US07914333B2
A card edge connector allows a modular jack to be electronically connected to a PCMCIA Type III communications card. The card edge connector includes a modular jack with a main body portion having a top surface, a bottom surface, a front surface and a rear surface. A receptacle is disposed entirely within the front surface of the modular jack and the receptacle is sized and configured to receive a RJ series connector plug such that no portion of the plug extends through either the top surface or the bottom surface of the modular jack. A connector attached to the rear surface of the modular jack and the connector includes a socket sized and configured to receive a portion of a printed circuit board disposed within the communications card. Desirably, the card edge connector includes at least one contact pin including a plug engaging portion that extends into the receptacle and a printed circuit board engaging portion that extends into the socket.
US07914320B2
A cable connector assembly (100) includes an insulative housing (2), a plurality of contacts (3) received in the insulative housing, a cable (7) electrically connected with the contacts, a light guiding member (6), a cover enclosing the insulative housing and the cable, a LED covered by the light guiding member and a pair of films (9) located between the LED and one side of the insulative housing. And the films (9) are shielding a gap between the insulative housing and the cover.
US07914299B2
An USB application device includes a casing and a printed circuit board received in the casing. The printed circuit board includes a top surface disposed a plurality of contacts, and a bottom surface disposed a plurality of electrical elements. A first supporting portion is received in the casing and located between the bottom surface of the printed circuit board and the casing, which supports the printed circuit board and is in front of all the electrical elements and abuts against up front one of the electrical elements disposed on the bottom surface of the printed circuit board. Therefore, the first supporting portion supports a central portion of the printed circuit board to resist an external pressing force in order to prevent the printed circuit board from damage. Furthermore, the first supporting portion positions the printed circuit board during the fabricating procedure of the USB application device.
US07914292B2
Embodiments of a rotatable electric plug and related methods are described herein. Other embodiments and related methods are also disclosed herein.
US07914283B2
An activatable dental appliance. A concave trough conforms to a plurality of teeth when placed over the plurality of teeth. A first force applying region is configured to apply a first force to at least one tooth of the plurality of teeth for repositioning the tooth. A second force applying region is configured to be selectively activated, wherein when selectively activated the second force applying region applies a force to at least one tooth of the plurality of teeth.
US07914277B1
A plastic injection machine nozzle heater housing and heater. The heater housing includes a heater body having an axial thru-bore for receiving a plastic injection machine nozzle of interest. Bores may extend into the heater body from a rear face thereof for receiving corresponding cartridge heater(s) and a thermocouple. A wire receiving groove may be provided to hold the cartridge heater and thermocouple wires. A wire passage aperture may be provided to permit the cartridge heater and thermocouple wires to extend from the heater body for appropriate connection to a heater controller or other appropriate device. Cartridge heater(s) and a thermocouple are inserted into the corresponding bores and a cover plate of the heater housing is then secured to the end of the heater body so as to cover the heater(s), the thermocouple, and the portion of the associated wires residing in the wire receiving groove.
US07914275B1
There is disclosed a pressing apparatus for fabricating a dense, rigid, durable panel from a molten composite material, such as a composite of wood fibers and thermoplastic. The apparatus features a first platen in spaced and angled relation to a second platen to define a gap between said platens. The gap decreases uniformly from first ends of the platens toward second ends of the platens, and conveyer belts, movably disposed along opposing surfaces of said platens, move molten composite material through the decreasing gap to compress the molten composite material between the platens, while substantially simultaneously the material undergoes first passive and then active cooling into a rigid sheet.
US07914270B2
A method may include the steps of: (a) providing a tire mold; (b) providing an extruder operatively connected to a head with a die assembly; (c) inserting at least a first compound into the first extruder; (d) forming an extrudate from the die assembly; (e) applying the extrudate directly from the die assembly into the tire mold to form a tire tread component; and, (f) controlling movement of the tire mold to correspond to the extrudate delivery.
US07914269B2
A positive-displacement pump having an eccentrically positioned internal ring gear and pinion within a pump housing. Pressurized operating fluid is provided by the pump to actuate an actuation piston of a clutch unit, such as a double clutch unit. The clutch unit is drivingly coupled with the pump for movement between engaged and disengaged positions. At least one throughbore is provided in the pump housing within which throughbore the clutch actuation piston is guided.
US07914265B2
A system for evacuating an enclosure is provided. The system includes a first vacuum pump having an inlet selectively connectable to an outlet from the enclosure. A second vacuum pump is also provided together with a conduit for connecting an exhaust of the first vacuum pump to an inlet of the second vacuum pump. An auxiliary chamber is provided, this chamber being selectively connectable to the conduit such that, in a first state, gas can be drawn from the auxiliary chamber by the second vacuum pump in isolation from the enclosure, and, in a second state, gas can be drawn from the enclosure to the auxiliary chamber through the first vacuum pump.
US07914260B2
A ceiling fan (50) is disclosed having a motor housing (51) which encases an electric motor (53). The motor includes a bottom mounting plate (54) that rotates and thereby drives an annular array of blade irons (56), each having a blade (57) mounted thereto in conventional fashion. Each blade iron is mounted for pivotal and radial movement relative to the bottom mounting plate. An annular segmented balancing ring (68) made of a plurality of links (69) causes pivotal and radial movement of other blade irons (76) in response to the radial movement of an off-balanced blade iron.
US07914259B2
An advantageous new design of a wind turbine blade and rotor is obtained by providing one, two or more parallel rows of sub-boundary layer vortex generators, whereby a blade is obtained, which is resistant to stall and provides for a high maximum lift coefficient CL,max of the blades and a slender blade design, a low socalled radius specific solidity of the rotor. The very high lift coefficient CL can reduce the necessary blade area and loads or/and increase the length of the blade and maintain the original loads with higher production. The row or rows of sub-boundary layer vortex generators are in a preferred embodiment of the invention provided in combination with Gurney Flaps generating a very high lift coefficient CL with a relative gentle stall at very high angle of attack.
US07914257B1
A turbine rotor blade for a gas turbine engine that includes a five-pass spiral serpentine flow cooling circuit with a first channel extending along the pressure side of the blade, a second channel extending along the suction side of the blade and connected to the first channel at the airfoil tip, a third channel extending along the pressure side and connected to the second channel in the root portion, and fourth channel extending along the suction side and connected to the third channel at the blade tip, and a fifth channel extending along the trailing edge and discharging cooling air through exit holes. The first and second channels are opposite to each other and have the same chordwise length, and the third and fourth channels are opposite to each other and have the same chordwise length to form a spiral flow path between the second and third channels and between the fourth and fifth channels. All five channels are connected in series to form the serpentine flow path. A leading edge supply channel provides for cooling air to a showerhead arrangement, and the leading edge channel is connected to the first channel at the blade tip. Pin fins and trip strips enhance the heat transfer coefficient from the blade to the cooling air throughout the channels.
US07914249B2
A shoveling apparatus including a low profile vehicle, a boom assembly, and a shovel assembly for use in underground mining operations, and particularly useful in clearing coal and rock debris from a belt line corridor. The low profile vehicle includes an advanceable support that supports the boom assembly and laterally advances the boom assembly from the cab portion of the vehicle. The boom assembly includes a support structure, a rotary actuator and a linear actuator, to control lateral and vertical rotation of the support structure (and thus the shovel assembly) with respect to a ground surface. The shovel assembly includes a rotary actuator and a shovel, and in some embodiments a tilting mechanism, to control the lateral and in some cases vertical, rotation of the shovel with respect to the boom assembly.
US07914243B2
A method for removing a weld crown from a weld joint between first and second work pieces includes steps of positioning a rotary milling tool proximate to the joint and at an offset angle to set a cutting arc relative to the joint. The milling tool is positioned so the cutting arc intersects the weld crown, weld toes, and parent metal on each side of the weld joint. As the milling tool traverses the joint to cut away the weld crown, the milling tool may tilt from side to side to compensate for misalignment between the work pieces along the weld joint. An apparatus for weld crown removal holds a milling tool at an offset angle, and provides a tracking mechanism to permit the milling tool to track misalignment between the work pieces, maintaining the cutting arc in intersection with the weld toes and parent metal along the weld joint.
US07914239B2
A conveyance system comprises a production machine for manufacturing a web of packaging cushions, a duct downstream from the production machine, a blower to provide an air flow through the duct to apply a conveyance force for conveying the web of packaging cushions, and a friction contact area downstream from the production machine and upstream from the duct entrance. The web of packaging cushions passes beneath and contacts the friction contact area to create a friction force opposing the conveyance force so that the conveyance force is not transmitted along the web of packaging cushions to the production machine.
US07914237B2
A method and apparatus for inserting a sheet pile (10) into an earth formation using a protective housing (12) releasably connected to the sheet pile (10). The protective housing has a fluid gallery and conduits for releasing fluid such as water onto the base of the sheet pile without jetting water into the earth formation. The method and apparatus are particularly suited for driving vinyl and plastic sheet piles into highly resistant soils.
US07914232B2
A procedure for the on-site reduction to a predetermined level of the concentration of hexavalent chromium in a saturated or unsaturated contaminated area or ground, in which an in-depth treatment of this area or ground is carried out with a predetermined quantity of a gaseous mixture consisting of hydrogen and another inert gas in order to chemically reduce the hexavalent chromium to a state of lower valence, in particular to the state of trivalent chromium.
US07914230B2
A plastic leaching chamber has an arch shape cross section, corrugations, and one or more hollow pillars extending downwardly within the interior of the chamber, to support the top of the chamber when the chamber is under load during use. Chambers nest within one another to form a stack of chambers for transport or storage. Chambers have peak corrugations which are substantially wider than the intervening valley corrugations. Chambers having different widths and profiles have common size connectors.
US07914226B2
A non-removable safety pin (20) for an excavator coupler for securing a latching hook thereof. The safety pin (20) comprises a head (26), a shaft (24), a distal end (22) and a longitudinal axis starting at the head (26), extending along the shaft (24) and terminating at the distal end (22), wherein either or both of the shaft (24) and the distal end (22) are keyed so as to have an element thereon that extends relative to a side of the shaft. The element prevents removal of the safety pin from a hole (36) in which the safety pin (20) is inserted.
US07914220B2
A vented wiper for a mascara bottle or other packaging and modified filling methods for containers that have vented wipers. During filling of a container, the vented wiper allows air to vent from the container, other than through the interior of the wiper.
US07914196B2
Light redirecting film systems comprise a backlight having deformities that cause a majority of the light entering the input edge of the backlight to be emitted from a light output surface of the backlight. In close proximity to the light output surface is a light redirecting film that has a pattern of individual optical elements of well-defined shape to redistribute the light emitted by the light output surface toward a direction normal to the film.
US07914191B2
Described herein is a surgical instrument that includes a tubular member having first and second opposite ends and a longitudinal axis, an instrument dock extending from the first end of the tubular member that includes an opening for receiving a rod, and a light source. Light from the light source is directed out of the opening in the instrument dock. In a preferred embodiment, the article of manufacture includes a nose cone and a tail cone that actuates the light source.
US07914190B2
A headlamp capable of preventing dazzling of an opposite driver is provided. The headlamp includes a projection lens, a reflector, a light source disposed at a first focal point of the reflector, and a light shade part positioned around a second focal point of the reflector. The light shade part includes a first shade comprising a plurality of shading plates for forming a desired light distribution pattern and a second shade formed as a continuous surface or discrete surfaces connected to the uppermost surfaces of the shading plates of the first shade.
US07914185B2
The Christmas light clip with magnets has an elongated base, a post extending upward from the base, and a support arm extending from the post parallel to the base in cantilever manner. The support arm terminates in a resilient, C-shaped clamp adapted for gripping a Christmas light bulb socket. At least one magnet is attached to the bottom surface of the base, and is adapted for attaching the base to a metallic structure, such as a roof, a gutter, a window frame, etc. A plurality of the Christmas light clips may be used to attach a string of lights to the metallic structure.
US07914179B2
An optical plate includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. A plurality of elongated, arc-shaped depressions is defined in the first surface. A plurality of first elongated, V-shaped protrusions aligned in a first direction and a plurality of second elongated, V-shaped protrusions aligned in a second direction are protruded from the second surface. The first direction and the second direction cooperatively define an angle which is larger than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees.
US07914176B2
In a first embodiment the invention is for use with a light-fixture assembly for elongate light tubes of the type that includes (a) an elongate support frame and (b) a cross-structure at each of the opposite ends thereof and has at least one lamp holder thereon. The improvement of the embodiment wherein the cross-structures each include at least one folding arm movable between a stowed position substantially parallel with the support frame and a deployed position substantially perpendicular to the support frame.
US07914172B2
A unified lighting system including a plurality of light emitting devices, wherein each light emitting device generates a color output in response to a plurality of light settings and a modification to the light settings of one light emitting device is automatically propagated to the other light emitting devices, thereby providing a substantially uniform color output of the lighting system.
US07914167B2
Disclosed are surface modifying apparatus, such as non-motorized and motorized sanding tools, with an illumination system providing an intensity and incidence angle on the working surface that facilitates visual inspection of defects and blemishes on the surface being modified in a safe, low cost, and convenient manner.
US07914162B1
A light assembly including a housing, a plurality of light emitting diodes (LED) on a circuit board, a lens, a lens cover and a heating board positioned within the housing. The heating board is positioned behind the lens and in front of LEDs within the housing, such that light from the LEDs shines through the heating board. The heating board also includes a sensor and a microcontroller to activate, deactivate and control the heating board in response to an outside air temperature.
US07914157B2
An exemplary projector includes a main body, a lens at a front of the main body and a lens barrier module positioned at the front of the main body for covering the lens when the projector is not in use or exposing the lens when the projector is in use. The lens barrier module includes a front bezel defining an opening aligned with the lens, a lens frame secured to a rear side of the front bezel and separated from the front bezel, and a lens cover slidably received between the front bezel and the lens frame. The lens frame defines an aperture aligned with the opening. The lens cover is positioned in a manner to selectively cover or uncover the lens.
US07914155B2
A display device comprises revolving coloured wheels, so as to generate a periodic coloured beam, and an imager which modulates the coloured beam as a function of a received video signal. The coloured beam (8) takes successively at each period a plurality of primary colours in synchronism with the images generated by the imager for each primary colour.By adjustment of the relative position of the coloured wheels, it is possible to modify the hue of the primary colours so as to best match them to the received video signal.
US07914152B2
A portable projector with a heat dissipation system, includes a housing and two LED light sources located in the housing. Each of the LED light sources includes a circuit aboard, an LED device mounted on the circuit aboard and a heat pipe. The heat pipe has an evaporating section thermally contacting the circuit board, and a condensing section. A fin set thermally contacts with the condensing section of the heat pipe for dissipating heat therefrom. The fin set of one LED light source is located behind the evaporating section of the heat pipe of the other light source and closely adjacent to a wall of the housing.
US07914151B2
In one embodiment, a method includes transmitting one or more light beams by a first portion of a light modulator formed outwardly from a substrate. The one or more transmitted light beams are spatially integrated. A second portion of the light modulator is formed outwardly from the substrate. The second portion of the light modulator spatially integrates the transmitted light beams.
US07914150B2
To reduce the color break-up and to provide high quality projection images. A method of driving a spatial light modulator, including generating a sub-frame pulse signal for a first colored light R1 through R8, B1 through B8, generating a sub-frame pulse signal for a second colored light G1 through G8, arranging the sub-frame pulse signals for the respective colored light so that at least three of the sub-frame pulse signals for the first colored light R1 through R8, B1 through B8 adjoin either one of the sub-frame pulse signals for the second colored light G1 through G8 during at least one frame of the image, and driving a plurality of movable mirror elements in accordance with the sub-frame pulse signals for the respective colored light arranged in arranging the sub-frame pulse signals, the movable mirror elements being alternatively moved at least to a first reflecting position and a second reflecting position.
US07914147B2
A method for optical detection of lipofuscin concentrations in the retina is described. A subject's eye is exposed to a light source. Light emitted from the subject's eye is detected. Levels of lipofuscin are determined from the emitted light. A system for optical detection of lipofuscin in the retina is described. The system includes a light source to generate light. The system includes an optical detector in optical communication with the light source. The optical detector is configured to detect light emitted from a subject's eye. A computing device in electronic communication with the optical detector is included in the system to determine levels of lipofuscin from the emitted light.
US07914136B2
The invention relates to a cartridge unit assembly for a printer. The assembly includes a main body having a rectangular frame. An ink storage module assembly has ink storage modules. The rectangular frame has a number of compartments therein for operatively locating the ink storage modules. An ink outlet molding is fast with the main body, the molding having ink outlets corresponding to each of the ink storage modules. A printhead assembly has an ink distribution assembly in fluid communication with the ink storage modules. A printhead integrated circuit (IC) is located on the ink distribution assembly to receive ink. An air sleeve is configured to direct pressurized air from an air source across the IC.
US07914134B2
An ink cartridge includes an ink chamber configured to store an ink, and a wall which includes a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The ink cartridge also includes an ink supply portion configured to supply the ink from an interior of the ink chamber to an exterior of the ink chamber, and the ink supply portion is positioned at the wall adjacent to the second end of the wall. Moreover, the ink cartridge includes a protrusion extending from the wall, and the protrusion is positioned between the ink supply portion and the second end of the wall. In embodiment, the protrusion has a plurality of grooves formed therein. In another embodiment, the protrusion has a plurality of openings formed therethrough or therein.
US07914124B2
A valve unit supplies ink supplied from a plurality of ink cartridges to a recording head. The recording head includes a plurality of nozzle rows respectively corresponding to the plurality of ink cartridges. The valve unit includes a plurality of liquid supply passages and at least one flow passage formation body. Each liquid supply passage supplies the ink supplied from the corresponding ink cartridge to the corresponding nozzle row. Each liquid supply passage includes a common portion functionally in common with another liquid supply passage. The common structure of the plurality of liquid supply passages is formed in the same flow passage formation body.
US07914117B2
The invention provides an inkjet printer that gives an excellent print quality by accelerating the traveling speed of an ink droplet ejected from a nozzle of the inkjet head. The inkjet printer includes the inkjet head having a surface forming a nozzle and adapted to eject droplets from the nozzle, an ultrasound radiator mounted on both sides of the surface and adapted to radiate ultrasound in the direction of the ink droplets that have been ejected and imparting a pressure, in flight, to the ink droplets that have been ejected, and a recording medium conveying unit for moving a recording medium relative to the inkjet head.
US07914115B2
A printhead for an inkjet printer comprises a wafer assembly defining a plurality of spaced apart groups of ink supply channels and a plurality of groups of ink ejection nozzle arrangements. Each ink ejection nozzle arrangement comprises a nozzle chamber structure mounted to the wafer assembly. Each ink ejection nozzle arrangement further comprises an anchor extending from the wafer assembly in a location external to the nozzle chamber; and an elongate thermal actuator mechanism extending from the anchor and into the nozzle chamber. The thermal actuator mechanism comprises an elongate arm which terminates in a free end within the nozzle chamber, and a pair of layers of conductive material located on either side of the elongate arm. One of the layers is connected to a current supply for causing a differential thermal expansion in the elongate thermal actuator mechanism. A pit is defined adjacent each nozzle chamber structure for catching ink. The ink ejection nozzle arrangements of each group are arranged in a pair of rows, with the elongate thermal actuator mechanism of ink ejection nozzle arrangements of a first row extending away from those of ink ejection nozzle arrangements of a second row.
US07914112B2
The invention relates to a printing apparatus that performs printing by scanning a carriage that has a print head in a main scan direction. The printing apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes: a carriage motor that drives the carriage; a control unit that controls the driving of the carriage motor; a memory unit that stores a plurality of patterns of velocity data regarding at least either one of scanning speeds of the carriage after start of the scanning and driving speeds of the carriage motor corresponding to the scanning speeds of the carriage; and a driving mode switchover unit that switches over the patterns of the velocity data, wherein the control unit controls the driving of the carriage motor in such a manner that the carriage is scanned on the basis of the velocity data selected by the driving mode switchover unit.
US07914106B2
A temperature detection circuit acquires first temperature data detected by a temperature sensor corresponding to a heater of a recording head in a state in which no electric current is flowed into the heater, and second temperature data for the heater in a state in which an electric current is flowed into the heater. Correction data for correcting the temperature data detected by the temperature sensor is obtained based on the first and second temperature data. The temperature data detected by the temperature sensor is corrected based on the correction data.
US07914101B2
The present invention provides an ink jet printing apparatus that can print appropriate images by efficiently stirring ink in an ink tank in accordance with its status to homogenize it. When the elapsed time from the end of reciprocation of the carriage is shorter than a specified time, a printing operation is performed after the end of the reciprocation. The number of times that the carriage is reciprocated so as to stir the ink after the printing operation is set in accordance with the number of scans of the carriage during the printing operation.
US07914099B2
A media handling system for delivering media sheets to be printed from a staging location to a drum along a media path, including: at least one drive roller positioned along the media path between the staging location and the drum; a sensor positioned along the media path between the at least one drive roller and the drum; and, an encoder that provides an output responsive to the sensor; wherein, when the at least one drive roller advances a media sheet from the staging location to engage the drum, the sensor detects a position of the advancing media sheet prior to engaging the drum, and the rate of further advancing of the media sheet to engage the drum by the at least one drive roller is dependent upon the encoder output.
US07914093B2
An automatic position restoring slide rail device includes: a slide rail device having a bottom rail and an inner rail slid with respect to the bottom rail; a control device having a control base, a spring connected between the control base and the slide cover, and a control plate with a concave guide slot, and the guide slot having a latch groove on one side and an aslant guide slot on another side, and the slide cover being covered at the control base, and having a first return slot and a second return slot; a swing element, including a first actuating block at the first return slot and a second actuating block at the second return slot, a link element, fixed at the inner rail. Therefore, the present invention can achieve a smoother and better automatic position restoration.
US07914090B2
This invention relates to an endless elastomeric traction band that is used to propel tracked vehicles. The traction band generally comprises a main body defining an outer ground-engaging surface and an inner wheel-engaging surface. The outer surface is generally provided with ground-engaging traction lugs. The inner surface of the traction band is preferably provided with one or more row of longitudinally aligned guide lugs and one or more rows of longitudinally aligned drive lugs. Additionally, guide lug reinforcements are inserted into said guide lugs and said band body to laterally reinforce the guide lugs and minimize de-tracking occurrences.
