US07871782B2
The present invention provides specific binding members that bind synaptophysin and which comprise: an antibody VH domain selected from the group consisting of the C1-3 VH domain (SEQ ID NO. 2) and a VH domain comprising a VH CDR3 with the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO. 12 and optionally one or more VH CDR's with an amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NO. 10 and SEQ ID NO. 11; and/or an antibody VL domain selected front the group consisting of the C1-3 VL domain (SEQ ID NO. 4) and a VL domain comprising one or more VL CDR's with an amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NO. 13, SEQ ID NO. 14 and SEQ ID NO. 15. The invention further provides related materials such as nucleic acids, kits and compositions, and also methods of use of the binding member, for instance in targeting entities to hepatic stellate cells which are implicated it liver fibrosis.
US07871777B2
A nanoprobe for sequencing of nucleic acid molecules is provided, as well as methods for using the nanoprobe. In particular examples, the probe includes a polymerizing agent and one or more molecular linkers that carry a chemical moiety capable of reversibly binding to the template strand of a nucleic acid molecule, without being detached from the linker, by specifically binding with a complementary nucleotide in the target nucleic acid molecule. The reversible binding of the chemical moiety on the linker with a complementary nucleotide in the target nucleic acid molecule is indicated by emission of a characteristic signal that indicates pairing of the chemical moiety on the linker with its complementary nucleotide. An example of such a chemical moiety is a nonhydrolyzable nucleotide analog. In particular examples, the polymerizing agent and the chemical moiety are associated with a tag, such as a donor fluorophore and acceptor fluorophore characteristic of the particular type of chemical moiety.
US07871775B2
Compositions and methods for the identification, assessment, prevention and therapy of human cancers
The present invention is directed to the identification of markers that can be used to determine whether tumors are sensitive or resistant to a therapeutic agent. The present invention is also directed to the identification of therapeutic targets. The invention features a number of “sensitivity markers.” These are markers that are expressed in most or all cell lines that are sensitive to treatment with an agent and which are not expressed (or are expressed at a rather low level) in cells that are resistant to treatment with that agent. The invention also features a number of “resistance markers.” These are markers that are expressed in most or all cell lines that are resistant to treatment with an agent and which are not expressed (or are expressed at a rather low level) in cells that are sensitive to treatment with that agent. The invention also features marker sets that can predict patients that are likely to respond or not to respond to an agent.
US07871772B2
Compositions and methods for the isolation and manipulation of misfolded, or partially misfolded, proteins present in blood and other biological materials are provided. In one aspect of the invention, the compositions, hereinafter termed “proteons” are comprised of misfolded proteins. Also provided are compositions and methods for the isolation and manipulation of proteon nucleation centers (PNCs) upon which the proteons of the present in blood and other biological materials form. In another aspect of the invention, the PNCs are comprised of metallic nanoclusters.
US07871771B2
This invention provides methods for nucleic acid analysis. A closed complex of nucleic acid template, nucleotide and polymerase can be formed during polymerase reaction, absent divalent metal ion. This is used to trap the labeled nucleotide complementary to the next template nucleotide in the closed complex. Detection of the label allows determination of the identity of this next correct nucleotide. Identification can be either in place, as part of the complex, or as the dye is eluted from the complex when the reaction cycle is completed by the addition of divalent metal ion. In this way, sequential nucleotides of a DNA can be identified, effectively determining the DNA sequence. This method can be applied to nucleic acid single molecules or to collections of identical or nearly identical sequence such as PCR products or clones. Multiple templates can be sequenced in parallel, particularly if they are immobilized on a solid support.
US07871764B1
The present invention relates to a method for extracting nucleic acids from biological samples. More specifically the invention relates to a universal method for extracting nucleic acids from unidentified biological samples. An advantage of the presently invented method is its ability to effectively and efficiently extract nucleic acids from a variety of different cell types including but not limited to prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells and/or recalcitrant organisms (i.e. spores). Unlike prior art methods which are focused on extracting nucleic acids from vegetative cell or spores, the present invention effectively extracts nucleic acids from spores, multiple cell types or mixtures thereof using a single method. Important that the invented method has demonstrated an ability to extract nucleic acids from spores and vegetative bacterial cells with similar levels effectiveness. The invented method employs a multi-step protocol which erodes the cell structure of the biological sample, isolates, labels, fragments nucleic acids and purifies labeled samples from the excess of dye.
US07871759B2
A resist film is formed on a substrate, and a barrier film including a compound whose alkali-insoluble property is changed to an alkali-soluble property through molecular structure change caused by an alkaline solution is formed on the resist film. Thereafter, with an immersion liquid provided on the barrier film, pattern exposure is performed by selectively irradiating the resist film through the barrier film with exposing light. After the pattern exposure, the barrier film is removed and the resist film is developed. Thus, a resist pattern made of the resist film is formed.
US07871753B2
A positive resist composition of the present invention includes a resin component (A) which displays increased alkali solubility under the action of an acid, and an acid generator component (B) which generates an acid upon exposure, wherein the resin component (A) includes a structural unit (a0) containing a carboxyl group, and at least one structural unit (a1) selected from the group consisting of a structural unit represented by a general formula (a1-2) and a structural unit represented by a general formula (a1-4) shown below: (in the formula, Y represents an aliphatic cyclic group or a lower alkyl group; n represents an integer from 0 to 3; m represents 0 or 1; R represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a lower alkyl group, or a halogenated lower alkyl group; and R1′ and R2′ each independently represents a hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl group of 1 to 5 carbon atoms.).
US07871742B2
A method for controlling phase angle of a mask is provided. A mask comprising a substrate and an absorber is formed. A nitrogen-containing plasma treatment is performed on the mask to reduce the phase angle. Alternatively, a nitrogen-containing plasma treatment is performed on the mask, followed by a vacuum ultraviolet treatment to form a passivated layer on the mask.
US07871727B2
Alloy compositions, lithium ion batteries, and methods of making lithium ion batteries are described. The lithium ion batteries have anodes that contain an alloy composition that includes a) silicon, b) aluminum, c) transition metal, d) tin, e) indium, and f) a sixth element that contains yttrium, a lanthanide element, an actinide element, or a combination thereof. The alloy composition is a mixture of an amorphous phase that includes silicon and a crystalline phase that includes an intermetallic compound of 1) tin, 2) indium, and 3) the sixth element.
US07871722B2
Disclosed herein are an electrode assembly including a plurality of unit cells folded by a continuous separation film wherein the unit cells are arranged on the separation film such that electrode taps of the unit cells face each other, the separation film has openings corresponding to the electrode taps of the unit cells, and the electrode assembly is manufactured by folding the unit cells in the longitudinal (lengthwise) direction of the separation film while the unit cells are disposed such that the electrode taps of the unit cells are inserted into the corresponding openings, and an electrochemical cell, such as a secondary battery, including the same. The electrode assembly according to the present invention is a hybrid type electrode assembly solving the problems of the jelly-roll type electrode assembly and the stacking type electrode assembly. Consequently, when external impacts are applied to the electrode assembly, for example, the electrode assembly falls, it is possible to minimize the occurrence of internal short circuits and thus to improve the safety of the electrode assembly. Furthermore, it is possible to perform the process for impregnating (wetting) the electrolyte into the electrodes in a short time during the assembly of the electrochemical cell.
US07871717B2
An optical film according to the present invention comprises a transparent base, and an anti-reflection layer that is disposed on one main face of the transparent base. The anti-reflection layer includes a hard coating layer, and a low refractive index layer that is disposed on the hard coating layer in this order from the side of the transparent base. The hard coating layer is formed using a resin containing an ionizing radiation setting resin. The hard coating layer contains a conductive metal oxide in an amount of at least 5 wt % and at most 30 wt % with respect to the total weight of the hard coating layer. The hard coating layer is formed using a coating solution containing water in an amount of at least 0.05 wt % and at most 5.0 wt %.
US07871713B2
An electroluminescent element is disclosed, comprising an electroluminescent material and a fluorescent substance emitting light having an emission maximum at the wavelength different from that of light emitted from the electroluminescent material upon absorption of the light emitted from the electroluminescent material. A color conversion filter is also disclosed, comprising a fluorescent substance emitting light having an emission maximum at the wavelengths of 400 to 700 nm upon absorption of the light emitted from the electroluminescent material.
US07871708B2
Composite coated metal and/or polymer substrates are provided having a powder basecoat thereon formed from at least one film-forming material comprising a thermosettable polyester and a curing agent; at least one reaction product of at least one cyclic carboxylic acid anhydride, at least one alkene and at least one reactant selected from the group consisting of primary amines, aliphatic polyamines, primary amino alcohols, alcohols, isocyanates and mixtures thereof, the copolymer having a number average molecular weight ranging from about 1,000 to about 20,000; and at least one flow control agent; and a topcoat deposited from a liquid or powder slurry topcoating composition applied over the basecoat to form a composite coating providing good adhesion and chip and cratering resistance.
US07871707B2
A flexible electrode array of silicone containing oxide particles of SiO2, TiO2, Sb2O3, SnO2, Al2O3, ZnO, Fe2O3, Fe3O4, talc, hydroxyapatite or their mixtures and at least one metal trace in a silicone-containing polymer.
US07871706B2
Graded glass/zirconia/glass structures for damage resistant ceramic dental and orthopedic prostheses
The present invention provides a functionally graded glass/ceramic/glass sandwich system for use in damage resistant, ceramic and orthopedic prosthesis. The functionally graded glass/substrate/glass composite structure comprises an outer residual glass layer, a graded glass-ceramic layer, and a dense interior ceramic. The functionally graded glass/substrate/glass composite structure may further comprise a veneer on an exterior surface.The present invention also provides a method for preparing a functionally graded glass/ceramic/glass sandwich system. A powdered glass-ceramic composition is applied to the accessible surfaces of a presintered zirconia substrate to thereby substantially cover the substrate surfaces. The glass of the composition has a CTE similar to that of the substrate material. The glass-ceramic composition is infiltrated into and densifies the substrate by heating the assembly to at least the sintering temperature of the substrate.
US07871699B2
An object of the invention is to provide an iodine-containing hot melt pressure sensitive adhesive that can be melted and coated at a temperature not higher than 100° C., and that can retain stability of the iodine in the adhesive through all stages of making, storage and use thereof, without utilizing any harmful organic solvent, while utilizing the antimicrobial efficacy of iodine.
US07871697B2
A peelable sealing structure includes a sealing layer and one or more optional additional layers. The peelable sealing structure includes a sealing surface that is formable into a peelable seal upon contact with a sealing substrate at all temperatures in a peelable seal temperature range. Moreover, the peelable sealing structure comprises a thermoplastic polymer and an additive dispersed within at least a portion of the thermoplastic polymer with the peelable sealing structure defining the sealing surface.
US07871689B2
A honeycomb structure includes at least one honeycomb unit having a first end face and a second end face. The at least one honeycomb unit includes an inorganic binder, inorganic particles, and cell walls extending from the first end face to the second end face to define a plurality of cells. The inorganic particles include ceria particles doped with zirconia. A percentage by weight of zirconia doped in ceria in the ceria particles is in a range of about 20% to about 50%.
US07871687B2
A microstructure device is made by processing a material substrate consisting of e.g. a first process layer, a second process layer and a middle layer arranged between the first and the second process layers. The microstructure device includes a first structural part and a second structural part that has a portion facing the first structural part via a gap. The first and the second structural parts are connected to each other by a connecting part extending across the gap. This connecting part is formed in the first process layer to be in contact with the middle layer. The microstructure device also includes a protective part extending from the first structural part toward the second structural part or vice versa. The protective part is formed in the first or second process layer to be in contact with the middle layer.
US07871682B2
A composite laminate material is supported during the roll press processing thereof by an assembly having: first and second perforated films disposed adjacent to first and second opposing surfaces of a mixture of uncured resin and fibers defining the composite laminate material, a gas permeable encasement surrounding the mixture and the first and second films, a gas impervious envelope sealed about the gas permeable encasement, and first and second rigid plates clamped about the gas impervious envelope.
US07871680B2
An optical film has a transparent film including light output portions distributed over one of opposite surfaces of the transparent film so as to make the total luminous transmittance and the haze of the optical film be set in a range of from 75 to 92% and in a range of from 4 to 20% respectively, the light output portions being constituted by concave or convex portions having optical path changing slopes each inclined at an inclination angle of from 35 to 48 degrees with respect to a film plane of the transparent film. A liquid-crystal display device has an optical film defined above, and a liquid-crystal display panel, wherein the optical film is disposed on one of opposite surfaces of the liquid-crystal display panel so that a surface of the film in which the light output portions of the optical film are provided faces outward.
US07871644B2
The present invention presents a pharmaceutical composition for oral use with improved absorption, which comprises drug, aminoalkyl methacrylate copolymer E, and acidic substance and is obtained by bringing said 3 components together and uniformly mixing at least this polymer and this acidic substance, and a method of improving oral absorption/by using this pharmaceutical composition. Moreover, the present invention presents an agent for improving oral absorption that increases drug permeability of the digestive tract mucous membrane and/or mucous layer present on the surface of this membrane, whose active ingredient is aminoalkyl methacrylate copolymer E. In addition, the present invention presents an oral agent for improving absorption by increasing drug permeability of the digestive tract mucous membrane and/or the mucous layer distributed over this mucous membrane, whose effective component is aminoalkyl methacrylate copolymer E.
US07871643B2
A pharmaceutical form, contains an active compound-containing core, which is covered with a coating layer of a gastric juice-resistant, intestinal juice-soluble (meth)acrylate copolymer, a separating layer situated between said core and said coating layer, the separating layer containing a film-forming water-soluble polymer, wherein the separating layer contains at least two layers: an inner layer containing a water-repellent substance, and thereon a layer comprising the film-forming water-soluble polymer.
US07871639B2
Biocompatible phase invertable proteinaceous compositions and methods for making and using the same are provided. The subject phase invertable compositions are prepared by combining a proteinaceous substrate and a cross-linker. The proteinaceous substrate includes one or more proteins and an adhesion modifier, and may also include one or more of: a plasticizer, a carbohydrate, or other modification agent. In certain embodiments, the cross-linker is a heat-treated dialdehyde, e.g., heat-treated glutaraldehyde. Also provided are kits for use in preparing the subject compositions. The subject compositions, kits and systems find use in a variety of different applications.
US07871638B2
This invention relates to a scaffold consisting of a biodegradable polymeric material with a composition gradient of calcium phosphate that is capable of effectively regenerating the hard/soft tissue interface and an implant for hard/soft tissue filling with the utilization of such scaffold.
US07871629B1
A method for immunizing fish against pathogenic infection is disclosed. More particularly, this invention provides a method of immunizing fish against bacterial and viral infection which comprises immersing the fish in a solution comprised of an effective amount of dead or attenuated, whole-celled recombinant bacteria, the recombinant bacteria having a eukaryotic expression vector (plasmid) incorporated therein having DNA of interest encoding at least one protein antigen for each of the pathogens, the method characterized in that the protein antigen is produced by the fish.
US07871628B2
The present invention relates to peptide mimics of a conserved gonococcal epitope of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, which epitope is not found on human blood group antigens. This invention also relates to methods and compositions using such peptide mimics for the prophylaxis of gonorrheal infections.
US07871623B2
Briefly described, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods and compositions for imaging pain and/or stress in a subject and methods and compositions for treating associated conditions. In particular, the present disclosure relates to the use of labeled compounds to provide objective diagnosis of pain and/or stress, for imaging regions associated with pain and/or stress, and for treating pain in a subject.
US07871622B2
The present invention concerns methods and compositions for stably tethered structures of defined compositions with multiple functionalities and/or binding specificities. Particular embodiments concern stably tethered structures comprising a homodimer of a first monomer, comprising a dimerization and docking domain attached to a first precursor, and a second monomer comprising an anchoring domain attached to a second precursor. The first and second precursors may be virtually any molecule or structure, such as antibodies, antibody fragments, antibody analogs or mimetics, aptamers, binding peptides, fragments of binding proteins, known ligands for proteins or other molecules, enzymes, detectable labels or tags, therapeutic agents, toxins, pharmaceuticals, cytokines, interleukins, interferons, radioisotopes, proteins, peptides, peptide mimetics, polynucleotides, RNAi, oligosaccharides, natural or synthetic polymeric substances, nanoparticles, quantum dots, organic or inorganic compounds, etc. The disclosed methods and compositions provide a simple, easy to purify way to obtain any binary compound attached to any monomeric compound, or any trinary compound.
US07871611B2
The present invention provides compositions and methods relating to or derived from anti-IGF-1R antibodies. In particular embodiments, the invention provides fully human, humanized, or chimeric anti-IGF-1R antibodies that bind human IGF-R, IGF-1R-binding fragments and derivatives of such antibodies, and IGF-1R-binding polypeptides comprising such fragments. Other embodiments provide nucleic acids encoding such antibodies, antibody fragments and derivatives and polypeptides, cells comprising such polynucleotides, methods of making such antibodies, antibody fragments and derivatives and polypeptides, and methods of using such antibodies, antibody fragments and derivatives and polypeptides, including methods of treating or diagnosing subjects having IGF-1R-related disorders or conditions.
US07871604B1
Disclosed is an Environmentally Limited Viability System (ELVS) for microorganisms based on temperature differences between permissive and non-permissive environments. Viability of the microorganisms are limited to the permissive environment by specifically expressing one or more essential genes only in the permissive environment, or expressing one or more lethal genes only in the non-permissive environment. Environmentally Limited Viability Systems are also disclosed involving coordinate expression of a combination of required genes and lethal genes. Microorganisms containing an Environmentally Limited Viability System are useful for release into a permissive environment. Temperature regulated Environmentally Limited Viability Systems are particularly suited for use with recombinant avirulent Salmonella vaccines by limiting their growth to the warmer environment inside the host. Such vaccines can be administered to protect humans or warm-blooded animals against bacterial, viral, mycotic and parasitic pathogens, especially those that colonize on or invade through mucosal surfaces. This antigen delivery system can also be used for expression of gamete-specific antigens to induce immune responses to block fertilization, or to induce immune responses to tumor antigens. In the event that an individual sheds live vaccine into the environment, the presence of the ELVS prevents survival of the vaccine. When environmentally regulated lethal genes are present on an extrachromosomal element and are regulated by chromosomal genes, transfer of the extrachromosomal element to other microorganisms will be limited by unregulated expression of the lethal genes in the recipient microorganism.
US07871600B2
A leave on hair care composition comprising a) a wax dispersion; and b) an aqueous oil emulsion wherein the oil phase is a liquid and comprises: i) one or more non-volatile oils, where the dynamic viscosity of any single non-volatile oil or the dynamic viscosity of a blend of non-volatile oils is less than 1000 mPa·s at 35° C. and 5 s-1; ii) an oil dispersible structurant such that the dynamic viscosity of the structured oil phase at 35° C. prior to formation of the emulsion is at least 50,000 mPa·s at a shear rate of 0.5 s-1 and is less than 6,000 mPa·s at a shear rate of 500 s-1.
US07871592B2
A method for preparing a carbon/carbon (C/C) composite comprising carbonizing a carbon fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composite precursor by heating the precursor in an inert atmosphere with a heating rate greater than 20° C./min up to 1500° C./min.
US07871589B2
Provided is a pyrogenically prepared SiO2 powder in the form of aggregated primary particles having a statistical thickness surface area (STSA) of 10-500 m2/g, a thickening action based on the STSA of 4-8 mPas·g/m2, and a micropore volume of 0.03-0.07 cm3/g, and a process for preparing the pyrogenic SiO2 powder, which involves: introducing hydrolyzable silicon compounds, a primary gas comprising oxygen, and a primary combustion gas into a mixing chamber to produce a mixture; igniting the mixture in a burner to produce a flame, which is burned into a reaction chamber to produce the pyrogenic SiO2 powder and gaseous substances; and separating the pyrogenic SiO2 powder from the gaseous substances, wherein a ratio of the amount of primary combustion gas introduced to a stoichiometric amount of primary combustion gas required is referred to as gammaprimary and has a value of less than 1, and wherein a ratio of the amount of primary gas comprising oxygen introduced to a stoichiometric amount of primary gas comprising oxygen required is referred to as lambdaprimary and has a value of greater than 1.
US07871583B2
A process for recovery of silica and alumina from fly ash, in which, Si is leached out from the fly ash in the form of Na2SiO3 using a NaOH solution of NaOH >40% (w/w), followed by separation to obtain a Na2SiO3 solution and a residue having Al—Si ratio ≧2; vaporizing the solution to obtain Na2SiO3 solutions of various concentrations, or producing silica by carbonation, and producing Al2O3 by prior art methods from residues obtained after alkali-leaching, ultimately producing filler or cement from the residue after the recovery of Al. The method permits recovery of Al2O3 directly from fly ash by removing Si before recovering the Al, which raises the Al—Si ratio of the residue after alkali-leaching and thus simplifies the recovery of Al2O3 and raises the rate of Al recovery from fly ash. The invention further includes calcining high Al coal gangue, kaolinite and middle-low-class bauxite at 900-1100° C.
US07871571B2
A biomolecule analyzing system (10) that provides an expeditious, accurate and reliable method for analyzing a biomolecule (150). The system (10) includes two substrates (12,28) each having an inner edge (14,30), an outer edge (16,32) and an inner surfaces (20,36) from where extends a multiplicity of cilia (22). To the inner edges (14,30) is attached an input tube (82) that is also attached to a biomolecule sample reservoir (90). To the outer edges (16,32) is attached an output tube (106) that is also attached to a sample deposit chamber (120). The tubes (82,106) include a plurality of conductive plates (98) that are applied an electrical charge that causes the biomolecule (150) to traverse through the tubes (82,106). When the biomolecule (150) passes through the cilia (22) signals are produced that are applied to a pair of image capturing devices (40,50). Each device (40,50) produces a signal that is applied to an electronic data processor from where a three-dimensional image of the biomolecule (150) is produced and viewed on a data monitoring device (70).
US07871569B2
Systems and methods for detecting the presence of biomolecules in a sample using biosensors that incorporate resonators which have functionalized surfaces for reacting with target biomolecules. In one embodiment, a device includes a piezoelectric resonator having a functionalized surface configured to react with target molecules, thereby changing the mass and/or charge of the resonator which consequently changes the frequency response of the resonator. The resonator's frequency response after exposure to a sample is compared to a reference, such as the frequency response before exposure to the sample, a stored baseline frequency response or a control resonator's frequency response.
US07871568B2
Provided herein are methods and devices for rapid testing of solid, semi-solid, or liquid specimens, such as stool, blood, urine, saliva, or swab specimens of the cervix, urethra, nostril, and throat, and for environmental testing.
US07871564B2
In order to obtain a high purity sputtered film for a capacitor electrode of a semiconductor memory and to make the sputtered film have uniform thickness and good adhesiveness with Si substrate, a high-purity Ru alloy target is provided, wherein a total content of the platinum group elements excluding Ru is in a range of 15 to 200 wtppm and remnants are Ru and inevitable impurities. Also, provided is a manufacturing method of the high-purity Ru alloy target, comprising the steps of mixing Ru powder having a purity of 99.9% or higher and powder of platinum group elements excluding Ru, performing press molding of the mixed powder to obtain a compact, performing electron beam melting of the compact to obtain an ingot, and forging the ingot at 1400 to 1900° C.
US07871560B2
A metallurgical vessel having support brackets mounted on a vessel wall. The support brackets are mounted by a mounting system on a support body that does not completely surround the circumference of the vessel. The mounting system includes clamps that act on the support brackets. A coupling device is provided, which has, a first coupling component designed as a male part mounted on the support body and a second coupling component designed as a female part mounted on the vessel wall. The first and second coupling components are configured and arranged so as to automatically engage when the clamps are in the engaged position and to automatically disengage when the clamps are not in the engaged position. The coupling device has sealing elements and a coupling mechanism of the first coupling component relative to the second coupling component.
US07871559B2
An inspection hole structure 1 forming a furnace inspection hole 2 installed on the reaction shaft ceiling 104 of a flash smelting furnace, comprising a lower-stage water-cooling jacket 3A having an opening 3Aa at the center; an upper-stage water-cooling jacket 3B which is connected integrally to an upper part of said lower-stage water-cooling jacket 3A and forms said inspection hole 2 at the center in cooperation with said lower-stage water-cooling jacket 3A; and a bottom cover water-cooling jacket 4 provided in said lower-stage water-cooling jacket 3A to open or close said opening of said lower-stage water-cooling jacket 3A.
US07871546B2
In one aspect, the present invention provides a dielectric fluid for use in electrical equipment comprising a vegetable oil or vegetable oil blend. In another aspect the invention provides devices for generating and distributing electrical energy that incorporate a dielectric fluid comprising a vegetable oil or vegetable oil blend. Methods of retrofilling electrical equipment with vegetable oil based dielectric fluids also are provided.
US07871537B2
A method for fabricating a magnesium-based hydrogen storage material according to the present invention comprises a) forming a mixture of a magnesium hydride powder and a transition metal halide powder, b) adding the mixture and balls into a vessel, c) filling the vessel with an inert gas or hydrogen, and d) subjecting the mixture to high energy ball milling.
US07871535B2
A composition for dust-preventive treatment including an aqueous dispersion of fluorine-containing polymer showing a low potential for environmental concerns and a dust prevention effect as high as that of known composition for dust-preventive treatment. The composition for dust-preventive treatment includes an aqueous dispersion of fluorine-containing polymer containing 50 ppm or less of a fluorine-containing emulsifier. The composition for dust-preventive treatment comprising aqueous dispersion of fluorine-containing polymer containing 50 ppm or less of a fluorine-containing emulsifier can preferably be obtained by removing the fluorine-containing emulsifier from a polymer dispersion prepared by polymerizing tetrafluoroethylene using the fluorine-containing emulsifier.
US07871524B2
The use of a coupling agent containing a mercapto, disulfide, tretrasulfide and/or polysulfide end group provides a mercury removal media having increased reactivity, stability, and mercury removal ability. The mercury removal media described herein is prepared by reacting an organophilic clay containing onium ions with a mercapto, disulfide, tetrasulfide, and/or polysulfide end moiety. Alternatively, the clay can be made organophilic by onium ion reaction prior to or simultaneously with the coupling reaction of the mercapto- or sulfide- end group-containing coupling agent.
US07871523B2
A process for providing water with a lowered salinity and which produces at least one recoverable waste stream containing a useful by-product, the process including treating raw water which includes an undesirably high concentration of cations, including Ca2+ and Na+, in a cation exchange stage which includes first and second cation exchangers. The first cation exchanger having a selectivity towards di-valent cations and the second cation exchanger being downstream of the first cation exchanger, to retain at least a portion of the cations of the raw water in or on the first and second cation exchangers, thereby providing upgraded water of a lowered salinity containing no or a low concentration of the cations of the raw water. The process further includes from time to time, regenerating the first cation exchanger with an acid to produce a first recoverable waste stream which includes a calcium salt and removing Na+ from the second cation exchanger to produce a second recoverable waste stream which includes a sodium compound, and then regenerating the second cation exchanger.
US07871522B2
A system which includes a separation element (11) employing semipermeable membrane material (17), which system is designed so that it can operate either in an RO mode to produce high quality water or in a PRO mode to generate power from two aqueous solutions of different salt concentrations. In a preferred embodiment, a rotary pressure transfer device (29) is included to transfer pressure from an outlet stream exiting the separation element to an inlet stream being supplied to the separation element.
US07871515B2
A filter assembly (100) may comprise a filter cartridge (102) and a filter housing (101) which may include a cylindrical support (121) and a removable portion (110).
US07871509B2
Apparatus for modifying bitumen. The apparatus includes a multi-section loop tube reactor A circulation pump (11) circulates bitumen in the reactor (10) and air is introduced at air injection point (13). Bitumen is introduced into the reactor (10) at inlet (14) by variable speed pump P1. A plurality of mixers (15) are located between the air injection point (13) and a head section (24) beyond which is an outlet (27) where modified bitumen is drawn off by variable speed pump P2.
US07871505B2
The present invention pertains to a sputtering target transport box having a void the size of a sputtering target, wherein supports for mechanical transport are provided to the bottom plate of the transport box, and a wheel for man-powered transport is provided to the edge portion of the bottom plate. Provided thereby is a sputtering target transport box in which the removal and transport of a sputtering target is easy, and which enables the transport of a sputtering target without causing any damage thereto.
US07871502B2
A method for fabricating a chalcopyrite-type thin film solar cell includes a first step of forming onto a Mo electrode layer 2 a precursor including an In metal layer and a Cu—Ga alloy layer by sputtering, a second step of attaching an alkali-metal solution onto the precursor, a selenization step of subjecting the substrate 1 which has undergone both the first and the second steps to a selenization treatment, and a transparent electrode forming step of depositing an optically transparent conductive layer. As the alkali-metal solution, an aqueous solution of an alkali metal compound, such as sodium tetraborate, sodium sulfide, and sodium aluminum sulfate, can be used.
US07871498B2
Forming fabrics for making tissue webs are provided with structural icons on the side of the fabric that does not contact the tissue web during formation. The resulting tissue web has good formation without pinholes, yet contains a watermark corresponding to the shape of the structural icon.
US07871490B2
An antenna adapted to apply uniform electromagnetic fields to a volume of gas and including radiating elements connected in parallel with evenly distributed input terminals for receiving electromagnetic energy into the antenna and output terminals for grounding. In the illustrative embodiment, the antenna has three radiating elements connected in parallel. Each radiating element is a conductor wound in a circular shape with the same diameter. Each radiating element is connected to the input terminal on one end and an output terminal on the other. The input terminal of the second element is 120° rotated counterclockwise from the first and the input terminal of the third is rotated by 120° counterclockwise from the second. The ground terminals of each radiating elements are located in the same manner as the input terminals. Each element is feed by a feeder coil. While the antenna elements are disposed around a chamber, the feeder coils are disposed above the chamber to improved the distribution of electromagnetic energy within the chamber.
US07871474B2
A method for manufacturing bodies formed from insulated soft magnetic metal powder by forming an insulating film of an inorganic substance on the surface of particles of a soft magnetic metal powder, compacting and molding the powder, then carrying out a heat treatment to provide a body formed from insulated soft magnetic metal powder the method comprising: compacting and molding the powder; then magnetically annealing the powder at a high temperature above the Curie temperature for the soft magnetic metal powder and below the threshold temperature at which the insulating film is destroyed in a non-oxidizing atmosphere, such as a vacuum, inert gas, or the like; and then carrying out a further heat treatment at a temperature of from 400° C. to 700° C. in an oxidizing atmosphere, such as air, or the like.
US07871473B2
A method and device for maintaining air boost system performance is provided. One or more stages of the air boost system can be connected by tubing to a cleaning system that includes a fluid reservoir (135, 235) containing cleaning fluid and a means of conveying the cleaning fluid into at least one stage of the air boost system. The air boost system can also include a means for detecting (150, 250) at least one fouling parameter of said air boost system. Mien the fouling parameter meets a pre-determined condition, a control means (155, 255) can trigger the cleaning means and inject cleaning fluid into the stage or stages to be cleaned.
US07871459B2
Disclosed is a doped cerium oxide sorbent that can effectively and regenerably remove H2S in the temperature range of about 500° C. to about 1000° C. Regenerable sorbents (e.g., ZnO, La2O3, CeO2) and methods of using them are disclosed that allow cyclic desulfurization from about 300-500° C., 350-450° C., and at about 400° C. In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a method of desulfurizing fuel gas comprising passing the fuel gas through the sorbent at a space velocity wherein the sulfur compounds are adsorbed substantially on the surface of the sorbent; and regenerating the sorbent by passing a regenerating gas through the sorbent, wherein substantially all of the sulfur compounds are desorbed from the sorbent surface. In a further embodiment, the method of desulfurizing fuel gas further comprises repeating the aforementioned steps while the fuel processor is in operation. In another embodiment, the step of passing the fuel gas may be preceded by reducing the sorbent by passing a reducing gas through the sorbent. In another embodiment, the sorbent may be fully sulfided, i.e., sulfided on its surface and bulk (internally).
US07871438B2
A tissue marking implant includes a matrix material and a dye marker. The implant, which can be formed entirely of bioresorbable material such as a collagen foam, is sized and shaped to replace excised tissue. The implant supports surrounding tissue upon implantation, while allowing for in-growth of fibrous tissue to replace the implant. According to various alternative embodiments, the implant is elastically compressible, or can be formed from self-expanding foam or sponges, and can be implanted through a cannula or by injection, as well as by open procedures. The implant can carry therapeutic and diagnostic substances. The dye marker leaches from the implant such that a surgeon, upon subsequent surgical intervention, visibly recognizes the tissue marked by the dye marker.
