US07910352B2
An electrochemical immunosensor system with reduced interference, comprising: a first immunosensor that generates an electrochemical signal based on the formation of a sandwich between an immobilized antibody, a target analyte and a labeled antibody, wherein a portion of the signal arises from non-specific binding of the labeled antibody in the region of the first immunosensor, and a second immunosensor that acts as an immuno-reference sensor and generates a signal that is the same as or predictably related to the degree of non-specific binding which occurs in the region of the first immunosensor, and has an immunocomplex between an immobilized antibody and an endogenous or exogenous protein that is in the sample and that is not the target analyte.
US07910349B2
The present invention relates to novel JP170 like subtilases from wild-type bacteria, hybrids thereof and to methods of construction and production of these proteases. Further, the present invention relates to use of the claimed subtilases in detergents, such as a laundry or an automatic dishwashing detergent.
US07910329B2
The subject of the invention is the genomic sequence and the nucleotide sequences encoding polypeptides of Chlamydia trachomatis, such as cellular envelope polypeptides, which are secreted or specific, or which are involved in metabolism, in the replication process or in virulence, polypeptides encoded by such sequences, as well as vectors including the said sequences and cells or animals transformed with these vectors. The invention also relates to transcriptional gene products of the Chlamydia trachomatis genome, such as, for example, antisense and ribozyme molecules, which can be used to control growth of the microorganism. The invention also relates to methods of detecting these nucleic acids or polypeptides and kits for diagnosing Chlamydia trachomatis infection. The invention also relates to a method of selecting compounds capable of modulating bacterial infection and a method for the biosynthesis or biodegradation of molecules of interest using the said nucleotide sequences or the said polypeptides. The invention finally comprises, pharmaceutical, in particular vaccine, compositions for the prevention and/or treatment of bacterial, in particular Chlamydia trachomatis, infections.
US07910326B2
Novel isolated polynucleotides and polypeptides associated with the lignin biosynthetic pathway are provided, together with genetic constructs including such sequences. Methods for the modulation of lignin content, lignin structure and lignin composition in target organisms are also disclosed, the methods comprising incorporating one or more of the polynucleotides of the present invention into the genome of a target organism.
US07910317B2
It is generally accepted that salivary components are important for dental health, but till now no clear correlation has been found between one or more of said components and the onset of dental caries. The present invention relates to an assay method comprising analysing the presence and/or the content of the salivary soluble CD14 protein from a saliva sample of the individual subjected to examination; the absence of said protein from the salivary sample, or its presence in a reduced amount compared to a predetermined threshold value in caries-free individuals, is considered as a marker of susceptibility to developing caries and/or as a diagnostic element for the existence of ongoing carious lesions.
US07910316B2
This invention relates to a method for detecting in vitro a urothelial cancer, comprising measuring CXCL1 protein, or expression of a gene encoding the protein, in a biological sample from a subject, and to a kit for diagnosing a urothelial cancer comprising an antibody or nucleic acid probe, which is capable of binding specifically to the CXCL1 protein or a gene encoding the protein, respectively.
US07910312B2
Protective groups which may be cleaved with an activatable deprotecting reagents are employed to achieve a highly sensitive, high resolution, combinatorial synthesis of pattern arrays of diverse polymers. In preferred embodiments of the instant invention, the activatable deprotecting reagent is a photoacid generator and the protective groups are DMT for nucleic acids and tBOC for amino acids. This invention has a wide variety of applications and is particularly useful for the solid phase combinatorial synthesis of polymers.
US07910306B2
An improved method for recovering the protein expressed by open reading frame 2 from porcine circovirus type 2 is provided. The method generally involves the steps of transfecting recombinant virus containing open reading frame 2 coding sequences into cells contained in growth media, causing the virus to express open reading frame 2, and recovering the expressed protein in the supernate. This recovery should take place beginning approximately 5 days after infection of the cells in order to permit sufficient quantities of recombinant protein to be expressed and secreted from the cell into the growth media. Such methods avoid costly and time-consuming extraction procedures required to separate and recover the recombinant protein from within the cells.
US07910305B2
Compositions and methods are provided for screening for compounds that modulate insulin promoter activity. Vectors that express green fluorescent protein under the control of the human insulin promoter are introduced into mouse and human cells in which the insulin promoter is expressed in a glucose-responsive manner. Such cells are then used to screen for compounds that modulate insulin promoter activity.
US07910296B2
The present invention is a novel method of determining the average DNA methylation density of a locus of interest within a population of DNA fragments.
US07910292B2
The present invention provides a lithographic process for producing high aspect ratio parts from an epoxy-type negative photoresist comprising the steps of: (i) irradiating a prebaked masked epoxy-type negative photoresist on a substrate with light at a total energy density of from 18,000 to 35,000 mJ/cm2, (ii) post-baking the exposed photoresist at elevated temperature, and (iii) developing the exposed photoresist in a solvent, wherein no more than 15% of the energy density is contributed by light having a wavelength of 400 nm or less. The invention also discloses a reciprocating microengine (10) comprising a cylinder (14), piston (12) and crankshaft made by the process.
US07910281B2
Positive resist composition for thin-film implantation process and method for forming resist pattern
A positive resist composition for a thin-film implantation process of the present invention includes: a resin component (A) with an acid-dissociable dissolution inhibiting group, whose alkali solubility increases by the action of an acid; an acid generator component (B) which generates an acid by irradiation with radiation; and a compound (C) having a radiation absorbing ability, wherein said resin component (A) comprises a structural unit (a1) derived from a hydroxystyrene and a structural unit (a2) obtained by substituting the hydrogen atom in a hydroxyl group of said structural unit (a1) with an acid-dissociable dissolution inhibiting group, and said acid-dissociable dissolution inhibiting group contains an acid-dissociable dissolution inhibiting group (II) represented by the following general formula (II) as a main component.
US07910270B2
The invention includes reticle constructions and methods of forming reticle constructions. In a particular aspect, a method of forming a reticle includes provision of a reticle substrate having a defined main-field region and a defined boundary region. The substrate has a relatively transparent base and a relatively opaque material over the base. A thickness of the relatively opaque material of the main-field region is reduced relative to a thickness of the relatively opaque material of the boundary region. A reticle construction of the present invention can comprise a relatively transparent base, and a relatively opaque material over the base. The construction can have a defined main-field region and a defined boundary region, and the relatively opaque material of the main-field region can have a reduced thickness relative to the relatively opaque material of the boundary region.
US07910265B2
A reticle for use in a semiconductor lithographic system includes at least two separated reticle parts. Each part includes a pattern to be transferred lithographically to a substrate. At least one of the two separated reticle parts is independently replaceable.
US07910262B2
A solid electrolyte type fuel cell which incorporates a metal separator comprising a base material of a metal other than silver or a silver alloy which is plated with silver or a silver alloy. The fuel cell can achieve improved efficiency for electricity generation with no increase of the resistance of the metal separator, even when it is operated at a low temperature.
US07910258B2
A natural gas fueled, direct carbon fuel cell produces electricity and hydrogen. It adds to an existing direct carbon fuel cell a carbon dioxide injection port to the cathode compartment; a natural gas feed port to the anode compartment, a hydrogen extraction port from the anode compartment, and a carbon dioxide extraction port from the anode compartment. To improve hydrogen generation efficiency, the anode compartment may have a louvered baffle dividing the anode compartment into an ante-chamber and a main chamber. The louvered baffle preferably has an upper section with slats angled from bottom to top and a lower section with slats angled from top to bottom. A heat exchanger is preferably included to pre-heat natural gas feed from hot hydrogen effluent. A second heat exchanger is preferably included to pre-heat oxygen-containing gas with hot nitrogen and carbon dioxide effluents.
US07910255B2
A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack that receives a cathode feed gas and has an exhaust stream and a heat transfer stream flowing therefrom. A charge-air heat exchanger enables heat transfer between the heat transfer stream and the cathode feed gas. The charge-air heat exchanger also enables heat transfer between the heat transfer stream and the cathode feed gas to compensate for the adiabatic cooling effect. Furthermore, the charge-air heat exchanger vaporizes the liquid water to provide water vapor. The water vapor humidifies the cathode feed gas.
US07910252B2
A hydrogen supply system includes at least a hydrogen supply device for supplying hydrogen to a hydrogen storing device, and a hydrogen generating device producing hydrogen containing gas to be supplied to the hydrogen supply device. The hydrogen generating device produces the hydrogen containing gas by decomposing a fuel containing an organic compound, and includes a partition membrane, a fuel electrode provided on one surface of the partition membrane for generating hydrogen containing gas, a device for supplying a fuel containing the organic compound and water to the fuel electrode, an oxidizing electrode provided on the other surface of the partition membrane, a device for supplying an oxidizing agent to the oxidizing electrode, and a device for collecting the hydrogen containing gas directly from the fuel electrode.
US07910244B2
In a portable electronic device having a battery compartment and a removeable cover therefor, the battery compartment and cover are configured to accommodate batteries of at least two different sizes.
US07910240B2
Disclosed is an electrode, comprising a coating layer of crosslinked polymer, formed on a surface of electrode active material particles, while maintaining a pore structure formed among the electrode active material particles interconnected to each other in the electrode. A method for manufacturing the electrode and an electrochemical device comprising the electrode are also disclosed. The electrode, which comprises a coating layer of crosslinked polymer formed on the surface of the electrode active material particles, can improve the safety of a battery, while minimizing degradation in the quality of a battery.
US07910239B2
Disclosed are a battery module of which positive and negative electrodes can be readily discriminated from each other in a short time and a manufacturing process can be simplified, and a battery module using the same. A rechargeable battery includes: an electrode assembly including positive and negative electrodes, and a separator interposed between the positive and negative electrodes; a casing having an opened top face to store the electrode assembly; a cap assembly installed in an upper portion of the casing; an upper connection cap which has a female member and is fixed to the cap assembly; and a lower connection cap which has a male member and is fixed to a lower portion of the casing. The female member may be clinched to the upper connection cap, and the male member may be clinched to the lower connection cap.
US07910234B2
A magnetic recording tape includes an elongated substrate and a magnetic side. The magnetic side includes a support layer formed over the substrate and a magnetic recording layer formed over the support layer to define a magnetic recording surface opposite the substrate. The magnetic recording layer includes magnetic particles and a lubricant and supports a net uncompressed density of at least 30 MB/in2. The magnetic side has an extracted BET surface area of greater than 1.0 m2/g.
US07910228B2
The present invention provides for emissive materials comprising compounds of specific chemical structure, and electroluminescent devices comprising such emissive materials.
US07910226B2
The object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor layer formation material from which a semiconductor layer having a high carrier transport ability can be made, a method of forming a semiconductor element having a semiconductor layer having a high carrier transport ability, a semiconductor element formed by the semiconductor element manufacturing method, an electronic device provided with the semiconductor element, and electronic equipment having a high reliability. The semiconductor layer formation material includes a semiconductor material, porous particles each having a number of pores, and a dispersion medium, wherein the semiconductor material is existed in the semiconductor layer formation material in such a state that at least a part of the semiconductor material is filled in the pores of the porous particles. According to the semiconductor layer formation material it is possible to form a semiconductor layer having a high carrier transport ability can be made.
US07910225B2
This invention relates to low thermal expansion bondcoats for thermal barrier coatings. The bondcoats comprise: (i) an inner layer comprising an inner layer alloy of MCrAlM′, and (ii) an outer layer comprising an outer layer alloy of MCrAlM′, wherein M is an element selected from nickel, cobalt, iron and mixtures thereof, and M′ is an element selected from yttrium, zirconium, hafnium, ytterbium and mixtures thereof. The inner layer alloy is thermally sprayed from a powder having a mean particle size of 50 percentile point in distribution of from about 5 microns to about 50 microns. The outer layer alloy is thermally sprayed from a powder having a mean particle size of 50 percentile point in distribution of from about 30 microns to about 100 microns. The bondcoat has a thermal expansion of about 6.5 millimeters per meter or less between a temperature of from about 25° C. to about 525° C.
US07910208B2
Bicomponent fibers having a sheath-core morphology where the sheath is a thermoplastic polymer and the core is an elastomeric compound are made which can be continuously extruded from the melt at high production rates. The elastomeric compound comprises a coupled, selectively hydrogenated block copolymer having high flow. The block copolymer has at least one polystyrene block of molecular weight from 5,000 to 7,000 and at least one polydiene block of molecular weight from 20,000 to 70,000 and having a high vinyl content of 60 mol % or greater. The bicomponent fibers are useful for the manufacture of articles such as woven fabrics, spun bond non-woven fabrics or filters, staple fibers, yarns and bonded, carded webs. The bicomponent fibers can be made using a process comprising coextrusion of the thermoplastic polymer and elastomeric compound to produce fibers at greater than 800 mpm and having a denier from 0.1 to 50 g/9000 m.
US07910204B2
This invention relates to antimicrobial composites, films, labelstocks and labels. The antimicrobial composites comprise a mixture of (A) a terpolymer prepared from a mixture comprising (i) an olefin, (ii) at least one copolymerizable comonomer comprising ethylenically unsaturated organic acids or esters, vinyl esters of saturated carboxylic acids and mixtures of two or more thereof, and (iii) carbon monoxide, and (B) an antimicrobial composition which comprises at least one metal chlorite and at least one hydrophilic material capable of reacting with the metal chlorite when exposed to water. The composites which are described herein are useful in preparing films, labelstocks and labels which exhibit the desirable antimicrobial properties by providing a controlled release of chlorine dioxide gas over an extended period of time.
US07910200B2
A multilayer foam composite element whose total thickness d comprises at least three layers composed of an open-cell foam, where at least one of the internal layers has recesses and the two outermost layers have no recesses, wherein i) the volume of the recesses in the internal layer having recesses is from 20 to 70% by volume, and ii) the thickness of the layer having recesses is from 20 to 80% of the total thickness d.
US07910196B2
An embossed multi-ply fibrous structure product having enhanced quilted appearance comprising: two or more plies of fibrous structure wherein at least one of the piles has a plurality of embossments thereon having a total embossment area of from about 6% to about 16%; the embossments forming a latticework defining a plurality of unembossed cells; wherein each cell has a surface area of from about 0.5 square inches to about 6 square inches, the cells being unadhered to the adjacent ply and the embossments having a height from about 350 μm to about 1,500 μm. Further embodiment comprise a product having a Percent Compressibility from about 1.5% to about 4.5%.
US07910193B2
Negative Poisson's ratio (NPR) or auxetic structures, including three-dimensional auxetic structures, are disclosed and applied to various applications. One such structure comprises a pyramid-shaped unit cell having four base points A, B, C, and D defining the corners of a square lying in a horizontal plane. Four stuffers of equal length or different lengths extend from a respective one of the base points to a point E spaced apart from the plane. Four tendons of equal length or different lengths, but less than that of the stuffers, extend from a respective one of the base points to a point F between point E and the plane. In three-dimensional configurations, a plurality of unit cells are arranged as tiles in the same horizontal plane with the base points of each cell connected to the base points of adjoining cells, thereby forming a horizontal layer. A plurality of horizontal layers are then stacked with each point E of cells in one horizontal layer being connected to a respective one of the points F of cells in an adjacent layer. Particularly for typical applications, the structure may further including a pair of parallel plates made sandwiching a plurality of horizontal layers of unit cells.
US07910187B2
Methods of making adhesive articles providing air egress by supplying a route for the air to flow out from under the construction are described. One method includes providing a release liner comprising a moldable layer having a release surface and a back surface; applying a first pattern of a first non-adhesive material to a first portion of the release surface; applying a second pattern of a second non-adhesive material to a second portion of the release surface, wherein the second pattern partially overlaps the first pattern; embedding at least one of the first or second non-adhesive materials into the moldable layer, and transferring an adhesive layer having a front and back surface and end edges onto the release liner, wherein the front surface of the adhesive layer is adhered to the release surface of the release liner.
US07910184B2
A plastic container having curved surfaces and digital printing is disclosed. An embodiment of the container provides a hollow plastic container including a multiple color, single-cured digital image on a first curved surface having a non-constant radius of curvature, and a second curved surface having a non-constant radius of curvature that is spaced from the first curved surface, such that the first and second curved surfaces are on opposed surfaces.
US07910181B2
Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods for manufacturing complex, anisotropic materials with desirable properties for information storage, processing, and display. Certain of these methods involve employing a magnetic field during manufacture to induce desired orientations of precursors, subunits, and/or molecular subassemblies. The applied magnetic field steers the precursors, subunits, and/or molecular subassemblies into desirable orientations while the precursors, subunits, and/or molecular subassemblies are assembled or self-assemble into a complex, anisotropic material. One embodiment of the present invention is a class of new, complex, well-ordered, network-like materials that include a ferromagnetic-material-based framework in which organic and/or organometallic compounds are organized. The ferromagnetic-molecule-based framework provides a scaffold for assembling the stable, precisely separated layers of organic and/or organometallic compounds and maintaining the layers of organic and/or organometallic compounds in well-ordered, anisotropic arrangements. Additional embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods for manufacturing the new ferromagnetic-molecule-based, network-like materials.
US07910178B2
A liquid crystal display device which is capable of further decreasing the cost of production yet obtaining a good liquid crystal alignment, and a method of producing the same. The liquid crystal display device comprises a pair of substrates arranged facing each other; a liquid crystal sealed between the substrates; and an ultraviolet ray-cured product for controlling the alignment of the liquid crystal. The ultraviolet ray-cured product is formed near the interfaces to the substrates by polymerizing a polymerizable component mixed in the liquid crystal with light. The polymerizable component contains a polyfunctional monomer having a symmetrical structure, and the ultraviolet ray-cured product has a side-chain structure.
US07910175B2
A coating of an encapsulated electrophoretic medium is formed on a substrate (106) by dispersing in a fluid (104) a plurality of electrophoretic capsules (102), contacting at least a portion of a substrate (106) with the fluid (104); and applying a potential difference between at least a part of the portion of the substrate (106) contacting the fluid (104) and a counter-electrode (110) in electrical contact with the fluid (104), thereby causing capsules (102) to be deposited upon at least part of the portion of the substrate (106) contacting the fluid (102). Patterned coatings of capsules containing different colors may be deposited in registration with electrodes using multiple capsule deposition steps. Alternatively, patterned coatings of capsules may be formed by applying a fluid form of an electrophoretic medium to a substrate, and applying a temporally varying voltage between an electrode and the substrate. The process may be repeated to allow for deposition of full color displays.
US07910169B2
Non-aqueous, liquid coating compositions which contain at least one epoxy-functional polyurethane resin A and at least one carboxyl-functional cross-linking component B, wherein the at least one epoxy-functional polyurethane resin A is present as particles having a melting temperature of 40 to 180° C.
US07910164B2
Provided are bifunctional magnetic core-semiconductor shell nanoparticles and a manufacturing method thereof. The method includes mixing magnetic core material precursors and a reducing agent for the core material precursors; preparing a first mixture solution; heating and cooling the first mixture solution and preparing magnetic core materials; mixing the magnetic core materials with semiconductor shell material precursors and a reducing agent for the semiconductor shell material precursors; preparing a second mixture solution; and heating and cooling the second mixture solution and coating the magnetic core materials with the semiconductor shell materials.
US07910161B2
This manufacturing device for an optical disc includes: a disc-supporting base on which a disc substrate is mounted; a pin-shaped member arranged at a center of the disc-supporting base, and is movable in the vertical in a center hole of the disc substrate; and a capping member which is slidably placed on a top of the pin-shaped member, and closes the center hole of the disc substrate, wherein when the capping member placed on the top of the pin-shaped member is lowered such that a back face of the capping member contacts an around of the center hole of the disc substrate mounted on the disc-supporting base, the capping member slides on the top of the pin-shaped member.
US07910148B2
A method and apparatus for beating and rolling a fermented dough belt between rolling members to release surplus fermentation gases in the dough belt has a first rolling member having a plurality of rolling rollers. Each rolling roller of the plurality moves sequentially upstream from downstream and beats and rolls the dough belt. A second large diameter conveying rolling member conveys and moves the dough belt between the first and the second rolling members.
US07910139B2
Compositions for the treatment of the affections of the oral cavity and upper respiratory tract include anthocyanosides, procyanidins and phloroglucinols. The anthocyanosides are derived from Vaccinium myrtillus extract, the procyanidins are derived from a Vitus vinifera extract, a Camellia sinensis extract or from other edible plants containing procyanidins, and the phloroglucinols are derived from Hypericum spp., Myrtus spp. or Humulus lupulus extracts.
US07910126B2
The present invention is directed to flexible, compressed intravaginal rings comprising a substantially homogeneous compressed mixture comprising a polymethacrylate, a plasticizer, and an active agent, and methods of making and using the same, and apparatus for making the same.
US07910116B2
Methods for treating gastric disorders, such as GERD and delayed gastric emptying, by intramuscular administration of a botulinum toxin to a head, neck and/or shoulder muscle of a patient with a gastric disorder.
US07910114B2
The present invention provides methods of treating a human or other mammal infected with a parasitic microorganism by administering an effective amount in unit dosage form of a C8-C16-alpha, beta-unsaturated aliphatic aldehyde, such as trans-2-dodecenal, to the human or other mammal. The parasitic microorganisms may include trypanosomes, bacteria, fungi and nematodes.
US07910112B2
The present invention encompasses influenza vaccines, in particular avian influenza vaccines. The vaccine may be a recombinant poxvirus vaccine or an inactivated vaccine. The invention also encompasses recombinant poxvirus vectors encoding and expressing avian influenza antigens, epitopes or immunogens which can be used to protect animals, in particular felids, against avian influenza.
US07910103B2
B-cell malignancies, such as the B-cell subtype of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, are significant contributors to cancer mortality. The response of B-cell malignancies to various forms of treatment is mixed. Traditional methods of treating B-cell malignancies, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, have limited utility due to toxic side effects. Immunotherapy with anti-CD20 antibodies have also provided limited success. The use of antibodies that bind with the CD22 or CD19 antigen, however, provides an effective means to treat B-cell malignancies such as indolent and aggressive forms of B-cell lymphomas, and acute and chronic forms of lymphatic leukemias. Moreover, immunotherapy with anti-CD22 and/or anti-CD19 antibodies requires comparatively low doses of antibody protein, and can be used effectively in multimodal therapies.
US07910094B2
The invention relates to vWF cleaving entities having a molecular weight of 180 kD, 170 kD, 160 kD, 120 kD or 110 kD and an N-terminal amino acid sequence of AAGGILHLELLV, vWF cleaving complexes and methods for their production.
US07910090B2
The present invention provides a base composition that allows for the formulation of non-irritating cosmetic and/or dermatological compositions. The base composition includes one or more of electrolyte, buffer, mild preservative, lubricant, or any combinations thereof. It is preferred that one or more of the above components are eye-safe and/or eye-compatible. The present invention also provides photoprotective cosmetic and/or dermatological compositions that include the base composition and one or more sunscreen active components and are non-irritating to mammalian eyes.
US07910085B2
The process for production of iron oxyhydroxide particles according to the invention is characterized by comprising a step (A) in which a suspension containing iron(II) is prepared, and a step (B) in which fine bubbles with diameters of 0.05-500 μm are generated in the suspension to form a reaction mixture, and the iron(II) in the reaction mixture is oxidized by the bubbles to produce iron oxyhydroxide particles.
US07910071B2
Disclosed is an optimized process and apparatus for more efficiently and economically carrying out the liquid-phase oxidation of an oxidizable compound. Such liquid-phase oxidation is carried out in a bubble column reactor that provides for a highly efficient reaction at relatively low temperatures. When the oxidized compound is para-xylene and the product from the oxidation reaction is crude terephthalic acid (CTA), such CTA product can be purified and separated by more economical techniques than could be employed if the CTA were formed by a conventional high-temperature oxidation process.
US07910068B2
Methods and systems for the synthesis of alcohol are described herein. The methods and systems incorporate the novel use of a high shear device to promote dispersion and solubility of olefins in water. The high shear device may allow for lower reaction temperatures and pressures and may also reduce reaction time. In an embodiment, a method of making an alcohol comprises introducing an olefin into a water stream to form a gas-liquid stream. The method further comprises flowing the gas-liquid stream through a high shear device so as to form a dispersion with gas bubbles having a mean diameter less than about 1 micron. In addition, the method comprises contacting the gas-liquid stream with a catalyst in a reactor to hydrate the olefin gas and form an alcohol.
US07910066B2
A plate platform having a visual indicator that allows the user to track his or her progress in loading the platform wells is generally disclosed. The plate platform is constructed from a substantially transparent base having a plurality of elongated bore-holes internally from the side surface in the substantially transparent base. The substantially transparent base defines a non-transparent portion on the top surface extending from the side surface to an area configured to receive the well plate. A slide bar is positioned slideably positioned within each elongated bore-hole of the substantially transparent base. Each slide bar defines a marked surface that is visible through the substantially transparent base but not through the non-transparent portion. The marked surface comprises a row label, a column label, and a well marker.
US07910065B2
Chemical reactions occurring within a living cell are measured in a manner that does not affect the viability of the cell or the reaction under study. In one embodiment, one or more sensors are introduced into the cell and/or covalently associated with the exterior cell membrane. The sensor(s) emit an observable signal indicating a value of a parameter associated with the chemical reaction, e.g., the concentration of a reaction product. Because cell viability is not compromised, the cell may be stimulated (e.g., by subjection to an agonist or antagonist, a pathogen, a pharmaceutical compound, or a potential toxin) so as to affect the reaction under study.
US07910057B2
This invention deals with a process for treating and sanitizing animal habitats. In addition to sanitizing the habitat the production of ammonia and odor from fecal matter and urine is inhibited or terminated. In the process an animal habitat is cleaned and subsequently treated with trichloromelamine (TCM). The TCM may be applied by spraying the habitat with a solution of TCM, by dusting the habitat with powdered TCM or by treating bedding/litter with TCM. This process produces healthier animals and as such the productivity of a given grow out is increased. The process of this invention is particularly suited to animal habitats which are used to raise batches of hogs, cattle, turkeys and chickens on a continuing basis. The process of this invention further reduces the bacteria count of the animal habitat.
US07910049B2
In a system for processing metal, a furnace is provided which receives the metal being processed. At least one heating burner is provided in the furnace together with at least one atmosphere burner of substantially a same construction as the heating burner. An exhaust of the atmosphere burner at least partially provides an atmosphere within the furnace for the metal processing. An exhaust of the heating burner is separate from the exhaust of the atmosphere burner. A fuel feed for the atmosphere burner and a fuel feed for the heating burner are each separately controllable.
US07910045B2
The invention relates to an arrangement for inductively heating an electrical conductor after the extrusion head in a process of manufacturing electrical cables (8) having insulation layer on the electrical conductor. The arrangement comprises a first distinctive part having induction means (5), and a second distinctive part having guide means (4) and provided in a splice box (3) for directing the magnetic field created with the induction means (5) to protect external parts from heating.
US07910040B2
A composite bipolar plate for a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is prepared as follows: a) compounding vinyl ester and graphite powder to form bulk molding compound (BMC) material, the graphite powder content ranging from 60 wt % to 95 wt % based on the total weight of the graphite powder and vinyl ester, wherein carbon fiber 1-20 wt %, modified organo clay or noble metal plated modified organo clay 0.5-10 wt %, and one or more conductive fillers selected form: carbon nanotube (CNT) 0.1-5 wt %, nickel plated carbon fiber 0.5-10 wt %, nickel plated graphite 2.5-40 wt %, and carbon black 2-30 wt %, based on the weight of the vinyl ester resin, are added during the compounding; b) molding the BMC material from step a) to form a bipolar plate having a desired shaped at 80-200° C. and 500-4000 psi.
US07910029B2
A control method of injection molding includes the steps of: filling molten resin in an injection molding die by velocity control until a detection value of a filling pressure of the molten resin reaches a first set pressure value; filling the molten resin by switching control from the velocity control to pressure control by which the control is performed at the first set pressure value at a time point when the detection value of the filling pressure reaches or exceeds the first set pressure value; and switching the control to holding pressure control by which the control is performed at a second set pressure value at a time point when the filling velocity drops to or below a set velocity while filling is performed by the pressure control.
US07910018B2
Liquid crystal compounds of Formula (I) for use in liquid crystal devices contains a dioxatetralin unit within the mesogenic liquid crystal core. The dioxatetralin unit may be located at any position within the mesogenic core of the liquid crystal compound, either at the terminus of the liquid crystal core or alternatively substantially in the middle of the liquid crystal core. The compounds of the invention exhibit fast switching and may be used in liquid crystal mixtures for particular use in imaging or display media, such as monitors or televisions.
US07910012B2
A composition is provided. The composition may include a reaction product of a first composition having two or more anhydride moieties, a second composition having two or more hydroxyl moieties, and a third composition having at least one aziridine moiety. A method for forming a membrane from the composition is provided. A membrane formed from the composition is provided. Devices that include the membrane are provided, also.
US07910009B1
An apparatus and method for treatment of water borne oxidized contaminants, using hydrogen as an electron donor for denitrification and reduction of other oxidized contaminants. Preliminary results reported here show that a biofilm of autotrophic denitrifiers accumulates rapidly in the wastewater setting, the MBfR can drive NO3− concentrations below 1 mgN/L, and the H2 pressure controls the NO3− flux.
US07910002B2
The invention refers to method for selectively binding and separating at least one component from whole blood or a body fluid, whereby the blood or body fluid is allowed to pass through a rigid integral separation matrix without being excluded therefrom. The matrix has a porous structure with a pore size ranging from 5 micron to 500 micron as well as an active surface ranging from 0.5 cm2 to 10 m2, and the surface is able to bind such components.
US07909996B2
The present invention discloses a nano-granule fuel oil, which substantially contains no granule greater than 10 nm. This nano-granule fuel oil can be obtained by treating conventional fuel oils under a magnetic field with a air gap magnetic field intensity of at least 8000 Gauss and a magnetic field gradient of at least 1.5 tesla/cm. The nano-granule fuel oil of the present invention significantly improves the combustion degree of fuel oil as compared with the conventional fuel oils. Its application can considerably economize fuel oil and reduce the emissions of CO and the like in tail gas.
US07909992B2
A separation apparatus comprising, a series of compartments for holding particulate separation material, arranged so as to allow fluid to flow through the compartments in a primary direction from a first compartment in the series to a last compartment in the series, feed means for directing a flow of the fluid into the first of the series of compartments in the primary direction, barrier means for preventing flow of particulate separation material between compartments in the primary direction, and a pumping assembly arranged to pump a mixture of the particulate separation material and the fluid from the first compartment into a recovery stage.
US07909991B2
A device for skimming the surface of the water in a swimming pool or the like, in a single, generally sweeping motion and thereby collecting most all of the debris floating on or near the surface of the pool into one spot where it may be lifted and removed from the pool. The system incorporates a long rectangular section of netting that is wound onto a cylindrical reel and contained on a vertically oriented cylindrical axel. The cylindrical axel and reel are mounted by brackets or weights to the side of the pool. The cylindrically wound netting may be drawn out from the fixed cylinder mounted on the side of the pool through a slot in a pivoting debris deflector positioned on the same cylindrical axel. One end of the long rectangular section of netting may be fixed to a second smaller cylinder or pipe which serves to keep the net from being drawn completely into the enclosure comprising the cylindrical reel. A handle may be inserted into the smaller cylinder or pipe to allow the user to withdraw the end of the net from the cylinder and direct the extension of the net out around the edge of the pool in a progressive fashion. As the long rectangular net is extended and the end is carried about the edge of the pool, debris collects to a single point as the end of the net is finally brought back to the fixed cylindrical reel location. The cylindrical device is positioned so as to extend vertically across the horizontal water line in the pool in such a manner that some part of the net extends below the water while some part of the net extends above. The cylindrical reel is preferably spring loaded, such that as the net is withdrawn, spring tension tends to hold and draw the net back as the end progresses about the edge of the pool. Various stops and cleaning mechanisms positioned on the debris deflector component of the cylindrical reel facilitate the collection of debris and prevent the debris from being pulled into the cylindrical reel upon retraction of the net.