US07914088B2
An individual replacement drive or guide lug for missing or worn lugs located on an inner circumference of various endless rubber tracks used on multi-surface vehicles. The lug comprises a body and a fastening including a bolt and washer. To install the drive lug properly, an inner surface of the track where the original vulcanized rubber drive lug was located must be prepared. When the original drive lug fails, it leaves an irregular surface and must be ground flat with the inner track belt substrate. The bolts are then secured through the track and the lug so as to removably secure the lug to the inner surface of the track.
US07914083B2
A prop rod for a utility vehicle cargo box has a first end pivotally connected to a frame member of the cargo box, and a second end slidable along a slot in a frame member of the utility vehicle. The slot has a downwardly directed notch at a rear portion thereof. The prop rod is biased to a disengaged position in which the second end or the prop rod cannot enter the notch. The prop rod is sufficiently flexible so that an operator can overcome the bias and move the prop rod to an engaged position in which the second end can enter the notch to hold up the cargo box in a raised position.
US07914081B1
A seating system for wheelchairs and other applications. The seating system incorporates contours in the substantially flexible seat sling to improve the pressure distribution of the seated user.
US07914072B2
A moon roof frame module is sized to span between the laterally spaced roof side rails of an automotive roof frame structure and is welded to the opposing roof side rails to be integrated into the roof frame structure. As a result, the moon roof assembly serves as a load path member to reinforce the automotive roof structure. The integrated moon roof frame module will receive roll over forces and increase the strength of the roof structure of an automotive vehicle. The moon roof frame module includes a U-shaped roof panel that is welded to the opposing roof side rails and provides a reinforcing cross member located forwardly of the moon roof opening. A second cross member positioned rearwardly of the moon roof opening increases rigidity of the reinforcing moon roof frame module.
US07914064B2
The present invention is directed to a retractable roof system that provides slidable roof sections for vehicles and truck bed shells/caps, where the cargo area roof panels and rear window panel (hatch above tailgate) may be moved forward and above the seating area roof section, by means of a telescoping track system. Additionally, as applied to vehicles, the roof section above the seating areas may be moved rearward and above the cargo area roof section. The retractable roof system truck bed shell/cap assembly will come in segments that can be stored and shipped in a relatively small container. The shell/cap structure is composed of metal frame members and window panels. Right and left telescoping track assemblies are mounted on the metal frame members, with roof panels secured between them. Side and front window panels are attached to the exterior of the metal frame members to form the shell/cap walls. The rear window panel is attached to the rear roof panel by the means of a hinge and will pivot up onto the rear roof panel before the roof panels are moved forward and above the truck cab. An optional lumber/sport rack set may be mounted to the top of the left and right track assemblies.
US07914059B2
A reconfigurable vehicle console having a plurality of interchangeable overlapping blank and equipment mounting face plates, including both tongue-and-groove joints between adjacent face plates, as well as optional lap joints.
US07914054B2
A releasable latch has a latched condition latching two parts together of an unlatched condition releasing one part for movement relative to another part. A base (20) is fixed to one of the parts and a catch (22) is supported by the base (20) and movable relative to the base to latch and unlatch the parts. A spring (72) biases the catch (22) to a position latching the parts together. A method of making the latch (10) includes the steps of molding the base (20) of the latch (10) of a first plastic material, molding a handle (24) to the base (20) to form an assembled unit of a second plastic material, molding the catch (22) to the molded base (20) and handle (24) to form a molded assembly in a mold of the handle (24), base (20) and catch (22), of a third plastic material.
US07914052B1
A showerhead or other water-dispensing assembly (100) is joined to a supply pipe (105) by a nut (110) and a collar (135). The supply pipe terminates in male threads (130). The nut includes a distal splined projecting section (120). The dispensing assembly includes a port (145) having a splined section (155), and an inner wall (160). The collar is slid onto the pipe, the nut is screwed onto the pipe, and the showerhead is held in its desired orientation while being urged toward the nut. As the distal splined projecting section enters the inner wall, the two splined sections engaged, preventing rotation of the showerhead on the pipe. The collar is then screwed onto the showerhead until it rests against the outer shoulder of the nut, thereby completing the non-rotatable installation.
US07914051B2
A connection device for fluid lines has an annular or sleeve-shaped insert provided for assembly by plugging in a circularly cylindrical socket in a support component. The insert comprises an annular or sleeve-shaped cage element (18) in the form of a metal bent stamping with an annular support section (27) having several claw elements (33) and several support legs (34) extending from the support section in the same axial direction. The claw elements (33) serve for securing an inserted fluid line and the support legs (34) serve for supporting a preceding seal.
US07914042B2
A vehicle restraint restrains a vehicle at a loading dock by engaging a rail that is part of the vehicle's support frame, wherein the rail is normally used for adjusting the position of the vehicle's rear wheels. In a preferred embodiment, the restraint includes an adjustable-length arm attachable between the vehicle and the loading dock. The arm includes a retractable or removable pin that engages one of a series of holes in the rail or releasably engages some feature of the loading dock. In some examples, the restraint clamps onto the rail, particularly if the rail has no available open holes for a pin to be inserted. In some cases, the restraint also provides the vehicle with vertical support.
US07914040B1
A gas generating system incorporating a gas flow control mechanism including opposed wall portions defining a cavity for slidably receiving a support member therein. A gas exit passage is exterior of the cavity and in fluid communication with the cavity. An opening in one wall portion enables fluid flow into the cavity. An opening in another wall portion enables a fluid flow from the cavity into the gas exit passage. A seal prevents fluid flow into the cavity when the seal is supported against a force exerted by the fluid. A support member slidably received within the cavity supports the seal against the fluid force. A mechanism is provided for moving the support member from a first position supporting the seal to a second position wherein the seal is unsupported by the support member, enabling failure of the seal and flow of the fluid.
US07914037B2
A gas bag cover for a vehicle occupant restraint system has a plastic cap (12) with a front face (14) and a rear face (16) facing a gas bag (17), and a decorative element (18) provided on the front face (14). The decorative element (18) is welded to the plastic cap (12). Furthermore, a method of manufacturing such a gas bag cover (10) is described.
US07914029B2
Traction planets and traction rings can be operationally coupled to a planetary gearset to provide a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The CVT can be used in a bicycle. In one embodiment, the CVT is mounted on the frame of the bicycle at a location forward of the rear wheel hub of the bicycle. In one embodiment, the CVT is mounted on and supported by members of the bicycle frame such that the CVT is coaxial with the crankshaft of the bicycle. The crankshaft is configured to drive elements of the planetary gearset, which are configured to operationally drive the traction rings and the traction planets. Inventive component and subassemblies for such a CVT are disclosed. A shifting mechanism includes a plurality of pivot arms arranged to pivot about the centers of the traction planets as a shift pin hub moves axially.
US07914025B2
A modular suspension system for automobiles and trucks. The present invention relates to a suspension system which is both modular in design and specifically manufactured for high performance wheeled vehicles. This system has multiple modular parts which enable the system to function in various makes and models of vehicles. The modular aspects of this system also enable the cradle to be removable so that the engine and transmission of the vehicle can be easily reached. The modular aspects also allow this system to be set-up with a traditional shock configuration or with a rocker set-up shock system.
US07914024B2
Wheel suspension for a vehicle (7), with a carrier element (5), with a wheel carrier (1), which is arranged at a spaced location from the carrier element (5) and which is pivotable about a steering axis (30), with a wheel (14) mounted rotatably on the wheel carrier (1), with a steering wheel (58), which is mounted rotatably on the carrier element (5) at least indirectly and by means of which the wheel carrier (1) is pivotable about the steering axis (30), with at least one joint (8), which is connected to the wheel carrier (1) and which has a housing (26), a pivot pin (25) mounted pivotably in same and an angle-measuring device with a magnet (27) and with a magnetic field-sensitive sensor assembly unit (28), and with at least one guide means (2), via which the joint (8) is connected to the carrier element (5). A deflection (ω) of the pivot pin (25) relative to the housing (26) can be determined by means of the angle-measuring device in at least two different directions in space, and the magnetization (M) of the magnet (27) is oriented such that it extends at right angles to the steering axis (30).
US07914017B2
One embodiment of the invention relates to an electronic module associated with a hand truck structure comprising a powered lifting/lowering tray wherein the electronic module comprises a scale electrically associated with a control unit. The control unit is configured for causing a tray rise and lower as desired. The scale is mechanically associated with the tray for measuring the weight of an item placed on the scale. Such an electronic module provides for features including: automatic safety shutoff at maximum upper and lower positions, automatic weighting of a package, automatic warning when weight of package exceeds a predefined maximum weight value, power supply monitoring and warnings, time stamped data, location stamped data, transport directions, automatic customer information lookup, wireless link to remote computing device, wired or wireless link between the scale and the controller, locking feature, power management and power generation features, imaging features, audio features, and self diagnostic features.
US07914014B1
A scooter footbelt includes a footbelt strap, a right foot receptacle and a left foot receptacle carried by the footbelt strap and a strap fastener carried by the footbelt strap.
US07914008B2
A metal gasket includes at least three metal plates including first, second and third metal plates laminated in this order from a top to form the metal gasket. Identification marks are provided on at least second and third metal plates in a position not to overlap with one another, and penetration windows are formed in at least the first and second metal plates. The penetration windows are arranged to see the identification mark therethrough located lower than the metal plate where the penetration window is formed.
US07914007B2
A segment of a seal assembly for sealing a higher pressure area against a rotating member is disclosed. The segment may include a radial external surface, a radial internal surface for sealing against a rotating member, a feed cavity, a ramp portion in communication with the feed cavity, a segment trough in communication with the ramp portion, one or more hydrodynamically-configured pads including an entrance; and a sealing dam disposed between the lift pad and the radial internal surface. The ramp portion may be configured to pick up air flow with an increase in velocity from the rotating member, and the trough or a flow-control portion may be configured to prevent fluid from flowing around or circumventing the pad entrance to, at least in part, provide a dynamic feed.
US07913993B2
A sheet feeding device may include a sucking and conveying mechanism having a suction surface, which sucks sheets stacked on a sheet stacking table, from an upper surface of the sheets, sucks an uppermost sheet to be sucked on the suction surface, and conveys the uppermost sheet onto a sheet conveyance path; a floating air blowing mechanism which blows floating air against the sheets from a side surface of the stacked sheets; a sheet position detecting sensor which detects an upper surface height position of the sheets stacked, and detects a floating state of the sheets floated; and a controller which judges the floating state of the sheets detected in a floating state detecting period in connection with a blowing of the floating air, and controls an air volume of floating air blown from the floating air blowing mechanism based on the floating state of the sheets.
US07913990B2
There is described an image forming system, which comprises an image forming apparatus to produce a printing material as one group of recording mediums or plural printing materials as plural groups of recording mediums from a single document set, and a finisher to apply a finish processing to said recording mediums, wherein the image forming system includes a controlling section to control so that, if a mixture mode is set, a non-finished recording medium and a finished recording medium within the single group are stacked at a same recording-medium stacking position on a stacking tray.
US07913980B1
A portable game hoist (10) designed for raising and lowering game feeders and fallen game animals in the field. The invention consist of a compact and collapsible triangular support frame which contains a plurality of pulleys in a block and tackle arrangement. The block and tackle can be actuated by a hoist rope (92) to raise and lower game feeders/game animals providing a 6:1 lift to pull ratio. One pulley in the block and tackle arrangement is limited to rotation in a single direction and is positioned to automatically lock as objects are being hoisted. Locking pulley (50) can be unlocked by activating the locking pulley release (49) via the locking pulley release line (51) to allow pulley rotation in either direction. Therefore, unlocking the locking pulley (50) allows all six pulleys to rotate in either direction permitting the lowering of hoisted objects. The triangular support frame includes means for attachment to a tree or pole including a method for hanging temporarily to aid with final attachment.
US07913972B2
A valve assembly including a valve actuator and valve is provided. The valve actuator includes a mechanical hold arrangement configured to allow manually setting the position of the valve actuator and its drive gear and to oppose any loading provided by a return spring biasing the valve actuator and drive gear out of the set position. The valve actuator includes a spring lever and a recess in which the spring lever is secured to lock the position of the valve actuator and drive gear when the electric motor of the valve actuator is de-energized. The valve actuator can be reconfigured to provide mechanical holding for manually setting the orientation of the drive gear when a return spring load is provided in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction.
US07913965B2
A clamp assembly is disclosed for a tonneau cover for a vehicle wherein the clamp assembly includes a plurality of spacers disposed therein to facilitate installation thereof on a variety of vehicle types and styles.
US07913955B2
A control surface drive system having a plurality of actuator assemblies are coupled to first and second supply lines and to a return line. The first and second supply lines are connected to a source of hydraulic fluid. At least one of the actuator assemblies has a hydraulic actuator movably connectable to an aircraft control surface. A flow control assembly is connected to the return line and to at least one of the first and second supply lines. A bypass line is in fluid communication with the first and second supply lines and positioned to recycle the hydraulic fluid from one of the first and second supply lines back into the other one of the first and second supply lines when the hydraulic actuator moves toward the first position. A computer controller operatively interconnects the plurality of actuator assemblies and the flow control assembly. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims (37 C.F.R. §1.72(b)).
US07913953B2
Fuel less ACS for solar sails, using furl- and unfurl able ballast-sail-foil-segments for simultaneously displacement of center of mass and center of solar radiation pressure into opposite directions to each other.Solar-Sail-Launch-System for direct launch of the System-Sail including already docked in daughter units and payload in the sailcraft's central docking station.Unlike todays launch able solar sail designs the System-Sail features ample solar cell arrays and additional SEP-thruster-units for steering and propulsion, while the solar sail rather serves for longtime fuel less attitude controls and station keeping.The SEP-Sailcraft may also serve as a carrier-ship for daughter-units in asteroid exploration missions and is able to deliver prospector landers back to LEO with furled in foils.
US07913947B2
A tiltrotor aircraft having a wing and a rotatable pylon carried by the wing is disclosed. The pylon is secured to a pylon support spindle that extends into the wing. A link connects a radial portion of the pylon support spindle to a radial portion of an actuator spindle, such that the pylon support spindle is rotated as the actuator spindle is rotated.
US07913943B1
A tape drive, which is configured to receive a tape cartridge having a cartridge leader attached to magnetic tape, includes a take-up reel and a drive leader that is attachable to the cartridge leader. The drive leader has an attachment location attached to the take-up reel and a tapered portion proximate the attachment location.
US07913939B2
The invention provides low-cost, non-thermal methods to transform and beneficiate bulk materials, including low rank coals such as peat, lignite, brown coal, subbituminous coal, other carbonaceous solids or derived feedstock. High pressure compaction and comminution processes are linked to transform the solid materials by eliminating interstitial, capillary, pores, or other voids that are present in the materials and that may contain liquid, air or gases that are detrimental to the quality and performance of the bulk materials, thereby beneficiating the bulk products to provide premium feedstock for industrial or commercial uses, such as electric power generation, gasification, liquefaction, and carbon activation. The handling characteristics, dust mitigation aspects and combustion emissions of the products may also be improved.
US07913936B2
A silencer in a flow duct (10) comprises at least one plate-shaped element (12) which extends essentially parallel to the throughflow direction (16) of the flow duct. Integrated in the plate-shaped element (12), preferably in the downstream region, are means (13, 14) for feeding and for spraying a liquid (15) into the throughflow of the flow duct. The spraying means are preferably arranged in such a way that the liquid (15) is sprayed at an angle of at least 30° to the throughflow (16). The silencer according to the invention is used, for example, in the intake duct of a gas turboset.
US07913931B2
A vehicle is disclosed which includes a chassis and a combination body for selectively dumping and spreading materials. A hoist is provided which extends between the body and the chassis for pivoting the body. A conveyor assembly for selectively conveying materials from the body is also included. A tailgate is pivotally connected to the body and has an opening therein to permit material to be transported therethrough. A rear feed gate assembly for selectively covering the opening of the tailgate is provided. The vehicle includes a rear diverter chute that is operably arranged with the conveyor assembly to direct the materials to a rear spreader. A front feed gate assembly for selectively covering an opening of a front end of the body is provided. First and second side chutes are operably arranged with the conveyor assembly to direct materials to a side spreader and a surface, respectively.
US07913928B2
Adaptive structures, systems incorporating such adaptive structures and related methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, an adaptive structure is provided that includes a first structure and at least one microstructure associated with the first structure. The at least one microstructure may include a microscale beam configured to be displaced relative to the first structure upon the adaptive structure being exposed to a specified temperature. The beam may be formed for example, of a metallic material, of multiple different metallic materials, or of a shape memory alloy. In one embodiment, a plurality of the adaptive structures may be associated with micropores of a skin panel. The adaptive structures may be utilized to control the flow rate of a coolant or other fluid through the micropores responsive to a sensed environmental parameter such as, for example, temperature.
US07913921B2
The tracking of a motion of an optically readable tag is disclosed. In one embodiment, an optically readable tag comprises a plurality of data features, one or more orientation features, and an optically readable tracking feature. The tracking feature comprises a continuous region with a minimum dimension greater than a maximum dimension of each data feature. Additionally, the data features and the orientation features are separated from the tracking feature by a border having a minimum width greater than a maximum dimension of each data feature. With this configuration, the tracking feature may be tracked even when a tag is moving too quickly for the data features to be read and tracked.
US07913917B2
In order to improve an RFID tag, the same is provided with a textile layer that is subdivided into two sections along a folding line. The first section is embodied as a design tag while the second section is folded over the first section, is configured as a transponder tag, and comprises an incorporated or applied antenna that is connected to a chip.
US07913913B2
A data receiving and illuminatable marking instrument and spaced emission source is disclosed. The marking instrument may be a full duplex marking apparatus that communicates with spaced emitters transmitting infrared electromagnetic energy encoded with unique data packets. The marking instrument illuminates a portion of the marking implement in response to the data received from the data transmitting device. A method for using the above invention likewise is disclosed.
US07913900B2
An apparatus and method for delivering targeted informational messages includes a computer system for creating a de-identified encrypted PID and de-identified patient transaction data in a retail store for transmission and storage. A subset of de-identified encrypted PIDs are associated with targeted informational messages by the system and transmitted to retail stores, where a targeted message is printed on behalf of the patient corresponding to the de-identified encrypted PID.
US07913896B2
A board blank for producing a packaging corner has at least three parallel strips which are arranged next to one another and are connected to one another. A central strip of the three strips is connected to a first outer strip of the three strips by grooved portions along a first line. Cuts are made between the central strip and the first outer strip between the grooved portions. A profile of the cuts deviates from the first line in a manner extending into the central strip. The central strip and a second outer strip of the three strips are connected by a score in the board along a second line.
US07913891B2
A disposable loading unit for operable attachment to a surgical stapling apparatus. The disposable loading unit may have a spent cartridge indication system for providing an indication of whether the loading unit has been previously fired. Other embodiments are disclosed that employ a blade monitoring system for providing feedback to the user concerning the amount of strain being experienced by the blade during cutting and stapling.
US07913887B1
An improved desktop tape and spooled material dispenser comprises a tilting-carriage and pinching assembly, which effectively presents the cut end of the tape, making it easy to grab, draw and cut a desired length of tape. In operation, as the exposed tape end is grabbed and drawn by the user, the carriage tilts forward, concurrently releasing pincers formerly retaining the tape. As the tape is drawn further forward and downward and placed against a novel V-shaped cutting blade, the pincers automatically close on the tape for effective shearing against the V-shaped cutting blade. The shearing of the tape releases the carriage to tip rearward, automatically closing the pincers, and effectively exposing and securing the end of the tape, thus presented for subsequent use. This invention is also intended for non-adhesive back rolled materials such as ribbon and string.
US07913883B1
Hygienic disposable dentifrice applicator and oral periodontal cross contamination prevention system
A nozzle having a valve that uses the movement and viscosity of a dispensing substance to move to closure and having no means for retracting the valve results in a single-use nozzle comprising an attachable collar with a curvilinearly extending spout for easy application of dental compounds to one's teeth either directly or by means of applying to a brush from a general container such as a toothpaste tube.
US07913882B2
A pressure control device (8) for medium-containing containers (2) such as liquid or gas containers, which pressure control device comprises a pressure control chamber (25) with at least one movable wall part (22) for operating a mechanism for opening and/or closing a gas supply opening (27) of a gas holder, while a scavenger (31) is accommodated in the pressure control chamber. Preferably, the pressure control device is stored at atmospheric conditions before the beverage and the pressure control device are brought into contact.
US07913881B2
A piston assembly for use in a viscous material dispenser is disclosed. The assembly has a main body with an axial bore for receipt of a push rod. The body has a face including an annular recess and an endless lip surrounding the recess. A camming washer is disposed at least in part in the recess. The washer includes a perimeteral camming surface engageable with the lip. The body and washer are connected together for limited relative axial movement when the piston assembly is advanced against material in a cartridge to dispense such material. The relative movement is effective to cause the camming surface to force the lip outwardly into tight engagement with a wall of such a cartridge.
US07913878B1
A terminal orifice processor is disclosed for processing a first and a second liquid emanating from a discharging aperture. The terminal orifice processor comprises a housing having a housing input and a housing output. A connector locates the housing input of the housing below the discharging aperture. A processing channel is interposed between the housing input and the housing output for altering the direction of the first and a second liquid emanating from a discharging aperture for processing the first and second liquids prior to exiting from the housing output. The terminal orifice processor is suitable for mixing and aerating a concentrate and a diluent from a beverage-dispensing machine.
US07913876B2
Cartridge for a multicomponent mass, has a housing (12) formed as a hollow profile and in which a multi-chamber pouch (13) having a plurality of chambers (14, 15) separated from each other in a longitudinal direction, is arranged and a large-surface connection region for releasably connecting the multi-chamber pouch (13) and the housing (12) and extending along a longitudinal extend of the multi-chamber pouch (13) and at least along a portion of the circumference of the multi-chamber pouch (13).
US07913875B2
A dispensing apparatus for dispensing flexible folders, the dispensing apparatus comprising a body for housing a roll of a plurality of folders, the body comprising a holding member extending into an interior space defined by the body and arranged for holding the plurality of folders in a roll arrangement.