US07871436B2
A replacement prosthetic heart valve for engagement with a structure of a previously implanted prosthetic heart valve, the replacement heart valve including a stent structure and at least two leaflets attached within the interior area of a tubular body portion of the stent structure. The stent structure includes a generally tubular body portion having an interior area, at least two upper flange portions for positioning at an outflow end of the previously implanted heart valve, wherein the upper flange portions extend radially outward from the tubular body portion and are biased toward an inflow end of the replacement heart valve, and at least one lower flange portion for positioning at an inflow end of the previously implanted heart valve, wherein the lower flange portions extend radially outward from the tubular body portion and are biased toward an outflow end of the replacement heart valve.
US07871435B2
An anatomically approximate prosthetic heart valve includes dissimilar flexible leaflets, dissimilar commissures and/or a non-circular flow orifice. The heart valve may be implanted in the mitral position and have one larger leaflet oriented along the anterior aspect so as to mimic the natural anterior leaflet. Two other smaller leaflets extend around the posterior aspect of the valve. A basic structure providing peripheral support for the leaflets includes two taller commissures on both sides of the larger leaflet, with a third, smaller commissure between the other two leaflets. The larger leaflet may be thicker and/or stronger than the other two leaflets. The base structure defines a flow orifice intended to simulate the shape of the mitral annulus during the systolic phase. For example, the flow orifice may be elliptical. A relatively wide sewing ring has a contoured inflow end and is attached to the base structure in such a way that the valve can be implanted in an intra-atrial position and the taller commissures do not extend too far into the left ventricle, therefore avoiding injury to the ventricle.
US07871430B2
A delivery system (10) for implanting a medical device (30) such as a venous valve into the vasculature of a patient. The delivery system includes a delivery catheter (11) having a device-containing portion (15) adjacent to the distal end (14) thereof, and an inner member (16) extending through the catheter and beyond the distal end thereof, to an atraumatic distal tip portion (17) forward of the catheter distal end. The inner member extends through the medical device in the device-containing region, includes a proximal portion (18) with a sufficiently large diameter to prevent longitudinal movement of the device as the catheter is retracted during deployment, and centers the device upon release from the distal catheter end during deployment.
US07871412B2
An orthopaedic cutting tool which includes a partially hemispherical shell having a shell radius, and a base including a first circumferential base segment and a second circumferential base segment. The shell has a first part on one side of the first circumferential base segment and the second circumferential base segment, and a second part on another side of the first circumferential base segment and the second circumferential base segment. A first non-planar surface is connected to the first part, and the first non-planar surface has a first curvature not equal to the shell radius. A second non-planar surface is connected to the second part, and the second non-planar surface has a second curvature not equal to the shell radius.
US07871405B2
Medical devices can be positioned within a patient by use of apparatus and methods according to the invention. The apparatus and methods permit insertion of the medical devices into various locations of the patient's body without requiring removal and reinsertion of already-inserted medical devices. The apparatus and methods are typically used to place medical devices into a male patient's urinary system to treat a disease or condition. The medical devices can be cryoablation probes that are inserted into the prostate gland to treat prostate cancer, for example.
US07871392B2
An ultrasonic horn assembly is configured so that irrigating fluid can be supplied only to a vibrating tip portion of the ultrasonic horn and so that suction aspiration can occur through a portion of the ultrasonic horn not in contact with the irrigating fluid. Controllers supplying irrigation fluid during a surgical procedure and controlling suction aspiration via monitoring of fluid level in the patient cavity are operatively coupled one to another to coordinate control of the fluid level in the patient cavity. Circuitry controlling power, frequency and amplitude of the tip of the ultrasonic horn occurring as a result of operation of a source of ultrasonic signal generating power controls either or both the supply of irrigation fluid and the suction aspiration so as to minimize damping of vibration of the tip of the ultrasonic horn. An optical viewing element is provided to view the tip of the ultrasonic horn.
US07871390B2
A continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) device is provided that weighs between 2 and 10 pounds. The CRRT device can be portable, mobile or completely worn on the person of the patient. Blood and dialysate are each pumped in a pulsed or pulsatile manner through a dialyzer such that a significant portion of the peak pulse of the blood flow coincides with a significant portion of a low pulse portion of the dialysate flow. An differential pressure between a dialysate inlet of the dialyzer and the blood inlet of the dialyzer periodically changes from a high differential pressure of between 70 and 120 mmHg for a first time period and a low differential pressure of between −10 and 10 mmHg for a second time period. The frequency of the high and low differential pressure cycle is between about 0.5 and 4 Hz.
US07871384B2
A biopsy device having a translating and rotating cutter is disclosed. The translational speed of the cutter is varied using a variable pitch member. The variable pitch member can include a shaft having a relatively coarse threaded portion for rapid cutter advance and a relatively finer threaded portion for cutter advance during tissue severing.
US07871383B2
An arrangement for taking a sample of cells from a suspicious lesion or a tumor with the so called fine needle aspiration technique, provides a good penetration of tumors, especially small and/or hard fibrous tumors, and in the meantime yielding an increased amount of cells in the sample, by applying a longitudinal movement to the needle when the needle is penetrating the tumor and by applying both a rotational and a longitudinal movement to the needle when the needle is positioned inside the tumor. The arrangement is further provided with heat generating elements in order to apply a short pulse of heat to the needle in order to lower the risk for the tumor to spread.
US07871378B1
This invention is a system, an apparatus and a method for measuring biomechanical properties of cornea and the intraocular pressure in vivo. More than one dimensional topographic information of the cornea is recorded and analyzed before and during the fluid discharge and converted to the stress-strain relationship and other cornea parameters, for example the cornea thickness and radius of curvature, etc. The deformation of cornea is initiated by a non-contact fluid discharge whose profile is predetermined and monitored in real time. Utilizing this non-contact topographer, the true intraocular pressure can be derived from the response of the cornea due to the impact of fluid discharge and the corneal topographic parameters. One embodiment of this invention includes the use of a multiple color strobe light/multiple detector system to record the corneal topographic deformation due to the impact of fluid discharge.
US07871377B2
The present invention provides a method of evaluating the human subconscious response to smell and a method of evaluating a subject's subconscious response to an aroma stimulus.
US07871372B2
An endoscope includes an insertion portion; a channel member that has one opening at a distal portion of the insertion portion and other opening at a portion other than the distal portion; an exterior member opening that communicatively connects an interior of the endoscope to outside; and a filter that is provided at the exterior member opening to prevent at least one of intrusion of dust into the interior and leakage of a lubricant agent stored in the endoscope out of the endoscope.
US07871369B2
Cardiac assist sleeve and methods for using and making the cardiac assist sleeve that includes first elongate strips and second elongate strips of memory alloy that change shape to change a volume of cardiac assist sleeve.
US07871363B1
A bumper pad for use in cushioning and protecting packaged articles is provided. The bumper pad is made primarily from paper and comprises an arced top member glued or otherwise affixed to a flat base along longitudinal edges. The bumper pad can be placed around the packaged article between the article and the outer packaging, which can be a cardboard sleeve, stretch wrap film or other packaging material. The arced top member preferably is formed using a linear draw process.
US07871355B2
A training device includes a motor including a sensor member connected therewith which is electrically connected to a vibration control unit which controls the motor via commands from a user. A torque output unit is connected with an output shaft of the motor and transfers a resistant force to users and to transfers the force from the user to the motor. The torque output unit includes a speed reduction unit and a tension unit so as to transfer proper force between the motor and the users. The vibration control unit sensing status of the motor according to input commands so as to control the motor simultaneously to generate vibration and resistant force on user's muscles by rotating to-and-fro repetitively.
US07871354B2
A procedure for increasing the readiness of crossover gearshifts in an automatic transmission which, with the switching command or immediately thereafter, a motor fueling is provided through which a snatch operation of the disengaging switching element and/or an increase of the rotational speed gradient (turbine revolution speed) is achieved.
US07871344B1
A dart with a dart tip and a cylindrical body. The tail end of the dart is smoothly contoured to promote end-over-end tumbling of the dart as it is thrown towards the dart board.
US07871341B2
The invention provides a golf ball material composed of (i) a non-ionomeric thermoplastic resin, (ii) an ionomeric resin and/or an acid-containing polymer which is the base resin of an ionomeric resin, and (iii) at least one compound selected from among N,N-dialkylaminoalkyl(meth)acrylamide, N,N-dialkylaminoalkyl(meth)acrylate and derivatives thereof. Methods for preparing such a material, and a golf ball which includes as a component therein a molded part made of the golf ball material are also provided. The golf ball material has a good thermal stability, flow and processability, and can thus be used to obtain high-performance golf balls having an excellent rebound resilience, an outstanding durability and a good flexibility.
US07871327B2
Gaming systems and methods of operation thereof are disclosed. Such gaming systems and methods allow a player of a gaming device, such as a slot machine or an arcade video game, to access entertainment services, such as broadcast television programming, web sites, pay-per-view services and shared-revenue telephone services, such as 900 or 976 services, for enhanced player retention. In accordance with one or more embodiments, when play is initiated, a predefined establishment-specific criteria is evaluated to determine whether the player should be provided with access to entertainment services. A player entitled to access such services may be presented with a list of available entertainment services. Upon receipt of the player's selection, in accordance with one or more embodiments, a connection may be established between the gaming device and the provider of the selected entertainment service. In accordance with one embodiment, the content that is the entertainment service is store in the memory of the gaming device or a peripheral device and output to the player. The player's level of play may be monitored to ensure that the establishment-specific criteria for maintaining access to such entertainment services is being met.
US07871324B2
A gaming device including a video display containing multiple or split screens displayed at one time. Each of the screens displays indicia relating to a single event and thus each of the screens preferably displays indicia relating to the other screens of the display. The screens preferably present the event a chronological or otherwise sequential manner. The screens can show different views of the event occurring at one time of the event and can show the same view of different times of the event in one display. At some point, in accordance with the event or theme of the bonus round, the game provides an award to the player in such a way that is exciting to the player. The game can employ one or more of the screens in awarding the player, wherein one or more screens displays the award, and wherein other screens celebrate the award.
US07871322B2
A game device provides a question to a plurality of players. The game device counts the number of players each having provided an answer to the question or each having provided a correct answer to the question. When the counted number of players reaches a predetermined number of players, a predetermined time limit is set. The game device measures an elapsed time from when the time limit has been set (i.e., a correct answer elapsed time), and stops accepting an answer to the question when the correct answer elapsed time reaches the time limit.
US07871309B2
It is an object of the invention to provide a polishing pad capable of high precision optical detection of an endpoint during polishing in progress and prevention of slurry leakage from between a polishing region and a light-transmitting region during the use thereof even after the polishing pad has been used for a long period. It is a second object of the invention to provide a polishing pad capable of suppression of deterioration of polishing characteristics (such as in-plane uniformity) and generation of scratches due to a difference in behavior of a polishing region and a light-transmitting region during polishing. It is a third object of the invention to provide a polishing pad having a polishing region and a light-transmitting region with a concentration of a specific metal equal to or lower than a specific value (threshold value).
US07871306B1
A lapping tool for lapping a wafer section in a well controlled manner, has a head with an actuator for bending the row tool, and a force multiplier coupled between the actuator and row tool to multiply the force generated by the actuator for application of greater bending force to the row tool than can be generated by the actuator. Furthermore, at least two actuators, which are controlled together, simultaneously apply force to one force multiplier, so as to further increase bending force. The increase in available force permits the use of a row tool of a ceramic or other material that is substantially stiffer than stainless steel, such as a row tool having a coefficient of thermal expansion that is substantially similar to that of the rowbar itself. The tool further includes structures for tilting or otherwise orienting the wafer section relative to the lapping plate.
US07871299B2
A connector of the present invention comprises a jack socket with a plurality of first terminals disposed at a cylindrical inner wall at predetermined intervals in a depth direction, a plug with a plurality of second terminals disposed at an outer wall thereof, constituting a plurality of electrical contacts by individually making contact with each of the first terminals in a state of insertion into the jack socket, and ring-shaped elastic seal members that seal each of the electrical contacts when the plug is inserted in the jack socket.
US07871298B2
A stacked card connector (100) has a terminal module with a set of first terminals (2). The first terminals (2) have cantilever beams (22) and the cantilever beams (22) substantially spread in a plane, the first terminals vertically extend a leg (21) from the plane to a bottom face of stacked card connector; the first set of terminals (2) have a front row of terminals and a rear row of terminals, the first terminals (2) have contact portions (231) and transverse beams (222) connecting the contact portions (231) and the cantilever beams (22), the cantilever beams (22) of the front row of terminals branching vertically to the cantilever beam form a cross bar (221), the transverse beams (222) of the rear row of terminals extend lengthwise poles intersecting the cross bar (221) at nodes (223). The nodes (223) keep the first terminals (2) in a plane before injecting molding, and are cut off through the cutouts (113) to form a hole (224), the nodes (223) can make the first terminals have good flatness.
US07871275B1
An interposer frame assembly includes a static frame and a biasing frame. The static and biasing frames include legs joined with and oriented at an angle with respect to one another. The legs include mounting surfaces and opposite upper surfaces that are interconnected by an inner side. The mounting surfaces have outwardly protruding posts and the inner sides have protrusions extending away from the legs. The posts are received in openings of an interposer assembly such that the static frame and the biasing frame are aligned on opposite sides of a contact field of the interposer assembly. The protrusions of the static frame and the biasing members of the biasing frame guide and retain a circuit board with contacts into a mated relationship with corresponding contacts in the contact field of the interposer assembly.
US07871269B2
The present invention relates to an improved dental impression tray and related methods. In one embodiment, a dental impression tray includes a first portion for receiving impression material from a source and a second portion is configured for receiving a patient's upper or lower teeth and will at least partial define a cavity shaped to receive the teeth during use. In use, impression material introduced into the first portion can pass through openings and into the second portion and around a patient's teeth.
US07871268B2
A method and system for selecting dental constructions using translucent materials that match an individual's preexisting tooth appearance uses a set of reference templates. The reference templates are constructed from layers of various translucent dental materials positioned on bases constructed from actual or simulated tooth structures. The layers of translucent materials have a thickness that varies in increments that correspond to the likely thicknesses of the materials when used in dental constructions. A reference table is created based upon color measurements of each of the reference templates. A color measurement of the individual's preexisting teeth is then compared to the reference table to determine which particular dental construction will most closely match the individuals preexisting teeth.
US07871263B2
A system for controlling air/fuel ratio in an air/fuel mixture supplied to a premix burner for gaseous fuels includes a blower (310) for inducting and pressurising combustion air, a Venturi-pipe (330) for governing a rate of gas to be mixed into the combustion air, and a pressure regulator (230) interconnecting a source of gaseous fuel to a supply point in the Venturi pipe (330). A preheated reaction chamber (500) and a lambda sond (620) are connected to a controller (350) controlling an amount of air bypassing said Venturi-pipe (330).
US07871253B2
The invention relates to a clamping device which clamps the pump stator with the pump housing and an additional pump end part. The width of the clamping bars is at least 20% of the cross section of the pump stator in order to stabilise the clamping device and the simplify handling. All parts which are required to clamp the pump end part remain on the clamping bars.
US07871250B2
A chemical liquid supplying apparatus can discharge chemical liquid with high accuracy and monitor a leakage of an incompressible medium from a region between a piston and a cylinder. A pump has a flexible tube for partitioning a pump chamber and a drive chamber, and the incompressible medium is supplied to the drive chamber by the piston reciprocating in a cylinder hole of the cylinder. A bellows cover is provided between the piston and the cylinder, and forms a seal chamber contiguous to a sliding face of the piston. A seal-chamber pressure sensor is attached to the cylinder so as to detect the pressure of the incompressible medium for sealing enclosed in the seal chamber, and a deterioration degree of a seal member is determined by detecting the pressure in the seal chamber.
US07871247B2
A high modulus component, such as an aircraft engine turbine blade, is formed from a base metal that has a high modulus crystallographic orientation that is aligned with the primary, i.e. radial, direction of the turbine blade. The base metal is Ni, Fe, Ti, Co, Al, Nb, or Mo based alloy. Alignment of a high modulus direction of the base metal with the primary direction provides enhanced high cycle fatigue life.
US07871245B2
Two pairs of ribs define three intermediate cooling chambers. Each rib in each pair extends parallel to the other rib in the pair. The ribs in a first pair are non-parallel to the ribs in a second pair. A first rib from the first pair is positioned spaced toward the leading edge. A first rib of the second pair is then serially positioned spaced toward the trailing edge. A second rib of the first pair is then positioned toward the trailing edge relative to the first rib in the second pair. A second rib in the second pair is then positioned toward the trailing edge relative to the second rib in the first pair.
US07871243B2
A containment system comprises at least one passage obstructer extending from a housing inlet cover through a diffuser passage and into a housing back cover. The passage obstructer includes a fastener portion, such as a bolt, and an obstructing portion extending from and integral to a shaft of the fastener portion. The diameter of the obstructing portion is less than the diameter of the shaft, allowing the obstructing portion to bend upon impact with a burst impeller fragment.
US07871240B2
A damped spring assembly includes a helical spring. The helical spring is movable along an axis and has a winding direction. A damper is movable along the axis and includes a helical shape. The damper is wound in a direction opposite the winding direction. The damper applies a radial load to the spring for damping movement of the spring along the axis as the spring vibrates. The damper has a very low axial spring rate and it contributes very little to the axial load provided by the spring.
US07871238B2
A vapor lock in a fuel pump can be prevented by reducing the formation of vapor within the fuel. A first group of concavities may be formed in an inner circumferential region of an intake side face of an impeller, and a second group of concavities may be formed concentrically in a region outside of the first group of concavities. A third group of concavities that communicates with the second group of concavities may be formed in a discharge side face of the impeller. The impeller is housed within a casing. A first groove that faces the first group of concavities and a second groove that faces the second group of concavities may be formed in the face of the casing that faces the intake side face of the impeller. A third groove that faces the third group of concavities may be formed in the face of the casing that faces the discharge side face of the impeller.
US07871235B2
An improved front loading or side loading refuse collection body includes an ejector panel which is moveable from a position immediately adjacent the front end of the storage compartment of the refuse collection body to a second position at the open rear end of the storage compartment. A compaction blade in a compaction chamber adjacent the front end of the storage compartment is independently driven by a second hydraulic ram. The ejector panel has an opening which is in registry with the compaction blade such that refuse propelled by the compaction blade moves into the storage compartment when the ejector panel is positioned adjacent the front end of the storage compartment.
US07871234B2
A cart transport apparatus for automatically transporting carts in which trays with medicine contained therein can be stored. The carts have a plurality of support panels (38) juxtaposed to each other, a lower connection member (41) connecting lower end portions of the plurality of support panels (38), and casters (44) positioned below the lower connection member (41). The cart transport apparatus includes a frame (51) having wheels (50) that can be rotatably driven. The frame (51) is movable beneath the lower connection member (41) of the cart (8). Also, the cart transfer apparatus is provided with grip members (55) for gripping the lower connection member 41 of the cart 8.
US07871228B2
The device (1) for stowing a vehicle when it is transported on a bearing plane (9) by one of its wheels or from an anchorage on the chassis is characterized in that it is constituted by the following means: a link (2) that has a coupling end (5) provided to engage with a tensioning and retaining mechanism (3), a tensioning end (6), and a sliding sheath (7) for support on a tyre, a mechanism for tensioning and retaining the link (2) that has a roll axis (10) of sufficient length to offer numerous transverse coiling positions of the strap, and a coupling and return assembly (4) passed through by the link (2). Said device therefore enables vehicles to be stowed in two ways: a) by coupling to the vehicle chassis and b) by stowing the vehicle by link (2) on its tyres. This invention relates to the transportation of vehicles on Lorries or railway trucks.
US07871225B2
A machine tool has a work space (17) in which a device (15) for accommodating workpieces (16) to be machined is arranged. The machine tool further has a work spindle (18) for machining the workpieces (16) and a slide (34) which carries the work spindle (18) and is traversable in a longitudinal direction relative to the device (15), a respective cover (25), variable in length in the longitudinal direction (x), for the work space (17) being provided on the slide (34) on each of its sides, said cover (25) being connected with its respective first end to the slide (34) and with its respective second end to a side wall (21, 22; 51) of the work space (17). Each cover (25) variable in length has a respective rear wall (26) and a respective top (27), whereby the top (27) is connected to the rear wall (26) in a detachable, push-in, manner. A further flexible cover (31) is arranged in front of the slide (34) to protect the work space (17) at the bottom. The flexible cover (31) is variable in a direction (y) orthogonal to the longitudinal direction (x) and is partly designed as a link apron (54).
US07871223B2
A retaining wall block has parallel top and bottom faces, a front face, a rear face, first and second side wall faces and a vertical plane of symmetry extending between the front and rear faces. The block is formed as a body portion including the front face, a head portion including the rear face and a neck portion connecting the body portion and the head portion. The body, head and neck portions each extend between the top and bottom faces and between the first and second side wall faces. An opening extends through the neck portion from the top face to the bottom face, dividing the neck portion to into first and second neck wall members extending rearwardly from the body portion to the head portion.
US07871221B2
An anchoring base for a delineating pole using the reconfiguration of protruding resilient mechanical members to facilitate insertion and resist the subsequent extraction force on the pole. The mechanical members extend outwards relative to the insertion rod longitudinal axis, and bend or configure upon insertion of the anchoring base, into a first position that facilitates insertion while impeding and resisting axial extraction forces, and upon subsequent rotation of the anchoring base, the mechanical members bend or reconfigure into a second position such that the extraction resistance force is significantly reduced. The anchoring base design may be used in conjunction with a spring cartridge having a plurality of interlocking members forming a rigid mechanical structure during rotation.
US07871217B2
A pump dispenser has a large ergonomic actuator designed to ergonomically deliver a composition to a substrate in the consumer's hand without the consumer having to pick up the pump dispenser. The ergonomic design allows the composition to be delivered in a proper aspect ratio to the substrate. The composition can be delivered in such a way that the composition is not aerosolized into the air or delivered to an unintended surface. The method of delivery can be made intuitive to the consumer by providing an actuator skirt that suggests the pumping mechanism or by providing a depiction of a hand or substrate over the pump dispenser. The pump dispenser is also useful for compositions or substrates that are not stable together.
US07871215B2
A mailing machine for processing mailpiece envelopes, wherein a print station thereof is reconfigurable to process envelopes in two operating modes. The reconfigurable print station includes a displacement device having an integrated cutting mechanism to perform both printing and cutting operations. The displacement device includes a displacement surface for urging the mailpiece envelopes against a registration surface to facilitate print operations and a cutting mechanism coupled to the displacement device for cutting the sheet material in a direction substantially parallel to the processing path of the mailpiece envelope. The cutting device is adapted to be repositioned relative to the displacement surface such that, (i) in a first operating mode, the cutting device is retracted beneath or below the plane of the displacement surface, and (ii) in a second operating mode, the cutting device is extended above the plane of the displacement surface to cut the sheet material as it traverses the processing path. In the first operating mode, the print station is adapted to print delivery information/images, such as postage indicia, on a face surface of the mailpiece and, in the second operating mode, the print station is adapted to cut an edge of the mailpiece to open the envelope. The print heads may remain operational in the second operating mode to print mailpiece opening information such as the date, time, and/or location of mailpiece processing.
US07871212B2
A label producing apparatus has a pressure roller drive shaft for feeding a cover film supplied from a cartridge storing a cover film capable of supply, acquires the arrangement information by accessing a database storing and holding arrangement information of the article to be arranged, and has a print head and a cutter for producing an auxiliary label by forming the acquired arrangement information for the cover film fed by the pressure roller drive shaft.
US07871206B2
An imaging apparatus includes: an apparatus body having a substantially box-like shape and having an imaging lens provided on the front side; and a cover member including a sliding portion slidably supported on the front surface of the apparatus body, a pivotal portion pivotally supported at a side portion of the apparatus body and including a standing piece that faces the front surface of the apparatus body, and a connecting portion that connects the standing piece to the sliding portion, wherein causing the standing piece to face the front surface of the apparatus body produces a lens blocking state in which the imaging lens is blocked, whereas causing the standing piece to stand on the front surface of the apparatus body not only forms a grip formed of the pivotal portion and the connecting portion but also produces a lens unblocking state in which the imaging lens is unblocked.
US07871200B2
Provided is an aerostatic bearing spindle system using a unidirectional porous metal. The aerostatic bearing spindle system using a unidirectional porous metal may be used to serve as bearings in a region is in contact with the unidirectional porous metals when the unidirectional porous metals are rotated at a high speed, the unidirectional porous metals being manufactured with high porosity and directionality using the metallurgical method.
US07871199B2
A bitewing x-ray film holder for interproximal radiographic analysis. The device includes a bite block including a biting portion, a dental medium holder for placement of a dental x-ray imaging medium, and an alignment guide extending along the biting portion to aid a dental professional in achieving a perpendicular or near perpendicular relationship of the x-ray medium to the interproximal region of clenched maxilliary and mandibular teeth. The bite block also includes a textured portion extending substantially adjacent to the alignment guide to provide friction between the biting surfaces of the teeth and the bite block.
US07871183B2
A light source for an atomizing device, specifically an atom absorption spectrometer comprising one, two, or more lamps, whose ray can be selected by means of at least one two-dimensionally moveable optical selection element, and which can be directed in the direction of atomizing device. Fine-tuning is thereby achieved quickly with little constructive expenditure and with low costs. A very high degree of accuracy is possible from the selector through a rotational and highly adjustable rotation spindle.
US07871182B2
A light bulb cover for use with a recessed lighting fixture consisting of a rigid glass envelope having the outer shape of a flood light and mounting hardware for securing the glass envelope to a light bulb.
US07871173B2
A lighting device. The lighting device includes a base portion, a diffuser portion having a wall defining an inner cavity, wherein the wall includes a plurality of colors, the plurality of colors defining a color pattern, and a light source for illuminating the diffuser portion.
US07871172B2
A light diffusion plate includes a first surface and an opposite second surface. The first surface defines a plurality of first elongated arc-shaped grooves and a plurality of second elongated arc-shaped grooves therein. A width of the first elongated arc-shaped grooves decreases and a width of the second elongated arc-shaped grooves increase along the direction from one side to another side. The second surface forms a plurality of first elongated arc-shaped protrusions and a plurality of second elongated arc-shaped protrusions thereon. A width of the first elongated arc-shaped grooves decreases gradually and a width of the second elongated arc-shaped grooves increases gradually along the direction from one side to another side. A width of the first elongated arc-shaped protrusions decreases gradually and a width of the second elongated arc-shaped protrusions increases gradually along the direction from one side to another side.
US07871167B2
A projection image display apparatus includes a lens unit into which light modulated in accordance with an image signal is entered, a first reflecting mirror having a reflecting surface into which the light passing through the lens unit is entered and by which the light is converged, a second reflecting mirror for reflecting the light reflected by the first reflecting mirror, and a mirror actuator for changing a tilt angle of the second reflecting mirror with respect to the light.
US07871164B2
A homogeneously illuminating ophthalmic instrument includes an illumination device having a source of illumination, a homogenizing unit and a projection device, at least one organic or inorganic source of radiation with spectrally selective emission being used as a source of illumination. The illumination generated in this way enables correspondingly adapted visual and/or digital observation, recording or display of the examined regions of the eye by a visualizing unit.
US07871161B2
The invention relates to the devoid of a strap spectacles comprising two spectacle glasses (1, 2) which are arranged above the nose and each of which is preferably provided with a notch (3) embodied where said two glasses are jointed, wherein said glasses are paired by a connection element (5) which comprises a tongue (7) forming a lug for assembling the glasses (1, 2), the connection element (5) for the glasses and a kit for producing the spectacles.
US07871159B2
A system for use with a solid ink delivery system of a phase change ink imaging device comprises an insertion opening configured to enable insertion of ink sticks therethrough and into the ink delivery system. An insertion key is movably supported adjacent the insertion opening such that a portion of the insertion key protrudes into the insertion opening. The portion of the insertion key has a shape that is complementary to a key contour on a first ink stick and a second ink stick. A key positioner is operably coupled to the insertion key to move the insertion key between at least two different predetermined positions on the perimeter of the insertion opening. The predetermined positions include a first position that is complementary to a position of the key contour of the first ink stick and a second position that is complementary to a position of the key contour of the second ink stick.
US07871158B2
An image forming apparatus includes a recording head, a main tank, a sub tank, a negative pressure state indicator, a position detector, and a sub tank position indicator. The recording head discharges recording liquid. The main tank supplies the recording liquid. The sub tank is supplied with the recording liquid from the main tank and supplies the recording liquid to the recording head. The negative pressure state indicator is displaced according to a negative pressure state of the sub tank to indicate the negative pressure state of the sub tank. The position detector detects the displacement of the negative pressure state indicator as position information. The sub tank position indicator is detected by the position detector and indicates a position of the sub tank without being displaced according to the negative pressure state of the sub tank.
US07871157B2
Provided is a liquid-jet apparatus which can suppress liquid consumption by preventing air that can turn into bubbles from entering a liquid introducing columnar body in replacement of a liquid storage member and thus reducing a frequency of execution of a cleaning operation for discharging the bubbles inside a liquid passage. An ink introducing needle in a printer includes: a needle-like protrusion having a tapered portion whose diameter is gradually increased toward its base from its tip; and a straight portion formed linearly and continuously from the tapered portion. In the tapered portion of the needle-like protrusion in the ink introducing needle, groove portions extending to an edge portion of the tapered portion are provided.
US07871147B2
An image forming apparatus, for ejecting liquid from openings to form an image on a printing medium, includes a head cap for covering the opening surface through which the openings open when a liquid ejection head in which the openings are formed is not in use and for protecting the openings from external air, a rechargeable battery for activating the image forming apparatus, a fuel cell for charging the rechargeable battery, and a liquid path along which water generated as the fuel cell is activated is introduced into the head cap. With this arrangement, when the liquid ejection head is not activated, the moisture retention in the head cap can be achieved.
US07871146B2
The cleaning process best suited to the condition of an inkjet printer is selected and run, thereby removing nozzle clogging without wastefully consuming ink. The first time a cleaning switch 7 is operated a CL1 cleaning process is run. If the cleaning switch 7 is pressed a second time and the print pass count is less than e.g., 400, a CL2 cleaning process that uses more ink than the CL1 process is used to clean the recording head, but if the print pass count is 400 or more, the CL1 cleaning process is used. If the print pass count is less than 400 the third time the switch is operated, the CL2 cleaning process is used, but the CL1 cleaning process is used if the print pass count is 400 or more. If the cleaning switch 7 is operated four or more times and the print pass count is less than 400, a YCL cleaning process that consumes substantially no ink is used to clean the recording head, but if the print pass count is 400 or more, the CL1 cleaning process is used.
US07871138B2
An appliance includes a chassis defining a cavity and having an opening for accessing the cavity and a door assembly joined to the chassis. The door assembly includes a door for closing access to the opening, and the door assembly further includes a door lift sub-assembly having a horizontal slide and a vertical slide. The door is coupled to one of the horizontal slide and the vertical slide. The horizontal slide is moveable between a recessed position and an extended position and is configured to move the door in a substantially horizontal direction. The vertical slide is moveable between a closed position and an open position and is configured to move the door in a substantially vertical direction.
US07871128B2
A seat-back motion controller is used in a foldable vehicle seat to control motion of a seat back relative to a seat base. The motion controller includes a seat recliner configured to be locked to retain the seat back in a selected reclined position and unlocked to free the seat back to be pivoted forwardly to assume a forward-leaning seat-back dumping position to facilitate passenger access to a back seat area in a vehicle.
US07871124B1
The invention is an improved child safety seat that is integrated into a vehicle seat back. The seat back rotates vertically to allow the child safety seat to be revealed and integrated into the back of the vehicle seat. The child safety seat is capable of facing either forward or rear.
US07871121B1
An aerodynamic air dam device comprising a polychloroprene panel adapted for mounting on the front bumper of a vehicle, wherein the polychloroprene panel can wrap around the outer side corners of the bumper; a mounting strip positioned along the top edge of the panel for holding the panel in place by clamping the panel between the mounting strip and the bumper; a bolt for inserting through a coinciding strip aperture, panel aperture, and bumper of a vehicle, wherein the bolt together with a nut secure the mounting strip and the panel to the bumper.
US07871119B2
A door trim panel including a cover stock, an armrest coupled to the cover stock and having a first density, an upper energy absorber disposed above the armrest and having a second density higher than the first density, and a lower energy absorber disposed below the armrest and having a third density higher than the first density.