US07909988B2
One exemplary embodiment can be a process for facilitating a transfer of a metal catalyst component from at least one donor particle to at least one recipient particle in a catalytic naphtha reforming unit. The process can include transferring an effective amount of the metal catalyst component from the at least one donor particle to the at least one recipient particle under conditions to effect such transfer to improve a conversion of a hydrocarbon feed.
US07909978B2
A method of making an integrated circuit including a composition of matter for electrodepositing of chromium is disclosed. One embodiment provides a bath having a solution of a chromium salt in a substantially anhydrous organic solvent, to uses of certain chromium salts for electrodepositing and to processes for electrodepositing chromium.
US07909973B2
A microfabricated device employing a bridging membrane and methods for electrokinetic transport of a liquid phase biological or chemical material using the same are described. The bridging membrane is deployed in or adjacent to a microchannel and permits either ionic current flow or the transport of gas species, while inhibiting the bulk flow of material. The use of bridging membranes in accordance with this invention is applicable to a variety of processes, including electrokinetically induced pressure flow in a region of a microchannel that is not influenced by an electric field, sample concentration enhancement and injection, as well as improving the analysis of materials where it is desired to eliminate electrophoretic bias. Other applications of the bridging membranes according to this invention include the separation of species from a sample material, valving of fluids in a microchannel network, mixing of different materials in a microchannel, and the pumping of fluids.
US07909955B2
Each printed sheet product includes a core of flexible, microvoided polymer sheet material and a planar RFID assembly encoded with a unique electro/magnetic code permanently and integrally joined together with the core. The microvoided sheet material collapses around the core so the sheet product remains planar. Scoring defines one or more individual identification elements removable from a remainder of the sheet product that include at least a first element with RFID assembly but only part of the core. A separate magnetic strip storing its own unique data magnetically can be provided on the first removable element even at least partially overlying the RFID assembly for independent identification operation.
US07909953B2
A first carcass ply (3) is formed by depositing onto a toroidal support (11), strip-like lengths (13) cut to size from a continuous strip-like element and each comprising longitudinal thread-like elements (14) incorporated into a layer of elastomer material (17). The strip-like lengths are laid down sequentially in mutual circumferential side by side relationship, to form side portions (25) partly superposed on each other and crown portions (24) in mutual circumferential side by side relationship. Associated with the carcass ply (3) are annular structures (4) comprising a first and a second circumferentially inextensible annular inserts (27, 28) and an elastomer filling (29) interposed therebetween. A second carcass ply (31) is made in superposed position to the first carcass ply (3) and the annular structures (4). A belt structure (5), a tread band (8) and sidewalls (9) are combined with the carcass structure (2) thus formed, to define a tire (1) to be vulcanized.
US07909935B2
The present invention is directed to a method of cleaning an interior surface of a fluid delivery system. The method comprises introducing a first liquid into the fluid delivery system and contacting the interior surface with the first liquid; forming a slurry by introducing a particulate into the first liquid and contacting the interior surface with the slurry; introducing a second liquid into the fluid delivery system and contacting the interior surface with the second liquid; and introducing a third liquid into the fluid delivery system and contacting the interior surface with the third liquid. The first liquid is substantially soluble or substantially insoluble in the second liquid, the second liquid is substantially insoluble in the third liquid, and the particulate is substantially insoluble in the first and second liquids and substantially soluble in the third liquid.
US07909934B2
A system and method of cleaning a substrate includes a megasonic chamber that includes a transducer and a substrate. The transducer is being oriented toward the substrate. A variable distance d separates the transducer and the substrate. The system also includes a dynamically adjustable RF generator that has an output coupled to the transducer.
US07909931B2
The present invention provides a silica glass crucible for manufacturing a silicon single crystal, in which melt vibration can be controlled more certainly and a high yield of single crystal can be realized. A first substantially bubble-free layer 10a having a thickness of 100 μm-450 μm is formed on the inner periphery side of an initial melt line zone 10 which has a height of 10 mm-30 mm, of a transparent layer, a bubble-containing layer 10b having a thickness of 100 μm or more and bubbles with an average diameter of 20 μm-60 μm is formed outside the above-mentioned first substantially bubble-free layer 10a, and a second substantially bubble-free layer 10c having a thickness of 300 μm or more is formed on the inner periphery side in the whole region lower than the above-mentioned initial melt line zone 10.
US07909930B2
A method for producing a silicon single crystal by the Czochralski method with carbon-doping comprising: charging a polycrystalline silicon material and any one of a carbon dopant selected from the group consisting of an organic compound, an organic compound and a silicon wafer, carbon powder and a silicon wafer, an organic compound and carbon powder, and an organic compound and carbon powder and a silicon wafer into a crucible and melting the polycrystalline silicon material and the carbon dopant; and then growing a silicon single crystal from the melt of the polycrystalline silicon material and the carbon dopant. And a carbon-doped silicon single crystal produced by the method. Thereby, there is provided a method for producing a silicon single crystal with carbon-doping in which the crystal can be doped with carbon easily at low cost, and carbon concentration in the crystal can be controlled precisely.
US07909927B2
Rheology modifying admixture comprising a) from 80 to 99% w/w of hydroxyalkyl guar, cellulose ether, or mixture thereof; b) from 1 to 20% w/w of biopolymer selected from diutan gum and welan gum, and hydraulic compositions containing the rheology modifier admixture together with a superplasticizer.
US07909926B2
The present invention relates to an ammonium salt or a sodium salt of an anthrapyridone compound represented by the following the formula (1): and an ink composition containing these; said compound has a hue with high vividness and high brightness suitable for inkjet recording; recorded matters recorded with an ink composition containing said compound is excellent in fastnesses such as light fastness and ozone fastness, and also particularly water fastness.
US07909923B2
A protective coating on a metal surface comprises a particulate material produced by a method including heating an animal skeletal material to a temperature of at least 1000° C. for a time sufficient to convert at least part of the calcium carbonate in the skeletal material to calcium oxide and produce a calcined product; and then contacting at least part of the calcined product with water to produce the particulate material containing calcium hydrate.
US07909908B2
A copper powder that is excellent in weatherability and adapted for use in conductive paste is provided that contains 10-20,000 ppm, preferably 100-2,000 ppm, of Sn. The copper powder is particularly preferably one having an average particle diameter DM of 0.1-2 μm and, further, one wherein the particle diameter of at least 80% of all particles is in the range of 0.5 DM-1.5 DM. This copper powder can be produced, for example, by precipitating Cu metal by reduction of Cu ions in the presence of Sn ions.
US07909902B2
Described herein are various embodiments of a modified hexagonal perforated pattern and objects within which the pattern is formed. For example, according to one representative embodiment, an apparatus includes an object and a perforated pattern formed in the object. The perforated pattern includes a plurality of perforations through which matter is flowable. Each of the perforations includes a modified hexagonal shape including a hexagon having six rounded corners.
US07909900B2
A method of treating the working surface of an abrasive compact having a working surface. The working surface, or a region adjacent the working surface, of the abrasive compact is contacted with a halogen gas or a gaseous environment containing a source of halide ions, preferably at a temperature at or below 800° C., in order to remove catalysing material and any foreign metal matrix material from the region adjacent the working surface.
US07909894B2
Embodiments of the present invention are directed toward systems and methods of providing a low-emissions diesel fuel for use in cold climates. Such fuels may be prepared by a Fischer-Tropsch process and include a pour point depressant. Furthermore, the fuel is used in conjunction with a heated fuel delivery system so that low cloud points are not necessary. Fuels prepared according to embodiments of the present invention may be produced in higher yields than otherwise possible because a higher paraffin wax content can be tolerated, thus obviating the need to remove or exclude the wax. These fuels are characterized by a sulfur content less than 1 ppm, a cetane number greater than 60, an aromatics content less than 1 wt %, and a difference between the cloud and pour points that is greater than about 5° C. The present fuel may be prepared by a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis from any number of carbon-containing sources such natural gas, coal, petroleum products, and combinations thereof.
US07909893B2
The invention relates to a lithium battery, comprising at least one lithium intercalation compound, made up of crystallites and obtained by a production method, comprising at least the following steps: formation of a homogeneous mixture of at least one precursor for the lithium intercalation compound with a given adjunct, chemically stable with relation to crystallites and designed to limit the growth of crystallites or crystallite precursors during the formation thereof, thermal treatment of the homogeneous mixture for the synthesis of the lithium intercalation compound in the form of crystallites and to give a composite material comprising at least two phases formed respectively by the lithium intercalation compound and the adjunct and forming of the composite material to give said electrode. The invention further relates to an electrode obtained by said method and lithium battery comprising such an electrode.
US07909892B2
The present invention relates storage stable aqueous dye solutions comprising a) 5 to 30% by weight of a dye of the formula in which K is a residue of a coupling component of the acetoacetanilide, pyridone, pyrazolone or pyrimidine series and M is hydrogen, an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal, ammonium or alkyl ammonium, b) 0.05 to 5% by weight of one or more compounds of the formula or a residue of the formula in which A, X, Y, R, P and Q are defined herein, c) an organic or an inorganic base or mixtures thereof, d) if desired, further additives and e) water, a process for their preparation and the use thereof for the dyeing, in particular of paper.
US07909891B2
The invention relates to a dye of the general formula (I) where D is the residue of a diazo component; R1 is hydrogen, (C1-C6-alkyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxy, hydroxyl, halogen, —NHCHO, —NHCO(C1-C6)-alkyl, —NHCOaryl, —NHSO2(C1-C6)-alkyl or —NHSO2aryl; R2 is hydrogen, (C1-C6)-alkyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxy, phenoxy or halogen; R3 is hydrogen, (C1-C6)-alkyl, substituted (C1-C6)-alkyl, (C3-C4)-alkenyl or substituted (C3-C4)-alkenyl; or R2 and R3 combine to form the radical —C*H(CH3)CH2C(CH3)2—, where the carbon atom marked * is attached to the phenyl nucleus; R4 is hydrogen, (C1-C6)-alkyl or phenyl; R5 is vinyl or a group of the formula —CHR6COR7, where R6 is hydrogen, (C1-C6)-alkyl or phenyl; R7 is (C1-C6)-alkyl, substituted (C1-C6)-alkyl, phenyl or substituted phenyl; and X is C1-C5)-alkylene. The invention for relates to a process to prepare the dye and their use.
US07909890B2
The present invention relates to new compositions comprising compounds, which are molecular combinations of a phthalocyanine and a mono-azo dyestuff linked via specific linking groups. Further aspects are an improved shading process for textile materials and also use of these shading compositions for shading textiles.
US07909889B2
The present invention provides a method of lightening and/or coloring human keratin fibers that employs: at least one substantially anhydrous or aqueous composition (A) comprising at least one fat free of carboxylic acid groups and at least one surfactant, at least one substantially anhydrous or aqueous composition (B) comprising at least one specific aminotrialkoxysilane or aminotrialkenyloxysilane compounds, and at least one aqueous composition (C) comprising at least one oxidizing agent. In addition, the present invention provides a three-compartment device appropriate for the implementation of this method.
US07909879B2
A device for repair and reconstruction of the spinal intervertebral disc wall, or annulus fibrosus, after surgical incision or pathologic rupture, which is inserted through an aperture into the disc. The device can be affixed to surrounding tissue employing a variety of means.
US07909877B2
Embodiments disclosed herein provide a disc implant for maintaining intervertebral spacing and stability within the human spine. In some embodiments, the disc implant includes complementary members between vertebral engaging plates. A first engaging plate may have a convex portion that allows anteroposterior translation of a first member relative to the first engaging plate. Movement of the first member relative to the first engaging plate allows lateral movement of vertebrae adjacent to the engaging plates. The first member may be coupled to a second member via complementary shapes such as a projection and a recess. The second member may have a convex portion that complements a recess of a second engaging plate. The recess may be concave with an arcuate cross-sectional shape in an anteroposterior plane. Movement of the second engaging plate relative to the second member allows for anteroposterior movement of vertebrae adjacent to the engaging plates.
US07909872B2
A method and apparatus are provided to manipulate and revitalize a spinal column disc while minimizing or preventing the removal of material comprising the disc. The method allows a device to be inserted in the disc either through a pre-existing rupture or through an opening formed in the front, back, or sides of the disc. Increasing the space between the vertebra bounding the disc or removing disc material often is not necessary to insert the device in the disc. The device generates internal traction or other forces acting on the disc to alter the shape of the disc. The shape of the disc is altered to relieve pressure on nerves adjacent the disc. The shape of the disc is also altered to draw nuclear hernias back into the interior of the disc and to produce a disc shape that improves functioning of the disc.
US07909871B2
Disclosed are devices and methods for the placement of a bone fusion implant between vertebral bodies in a human or animal subject. In an exemplary method a pathway is formed in the first sacral vertebrae along a trajectory that has a starting point between the inferior aspect of the facet joint and the first posterior sacral foramen and transverses at least one pedicle, at least a portion of the first sacral vertebra and the disc space immediately superior to the sacrum. A fusion implant is placed into the formed pathway. Additional bone fasteners and inter-connecting rods are added to the fusion implant in order to further strengthen the construct. Embodiments that can be used to fuse an additional level are also disclosed.
US07909868B2
A gel cap is loaded on a folded flange of a voice prosthesis which is loaded on an end portion of an inserter, wherein a tip of the end portion is pressed against a valve flap of the voice prosthesis. The voice prosthesis includes a strap that is stretched for engagement with an attachment portion on the inserter. The voice prosthesis, gel cap, and inserter are inserted into the tracheoesophageal puncture. The patient then swallows fluids to cause the gel cap to dissolve to allow the esophageal flange to deploy, whereby upon deployment of the esophageal flange, the tip of the end portion of the inserter presses the valve flap open, allowing the inserter to move axially relative to the voice prosthesis until a stop collar of the inserter engages the voice prosthesis providing external visual confirmation to the user that the gel cap has dissolved and the esophageal flange has deployed.
US07909863B2
A stent graft (10) is retained on an introducer (38) by retention of an exposed stent (16) of the stent graft to the introducer with trigger wires (44). The introducer has a trigger wire catheter (40) and four trigger wires and each trigger wire extending in a loop from the trigger wire catheter. The stent graft has a tubular body (12) of a graft material and an exposed stent joined to and extending from one end of the tubular body. The exposed stent is a self expanding Z stent with struts (20) and bends (22, 28, 30) between them. A pair of struts and a bend between define an apex a selected distance to the bend away from the tubular body. Adjacent apices of the exposed stent are different distances to the bends from the tubular body so that they stack under the trigger wires in an neat fashion. Distally extending barbs (26) on alternate struts of the exposed stent are spaced selected distances from their respective apices to prevent tangling during deployment.
US07909862B2
Methods and devices for delivering and deploying expandable intraluminal medical devices at a desired point of treatment within a body vessel are provided. A delivery device is provided, inserted into a body vessel, and navigated through the vessel to place an associated expandable intraluminal medical device at a desired point of treatment. Once the desired location is reached, an elongate member on which the expandable intraluminal medical device is disposed is spaced from a wall surface of the body vessel using an expandable wire basket, balloon, or other suitable structure. The expandable intraluminal medical device is deployed from the delivery system, which can ultimately be withdrawn from the body vessel.
US07909859B2
Bone plate systems and retainers are provided for surgical implants and bone repair. The bone plate is multi-tiered for receiving bone anchors or screws for securing multiple bones or bone fragments in a desired relationship. The plate includes bores for receiving the screws, and the bores may permit and define a translation path for the screws relative to the plate. The retainers are held in a recess in the bores to prevent screw back-out. Once the screw is seated with the plate, the retainer rests over a top surface of the screw to impede screw back-out from the plate. The retainer may expand to permit driving a screw therethrough and may contract once the screw is seated within the plate so the retainer is in a configuration for preventing back-out. Tools and methods are also provided for implantation and removal of the plates and the screws.
US07909858B2
Bone plates with an upper surface, a bone contacting surface, and a plurality of holes extending through the upper and bone contact surfaces for receiving bone screws are disclosed. Each hole interchangeably accepts a compression screw for compression of a fracture and a locking screw that threads into the bone plate. Provisional fixation of a bone plate to a bone may be accomplished using provisional fixation pins through the screw-receiving holes of the bone plate.
US07909857B2
The present application discloses methods for treating a spinal deformity. In one embodiment, an elongated member is attached to vertebral members with fasteners. A separate fastener may attach the elongated member to each of the vertebral members. The elongated member may apply a force to limit growth on one side of the vertebral members, such as a convex side of a scoliotic spine. Each fastener may be constructed to limit a direction of growth of the vertebral member thereby applying a specific, corrective force to the vertebral member. The fasteners may allow relative motion between adjacent vertebral members without losing the attachment between the vertebral members and the fasteners. The net result may be controlled modulation of growth to reduce and/or eliminate the spinal deformity through redirection of growth potential.
US07909853B2
Systems in accordance with embodiments of the present invention can include an implant comprising a spacer for defining a minimum space between adjacent spinous processes, a distraction guide for piercing and distracting an interspinous ligament during implantation, and a binder for limiting or preventing flexion motion of the targeted motion segment. The binder can be secured to a brace associated with the implant during implantation by a capture device. In one embodiment, the capture device includes a fixed piece extending from the brace and a slidable piece associated with the fixed piece. A fastener can be rotated to pinch the binder between the slidable piece and a wall of the brace, securing the binder. A physician need not know the length of the binder prior to implantation, reducing the time required to perform a procedure.
US07909846B1
An access platform having a first and a second blade interconnected to a spreader member that laterally drives the blades apart or together and a sternal pad interconnected to a blade. The superior blade is preferably pivotally coupled to the spreader member such that it naturally rises as the blades are separated. Alternatively, a vertical displacement member is operably interconnected to a blade and the spreader member and is used to vertically displace the interconnected superior blade and, thus, increase a surgeon's working space and visual access for the dissection of an internal mammary artery. A tissue retractor is interconnected to the blades to draw the soft tissue around an incision away from the surgeon's working area.
US07909837B2
Methods, devices and systems for forming magnetic anastomoses between two blood vessels. A first anastomotic component is removably supported by the distal end of a delivery device for attachment to a first vessel. The delivery device also supports a second anastomotic component that has been secured to a second blood vessel. The device is operated to secure the first component to the first vessel, couple the second component to the first component, and then release the components to complete the anastomosis. A robotic anastomosis system includes several robotic instruments that may be positioned through ports in a patient, used to secure an anastomotic component to a vessel, and then used to magnetically couple the components. Delivery devices for deploying magnetic anastomotic components include an actuator that uses magnetic repulsion to move the components into engagement with the inner and outer surfaces of the vessel wall. The anastomotic components are secured to the vessel wall by magnetic force and in addition may be secured by mechanical attachment.
US07909836B2
A single trigger system and associated method for manipulating tissues and anatomical or other structures in medical applications for the purpose of treating diseases or disorders or other purposes. In one aspect, the system includes a delivery device configured to deploy and implant anchor devices for such purposes.
US07909833B2
A device for injecting bone cement is provided. The device has a flexible delivery tube and a flexible plunger.
US07909831B2
A system for resecting a tibia and femur during arthroplasty includes anchoring devices, a three-way alignnment guide attachable to an anchoring device. The alignment guide provides for locating a resection guide in three degrees of freedom, including one translation and two rotations. The resection guide is coupled to a computer navigation system.
US07909827B2
A tubular member is sized and configured to establish an access path to bone having an interior volume occupied, at least in part, by cancellous bone. The tubular member includes a distal end portion having at least one opening. A structure is sized and configured to be carried by the tubular member and controllably advanced through the at least one opening to define a cutting surface that projects outside the distal end portion. The cutting surface has a dimension capable of cutting cancellous bone in response to rotation of the tubular member within the cancellous bone.
US07909824B2
An energy accessory includes an ultrasonic vibrator configured to generate ultrasonic vibration, an elongated probe whose proximal end is connected to the ultrasonic vibrator and configured to transmit the ultrasonic vibration generated by the ultrasonic vibrator from a proximal end side to a distal end side to apply the ultrasonic vibration to living tissue, a sheath provided on the proximal end side of the probe, a grasping portion provided on a distal end portion of the sheath and configured to be rotated with respect to the probe and brought into contact with the living tissue disposed on the side of the probe, whereby the living tissue is grasped in cooperation with the probe, and a treatment mode variable mechanism configured to change a treatment mode of a treatment with respect to the living tissue brought into contact with the grasping portion.
US07909822B2
A debrider apparatus is disclosed. The debrider includes a first tubular member that is adapted to connect to a first potential of an electrosurgical generator. A second tubular member is at least partially disposed within the first tubular member and is adapted to connect to a second potential of the electrosurgical generator. At least one tubular member is selectively movable relative to the other. A first set of teeth is disposed around at least a portion of a distal periphery of the first tubular member. A second set of teeth is disposed around at least a portion of a distal periphery of the second tubular member. At least one switch is operably coupled to at least one of the tubular members and activates movement of one tubular member and supplies respective electrical potentials to the tubular members.
US07909817B2
An improved optical fiber comprising a waveguide with an input for coupling focused laser energy into the waveguide and communicating electromagnetic radiation in a propagation direction to an internally reflective tip of the waveguide, a tissue contacting surface wherein the light path from the reflecting surface to the transmitting surface in substantially homogenous in refractive index and cooled by fluid flow. In minimizing the variations in refractive index within the lateral light path, while providing active cooling directly below the tissue contact surface, the invention prevents internal reflections and beam distortion and greatly improves the efficiency and durability of the laterally directing probe. Free rotation of the tissue contact surface, about the lateral tip, may be provided and tissue vaporization efficiency may be improved by providing a morcellating tool on the tissue contact surface.
US07909816B2
A treatment apparatus includes a cannula with a cannula lumen. The cannula has a first average diameter. A probe is positionable in the cannula lumen. The probe has a first section with a second average diameter and a second section with a third average diameter that is less than the second average diameter. At least a portion of the second section has a curved section with at least one radius of curvature. The radius of curvative is selected to provide that as the second section passes through the cannula lumen a first side of the second section is tangential to a first side of the cannula lumen, and a second opposing side of the second section is tangential to a second opposing side of the cannula lumen.
US07909811B2
Catheter for use in biliary procedures, including a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end. A guidewire lumen is carried by the shaft extending from a location proximal the distal end of the shaft to a location proximate the distal end of the shaft. An opening is included for accessing the guidewire lumen from a location exterior the catheter shaft located distal the proximal end of the shaft. The guidewire lumen may be formed integral the catheter shaft. The catheter may be used in rapid exchange catheter procedures. The catheter may further include a port and channel design including a first opening into the guidewire lumen located proximal the distal end of the shaft, a second opening located proximal the first opening, and a channel extending longitudinally between the first opening and the second opening.
US07909795B2
A medical fluid flow control system includes an interface including a first pump area, the first pump area of the interface including a pneumatic actuator port and a gasket seal port; and a membrane gasket including a second pump area for mating with the first pump area, the second pump area including a blind section which covers the pneumatic actuator port when the gasket is mated with the interface, the second pump area further including an aperture, the aperture sized and positioned to seal around the gasket seal port, allowing a negative pressure to be applied through the gasket seal port to a flexible sheet of a pumping cassette.
US07909793B2
The invention provides a silencer and silencing method which ensures adequate silencing with no deleterious increase in back pressure (which creates a lift-off force) or decrease in device performance. Pressurized gas is supplied to a driver chamber by a bleed-hole having an effective bleed-hole area and, during use of the device for particle delivery, gas is vented to the atmosphere via a silencer having an effective venting area. The bleed-hole area and venting area are chosen to ensure that the mass flow rate of gas through the effective venting area is substantially equal to or greater than the mass flow rate of gas through the effective bleed-hole area. This ensures that there is no build up of gas in the silencer device which tends to increase back pressure and hence lift-off force. Preferred embodiments of the device comprise a silencer having a large volume and a small particle exit opening. Further, there is disclosed an embodiment using one or more transfer ducts to assist particle mixing.
US07909791B2
An insertion device for infusion sets, including a housing for generally enclosing an infusion set placed in the insertion device and a drive device for displacing the infusion set, wherein the displacing is as friction-free as possible with respect to the housing.
US07909790B2
An implantable fluid management device, designed to drain excess fluid from a variety of locations in a living host into a second location within the host, such as the bladder of that host. The device may be used to treat ascites, chronic pericardial effusions, normopressure hydrocephalus, hydrocephalus, pulmonary edema, or any fluid collection within the body of a human, or a non-human mammal.
US07909781B2
A method of treating glaucoma is described herein. The method includes the steps of providing an ultrasonic device that emits ultrasonic energy, holding the ultrasonic instrument at a location external to the trabecular meshwork, transmitting the ultrasonic energy at a frequency to a desired location for a predetermined time, dislodging material built up in the trabecular meshwork, and generating heat that initiates biochemical changes in the eye.
US07909777B2
A tissue penetrating system has a housing member. A plurality of penetrating members are positioned in the housing member. A tissue stabilizing member is coupled to the housing. A penetrating member sensor is coupled to the plurality of penetrating members. The penetrating member sensor is configured to provide information relative to a depth of penetration of a penetrating member through a skin surface.
US07909776B2
A supply of lancets for a multi-use lancing device are carried by a tape and sequentially brought from a storage position to an activating position by advancing the tape around a bend. The lancets are non-circular in cross-section along their longitudinal lengths, and in their activating position they extend from the tape such that their sharp tips are available for lancing tissue. The carrying tape can be arranged in reel-to-reel format in a housing having a lancing opening. The lancets can be integral with the tape and activated to move the lancet through the lancing opening by moving the tape along its tape path or by translating a dedicated service loop of the tape. The lancets can also be independent from the tape and activated through the lancing opening by a separate lancing actuator. A test media can be included on the carrying tape and the housing can contain a sensor to yield an integrated lancing and testing device.
US07909761B2
Methods and apparatus for a surgical retractor include a ring, a plurality of flexible straps connected to the ring, a patch of hook or loop material connected to each strap, a coordinating patch of hook or loop material connectable to the patient's skin or the surgical drape. The flexible straps of the surgical retractor may be frangibly connected together. LEDs molded into the distal end create a light source to illuminate the surgical site. The ring may take several forms including a flexible or adjustable ring and an inflatable bladder. The ring of the surgical retractor is inserted into the surgical incision, a patch of loop fastener is attached to the patient, a set of straps connected to the ring are pulled outward and the hook portion is applied to the loop portion to hold the incision open. The retractor is useable for thoracic and other types of surgery.
US07909759B2
A handheld penknife-like laryngoscope including a handle having an electrically insulating rigid plastic blade support section and a battery compartment section for housing a power source with a pair of opposite polarity terminals including a first terminal adjacent the blade support section and a second terminal remote therefrom, and an electrically conducting metal blade non-detachably pivotally hinged on the blade support section for manipulation from an inoperative storage position co-directional with the handle to an operative intubation position perpendicular thereto. The blade tapers towards a tip and has a light source there toward with a first electrode in electrical contact with the blade and a second electrode in electrical contact with the second terminal. The laryngoscope includes a blade retaining mechanism for securely retaining the blade in the intubation position whereupon the blade is in electrical contact with the first terminal for energizing the light source.
US07909751B2
A centrifugal separator includes a sample line and a rotating apparatus portion including a rotor that has a rotor chamber. The centrifugal separator centrifugally separates a sample by supplying the sample from the sample line into the rotor and driving to rotate the rotor in the rotor chamber and discharges the centrifugally separated sample from the rotor via the sample line. The centrifugal separator includes a sterilizing apparatus for sterilizing at least a portion with which the sample is brought into contact by making a sterilizing fluid flow through the sample line.
US07909750B2
A device is provided for feeding horizontally oriented packages or bags at a regular interval to a zipper profile attaching device. The loose packages or bags are placed onto a servo-driven lugged chain conveyor wherein the lugs are evenly spaced at the nominal desired center-to-center spacing of the packages or bags. The servo-driven lugged chain conveyor feeds the packages or bags to be captured between upper and lower secondary constant velocity conveyors. The lower secondary constant velocity conveyor includes an encoder which is used to slave the servo of the servo-driven lugged chain conveyor, with an adjustable programmable ratio. This achieves a consistent center-to-center distance of the horizontally oriented packages or bags which are then fed to a zipper profile attaching device.
US07909747B1
A method and apparatus for exercise of the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus muscle complex against resistance in internal rotation, the tibialis posterior in internal rotation and inversion, the piriformis muscle and its synergists in external rotation and the peroneal muscles in external rotation and eversion is disclosed. The apparatus is comprised of a stable base having a rotatable foot support plate mounted on the base upward at a predetermined angle from the horizontal in order to dorsiflex the user's foot. Means to adjust the rotational resistance of the rotatable foot support plate is provided. The device includes a back support to assist in maintaining the user's pelvis in a neutral position. The device provides internal and external resistance to isolate and exercise the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus muscle complex or the piriformis and synergists while the user is in a standing position. It further provides internal and external resistance to exercise the tibialis posterior and the peroneals in either the standing or seated position.
US07909743B1
A dual action weightlifting machine has a stationary frame including a racking portion and spaced vertical guides slidably mounted on opposite sides of the frame for horizontal movement relative to the frame. A horizontally extending exercise bar assembly has spaced first and second vertical slides slidably mounted on the vertical guides, a user engaging portion for gripping by a user, at least one rack engaging portion having a smooth cylindrical surface which directly engages a selected support portion of the rack assembly in a racked position of the exercise bar assembly, and opposite first and second end portions for receiving one or more selected weights. The user engaging portion is located between the opposite sides of the frame and has a central longitudinal axis which is aligned and coaxial with the cylindrical surface of the rack engaging portion.
US07909737B2
We have disclosed a modular personal network (MPN) that includes multiple devices that may be worn, carried, or used in close proximity to a user. The devices communicate wirelessly. Functions of the MPN may be modified by adding or removing components. The MPN may communicate with a personal computer. General purpose devices may include a control unit, a display, a user input, and an audio output. The MPN may provide a variety of functions, including time, communication, entertainment, organization, guidance, athletic, medical, travel, outdoors, identity, security, and military.
US07909731B2
A shift module assembly for controlling the movement of a vehicle transmission out of a park condition responsive to a condition of the ignition system of the vehicle and responsive to a position of the vehicle brake pedal includes a moveable swing arm adapted to selectively control the condition of the vehicle transmission. The swing arm is in a park position when the vehicle transmission is in the park condition. The swing arm is locked in an immobile position by a solenoid operated armature shaft when the swing arm is placed in the park position. The armature shaft is in direct contact with said swing arm when said swing arm is in the locked position. The armature shaft releases the swing arm from the locked position upon actuation of the vehicle ignition system and depression of the vehicle brake pedal. The swing arm includes a stress line that will cause the swing arm to break along the stress line before, the swing arm is moved out of the park position if excessive force is applied to the swing arm. In addition, the swing arm is capable of both rotational and rocking movement about a common pivot point.
US07909729B2
A control unit for an electric oil pump of the present invention includes: a one-way valve that permits circulation of operating fluid from the electric oil pump to the friction engagement device and blocks circulation in the opposite direction; an accumulator that is connected to a fluid supply path joining the one-way valve to the friction engagement device and accumulates hydraulic pressure required for operating the friction engagement device; a hydraulic pressure measuring device that measures hydraulic pressure inside the fluid supply path; a vehicle speed measuring device that measures a vehicle speed of the vehicle; and a pressure setting device that sets a first predetermined pressure based on the vehicle speed measured by the vehicle speed measuring device.
US07909723B2
An adjusting device including a CVT planetary roller transmission having two axially-spaced sun wheels that are rotatable about a common axis of rotation and at different speeds of rotation. Planet wheels contact and ride against peripheral surfaces of each of the sun wheels, and an axially displaceable ring wheel lies radially outwardly of the sun wheels and engages a peripheral groove formed in the sun wheels. When the ring wheel is axially displaced relative to the sun wheels the axes of rotation of the planet wheels tilt relative to the sun wheel axis resulting in a difference in the rotational speed of the sun wheels changes. The device can be employed as an adjusting device for adjusting the rotational speed of connected units, and also as a drive line component having a variable transmission ratio and situated in a power train of a motor vehicle.