US07913874B2
A plastic container for a particulate product has a footprint and includes a base and at least two and preferably four sides upstanding therefrom which generally define a container main interior volume. A top connects to the sides and includes a large opening which is closed by a lid. One side includes a pass-through handle located therein having a generally vertical segment which may define a hollow cavity in communication with the main interior volume. The opening of the top is sufficiently large to extend over a portion of the hollow cavity; or is sufficiently wide to receive about a 5″ diameter cylinder therethrough, and has a ratio of a minimum span to a bottom diagonal of at least about 2:3. A shoulder between the top and sides has an angle of less than about 40°. The handle is configured and sized for easy grasping and holding.
US07913873B2
The sidewall portion of a cup or other container for a heated beverage or other hot liquid comprises a relatively rigid outer wall and a relatively flexible inner liner. The wall and liner are attached together at respective upper and lower circumferential bands and at least an intermediate portion of the liner between the upper and lower circumferential bands is separable from the outer wall, to thereby form a sealed void between the outer wall and the inner liner which extends circumferentially along the entire comfort band and which defines a comfort band encircling at least a middle region of the cup. In one embodiment, a liner preform is placed on a tapered mandrel provided with selectively heated circumferential bands for sealing the upper and lower circumferential bands of the liner to an inner surface of the outer wall.
US07913870B2
An improvement to a container of the type that includes a vacuum formed transparent base and lid, the container having opposite sides that each forms a base flap (20) and a lid flap (22) that lie adjacent and parallel to each other, wherein the container indicates if it has been opened after a store clerk has loaded food into the container. An indicator sheet (34) lies between the base and lid and has cut-out characters (60) lying in holes (62) of a carrier (64), the carrier being bonded to the base flap and the characters being bonded to the lid flap. The container is opened by a person pulling up the lid flap, with the characters lifting out of their holes as they move up with the lid flap, and with the carrier that forms the character holes remaining on the base flap. When the lid is closed by pressing down the lid flap against the base flap, there will be some misalignment of the characters with the holes that they previously lay in, creating gaps that are readily noticeable. The gaps can spell much of a word such as “opened”.
US07913869B2
A cap device for use with a container or bottle includes a spout portion having a trough defining an access hole. The cap device includes a drinking implement coupled to the trough and pivotal between retracted and extended configurations, the drinking implement covering the access hole at the retracted configuration and being in communication therewith at the extended configuration. An upper surface of the cap device defines a cavity adjacent to and in communication with the trough that is configured to receive a person's finger to selectively urge the drinking implement between retracted and extended configurations. The cap device may include a pour portion adjacent the spout portion although the spout portion accounts for a relatively larger area than the pour portion.
US07913868B2
A flapper cap container closure including a cover-lid having a first flap hinged to the cap and to second and third flaps overlying the apertures of its web, whereby depressing the first flap automatically positions the second and third flaps to depress and seal off the apertures of the closure.
US07913866B2
The invention relates to a cream pot (10) for receiving a cream or the like, said pot consisting of an outer pot (11), an inner pot (14), and a connection device for connecting a lid element thereto. The inner pot consists of plastic, is inserted into a receiving element of the outer pot, and comprises a metal wall lining a receiving region (37).
US07913863B2
A shelving unit includes a support frame and at least one support board detachably mounted on the support frame. The support frame includes a back board which has at least one support rail which is provided with at least one locking slot. The shelving unit further comprises at least one locking knob mounted on the support board and detachably locked in the locking slot of the back board. The support board can be mounted on and detached from the support frame. Thus, the user only needs to rotate the locking knob to lock the support board onto the back board or to unlock the support board from the back board, so that the support board is mounted on and detached from the back board easily and quickly without using tools and saving a considerable amount of time for a user.
US07913860B2
A gravity-fed storage and dispensing unit featuring two sidewalls having opposed ledges which form a plurality of separated rearwardly-directed paths, a receiving bin area, and a forwardly-directed path for products to be stored and dispensed. Products placed on a loading area on the front side of the dispensing unit are pulled by gravity down the rearwardly-directed path, into a product receiving bin, and then travel together along the forwardly directed path in two rows. The products from the different rearwardly-directed paths are interspersed in the product receiving bin area. The sidewalls of the dispensing unit have bosses which receive divider rods of varying lengths so that the width of the paths can be adjusted. Multiple units may be attached to each other in an adjacent relationship.
US07913858B2
Acid-neutralizing filter media includes filter media fibers in combination with a strong base of small particle size and high surface area attached to and immobilized on the filter media fibers, and methodology therefore.
US07913834B2
An apparatus (1) and a related method for automatic transfer of socks (4) from a linking machine (2) to a sock-modelling piece for boarding operation (36) according to a predetermined orientation, the apparatus comprising reversing means (20) comprising feeding means (21) for picking up the sock (4) from a sewing station (22) of the linking machine and loading means (31) for automatically loading the sock (4) onto the sock-modelling piece, the reversing means (20) comprising a supporting element (23) and at least one pair of lower rollers (24) disposed around said supporting element (23).
US07913826B2
A viscous fan drive with a front-mounted fan and electrical actuation without a tethered harness. The mechanical package includes an inverted viscous clutch, a drive pulley, a split electromagnetic actuator with the electrical portion mounted to a stationary mounting member, and anti-drainback check valve.
US07913791B2
An energy storage system for a hybrid vehicle, with an internal combustion engine having an output shaft, includes a reservoir containing working fluid, a reversible pump/motor in fluid communication with the reservoir, and an accumulator containing working fluid and gas. The accumulator is in selective fluid communication with the reversible pump/motor to deliver pressurized working fluid to the reversible pump/motor when operating as a motor, and to receive pressurized working fluid discharged by the reversible pump/motor when operating as a pump. The energy storage system also includes an electric motor having a rotor selectively coupled to the output shaft to transfer torque to the output shaft. The reversible pump/motor is coupled to the rotor to transfer torque to the rotor when operating as a motor, and to receive torque from the rotor when operating as a pump.
US07913788B1
An integrated aerodynamic energy storage and rear suspension assembly includes a rear fuel tank/suspension module, a battery support assembly and a structural joining plate. The rear fuel tank/suspension module includes a rear sandwich panel, a fuel tank assembly mounted on the rear sandwich panel, with the rear fuel tank/suspension module sliding into a rear body cavity. The battery support assembly includes a propulsion battery mounted on a front sandwich plate, with the front sandwich plate having an upper face sheet adjacent to the propulsion battery, a lower face sheet spaced from the upper face sheet and a core connecting the upper face sheet to the lower face sheet, and with the lower face sheet having a smooth lower surface.
US07913783B2
The instant invention is a power-generating device, comprising a shaft assembly having an elongated shaft that is mounted onto a vehicle. The elongated shaft comprises shock-absorbing means. A wheel assembly is mounted onto the shaft assembly. The wheel assembly comprises at least one wheel and an electrical generator. The wheel rotates upon a surface on which the vehicle is traveling upon to generate power at the electrical generator or alternator for an engine of the vehicle. The electrical generator generates the power to a source of rechargeable battery power of the engine.
US07913782B1
A vehicle and a pull behind unit are disclosed. The pull behind unit may be attached to a hitch of the vehicle. The pull behind unit may include powered ground engaging members which may be powered by an engine of the vehicle or an engine of the pull behind unit.
US07913779B2
Rotary drill bits for drilling subterranean formations include a bit body and at least one cutting structure disposed on a face thereof. The bit body includes a crown region comprising a particle-matrix composite material that includes a plurality of boron carbide particles dispersed throughout an aluminum or aluminum-based alloy matrix material. In some embodiments, the matrix material may include a continuous solid solution phase and a discontinuous precipitate phase. Methods of manufacturing rotary drill bits for drilling subterranean formations include infiltrating a plurality of boron carbide particles with a molten aluminum or aluminum-based material. In additional methods, a green powder component is provided that includes a plurality of particles each comprising boron carbide and a plurality of particles each comprising aluminum or an aluminum-based alloy material. The green powder component is at least partially sintered to provide a bit body, and a shank is attached to the bit body.
US07913771B2
A cordless vibratory pile driver (“vibro”) may use one or more batteries to provide the requisite power. The cordless vibro may sit in a stand that also recharges the unit while it is in the stand when the device is not in use. The replaceable batteries are mounted as part of the suppressor housing on top of the housing that contains the eccentrics. The batteries are balanced on both sides to distribute the weight evenly. A small battery powered electric hydraulic pump sits in the suppressor housing to provide oil to open and close the jaws. A digital hand held remote control sends the necessary signals to the machine to open and close the jaw and to start and stop the vibration.
US07913759B2
The present invention provides a method for recovering oil from a subterranean reservoir using waterflooding, wherein the flooding fluid used in the waterflooding process comprises water and one or more ionic polyvinyl alcohol copolymers. The use of one or more ionic polyvinyl alcohol copolymers is expected to increase the recovery of oil by improving both the oil/water mobility ratio and the sweep efficiency in reservoirs with a high degree of heterogeneity.
US07913756B2
A demagnetizing sub having an electromagnet or a rotating magnet is used for demagnetizing magnetized material in a wellbore. By gradually reducing the magnetic field, the magnetized material within the wellbore is demagnetized.
US07913755B2
A screen assembly including a tubular having a plurality of openings therein, a screen disposed about the tubular, and a plurality of devices disposed within the plurality of openings, the devices each including a beaded matrix and a housing. A method for completing a wellbore with a sand screen.
US07913743B2
A method of forming a pattern includes providing an actual core having dimensions which are different from dimensions of an ideal core. A best fit spatial relationship of the actual core to a spatial envelope for an ideal core is determined. Locating surfaces in a die are moved to positions, at least some of which are offset from ideal core locating positions, in which the actual core is positioned in a best fit spatial relationship with the spatial envelope for the ideal core. A plurality of motors may be utilized to move the core locating surfaces to desired locating positions. The actual core is positioned in engagement with the core locating surfaces and a flow of wax is conducted into the die. If desired, a best fit spatial relationship of the actual core to a die cavity may be determined, rather than a best fit with an ideal core.
US07913738B2
A tilter system for a window blind permits the slats of the blind to be tilted open or closed in a number of different configurations, including a double pitch configuration, depending on the routing of tilt cables or actuator cords.
US07913737B2
The present invention provides a bonding apparatus and bonding method which can prevent warping of substrates by ensuring a sufficient standing time following bonding of the substrates, using a simple and compact apparatus. Substrate carrying parts 1a are formed along the circumference of a rotating turntable 1. The respective substrate carrying parts 1a are formed so that these parts pass through substrate placement positions 11 and 12, a bonding position 13, pre-curing standing positions 14a through 14d, a curing position 15, a post-curing standing position 16 and a conveying position 17 as the turntable 1 rotates. After being bonded in the bonding position 13, the substrates move through the pre-curing standing positions 14a through 14d as a result of the rotation of the turntable 1, and are allowed to stand for a fixed period of time, so that warping is corrected.
US07913730B2
The present invention is a new and novel modular raised wall paneling system and method of manufacture that is economical, labor non-intensive, and can be easily constructed for a variety of room configurations and dimensions. The modular raised wall paneling system of the present invention comprises a plurality of individual panel sections having a joint there between, wherein a panel section includes a recess portion forming the appearance of a raised panel thereon. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the panel sections include along opposed longitudinal edges a tongue and a groove such that the panel sections can be disposed in parallel side-by-side mating relationship such that the tongue of one panel section is received in the groove of an adjacent panel section.
US07913727B2
A stump cutting tool for use with a stump cutting apparatus including a rotatable cutting wheel having a pair of side surfaces. A mounting block or pocket forms part of the structure that secures the cutting tool to the cutting wheel. The cutting tool includes a cutting tooth and a tooth holder. The tooth holder includes an elongated shank and a head located adjacent one end of the shank. A bore extends through the head of the tooth holder. The cutting tooth includes an elongated shank with a head portion located adjacent one end thereof. A cutting bit is attached to the head portion. The shank of the cutting tooth disposed and secured within the bore.
US07913721B2
The present invention is a recyclable oil drain pan intended to encourage proper disposal of used motor oil. The recyclable oil drain pan generally consists of a stiff outer container and a flexible inner container. The stiff outer container has a recessed upper surface that can be sloped towards an opening that passes through the upper surface. The opening of the outer container connects to the opening of a flexible inner container that receives the used oil. The opening can be sealed via a cap or plug to effectively contain the used motor oil. Preferably the entire apparatus would be recyclable.
US07913718B1
A noise reduction system for use with a DWV system to reduce the noise emitted from the DWV system when waste water flows through the DWV system. The noise reduction system includes a sleeve and a spacer. The noise reduction system is mounted on the pipes and fittings of the DWV system.
US07913701B2
A mascara brush comprises a core formed from a helical twist and a plurality of bristles fixed to the core over a portion extending over an axial length L of the helical twist and comprising a succession of n turns. The plurality of bristles comprises a first plurality of bristles termed radial bristles. The core has an upper portion for fixing to a wand of a mascara applicator. The brush is characterized in that the plurality of bristles further comprises at least one second plurality of bristles termed axial bristles since they extend parallel to the axial direction. The presence of axial bristles in the brush can broaden mascara formulation possibilities.
US07913699B2
Some embodiments of a tobacco article may include tobacco disposed in a porous matrix. The tobacco article may provide tobacco, tobacco constituents, or both tobacco and tobacco constituents to the consumer's mouth in the form of particles, liquid, or vapor so as to provide tobacco satisfaction to the consumer. In some circumstances, the tobacco may be integrally molded with a plastic material so that at least a portion of the tobacco is disposed in pores of the matrix.
US07913693B2
There is provided a medical tube lumen plug, including: a plug, including: a body configured to be mechanically coupled to a lumen of a medical tube; and a protrusion configured to extend external to the medical tube, wherein the protrusion is configured to prevent occlusion of an aperture, wherein the aperture is configured to provide a pathway between the lumen and a region external to the medical tube.
US07913692B2
A continuous positive air pressure (“CPAP”) or ventilator system includes a mask (60) and an air flow generator (20). The air flow generator is mounted or provided to the mask's wearer. In one embodiment, air flow generator is mounted on the mask.
US07913688B2
A device for delivering a drug by inhalation is disclosed. The device includes a body defining an interior flow-through chamber having upstream and downstream chamber openings, and a drug supply unit contained within the chamber for producing, upon actuation, a heated drug vapor in a condensation region of the chamber. Gas drawn through the chamber region at a selected gas-flow rate is effective to form drug condensation particles from the drug vapor having a selected MMAD between 0.02 and 0.1 MMAD or between 1 and 3.5 μm. A gas-flow control valve disposed upstream of the unit functions to limit gas-flow rate through the condensation region to the selected gas-flow rate. An actuation switch in the device activates the drug-supply unit, such that the drug-supply unit can be controlled to produce vapor when the gas-flow rate through the chamber is at the selected flow rate.
US07913680B2
The invention provides a portable bow press and a limb connector therefor, for use with a bow comprising a pair of resilient limbs that extend outwardly from a handle. The bow press is used to force the outer ends of the limbs together, thereby releasing tension on the bow string and/or cable. The user is then able to remove, replace or repair the bow string or cable while the bow press holds the bow in position. The bow press may comprise two limb connectors which hold the bow press in place. Each limb connector may comprise an outer peg and an inner peg, which are used to couple the limb connector to a bow limb.
US07913675B2
A spark ignited gaseous fuel engine including an exhaust gas recirculation system and method for operating a gaseous fuel engine are provided. The exhaust gas recirculation system has an adjustable flow and is operable to supply exhaust gas to at least one engine cylinder. The engine further includes means for determining a value indicative of a charge density of a combustion mixture that includes gaseous fuel, air and exhaust gas supplied to the at least one cylinder, and adjusting a flow quantity through the exhaust gas recirculation system based at least in part on the value. The charge density may permit the controller to set a NOx output rate from the engine via a pre-determined correlation between charge density and NOx output.
US07913668B2
A method for a boosted engine including first and second injectors includes adjusting boost during a disabled condition of a first injector to compensate for lack of fuel injected from said first injector, said first injector supplying a fuel to a cylinder of said engine; and adjusting boost during a disabled condition of a second injector to compensate for lack of fuel injected from said second injector, said second injector supplying said fuel to said cylinder of said engine.
US07913660B2
A cylinder head includes: a bottom wall; an outer circumferential wall defining inside thereof a disposition space where valves which open and close combustion chambers, rocker arms, a camshaft which actuates the rocker arms, and a rocker arm shaft which supports the rocker arms are disposed; a longitudinal; a lateral wall, integrally formed with the longitudinal wall and the outer circumferential wall; a camshaft support, formed on the lateral wall; a rocker arm shaft support, formed on the lateral wall in such a manner that a height of the rocker arm shaft is shifted from a height of the camshaft; and a head bolt boss, formed on the bottom wall to overlap the lateral wall in a height direction. The lateral wall includes a passage through which a head bolt is passed into the head bolt boss and which overlaps the head bolt boss in the height direction.
US07913658B2
A valve actuating mechanism for an internal combustion engine includes a first rocker arm moving mechanism, a second rocker arm moving mechanism, and a trigger arm. The first rocker arm moving mechanism moves left and right rocker arms from a first operation position side to a second operation position side. The second rocker arm moving mechanism moves the left and right rocker arms from the second operation position side to the first operation position side, and the trigger arm selectively restricts the movement of the left and right rocker arms. During engine operation, left and right rocker-side key portions of the left and right rocker arms, respectively, and left and right trigger-side key portions of the trigger arm selectively maintain or remove a restriction on the movement of the left and right rocker arms, in response to a rocking state of the left and right rocker arms.
US07913656B2
Systems and methods for selectively activating and deactivating gas exchange valves in a variable displacement internal combustion engine include a rocker arm having a positioning device that opposes movement of a lash adjustment device while deactivated to position a coupling hole of the rocker arm within a desired coupling range to facilitate coupling of the rocker arm during subsequent activation of an associated engine cylinder.
US07913653B2
An irrigation system has a water distribution system, a controller, and a pet monitoring system. The controller may modify an irrigation setting of the water distribution system based on a pet elimination signal from the pet monitoring system. The pet elimination signal may correspond to an event such as a pet urination event.
US07913643B2
A film forming apparatus is provided which includes a device A that generates liquid fine particles having controlled particle diameters; a device B including a via for guiding the generated liquid fine particles while controlling a temperature thereof; a device C that sprays the guided liquid fine particles; and a device D including a space for forming a transparent conductive film by coating the sprayed liquid fine particles onto a subject to be processed.
US07913640B2
There is provided a moisture indicator for a heat and moisture exchange (HME) device that uses a pre-colorant and an activator applied to an inner surface of the HME device. The colorant undergoes a color change of Delta E (ΔE) of equal to or greater than 3 units upon exposure to moisture but not upon exposure to high humidity. The colorant is visually obvious to the unaided human eye under normal light conditions through the body of the device. The HME device with the visual indicator for moisture can indicate to the care-giver that it is time to change the HME device.
US07913634B2
A sewing machine is provided. The sewing machine includes a top covering shaft mechanism, a spreader mechanism detachably attached to the top covering shaft mechanism from below and operable to catch a covering thread and to interlace the covering thread with a needle thread inserted into a needle to form covering stitches, and an operating member having a hook portion and rotatably attached to either one of the top covering shaft mechanism and the spreader mechanism. The other of the top covering shaft mechanism and the spreader mechanism has a protrusion with which the hook portion is engageable. The operating member is rotatable between a position at which the hook portion engages with the protrusion to lock the spreader mechanism with respect to the top covering shaft mechanism and another position at which the spreader mechanism is detachable from the top covering shaft mechanism.
US07913626B1
A kinetic energy absorbing apparatus includes a body having a generally ogival exterior surface; and at least one kinetic energy absorbing structure (KEAS) extending generally rearwardly from substantially an interior surface of the body.
US07913619B2
There is described an apparatus for embossing a decorative layer of an embossing film (12) which is of a strip form, on to a small-radiused corner of a surface element, wherein a high cycle speed and high cycle rates are achieved in that the embossing apparatus (10) has a revolver head (16) which is rotatable stepwise about an axis (18) and which at its periphery (26) has a number of elastic pressing members (28) with which a heating device (30) is associated, wherein the revolver head (16) is reciprocatingly movable on a linear drive device (20) between an embossing position and an inactive position.
US07913611B2
An embodiment provides a protection structure comprising: open cell core structure; a top face sheet coupled to said core structure; a bottom face sheet coupled to said core structure distal from said top face sheet; a projectile arresting layer coupled to said top face sheet distal from said core structure; and a fragment catching layer couple to said bottom face sheet distal from said core.
US07913609B2
Devices, apparatus, systems and methods of mounting ammunition holders for side loading machine guns and weapons that downwardly eject spent cartridges. The ammunition holders include a side plate that both moves the center of gravity of the left side supported ammunition holder to move in a right direction underneath the machine gun until the ammunition holder is balanced relative to the machine gun. The side plate further deflects the spent cartridges from being directly ejected downward from the machine gun and instead deflect the spent cartridges to one side of the machine gun away from both the machine gun and an operator of the gun. The ammunition containers can be ammunition belt boxes. The ammunition containers can be ammunition pouch bags.
US07913603B2
A perforating gun train for perforating two or more zones of interest includes two or more gun sets made up of guns, detonators, and other associated equipment. In one embodiment, the gun sets are connected with connectors that can convey activation signals between the gun sets. The firing of a gun set creates this conveyed activation signal either directly or indirectly. In one arrangement, a surface signal initiates the firing of a first gun set while subsequent firings are initiated by firing of the gun sets making up the gun train. An exemplary connector is at least temporarily filled with signal conveyance medium adapted to transmit activation signals between the gun sets. In one embodiment, the signal conveyance medium is a liquid. The liquid can be added to the connector either at the surface or while in the wellbore.
US07913571B2
The present invention aims at estimating a residual life of a blasting vessel. For the estimation, a strain gauge 30 is attached to a blasting vessel 10. The strain gauge 30 measures high-frequency repetitive strain caused in the blasting chamber 10 in each explosion. Strain waveform data obtained with the strain gauge 30 is analyzed to calculate the cumulative degree of fatigue damage due to a high-frequency repetitive load applied to the blasting vessel 10 in each explosion. A residual life of the blasting vessel 10 is estimated on the basis of a cumulative value of the cumulative degrees of fatigue damage.