US07871111B2
A clamp is disclosed which structurally replaces a cracked P3a weld in the piping of a BWRi's core spray line. The clamp includes upper and lower clamp bodies that are joined together by clamp bolts held by keeper nuts with crimp collars engaging the bolts. Upper and lower curved jaws of the clamp bodies contact the piping at a plurality of contact points to form gaps between the piping and curved jaws to thereby ensure that the clamp engages the piping and seals the cracked weld. Conically shaped ends of stop bolts inserted into the upper curved jaw seat into conical holes machined in the core spray line piping to prevent the piping cracked weld from separating after the clamp is installed.
US07871109B1
A drain basin has a basin with walls and a cavity therein. The basin can have one or more sleeves coupled thereto. The sleeves are in communication with the cavity. The sleeves form pipe couplings to the basin. Each sleeve has a free end and a fixed end. The fixed end is coupled to the basin. The sleeve has an inside diameter that decreases toward the fixed end, which inside diameter is structured and arranged to receive the outside diameter of a small pipe. The sleeve also has an outside diameter that increases toward the fixed end, which outside diameter is structured and arranged to receive the inside diameter of a larger pipe. In addition, catches are provided to couple a corrugated pipe to the sleeve. The catches comprise fingers that flex or projections on ribs. Thus, the drain basin allows several diameters of several different pipes to be coupled to the drain basin.
US07871108B2
A mount for a machine includes a mounting member having an insertion portion and a shoulder portion. During assembly, the insertion portion is swaged into an opening in the frame. A mating member attached to a machine structure is seated on the shoulder portion, and a cap may be attached to the shoulder portion such that the mating member is disposed between the cap and the shoulder portion.
US07871103B2
A bezel (44) of a coat hook-equipped roof side register (42) is fixed by fastening, at the coat hook main body portion (50) side, to a mount bracket (76) on a body side by a mount bolt (72), and is elastically engaged, at a louver (84) side, with a mount bracket (108) on the body side by an engaging member (106). Furthermore, a first end portion (110A) of a strap (110) is fixed to the bezel (44) by a screw (114). A second end portion (110B) of the strap (110) is fastened together with the coat hook main body portion (50) to the mount bracket (76) by the mount bolt (72).
US07871102B2
A fastener assembly includes a metal first component having two flange portions defining a receiving slot therebetween, and a polymeric component received in the receiving slot in an assembled position. When rotated 90 degrees the second component outwardly displaces first and second deflectable wings of the first component to extended positions.
US07871097B2
A hitch assembly that comprises a coupling tongue with a first end and a second end, a substantially U-shaped clevis that is substantially flat in cross section, pivotally coupled to the second end of the coupling tongue by a hitch pin, and an opening formed by the coupling tongue and the clevis, sized to receive a towing member. The hitch assembly is particularly suited for connecting a tow strap or belt to a commercially available tubular trailer hitch receiver, for use in towing operations.
US07871089B1
A trash container hand truck system includes a container that has a bottom wall and a peripheral wall. Wheels are attached to the peripheral wall and a cover is hingedly coupled to the container. A post has a bottom end, a top end and a front side. A plate is attached to the front side of the post adjacent to the bottom end. The plate is positionable under the bottom wall. A support is attached to the post and extends laterally away in opposite directions from the front side of the post. A pair of hooks is attached to the support and engage the handle. An arm has a first end and a second end. The first end is hingedly coupled to the post and extends rearward of the front side. A wheel is rotatably coupled to the second end of the arm.
US07871084B2
A telescopic actuator includes a motor, an input flange rotated by the motor, a male screw member coupled to the input flange, a female screw member threadedly engaged with the male screw member, an output rod coupled to the female screw member, the output rod being moved in an axial direction thereof to output a thrust force when the input flange is rotated, and a housing inside which the male screw member and the female screw member are accommodated. The input flange is supported by the housing such that a relative movement of the input flange with respect to the housing is allowed in a radial direction but restricted in the axial direction.
US07871082B2
Anti-roll system especially for a vehicle, comprising system control means, a tank (4) and a pump (3) for a hydraulic fluid, and two or more stabilizers, each stabilizer comprising an actuator (5, 6) which is arranged to control the relevant stabilizer's moment in dependency of the hydraulic pressure at the actuator's terminals. Each actuator has either one or both of its terminals (A, B) connected to a first terminal (I) of a pressure control module (8) which has a second terminal (II) connected to the tank's inlet side and a third terminal (III) to the pump's outlet side. The control means and each control module are arranged to supply a fluid pressure at its first terminal under control of said control means. The pressure control modules (8) may comprise a series connection of two pressure control valves (1, 2) e.g. pressure relief or limitation valves. As an alternative the pressure control modules (8) comprise a three-way pressure control valve (9), e.g. a three-way pressure reduction valve. To minimize energy consumption of the pump during moderate cornering and straight line driving a pressure control valve is provided in parallel to the three-way pressure control valve.
US07871079B2
A sealing assembly having a flexible sleeve and a means for sealing a top portion of the sleeve around a plurality of cables, such as by a hook and loop type fastener attached at the top portion of the sleeve. The sleeve is configured to receive at least one cable therethrough and a bottom portion of the sleeve is configured to be secured to a surface. The sleeve can also be electrically conductive such that the sleeve dissipates static electricity from the cable to the surface. The sealing assembly can also have a grommet positioned adjacent the bottom portion of the sleeve. The grommet has a first wall having a plurality of apertures for connecting the grommet to a surface and a second wall that extends substantially perpendicular to the first wall and is configured to extend through an aperture in the surface. The second wall is flexible to protect the cable from sharp edges associated with the aperture in the surface.
US07871078B2
A piston ring includes a running surface having a running surface profile, and an upper flank surface and a lower flank surface. At least the running surface is provided with a vapor-deposited layer such that part of the running surface is provided with a removable cover enabling an essentially sharp-edged running edge to be formed between the running surface and at least one of the flank surfaces, once the vapor-deposited layer has been produced and the cover has been removed.
US07871077B2
In certain embodiments, the present invention relates to poker dice and methods of gameplay using poker dice that (i) allows game participants to roll all of the common poker hands (high card, pair, two pair, three of a kind, straight, flush, full house, four of a kind, straight flush, royal flush), in an efficient manner, (ii) enhances the gameplay of the poker-related dice game by using six-sided dice, and (iii) enhances the gameplay of the poker-related dice game by allowing wildcards to be incorporated into the poker dice.
US07871075B2
An image forming apparatus includes a sheet conveyance path, a pair of rollers configured to rotate in a conveyance direction to convey a sheet in the path by holding the sheet, and to reversely rotate in a direction opposite thereto. The reverse rotation is regulated so that the pair of rollers may reversely rotate within a predetermined amount. A sub-unit is releasable from a body of the image forming apparatus.
US07871069B2
Disclosed is a sheet roller capable of achieving compactness and thinness, and improves space usability and design freedom. The sheet roller includes a roller body coupled with the rotation shaft, a plurality of coupling members coupled with a side surface of the roller body in order to surround a part of an outer peripheral surface of the roller body, and disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the roller body in such a manner as to be spaced apart from one another, and an elastic sheet interposed between the roller body and each of the plurality of coupling members. The roller body is formed to have a predetermined thickness thereof while maintaining a predetermined shape and strength thereof, and thus, improving space usability and the design freedom of an automatic transaction machine where the sheet roller is mounted.
US07871064B2
A repair fixture for supporting large cylindrical objects such as a generator rotor, to facilitate field maintenance operations. The fixture has two spaced Vee-blocks that are supported by and moved within vertical channels formed within peripheral stanchions. Clevises are rotatably connected at one end to both lateral sides of the Vee-block and at the other end to a hydraulic piston that is employed to raise and lower the Vee-blocks in unison to accommodate various maintenance requirements.
US07871060B2
A solenoid actuator includes a generally cylindrical armature captured to a generally annular coil tube by means of interference geometry. A major portion of the coil tube has a first inside diameter and a second portion of the coil tube has a second, smaller inside diameter. A first portion of the armature has an outside diameter corresponding to the inside diameter of the first portion of the coil tube, and a second portion of the armature has an outside diameter corresponding to the inside diameter of the second portion of the coil tube. The armature is inserted within the coil tube such that the second portion of the armature is free to slide through the second end of the coil tube. A coil tube end closure, for example, a plug, is joined to the first portion of the coil tube. An O-ring provides a seal between the end closure and the tube. A wound electromagnetic coil surrounds the coil tube and can be selectively energized to displace the armature.
US07871054B2
The present invention is a formliner apparatus comprising a plurality of substantially planar layers. The formliner further comprises a plurality of ribs extending in a direction away from the substantially planar layers and defining a plurality of recesses within the formliner in conjunction with the substantially planar layers, each of the plurality of ribs extending to a preselected rib plane. The present invention further comprises at least one resilient ridge on each rib defining each recess, each at least one resilient ridge extending into an adjacent recess, wherein each substantially planar layer is substantially parallel with the rib plane and located a preselected variance depth distance from the rib plane, each variance depth distance for at least some of the substantially planar layers being preselected from a preselected variance depth distance range, wherein each preselected variance depth distance not being equal to every other variance depth distance.
US07871042B2
A toroidal shaped or ring fuel tank located within the loft line of a blended wing body aircraft is disclosed. The ring tank may be used in an aircraft to store liquid hydrogen fuel with a reduced tank weight. The ring tank may be continuous with no tank end domes typically found on cylindrical pressure tanks, reducing tank weight for a given fuel volume. The ring tank configuration avoids increasing the aerodynamic shape of the aircraft and does not encroach on usable passenger or payload areas of the aircraft. In one example the ring tank may be configured in a nose down position such that the forward portion of the ring tank is outside the pressurized cabin area.
US07871036B2
A balloon launch unit produces lift gas to enable balloon launch or to allow the prolongation of balloon flight. A method of using the balloon launch unit can include reforming a fuel source by reaction with water to generate hydrogen-rich lift gas mixtures, and injecting the lift gas into a balloon. A reforming operation can include causing the combustion of a combustible material with ambient oxygen for the release of energy; and heating a reforming combination of reaction fuel and water with the energy released from the combustion of the combustible material, to a temperature above that required for the reforming reaction wherein the fuel and water sources are reformed into lift gas. The amount of the combustible material combusted is sufficient to result in the release of enough energy to heat an amount of the reforming reaction fuel and water sources to the temperature above that required for the reforming reaction.
US07871033B2
An aircraft is equipped with hingeless rotors on tilting nacelles, and the tilt angles of the nacelles are controlled using either or both of an actuator and a mast moment generated by a hingeless rotor. An aircraft with two or more rotors on tilting nacelles can achieve control of yaw orientation by differential tilt of its nacelles or masts. Hingeless rotors can be manipulated to control a tilt angle of a mast by changing the rotor blade pitch to produce a mast moment. The rotor and nacelle tilt of a tiltrotor rotorcraft can be controlled and effected in order to manipulate the yaw orientation and flight mode of a rotorcraft such as a tiltrotor. The use of mast moment to control nacelle tilt angle can reduce tilt actuator loads and allows for the control of nacelle tilt even in the event of an actuator failure.
US07871032B2
A helicopter that adopts a two-stroke internal combustion engine equipped with a centrifugal force-resistant propeller fan or fan turbine, or that can rotate clockwise (CW) and counterclockwise (CCW) during driving to directly propel the rotors and realize flight using a rotor wing that reconfigures into a hovering state. The helicopter reduces emissions via improved ventilation and a scavenging air system, reduces aerodynamic loss, reduces the access fee, and possesses the functions of a rotor wing that reconfigures into a hovering state.
US07871017B2
Awning of the type that is to be mounted on or in a facade or a wall of a building or on a vehicle, comprising a frame and sunshade means in the form of a screen which, in mounted condition, is movable with respect to the facade or wall. With the frame a spraying installation is integrated for dispersing a spray from the frame. The spraying installation comprises at least one nozzle mounted in the frame for dispersing the spray mainly under the screen. Furthermore, impeller means may be provided for effecting an improved dispersion of the spray.
US07871015B2
A rail joint assembly joining the ends of two rails together includes a pair of joint bars. Each joint bar having one side configured to the rail web side. Mechanical fasteners mount the joint bars to the web sides. Pairs of load bearing keys are embedded in web counter bores at predetermined depths into the webs and embedded in adjacent joint bar counter bores at predetermined depths into the joint bars. The pairs of keys in the webs and the joint bars transfer railway loads through the joint and substantially strengthen the rail joint assembly.
US07871011B2
The chip card comprises a card body and an embedded chip module having a plurality of contact fields connected to respective terminals of the chip. The card body further comprises a positioning feature adapted to univocally identify said contact fields according to their location and orientation on the card body. The positioning feature is a hole or a notch formed on the card body in an area including the chip module such as a contact field which has no electrical functionality as contact field C6 according to ISO 7816-2. The invention is particularly adapted to card bodies including a plug-in removable portion of smaller size comprising said chip module and said positioning feature such as smaller size “mini-plug” SIMs for mobile phones.
US07871000B2
An authentication method includes determining that a unique overt identifier is associated with a product; detecting that a random covert identifier is associated with the product, wherein the covert identifier includes at least one taggant particle, the unique overt identifier is combined with the random covert identifier, and the unique overt identifier is not a function of the random covert identifier; and comparing the unique overt identifier and the random covert identifier respectively to a unique overt number and a random covert number stored in a database.
US07870998B2
A method, system and computer program product for private information exchange in smart card commerce is disclosed. The method includes, in response to determining that an item of biometric data received on a biometric reader corresponds to an authorized user, unlocking a communication channel on a communication port, exchanging public keys between the user and authorized point of sale, receiving an information request from an external point of sale machine across the communication channel, decrypting an information request and parsing a data token. In response to determining that private data has been requested in the information request, a user is prompted for authorization to release the private information, and private information exchange in smart card commerce is performed by, in response to the user pressing a yes button on the smart card, placing an encrypted copy of the private data in the public area of the smart card for transmission across the communication channel to the external point of sale machine.
US07870994B2
A carton for containing a plurality of articles and a blank for forming such carton. The carton has panels that extend at least partially around an interior of the carton. The panels comprise a top panel, a bottom panel, a first side panel, and a second side panel. At least two end flaps are respectively foldably attached to respective panels of the plurality of panels. The end flaps at least partially form a closed end of the carton. A dispenser allows access to the articles in the carton and includes a dispenser panel that is at least partially defined by a tear line in the carton. The dispenser panel is for being at least partially removed for at least further opening a dispenser opening in the closed end. The closed end of the carton comprises an end wall that angles inward toward the interior of the carton.
US07870987B1
A fastener driving tool includes a housing, a nose assembly having a fastener passage configured to allow fasteners to be advanced therethrough, and a safety contact assembly movable in relation to the nose assembly between a disable position and an enable position. A magazine assembly is configured to supply fasteners toward the nose assembly, and a driver is configured to cause a fastener located in the fastener passage to be advanced within the nose assembly. The nose assembly includes (i) a base member defining at least a portion of the fastener passage and has a first recess and a second recess which are spaced apart from each other, (ii) a first protection insert located in the first recess, and (iii) a second protection insert located in the second recess. The base member defines a leading side surface and a trailing side surface. The leading side surface defines an ejection orifice that is aligned with the fastener passage. The leading side surface defines a first opening aligned with the first recess and a second opening aligned with the second recess, and the trailing side surface defines a third opening aligned with the first recess and a fourth opening aligned with the second recess. The first protection insert extends through the first opening and the third opening, and the second protection insert extends through the second opening and the fourth opening.
US07870986B2
A lead-in roller clearance adjustment mechanism includes a pair of lead-in rollers for guiding a web with a clearance therebetween and a clearance adjustment mechanism for adjusting an amount of clearance. The lead-in roller clearance adjustment mechanism further includes motors for driving the clearance adjustment mechanism and potentiometers for detecting output positions of these motors, and adjusts the amount of clearance automatically. A clearance adjustment device includes a control device for an automated paper threading device and for clearance adjustment between the lead-in rollers, a web thickness of the web being inputted in the control device, the control device controlling the motors to set the amount of clearance at a predetermined value before threading the web into a lead-in roller unit, and to set the amount of clearance at a value corresponding to the inputted web thickness of the web after threading the web into the lead-in roller unit.
US07870981B2
The bracelet donning assistance device is a clamping device for holding a bracelet, allowing the user to easily secure the bracelet about his or her wrist, using only his or her other hand to clasp the bracelet. The bracelet donning assistance device includes a tray having a base and at least one sidewall, defining an open interior region therein for storing jewelry. A shaft is provided, with the shaft having opposed upper and lower ends. The lower end thereof is pivotal with respect to an upper surface of the base of the tray. Additionally, a clamp is secured to the upper end of the shaft for releasably holding the bracelet. A pair of lids are pivotally secured to the at least one sidewall for releasably covering and sealing the open interior region of the tray.
US07870980B2
A closure includes a flip-top member including an elongated flange, a base member including a curved flange extending from the base member, and a hinge to connect the flip-top member and the base member. The base member has an opening therein. A portion of the elongated member is configured to reside within the opening when the closure is in a closed position.
US07870979B2
A container for storing pourable contents having a cover with a spout wall upwardly extending from the top surface of the cover. The spout wall has a pouring section which gradually reduces in height to the front of the spout. On either side of the pouring section the spout wall also has a spill inhibiting section to prevent spilling as the contents of the container is poured. The container also has a removable lid which mates with the spout wall to prevent contents from spilling over the spout wall when the container is being used for dispensing.
US07870978B2
The pump for dispensing fluid products includes a pump body (10), a pump chamber (20) at least one piston (72) sliding inside the pump chamber (20) for dispensing a fluid product, a dispensing orifice (45) and a shutter (38) which interacts with the dispensing orifice (45) and is embodied in such a way that it is movable and/or deformable between the closed position of the dispensing orifice (45) and the open position thereof, the shutter being elastically driven to a closed position. The pump includes only one elastic element (50) in the form of a spring for bringing at least one piston (72) to a rest position after actuation and for driving the shutter (38) to a closed position and the pump body (10) is embodied in one piece with the shutter (38).
US07870972B2
The Sliding Safety Hinge Assembly (SSHA) minimizes the degree of personal injury or discomfort that could result from accidental closure of the lid of a box, i.e. “toy box”, by pinching a finger between the lid and box, particularly as the obstruction approaches the side or rear of the box near the hinge. A traditional hinge attached to the lid and rear of box carcass provides a fixed pivot point such that a severe pinch point exists due to the leverage of the lid. The SSHA reduces this potential by a sliding design such that the hinge element normally fastened to the rear of the box is rather installed on a slide assembly allowing free sliding motion in the vertical plane at the rear of the box. The SSHA assembly would include a slide, pivot and counter weight device to reduce the weight of the lid.
US07870966B2
Disclosed herein is a modular rack for attachment of a sliding mount bracket thereto. The modular rack includes one or more modular shelves, wherein each one of the modular shelves is of an inclined type or a level type. The modular rack preferably includes at least one end panel having louvers formed therein for receiving the sliding mount bracket. Each one of the louvers includes a slat, an aperture corresponding therewith, and a receiving area positioned therebetween.
US07870955B2
A horizontal trough for use with a concrete broom is disclosed. The trough can be customized to fit various shapes and widths of concrete brooms.
US07870942B2
A coin-roll storage 1 comprises a storage body 1a and a coin-roll drawer 11 (12, 13) having a plurality of coin-roll storage portions 14 provided therein, each coin-roll storage portion 14 being adapted for storing one coin roll therein. Each coin-roll storage portion 14 of the coin-roll drawer 11 (12, 13) is adapted for storing therein the coin roll of any denomination. A determination unit 16 is adapted for determining the denomination of each coin roll by detecting an outer diameter, an axial length and material of the coin roll.
US07870941B2
An outer plate 31, which is used under a lubricated environment of a differential gear oil including a friction adjuster, is made of a SC tempered material which is subjected to nitriding treatment to suppress chemical adsorption of the friction adjuster. An inner plate 33 has paper on a surface thereof. The outer plate 31 and the inner plate 33 are provided to apply or release the torque between an outer differential case 3 and an inner differential case 5 of a rear differential device 1 having the outer differential case 3 and the inner differential case 5 capable of relatively rotating to the inside and the outside.
US07870933B2
A portable hammock (kit) with artificial limb assembly enables a user to selectively support a vertical load adjacent a select vertical support structure. The artificial limb assembly comprises a pair of compression members and first and second tension members. Each compression member has first and second compression ends. The first compression ends are drawn together such that the longitudinal axes of the members substantially intersect. The second compression ends are thus spaceable from one another. The first tension member interconnects the second member ends and receives a supportive outer surface of the vertical support structure. The second tension member interconnects the first compression ends with the vertical support structure at a superior portion thereof. The first compression ends at an opposite portion receive the vertical load.
US07870931B2
The sound-absorbing insulation element is used everywhere sound and/or heat sources have to be shielded, preferably in automotive engineering as a heat shield. The insulation element comprises at least one studded sheet-shaped element which is provided with strengthening embossments. The strengthening embossments have an embossment base and embossment flanks. According to the invention, the sheet-shaped element exhibits material compression, that is to say material hardening, in the region of the embossment flanks. Fissures which have a bizarrely shaped contour lie in the embossment base. These fissures are produced by the stretching and tearing of the embossment base.
US07870930B2
An exhaust system comprises a muffler and a Helmholtz resonator. The muffler comprises an exhaust inlet aperture for receiving exhaust gas into the muffler, an exhaust outlet aperture for discharging exhaust gas from the muffler, and a resonator aperture. The Helmholtz resonator is at least partially external to the muffler and in acoustic communication with the resonator aperture. An associated method is disclosed.
US07870924B2
A saddle-riding type vehicle includes a vehicle body, a pivot frame that supports a swing arm for rear wheel suspension, and a rear master cylinder disposed rearwardly of the pivot frame. A reservoir tank supplies hydraulic fluid to the rear master cylinder, and the reservoir tank is disposed between the pivot frame and the rear master cylinder. A portion of the swing arm, adjacent to the reservoir tank, is configured with a concave recess formed therein extending inwardly towards a longitudinal center line of the vehicle body. The reservoir tank is situated closer to a vehicle body inner side, and is deeper in the recess than the rear master cylinder.
US07870915B2
A service pack for a work vehicle provides service systems, which may include an electrical generator, a hydraulic pump and an air compressor. The service pack is driven by an engine separate from that of the vehicle. Integration of the support systems for the vehicle engine and service engine may be provided. The service pack allows the vehicle engine to be shut down when at a service location, with the service pack engine alone providing the necessary electrical, hydraulic and compressed air services for maintenance and other service work.
US07870910B2
A vibration generator for a vibration pile driver has imbalance masses that can rotate and which are disposed on shafts. The rotational position of the imbalance masses can be adjusted relative to one another. A control and regulation circuit is provided which has a memory unit for storing ground composition data sets or task-specific default data sets with defined operational characteristic variables. The unit also has sensors for continuous detection of the defined operational characteristic variables, an evaluation unit for comparing the operational characteristic variables that are determined with the operational characteristic variables of the selected default data set, a regulation device for regulating the vibration generator, and a control device for controlling the adjustment of the rotational position of the imbalance masses relative to one another. The vibration generator is part of a vibration pile driver.
US07870904B2
A method and apparatus for enhanced recovery of petroleum fluids from the subsurface by injection of a steam and hydrocarbon vaporized solvent in contact with the oil sand formation and the heavy oil and bitumen in situ. Multiple propped hydraulic fractures are constructed from the well bore into the oil sand formation and filled with a highly permeable proppant. Steam, a hydrocarbon solvent, and a non-condensing diluent gas are injected into the propped fractures, and flows upwards and outwards to contact and heat the in situ bitumen, which softens and flows by gravity to the well bore, and is pumped to the surface where the solvent can be recycled for further injection.
US07870891B2
The invention encompasses a temperature regulating system that includes a shell configured to be received over an outer circumferential portion of a container. The shell has dimensions to form a cavity between the outer circumferential portion of the container and the shell. A material is provided in sealing engagement between the shell and the outer circumferential portion of the container to seal the cavity from the environment. A heat exchanger is provide in fluid communication with the cavity.
US07870887B1
A method of making a treating wash includes mixing brass granules with acetone, mixing carbon nanotube material, iron pyrite granules and copper granules in the acetone brass mixture, and straining the liquid from the remaining solid material. Methods of treating materials such as brass granules, iron pyrite granules, carbon nanotube material, and brass granules comprises washing the materials in the treating wash, followed by straining and drying the materials.
US07870882B2
A process for labelling containers or bottles by applying tubular labels made of heat shrinkable film which completely surround an outer surface area of the bottle. The process and machine include winding a precut label from a reeled film on a rotating tubular round plate supported by a roundabout labelling machine, the bottle abuts on the round plate and the label is wound on the underlying tubular portion. The tubular surface of the round plate is provided with a plurality of holes alternatively supplying or drawing air for establishing a positive or negative pressure respectively on the label surface. The overlapped vertical ends of the label are heat sealed by an electrically heated bar located at each round plate or are chemically bonded. The tubular round plate and the container on it can vertically move to transfer the container into the tubular label.
US07870878B2
An apparatus for storage and liberation of compressed hydrogen or other gases is provided. The apparatus includes a housing defining a chamber that includes a cartridge comprising an array of hollow microcylinders defining cavities for storage compressed gas. Each microcylinder has at least one end sealed with a plug made of an easily meltable alloy. The apparatus also includes a gas liberating tool configured for controllable liberating the gas from the cartridge into the chamber; and a control system operatively coupled to the discharge valve and liberating tool, and configured for controlling operation thereof. According to another aspect of the invention, there are provided a system and method for filling a cartridge having an array of hollow microcylinders having open ends. The filling includes placing the cartridge into a chamber of an autoclave, and compressing the gas in the chamber, thereby providing permeation of the gas through the open ends into cavities of the microcylinders. Thereafter, the open ends are sealed with plugs made of an easily meltable alloy.
US07870874B2
The present disclosure is directed to methods and systems for pipeline rehabilitation. The methods and systems disclosed herein permit the rehabilitation of long lengths of previously installed pipe and minimize the need for creating multiple access points to the pipeline. The disclosed systems and methods are particularly suited for rehabilitating buried and undersea pipelines or pipelines installed in areas of restricted access.
US07870873B2
Apparatus and methods for operating a dual chamber orifice fitting. The dual chamber orifice fitting comprises a body having a lower chamber and a top having an upper chamber. An aperture connects the upper chamber to the lower chamber. A closure member is pivotally mounted to the fitting and pivots about a first axis between a first position and a second position. A pivot arm is rotatably mounted to the body and engages the closure member so that rotation of the pivot arm about a second axis pivots said closure member about the first axis between the first and second positions.
US07870862B2
A vanity case in which a lid is coupled to part of peripheral walls of its case body pivotably and a slide piece is slidably mounted in the case body such that when the slide piece is at a first position, the lid is closed against the case body and that when the slide piece has moved from the first position to a second position, the lid is open relative to the case body. Formed through adjacent part of a bottom wall of the case body to one of the peripheral walls is a slit extending along the peripheral wall such that the peripheral wall adjacent to the slit bends inwards when an inward external force is exerted on the peripheral wall, and the deformation of the peripheral wall acts as an external force on the slide piece to make the slide piece move to the second position.
US07870854B2
An exemplary heating system can be configured with a control system configured for controlling the heating system to reduce inefficiencies, and/or allow the heating system to operate in a relatively optimum manner. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, a closed-loop control system may be configured to control various portions of the heating system based, at least in part, upon signals and/or information received from various sensors of the heating system. For example, among various other types of information provided within a closed-loop feedback, control may be configured based upon the pressure within the combustion chamber. In accordance with another exemplary embodiment, the closed-loop control system may determine a portion of the heating system is not operating properly, based at least in part upon feedback from one or more sensors configured within the heating system.
US07870853B2
The invention relates to equipment and related methods for producing concrete blocks. The equipment and methods described herein utilize splitting assemblies having larger projections and/or smaller projections or peaks disposed on at least one side of a splitting line and which engage the workpiece as it is split into at least two pieces.
US07870849B2
Method and group for feeding LPG to an internal combustion engine according to which during some engine operation instants the temperature of the LPG fed to injectors is determined and, for each temperature value, a correspondent value of a maximum optimal pressure is determined so that LPG remains in gaseous phase; an incoming LPG real pressure to the injectors is adjusted so that it is substantially the same of maximum optimal determined pressure and the gas flow from injectors is controlled according to the adjusted effective pressure of engine inlet camera and of the LPG temperature.
US07870844B2
A control system includes: a detecting device that detects the transition in the cumulative amount of heat generated in a combustion chamber based on the pressure in the combustion chamber in an expansion stroke; and a controller that controls the amount of exhaust gas contained in an air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber such that the amount of change in the cumulative amount of heat generated in the combustion chamber through a predetermined crank angle range will become a predetermined value.
US07870842B2
An engine comprising a valve, cam lobe, rocker, follower member and an optional spring is disclosed herein. The valve may comprise a valve stem. The cam lobe may have a base circle and a nose. The cam lobe may be attached to a rotating shaft. The rocker may have a valve end portion contacting the valve, a lifter end portion defining a pivot axis of the rocker and a cam surface disposed between the valve end portion and the lifter end portion. The nose of the cam lobe may contact the cam surface for opening the valve. The follower member may be disposed adjacent the cam lobe opposite the rocker. The follower member may be attached to the rocker and have a curved inner surface upon which the nose of the cam lobe contacts for lifting the rocker. The spring may be disposed about the valve stem of the valve for closing the valve stem of the valve.
US07870841B2
A valve system is disclosed for an internal combustion engine which allows a secondary valve event, serving for example to provide internal EGR, to be selectively disabled. The system comprises two valve 10 and 22, a first cam 20 acting on the first valve 10 by way of a rocker 12 pivotable about a fixed pivot axis and a second cam 36 having at least two lobes and acting on the second valve 22 by way of a second rocker 24 pivotable about an eccentric 26. The second of the two lobes of the second cam 36 is arranged to open the second valve 22 at a time that the first valve 10 is opened by the first cam 20. A selectively operable latching mechanism 50 latches the eccentric 26 in a fixed position in which each of the cam lobes of the second cam causes the second valve to open. When the latching mechanism 50 is released, a coupling between the eccentric 26 and the first rocker 12 causes or permits the eccentric 26 to move during the opening of the first valve 10 in a sense to oppose the lifting of the second valve 22 by the second lobe of the second cam.
US07870838B2
A collapsible barrel is provided for use in training for equine barrel racing. The collapsible barrel is configured and sized to approximate the dimensions of a conventional barrel used in the sport of equine barrel racing, but is constructed of sturdy, lightweight materials that enable the barrel to be transformed between a fully deployed state and a collapsed state. The collapsible barrel of the present invention is sufficiently lightweight and dimensioned, when in a collapsed state, to be easily transported, deployed for training and later stored. The flexibility of the collapsible barrel makes training ideal because it eliminates injury to the legs of the rider and the body of the horse.
US07870830B2
A pontoon with an improved running surface and methods for construction the same are provided. The pontoon comprises an interior concave main running surface formed along the longitudinal centerline of the pontoon which is bounded by two sponsons, which in turn are bounded by two distal concave surfaces, or integrated lifting strakes. The associated methods provide a process for retrofitting prior art pontoons or constructing the pontoon to avoid the need for welds below the waterline of the pontoon. The pontoon provides improved pontoon boat performance by maximizing lift and minimizing leakage. The pontoon also reduces construction costs by lowering the number of welds required to form a pontoon with lifting strakes.
US07870823B1
A print pad for printing on a hard surface has a tip portion made of a silicon rubber having a first durometer. Rearward of the tip portion is a central body portion made of a silicon rubber having a durometer that is different than the durometer of the tip portion. Rearward of the central body is a base suitable to attachment to a machine.
US07870816B1
In a first aspect, an automated method for engaging a target comprises: slewing a weapon to an estimated target state; and aligning the weapon's boresight with the actual target state. Aligning the weapon's boresight with the actual target state includes designating the target to obtain the actual target state; and zeroing an offset between the actual target state and the estimated target state. In a second aspect, an apparatus, comprises: means for slewing a weapon to an estimated target state; and means aligning the weapon's boresight with the actual target state. The aligning means includes designating the target to obtain the actual target state; and zeroing an offset between the actual target state and the estimated target state. In a third aspect, a weapon system comprises: a targeting sensor capable of designating a target; a weapon; and an alignment sensor associated with the weapon, and capable of receiving the designation and aligning the weapon's boresight with the designated target. In a fourth aspect, a laser rangefinder, comprises: a laser designator capable of designating a target from an estimated target state; and a quad cell detector capable of receiving the designation.
