division lines based on the bonding position of a component to the surface of the multilayer wiring board, step (C) for redividing the mounting position of the component in the multilayer substrate shell model, and step (D) for forming an analysis model by bonding the neutral plane of the substrate and the neutral plane of the component through one of a beam element and a solid element, i.e. a bonding element equivalent to mounting conditions of the component, wherein precision of analysis is enhanced while reducing computation cost by performing calculation while imparting boundary conditions to the analysis model.
US07873931B1
A computer-implemented method of incorporating probe points within a circuit design for implementation within an integrated circuit device can include routing probe nets of the circuit design in an overlap mode, identifying a plurality of probe net routes including a common overlapping portion, and including a switch at each location within the circuit design where at least two probe net routes of the plurality of probe net routes diverge from a common point. The circuit design can be output.
US07873926B2
Methods for analyzing timing of an integrated circuit using block-based static statistical timing analysis and for practical worst test definition and debug. The method includes building a timing graph, determining a slack for each of the nodes in the timing graph, and identifying a statistically worst slack for at least one of the nodes. The method further includes replacing this statistically worst slack with a proxy worst slack.
US07873922B2
A design structure embodied in a machine-readable medium used in a design process may include a system for detecting a fault in a signal transmission path. Such system may include, for example, a hysteresis comparator including a latch having n-type field effect transistor (“NFET”) storage elements. The hysteresis comparator may be operable to detect a crossing of a reference voltage level by an input signal arriving from the signal transmission path such that when the comparator does not detect an expected crossing of the reference voltage level by the input signal, the fault is determined to be detected in the signal transmission path.
US07873919B2
A content-retrieval device includes first and second operation units, a display unit, storage storing contents, and a control circuit. The control circuit shows at least two thumbnails of the contents stored in the storage and an image of a mark indicating one of the thumbnails on the display unit, performs filtering, when showing the thumbnails, for the shown thumbnails under a predetermined selection condition, changes the strength of the selection condition under which the filtering is performed when the first operation unit is operated, and changes the thumbnail indicated by the mark image to another of the thumbnails when the second operation unit is operated.
US07873900B2
A method of establishing a bi-directional voice communication link with a network access provider, locating a page responsive to a voice command, identifying one or more highlights on the page, transmitting via the bi-directional voice communication link, a voice response corresponding to a aural recitation of the one or more highlights, receiving a voice selection signal identifying a selected one of the one or more highlights, and locating content associated with the selected one of the one or more highlights.
US07873889B2
The present disclosure describes using the JTAG Tap's TMS and/or TCK terminals as general purpose serial Input/Output (I/O) Manchester coded communication terminals. The Tap's TMS and/or TCK terminal can be used as a serial I/O communication channel between; (1) an IC and an external controller, (2) between a first and second IC, or (3) between a first and second core circuit within an IC. The use of the TMS and/or TCK terminal as serial I/O channels, as described, does not effect the standardized operation of the JTAG Tap, since the TMS and/or TCK I/O operations occur while the Tap is placed in a non-active steady state.
US07873879B2
A host fabric interface (HFI) enables debugging of global shared memory (GSM) operations received at a local node from a network fabric. The local node has a memory management unit (MMU), which provides an effective address to real address (EA-to-RA) translation table that is utilized by the HFI to evaluate when EAs of GSM operations/data from a received GSM packet is memory-mapped to RAs of the local memory. The HFI retrieves the EA associated with a GSM operation/data within a received GSM packet. The HFI forwards the EA to the MMU, which determines when the EA is mapped to RAs within the local memory for the local task. The HFI processing logic enables processing of the GSM packet only when the EA of the GSM operation/data within the GSM packet is an EA that has a local RA translation. Non-matching EAs result in an error condition that requires debugging.
US07873878B2
A data storage method comprises storing first data in at least a first data chunk, wherein the first data chunk is a logical representation of one or more sectors on at least a first disk drive in a storage system; storing first metadata, associated with the first data, in at least a first appendix, wherein the first appendix is a logical representation of a sector region on at least the first disk drive in the storage system, and wherein the first metadata comprises first atomicity metadata (AMD) and first validity metadata (VMD) associated with the first data; and storing a copy of the first VMD for the first data in at least one low latency non-volatile storage (LLNVS) device.
US07873873B2
In conventional testing, the user is using an on-hand computing device to control testing; however, for the present invention the user is at the access point and the computer is remote, e.g. nearby or in the technician's vehicle, and not being used by the user to run the tests. The present invention provides a means to conveniently connect a customer provided network access device, e.g. a USB “dongle” modem, via a wireless link to the remote computer, which is providing the test application. The computer is remote, and the remote module device extends the reach of the commercial dongle modem so it is not necessary to carry the computer to the test access point.
US07873867B2
Provided is a computer system which includes plurality of computers including a first, second, and third computers, and a storage device coupled to the plurality of computers via a network, in which: the first computer is configured to: access data in a storage area of the storage device; cut, based on settings information and loads on the plurality of computers, at least a part of electric power supplied to the first computer; and send, before cutting the at least a part of electric power supplied to the first computer, a takeover request to the second computer; and the second computer accesses the data within the storage area after receiving the takeover request. With the configuration as described above, power consumption in NAS is reduced.
US07873863B2
A portable computing device, in which an internal non-volatile memory drive that is used to boot to a functional device GUI is automatically swapped with a temporary RAM drive if the internal non-volatile memory drive is found to be corrupted. The non-volatile memory is typically Flash memory, but the principle of the present invention can be applied to any kind of non-volatile memory that could become corrupted. Default configuration files may be automatically copied to the RAM drive. These may, for example, allow at least emergency voice calls to be made.
US07873861B2
A method, apparatus, and program for systematically testing the functionality of all connections in a multi-tiered bus system that connects a large number of processors. Each bus controller is instructed to send a test version of a snoop request to all of the other processors and to wait for the replies. If a connection is bad, the port associated with that connection will time out. Detection of a time-out will cause the initialization process to be halted until the problem can be isolated and resolved.
US07873858B2
A clock signal generator for a USB device. The clock signal generator includes a control circuit and a clock generator that does not need to include a crystal oscillator. The control circuit counts the cycle of the clock signal during the period between two sync signals successively inputted, and generates a frequency control signal corresponding to the count value. The clock generator generates the clock signal with a frequency corresponding to the frequency control signal. The clock signal generator can generate a clock signal that is suitable for the data transfer rate defined, in the USB specification. In addition, the clock; signal generator can generate an RX clock signal so that an RX data signal can be recovered with its energy being stable.
US07873857B2
A method and multi-component electronic module device are provided that control the timing of output of data from a plurality of components on the multi-component module. One or more of the components are programmed to delay outputting data by a corresponding amount of time. In one embodiment, the one or more components are programmed such that all of the components output data at substantially the same time when they respond to a control signal. This is particularly useful for multi-component modules that are configured to respond to control signals in a so-called fly-by (or other) configuration that results in the control signal arriving at the components at different times causing the components to react to the control signal at different times.
US07873849B2
Systems and methods for processing motion sensor data using various power management modes of an electronic device are provided. Power may be provided to a motion sensor during a first power mode of the device. In response to the motion sensor detecting a motion event with a magnitude exceeding a threshold, the sensor may transmit a wake up signal to a power management unit of the device. In response to receiving the wake up signal, the power management unit may switch the device to a second power mode. The device may provide power to a processor and load the processor with a motion sensing application when switching to the second power mode. During the second power mode, motion sensor data may be processed to determine that the motion event is not associated with an intentional user input and the device may return to the first power mode.