US07913564B2
An ultrasonic scanner includes an assembly mounted within a housing and pivoting between two positions. The assembly includes an ultrasonic module that generates an ultrasonic beam directed at a target, such a tissue and detecting the corresponding return beam. A worm screw with a block contacting the assembly is used to selectively pivot the assembly to a desired position. The worm screw is driven by a DC motor and the position of the assembly is monitored using a proximity sensor, such as a Hall Effect Device. A hybrid controller receives analog signals from the Hall Effect Device converts them into corresponding sensor digital signals, and uses them as a feedback signal to an analog OP AMP driving the DC motor.
US07913560B2
An angular rate sensor includes a piezoelectric vibration device; and a detection section, wherein the piezoelectric vibration device includes a vibration section having a first support section, four (first-fourth) cantilever sections supported by the first support section, and a second support section that supports the first support section. The detection section is formed above the vibration section for detecting an angular rate of rotation applied to the vibration section, and has a lower electrode, a piezoelectric layer formed above the lower electrode, and an upper electrode formed above the piezoelectric layer.
US07913557B2
Methods and systems for testing a subterranean formation penetrated by a wellbore are provided. A testing tool has a plurality of packers spaced apart along the axis of the tool, and at least a testing port. The testing tool is positioned into the wellbore and packers are extended into sealing engagement with the wellbore wall, sealing thereby an interval of the wellbore. In some embodiments, the wellbore interval sealed between two packers is adjusted downhole. In one embodiment, the location of the testing port is adjusted between two packers. The methods may be used to advantage for reducing the contamination of the formation fluid by fluids or debris in the wellbore.
US07913554B2
A method of sampling fluid from a rock formation penetrated by a borehole includes positioning a downhole tool having a flow line in the borehole, establishing an inlet port through which fluid passes from a first point in the formation into the flow line, establishing an outlet port through which fluid passes from the flow line into a second point in the formation, and passing fluid between the formation and the flow line through the inlet and outlet ports.
US07913545B2
A control module for determining a time and angle based cylinder pressure includes a crankshaft position determination module that determines a first crankshaft position in an engine at a first time, a time-based cylinder pressure determination module that determines N time-based cylinder pressures in the engine at N times, wherein N is an integer greater than one, and an angle-based cylinder pressure determination module that determines an angle-based cylinder pressure at the first crankshaft position based on the first time, the N cylinder pressures, and the N times.
US07913535B2
Self-calibrating apparatus and methods for dilution of an analyte-containing fluid, and in particular for dilution of analyte concentrations beyond the normal measurement range of a detector, without the requirement for other detectors. The apparatus is preferably a respirator test system for determining respirator mask fit in the presence of high aerosol challenge concentrations.
US07913534B1
A microfabricated field calibration assembly for use in calibrating analytical instruments and sensor systems. The assembly comprises a circuit board comprising one or more resistively heatable microbridge elements, an interface device that enables addressable heating of the microbridge elements, and, in some embodiments, a means for positioning the circuit board within an inlet structure of an analytical instrument or sensor system.
US07913533B2
A cartridge for a machine tool is provided. The cartridge has a main body, two punch-retention arms, and two die-retention arms. Preferably, the cartridge also has a stripper locator base. In some embodiments, the cartridge is provided with an electronic information storage device.
US07913531B2
The invention provides a roll profile for work rolls for both shape control and free ruled rolling. Each of the work rolls has a tapered end. The curve of respective tapered end is a quartic curve represented by a formula y(x)=a0+a1x+a2x2+a3x3+a4x4, xε[0,Le], y(x)ε[0,He]. It is possible to partially eliminate the asymmetric deformation due to the difference between abrasion of the upper and lower rolls. Further, closed type abrasion of conventional roll is changed into open type abrasion and box shaped abrasion of conventional roll is eliminated, which eliminating “cat ear” hole and fulfilling the requirements of free ruled rolling.
US07913524B2
An apparatus for dyeing a textile substrate using a plurality of applicators that each apply an increment of a total dye application. In one form a reduced indigo dye in a leuco-state is applied in an inert atmosphere substantially isolated from oxidizing substances. In another form the foamed dye is applied while open to the atmosphere. In both forms holddown rollers or inverted applicators are located between applicators at decreasing depths to minimize increases in tension as the substrate travels over successive applicator faces.
US07913519B2
The knitting needle 1 comprises a novel bearing arrangement 16 for its latch 10. The bearing arrangement 16 comprises a swivel pin 20 that is positively and non-rotationally coupled with the latch. An anti-loosening safety may be provided on the base body 2 of the latch needle 1 in order to axially secure the swivel pin 20 in the latch hole 17. Alternatively, the swivel pin 20 may be connected with the latch 10 in order to axially secure said swivel pin.
US07913517B2
The present invention relates to production of a flat glass, which can improve the surface smoothness of a flat glass in the moving direction and which prevents formation of stripes on the flat glass. A fixed bed 15 comprising a plurality of supports 12 arranged in such a state that they will not move at least in a direction in parallel with the moving direction of a glass ribbon 13, and having grooves 12B to let loose the steam generated by vaporization of a steam film forming agent formed between the respective supports 12, is used, and the amount of the steam let loose from the grooves is adjusted in accordance with the glass temperature distribution in the moving direction of the glass ribbon 13 which moves on the fixed bed 15.
US07913499B2
A heat exchanger having a plurality of heat exchanging aluminum fins with hydrophilic condensing surfaces which are stacked and clamped between two cold plates. The cold plates are aligned radially along a plane extending through the axis of a cylindrical duct and hold the stacked and clamped portions of the heat exchanging fins along the axis of the cylindrical duct. The fins extend outwardly from the clamped portions along approximately radial planes. The spacing between fins is symmetric about the cold plates, and are somewhat more closely spaced as the angle they make with the cold plates approaches 90°. Passageways extend through the fins between vertex spaces which provide capillary storage and communicate with passageways formed in the stacked and clamped portions of the fins, which communicate with water drains connected to a pump externally to the duct. Water with no entrained air is drawn from the capillary spaces.
US07913495B2
The invention is intended to maintain turbine reliability when, based on a gas turbine designed for one desired cycle, a gas turbine for another different cycle is manufactured. A channel of a compressor is formed such that a mass flow of a fluid compressed by the compressor changes. Thus, when manufacturing, based on the gas turbine designed for one desired cycle, the gas turbine for another different cycle, turbine reliability can be maintained.
US07913492B2
A hydrostatic continuously variable transmission is configured by connecting a swash plate type plunger hydraulic pump P and a swash plate type plunger hydraulic motor via a hydraulic closed circuit. A continuous shift control is executed by variably controlling an inclined angle of the swash plate of the hydraulic motor. A valve spool movably arranged in a spool hole axially extends in a shaft that supports the hydraulic pump and the hydraulic motor and is configured by coupling a first spool member provided with a guide land fitted in a guide member and a second spool member provided with a central land and a left land and provided with a valve that connects and cuts off a clutch oil passage on the high pressure side and a clutch oil passage on the low pressure side according to axial movement by a coupling pin.
US07913485B2
A system or method of propelling a vehicle with a multimodal propulsion system is provided. This multimodal propulsion system includes a primary inlet, a high-pressure gas generator, a gas generator exhaust system, a secondary fluid inlet, and a propulsion exhaust system. The primary inlet receives an incoming fluid flow that is provided to the high-pressure gas generator. The high-pressure gas generator coupled to the primary inlet produces a high-pressure exhaust from the incoming fluid flow. The high-pressure gas generator exhaust and secondary inlet couple to the propulsive exhaust system which mixes the two flow streams. The secondary flow may be gaseous or liquid fluid flow such as air flow for airborne flight and water for waterborne operation. The mixed fluid flow is expelled by the propulsive exhaust system that can propel the vehicle.
US07913477B2
A method for precise registration of inserts in web formed packaging is provided in which insert placement occurs following the start of the package build. Registration is maintained through the build and product deposit steps by external gripping of the insert.
US07913474B2
An apparatus for inflating film for manufacturing packaging material in situ, wherein the apparatus comprises an inflating unit, a film conveying provision, a sealing unit and a film receiving means for receiving a film roll, wherein the apparatus is a compact apparatus with a relatively small footprint and wherein the inflating unit, film conveying provision and the sealing unit are provided in a central unit on the apparatus and are operatively positioned with respect to a center of the film to be inflated and sealed viewed in a direction at right angles to a film conveying direction, wherein the film to be inflated is operatively engaged only in or near the center thereof by the central unit, for inflating the film from or from near the center, then sealing the film tight and conveying it, as well as a method for manufacturing packaging material.
US07913473B2
The invention relates to a method for laying and mechanically connecting panels in rows parallel to one another. The method includes forming a super panel comprising a first plurality of panels in a first panel row, to be newly laid, the super panel being formed by connecting together second pairs of locking elements in adjacent panels of the first panel row. The method also includes connecting the super panel to a second plurality of panels in an already laid second panel row by working in sections, beginning at an end of the super panel, by utilizing a torsional flexibility of the super panel to engage the first pair of locking elements. During the connecting, the first plurality of panels do not move relative to each other along the second pair of edges.
US07913466B2
A panel structure including a flexible panel, at least one edge strip and mounting hardware is provided. Also provided is a method of configuring the panel structure. The edge strip has at least one mounting member receiving area provided thereon. The mounting member receiving area is dimensioned to receive the mounting hardware therein. The mounting hardware cooperates with the edge strip to suspend and mount the flexible panel.When installed, the panel structure provides a canopy-like visual element to a space in which it is suspended or mounted. The panel structure may be suspended or mounted in various configurations having different degrees of flex or curvature. The panel structure can be installed easily and reconfigured easily to suit the user.
US07913457B1
An asset protection apparatus comprising at least one module is disclosed. A module comprises at least one interior layer contacting an asset surface; at least one thermal layer affixed to said at least one interior layer, wherein said at least one thermal layer includes heat adding and heat removal means capable of removing or adding heat to said asset surface or a substance adjacent said at least one thermal layer; and at least one exterior layer affixed to said at least one thermal layer, wherein said at least one exterior layer is constructed of a material or plurality of materials that alone or in combination are resistant to degradation from exposure to outdoor elements, wherein said apparatus is cooperatively secured to said asset surface.
US07913456B2
Method for mounting a control assembly for doors or windows, in which the door or window comprises a frame including a metallic section bar having an outer wall and a longitudinal groove, and in which the control assembly comprises a handle having a base, a rotatable grip and a rotatable control pin, a transmission device having an input member able to be coupled with the control pin of the handle and at least one carriage movable in rectilinear direction, and connected to the input member by means of a mechanism, a rod able to slidably engage said groove, and a connecting member able to be fastened to the rod. The method comprises the steps of positioning said rod in said groove with said connecting member positioned slidably on the rod, applying the transmission mechanism to the section bar, mutually connecting said carriage and said connecting member so that the connecting member is fixed to said carriage for movements in the longitudinal direction of the groove, and after mutually connecting said carriage and the connecting member, fastening the connecting member to the rod.
US07913454B2
A pet portal flap assembly has interior and exterior frames between which moveable flaps are mounted in a swinging door, or in a patio door insert, or in an exterior wall, to permit both ingress and egress of a pet. A handle operated mechanism is provided for selectively vertically positioning the moveable flaps in an uppermost position to permit both ingress and egress of a pet, in a mid-position for only permitting ingress of a pet, and in a lowermost position in which bottom portions of the flaps are locked between the interior and exterior frames to prevent any movement of the flaps.
US07913451B1
An apparatus straddles and traverses a covered raised planting bed to create holes in the raised bed for production of container plants.
US07913444B2
A fishing lure, generally the size and shape of a bait fish such as a minnow, is equipped with a safety feature, whereby the lure comprises a hook, preferably positioned on the under surface corresponding to the bait fish's belly, and a spring-biased shell, pivotally connected to the body and positioned such that the shell shields the hook completely when the shell is in a first position and the lure is out of the water, and exposes the hook when the shell is in a second position while the lure is in water, thereby permitting the lure to be used for fishing while preventing injuries from mishandling.
US07913441B1
An electro-optical device includes a mount assembly that reduces shock imparted to internal electro-optical components.
US07913439B2
An accessory mount for a rifle for mounting a scope at an offset angle and a flashlight without obscuring the open sight of the rifle.
US07913438B2
A method and an article for arranging and storing a page or presentation that is in progress comprising the steps of placing at least one page on a magnetic substrate, wherein the magnetic substrate is sized to receive the at least one page; arranging at least one page-element onto the at least one page; and placing at least one magnet onto the at least one page-element to hold the at least one element in place. An additional aspect of the embodiment comprises the step of covering the at least one page that is in progress. Yet another aspect of the embodiment comprises the step of storing the magnetic substrate with the at least one page and at least one page-element until the at least one page is completed at a later time.
US07913437B2
A tamper-resistant indicator is disclosed. The indicator includes a front panel configured to be located on an outside surface of a door. The indicator also includes a back panel configured to be located on an inside surface of the door. The indicator also includes a turning indicator, including a springy living hinge, wherein said turning indicator has a front part disposed on the front panel and a back part disposed on the back panel, and the two parts communicate with each other via a rotatable axis or shaft member configured to pass through an opening bored through the door, and wherein the axis or shaft member is coupled between the front and back parts of the indicator, such that rotation of the back part of the indicator rotates the axis or shaft member, which in turn rotates the front part of the indicator.
US07913431B1
A ground clearing apparatus comprising a box member comprised of a framework having an upper edge, first and second side edges, and a lower edge. A plurality of base teeth protrude downwardly from the lower edge. The apparatus further comprises a grapple including a first grapple arm hingeably attached to the box member, a second grapple arm hingeably attached to the box member, and a cross member joined to a distal ends of the first and second grapple arms. A plurality of grapple teeth extend outwardly from the cross member. The grapple is movable from a closed position in which the grapple teeth are interspersed with the base teeth, to an open position in which the grapple teeth are separated from the base teeth.
US07913429B1
A system of constructing a pair of devices to provide lateral or medial corrections of a desired degree includes a right foot orthotic shell (20R) and a left foot orthotic shell (20L). A first angled wedge (40A) is connectable to the right shell (20R) and a second angled wedge (40B) is connectable to the left shell (20L) to provide lateral correction. The second wedge (40B) is connectable to the right shell (20R) and the first wedge (40A) is connectable to the left shell (20L) to provide medial correction. A plurality of pairs of wedges (40) can be provided with each pair providing a different angle of correction.
US07913422B1
An energy-return shoe system includes a shoe portion with an upper plate affixed to its bottom surface. A shaft runs longitudinally along a lower sole and the shaft is rotatable along its axis. Hinges interface between the upper plate and the shaft. At least two of the hinges close in a first direction and at least one of the hinges close in the opposite direction. Each of the hinges has a first hinge arm connected to a second hinge arm by a middle pivot. A distal end of the first hinge arm is pivotally connected to the upper plate and a distal end of the second hinge arm is pivotally connected to the shaft. A first rigid coupling pivotally connects the middle pivots of the at least two hinges arranged to close in the first direction and a second rigid coupling slidably interfaces with the first rigid coupling and pivotally connects the middle pivots of the at least one hinge arranged to close in the opposite direction such that the middle pivots of the at least two hinges arranged to close in the first direction and the middle pivots of the at least one heel hinge arranged to close in the opposite direction are held in horizontal synchronization with the upper plate and the upper plate is held in horizontal synchronization with the lower sole.
US07913418B2
An automatic clothes dryer comprises a cabinet defining an interior space in which is rotatably mounted a drum that defines a drying chamber, a heater assembly having a heating element for heating air, and a motor for rotating the drum. A blower is mounted within the interior space and is fluidly coupled to the drying chamber for moving heated air through the drying chamber. A first temperature sensor is mounted upstream of the heating element. A second temperature sensor is mounted downstream of the blower. Outputs from the temperature sensors are utilized with one or more methods to determine the air flow characteristics through the dryer.
US07913414B2
An apparatus comprises a housing, a clamping unit associated with the housing, a biasing system, and a length indicator. The clamping unit can be inserted through a hole in a structure into an interior of a nut that is positioned relative to a first surface of the structure. The clamping unit can engage the interior of the nut when a portion of the housing is positioned relative to a second surface of the structure. The first structure is substantially parallel to the second surface. The biasing system can bias the portion of the housing positioned relative to the second surface of the structure and the clamping unit towards each other, while the clamping unit is engaged with the interior of the nut. The length indicator can indicate a length of a bolt when the biasing system has biased the portion of the housing and the clamping unit towards each other.
US07913402B2
A cutting implement having a cutting blade and a coating is provided. The coating has titanium chromium nitride and provides the blade with a satin silver appearance. In some embodiments, the titanium chromium nitride coating has a thickness in a range between about 0.3 microns and 0.5 microns, a surface roughness in a range of about 15 to 25×10−6 inch/inch, and a hardness in a range of about 5.7 to 9.1 gigapascals.
US07913400B2
(FIG. 1) shows an improved bolt cutting tool comprising left and right cutting jaws (10) that are closed by handles (12A and 12B). As handles (12A and 12B) are separated, jaw (10) opens to allow the material to be cut to enter. The cutting handles (12A and 12B) are closed, utilizing a partially threaded rod (14) and rotational handle (16) to draw them closed. (FIG. 2).
US07913394B2
The cable sheath splitter has an elongate body forming a lower portion handgrip and an upper portion tool structure. An end cap is rotatably attached to lower end of the handgrip. An elongate arcuate hand guard member extends from an edge of the end cap. A cutting blade is depth adjustable and extends laterally from the tool structure. A pair of rollers disposed in the tool structure outwardly extend from the structure on opposite sides of the blade. A pair of adjustable cable guide arms forms a claw that extends from the tool structure. The claw is rotatable and may also have at least two rotatably lockable positions. The claw when configured according to either of the rotatably lockable arm positions, guides the cable along a path that contacts the blade to cut the cable sheath.
US07913393B2
A safety razor blade unit mounted for pivotal movement relative to a razor handle about a pivot axis substantially perpendicular to a blade mounted in the blade unit. The blade unit is biased to a rest position by a magnetic return force generated by a set of magnetic elements. The set of magnetic elements are so disposed that the return force increases as the pivotal displacement of the blade unit from the rest position increases.
US07913380B2
A wafer table for providing electrical components of a wafer includes a rotary disk to receive a wafer. The rotary disk is configured to be displaced parallel to a wafer plane in discrete steps such that the components arrive at a stationary pick-up position. A stationary auxiliary facility is assigned to the pick-up position, and a first rotary drive rotates the rotary disk. A carriage supports the rotary disk and is displaced in a stationary linear guide parallel to the wafer by means of a linear drive. The first rotary drive and the linear drive are positioned such that each of the components arrives at the pick-up position.
US07913374B2
An outer member and an inner member constituting a wheel bearing device are assembled and the brake rotor is fixed to the hub ring of the inner member. In this state, the pad slide surfaces of the brake rotor are lathed with the reference provided by a wheel pilot end surface. Alternatively, the wheel pilot end surface of the hub ring by chucking the knuckle pilot of the outer member with the wheel bearing device put in its assembled state, and the pad slide surfaces of the brake rotor are lathed with the reference provided by the wheel pilot end surface.
US07913373B2
In a method and a device for non-rotatably connecting a hollow shaft with at least one component located on the hollow shaft with which the component is positioned with clearance on the hollow shaft and is fastened thereon in a certain position by eliminating the clearance, the clearance being eliminated by expanding the hollow shaft using a joining tool that passes through at least part of the hollow shaft, and the joining tool including at least one first shaping element and at least one further shaping element, and the shaping elements being movable relative to each other, so that the motion of the shaping elements relative to each other causes an at least partial expansion of the hollow shaft. A design of this type has the advantage, in particular, that the joining tools cause the hollow shaft to expand only at the necessary points.
US07913366B2
A manufacturing method for an ultrasonic probe including the steps of forming a plurality of unit fixing plates. Laminating each unit fixing plates to one another to form a fixing base and inserting lead wires into grooves formed in the fixing base. Partially cutting away and smoothing both principal surfaces of the fixing base to expose lead wires. Fixing a piezoelectric plate to one principal surface of the fixing base and cutting out between the lead wires in a one dimension direction and a two dimension direction, to divide up said piezoelectric plate and the fixing base into a plurality of piezoelectric elements.
US07913354B2
An automobile door checker includes a case secured to a door, a check plate that runs movably through the case and is pivotably supported on a body, a detent member fitted into and retained by the case and working in cooperation with a detent face of the check plate, and a resilient member that is made of a resilient material and is provided in a compressed state in a housing chamber defined between an outer end face of the detent member and an inner end face of the case, wherein the resilient member is formed so that it substantially fills the housing chamber, the resilient member is provided with a hole portion that allows resilient deformation of the resilient member, the hole portion being sealed by the outer end face and the inner end face, and a half of the resilient member on the outer end face side and a half on the inner end face side are symmetrical. In this way, even if some rainwater that has infiltrated into the housing chamber of the case housing the resilient member freezes, it is possible to prevent the resilient deformation characteristics of the resilient member from changing, and it is also possible to avoid misassembly of the resilient member.
US07913353B2
A vacuum cleaner is provided. The vacuum cleaner includes a suctioning nozzle, a height adjusting unit, a manipulating part, a position sensing part, and a display part. The suctioning nozzle suctions air including dust. The height adjusting unit adjusts the height of the suctioning nozzle. The manipulating part manipulates the height adjusting unit. The position sensing part senses the height adjusted by the height adjusting unit. The display part externally displays the height sensed by the position sensing part.
US07913350B2
The invention relates to a device for placing a brush (1) against rollers (2), for example in roll stands, in particular against the working and/or support roller of a roll stand for the hot rolling of aluminium, wherein the brush (1) is mounted on a pivot lever and can be placed in contact against the roller (2) by means of a placement device (3) which exerts a placement force. It is provided here according to the invention that the placement device (3) for the brush (1) comprises at least one adjusting element (5) which is arranged so as to be rotatable with respect to the pivot lever (12) and which is operatively connected to the pivot lever by means of a force transmission element (4). A regulating circuit (6) is designed to regulate the placement force to be constant, proceeding from a nominal force F0, in such a way that, by means of a monitoring device (7) for the rotational angle of the adjusting element (5) with respect to the pivot lever, the placement force can be regulated to be constant by means of at least one actuating element (8).