US07870815B2
A gun flash hider, formed to include a first expansion chamber, a first flow divider, a plurality of first exhaust passages, an exhaust head, a second expansion chamber, a plurality of second exhaust passages and a second flow divider, whereby high-temperature high-pressure gas produced after firing a bullet undergoes two expansion decompressions and two flow diversion decompressions, through which the gas is sequentially discharged from the first exhaust passages and the second exhaust passages, thereby substantially reducing sonic boom volume, amount of flame and recoil force produced when firing the bullet, and increasing stability and shooting accuracy when using a gun.
US07870809B2
A handlebar assembly (100) is disclosed comprising a lower base portion (101) which is adapted to support a handlebar (202) through a guide means which is so constructed and arranged to permit the handlebar (202) to move along a path relative to the base portion (101) whereby upon movement of the handlebar (202) along the path to the left or the right relative to a central position the handlebar (202) tilts and the center of the handlebar (202) moves downwards relative to the base portion (101) as well as horizontally from the central position. The assembly allows the handlebars to move in a way which mimics the movement of the handlebars of a bicycle. In a modification, the guide means may restrain the handlebar for movement up/down or forwards/backwards or side to side, again to provide a more realistic range of movement.
US07870803B2
A ball screw comprising a threaded nut with thread channels for rolling bodies, a threaded spindle with thread channels for rolling bodies, and an intermediate bush, which is arranged between the threaded nut and the threaded spindle, wherein the intermediate bush has thread channels, which face the threaded nut and are adapted to the thread channels of the threaded nut, and rolling bodies are guided in these thread channels, and wherein the intermediate bush has thread channels, which face the threaded spindle and are adapted to its thread channels, and rolling bodies are guided in these thread channels, is proposed, wherein a first threaded arrangement, which is formed by means of the thread channels of the threaded nut and the intermediate bush facing one another, and a second threaded arrangement, which is formed by means of the thread channels of the intermediate bush and the threaded spindle facing one another, operate in opposite directions.
US07870799B2
A method and apparatus for testing the air flow in a clothes dryer by determining a pressure characteristic of the air within the drying chamber when the dryer is turned on and comparing the determined pressure characteristic to a predetermined reference value to ascertain the condition of the air flow in the dryer.
US07870792B2
In the computed-based analysis of forming processes, for example, manufacturing sheet metal parts for the automobile industry, the material loading is represented by major and minor strains εI, εII and is visualised with respect to a forming limit strain curve. In the method according to the invention, one proceeds from a target state (4n) of the material, as has been determined in the computed simulation of the forming process. A proportional trajectory of a loading and thus of the state variables of the material, in particular of the stresses (σ), is determined, which leads to the same target state. The associated proportional strain trajectory is evaluated for this proportional loading trajectory. The strain state (4p) which results from this strain trajectory, is called the equivalent strain state (4p) and may be used in the forming limit strain diagram for assessing the target state. Thereby, the equivalent strain state is set in relation to the forming limit strain curve (1) for the proportional trajectories.
US07870787B2
Provided are a piezoelectric thin film including a lead-free ferroelectric material and exhibiting high piezoelectric performance comparable to that of PZT, and a method of manufacturing the piezoelectric thin film. The piezoelectric thin film of the present invention has a multilayer structure in which a metal electrode film having a plane orientation of (100), a (Bi,Na)TiO3 film, and a (Bi,Na,Ba)TiO3 film having a plane orientation of (001) are laminated in this order. The piezoelectric thin film of the present invention can be applied to a wide range of fields and uses. For example, with the piezoelectric thin film of the present invention, an angular velocity sensor of the present invention having high sensitivity and a piezoelectric generating element of the present invention having excellent power generation characteristics can be constructed.
US07870786B2
A detection device includes a detection circuit and a reference voltage supply circuit. The detection circuit includes an amplifier circuit, a synchronous detection circuit, and a filter section. The reference voltage supply circuit includes a first supply circuit which includes a reference-voltage first-type operational amplifier and supplies an analog reference voltage to the amplifier circuit, and a second supply circuit which includes a reference-voltage second-type operational amplifier and supplies the analog reference voltage to the filter section. When a channel width and a channel length of a differential-stage transistor of a differential section of the first-type operational amplifier are respectively referred to as W1a and L1a, a bias current flowing through the differential section is referred to as Ia, a channel width and a channel length of a differential-stage transistor of a differential section of the second-type operational amplifier are respectively referred to as W1b and L1b, and a bias current flowing through the differential section is referred to as Ib, W1b×L1b>W1a×L1a and Ia>Ib are satisfied.
US07870785B2
A position displacement flowmeter having a pair of non-circular gears in a rolling contact on a pitch line without slippage. The positive displacement flowmeter comprises a casing and a pair of rotors provided in the casing and rotatable around its center axes. The pair of rotors, have a tooth profile curve which is an oval pitch curve itself having a trajectory of contact points on the pitch line, and they satisfy a condition of r1+r2=K=const r1 dθ1=r2 dθ2, and a moving radius of the oval pitch curve is given by ri=a/(1−b cos nθi) (i=1, 2), where “ri (i=1, 2)” is the moving radius that is a distance from a center of rotation to the oval pitch curve, “a” is a homothetic coefficient, “b” is a flattening, “n” is a number of lobes, and “θi (i=1, 2) is a moving angle.
US07870778B2
A method is present for estimating engine load factor. Temperature data is obtained from a temperature sensor in a location with respect to an exhaust system for an engine. A rate of temperature change is estimated using the temperature data. A steady state temperature at a selected time is calculated for the location using the temperature data and the rate of temperature change. The engine load factor at the selected time is estimated from the steady state temperature.
US07870770B2
A door lock (10) having a lock body (11), an external handle and an internal handle (12), a rotatable interconnecting member (13) to interconnect the internal handle and the external handle, and a mechanism to allow the lock to have a passage mode, and a privacy mode and a deadlock mode, in one embodiment the mechanism comprises an outer hub (14) and an internal hub (15) which are inside the lock body, in a second embodiment a remote control arrangement is provided to allow at least some of the modes to be operated manually or by remote control.
US07870765B2
A locking mechanism for a pyrotechnic safe and arm interrupter 98 may be constructed with an external lock casing 2, longitudinally extending bolt 3, washer 4, spring 5, retaining ring 8 and interlocking element 9 that may be configured in various shapes and features corresponding with a safety release component. A key 10 may be constructed with key stem 11, handle 12 and two pairs of teeth 13, 14 of different diameters radially protruding from successively reduced diameters along a distal portion of key stem 11. Lock 1 may be installed with notch 19 in alignment with a corresponding feature of the safe and arm interrupter mechanism and fastened in place with mounting holes 20 so that only mounting flange 17 and the key access 18 are external to the interrupter device, panel or door.
US07870758B2
In an ejector cycle with an ejector including a nozzle for decompressing refrigerant, a control unit controls an air blowing amount of an evaporator fan so that a flow speed of refrigerant flowing in an evaporator becomes in a predetermined flow speed range. Therefore, it can prevent a large amount of lubrication oil from staying in the evaporator, and thereby the lubrication oil can sufficiently returns to a compressor. For example, the control unit includes a determining means for determining the predetermined flow speed range based on at least one of an atmosphere temperature of a condenser, a temperature of air supplied to the evaporator and a flow amount of refrigerant discharged from the compressor.
US07870757B2
There is disclosed a liquid discharge method in a temperature controller having a refrigerant circulation line circulating a refrigerant to a target of temperature control and a heater heating the target, wherein the refrigerant is circulated so as to control the temperature of the target with the refrigerant and the heater in the case where the temperature of the target is controlled to be a first temperature lower than or equal to a room temperature, wherein the circulation of the refrigerant is stopped so as to control the temperature of the target with the heater in the case where the temperature of the target is controlled to be a second temperature higher than the room temperature, wherein in the case of changing the setpoint of the target from the first temperature to the second temperature.
US07870752B2
The invention relates to a refrigeration machine, particularly a heat pump, comprising a closed circuit, which contains a coolant and in which an evaporator, a compressor, a condenser and an, in particular, electrically operated expansion valve are arranged one after the other. The refrigeration machine also comprises an overheating control unit for at least intermittently regulating the temperature of the coolant in the area of the compressor, particularly the compression final temperature. The invention also relates to a method for operating a refrigeration machine of the aforementioned type.
US07870745B2
A cooling system is disclosed including a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, a means for regulating a flow of a fluid, and a thermoelectric device for cooling a fluid, wherein a difference in temperature between a hot side and a cold side of the thermoelectric device is minimized and an efficiency of the thermoelectric device is maximized.
US07870741B2
A method of assembling a crank assembly for a turbine engine. The turbine engine includes a valve assembly including an outer fairing and an inner fairing coupled to the outer fairing with a strut. The valve assembly further includes an annular slide valve coupled between the inner and outer fairings. The valve assembly is positioned within a duct having a radially outer duct wall and a radially inner duct wall. The method includes coupling a first arm of a crank assembly to the annular slide valve, and coupling a second arm of the crank assembly to the outer fairing such that the crank assembly controls movement of the annular slide valve and for moving the outer and inner fairings between a first operational position and a second operational position to facilitate regulating an amount of airflow channeled through the turbine engine.
US07870731B2
In an exhaust gas turbocharger for an internal combustion engine having a turbine wheel connected, by means of a shaft, to the compressor wheel of a compressor which includes a variable inlet geometry comprising a plunger and a sleeve-shaped partition for controlling an auxiliary duct leading radially to the compressor wheel, which is provided with compressor wheel blades to which air is supplied axially via an axial inlet passage and radially via a radial wheel inlet area, the compressor wheel includes a contoured ring provided at its outer circumferential surface with auxiliary blades disposed over, and aligned with, the compressor wheel blades in the radial and the axial wheel inlet region of the compressor wheel.
US07870727B2
A method of controlling a hydrostatic drive is provided. The hydrostatic drive has a hydraulic pump and a hydraulic engine. The hydrostatic drive further has a first and a second hydraulic reservoir for storing and recuperating energy. Pressure energy is stored in the first reservoir. For the purpose of recuperating the pressure energy stored in the first reservoir, the first reservoir is connected to a suction side of the hydraulic pump. A downstream working line of the hydraulic engine is connected to the second reservoir. In addition, the downstream working-line connection of the hydraulic engine is disconnected from the suction side of the hydraulic pump.
US07870719B2
A plasma enhanced rapidly expanded duct system includes a gas turbine engine inter-turbine transition duct having radially spaced apart conical inner and outer duct walls extending axially between a duct inlet and a duct outlet. A conical plasma generator produces a conical plasma along the outer duct wall. An exemplary embodiment of the conical plasma generator is mounted to the outer duct wall and including radially inner and outer electrodes separated by a dielectric material. The dielectric material is disposed within a conical groove in a radially inwardly facing surface of the outer duct wall. An AC power supply is connected to the electrodes to supply a high voltage AC potential to the electrodes.
US07870716B2
A pocket-sizing apparatus for a device that inserts staple drivers into pockets aligned to form a slot in a surgical staple cartridge. A fin extends from a driver guide fixture for insertion into the slot. The fin increases the size of the slot, thereby aiding in inserting drivers into the pockets. Preferably a second fin extends from the driver guide fixture adjacent the fixture passage and aligned with the first fin. A gap is formed between the first and second fins, extending from a first edge to an opposite edge of the fixture passage. The driver is driven through the gap. The fins are substantially equal to the thickness of the driver. The fins have tapered leading edges to aid cartridge insertion and removal, and a lip extends from the driver guide fixture for preventing the fins from widening the slot too much and for narrowing an overly wide slot.
US07870705B2
Methods are disclosed for making a band-driven package or a band-drive component for a package, and machines for performing the methods. One method comprises feeding first and second flexible webs in a feed direction, one web being fed each side of a substrate such that the webs are in mutual face-to-face disposition ahead of and behind the substrate with respect to the feed direction; joining the face-to-face webs at a first join ahead of the substrate and at a second join behind the substrate, the joins bounding web portions that together encircle the substrate between the joins; and dividing the joined web portions from the remainder of the webs such that the joined web portions together define a band that encircles the substrate, to be slid around the substrate in use of the package.
US07870699B2
Siding panels having indicia indicating a zone into which fasteners should be placed, and methods for manufacturing and installing the panels are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the siding includes a panel of siding material having a first edge extending along a first dimension, a second edge spaced apart from the first edge a first distance, and a first side with indicia. The indicia define a zone into which at least one fastener should be placed to install the panel. The zone extends along the first dimension and has a width of approximately 0.2 inch to approximately 0.3 inch. The zone has a center line spaced apart from the first edge a second distance of approximately 7 percent to approximately 22 percent of the first distance. The siding material is composed of a continuous, single fiber-cement compound including cement, silica, and cellulose fiber.
US07870698B2
A foundation system includes metal framing members that support a reinforced, lightweight, dimensionally stable cementitious panel. The foundation system is non-combustible, water durable, mold and rot resistant, and termite resistant. The panels employ one or more layers of a continuous phase resulting from the curing of an aqueous mixture of inorganic binder, for example, calcium sulfate alpha hemihydrate, hydraulic cement, an active pozzolan and lime. The continuous phase is reinforced with glass fibers and contains lightweight filler particles, for example, ceramic microspheres.
US07870687B2
A readily modifiable modular sign apparatus is especially useful for fast food restaurants as backlighted menu boards in both indoor and outdoor applications. The apparatus comprises a preferably translucent substrate or mounting board which is preferably planar and has a front surface and a back surface. Precisely positioned holes are prepared at selected locations. These holes are formed to be aligned with thin metal shims which are affixed on the back surface of the mounting board and receive cylindrical magnets on the front surface. The magnets are attached directly to the rear of printed sheets, each of which may have wording or pictorial information or both. The magnets contact the metal shims through the mounting board holes, and are held firmly in position by virtue of both the magnetic attractive force and the shape of the walls of the mounting board holes. The printed sheets may be provided with price carriers to permit personnel to change just food prices without the requirement to replace the entire printed sheet. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, such price carriers are affixed directly to the front surface of the printed sheets in a unitary, integrated structure that provides easy access to the price indicia.
US07870685B2
A method for the treatment of covering materials for use with a vehicle component, in particular for pieces of trim or vehicle seats, whereby the moisture content of the covering material is temporarily increased, such that the covering material is softened in a treatment chamber by the introduction of moisture and then smoothed by the action of a drawing force extending the covering material is disclosed. A vehicle component treated by the above method, in particular seats, roof linings, and trim pieces for motor vehicles is further disclosed.
US07870675B1
A blade shank that can be used for cutting corrugated sheets incorporating improvements to blade design and cutting geometries for an improved cutting action on corrugated sheets; that may include a handle, but does include a blade shank or blade base, at least one cutting edge, at least one guide member attached to the blade base or blade shank; the blade shank can be attached to a handle with the cutting edge facing rearward while the guide member is directed rearward wile the guide member straddles the cutting edge or edges.
US07870672B1
A method of making a stainless steel composite door is accomplished by forming an oversized composite core by gluing a sheet of lightweight plywood to a sheet of brushed metallic laminate formed of a layer of metal and phenolic plastic. The thus formed core is cut to form an undercut step through only a portion of the plywood section, leaving the laminate intact. A pan is then laid down on a flat table with flanges pointing up. One-quarter inch thick spacer pads are placed in each of the four corners of the pan. The oversized metallic laminated core, with an undercut step, is placed on top of the pan and centered. Overhead clamps are tightened to hold the core in place in the pan. The metallic laminated core is routed by a trim router having a rotatable bearing and a cutting bit, with the bearing having a lesser radius than the router bit. The difference in radii between the bearing and the router bit is equal to the thickness of the flanges of the pan.
US07870667B2
To provide a reliable terminal crimping apparatus and a terminal crimping method, which crimps an electric wire to a terminal having crimping pieces, ends of which curve in a direction of approaching each other, the terminal crimping apparatus includes a first die for placing the terminal on a surface thereof, a second die arranged correspondingly to the first die and freely approaching and parting the first die to crimp the crimp pieces by approaching the first die, and a third die arranged correspondingly to the first die and freely approaching and leaving from the first die to approach the first die before the second die crimps the crimping piece so as to push the electric wire toward the bottom plate and insert the electric wire between the pair of crimp pieces.
US07870652B2
A fastening member has inboard and outboard ends, a panel region, an end region, and a stiffening element. The panel region is disposed adjacent to the inboard end and has first and second layers. The first and second layers are joined in a face-to-face orientation. The end region is disposed adjacent to the outboard end and has a fastening element zone and an intermediate zone. The intermediate zone is disposed between the fastening element zone and the panel region adjacent an interface between the panel and end regions. The stiffening element is disposed in the end region and has a stiffness of greater than about 200 N/m. A portion of the stiffening element is disposed between the first layer and the second layer and is joined to the first layer and the second layer. The portion is disposed adjacent to the interface between the panel region and the end region.
US07870649B2
A waterproof slide fastener in which an entire surface of a fastener tape is covered with elastomer, through holes are made in a side edge of the fastener tape, and fastener elements each comprising a coupling head, a neck portion, an engaging projection, a leg portion and a tongue piece, are molded by injection molding so as to cover the through holes. Reinforcing portions are provided projectingly from sides of the leg portion so as to cover at least a part of each of the through holes in a longitudinal direction of the through holes made in the fastener tape so that the reinforcing portions surround the through holes, so the reinforcing portions prevent the through holes from being exposed even when the fastener tape is bent, thereby maintaining water-tightness and airtightness.
US07870646B2
A molded hinge assembly is provided. The molded hinge assembly includes a male portion, a female portion formed unitarily with the male portion, a swivel shaft formed unitarily with the male portion, the swivel shaft including a plurality of channels defined along a rotational axis thereof. The molded hinge assembly also includes a plurality of molding gates formed at an intersection between each respective channel and the female portion, the female portion being subsequently rotatable with respect to the male portion after the molding gates are broken. During operation, the swivel shaft is friction fit within the female portion after the subsequent rotation of the female portion to break the molding gates.
US07870642B1
There is disclosed an anti-sag hinge (10) which includes a mounting flange assembly (12) pivotally coupled to a strap assembly (15). The mounting flange assembly includes a mounting flange (16) having four mounting holes (17) therethrough. The strap assembly includes a strap (31) extending from a cylinder portion (32). The strap includes four elongated mounting holes (42), a screw adjustment flange (43) having a threaded screw hole (44) therein. The strap also includes a moveable adjustment bracket (50) mounted for lateral movement relative to the underlying strap. The adjustment bracket also includes an adjustment screw mounting flange (52), a adjustment screw (53) extending through an adjustment bracket mounting hole (54) and threaded into screw adjustment flange screw hole. Lastly, the adjustment bracket includes four mounting holes (56) extending therethrough and generally in alignment with strap elongated mounting holes (42).
US07870633B2
An applicator includes a support on one face of which is attached a resiliently deformable applicator element presenting an application surface opposite the support. The support has a preferential folding axis such that, in response to a folding force exerted on the support, the applicator element is deformed so as to modify the transverse curvature of the application surface observed transversely to the axis. The lengthwise curvature of the application surface observed axially along the axis is also modified.
US07870632B1
A portable golf ball cleaning device carried in a golfer's pocket for ball washing on the green. A cleaning element comprising a soft, flexible, absorbent material absorbs and retains a cleaning liquid and wipes a golf ball. An open container comprising a soft, flexible, resilient, waterproof material holds the cleaning element in a waterproof cavity formed by a bottom and a wall with an upper edge forming an opening. A mechanical fit or waterproof adhesive retains the cleaning element in the waterproof cavity. A vertical gap between the cleaning element and the upper edge of the wall keeps the cleaning element from prolonged contact with the pocket. A lateral cushion formed by the wall in the vertical gap keeps a ball engaged on the cleaning element during wiping. During play, cleaning liquid is added and the device is squeezed to adjust wetness and to clean the device. For ball cleaning, a ball is inserted through the opening and wiped on the cleaning element.
US07870620B2
A portable toilet for holding waste includes a base having an aperture, an insert for being mounted in the base. The insert includes a first collar coupled to a first container, a second collar, and a second container and the insert including a pad between the first container and the second container.
US07874014B2
The present invention relates to a content distribution server or the like, capable of more surely preventing an unauthorized use of a content. Content distribution servers 2 and 3 are arranged to be connectable via a telecommunication circuit to a user terminal device, and include: a distribution-content storing section 14 for storing a distribution content file composed of: content data; and a regulatory program including a first key for regulating reproducing the content data; a key storing section 15 for storing a second key which forms a pair with the first key; a key generating section 34 for generating, when receiving the terminal identification information transmitted from the user terminal device, a third key including the received terminal identification information and information of the second key; and transmitting controllers 16 and 34 for transmitting the third key to the user terminal device. When the distribution content file is opened on the user terminal device, the regulatory program transmits the terminal identification information to the content distribution servers 2 and 3 before the content data are reproduced.
US07874012B2
Content processing is disclosed. An indication that a sender desires to send encrypted content to a destination is received. An agreement is obtained from the sender to provide an access key to a node other than the destination and to encrypt content sent to the destination using an encryption key selected such that the access key is usable to decrypt the content.
US07874007B2
Guest user are enabled to access network resources through an enterprise network using a guest user account. A guest user account may be created for a guest for a limited time. Guest account credentials of the guest account may be provided to the guest to use the guest account using any of a variety of techniques described herein, for example, by scanning a guest access card, credit card or mobile telephone of guest user, and providing the guest account credentials to the user based on the information obtained. A guest access management server may be configured to generate and maintain guest accounts, authenticate guest users, and track and log guest activity. A VLAN technology may be used to separate guest traffic from host enterprise traffic on the host enterprise network. After a guest user is authenticated, communications to and from the guest user may be routed to a guest VLAN.
US07874005B2
The present invention relates to a method and a system by which non-law enforcement operator(s) can conduct checks (requests, queries or searches) against CJIS (Criminal Justice Information System), NCIC (National Criminal Information Center) and other law enforcement only secure databases and comply with the rules and regulations for disseminating such data. In doing so, the invention provides for a system and process by which the checks (request, queries or searches) of individuals and/or articles are made against the CJIS/NCIC and/or other “law enforcement only” restricted databases, such that the indicia relating to persons and/or articles is compared with said databases. The resulting information regarding matches (and, in certain embodiments, non-matching results) flows to law enforcement officials so that they may use any results deemed relevant for response thereto. Said responses may vary, but in one embodiment, may provide for at least the notification of non-law enforcement operator who originated the above-described checks.
US07873997B2
The deterministic packet marking (DPM) method is based on marking packets with the partial address information of ingress interface only. The attack victim is able to recover the complete address(es) information after receiving several packets from a particular attacking host or hosts. The full path is not really essential for the traceback since it can be different for different packets for different reasons.
US07873988B1
A license server and corresponding method are provided for managing the rights of content as it is propagates through a social network. A license server receives a distribution package from a content producer and establishes a plurality of level-licenses, one for each of n allowable levels as defined by the content producer. Level-licenses define level-rights, or access rules, based on alteration definitions and other distribution parameters provided by the content producer for each allowable level. Alteration definitions may identify degradation characteristics or augmentation files for association with the distributed digital content. Content recipients who receive encrypted copies of the distributed digital content may request a license from the license server. Upon authentication, a license and decryption key is sent to a valid content recipient to enable viewing of a form of the digital content in accordance with the level-rights predetermined by the content producer for that level of access.
US07873987B2
In a content delivery system including a server and content processing apparatus connected to each other across a network, a content delivered by the system is encrypted with a content key Kc, and supplied along with a sublicense encrypted with a work key Kw to a DTV. The sublicense includes a second use condition under which a content is used and a content key Kc for decrypting an encrypted content. The work key Kw for decrypting an encrypted content is included in a main license. The main license is supplied to the DTV separately from the content. The main license includes, in addition to the work key Kw, a first use condition under which a content under a subscription contract is used.
US07873974B2
A method consistent with certain embodiments provides portable delivery of television programs to a portable wireless device (PWD) involves using the PWD to capture a sample of a program being played by a television; transmitting attributes of the captured sample to a service provider so that the service provider can identify the program being played by the television; and receiving the television program at the PWD from the service provider via a wireless transmission. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments deviate from the features described in this abstract.
US07873969B2
A transducer assembly for a data storage system comprises a first transducer for directing electromagnetic radiation onto a storage medium adjacent to a write pole, and a second transducer for directing electromagnetic radiation onto a storage medium adjacent to a read sensor. A data storage apparatus that includes the transducer assembly is also included.
US07873966B2
A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for transferring data from a master to a set of applications executing on a slave. Data is received from a master at a device driver in the slave. The data is parsed for an identifier by a virtual hub in the slave, wherein the identifier is associated with the data by the master. The data is sent to an application within the set of applications based on the identifier.
US07873965B2
A method for detecting a change in a current state of a property associated with an element of a user-interface includes the step of associating the element with a property path including a concatenation of a plurality of identifiers defining a path through a plurality of application components to a property at the end of the concatenation. The property path is mapped to a current state of the property at the end of the path. A request is received, from a local machine, for a change in a state of a property mapped to one of said plurality of concatenated identifiers defining the property path. The request for the change is sent to a remote machine. The remote machine applies the change. The local machine updates the element of the user-interface associated with the property path responsive to the change and the received regeneration.
US07873953B1
Methods and apparatus are provided for implementing a programmable chip using a high-level language. Code sequences such as high-level language software critical loops are converted into read/transform/write (RXW) processes with buffer based flow control between the processes. Having separate read and write processes allows an arbitrary number of sequential reads/writes to occur in any order, subject to buffer size, allowing bursting/sequential transactions that are more efficient than random accesses.
US07873944B2
Maintaining and testing a software application by performing regression testing uses standard reusable test cases from change history records to generate actual test cases. A new test case template is created upon saving a change history entry. A subset of the actual and new test cases is determined, and new actual test cases generated and documented from the subset. The new actual test cases are released after successful verification.
US07873943B2
A location to insert stack clearing code into a method to be executed in an execution environment of a computer system is determined. The stack clearing code is inserted into the location of the method. The stack clearing code is executed during execution of the method to clear a stack. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
US07873940B2
Described is sharing of portable packages containing encodings of processes. The packages can be provided to and shared among organizations or firms so that the packages can be applied to their software stacks. The packages are portable and distinct from the technology stacks. The packages can cross reference each other. The packages may be in the form of declarative code for configuring the technology stacks and can be plugged into the technology stacks to allow the technology stack to play the packages, thereby automating the processes encoded by the packages. The packages can be digitally signed or provided with certificates that can be used to verify their authenticity. The packages can be distributed over a network as requested by the various firms or organizations.
US07873935B2
A method of manufacturing a mask includes designing a first mask data pattern, designing a second mask data pattern for forming the first mask data pattern, acquiring a first emulation pattern, which is predicted from the second mask data pattern, using layout-based Self-Aligning Double Patterning (SADP) emulation, comparing the first emulation pattern with the first mask data pattern, and modifying the second mask data pattern according to results of the comparison. The method further includes performing Optical Proximity Correction (OPC) on the modified second mask data pattern, acquiring second emulation patterns, which are predicted from the second mask data pattern on which the OPC has been performed, using image-based SADP emulation, and comparing the second emulation patterns and the first mask data pattern and manufacturing a first mask layer, which corresponds to the second mask data pattern on which the OPC has been performed, according to the results of the comparison.
US07873925B2
In one embodiment, the invention is a method and apparatus for computing margins for at-speed testing of integrated circuit chips. One embodiment of a method for computing a margin for at-speed testing of an integrated circuit chip design includes computing a statistical chip slack for the chip, computing a statistical test slack for the chip, and computing the margin from the chip slack and the test slack.
US07873921B2
A design structure for an integrated circuit that includes at least one tunneling device voltage detection circuit for generating a trigger flag signal. The tunneling device voltage detection circuit includes first and second voltage dividers receiving a supply voltage and having corresponding respective first and second internal node output voltages. The first and second voltage dividers are configured so the first output voltage is linear relative to the supply voltage and so that the second output voltage is nonlinear relative to the supply voltage. As the supply voltage ramps up, the profiles of the first and second output voltage cross at a particular voltage. An operational amplifier circuit senses when the first and second output voltages become equal and, in response thereto, outputs a trigger signal that indicates that the supply voltage has reached a certain level.
US07873915B2
A method for browser software with a tabbed interface to suppress, or delay, the display of a dialog box that is initiated by an inactive, or background, tab. An indication may be provided to the user that a dialog box needing user attention may be provided. When that tab becomes active, and the web page on that tab becomes visible, the dialog box is then displayed. This suppression method may be applied to a variety of application programs.
US07873914B2
A method of and an apparatus for efficiently navigating a plurality of contents which are reproduced in a device for reproducing interactive contents, such as a computer, a DVD player, a PDA, or a cellular phone, by using a device having a limited number of input keys. Focusing layer values are allotted to contents elements to form focusing layers and the contents elements included in any one focusing layer are provided to a user. The focusing is moved when a command to move the focusing is input from the user. Accordingly, any kind of media storing interactive contents formed by using markup language is navigable using the device having the limited number of input keys, such as a television remote controller.
US07873912B1
The present invention provides methods and apparatus for presenting fields associated with a report format suitable for displaying data associated with a plurality of fields, the plurality of fields being associated with one or more records. A layout is obtained, the layout being a report format including the plurality of fields. A user selection is received. A first list of fields that are pertinent to the layout (e.g., including the plurality of fields) is presented when the user selection is in a first state. For instance, the first list of fields may include only the fields that are in the layout (e.g., visible to the user). When the user selection is in a second state, a user is presented or provided access to a second list of fields, where the second list of fields includes fields that are not in the layout. The second list of fields may also include the fields that are pertinent to the layout (e.g., those fields in the layout).
US07873909B2
Multiple user interfaces are presented to allow a user to easily and quickly manipulate and merge graphical images. A first user interface allows the user to select amongst available graphical images one or more images to edit and merge. A second user interface allows the user to edit at least one of the selected images using a variety of editing features. Another user interface is provided to facilitate the merging of the selected images. Still another user interface is provided for editing the composite image created from the merging process. Finally, another user interface is provided to allow the user to output the image to file in an e-mail, to a printer, to memory, or the like. Providing multiple user interfaces allows for directed user interaction that increases the simplicity of creating composite graphical images.
US07873899B2
A method is provided for generating mapping schemes for creating target electronic documents with data from a source, and for storing data from source electronic documents into a target. Commands from a user are received creating a mapping between the attributes of the source and the attributes of the target. Multiple attributes of the source may be mapped to a single attribute of the target, and multiple attributes of the target can be mapped to a single attribute of the source. Commands, specifying actions to be performed when data from the source is converted to the target, may also be received from a user. A mapping scheme is then generated using the mapping between the source and target attributes, and the actions defined on the source and the target.
US07873894B2
Method and computer program product are provided to encode data for recording onto media whereby modulation and linear constraints from a concatenated code or product code are imposed. A first array of unencoded user data is generated. Each row is modulation encoded to enforce a first modulation constraint; the array is transformed into a second array which is transformed into a third array having predetermined empty locations in each column interleaved with the modulated data. A C2-parity byte is computed for at least some of the empty locations of the third array and a fourth array is generated. C1-parity symbols in each row are computed, generating a fifth array. A second modulation constraint is enforced on each C1-parity symbol in each row of the fifth array, generating a sixth array. The rows of the sixth array are assembled with header and sync fields for recording onto a recording media.
US07873890B2
A method, system and computer program product for performing device characterization Logic Built-In Self-Test (LBIST) in an IC device. Test parameters of the LBIST are saved in a memory of the IC device, and nominal operational parameters of the IC device are used to define a signature of the LBIST. A determination whether the LBIST is passed or failed is made within the characterized IC device.
US07873881B2
A reconfigurable bit-manipulation node is disclosed. The node includes an execution unit configured to perform a number of bit-oriented functions and a control unit configured to control the execution unit to allow one of the bit-oriented functions to be performed. The execution unit includes a number of elements interconnected with one another to allow the bit-oriented functions to be performed. The elements include a programmable butterfly unit, a number of non-programmable butterfly units, a number of data path elements, a look-up table memory, and a reorder memory. The execution unit is capable of engaging in one of a number of operating modes to perform the bit-oriented functions. The operating modes include a programmable mode and a number of fixed operating modes including Viterbi decoding, turbo decoding and variable length encoding and decoding. The data path elements include a programmable shifter and a programmable combiner.
US07873880B2
A data relay device relays a read request from a source device to a destination device and relays data corresponding to the read request from the destination device to the source device. The data relay device monitors elapsed time from a time point at which a read request is relayed to the destination device. When the elapsed time reaches warning time or error time, the data relay device sends a warning message or an error message to the source device.