US07873836B2
The present invention provides a wireless communication system having a first information processing apparatus and a second information processing apparatus communicating with each other in a wireless manner. The first information processing apparatus includes first transmission means for transmitting a wireless signal for computing a position of the first information processing apparatus to a second information processing apparatus. The second information processing apparatus includes first reception means, computation means, determination means, and second transmission means. The first information processing apparatus further includes second reception means for receiving the data transmitted from the second information processing apparatus.
US07873832B2
Mechanisms for securely allowing a participant computing entity to engage in a transaction initiated by an initiator computing entity and managed by a coordinator computing entity. The initiator provides a transaction initiation request to the coordinator. Upon receipt, the coordinator accessing a transaction coordination context that includes information such as a secure key that may be used by a participant to register in the transaction. The coordinator then provides the coordination context to the initiator, which provides the coordination context to the participant(s) that are also to engage in the transaction. Each participant then generates a registration request that is based on the coordination context, and that is secured using the secure key provided in the coordination context.
US07873830B2
Electronic circuit chips which include cryptography functions are arranged in multichip configurations through the utilization of a shared external memory. Security of the chips is preserved via a handshaking protocol which permits each chip to access limited portions of the memory as defined in a way that preserves the same high security level as the tamper proof chips themselves. The chips may be operated to work on different tasks or to work on the same task thus providing a mechanism for trading off speed versus redundancy where desired.
US07873824B2
Apparatus and methods for remotely configuring a computer BIOS of a testing computer system are provided. In one aspect, a method of testing is provided that includes establishing an interface between a first computer system and a second computer system. The second computer system includes a computer readable storage device that has a BIOS and a first set of BIOS configuration settings. The first set of BIOS configuration settings is adapted to a first device under test. At least one instruction is sent from the first computer system to the second computer system to enable the second computer system to select a second set of BIOS configuration settings adapted to a second device under test having different electronic characteristics than the first device under test. An electrical test is performed on the second device under test using the second computer system and the second set of BIOS configuration settings.
US07873822B2
An electronic information system comprises an external storage device and an application processor. The external storage device stores boot code and the application processor is adapted to receive the boot code from the external storage device and to perform a system booting operation during a power-up operation by executing the boot code.
US07873820B2
The present invention provides processing systems, apparatuses, and methods that reduce power consumption with the use of a loop buffer. In an embodiment, an instruction fetch unit of a processor initially provides instructions from an instruction cache to an execution unit of the processor. While instructions are provided from the instruction cache to the execution unit, instructions forming a loop are stored in a loop buffer. When a loop stored in the loop buffer is being iterated, the instruction cache is disabled to reduce power consumption and instructions are provided to the execution unit from the loop buffer. When the loop is exited, the instruction cache is re-enabled and instructions are provided to the execution unit from the instruction cache.
US07873818B2
A system and method for performing search area confined branch prediction in a processor are provided. The system includes a branch target buffer (BTB) to hold branch information for branch prediction, where the branch information includes a branch address. The system also includes search logic for searching the BTB to locate a branch address. The system additionally includes throttle logic to stop searching the BTB in response to reaching a predefined search limit.
US07873809B2
An amount of storage capacity used during mirroring operations is reduced by applying de-duplication operations to the mirror volumes. Data stored to a first volume is mirrored to a second volume. The second volume is a virtual volume having a plurality of logical addresses, such that segments of physical storage capacity are allocated for a specified logical address as needed when data is stored to the specified logical address. A de-duplication operation is carried out on the second volume following a split from the first volume. A particular segment of the second volume is identified as having data that is the same as another segment in the second volume or in the same consistency group. A link is created from the particular segment to the other segment and the particular segment is released from the second volume so that physical storage capacity required for the second volume is reduced.
US07873802B2
In one embodiment of the invention, a method is provided for retrieving certain electronic information previously stored on certain storage media after a threshold set in the storage retention criteria has been exceeded in an electronic information storage system that stores electronic information on storage media in accordance with a storage retention criteria is provided. The method includes storing a record in a memory associated with a system manager that assigns the storage retention criteria to the certain electronic data, designating the storage media available for overwrite after the threshold set in the storage retention policy has been exceeded, identifying the certain storage media available for overwrite, and retrieving information from the certain media after the threshold set in the storage retention policy has been exceeded.
US07873799B2
A method for writing data to a storage pool, involving receiving a first write operation to write a first block to the storage pool, determining a first replication type for the first block using a first replication policy associated with the first block, determining a first number of physical blocks required to write the first block to the storage pool using a size of the first block and the first replication type, and writing the first block, in accordance with the first replication policy, to the storage pool by filling in the first number of physical blocks.
US07873795B2
A method of, shared register system and system for controlling access to a register are described. The shared register stores a plurality of bits including control and data bits. An access signal and a combined signal including a control portion and a data portion are received and the data portion of the combined signal is written to one or more data bits of the shared register corresponding to the control portion of the combined signal. A shared register system for controlling access to portions of a shared register includes a register having storage for bits and a register access control configured to receive an access signal and a combined signal. The register access control is operatively connected with the register to control write access to the register based on the access signal and the control portion of the combined signal.
US07873794B2
Disclosed is an apparatus, method, and program product that provides atomic, multi-word load support without incurring additional memory utilization. A double-word is atomically loaded without the use of one or more additional fields and without a lock. An invalidity marker is used in connection with a cache miss time to ascertain whether a loaded double-word has been stored and loaded atomically, and is thus, valid.
US07873793B1
Method and system for supporting speculative modification in a data cache are provided and described. A data cache comprises a plurality of cache lines. Each cache line includes a state indicator for indicating anyone of a plurality of states, wherein the plurality of states includes a speculative state to enable keeping track of speculative modification to data in the respective cache line. The speculative state enables a speculative modification to the data in the respective cache line to be made permanent in response to a first operation performed upon reaching a particular instruction boundary during speculative execution of instructions. Further, the speculative state enables the speculative modification to the data in the respective cache line to be undone in response to a second operation performed upon failing to reach the particular instruction boundary during speculative execution of instructions.
US07873765B1
Detecting of peripheral devices and communication of related information are described herein. One or more devices are detected. The one or more devices may include a peripheral device coupled to a client. Data regarding the detected devices is obtained. Such data may include information about the devices and their accessories. One or more offerings related to the one or more peripheral device are obtained based on the data. The one or more offerings may include advertisements regarding the devices. The one or more offerings relating to the devices are received at the client. Then, the one or more offerings are presented at the client.
US07873762B2
In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a first clocked storage device operable in a first clock domain corresponding to a first clock signal. The first clocked storage device has an input coupled to receive one or more bits transmitted on the input from a second clock domain corresponding to a second clock signal. The apparatus further comprises control circuitry configured to ensure that a change in a value of the one or more bits transmitted on the input meets setup and hold time requirements of the first clocked storage device. The control circuitry is responsive to a sample history of one of the first clock signal or the second clock signal to detect a phase relationship between the first clock signal and the second clock signal on each clock cycle to ensure the change meets the setup and hold time requirements.