US07913348B2
A paint brush includes a sleeve circumscribing a portion of a handle and a portion of a plurality of bristles. A plug can be coupled to the handle. The plug can extend away from the handle into the plurality of bristles to form a space between the bristles. The plug can have a concave end that faces the space between the bristles. The concave end and the space together can form a paint reservoir within the plurality of bristles.
US07913345B2
In embodiments of the present invention, a method and system of a light bulb changing tool may comprise a gripper having a gripping side and an attaching side, the gripper having a flexible shape; an attachment point disposed on the attaching side; and a polymer disposed on the gripping side. In embodiments, a method and system of a vehicle cleaning tool may comprise a rotational arbor; and a gear head adapted to rotate the rotational arbor, wherein the gear head is adapted to couple to a power head having a quick-release connection point.
US07913339B2
A fabric treatment appliance comprises a steam generator having a chamber configured to hold water; a supply conduit configured to transport water to the steam generator chamber; a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature representative of the steam generator chamber at a predetermined water level in the steam generator chamber; and a controller coupled to the temperature sensor and configured to control flow of water through the supply conduit based on the sensed temperature to control the level of water in the steam generator chamber. The disclosure provides methods of water supply control that can employ the temperature sensor.
US07913335B2
A bed is described having a support member for supporting an individual thereon; a base member configured to support the support member above a surface; a primary height adjusting mechanism operable to adjust the height of the support member with respect to the base member. The primary height adjusting mechanism includes an arrangement of a plurality of link arms drivably coupled to one or more actuators which raises the support frame member. During raising of the support frame member from its lowermost position to its fully raised position there is an initial lifting stage when the lifting force applied by the associated actuator to the arrangement of link arms acts at a shorter distance from a fulcrum of the arrangement of link arms to the support frame and therefore with a greater moment of force than during a later stage of lifting movement. A secondary height adjusting mechanism is operable to adjust the height of the base member with respect to the surface.
US07913330B2
A dispenser delivery system for a closed container that permits periodic dispensing of a dispersant into a fluid in the container without having to remove a cover over the container.
US07913327B2
An automatically flushing toilet in which an extension arm is attached to a horizontal bar to which the toilet seat is attached. When the toilet seat is raised, one end of the extension arm moves downward, causing a rod on the end of the inner tube of a telescoping member located primarily inside the tank compartment of the toilet to move so that it is positioned atop a pivoting member located inside a cut-out on the same end of the extension arm. When the toilet seat is then closed, the one end of the extension arm moves upward, pushing the pivoting member against the rod and causing the rod to force the inner tube of the telescoping member upward. The inner tube is pivotally connected to a trip lever, which causes the toilet to flush.
US07913326B1
A patient laser goggle having a pair of eye cup assemblies adjustably joined to a formed bridge wire having collinear ends. Each eye cup has a clamping mechanism to which each bridge wire end is held and a strap hook to receive the looped ends of an adjustable band. The collinear bridge wire ends are horizontally and tiltably held within the clamping mechanisms so that the patient laser goggle can be easily custom fit to the eyes of a patient. Once adjusted, the clamping mechanism allows rotation of the bridge wire with respect to the eye cup so that a medical practitioner can have easy and unobstructed access to areas of the patient's face.
US07913323B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide an upper body garment that is capable of facilitating the action of raising the arms while reducing the activities of muscles by preventing unnecessary restriction of the muscles. The upper body garment is characterized in that a low stretchable portion is disposed in a predetermined area of the back side of the garment. The predetermined area extends from one end side to the opposite end side in the width direction of the back side of the garment and contains at least areas in which the inferior angles of the right and left scapulas are respectively displaced during raising the arms. The low stretchable portion has a stretching ratio smaller in the width direction of the back side than an area near at least a neck portion of the back side.
US07913321B2
A garment for covering a user and a child supported in a child carrier that has a layer of material with a first opening in the layer constructed and arranged to accommodate the head of the user. The garment also has a second opening in the layer constructed and arranged to accommodate the head of the child. The garment is constructed and arranged to be worn by the user to protect the user and the child from the elements.
US07917965B2
A system and method for sharing electronic content. A sending user can specify one or more criteria that a recipient memory device must have to store the content. The sending user can also specify a digital rights management control that can be associated with the content. The content can be transferred to the recipient if the recipient memory device has the specified properties. Software at the recipient can ensure that the content is handled in accordance with the digital rights management controls specified by the sender.
US07917955B1
A system, method and computer program product are provided for detecting unwanted data. A scan for unwanted data is performed to generate results of the scan. A context of the scan is then identified. Further, the presence of unwanted data is conditionally indicated based on both the results of the scan and the context of the scan.
US07917946B2
In a procedure for delivering streaming media, a Client first requests the media from an Order Server. The Order Server authenticates the Client and sends a ticket to the Client. Then, the Client sends the ticket to a Streaming Server. The Streaming Server checks the ticket for validity and if found valid encrypts the streaming data using a standardized real-time protocol such as the SRTP and transmits the encrypted data to the Client. The Client receives the data and decrypts them. Copyrighted material adapted to streaming can be securely delivered to the Client. The robust protocol used is very well suited for in particular wireless clients and similar devices having a low capacity such as cellular telephones and PDAs.
US07917942B2
A plug-and-play (PnP) for configuring security in a PnP architecture includes a security manager and a PnP device. The PnP device is adapted to send a device description document to a user entity. The device description document includes an address pointing to the security manager, and as such, the user entity is capable of accessing the security manager based upon the address. The security manager is adapted to authenticate the user entity, and it authenticated, to communicate with the user entity to configure application-layer security of the PnP device, whereby configuring the application-layer security includes creating an access control list (ACL) document for restricting access to a service of the PnP device. In a further aspect, the PnP device may bootstrap establishing its link-layer security with configuring its application-layer security.
US07917930B2
An information signal transmission system and a remote control device for such a system for allowing a viewer to continuously watch, for example, in a bedroom a program the viewer has watched in a living room. A recipient of information is detected referring to identification information set in a remote command device, and monitor devices are alternately switched for continuously providing the viewer with an information signal.
US07917929B2
A reservation recording control system and a method thereof, in which a user records a reservation for a desired broadcast program in a personal video recorder from a remote location over a distributed computer network such as the Internet. To this end, the system includes: a web server for transmitting reservation recording information for reservation-recording a broadcast program selected by a user; a communication unit for receiving the reservation recording information; and a personal video recorder for downloading the reservation recording information received by the communication unit and for recording the broadcast program selected by the user on the basis of the downloaded reservation recording information at a reserved time.
US07917921B2
A method for controlling an interactive application comprises receiving a data stream comprising an interactive application and monitoring the data stream to identify a change in the stream. In response to the change, the method further comprises preventing the interactive application from accessing files, identifying those files present in the data stream, and enabling the interactive application to access only those files present in the data stream.
US07917919B2
A disc clamping mechanism includes a clamp board, a clamp base, a first supporting unit and a second supporting unit. The clamp board rotatably clamps a disc in cooperation with a turntable to be rotated in a housing. The clamp base rotatably supports the clamp board at a position opposite to the turntable, and is movable so as to move away from or come into contact with the turntable. The first supporting unit comes into contact with a first peripheral edge of the clamp board protruding from the clamp base when the clamp board moves away from the disc according to the movement of the clamp base, to exert pushing force in a direction of the turntable side and pushing force in a direction of the clamp base side against the first peripheral edge. The second supporting unit is provided at the clamp base, and securely supports the second peripheral edge of the clamp board situated at a position opposite to the first peripheral edge when the first peripheral edge is pushed by the first supporting unit.
US07917913B2
A software component deployed in a distributed system includes a stub that enables the component to be used remotely. The stub can include its own proxy (or at least a sufficient description of it) that is automatically and dynamically injected to the remote environment. Thus, native proxies do not need to be included in the platform initially, and do not need to be downloaded, since marshalling methods are generated at runtime based on a blueprint in the code of the application.
US07917905B2
A process control system has a process state detection unit 10 that detects activation of a predetermined process in a computer and determines whether the process is a previously determined one of control-target processes, a comparison unit 30 that, if the process state detection unit 10 determines that the control-target process is activated, acquires the CPU usage rate of the entire system and compares the acquired CPU usage rate with a previously determined target value of the CPU usage rate of the entire system, and a process suspension control unit 40 that controls suspension and resumption of the control-target process based on the result of comparison by the comparison unit 30.
US07917898B2
Methods and apparatus to provide a modular native method invocation (NMI) system are described herein. In an example method, first NMI information associated with a first NMI call from a first virtual machine is received and second NMI information associated with a second NMI call from a second virtual machine different from the first virtual machine is received. The first NMI information and the second NMI information is translated via an NMI adapter. To generate a native stub, the translated NMI information is provided to a modular NMI component.
US07917889B2
Method and system are disclosed for automatically discovering associations between applications and data in multi-tiered distributed systems. The method in one aspect uses a machine-readable specification of a model or template that describes use and transformation of data by software components. The method additionally utilizes a model of system configuration and appropriate runtime support to mine information available from systems management software present in enterprise systems. The application-data association discovery process performs a traversal of the distributed system configuration graph with actions taken during this traversal driven by the contents of the templates for the software components present in the system. The results of the application-data association discovery process are stored in a database and may be used to specify application-specific information lifecycle management (ILM) policy or as input to impact analysis tools in access control and antivirus systems.
US07917886B2
An automatic system for providing printed circuit board (PCB) layout of a PCB includes an input device, a data processing device, and a storage device. The data processing device includes an invoking module, a calculating module, and a determining module. The invoking module is to read a name and a thickness of each layer of the PCB from the storage device. The calculating module is to calculate an actual length of a via stub of each layer according to the name and thickness of each layer, and calculate an ideal length of the via stub of the PCB according to input information from the input device, and a preset formula. The determining module is to compare the ideal length and the actual length of the via stub of each layer to determine whether the layer can be used as a high-speed signal layout layer or not.
US07917883B2
Methods, software, and apparatus for providing a netlist for simulation that includes one or more parameters that are determined by one or more pattern dependent effects. One particular embodiment of the present invention receives a layout of a circuit including one or more MOSFET transistors. For one or more of the MOSFET transistors, spacing between transistors is measured using the received layout and a pattern dependent parameter is determined. This parameter modifies the length of the gate that is used in simulation. In other embodiments, other pattern dependent effects can be used to determine the values of one or more parameters. These parameters may be used to modify gate length, emitter size, resistor width, or other device characteristics.
US07917873B1
Embodiments of the methods and systems of the present invention may provide improved methods for the verification of an integrated circuit where a verification project for an integrated circuit may be created by selecting a set of intent units corresponding to the integrated circuit design from a library of intent units and linking these intent units to the integrated circuit design. Specifically, in one embodiment each of these intent units may comprise a corresponding code component and text component such that from the set of intent units selected and configured based on the integrated circuit design a verification plan can be generated from the text components of the corresponding intent units while a testbench can be generated from the code components of the corresponding intent units. This testbench can then be used to generate a model for testing the integrated circuit design.
US07917872B2
A simulation method to be implemented in a computer causes the computer to execute a procedure carrying out a weighting with respect to layout parameters of a circuit, which is an analyzing target, based on priority information of cells forming the circuit, and converting the weighted layout parameters into physical characteristics and storing the physical characteristics in a memory part, a procedure converting the physical characteristic read from the memory part into circuit parameters and storing the circuit parameters into the memory part, and analyzing the circuit based on a net list including the circuit parameters read from the memory part.
US07917869B2
The present invention provides a human-computer interface. The interface includes provision of an application domain, for example corresponding to a three-dimensional application. The user is allowed to navigate and interact with the application domain. The interface also includes a personal domain, offering the user controls and interaction distinct from the application domain. The separation into two domains allows the most suitable interface methods in each: for example, three-dimensional navigation in the application domain, and two- or three-dimensional controls in the personal domain. Transitions between the application domain and the personal domain are under control of the user, and the transition method is substantially independent of the navigation in the application domain. For example, the user can fly through a three-dimensional application domain, and always move to the personal domain by moving a cursor near one extreme of the display.
US07917866B1
A method, system, and graphical user interface for meeting-spot-related online communications are disclosed. A “meeting spot” is a specific physical location where two or more people can arrange to meet face to face. One aspect of the invention involves a computer-implemented method in which a server computer receives meeting spot data that correspond to a plurality of meeting spots selected by a computer user at a client device and sends information concerning other computer users that have also selected two or more of the meeting spots selected by the computer user to the client device for display.
US07917865B2
According to one embodiment, an display processing apparatus includes an operation receiver, a relation calculator, a display information generator, a display controller, and a scrolling module. The operation receiver receives selection of a key content. The relation calculator calculates relation between the key content and each of second contents. The display information generator generates first display information of the key content and second display information of the second contents. The display controller displays list information in which pieces of the second display information are arranged to form concentric polygons around the first display information along directions of operation such that second display information of second content with higher relation is closer to the first display information. The scrolling module scrolls, in response to user operation, the list information. The display controller maintains the first display information in the display range.
US07917862B2
A system for improving the performance of a plurality of peripheral devices is disclosed. In one embodiment, the invention comprises a first peripheral device associated with a first software component and having a first functionality, and a second peripheral device associated with a second software component and having a second functionality, the second peripheral device being coupled to the first peripheral device, the first and second peripheral devices together performing functionality in addition to the first and second functionalities and having a common user interface.
US07917856B2
Converting components for a first user interface (UI) technology into components for a second UI technology includes enabling the second UI technology to access first components of the first UI technology, modeling second components of the first UI technology as native components of the second UI technology, the first components being usable by the native components, and defining one or more navigational paths through the native components.
US07917850B2
For each of documents or folders containing the documents, setting data on a plurality of setting items in a print settings window for printing the document and display setting data on the print settings window are stored. When an instruction is provided to print a document, the print settings window for the document is displayed on the basis of the setting data and display modification data, and the display modification data for the print settings window is stored according change or addition of a setting item in the print settings window.
US07917847B2
A method of rendering a page, which includes starting obtaining operation for obtaining a page made by a markup language, performing a text browsing mode operation on obtained part of data of the page in parallel with the obtaining operation of the page, judging whether or not acquisition of definition information which is information to be applied to the entire page so as to render the page as designated by a markup language document of the page is finished, and switching onscreen representation, depending on a result of the judging, from onscreen representation in a text browsing mode to onscreen representation in which the definition information is applied.
US07917845B2
Document fragments are managed by the use of fragment objects. Fragment objects contain a reference to a portion of a source document. Referencing documents contain a reference to a fragment object which delivers the content of the fragment of the source document to the referencing document. The source document can be directly updated through updating the fragment of the source document contained in the referencing document via the use of the fragment object. Source document deletion is controlled by storing the references to the source document by fragment objects so that no fragment object has a reference to a nonexistent source document. A process for organizing document fragments within a document management system wherein source documents comprise duplicates of the document fragments includes replacing a duplicate fragment with a reference to a single fragment object the fragment object including a reference to a fragment of a source document and an object class method for deletion of the fragment object including instructions to remove the reference to the fragment object from the metadata of the source document to which the fragment object refers.
US07917836B1
A signal detector comprises a filter that equalizes data in an input signal to a primary target. A detector is matched to the primary target and generates a most likely path corresponding to the data in the input signal. A post-processor is matched to one of the primary target and a secondary target, determines at least one most likely error event in the most likely path, and generates revised paths based on the at least one most likely error event. A processor is matched to the secondary target, computes path metrics corresponding to each of the revised paths as a function of a non-linear noise model and selects one of the revised paths based on the path metrics.
US07917834B2
Provided are an apparatus and method for efficiently computing a log likelihood ratio (LLR) using the maximum a posteriori (MAP) algorithm known as block combining. The method includes the steps of: calculating alpha values, beta values and gamma values of at least two time sections; calculating transition probabilities of respective states in the at least two time sections; performing a comparison operation for some of the transition probabilities to determine the highest value, selecting one of the other transition probabilities according to the determined high value, comparing the determined value with the selected value to select the higher value, and thereby obtaining the highest of the transition probabilities; and determining an operation to apply according to the highest transition probability and calculating an LLR.
US07917826B2
An error correction device includes a main memory, a memory bus coupled to the main memory, and a correction module. The correction module is coupled to the system bus and directly connected to the memory bus. The correction module reads an error data from the main memory via the memory bus according to an error address, generates a correct data according to the error data and an error value, and directly writes the correct data into the main memory via the memory bus. Because the correction module reads and writes the correct data into the main memory without using the system bus managed by an arbitrator, a number of the change row operations can be reduced to increase system efficiency.
US07917824B2
Scan architectures are commonly used to test digital circuitry in integrated circuits. The present disclosure describes a method of adapting conventional scan architectures into a low power scan architecture. The low power scan architecture maintains the test time of conventional scan architectures, while requiring significantly less operational power than conventional scan architectures. The low power scan architecture is advantageous to IC/die manufacturers since it allows a larger number of circuits (such as DSP or CPU core circuits) embedded in an IC/die to be tested in parallel without consuming too much power within the IC/die. Since the low power scan architecture reduces test power consumption, it is possible to simultaneously test more die on a wafer than previously possible using conventional scan architectures. This allows wafer test times to be reduced which reduces the manufacturing cost of each die on the wafer.
US07917815B2
A context analyzer may be configured to receive, from a software support system associated with a software application associated with multiple architectural layers, an incident report associated with a software incident of the software application. The incident report may include context information associated with the software application at the time of the software incident, the context information being received from a plurality of context providers. An incident model generator may be configured to determine, from parsed context information output by a first context parser and a second context parser, a plurality of entities and links therebetween associated with the software application, and configured to display an incident model that includes the entities and the links and that provides access to the parsed context information on an entity-specific basis.
US07917808B2
Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for verifying the integrity of web server content. Communication with a server is initiated and content is retrieved that is specified by a Uniform Resource Locator. The content is parsed and searched for an error message. When the content contains linked content, then the linked content is parsed and also searched for the error message. The error message is logged to indicate an existence of a partial page error.
US07917799B2
Disclosed are a method of and system for digital frequency clocking in a processor core. At least one-processor core is provided, and that processor core has a clocking subsystem for generating an output clock signal, which may be an analog signal at a variable frequency. Digital frequency control data are transmitted or distributed to the processor core; and that one processor core receives the digital frequency control data transmitted to the core, and uses that received digital frequency control data to set the frequency of the output clock signal of the clocking subsystem of the processor core. Preferably, multiple cores are asynchronously clocked and the core frequencies are independently set, and, there is no phase relationship between the core clocks.
US07917791B2
An electronic device includes a display having a memory function and a communications capability. Display functions are controlled based on a state of the operation of the device and/or based on a state of received data. Also disclosed is a method of selectively displaying advertising information based on a state of the device where the advertising can be maintained on the display without requiring any power consumption.
US07917786B2
An exemplary voltage regulating circuit for a motherboard includes a selecting switch and a first switch module, the selecting switch comprising a first input terminal arranged to receive a standby power provided by a power supply, a first control terminal arranged to receive a state signal from the motherboard via a first switch module controlled by a power good signal generated by the power supply, and an output terminal, wherein, when the motherboard is turned off, the state signal is at a high level and the first switch module is turned on by the power good signal for turning off the selecting switch to stop outputting the standby power.
US07917777B2
A method of regulating power for multi-node computer system components has a closed-ring path that links all the power governors and circulating in the ring is a system power number that represents the power consumption of the entire system. Meanwhile, all the governors keep counting its local power consumption. Each time the number passes a governor, the governor will add its local count onto this number, store this number for future usage, and reset its local count. When the new number returns back to the same power governor, the governor will subtract the new number with its stored number to calculate the overall system power usage within a number circulation period. The system power number overflow problem is also detected with a counter if the incoming number is smaller then the number previously stored. The counter whose counting capacity is greater than the maximum system power usage on all the nodes within a number circulation period. A single number transfer mode and multiple number transfer mode and heterogeneous multi-node components which could have different power usage configurations are employed.
US07917776B2
A system-on-chip may include a hard-macro block, a deepstop control logic circuit, and/or a multi-threshold complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (MTCMOS) logic circuit. The deepstop control logic circuit may be configured to transfer data to the hard-macro block from the multi-threshold complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (MTCMOS) logic circuit during a normal mode. The deepstop control logic circuit may be configured to latch the data output from the MTCMOS logic circuit upon an entry into a deepstop mode and interrupt a power supply to the hard-macro block during the deepstop mode.
US07917769B2
A transaction authentication card uses a biometric input and a wireless output. The biometric input may be a sensor pad on the transaction authentication card that measures blood flow patterns, temperature, and/or fingerprint patterns to identify a user to permit access. The transaction authentication card is preferably substantially rigid, but may be formed to have some flexibility. Power to the transaction authentication card may be accomplished through an internal battery that is optionally rechargeable. Biometric data is stored on the card only and used for user verification. Biometric data will not be transferred from the card. If authorized biometric data is authenticated the card will transmit a wireless access code to a proximity reader or transaction equipment.
US07917758B2
An authentication protocol can be used to establish a secure method of communication between two devices on a network. Once established, the secure communication can be used to authenticate a client through various authentication methods, providing security in environments where intermediate devices cannot be trusted, such as wireless networks, or foreign network access points. Additionally, the caching of session keys and other relevant information can enable the two securely communicating endpoints to quickly resume their communication despite interruptions, such as when one endpoint changes the access point through which it is connected to the network. Also, the secure communication between the two devices can enable users to roam off of their home network, providing a mechanism by which access through foreign networks can be granted, while allowing the foreign network to monitor and control the use of its bandwidth.
US07917754B1
In accordance with one embodiment, a method and apparatus for linking businesses to customers through a trusted source network includes creating and providing an authenticated rating and review/referral database. The authenticated rating and review/referral database is then used as a central hub to distribute authenticated ratings and reviews to various interested parties in one or more trusted source networks and/or through one or more portals linked to existing trusted source networks.
US07917752B2
A method of controlling the processing of data, is provided comprising defining security controls for a plurality of data items, and applying individualised security rules to each of the data items based on a measurement of integrity of a computing entity to which the data items are to be made available.