US07873877B2
A system and method for monitoring computer performance and repairing and/or optimizing system configurations. During these idle times, the present process executes a sequence of background system analyses that can trigger associated optimization, maintenance, or repair actions based on a comparison of current computer states and baseline optimal health data. If other tasks are initiated by a user of the system, while the present invention is performing any of its actions, the monitoring and repair program terminates itself and releases full control back to the user and operating system.
US07873872B1
A method, system, and apparatus for debugging an application program from a workstation that is remote from a server on which the application program resides includes invoking the application program from the workstation via a network interface; displaying a user frame at the workstation that includes information generated by the application program; providing a debug view option at the workstation for generating a debug frame of the application program; and displaying the debug frame at the workstation when the debug view option is selected. A user can select options to switch between the user frame and the debug frame. The debug frame includes information about one or more components of the application program such as a list of the variables or objects, and the fields, methods, and/or the constructors associated with them. When the debug view option is selected, the information for the user frame is saved, and can be restored to regenerate the information on the user frame when the user view option is selected. The developer can view internal, public, and private code associated with the application program without compromising the security of other application programs on the server. This ability to remotely debug application programs in accordance with the present invention is thus more time and cost efficient than previous methods, and also alleviates concerns about security and unauthorized access to the server.
US07873866B2
Maintenance storage system by storage system is enabled, and the removal or replacement of a storage system is enabled while continuing the operation of a system.In a computer system including a first storage system having a plurality of first storage devices and a second storage system having a plurality of second storage devices, when the number of the first storage devices under normal operation in the first storage system is equal to or smaller than a predetermined threshold, and data stored in the first storage devices under normal operation can be migrated to the second storage devices, the data stored in the first storage devices under normal operation are duplicated to the second storage devices, and information indicating that the first storage system can be removed from the computer system is output.
US07873847B2
A method for controlling the different power states of a ClientBlade™ from a remote desktop environment is described. A remote user is permitted to control the different power states of the ClientBlade™ remotely via a remote client having an operating system or a thin client (or decompression brick) with no operating system. Administered authentication of the remote user is required before access is granted to the management module in the BladeCenter™ environment to enable the changes to the power state of the ClientBlade™.
US07873843B2
A memory system is disclosed which is comprised of a memory controller and addressable memory devices such as DRAMs. The invention provides a programmable register to control the high vs. low drive state of each bit of a memory system address and control bus during periods of bus inactivity. In this way, termination voltage supply current can be minimized, while permitting selected bus bits to be driven to a required state. This minimizes termination power dissipation while not affecting memory system performance. The technique can be extended to work for other high-speed busses as well.
US07873841B2
A USB bus-powered device in Suspend state that requires active bus state power levels, but has no data transfer need, may initiate Resume signaling to return a USB bus segment to active state, without transferring any data across the bus. A device driver considers both USB device power needs and data transfer activity in deciding to Globally or Selectively Suspend a bus or bus segment. In particular, upon deciding to Suspend a bonus or bus segment, the device driver queries a USB bus-powered device. If the device will require active bus mode power within a predetermined duration, the device will indicate to the device driver to remain an active mode. In this case, the device driver does not direct the USB host to Suspend the bus.
US07873838B2
A selectively encrypted data unit is generated from an unencrypted data unit. This is accomplished by accessing a list of attributes related to the unencrypted data unit that identify classifications of sensitive information within the unencrypted data unit. In addition, a protection key that is responsive to a random number is selected and auxiliary values computed from the attributes of the sensitive information and the random number are produced. The sensitive information is encrypted with the protection key to create an encrypted version of the sensitive information. The encrypted version is associated with the auxiliary values and linked to an attribute vector that classifies the sensitive information in the encrypted version. Data from the unencrypted data unit and the encrypted version of the sensitive information is stored as the selectively encrypted data unit.
US07873829B2
Improvements in security processing are disclosed which enable security processing to be transparent to the application. Security processing (such as Secure Sockets Layer, or “SSL”, or Transport Layer Security, or “TLS”) is performed in (or controlled by) the stack. A decision to enable security processing on a connection can be based on configuration data or security policy, and can also be controlled using explicit enablement directives. Directives may also be provided for allowing applications to communicate with the security processing in the stack for other purposes. Functions within the protocol stack that need access to clear text can now be supported without loss of security processing capability. No modifications to application code, or in some cases only minor modifications (such as inclusion of code to invoke directives), are required to provide this security processing. Improved offloading of security processing is also disclosed, which provides processing efficiencies over prior art offloading techniques. Offload components can be controlled from the kernel, an SSL layer or an application.
US07873815B2
DSP architectures having improved performance are described. In an exemplary architecture, a DSP includes two MAC units and two ALUs, where one of the ALUs replaces an adder for one of the two MAC units. This DSP may be configured to operate in a dual-MAC/single-ALU configuration, a single-MAC/dual-ALU configuration, or a dual-MAC/dual-ALU configuration. This flexibility allows the DSP to handle various types of signal processing operations and improves utilization of the available hardware. The DSP architectures further includes pipeline registers that break up critical paths and allow operations at a higher clock speed for greater throughput.
US07873813B2
A computer system with a processing unit and a memory. The processing unit is arranged to fetch memory lines from the memory and execute instructions from the memory lines. Each memory line is fetched as a whole and is capable of holding more than one instruction. An instruction comprises information that signals explicitly how the processing unit, when processing the instruction from a current memory line, should control how a part of processing is affected by crossing of a boundary to a subsequent memory line. The processing unit responds to the information by controlling said part as signaled by the information.
US07873808B2
A method and system for synchronizing direct access storage volumes designated as managed by storage management software with direct access storage volumes available to a computer system. An identifier of a volume is provided. The volume is connected to and available to a computer system, and is not managed by storage management software. A best fit between the identifier and generic identification patterns is determined based on ratings. The database record that includes the best fitting identification pattern is identified. Management options that facilitate managing the volume by the storage management software are retrieved from the database record. The volume is automatically added to a set of volumes being managed by the storage management software. The adding of the volume includes designating the volume as being managed by the storage management software and providing the management options to the storage management software.
US07873801B2
Managing physical memory for one or more processes with both a minimum and a maximum amount of physical memory. Memory sets are created, each specifying a number of credits. The total number of credits specified by all memory sets are equal to the total number of pages in physical memory. One or more processes are bound to a memory set. All of the processes bound to a memory set are collectively referred to as the workload of the memory set. Each physical page is accounted for to ensure that each workload can utilize at least the number of physical pages equaling the number of credits in its memory set. Additionally, a workload is permitted to use physical pages that are being explicitly shared by workloads of other memory sets. Accordingly, a workload with both a minimum and a maximum amount of physical memory is specified by its memory set.
US07873798B2
An information processing apparatus, an information processing method, a recording medium, and a program for generating preference information based on consecutively and inconsecutively viewed programs recommends the programs matching a user's preferences. A preference information extraction unit extracts program preference information based on metadata about programs and records a history of viewing of the programs. Preference information about a program that has been viewed for the first time is recorded as special program preference information. User preference information is generated on the basis of information about the preferred programs whose viewing count has exceeded a threshold value. A control unit automatically makes recording reservations of the programs whose viewing count has exceeded the threshold value. If an automatic recording reservation is canceled, a preference information updating unit updates the user preference information to reflect the metadata about the program whose recording reservation has been canceled.
US07873792B2
A system and method of improved handling of large pages in a virtual memory system. A data memory management unit (DMMU) detects sequential access of a first sub-page and a second sub-page out of a set of sub-pages that comprise a same large page. Then, the DMMU receives a request for the first sub-page and in response to such a request, the DMMU instructs a pre-fetch engine to pre-fetch at least the second sub-page if the number of detected sequential accesses equals or exceeds a predetermined value.
US07873790B2
The present invention concerns a storage method and system (1) comprising processing means (11) and storage resources (20, 100) containing firstly storage means (20) including at least one physical library (P201 to P20n) and secondly memory means (100) called a cache (100), in which the processing means (11) of the storage system (1), vis-à-vis the computer platforms (101 to 10n), emulate at least one virtual library (V201 to V20n) from at least one physical library (P201 to P20n) which the storage system has under its control, characterized in that the processing means (11) of the storage system (1) comprise a management module (30) responsible for emulation and managing priorities over time for accesses to the storage resources (20, 100) using the results of calculations of at least one cache activity index per determined periods of time, and of at least one cache occupancy rate at a given time.
US07873785B2
A processor is provided. The processor includes at least two cores. The at least two cores have a first level cache memory and are multi-threaded. A crossbar is included. A plurality of cache bank memories in communication with the at least two cores through the crossbar is provided. Each of the plurality of cache bank memories communicates with a main memory interface. A plurality of input/output interface modules in communication with the main memory interface and providing a link to the at least two cores are included. The link bypasses the plurality of cache bank memories and the crossbar. Threading hardware configured to enable the at least two cores to switch from a first thread to a second thread in a manner hiding delays caused by cache accesses is included. A server and a method for determining when to switch threads in a multi-core multi-thread environment are included.
US07873782B2
A filesystem-aware storage system locates and analyzes host filesystem data structures in order to determine storage usage of the host filesystem. To this end, the storage system might locate an operating system partition, parse the operating system partion to locate its data structures, and parse the operating system data structures to locate the host filesystem data structures. The storage system manages data storage based on the storage usage of the host file system. The storage system can use the storage usage information to identify storage areas that are no longer being used by the host filesystem and reclaim those areas for additional data storage capacity. Also, the storage system can identify the types of data stored by the host filesystem and manage data storage based on the data types, such as selecting a storage layout and/or an encoding scheme for the data based on the data type.
US07873780B2
A device for performing searches includes a comparand data register configured to store a comparand received from a host processor where the comparand includes a collection of bits. The device also includes logic configured to generate a modified comparand corresponding to the comparand and based at least in part on a comparand overlay data value. The logic is also configured to search the CAM with the modified comparand.
US07873772B2
A medical device system includes a portable medical device and a docking unit on which the medical device can be removably mounted. The docking unit is configured to communicate with a controller of the medical device when the medical device is mounted on the docking unit to instruct the controller to execute a selected program.
US07873764B2
The present invention relates to a system and method for switching keyboard human interface devices (HIDs) and video displays. Provided is a switch with emulation support for advanced HID features. The switch uses information contained in HID report descriptors to extract information contained in HID reports and insert the extracted information into a switch report, which is sent to a host computer.
US07873761B2
The present invention relates to a data pipeline management system and more particularly to a minimum memory solution for unidirectional data pipeline management in a situation where both the Producer and Consumer need asynchronous access to the pipeline, data is non-atomic, and only the last complete (and validated) received message is relevant and once a data read from/write to the pipeline is initiated, that data must be completely processed. The data pipeline management system according to the invention can be implemented as a circular queue of as little as three entries and an additional handshake mechanism, implemented as a set of indices that can fit in a minimum of six bits (2×2+2×1). Both the Producer and Consumer will have a 2 bit index indicating where they are in the queue, and a 1 bit binary value indicating a special situation. Both parties can read all the indices but can only write their own, i.e. P and wrapP for the Producer and C and wrapC for the Consumer. For management of the handshakes a set of rules is provided.
US07873758B2
A cellular phone. The cellular phone comprises a connector, a first memory module, a second memory module, and a controller. The connector is used for physically connecting the cellular phone to an external device. The first memory module stores phone data. The second memory module stores application data received from the external device. The controller determines whether the connector is connected to the external device. If the connector is not connected to the external device, access right of both the first and second memory modules is granted exclusively to the cellular phone. If the connector is connected to the external device, access right of the first memory is granted exclusively to the cellular phone, and access right of the second memory module is granted exclusively to the external device.
US07873746B2
This disclosure details the implementation of a user interface for a portable, image-processing transmitter. The Transmitter's user interface comprises a compact and efficient forum for managing, manipulating, storing, and transmitting digital images of various formats across a wide array of transmission means and protocols. Embodiments of the Transmitter may be employed by photographers, photojournalists, and/or the like to rapidly process, edit, and send high-quality photographs or video to multiple news agencies, newspapers, magazines, television studios, websites, and/or the like while maintaining control over their photographs by allowing them to send reduced quality and watermarked proofs. The Transmitter may be configured via the user interface to allow users seeking to transmit large, high-resolution images to first generate and transmit low-resolution preview images, thereby saving on transmission time and resources. Full resolution versions of the images may then be transmitted as approvals of the preview versions are received.
US07873739B2
Method and systems of transmission schedule enforcement in a hub-based network is provided. Method includes receiving guardian messages from one or more of a plurality of nodes, implementing a voting function, voting the received guardian messages using the voting function, and when a clear winner of the received guardian messages is detected, enabling a port indicated by the clear winner to propagate. The guardian messages are received outside of TDMA communications. The guardian messages contain information pertaining to the next slot or slots to transmit.
US07873724B2
The present invention leverages analysis methods, such as expected value of information techniques, rate-based techniques, and random selection technique, to provide a fusion of low-level streams of input data (e.g., raw data) from multiple sources to facilitate in inferring human-centric notions of context while reducing computational resource burdens. In one instance of the present invention, the method utilizes real-time computations of expected value of information in a greedy, one-step look ahead approach to compute a next best set of observations to make at each step, producing “EVI based-perception.” By utilizing dynamically determined input data, the present invention provides utility-directed information gathering to enable a significant reduction in system resources. Thus, of the possible input combinations, the EVI-based system can automatically determine which sources are required for real-time computation relating to a particular context.
US07873719B2
A Managed Site (10), a logical network entity, is composed of a number of Sub Sites (20) in a one to many relationship. A Sub Site (20) is a logical component, which is composed of a number of Engines (30). Nodes (40) similarly relates to their Engine (30) in a many to one relationship. A Node (40) is a collection of Managed Elements (ME's) (50) (while being an ME (50) itself), which represent network state information. The subsite (20) consists of the engine (30) connected to server nodes (40). One or more clients (110) are connected to the management engine (30) and access management engine (30) information relating to managed elements (50) including nodes (40). The connected manager engines may communicate with one another so that, for example, in the event of a failure, one of the manager engines remaining on line commences monitoring of manage elements assigned to the failed manager engine. Upon accessing the manager engine (30), the client interface displays relationships among managed elements (50) using meaningful connectors and tree-like structures. In addition to basic managed element state monitoring functionality, the manager engine (30) provides a variety of automated tasks ensuring the health of the network and optimal failure correction in the event of a problem. For example, the manager engine (30) performs root cause analysis utilizing an algorithm tracing through managed element (50) relationships and indicating the source of the failure.
US07873716B2
A computer system includes a composition enabler configured to enforce an execution policy associated with a responder in response to a request from a requestor, configured to send the request to the responder, and configured to compose a response with a function from the group: a function that must be executed before the request reaches the responder, a function that must be executed after a response from the responder.
US07873710B2
Systems and methods for a contextual data platform are provided. According to one embodiment, a request is received from a client at a server. Responsive to the request, the client is caused to display a customized menu structure by transmitting to the client contextual menu information based in part on a resource associated with the request. According to another embodiment, an augmented HyperText Transport Protocol (HTTP) request is received from a client application. The augmented HTTP request identifies a resource and indicates a desired action to be performed on the resource. Personalization information is identified and extracted from HTTP header fields associated with the request. The personalization information includes one or more of personal and preference information, device information and location information. Then, the content associated with the resource and/or a format in which the content is delivered to the client application is customized based on the personalization information.
US07873703B2
A method of transmitting a web object over a broadcast standard channel to a remote mobile device, the method comprising the steps of accessing one or more web objects from a web server, wherein each web object has an address, determining a hierarchy and an address linkage pattern for the one or more web objects, identifying a closed web site from the one or more web objects, translating the address of one of the web objects in the closed web site to an indicator which is based on the hierarchy and address linkage pattern of the web objects; storing the closed web site such that the web object is stored with its associated indicator, and transmitting a required web object from the stored closed web site at a frequency and a repetition rate which is determined from the indicator.
US07873701B2
A design structure embodied in a machine readable medium is provided. Embodiments of the design structure include a network on chip (‘NOC’), the NOC comprising: integrated processor (‘IP’) blocks, routers, memory communications controllers, and network interface controller, each IP block adapted to a router through a memory communications controller and a network interface controller, each memory communications controller controlling communication between an IP block and memory, and each network interface controller controlling inter-IP block communications through routers; the network organized into partitions, each partition including at least one IP block, each partition assigned exclusive access to a separate physical memory address space; and one or more applications executing on one or more of the partitions.
US07873687B2
The invention proposes a Floating Point Unit with fused multiply-add, with one addend Method for calculating a result of a division with an A-register and a B-register for two multiplicand operands and a C-register for an addend operand, wherein a divide processor using a subtractive method for calculation with a divisor register and a partial remainder register and a multiplier associated to an subtractor uses the C-register as input, wherein while loading the fraction of the dividend through the divisor register into the partial remainder register of the divide processor a calculated shifting is applied for alignment by using the multiplier associated to the subtractor.
US07873686B2
An electrical signal filter for processing a discrete-time real signal having a length N. In one embodiment, the filter comprising a delay line having N taps and a corresponding respective N filter coefficients. Values for the filter coefficients are determined by first shifting an impulse function of length N by a fraction of N so as to obtain a shifted impulse function. An analytic-signal-generating method is then applied to the impulse function so as to output the filter coefficient values. The values are then assigned to the N taps to complete the filter.
US07873681B2
Files on a computing device are defined to include data and metadata relating to the data. Data from each file has been removed therefrom and stored at an alternate location and the file is in a reduced, ghosted form. Each of at least some ghosted files has been fully or partially reconstituted for use by retrieving the data thereof from the alternate location and associating such retrieved data with such ghosted file to form the reconstituted file. Upon receiving a trigger based on a triggering event, files are selected from among the fully and partially reconstituted files and never-ghosted files based on first predetermined selection criteria, and each of at least some of the selected files are re-ghosted.
US07873680B2
A method for providing processed data definition documents (DDDs) or processed document object models (DOMs) for object oriented programming. The use of these processed data definitions simplifies the data structures and streamlines programming to access the data. A standard DDD/DOM has a hierarchical branched structure having a number of levels each with elements/nodes and attributes. The DDD is written in a platform independent markup language. An element/node is selected and its attributes are identified. All ‘children’ of the selected element/node are identified. The attributes of the selected element/node (parent) are then copied to each child for all children in the DDD/DOM. This is repeated for all elements/nodes in the DDD/DOM to result in a processed DDD/processed DOM which is now structured to allow program access to data in a more direct manner.
US07873678B2
A computer receives a schema that lacks information required by a directory access protocol (e.g. LDAP) and automatically generates information that conforms to the directory access protocol and supplies the generated information as output in a new schema. Such automatic schema transformation allows a human who is creating the schema, to enable usage of the directory access protocol to interface with a directory implementing the schema, without knowing the directory access protocol. The computer of some embodiments receives the schema being input, in a predetermined human-readable language (e.g. XML). Hence, an XML developer who lacks knowledge of LDAP can use traditional XML tools to prepare an LDAP-incompatible schema, for use in implementing a directory (e.g. address book) that is accessed by an LDAP client (e.g. cell phone) via an LDAP server. The new schema can be output in any form (e.g. text/binary) and in any language.
US07873673B2
A sensor profile based data aggregation method for aggregating data in a sensor network, which includes a plurality of sensor nodes, is provided. This method includes steps of determining types of sensors included in the sensor nodes, and generating a sensor profile that includes information on each type of the sensors. The information includes a filtering criterion and aggregation operators defined for the each type of the sensors. Once the sensor profile is created, the profile is parsed into a header file, and the header file is compiled with other sub-modules to generate a sensor profile based aggregation module. The sensor profile based aggregation module is installed in each of the sensor nodes. Whenever, sensor data is received in the sensor node, the data is filtered according to the filtering criterion defined in the sensor profile, and data aggregation is simultaneously with given operators.
US07873664B2
Systems and computer products that efficiently determine how columns, tables, and queries associated with a database are related to each other. The present invention enables a user to see at a glance in which queries certain columns and tables are used. The present invention may be implemented with a query miner module that includes a query browser module that improves browsing through queries and their components over the past. The preferred embodiment of the present invention provides an easy to use graphical interface showing the queries, tables, and columns in a tree structure. Further, the preferred embodiment of the present invention presents information about relationships and dimensions associated with a database and about columns, tables, and queries to the user without discernable lag time between the user's request and the generated information.
US07873663B2
Systems, methods and apparatus operate to convert a markup language representation such as XML to a data structure format such as a tree containing representations of constructs in the markup language representation. The operations receive a markup language representation containing encoded items representative of markup language constructs and identifying a sequence of encoded items within the intermediate representation that represents a respective markup language construct. In response, the system establishes, within a buffer of nodes, a new node for the sequence of encoded items that represents a respective markup language construct and creates, from the buffer of nodes, a linked data structure that represents relationships between the markup language constructs represented within the markup language representation.
US07873650B1
A parallel-processing system that is capable of dynamically creating a distributed tree for distributing data. The system includes a plurality of first nodes. Each of the plurality of first nodes is capable of establishing a connection with at least one of the plurality of first nodes to form at least a portion of a dynamically created distribution tree. The system also includes a second node that is capable of receiving data for distribution within the parallel-processing system. The second node is also capable of establishing a connection with at least two of the plurality of first nodes. In this particular embodiment, the second node and the plurality of first nodes operate to form the dynamically created distribution tree. Moreover, the second node also operates to distribute the data to each of the plurality of first nodes through the dynamically created distribution tree.
US07873644B1
A computer implemented system which automatically populates the fields of form documents with the corresponding information.
US07873639B2
Preferably for use in a directory enquires system, a method and system are provided for processing user records to determine common entries between them. When two user records are determined to store common information then link data is generated and stored in each user record indicating a link between the two records. This link information is then used in subsequent searching of the user records to determine the most likely result from a list of possible results obtained from a search of the user records. In a directory enquiries system the user records contain user ID and telephone number details as well as address book data of each user's friends, family, or other acquaintances. The address book data is used to determine whether a link between user records should be formed.
US07873638B2
A system and method for the collection, analysis, utilization, and/or reporting of user preference of content experienced by the user preferably for managing the distribution network of a content delivery environment, managing the selections of content available, reporting user selections of content available, and/or execution of user instructions as presented in the content.
US07873619B1
A method is used in managing metadata. Data of an object is stored in a magnetic hard disk set in an object addressable data storage system. Metadata for the object is stored in an SSD set in the object addressable data storage system. The metadata includes information necessary for determining the location of the data of the object in the magnetic hard disk set.
US07873608B2
A method for validating a syslog message having a plurality of message components. The method includes providing a meta regular expression. The meta regular expression is formed from a set of regular expressions with each of the regular expressions corresponding to one of the plurality of message components. The meta-regular expression represents a plurality of message component patterns, each of the message component patterns representing a different ordering of individual regular expressions of the set of regular expressions. The method further includes comparing the syslog message with the meta regular expression. The syslog message is deemed valid if the syslog message matches one of the plurality of message component patterns represented by the meta regular expression.
US07873605B2
A method and apparatus for selective removal of user data changes is provided. In one embodiment, the methodology is implemented by a logical recovery mechanism. Upon receiving a request to selectively remove user data changes stored in a database, the mechanism creates an empty set of transactions to be populated for selective removal, identifies one or more transactions and places them in the causal set of transactions. The mechanism further identifies other transactions that logically depend on any transaction already in the causal set of transactions. Finally, either while the causal set of transactions is being identified or after the identification is completed, the mechanism also determines user data changes made by the causal set of transactions. One or more compensating transactions may be generated by the logical recovery mechanism, which when executed, reverse the user data changes.
US07873586B2
A risk assessment method and system. The method includes receiving by an inference engine, first sensor cohort data associated with a first cohort located within a gate area of an airport. The inference engine receives first group technology inferences associated with the first cohort. The inference engine generates first risk cohort inferences based on the first group technology inferences and the first sensor cohort data. The inference engine receives first inference data comprising a first plurality of inferences associated with the first cohort. The inference engine generates second inference data comprising a second plurality of inferences associated with the first cohort. The second inference data is based on the first inference data and the first risk cohort inferences. The inference engine generates a first associated risk level score for the first cohort. The computing system stores the second inference data and the first associated risk level score.
US07873584B2
A method of classifying an anonymous user communicating over a computer network, such as by age, gender, or personal interests, based on the content generated or otherwise communicated by the user. The method includes: (a) providing sets of reference attributes, wherein each set of reference attributes is associated with one of a number of personal profile classes; (b) analyzing the user content in order to extract a set of attributes corresponding to such content; (c) comparing the set of extracted attributes against the plural sets of reference attributes in order to find a close match; and (d) associating the user with the personal profile class of the matched set of reference attributes.
US07873573B2
A virtual pooled account is used in operating a system having multiple financial partners. In a specific implementation, the system is a mobile banking system. Instead of maintaining separate general ledgers for each financial institution, the system will keep one general virtual pooled account. This will reduce the settlement and operational costs of the system. The owner of the virtual pooled account will receive the float on the virtual pooled account, and this float will be distributed to the multiple financial partners according to a formula.
US07873562B2
A method of allowing a seller in an auction facility to offer buyers the option of buying an offering at a pre-auction seller determined price or using a regular auction process. If a buyer is given the option to purchase at the seller determined price and decides to use the regular auction process by submitting a bid, the option to buy the offering at a pre-auction seller determined price is discontinued.
US07873561B1
A posting market center and process are disclosed for maintaining a market center-restricted order on a selected market center. In a market which allows price exemptions, the market center and process disclosed hide a received market center-restricted order which technically crosses or locks the away market, but would be marketable if an acceptable contra-side order was then available in the posting market center's internal order book. The posting market center then maintains this hidden order until it is fully executed, is canceled or can be displayed on the public order book.
US07873558B1
A method, computer program product, and system are disclosed. The method comprises receiving a selection of a first object. The first object is associated with a value, and receiving the first object is controlled by one or more parameters. The first object is used to select a second object, thereby affecting the state of the first object. The second object is obtained using the first object. An effect the obtaining of the second object has on the first object is determined, and the value associated with the first object is revised based on the effect.
US07873555B1
A system and method capable of automatically rebalancing financial portfolios to optimality, are disclosed. Using stored customer-defined optimization data, the system determines if the current portfolio is imbalanced beyond a customer-defined tolerance level and if so, it transmits a “rebalancing-needed” alert message and a list of recommended rebalancing transactions via customer-defined communications methods. The customer reads the message and decides if he wishes to authorize portfolio rebalancing. To authorize portfolio rebalancing, the customer merely responds to the alert message. In a preferred embodiment, the customer's response may constitute performing a single action, such as pressing a button or speaking a sound. After the authenticity of the received customer response is verified, the system implements the customer's single response by transmitting execution instructions to an electronic trading system, which in turn executes the rebalancing transactions to optimize the portfolio.
US07873554B2
A data processing method and system administers a deferred annuity product during the accumulation phase of a contract term. The annuity product permits the client to select both an interest rate which is reset periodically (reset rate) and an interest rate which is guaranteed for multiple years (MYG rate), during the same contract term. The client may elect to automatically switch from the reset rate to the MYG rate, for the remainder of the contract term, when the reset rate falls below the MYG rate.
US07873552B2
In an embodiment, revenue loss functions associated with business units are determined and waste credit constraints associated with the business units are received. A recommended waste credit purchase amount and recommended waste credit reduction amounts associated with the business units are calculated by minimizing a sum of the revenue loss functions and a purchase function, subject to the waste credit constraints, a purchase constraint, and a reduction goal constraint. In various embodiments, the recommended waste credit purchase amount and the recommended waste credit reduction amounts are presented, the amount of waste credits specified by the recommended waste credit purchase amount are purchased, and the business units reduce their waste emissions by their respective recommended waste credit reduction amounts. In an embodiment, the minimization is perfumed via a quadratic programming algorithm.
US07873550B2
In a process control system according to the present invention, a history record table, a history record relationship table, a process table, and a process relationship table are provided. The history record table stores information on a history record. The history record relationship table stores information on a history record relationship. The process table stores information on a process. The process relationship table stores information on a process relationship. When a history record is received, history records of the previous process and the next process are searched. Then, both of the history record relationship between a history record of the present process and a history record of the previous process and the history record relationship between the history record of the present process and a history record of the next process are created. Then, using the process table, the process relationship table, and history record information that has been already collected, history records that have not been received are estimated and then are displayed according to work order.With such arrangement, it is possible to trace a product item correctly even when some of history records are not registered since time required to register a history is varied depending on the processes or for other reasons, or there are not some of necessary history records.
US07873545B1
A facility for identifying users to whom to promote a selected auction is described. The facility maintains a representation of bidding histories of a plurality of users. At a point at which certain users have already bid in the selected auction, the facility identifies users that have not already bid in the selected auction that have bidding histories that are similar to those of users that have already bid in the selected auction. The facility then promotes the selected auction to the identified users.
US07873542B2
A method of utilizing a mini-pallet to create, organize, and move product stacks is provided where orders are preloaded on mini-pallets, placed in a trailer and then offloaded by account location with a hand truck.
US07873536B2
A system provides advertising links. The system may received a query and provide a number of advertising links in response to the query. The number of advertising links may be dynamically adjusted based at least in part on the commercial-ness of the query. The display format of the advertising links may also be altered based at least in part on the commercial-ness of the query.
US07873525B1
A method and system is described to provide outcome data to the healthcare industry allowing for fair and accurate quality based purchasing decisions. The system deploys methods to facilitate the accurate and unbiased collection of patient outcome data. From this data warehouse of outcome data, purchasers can access aggregate outcome data identifying those providers or health plans that have achieved the best outcomes for specific criteria. Similarly, individual patient referrals can be made to providers with the best track record of helping comparable patients. Based upon outcome assessment data these searches can automatically be made based on specific patient characteristics and needs.
US07873518B2
A device for assessing a quality class of an object to be tested includes a unit for detecting a test signal from the object to be tested. Furthermore, the device for assessing includes a unit for providing a stochastic Markov model including states and transitions between states on the basis of reference measurements of objects of known quality classes, and a unit for evaluating the test signal using the stochastic Markov model. In addition, the device for assessing includes a unit for associating the object to be tested with a quality class based on the evaluation of the test signal. Such a device has the advantage to be able to perform a more precise association of an object to be tested with a quality class as compared to prior art.
US07873517B2
A motor vehicle has a speech interface for an acoustic input of commands for operating the motor vehicle or a module of the motor vehicle. The speech interface includes a speech recognition database in which a substantial portion of commands or command components, which can be input, are stored in a version according to a pronunciation in a first language and in a version according to a pronunciation in at least a second language, and a speech recognition engine for automatically comparing an acoustic command to commands and/or command components, which are stored in the speech recognition database, in a version according to the pronunciation in the first language and to commands and/or command components, which are stored in the speech recognition database, in a version according to the pronunciation in the second language.
US07873500B1
A graphical modeling environment is provided for a user to build a model for physical systems using blocks connected through signals. The user may build a model with the flexibility of user-defined implementations available in the graphical modeling environment and with the architecture provided by modeling tools for modeling physical systems. A two-way connection port may be provided for adopting an architecture that supports modeling of physical systems in the graphical modeling environment. The user may use the two-way connection port to make the model built in the graphical modeling environment look architecturally like a model built using physical modeling tools.
US07873495B2
A quality assurance system includes an internet/wide area network interface configured to provide bidirectional communication with user terminals; a wireless interface configured to provide bidirectional communication with mobile user terminals; and a quality assurance database cooperatively coupled with a database manager. The data base manager is configured to populate the quality assurance database with identifications of individual ones of a plurality of construction project welders, weld inspectors and a plurality of weld data logs individual ones of which are associated with a specific welding operation of a construction project. Each weld data log is configured to store information that is at least descriptive of a welder, material used during the specific welding operation, specifics of a completed weld including at least weld location, weld type and weld dimensions, and information descriptive of a weld examination. Information entry into at least one weld data log is made by a weld inspector using a report from one of the mobile user terminals.
US07873493B2
A method for determining angular position, which removes a systematic error in the angular position determination and requires a low calculating effort, by determining a first factor and a second factor as a function of an angular position, forming a first product from a first signal and the first factor, and a second product of the second signal and the second factor, forming a subtraction result by the subtraction of the second product from the first product, and comparing the subtraction result to a quantity.
US07873489B2
A dialysis machine that monitors an elapsed time and a number of accumulated hours during a current servicing interval is disclosed. The machine executes a machine-servicing algorithm on at least the elapsed time and the accumulated operating hours to generate a projected servicing interval duration. A servicing event indicator displays servicing event schedule information based on the projected servicing interval duration. A transfusion pump, similarly equipped, is also provided.