US07873752B2
The present invention relates to a handling procedure instruction device that displays information on a handling procedure of electronic equipment only when a user is not familiar with the handling procedure of the electronic equipment. The device determines whether or not the equipment is connected with the instruction device, and then reads, from the equipment, information on whether or not the handling procedure of the equipment is known to the user of the equipment to determine whether or not an instruction for the handling is require. If it wads information indicating that the handling procedure of the equipment is known to the user of the equipment, the device aborts a display process of previously-stored handling procedure instruction information. If the display process of the previously-stored handling procedure instruction information is aborted, the device displays information to be displayed after the handling procedure instruction information on a display portion. According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce needless operations by a user who is familiar with the handling procedure.
US07873743B2
A method and electronic apparatus is provided for establishing a connection in a first electronic apparatus to a second electronic apparatus using one of a plurality of clients. The method comprises determining whether the first electronic apparatus and the second electronic apparatus, to which a connection is requested, is operating in the same network; establishing the connection using a first client if the first and second electronic apparatuses are operating in the same network; and establishing the connection using a second client if the second electronic apparatus is operating in a different network than the first electronic apparatus.
US07873742B1
Selecting content for processing based on user device preferences and characteristics of the user devices. Embodiments of the invention include a notification having different content formatted for a plurality of different user devices. In this manner, the content provider delivers content without knowing a priori the specific user device that will process the content. The content includes non-rendered content such as extensible markup language (XML) data.
US07873737B2
A user's set top box (STB), or other client, executes a shell and has an application program interface (API) by which certain features of the client can be controlled. The client is in communication with a walled garden proxy server (WGPS), which controls access to a walled garden. The walled garden contains links to one or more servers providing network-based services. The client sends a request to the WGPS to access a service provided by a site in the garden. To provide the service, the site sends the client a message containing code calling a function in the API. The WGPS traps the message from the site and looks up the site in a table to determine the access control list (ACL) for the site. The ACL is a bit-map that specifies which functions of the client's API can be invoked by code from the site. The WGPS includes the ACL in the header of the hypertext transport protocol (HTTP) message to the client. The shell receives the message and extracts the ACL. The shell uses the ACL to determine whether the code has permission to execute any called functions in the API. If the code lacks permission, the shell stops execution and sends a message to the site indicating that the site lacks permission. Otherwise, the shell allows the code to call the function.
US07873736B1
A network access server (NAS) determines the status of availability (e.g., how much more quota is unused) of an access resource, and sends a notification embedded in a point-to-point protocol (PPP) packet. The format of the packet is chosen such that definition/use of higher layers (e.g., HTTP) is not required to communicate the status to a client system. As a result, the user may be notified even if software such as web browser is not being executed on the client system.
US07873733B2
A load distribution device that receives processing requests from terminals and that allocates and transfers the processing requests to at least one of a plurality of servers. The load distribution device includes a monitoring unit, a request receiving unit, an update server determining unit, a distribution ratio setting unit, a load distribution unit, a notification unit and an update completion detecting unit, whereupon receipt of a notification that the update of the server to be updated is completed, the update server determining unit determines that the update to the server to be updated is completed, determines a new server to be updated and a new server to be updated next, and instructs the distribution ratio setting unit to set the distribution ratios.
US07873728B2
One embodiment of the present method and apparatus for extracting and visualizing execution patterns from Web Services collects data relating to one or more transactions executed in accordance with one or more Web Services-based applications (e.g., messaging systems or other services). One or more patterns is then extracted from the collected data, where the patterns are representative transactions commonly executed in accordance with the Web Services configuration under analysis.
US07873727B2
A system and computer program for evaluating in real-time streaming multimedia quality. The system including a multimedia server connected to a multimedia source and a remote client in communication with the multimedia server over a network. The multimedia server is configured to receive multimedia content from the multimedia source and to transmit the multimedia content as a multimedia stream. The multimedia stream includes a plurality of audio frames and a plurality of video frames. The remote client is configured to establish a multimedia session with the multimedia server, receive the multimedia stream via the multimedia session, monitor the media quality of the multimedia stream, and passively compute a subjective quality of the multimedia stream.
US07873721B2
Upon transferring image data stored in a first information processing apparatus (photo site) to a second information processing apparatus (print site), at least one of information that pertains to whether or not the image data is to be acquired by the second information processing apparatus, information that pertains to whether or not the image data has already been acquired by the second information processing apparatus, and information that pertains to the number of times of acquisition of the image data by the second information processing apparatus is managed, and whether or not unwanted image data is transferred to the second information processing apparatus, and whether or not image data illicitly leaks to the second information processing apparatus are monitored on the basis of the managed information. The first information processing apparatus (photo site) prepares required image data in accordance with the current state of a series of processes to be executed by the second information processing apparatus (print site), and passes it to the second information processing apparatus, thereby preventing the first information processing apparatus that saves image data from passing unwanted image data to the second information processing apparatus that processes image data.
US07873711B2
A method, system and program product for managing assignment of virtual physical addresses. The method includes requesting, using a services function provided by a virtual machine operating system, a MAC address assignment for a real device and searching, in a MAC assignment table created and stored within a virtual memory space, to determine whether or not an explicit MAC address is assigned to the device. If an explicit MAC address is determined to be assigned to the device, retrieving the explicit MAC address upon verifying that the MAC address is not in use by another device and forwarding, using the services function, the explicit MAC address retrieved for assignment to the real device. If an explicit MAC address is not assigned to the device, retrieving an available MAC address from a MAC address pool table and forwarding the available MAC address retrieved for assignment to the real device.
US07873706B2
A system and method for providing video content to a client system is disclosed. The system includes a server and a computer coupled by a network. The server obtains operating environment information of the computer in response to a request for video content from the computer. The server selects a version of the requested video content for sending based on the obtained operating environment information. The selected video can be received by the computer at the computer's particular connection speed over the network and can be played by the computer using its particular video player. The server sends the selected video to the computer and causes the computer to automatically begin playing the video without requiring any overt interaction by the operator of the computer.
US07873699B2
Disclosed is a network control system for home appliances that satisfies the characteristics of low-cost and high-efficiency with respect to currently used appliances adopting a low-performance microcomputer. The system is constructed to define a master/slave type communication structure with respect to the respective appliances; construct a network by connecting the appliances through the serial communication function; and enable the appliances to communicate with one another if a predetermined communication event is produced. According to the system, an optimized network for the home appliances can be implemented, and operation states of the respective appliances can be displayed through the co-operation among the appliances, thereby maximizing the user convenience.
US07873694B2
Operational-policy storage means (115) stores therein operational policy to be applied in information systems (103). Operational-policy execution means (113) applies the operational policy. Information-system classification means (114) judges a similar information system (103) based on the application and service level thereof. If an operational policy is input from a console (118), the operational policy is verified using an information-system (103) judged as a similar information system by the information-system classification means (114), to assure the validity of the operational policy.
US07873693B1
Multi-chassis fabric-backplane enterprise servers include a plurality of chassis managed collectively to form one or more provisioned servers. A central client coordinates gathering of provisioning and management information from the chassis, and arranges for distribution of control information to the chassis. One of the chassis may perform as a host or proxy with respect to information and control communication between the client and the chassis. Server provisioning and management information and commands move throughout the chassis via an Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) protocol. Alternatively, the client may establish individual communication with a subset of the chassis, and directly communicate with chassis in the subset. Server provisioning and management information includes events generated when module status changes, such as when a module is inserted and becomes available, and when a module fails and is no longer available. Each chassis includes a switch fabric enabling communication between chassis modules.