US07909713B2
A handle is adapted to be held by a player and a striking end is adapted to contact and propel an object A structure for a hockey stick is described by using multiple composite tubes bonded to one another, wherein apertures, or “ports,” are molded between the tubes to improve the stiffness, strength, aerodynamics and comfort of the hockey stick.
US07909712B2
A method of laying out a baseball diamond includes providing home, first, and third bases. A second base includes a measuring tape coupled to a reel. The method includes withdrawing an amount of tape corresponding to a desired distance between second and home bases. A first stake is placed in a home plate hole and the tape is hooked thereto. A second stake is inserted into a second base hole and the tape is extended between the bases. The tape is partially withdrawn into the second base, leaving a desired distance corresponding between the second and first bases. The second base is then rotated about the second stake and the first base is placed at a distance indicated by corner base indicia on the tape. The second base is rotated about the second stake and the third base is placed at a distance indicated by the corner base indicia.
US07909709B2
A golf ball comprising an inner core having an outer surface and a geometric center and being formed from a substantially homogenous rubber composition, the rubber composition comprising a base rubber and a resorcinol such that the geometric center has a hardness of 40 to 60 Shore C and the outer surface has a hardness of 70 to 95 Shore C. An outer core layer is disposed about the inner core and has an outer surface having a hardness of 50 to 75 Shore C, an inner surface having a hardness of 51 to 76 Shore C, and is formed from a substantially homogenous composition. A cover layer is disposed about the outer core layer. The hardness of the inner core outer surface is greater than the hardness of the geometric center to define a positive hardness gradient of greater than 20 Shore C, and the hardness of the outer core outer surface is lower than the hardness of its inner surface to define a negative hardness gradient of −1 to −5 Shore C.
US07909705B2
A variable mass cap 20 for a shock imparting implement grip has a butt element 22 connected to a tubular portion 24 constructed to receive a selected mass 26, 28. The tubular portion 24 fits snugly within a recess 34 of a body 32, and is retained therein by the engagement of an annular ridge 36 with a first annular groove 30 disposed in an outer surface of the tubular portion 24. In an alternate embodiment, threaded portion 31 is received by and engaged by a corresponding threaded recess 34. The cap 20 is mechanically secured to the body 32 for providing a grip with a variable mass.
US07909700B2
On adding a newly selectable scene selection screen to an imaging device having a shooting condition setting section which sets the imaging device for a shooting condition, upon receiving a selection of any one of scene selection screens corresponding individually to shooting scenes, by reading out the selected shooting condition corresponding to the selected shooting scene, from a storage section that stores the shooting conditions individually in association with the shooting scenes, a template composed of separate areas on each of which to display a display element being different from other display elements to be displayed on other areas is prepared, each display element is input individually to each area, and the template, to which the display elements are input, is set as the scene selection screen to be added.
US07909699B2
This invention provides automated systems and methods for configuring and reconfiguring gaming machines and games playable on a gaming machine. The automated systems and methods employ a complementary gaming machine configuration device, such as a paper-based ticket, and interface operably associated with a gaming machine, such as a note acceptor or bill validator that receives and reads the paper-based ticket. The gaming machine configuration device stores game parameter configuration information in the form of configuration indicia. The indicia may contain the content required to effect configuration directly or may do so indirectly by containing a reference to a location where a set of configuration parameters have been stored. This location may reside within the gaming machine or external to it, but accessible via. a communications link. The interface reads the indicia from the configuration device, and provides a signal to a processor responsible for managing the gaming machine. The processor has access to software or memory that stores associations between the configuration indicia and configuration and reconfiguration commands for the parameters. The processor and software are then designed or configured to convert the signal provided by the interface to commands that act on appropriate mechanisms of the gaming machine to configure or reconfigure the games and/or gaming machine components responsible for expression of the affected game parameters.
US07909693B2
A gaming system has a central authority connected to a plurality of gaming machines. Player activity is tracked at the gaming machines during regular gaming sessions and during virtual gaming sessions. Such data is transmitted to the central authority for providing player points in a player account file of a central database. Regular gaming sessions occur between player card insertion and player card removal. Virtual gaming sessions may occur prior to player card insertion as well as after player card insertion. For example, a coin-in event prior to player card insertion will establish a virtual session, and credits remaining on the credit meter at a card-out event will establish a virtual gaming session.
US07909674B2
A dreidel has a flasher that visually enhances the experience of play. The dreidel can include a rotatable body having four sides, the rotatable body including at least one flashing device; each of the four sides having a transparent or translucent window, each window being marked with a Hebrew letter selected from (Nun), (Gimel), (Hei), (Shin) or (Pei); and a handle protruding from the rotatable body, the handle being configured to turn the flashing device on and off.
US07909663B1
A modular jaw unit for a busway system includes a spring support member having a central section and four independently moving support ends. The central section has a plurality of bosses and slots for coupling the jaw unit to another jaw unit. The support ends extend from the central section and are independently movable with respect to each other. A pair of wires are positioned within the support member, and each of the wires has wire ends located adjacent to a respective support end of the support member.
US07909660B2
To provide a right angle type spring connector in which a caulking work is not necessary, the number of components is small, and electric connection is reliably maintained.The right angle type spring connector is configured as follows. A tube is formed with a narrowed portion so as to allow a distal end portion of a pin to project therefrom and prevent the pin from coming out. A connecting portion disposed on the tube and extending to a mounting surface and amounting surface abutting portion extending along the mounting surface are formed integrally with each other, and an engaging portion is provided on the mounting surface abutting portion. A holder is formed with a bottomed hole so as to allow the tube to be inserted. A locking portion is formed on the holder so as to engage the engaging portion in a state in which the tube is inserted into the bottomed hole.
US07909657B1
An electrical connector adapted to receive a mating plug utilizes low-profile jack terminal contacts that can flex in their PCB-anchored base portions, which are substantially parallel to the PCB. Any bend in the distal connecting portion or in the intermediate transition portion of each terminal contact is gradual and forms an obtuse angle, thus minimizing stress concentrations. The contacts preferably are arranged in two oppositely facing and interdigitating rows of four contacts each. In one embodiment, the terminal contacts are anchored to the PCB by a contact cradle that constrains the base portion of each terminal contact at two spaced anchoring locations, allowing the base portion to flex therebetween. In another embodiment, the base portions of the terminal contacts are embedded in at least one elastomeric member, which is fitted to the PCB.
US07909649B2
This device includes two connection units and a compensation circuit provided with tracks (4D, 6D) for connecting these units and with capacitive coupling between at least two of the tracks, including a conductor element (36) exhibiting a surface (49) including a portion opposite a surface of a section of a first of the tracks (4D) and another opposite a section of the second of the tracks (6D) with the conductor element (36) which is electrically insulated from the two tracks (4D, 6D).
US07909648B2
An electric connector has a housing, signal and ground contacts disposed in the housing and a metal shell surrounding the housing. The metal shell has a support segment covering a top surface of the housing and with a first edge positioned adjacent to a back surface of the housing, and a second edge positioned adjacent to a front surface of the housing. The ground contacts are formed integral with and extend forwardly from the second edge of the support segment by a one-step stamping process.
US07909646B2
A male coaxial connector includes at least one termination device having a tubular shield surrounding and isolated from a pin that is configured to electrically connect with a socket of a female termination device, and a plate extending from one of a leading end of the tubular shield and a leading end of the female termination device. Upon electrical interconnection, the plate forms a ground circuit extending between the at least one termination device and a ground of the female termination device.
US07909642B1
The present invention is directed to an outlet center for use with a power inlet box to electrically connect one or more loads to an auxiliary power supply connected to the power inlet box. The outlet center is designed to be mounted to an interior surface of a wall with the power inlet box mounted to an exterior surface of the wall. Electrical conductors extend through the wall between the outlet center and the power inlet box. The outlet center includes sockets adapted to receive the plug of an electrical load so that auxiliary power may be fed to the electrical load during primary power unavailability. The outlet center may illuminate when auxiliary power is available to assist a user in locating the outlet center during blackout conditions and may also include an indicator lamp that illuminates when auxiliary power is being provided to an electrical load connected to the outlet center.
US07909635B2
A jacket sleeve with grippable tabs provides protection to exposed portions of cable that are connected to an electrical connection. The jacket sleeve can be made as part of the electrical connector or may be connected subsequent to its creation through the use of glues or other adhesives. The jacket sleeve can be made of a material that is more pliable than the electrical connector, making it easier for a lineperson to place the sleeve over an exposed portion of cable. The jacket sleeve can include holes or slots either in the sleeve or in tabs that are attached to the sleeve. A lineperson can place one or more fingers into each hole or slot in order to get a better grip on the sleeve and pull the sleeve over the exposed portion of cable with less slippage and effort on the part of the lineperson.
US07909627B2
An electronic system includes a system board, a connector mounted on the system board, an electronic card attached to the connector, the card overhanging the connector at least on an inward end of the card, and a guide secured to the system board and spaced from the connector, wherein the guide is adapted to inhibit lateral movement of the card. The guide includes a latch adapted to inhibit removal of the electronic card from the connector.
US07909613B2
A coaxial connecting device is provided for making an electrical connection between a coaxial cable and a device under test. A coaxial connecting device electrically connects a coaxial cable to a signal pad and a ground pad. The coaxial contractor of the present invention includes a signal pin for electrically connecting a signal conductor of the coaxial cable to the signal pad; a ground connector for electrically connecting a ground conductor of the coaxial cable to the ground pad; a cylindrical guide tube surrounding the ground conductor for elastically contacting the ground connector while maintaining a predetermined distance with the signal pin; and a dielectric member surrounding a part of the signal pin for electrically isolating the cylindrical guide tube and the signal pin from each other and coaxially maintaining the guide tube and the signal pin. The coaxial connecting device of the present invention minimizes a contact path between the ground conductor of a coaxial cable and a ground pad and provides impedance matched coaxial signal transmission link, resulting in improvement of frequency characteristics.
US07909610B1
A computer aided system of orthopedic surgery is disclosed and omnidirectional osteogenesis is provided as an example thereof. To perform this surgery a craniofacial anatomic surgical simulator (CASS) is described, in which simulator a stereolithographic medical model is mounted. The medical model hereof is modified for this purpose so that pre-operative intra-oral devices, including custom-fitted fixation plates, can be crafted. An occlusal splint formed on the stereolithographic model acts as an armature for a docking bar which is, during the surgical operation, rigidly affixed to the fixation plate(s). The CASS, in one embodiment hereof, includes an indexing means for alignment of the stereolithographic model. The CASS also simulates the temporomandibular joint and fixedly mounts segments of the model in a post-operative condition.
US07909609B2
A method of counting in multiples uses an educational device comprising a base and a set of ten markers positioned on the base spaced apart from one another along a generally annular path. Each marker is associated with a respective one of a range of numbers 0 through 9 in a sequence about the annular path of the device. Elastic bands or some other visually indicating links are used to visually associate the marker having the number 0 associated therewith with another one of the markers having the number associated therewith corresponding to the final digit of the next number in the sequence of numbers. Other numbers of the sequence when counting in multiples can similarly be visually indicated with links so that following the links indicates the final digit of each number in the sequence when counting in multiples.
US07909608B2
The present invention provides an apparatus that assists a student with learning how to solve word problems, including cash flow type problems, by using the sense of touch to establish a greater pattern of formula recognition and usage. The word problems include a finite set of constant values for a predetermined number of variables. The apparatus includes a preliminary equation that is presolved for a particular set of values. A final equation is also presolved for the particular set of values. The preliminary equation and final equation are movably placed onto a work area which preferably includes a measurement line.
US07909601B2
A burner for use in furnaces such as those employed in steam cracking. The burner includes a primary air chamber for supplying a first portion of air, a burner tube having an upstream end and a downstream end, a burner tip having an outer diameter, the burner tip mounted on the downstream end of the burner tube adjacent a first opening in the furnace, so that combustion of the fuel takes place downstream of the burner tip producing a gaseous fuel flame, at least one air port in fluid communication with a secondary air chamber for supplying a second portion of air, the at least one air port radially positioned beyond the outer diameter of the burner tip and at least one non-gaseous fuel gun for supplying atomized non-gaseous fuel, the at least one non-gaseous fuel gun having at least one fuel discharge orifice, the at least one non-gaseous fuel gun positioned within the at least one air port.
US07909597B2
In one embodiment, an apparatus for curing a composite assembly may include a base tool, a growth control apparatus, and at least one engagement filling. The base tool may have a different thermal expansion growth rate than a composite assembly to be cured using the apparatus. The growth control apparatus may have a different thermal expansion growth rate than the base tool. The engagement fitting may be movably disposed relative to the base tool and connected to the growth control apparatus. The engagement filling may hold a composite assembly being cured against the engagement filling. The growth control apparatus may grow a pre-determined amount during curing of a composite assembly to produce a cured composite assembly having a pre-determined design dimension.
US07909587B2
A device used to retain a fuel pump in a fuel container of a motor vehicle, which includes a pump holder that is made entirely of plastic by injection moulding. Retaining devices, which is used to join the pump holder to the fuel pump and to a baffle pot, are connected to each other by arms that are oriented away from each other. The arms, which are orientated away from each other, form a cardanic frame that dampens vibrations from the fuel pump.
US07909584B2
An air compressor assembly can include a support structure with a compressor mechanism, at least one fluid tank, a pair of wheels, and a handle attached thereto. The air compressor assembly can be configured with the compressor mechanism having a perpendicular orientation relative to the at least one fluid tank so as to provide a relatively narrow assembly and to facilitate servicing and/or maintenance of the assembly. Furthermore, the wheels and handle can be configured so that the assembly can be relatively easily located in a balanced transport position. Additionally, an accessory support plate can be attached to the top of the assembly to serve as a dolly.
US07909578B2
Turbo machine, compressor impeller used for turbo machine, and method of manufacturing turbo machine
A turbocharger as a turbo machine includes: a compressor impeller (13) having a projected portion (19) at a center of a rear surface; a drive shaft (15) connected to a bottomed coupling hole (20) provided in the projected portion (19) of the compressor impeller (13) through interference fit only; and a sleeve (30) with a cylindrical portion (33) connected to the outer peripheral portion of the projected portion (19) of the compressor impeller (13) by fitting only. The sleeve (30) is formed of a material whose coefficient of linear expansion is smaller than that of the compressor impeller (13). Accordingly, even when the coupling hole (20) in the projected portion (19) undergoes thermal expansion and the diameter of the coupling hole (20) increases, a connection between the drive shaft (15) and the coupling hole (20) can be prevented from being loosened since the radial increase thereof is suppressed by the cylindrical portion (33). Thus, the state of the connection thereof can be well maintained.
US07909574B2
A monitoring system for at least one wind turbine includes at least one sensor disposed at the at least one wind turbine to detect wind friction at the at least one wind turbine. At least one controller is connected to the at least one wind turbine, and a monitor server is connected to the controller to change an operational status of the at least one wind turbine based on wind friction data received from the at least one sensor. A method of operation of at least one wind turbine includes continuously measuring data relative to wind friction at the at least one wind turbine via at least one sensor located thereat. The data is continuously compared to a predetermined wind friction threshold. A trend in the comparisons is evaluated, and the operational status of the wind turbine is changed via a monitor server based on a result of the comparison.
US07909573B2
A casing cover for enclosing a casing in a jet engine is disclosed. The casing cover includes two coaxial shells arranged one inside the other and radial envelopes which connect the two coaxial shells. Radial arms of the casing extend inside the radial envelopes. The cover is fastened at its downstream end to a first element of the casing and axially abuts at its upstream end on a second element of the casing. In a free state, an axial dimension of the cover of less than the axial distance of the casing between the point where the first element of the casing is fastened to the downstream end of the cover and the point where the second element of the casing axially abuts the upstream end of the cover such that the cover is tensioned axially when it is mounted on and fastened to the casing.
US07909569B2
The turbine support case comprises a first annular portion, a second annular portion, and a third annular portion connected between the first and the second portion. The third portion has an average wall thickness smaller than an average wall thickness of the first and the second portion.
US07909568B2
A first motor rotates, in one of two rotating directions, the first impeller including a plurality of front blades in a suction opening portion of a housing. The second motor rotates, in the other rotating direction opposite to the one rotating direction, the second impeller including a plurality of rear blades in a discharge opening portion of the housing. A plurality of stationary blades are arranged between the first impeller and the second impeller in the housing. When the number of the front blades is N, that of the stationary blades is M, and that of the rear blades is P, their relationship is defined as N>P>M. A length L1 of the front blades measured in an axial direction is set longer than a length L2 of the rear blades measured in the axial direction.
US07909566B1
A gas turbine engine with a rotor shaft that is moveable in an axial direction so change a blade tip clearance, where the rotor is displaced by a spring to increase the blade tip clearance and is displaced by a pressure created by the compressor and turbine during engine operation that will close the blade tip clearance. This is especially useful during engine shutdown to prevent blade tip rubbing against the stationary shrouds.
US07909564B2
A gas turbine includes a nozzle vane and a sealing unit engaged with the nozzle vane inside a turbine supplied with combustion gases produced by mixing and burning air for combustion and fuel. The nozzle vane and the sealing unit are disposed in a channel of the downward flowing combustion gases on the outlet side of a gas path. A plurality of engagement portions between the sealing unit and the nozzle vane are provided successively from the upstream side toward the downstream side in a direction of flow of the combustion gases, and a downstream one of the plurality of engagement portions has a contact interface formed in a direction across a turbine rotary shaft. A reduction in the thermal efficiency of the gas turbine can be suppressed.
US07909561B2
A vehicle includes a chassis and an underlift supported by the chassis. The underlift includes a boom including a vehicle engaging device coupled to the boom and a movement actuator for moving the boom. The underlift further includes a control system configured to restrict actuation of the movement actuator when the boom moves to a predetermined position; and an operator control coupled to the control system that allows the operator to control the movement actuator after actuation of the movement actuator has been restricted.
US07909544B2
An indexable milling insert has a parallelepipedic shape. The cutting insert includes a mounting hole placed centrally in the cutting insert, a first support side and a second support side, which support sides are parallel with each other and act as alternating support sides. The cutting insert is provided with main cutting edges, which are orientated perpendicularly to the center axis of the mounting hole as well as provided in such a way that a rotation of the cutting insert around the center axis of the mounting hole to an alternative insert seat alternatively a turning of the cutting insert to an alternative insert seat provides an identical location of the main cutting edges in relation to a piece to be machined. A milling tool equipped with such milling inserts is also provided. The cutting insert can include four identical sides for chip removing machining, the sides extending between the parallel support sides, and each side has exactly two cutting edge areas.
US07909541B1
A structural assembly and a method are disclosed for an improved foundation element post-grouting technique incorporating a piston arrangement that consists of a barrel at the base of a pier or pile. Grout is pumped into the barrel via one or more conduits and the pressure from the grout exerts downward pressure on the barrel forcing it into the geomaterial below the foundation element and increasing the load bearing capacity of the foundation element. This assembly and method functions to contain the grout within the target grout area beneath the foundation element while simultaneously providing a means for measuring the strength of the geomaterial below the foundation element and the strain and movement associated with the geomaterial and the pier or pile.
US07909528B2
A support for a coating instrument includes an advertising image. The support is movable between a non-extended position and an extended position in which the support projects outward away from the shaft for contact with a surface on which the instrument is placed. The advertising image may be formed on a substrate that is adhered on an outer surface of the support. Alternatively, the support may be configured as a three-dimensional image.
US07909526B2
A grill brush having a brush handle with a handle end and a brush end, the brush head having a fluid reservoir, a brush handle conduit and a valve located therein; a reservoir cap removeably attached to the handle end of the brush handle; the valve being in fluid communication with the reservoir; the brush handle conduit being in fluid communication with the valve; a brush head; a bristle holding member; a brush bristle surface located on the bristle holding member; a brush head conduit located in the brush head, and in fluid communication with the brush handle conduit; a plurality of groups of bristles emanating from the brush bristle surface; a plurality of orifices located on the brush bristle surface, and in communication with the brush head conduit; and a scraper is provided herein.
US07909523B2
A sheet bundle printer includes a platen roller facing a sheet bundle having peelably adhered multiple sheets of sheet and pulling up an uppermost sheet thereof, a print head feeding the sheet and performing printing thereon while peeling it off with the platen roller, a platen moving device reciprocally moving the platen roller between a pull up position and a print position, and a control device controlling the platen roller, the platen moving device and the print head, and executing a print processing operation including operations of pull up, platen upward movement, print and feed, and platen downward movement. The control device sets a state where the platen roller is located at a predetermined intermediate position in a path from the pull up position to a non-contact position immediately before the print position, to an operation start position of the print processing operation and executes the operation from that position.
US07909521B2
A monitoring camera includes a camera portion that senses image of an object, a base and a shooting angle change device that connects the camera portion and the base with magnetic force. The shooting angle change device can change the shooting direction of the camera portion along X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis. The shooting angle change device includes a curved rotation guide surface that is formed on the base, a rotation surface that is formed on the camera portion, a magnet that is provided inside one of the camera portion and the rotation guide surface and an attaching member that is provided inside the other of the camera portion and the rotation guide surface. The rotation surface contacts the rotation guide surface. The rotation surface can be rotated relative to the base. The attaching member is made of magnetic substance.
US07909520B2
A viewing device comprising: a handheld telescopic rod; a camera attached at a first end of the rod; and an output device mounted on a bottom half of the rod when fully extended, at an end opposite to the first end, the output device displaying images transmitted by the camera.
US07909510B2
A radiation photographing apparatus includes: a housing in which an opening portion for allowing ventilation of the inside of the housing with ambient air is formed at a side surface of the housing; a covering member provided at the side surface of the housing, that is made of an elastic material which absorbs impact acting from the outside of the housing, and covers the opening portion; and an opening and closing mechanism that opens and closes the covering member with respect to the opening portion is provided so deterioration of constituent components caused by external impact and heat is suppressed with a small number of components.
US07909508B2
A sensor assembly is provided for a power bus. The power bus exhibits a number of characteristics, such as a temperature. The sensor assembly includes an enclosure having a housing and a base. At least one sensor such as, for example, a temperature sensor, is housed within the enclosure. The sensor (e.g., temperature sensor) senses a corresponding one of the number of characteristics (e.g., temperature) of the power bus. A power supply is housed within the enclosure, and cooperates with the power bus to provide electrical power to the sensor. An elongated fastener fastens the enclosure to the power bus. The base of the enclosure is adjustable with respect to the housing of the enclosure in order to secure the power bus between the housing and the base. The elongated fastener extends around the enclosure and the power bus in order to secure the enclosure to the power bus.
US07909504B2
A system and method are disclosed for controlling a drywell including a receiver having upper and lower ends with the lower end being more insulated than the upper and having a temperature sensor in thermal contact therewith. Upper and lower heaters are in thermal contact with the upper and lower ends respectively. A controller includes an integrated circuit having a temperature sensor. A reading from the integrated circuit is used to control power to the upper heater and reduce a temperature gradient between the upper and lower ends of the receiver.
US07909495B2
A vehicle headlight is arranged to prevent moisture from entering into a lighting circuit and a lighting space. A back cover has a cover main body 19 fitted into a fitting portion 5 of a lamp body 2 and made of resin material and connection terminals 20 embedded in the cover main body (except a part of the terminals) and made of metal material and in which the cover main body and the connection terminals are molded integrally. Component inlaying portions in which electronic components that constitute a lighting circuit of a discharge lamp and are connected electrically to the connection terminals are inlaid respectively are provided to the cover main body. A part of the connection terminals protruding from the cover main body is formed as connector terminal portions of a power supply connector for supplying power to the discharge lamp.
US07909489B2
A road lamp holder structure includes a lamp guard (1), an LED unit (2) installed at the bottom of the lamp guard (1), and a heat dissipating device (30) installed in lamp guard (1) and having a base (30), a vapor chamber (31) and two heat dissipating elements (32) attached to the LED unit (2). The vapor chamber (31) includes a heated section (310) attached onto the base (30), two heat transmitting sections (311) bent and extended upward from both sides of the heated section (310) respectively, a condensing section (312) bent and extended laterally from each of the two heat transmitting sections (311), two heat dissipating elements (32) having a heated base (30), and heat dissipating fins (321) disposed on the heated base (30). The two heated bases (30) are attached onto external sides of the two heat transmitting sections (311) of the vapor chamber (31) respectively, and the two condensing sections (312) of the vapor chamber (31) are attached to the internal periphery of the top of the lamp guard (1).
US07909485B2
A light distribution board used as an illuminating cover for a lamp set and having on a transparent board of it saw toothed light gratings, each saw toothed light grating is composed of a convex lens surface and a bevel plane lens surface the saw toothed light gratings are arranged at two lateral sides of a central line of the transparent board to form mirror images one side to the other side, the bevel plane lens surfaces are arranged to face respectively to two lateral sides of the transparent board, while the convex lens surfaces are arranged to face to the central line; the top surface is a light receiving surface of the lamp set. The bottom surface of the transparent board is formed thereon a plurality of convex-lens strip like light gratings and the bottom surface is an illuminating surface of the lamp set. With this structure, light beams can be uniformly distributed and can avoid the phenomenon of Gauss distribution that makes the area below the lamp especially bright, and avoid the phenomenon of dazzling of eyes during looking at the light emitting member in the lamp set, and the light beams become more tender under the condition that lose of brightness is minimum.
US07909465B2
An instrument and method for characterizing eye-related optical systems, including the live human eye involves scanning an illuminating light beam from a light source and light detector unit from element to element of a beam deflector array of elements arranged laterally across the optical axis of eye. At each successive element the illuminating beam is deflected to form an interrogating beam that is directed into the eye at a peripheral angle that depends upon the lateral location of the deflector element. A return beam is reflected or back-scattered from the cornea and returned via the same deflector element to the light source and detector unit. This allows the interrogating beams to be scanned sufficiently rapidly into the eye to greatly reduce the variation of eye fixation and gaze that accompany other methods of measuring peripheral refraction or aberration of a natural eye. In addition to or instead of scanning the illuminating beam over each element of the array, all or multiple elements of the array can be illuminated simultaneously and the multiple interrogating rays thus generated can be gated by the use of an LCD aperture plate. Alternatively, an LCD aperture plate can be interposed between a wide illuminating beam and operated to selectively illuminate the beam deflector.
US07909462B2
An opthalmologic apparatus has an examination unit including a plurality of examining parts for executing different examinations on an eye to and a driver moving the examination unit in the horizontal direction and in the anteroposterior direction. The opthalmologic apparatus controls the driver when switching a examination subject by the examination unit from one eye to the other eye to cause the examination unit to retreat by only a retreating distance according to the working distance of an examination part positioned at the examination position for the one eye. The examination unit retreats by only a distance according to the working distance. Therefore, it is possible to achieve both reductions in examination time and improvements for safety by preventing an examining part comes into contact with the patient.
US07909458B2
1,4-disubstituted-1,2,3-triazole UV absorbing monomers are disclosed. The UV absorbers are particularly suitable for use in intraocular lens materials.
US07909456B2
An image forming apparatus including an image reading section; a sheet feeding section; an image forming section configured to form an image on the sheet of the receiving material fed from the sheet feeding section; and a sheet discharging section located below the image reading section and configured to discharge the sheet bearing the image fed from the image forming section, wherein the sheet discharging section includes an outlet from which the sheet bearing the image is drawn; an inlet which is located on an upstream side from the outlet relative to the sheet discharging direction and from which the sheet bearing the image is discharged by the image forming section; a sheet receiving portion which receives the sheet bearing the image discharged from the inlet; and a top wall, and wherein the top wall is slanting upward in the sheet discharging direction.
US07909454B2
An inkjet printing press is provided which can hold sheets extremely stably. In an inkjet printing press, an inkjet head 3 is provided at the outer periphery of a printing drum 1 rotated in one direction. The printing drum 1 is provided with holding claws 15 which are opened and closed to hold the leading end of the sheet S, and clamps 21 which can be opened and closed for clamping the trailing end of the sheet S. When the clamps 21 are moved from their open positions to their closed positions, the clamps 21 are moved backward with respect to the rotating direction of the printing drum 1 to impart a tensile force to the trailing end of the sheet S and tighten the sheet so that the trailing end of the sheet is held by a clamp 21 with the sheet in its tight state. Also, the clamp 21 is brought into contact with the periphery of the printing drum 1 by an attracting device to assure the holding of the sheet.
US07909452B2
A recording apparatus includes an intermediate transfer member, a supply unit that supplies onto the intermediate transfer member a curable solution containing a cationic curable material that is cured by a cationic curing reaction upon application of an external stimulus, a discharge unit that discharges an ink containing a recording substance to a layer to be cured that has been formed by the curable solution supplied onto the intermediate transfer member, a transfer unit that transfers, from the intermediate transfer member to a recording medium, the layer to be cured to which the ink is discharged, and a stimulus supply unit that supplies a stimulus that cures the layer to be cured.
US07909438B2
A piezoelectric type inkjet printhead includes an upper substrate including a pressure chamber to be filled with ink that is to be ejected, a reservoir to store ink that flowed in from an ink container, a restrictor connect the reservoir to one end of the pressure chamber, an intermediate substrate comprising a damper formed on a portion of the intermediate substrate, which corresponds to other end of the pressure chamber, a lower substrate comprising a nozzle to eject ink and formed in a portion of the lower substrate, which corresponds to the damper, a hydrophobic layer formed on a bottom of the lower substrate, and a piezoelectric actuator formed on the upper substrate to supply driving power to eject ink to the pressure chamber, wherein the nozzle is formed in the lower substrate at a predetermined depth from a bottom surface of the lower substrate.
US07909430B2
A liquid ejection apparatus has liquid ejection heads. Each liquid ejection head has a liquid ejection surface, including nozzles, and a gap is formed between the liquid ejection heads. A sealing member is positioned in the gap, and the sealing member forms a surface. The sealing member joins the liquid ejection surface of a liquid ejection head to an adjacent liquid ejection surface of another liquid ejection head. A wiper wipes each liquid ejection surface and the surface formed by the sealing member.
US07909429B2
A liquid ejection apparatus includes: an ejection head that ejects a liquid from a nozzle; a cap that can seal an opening of the nozzle; an absorber that is disposed in the inside of the cap; a first ejection unit that allows to perform a first ejection toward the cap for maintenance of the nozzle; a suction unit that sucks the liquid from the cap; a second ejection unit that allows to perform a second ejection toward the cap for supplementing the liquid to the inside of the cap, before the suction; and a history managing unit that manages information on an accumulated ejection amount of a moisturizing component of the first ejection, wherein the second ejection unit allows to perform the second ejection on a condition based on the information.
US07909424B2
A method and an apparatus for dispensing liquid are disclosed. The method includes the steps of storing one or more liquids in a thermal inkjet print head and providing a well plate having at least one well. At least one of the liquids is dispensed from the thermal inkjet print head into at least one well. The volume of the dispensed liquid is a fraction of the total required volume of the liquid in the at least one well, and the dispensing step is performed multiple times to dispense the required volume of the at least one liquid in at least one well.
US07909412B2
A cycle wheel mounting system wherein a cycle wheel hub is rotatably mounted on an axle rod having threaded portions. Structure associated with the cycle wheel hub and the axle rod, including projections on the hub casing of the cycle wheel hub, and receivers for the projections on the cycle frame ensures proper alignment of the cycle wheel when mounted.
US07909410B2
A roofing saw assembly and corresponding method of use for cutting into a roof a predetermined depth. The saw assembly may or may not include the saw itself. But it otherwise includes a frame having a base and a handle. Front and rear wheel sets are carried on the frame for supporting the frame in rolling movement above a roofing surface. A dead-man brake assembly is associated with at least one of the wheel sets wherein the brake is engaged with the wheel set until it is released to permit wheel rotation. A saw platform is carried on the frame, with the platform being adapted to support the power saw a predetermined height above the roofing surface. A height adjuster is disposed between the frame and the platform for adjusting the saw platform relative to the frame. The assembly can be used to cut roof sections of a predetermined size for easy and tidy removal.
US07909401B2
A device for adjusting the seat depth of a motor vehicle seat includes a seat depth adjustment part which is movable relative to a seat lower part of the motor vehicle seat substantially in the direction of travel, an adjusting unit for the seat depth adjustment part as well as a guide device for cushion material covering the seat depth adjustment part. The adjustment unit for the seat depth adjustment part as well as the guide device for the cushion material form one unit.