US07873486B2
A spectrogram mask trigger is generated in response to multiple or complex frequency events within a signal being monitored. A sequence of frequency masks over a period of time is generated according to a frequency trajectory, frequency hops or other complex frequency events expected in the signal to form a spectrogram mask. The spectrogram mask is then applied to multiple spectra or spectrogram of the signal to determine whether an anomalous frequency event has occurred within the time period or to identify a particular frequency pattern within the signal. Depending upon the results of the spectrogram mask application, the spectrogram mask trigger is generated for storing a block of data from the signal surrounding the triggering event for further analysis.
US07873481B2
A method for analyzing a test sample is disclosed, the test sample comprising at least one compound. A test sample comprising at least one compound is provided. Next, the at least one compound in the test sample is determined, thereby generating raw results. The generated raw results are analyzed, wherein the analysis of the test sample is accompanied by an analysis of at least one reference sample. The test sample and the reference sample are analyzed in an identical sequence in each step of the method. A system for carrying out the method is also disclosed.
US07873475B2
A method of measuring depth and/or azimuth of logging data, the logging data being related to at least one property of a zone GF, CS, CA surrounding a wellbore and being measured by at least a sensor array SA1D, SA2D, the method comprising the steps of: acquiring and storing a first logging data frame F11, F21 corresponding to a first position of the sensor array, acquiring and storing a second logging data frame F12, F22 corresponding to a second position of the sensor array, the first and second position are such that the second logging data frame F12, F22 overlaps at least partially the first logging data frame F11, F21, comparing the first F11, F21 and second F12, F22 logging data frame, and calculating a relative change in the depth ΔDP and/or azimuth ΔAZ of logging data measured by the sensor array SA1D, SA2D between the first F11, F21 and second F12, F22 logging data frame.
US07873465B2
An end-user can input a correction to a map error, directly on the device. The device is then able to use the correction without external processing of the correction. Hence, it is no longer necessary for an end-user to simply report errors to the map vendor over a web link then wait for that map vendor to verify the error, update its maps and finally supply the end-user with updates—a cycle that can take months and sometimes years to complete. Instead, the navigation device can use the correction immediately. End-users can also share corrections with other end-users and also with a shared remote server that aggregates, validates and distributes corrections.
US07873455B2
An access control system for a work vehicle that has an engine and a location is provided, the system including location sensor that indicates the vehicle's location and an electronic control unit coupled to the sensor that receives the location signal and selectively disables the engine based upon the vehicle's position outside job site boundary's or based upon the time of operation at a plurality of job sites, each job site having its own time of operation.
US07873450B2
An integrated interface system is provided for a plurality of systems associated with locomotive operation. The integrated interface system includes a main controller with a main display and an interface between each system and the main controller. Each interface is configured to communicate a respective set of time-dependent diagnostic information for each system to the main controller.
US07873442B2
A system and method to optimize the use of utility power. The system and method obtains real-time and scheduled data. The data is saved into a database. An application is run to optimize the use of the utility power based on forecasted load requirements and available resources. A schedule is produced after optimizing the desired use for the utility power for a given user.
US07873441B2
A system uses an intelligent load controller for managing use of a consumable resource at an associated load. The controller has a resource measuring component for measuring the rate of use of the resource by the associated load, including measuring at least one of an instantaneous usage rate and a usage rate over an integration period and a load status component for receiving load status data for the associated load. The controller also has a communication component for receiving control messages from and sending load status messages to other associated controllers; a memory for storing a load control goal set; and a load control computer program responsive to the resource measuring component, the load status component, the control messages from other associated controllers and the load control goal set, to determine a load operating level for, and provide control commands to, the associated load.
US07873440B2
A variable toe angle control system for a vehicle that can be incorporated with a fail-safe mechanism. When a fault of the system is detected, at least one of toe-angle actuators is actuated to make toe angles of two wheels agree with each other. When one of the wheels has become fixed in position without regard to a control signal supplied to the corresponding actuator, the actuator for the other wheel is actuated so as to make the toe angles of the two wheels equal to each other. When at least one toe-angle sensor is found faulty, the actuators are both actuated until the actuators reach positions corresponding to stoppers. When information for determining target values of the toe angles of the right and left wheels is found faulty, the actuators are both actuated until the actuators reach positions corresponding to prescribed reference toe positions.
US07873433B2
This invention relates to a system and a method for optimization of the process performance of a web-processing machine, in particular a machine for the production or further processing of paper, paperboard or tissue, including the following steps: storage of specific data of a component on a data storage unit fitted to the component; and/or measurement of relevant properties of the component by way of a sensor unit fitted to the component; sending of the specific data and/or the measured relevant properties to an open-loop control unit and/or a closed-loop control unit; and optimization of the process performance by way of the open-loop control unit and/or the closed-loop control unit using specific data and/or the measured properties of the component.
US07873430B1
The claimed subject matter provides a system and/or method that facilitates automatically scheduling an operation in an industrial environment. An interface component can facilitate receipt of a list/schedule including at least one operation related to a device within the industrial environment. A scheduler component can automatically perform the at least one operation on the device at a time indicated by the list/schedule utilizing at least one agent hosted by an agent component, wherein communication is employed with a bridge component. The bridge component can provide communication as if in the same program space between at least two of the scheduler component, the agent, the agent component, an agent component manager, and/or any suitable component that requires data transfer.
US07873429B2
Methods of production planning, including a novel method of optimized production planning for a plurality of production plants producing a product for delivery to a plurality of customers using a common distribution network, wherein the product consumption by customers can vary, and the variable cost of producing the product can vary between production plants, over time, and production quantity. The method maximizes profitability by characterizing raw material costs over varying production rates and minimizing variable cost across the network for any given production demand. The method considers the variable cost of producing product in varying production quantities, the variable cost structure of raw material supplies, and how these variable costs vary between production plants. The method also considers the variable cost impact of purchasing product from outside sources. The method produces monthly, weekly, daily, or hourly production plans and can automatically set target production quantities for each production plant to provide the lowest variable cost plan for a given production demand.
US07873420B2
An implant system includes an external portion adapted for placement external to a user, and an implantable portion adapted for placement internal the user. One of the internal portion and the external portion includes a first password for transmitting to the other one of the internal portion and the external portion. The other one of the internal portion and the external portion includes a second password. A match between the first password and the second password causes a first mode of operation.
US07873418B2
Techniques for varying stimulus parameters used in neural stimulation to improve therapy efficacy, minimize energy consumption, minimize undesired side effects, and minimize loss of therapeutic effectiveness due to physiologic tolerance to stimulation. Neural stimulation is provided having a stimulation amplitude, a stimulation frequency, a stimulation pulse duration, an electrode-firing pattern, and a set of electrode-firing-polarity conditions. At least one of the stimulation parameters is pseudo-randomly varied. A second stimulation parameter is changed based upon having pseudo-randomly varied the first stimulation parameter and based upon a predetermined relationship specifying how changes in the first parameter affect desirable values for the second parameter.
US07873412B2
In an embodiment, the invention includes a measurement system for measuring induced currents within an implantable medical device undergoing magnetic resonance imaging. The measurement system can include a resistor connected in series with a conductive loop and electronic circuitry configured to generate a signal representative of a voltage differential across the resistor. In some embodiments, the measurement system includes a fiber optic cable configured to transmit the signal away from the area subject to magnetic resonance imaging. In some embodiments, the measurement system includes a transmitter to wirelessly transmit the signal away from the area subject to magnetic resonance imaging. In an embodiment, the invention can include an implantable medical device including a measurement system for measuring induced currents. In an embodiment, the invention can include a method of measuring an induced current in an implantable medical device undergoing magnetic resonance imaging. Other embodiments are described herein.
US07873407B2
Disclosed are methods and systems for: (i) positioning a specimen inside an optical measurement system according to a reference image of the specimen indicative of its position and orientation during an earlier measurement using the optical measurement system; and (ii) measuring radiation emitted from the positioned specimen to provide information about an object embedded in the specimen.
US07873402B2
A Catheter Guidance Control and Imaging (CGCI) system whereby a magnetic tip attached to a surgical tool is detected, displayed and influenced positionally so as to allow diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to be performed is described. The tools that can be so equipped include catheters, guidewires, and secondary tools such as lasers and balloons. The magnetic tip performs two functions. First, it allows the position and orientation of the tip to be determined by using a radar system such as, for example, a radar range finder or radar imaging system. Incorporating the radar system allows the CGCI apparatus to detect accurately the position, orientation and rotation of the surgical tool embedded in a patient during surgery. In one embodiment, the image generated by the radar is displayed with the operating room imagery equipment such as, for example, X-ray, Fluoroscopy, Ultrasound, MRI, CAT-Scan, PET-Scan, etc. In one embodiment, the image is synchronized with the aid of fiduciary markers located by a 6-Degrees of Freedom (6-DOF) sensor. The CGCI apparatus combined with the radar and the 6-DOF sensor allows the tool tip to be pulled, pushed, turned, and forcefully held in the desired position by applying an appropriate magnetic field external to the patient's body. A virtual representation of the magnetic tip serves as an operator control. This control possesses a one-to-one positional relationship with the magnetic tip inside the patient's body. Additionally, this control provides tactile feedback to the operator's hands in the appropriate axis or axes if the magnetic tip encounters an obstacle. The output of this control combined with the magnetic tip position and orientation feedback allows a servo system to control the external magnetic field.
US07873397B2
Innovative techniques that result in a better signal-to-noise ratio for spectrographic analysis of substances in a target than conventional techniques. In these techniques, light illuminates a target with at least some of the light penetrating the target. At least a portion of the light that penetrates the target is collected from a region on the target's surface that is not directly illuminated. Preferably, at least a majority of the collected light is light that penetrates the target. Also preferably, the light that illuminates the target is in a pattern that partially but not completely surrounds the region from which the portion of the light that penetrates the target is collected. A spectrum of at least a portion of the collected light is analyzed.
US07873396B2
A portable terminal is equipped with a first housing, a second housing and a hinge device, the second housing being coupled to one end of the first housing and rotating about a hinge axis extending in a longitudinal direction of the first housing, the hinge device rotatably coupling the first housing and the second housing, the hinge device including: a first hinge base mounted on the first housing or the second housing; a second hinge base mounted on the second housing or the first housing, coupled oppositely to the first hinge base, and rotating about the hinge axis; and a hinge stopper mounted adjacent to the second hinge base, and pivoting around the hinge axis as the second hinge base rotates, wherein the hinge stopper is engaged with the first hinge base in at least one point while the second hinge base rotates, and thus stops rotation of the second hinge base.
US07873395B2
A headset worn is provided to be on an ear in such a manner that a speaker is adhered to the ear. The headset includes a headset body; a hook unit for adhering and fixing the headset body to a user's ear part; a key positioned at a part of the headset body such that its key top protrudes; and a touch region having elasticity, and provided to maintain a distance from the key while facing the key, wherein, as the touch region is pressed, the key is pressed and enabled at the same time.
US07873391B2
A wireless phone includes a memory, a processor, and a call queue function, the call queue function to enable the configuration and storage in the memory of a call queue, the call queue comprising an ordered list of entries to dial, wherein the processor and the memory cooperate to enable the call queue function.
US07873381B2
Wireless communication control system, radio base station, and wireless communication control method
A radio communication control system (10) which controls a transmission power of a shared control channel for transmitting a control signal to a plurality of mobile stations, includes: a new transmission power setting section (13) configured to set a new transmission power of the shared control channel by adding an offset to a transmission power of a dedicated channel to be transmitted dedicatedly to each of the plurality of mobile stations; wherein the offset is set in accordance with a propagation environment of a radio communication.
US07873351B2
The present invention provides a communication restriction control system and a communication restriction control method capable of performing communication restriction control depending on circumstances of communication restriction control area. The mobile terminal transmits a response request signal to a radio response equipment provided in the communication restriction control area which transmits a response signal including identification information as a response to the response request signal. A communication system discriminating equipment which is provided with a database in which the identification information is associated with one of allowed communication circumstances, and allowed communication circumstance is determined by referring to the database according to the identification information, and communication restriction control of the mobile terminal according to the determined result is performed.
US07873336B2
In communications between a pair of stations using modulated carrier signals, a first station estimates the carrier frequency offset with respect to the second station and transmits signals that are responsive to the estimated carrier frequency offset. The first station may adjust the carrier frequency of the signals it transmits in response to the estimated carrier frequency offset, and/or transmit data to the second station representing the estimated carrier frequency offset. The second station adjusts the carrier frequency of the signals it transmits to the first station, and/or compensates for carrier frequency offset in its processing of received signals, in response to estimated carrier frequency offset data received from the first station.
US07873334B2
The present invention generally relates to the field of automatic power control (APC) circuitries used in the analog front end of a mobile transmitter. It particularly refers to a power control circuitry and a corresponding method for controlling the power level of an RF signal to be transmitted at the output port of a variable-gain power amplifier by performing an additional regulation of the APC loop's reference signal. Thereby, it is proposed to increase the radiated RF power in case a transmitting antenna is mismatched to said power amplifier in order to not release an ongoing call. In case there is a subject very close to the terminal antenna, the antenna load is changed and the increased reflected signal is measured. In a closed loop this increased reflected signal is mixed with a reference ramp signal which is used to calculate a reference signal representing the nominal power level for the power of the RF signal to be transmitted, which leads to an increasing of the radiated power and prevents said call from being released. The step of calculating the reference signal as a function of the reference ramp signal and a DC feedback signal is realized by the substeps of multiplying a processed version of the DC feedback signal by the reference ramp signal and adding the output signal of the multiplication step to the reference ramp signal thereby yielding said reference signal.
US07873326B2
A multi-protocol, multi-band array antenna system may be used in Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system reader and sensory networks. The antenna array may include array elements with an integrated low noise amplifier. The system may employ digital beam forming techniques for transmission and steering of a beam to a specific sensor tag or group of tags in an cell. The receive beam forming network is optimized for detecting signals from each sensor tag. Narrow and wideband interferences may be excised by an interference nulling algorithm. Space division multiplexing may be used by the antenna system to enhance system processing capacity.
US07873320B2
Undesired interfering signal sources within a wireless communication network disturb the radio communication between radio base stations and mobile stations. The invention presents a method and device wherein the beam pattern of an antenna, comprising two or more sectorised antenna elements with overlapping beam patterns, is adapted such that the position of the source of interfering signal is preferably substantially located within the overlap of said beam patterns. The one or more beam patterns are adapted in bearing such that the resulting interfering signal is reduced by the superimposing effect of radio wave propagation within the overlap area.
US07873318B2
A radio-frequency communication device arranged to transmit a transmitted signal from a transmitter antenna device toward a communication object, and to receive through a receiver antenna device a reply signal transmitted from the communication object, for radio communication with the communication object, the radio-frequency communication device including a transfer-function calculating portion operable to calculate a transfer function indicative of a relationship between a signal input to the transmitter antenna device and a signal generated by the receiver antenna device due to the signal input to the transmitter antenna device, and a receiver-circuit-constant setting portion operable to set a receiver-circuit constant for improving a quality of the reply signal received by the receiver antenna device, on the basis of the transfer function calculated by the transfer-function calculating portion, and the signal input to the transmitter antenna device.
US07873304B2
To provide an image forming apparatus including: a latent electrostatic image bearing member; a charging unit configured to charge the surface of the latent electrostatic image bearing member; an exposing unit configured to expose the charged surface of the latent electrostatic image to form a latent electrostatic image thereon; a developing unit configured to develop the latent electrostatic image with a toner to form a visualized image; a transferring unit configured to transfer the visualized image onto a recording medium; and a fixing unit configured to fix the visualized image transferred onto the recording medium, wherein the toner includes a binder resin and a coloring agent, and the binder resin includes a polyester resin obtained by condensation polymerization of an alcohol component and a carboxylic acid component containing a (meth)acrylic acid modified rosin.
US07873300B2
A single component development device including a toner including a resin, a coloring agent, a wax, a charge control agent and an inorganic particulate, a development roller to bear the toner on the surface of the development roller and transfer the toner to an image bearing member and a thin layer forming member to regulate a thickness of the layer of the toner while in contact with the surface of the development roller via the toner borne thereon, wherein a regulating pressure A between the thin layer forming member and the development roller is from 25 to 60 (N/m), a content Z (weight %) of the charge control agent satisfies the following relationship (1) and an average dispersion particle diameter D (nm) of the charge control agent satisfies the following relationship (2): 0.029×A−0.150>Z>0.013×A−0.013 Relationship (1) D<6.3×A−106.3 Relationship (2).
US07873296B2
A developer cartridge including a frame, a developer carrying member, and an input gear member is provided. The frame includes a first side wall and a second side wall, and the first side wall and the second side wall extend in a length direction. The developer carrying member extends from the first side wall to the second side wall in a width direction perpendicular to the length direction. The developer carrying member includes a developer carrying member shaft rotatably supported by the first side wall and the second side wall, and the developer carrying member is rotatable about a first axis. The input gear member, for supplying a driving force for rotating the developer carrying member, is rotatably supported by the first side wall so as to be rotatable about a second axis. A first distance between the first axis and the second axis in the length direction is about 14.0 mm.
US07873288B2
In a fixer unit system and method to detect a fire in a fixer unit of an electrographic image generation device, at least one portion of a fixer region of the fixing unit is monitored with a photoelectric sensor arranged adjacent to a substrate material having a toner image to be fixed, at least one portion of radiation generated by at least one heat radiator of the fixer unit is not detected by the photoelectric sensor by not passing said at least one portion of the radiation generated by the at least one heat radiator through to the photoelectric sensor by use of an optical filter associated with the photoelectric sensor. An error signal is output when a fire in the fixer region is detected with the photoelectric sensor.
US07873281B2
A method for dynamically updating an optical transceiver (or optical transmitter or optical receiver) that has at least one processor, a persistent memory, and a microcode loader mechanism. The persistent memory includes microcode comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, control at least one component of the optical transceiver, transmitter, or receiver. In order to implement the invention, data is written to the persistent memory of the optical transceiver to indicate that an updating of microcode currently stored on the persistent memory is to occur. The optical transceiver processes received microcode, which contains instructions that are structured such that when executed by the at least one processor of the optical transceiver, the execution of the instructions affects the operation of the optical transceiver. Then, the processed representation of the received microcode is written to the persistent memory. The optical transceiver then determines that all of the microcode that is to be written to the persistent memory during the update has been written to the persistent memory. Finally, the persistent memory is altered to reflect that the update is complete.
US07873278B2
An underwater optical communications system and method particularly suitable for use in communications with automated equipment. A series of light beacons are dispersed throughout a communications zone. The light beacons are each provided with a plurality of light-emitting elements and light receiving elements which are positioned so that each beacon within the communications zone emits light in a plurality of directions and receives light from a plurality of directions. A submersible craft is similarly provided with light emitting elements and light receiving elements. The submersible craft is thus always in optical communication with one or more beacons when in the communications zone, regardless of the orientation of the craft and regardless of the position of the craft within the communications zone.
US07873273B2
An apparatus for measuring the characteristics of an optical fiber is provided. An optical pulse generator generates, from a coherent light, first and second optical pulses having a time interval which is equal to or shorter tan a life time of an acoustic wave in the optical fiber. A detector couples the coherent light with a Brillouin backscattered light which includes first and second Brillouin backscattered lights belonging to the first and second optical pulses respectively, thereby generating an optical signal. The detector further converts the optical signal into an electrical signal. A signal processor takes the sum of the electrical signal and a delay electrical signal which is delayed from the electrical signal by a delay time corresponding to the time interval, thereby generating an interference signal, and finds the characteristics of the optical fiber based on the interference signal.
US07873266B2
A motion detector camera includes a camera mechanism mounted inside a housing, a motion detector exposed on a surface of the housing, and a controller for controlling the camera mechanism in response to signals received from the motion detector. The camera can include an activity counter mounted to the housing. The controller activates the camera mechanism when the controller receives a triggering signal from the motion detector, or the controller activates the activity counter and does not activate the camera mechanism when a triggering activity occurs. The camera can include digital camera electronics. A camera support can be used to removably mount the camera to an object such as a tree.
US07873252B2
An adapter panel arrangement including a chassis and a panel of adapters. The adapters defining open rearward cable connections and open forward cable connections of the panel arrangement. The adapters being arranged in arrays that slide independently of other adapter arrays to provide access to the open rearward and open forward cable connections.
US07873247B2
An optical waveguide for a touch panel which includes a planar base; light emitting cores and light incident cores provided on a surface of the base; and an over-cladding layer covering the cores. The light emitting core has a first lens portion provided at the end thereof for suppressing lateral divergence of the emitted light beam, the over-cladding layer has a second lens portion provided in an edge portion thereof covering the end of the light emitting core for suppressing vertical divergence of the emitted light beam, the over-cladding layer has a third lens portion provided in an edge portion thereof covering the end of the light incident core for vertically converging the incident light beam, and the light incident core has a fourth lens portion provided at the end thereof for further laterally converging the incident light beam.
US07873240B2
A method for geographically registering a perspective image of a location assigns elevation values to elements or pixels of a two dimensional array of image elements or pixels of the location. The elevation value for each image pixel is obtained using a corresponding database stored reference digital elevation model, or a three dimensional surface model of the location. The reference elevation model or surface model is composed of rows and columns of elevation values corresponding to two dimensions of location values at a sensed location shown in the image, or is composed of a three dimensional surface or volume model of the location, such as a computer-aided design model or any other means of describing the three dimensional characteristics of the sensed location.
US07873238B2
A method for creating an oblique-mosaic image from a plurality of source images is disclosed. Initially, a desired area to be imaged and collected into an oblique-mosaic image is identified and then a mathematical model of a sensor of a virtual camera is created, where the virtual camera has an elevation greater than an elevation of the area to be imaged. The mathematical model has an oblique-mosaic pixel map for the sensor of the desired area. A surface location is determined for each pixel included in the oblique mosaic pixel map, and at least one source oblique image pixel of the area to be imaged is reprojected for each pixel included in the oblique-mosaic pixel map to thereby create an oblique-mosaic image of the desired geographical area. The at least one single oblique-mosaic image is visually pleasing and geographically accurate. Further, techniques for compensating for building lean in oblique-mosaic images are disclosed.
US07873224B2
In an image/video encoding and decoding system employing an artifact evaluator a method and/or apparatus to process video blocks comprising a decoder operable to synthesize an un-filtered reconstructed video block or frame and an artifact filter operable to receive the un-filtered reconstructed video block or frame, which generates a filtered reconstructed video block or frame. A memory buffer operable to store either the filtered reconstructed video block or frame or the un-filtered reconstructed video block or frame, and an artifact evaluator operable to update the memory buffer after evaluating and determining which of the filtered video block or frame, or the un-filtered video block or frame yields better image/video quality.
US07873223B2
In a specification mode, a user specifies classes of a class network and process steps of a process hierarchy using a novel scripting language. The classes describe what the user expects to find in digital images. The process hierarchy describes how the digital images are to be analyzed. Each process step includes an algorithm and a domain that specifies the classes on which the algorithm is to operate. A Cognition Program acquires table data that includes pixel values of the digital images, as well as metadata relating to the digital images. In an execution mode, the Cognition Program generates a data network in which pixel values are linked to objects, and objects are categorized as belonging to classes. The process steps, classes and objects are linked to each other in a computer-implemented network structure in a manner that enables the Cognition Program to detect target objects in the digital images.
US07873209B2
Pattern model parameters are updated using update equations based on competing patterns that are identical to a reference pattern except for one segment at a time that is replaced with a competing segment. This allows pattern recognition parameters to be tuned one segment at a time, rather than have to try to model distinguishing features of the correct pattern model as a whole, according to an illustrative embodiment. A reference pattern and competing patterns are divided into pattern segments. A set of training patterns are generated by replacing one of the pattern segments in the reference pattern with a corresponding competing pattern segment. For each of the training patterns, a pattern recognition model is applied to evaluate a relative degree of correspondence of the reference pattern with the pattern signal compared to a degree of correspondence of the training patterns with the pattern signal.
US07873204B2
A method for identifying lithographically significant defects. A photomask is illuminated to produce images that experience different parameters of the reticle as imaged by an inspection tool. Example parameters include a transmission intensity image and a reflection intensity image. The images are processed together to recover a band limited mask pattern associated with the photomask. A model of an exposure lithography system for chip fabrication is adapted to accommodate the band limited mask pattern as an input which is input into the model to obtain an aerial image of the mask pattern that is processed with a photoresist model yielding a resist-modeled image. The resist-modeled image is used to determine if the photomask has lithographically significant defects.
US07873200B1
Remote deposit of checks can be facilitated by a financial institution. A customer's general purpose computer and image capture device may be leveraged to capture an image of a check and deliver the image to financial institution electronics. Additional data for the transaction may be collected as necessary. The transaction can be automatically accomplished utilizing the images and data thus acquired.
US07873198B2
The present invention provides an apparatus and methods for measuring proportions of body materials in body parts. The apparatus includes a device for retaining the body part, at least one reference material with at least two thicknesses positioned adjacent to the device, and at least three radiopaque markers positioned on the reference material(s). The reference material(s) each have an attenuation characteristic that is selected in correspondence to the body materials in the body part. The apparatus further includes a radiation device to simultaneously irradiate the body part, the reference material(s) and the radiopaque markers as well as a detector to detect attenuated beams of radiation and a pattern projected from the irradiated radiopaque markers. A calculation device determines the thickness of the body part based on this projected pattern and compares the attenuation values of the body part and the reference material(s) at the determined thickness.
US07873195B2
A method and an apparatus for segmenting contours of objects in an image is disclosed. It particularly applies to the segmentation of body organs or parts depicted in medical images. An input image containing at least one object comprises pixel data sets of at least two dimensions. An edge-detected image is obtained from the input image. Markers are selected in the edge-detected image, and assigned respective fixed electrical potential values. An electrical potential map is generated as a solution to an electrostatic problem in a resistive medium having a resistivity dependent on the edge-detected image, with the markers defining electrodes at the respective fixed potential values. Object contours are estimated, for example by thresholding, from the generated potential map.
US07873194B2
A method of automatically performing a triple rule-out procedure using imaging data is provided. Imaging data is received that includes a heart region, a pulmonary artery region, an ascending aorta region, and a thoraco-abdominal aorta region of a patient. The heart region, an ascending aorta object, an abdominal aorta object, a left main pulmonary artery object, and a right main pulmonary artery object are identified from the imaging data. The identified heart region is analyzed to detect a coronary pathology. The identified ascending aorta object and the identified abdominal aorta object are analyzed to detect an aortic dissection. The identified left main pulmonary artery object and the identified right main pulmonary artery object are analyzed to detect a pulmonary embolism. A report is generated that includes any detected coronary pathology, any detected aortic dissection, and/or any detected pulmonary embolism.
US07873193B2
Automated projection of serial section images in microscopic imaging systems. A computer-controlled microscope that is connected electrically to a controller that has a display device. A batch of serial section slides includes a series of serial section slides, each of which has a microscope slide, a sample, and an interesting area. If one of the images is misregistered, then the images may be transformed.
US07873189B2
A face recognition and apparatus are provided. According to the method, an SVM classifier is created through machine learning on the basis of a degree of similarity of a divided facial image, and a facial image to be authenticated is normalized to a predetermined size using a center between two eyes. The normalized image is divided into more than one image in horizontal and vertical directions, respectively. Next, predetermined characteristic vectors from the divided images are extracted and a similarity vector based on a degree of similarity with respect to a registered characteristic vector is created. The similarity vector is input to the SVM classifier, so that authentication is performed.
US07873187B2
A driver assistance system for a vehicle includes an imaging device having a field of view forward of a vehicle and in a direction of travel of the equipped vehicle, an image processor operable to process image data captured by the imaging device, and a global positioning system operable to determine a geographical location of the vehicle. The equipped vehicle includes an adaptive speed control system for controlling the speed of the equipped vehicle. The adaptive speed control system may reduce the speed of the equipped vehicle responsive at least in part to a detection of a curve in the road ahead of the equipped vehicle via processing by the image processor of image data captured by the imaging device.
US07873186B2
In the detection of face images, features for the purpose of detecting face images can be added on to supplement existing features. A face detecting apparatus includes a ROM, which stores data representing features for detecting face images having inclination angles at increments of 90° in the image of a subject. The face detecting apparatus is further provided with a connection terminal to which a flash ROM can be removably connected. The flash ROM stores data representing features for detecting face images having inclination angles finer than those of the images of the faces having inclination angles capable of being detected by the data representing the features that have been stored in the ROM. Face images can be detected more accurately by connecting the flash ROM to the face detecting apparatus.
US07873183B2
A watermark embedding method for embedding a secret message sequence in a document. The techniques include obtaining layout information of the document, extracting a digest of the document by using a Hash function, calculating embedded positions where the secret message sequence is embedded in the document, and dispersedly hiding the secret message sequence in each of the calculated embedded positions by altering the layout of the document. Also provided is a watermark embedding apparatus, a corresponding watermark detecting method and apparatus, and a method and system for detecting document integrity. The integrity of documents in various forms can be detected, and secret information to be hidden can be embedded therein and extracted therefrom. The techniques described are not limited to the document either in soft copy or in hard copy and have good robustness.
US07873177B2
An ear-hanger headphone apparatus includes ear hangers each having a predetermined shape, housings integrally attached to the ear hangers, respectively, and driver units attached to the housings swingably relative thereto so as to closely overlap with ear conches without clearance, respectively, when the headphone apparatus is worn.
US07873173B2
A cosine wave over one period is stored as waveform data in a memory, and address shift values based on a phase lag in transfer characteristics from a speaker to a microphone are stored in a memory. An address shift value is read from the memory by referring to the frequency, and waveform data are read from the memory at addresses that are produced by shifting the addresses from which the reference cosine wave signal and the reference sine wave signal are read, by the address shift value. The read waveform data are used as a first reference signal and a second reference signal, which are applied to adaptive notch filters, to suppress vibratory noise.
US07873165B2
A multi-band radio having seamless satellite communication capability is provided. The radio includes: a user interface for controlling operations of the radio; an encryption module; a LOS wireless transceiver for transmitting encrypted data at a frequency in the radio frequency spectrum; a BLOS wireless transceiver for transmitting encrypted data at a frequency in the microwave frequency spectrum; and a router for routing the encrypted data to at least one of the LOS transceiver and the BLOS transceiver.
US07873162B2
A recording method including searching for at least one of a plurality of free areas on a storage medium, said storage medium including a file that is stored according to a file system; generating a track descriptor; generating a part descriptor; recording data encrypted with an encryption key in at least one free area; connecting the free area where the encrypted data is recorded to an end of the file managed by the file system; recording in the part descriptor the part pointer information that points to the free area where the encrypted data is recorded; recording in the track descriptor a decryption key so as to enable later decryption of the encrypted data, and pointer information that points to the part descriptor; and recording a track number that points to the track descriptor in a play order table having a play order of a plurality of tracks.
US07873156B1
Systems and methods for analyzing contact center interactions are provided. In this regard, a representative method includes: receiving information corresponding to an interaction between a contact center agent and a customer; and assessing quality of the interaction based, at least in part, on information corresponding to at least one of: a history of the customer; and an event corresponding to the customer and occurring subsequent to the interaction.
US07873145B2
A digital detector of a digital imaging system is provided. In one embodiment, the digital detector includes a flat-panel detector having a detector array for converting X-ray radiation into image data. The digital detector may also include a plurality of antennas, and the digital detector may be configured to transmit the image data via one or more antennas of the plurality of antennas. Additional systems, methods, and devices are also disclosed.
US07873139B2
A signal processing device includes a detecting part that detects intensity of an input signal, a timer part that includes a time constant circuit and measures time based on a time constant of the time constant circuit, and a determination circuit that counts the number of times of switching of the input signal detected by the detecting part within the time measured by the time constant circuit.
US07873136B2
A feeding system for an absorber liquid containing a neutron poison, in particular for a quick shut-down of a nuclear reactor, has a storage container for the absorber liquid and is configured for high operational reliability with simple construction. In particular, a chemical decomposition of the absorber liquid or corrosion of the container wall of the storage container is to be excluded. For this purpose, the storage container is connected to a pressure container via an overflow line, wherein the pressure container is filled with a motive fluid.
US07873134B2
Disclosed herein are clock generator systems comprising first and second stage PLLs thereby allowing for both lower PLL bandwidth filtering and higher bandwidth response, in accordance with some embodiments. Other systems may be disclosed and/or described herein.
US07873133B2
The present invention provides a system, apparatus and method for recovering a client signal clock. The present invention is able to more effectively remove jitter within a clock signal by providing a phase shifting element in the feedback of a PLL system to compensate for sudden changes in an input reference clock. The PLL system provides flexible clock recovery so that it can accommodate various payload types because it extracts a client clock signal independent of a corresponding justification count number.