US07917751B2
A security protocol that dynamically implements enhanced mount security of a filesystem when access to sensitive files on a networked filesystem is requested. When the user of a client system attempts to access a specially-tagged sensitive file, the server hosting the filesystem executes a software code that terminates the current mount and re-configures the server ports to accept a re-mount from the client via a more secure port. The server re-configured server port is provided the IP address of the client and matches the IP address during the re-mount operation. The switch to a secure mount is completed in a seamless manner so that authorized users are allowed to access sensitive files without bogging down the server with costly encryption and other resource-intensive security features. No significant delay is experienced by the user, while the sensitive file is shielded from un-authorized capture during transmission to the client system.
US07917737B2
A method of performing data and pointer compression includes, in a buffer which is formed between a processor and a level one cache and stores plural tags and full-word values associated with the tags, when the buffer is presented with an address, breaking the address into a line number which indexes a set of the full-word values, and a tag which is used as a key to determine whether a value in the set of full-word values includes a value associated with the presented address, if a tag in the presented address matches a tag in the buffer, returning a full-word value in the buffer which is associated with the tag, and storing the returned full-word value in a destination register of an instruction which originated the presented address, and if a tag in the presented address does not match a tag in the buffer, generating a fault and branching control to a pre-defined handler.
US07917732B2
A microprocessor architecture for executing byte compiled Java programs directly in hardware. The microprocessor targets the lower end of the embedded systems domain and features two orthogonal programming models, a Java model and a RISC model. The entities share a common data path and operate independently, although not in parallel. The microprocessor includes a combined register file in which the Java module sees the elements in the register file as a circular operand stack and the RISC module sees the elements as a conventional register file. The integrated microprocessor architecture facilitates access to hardware-near instructions and provides powerful interrupt and instruction trapping capabilities.
US07917713B2
A system migrates data between a source device and a target device in a storage system. A processor is operational within a local domain of the storage system. A redundant array of independent disks (RAID) controller electrically connected to the processor. The RAID controller divides a capacity of the source device into a plurality of sub-regions, locks the sub-regions from storage activity, establishes a mirroring relationship for write data updates between the source device and target device, and assigns the processor to copy data from the source device to the target device. A method of migrating data includes dividing a capacity of a source device into a plurality of sub-regions, locking the sub-regions from storage activity, establishing a mirroring relationship for write data updates between the source device and a target device, and assigning a local processor to copy data from the source device to the target device.
US07917711B2
The invention automatically selects a copy function according to a policy associated with data to be copied. The apparatus comprises an identification module configured to identify available copy functions in response to a data copy request that includes a predefined copy policy, a comparison module configured to compare each copy function of a storage device to attributes of the predefined copy policy, a selection module configured to automatically select a copy function that satisfies the predefined copy policy, and a relationship module configured to establish a copy relationship between the determined copy function and the data copy request. A policy generation module may be included and configured to read a set of required attributes from an application and to establish the predefined copy policy based on the set of required attributes from the application.
US07917710B2
The use of a token-based memory protection technique may provide memory protection in a computer system employing memory virtualization. A token-based memory protection technique may include assigning a unique identifier to an application, process, or thread, and associating the identifier with a block of memory allocated to that application, process, or thread. Subsequent to assigning the identifier, a packet requesting access to that block of memory may include a token to be compared to the identifier. A memory controller may be configured to associate the identifier with the block of memory and to compare the token in the memory request packet to the identifier before granting access. If a second block of memory is subsequently allocated to the application, process, or thread, the identifier may be disassociated with the first block of memory and associated with the second block of memory.
US07917698B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a system that handles load-marked and store-marked cache lines. Upon asserting a load-mark or a store-mark for a cache line during a given phase of operation, the system adds an entry to a private buffer and in doing so uses an address of the cache line as a key for the entry in the private buffer. The system also updates the entry in the private buffer with information about the load-mark or store-mark and uses pointers for the entry and for the last entry added to the private buffer to add the entry to a sequence of private buffer entries placed during the phase of operation. The system then uses the entries in the private buffer to remove the load-marks and store-marks from cache lines when the phase of operation is completed.
US07917690B2
Each of a plurality of memory areas includes a plurality of blocks. Each of the blocks includes a plurality of pages. Each of the memory areas also includes a data cache and a page buffer. A control unit controls a lower-limit value of the number of empty blocks in each of the plurality of memory areas.
US07917688B2
An purpose of the invention is to immediately return the operation in a flash memory module from low power consumption mode to regular mode.A flash memory controller having memory that stores an address translation table for translating between a logical page address and a physical page address in the flash memory chip controls regular mode and low power consumption mode of operating at lower power consumption than in regular mode by halting operation, or decreasing power supply voltage or lowering operating frequency. A flash memory module having the flash memory controller verifies data in the address translation table while low power consumption mode is set.
US07917687B2
There is provided a flash memory apparatus for storing data aggregate having a plurality of types of data in and reproduce the data aggregate from a flash memory via a plurality of ports. The flash memory apparatus includes a plurality of access request units configure to request to write data in one block of the flash memory by aligning a writing position of one block data with a page unit on a data type basis of the flash memory when the data classified by type that are inputted via the ports corresponding to the access request units on the one-to-one basis are stored to reach an amount relative to one block of the flash memory, and an access controller configured to write the data in the flash memory during time division allocated per port based on the requests incited by the respective access request units.
US07917680B2
A communications arrangement is implemented for packet data communications control. According to an example embodiment of the present invention, a communications arrangement (100), such as a PCI Express type arrangement, carries out separate arbitration functions (112, 116, 117, 118) for ordering packet data. One of the arbitration functions (112) orders the packet data in accordance with protocol standards (e.g., to meet PCI Express standards when implemented with a PCI Express system). The other arbitration function (116, 117, 118) orders the packet data in accordance with performance standards while maintaining compliance with the protocol standards.
US07917679B2
A method and apparatus for operating a portable computer configured for docking to a docking station is disclosed. In one embodiment, a portable computer system includes a docking interface having a bus switch and a bus monitoring circuit, and a bus coupled to the docking interface. With the computer coupled to a docking station, the bus switch, when closed, may couple the bus to a peripheral interface in the docking station. The bus switch may close responsive to docking, thereby completing the electrical coupling of the bus to the peripheral interface in the docking station. The portable computer being docked to the docking station, the bus monitoring circuit may monitor the bus cycles occurring on the bus and identify trusted read and/or write cycles. During trusted bus cycles the monitoring circuit may operate to open the bus switch thereby preventing information transmitted during the trusted cycles to be accessible outside of the portable computer system, even with the portable computer system remaining docked to the docking station. The monitoring circuit may also operate to close the bus switch in response to a currently occurring trusted bus cycle being interrupted, aborted and/or completed.
US07917667B2
A system and method are disclosed which may include providing a processor operable to request an ongoing processor operation DMA communication task; providing at least one data transfer device operable to request a defined-content DMA communication task; providing a memory operable to conduct DMA communication with the processor and the at least one data transfer device over at least one data bus, the DMA communication having a bandwidth; and allocating the DMA communication bandwidth between the processor operation DMA communication task and the defined-content DMA communication task.
US07917664B2
A storage apparatus having a plurality of storage units for storing data comprises: a detecting module for detecting status information indicative of the operation environment of said storage apparatus; a controlling module for accessing said data in said storage unit, said controlling module performing processing in accordance with said status information; and a relaying module for relaying said data between said controlling module and said storage units, storing the status information, and transmitting said status information stored in said relaying module to said controlling module in response to a request from said controlling module.
US07917653B2
Disclosed is a SyncML data sync system and a data exchanging method thereof for data exchange between clients. A sync server receives data to be provided to another client and authentication of a target client to which the data is provided from a first client, and transmits a signal reporting that the data has been provided to the target client. A second client according to the authentication information of the target client transmits its own authentication information to the remote sync server if it receives the signal reporting that the data has been provided. The sync server receives the authentication information of the second client, authenticates whether the second client is the target client, and provides the data to the second client. Accordingly, the data can be exchanged between a certain client and another client.
US07917648B2
The present invention relates to a method and network element for scheduling data transmission in a packet data network, e.g. a differentiated services network. Data traffic of a predetermined traffic class is classified based on a predetermined traffic profile, e.g. responsive or non-responsive traffic, and an in-profile rate of the data traffic is estimated. Then, a weight determining a transmit order of queued data packets of said predetermined traffic class is adjusted according to the estimated in-profile rate. Thus, the data traffic is marked into different classes based on the traffic profile and a queue scheduler improves fairness between the classified flows in the packet data network. Thereby, enhanced fairness between traffic profiles can be achieved easily and effectively.
US07917646B2
A conflict resolution technique provides consistency such that all conflicts can be detected by at least one of the conflicting requestors if each node monitors all requests after that node has made its own request. If a line is in the Exclusive, Modified or Forward state, conflicts are resolved at the node holding the unique copy. The winner of the conflict resolution, and possibly the losers, report the conflict to the home node, which pairs conflict reports and issues forwarding instructions to assure that all requesting nodes eventually receive the requested data. If a requested cache line is either uncached or present only in the Shared state, the home node provides a copy of the cache node and resolves conflicts. In one embodiment, a blackout period after all responses until an acknowledgement message has been received allows all conflicting nodes to be aware of conflicts in which they are involved.
US07917643B2
Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a computer system that can transfer a digital information file to a removable media storage. The digital information file can include targeting information, which may include combined descrambling information and information identifying a mobile playback device. The mobile playback device can render the targeted digital information file if the information identifying the mobile playback device included in the targeting information corresponds to an identifier of the mobile playback device, so as to allow the mobile playback device to descramble the targeted digital information file using the descrambling information.
US07917631B2
A system useful within a network and adapted to provide communication security. In one embodiment, the network comprises an untrusted network, and the system includes network security apparatus adapted to create security associations between devices on the network, including mutual authentication. Traffic between the associated devices may be encrypted for e.g., data confidentiality and integrity protection. In one variant, the network security apparatus comprises a software entity disposed at least partly within the software stack of the devices. The associated devices may be for example fixed or portable, and may also act as a gateway to other networks (including the Internet). The portable devices may be untrusted (e.g., have an untrusted operating system).
US07917627B1
A method for providing security in a network environment is provided that includes receiving a flow that propagates through an access gateway, the flow being initiated by an end user associated with the flow and propagating through a network. Internet protocol (IP) address information may be gleaned from the flow at a network element. The method further includes recognizing a selected one of the end user being connected to the network and the end user being disconnected from the network such that the IP address information in the access gateway and the network element is substantially synchronized.
US07917623B2
A method and apparatus are provided for establishing communication sessions through the Internet. The method includes the steps of receiving a request from an Internet requester by a website for a communication session with an agent of the website, analyzing browser associated information relating to the request and selecting an agent for the communication session based upon a content of the analyzed browser associated information.
US07917622B2
On the basis of information of a first user, requesting delivery of content, received from a content reproduction apparatus, a content providing server refers to first and second storage section, as necessary, to specify a second user having purchased or reproduced the same content as the first user, then identify other music content having ever been purchased or reproduced by the second user and then delivers the other content to the first user. The content reproduction apparatus can store the content, delivered from the content providing server, in an overwriting fashion and reproduce the stored content. In this way, the first user is allowed to readily acquire various music content, fitting his or her taste, without performing any particular operation.
US07917621B2
Prior art quarantine networks were implemented by two methods, the IEEE802.1x method and the DHCP method, but these methods both have different problems. The problem with the IEEE802.1x method is that it is difficult to make the transition from an existing management framework. The problem with the DHCP method is that it is difficult to prevent attacks on the network itself, and to repeat client quarantine. The present invention implements client login authentication and client security status quarantine independently, and controls layer-2 connectivity based on the respective results. This permits quarantine using an existing management framework, as well as enhancing network protection by layer-2 connection control and permitting repeat quarantine of the client using the same IP address. Moreover, by incorporating other layer-2 connectivity control mechanisms, flexible layer-2 connectivity control outside the quarantine network can also be implemented.
US07917612B2
Techniques for determining a status of a streaming delivery of content are provided. During the streaming delivery of content between a device and a content provider, commands may be sent between the device and a content provider in order to facilitate the delivery of content. These commands may be intercepted by a command interpreter. The commands are then analyzed to determine a delivery status for the streaming delivery of content. For example, the sequence of commands may provide an indication as to whether the streaming delivery of content was successful or not. Based on the commands, the command interpreter determines if the streaming delivery of content should be considered successful from a billing standpoint. For example, a user that requested the streaming delivery of content may be billed based on whether the streaming delivery of content is considered successful or not.
US07917611B2
To measure the quality of service at the application level in a telecommunication network (N), a function (A) is provided for carrying out sessions at the application level on said network (N). Through this activation function (A), sessions are then carried out, measuring (F) and also storing (HK in a set of points (S1, . . . , Sk, Sn) of the network (N) data indicative of the behavior of said network. The possible occurrence of critical situations relating to quality of service is verified (B) and, upon the occurrence of a said critical situation, a trigger signal (Trigger) is generated. By effect of the generation of said trigger signal, the data indicative of the behavior of the network measured and stored in the aforesaid set of points of the network (N) are collected in centralized fashion (H). The data thus collected are indicative of the end-to-end quality of service of the network (N) itself. Preferential application to packet networks like mobile telephony network such as GPRS or UMTS networks.
US07917609B2
A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for managing a lightweight directory access protocol environment. A replication hierarchy is identified for a plurality of lightweight directory access protocol servers within the lightweight directory access protocol environment by querying the plurality of lightweight directory access protocol servers for replication information. Environment information is collected for the plurality of lightweight directory access protocol servers using the replication hierarchy, wherein the environment information for the plurality of lightweight directory access protocol servers is used to manage the lightweight directory access protocol environment.
US07917607B2
Exemplary methods and systems may associate data structures specific to a first tenant with a first tenant template, determine whether new data structures are specific to the first tenant, and if so, associate the new data structures with a second tenant template. By doing so, methods and systems may determine a difference between the first and second tenant templates, making it possible to upgrade a tenant based on the difference. With this capability a provider-tenant system may upgrade applications and data.
US07917602B2
A method, system, computer medium, and other embodiments for integrating unrelated web hosted services with stand-alone media-based devices are provided. Users can access and control the media-based device conveniently with a web-browser through various portals on the Internet. An application program interface allows the various web servers and portals to take advantage of the system. In one embodiment, users access the media-based device through one or more unrelated web portals, so as to control and to program the media-based device in a single web session, and to see information both stored on the media-based device and originating from third-party online sources of information and services in a single integrated presentation.
US07917592B1
During an initial scan of a journal inbox, journal reports are modified so that the Internet Message ID in the text body appears as a custom message ID value in a new custom message ID MAPI property created on the journal reports. Further, the message class value of the message class MAPI property on the journal reports is modified to a journal part. During a secondary scan of the journal inbox, related journal parts are grouped together based on the custom message ID value. Also, the message class value is modified to prevent the journal reports from being considered in subsequent initial or secondary scans. One of the journal reports of the group is selected as a master copy. A new custom related journal parts MAPI property is created on the master copy that includes a related journal parts value which is a list of identifiers that can be used to locate the other related journal parts of the group.
US07917589B2
In an embodiment, an instant message is received that includes data, a privacy indication, and an override indication. In an embodiment, if the privacy indication specifies that the data is non-private, then the data is presented. But, if the privacy indication specifies that the data is private, then a privacy notice is presented and the data is hidden until an acknowledgment of the privacy notice is received. The privacy notice may include a prompt for the acknowledgment. In an embodiment, if the privacy indication specifies that the data is private and the override indication allows the privacy indication to be overridden, the data is presented. In another embodiment, if the privacy indication specifies that the data is private, the override indication allows the privacy indication to be overridden, and a time period since a user interface device received input is less than a threshold amount of time, then the data is presented.
US07917587B2
A method and system for calculating the importance of persons based on interpersonal relationships and prioritizing communications based on importance of participants in the communications is provided. A prioritization system identifies relationships between persons and identifies the importance of a person to other persons based on these relationships. After the prioritization system identifies the importance of persons, the prioritization system can prioritize communications based on the importance of the senders or recipients.
US07917559B2
An integrated circuit (IC) is disclosed that includes a set of configurable logic circuits. Each configurable logic circuit configurably performs a set of functions. A particular configurable circuit receives configuration data defining a function for the particular configurable circuit. In some embodiments, one configuration of a configurable circuit is to add two input signals received by the configurable circuit. Also, in some embodiments, one configuration is to subtract two input signals received by a configurable circuit. In some such embodiments, each configurable logic circuit receives a first input signal, a second input signal, and a carry input signal and generates a propagate and generate signal for the add or subtract operation based on the inputs to the configurable circuit and the configuration of the configurable circuit.
US07917552B2
A method and system thereof for identifying records are described. Records on a node are distinguished from other records on the node by assigning each record a unique local identifier. When a record is moved from one node to another node, a unique global identifier is assigned to the record. A translation technique is employed to map the local identifier to the global identifier (and vice versa).
US07917538B2
Data moves between multiple, disparate data sources and the object-oriented computer programs that process the data. A data access server is interposed between the object-oriented programs and the data sources, and acts as an intermediary. The intermediary server receives requests for data access from object-oriented computer programs, correlates each request to one or more interactions with one or more data sources, performs each required interaction, consolidates the results of the interactions, and presents a singular response to the requesting computer program. The consolidated response from the intermediary server contains data items requested by the computer program, information regarding the hierarchical topology that relates the data items, and an indication of the possible object types that might embody the data items. The application program receives the consolidated response and builds an object hierarchy to embody the data items and to interface them to the rest of the application program. The class of an object used to embody data items is selected at execution time from a list of possible candidates.
US07917534B2
By modeling real-world application objects with complex structures, behaviors, and operations described by a schema which is enforced by the hardware/software interface system, various embodiments of the present invention provide rich sub-typing functionality by extending Items (and Item types) using “Extensions” which provide additional data structures (Properties, Relationships, etc.) to already existing Items type structures. Extensions are strongly typed instances that cannot exist independently and must be attached to an Item or a Nested Element. Extensions are also intended to address “multi-typing” issues by enabling the overlap of type instances (e.g., a Document may be a “legal document” as well a “secure document”).
US07917533B2
A master management system includes a duty master creating part that counts the number of users in each group of same-attribute users who desire to use each of the applications, that identifies the applications each of which the number of users desiring to use is equal to or larger than a predetermined number, that creates and stores a master in a master management database of a storage device; and an individual setting part that identifies virtualization-possible applications of the applications each of which the number of users desiring to use is equal to or smaller than the predetermined number, and that sets data on users desiring to use the virtualization-possible applications in the distribution destination list of a distributing server.
US07917531B2
The present invention pertains to an information processing apparatus which allows users to easily know content which others are allowed to check out. A management server 352 records data relevant to content which others are allowed to check out. A web server 351 receives a request for the data relevant to the content, and transmits the data relevant to the content when the data relevant to the content is requested. The present invention is applicable to an information processing apparatus for handling data relevant to copyright protected content.
US07917524B2
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for mockup data for a mockup object. In one exemplary embodiment, the method may include receiving, from a user, a name of the mockup object for which the mockup data should be created, wherein the object comprises one or more nodes. The method may also include receiving, from the user, a number of records to be created for each node of the object, determining whether to modify existing mockup data or create new mockup data for each node, receiving, from the user, a beginning range and an ending range for the mockup data, and generating, within the framework, the mockup data for each node of the object based on metadata stored within the framework and the beginning and ending range.
US07917518B2
For each image in a collection of images, a respective model of visual weight in the image and a respective model of color in the image are determined. An image query is generated from a target visual weight distribution and a target color template. For each of the images a respective score is calculated from the image query, the respective visual weight model, and the respective color model. At least one of the images is retrieved from a database based on the respective scores.
US07917515B1
Embodiments include methods and systems for processing XML documents. One embodiment is a system that includes a method of efficiently processing XML documents received concurrently from a plurality of network connections in the form of streams of data. Other embodiments include systems configured to perform such processing of streamed XML documents. Other embodiments include systems and methods of efficiently performing document processing using digests for identifying XML document structure.
US07917512B2
A workload specification, detailing specific queries and a frequency of execution of each of the queries, and a set of partitions, are obtained for the database, as inputs. A number of candidate tables are identified for the database, the tables having a plurality of attributes. A chosen attribute is allocated for each of the tables, to obtain a set of tables and a set of appropriate partitions for each of the tables.
US07917511B2
A query system comprises a search component, a grouping component, and a narrowing component. The search component is configured to apply search criteria to an input data set and to generate an output data set. The grouping component is configured to divide an input data set into multiple output data sets and to display aggregate information about the output data sets. The narrowing component is configured to receive a selection of input data sets and to generate an output data set that comprises data items belonging to the selected input data sets. The grouping component and the narrowing component may be invoked iteratively to further group or narrow output data sets generated by the search component, the grouping component, or the narrowing component.
US07917505B2
A system and method for publishing information to a community of users is disclosed. Published information is inclusive of, for example, calendar data, blog data and photographs. Communities may be defined by PIM data or automatically generated by a data aggregation server in response to a user-defined rubric. Published information may be provided to a recipient or in conjunction with a notification delivered to the recipient. Published data may be subject to certain read/write limitations.
US07917481B1
The present invention enables a large number of files to be processed for evidence of malicious content, independently of the file system that maintains the files. The processed files can be obtained from live data or a point-in-time copy (e.g., a snapshot) of the data, based on mapping information that maps the files to the physical storage device. In one embodiment, a method involves accessing mapping information corresponding to a set of data. The mapping information maps at least a portion of a file to a physical storage location. The portion of the file can be read from the physical storage location using the mapping information, without accessing a file system. The portion of the file can then be analyzed for evidence of malicious content.
US07917480B2
The disclosed embodiments enable multi-stage query scoring, including “snippet” generation, through incremental document reconstruction facilitated by a multi-tiered mapping scheme. The mapping scheme includes a first mapping between unique tokens contained in a set of documents and unique global token identifiers (e.g., 32-bit integers) contained in a global-lexicon (i.e., dictionary). The mapping scheme also includes a second mapping between the global token identifiers and a set of fixed-length local token identifiers (e.g., 8-bit integers) contained in one or more mini-lexicons (i.e., sub-dictionaries). Each mini-lexicon is associated with a range of token positions in the tokenized documents. The first and second mappings are used to encode/decode documents into local token identifiers having fixed widths which can be compactly stored in the tokenspace repository. The use of fixed-length local token identifiers allows for fast and efficient decoding of tokenized documents.