US07909394B2
The present invention is a foldable and stowable roof system which can be selectively detached from the vehicle and stored within a short amount of time. The foldable and stowable roof system of the present invention includes a first frame member connected to a roof member, a second frame member connected to a roof member, and a third frame member selectively connected to the first frame member and the second frame member. Also included is a fourth frame member selectively connected to the first frame member and the second frame member such that when the third frame member is connected to the first frame member and the second frame member, and the fourth frame member is connected to the first frame member and the second frame member, the first frame member, second frame member, third frame member, and fourth frame member, form a frame for supporting the roof member.
US07909386B2
A rail system of a mounting and guide device for a sliding door of a motor vehicle is provided with a drawn-in rear part, by which the sliding door is displaceable between a closed position in which the sliding door closes a door opening and an open position in which the door is located laterally adjacent to the door opening. The rail system has a guide rail connected to the vehicle body, which is provided with an arc section, which is curved toward the vehicle middle following the drawn-in rear part and a first assembly assigned to the guide rail having a mounting unit engaging in the guide rail, which is displaceable along the guide rail with the aid of a least one displacement element. The rail system also has a support element rigidly connected to the mounting unit and projecting from the mounting unit in front of the displacement element, to which the sliding door is attached so it is pivotably movable.
US07909378B2
An apparatus for carrying multiple fishing poles includes a connecting rod with a first end and a distal second end and a first supporting member affixed to the first end of the connecting rod and a second supporting member affixed to the distal end of the connecting rod. A plurality of recesses is in the supporting members, each of the recesses sized to accept one of the fishing poles. A cloth strap is affixed individually to one end of each supporting member and adapted to removably cover the outer circumference of the given supporting member, thereby removably holding the fishing poles within the recesses of each supporting member.
US07909373B2
An apparatus is disclosed for extending a bumper on a motor vehicle having driven wheels. The apparatus includes a drive to derive power from the rotating wheels, an actuator for extending the bumper, and a controller for connecting the actuator to the drive. When bumper extension is desired, drive power is transferred from the motor vehicle's rotating wheels to the actuator to effect deployment of the bumper.
US07909372B2
A striker apparatus for a vehicle includes a striker adapted to be engaged with a locking member secured at an engaging object and having a pair of base portions, a base member having a pair of attaching holes, a reinforcement member placed on the base member and including a pair of insertion holes opening to face the pair of attaching holes respectively, and a pair of flanges formed at each of base portions being inserted into each of the pair of the attaching holes and each of the insertion holes for holding the base member and the reinforcement member therebetween.
US07909369B2
A coupling for joining two pipes having end sections, each of which is provided with a circumferential locking rib and can be inserted into the coupling, wherein the coupling has at least one elastic ring that joins at least two elongated webs, and wherein the coupling has stop projections, which lock in place behind the locking ribs when the end sections are inserted in the coupling and can be unlocked to release the connection of the pipes by expanding the at least one ring. Each ring is a separate element from the webs.
US07909364B2
An object of the present invention is to provide an authenticity indicator that cannot be easily forged, that is clearly distinguishable, and that can be elaborately designed. An authenticity indicator 101 is in the form of a sheet and can be checked for its authenticity by observing the light reflected from it. The authenticity indicator comprises a first reflective layer 12 comprising a reflective area 12a that reflects specified light, and a second reflective layer 15 that reflects specified light. The reflective area of the first reflective layer has a cholesteric liquid crystalline structure. The second reflective layer comprises a volume hologram.
US07909359B2
A side airbag apparatus is provided with an inflator, and an airbag. The airbag is stored in a vehicle seat, is inflated and deployed by gas from the inflator, breaks the vehicle seat so as to jump out, and is inflated and deployed between a body side portion of a vehicle and the vehicle seat. In this side airbag apparatus, a controller predicts a side collision of the vehicle, and makes the inflator start an actuation in advance of the side collision in response to the prediction. Further, in the airbag inflated and deployed in accordance with the actuation start of the inflator, a deploying speed of the airbag is lowered in comparison with the deploying speed at a time of starting the actuation of the inflator after the side collision, at least outside the vehicle seat.
US07909358B2
An air-bag in the form of an air-bag is disclosed, having an upper edge provided with mounting tabs to mount the upper edge to a motor vehicle. The upper edge of the air-bag is also provided with a gas inlet throat at a position between the ends of the upper edge. The gas inlet throat is configured to receive an end part of an elongate gas generator, and the upper edge of the air-bag is provided with a gas generator retainer, in the form of a loop to engage part of the gas generator.
US07909351B2
A trailer coupling dock theft-proof lock to prevent unauthorized coupling and hauling of a trailer during parking includes a locking dock, a coupling assembly and a lock assembly. The coupling assembly can be latched in a dome of a trailer coupling dock. By locking and unlocking of the lock assembly the coupling assembly can be retained or removed so that unauthorized towing of the trailer can be prevented.
US07909344B1
An adjustable vehicle step that attaches to the vehicle's frame or body via a downward facing c-channel that extends longitudinally along the lower edge of the side of the vehicle. One or more step assemblies can be attached to the c-channel so that the step assemblies extend outward and downward from under the vehicle. The step assemblies are attachable along the length of the c-channel, making the step assemblies adjustable longitudinally relative to the vehicle so that they can be positioned below the doors of the vehicle. The supporting c-channel is hidden from view by a decorative side bar that attaches to the exposed side of the c-channel making the step assemblies appear to be supported by the decorative side bar. The step assemblies used with the step can be made of various lengths and heights.
US07909343B2
A mudflap assembly comprising a bracket for connection to a vehicle and a hanger extended therefrom. A mudflap is connected to one end of the hanger, while the bracket rotatable receives the other end and maintains the hanger in an initial resting position until the hanger is acted upon by a sufficient horizontal force. A bulge or detent on the bracket resists horizontal movement of the hanger.
US07909341B2
Suspension system for a vehicle, comprising two hydraulic piston-cylinder units (1) comprising a first and a second cylinder chamber (3a, 3b), connected with electro-hydraulic roll control means which are arranged to control the vehicle's roll behavior under electric control of the vehicle's computer system (C), comprising a direction valve, a pump unit and pressure control means. The direction valve is a hydraulically actuatable direction valve (6) having two first and two second switching ports (6a, 6b), interconnectable in three positions, and two hydraulic control ports (6c) which are either indirectly or directly, connected with said pump unit (5, 10). The pressure control means comprise an uni-directional pressure control module (9, 15), connected with both second switching ports of the hydraulically actuatable direction valve. The pump unit is either a bidirectionally energizable pump unit (5) connected with both first switching ports (6a), or a unidirectionally energizable pump unit (10) connected with both second switching ports (6b) of the direction valve, via an electrically actuatable valve (11) having two first and two second, mutually interconnectable, switching ports (11a, 11b). At least a number of the hydraulic components (6, 9, 11, 13, 12, 14) may be integrated in one common housing (16).
US07909340B2
A three wheeled vehicle that has an improved dual front wheel integrated steering and suspension system that allows the vehicle to be maneuvered by a combination of arm and leg steering movements coupled with front end leaning that shifts the center of mass of the vehicle down and toward the inside wheel. This transfer of mass counteracts a conventional cornering vehicle's tendency to fling its mass to the outside wheel and lift the inner wheel off the ground as well as changing the angle of the line of force exerted through the tires, and enhancing the vehicles's grip on the ground. The vehicle has a reduced amount of sliding and potential of flipping when turning sharply. The steering system is compatible with traditional ACKERMAN steering geometry wherein the inner wheel turns in a smaller diameter circle than the outer wheel.
US07909338B2
An adapter member for connecting a self-drilling rock anchor (1; 31; 69) with a chuck (6) of a drilling tool, includes a sleeve-shaped section (17; 37) having a bottom (20; 40; 60; 80) provided at an end (19; 39) of the sleeve-shaped section (17; 37) for forming a receiving space (21) for connection with an end (4; 34) of the rock anchor (1; 31; 69), and a seal (23; 43; 63; 83) arranged in a region of the bottom (20; 40; 60; 80) and extending from the receiving space (21) to at least a plane (E1; E2; E3; E4) defined by the bottom.
US07909316B2
A sheet folding apparatus includes: a fold roller pair which forms a nipping portion and inserts the center of a sheet bundle into the nipping portion to form a fold in the sheet bundle; a folding blade which moves from a standby position and presses the center of the sheet bundle against the nipping portion when the fold is formed, and returns to the standby position after the pressing of the nipping portion is completed; and a protection member which prevents an access to a front edge of the folding blade in a longitudinal direction of the front edge when the folding blade is located at the standby position.
US07909309B2
An antipersonnel barrier system includes at least one concertina coil and a plurality of spaced support members. Each of the support members includes a base section and a vertical section. Each of the concertina coils is secured to the support members to provide a horizontally and vertically stabilized barrier. A length limiting cable is provided to limit the length of spacing between adjacent support members. The support members can include anchoring structure for securing the support members to a support surface. In one embodiment, the concertina coils include two small diameter base coils and a top coil positioned on the base coils.
US07909303B2
A movement device (1) having a Stewart platform includes a movable platform (9) that has platform joints (8) connecting it in an articulated manner by at least six rods (6) to a base (3). The rods (6) have base joints (7) resting in an articulated manner on carriages (4, 5) that can be displaced in the longitudinal direction on rails (2a, 2b) that are fixed to the base. Each carriage (4, 5) has a dedicated drive, and the carriages (4, 5) can be moved independently of one another. Exactly two rails (2a, 2b) are provided, and each rail (2a, 2b) supports at least three carriages (4a, 4b, 4c and 5a, 5b, 5c).
US07909298B2
A device is provided for fixing a child seat to a support structure of a motor vehicle, including a plastically deformable holding device, which is fixed to the support structure and has a holding element to which a fixing element, which is attached to the child seat, can be fixed. In order to permit a defined movement of the holding element during deformation of the holding device, the holding device has at least one bending axis along which the holding device can be deformed when a force, such as a tensile force, acts on the holding element.
US07909297B1
Flexible mounting brackets and support structures can be used to mount substantially linear panels to substantially non-linear support structures without undue stress. For example, at least one implementation comprises a flexible mounting bracket having an attachment interface located on a proximal portion of the bracket, and a mounting interface on a distal portion of the bracket. The proximal and distal portions of the bracket are pivotally connected with one or more torsion springs, so that the proximal and distal portions can move or otherwise adjust to accommodate any stressing. A system for creating a nonlinear support structure thus includes the flexible mounting bracket, as well as vertical support structure components that can be configured to maintain a non-linear shape. Panels mounted to a plurality of flexible brackets maintain the non-linear shape of the support structure components without undue stress or damage.
US07909296B2
A display system includes a housing and a support bar. The housing has a front face and a rear face. The support bar includes an elongate body and a first bracket. The elongate body has a front face and a channel. The first bracket is secured within the channel of the elongate body and is adjustable relative to the housing in two substantially perpendicular directions. The rear face of the housing is secured to the front face of the support bar.
US07909290B2
A joint for use in aircraft construction, for example a wing, comprises: a cover skin having an interior surface, an exterior surface and a distal portion, said distal portion having an exterior-facing surface; and a butt-strap having a first portion for connection to the skin, said first portion having an interior surface, an exterior surface and a distal end. The first portion of the butt-strap is connected to the distal portion of the skin such that a junction is formed between the exterior surface of the skin and the exterior surface of the first portion of the butt-strap. The exterior-facing surface of the distal portion of the skin is of a shape complementary to the shape of the interior surface of the first portion of the butt-strap. The first portion of the butt-strap tapers towards its distal end such that, at said junction, the exterior surface of the skin and the exterior surface of the first portion of the butt-strap form a substantially continuous exterior surface.
US07909285B2
A suspension for suspending a turbine engine from the structure of an aircraft is disclosed. The suspension includes a beam with a first element including a first attachment unit which attaches the beam to the structure and a second element including a second attachment unit which attaches to the beam to the turbine engine. The beam further includes a first plate and a second plate. The plates are positioned transversely to the axis of the engine and joined together by a layer of elastomer. The first plate being secured to the first element and the second plate to the second element. This arrangement allows vibration damping between the engine and the structure of the aircraft.
US07909278B2
An auto vehicle capable of processing waste matter cuts pet bottles made of PET, which is a recyclable material, into chips while collecting the pet bottles, and an aligning portion configured to align the pet bottles fed therein via a loading portion, a processing portion configured to apply chipping to the pet bottles aligned by the aligning portion, and a chip storing portion configured to store chips formed by the processing portion, are provided on the deck. Waste matter can be thus automatically subjected to chipping without any involvement of manpower by merely loading collected waste matter into a collective hopper.
US07909275B2
A shredder having a sizing chamber and a reducing chamber for sizing and reducing material.
US07909269B2
A pull-out faucet has a spray head with spray selection and pause control. A spring-loaded push button interrupts outlet spray entirely as long as it is being depressed. A rocker button controls spray through inner and outer sets of outlet orifices, for example, giving the user the option of an aerated water jet or an unaerated shower. The rocker button mounts on an integral pivot post of a valve body that houses a diverter valve that is controlled by the rocker button. The rocker button has a pair of legs that extend through openings in the valve body to engage a groove in the diverter valve. Pivoting the rocker button about a pivot axis by depressing either its forward or aft portion, moves the diverter valve along a valve axis to route flow to either the inner or outer orifices.
US07909260B2
A semiconductor device used as an ID chip is provided, of which operation is terminated when its role is finished or expires. According to the invention, an antenna circuit, a voltage detecting circuit, a current amplifier circuit, a signal processing circuit, and a fuse are provided over an insulating substrate. When large power is applied to the antenna circuit, a voltage is detected by voltage detecting circuit and a corresponding current is amplified by the current amplifier circuit, thereby the fuse is melted down. Also, when an anti-fuse is used, the anti-fuse can short an insulating film by applying an excessive voltage. In this manner, the semiconductor device has a function for making it invalid by stopping operation of the signal processing circuit when the role of the device is finished or expires.
US07909258B2
The present invention provides an RFID card using Korean paper and a method of manufacturing the same. The RFID card has a base sheet provided with a chip accommodation portion in which an RFID chip is accommodated, protective sheets stacked on top and bottom surfaces of the base sheet, and transparent film sheets stacked on outside surfaces of the protective sheets and provided with advertisements. The base sheet is made of strawboard that is manufactured by breaking the bark of a paper mulberry tree and straw into pieces and mixing them together. The protective sheet is made of oiled floor paper that is manufactured by coating Korean paper with perilla oil. The transparent film sheets are made of Chinese drawing paper that is manufactured using paper mulberry as raw material. The loop antenna is printed on the strawboard in conductive ink, and is connected to the RFID chip.
US07909253B2
An image detections system comprising an image detection system configured to detect images. The system also comprises a controller that synchronizes the image detection system to capture a reflected laser beam over a first integration time and to capture an environment image detected by the image detection system over a second integration time that is greater than the first integration time.
US07909251B2
A memory card pack includes an adaptor insertable in a memory slot of an application device and including a semiconductor chip having a control circuit therein and an expansion socket including a plurality of slots, each slot being configured to receive a memory card, and a plurality of contacts electrically connecting the control circuit to each memory card.
US07909232B2
A mold welded with a dissimilar metal member manufactured by pressingly bringing the dissimilar metal member into contact with a mold formed of copper or a copper alloy in a stationary state while rotating the dissimilar metal member at a high speed, stopping the dissimilar metal member, and providing a forced pressure larger than the pressure in the first step to the mold. The present mold solves the problems of efficient cooling and attachment of back frame. Also, a variety of problems including cutting processing loss of copper or copper alloy plate, long processing times, heat distortion and heat deterioration of copper plates, etc, can be solved. Further, welding position precision and welding strength of stud bolts can be improved. Finally, the invention concerns a mold welded with a dissimilar metal member where the mold is manufactured by the first step shown above.
US07909230B2
An attaching construction includes a first member having a circular tubular welding portion at a distal end and, at a rear end thereof, a holding portion which is integral with the welding portion. The attaching construction includes a second member having an annular first positioning rib, and an annular second positioning rib inside the first positioning rib. The welding portion is positioned within the first positioning rib, and the welding portion is friction welded in place within the first positioning rib while the first member is rotated.
US07909229B2
A method for joining materials in which a second material is overlapped over a first material preliminarily formed with a joining hole so as to cover the joining hole. A joining tool arranged in alignment with the joining hole is pressed, while rotated, onto the second material so as to locally soften and enter the second material in solid phase state into the joining hole of the first material through frictional heat generated between the joining tool and the second material. The joining tool is pulled out after a geometric engaging part is provided by the second material in relation with the first material and the engaging part is allowed to harden to join the first and second materials.
US07909228B2
An ultrasonic bond is formed using a bond tool foot having a waffle shape of thin protrusions and gaps between the protrusions. The tool is brought in contact with the ribbon to a depth to create depressions in a ribbon approximately 150 μm or less from the underlying bonding surface. The tool is then brought down further into the ribbon to contact the portions of the ribbon between the depressions, such as an additional 25 to 50 μm. The result is lightly bonded regions underneath the groove portions and highly bonded regions underneath the protrusions and around the perimeter of the bond. In another embodiment, an ultrasonic bond is formed along a partial width of a ribbon.
US07909226B2
A method for producing a longitudinally welded hollow profile from a sheet metal blank having defined longitudinal edges, in which the sheet metal blank is initially preformed into an open seam profile with the aid of at least two tool parts allows for the economical production of accurately formed hollow profiles. This is achieved in that to produce the open seam profile, the sheet metal blank, by a change in the relative position of the tools parts, is placed freely around a mandrel positioned between the tool parts and extending in the longitudinal direction of the sheet metal blank, the outer shape of which mandrel determines the inner shape of the hollow profile to be produced, and in that the shaping of the open seam profile obtained is then completed in one or more stages in each case by a further change of the relative position of the tool parts.
US07909216B2
A web alignment method and apparatus for a printing system that includes a friction drive, wherein the alignment device provides one or more of the following: a) a stable medium path with reduced web-walk, b) an alignment system that is not sensitive to the mechanical alignment of an upstream device such as a roll unwinder, c) an alignment system having a lower complexity and lower cost than active controlled systems, and d) an alignment system that is compatible with a wide range of media, ranging from lightweight papers (for example 60 gsm) to heavyweight stock (such as 300 gsm) including high weight high gloss coated grades. The alignment device includes an arrangement for supporting the web in an arcuate form between adjustable side guides.
US07909215B2
A golf bag includes a first shoulder strap attached to the body of the golf bag at its upper end on a first side of the spinal axis of the body and at its lower end on the opposite second side of the spinal axis of the body. A second shoulder strap is attached to the body at its upper and lower ends on the sides opposite the first shoulder strap, so that the two shoulder straps cross each other over the spinal axis of the body. A strap guide assembly comprising an elastic cord is connected to an intermediate portion of the second shoulder strap to urge it toward the first side of the golf bag to prevent the second shoulder strap from falling away from the golfer as the golf bag is hoisted onto the golfer's shoulders.
US07909214B2
The present interlocking bag and waist belt invention assists the user that must carry weight comfortably while being able to access the contents. The embodiment of the present invention teaches a soft bag, a waist belt, an optional detachable shoulder strap, and a connecting system that includes a rigid member or semi-rigid member interlocking between the waist belt and the bag through placement in looped pieces which are fixed alternatively on bag and waist belt. This invention will be of importance to walking delivery people, but the utilization will be more expansive. People young and old who are attracted by the informality of messenger bags but who want more comfort, may use the present interconnecting bag and waist belt invention for school, work, and travel.
US07909209B2
An apparatus for automatically dispensing a fluid includes a container adapted to carry a supply of fluid, and a valve connected to the container, wherein actuation of the valve dispenses the fluid. Also included is an apparatus position indicator proximally associated with the container and an object sensor positioned near the valve. The object sensor monitors an area below where the valve dispenses when open and upon detection of an object opens the valve. Initial positioning of the apparatus triggers the apparatus position indicator to generate an appropriate signal until the object sensor is properly positioned. Once positioned the device may be permanently secured. A control circuit within the apparatus also allows programming of lighting indicators, dispense cycle size, and dispense quantities. The control circuit also provides for overload protection, motor braking and RF shielding.
US07909208B2
A process of monitoring the dispensing of process fluids in precision processing operations. A precision measuring instrument measures a cumulative amount of a process fluid dispensed to at least one dispensing station and compares that amount with a predetermined amount. An alarm is provided to an operator when the cumulative actual required amount of process fluid dispensed after a preset number of dispensations differs from the cumulative predetermined dispensed amount of that fluid by more than a preset percentage.
US07909204B2
An overcap is provided for fitting over a top end of a container of the type having a top end closure including an inner rim defining an opening for access to the inside of the container. The overcap includes a body portion having an outer peripheral flange for attachment to the top end closure. The overcap further includes a downwardly depending flange adapted to engage the inner rim of the top end closure with a friction fit. The downwardly depending flange includes a vent that is active during engagement of the flange with the inner rim, prior to forming the friction fit between the flange and the rim.
US07909203B1
A cooking apparatus and container system for efficiently providing a portable container to secure multiple items within. The cooking apparatus and container system generally includes a container including an upper opening and a cavity, wherein the upper opening extends through an upper end of the container and wherein the chamber extends from the upper opening and within the container. A cap is removably secured to the container over the upper opening, wherein the cap is comprised of a configuration to seal the upper opening of the container. A handle is also included, wherein the handle may be secured in a storage position or a cooking position. The handle is secured adjacent the container in the storage position and the handle is secured to the cap in the cooking position.
US07909202B1
The present invention relates to an improved beverage support and serving system that includes a base with handle, an adjustable strap, and removable spout with cap. The invention is used by inserting a beverage bottle into the base, and securing the bottle to the base via the adjustable strap. Next, the removable spout is screwed onto the bottle.
US07909195B2
A two-piece lid is provided and includes a base portion defining at least two openings of differing sizes and a single cover portion connected to the base for covering the openings. At least one opening is constructed as to maximize the size of the opening. A confectionery container comprising the two-piece lid is also provided.
US07909192B2
The invention is a vent for use with a container, such as commercial steel pails and drums, and a method for venting containers. The vent has a cap seal with one or more semipermeable membranes covering an orifice in the cap seal. The membrane prevents the passage of at least one atmospheric component, but allows the free passage of air. When a product is filled into the container at an elevated temperature and cools, a vacuum is formed within the container. The resulting vacuum opens a vacuum release device in the vent and pulls air through a hole in the cap seal, which is protected by a micro-porous membrane. The venting of air into the container relieves the vacuum without damage to the container or the product within the container.
US07909186B1
The clothes hanger apparatus has a pair of spaced apart foot assemblies, a vertical member extended upwardly from each foot assembly, a right angle bend at a top of each vertical member, a sleeve extended from each bend, a horizontal tube removably connecting the sleeves, a slot in a bottom of the tube, a plurality of roller assemblies selectively fitted within the tube, a plurality of stems, each stem having a top end and a bottom end, the top end removably connected to one roller assembly, a clip connected to the bottom end of each stem, a hanger mustache removably connected to each clip, respectively.
US07909176B2
The invention includes a drinking straw with an inverted funnel-shaped net retained near a lower end of the straw. The net traps ice at the lower end of the straw to cool liquid drawn into the lower end of the straw.
US07909165B2
System 10 delivers specified medication(s) 10M of a specified dosage in a specified sequence (see FIG. 1A). Flexible cover lamina 12C is pressed into selective engagement base lamina 12B defining a series of sequential storage units 10X and 10Y and 10Z with frangible seal 14F (no hatching) and destruct seal 14D (double hatching). Sealed medication chamber 16M is proximate the destruct seal within each storage unit. Chamber access region 16R is proximate the frangible seal within each storage unit. Diagonal chamber seal 14S (single hatching) extends across each storage unit. Breachable bubble 16B is positioned within each chamber access region and expands under applied pressure towards the frangible seal of the storage unit (see FIGS. 1A and 1B). The expansion separates the opposed laminae until the bubble produces perimeter breach 12P (see FIG. 1C) in the frangible seal. Flexible peel flap 14C is formed by the flexible cover lamina along the breached frangible seal as the bubble breaches. The flap is peeled away from the base lamina by the user, parting the chamber seal to open the medication chamber providing access to the medication stored therein.
US07909164B2
Nestable packaging lids are described. Generally, the packaging lids include a generally planar lid member having an upper surface and a lower surface, a plurality of dome expansions extending upwardly from the lid member, and a plurality of elongate projections extending downwardly from the lower surface of the lid member. Each dome expansion defines a downwardly facing recess and includes a base perimeter defining a base center, and the dome expansions are arranged in longitudinal rows and transverse columns. In an implementation, at least one projection is disposed transversely between a longitudinally adjacent pair of dome expansions and at least one projection is disposed longitudinally between a transversely adjacent pair of dome expansions.
US07909162B1
The barber's portable case apparatus provides for storing and carrying multiple barber's tools such as clippers, for example, in a compact arrangement that provides forced air cooling for the tools. The case is designed to adequately and removably contain clippers without being overly large, thereby contributing further to portability and space savings. The multiple electrical outlet may provide for powering the fans and other needed appliances. The apparatus may obviously hold other devices in need of storage and forced air ventilation for cooling. By cooling such tools as clippers, for example, both a barber and a customer are saved any high heat contact common in the use of such implements. A plurality of channels conducts air to the fans.
US07909147B1
A brake adapted to be rotationally coupled with a shaft and in communication with a fluid source and a negative pressure source, the brake including a housing defining a chamber therein. A disc assembly is positioned within the chamber and includes a plurality of stationary discs carried by the housing and a plurality of rotating discs carried by the shaft. The rotatable discs and stationary discs are positioned for engagement. A piston is movable to cause the stationary discs to engage the rotatable discs. A first fluid input is in communication with the fluid source, providing a constant supply of fluid to the chamber. A second fluid input is in communication with the fluid source, providing fluid when the stationary and rotating discs are caused to engage.
US07909145B2
An elevator drive has a brake device with compression springs to actuate brake levers, and brake linings on a brake drum creating a braking force. A sensor is provided to detect the movement of a brake magnet armature tappet. A bracket is attached to the brake magnet tappet on one end and a distance piece carrying the sensor housing is arranged on the other end. A restoring lug is attached to the existing mechanical indicator. A monitor evaluates the sensor signal and turns off the elevator drive in the event of dangerous operational states via a safety circuit. The system allows the state of the brake device to be monitored. The more the brake linings wear off due to abrasion, the smaller the distance between the armature and the brake magnet housing. If the armature is in contact with the brake magnet housing, the braking ability of the brake linings is completely void.
US07909143B2
The present invention pertains to a method for optimal routing of the elevators in an elevator system in a situation where the supply power received by the system is limited e.g. due to emergency power operation. In the invention, routes are optimized by using a cost function to which has been added a term containing the summed instantaneous power consumed. Power consumption is monitored in real time, and the elevators need a start permission from the control system. A route alternative that exceeds the power limit is penalized in the cost function by a so-called penal term. With the elevator routing obtained as a result, the instantaneous power consumed by the system remains continuously below the set power limit. Some call can thus be postponed to be served later. By the method of the invention, the number of elevators serving passengers in an emergency power situation can be varied dynamically.
US07909139B2
The present invention is a powered lift platform including a platform, at least one guide rail section in operative contact with the platform, each of the at least one guide rail sections comprising at least one guide rail and in which a first end of each of the guide rail sections is configured to removably attach to a second end of a second guide rail section. The invention also includes a lift mechanism supported by the platform, a lift guide in operative contact with the lift mechanism and attached to the upper portion of the upper guide rail, a power supply to operate the lift mechanism. In a preferred embodiment, at least one wheel is operatively attached to the powered lift platform. Also presented is a method for securing the powered lift platform to a columnar-like support. Also presented is an extendable standoff.
US07909137B2
A harness system for supporting a person off of a ground surface. The harness system may include a seat supported by a strap attached to the seat. The strap may form one or more leg containing loops for keeping a person securely positioned in the harness. The harness may also include a climbing strap for securing the harness loosely to a support device, such as a tree, while a person climbs a support device. The harness may be secured to a person by tightening a waist strap around the person's waist. The harness system may include a fall restraint device and should straps enabling the harness system to qualify as a fall arrest system.
US07909131B2
A microcomputer is provided with an extracting section capable of extracting a specific frequency component from an input signal. The extracting section extracts, from a pinion angle corresponding to a signal indicating the state of a steering system, a frequency component corresponding to a vibration that increases generation of a rattling noise in a speed reducing mechanism. The extracting section outputs an effective value of the extracted frequency component as a power spectrum. If the power spectrum output from the extracting section is equal to or more than a predetermined threshold value, the microcomputer outputs a motor control signal to reduce the assist force generated by the EPS actuator.
US07909130B2
A drive control unit alone can be replaced without detaching an electric power steering apparatus from a gear housing. A motor housing of an electric motor, which outputs assist torque to a steering wheel of a vehicle, and a drive housing of the drive control unit, which controls the driving of the electric motor, are coupled to each other at a mating surface in a surface to surface contact manner, and the drive housing and the gear housing are coupled with each other on the same axis. A location of connection, at which a power supply input terminal block of the electric motor and power supply bus bars of the drive control unit are connected to each other by us of screws, is arranged at a joint location at which the motor housing and the drive housing are joined to each other by screws.
US07909126B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for integrating a torque vectoring differential (TVD) and a stability control system in a motor vehicle. The integrated system is utilized for more efficiently correcting understeer and/or oversteer slides in a motor vehicle. In correcting these slides, the integrated system utilizes the TVD to rotate two wheels on opposite sides of the motor vehicle at different rates to create a yaw moment at the vehicle's center of gravity until the TVD reaches a saturation point and the understeer or oversteer slide is not corrected. Once the saturation point is reached without correcting the understeer or oversteer slide, the stability control system is employed to selectively apply one or more of the vehicle's brakes in a further effort to correct the understeer or oversteer slide.
US07909125B1
A dual pivoting hood support mechanism includes a first support mounted on the vehicle near a rear end of the hood, a second support mounted on the vehicle forward of the first support, a first arm coupled to the rear end of the hood, and a second arm pivotally coupled to a central portion of the hood. The first arm is releasably and pivotally coupled to the first support, and the second arm is releasably and pivotally coupled to the second support. The hood can be pivoted rearwardly about the first support to a fully raised position by uncoupling the second arm from the second support. The hood can also be placed in a service position wherein the rear end of the hood is higher than the front end of the hood and when the first arm is uncoupled from the first support.
US07909118B2
A movable boring assembly and a boring tool positioner for drilling a plurality of holes in a well casing and jetting a well production zone through the plurality of holes. All of the holes can be drilled in the casing at different angular positions, as well as different levels within the casing. The drilling tool can then be removed and a perforation jet can be reliably and accurately reoriented into the drilled holes to perforate a production zone in multiple directions and at multiple levels.
US07909117B2
A housing including longitudinally extending tubular members interconnected to allow controlled relative bending thereof, during a drilling operation, a rotary drive transmitting torsion bar extending generally longitudinally within the housing to controllably bend in response to relative bending of said members, a rotary drill bit operatively connected to said torsion bar to be rotated as the bar rotates, a rotary drive operatively connected to the torsion bar to rotate the bar, means for controlling relative bending of the said members during torsion bar rotation and as a function of such rotation.
US07909104B2
A decomposable sealing device is described for use in liquid-filled pipes or boreholes, which is characterised in that the sealing device comprises a sleeve-shaped element (19) which envelops a number of strata (5, 7, 9) completely or partly in the pipe's radial and a longitudinal direction, comprising layered division of a number of decomposable strata (5, 7, 9) and a number of closed liquid-filled chambers (16) arranged between the strata (5, 7, 9) and where the sleeve-shaped element (19) comprises a body (2) which can be rearranged to establish connection between the respective chambers (16) and one or more grooves (14) in the inner wall of a pipe. A method for decomposing the sealing device is also described.