US07873690B2
A management device (D) that is part of a communication network (R1) to which can be connected items of communication equipment (T1-T4) constituting peers storing content data and operating in P2P mode. This device (D) comprises analysing means (MA) adapted to, in the case of reception of a request for obtaining peer identifiers, said request designating content, from a peer (T1), i) to access a tree structure comprising leaves (associated with peer identifiers storing content associated with content identifiers) and location nodes (associated with location information, representative of location of peers associated with leaves that are attached to them, and with content information, representative at least of content identifiers that store these peers), in order to determine the location of the leaf associated with the content identifier designated in the received request, then the peer identifiers associated with leaves that are attached to this determined location node and said content identifier, and ii) order the transmission to the requesting peer (T1) of the determined peer identifiers.
US07873685B2
A method for a computer system includes receiving a mapping schema between a plurality of asset-types within an asset-type hierarchy and a plurality of paths within an on-disk storage structure, receiving an asset-type definition list from a user, wherein the asset-type definition list comprises an asset-type from the plurality of asset types, and determining at least one path from the plurality of paths for providing access to assets of the asset-type in response to the mapping schema and the asset-type definition list.
US07873683B2
An electronic data system comprises memory storage having stored data, file system software, and a transaction file. The transaction file is maintained by the file system software, and includes a plurality of transaction records corresponding to transactions that have been or are to be executed on one or more files and/or the or more directories of the file system. The file system software operates to organize and maintain the stored data in the files and directories and also to coalesce multiple transaction records meeting one or more criteria into fewer coalesced transaction records. The physical memory space required by the transaction file is reduced by the transaction record coalescing. The coalesced transaction records may be constructed so that they represent a logical result of applying each transaction record of a transaction record set in chronological order. Once the coalesced transaction records have been committed in the file system, the physical memory used by the original transaction records in the set may be reclaimed for further use (e.g., to store further transaction records) or may be otherwise removed from further use (e.g., when the physical memory is located in a block of memory in a flash-like memory device that has reached its maximum number of write and/or erase cycles).
US07873682B2
A search query may be run against a plurality of container registers encapsulated and logically defined in a plurality of containers to identify one or more container registers responsive to the search query. Thereafter, a list characterizing the identified containers may be provided. Related methods, apparatus, computer program products, and computer systems are also described.
US07873677B2
Data is captured from a web site or other data source. Data is extracted from the web page using a data harvesting script or other data acquisition routine. The extracted data is then normalized and stored in a database. If data cannot be extracted from the web page, a copy of the captured web page is stored without personal information contained in the web page. The data harvesting script is then edited based on an analysis of the captured web page.
US07873675B2
Importation of data records organized within tables from a source system to a target system while preserving relationships among data records of the tables when record identification values identifying each data record have been changed during importation includes, using the same database query on an entire table to update each record identification references that refers to a data record in another table.
US07873669B2
Provided are systems and methods that facilitate direct write back in a multi-dimensional database. The system includes a delta cache component that receives a user request to change an original cell value and determines a delta value based at least in part upon the changed cell value. Also included is a write back partition component that selectively updates a data cell based at least in part upon the delta value without updating corresponding data cell values. The system and methods allow attributes to be added to any dimension of a cube without affecting the write back data. Adding, modifying or removing a hierarchy has no affect on write back data nor does deleting a dimension that is not referenced by a write back.
US07873660B1
Described herein is an approach that may be used to control access to information requested by a query, where access is granted or denied to all the information requested based on factors that relate to information requested as a whole rather than on individual-by-individual row basis. Also described is a mechanism in which a database server dynamically creates and computes another query in response to receiving a query, and then uses the computed results to determine whether access to the data requested by the received query may be granted.
US07873658B2
A method in a data processing system for propagation of filter expressions across multi-layered systems. If a selection criteria expression in a data request received by a first data processing engine from an application is incompatible with selection criteria expressions of a second data processing engine, the data request and the portion of the selection criteria expression that is compatible with selection criteria expressions of the second data processing engine is transmitted to the second data processing engine. If the second data processing engine received a message that matches the compatible portion of the selection criteria expression, the message that matches is transmitted to the first data processing engine. If the message that matches the compatible portion also matches the portion of the selection criteria expression that is incompatible with the selection criteria expressions of the second data processing engine, the message that matches is transmitted to the application.
US07873656B1
An arrangement within a gateway for evaluating a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) request. The gateway is configured to be organized into at least a kernel space and an application space during operation. The one or more drivers are configured to reside within the kernel space of the gateway and configured to perform at least intercepting the URL request and querying at least an information service. The querying is also configured to obtain information attributed to a URL that is associated with said URL request.
US07873655B2
An “Automatic Communicator” provides automated communications services between portable electronic devices (such as, for example, cell phones, PDA's, media players, portable computers, etc.) to facilitate information transfer and matching services while minimizing or eliminating the need for human involvement in responding to queries from one electronic device to another. Such communications are enabled by allowing portable electronic devices (“requesting devices”) to send a query to other portable electronic devices (“answering devices”), and have one or more of those answering devices automatically respond to the query without requiring users of the answering devices to become involved in providing that response. In effect, this allows the portable electronic devices of users to act as digital “butlers” or “personal assistants” that respond to queries on behalf of the users of those devices. In various embodiments, privacy concerns are addressed by authenticating authorized requesting devices or limiting information returned in response to queries.
US07873654B2
The present invention provides a natural language query system and method for processing and analyzing multimodally-originated queries, including voice and proximity-based queries. The natural language query system includes a Web-enabled device including a speech input module for receiving a voice-based query in natural language form from a user and a location/proximity module for receiving location/proximity information from a location/proximity device. The query system also includes a speech conversion module for converting the voice-based query in natural language form to text in natural language form and a natural language processing module for converting the text in natural language form to text in searchable form. The query system further includes a semantic engine module for converting the text in searchable form to a formal database query and a database-look-up module for using the formal database query to obtain a result related to the voice-based query in natural language form from a database.
US07873653B2
A request receiving unit receives requested information input by a user. A corresponding-program acquiring unit acquires processing-program identification information corresponding to the requested information from a corresponding-program storing unit. A processing-program reading unit reads a processing program corresponding to the processing-program identification information from a processing-program storing unit. The request receiving unit acquires information corresponding to the requested information from the information storing unit by executing the processing program read by the processing-program reading unit.
US07873647B2
A technique is provided for implementing multiple Web services on a multi-functional device (MFP) executing multiple service applications. A Device Facility Manager (DFM) executing on the MFP represents the MFP by responding to discovery, metadata, and logging requests with device location, metadata and logging information. When a client application discovers the services provided by the MFP, the client application may communicate directly with a service application executing on the MFP. The client application requests the service metadata of the service application and then transmits SOAP requests, which the service application processes. The implementation of one or more Web Service specifications may be packaged into one common module so that the complexity of the Web Services is hidden from developers. New services may be added to the MFP and existing services may be updated through communication with the DFM.