US07917470B2
A logging last resource (LLR) system can provide a transaction log and transaction data to a LLR resource after a number of two-phase-commit resources have been prepared. The LLR resource manager can operate on the transaction log and transaction data in an atomic fashion so that the local commit can be done. The local commit can be done by the LLR manager in an atomic manner.
US07917468B2
A system and method for linking information of one user to other users via a data aggregation server is provided. Various security settings govern the linking of information. Various methodologies for initiating a link of PIM data are also provided including automatic linking, targeted linking and requested linking. Implementations utilizing group profiles are also provided.
US07917467B2
A system and method for the resource-saving collaborative handling of data sets in a computer network is described. The method comprises the steps of providing a data set having an initial collaborative workflow, determining if the data set satisfies a set of one or more first start conditions to trigger a random function query, providing the data set to a random function if the random function query is triggered, stochastically determining, by the random function, whether or not to assign a modified collaborative workflow to the data set, and replacing the initial workflow with the modified workflow for the data set if the random function determines to assign the modified workflow.
US07917465B2
The method according to one embodiment of the present invention includes retrieving one or more terms or phrases comprising an instant messaging conversation in which one or more users are participating. One or more term vectors comprising one or more vector terms associated with the one or more retrieved terms or phrases comprising the instant messaging conversation are generated and one or more vector terms are selected from said term vectors. The one or more selected vector terms are displayed to the one or more users participating in the instant messaging conversation. An indication of a user selection of a given displayed vector term is received and one or more content items responsive to the selected vector term are identified.
US07917463B2
A computer implemented method for executing an ANSI SQL expression belonging to the SELECT-WHERE-equi-JOIN class on data residing in a distributed file system, said method comprising the steps of entering the ANSI SQL expression into a user interface; converting the ANSI SQL expression into a map-reduce program; running the map-reduce program on the distributed file system; storing the result set of the program in the distributed file system; and presenting the result set through a user interface.
US07917460B2
Systems and methods are provided for generating a decision network from text. An information extraction component extracts a quantum of evidence and an associated confidence value from a given text segment. An evidence classifier associates each quantum of evidence with one of a plurality of hypotheses. A fusion engine builds a decision network from the plurality of hypotheses, an associated base structure, the extracted quanta of evidence, and the confidence values.
US07917458B2
A computer-implemented geospatial and temporal data storage system and method provides access to geospatial and temporal data as it is associated with events and event-types, thereby assisting in forecasting occurrences of identifiable events and/or results based on signature and/or pattern matching.
US07917449B2
A method for system for career matching assessment matching. One or more electronic questionnaires that are designed to reflect models of working environments, problem solving, communication and inter-personal skills are presented via a communications network. Each candidate and/or employer fills in a separate questionnaire. The particular pattern of their answers provides a profile for both the job seeker and the employer. A matching process then assesses the amount of overlap between the profiles of different candidates and employers. Greater candidate-employer overlap yields superior job performance, higher levels of job satisfaction and longer retention.
US07917448B2
A notes function and a diary function for an online dating service is provided. Each subscriber to the online dating service has access to a message center for communicating messages between candidates. The messages in the message center are organized as threads. Additionally, a subscriber may create and edit a note associated with a candidate and/or an email message between the subscriber and the candidate. The note is by default accessible to the subscriber and inaccessible to the candidate. Furthermore, the message center can provide a facility for enabling a subscriber to create a diary regarding online dating service activities. The diary can include the authored notes, summaries, impressions, videos, movies, pictures, graphics, colors, messages, threaded messages, threaded list views, and the like.
US07917436B2
An Internet billing method comprises establishing an agreement between an Internet access provider and a customer, and an agreement between the Internet access provider and a vendor, wherein the Internet access provider agrees with the customer and the vendor to bill the customer and remit to the vendor for products and services purchased over the Internet by the customer from the vendor. The provider creates access to the Internet for the customer. When the customer orders a product or service over the Internet from a vendor, transactional information transmitted between the customer and the vendor is also transmitted to the provider. The provider then bills the transaction amount to the customer and remits a portion of the transaction amount to the vendor, keeping the differential as a fee for providing the service. As a result of this method, there is no need for any customer account numbers or vendor account numbers to be transmitted over the Internet, thereby maintaining the security of that information.
US07917435B2
A system can have a plurality of participating entities including a plurality of receivers and a plurality of originators. A data file indicative of an account restructuring of a given one of the receivers can be obtained. The data file specifies at least one old account number associated with the receiver and at least one new account number associated with the receiver. The data is placed in a conversion data structure in a format to facilitate account number conversion. Remittance data, including the old or new account number of the receiver, is obtained from a given one of the participating entities, and is routed in accordance with the old or new account number in the remittance data, and the data structure.
US07917433B2
An automated method and computer program product are provided for processing a large deposit that exceeds an established deposit insurance limit so that the large deposit is fully insured. The large deposit is received from a depositor by a first one of a plurality of unaffiliated banks. A processor receives an order placed by the first unaffiliated bank to process the large deposit. The first unaffiliated bank offers a first set of deposit terms to a first depositor. The processor assigns a portion of the large deposit not exceeding the established deposit insurance limit to a second one of the plurality of unaffiliated banks. The second unaffiliated bank offers a second set of deposit terms to a second depositor. The processor calculates the amount of a present value payment to be transferred between the first unaffiliated bank and the second unaffiliated bank to compensate for differences between the first and second sets of deposit terms.
US07917428B2
A trading screen displays market information, such as working orders, buy and sell orders, and other items of interest, in association with values on a value axis. Each item of interest is therefore displayed in relation to the value axis to provide a trader with an intuitive display of the market. In one embodiment, a user can select a location associated with a particular value on the trading screen and upon an selection, for example, by a click of the mouse button, the value axis is repositioned so that the selected value is moved to a predefined location. During which, market information is moved to new locations that are associated with their respective values on the value axis.
US07917426B1
A system and method for displaying quantity related information determined for a plurality of time periods are described. According to one method, a trader may define one or more time periods for which a trading application may determine traded quantities, traded buys, traded sells, or other quantity related information at a plurality of price levels during the defined time periods. The trading application may then graphically display the quantities for each time period in relation to the static axis of prices. The method further includes periodically updating the displayed traded quantity to reflect the quantity during the defined time period, where the quantity is updated based on subsequent market updates that are received from the exchange for the tradable object.
US07917425B2
Preferred embodiments of the subject invention comprise: (a) electronically receiving securities order-related data regarding a set of securities market participants; (b) electronically storing the received order-related data regarding the set of securities market participants; (c) electronically receiving a securities order-related query (or order parameters) from a first securities market participant; (d) based on the order-related query (or order parameters) received from the first securities market participant and on the securities order-related data regarding the set of securities market participants, computing a dissemination list of securities market participants based on ranking likely contras by probability of execution; and (e) transmitting that dissemination list to an entity who has been granted the privilege of receiving such lists in exchange for being contractually bound to respect confidentiality of the dissemination list and to use the list only for the purpose of sending securities-related information to members of the list.
US07917422B2
A computer implemented system is provided for exchanging shares in an exchange traded product. A display is provided for displaying data representing shares of an exchange traded product comprising a leveraged portfolio of securities satisfying capitalization and performance criteria, the securities within the portfolio being weighted and having an expected future performance return greater than securities comprising a benchmark. The leveraged exchange traded product is configured for trading shares of the leveraged exchange traded product at a real time determined price related to the underlying price of each of the selected securities comprising the leveraged exchange traded product and related to the respective weightings of the selected securities. The exchange traded product can be open ended. An exchange computer is also provided for processing the exchange of the shares at a price related to the price of the securities within the leveraged portfolio, the exchange computer being configured to transmit data indicative of trades which occur intra-day over a communication network to an exchange clearing computer.
US07917417B2
An intelligent and automated system and method for establishment, collection, and maintaining of organizational and personal portfolios. In relationship to the present invention the term intelligent refers to the systems program structure which facilitates simple user entry while performing complex operations and manipulations, transparent to the individual. The term automated relates to the structured computer algorithms implementing the present system. Additionally, users may customize interfaces and functions to improve their interactions with the present invention. Also multiple selected copies may be collected into repositories as the user desires. The present system functionality is offered as a complete package with hardware and software available through any internet connection. The combination of native code with design patterns to isolate repeated elements improves reliability and stability of system operation.
US07917416B2
Systems and methods for hedging against stock price fluctuations are provided. These systems and methods are preferably directed towards providing executives holding company stock options with opportunities to limit their exposure to fluctuations in the price of stock issued by such companies. This is established through entering into transactions involving stock options with a counterparty.
US07917413B2
A system and method for billing for network usage for broadcast transmission to broadcast message receiving devices located within a broadcast target area includes validating the broadcast message record for transmission over a broadcast transmission network and generating a validated broadcast message record as a function of the validating. The method also includes determining a density of broadcast receiving devices associated with the broadcast transmission network in the broadcast target area, calculating an area for message broadcast transmission within the broadcast target area served by the broadcast transmission network, and determining a length of the broadcast message contained within the validated broadcast message record. The method further includes calculating an incurred broadcast message billing amount for the broadcast message as a function of the determined broadcast message length, the calculated broadcast area, the determined density, the broadcast message originator identifier, and a broadcast transmission network billing rate parameter.
US07917410B2
A method for real time accrual basis accounting may involve detecting a purchase made via a computer network and obtaining a guarantee for the payment via the network based on the determined method of payment. The guarantee may be an escrow account or an insurance policy that guarantees payment. The premium may be charged back to the client. At least a portion of the proceeds of from the sale may be recorded as income in a general ledger database in real time. Network-enabled assets may provide automated depreciation updates to further automate the accounting process.
US07917407B1
A method of determining a computer system is provided. The method comprises categorizing the criticality level of each application based on a business impact assessment. The method includes identifying computer system configurations for an application based on a decision tree and on the criticality level of the application. The method also includes providing a computer system selected based on the computer system configurations.
US07917406B2
Introduction service is supported, in order to activate and facilitate community activities. A community management center 1 searches for offered-service information that matches at least partly with an application designated by a coordinator terminal 2, and selects participants specified by detected offered-service information, as introduction candidates. Then, an introduction candidate list that describes private information, desired terms, and possessed value of ticket for each of the selected introduction candidates is displayed on a coordinator terminal 2. When the coordinator terminal 2 selects a participant to be introduced to the applicant, out of the introduction candidates described in the introduction candidate list, then, the private information and the desired terms of selected participant is displayed on a participant terminal 3 of the applicant.
US07917400B1
The environmental impact of various transactions can be reduced or offset by determining the impact of various shipping and packaging options, and providing these options to customers. Customers then have the ability to select options that reduce the environmental impact of each transaction. A customer also can purchase environmental offsets to offset the determined impact. Customers can be provided with environmental impact information determined or tracked for each item viewed by the customer, such that each customer can be informed of the additional impact of each individual when making a selection. The selections and/or actions of a customer can be tracked such that environmentally friendly options and suggestions can be provided for subsequent transactions.
US07917398B2
A system and method of illustrating where at least one ticket is located in an event venue, comprising: accepting event criteria for at least one ticket and at least one event; accepting price criteria for the at least one ticket and the at least one event; displaying an interactive graphics-based event venue map illustrating a location of all sections at a venue with at least one ticket meeting the event criteria and price criteria; accepting section selection criteria, at least one section being selected from the interactive graphics-based event venue map; displaying ticket information in a web browsing language corresponding to the section selection criteria, the displayed ticket information in the web browsing language being able to be utilized to drill down to a specific ticket, causing a location of the specific ticket to be displayed in the interactive graphics-based event venue map; and enabling a capability to utilize the interactive graphics-based event venue map to choose a section of interest, causing corresponding ticket information to be displayed in the web browsing language.
US07917397B1
An e-commerce method involving on-line viewing of commercial article through a linking node for virtual merging on another structure. The method includes providing a host site accessible to an on-line viewer (shopper) and web-linkable to a retailer having an apparel site. These articles can be apparel from retail stores for viewing over the web, and the on-line viewer is linked to the host site. The shopper provides a personal-body structure, such as a photograph of a person captured in system memory, which is stored at the shopper's PC. Alternatively, the personal-body structure can be stored at the host site. Using the host site, the shopper is linked to the retailer's apparel site and images of articles are passed from that site to the host site. The images of articles are merged with the personal-body structure for view by the shopper.
US07917393B2
This invention uses probabilistic correlation techniques to increase sensitivity, reduce false alarms, and improve alert report quality in intrusion detection systems. In one preferred embodiment, an intrusion detection system includes at least two sensors to monitor different aspects of a computer network, such as a sensor that monitors network traffic and a sensor that discovers and monitors available network resources. The sensors are correlated in that the belief state of one sensor is used to update or modify the belief state of another sensor. In another embodiment of this invention, probabilistic correlation techniques are used to organize alerts generated by different sensors in an intrusion detection system. By comparing features of each new alert with features of previous alerts, rejecting a match if a feature fails to meet or exceed a minimum similarity value, and adjusting the comparison by an expectation that certain feature values will or will not match, the alerts can be grouped in an intelligent manner.
US07917392B2
A system is described for separating mobile search traffic from web search traffic. The system may include a processor, a memory and an interface. The memory may store a keyword, mobile data related to the keyword, web data related to the keyword, and a search request. The interface may communicate with a user. The processor may be operatively connected to the interface and the memory and may store the mobile data and web data in the memory. The processor may receive a search request from a user via the interface and may determine if the search request is mobile traffic or web traffic. The processor may then retrieve and serve the mobile data to the user if the search request is mobile traffic, or may retrieve and serve the web data to the user if the search request is web traffic.
US07917391B2
A method for creating solicitations based on geolocalization and observation. At remote terminal, a need is identified and a solicitation based on that need is created at a server based on commands sent over a network, such as a wireless network. In an example embodiment, a roofing company worker passing through a residential area spots a roof in need of work and based on the location of the spotter, transmits a command to a server to generate a mailing (e.g., email or regular mail) to the address responsively to the GPS data and other data.
US07917388B2
An interactive marketing communication and transaction services platform for managing personalized customer relationships. The platform facilitates communication and transactions between consumers, retailers and manufacturers, by helping suppliers customize product/service offerings, presentations and advertising messages to reflect individual consumers' needs, while providing portals with premium advertising messages for personal interactive info/news/entertainment services. The core of the platform consists of i) a central database system with ‘product/retail information’ and ‘holistic purchase-behavior specific consumer profiles’, generated by registering on-line product/retail information retrieved by consumers, as well as purchases made both on-line and in-store, using a loyalty card; ii) software applications, that create ‘market intelligence’ on manufacturer/retailer offers, consumer purchase needs, market performance of products/retailers and impact of brand/retailer presentations and ads on consumer purchase behavior; and iii) standard performance indicators, that make it possible to benchmark individual consumer communication programs against each other.
US07917385B2
Methods and computer systems for forecasting demand and availability of resources of a geographic region are provided. Physical, operational, traffic and construction data for a geographic region for a specified time period is utilized to compare the operational needs for at least one resource for a geographic region to the available resources to forecast demands and availability of the at least one resource for the geographic region over the specified time period and determine whether the demand for the at least one resource exceeds the availability of the at least one resource. The forecasted demand and availability of the at least one resource for the geographic region for the specified time period is stored and presented.
US07917383B2
An enhanced business reporting methodology and system architecture provide a way to receive, store, and manipulate customer and revenue data to increase average revenue per user for a business. The system and method analyze a business's current revenue streams and historical revenue trends to identify those revenue streams that may benefit from stimulation, assess the effectiveness of past marketing campaigns, select a revenue stream and strategy to increase the revenue for the selected revenue stream, select a previously successful marketing campaign consistent with the selected strategy. The system and method analyze the customer base to identify characteristics of customers who have responded positively to previous marketing campaigns and whose revenue has increased as a result, in order to create statistical models to identify customers with similar traits, and apply the statistical models to score and select customers to contact during future campaigns.
US07917381B1
A compensation system is provided which assigns compensations to nodes in specific paths within a hierarchical network. The system receives a task and a compensation method from an original poster and generates an original, uniquely identifiable posting, which can be viewed by various contacts. If any of these contacts is unwilling or unable to achieve the task, then they can generate a derived uniquely identifiable posting based on the original posting, which can then be viewed by one or more of their contacts. This process is repeated until an Nth level contact achieves the task, forming a hierarchical network of contacts with the original poster as a root node of the network. The contacts in the chain of contacts from the original poster to the achieving contact are compensated according to the stated compensation method. Contacts not in the achieving contact path are compensated differently from those in the path.
US07917376B2
Systems and methods are provided for facilitating management of health care in medical facilities such as hospitals, clinics, emergency rooms, etc., for example by monitoring and assessing the quality of patient care. Data is collected and operated on relating to medical conditions, treatment, cost, care, events, outcomes and results of treatments, and data representing the collective experience of similar patients is mined to discover opportunities to improve the quality of health care. Statistical and comparative data and reports including such and other information indicate a quality of care and provide epidemiologically cogent information. Quality of care may be considered as achieving desired or expected norms of performance, including success, in a timely fashion, and can be judged not just by what functionally happens during a patient instigated encounter, but also by long term outcomes evidenced by the patient's passage through the health care delivery system.
US07917375B2
A medicine management apparatus 100 includes: a medicine storage 148 which stores a plurality of medicines used at a site of medical care; a storage and retrieval detector 146 which, when a medicine handling personnel manipulates the apparatus to store or retrieve an accommodated medicine to be accommodated in the apparatus, physically detects the target accommodated medicine for which the apparatus is manipulated, differentiating it from the other accommodated medicines; and a counter 150 which counts each type of the plurality of accommodated medicines. An injection prescription receiver 152 receives injection prescription data from an external prescription analyzer 250. A retrieval determining unit 124 determines whether the accommodated medicine detected as being retrieved is the accommodated medicine directed by the injection prescription data to be retrieved. A retrieval completion notification unit 154 transmits a retrieval completion signal to the prescription analyzer 250, prompted by the completion of the retrieval of the accommodated medicine directed by the prescription data to be retrieved.
US07917374B2
Method and system for identifying safety concerns regarding a new drug. In one example, a database of healthcare claims is utilized and the method may include identifying from the database a first group of patients that have received the drug; extracting one or more medical events that the first group of patients have experienced; identifying a second group of patients that have received a comparator drug; extracting one or more medical events that the second group of patients have experienced; and comparing the one or more medical events of the first group to the one or more medical events of the second group to determine one or more common occurrences therebetween. The method may also include computing a probability value for each of the one or more common occurrences. In this way, embodiments of the present invention may be used to identify and quantify the probability that certain medical events will occur to patients taking the new drug.
US07917368B2
A computer implemented method facilitates a user interaction via a speech-based user interface. The method acquires spoken input from a user in a form of a phrase of one or more words. It further determines, using a plurality of different domains, whether the phrase is a query or a command. If the phrase is the query the method retrieves and presents relevant items from a plurality of databases. If the phrase is a command, the method performs an operation.
US07917366B1
According to one embodiment of the present invention a computerized voice-analysis device for determining an S,H,G profile is provided (as described herein, such an S,H,G profile relates to the strengths (e.g., relative strengths) of three human instinctive drives). Of note, the present invention may be used for one or more of the following: analyzing a previously recorded voice sample; real-time analysis of voice as it is being spoken; combination voice analysis—that is, a combination of: (a) previously recorded and/or real-time voice; and (b) answers to a questionnaire.
US07917358B2
A transient in a digital audio signal can be detected by generating a first set of spectral characteristics associated with a first portion of the digital audio signal and a second set of spectral characteristics associated with a second portion of the digital audio signal, wherein the first and second portions of the digital audio signal partially overlap, comparing values in the first set of spectral characteristics with corresponding values in the second set of spectral characteristics to generate a set of ratios, weighting the set of ratios, and analyzing at least a portion of the weighted set of ratios to detect a transient associated with the first portion of the digital audio signal. Further, an indicator identifying the presence of a detected transient can be output. Additionally, one or more ratios in the set of ratios can be weighted based on amplitude, frequency, or a power function.
US07917355B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, in which data from web documents are partitioned into a training corpus and a development corpus are provided. First word probabilities for words are determined for the training corpus, and second word probabilities for the words are determined for the development corpus. Uncertainty values based on the word probabilities for the training corpus and the development corpus are compared, and new words are identified based on the comparison.
US07917353B2
A hybrid n-gram/lexical analysis tokenization system including a lexicon and a hybrid tokenizer operative to perform both N-gram tokenization of a text and lexical analysis tokenization of a text using the lexicon, and to construct either of an index and a classifier from the results of both of the N-gram tokenization and the lexical analysis tokenization, where the hybrid tokenizer is implemented in at least one of computer hardware and computer software and is embodied within a computer-readable medium.
US07917339B2
Heat trace system design is disclosed. In some embodiments, pipe system data including data associated with pipe system components is received, and in response to receiving a selection of a pipe system component, data associated with a set of one or more pipe system components including the selected pipe system component is automatically extracted from the received pipe system data. One or more heat trace system components for the set of pipe system components are determined based at least in part on the extracted data.
US07917336B2
A computer system that processes mixtures of signals, such as speech and noise sources derived from multiple simultaneous microphone recordings, in order to separate them into their underlying sources. A source separation routine optimizes a filter structure by minimizing cross powers of multiple output channels while enforcing geometric constraints on the filter response. The geometric constraints enforce desired responses for given locations of the underlying sources, based on the assumption that the sources are localized in space.
US07917329B2
An electronic balance 1 is provided with a measured weight storage controlling portion 33 for storing measured weight in sequence, a measuring mode storing portion 42 for storing a number of measuring modes where different averaging parameters are preset, an input portion for a measuring mode 72 which carries out an input operation for selecting one measuring mode from among a number of measuring modes, and an average weight display controlling portion 31 for calculating the average weight by averaging the number of measured weight on the basis of the averaging parameter in the measuring mode and displays the average weight in a display portion 60, and is characterized in that the electronic balance is further provided with an input portion 71 for making a modification which carries out an input operation for making a modification on the averaging parameter in the selected measuring mode, and the average weight display controlling portion 31 calculates the average weight by averaging the number of measured weight on the basis of the averaging parameter where a modification is made and displays the average weight in the display portion 60.