US07909103B2
A subsea wellhead assembly has a tubing hanger landed in a wellhead housing. A spool lands on the wellhead housing and has a bore with a laterally extending production flow outlet. A tree cap having an axially extending flow passage and a laterally extending production flow outlet lands within the bore of the spool. Upper and lower seals on the tree cap seal between the tree cap and the bore of the spool above and below the production flow outlet of the spool. An isolation tube on a lower end of the tree cap sealingly engages the production flow passage of the tubing hanger. The tree cap may be ran with the spool as an assembly and retrieved from the spool for workover operations.
US07909090B2
Radial bearing designs for electrical submersible pump components and assemblies reduces scale build up on the bearing components. Scale resistant and abrasive resistant sleeves and bushings may be used. The axial lengths of the sleeves are kept within the axial length of the AR bushings, or vice versa, with regard to the axial stroke of one component relative to the other. In addition, sharp corners may be formed on the sleeve or bushing axial faces at their respective interfacing diameters. As the shaft moves axially, the sharp corner on one component scrapes off the scale on the other component. This design discards the scale rather than force it into the clearance between the sleeve and bushing. Small spacer sleeves also may be used adjacent the sleeves so that scale build up on the spacer sleeves is farther away from the bearing to reduce scale-related problems.
US07909089B2
One embodiment of a downhole jet pump 10 includes an exterior pump housing 12, power fluid jet nozzle 30, mixing tube 32, and a carrier 40 including a plurality of venturi ports 38. A nose piece 48 is provided fluidly downstream from the mixing tube 32. A diffuser 46 is downstream from the nose piece, and preferably forms a unitary body from the lower end of the nose piece to the side port of the pump housing. An inlet valve 100 passes formation fluid into the pump housing and to the venturi ports.
US07909087B2
A heat exchanger including a base plate portion with at least one heat generating component thermally connected thereto; at least one fin portion comprising a plurality of fins thermally connected to said base plate portion, arranged in parallel at a prescribed angle along a longitudinal direction of said base plate portion; an inlet portion through which a cooling fluid is introduced to each of said at least one fin portion; a baffle plate portion and a partition plate portion guiding said cooling fluid so that the cooling fluid is decelerated to be uniformly flown through fins in said at least one fin portion; and an outlet portion to evacuate the cooling fluid.
US07909078B2
A method for analyzing and controlling the formation of a green tire component by component on a target region of a curved build surface includes: measuring in three dimensions each component on the target region by rotating the build surface past at least one optical scanner. The optical scanner directs a sheet or a plurality of sheets of light against a target region of the rotating build surface; and measures component by component build-up on the target region surface for component dimensional, positional, and mass parameters. Component by component measurements are made in three-dimensions by rotation of the target regions through the optical sheets of light and feedback from component measurements may be used to correct for tire imbalance and uniformity anomalies on a real-time basis.
US07909070B2
A device for filling an aerosol container with a liquid using in particular a filling arrangement equipped with a pusher element, includes a cup that is designed to accommodate the liquid for filling the aerosol container, this cup being provided on its bottom with an injection opening that can be adapted to the valve of the aerosol container, a piston head acting by pushing on the filling liquid contained in the cup for transferring it from the cup to the container. The piston head has the form of a scraper in continuous contact with the inside wall of the cup during the transfer operation, this piston head being shaped to work with the cup after transfer to keep the piston head within the cup to form an airtight wall that retains the residual liquid that has not been transferred within the cup.
US07909066B2
Two layered beads (B) arranged between two neighboring warps (tx-1) and (tx) are woven by inserting a weft (yx) through center holes (2) of the beads in (B) in a forward direction or in a backward direction and turning the weft (yx), around one of the warps (t). A two layered beaded fabric is obtained by repeating the movements of the weft (yx). A three layered beaded fabric can be obtained in the same manner as the two layered beaded fabric.
US07909065B2
The present invention regards a barrier plug system (3) for sealing off a pipe (1), comprising a plug body, a first and a second end plate surface (11, 31) arranged on opposite sides of the plug body and at least one circumferential sealing means (6) and means (8) for setting the plug system (3). The plug body comprises at least two separate plug body elements (10, 30) movable relative each other and the at least one sealing means (6) is arranged abutting two opposite annular pressing surfaces (12, 32) formed by the plug body, which are moved towards each other during setting of the plug system (3). The pressing surfaces (12, 32) are limited in the movement against each other by stop means and pre-tensioned to move toward each other by at least one tensioning device (7).
US07909058B2
The present invention relates to a manipulation button 40 for adjusting the height of a cushion seat for a vehicle that is capable of absorbing the shocks applied to a driver sitting on the cushion seat while the vehicle is being driven on a relatively rough road, and more particularly, to a button for adjusting the height of a cushion seat for a vehicle that is capable of adjusting the height of the cushion seat according to a driver's physical conditions and his desired driving posture, wherein a plurality of pneumatic valves having flow channels formed therein are intensively configured with one another in such a manner as to be operated by means of the seesaw type button 41, thereby effectively performing the ascending and descending motions of the cushion seat in a simple manner.
US07909052B2
A gassing system includes a gassing device, a pressure regulator in communication with the gassing device and a gas source and a PLC electrically connected to the pressure regulator. In addition, the system includes a removable orifice in communication with the pressure regulator, wherein the pressure regulator controls gas flow responsive to a signal sent from the PLC and wherein gas exiting the pressure regulator flows directly into and through the orifice and directly into the gassing device.
US07909050B2
A canopy mechanism comprises a canopy support and a canopy frame. The canopy support comprises a combining part and an engaging part. A terminal of the engaging part connects the combining part, and another terminal of the engaging part extends opposite to the combining part. The engaging part comprises a first lateral wall and a second lateral wall. A chamber is formed between the first and second lateral walls, and one terminal of the chamber has a chamber entrance. The second lateral wall has an opening, and a cantilever structure extends from a side of the opening therein. The cantilever structure has a first position-limiting part. The canopy frame has a connection part with a second position-limiting part. The connection part of the canopy frame inserts into the chamber via the chamber entrance to engage the first and second position-limiting parts to fasten the canopy frame and the canopy support.
US07909047B2
A cleaning apparatus (4) for cleaning a hair-cutting portion (2) of an electric hair-cutting device (1) includes a cleaning-liquid basin (5) for receiving the hair-cutting portion of the electric hair-cutting device in a central area such that the hair-cutting portion is at least partially immersed in the cleaning liquid (13). The electric hair-cutting device is cleaned by generating a cleaning-liquid flow revolving within the basin (5) around the central area of the basin, the hair-cutting portion being at least partially immersed in the cleaning liquid. The liquid flow effectively entrains debris away from the hair-cutting portion.
US07909043B2
A bristle brush for applying a cosmetic product to hair is provided with a sleeve having a longitudinal axis and at least one perforation. The brush is disposed within the sleeve so that brush bristles extend through the perforation for contact with the hair. The perforation is circular, arcuate, rectangular, square, triangular or trapezoidal in shape or at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve. When the sleeve has a plurality of perforations, the perforations can be shaped alike or can differ in shape and/or in angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve so that one or more predetermined performance characteristics are obtained when the brush is used to apply the cosmetic product to the hair. A method for adjusting brush performance characteristics is also disclosed.
US07909039B2
An operating staple is provided in which stability during an operation is enhanced by firmly suturing an operating portion and an intraluminal stapeler for operation having the operating staple. The operating staple closely sutures a first suturing tissue and a second suturing tissue contacting the first suturing tissue, and the operating staple includes: a center portion extending in close contact with a surface of the first suturingtissue; a pair of penetrating portions which is bent from both ends of the center portion and penetrates the first suturing tissue and the second suturing tissue; and a pair of leg portions which is bent from the respective penetrating portions, extends linearly, and closely bonds the first suturing tissue and the second suturing tissue to each other. Therefore, by utilizing the operating staple, the suturing tissues can be firmly sutured, thereby enhancing the stability during an operation.
US07909037B2
An airway implant device for maintaining and/or creating an opening in air passageways is disclosed. Methods of using the device are also disclosed. The airway implant device includes a deformable element to control the opening of an air passageway and a tether. Preferably the deformable element is an electroactive polymer element. Energizing of the electroactive polymer element provides support for the walls of an air passageway, when the walls collapse, and thus, completely or partially opens the air passageway. Also disclosed is an implant for stabilizing the tongue, the implant having an anchoring portion for securing a first end of the implant with the mandibula; a control portion connected with the anchoring portion, configured for selectively activating the implant; a flexible portion connected at its proximal end with the control portion, where the flexible portion has three-dimensional flexibility in a first state and where the flexible portion has a lesser three-dimensional flexibility in a second state, and where the flexible portion is selectively switchable between the first and second state by the control portion; and an anchoring portion for connecting the implant with the base of the tongue connected with the distal end of the flexible portion. Methods of treating airway disorders such as sleep apnea and snoring with the airway implant device are disclosed herein.
US07909031B2
The present invention includes a transient method of delivering a biological agent in a breathable liquid to a lung of a patient. The present invention includes a steady state method of delivering a biological agent in a breathable liquid to a lung of a patient. The steps of both the transient delivery method and the steady state delivery method can be controlled by a servo-control unit. A supplementary biological agent delivery step can be performed in both the transient method of delivering a biological agent and the steady state method of delivering a biological agent.
US07909028B2
An inlaid stone composite broadly includes a body stone and an inlay stone secured within a groove of the body stone, with the inlaid stone composite presenting a finished layered edge surface, and with the surface having a longitudinally extending edge profile. The inlaid stone composite is manufactured using a stone machine tool that includes, among other things, powered assemblies for machining the groove, machining the profile, and for polishing the profile. The body stone and inlay stone are machined to close tolerances so that the stones include respective surfaces in abutting engagement with one another. The stones are further machined to limit chipping of the composite.
US07909019B2
Boosted engine operation and spark timing of an engine may be adjusted with alcohol content of the fuel in a direct injection engine. Further, various adjustments may be performed in numerous related systems to account for increased maximum engine torque, such as traction control, transmission shifting, etc.
US07908981B2
A height adjustable table is disclosed wherein all horizontal supports that span between legs have been eliminated to increase storage space and knee space in the area under the table work surface. A unique telescoping leg arrangement is disclosed.
US07908977B2
A cooler table comprising a storage compartment formed with a top edge, and a tabletop. The tabletop is manipulable between a closed position in which it closes the top edge, and a table position in which it is mounted on a post extending from the storage compartment serving as a table while allowing access to the storage compartment.
US07908976B2
A railway vehicle including an access platform which extends between two lateral faces, at least one of the faces having a lateral access door. The access platform is adjacent a passenger area and includes a plate which is movable vertically so as to allow passengers with reduced mobility to access/leave the access platform from/to a railway platform of a given height when the movable plate is placed in a given embarkation/disembarkation position. Also included is a moving floor allowing persons with reduced mobility to move between said passenger area and said movable plate whatever the embarkation/disembarkation position thereof. The moving floor is located and always remains in an interior of the vehicle along with the passenger area and the movable plate between which the moving floor is located.
US07908968B2
A system, apparatus, and method for a vertical marking system 100 comprising a means for marking 250 and a means for vertical positioning 200 wherein the means for marking 250 is attached with the means for vertical positioning 200. The vertical marking system 100 may include a means for moving the vertical stack of items 300 through the vertical marking system 100 whereby the vertical stack of items may transition from an entry end 320 of the vertical marking system 100 to an exit end 330 of the vertical marking system 100; a programmable control system 100 for adjusting the distance between multiple means for vertical positioning mechanisms; and a means for centering 400 the vertical stack of items in relationship to the means for marking 250.
US07908955B1
Rope structures and rope displacement systems and methods for lifting, lowering, and pulling objects
A rope structure comprising a plurality of fibers combined to form a plurality of yarns which are in turn combined to form a plurality of strands. The plurality of strands are combined using a single braid process to form the rope structure defining a void space. At least one of the fibers, the yarns, and the strands are configured substantially to reduce a volume of the void space and thereby maintain a shape of the rope structure when the rope structure is under load.
US07908935B2
The inventors perfected the present invention upon finding that a conventional fecal sampling stick is given a hollow structure that has openings a certain distant apart, permitting in aspiration through the capillary tube phenomenon. That is, the present invention is a feces collection container for collecting faeces as an analyte, which comprises a fecal sampling stick which has a holding part (11) at a base, a fecal sampling part (12) at a tip and is formed a hollow passage with openings at the tip and on the base side a predetermined distance from the tip.
US07908933B2
The invention relates to a load gauge, comprising at least two coils, which are fixed in relation to each other, for detecting the movement and/or the position of an electrically conductive and/or magnetic element that is movable relative to the coils and against the force of a spring device. Each coil is placed in a dedicated electrical measuring circuit.
US07908928B2
A monitoring system is provided, which may include a structural component configured to undergo mechanical loading and a wireless node attached to the structural component. The node may include a strain sensing device configured to measure strain experienced by the structural component at the location of the node. The node may also include a processor configured to predict, based on the strain measurements, fatigue life of the structural component.
US07908925B2
An apparatus and associated method is provided for holding an inner race of a bearing stationary with respect to rotational movement while leaving a hub that is fixed in rotation with an outer race of the bearing unencumbered. The hub is excited by contactingly engaging it with a predetermined mechanical force. The resonance response of the hub to the excitation is determined and used to characterize the bearing qualitatively.
US07908921B2
A barometric-pressure-sensor device for a portable electronic device, having a pressure sensor of a MEMS type designed to supply a barometric-pressure measurement, and with a processing circuit coupled to the pressure sensor that is designed to supply an altitude measurement as a function of the barometric-pressure measurement. The pressure sensor and the processing circuit are integrated in a single chip, and the processing circuit is a dedicated circuit of a purely hardware type. The processing circuit executes altimeter-setting operations through a plurality of reference registers containing respective pressure references.
US07908918B2
A tire having an internal surface of substantially toroidal conformation, includes an electronic device including an electronic unit and an antenna, the latter being connected with the electronic unit and having an inner perimetral edge, and an anchoring body mounted on the internal surface for engagement between the electronic device and the tire, the anchoring body including at least two portions, said electronic unit being arranged between the portions. Each of the portions has a fastening surface secured to the internal surface of the tire and a groove in which the inner perimetral edge of the antenna is fitted to maintain a constraint between the electronic unit and the anchoring body. Also disclosed is a method of installing an electronic unit into a tire.
US07908915B2
A method for tire rolling simulation on mud comprises the steps of modeling a tire using finite elements to build a tire model, modeling a muddy road using finite volumes to build a muddy road model which can exhibit elastoplasticity property and failure property, and executing a numerical simulation in which the tire model is made to roll on the muddy road model in a predetermined condition.
US07908914B2
An arrangement for determining the rotational speed of a transmission shaft (3) featuring a transmission shaft (3), a rotational speed transmitter that is connected in a rotationally fixed manner with the transmission shaft (3) and a stationary rotational, speed sensor (34), via a rotational speed that can be detected from the rotational speed transmitter. The rotational speed transmitter is provided on the periphery of a shift collar (20) of a coupling device (19) that is axially displaceable and arranged in a rotationally fixed manner on the transmission shaft. The invention also relates to a transmission with an arrangement of this kind, as well as to a method of determining the rotational speed of the transmission shaft.
US07908913B2
A solenoid diagnostic system includes a pressure monitoring module that determines a first pressure in an intake cam phaser for an intake camshaft and a second pressure in an exhaust cam phaser for an exhaust camshaft associated with a cylinder. A fuel injection monitoring module determines a fuel injection status associated with the cylinder. A fault determination module diagnoses a fault in a solenoid associated with the cylinder based on the first pressure, the second pressure, and the fuel injection status.
US07908912B2
A system for detecting a characteristic of oil in a reservoir includes a sensor at least partially located in the reservoir. The sensor has a chamber for receiving oil from the reservoir, a detector member in the chamber, and an electromagnetic coil. Application of voltage across the electromagnetic coil moves the detector member and the presence and viscosity of oil in the chamber affects the rate of that movement. The electric current through the electromagnetic coil is measured and analyzed to determine an amount of time that the detector member took to move between two positions in the chamber. That amount of time is used to determine whether there is at least a predefined amount of oil in the reservoir and, if so, the viscosity of the oil.
US07908911B2
A fuel usage monitoring system, in certain aspects, may be configured to determine the fuel usage rate of a work vehicle service pack engine using control signals relating to operating parameters of the service pack engine and associated equipment. In certain embodiments, the control signals may relate to operating parameters of the engine, a fuel injection pump associated with the engine, a governor associated with the fuel injection pump, a fuel reservoir associated with the engine, and other components associated with the engine. In particular, the control signals may relate a position of a control rack of the fuel injection pump. The control signals may be correlated with fuel usage rates prior to operation of the fuel usage monitoring system. In addition, the correlations may vary as certain parameters of the engine, such as operating speed, vary. The correlations may be implemented as algorithms within software of the fuel usage monitoring system.
US07908901B2
A cooling apparatus for a radiant energy heated oven is disclosed, where the cooling apparatus cools the oven by directing a flow of coolant through a chamber in thermal communication with the oven resulting in sub-ambient cooling, sub-ambient holds, and in chromatography instruments, higher sample throughput by reducing cycle time or column cool down time.
US07908896B1
Implementations of biometric deadbolt lock assemblies having various aspects relating to lock housing; a fingerprint sensor in the housing; a controller in the housing and electrically coupled to the fingerprint sensor, the controller configured to store data and compare stored data to data from the fingerprint sensor; a deadbolt mechanism; a manual actuator couplable to the deadbolt mechanism; a controlled actuator electrically coupled to the controller that couples or uncouples the deadbolt mechanism from the manual actuator to enable or disable manual operation of the deadbolt lock through the manual actuator. A battery may also be included within the housing and in particular implementations a biometric deadbolt lock assembly may be configured to fit in the same size opening as a conventional deadbolt lock.
US07908894B2
Device (100) and dyeing process in continuous with indigo for warp yarn chains (3) and/or fabrics, equipped with a first hermetically sealed dyeing compartment (1), suitable for containing the dye bath, and a hermetically sealed fixing/dehydration compartment (2) of the yarn (3). The two dyeing (1) and fixing/dehydration (2) compartments comprise an inert environment and are functionally and hermetically connected with each other and there are means (4) for introducing nitrogen and/or deoxygenated air inside the same compartments; inside the compartment (2) there is at least one means (5) for directly heating and/or dehydrating the yarn (3).
US07908893B2
A system and method of determining the temperature of a rotating electromagnetic machine, such as an electric motor or generator. A temperature calibration parameter is calculated based on the temperature of an object situated close to the motor, such as a motor drive connected to the motor, and a first resistance value of the winding. In exemplary embodiments, the motor drive and first resistance value are determined only after the motor has been idle for some predetermined time period. Once the calibration parameter is calculated, the processor uses it along with subsequent resistance measurements to calculate the temperature of the motor.
US07908886B2
The invention is directed to oxyhalide fining agents for glass and processes for making glass using such a fining agent.
US07908881B2
An HVAC system having a main circuit and a subcooler circuit. The main circuit includes a main circuit evaporator, a main circuit expansion device, a main circuit condenser and a main circuit compressor connected in a closed refrigerant loop. The subcooler circuit includes a subcooler evaporator, a subcooler expansion device, a subcooler condenser and a subcooler compressor connected in a closed refrigerant loop. The subcooler evaporator is arranged and disposed to exchange heat between liquid refrigerant in the main circuit and the refrigerant in the subcooler circuit to cool the liquid refrigerant in the main circuit prior to entering the main circuit evaporator. The operation of the subcooler circuit provides an increased cooling capacity per unit of a mass flow of cooling fluid through the main circuit condenser and subcooler condenser for the HVAC system with a predetermined design efficiency.
US07908880B2
A compressor for a refrigerating device including a housing and an evaporation tray mounted on the housing. The evaporation tray is formed from a sleeve-like element mounting on the housing around a partial surface of the top of the housing.
US07908872B2
Heat pumps move heat from a source to a warmer sink, with Bernoulli heat pumps accomplishing this movement by reducing the temperature in a portion of the generally-warmer heat-sink flow. Heat flows spontaneously from the generally cooler heat-source flow into the locally cold portion of the heat-sink flow, which is the neck of a Venturi. The temperature reduction results from the Bernoulli conversion of random gas-particle motion (temperature and pressure) into directed motion (flow). This invention is a Bernoulli heat pump in which the heat transfer into the Venturi neck exploits unusual thermodynamic transport properties of rare-gases. Rare gases, especially mixtures of them, possess unusually small Prandtl numbers and thereby facilitate the diffusion of random particle motion (heat) relative to the diffusion of directed particle motion (viscosity), viscous friction being responsible for most of the power consumed by a Bernoulli heat pump.
US07908865B2
A device for injecting a mixture of air and fuel into a combustion chamber of a turbomachine is disclosed. The injection device includes a novel sliding bushing and a novel annular cup for retaining the sliding bushing, making it possible to improve the air feed of the injection device.
US07908862B2
A generator is disclosed. The generator comprising at least one layer, the at least one layer defining a cavity and at least one aperture, at least a portion of the at least one layer including a reflective medium, or coatings, the cavity configured to hold a fluid, a fluid inlet coupled to the at least one layer, the fluid inlet in fluid communication with the cavity, and a fluid outlet coupled to the at least one layer, the fluid outlet in fluid communication with the cavity, the fluid configured to absorb radiation, the fluid outlet configured to release the fluid to perform work.
US07908857B2
A turbo assembly may include a coupling member, a heat shield, and a turbo mechanism. The coupling member may include first and second ends and an annular body extending between the first and second ends. The first end may fix the coupling member to an exhaust manifold of an engine and the annular body may define an exhaust gas channel that receives exhaust gas from the exhaust manifold. The annular body may include a coolant passage that receives a coolant fluid. The heat shield may extend axially within the exhaust gas channel and radially between the annular body and an exhaust gas flow within the exhaust gas channel to limit an amount of heat transferred from the exhaust gas to the annular body. The turbo mechanism may include a housing fixed to the second end of the coupling member and in communication with the exhaust gas channel to receive the exhaust gas therefrom.
US07908851B2
In one aspect of the present invention, a system for performing work has a hydraulic circuit adapted to store energy within a hose. The hose has an elastic inner layer pre-tensioned by a radial tensioning component disposed within the hose and at least one reinforcing layer of elastic thread disposed around and compressing the inner layer. A hydraulic fluid is in the circuit and in communication with the hose, the radial tensioning component and with a hydraulic actuator for doing the work. The circuit has a mechanism for pressurizing the hydraulic circuit in order to perform the work.
US07908840B2
A heat exchange system for use in operating equipment having a plurality of subsystems in each of which a common working fluid is utilized to provide selected operations in that subsystem with a reservoir containing at least some of the common working fluid and has both a supply system and a return system connected between the reservoir and each of the plurality of subsystems through which any common working fluid in the reservoir can be conveyed. An airstream heat exchanger is provided connected in one of the supply and return systems so as to have the common working fluid conveyed therethrough cooled at selectively variable rates in the airstreams passing thereby during at least some such uses of the operating equipment.
US07908839B2
Two-for-one twisting spindle having a pneumatically actuated threading device, with a spindle shaft rotatable about a vertical axis partially configured as a hollow shaft with a lower feed bore extending coaxially to the rotational axis, and with an injector element opening into a thread guide channel of a thread guide ring temporarily connectable during threading to a compressed air source. Part of the compressed air feed to the injector element is formed by the feed bore. The compressed air feed comprises a connection element (27) with a curved air channel (26), which connects the feed bore (24) to the injector element (16). The connection element (27) is configured as a separate component and the air channel (26) is adapted to the flow requirements.
US07908838B2
A self-propelled agricultural harvesting machine includes an agricultural front attachment which is supported via at least one carrier wheel which is in contact with a ground, at least one height-adjustable pick-up housing for adapting the agricultural front attachment and a control device controlling a ground pressure of the at least one carrier wheel on the ground that results when the front attachment assumes a non-working position.
US07908835B2
A reaper of grains is for reaping bean grains that is classified as a trailer. More specifically, a bean reaper for carrying out two different operations, the first one of which is gathering various plants, such as bean plants, peanuts and other grains, which have been previously plucked and aligned, whereas the second function of which is to perform a whole cleaning process by separating the grains (seeds) from the remaining unwanted parts.
US07908832B2
An agricultural machine, especially a field chopper, has a carrier vehicle (28) with an intake unit (18) mounted on and arranged to the carrier vehicle (28). The intake unit has an intake gearbox (19) and at least one feed roller (21, 21′; 24, 24′) to guide the harvested goods to a chopper drum (10). The intake gearbox (19) is drivingly connected to that at least one feed roller (21, 21′; 24, 24′). The intake unit (18) is at least partially detachably attached to the carrier vehicle (28). A hydraulic motor (17) is mounted on and arranged to the carrier vehicle (28). The hydraulic motor (17) drives the intake gearbox (19). The hydraulic motor (17) has a drive shaft (40) that is detachably and drivingly connected to an input shaft of the intake gearbox (19).
US07908831B1
A stretch wrap rope converter and wrapping system includes: a.) a wrapping apparatus having: (i) a frame for movement of a carriage; (ii) the carriage moveably mounted to the frame and adapted to hold at least one rotatable roll of stretchable film material thereon and being adapted to generate two separate streams of film therefrom; (iii) drive mechanism connected to the carriage; (iv) a stretch wrap rope converter functionally connected to the carriage so as to receive the first stream of film and the second stream of film, the converter having a first orifice for diminishing the first film to create a first rope, and having a second orifice for diminishing the second film to create a second rope, and having rope rotation mechanism so as to rotate the first orifice and the second orifice through an arc in either a reciprocal fashion and/or a circular fashion to cause the first rope and the second rope to move toward, cross and then away from one another; b.) wrapping target rotation mechanism adapted to rotate either the wrapping apparatus and a wrapping target so the first rope and the second rope engage the wrapping target during rotation.
US07908829B2
A method and apparatus for manufacturing a non-rectilinear flexible package comprising an in-line process including application and selective sealing of a semi-rigid strip to an inner wall of the package and further including a dual-stage die-cutting technique to remove and cut a non-linear shape into a formed web of film. The semi-rigid strip is sealed to one interior wall of the package but not the other to provide a reinforced opening to the package through which a material can be dispensed. Additionally, the dual stage die-cutting method comprises first cutting and removing a portion of the web material prior to filling the package and again cutting and removing a portion of the web material after filling, resulting in a package having a narrowed neck adjacent the closed reinforced opening at an upper portion of the package and a body of the package that is tapered towards the reinforced opening.
US07908825B2
Cigarette packs of the hinge-lid-box type with an outer wrapping of shrinkable film are transported through a shrinkage station (22) in two pack rows (26, 27), in each case comprising individual packs. In the region of said shrinkage station, shrinkage elements, namely heating plates (24, 25; 45, 46), subject the upper side and/or lower side of the packs (10), during a standstill phase of the same, to (contact) heat. The packs (10) are transported such that the lower side and the upper side are simultaneously or consecutively exposed for contact by the heating plates.
US07908822B2
A wrapping material dispensing system for a round baler which automatically and precisely controls the tension in the wrapping material by controlling the braking force applied to the rotation of a wrapping material roll according to a braking profile. The profile is a function of the discrete phases of wrapping the material about the bale, and at least one characteristic of the wrapping material on the wrapping material roll.
US07908817B2
The instant invention is a method for achieving a-planar framing configurations which enable the construction of hyperbolic paraboloid surfaces, a multiplicity of which join to create roof structures and enclosures. In particular, the shaping and erecting of connected a-planar quadrilateral frames to create under-framing which can be completed by a simple in-framing, and covered with sheeting material resulting in a new method of constructing enclosures with hyperbolic paraboloid faces without the use of highly trained crews, or the need for elaborate pre-forms or specialized connecting or covering elements.
US07908814B2
A panel for mounting on an exterior wall includes a shaped, molded backing member and a siding member attached to the backing member wherein the shape-molded backing member includes a rear face and an opposing front face. The shape-molded backing member is composed of closed cell expanded polystyrene foam, the front and rear faces having an outer surface composed of a tough smooth skin.
US07908809B2
Disclosed is both an apparatus and system for screeding a three dimensional panel including a screed clip for securing a guide bar to the panel for screeding a cementitious coating to a substantially uniform finish and level. The clips are used in combination and in series to support a guide bar. The clips are attached to the wire grid mats of a three dimensional panel to enable a less than skilled laborer to finish a cementitious coating applied to the panel.
US07908808B2
The invention relates to a roof, ceiling or wall element (1) made of several successive superposed layers of wooden boards (2; 2a, 2b), where the wooden boards (2; 2a, 2b) of the successive superposed layers lie on top of each other with their broad surfaces (3) facing, and the wooden boards (2; 2a, 2b) of a layer are connected to the wooden boards (2; 2a, 2b) of at least the abutting layer by holding elements (4). A cost effective manufacture with small loss of material can be achieved by the fact that the wooden boards (2; 2a, 2b) on the mutually facing broad surfaces (3) are unplaned, and at least the small surfaces (8) of the wooden boards (2; 2a, 2b), which surfaces form a visible side of the roof, ceiling or wall element (1), are stepped at their edges with an upper and lower notch (9, 10).
US07908803B2
An apparatus for covering an opening of a building comprising a plurality of rectangular panels. The panels are sized such that when they are stacked for storage, the panels nest together.
US07908802B2
The present invention relates to a system for constructing tread surfaces comprising polygonal elements (1) where each element has a top surface and a number of substantially straight side edges arranged perpendicular to the top surface along the periphery of said top surface and that all side edges (2) are provided with a number of receiving openings (3) each opening adapted to receive and maintain a connector member, and that said elements (1), furthermore, along one or more of said side edges (4) are provided with one or more integrated and protruding connector members (5) which each are adapted to fit into said receiving openings (3).
US07908800B2
A modular columbarium has side panels joined to front uprights by bolts on bent front tabs on the front panels and, respectively, the panels are joined to the rear uprights by L-shaped tabs that can be housed in slot in the rear uprights. The bottoms of the front uprights are extended by height-adjustable legs to adapt to any unevenness of the ground, a lower base panel being fastened between the legs. The front uprights are connected to each other by font crossbars, the crossbars comprising a longitudinal guide, whereon blocking elements are positioned that can move laterally along them. The longitudinal guide has slots for the projecting tabs of the front covers to pass through. The guide has central openings wherethrough the blocking elements can be actuated to block or release the front covers.
US07908799B2
Concrete wall blocks are described with features facilitating use of the wall blocks to construct each of: a wall section with set back; and, a vertical wall without set back. Wall blocks, kits or sets of wall blocks, and wall sections with various sized blocks are described. Further methods of assembly and use are described. Also, features selectively usable in various types of wall blocks are described.
US07908798B2
A device for closing a frame, which has a panel mounted removably on and articulated on the frame includes a hook that has, at an end part, a heel that can stop against a surface of the articulation edge of the frame to immobilize the panel in a secure open upright position, generally perpendicular to the frame. The invention can be applied to roads.
US07908795B2
A window carrier assembly for an automotive window regulator. The carrier assembly is a composite assembly of a center body section preferably formed of injection molded plastic material and a pair of window clamps that are snap assembled to the carrier body section. The window regulator assembly preferably is used in connection with a single rail-type window regulator. The body section of the carrier assembly features a cable end receiving socket which allows both ends of the drive cable to be installed in a manner which can be done rapidly in component assembly.
US07908791B1
A fumigation apparatus including a conventional shipping container (10), a partition (14) dividing the container into a fumigation chamber and a control room (12), means (24) arranged to supply gas into the fumigation chamber (16), control means (26) located in the control room arranged to control the flow of gas into the fumigation chamber (16) and extraction means (36, 38, 40, 42, 44) arranged to remove gas from the fumigation chamber as controlled from the system control box (26).
US07908772B2
The invention relates to a method and shoe having a sole attached to an upper for defining an interior, the interior having a recess, and at least two footbeds, each having different physical properties and each being sized to be placed within the recess. The shoe also has an additive dispersed over the interior and at least one footbed, wherein each of the at least two footbeds is removably placed within the recess depending upon a desired physical property.