US07873645B2
Disclosed is a method and mechanism for processing expressions and operator trees. An approach is particularly useful to optimize processing of XML statements with respect to SQL operators. A top-down processing approach can be taken to directly output data from operators to a data stream. In addition, multiple processing approaches can be taken within a single expression tree, with some operators processed using the top-down approach and other operators processed with the bottom-up approach. Even data that can not be streamed is copied fewer times using this approach, intermediate values from bottom-up processing may still be streamed if it is used by an operator that is eligible for top-down processing.
US07873633B2
Search result interleaving may be provided. First, a first list comprising online results may be received. Next, a second list comprising local results may be received. Then a subsequence common to the first list and the second list may be determined using a longest common subsequence algorithm. Next, an interleaved list may be created using the determined subsequence and a smart merge interleave algorithm to interleave the first list and the second list without hurting relevance.
US07873632B2
Systems and methods for associating a keyword with a window are described. In one described system, a computer program, such as an indexer, captures processor, or query system, associates a keyword with a first user interface area. The query system or other computer program receives a signal that the first user interface is inactive and that a second user interface area is active and, in response, generates an implicit search query that includes the keyword associated with the first user interface area.
US07873629B1
Methods, computer programs, and database systems for performing a database query to join a column A and a column B on an inequality condition are disclosed. A database includes value-count indexes for columns A and B. Minimum and a maximum values for A and B are determined, using the value-count indexes for A and B, respectively. The method includes defining three or more sets of values in A and B, relative to the minimum and maximum values for B and A, respectively. The method includes generating one or more Cartesian products between values in A and B. The database query is performed on a set of values in A and a set of values in B to generate a partial query result. The method includes merging one or more Cartesian products and the partial query result.
US07873625B2
The present invention provides a file management system that includes a file indexing framework that allows third parties to contribute index handlers that are responsible for populating index entries for the artifacts they own and/or generate. The framework manages the creation, maintenance, and update of the index, and calls the index handlers at appropriate times so they can parse files that they understand for values that need to be stored in the index. The framework also provides APIs for querying the standardized fields of the index, so applications can search for standard types of data contributed for any of the indexed files. The present invention also provides a mechanism to keep track of symbolic name associations for every file/entity in the system. Specifically, the present invention provides a session-based and transient shadow table of symbolic names previously used by the files (even beyond the lifetime of the files themselves).
US07873614B2
Role is a comprehensive grouping mechanism. In a client-server directory system, roles transfer some of the complexity to the directory server. A role is defined by its role definition entry. Any client with appropriate access privileges can discover, identify and examine any role definition. A “managed” role is one that can be configured to provide search results similar to those available with a static grouping mechanism, i.e., to create a group entry that contains a list of members. Managed roles allow a user to create an explicit enumerated list of members. A managed role is a label stored with a directory entry.
US07873607B1
A method for specifying a consolidator for consolidating data from a plurality of database systems is disclosed. The method comprises receiving a user action wherein the user action specifies an action that modifies a knowledge base wherein the knowledge base includes schema information and matching information relating to the plurality of database systems. The method further comprises deriving an event from the user action wherein the event triggers a consistency rule that causes a modification of the knowledge base and generating from the knowledge base a registry that comprises the consolidator wherein the registry includes a master database and a consolidator application.
US07873601B1
Performing a backup is disclosed. A changed portion of a file system tree is determined based at least in part on a stored state of the file system tree at a time a prior block based backup of the file system tree was performed. Incremental metadata associated with the changed portion is obtained. The obtained incremental metadata is stored where there is at least some metadata associated with an unchanged portion of the file system tree that is not stored when storing the obtained incremental metadata.
US07873599B2
A backup control apparatus which references duplication management information which includes first stored location information indicating the stored location of first information resource and second stored location information indicating the stored location of a second information resource which duplicates the first information resource, and identifies, from among a plurality of information resources belonging to a backup region. The first information resource stored in the location indicated by the first stored location information, and a second information resource stored in the location indicated by the second stored location information corresponding to the first stored location information. The backup control apparatus replaces the identified second information resource with linked information indicating a link to the identified first information resource, and backs up the backup region in which the second information resource is replaced with the linked information.
US07873593B2
A communication system for a vehicle includes an interior assembly and an in-vehicle communication control that is located in the vehicle remote from the interior assembly. A human-machine interface is located at the interior assembly and is connected to the in-vehicle communication control via a connective link to communicate at least one human-machine interface signal between the human-machine interface and the in-vehicle communication control. A global positioning system control in the vehicle communicates at least one GPS-derived signal to one of the interior assembly and the in-vehicle communication control via the connective link and the at least one human-machine interface signal and the at least one GPS-derived signal share the connective link such that the connective link comprises a shared common connective link between the in-vehicle communication control and the interior assembly.
US07873588B2
A method, apparatus and system of a mobile e-learning method and apparatus based on media adapted learning objects are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes processing an e-learning course based on a set of executable files and a number of auxiliary files associated with the set of executable files to install the e-learning course to a mobile device with an application program, selectively replicating a subset of the set of executable files and the number of auxiliary files to the mobile device, presenting the subset of the set of executable files and the number of auxiliary files of the mobile device in a particular sequence when processing a signal data associated with a menu of the e-learning course, and analyzing an assessment result data based on the subset of the set of files to communicate the assessment result data to a repository of a content management system.
US07873574B1
A user selects a product to be liquidated from a product provider and then designates to the transacting entity that reward points are to be used towards the purchase of the liquidated product. The transacting entity acts to decrease the number of reward points in the user's reward account by the required number of points. The reward account holder conveys consideration to the transacting entity equivalent to the par value of the reward points consumer obtains the product in exchange for reward points having a retail value equivalent to what he would have otherwise paid for the product, while the reward account holder is required to convey only the par value of the points. The product provider is able to liquidate the product and obtain payment equivalent to what it would otherwise have obtained in a prior art liquidation process, auction or trading environment.
US07873572B2
A method of performing financial transactions between users of Summa accounts, each Summa account including an electronic messaging system that provides for crediting and debiting at least one financial account associated with each Summa account. The invention also allows each user to define a schedule of receipt charges associated with the identities of other users to be charged as compensation for accepting delivery of their messages. With the user's permission, a record of purchases made from the Summa account may be maintained in a marketing database, increasing the value of use's market identity and the corresponding value of receipt charges they user may collect. Major benefits of the invention include, but are not limited to: (1) electronic financial transactions are completed in a more secure manner with appropriate tracking and verification, (2) message recipients receive income from the value of their market identities, and (3) commercial enterprises can more readily identify individuals interested in receiving their commercial offers.
US07873566B1
Systems and methods are provided for selectively determining when and from what source to access information received from a demand deposit account (DDA) associated with a given check or other promissory payment transaction, as well as for selectively incorporating the DDA information into a risk assessment for the transaction. Information received from the DDA can include an indication of the existence of sufficient funds in the account (or lack thereof) to cover the check in question, as well as a current status code for the account. Use of the DDA information may be integrated into an overall risk assessment process performed for the transaction, such that the influence of negative factors in one part of the risk assessment may be mitigated by other factors in the risk assessment and such that overall effectiveness of the risk assessment is enhanced. Systems and methods for selecting an access path for accessing a DDA to settle a promissory payment are also provided.
US07873565B2
A system for processing a composite trading order comprises a memory operable to store market data received from one or more market centers. The system further comprises a processor operable to generate a composite value based at least in part on the market data. The processor is further operable to receive a composite trading order associated with at least a portion of the composite value. The processor is further operable to generate a plurality of constituent trading orders that, when filled, combine to satisfy the composite trading order.