US07873128B2
Aspects for equalization in a communications system are described. The aspects include utilizing a block code based error correction scheme in a modulation system of the communication system, and removing cursor inter-symbol interference within an error correction code word to make code word decision with minimum error power-based criteria in the block code based error correction scheme.
US07873121B2
The disclosure includes a system and method for oversampling and digitally filtering RFID signals. In some implementations of the present disclosure, an RF receiver includes an ADC, a comb filter, and a mask filter. The ADC is operable to directly sample an RF signal independent of a band pass filter and convert the RF signal to a digital signal. The RF signal is sampled at a rate greater than or equal to 60 MHz. The comb filter is coupled to the ADC. The mask filter is coupled to the comb filter. The comb filter and frequency mask filter are configured to filter out-of-band noise in the digital signal.
US07873108B2
A video encoding method comprises selecting one combination, for each block of an input video signal, from a plurality of combinations each including a predictive parameter and at least one reference picture number determined in advance for the reference picture, generating a prediction picture signal in accordance with the reference picture number and predictive parameter of the selected combination, generating a predictive error signal representing an error between the input video signal and the prediction picture signal, and encoding the predictive error signal, information of the motion vector, and index information indicating the selected combination.
US07873103B2
A digital broadcast transmitter/receiver, and a signal processing method thereof, includes a randomizer randomizing a dual transport stream which includes a normal data packet and a robust data packet and into which stuff bytes are inserted, a stuff-byte exchanger replacing the stuff bytes of the randomized data with known data, a first RS encoder performing RS-encoding of data output from the stuff-byte exchanger, a packet formatter performing an interleaving of the robust packet of the data output from the first RS encoder and reformatting the packet, an interleaver interleaving data output from the packet formatter, a trellis encoder performing a trellis encoding of interleaved data, a second RS encoder changing a parity by performing an RS encoding of the robust data of the trellis-encoded data, and a modulator modulating data output from the trellis encoder and RF up-converting the modulated data.
US07873097B1
A receiver despreads a spread spectrum sequence by partially despreading the spread spectrum sequence using an outer spreading code, and then despreading the partially despread sequence using an inner spreading code. This can advantageously save processing power. In one embodiment, the outer spreading code is despread with an analog circuit, and an inner spreading code is despread with a digital circuit. A modulator for a transmitter can generate a spread spectrum sequence by direct-sequence spreading data to generate a partially spread sequence and then spreading the partially spread sequence to generate the spread spectrum sequence.
US07873095B1
An anti-jam receiver for coordinating with a frequency hop jammer includes a receiver assembly for receiving a spread spectrum signal, and a processor for removing an undesired signal from the spread spectrum signal. The processor utilizes an anti-jam algorithm in the frequency domain. The processor has an update interval during which frequencies that have been identified with undesired signals are removed from the spread spectrum signal. The frequency hop jammer has a hop interval during which a jamming signal is transmitted at a constant frequency. By coordinating the update interval of the processor with the hop interval of the frequency hop jammer, the frequency hop jammer appears to be a continuous wave jammer to the anti-jam receiver, while appearing to be a broadband jammer to other anti-jam systems that are not coordinated with the hop interval of the frequency hop jammer.
US07873090B2
A surface emitting laser includes a plurality of light-emitting portions for emitting laser light beams in different linearly polarized light directions. The light-emitting portions are formed on the substrate and located close to each other. The light-emitting portions include metal opening arrays through which light beams in different linearly polarized light directions respectively pass.
US07873078B2
There is provided a screen multiplexor for processing graphical display data and an associated distribution method. A plurality of graphical display data streams is received at the multiplexor, processed and directed to one or more network-connected display devices. The network is a general purpose data network and may be wireless. The directed data streams can be spatially multiplexed, temporally multiplexed, and/or multiplexed in such a way that data from one stream is overlaid on data from another stream. The distribution method and screen multiplexor thus allow a flexible relationship between the number of screens and the sources of the information to be displayed thereon.
US07873077B2
The clocks of one or more edgeQAM devices are synchronized with a master clock at the remotely located CMTS. A master clock signal may be transmitted via a dedicated gigabit Ethernet link. Alternatively, master clock information contained in a time synchronization message may be transmitted for use in adjusting local oscillators that drive local clocks at respective edgeQAM devices.
US07873076B2
A fiber channel (FC) signal representing block encoded data is applied to a block decoder, which removes the block encoding from the data. The data is then applied to a simplified data link (SDL) protocol encoder, which maps the data into an SDL protocol packet for transmission over a SONET (Synchronous Optical Network)-based transport medium.
US07873075B2
In a telecommunications system a larger higher layer data unit is segmented into smaller segments on the lower layer. A segmentation length information is used to indicate the lengths of the segments in a lower layer protocol data unit. Specific values of segmentation length information are employed to indicate, when necessary, special information about the upper layer data unit, such as whether the upper layer data unit ends in the current data segment in the lower layer protocol data unit or continues to the next lower layer protocol data unit. This information is needed in the receiver to correctly assemble the segmented data.
US07873074B1
The present invention provides methods and systems for managing bandwidth use in a VoIP network. More specifically, a user or enterprise may monitor the amount of voice bandwidth that is utilized throughout a period along with the total amount of bandwidth utilization. Based on a determined likelihood of exceeding a predetermined bandwidth allocation for a given period, the amount of voice bandwidth utilized on a per call basis is adjusted.
US07873065B1
A method, system, and apparatus are directed towards selectively concatenating data into a packet to modify a number of packets transmitted over a network based on a combination of network and/or send-queue metrics. In one embodiment, Nagle's algorithm is used for concatenating data into a packet. The concatenation may be selectively enabled based on heuristics applied to the combination of metrics. In one embodiment, the result may indicate that there should be a concatenation, or that data should be sent immediately, or that a current state for whether to concatenate or not should be maintained. The heuristics may include an expert system, decision tree, truth table, function, or the like. The heuristics may be provided by a user, or another computing device. In another embodiment, the concatenation may be enabled based on a conditional probability determined from the combination of metrics.
US07873063B2
In a cell management method and apparatus which can prevent a call loss generated in association with an increase of cell usage rate independent of a protection frequency bandwidth, cell usage rates of operating cells (at frequency Fo) are acquired. Narrower nonoperating cells (at frequency Fo) of the operating cell in which the cell usage rate indicates a high-load state are rendered an addition candidate and the operating cell is rendered a deletion candidate. A broader nonoperating cell (at frequency Fo) of the operating cell in which the cell usage rate indicates a low-load state is rendered an addition candidate, and the operating cell and other narrower operating cells belonging to the nonoperating cell are rendered deletion candidate. From among the nonoperating cells that are the addition candidate and the operating cells that are the deletion candidates, a nonoperating cell(s) to be switched over to an operating cell(s) and an operating cell(s) to be switched over to a nonoperating cell(s) is determined.
US07873045B2
An encapsulation packet is received as a sequence of parallel data segments. First information within the encapsulated packet is obtained based on second information indicative of a location of the first information within the encapsulated packet. The encapsulating header is modified based on the first information.
US07873044B2
Provided is a method for transmitting/receiving data in a communication system providing Multicast/Broadcast Service (MBS). The method includes, generating transmission data to be transmitted to a receiver; allocating the transmission data to a frame; setting a MAP message that includes information on a frame offset related to the frame; and transmitting to the receiver the MAP message.
US07873039B2
An enhanced optical line terminal (OLT) controller capable of providing traffic processing features. The OLT controller comprises an Ethernet switch operable in a stacking mode and being capable of mapping between Ethernet addresses and passive optical network (PON) addresses. The Ethernet switch is connected to a PON medium access control (MAC) adapter via a stacking port and being capable of processing Ethernet frames relayed on the PON network. The mapping information is kept by the Ethernet switch in a forwarding table.
US07873036B2
A method includes connecting a mobile router (MR), also referred to herein as a gateway mobile terminal, of a mobile network (MONET) to an access point (AP) of an access network (AN) that includes an Access Router (AR); making a request to obtain a plurality of link addresses from a link address manager of the AN; allocating individual ones of the plurality of link addresses to individual ones of network nodes of the MONET; and performing a neighbor discovery procedure with the AR to send at least one neighbor advertisement to declare the allocated individual ones of the assigned plurality of link addresses.
US07873031B1
Certain exemplary embodiments provide a method, comprising: receiving, at a subscriber interface line card, an analog signal from a POTS subscriber loop circuit; quantizing the analog signal into a plurality of digital samples; encoding the plurality of digital samples via codec instructions running on a digital signal processor installed on the subscriber interface line card; and converting, via conversion instructions running on the digital signal processor, the encoded plurality of digital samples to a plurality of VoATM packets.
US07873026B2
A scheduling method is provided for processing data in a communication system. The method includes performing downlink MAP (DL-MAP) decoding; generating a configuration table through the DL-MAP decoding; and processing data in a predetermined unit according to the generated configuration table.
US07873022B2
A wireless local area network (WLAN) transmitter includes a MAC module, a PLCP module, and a PMD module. The Medium Access Control (MAC) module is operably coupled to convert a MAC Service Data Unit (MSDU) into a MAC Protocol Data Unit (MPDU) in accordance with a WLAN protocol. The Physical Layer Convergence Procedure (PLCP) Module is operably coupled to convert the MPDU into a PLCP Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) in accordance with the WLAN protocol. The Physical Medium Dependent (PMD) module is operably coupled to convert the PPDU into a plurality of radio frequency (RF) signals in accordance with one of a plurality of operating modes of the WLAN protocol, wherein the plurality of operating modes includes multiple input and multiple output combinations.
US07873015B2
Redirection of mobile subscriber registrations using location information is described. In one embodiment, the invention includes establishing a data communications connection with a mobile station at a data communications network controller, receiving location information from the mobile station, and redirecting the mobile station to a different network controller based on the received location information.
US07873008B2
The present invention is directed to a method for setting a user equipment identifier as user equipment identification information used when data received through a dedicated logical channel is transmitted through a common transport channel. The method includes transmitting data and a message type indicator as user equipment identification information from a RRC layer to an RLC layer; setting a user equipment identifier indicator according to the received message type indicator in the RLC layer and transmitting it with the data to a MAC layer; and selecting a user equipment identifier type and a user equipment identifier according to the set user equipment indication identifier, adding it to a header of a MAC SDU in the MAC layer and transmitting it to a corresponding MAC layer in a receiving device.
US07873002B2
Implementations of systems and techniques for scheduling wireless transmission of data blocks between a base station (BS) and one or more relay stations (RSs) in a wireless relay communication network.
US07872988B1
Some aspects of the technology relate to the generation for test purposes of test packet ingredients by a microprocessor, ongoing with the generation for test purposes of test packets incorporating the test packet ingredients by a high-speed FPGA. Some aspects of the technology relate to the generation of outgoing test packets incorporating the test packet ingredients, at a programmable logic device such as an FPGA. These aspects are implemented as an apparatus, a method, computer readable medium, and a data structure.
US07872987B1
Some aspects of the technology relate to the generation for test purposes of test packet ingredients by a microprocessor, ongoing with the generation for test purposes of test packets incorporating the test packet ingredients by a high-speed FPGA. Some aspects of the technology relate to the generation of outgoing test packets incorporating the test packet ingredients, at a programmable logic device such as an FPGA. These aspects are implemented as an apparatus, a method, computer readable medium, and a data structure.
US07872985B2
A bidirectional communication system is provided. In one embodiment, a system comprises a host and a plurality of remote units, wherein a plurality of tones is shared among the plurality of remote units in order to communicate with the host using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing, wherein the plurality of tones is shared in a manner that permits at least two of the remote units to transmit to the host at any one time using the plurality of tones. The host causes at least one remote unit to adjust a timing of symbols transmitted on at least one of the plurality of orthogonal tones in order to improve an alignment of multiframes received at the host.
US07872984B2
To dynamically adjust at least one setting of an interface to a communications link in a system, in response to receiving an indication of a change in a characteristic of the communications link, a representation of potential solutions for parameters associated with the communications link is constructed. From the representation, at least one solution is selected from among the potential solutions, where the selected at least one solution specifies values for the parameters that define the at least one setting for the interface to the communications link.
US07872979B1
High-speed transceiver devices, such as GBIC-type transceivers, are accessed and addressed. Identification information (including manufacturer name, model, compliance codes) is placed in data fields of the transceivers. An algorithm checks each port in each module of a host system to determine if a transceiver is present. If a particular transceiver is present, then algorithms store the port address of the transceiver in memory and enable the transceiver to be read from or written to. Reading from the transceiver includes reading the identification information, and writing to the transceiver includes writing the identification information. If a transceiver is initially determined not to be present or if the reading/writing/enabling processes fail, then a recovery process determines if the transceiver was present the last time it was checked. If it was present the last time, then the process continues to try to recover the transceiver data—otherwise, the port is marked as empty.
US07872965B2
A computer system teams its network resources by apportioning each of the resources into one of two or more groups. One or more resources make up each of the groups having a link operative to be coupled together as a port trunk to a different one of two or more coupling devices providing connectivity between the system and a network. A unique layer2 address is assigned to each one of the groups. The one or more resources of each group are programmed to receive on their group's assigned layer2 address. A response is generated to a communication request received from the network. The responses specify one of the assigned layer2 addresses.
US07872964B2
A file transmission technique that does not make retransmission control complex even in a case in which a transmission error occurs is provided. A communication terminal executes a transmission job for transmitting an inspection indication file to the apparatus. When there is an error either in transmitting the inspection indication file or in receiving an inspection result file, the communication terminal executes a retransmission job after a predetermined time lapses. At this time, if there is a new transmission job generated for the same apparatus, the retransmission job is deleted. Alternatively, if there is a different retransmission job for the same apparatus, a retransmission job that has been generated first is deleted.
US07872959B2
A hybrid objective lens has a refractive lens and a diffractive optical element constructed by plural coaxial ring-shaped zones on at least one optical surface thereof. When n1, n2 and n3 each is a diffraction order of a diffracted ray having a maximum light amount among diffracted rays of each of first, second and third light flux having wavelength λ1, λ2 and λ3 when respective light flux comes to be incident into the diffractive structure respectively, the following formulas are satisfied: |n1|>|n2|, and |n1|>|n3|, and the hybrid objective lens converges a n1-th, n2-th and n3-th order diffracted ray of the first, second and third light flux onto an information recording plane of each of the first, second ant third optical information recording medium respectively so as to form an appropriate wavefront within respective prescribed necessary image side numerical apertures.
US07872952B2
An optical disk apparatus according to the present invention includes: a light emission section for emitting laser light; an optical system for irradiating the optical disk medium with the laser light; and an aberration control section for controlling aberration of the laser light. In one embodiment, the aberration control section repeatedly switches between a plurality of aberration setting states in a focus lock-in operation. In another embodiment, the aberration control section simultaneously sets a plurality of aberration setting states in a focus lock-in operation. As a result, a plurality of aberration setting states can be allowed to substantially coexist within a single optical system.
US07872951B2
An actuator capable of providing movement forces in a first direction, a second direction, and a third direction is provided. The actuator includes two sets of repelling permanent magnets and yokes, a focusing coil, a tracking coil, and a tilting coil. The repelling and attractive fields generated by the permanent magnets enable the coils to generate independent movements in three axial directions. The two sets of permanent magnets are placed in a repelling position, with a small space between the two magnets to generate a field whose magnetic forces repel and attract within the surrounding range. The focusing, tilting and tracking coils are engaged with the lens holder whose movements in the first, second and third directions are determined by the amplitude and direction of the electric current in the focusing, tilting and tracking coils respectively.
US07872943B2
A computer-implemented method of accounting for angle-dependent wavelet stretch in seismic data based on a novel relationship between wavelet stretch and the cosine of a reflection angle of an acoustic ray. Conventional seismic data having at least one wavelet, such as data generated from a reflection seismic survey, is accessed. The data is processed such that at least one wavelet is subject to angle-dependent wavelet stretch. A reflection angle for at least one wavelet is also determined. An operator is utilized to calculate a wavelet stretch factor for at least one wavelet based on the cosine of the corresponding reflection angle of the wavelet. The wavelet stretch factor is applied to the seismic data to account for angle-dependent wavelet stretch.
US07872936B2
In one embodiment, a memory system is disclosed. The memory system has at least one memory chip having an address and data interface coupled to an internal address and data bus, and a memory controller and interface chip also having a an address and data interface coupled to the address and data interface of the at least one memory chip via an internal address and data bus. The at least one memory chip, the memory controller and interface chip and the internal address and data bus are disposed within a common chip package. The memory controller and interface chip has an external interface configured to be coupled to a standard memory bus via external contacts of the common chip package.
US07872928B2
A write control signal generation circuit includes a delay/comparison/transmission block that outputs one of a delayed write command signal and a write command signal according to a test mode signal, and a control signal generation unit that generates a write control signal by delaying the output of the delay/comparison/transmission block corresponding to a variable amount of delay.
US07872924B2
Memories, multi-phase clock signal generators, and methods for generating multi-phase duty cycle corrected clock signals are disclosed. For example, one such clock signal generator includes a delay-locked loop having a first multi-tap adjustable delay line configured to delay a reference signal to provide a plurality of clock signals having different phases relative to the reference clock signal. A periodic signal generated by the delay-locked loop is provided to a second multi-tap adjustable delay line as an input clock signal. Clock signals from taps of the second multi-tap adjustable delay line are provided as the multi-phase duty cycle corrected clock signals.
US07872922B2
A memory system includes a nonvolatile semiconductor memory which includes a first original block composed of n (n being natural number) write unit areas and a first subblock composed of a plurality of write unit areas. A controller writes data having one of first to p-th (p being natural number smaller than n) addresses into the first original block. The controller writes data which has a first write address of one of the first to p-th addresses into the first subblock when the controller receives request to write data having the first write address and data having the first write address exists in the first original block.
US07872919B2
A semiconductor memory device includes a sense amplifier which senses identical multilevel data, which is stored in a memory cell, a plurality of number of times at a time of read, and a n-channel MOS transistor which has a current path one end of which is connected to the sense amplifier and the other end of which is connected to a bit line. The device further include a control unit which applies a first voltage to a gate electrode of the n-channel MOS transistor, thereby setting the n-channel MOS transistor in an ON state, and applies a second voltage which is higher than the first voltage, to the gate electrode during a period after first sense and before second sense.
US07872911B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods, devices, modules, and systems for non-volatile multilevel memory cell data retrieval with data read of reference cells. One method includes programming at least one data cell of a number of data cells coupled to a selected word line to a target data threshold voltage (Vt) level corresponding to a target state; programming at least one reference cell of a number of reference cells coupled to the selected word line to a target reference Vt level, the number of reference cells interleaved with the number of data cells; determining a reference state based on a data read of the at least one reference cell; and changing a state read from the at least one data cell based on a change of the at least one reference cell.
US07872906B2
A memory for which writing is conducted by using a unidirectional write current. Currents which differ in current pulse width are applied to a magnetoresistance element in a film thickness direction of the magnetoresistance element consisting of a first ferromagnetic layer having a fixed magnetization direction, a second ferromagnetic layer having a variable magnetization direction, a third ferromagnetic layer having a variable magnetization direction, a first non-magnetic layer located between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, and a second non-magnetic layer located between the second ferromagnetic layer and the third ferromagnetic layer, to reverse a magnetization direction of either the second ferromagnetic layer or the third ferromagnetic layer by using a spin-transfer torque.
US07872905B2
A method and apparatus for write enable and write inhibit for high density spin torque three dimensional (3D) memory arrays.
US07872904B2
A magnetic random access memory (MRAM) including multiple memory cells for forming an array is provided. Each memory cell has a magnetic free stack layer and a pinned stack layer. A magnetization of the pinned stack layer is set toward a predetermined direction. The magnetic free stack layer has a magnetic easy axis. Two magnetic easy axes of adjacent two memory cells are substantially perpendicular to each other.
US07872895B2
A semiconductor device including a large capacity non-volatile memory and at least one random access memory, said the access time of said device being matched to the access time of each random access memory. The semiconductor memory device is comprised of: a non-volatile memory FLASH having a first reading time; a random access memory DRAM having a second reading time which is more than 100 times shorter than the first reading time; a circuit that includes a control circuit connected to both the FLASH and the DRAM and enabled to control accesses to those FLASH and DRAM; and a plurality of I/O terminals connected to the circuit. As a result, FLASH data is transferred to the DRAM before the DRAM is accessed, thereby matching the access time between the FLASH and the DRAM. Data is written back from the DRAM to the FLASH as needed, thereby keeping data matched between the FLASH and the DRAM and storing the data.
US07872891B2
A technology that makes it possible to reduce fluctuation in operating voltage for operating the circuits formed in the core region of a semiconductor device is provided. This semiconductor device is so arranged that the core region is divided into multiple functional blocks and power can be supplied and this power supply can be interrupted with respect to each of the divided functional blocks. The core region formed in the semiconductor chip is divided into multiple functional blocks. A power switch row in which multiple power switches are arranged is disposed in the boundaries between the divided functional blocks. These power switches have a function of controlling the supply of reference potential to each of functional blocks and the interruption of this supply. A feature of the invention is that reference pads are disposed directly above the power switch rows. This shortens the wires coupling together the reference pads and the power switches.
US07872889B2
A content addressable memory device with a plurality of memory cells storing data words. Each data bit in the data words is set to one of three values of a first binary value, a second binary value, and a don't care value. An aspect of the content addressable memory device is the use of a single memory element and an access device in the memory cells. The memory cells are arranged such that each memory cell is electrically coupled to a single bit line, a single match line, and a single word line. The memory elements in the memory cells store low resistance states if the data bit value is the first binary value, high resistance states if the data bit value is the second binary value, and very high resistance states if the data bit value is the don't care value.
US07872888B2
An electric power conversion system includes a DC power supply, plural main circuit switching devices bridge-connected to carry out DC/AC convert, having freewheeling diodes connected in reverse parallel thereto, respectively, and a reverse voltage application circuit for applying a reverse voltage smaller than the DC power supply to each freewheeling diode, upon a cutoff of back-flow current of the freewheeling diode, the reverse voltage application circuit being composed of a series connection of a low-voltage DC power supply, a reverse voltage application switching device having a lower withstand voltage than the main circuit switching devices and adapted to turn on upon a reverse recovery of the freewheeling diode, and an auxiliary diode having a shorter reverse recovery time than the freewheeling diode, the reverse voltage application switch being a device having holes as a majority carrier.
US07872881B2
In one embodiment, a power supply includes a flyback transformer having a primary winding and at least two secondary windings. An output voltage is developed across a first one of the secondary windings. The power supply includes a transistor coupled to the first one of the secondary windings. The output voltage is regulated about a nominal output voltage by operating the transistor in a linear mode when current is flowing through the first one of the secondary windings and by operating the transistor in an off mode when current is not flowing through the first one of the secondary windings.
US07872879B2
A switched mode power converter is provided which includes a transformer (2) having a primary winding (2a) and at least one secondary winding (2b); a primary side active switch device (S1) coupled to the primary winding for selectively applying an input voltage to the primary winding; and a secondary side rectifier circuit including an output filter (6, 12) coupled to the at least one secondary winding (2), and first and second active switch devices (16, 14) coupled between the at least one secondary winding (2b) and the output filter. The switch devices are arranged such that each one is operable independently of the other to block current between the at least one secondary winding and the output filter in an opposite direction to the other. This facilitates better regulation of the converter and avoids the occurrence of voltage spikes encountered in existing configurations.
US07872873B2
A dual-personality extended USB (EUSB) system supports both USB and EUSB memory cards using an extended 9-pin EUSB socket. Each EUSB memory card includes a PCBA having four standard USB metal contact pads disposed on an upper side of a PCB, and several extended purpose contact springs that extend through openings defined in the PCB. Passive components are mounted on a lower surface of the PCB using SMT methods, and IC dies are mounted using COB methods, and then the components and IC dies are covered by a plastic molded housing. The extended 9-pin EUSB socket includes standard USB contacts and extended use contacts that communicate with the PCBA through the standard USB metal contacts and the contact springs. The PCBA includes dual-personality electronics for USB and EUSB communications.
US07872870B2
An electronic device comprises a printed circuit board, an electronic component mounted on the printed circuit board, a heat dissipation device dissipating heat generated by the electronic component and a plurality of wires on the printed circuit board. The heat dissipation device comprises a heat sink and a pair of fasteners securing the heat sink to the printed circuit board. Each fastener comprises a frame body having a gap defined at a top portion thereof. The wires in a form of a wire harness extend through the gap of the frame body and into the frame body.
US07872860B2
A portable apparatus includes an electronic device; and a fastening device detachably attached to the electronic device. The fastening device includes a cover comprising a hook for inserting in the electronic device; a pressing member capable of being movable locked and unlocked from the cover; a locking member fastened on the cover and engaged with the pressing member, and an activating member disposed on the cover for activating the pressing portion to unlock from the cover. The locking member includes an inserting portion for inserting into the locking slot to lock the hook in the electronic device.
US07872854B2
A semiconductor ceramic comprising a donor element within the range of 0.8 to 2.0 mol relative to 100 mol of Ti element contained as a solid solution with crystal grains, a first acceptor element in an amount less than the amount of the donor element is contained as a solid solution with the crystal grains, a second acceptor element within the range of 0.3 to 1.0 mol relative to 100 mol of a Ti element is present in crystal grain boundaries, and the average grain size of the crystal grains is 1.0 μm or less. A monolithic semiconductor ceramic capacitor is obtained by using this semiconductor ceramic. To form the semiconductor ceramic, in a first firing treatment to conduct reduction firing, a cooling treatment is conducted while the oxygen partial pressure at the time of starting the cooling is set at 1.0×104 times or more the oxygen partial pressure in the firing process. In this manner, a SrTiO3 based grain boundary insulation type semiconductor ceramic having a large apparent relative dielectric constant ∈rAPP of 5,000 or more and a large resistivity log ρ (ρ: Ω·cm) of 10 or more even when crystal grains are made fine to have an average grain size of 1.0 μm or less, a monolithic semiconductor ceramic capacitor including the semiconductor ceramic, and methods for manufacturing them are realized.
US07872840B1
In an ESD protection circuit for an EEPROM erase pin a snapback device is provided for discharging high ESD currents, whereas the snapback device is operated in active mode during low voltage electrical overstress and to discharge post ESD event current by connecting an RC circuit over the control electrode of the snapback device. In order to handle high voltage normal operating conditions the snapback device is deactivated once VDD is applied by pulling the control electrode to ground using a VDD controlled switch.
US07872837B2
A method and apparatus for providing a magnetic read sensor having a thin pinning layer and improved magnetoresistive coefficient ΔR/R is disclosed. A thin IrMn alloy pinning layer is disposed adjacent a composite pinned layer, wherein the percentage of iron in the pinned layer adjacent the thin IrMn alloy pinning layer in the range of 20-40% to provide maximum pinning.
US07872836B2
In a disk drive device in which low-density gas is sealed, embodiments of the present invention help to improve joint reliability at a solder joint section between a feedthrough and an enclosure with respect to stress applied by deformation due to changes in temperature environment in use. According to one embodiment, helium gas is sealed in an interior space of an HDD. A feedthrough is solder jointed to a feedthrough mounting surface of a base. At a part with relatively large thermal stress, a width of the feedthrough mounting surface is increased, and at a part with relatively small thermal stress, a width of the feedthrough mounting surface is decreased. This prevents a crack penetrating path from being generated at the solder joint section due to the thermal stress and prevents the solder joint section from contacting pins.
US07872832B2
A locking segment presses a slider towards a supporting member so that the slider is fixed to the supporting member. In the present invention, the slider is mechanically pressure-mounted to the supporting member without the use of an adhesive. This reduces the fluctuation of the distance between the slider and the supporting member. Accordingly, when a magnetic head is scanning a recording medium in a floating fashion, the floating distance of the magnetic head can be readily controlled within a predetermined range.
US07872826B2
Embodiments in accordance with the present invention provide a disk storage device and a control method for the disk storage device, which are capable of precluding an off-track write resulted from stick-slip caused by thermal distortion. A magnetic disk device is provided with a magnetic disk, a head that makes a writing to the magnetic disk, and a temperature sensor that detects the temperature inside of the magnetic disk device. Moreover, the magnetic disk device 1 changes determination requirements for use to make a determination whether or not to prohibit the writing by the head to the magnetic disk based on a measurement temperature detected by the temperature sensor and an amount of temperature change calculated using the measurement temperature.
US07872824B1
A disk drive is disclosed having a disk, and a head actuated over the disk, the head comprising a magnetoresistive (MR) element. Control circuitry within the disk drive sets an operating bias current for the MR element by computing a target voltage for the MR element, applying a bias current to the MR element, measuring a voltage across the MR element corresponding to the bias current, and adjusting the bias current applied to the MR element until the measured voltage substantially equals the target voltage.
US07872814B2
An optical device which makes it possible to reduce time for extending lens units while avoiding collision between lens units during a lens units-extending operation. A first-group barrel is driven by a DC motor. A second-group barrel provided rearward of the first-group barrel on the optical axis is driven by a stepping motor. Photointerrupters detect an intermediate position of the first-group barrel between its retracted position and its shooting position located forward of the retracted position. A control unit controls the DC motor and the stepping motor such that extension of the first-group barrel forward from the retracted position is started, and after the intermediate position is detected by the photointerrupters, extension of the second-group barrel is started.
US07872806B2
The invention relates to an electronic image pickup system whose depth dimension is extremely reduced, taking advantage of an optical system type that can overcome conditions imposed on the movement of a zooming movable lens group while high specifications and performance are kept. The electronic image pickup system comprises an optical path-bending zoom optical system comprising, in order from its object side, a 1-1st lens group G1-1 comprising a negative lens group and a reflecting optical element P for bending an optical path, a 1-2nd lens group G1-2 comprising one positive lens and a second lens group G2 having positive refracting power. For zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, the second lens group G2 moves only toward the object side. The electronic image pickup system also comprises an electronic image pickup device I located on the image side of the zoom optical system.
US07872804B2
Microparticles 8 includes an optical substrate 10 having at least one diffraction grating 12 disposed therein. The grating 12 having a plurality of colocated pitches Λ which represent a unique identification digital code that is detected when illuminated by incident light 24. The incident light 24 may be directed transversely from the side of the substrate 10 with a narrow band (single wavelength) or multiple wavelength source, in which case the code is represented by a spatial distribution of light or a wavelength spectrum, respectively. The code may be digital binary or may be other numerical bases. The micro-particles 8 can provide a large number of unique codes, e.g., greater than 67 million codes, and can withstand harsh environments. The micro-particles 8 are functionalized by coating them with a material/substance of interest, which are then used to perform multiplexed experiments involving chemical processes, e.g., DNA testing and combinatorial chemistry.
US07872801B2
The Fresnel lens sheet according to the present invention has a plurality of prismatic Fresnel lens elements including a Fresnel facet, a riser facet, and a top facet crossing the facet and the riser facet on an entrance surface. An angle of the top facet of each Fresnel lens element constituting the lens relative to the an exit surface, δ1, is determined so that an exit angle of the light that has entered each of the top facets and exits from the exit surface, β, is greater than 35 degrees.
US07872796B2
A light field microscope incorporating a lenslet array at or near the rear aperture of the objective lens. The microscope objective lens may be supplemented with an array of low power lenslets which may be located at or near the rear aperture of the objective lens, and which slightly modify the objective lens. The result is a new type of objective lens, or an addition to existing objective lenses. The lenslet array may include, for example, 9 to 100 lenslets (small, low-power lenses with long focal lengths) that generate a corresponding number of real images. Each lenslet creates a real image on the image plane, and each image corresponds to a different viewpoint or direction of the specimen. Angular information is recorded in relations or differences among the captured real images. To retrieve this angular information, one or more of various dense correspondence techniques may be used.
US07872794B1
An apparatus and that provide an optical-fiber amplifier having at least one erbium-doped fiber section and an optical pump coupled to the erbium-doped fiber section, wherein the apparatus is operable to amplify signal pulses to high energy in the erbium-doped fiber section, the pulses having a wavelength in the range of about 1565 nm to about 1630 nm. In some embodiments, the amplifying fiber is ytterbium free.