US07908763B2
A method for and apparatus for determining the loop size of a rodeo rope comprising determining a circumference C, determining a spoke S length, providing a chart having loop sizes corresponding to a range of circumference measurements and spoke measurements, and finding a loop size based upon the measured circumference and measured spoke. The loop size refers to a set of parameters that characterize the rope. The method can be implemented by a computer and associated software.
US07908756B2
A method and apparatus for mounting a calibration sphere to a calibration fixture for Coordinate Measurement Machine (CMM) calibration and qualification is described, decreasing the time required for such qualification, thus allowing the CMM to be used more productively. A number of embodiments are disclosed that allow for new and retrofit manufacture to perform as integrated calibration sphere and calibration fixture devices. This invention renders unnecessary the removal of a calibration sphere prior to CMM measurement of calibration features on calibration fixtures, thereby greatly reducing the time spent qualifying a CMM.
US07908751B2
For optical chassis measurement of motor vehicles at a testing site that has at least one measuring unit having at least two imaging devices associated with one another in position and location, the measuring units are oriented with respect to the testing site with reference characteristics located fixedly at the testing site, evaluation in an evaluation device is effected on a basis orientation data and associated data obtained, for determining chassis data of a motor vehicle, in addition to the reference characteristics located fixedly at the testing site, at least one reference device is positioned which is usable in mobile fashion at the testing site with reference characteristics, and with a totality of reference characteristics in the evaluation device, the orientation data and the association data of the measuring units are obtained, and thus a common measuring station coordinate system is defined.
US07908749B2
A sharpener for a stick-shaped cosmetic material comprises guide rails (3h) disposed in a longitudinal direction over a sliding surface (3d), and a continuous surface (3g) at an upper side of both surfaces. The sliding surface (3d) is formed in an acute inner angle shape as seen in the longitudinal direction for sliding a leading end portion of the cosmetic material thereon. The continuous surface (3g) constitutes an upper side of a blade with a cutting edge (3e) facing to a rear end edge of the sliding surface (3d) at a position slightly higher than the sliding surface (3d). A leading end portion of a stick-shaped cosmetic material feeding container (100) is guided by the guide rails (3h), thereby preventing the container (100) from being shaken.
US07908746B2
An electrical enclosure that includes a sidewall, a back and a top, defining an interior. The top of the enclosure is adapted to open and provide access to the interior. The enclosure includes a backplane mounted to the interior of the enclosure. The backplane has at least one cutout where the cutout is positioned on the backplane to align with an obstacle positioned on the enclosure sidewall and extending into the enclosure interior.
US07908745B2
An intermediate layer 38 is provided on a die pad 22 of an IC chip 20 and integrated into a multilayer printed circuit board 10. Due to this, it is possible to electrically connect the IC chip 20 to the multilayer printed circuit board 10 without using lead members and a sealing resin. Also, by providing the intermediate layer 38 made of copper on an aluminum pad 24, it is possible to prevent a resin residue on the pad 24 and to improve connection characteristics between the die pad 24 and a via hole 60 and reliability.
US07908743B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method of forming an electrical connection on a device. In one embodiment, the electrical connection is attached to the device via an adhesive having electrically conductive particles disposed therein. In one embodiment, the adhesive is cured while applying pressure such that the conductive particles align, have a reduced particle-to-particle spacing, or come into contact with each other to provide a more directly conductive (less resistive) path between the electrical connection and the device. In one embodiment of the present invention, a method for forming an electrical lead on a partially formed solar cell during formation of the solar cell device is provided. The method comprises placing a side-buss wire onto a pattern of electrically conductive adhesive disposed on a back contact layer of a solar cell device substrate, laminating the side-buss wire and electrically conductive adhesive between the solar cell device substrate and a back glass substrate to form a composite solar cell structure, and curing the electrically conductive adhesive while applying pressure and heat to the composite solar cell structure.
US07908737B2
A gas is fed, so as to cause a gas flow to occur from a lower opening of a bearing hole of a sleeve 6 in an outward direction of an annular portion 12a of a rotor hub 12 via a radial gap 50 and an upper opening of the bearing hole, thereby lifting a rotor section 10. In a condition where the rotor section 10 is lifted, the magnitude of run-out synchronized with the rotation of the rotor section 10 is measured by using a displacement gauge 40. Then, based on the magnitude of run-out synchronized with the rotation, the run-out of the rotor section 10 is adjusted.
US07908736B2
An armature for an electric motor has a lamination stack on a shaft with a commutator mounted on one end of the shaft. Magnet wires wound in slots in the lamination stack, the commutator and armature shaft are at least partially encapsulated in thermoset. The commutator has a commutator ring divided into a plurality of segments with slots between the segments that are filled with a second plastic when the commutator is made by molding a core of the second plastic, such as phenolic, in the commutator ring before the commutator ring is mounted on the armature shaft. Prior to molding the thermoset, the commutator ring is sealed. The seal prevents the thermoset from flowing into the slots between the commutator ring segments or over the commutator ring.
US07908734B2
A hydraulic manifold assembly includes a manifold containing a plurality of hydraulic channels that direct fluid to a centralized location and a package disposed at the centralized location to measure fluid pressure at pressure ports corresponding to the hydraulic channels. The manifold assembly directs fluid to the single package rather than scattering fluid outputs to multiple sensor locations, simplifying the overall assembly configuration.
US07908729B2
A method for attaching a handle to a tablet to form a lollipop utilizes a specific work holder. The work holder has a tooling pallet with a plurality of openings going from a top surface to a bottom surface. A bullet and a spring are located in each opening and held in place by a plate that slides through a groove in the bottom surface of the tooling pallet to block the openings in the bottom surface. Each spring is positioned between a bullet and the plate. A tablet is placed in a cavity of each bullet and a handle is placed in contact with each tablet. High frequency mechanical vibrations, such as ultrasonic vibrations, are applied to a joint interface between each tablet and bullet until the joint interface reaches a molten state. The joint interfaces are then allowed to cool, thereby attaching a handle to each tablet and forming a lollipop.
US07908728B2
An improved system and method for removing extrusion screw elements includes a puller assembly for removing at least one screw element from a screw shaft of a screw-type extrusion machine. The at least one screw element includes a sleeve portion received annularly about the screw shaft and at least one flute extending radially outward from the sleeve portion. The puller assembly includes a body having a sleeve portion with an inner diameter sufficiently sized for axially fitting over the at least one screw element on the screw shaft. At least one engaging element is removably secured to the body for enabling the body to be axially installed on the at least one screw element when the at least one engaging element is removed from the body and axially locking the body on the at least one screw element when the at least one engaging element is installed in the body. The at least one engaging element extends radially inward relative to the inner diameter of the sleeve portion beyond an outer radial edge of the at least one flute when the at least one engaging element is installed in the body to axially lock the body to the at least one screw element. To remove the at least one screw element from the screw shaft, an axial pulling force is applied to the body to axially move the at least one screw element relative to the screw shaft.
US07908726B2
A wrench for tamper switch installation for use with a tamper switch arrangement including an enclosure containing a tamper switch assembly having a mounting rail for assembling the tamper switch assembly to a security system enclosure. The wrench may be capable of holding two separate nuts and have cooperating mating structure to slidably mate with the mounting rail of the tamper switch arrangement. The nuts may be frictionally-fitted into the wrench, after which the wrench is slidably moved onto the mounting rail until the nuts line up with two throughbores in the mounting rail. Two screws or bolts are then inserted through a surface of the security system enclosure and traverse the throughbores in the mounting rail. The screws or bolts then threadably engage the two nuts disposed within the wrench and are threaded therethrough via rotation with a suitable instrument, e.g., a screwdriver, located outside of the security system enclosure. The wrench prevents the two nuts from turning while an installer installs the two screws or bolts from outside the security system enclosure.
US07908725B1
An apparatus and method for aligning septic system pipe in a leach field is disclosed. The apparatus includes a plurality of curvilinear members each of which has portions that correspond to the outer circumference of a septic pipe to temporarily secure the pipe in a pre-designated position relative to other adjacent pipes. The curvilinear members can be fixed or variably positioned on an elongate beam that connects and sets the distances between adjacent curvilinear members. The use of multiple apparatuses enables the user to set the relative distances between septic pipes in a leach field with labor-reduced efficiency. A method for aligning pipe with the apparatus is also disclosed.
US07908720B2
A casket and memorialization accessory combination comprises a casket comprising a casket shell having a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls and a casket lid closable on the casket shell, a decorative ornament, and a keepsake box adapted to receive keepsake items therein. The casket shell and ornament are configured such that the ornament is removably attachable to the casket shell. The keepsake box and ornament are configured such that the ornament is attachable to the keepsake box. The ornament can be removed from the casket in which a deceased was displayed for viewing and attached to the keepsake box so that the keepsake box and ornament can be presented to a loved one of the deceased as a memorial to the deceased.
US07908715B2
A hinge portion of a case has a strap holder concavity into which a strap holder component is inserted, and a second pin hole into which a securing pin is inserted. A first pin hole into which a securing pin is inserted is formed in a strap holder component. As a result, lightly press-fitting the strap holder component into the strap holder concavity, and inserting the securing pin into the second pin hole and the first pin hole will cause the strap holder component to be secured to the case. This strap holder for a mobile device has a compact and high-strength structure.
US07908702B2
A caulk tool, comprising a caulk remover blade, a caulk smoother blade, and a hinge connecting the caulk remover blade and the caulk smoother blade. The caulk remover blade and the caulk smoother blade can pivot with respect to one another about the hinge.
US07908701B1
An adjustable scrubbing implement for cleaning a surface is disclosed. A resilient base that comprises a center portion and a plurality of resilient fingers each is joined at a proximal end thereof to the center portion and extends radially away therefrom. The rigid cap comprises a side portion fixed at a top end thereof to an inside upper side of the cap, and terminates at a wider open lower end. The inside upper side includes a central aperture therethrough. The cap includes a handle receiving means pivotally fixed thereto for receiving a threaded end of an elongated handle. An adjustment means interposed between the cap and the resilient base moves the center portion of the base relative to the inside upper side of the cap. The downward angle of the fingers are defined by the relative distance between the center portion of the base and the inside upper side of the cap. Changing the downward angle of the fingers results in a change in the effective resiliency of the resilient base, which affects the amount of force required to cause the fingers to move into a compressed. As such, the scrubbing characteristics of the scrubbing implement may be selectively adjusted by adjusting the adjustment means.
US07908700B2
A hair brush with a cleaning element for removing entwined hair from the brush after use. The cleaning element of the brush includes a plate(s) with opening through which the bristles protrude. When the plate is expanded, the plate pushes any hairs entwined in the bristles to the tips of the bristles where they are removed. The brush also has a post mechanism, which allows for the adjustment of the cleaning element to various intermediary positions, effectively adjusting the length of the bristles for use of the brush.
US07908697B2
A motorised pool-cleaning device (1) includes: a suction element (30); a rotary element (4) for moving the device, which define first (2) and second (3) bearing axles; a support (18) consisting of (i) a first central part (24) and (ii) first (25) and second (26) side covers which are connected to either side of the first central part, such as to form the chassis of the motorised device, and which support the rotary movement element (4); and a drive element (16, 17) for rotating the rotary movement element (4), which are disposed on the first and second side covers in a cantilevered manner.
US07908689B2
A bed rail having an operating position at one of the sides of a bed and a stored position between a mattress and box spring of the bed. To take down the bed rail, a guard frame portion is disengaged from a base frame portion, then the guard frame portion is pivoted and slid into the base frame portion. To set up the bed rail, the guard frame portion can be slid out of the base frame portion, pivoted relative to the base frame portion, then engaged to the base frame portion and into the operating position at a side of the bed.
US07908681B2
A plunger that operates by a piston to drive a purging flow at relatively high pressure is disclosed. The plunger includes features so that the exterior of the plunger remains in a dry and sanitary condition. An optional storage unit is also disclosed where the storage unit includes at least one UV element. Where the UV element decreases the amount of pathogens on the plumbing tool.
US07908680B2
A multi-function canister, mountable within a urinal chamber, is held in place by a spring clip that is insertable in one of the flush apertures at the top of the chamber, and which biases the canister against the chamber rear wall. The canister includes an onboard fragrance tablet that continually dispenses an odor-counteracting aroma. The canister also includes a reservoir filled with a solid compound, a dissolved portion of which is released into the chamber with each flush by water flowing from the aperture in which the spring clip is installed. A deflector tray limits the amount of water flowing into the reservoir. The dissolved portion inhibits the formation of potassium phosphate scale (urine calculus) on the surfaces of the urinal chamber and drainage pipes. The solid compound may be sulfamic acid. The canister may also include a grill which covers and protects the fragrance tablet.
US07913316B2
A check computation circuit executes a computation corresponding to a computation for generating confidential CRC data, with respect to confidential data read from a non-volatile device. A comparison circuit compares the result of the computation in the check computation circuit with confidential CRC data read from the non-volatile device. When the result of the comparison indicates a mismatch, i.e., an error is detected, an encryption circuit encrypts the confidential data and the confidential CRC data using a secret key registered in a secret key register, and outputs the encrypted confidential data and confidential CRC data to the outside of a semiconductor integrated circuit.
US07913310B2
A device for protecting against unauthorized use of software, characterized in that a first processor emulates a second processor, whereby the second processor executes program code and the second processor transmits data to a computing system running the software in a process, whereby the process enters an error condition if the data contain errors.
US07913307B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit includes an encryption unit for generating encrypted data by encrypting data to be stored in an external memory disposed outside the semiconductor integrated circuit, a write unit for writing the encrypted data into the external memory, a reading unit for reading out the encrypted data from the external memory, and a decryption unit for decrypting the readout encrypted data.
US07913305B2
A malware detection system that determines whether an executable code module is malware according to behaviors exhibited while executing is presented. The malware detection system determines the type of code module and executes the code module in a behavior evaluation module for evaluating code corresponding to the code module's type. Some behaviors exhibited by the code module, while executing in the behavior evaluation module, are recorded as the code module's behavior signature. After the code module has completed its execution, the code module's behavior signature is compared against known malware behavior signatures stored in a malware behavior signature store. A determination as to whether the code module is malware is based on the results of the comparison.
US07913304B2
The embodiments of the present invention disclose an event detection method and device. The method includes: predefining event-based detection rules with a predicative context-free grammar; generating by parsing the detection rules a parsing table of pushdown automaton which supports parallel parsing; receiving an event to be detected; and analyzing by a controller the event to be detected according to the parsing table, to obtain a detection result. The present invention is especially applicable to detection of network attack events. The embodiments of the present invention detect the attacks with a predicative context-free grammar on the basis of events, and ensure a close combination of a protocol parsing process and an attack detection process, as well as a close combination of multiple attack detection rules, thus decreasing unnecessary calculations. In addition, with an optimized parallel pushdown automaton, the embodiments of the present invention can efficiently analyze the predicative context-free grammar. Consequently, besides hierarchical processing capability and state description capability, the embodiments of the present invention deliver high efficiency.
US07913300B1
Centralized role-based access control (RBAC) for storage servers can include operating multiple storage servers, each configured to provide a set of clients with access to stored data, and using a separate network server to provide centralized RBAC. The network server may include an API proxy to proxy requests to access individual APIs of a storage server by an application which is external to the network server and the storage server and may control access to the individual APIs of the storage servers on a per-API, per-user and per-object basis. The API proxy may filter responses to API calls based on the access privileges of the user of the application which sent the API call. In some embodiments, the network server may implement a Windows domain server, an LDAP server or the like to evaluate security credentials of administrative users on behalf of multiple storage servers.
US07913294B1
Method and apparatus for network protocol filtering of a packet is described. An index to a table is obtained and stored to travel with the packet. The index is obtainable to access the table to obtain packet information. In particular, a method for inbound network address translation packet filtering and a method for outbound packet filtering are described.
US07913292B2
A unique system and method that facilitates visually identifying authentic UI objects, bundles, or windows is provided. A detection component can detect when user-based input has activated a verification mode with respect to one or more trusted UI objects rendered on-screen. A verification component can verify at least one of a source and identity associated with one or more UI objects in order to ensure the integrity related therewith. A verification rendering engine can re-render the one or more trusted UI objects in a manner that is based at least upon whether the one or more trusted UI objects are verified, thus improving visual recognition of verified trusted UI objects over non-verified UI objects.
US07913290B2
A device management apparatus includes a device configuration information holding unit, a subscriber information holding unit, a security policy holding unit, a module state holding unit, and a device diagnosis unit. The security policy holding unit holds a security policy set based on the configuration based on the configuration information or the subscriber information. The device diagnosis unit examines the security policy and the module state information to make a diagnosis of a configuration of the device.
US07913288B2
A dedicated apparatus for playing unmodified software, housed in a home entertainment system chassis, for playing in a home entertainment environment the existing body of interactive multimedia software that has been formatted and published for compatibility with standard personal computer platforms. Video and audio output signals are generated in response to the processing of the multimedia software program, which are fed to the home entertainment system for presentation to an audience. A further aspect is the provision of a drop & play feature which automatically initiates playing of multimedia software in a sequence that appears to be similar to playing on a videogame console, i.e., without requiring any further action from a user after inserting the media or selecting play. This feature is in part provided by a table containing installation information for each of numerous multimedia software titles; entries in this table are preferably indexed by an identifier that can be uniquely derived from a given CD-ROM/DVD or other portable media. The multimedia software may alternatively be provided via a network, such as the Internet.
US07913275B2
A system and method for switching targeted advertisements is described. In one embodiment one primary advertisement is assigned to a first channel, where the first channel carries a program. At least one alternate advertisement is assigned to one or more alternate channels. Selected set top terminals switch to one or more of the alternate channels to display alternate advertisements, where the selection of the alternate channel is based on information related to users of the set top terminals.
US07913274B2
An apparatus such as a television signal receiver includes an emergency alert function which, when activated, provides an alert output to notify users of an emergency event. According to an exemplary embodiment, the apparatus includes a tuner operative to tune signals including emergency alert signals capable of activating the emergency alert function. A processor is operative to detect a condition indicating relocation of the apparatus after a power interruption to the apparatus, and to enable a predetermined output associated with the emergency alert function responsive to detecting the condition.
US07913272B2
The invention refers to a method of updating a multi-operator reception system by administration (EMM) and updating messages between a subscriber management system and one or several decoders of pay television, being the functioning of the decoder dependent on the reception of administration (EMM) and updating messages of at least one preferential operator, this decoder having to pass into stand-by state under certain conditions.If the subscriber uses mostly an operator that does not require subscription rights, the decoder does not receive any more the necessary updating.To switch this decoder into the stand-by state, the method according to the invention carries out the following operations: switching of the reception to one or several preferential operators, receiving and processing of the messages of management of rights (EMM), determining of the end of a complete cycle of reception messages, switching to the stand-by state.
US07913268B2
A motor is provided with a chucking device enabling attachment and detachment of a disk-shaped storage medium. In the motor, a turntable forming a portion of the chucking device is disposed axially above a rotor holder. The turntable has a placement portion on which the storage medium is placed. An inner recess is formed on an outer surface of a shaft between a position at which the rotor holder is fitted and another position at which the turntable is fitted. An outer recess is formed to radially face the inner recess and is concave away from a center axis. Adhesive is placed in the inner recess and the outer recess.
US07913262B2
An invention is disclosed for improved computer network efficiency in use of remote procedure call (RPC) client/server applications functioning within dynamic virtual networks. Specifically, a method and system are disclosed for use of an RPC mapping program to provide a client with the network communications protocol address(es) having the highest probability of successfully establishing a connection with a server, in order to maximize the probability that the communications interface between client and server will be created in the minimum number of calling attempts.
US07913256B2
A real-time system includes a plurality of processors for executing jobs of a plurality of periodic tasks each having predetermined period, assigns each job in a period of each of the tasks to the processors, calculates distribution of execution times during which jobs assigned are executed on the processors, determines, based on the distribution, whether each of the jobs finishes by a deadline within the period, determines that scheduling is impossible, when one of the jobs is determined not to finish by the deadline, determines whether the distribution of the execution times of the jobs each determined to finish by the deadline converge, and determines that scheduling is possible, when the distribution converge.
US07913239B2
A method, apparatus, and computer instructions are provided by the present invention for a programming framework for easy pattern matching and transformation of intermediate language expression trees. With expression matching and transformation framework (EMTF) of the present invention, pattern matchers may be defined and embedded in a C++ program code in a manner that resembles their intermediate representation. EMTF also provides capabilities for unification, unbinding, transformation, intra-pattern referencing, common operators, creation of pattern objects in a storage pool. With EMTF, less common patterns may be applied against input expressions without repeatedly implementing an algorithm.
US07913221B2
A method for designing an interconnect structure of an interconnect layer in a semiconductor integrated circuit device includes the steps of: (a) inputting layout data of the semiconductor integrated circuit device; (b) controlling an air gap exclusion area based interconnects in the layout data; and (c) outputting layout data including the air gap exclusion area determined in the step (b).
US07913218B2
A method, system and computer program product for reducing XOR/XNOR subexpressions in structural design representations are disclosed. The method includes receiving an initial design, in which the initial design represents an electronic circuit containing an XOR gate. A first simplification mode for the initial design is selected from a set of applicable simplification modes, wherein the first simplification mode is an XOR/XNOR simplification mode, and a simplification of the initial design is performed according to the first simplification mode to generate a reduced design containing a reduced number of XOR gates. Whether a size of the reduced design is less than a size of the initial design is determined, and, in response to determining that the size of the reduced design is less than a the size of the initial design, the initial design is replaced with the reduced design.
US07913217B1
Within a high level modeling system (HLMS), a method of visualizing a circuit design can include identifying the circuit design and reading hardware cost information for the circuit design. The method also can include presenting a graphical representation of the circuit design having at least one visual characteristic which can be varied according to the hardware cost information.
US07913211B2
A logic cell configuration processing method for a CMOS semiconductor is configured in which leak current per unit width equal for P-channel and N-channel MOS transistors, by calculating a probable average leak current, which is an expected value of leak current of the P-channel MOS transistor and the N-channel MOS transistor in the logic cell based on an input signal to be input to the logic cell; comparing a contribution of the P-channel MOS transistor with a contribution of the N-channel MOS transistor to the calculated probable average leak current; deciding the P-channel MOS transistor or the N-channel MOS transistor, whichever has a greater contribution, to be a low leak type MOS transistor; and adjusting ON current of the low leak type MOS transistor to be equal to ON current of the other MOS transistor.
US07913205B2
A method, system and computer program product for reversing effects of reparameterization is disclosed. The method comprises receiving an original design, an abstracted design, and a first trace over the abstracted design. One or more conditional values are populated into the first trace over the abstracted design, and a k-step satisfiability check is cast to obtain a second trace. One or more calculated values are concatenated to an initial gate set in the second trace with one or more established values to a generated subset of the initial design in the abstracted trace to form a new trace, and one or more effects of a reparameterization are reversed by returning the new trace over the initial design.
US07913195B2
According to mask layout data created for a particular factory facility, transistors constituting a semiconductor device are classified into multiple groups depending on the gate length. Thereafter, the concentration of impurity introduced into a channel layer is set for each group, and thereby the gate length-threshold characteristics of a transistor are controlled. An overlapping area of a gate electrode and an element region of a certain group is extracted from mask layout data. The overlapping area is expanded to determine the shape of a mask used in injecting impurity in a channel layer. The data on the mask shape is then added to the mask layout data.
US07913191B2
A user interface through which multiple application programs can be operated in common. An information processing apparatus provides a common input/output interface to multiple application programs. The apparatus includes a section which converts an application-specific document generated by each of the plurality of application programs and represented in a data structure specific to the application program to a common document represented in a common data structure; a section which presents the common document to a user; a section which inputs an operation performed by the user on the common document; an interface adapter which converts an object contained in the common document to an object used in the output section; a section which modifies the common document in accordance with an operation by the user; and a section which reflects modifications to the common document in the application-specific document.
US07913184B1
The invention relates to systems and methods for selectively auto-tabbing between input fields of an interface based on received input. More specifically, the intelligent auto-tabbing systems and methods accommodate different user preferences related to providing input by selectively auto-tabbing between fields based on user preferences. One example of a method according to one embodiment involves receiving an input character and entering the input character into a first field. The entry of that input character into the first field causes a number of characters in the first field to reach a predetermined threshold. A subsequent input character is received subsequent to that input character being entered into the first field. An input focus is positioned in a second field based on the subsequent input character.
US07913182B2
A method and system for auxiliary display of information for a computing device. An auxiliary display is integrated with a computing system to provide an area where notifications can be peripherally presented off-screen. Whenever a background task sends a notification to the main display of the system, the notification may be redirected to appear instead on the auxiliary display. A user may then glance at the notification appearing on the auxiliary display to be informed of the message without interruption from the current task onscreen. Any type of information may be presented on the auxiliary display including incoming communications, meeting reminders, system alerts, and information from Internet subscription services. The auxiliary display may be placed on the central processor chassis or on the monitor border along with LED indicator lights to provide simple peripheral-vision notification. By pressing a button, a user may obtain additional detailed follow-up information.
US07913181B2
A power system includes a plurality of power generation units configured to generate power from a renewable energy source and a server that includes a display. The server is configured to establish a communication with the plurality of power generation units and display a status of the plurality of power generation units on the display.
US07913179B2
The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for sending and retrieving location relevant information to a user by selecting and designating a point of interest that is displayed on a graphical user interface and sending the location information associated with that point of interest to a receiver that is also selected using the graphical user interface. The location relevant information may also include mapped routes, waypoints, geo-fenced areas, moving vehicles etc. Updated location relevant information may also be continuously sent to the user while generating updated mapping information on the graphical user interface. The present invention may be practiced by using communication devices such as a personal computer, a personal digital assistance, in-vehicle navigation systems, or a mobile telephone.
US07913175B2
The invention relates to an information processing apparatus and method which allow a user to readily select, upon transmission of an electronic mail or upon uploading of image data, image data of a plurality of images to be attached to the electronic mail or image data to be transmitted. The user uses a cross key and a determination button of an inputting section of a camcorder to operate an anchor 424 on an image selection screen 411 to operate a page backward feeding button 421 and a page feeding button 422 to select a thumbnail image displayed. In response to an operation of the user, the anchor 424 is positioned on the left side of the number of the thumbnail image designated by the user, and image data of the thumbnail image at which the anchor 424 is positioned are selected.
US07913172B2
A method for controlling access to an XML document includes referencing a schema definition comprising a path security label definition associated with a sibling-to-sibling path of an XML document. An XML document may then be validated by comparing it with the schema definition. This validation may include verifying that the XML document has a path security label associated with a sibling-to-sibling path that is at least as restrictive as that specified by the path security label definition. An access security label may be assigned to a user seeking to access the sibling-to-sibling path. The path security label and the access security label may then be compared, using pre-determined access rules, to determine whether the user is authorized to access the sibling-to-sibling path. Access to the sibling-to-sibling path may then be granted or denied according to the access rules.
US07913170B2
A system and method for propagating type information for hardware device nodes in a graphical program. A hardware device node may be any of various types of nodes relating to hardware devices and may perform any of various hardware-related functions in the graphical program, e.g., may access registers of a hardware device. After displaying a first hardware device node in the graphical program, the user may associate the first hardware device node with a hardware device. A second hardware device node may also be displayed in the graphical program, and the user may connect the first hardware device node to the second hardware device node. In response to connecting the first hardware device node to the second hardware device node, information may be propagated from the first hardware device node to the second hardware device node, wherein the information specifies the hardware device or device class with which the first hardware device node is associated. The second hardware device node may then be automatically, i.e., programmatically, associated with the same hardware device class with which the first hardware device node is associated. A method for performing type checking for a hardware device node in a graphical program is also described, e.g., to ensure that a method or property which the hardware device node is configured to invoke or access is a valid method or property for the hardware device or device class with which the hardware device node is associated.
US07913167B2
Embodiments described herein are directed to selectively redacting and unredacting display information in accordance with a redaction policy. In one embodiment, a computer system receives user input indicating a user's intention to selectively redact portions of accessed documents. The computer system accesses at least one document, such that the document is capable of being displayed to the user. The computer system determines that the accessed document comprises one or more tags indicating which portions of the document are to be redacted. The computer system dynamically redacts those portions of the document identified by the tags without otherwise altering the structure of the document, in accordance with the user's intention. The computer system also displays the document according to the document's original structure, omitting the dynamically redacted portions.
US07913166B2
Provided are a computer implemented method and apparatus for manipulating data through directional or ordered selection of data. A first user input is received for selecting a section of data in a direction of selection, or an order of selection, from a source. A second user input is received for performing a basic editing operation on the selection. Responsive to the second input received from the user, the selected section of data is re-oriented or re-ordered in a direction or order corresponding to the direction or order of selection. A third user input is received for performing a basic editing operation at a destination. The re-oriented or re-ordered section of data is subjected to the second action at the destination. Once the user has selected a section of data, the user can also choose to re-orient or re-order the data in conjunction with a basic editing operation by selecting an enhanced editing operation that implements the inventive method from a menu.
US07913163B1
A structured document is translated into an initial hierarchical data structure in accordance with syntactic elements defined in the structured document. The initial hierarchical data structure includes a plurality of nodes, and each node corresponds to one of the syntactic elements. The method then annotates a node with a set of attributes including geometric parameters of semantic elements in the structured document that are associated with the node in accordance with a pseudo-rendering of the structured document. Finally, the method merges the nodes in the initial hierarchical data structure into a tree of merged nodes in accordance with their respective attributes and a set of predefined rules such that each merged node is associated with a semantically distinct region of the pseudo-rendered document. The predefined rules include rules for merging nodes associated with semantic elements that have nearby positions and/or compatible attributes in the pseudo-rendered document.
US07913160B2
A document can contain multiple print layers. Different layers can be combined to produce different document versions. In this manner, a document can have an English version and a Spanish version that share graphics layers but have different text layers. A document's different layers can be difficult to track and the difficulty can lead to errors in document proofing and production. A discrimination module can automatically classify layers as common, graphics, and text containing. The text containing layers can be further grouped by native language. The layer groups can then be automatically combined to produce the desired document version specifications that can be rendered as document versions.
US07913156B2
A rich media event production method and system including the capturing, indexing, and synchronizing of RGB-based graphic content. The method includes capturing audio and video during an event production; capturing graphical content during the event production from an RGB source device; indexing and synchronizing the captured audio, video, and graphical content during the event production; and communicating the audio, video, and graphical content over a network for presentation at a computer coupled to the network during or after the event production as selected by a user of the computer.
US07913153B2
An arithmetic circuit includes a NOR circuit for outputting 1-bit inverted logical OR sf from all of a first bit group x(6) to x(10) containing 0 or more high-order bit of a path metric value composed of a plurality of bits, an inverter for inverting each bit of a second bit group x(2) to x(5) and outputting a third bit group rs(0) to rs(3), an AND circuit for outputting a fourth bit group ns(0) to ns(3) that contain results of calculating a logical AND of sf and rs(0) to rs(3), and a CF output section for outputting a correction factor CF based on ns(0) to ns(3).
US07913149B2
A method of encoding a binary source message u, by calculating x:=Au, calculating y:=B′x, resolving the equation Dp=y for p, and incorporating u and p to produce an encoded binary message v, where A is a matrix formed only of permutation sub matrices, B′ is a matrix formed only of circulant permutation sub matrices, and D is a matrix of the form D = ( T 0 … 0 0 0 T … 0 0 … … … … … 0 0 … T 0 I I … I I ) where T is a two-diagonal, circulant sub matrix, and I is an identity sub matrix.
US07913143B2
A test quality evaluating and improving system has a fault-layout information link section which creates a weighted fault dictionary by correlating a layout element related to an undetected fault, out of faults corresponding to a specified fault model and occurring in a circuit to be tested, with the undetected fault as a weight of the undetected fault which cannot be detected by a test pattern for testing the faults; a test quality measure calculating section which multiplies the weight of the undetected fault, the failure mode-fault model correlation factor for correlating the failure mode of the layout element and the fault model, and the failure occurrence rate of each layout element, and outputs an obtained product as a failure remaining rate of the test pattern; a determining section; and a test point inserting section.