US07873556B1
A system and method for securitizing margin loans, wherein a processor system operates to analyze account data for a plurality of accounts, and to identify and flag accounts that are marginable. The process provides for flagging a group of accounts which collectively are representative of a portfolio of marginable accounts held by a brokerage company. The system and method also provides for generating a general ledger for the brokerage company, a SPV, and a trust, wherein these general ledgers track the sale of margin loans belonging to the flagged accounts, from the brokerage company to the trust via the SPV. The system and method further provide for processing transactions in the flagged accounts to identify and classify transactions in the flagged accounts which affect the margin balances for the flagged accounts.
US07873546B2
A method and system for processing a parameter for an item in an electronic order processing system is provided. The method has a first step of associating a calculation code with the item. The second step of the method is applying the calculation rule to the item to produce an amount. The third step of the method is providing the amount to an output device. Each operation within each of the first step, the second step and the third step may be modified and flow of execution amongst the first step, the second step and the third step remains the same.
US07873543B2
Systems, methods, and computer-readable mediums, consistent with principles of some embodiments of the present invention provide for managing product purchase information including receiving a list of a plurality of products to purchase at a personal computing device, wherein the list includes an indication representing whether the plurality of products have been selected for purchase, updating the list with an indication that at least one of the plurality of products has been selected for purchase when the personal computing device receives information that the one of the plurality of products has been selected, updating the list by adding at least one new product, representing ingredients of a recipe, to the list when the personal computing device receives input that the recipe has been selected; and displaying the updated list.
US07873539B2
In response to inputting order, a sales slip processor issues a sales slip with a slip code and a table code of a table at which the order is accepted, and stores order data in a sales holding file. In order to balance or rewrite sales slips, an operator inputs a sales slip code or a table code. The processor calls order data sets with a table code corresponding to the input code from the sales holding file and numbers the sets to create and store an edit data group in an edit file. One edit data set is selected and displayed on a screen display part. A data set next to the displayed edit data set can be retrieved from the edit file through one touch operation that designates a subsequent or previous slip with an input unit and displayed on the screen to thereby facilitate the retrieval of the order data with the same table code.
US07873537B2
A method for providing deep linking activities with digital rights management. In an exemplary embodiment, the method includes identifying a hypertext link on a source web page as a deep link and, upon selecting the deep link, accessing a deep link table associated with the deep link. The hypertext link refers to a target web page on a target web site. The deep link table contains web page links and rules operable for establishing web content that is to be presented to a visitor of the target web site. The method also includes displaying web content to the visitor in accordance with the rules. The invention also includes a system and a storage medium.
US07873530B2
An apparatus including a calculator to determine an optimal solution to a stochastic linear programming problem or a stochastic mixed-ineteger linear programming problem with conditional value at risk constraints (CVaRs). The optimal solution is determined by generating a sequence of solutions that converge to the optimal solution.
US07873526B2
A link corresponding range is identified in a string in a finding section of a medical report display screen. A content is specified and dragged and dropped onto the area in which link corresponding range is displayed. When the string is specified, address information on the content is attached to the string. At the same time, the string in the link corresponding range is identified and displayed. The present apparatus subsequently determines whether or not to display information related to the linked reference content. If a display instruction has been given, a protocol that allows the related information to be automatically acquired and displayed is embedded in the hyperlink. When report production is completed, a file is saved to finish the series of processing operations. The file is then transferred to, for example, a trace reading report production requester.
US07873524B2
The invention provides a method and apparatus for monitoring the use of land. More specifically, the invention monitors the use of land at a specified site, as well as at adjacent sites. The invention answers the question of how to manage risks resulting from external activities and how to intervene proactively.
US07873523B2
A computer implemented method of analyzing recognition results between a user in an interactive application having dialogue turns includes receiving and storing information on a computer indicative of dialogue turns between the system and at least one user. The method also utilizes a computer recognition analysis module comprising an inference module operable on a computer to associate an inferred value of a response with a turn where the inferred value is based on analyzing the received information without performing transcription of the user response within the inference module. The method also includes outputting the inferred value.
US07873521B2
A sound signal detection system of the present invention that searches for a portion of stored sound signals similar to a target sound signal, includes a stored feature calculation portion that calculates a stored feature from time-series data of the stored sound signals; a target feature calculation portion that calculates a target feature from time-series data of the target sound signal; a stored feature area selection portion that selects elements corresponding to statistics larger than a threshold from stored features and calculates stored area selection features generated from the selected elements; a target feature area selection portion that selects elements corresponding to statistics larger than a threshold from a target feature and calculates a target area selection feature generated from the selected element; and a feature comparison portion that sets a comparison segment in the stored area selection features and calculates a degree of similarity between comparison segments of both the target and stored area selection features.
US07873520B2
A network-based text-to-speech (TTS) TagToe alert system is configured to take a user's textual and/or multimedia input to a TagToe user interface to schedule delivery of text-to-speech-converted TagToe information to one or more telephone call recipients. The text-to-speech converted TagToe information optionally includes e-commerce specific, location-specific, and/or product-specific information which may be presented to the one or more call recipients as additional voice information or interactive voice response (IVR) information. The TagToe alert system can be configured to provide an advanced level of integration between IP telephony and electronic transactions and online services for optimized efficiency and improved revenue to e-commerce.
US07873516B2
The illustrative embodiments described herein provide a computer implemented method and computer program product for providing context in an electronic text communication. A biometric gathering input device is associated with a sending data processing system. A first set of metrics is identified based on a sender interacting with the biometric gathering input device. A sending communications process on the sending data processing system is calibrated based on the first set of metrics. During the generation of the electronic text communication, a portion of the first set of metrics is identified based on the sender interacting with the biometric gathering input device to form a second set of metrics. The second set of metrics and the electronic text communication are sent from the sending data processing system to a recipient data processing system. The second set of metrics is represented at the recipient data processing system using criteria selected by a recipient of the electronic text communication.
US07873511B2
An audio encoder, an audio decoder or an audio processor includes a filter for generating a filtered audio signal, the filter having a variable warping characteristic, the characteristic being controllable in response to a time-varying control signal, the control signal indicating a small or no warping characteristic or a comparatively high warping characteristic. Furthermore, a controller is connected for providing the time-varying control signal, which depends on the audio signal. The filtered audio signal can be introduced to an encoding processor having different encoding algorithms, one of which is a coding algorithm adapted to a specific signal pattern. Alternatively, the filter is a post-filter receiving a decoded audio signal.
US07873510B2
A system and method for adaptive rate control in audio processing is provided. The process could include receiving uncompressed audio data from an input and generating MDCT spectrum for each frame of the uncompressed audio data using a filterbank. The process could also include estimating masking thresholds for current frame to be encoded based on the MDCT spectrum. The masking thresholds reflect a bit budget for the current frame. The process could also include performing quantization of the current frame based on the masking thresholds. After the quantization of the current frame, the bit budget for next frame is updated for estimating the masking thresholds of the next frame. The process could also include encoding the quantized audio data.
US07873505B2
The invention includes a method for predicting a scheduled downtime associated with a system. In one embodiment, a method includes determining a system model associated with the system according to a system type of the system, determining at least one scheduled system downtime event type associated with the system using the system model, selecting at least one scheduled system downtime event model according to the at least one scheduled system downtime event type, and predicting the scheduled system downtime using the at least one scheduled system downtime event model.