US07872788B2
A method of digitally processing light waves passing through a planar structure having given functions fin(x, y, ω) and fout(x, y, ω) and consisting of a light-propagating and distributing layer. This layer contains a plurality of interconnecting pattern elements of a holographic pattern and a plurality of planar optical elements arranged in a predetermined pattern on the aforementioned light-propagating and distributing layer. The method consists of calculating positions and shapes of the interconnecting pattern elements of the holographic pattern based on the aforementioned given functions by solving an inverse problem. The interconnecting pattern elements have refractive indices different from the refractive indices of the light-propagating and distributing layer and are manufactured on the basis of the results of the calculations. The aforementioned continuous function is digitized, and the obtained digitized planar holographic pattern is used for converting the function fin(x, y, ω) into the function fout(x, y, ω).
US07872783B2
An image reading apparatus includes a feeding unit, a conveying unit, a primary stacking unit, a secondary stacking unit, and a path switching unit. The path switching unit switches between a first conveying path including a bend section for normal conveying mode and a second conveying path for reverse conveying mode. In the normal conveying mode, the conveying unit conveys a sheet fed from the feeding unit to the primary stacking unit through the first conveying path. In the reverse conveying mode, the conveying unit conveys a sheet fed from the primary stacking unit to the secondary stacking unit through the second conveying path bypassing the bend section.
US07872782B2
An optical scanner has an oscillation-type optical scanning mechanism which includes a movable member which resonates at a predetermined resonance frequency, a drive signal generator which generates a drive signal for allowing the movable member to resonate at the resonance frequency, and an oscillation signal generator which generates an oscillation signal in response to a change of the radiation direction of the light beams. Here, the oscillation signal generator includes a dot clock generator which generates a dot clock which becomes the reference of time-series processing by setting a frequency of the oscillation signal as a reference frequency.
US07872774B2
An image processing apparatus executes the processing of updating control information kept in the controlling units included in it without suspending an on-going processing and delaying the execution of a new processing request with less power consumption. When the controlling units are in a sleep mode or in non-energized state, NIC determines whether or not updating of firmware kept in each controlling unit is necessary by communicating with the information delivery server. The NIC controls an energization switching circuit to start up exclusively the controlling unit keeping the firmware determined necessary to be updated and replaces the firmware kept in the started controlling unit with the latest version of firmware obtained from the information delivery server.
US07872768B2
An image forming apparatus that warns that a JOB fails to be pulled out is provided. Warning processes executed by a CPU of a printer that is one example of the image forming apparatus includes the steps of determining whether a JOB list is updated, setting a job counter JB_S_CTA for checking JOB at an initial value “1” and setting an upper limit counter JB_S_CTB at an upper limit value when the JOB list is updated, executing a failure-to-pull-out warning process if JOBs counted by JB_S_CTA belong to the same client, and incrementing the JB_S_CTA by “1”.
US07872757B2
Apparatus and method for increasing the sensitivity in the detection of optical coherence tomography and low coherence interferometry (“LCI”) signals by detecting a parallel set of spectral bands, each band being a unique combination of optical frequencies. The LCI broad bandwidth source is split into N spectral bands. The N spectral bands are individually detected and processed to provide an increase in the signal-to-noise ratio by a factor of N. Each spectral band is detected by a separate photo detector and amplified. For each spectral band the signal is band pass filtered around the signal band by analog electronics and digitized, or, alternatively, the signal may be digitized and band pass filtered in software. As a consequence, the shot noise contribution to the signal is reduced by a factor equal to the number of spectral bands. The signal remains the same. The reduction of the shot noise increases the dynamic range and sensitivity of the system.
US07872753B2
A method for establishing light reflection properties of a specific surface, by measuring, for a plurality of comparison surfaces, the r-tables in accordance with CIE standard recommendations, measuring, for the same plurality of comparison surfaces, a light reflection parameter for selected angles (γ) of incident light and angles (90°−α) and (β) of reflected light, using a ‘portable’ measuring apparatus, measuring in situ, on multiple measuring points of said specific surface, said parameter for said angles (γ), (α) and (β), using said ‘portable’ apparatus, comparing the angular distribution of said parameter for the specific surface with that for said comparison surfaces, to select the comparison surface showing the best distribution fit, optionally taking into account a rescaling factor on luminance coefficient Q0, and assigning to said specific surface the ‘r-table’ corresponding to said selected comparison surface, with said optional rescaling factor.
US07872752B2
Disclosed herein is a detection system for identifying an unidentified substance in a sample, comprising light emitting sources, where at least one of the light emitting sources emits light in the infrared region; a circuit board; a trigger, that activates a pulse of electrons from the circuit board to the light emitting sources; a detector; and a central processing unit, where fluorescence generated from the unknown unidentified substance that is illuminated by light from the light emitting sources is collected in the detector and analyzed in the central processing unit.
US07872745B2
A pattern inspection apparatus includes a light source configured to emit a pulsed light, a stage on which an inspection target workpiece is placed, a sensor, including a plurality of light receiving elements two-dimensionally arrayed, configured to capture a pattern image in a two-dimensional region of the inspection target workpiece which is irradiated with the pulsed light, by using the plurality of light receiving elements, and a comparing unit configured to compare data of the pattern image with predetermined reference pattern image data, wherein the stage moves to be shifted by a number of pixels, being the number of natural number times one pixel, between pulses of the pulsed light.
US07872744B2
An exemplary visual inspection apparatus for a flexible printed circuit board includes a frame, an inspection station, a control system, a roller system and a power system. The inspection station is disposed on the frame. The inspection station has an inspection surface for placing the flexible printed circuit board thereon for visual inspection. The roller system includes a first roller for unwinding a flexible printed circuit board therefrom and a second roller for winding up the flexible printed circuit board therearound. The power system includes a driving device and a braking device. The driving device includes a torque motor engaging with the second roller to drive the second roller to roll. The braking device includes a detent engaging with the first roller to stop rolling of the first roller. The control system electrically connects to the power system for controlling the power system.
US07872742B2
A surface inspection apparatus capable of acquiring scattered light intensity distribution information for each scattering azimuth angle, and detecting foreign matters and defects with high sensitivity. A concave mirror for condensation and another concave mirror for image formation are used to cope with a broad cubic angle. Since mirrors for condensation and image formation are used, a support for clamping the periphery of a lens is unnecessary, and an effective aperture area does not decrease. A plurality of azimuth-wise detection optical systems is disposed and reflected light at all azimuths can be detected by burying the entire periphery without calling for specific lens polishing. A light signal unification unit sums digital data from a particular system corresponding to a scattering azimuth designated in advance in the systems for improving an S/N ratio.
US07872736B2
An optical time domain reflectometry apparatus has a laser and light modulator for producing coherent light pulses, each having two sections of higher intensity separated by a gap of lower or substantially zero intensity. As the light pulses propagate along the optical fibre, light is continuously Rayleigh backscattered by inhomogeneities of the optical fibre. A photodetector generates backscatter signals representing the intensity of light Rayleigh backscattered in the optical fibre as each light pulse travels along the optical fibre. The PC uses these backscatter signals to derive a difference signal representing a change dI in intensity between signals generated from two successive pulses. The PC then calculates the Root Mean Square (RMS) of the difference signal averaged over the interval between the two sections of the light pulses. Next, the PC averages the backscatter signal generated from the first of the pulses over the same interval and normalises the RMS difference signal using the averaged signal to obtain a compensated difference signal that depends only on differences in the rate of change of phase of light of the light pulses as they travelled along the waveguide. This is repeated at different wavelengths to allow the compensated difference signal to be adjusted to represent the magnitude of the differences.
US07872731B2
A lithographic apparatus includes a polarization changing element including at least two wedge-shaped optically active members configured to rotate the polarization direction of at least a portion of the radiation beam with a predetermined angle with respect to the first direction and an optical propagation length adaptor associated with the wedge-shaped optically active members to adjust the predetermined angle.
US07872723B2
An LCD panel including a first substrate, a second substrate disposed above the first substrate, a plurality of signal lines disposed on the first substrate, and a plurality of sub-pixel sets arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate. Each sub-pixel set includes a plurality of sub-pixels electrically connected to the signal lines, each sub-pixel set has a spacer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and each spacer form a region in each corresponding sub-pixel set, wherein the area of the sub-pixel with the region is substantially greater than the area of other sub-pixels, and the effective display area of the sub-pixel with the region is substantially equal to the effective display area of other sub-pixels.
US07872717B2
A liquid crystal display device having vertical alignment films formed on pixel electrodes of a thin film transistor substrate and a common electrode of a common electrode substrate, and horizontal alignment films formed in a shape of plural belts on the vertical alignment films. The horizontal alignment film of the thin film transistor substrate and the horizontal alignment film of the common electrode substrate are substantially perpendicular to each other. Accordingly, a liquid crystal layer interposed between the two substrates includes a splay area, a homeotropic area, and hybrid area, wherein the hybrid area is disposed around the splay area and the homeotropic area. Since the hybrid area serves as an alignment transition seed, the liquid crystal molecules of the splay area can be easily changed to have a band alignment. Therefore, it is possible to decrease an alignment transition voltage and to enhance an alignment transition speed.
US07872714B2
The present invention provides a liquid crystal cell with a color filter having a transparent substrate and a color filter, where the retardation value Rth(B), Rth(G) and Rth(R) in the thickness direction, which is represented by the following formula (1) in the blue region, the green region and the red region of the color filter, satisfy the following formula (2) or (3): Rth=[{(nx+ny)/2}−nz]×d Formula (1) Rth(B)>Rth(G)>Rth(R) Formula (2) Rth(B)
US07872712B2
An array substrate for enhancing reflectivity, a method for manufacturing the same and display panel having the same are presented. The array substrate includes a plurality of gate lines, a plurality of source lines, a plurality of pixel portions, a plurality of switching elements and a plurality of pixel electrodes. The gate lines extend in a first direction. The source lines extend in a second direction across the first direction. The pixel portions are defined by the gate lines and the source lines. Each switching element is formed on a respective pixel electrode and is electrically connected to one of the gate lines and one of the source lines. Each pixel electrode is electrically connected to a respective switching electrode, and includes a concave pattern having a convex pattern in a central portion. The concave pattern having the convex pattern in the central portion enhances the reflectivity of the array substrate.
US07872709B2
An LCD device includes lower and upper substrates facing each other, a liquid crystal layer between the lower and upper substrates, a first polarizing plate on the upper substrate, a second polarizing plate below the lower substrate, and a backlight unit below the second polarizing plate. The second polarizing plate has a light-diffusion layer that is proximate to the backlight unit. The light-diffusion layer has projections that project towards and contact the backlight unit. These projections are smooth curves that do not damage the surface of the backlight unit. The total of the Haze formed by the first and second polarizing plates is at least 40%.
US07872704B2
A flat-panel display device comprises a display panel, a main surface of which is substantially a viewing area; a bezel cover formed of a metal frame, which covers a fringe part of the display panel; a touchscreen panel that is arranged to cover the viewing area of the display panel so that the bezel cover is sandwiched between the fringe part of the display panel and a fringe part of the touchscreen panel; and an outsert-molded resin part that is formed integrally on said metal frame, by outsert molding with a black resin material, and covers an inner fringe of said metal frame as well as its vicinity on a surface facing the touchscreen panel.
US07872703B2
A display module supporting structure including a display module having a circuit board carried on a rear surface thereof, a intermediate support members being interposed between a rear surface of the display module and an external support member for supporting the display module from the outside of the display module, the intermediate support members including first fixing surfaces fixed onto the rear surface of the display module, second fixing surfaces substantially parallel to the first fixing surfaces and formed in predetermined locations thereof with fixing portions for fixing the external support member, and connection surfaces interconnecting the first fixing surfaces and the second fixing surfaces and substantially perpendicular to the first fixing surfaces and the second fixing surfaces, and the intermediate support members being fixed to left and right locations on the rear surface outside the circuit board.
US07872700B2
A liquid crystal display includes a first substrate including a first electrode and a second electrode formed thereon, a second substrate including a third electrode formed thereon, wherein the second substrate is spaced apart from the first substrate by a gap, and at least one cutout formed in the third electrode, wherein the at least one cutout is aligned with a space between the first and second electrodes.
US07872697B2
A VA mode LCD obtains a wide viewing angle without forming cutouts or protrusions in the common electrode. A pixel electrode has a cutout; a direction control electrode overlaps the cutout; a first storage electrode overlaps the pixel electrode; and a second storage electrode overlaps the direction control electrode. The pixel electrode has plurality of partitions, each partition has two major edges that are parallel to each other. In the present invention, the electric field generated by the direction control electrode pre-tilts the LC molecules by maintaining the direction control electrode voltage with respect to the common voltage higher than the pixel electrode voltage with respect to the common voltage. The LC molecules in each partition receive horizontal components of electric fields that are substantially perpendicular to the major edges thereby sorting the LC molecules into four tilt directions and thus widening the reference viewing angle according to the tilt directions of the LC molecules.
US07872693B2
A touch substrate includes a transparent substrate having a first surface and a second surface facing the first surface, a plurality of thin film transistor elements disposed on the second surface, and a capacitance touch structure. The capacitance touch structure includes a plurality of parallel first conductive electrodes disposed on the first surface and a plurality of parallel second conductive electrodes disposed on the second surface. The second electrodes cross the first electrodes insulatingly. The first electrodes, the second electrodes and the transparent substrate sandwiched therebetween form a plurality of sensing capacitors.
US07872690B2
Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for decreasing a channel change time in a digital broadcasting reception terminal. Starting time information of at least one non-reference channel is selected. When the user selects a non-reference channel, broadcast data thereof is received by using the collected starting time information. The apparatus extracts time offset values between a starting time of a current reference channel and that of each at least one non-reference channel, and then obtains the starting time of each non-reference channel by using the extracted time offset values. When a channel change is performed, the starting time of the non-reference channel is established to receive broadcast data based on the starting time according to a corresponding time offset value. Hence, a time period required for a channel change is significantly reduced.
US07872689B2
A method of composite decoding in which the input signal is converted into the frequency domain, and the symmetry of frequency components with respect to the subcarrier frequency is compared. The comparison is varied in dependence upon the frequency being processed. In this way, the separation can be adapted to suit known characteristics of different portions on the input spectrum. This is particularly useful for processing NTSC signals. The allocation of a particular component to chrominance may be biased in dependence upon a measure of the luminance information of the composite signal at a corresponding spatial frequency.
US07872683B2
At least one object of the present invention is to provide a lens barrel, including: a fixed frame (21) having a fixed cylinder (21); a telescopic cylinder (22, 23, 24, etc.) configured to be accommodated within the fixed cylinder (21); a plurality of lens groups (11, 12) configured to be retained in the telescopic cylinder; a lens driving device (51, 52, etc.) configured to drive the plurality of lens groups along a optical axis of the telescopic cylinder between a collapsed position and an extended position; and two retractable lens groups (13, 14) configured to be retracted into the telescopic cylinder when the telescopic cylinder is in the extended position and configured to be retracted out of the telescopic cylinder when the telescopic cylinder is in the collapsed position.
US07872668B2
This document discusses, among other things, systems and methods for receiving a local input video signal, processing the video signal, and providing a processed video signal to a local digital television display panel. A communications port includes an Ethernet or other communications network connector for allowing access to the video signal processing system by a remote device. This allows a remote user to remotely diagnose, debug, and even modify operation of the video signal processing system. In certain examples, this involves downloading a Lua script that can take partial or complete control over operation of the video signal processing system from resident instruction code. In certain examples, the video signal processing system includes pipelined image analysis or processing stages. Video signal data intermediate to such processing, or the processed video signal being provided to the local display can be communicated to the remote user.
US07872666B2
The invention is related to a camera device (10) for CCTV applications. The camera device (10) comprises a sensor (12) comprising a lens (14) for monitoring the scene in front of the camera device (10). At least one polarizer element (16) is assigned to said sensor (12), the at least one polarizer element (16) being rotatably mounted with respect to said sensor (12), or said polarizer element (16) uses opto-electric effects.
US07872661B2
An image bearing structure includes an image drum including at least one slot, a plurality of ring electrodes formed on an outer circumference of the image drum, and a control board positioned within the slot of the image drum, and connected to the plurality of ring electrodes, to detect a defect of the ring electrodes. As a result, the image bearing structure detects a defect within a short time and without requiring a separate detecting device.
US07872660B2
An electro-wetting-on-dielectric printing system includes a drum and an electrode array disposed on a surface of the drum, which is made up of individually addressable electrodes and an ink-phobic coating overlaying the electrodes. Electrically charging a portion of the electrodes allows ink to adhere to a portion of the ink-phobic coating in proximity to the charged electrodes. A method for electro-wetting-on-dielectric printing includes selectively charging individually addressable electrodes within an electrode array, and passing the electrode array through an ink bath, wherein ink adheres areas proximate to charged electrodes to form an image. The image is then transferred to the substrate.
US07872659B2
A display has a modulator illuminated by an illuminator comprising an array of light sources. The array includes light sources of a plurality of colors. The light sources of different colors are individually controllable. Within each color, the light sources that illuminate different areas on the modulator are individually controllable. The display may provide a high dynamic range and a wide color gamut.
US07872653B2
This disclosure describes a variational framework for detail-preserving skinned mesh manipulation or deformation. The skinned mesh deformation occurs by optimizing skeleton position and vertex weights of a skeletal skinned mesh in an integrated manner. The process allows creating new poses and animations by specifying a few desired constraints for the skeletal skinned mesh in an interactive deformation platform. This process adjusts the skeletal position and solves for a deformed skinned mesh simultaneously with an algorithm in conjunction with the constraints. The algorithm includes a cascading optimization procedure. The mesh puppetry displays skinned mesh manipulation in real-time.The user interface will enable interactive design in creating new poses and animations for a skeletal skinned mesh, enabling direct manipulation of the skeletal skinned mesh to create natural, life-like poses, and providing automatic balancing and most-rigid constraints to create a puppet-like animation.
US07872652B2
The application programming interface operates in an environment with user interface software interacting with multiple software applications or processes in order to synchronize animations associated with multiple views or windows of a display of a device. The method for synchronizing the animations includes setting attributes of views independently with each view being associated with a process. The method further includes transferring a synchronization call to synchronize animations for the multiple views of the display. In one embodiment the synchronization call includes the identification and the number of processes that are requesting animation. The method further includes transferring a synchronization confirmation message when a synchronization flag is enabled. The method further includes updating the attributes of the views from a first state to a second state independently. The method further includes transferring a start animation call to draw the requested animations when both processes have updated attributes.
US07872639B2
Embodiments of the present invention enable an optical device to track on a diffusing surface over which a transparent and/or translucent and/or optically smooth surface is placed. Some embodiments are directed towards detecting when an optical device is lifted off the surface it was resting on. Embodiments also include a sensing system that detects the z distance (distance to the tracking surface) and improves image quality by improving the effectiveness of the optical sensor subsystem and/or the illumination subsystem at the detected z distance. Other embodiments include a system and method that enables an optical device to track on a transparent and/or translucent and/or optically smooth surface alone. This may involve dark-field imaging based on certain features (e.g., dirt) already present on the transparent surface. Alternately, this may involve creating features such as droplets, spreading dirt residue, and creating thermal spots, which can be used for tracking.
US07872638B2
Acceleration data representing accelerations in at least two axial directions which is output from an acceleration sensor included in an input device is obtained. Based on a shift of the acceleration data, a motion direction of the input device with respect to the direction of the acceleration of gravity acting upon the input device is determined. Motion data including at least the determined motion data is output.
US07872635B2
A system for detecting and recording eye-tracking data by presenting to an observer a display image with an area in focus surrounded by blurred areas. The observer may shift the focus area within the image by head movements which are wirelessly transmitted to a receiver and used to modify the displayed image. This system solves that part of the eye-tracking problem that is most critical for measuring cognitive processes.
US07872631B2
A backlit display with improved dynamic range. The disclosed display illuminates a pixel of the display at respective non-zero illumination levels during each of a first frame and a second frame and decreases the illumination level of the pixel during the interval between the first frame and the second frame.
US07872630B2
A liquid crystal display of the present invention facilitates grayscale level transition from a previous frame to a current frame, in such a manner that a modulation driving process section reads out, from one look-up table, corrected image data corresponding to a combination of image data of a previous frame and image data of a current frame and then outputs this corrected image data, irrespective of the ambient temperature. Meanwhile, a temperature circuit controls a heater so as to either stop the heating by the heater when a temperature of the liquid crystal panel exceeds a threshold value which is 1° C. through 1.5° C. higher than a target temperature, or start the heating by the heater when the temperature of the liquid crystal panel goes below a threshold value which is 1° C. through 1.5° C. lower than the target temperature, the target temperature being determined in advance to be in a range between 48° C. and 63° C. In this manner, it is possible to realize a liquid crystal display which is simple in circuit arrangement but can improve a response speed while restraining the degradation of display quality to be hardly recognizable for the viewer.
US07872629B2
A shift register circuit which stably operates with low electric power consumption and can realize a long life. In the shift register circuit constructed by connecting a plurality of fundamental circuits in each of which fundamental clocks of three phases are inputted to input terminals and is constructed by a gate line driving circuit, a timing control circuit, and a holding device control circuit, each of the gate line driving circuit and the timing control circuit has charging devices and holding devices. A node is stabilized by the timing control circuit.
US07872621B2
Disclosed herein is a color LED driver, which is capable of being implemented by a compact structure without a feedback structure and accompanying a small size and low cost, by directly connecting a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor to a driving current path of a color LED applied to an LCD backlight to compensate a characteristic variation of the LED due to a variation in a temperature. The color LED driver includes a driving constant voltage source 100 which supplies a predetermined driving constant voltage VD; a driving circuit 200 which converts the driving constant voltage VD of the driving constant voltage source 100 into a plurality of driving currents, for driving color LEDs, the plurality of driving currents including red LED driving current Ird, green LED driving current Igd and blue LED driving current Ibd; a temperature compensation unit 300 which compensates variations in the red LED driving current Ird and the green LED driving current Igd due to a variation in a temperature, among the plurality of driving currents from the driving circuit 200; and an LED unit 400 including a plurality of color LEDs which are turned on by the driving currents from the temperature compensation circuit 300 and the driving current from the driving circuit 200.
US07872615B2
An apparatus for driving a plasma display panel includes a first driver and a second driver and a first power supplier and a second power supplier for generating sustain discharge pulses having no negative (−) level. The first driver includes a first capacitor charged to a first voltage and is coupled to a power source for supplying a voltage Vs and a ground voltage. The first driver, coupled to one terminal of a panel capacitor, operates to alternately apply double the voltage Vs formed by the power source and the first capacitor and the ground voltage to the one terminal of the panel capacitor. The second power supplier, coupled to the power source and the ground voltage, includes a second capacitor charged to Vs. The second driver coupled to the other terminal of the panel capacitor operates to alternately apply double the voltage Vs formed by the power source and the second capacitor and the ground voltage to the other terminal of the panel capacitor. Here, one of the first driver and the second driver applies the ground voltage to the panel capacitor, while the other applies double the voltage Vs to the panel capacitor.
US07872609B2
A low-cost, compact circular waveguide array antenna which improves an antenna reflection loss characteristic and enables an improvement in radiation characteristics, particularly radiation gain. The circular waveguide array antenna includes feeding portions which feed electromagnetic waves to one ends of circular waveguides and radiation apertures which radiate the electromagnetic waves at the opposite ends. Each circular waveguide includes a conical horn, with a diameter of a feeding side aperture at the feeding portion end being a, a diameter of the radiation aperture being d, which is larger than the diameter a of the feeding side aperture, and an opening angle being 2α. If a wavelength of a central frequency of an employed frequency band is λ, then a value of α, which is half of the opening angle 2α, is set between 0.8×Arcsin(0.1349114/(d/λ)) and 1.2×Arcsin(0.1349114/(d/λ)).
US07872605B2
A wireless device includes a ground plane with at least two portions. On each of the at least two portions at least one connecting means is provided. The two connecting means are connected with an electric component for connecting the at least two portions of the ground plane. The ground plane is partially covered with an insulating material and the connecting means are given by a part of the ground plane which is not covered by any insulating material.
US07872600B2
The present invention relates to a low cost analog to digital converter (ADC) and a method for converting an analog signal to a digital signal. The method includes the steps of: outputting a pulse modulation signal according to a digital value; performing a low-pass filtering to the pulse modulation signal to obtain a pulse averaged voltage; mixing a first proportion of the pulse averaged voltage and a second proportion of a voltage under test to obtain a composite voltage; comparing the composite voltage with a threshold voltage and adjusting the first digital value such that the composite voltage approaches the threshold voltage; and performing a complement operation to the digital value to obtain an analog to digital value corresponding to the voltage under test.
US07872599B2
A loading stage for outputting an amplified differential output, including: a noise source inducing noises originally located in a first frequency band, and a first modulating device coupled to the noise source for modulating the noises into a second frequency band from the first frequency band.
US07872596B2
A method and apparatus for compressing data is described. A compressor builds a dictionary associated with the characters in the input string. A table in the dictionary is generated by looking backward from a current character being encoded in the input string to determine the last time the most recent one or more characters have occurred. The compressor determines whether the following characters at a point of encoding matches the next character being encoded.
US07872590B2
A system and method for providing expanded functionality from a remote control handset, wherein multiple command functions are effected by the actuation of a single key or control surface. A remote control handset is programmed to recognize the actuation of keys or control surfaces associated with multiple-functionality. In response to a standard actuation (such as the momentary depression of that key) of a multiple-functionality key, a primary remote control signal is generated by the remote control handset for purposes of controlling a first remote system or component. The remote control handset is further adapted to test for and recognize a non-standard actuation (such as double-clicking or prolonged depression) of a multiple-functionality key, and responsively generate a second remote control signal. This second remote control signal can be generated for purposes of providing and alternate command to same system or component that is controlled by the primary remote control signal associated with the actuated key, or to an completely separate system or component.
US07872585B2
A system and a method for operating an intruder deterrent system by which a smoke screen is generated in response to an intruder being detected, a smoke screen generator operatively linked to the intruder detecting. To achieve an intruder deterrent system that can operate for a longer period after interruption in the power supply, latent heat is stored in a heat storage, and smoke can be generated by transferring the latent heat from the heat storage to a liquid, which liquid is evaporated. The use of the heat storage has led to the unexpected result that the smoke generator can operate independently of power to the heating elements for a very long period.
US07872579B2
A structure for use in fabricating a security document or a document of value is provided. The structure includes an electronic device, an inset layer made at least in part out of fiber, a window within which the electronic device extends, at least in part, and an adhesive layer in contact with the inset layer.
US07872578B2
A system for providing security for an electronic device comprising an embeddable security device and a remote portable device. In operation, when the embeddable security device and the remote portable device are proximate to each other, the embeddable security component will not trigger an external alarm system. However, when the two devices are not proximate, the embeddable security device is configured to emit a signal that activates the external alarm system.
US07872577B2
A security system for monitoring a door movably disposed within a frame a lock adjustable between a locked configuration and an unlocked configuration and a lock sensor configured to generate a signal when the lock adjusts to the unlocked configuration. A door sensor is configured to generate a signal when the door displaces with respect to the frame and an alarm device is configured to provide an alarm. A control is coupleable with the lock and door sensors and is switchable between armed and disarmed modes. The control is configured to operate in the armed mode such that the control activates the alarm when the control receives the door sensor signal prior to a receipt of the lock sensor signal. Alternatively, the control switches to the disarmed mode when the control receives the lock sensor signal prior to a receipt of the door sensor signal.
US07872575B2
Homeland Intelligence Systems Technology “H-LIST” comprises nano-sensors embedded in a silicon substrate and etched/fused in a micro-fibered material. The silicon substrate is alloyed with miniaturized steel responsive to weapons, preventing bullet penetration and providing effective detection platform on an outfit. The outfit is operable for monitoring suspicious terrorist activities and for tracking biological and chemical gases, and explosives, including weapons of mass destruction and physiological conditions of personnel. Disclosed embodiments provide wearable detection apparatus comprising plurality sensors on an outfit configured to be worn by military personnel, an officer, a security officer, a bus driver, hostesses, Doctors, civil establishment hospital patients and the like, for protection and for sensing deadly gases, explosives, and physiological conditions in a defined area. A receptor is operatively configured and worn proximate to the outfit responsive detection signals. The receptor is communicatively connected to the sensors and operable for receiving/analyzing detection signal communications wirelessly indicative of the presence of a sensed agent, whereby detected signals are transported wirelessly to a central security monitoring station, providing communications to first responders. The communications could be reachable to backup security personnel or agents, prompting them to respond to the vicinity of the detection. The sensors are multifunctional and coded to recognize wavelike pattern of gases and explosives traveling through the wave. Embodiments provide the outfit and the receptor being operable to process the portion of the detection signal to determine the detection type and/or whether there is a concealed object by conducting a test in which a first characteristic of a first dielectric constant associated with a person is determined, and a second characteristic of a second dielectric constant associated with the concealed object and or weapons of mass destruction is determined to expedite data transmission and communication to first responders.
US07872573B2
An apparatus for providing location-specific alert information associated with an alert condition relevant to a geographical area may include a receiver adapted to receive transmissions comprising formatted text on a communication channel of a wireless bi-directional communication network; a peripheral device operable to indicate an alert condition, including displaying the formatted text; and a controller communicatively coupled to the receiver and the peripheral device. The controller is operable to monitor a communication channel of the network for the receipt of a transmission of location-specific alert information from a transmitter servicing a geographical area and to operate the peripheral device in response to the reception of the transmission of the location-specific alert information to display the formatted text. The location-specific alert information is broadcast within the geographical area by at least one transmitter of the wireless bi-directional communication network having communication channels and transmitters which are each positioned to provide communication services to specific geographical areas serviced by the communication network.
US07872565B2
When a movable barrier operator detects (101) a predetermined state with respect to a remote transmitter learning mode, the movable barrier operator can respond by temporarily requiring (103) at least a first programmer protection duration of time to pass before permitting the movable barrier operator to respond to a remote transmitter-sourced barrier movement control signal. By one approach this first programmer protection duration of time is longer than a loss-of-signal detection duration as characterizes the movable barrier operator.
US07872564B2
The invention relates to a magnetoresistive device formed to sense an externally applied magnetic field, and a related method. The magnetoresistive device includes a magnetoresistive stripe formed over an underlying, metallic layer that is patterned to produce electrically isolated conductive regions over a substrate, such as a silicon substrate. An insulating layer separates the patterned metallic layer from the magnetoresistive stripe. A plurality of conductive vias is formed to couple the isolated regions of the metallic layer to the magnetoresistive stripe. The conductive vias form local short circuits between the magnetoresistive stripe and the isolated regions of the metallic layer to alter the uniformity of a current flow therein, thereby improving the position and angular sensing accuracy of the magnetoresistive device. In an advantageous embodiment, the metallic layer is formed as electrically conductive stripes oriented at approximately a 45° angle with respect to an axis of the magnetoresistive device.
US07872560B2
A high-efficiency independent planar transformer comprises a pair of up-and-down symmetrical soft ferrite magnetic cores; a primary winding comprising at least one printed circuit board each having a multi-layer structure having at least two layers to form the inductor winding with at least four turns; and two secondary windings comprising at least two planar copper plates or two printed circuit boards. The primary winding and the secondary windings are electrically connected to the main circuit board via terminals. By means of the unique output structure, in the primary winding, two kinds of different output connection structures of the inductor winding can be formed by upward disposing the component side or the solder side of the printed circuit board. In the secondary winding, the inductor winding outputs in series and parallel connections can be accomplished by means of the output terminals or the short-circuit connection with the main circuit board.
US07872553B2
The invention relates to a magnetic bearing element having at least one annular permanent magnet (2, 3) that is surrounded by an annular binding band (5), which element is characterized in that the permanent magnet (2, 3) is divided at least one location (4) and spaced apart there.
US07872548B2
An antenna duplexer is provided, which can be built with a smaller size and lower height than ever without compromising out-of-band attenuation characteristic and isolation characteristic between a transmit terminal and a receive terminal. The antenna duplexer includes a transmit filter provided between an antenna terminal and the transmit terminal, and a receive filter provided between the antenna terminal and the receive terminal. The filters are enclosed by a package, in which a ground pattern for the receive filter is separated from other ground patterns.
US07872543B2
A bi-polar modulator that can perform quadrature modulation using amplitude modulators is described. In one design, the bi-polar modulator includes first and second amplitude modulators and a summer. The first amplitude modulator amplitude modulates a first carrier signal with a first input signal and provides a first amplitude modulated signal. The second amplitude modulator amplitude modulates a second carrier signal with a second input signal and provides a second amplitude modulated signal. The summer sums the first and second amplitude modulated signals and provides a quadrature modulated signal that is both amplitude and phase modulated. The first and second input signals may be obtained based on absolute values of first and second modulating signals, respectively. The first and second carrier signals have phases determined based on the sign of the first and second modulating signals, respectively. Each amplitude modulator may be implemented with a class-E amplifier.