US07913142B2
A method for testing at least two arithmetic units installed in a control unit includes: loading of first test data for testing a first arithmetic unit; saving the loaded first test data in a second memory unit of a second arithmetic unit; switching the first arithmetic unit to a test mode, in which a first scan chain of the first arithmetic unit is accessible; reading the first test data from the second memory unit; shifting the first test data which have been read through the first scan chain of the first arithmetic unit switched to the test mode for providing test result data for the first arithmetic unit; checking the provided test result data for plausibility for providing a test result for the first arithmetic unit.
US07913141B2
A system is disclosed for reducing current leakages in an integrated circuit (IC), the system comprises one or more separated power supply lines connecting between one or more power sources and an isolated circuitry, one or more switches on the separated power supply lines for controlling the connections between the power sources and the isolated circuitry, and one or more controllers for turning the switches on or off according to one or more predetermined conditions.
US07913131B2
A scan chain cell 24 is provided with a built-in delay testing capability. An inverter 32 generates an inverted form of the cell output which is available within the scan chain cell 24 for rapid use in forming a transition at the cell output Q. Clock gating circuitry 36, 38 is responsive to a hold signal to block the functional path 34, 26, 28 through the scan chain cell and hold the output signal when desired. The functional clock clk may be clocked twice at speed to trigger capture of the results of processing the output of the scan chain cell 24 for the non-inverted value followed by the (internally generated) inverted value, i.e. a signal transition. In this way delay testing of the functional circuitry 18 can be performed.
US07913129B2
A method of testing an electronic circuit having a plurality of data transfer operators operating on memory resources defining a shared memory space is described. According to at least one embodiment, the shared memory space is initialized by writing data items to the shared memory space, and each data item is unique in the shared memory space. All or some of the shared memory space is partitioned into a plurality of disjoint memory blocks, the memory blocks being organized into one or more groups of blocks, each memory block belongs to one of the groups, and all memory blocks of the same group have the same size. A test scenario comprising at least one data transfer operation is executed, and the content of the shared memory space is verified.
US07913123B2
An apparatus and computer program product are disclosed for, in a processor, concurrently sharing a memory controller among a tracing process and non-tracing processes using a programmable variable number of shared memory write buffers. A hardware trace facility captures hardware trace data in a processor. The hardware trace facility is included within the processor. The hardware trace data is transmitted to a system memory utilizing a system bus. The system memory is included within the system. The system bus is capable of being utilized by processing units included in the processing node while the hardware trace data is being transmitted to the system bus. Part of system memory is utilized to store the trace data. The system memory is capable of being accessed by processing units in the processing node other than the hardware trace facility while part of the system memory is being utilized to store the trace data.
US07913121B2
A method for debugging a read only memory (ROM) in a wireless target device is disclosed. A wireless communication link is established between the target device and a host computer. A debug mode change command is received from the host computer by the application program running on the target device via a wireless communication interface in the target device. The wireless communication interface is parsed with the monitor program. A debug instruction is received by the monitor program from a debugger in the host computer where the debug instruction includes an entry address and a jump address. The application program jumps to the received jump address upon reaching the entry address location. An acknowledgement is transmitted from the target device to the debugger in the host computer, and, in response to the acknowledgement, a second debug instruction is received from the debugger in the host computer.
US07913116B2
An embodiment relates generally to a method of restoring data in storage systems. The method includes providing for a current snapshot of a primary storage system at a secondary storage system and mounting an empty volume in the primary storage system. The method also includes receiving a request for a selected block of data in the primary storage system and retrieving a restore block from the secondary storage system, where the restore block encompasses the selected block of data. The method further includes writing the restore block to the empty volume in the primary storage system as an incremental restore process.
US07913109B2
A storage control apparatus monitors whether or not one or more storage management apparatuses are properly operating. A recovery target extraction unit extracts a recovery target storage area when the existence of a malfunctioning storage management apparatus is detected, the recovery target storage area being a storage area that has been duplexed with a storage area of the malfunctioning storage management apparatus. A duplexing control unit performs control so that, if the recovery target storage area has no data stored therein, the recovery target storage area is duplexed with a storage area that has no data stored therein and that is unused. If the recovery target storage area has data stored therein, the recovery target storage area is duplexed with a non-duplexed storage area and the data stored in the recovery target storage area is copied into the non-duplexed storage area.
US07913100B2
A method for trafficking data based at least in part on a power condition of a system resource. In one embodiment of the invention, a data trafficking device initiates data traffic in response to a detecting of an indication of the power condition. In another embodiment of the invention, the detected indication is independent of any data traffic of the data trafficking device.
US07913096B2
An arrangement for the cipher controlled exploitation of data resources (e.g., securely storing and retrieving sensitive data or securely registering and logging on a computer system) includes the steps of providing a subscriber identity module carrying a security algorithm; generating at least one, e.g., two, random values; subjecting the random value to the at least one security algorithm to generate at least one, e.g., two, session keys; processing the session keys via a mixer function such as a hash function to produce a cipher key; and using the cipher key thus produced for exploiting the data resources.
US07913092B1
Disclosed is an approach to system call monitoring in which authenticated system calls from an application are easily verified by an operating system kernel. The authenticated system call may be a system call augmented with extra arguments, which specify the policy for that call as well as a cryptographic message authentication code (MAC) that guarantees the integrity of the policy and the system call arguments. This extra information is used by the operating system kernel to verify the system call with little processing overhead. Versions of the applications in which regular system calls have been replaced by authenticated calls are generated automatically by a trusted installer program that reads the application binary, uses static analysis to generate policies, and then rewrites the binary with the authenticated calls. As a result, hacker attacks, malicious software and the like are less likely to be successful in compromising any computers or networks that employ such authenticated system calls.
US07913085B2
A method of per-packet keying for encrypting and decrypting data transferred between two or more parties, each party having knowledge of a shared key that allows a per-packet key to differ for each packet is provided. Avoiding the use of a static session key during encryption offers several advantages over existing encryption methods. For example, rejecting packets received with duplicate sequence numbers, or sequence numbers that are beyond a specified deviation range mitigates Replay Attacks.
US07913078B1
A network is protected from viruses through the use of a sacrificial server, which may be physical or virtual. Any executable programs or other suspicious parts of incoming e-mail messages are forwarded to a sacrificial server, where they are converted to non-executable format such as Adobe Acrobat PDF and sent to the recipient. The sacrificial server is then checked for virus activity. After the execution is completed, the sacrificial server is rebooted.
US07913074B2
Tools and techniques for securely launching encrypted operating systems are described herein. The tools may provide computing systems that include operating systems (OSs) that define boot paths for the systems. This boot path may include first and second OS loader components. The first loader may include instructions for retrieving a list of disk sectors from a first store, and for retrieving these specified sectors from an encrypted second store. The first loader may also store the sectors in a third store that is accessible to both the first and the second loader components, and may invoke the second loader to try launching the OS using these sectors. In turn, the second loader may include instructions for retrieving these sectors from the third store, and for unsealing a key for decrypting these sectors. The second loader may then decrypt these sectors, and attempt to launch the OS from these sectors.
US07913072B2
Disclosed herein is an information-processing apparatus which includes: a computer; an execution-state holding unit configured to hold an execution state of a program executed by the computer; and a return-point setting unit configured to set an execution point of the program, which is to be restored after activation of the information-processing apparatus, prior to the activation. The apparatus further includes an execution-state saving unit configured to save an execution state, which is held by the execution-state holding unit as a program execution state at an execution point set by the return-point setting unit as the execution point of the program to be restored after the activation, prior to the activation; and an execution-state transfer unit configured to transfer the execution state saved by the execution-state saving unit to the execution-state holding unit at an activation time.
US07913062B2
A method of rotating data in a plurality of processing elements comprises a plurality of shifting operations and a plurality of storing operations, with the shifting and storing operations coordinated to enable a three shears operation to be performed on the data. The plurality of storing operations is responsive to the processing element's positions.
US07913055B2
A command from an application is received to access a data structure associated with one or more virtual addresses mapped to main memory. A first subset of the virtual addresses for the data structure having constituent addresses that are mapped to the symmetric memory components and a second subset of the virtual addresses for the data structure having constituent addresses that are mapped to the asymmetric memory components are identified. Data associated with the virtual address from the first physical addresses and data associated with the virtual addresses from the second physical addresses are accessed. The data associated with the symmetric and asymmetric memory components is accessed by the application without providing the application with an indication of whether the data is accessed within the symmetric memory component or the asymmetric memory component.
US07913053B1
A method for archival of messages in content addressable storage can be provided. The method can comprise identifying a plurality of messages for archival. The identified messages can be subjected to extraction of attachments therefrom. The messages, minus any removed attachments, can then be concatenated into a container file. Finally, the container file and the extracted attachments are stored in a content addressable storage system.
US07913046B2
A method for performing a snapshot in a distributed shared file system (DSFS) is provided. The method includes synchronizing a snapshot operation among a plurality of domains of the DSFS; writing pending write requests to a memory to suspend write operations for the domains of the DSFS; and after the writing the pending write requests, generating a snapshot file comprising data items representing a current state of the DSFS.
US07913045B2
A storage resource including one or more first storage devices; a first logical volume formed according to storage space of the storage resource; a member for accommodating a removable second storage device selected by a user; and a backup unit, the backup unit executing a backup of data stored in the first logical volume to a second logical volume formed according to storage space of the removable second storage device mounted in the member and paired with the first logical volume; and storing, in said storage resource, of backup generation information elements pertaining to what generation of the backup the current backup of the first logical volume is.
US07913044B1
Efficient incremental backups using a change database is disclosed. Based at least in part on a file attribute it is determined that a file has changed since a previous backup. Change data is stored in a data structure additional to a file system with which a file is associated. Change data indicates the file has changed since the previous backup. The file attribute is configured to be reset, each time a file is backed up, to a value indicating the file has not changed. Storing the change data enables a backup operation performed subsequent to the file attribute being reset to determine that the file has changed since the previous backup.
US07913043B2
A method and system for backing up computer data uses a network device to select a storage device in a manner that enhances at least one parameter associated with the backup process.
US07913041B2
A method for reconfiguring a cache memory is provided. The method in one aspect may include analyzing one or more characteristics of an execution entity accessing a cache memory and reconfiguring the cache based on the one or more characteristics analyzed. Examples of analyzed characteristic may include but are not limited to data structure used by the execution entity, expected reference pattern of the execution entity, type of an execution entity, heat and power consumption of an execution entity, etc. Examples of cache attributes that may be reconfigured may include but are not limited to associativity of the cache memory, amount of the cache memory available to store data, coherence granularity of the cache memory, line size of the cache memory, etc.
US07913039B2
A storage system includes a plurality of disk apparatuses configuring a plurality of RAID groups, a spare disk apparatus, and a controller. The controller is adapted to copy data stored in a disk apparatus, whose error count exceeds a first threshold, to the spare disk apparatus. If an error count of a disk apparatus included in a RAID group exceeds a second threshold which is lower than the first threshold, the controller is adapted to check error counts of other disk apparatuses included in the same RAID group. If any of the error counts of the other disk apparatuses included in the same RAID group exceeds the second threshold, the controller is adapted to change the first value of the first disk apparatus and the other disk apparatuses included in the same RAID group.
US07913034B2
Access arbiters are used to prioritize read and write access requests to individual memory banks in DRAM memory devices, particularly fast cycle DRAMs. This serves to optimize the memory bandwidth available for the read and the write operations by avoiding consecutive accesses to the same memory bank and by minimizing dead cycles. The arbiter first divides DRAM accesses into write accesses and read accesses. The access requests are divided into accesses per memory bank with a threshold limit imposed on the number of accesses to each memory bank. The write receive packets are rotated among the banks based on the write queue status. The status of the write queue for each memory bank may also be used for system flow control. The arbiter also typically includes the ability to determine access windows based on the status of the command queues, and to perform arbitration on each access window.
US07913031B2
A recording apparatus includes a recording unit capable of recording an image on a recording medium, a file input device capable of receiving a file from the outside, an external storage unit capable of reading and writing a digital image file, a user interface, and a recording control device that performs file input control through the file input device. The recording control device has a record-execution-operation input function that allows a record execution operation to be performed through the user interface, causing the recording unit to record a selected digital image file on a recording medium; a save-execution-operation input function that causes the external storage unit to store the arbitrarily selected digital image file in a storage medium; and a record/save-execution-operation to be sequentially performed.
US07913028B2
When a new data relaying device that has yet to have configuration information set therein is incorporated, the configuration information of an existing data relaying device is copied to the new data relaying device.
US07913018B2
A method includes halting at least one processing core of a computer system in response to a system management interrupt. The method further includes handling the system management interrupt with at least one other processing core of the computer system in response to determining that the at least one processing core is halted. An associated system and machine readable medium are also disclosed.
US07913017B2
An embedded system and an interruption handling method are provided. A plurality of interruption requests are received, and corresponding service routines are triggered with priority control. In the embedded system, a memory device comprises a plurality of service routines stored at different entry addresses, each related to an interruption request. A processor receives an enable signal to initialize one of the service routines through a branch instruction. A control unit buffers the interruption requests to schedule executions of corresponding service routines. When a specific service routine is to be executed, the control unit provides the branch instruction pointing to entry address of the specific service routine and asserts the enable signal to the processor, such that the processor executes the branch instruction to initialize the specific service routine.
US07913011B2
A method for employing a second bus controller on a data bus having a first bus controller including: (a) recording appearances of predetermined character groups on the data bus; (b) noting patterns of the appearances preceding a qualifying quiet period on the data bus; a qualifying quiet period being a time interval having a duration greater than a predetermined duration with no traffic on the data bus; (c) employing the patterns to determine probability of occurrence of a qualifying quiet period following at least one pattern; and (d) permitting the second bus controller to control operation of the data bus during a respective qualifying quiet period when the probability of occurrence for the respective qualifying quiet period is greater than a predetermined value.
US07913005B2
The signal integrity of a high speed heavily loaded multidrop memory bus is often degraded due the numerous impedance mismatches. The impedance mismatches causes the bus to exhibit a nonlinear frequency response, which diminishes signal integrity and limits the bandwidth of the bus. A compensating element, such as a capacitor which ties the bus to a reference plane (e.g., a ground potential), or an inductor wired in series with the bus, is located approximately midway between the memory controller and the memory slots. The use of the compensating element equalizes signal amplitudes and minimizes phase errors of signals in an interested frequency range and diminishes the amplitudes of high frequency signals which exhibit high degrees of phase error. The resulting bus structure has increased desirable harmonic content with low phase error, thereby permitting the bus to exhibit better rise time performance and permitting a higher data transfer rate.
US07912996B2
A host I/F unit has a management table for managing an MPPK which is in-charge of the control of input/output processing for a storage area of an LDEV, and if a host computer transmits an input/output request for the LDEV, the host I/F unit transfers the input/output request to the MPPK which is in-charge of the input/output processing for the LDEV based on the management table, an MP of the MPPK performs the input/output processing based on the input/output request, and the MP of the MPPK also judges whether the MPPK that is in-charge of the input/output processing for the LDEV is to be changed, and sets the management table so that an MPPK which is different from the MPPK that is in-charge is to be in-charge of the input/output processing for the LDEV.
US07912983B1
A multi-layer stack platform is provided for cloud communication connections and services between devices. The system includes three or more layers, including a directory component, an applications component, and a peering component. An interconnection component may also be provided for communication between the applications component and the peering component. The components operate to provide communication services, such as sessions, according to the functionality of a selected application by adhering to device, user, and routing rules and preferences. The device, user, and routing rules and preferences are maintained in and processed by the directory component. The applications component receives communication session requests and accesses corresponding application scripts to perform the requested session. The peering component receives the device, user, and routing rules and preferences, and establishes connection between devices based on, the rules and preferences as defined by the directory component.
US07912978B2
A method for determining metrics of a content delivery and global traffic management network provides service metric probes that determine the service availability and metric measurements of types of services provided by a content delivery machine. Latency probes are also provided for determining the latency of various servers within a network. Service metric probes consult a configuration file containing each DNS name in its area and the set of services. Each server in the network has a metric test associated with each service supported by the server which the service metric probes periodically performs metric tests on and records the metric test results which are periodically sent to all of the DNS servers in the network. DNS servers use the test result updates to determine the best server to return for a given DNS name. The latency probe calculates the latency from its location to a client's location using the round trip time for sending a packet to the client to obtain the latency value for that client. The latency probe updates the DNS servers with the clients' latency data. The DNS server uses the latency test data updates to determine the closest server to a client.
US07912973B2
A mechanism for negotiating a relatively transport agnostic communication protocol for use in accomplishing a distributed activity. The potential protocols subject to negotiation may be, for example, extensions to Web Services Coordination. In that case, when the initiator creates a transaction, the initiator also negotiates the desired protocol with its transaction manager. The transaction manager and any other participants in the transaction will then follow that negotiated protocol when communicating with the transaction manager. The protocol may be selected to improve performance and may be tailored to existing needs and capabilities.
US07912970B2
A technique for remotely managing a message service of a terminal (device) is disclosed. Resources or parameters, especially for parameters related to a message service, of the terminal are provided in the form of a tree to a device management server, so that the device management server can remotely manage the message service of the terminal.
US07912963B2
Methods and apparatus to control a voice eXtensible Markup Language (VXML) session are disclosed. An example application server comprises an interface to send a first protocol message to a media server to initiate a communication session to provide first VXML content to the media server, and a session controller to detect an event at the application server and to direct the interface to send a second protocol message to the media server to interrupt the first VXML content at the media server and to direct the media server to obtain second VXML content via the communication session.
US07912959B2
The claimed system is a multicast programming model for implementation on top of a service oriented framework, specifically a service oriented messaging system. It provides application-layer multicast capability without requiring an IP multicast infrastructure. The claimed system enables service oriented applications to implement multicasting communications easily and efficiently.
US07912953B2
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention include a method for administering devices in a network. The method includes creating a user metric vector comprising a plurality of disparate user metrics, creating a user metric space comprising a plurality of metric ranges and determining whether the user metric vector is outside the user metric space. If the user metric vector is outside a user metric space, identifying an action in dependence upon the user metric vector the method includes determining whether the action is allowed. If the action is allowed, the method includes executing the action. Many embodiments include receiving an allowed action list, such as for example, receiving an allowed action list from a moderator DML.
US07912952B2
A system estimates accessibility on the basis of information of a requesting device and digital rights management information of content when a utilization request of the content is raised through a network. In a device including a hard disk for storing a plurality of content files and having a networking function for transmitting the content file to other device, a utilization condition and a utilization state are so managed as to correspond to the content file and when a utilization request of a content file is made, utilizability of the content file is judged from a utilization object in the utilization request and from information of a transmitting device of the utilization request. When utilization is not judged as possible, a report is made to the transmitting device of the utilization request to the effect that the content file cannot be utilized.
US07912949B2
Systems, methods and consumer-readable media for recording changes to a data store and propagating changes to client application. A method according to the invention may include categorizing data into a set of sub-records based on the frequency of change of the data. The method may also include transmitting sub-records of data having a first change frequency to a client application using a latest update process; and transmitting sub-records of data having a second change frequency to a client application using an event sequence process.
US07912943B2
A network device has a power saving function, wherein the network device shifts to a power saving mode depending on a transition condition and returns from the power saving mode depending on a return condition. The network device includes a first notifying unit adapted to transmit notification information indicating that the network device shifts to the power saving mode by a multicast via the network and a second notifying unit adapted to transmit the notification information indicating that the network device shifts to the power saving mode by a unicast via the network.
US07912939B1
Ripeness indicators are provided and associated with statistics counters to enable the counters to be read once sufficient data has accumulated in the counters. The ripeness indicators may be used to signal to the network device when one or more counters has met or exceeded a predetermined value, such as 50%. Monitoring ripeness indicators associated with the counters enables the network device to harvest counters when they are sufficiently full to gather meaningful statistics from the counters, while ignoring counters that do not contain sufficient data or are not in danger of overflowing. This enables the network device to devote less resources to statistics gathering since high volume counters may be harvested more frequently than low volume counters. The ripeness indicators may be provided with individual counters, groups of counters, or accounts containing individual and/or groups of counters.
US07912931B2
A method, apparatus, and computer program product are presented for providing a measure of fault tolerance and security in the operation of cross layer communication agents (CCA) in a hybrid network. Specifically, this method, apparatus and computer program provide the detection and control necessary to prevent network disruptions due to failures, attacks, or link unavailability.
US07912922B2
A net traffic optimization method provides for clients and servers to communicate with each other over a busy network. Each client process will make an Oracle database service request that is recognized by a listener process in the servers. As each database instance comes up, it generates a globally unique instance identifier (“UII”). Each UII remains valid as long as the database instance that generated it is running. The same UII identifier is given to every client needing a connection to that particular instance. Client processes can simultaneously or sequentially connect to database instances, and must never see the same UII being used to identify two different instances.
US07912921B2
A cache server includes a media serving engine that is capable of distributing media content. A cache engine is coupled to the media serving engine and capable of caching media content. A set of cache policies is accessible by the cache engine to define the operation of the cache engine. The cache server can be configured to operate as either a cache server or an origin server. The cache server also includes a data communication interface coupled to the cache engine and the media serving engine to allow the cache engine to receive media content across a network and to allow the media serving engine to distribute media content across the network. The cache policies include policies for distributing media content from the media server, policies for handling cache misses, and policies for prefetching media content.
US07912918B2
An optimum pathway to data stored on a data storage system having N storage devices and more than N pathways is determined in response to a read request for the data. A sorter separates the read request into an appropriate segment size for sending to the storage devices of the data storage system. An assigner generates the set of read permutations satisfying the read request. A read permutation is selected based on a metric. A collector receives the requested data from the N storage devices in response to the selected read permutation being sent to the storage devices.
US07912917B2
Forms data is reusable in a first webpage after a user goes to a second webpage, and then returns to the first webpage. After providing access to a first webpage via a portal User Interface (UI) on a display on a client computer, a data entry input of forms data for the first webpage is received from a user of the client computer. The user is then provided access to a second webpage via the portal UI. In response to providing access to the second webpage, the server stores the forms data. In response to the user inputting a request to return to the first webpage from the second webpage, the server creates a populated first webpage by populating the first webpage with the multiple forms data that is stored in the server, and then returns the populated first webpage to the portal UI.
US07912914B2
A banking, retail or other transaction network can comprise a number of terminals, for example an ATM, where each terminal comprises a plurality of peripheral devices such as a user interface, card reader, receipt printer and cash dispenser. The applications software for the peripheral devices can be held in a central server located externally of the terminal and linked to the terminal through a communications link. The link can extend to the individual peripheral devices so that they are direct clients of the server. Additionally the individual peripheral devices can be connected to each other over the link to enable them to communicate directly with each other on a peer-to-peer basis. Each peripheral can have an independent control application. In use, the independent control applications may communicate with each other so that a peripheral operates in response to a signal generated by another peripheral. A peripheral for use in such a terminal, and a network of such terminals are also described. A mainframe or server computer accessing a banking or other information database (e.g., a legacy host) can be connected to the central server through an information signal connection.
US07912908B2
Systems and methods are disclosed that control whether a recipient of an electronic message (e.g., text messages, multimedia messages, email messages, etc) is allowed to forward the electronic message to third parties. When an electronic message is created or selected for transmission to a recipient, a forwarding control indicator is included in the electronic message. The forwarding control indicator indicates whether this electronic message is allowed to be forwarded by the recipient. If the recipient of the electronic message subsequently attempts to forward the electronic message, then the forwarding control indicator is processed to determine if the electronic message is allowed to be forwarded. If a determination is made that the electronic message is not allowed to be forwarded to the third party, then the electronic message is prevented from being forwarded to the third party. If a determination is made that the electronic message is allowed to be forwarded to the third party, then the electronic message is allowed to be forwarded to the third party.
US07912905B2
A system and method for filtering network messages, e.g., electronic mail, are provided. A user-specific blocked list or identified junk sender list is published at a server of a computing network, so when a new e-mail arrives, the server can automatically apply filtering rules based on the user-specific junk sender list and delete the appropriate messages. The method includes the steps of generating a list of unacceptable identities at a server; determining an identity associated with a network message received by the server; comparing the identity with the list of unacceptable identities; and deleting the network message from the server if the identity matches an identity on the list of unacceptable identities.
US07912903B2
A method and system for processing instant messenger operations dependent upon presence state information in an instant messaging system. In one embodiment, the method may include receiving an instant messaging operation directed to a given user, where the given user is not offline; determining a presence state of an instant messenger in response to receiving the instant messaging operation, where the presence state corresponds to the given user; and selectively processing the instant messaging operation dependent upon the presence state in response to the determination. In another embodiment, the method may include storing an instant messaging operation associated with a given presence state of an instant messenger, where the given presence state corresponds to a given user; detecting a transition to the given presence state subsequent to storing the operation; and performing the instant messaging operation in response to the detection.
US07912897B2
An exemplary embodiment of the invention relates to a method, system, and storage medium for facilitating website searching and brand recognition capabilities over a computer network. The system comprises a server, a search engine in a communication with the server, and a website marking tool including a user interface executing on the server. The website marking tool provides registration services for qualified websites. The system also comprises a data storage device in communication with the server. The data storage device stores databases of registered website addresses. The website marking tool provides distinctive marking indicia to the registered website addresses for promoting brand recognition and facilitating website searching by distinguishing the registered website addresses from non-registered website addresses displayed at the at least one user system as a result of conducting a web search. The invention also comprises a method and storage medium for implementing the website marking tool.
US07912890B2
According to embodiments of the subject matter disclosed in this application, decimal floating-point multiplications and/or decimal fixed-point multiplications may be implemented using existing hardware for binary number operations. The implementation can be carried out in software, in hardware, or in a combination of software and hardware. Pre-calculated constants that are approximations to negative powers of 10 and stored in binary format may be used for rounding multiplication results to a designated precision by multiplying the results with a pre-calculated constant. Additionally, several parts of a decimal multiplication may be carried out in parallel. Furthermore, a simple comparison with a constant instead of an expensive remainder calculation may be used for midpoint detection and exactness determination.
US07912882B2
The present invention relates to an apparatus for generating clock pulses using a Direct Digital Synthesizer (DDS). The present invention seeks to solve the problems of the conventional clock generator using a Phase Locked Loop (PLL) circuit where the output clock frequency cannot be varied and the output clock signal is degraded because of jitter and phase noise. The claimed apparatus comprises a phase accumulator, a phase-to-magnitude converter, a Digital-to-Analog (DA) converter, a band pass filter, and a comparator, which are serially connected. A 10×PLL multiplier provides a 196.608 MHz clock signal to the phase accumulator, the phase-magnitude converter and the digital analog converter, respectively. The phase accumulator also receives a Frequency Tuning Word (FTW) and using this FTW and the 196.608 MHz clock, outputs a desired specific frequency value. This frequency value is processed through the phase-magnitude converter, the digital analog converter, a band pass filter and a comparator in order to become a square wave of a desired frequency with a low jitter.
US07912881B2
A method for transmitting the value of a parameter in a compressed form, the method comprising the steps of: accepting successive numbers representing the value of a parameter; manipulating each number, the manipulation comprising placing the number in a form comprising a mantissa and an exponent, and defining a transmission mantissa to be transmitted; transmitting to a receiver, in turn, the transmission mantissas only of the successive numbers; and receiving the transmission mantissas of the successive numbers at the receiver, characterised by the steps of maintaining a record, at the receiver, of a receiver variable, the receiver variable initially corresponding to the exponent of an initial number; formulating at the receiver, for each received transmission mantissa, a reconstructed number comprising at least the transmission mantissa and an exponent corresponding to the receiver variable; and altering the receiver variable in a first manner if the transmission mantissa of the current number fulfils a first criterion, or altering the receiver variable in a second manner if the transmission mantissa of the current number fulfils a second criterion.
US07912880B2
A National Online Parcel-Level Map Data Portal (NPDP) is provided that optimizes online delivery of parcel-level maps and linked attribute data. To do this, the NPDP manages a database of assembled and current vector based parcel data in a spatial format (GIS) that enables geocoded parcel boundaries to be linked to property tax records. A user enters a street address into an appropriate screen window to call up and view road right-of-ways, all parcel boundaries and the “exact” address location as a highlighted parcel area. In addition, a list of property record attributes such as owner, use code, assessed value and year constructed can be displayed. Other on screen parcels can likewise be selected if one wishes to view their linked attributes. Subscribers may customize the NPDP to perform a variety of spatial analysis/reporting functions. Under public/private alliances, agreements are negotiated with individual property assessor's offices whereby they receive a portion of NPDP service provider revenue in return for parcel map database updates. Such on-going commerce between data sponsors and the NPDP service provider is utilized to assure a sustained and expanding flow of increasingly competent content.
US07912877B2
A program analysis tool leverages the garbage collection process to dynamically infer invariants of objects or data structures created by a program on the heap during execution. During execution of the program in a garbage-collected execution environment, the program analysis tool tracks object allocations made by the program, and records some meta data relating to invariants tracked for the type of the object, which are initially assumed satisfied by the object. Whenever a garbage collection pass visits the object, the tool checks whether the object still satisfies the invariants, and updates the meta data accordingly. The tool finally reports the invariants reflected by the meta data upon the object's death or at termination of the program. The invariants can then be used to annotate the program source code and/or detect bugs that violate the invariants.
US07912871B2
The present invention relates to a method, and system for implementing the method, for performing incremental validation of an XML document with respect to XML Schema key and keyref constraints, and handling the semantics dictated by the XML Schema specification. Several operations are defined that change the content of a document, i.e., add or remove nodes, or change the value of existing nodes. The present invention verifies whether performing such an operation would violate key or keyref constraints, and allows changing the document only if the operation maintains the validity of the document with respect to the constraints. The verification traverses only the parts of the document that may be affected by the change operation, and not the whole document. The invention maintains, in an efficient manner, data structures that hold information relevant to the validation of key and keyref constraints.
US07912854B2
A computer system and method is disclosed for mining current and archived address data in order to identify a preferred address for each service point in a territory. The data mining system may start in response to the presentation of a candidate address for matching. The set of mined data may be prioritized by clustering like characteristics, building similarity matrices, and by constructing dendrograms with nodes joined according to common characteristics. A computer system and method for maintaining a central database of preferred addresses is also disclosed. Selected address data gathered in a queue may be scored by characteristic, grouped by consignee location, and staged for processing. The scored queue of data may be prioritized by clustering like characteristics, building similarity matrices, and by constructing dendrograms.
US07912846B2
There is provided a document processing method in which a document is created by applying one or more templates to multiple structured documents stored in a folder among a group of folders having a hierarchical structure in a document database, the method including acquiring a first structured document including multiple document elements forming a structure, acquiring information of a hierarchical structure of the folders in the document database, creating integrated structure information by merging the structure of the document elements of the first structured document into a position of a folder, in the hierarchical structure formed by the folders, in which the first structured document is stored, and applying a template to the integrated structure information.
US07912843B2
A system for selecting electronic advertisements from an advertisement pool to match the surrounding content is disclosed. To select advertisements, the system takes an approach to content match that takes advantage of machine translation technologies. The system of the present invention implements this goal by means of simple and efficient machine translation features that are extracted from the surrounding context to match with the pool of potential advertisements. Machine translation features used as features for training a machine learning model. In one embodiment, a ranking SVM (Support Vector Machines) trained to identify advertisements relevant to a particular context. The trained machine learning model can then be used to rank advertisements for a particular context by supplying the machine learning model with the machine translation features measures for the advertisements and the surrounding context.
US07912841B2
A computer controlled method for automatically segmenting an ensemble of data. The method starts by acquiring an ensemble of data and data is segmented by identifying a first subset of sequences of Linking Data Elements based on a repository of Linking Data Elements. A second subset of sequences of Information Carrying Data Elements is identified, wherein the sequences are linked by the Linking Data Elements. The subsets are provided in a structured format.