US07873499B2
In particular, this invention provides novel methods of populating data structures for use in evolutionary modeling. In particular, this invention provides methods of populating a data structure with a plurality of character strings. The methods involve encoding two or more a biological molecules into character strings to provide a collection of two or more different initial character strings; selecting at least two substrings from the pool of character strings; concatenating the substrings to form one or more product strings about the same length as one or more of the initial character strings; adding the product strings to a collection of strings; and optionally repeating this process using one or more of the product strings as an initial string in the collection of initial character strings.
US07873496B2
A method and a device for fault detection in an n-winding, three-phase power transformer. For each of the windings (Wi) the three phase currents (IL1—Wi; IL2—Wi; IL3—Wi) are measured. For each of the windings (Wi) deciding if a zero sequence current (I0—Wi) reduction is to be performed depending on at least one user setting (kWi) and if so, deducting the zero sequence current (I0—Wi) from each of the three phase currents (IL1—Wi; IL2—Wi; IL3—Wi). For each of the windings (Wi) generating normalized currents by performing a magnitude compensation and a phase angle shift compensation on the results of the previous step. For each of the three phases (Lx) comparing the normalized current of a single winding with the normalized currents of all other windings. For each phase (Lx) generating a fault signal, if a difference between the single winding (W1) and all other windings (W2, . . . , Wn) exceeds a predefined level.
US07873494B2
A computer implemented method for identifying location information of an unknown point on an aircraft. The unknown point on the aircraft is identified. A plurality of reference points is identified for the aircraft located in a three-dimensional model of the aircraft, wherein the plurality of reference points have known locations described using a three-dimensional coordinate system to form a plurality of identified reference points. The plurality of identified reference points is displayed on a set of images of the aircraft. A measurement of distance to each of the plurality of identified reference points is obtained to form a plurality of measurements in response to displaying the plurality of identified reference points on the set of images. The location information of the unknown point is identified using the plurality of measurements.
US07873485B2
Real world energy usage can be reduced using a virtual environment. A virtual universe energy conservation system (“system”) can determine comprehensive energy usage at a physical site where a client accessing a virtual universe is located. The system can determine that the comprehensive energy usage at the physical site exceeds an energy usage threshold. The system can also notify a virtual universe user account associated with the client that the comprehensive energy usage at the physical site exceeds the energy usage threshold.
US07873484B2
A method for reliable position monitoring includes: (a) transmitting two measured position values from a position measuring device to a first processing unit; (b) transmitting a setpoint value from a setpoint value generator to a second processing unit; (c) transmitting one of the two measured position values to the second processing unit; (d) transmitting the setpoint value to the first processing unit; (e) performing mutually independent comparisons between the setpoint value and the measured position values by the first processing unit and the second processing unit; and (f) monitoring the measured position values for an electronic shaft break between the position measuring device and the first processing unit. The position values are different and have a defined relationship with respect to each other, and the transmitting (a) includes alternately transmitting the two measured position values to the first processing unit.
US07873480B2
Systems and methods for rapidly analyzing cell containing samples, for example to identify morphology or to localize and quantitate biomarkers are disclosed.
US07873474B2
A mapping block locates the own vehicle and another vehicle on a map DB. Another-vehicle intersection detecting block detects intersections located on a traveling path of another vehicle. An own-vehicle intersection detecting block detects intersections located in front of the own vehicle. A collision-intersection identifying block identifies an intersection that is identical to each other as the possible collision intersection by comparing the intersections detected. An information providing block conducts information provision based on calculations of an arriving time of another vehicle by using a distance to the possible collision intersection and a vehicle speed. Accordingly, the collision possibility with another vehicle can be accurately determined.
US07873467B2
A sensor arrangement which contains for a vehicle control system, comprises a buffer for geographic information, whereby the geographic information is suitable to describe at least one possible route of the vehicle. An input interface selects subsets of the geographic information stored in the buffer in response to at least one position-related parameter which is entered at the input interface. An output interface selects subsets of the geographic information corresponding to the parameter values provided, which subsets are transmitted for further processing in the vehicle control system.
US07873453B2
The present invention provides a control apparatus for an electric power steering apparatus comprises: a steering assist command value calculating section; a current control section that calculates a voltage command value; and a motor driving section that drives a motor based on the voltage command value, wherein an assist power from the motor is applied to a steering system, the control apparatus is characterized in that an SAT measuring section, that inputs an angular speed and an angular acceleration of the motor, the steering assist command value and the torque signal therein so as to estimate an SAT, is provided, and the SAT obtained by the SAT measuring section is feedbacked to the steering assist command value via a feedback section composed of a phase compensating section and a gain section.
US07873449B2
A control system (11) for a vehicle (10) includes vehicle dynamics sensors (35-47) providing a vehicle dynamics signal. Tire monitoring system sensors (20) in each wheel generate tire signals including temperature, pressure and acceleration data. A controller (26) communicates with the tire monitoring system sensors (20) and at least one vehicle dynamics sensor, and generates a tire abnormality value as a function of the multi-axis acceleration data of the tire signals. Tire multi-axis acceleration data is also used to detect a roadway departure, and an oversteer or understeer event.
US07873438B2
A mobile apparatus capable of moving or acting autonomously while flexibly avoiding contact with a moving object in accordance with various situations is provided. In a case where a second safety condition is not satisfied because, e.g., a first target trajectory cannot be found, a second target trajectory causing a first spatial element to approach the boundary of an element passing region is searched for and determined. A robot autonomously approaches the boundary of the passable region in accordance with the second target trajectory determined as a provisional target trajectory, and stops at the position corresponding to the end point of the second target trajectory. Such movement of the robot along the second target trajectory increases the space, making it possible to prompt an object to move through the space.
US07873432B2
A position change section of a processing device changes the position of a treatment object, at the time of performing a process by a process section, to correspond to a predetermined position in conformity to the treatment object. An inspection device inspects the occurrence of a defect on the treatment object having been subjected to processes by a plurality of processing devices. Then an analyzing process for specifying in which processing device the defect occurred is carried out based on (i) positional information of the treatment object, in each of the processing devices, and (ii) defect information defected by the inspection device. With this arrangement, during the process of manufacture of treatment objects, it is possible to precisely specify which processing device or processing device group caused the defect, without performing processes such as attaching, to the treatment object, information regarding processing devices which have conducted processes.
US07873427B1
Methods and systems provide automated testing of computer facilitated audio input and output devices. A tone is converted from a digital to analog signal and is sent to a sound mixing device. At the sound mixing device, the analog tone is looped back through a recording line to an analog to digital converter. The recorded tone is converted from a time domain to a frequency domain using a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analysis. The frequency, and if desired, the intensity of the recorded tone is compared against the known frequency and at the desired intensity of the played tone. If the recorded tone is the same as the played tone, the ability of the sound card to play the tone is designated as passing.
US07873414B2
A system including at least one implantable sensor circuit adapted to produce an electrical sensor signal related to one or more physiologic cardiovascular events of a subject, a therapy circuit configured to provide anti-tachycardia pacing (ATP) therapy, and a controller. The controller includes a tachyarrhythmia detection circuit and an efficacy circuit. The tachyarrhythmia detection circuit is configured to detect a tachyarrhythmia episode in the subject using the electrical sensor signal, and to determine whether the tachyarrhythmia episode is of a type that is treatable with ATP. The efficacy circuit is configured to estimate an efficacy of a currently configured ATP therapy for the subject, and the controller is configured to alter a delivery regimen of the currently configured ATP therapy when the estimated ATP therapy efficacy is deemed insufficient. Other systems and methods are described.
US07873410B2
The cardiac rhythm management system includes an implantable medical device (IMD) with leads carrying electrodes for sensing cardiac electrical activity, and a physiologic sensor for sensing cardiac mechanical activity. The IMD measures electromechanical delays between electrical activity sensed by the electrodes and mechanical activity sensed by the physiologic sensor. The measured electromechanical delays can be used to detect lead dislodgement and to assess dyssynchrony between two areas of the heart, such as the right ventricle and the left ventricle.
US07873408B2
To improve image quality as well as considering miniaturization. In the top surface 2A of a housing 2, a placing part 7 is provided near other end of shorter side ED2. A reflective board 6 is provided between an imaging opening part 3 facing to the above placing part 7 and one end of shorter side ED1. And in the housing 2 at a lower part of the above imaging opening part 3, a CCD image pickup device 4 for transmitting near infrared lights that passed through a finger FG placed on the placing part and was refracted by the reflective board 6 as a blood vessel image signal S1 is provided.
US07873394B2
Systems and methodologies are provided for fabrication of a self contained key pad module having a top cover and a bottom cover. The top cover and the bottom cover encapsulate and/or sandwich a stack of keypad components via an over mold procedure that is performed around the stack. The packed stack between the top cover and the bottom cover can include a flex member, an electro luminous panel, and a silicone membrane with a plurality of keys thereupon.
US07873392B2
A handsfree device in communication with a remote communication device by one of wireless communication and wired communication for establishing a handsfree call includes a call interruption detection unit for detecting a call interruption by a second call while the remote communication device is involved in a first call and a response command transfer unit for transferring a response command to the remote communication device in response to the call interruption when the call interruption is detected by the call interruption detection unit.
US07873387B2
In response to a connection request from a terminal, a base station provides a signal indicating a reception operation adapted to a transmission operation of the base station to the terminal. Based on the indicating signal, the terminal selects and performs the optimum reception operation. The terminal also provides its own reception operation information in advance to the base station. Based on the reception operation information, the base station transmits a reception operation indication to the terminal. These processes are realized with software by a DSP.
US07873382B2
A mobile communication apparatus includes a remote lock and control function. More particularly, after theft or loss of the apparatus, it is possible to remotely lock the apparatus by sending a lock command, e.g. an SMS message. The apparatus may also be controlled to upload information enabling the user to retrieve valuable information stored in the apparatus. The apparatus includes a control unit and registers for controlling the operations of the apparatus, including receiving messages. The apparatus further includes locking means capable of detecting codes in messages received and, responsive to detecting a lock code, sending a lock command to the control unit to render the mobile communication apparatus at least partially inoperable.
US07873376B2
A method and system are disclosed in which a Mobile Terminated SMS (Short Message Service) wireless message generated by a Computer Application containing an embedded response menu can be sent to a Mobile Handset and in which a Mobile Originated response from the Mobile Handset can be uniquely re-associated with the original Mobile Terminated message is described. Given that SMS provides no inherent association between Mobile Terminated and Mobile Originated messages, the method and system provide a scheme in which the original Computer Application menu response options are remapped to unique values prior to delivery to the Mobile Handset. When the response is received from the Mobile Handset, the method can uniquely re-associate and reverse map the response code back to the original Mobile Terminated message and original menu response options.
US07873371B2
A method for handling messages from a mobile user, in a control system controlling a plurality of real world objects, wherein the real world objects are represented by software objects and the user selects one of the objects for the message. The method includes receiving information about which of the objects has been selected. A voice message is recorded. The message is stored associated with the software object representing the selected real world object, such that the message is accessible from the control system. The presence of a message associated with the object is indicated. Upon request, the content of the message is presented.
US07873370B2
A system and method for performing a notification based upon location in a Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) network which is provided with a SUPL Location Platform (SLP) and a SUPL Enabled Terminal (SET) to thus perform a privacy authentication based upon a location of the SET, wherein when a client requests positioning of the SET, the SLP transmits a notification mode parameter to the SET through a session initial message, whereby it can be predefined whether the notification is performed based upon a location or a user when the SLP (i.e., server system) notifies the SET (or the SET user) of the positioning of the SET requested by the client (i.e., a client system), thus to enable the SET to determine a time point of a notification response.
US07873368B2
Location of a mobile unit is determined by a combined probability, derived from a first probability for possible locations based on a current sample of radio signal characteristics and a second probability that a unit has moved from a prior location or probable location to each possible location.
US07873363B1
A method is disclosed for locating a transmitter site location area and identifying optimal transmitter sites within the area that have favorable characteristics to allow for FM signals to be transmitted to cover a radio market. Through use of FCC tables, the required distance from a proposed station to any co-channel, adjacent channel, and IF spaced stations are determined. The area is determined by utilizing city of license criteria where proposed stations can be located and plotted on the map. Candidate station locations with favorable height within the area are determined. Each candidate station location is tested to predict coverage and path profile.
US07873357B2
Network services and/or network capabilities in a mobile terminal operating in a mobile communications system are selectively enabled. This involves receiving an information element encoded to indicate whether each of a number of network services and/or network capabilities is enabled or disabled. The information element is then stored in the mobile terminal. The mobile terminal is then operated in a way that inhibits the mobile terminal from requesting all network services and network capabilities that are indicated by the information element as being disabled. The information element may optionally include a text string and/or a customer service number to be displayed to a user of the mobile terminal for the purpose of assisting the user in determining the cause of the non-availability of one or more services and/or capabilities.
US07873354B2
A method and an apparatus for implementing the method for using and implementing a service-on-demand in a mobile communication system. The services-on-demand are intended to be received by means of a mobile station. The mobile station monitors a cell transmission and receives parts intended for the mobile station from the transmission. In order to use the services-on-demand, in the method the service-on-demand is offered in the cell to all mobile stations located in the cell over a first channel, a registration message (2-2) is transmitted from the mobile station for registering as a user of the service-on-demand over a signalling channel, an acknowledgement (2-4) of the registration, indicating how the service-on-demand is received, is received at the mobile station, and the reception of the service-on-demand is started over the first channel in a manner indicated by the registration acknowledgement.
US07873353B2
A method, system, and apparatus for accessing data-driven websites and applications on a mobile client device are described. A request for a website received from the mobile client device is transmitted to a provider. At least one web page template of the website and application data corresponding to the at least one web page template is received from the provider in response to the request, and is transmitted to the mobile client device. Thereafter, in an offline mode, the mobile client device can display a plurality of web pages corresponding to the website, each web page displaying corresponding data of the application data formatted according to a common format provided by the at least one web page template. Furthermore, a method, system, and apparatus for tracking the usage of applications on a mobile client device is provided. The occurrence of at least one user initiated event on the mobile client device during offline operation is enabled. Usage data corresponding to the occurrence of the user initiated event(s) is stored on the mobile client device. The mobile client device is synchronized with a server. The usage data is transmitted to the server.