US07912840B2
Data stores combined into a composite data store. A method includes referencing a first index entry for a user specified first parameter pattern. The first index entry includes references to record addresses for records in the composite data store which include the first parameter pattern. A first beginning composite data store address of a first selected data store is referenced. A determination is made that the first beginning composite data store address is at or above an address at or above a predetermined threshold above the first record address. Based on determining that the first beginning composite data store address is at or above a predetermined threshold above the first record address, a speed-up data structure is used to eliminate one or more comparisons of record entries in the first index entry between the first record address and the first beginning composite data store address.
US07912839B1
A method and apparatus for creating a non-uniform index structure for data are disclosed. For example, the method sets at least one threshold for at least one of: a number of objects in a cell, or a maximum number of decompositions for a cell. The method creates a plurality of cells by overlaying a grid over a plurality of objects and decomposes each of the plurality of cells until either the maximum number of decompositions is reached, or the number of objects in each cell is below the at least one threshold for numbers of objects in a cell. The method then creates a key for each cell, and creates an index structure for the data using said key for each cell.
US07912837B2
A method for performing a location search includes receiving a location search query, determining key words corresponding to the location search query, identifying one or more documents that correspond to the key words in the location search query, and providing to a client system information identifying at least one location corresponding to the one or more documents.
US07912833B2
A system and method include obtaining a query and identifying an aggregate join index (AJI) at a high level of aggregation. The dimension table may be rolled-up with the grouping key being the union of the grouping key in the AJI and the grouping key of the query. The identified AJI is joined with the rolled-up dimension table to obtain columns in the query that are not in the identified AJI. The joined AJI and rolled-up dimension table are then rolled up to answer the query.
US07912832B2
A link generator generates links to servable data to allow the servable content of a network server to be accessed using the links. Encoded links in a form suitable for an indexing agent are generated and used to access dynamically generated data in a database of the network server and to analyze same to determine query data for retrieving servable data from the database. A proxy server receives a request generated in response to selecting one of the encoded links, translates the request, and forwards it to the network server to access corresponding dynamically generated data.
US07912824B2
A process of displaying program information on a viewing screen may include: providing an electronic programming guide, the electronic program guide divided into timeslots containing program information; displaying program information from the displayed timeslots on a viewing screen; providing a link to additional information, the link associated with the program information of a particular timeslot; and displaying the additional information upon receiving a user input while displaying the program information of a particular timeslot. A related system may include: a client device configured to receive and display audio-visual programs; an electronic programming guide including a link to additional information associated with the program information of a particular timeslot; and a processor configured to display program information from the displayed timeslots on a viewing screen and to display the additional information on the viewing screen upon receiving a user input while the program information of the particular timeslot is displayed.
US07912817B2
Data is decayed over time by a type of data item by identifying constituent units of each data item; creating a shelf-life criterion for the constituent units by assigning dimensions to each data item and to each constituent unit; for each of the data items of the data item type, establishing relationship factors for each data item to other data items, between constituent units within data items, and between data items; periodically calculating or updating a decomposability index for each constituent unit as a function of the priority dimensions and the data life dimensions by moving the index towards a threshold for constituent units which are reproducible; and subsequently, decaying the data by deleting from storage constituent units which have decomposability indices exceeding a configured threshold, thereby reducing the amount of storage occupied by a remaining plurality of data items.
US07912808B2
Memory architecture provides capabilities for high performance content search. The architecture creates an innovative memory that can be programmed with content search rules which are used by the memory to evaluate presented content for matching with the programmed rules. When the content being searched matches any of the rules programmed in the Programmable Intelligent Search Memory (PRISM) action(s) associated with the matched rule(s) are taken. Content search rules comprise of regular expressions which are converted to finite state automata (FSA) and then programmed in PRISM for evaluating content with the search rules. PRISM architecture comprises of a plurality of programmable PRISM Memory clusters (PMC) which comprise of a plurality of programmable PRISM Search Engines (PSE). Groups of PMCs can be programmed with the same rules and used in parallel to apply these rules to multiple data streams simultaneously to achieve increased performance. PMC groups provide 10 Gbps performance with 10 PMC groups enabling 100 Gbps content search and security performance.
US07912807B2
A system and method of analysis, including, but not limited to: receiving raw data related to at least one project; receiving user preferences in at least one workflow, wherein each step in the a workflow constitutes a single instance of a component of a workflow such that the state of a unique component is always the same if the same component is comprised in other workflows; determining metrics related to the at least one project; analyzing the data & metrics to identify patterns; drawing conclusions from the data, metrics and patterns; and generating at least one report that presents the metrics, patterns and conclusions.
US07912799B2
Smart containers are disclosed. A definition is received of a logical structure configured to manage associated content. A policy or operation specified by the definition is applied to an item of content associated with an instance of the logical structure.
US07912796B2
System and method for real-time, automatic, recognition of large time-scale driving patterns employs a statistical pattern recognition framework, implemented by means of feed-forward neural network utilizing models developed for recognizing, for example, four classes of driving environments, namely highway, main road, suburban traffic and city traffic, from vehicle performance data. A vehicle control application effects changes in vehicle performance aspects based on the recognized driving environment.
US07912791B2
A method and device for synthesizing an electrical architecture. The method synthesizes a routing that obtains the following parameters: different configurations of service variants and calculator variants and rate of occurrence of the configurations, a sum of the rates of the configurations being considered as equal to one; component cost characteristics stored and weighted according to their respective rates of increase; and partial or full positioning of the service variants on the calculator variants. The method also identifies valid routings, evaluates the routing cost of the valid routings for each configuration, and determines the valid routing that minimizes the average of the routing costs for each configuration, the average being weighted by the rates of increase of each configuration.
US07912790B2
A computer implemented method for managing experience information includes: defining an overall blueprint representing a collection of experiences in a two-dimensional matrix having a plurality of entries organized into a plurality of rows and columns such that each entry in the matrix corresponds to one experience in the collection; defining a plurality of specific blueprints each modeled after the overall blueprint such that each specific blueprint represents the collection of experiences in the two-dimensional matrix and indicates a relative priority of each experience in the collection for the particular specific blueprint; obtaining experience information for a plurality of individuals using the overall blueprint, the experience information obtained for each individual defining a personal experience profile for that individual and indicating which experiences in the collection the individual possesses; and, storing the personal experience profile for each individual, each stored personal experience profile including the obtained experience information defining the personal experience profile for that individual.
US07912789B2
An electronic money usage system is capable of preventing dishonest use of electronic money recorded on a recording medium. A memory card 300 acquires signature-type electronic data from a bank server apparatus 100, and generates a first authenticator using the received first authenticator, and an identification flag, an electronic money ID and an amount included in the electronic money. When a user uses the signature-type electronic money, the memory card 300 generates a second authenticator with use of a second password received from the user, and the identification flag, electronic money ID and amount included in the electronic money. The memory card 300 outputs the electronic money if the first authenticator and the second authenticator match.
US07912785B1
A video of a negotiable instrument may be provided from a user to a financial institution so that an image of the negotiable instrument may be obtained from the video and deposited in a user's bank account. In an implementation, a user may use a device such as a video camera, a web camera, or a video-enabled phone to convert an endorsed check into a video data file by making a video of the check and storing the video in a video data file. The user may send the video data file to the financial institution, where it may be processed and deposited in an account associated with the user. Any technique for sending a video data file to the financial institution may be used.
US07912784B2
Methods are described for accounting, administration and processing of transactions utilizing a stored value card utilizing an EFT service gateway and providing balances for the cards across a plurality of point of sale devices. One method includes receiving a message generated by the point of sale system of a merchant and parsing the message into data elements. The method also includes routing the message through a switch controller to an account holder database based on an institution ID and a branch ID, accessing an account within the database utilizing the account key, and determining if an account holder's monetary balance in the account is greater than or equal to the transaction amount. A message is formatted and one of an authorization approval or a denial based upon the determination is transmitted within the message.
US07912782B2
Disclosed are systems and methods for placing and processing test orders and real orders.
US07912764B1
Techniques are described for assisting users in dynamically creating and using composite services that are based on other constituent services. In some situations, each constituent service is a Web service (“WS”), and each composite service is a new WS whose execution involves dynamically invoking multiple specified constituent WSes in a specified manner. Such techniques may be used, for example, in conjunction with an electronic WS marketplace via which third-party WS providers make their WSes available to third-party WS consumers who locate and purchase access to those WSes, such as to allow a user to dynamically create a new composite WS that is based on one or more WSes available from other WS providers and that reflects any constraints of the WS marketplace, with the composite WS available for use by other WS consumers. This abstract is not intended for use in interpreting or limiting the scope of the claims.
US07912754B2
A system and method are disclosed for controlling an inventory of point-of-care diagnostic devices. The inventory includes a main inventory and at least one subinventory. Each device has an ambient temperature shelf life. Data associated with the devices is entered, including: the current quantity and predetermined minimum quantity of devices in the main inventory; and the current quantity and predetermined minimum quantity of devices in the subinventory. A first timestamp is associated with each device when the device is transferred from the main inventory to the ambient temperature subinventory. The first timestamp is compared to a second timestamp prior to use of the device to determine whether the device's ambient temperature shelf life is exceeded. The current quantity of devices in the subinventory is updated in response to an event that causes a change in the current quantity of devices in the subinventory.
US07912753B2
The present disclosure relates to a system and method for controlling the presentation of advertisements. In one arrangement, the system and method are adapted to collect weather condition information, determine which advertisements are appropriate for presentation based upon the weather condition information, and facilitate presentation of appropriate advertisements.
US07912741B1
Systems and methods may provide for copay adjustment. The systems and methods may include receiving a claim request from a pharmacy computer, where the claim request may be associated with a product requested by a customer, transmitting the claim request to a claims processor for adjudication, and receiving, from the claims processor, a first claim response for the claim request, where the first claim response may include a current copay amount payable by the customer. The systems and methods may also include determining, based upon a historical claim transaction record associated with the customer, that a prior copay amount for the drug is less than the current copay amount, and transmitting a second claim response to the pharmacy computer with a new copay amount lower than the current copay amount of the first claim response.
US07912735B1
A method and system for eligible health care expense identification includes a process for eligible health care expense identification whereby electronic data including data representing health care expense transactions for a defined time frame is accessed. Electronic data representing rules defining eligible health care expenses is then obtained. The electronic data is then analyzed using the electronic data representing the rules defining eligible health care expenses to identify health care expense transactions that are potentially eligible for reimbursement from a health care expense account and/or a tax deduction. A user is then notified of the identified health care expense transactions.
US07912728B2
An audio codec in a baseband processor may be utilized for mixing audio signals received at a plurality of data sampling rates. The mixed audio signals may be up sampled to a very large sampling rate, and then down sampled to a specified sampling rate that is compatible with a Bluetooth-enabled device by utilizing an interpolator in the audio codec. The down-sampled signals may be communicated to Bluetooth-enabled devices, such as Bluetooth headsets, or Bluetooth-enabled devices with a USB interface. The interpolator may be a linear interpolator for which the audio codec may enable generation of triggering and/or coefficient signals based on the specified output sampling rate. An interpolation coefficient may be generated based on a base value associated with the specified output sampling rate. The audio codec may enable selecting the specified output sampling rate from a plurality of rates.
US07912725B2
Disclosed is a method for providing by a news information-providing server news information using a 3D character to a wireless communication terminal having accessed the news information-providing server through a wireless communication network, the method including the steps of: (a) generating voice information by converting news information received in real-time into voice data, and analyzing content of the voice information; (b) extracting mouth shape data and facial expression data corresponding to the content of the voice information analyzed at step (a); (c) applying the mouth shape data and facial expression data to the 3D character, and generating 3D character data by synthesizing the 3D character with an background image and/or background music; (d) generating 3D character news by synchronizing the voice information with the 3D character data; and (e) transmitting the 3D character news to the wireless communication terminal in a streaming mode.
US07912720B1
A system, method and computer-readable medium for practicing a method of emotion detection during a natural language dialog between a human and a computing device are disclosed. The method includes receiving an utterance from a user in a natural language dialog between a human and a computing device, receiving contextual information regarding the natural language dialog which is related to changes of emotion over time in the dialog, and detecting an emotion of the user based on the received contextual information. Examples of contextual information include, for example, differential statistics, joint statistics and distance statistics.
US07912717B1
The invention uses the ModelGrower program to generate possible candidates from an original or aggregated model. An isomorphic reduction program operates on the candidates to identify and exclude isomorphic models. A Markov model evaluation and optimization program operates on the remaining non-isomorphic candidates. The candidates are optimized and the ones that most closely conform to the data are kept. The best optimized candidate of one stage becomes the starting candidate for the next stage where ModelGrower and the other programs operate on the optimized candidate to generate a new optimized candidate. The invention repeats the steps of growing, excluding isomorphs, evaluating and optimizing until such repetitions yield no significantly better results.
US07912715B2
A method for determining a set of distortion measures in a pattern recognition process, where a sequence of feature vectors is formed from a digitized incoming signal to be recognized, said pattern recognition being based upon said set of distortion measures. The method comprises comparing (S10) a first feature vector in said sequence with a first number (M1) of templates from a set of templates representing candidate patterns, based on said comparison, selecting (S12) a second number (M2) of templates from said template set, the second number being smaller than the first number, and comparing (S14) a second feature vector only with said selected templates. The method can be implemented in a device for pattern recognition.
US07912709B2
A degree of voicing is extracted using the characteristic of harmonic peaks existing in a constant period by converting an input speech or audio signal to a speech signal of the frequency domain, selecting the greatest peak in a first pitch period of the converted speech signal as a harmonic peak, thereafter selecting a peak having the greatest spectral value among peaks existing in each peak search range of the speech signal as a harmonic peak, extracting harmonic spectral envelope information by performing interpolation of the selected harmonic peaks, extracting non-harmonic spectral envelope information by performing interpolation of the non-harmonic peaks, and comparing the two pieces of envelope information to each other.
US07912708B2
The present invention relates to a method of synthesizing of a speech signal, comprising: —assigning of a first identifier to a first class of intervals of an original speech signal and assigning of a second identifier to a second class of intervals of the original speech signal, —windowing the original speech signal to provide a number of pitch bells, —processing the pitch bells having the first identifier assigned thereto for modifying a duration of the speech signal, —performing an overlap and add operation on the processed pitch bells.
US07912704B2
An improved handheld electronic device having a reduced keyboard provides facilitated language entry by making available to a user certain words that a user may reasonably be expected to enter. In some situations, certain words can be stored, for example, in a temporary dictionary for use in particular situations. For instance, the names of the recipients of an electronic message might be stored in a temporary dictionary for rapid retrieval when entering a salutation in the message. As another example, a number of the words in an existing electronic message may be stored in a temporary dictionary and made available to a user when replying to or forwarding the message since the existing message might include words that the user might reasonably be expected to type in the reply message or the forwarded message.
US07912691B2
A distributed network including at least two Reconfigurable Optical Add/Drop Multiplexers (ROADMs) may be designed by a method including simulating routing of data traffic in a distributed network. The method may also include identifying a first location for placement of a first ROADM based at least partially on the simulated routing of the data traffic. The method may also include simulating rerouting of data traffic in the distributed network including the first ROADM at the first location. The method may further include identifying a second location for placement of a second ROADM based at least partially on the simulated rerouting of the data traffic.
US07912684B2
A diabetes care management system for managing blood glucose levels associated with diabetes comprising a computing device and an insulin delivery device. The computing device generally includes (i) a memory comprising one or more optimal blood glucose values, one or more self care values of a patient, one or more measured blood glucose values, and one or more scaling factors for weighting the impact on a future blood glucose value and that are customizable to an individual patient to predict the effect on the blood glucose of self care actions performed by the individual patient; (ii) a microprocessor, in communication with the memory, programmed to (A) determine the one or more scaling factors from one or more physiological parameters including body mass, metabolism rate, fitness level or hepatic or peripheral insulin sensitivity, or combinations thereof, and (B) calculate a further value, the further value being based on the self care values, and on the one or more optimal blood glucose values, and on the one or more scaling factors; and (iii) a display configured to display information according to the further value; and (iv) a housing, wherein the memory and the microprocessor are housed within the housing, thereby providing a hand-held, readily transportable computing device. The insulin delivery device may deliver insulin in response to information associated with the further value.
US07912677B2
A remote generator fuel monitoring system is provided. The system can include graphical user interface logic and connection logic. The graphical user interface logic typically provides a user with periodically updated data points associated with a fuel monitor coupled to an AC plant. The connection logic typically connects to a monitoring server and receives the periodically updated data points associated with the fuel monitor, the monitoring server being coupled to a number of fuel monitors via a network. Methods and other systems are also provided.
US07912669B2
A process for a prognosis of faults in electronic circuits identifies parameters of a circuit under test. An upper and a lower limit is determined for one or more components of the circuit under test. A population of faulty and non-faulty circuits are generated for the circuit under test, and feature vectors are generated for each faulty and non-faulty circuit. The feature vectors are stored in a fault dictionary, and a feature vector for an implementation of the circuit under test in a field operation is generated. The feature vector for the implementation of the circuit under test in the field operation is compared to the feature vectors in the fault dictionary.
US07912664B2
A self-calibrating gyroscope system provides improved estimates of, and compensation or calibration for, scale factor errors and bias errors. The gyroscope system employs a plurality of gyroscope units having sense or input axes in a mutually non-parallel arrangement. A Mode Reversal technique is used to obtain an estimate of bias error for a selected gyroscope. A Random Closed-Loop Scale Factor technique is used to obtain an estimate of scale factor error for a selected gyroscope. Because the Mode Reversal technique temporarily disrupts operation of the affected gyroscope, each of the gyroscopes may be taken offline temporarily, in turn, for calibration, and thereafter returned to normal operation. Because at least one redundant gyroscope is provided, when a selected gyroscope is offline, rate information from the remaining operating gyroscopes can be used to derive a reference rate about the axis of the offline gyroscope.
US07912661B2
Circuitry and program code adapted for carrying out an associated technique for characterizing the response of one or more magnetoelastic sensor elements during exposure to an excitation field generated by an interrogation coil: including: (a) measuring a total sensor signal from the coil with the sensor element positioned within the excitation field within a spacing created by a winding of the coil; and (b) automatically determining: (i) a total measured impedance spectrum from said total sensor signal so measured, and (ii) a plurality of magnitude values representing the real part of a reconstructed impedance spectrum for the sensor element. The reconstructed impedance spectrum for the sensor element, having been calculated by subtracting an impedance generally attributable to the coil during the time an AC excitation signal is provided, from the total measured impedance. Subtraction of coil impedance from total complex impedance is accomplished by separate subtraction of the real part and of the imaginary part, represented as follows Re[Zs(ω)]=Re[Zt(ω)]−Re[Zc(ω)] Equation (12) and Im[Zs(ω)]=Im[Zt(ω)]−Im[Zc(ω)] Equation (13) where subscript “t” indicates total complex impedance, “s” indicates sensor element impedance, and “c” indicates coil impedance.
US07912659B2
A gearbox condition monitoring system includes at least one vibration sensor located on a gearbox casing. A processing unit is coupled to the vibration sensor and is configured to receive signals representative of the detected vibrations from the vibration sensor. The processing unit may be operable to process the signals representative of detected vibrations of gears and bearings and to compute at least one dynamic energy index or location of fault.
US07912652B2
The present teachings disclose methods for evaluation of sequence information to characterize putative heterozygous indel mutations. The mutation analysis methods utilize sequence and trace information to identify mixed-base presence resulting from allelic differences. These methods may be applied to identify and resolve single nucleotide polymorphisms, insertions, deletions, and other mutational events.
US07912651B2
A method of screening biologically active agent based on the analysis of complex biological responses in culture. Methods for selecting cells and culture conditions for such screens are provided, as well as the identification of an optimized set of discrete parameters to be measured, and the use of biomap analysis for rapid identification and characterization of drug candidates, genetic sequences acting pathways, and the like. A feature of the invention is simultaneous screening of a large number of cellular pathways, and the rapid identification of compounds that cause cellular responses.
US07912648B2
Method and apparatus for imaging bed boundaries using azimuthal propagation resistivity measurements
A method for imaging a geologic deposit using data collected from a borehole includes: selecting an instrument for performing electromagnetic (EM) measurements, the instrument including at least one transmitter and at least one orthogonally oriented receiver; obtaining EM measurement data from the borehole with the instrument; transforming the EM measurement data to acoustic data; and estimating at least one of a direction and a distance from the instrument to the deposit from the data. A computer program product and a system are provided.
US07912646B2
A driver assistance system includes a global-positioning system generating an output indicative of the current geographical location of the vehicle equipped with the driver assistance system, a forward facing camera, and a video display screen. The forward facing camera captures video images forward of the vehicle as the equipped vehicle travels along a route of travel, and the video display screen displays the captured video images as the equipped vehicle travels along the route. The video display screen is viewable by a driver of the vehicle when the driver is normally operating the vehicle. The driver assistance system, responsive to image processing of the video images and responsive to the output of the global-positioning system, generates a graphic overlay on the displayed video images that assists the driver's driving task as the vehicle travels along the route.
US07912644B2
A method for determining a terrestrial location of an apparatus that is deployed in a generally known geographical region includes capturing, by the apparatus, an earthbound image of the sky from a terrestrial location at an identified time; communicating, by the apparatus, data representative of the captured earthbound image of the sky; and determining the terrestrial location of the apparatus based on the data communicated by the apparatus by comparing the captured earthbound image of the sky to a master mapping of the sky relative to the surface of the Earth.
US07912639B2
A navigation device has a regional map data item for each of multiple regions, into which a nation is divided. A connection table is included in a regional map data item for a certain region and associates (i) a certain ID of a connection road in the certain region with a certain connection number. The connection road is connected with a paired connection road in an adjacent region. A connection table of a regional map data item for the adjacent region associates an ID of the paired connection road with the same connection number as the certain connection number. When the certain ID in the certain region is replaced with a different ID because of a road construction or the like, only the certain ID is replaced in the connection table with the certain connection number unchanged. This eliminates need of amending the connection table for the adjacent region.
US07912637B2
Driving directions can be helpful if in addition to spatial information, landmark information is provided. Landmarks assist in adding context to directions as well as allowing for a greater likelihood of success of an operator following directions. There can be employment of physical identification of landmarks as well as processing regarding the utility of a landmark in regards to driving directions. Driving directions can be highly useful if integrated landmarks relate to knowledge possessed by an operator of a vehicle. Landmark based driving direction can be integrated with advertisements that relate to the directions.
US07912633B1
A method for mobile autonomous updating of GIS maps is provided. In the method, an autonomous mobile data collecting platform is provided with a map identifying one or more GIS features. The platform has at least one data collecting sensor for collecting data for at least one of the GIS features and patrols at least a portion of a region included in the map while updating its GIS position as it patrols. The autonomous mobile data collecting platform applies the at least one data collecting sensor during patrolling to collect data for at least one of the GIS features and updates the GIS map to reflect differential data collected for at least one GIS feature.
US07912630B2
A system for communicating between networked applications and vehicles that includes a vehicle response server and a vehicle response agent. The vehicle response server can manage communications between at least one vehicle and at least one application remotely located from the vehicle, wherein the application can provide activation contexts to the vehicle. The vehicle response agent can be disposed in the vehicle. The vehicle response agent can receive the activation contexts and determine event occurrences based in part upon the activation contexts and in part upon a location of the vehicle relative to previously defined geographical boundaries specified by the vehicle response server.
US07912629B2
A device for determining the traffic conditions between measurement locations associated with a roadway is provided. The device includes a processor that is capable of determining when a specified measurement location is passed or traversed and measure data as well as start a time period. If a device is traveling towards another specified measurement location but does not reach the location before the time period expires, a new measurement update may be sent by the device to a server. The information in this update may be utilized by the server to determine that there is a slowdown or blockage in traffic and/or that there is a traffic jam between the measurement locations. The device is capable of receiving a traffic update(s) from the server which may specify traffic conditions between the measurement locations. The traffic conditions may indicate that there is a traffic slowdown/blockage between the measurement locations.
US07912624B2
A synchronization device for an engine is provided that has a first active sensor and a second active sensor. The first active sensor is adapted to determine an angular position of a first shaft and the second active sensor is adapted to determine the angular position of a second shaft. The first active sensor and the second active sensor are adapted to provide information on the state of the angular position of the first shaft and the second shaft or the angular position of the first shaft and the phase position between the first shaft and the second shaft to the control device. In addition, the control device is adapted to provide a control signal for setting a given phase difference between the first and the second shaft.
US07912621B2
A system includes an out of correlation (OOC) detection module that detects an OOC error between a first throttle position sensor (TPS) and a second TPS. An out of range (OOR) detection module that detects first and second OOR errors for the first and second TPS, respectively. An OOC counter sets an OOC error when an OOC count is greater than or equal to a first OOC value. An OOR counter sets first and second OOR errors when first and second OOR counts, respectively, are greater than or equal to a second OOR value that is less than the first OOC value. A control module increments the counters when the respective errors occur and sets at least one of the first and second OOR counts equal to the OOC count when at least one of the first and second OOR errors occur after the OOC error.
US07912619B2
An engine control system is provided having a control unit and a monitoring module. The monitoring module, together with the control unit, forms one structural unit and is designed as a detachable module having an independent electromagnetic shielding.
US07912617B2
A method for controlling trapped air in a clutch of an automatic clutch-to-clutch transmission includes, calculating a pulse on time based on a clutch volume and adaptive convergence. A pulse off time is calculated based on a temperature of transmission fluid. A pulse number is calculated based on the temperature of transmission fluid. A maximum pressure is commanded to the clutch based on the pulse on time and a minimum pressure is then commanded to the clutch based on the pulse off time. A pulse counter is incremented when the pulse off time expires. The steps of commanding maximum pressure, then commanding minimum pressure, and incrementing the pulse counter are repeated until the pulse counter equals a desired pulse number.
US07912613B2
A riding type vehicle includes an automatic transmission capable of executing a shift change by a clutch actuator and a shift actuator. A clutch is controlled by the clutch actuator and is a multiplate clutch. The multiplate clutch is provided with bias member configured to enlarge a partial clutch engagement region of the clutch. The multiplate clutch is configured such that during shift change, both of the clutch actuator and the shift actuator are controlled to operate in overlapping manner.
US07912611B2
A device for sensing a position of a spoiler on a motor vehicle, where the spoiler is moved with a drive unit between a retracted setpoint base position and an extended setpoint operating position. At least one sensor is provided with which at least one of the setpoint positions of the spoiler can be sensed, and which generates first position signals on the basis of the sensed setpoint position. An adjustment position sensing device is provided which senses a current position of the spoiler, and which generates second position signals on the basis of the sensed current position. An evaluation unit evaluates the first position signals and the second position signals, and which actuates, on the basis of the evaluation result, an information device which provides the driver with information about the state of at least one of the position sensing devices and/or actuates the drive unit.
US07912609B2
A motor vehicle including a preventive protective system which includes safety devices actuated as a function of information obtained from a vehicle state sensor system and evaluated in a data evaluation and control device. In the associated process, the data evaluation and control device compares the recorded information with at least one triggering threshold value and actuates at least one safety device which is associated with this driving state when a criticality of the driving state is identified. Triggering of the associated safety device is actuated with respect to a force time gradient as a function of the identified criticality of the driving state.
US07912606B2
Steering control system for a land vehicle with at least four steered wheels (1AvG, 1AvD, 1ArG, 1ArD), the system comprising one actuator per steered wheel (3AvG, 3AvD, 3ArG, 3ArD). The system comprises a control member (2) available to a driver and delivering a demanded steering angle (θ), a steering control unit (4) which, by way of input variable, uses at least the said demanded steering angel (θ) to determine a steering control angle for operating the said actuator, and means (5) for detecting a lock-up of one of the steered-wheel actuators, which are capable of delivering an alarm signal identifying an actuator that has locked up. The steering control unit has at least one normal mode and at least one degraded mode in the event of an actuator becoming locked up, the degraded mode calculating the steering control angle (αpi) of the non-locked wheels by imposing a first degraded-mode strategy whereby the instantaneous center of rotation (CIR) of the vehicle lies more or less on the straight line perpendicular to the plane of the locked wheel and passing through the center of the ground-contact area of the locked wheel, in a position that is dependent on the demanded steering angle (θ).
US07912596B2
A vehicle trajectory visualization system capable of displaying real-time (or recorded) vehicle orientation, position, velocity, and waypoint data using a 3D rendering system. The aforementioned data is transmitted from the vehicle to a base station that processes and manipulates the data prior to 3D rendering and insertion into a database. Due to the storing of the vehicle trajectory data, playback of past trajectories is possible, enabling enhanced visual After-Action Review. This system provides instant visual inspection of any virtual or real vehicle's planned trajectory and waypoints versus actual traveled trajectory.
US07912595B2
A system which operates a digitally controlled model railroad transmitting a first command from a first client program to a resident external controlling interface through a first communications transport. A second command is transmitted from a second client program to the resident external controlling interface through a second communications transport. The first command and the second command are received by the resident external controlling interface which queues the first and second commands. The resident external controlling interface sends third and fourth commands representative of the first and second commands, respectively, to a digital command station for execution on the digitally controlled model railroad.
US07912591B2
A disclosed vehicle control system comprises a mobile terminal that transmits a current location of the mobile terminal; a receiving portion that is installed in a vehicle and receives the current location transmitted from the mobile terminal; a vehicle location detecting portion that detects a current location of the vehicle; a controlling portion that controls a vehicle apparatus installed in the vehicle in accordance with a positional relationship between the current position of the mobile terminal received by the receiving portion and the current location of the vehicle detected by the vehicle location detecting portion; and a memory portion that stores behavioral pattern information of a user of the vehicle. The controlling portion controls the vehicle apparatus in accordance with the behavioral pattern information stored in the memory portion and the positional relationship between the current location of the mobile terminal and the current location of the vehicle.
US07912587B2
A method of balancing an assembly of rotary parts of a gas turbine engine comprising measuring at least one of the concentricity and parallelism of each component and considering globally all possible component stacking positions to generate an optimized stacking position for each component of the assembly to minimize assembly unbalance.
US07912578B1
A system and method for conveying regulated pharmaceuticals to a patient in an automated manner. A database is provided that contains information on patients and the prescriptions prescribed to those patients. An automated conveying machine is supplied that contains an inventory of prepackaged pharmaceuticals that can be independently vended. An interface is provided proximate the automated conveying machine. Prescription data is entered into the interface. The prescription data identifies a specific patient and a specific prepackaged pharmaceutical. The prescription data is compared to information in the database for confirmation. The automated conveying machine receives a confirmation signal if the prescription data is valid. If the requested prepackaged pharmaceutical is present within the inventory of said automated conveying machine and the confirmation signal has been received, then the automated conveying machine is activated. Inventory controls are present that prevent the system from overselling.
US07912574B2
A method for transporting inventory items includes moving a mobile drive unit to a first point within a workspace. The first point is a location of an inventory holder. The method further includes docking the mobile drive unit with the inventory holder and moving the mobile drive unit and the inventory holder to a second point within the workspace. The second point is associated with conveyance equipment. The method further includes moving the inventory holder to a third point within the workspace using the conveyance equipment.
US07912570B2
An accompanying document for a printing substrate, which is to be printed in a printing press, is configured as an electronic data set that is stored in a memory of an RFID tag. Data relating to a production-preparatory generation of an adhesive surface, on the printing substrate to be fed to the printing press, is written into the data set. Data relating to the manufacturer of the printing substrate of to its supplier, and data relating to the manufacture of the printing substrate are also written into the data set. In the case of a commercial unit having a printing substrate that has been only partially printed during a production run of the printing press, the data set can be supplemented with data which, at least, characterizes an event. The event could relate to a break in the printing substrate or to changes to the commercial unit which occurred during the production process that was implemented in the printing press using the printing substrate of the commercial unit.
US07912566B2
Provided is a system and method for transmitting/receiving an object-based audio. The system includes: a pre-processing unit for receiving an audio signal from diverse sources of outside and creating an object-based audio signal through a pre-processing procedure; an object-based audio editing unit for editing the object-based audio signal from the pre-processing unit and organizing an audio scene; an object-based audio coding unit for coding/multiplexing information on the object-based audio signal and the audio scene from the object-based audio editing unit and creating object-based audio contents; and a transmitting unit for transmitting the object-based audio contents from the object-based audio coding unit.