US07917325B2
In a method for error containment and diagnosis in a fluid power system the fluid volumetric flow of the overall system or at least a part thereof or a quantity dependent thereon is detected as a measurement quantity respectively during an operating cycle and is compared with stored references. In each case at the point in time of a deviation or change in the deviation from the reference the method finds at which component or at which components (10 through 14) in the system an event has occurred influencing the fluid consumption in order to then to recognize same as subject to error. In the case of such a deviation or change therein and the simultaneous occurrence of several activities influencing fluid consumption by several components (10 through 14) a process of exclusion is performed, in which during the following activities involving at least one of such components (10 through 14) a check is made to see whether a deviation or a change in the deviation has occurred, and in each of such further examination steps the components involved are excluded from such further examination, if no deviation or change in the deviation takes place.
US07917318B2
A design structure for a circuit for measuring the absolute duty cycle of a signal anywhere on an integrated circuit device is provided. The circuit has a plurality of substantially identical pulse shaper elements, each of which expand the pulse of an input signal whose duty cycle is to be measured by a same amount. The outputs of the pulse shaper elements may be coupled to substantially identical divider circuits whose outputs are coupled to a multiplexer that selects two inputs for output to a set of master/slave configured flip-flops, one input serving as a clock and the other as data to the flip-flops. The flip-flops sample the divider outputs selected by the multiplexer to detect if the dividers have failed or not. The outputs of the flip-flops are provided to an XOR gate which outputs a duty cycle signal indicative of the duty cycle of the input signal.
US07917310B2
A fault detector for detecting valve movement of a valve in a fuel injector of an engine system, the valve includes an electromagnetic actuator arranged to move the valve between first and second valve positions, the engine system includes a sensor for sensing a current through the actuator. The detector includes a controller arranged to control the sensor; receive sensor data related to the current through the actuator; analyze the received data for current discontinuities; and output a valve movement signal dependent upon the current discontinuities. The controller is arranged to sense current during a finite sampling window, move the sampling window from a first window position to a later window position for one or more subsequent injection events; determine a new sampling window position on based a valve movement signal output the two preceding windows; and feedback the new sampling window position for a subsequent injection event.
US07917308B2
The invention relates to a process for determining a molecular weight distribution in a polymer. When a polymer is prepared, chains of different length are formed. Correspondingly, a distribution of the molecular weights of the chains of a polymer arises.It is an object of the invention to be able to determine the molecular weight distribution in an improved manner compared to the prior art.The object of the invention is achieved by describing starting data G*(ω) available in numerical form, i.e. the complex shear modulus measured as a function of frequency or the mastercurve constructed therefrom, are described by an analytical function. In this way, exact knowledge of the relaxation behaviour is available in improved form, in particular also in the case of prolonged relaxation times. This enables a valid determination of the relaxation time spectrum and hence a fundamentally more valid calculation of the molecular weight distribution.
US07917297B2
The present invention relates generally to systems, methods, storage media, and software arrangements for genotyping and/or haplotyping a sequence of polymorphic genetic loci in a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sample or identifying a strain variant from the DNA sample. Exemplary embodiments of systems, methods, storage media, and software arrangements may perform the optimization of the design of one or more microarrays, each containing a set of oligonucleotide probes capable of detecting one or more known genotypes and/or haplotypes at given polymorphic genetic loci or identifying the strain variant, by optimizing the set of oligonucleotides to be incorporated into the microarrays and by optimizing the arrangement of a set of oligonucleotides on the microarrays. The optimization may be achieved through the application of one or more optimization procedures. The instant invention may be useful in typing individuals at the HLA loci or other polymorphic genetic loci, or may be employed to quickly identify viral or bacterial pathogens from which genome sequence information is available.
US07917289B2
A display system for a vehicle includes a navigation database storing navigation data; a terrain sensor configured to gather terrain data; a processor adapted to receive the navigation data and the terrain data and operable to supply one or more image rendering display commands based upon the navigation data and the terrain data; and a display device. The display device is coupled to receive the image rendering display commands and operable, in response thereto, to render (i) a perspective view image representative of the terrain data and the navigation data and including terrain and (ii) at least one line on the perspective view image that extends at least partially across the terrain and represents at least one of a ground-referenced range to a fixed location on the terrain and a vehicle-referenced range from the vehicle to a fixed range away from the vehicle.
US07917286B2
Optical character recognition (OCR) for images such as a street scene image is generally a difficult problem because of the variety of fonts, styles, colors, sizes, orientations, occlusions and partial occlusions that can be observed in the textual content of such scenes. However, a database query can provide useful information that can assist the OCR process. For instance, a query to a digital mapping database can provide information such as one or more businesses in a vicinity, the street name, and a range of possible addresses. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, this mapping information is used as prior information or constraints for an OCR engine that is interpreting the corresponding street scene image, resulting in much greater accuracy of the digital map data provided to the user.
US07917284B2
A mobile computing device, including a main body, a processor and associated memory housed within the main body, a display screen housed within the main body and responsive to signals from the processor, an optical sensor fixed to the main body for capturing successive images and providing image signals representative of the captured images to the processor, and a navigation module associated with the processor for determining, based on the image signals, a relative movement between the main body and a reference surface and moving a pointer on the display screen based on the determined relative movement.
US07917283B2
A predicted boat speed value generator, in accordance with one or more embodiments, receives an engine rotation signal, an intake pressure value, and other detection signals including shift position, and provides a predicted boat speed value. A control signal generator determines the fuel injection amount, the amount of air, and the ignition timing based on the predicted boat speed to provide respective control signals. The predicted boat speed value generator includes a predicted boat speed mapped value extraction process to search through the predicted boat speed value map during the constant speed operation and acceleration, based on the rotational speed and the intake pressure, to extract the predicted boat speed mapped value “d” for output. A predicted decelerating boat speed value output process establishes the initial predicted boat speed value to provide the attenuated predicted boat speed value in every cycle.
US07917280B2
In order to operate an internal combustion engine, a fresh-air quantity, a residual-gas quantity and a fuel quantity are provided as a function of a load demand. During a change of load from a first to a second load demand, provision is made for the residual-gas quantity to first be provided according to the first load demand and for the fuel quantity to first be provided according to the second load demand.
US07917279B2
A spark ignition type internal combustion engine comprises a variable compression ratio mechanism able to change a mechanical compression ratio, a variable valve timing mechanism able to control a closing timing of an intake valve, and an air flow control valve controlling an air flow in a cylinder and able to control the amount of intake air fed into a combustion chamber. The mechanical compression ratio is made maximum so as to obtain the maximum expansion ratio at the time of engine low load operation and the actual compression ratio at the time of engine low load operation is made an actual compression ratio substantially the same as that at the time of engine medium and high load operation. When the engine load is in an extremely low load region, the air flow control valve is used to control an amount of intake air fed into the combustion chamber. Due to this, a high heat efficiency can be realized even in a region where the amount of intake air is difficult to control by changing the closing timing of the intake valve.
US07917271B2
When an accelerator opening Acc is smaller than a flat road threshold Aref1, an ECO indicator is illuminated, and when the accelerator opening Acc is equal to or larger than a climbing road threshold Aref2 larger than the flat road threshold Aref1, the ECO indicator is extinguished (S120 and S220), when the accelerator opening Acc is equal to or larger than the flat road threshold Aref1 and smaller than the climbing road threshold Aref2, the previous state of the ECO indicator is maintained until climbing road determination performed based on a vehicle speed V is finished, and when the climbing road determination is finished, the ECO indicator is illuminated or extinguished based on the result of the determination.
US07917268B2
A clutch engagement control system for a vehicle transmission. The system comprises an automatic transmission gearset and at least one hydraulic clutch coupled to the gearset. A hydraulic pressure controller is coupled to the clutch. A clutch engagement controller is coupled to the pressure controller, and an altitude sensor is coupled to the clutch engagement controller. The clutch engagement controller is configured to receive from the altitude sensor an altitude signal corresponding to the altitude of the vehicle. The clutch engagement controller adjusts a hydraulic pressure request of the pressure controller in accordance with the altitude signal, such that the clutch engages with at least one of a rate and pressure corresponding to the sensed altitude. A method employs the system.
US07917265B2
A control system for a mobile excavation machine is disclosed. The control system may have a ground engaging work tool, a sensor, and a controller. The sensor may be configured to sense a parameter indicative of a current travel speed of the mobile excavation machine and generate a speed signal in response thereto. The controller may be in communication with the ground engaging work tool and the sensor, and configured to receive the signal. The controller may also be configured to determine an amount of material currently being moved by the work tool and calculate a current productivity value associated with removal of the material based on the speed signal and the determined amount of material currently being moved. The controller may be further configured to control the ground engaging work tool to vary the amount of material currently being moved in response to the current productivity value.
US07917264B2
A seat apparatus for a vehicle having a side support portion that is controlled depending on a road condition, includes a distance calculating means for calculating a distance of a straight portion between a first curve, on which a vehicle is supposed to be driven, and a second curve, on which the vehicle is supposed to be driven after the first curve, based on an electronic map data, a first controlling level calculating means for calculating a first controlling level at which the side support portion is controlled when the vehicle is driven on the first curve, a second controlling level calculating means for calculating a second controlling level at which the side support portion is controlled when the vehicle is driven on the straight portion, and a driving means for operating the side support portion based on the first controlling level and the second controlling level.
US07917263B2
An activation system for a passenger protection device comprises a pair of communication wires, a central unit for detecting currents flowing in the communication wires, and a satellite unit for varying the currents flowing in the communication wires based on output data of an acceleration detection sensor. The central unit calculates a sum of the detected currents and compares the sum with a first predetermined level to detect the output data of the sensor. The central unit also calculates a difference between the detected currents and compares the difference with a second predetermined level, thereby detecting failure in the communication wires and stopping activation of the passenger protection device.
US07917262B2
An ECU executes a program that includes the steps of: sensing an accelerator position (S100); calculating a target engine torque of a manipulating system “a” from the accelerator position (S200); holding the target engine torque of the manipulating system “a” (S300); calculating a target driving force of the manipulating system “A” from the target engine torque of the manipulating system “a” (S400); arbitrating in driving force between the target driving force of the manipulating system “A” and the target driving force of the supporting system “B” (S500); and, if the target driving force of the manipulating system “A” is selected as a result of the arbitration (NO in S600), outputting the held target engine torque of the manipulating system “a” as the target engine torque to the engine ECU (S900).
US07917259B2
A method and system for conducting a vehicle service comprises the steps of receiving signals representative of vehicle parameters, accessing data and/or software necessary for performing the vehicle service from at least one remote computer over a data transmission network, and performing signal processing related to the vehicle service based on the signals representative of the vehicle parameters and the accessed data and/or software. Since the data and/or software necessary for conducting the vehicle diagnostic analysis is distributed in different systems that are connected via a data communication network, an automotive service system can minimize the size of software stored locally and can access most of the information and/or algorithm required for conducting the vehicle diagnostic analysis from a remote system.
US07917253B2
A method for obtaining vehicle-related data from a vehicle equipped with a telematics unit and making that data temporarily available to a third party that has been approved by an authorized user, such as the vehicle owner. This enables the authorized user to decide which third parties, if any at all, are to receive vehicle-related data so that they may take advantage of any promotions or other services that are offered by the third parties. The vehicle-related data is preferably maintained on a temporary basis so that after the occurrence of an event, such as the expiration of a predetermined period of time or after the authorized third party has already accessed the vehicle-related data, the data is deleted.
US07917245B2
Objects to be transported which are transported between at least one storage unit and a plurality of manufacturing apparatuses by a plurality of transport vehicles in accordance with a command of a controller are managed inexpensively and easily and with high reliability. An ID card 20 incorporating a wireless communication function is installed on all carriers 18, and an ID read/write unit 25 is installed in some transport vehicles 10. Further, a carrier ID is read or written with respect to the ID card 20 in accordance with a command of an MCS 4 connected to the ID read/write unit 25, so as to manage the carrier ID by a carrier ID management unit 4a.
US07917243B2
A method for generating build sequence data for a computer-aided design model of a three-dimensional object, the method comprising identifying a location of an insert data representation in the computer-aided design model, slicing the computer-aided design model into a plurality of sliced layers, generating a plurality of support layers for at least a portion of the plurality of sliced layers, and generating an unfilled region in the computer-aided design model at the identified location of the insert data representation.
US07917238B1
A portable music device which integrates certain features of a personal music listening device with certain features of a personal audio recorder whereby a user can listen through headphones to a music selection containing both the instrumental score and/or integrated vocals. Utilizing the device, the user can sing through a microphone connected to the device while simultaneously listening to one or more parts of the music score/lyric tracks to create a music recording of the user's voice lyrics without recording the instrumental score and/or the integrated vocals. The portable music device may include or work with a system that includes features to procure, store and manage (both electronically and legally) copyrighted music.
US07917234B2
Methods, apparatuses and systems that facilitate the design, production and/or measurement tasks associated with manufacturing and other processes. In one embodiment, the present invention provides an understanding of how the multiple characteristics of a given process output are related to each other and to process inputs. This knowledge facilitates a reduction in measurement costs. It also facilitates an understanding of the sometimes complex interrelationships between design targets, design tolerances, process inputs, process control variables, average process output and variation in the process output. As disclosed in more detail below, embodiments of the present invention facilitate 1.) determination of design target values, 2.) determination of design application limits, 3.) design of process inputs, 4.) determination of process control variable settings, and/or 5.) reduction of measurement costs.
US07917228B2
An adaptor, including a housing and a flexible circuit, facilitates electrical connection between a connector of an implantable medical lead and an external medical device. The adaptor housing includes an inner surface forming a longitudinally extending connector receptacle and a first portion of the flexible circuit is adapted to be positioned within the connector receptacle, substantially conforming to the inner surface, such that at least one contact portion of the flexible circuit is directed inward and positioned in a location corresponding with at least one ring contact of the lead connector when the lead connector is engaged within the receptacle. A second portion of the flexible circuit is adapted to reside outside the housing such that at least one contact pad, coupled to the at least one contact portion via a conductive pathway, is accessible for coupling to at least one contact element of the external medical device.
US07917219B2
An EMI filter capacitor assembly and implantable passive electronic network components utilize biocompatible and non-migratable materials to adapt the electronic components for direct body fluid exposure. The assembly includes a capacitor having first and second sets of electrode plates which are constructed of non-migratable biocompatible material. A conductive hermetic terminal of non-migratable and biocompatible material adjacent to the capacitor is conductively coupled to the second set of electrode plates. One or more conductive terminal pins having at least an outer surface of non-migratable and biocompatible material are conductively coupled to the first set of electrode plates, while extending through the hermetic terminal in non-conductive relation. The terminal pins may be in direct contact with the first set of electrode plates, or in contact with a termination surface of conductive connection material. The termination surface is also constructed of non-migratable and biocompatible materials.
US07917210B2
A pacing system delivers cardiac protection pacing to protect the heart from injuries associated with ischemic events. The pacing system detects an ischemic event and, in response, initiates one or more cardiac protection pacing sequences each including alternative pacing and non-pacing periods. In one embodiment, the pacing system initiates cardiac protection pacing sequences including at least one postconditioning sequence to protect the heart from a detected ischemic event and a plurality prophylactic preconditioning sequences to protect the heart from probable future ischemic events.
US07917204B2
In a method and device for measuring an electrical bio-impedance of a patient at least one impedance measurement signal is generated by a current pulse generator, the signal having at least one asymmetric multiphasic impedance measurement waveform that is asymmetric in term of pulse amplitude and/or pulse width relative to the operating voltage of the current pulse generator. The waveform has a DC component that is substantially equal to zero, and is adapted to the available voltage headroom of an implantable device that contains the current pulse generator. The impedance measurement signal with the aforementioned waveform is applied to a patient and a resulting impedance signal is produced thereby, from which at least one impedance value is determined.
US07917203B2
A method for determining whether a probe for measuring the impedance of human or animal body tissue has been placed over a boundary between different tissue types is described. The probe used in the method comprises at least a first (16), a second (22), a third (18) and a fourth (20) electrode arranged such that the third (18) and fourth (20) electrodes are each located substantially the same distance from both the first (16) and second (22) electrodes. The method comprises: driving a current between the first (16) and the second (22) electrodes; measuring a first value of an electrical parameter between the third (18) and the fourth (20) electrode; and determining whether the probe has been placed over a boundary between different tissue types based on the first value. A probe for carrying out the method is also described.
US07917199B2
Methods for receiving a patient mark in an implanted device. A patient may experience symptoms that indicative of a neurological event or are common precursors to more severe clinical symptoms. The patient may activate a patient activator. Activation of the patient activator can cause the patient activator to transmit the patient mark to an implanted device. The implanted device may adjust physiological data being stored in response to the patient mark, including data before and after the patient mark. The patient mark may be used to fine tune the detection algorithms and otherwise tune the detection capability of the implanted device and may also be used as an aid in statistical analysis of the stored physiological data.
US07917198B2
In the solution of the invention, an association is formed between activity information characterizing the activity level of a user and a performance parameter value proportional to the heart rate information of the user, the activity information and heart rate information having been measured in a user-specific performance monitor, and the heart rate information being responsive to the activity level.
US07917197B1
A device, such as an implantable cardiac device, and methods for determining exercise diagnostic parameters of a patient are disclosed. Specifically, a maximum observed heart rate of a patient during exercise can be identified when an activity level and a heart rate measurement of the patient exceed predetermined thresholds. Included are methods for filtering out premature heartbeats or noise from the maximum heart rate determination. Methods of determining other exercise parameters, such as workload are also disclosed. The device includes hardware and/or software for performing the described methods.
US07917195B2
The present invention provides systems, methods and computer program products for monitoring a heart. According to one embodiment, the system includes an implantable registering unit. The registering unit comprises a first controller structured to register an electrical signal from the heart. The system includes a second controller in operable communication with the first controller. The second controller comprises a data repository structured to receive data corresponding to the registered electrical signal and being structured to store the data. The data repository stores data corresponding to a baseline electrical signal of the heart. The second controller is structured to receive the data from the first controller corresponding to the registered electrical signal and to compare the registered electrical signal to the baseline electrical signal to determine whether the heart is functioning properly.
US07917190B2
Acquisition of MR data during a fMRI study employs a hybrid PR pulse sequence to acquire projection views from which multi-slice image frames may be reconstructed that depict the BOLD response to an applied stimulus or performed task. Composite images are reconstructed at each slice using the combined interleaved projection views from all the acquired image frames. The composite images are used to reconstruct the highly undersampled image frames.
US07917180B2
A mobile device is provided that includes a main display screen and at least one button that includes a secondary display screen. The disclosure also provides a method for providing information on a mobile device. The method includes providing a keypad on the mobile device including a display screen on at least one of the buttons on the keypad. The method also includes displaying the information on the display screen on the button.
US07917179B2
A task display switching method, a portable apparatus and a portable communications apparatus which, when a plurality of software applications are activated and processed in parallel, make it possible to switch a display between each of the software applications with ease. According to the task display switching method, a portable apparatus capable of processing a plurality of tasks in parallel and of displaying a plurality of display regions for displaying data, an icon associated with a task displayed on a first display region is generated automatically or manually, and the generated icon is displayed in a second display region. When any icon thus generated is selected from a plurality of icons displayed on the second display region, the task associated with the selected icon is restored and displayed in the first display region.
US07917174B2
A method and system for the configuration of a mobile station baseband circuit for an acoustic accessory having an identifier, the method comprising the steps of: determining whether the mobile device recognizes the identifier of the acoustic device; and configuring the baseband circuit with a DSP filter response and CODEC acoustic gain parameters for the acoustic device if the mobile device recognizes the identifier of the acoustic device. The system comprising: an identifier for each of the plurality of acoustic devices; a local memory in the mobile station storing a frequency (filter) response and gain parameters for at least one of the plurality of acoustic devices and for mapping them to the identifier; and a digital signal processor to re-shape an acoustic frequency response and adjust an audio gain of a baseband circuit for the mobile station based on the stored frequency response and gain parameters.
US07917157B2
There is disclosed a method of providing location information in a mobile communication system, comprising the steps of: receiving a request for a current location of a mobile station; determining a time at which a last known location of the mobile station was determined; comparing the time to a threshold time limit; and providing, as the current location, the last known location if the time is within the threshold time limit.
US07917156B2
Techniques to determine a position estimate for a wireless terminal. An accurate position estimate for the terminal is initially obtained (e.g., based on a first (accurate) position determination sub-system). For each of one or more transmitters (e.g., base stations) in a second (less accurate) position determination sub-system, an “expected” pseudo-range is computed based on the accurate position estimate for the terminal and the base station location, a “measured” pseudo-range is also obtained, and a pseudo-range residual is then determined based on the expected pseudo-range and the measured pseudo-range. Thereafter, to determine an updated position estimate for the terminal, measured pseudo-ranges are obtained for a sufficient number of transmitters. The measured pseudo-range for each base station may be corrected based on the associated residual. The updated position estimate is then determined based on the corrected pseudo-ranges for these transmitters.
US07917151B2
A base station of a mobile communication network is connected to a core network and is operable in a normal mode and in a direct mode. The base station detects a request originating from a first user equipment to communicate with a second user equipment. The first user equipment is in direct reach of the base station. The base station establishes a communication link between the first and the second user equipment, and checks if the second user equipment is also within direct reach of the base station. The base station operates the communication link in direct mode, if yes, and operates the communication link in normal mode, otherwise.
US07917148B2
A method and system are provided for enabling users in shared physical places to collaboratively rate the music playing within such places by using portable computing devices on their person. In one embodiment, the portable computing devices are mobile phones and each user may independently rate a currently playing musical piece within the physical place by sending an electronic message from their phone, for example in SMS format. The method and system further enables the receipt of a plurality of such rating messages, the computing of a statistical result, and the providing of the statistical result to each of the plurality of portable computing devices. In this way a group of people may collectively listen to a currently playing musical piece in a physical place, may each provide a subjective rating of the musical piece, and may each receive an indication of the collaborative result of the provided ratings.
US07917147B2
A method of monitoring performance of a communications network supporting a plurality of communications devices comprises providing a number of the plurality of the communications terminals with respective software agents to make respective measurements in relation to an attribute of a communications service supported by the communications network. The number of the plurality of communications terminals is equipped with position determination capabilities so as to provide global position information with respect to a measurement made. The measurement made and the corresponding location is communicated to a performance processing application that supports a database and stored by the performance processing application in the database, thereby recording a representation of a variation of the attribute of the communications service with respect to location.
US07917142B2
In a wireless communication system including an access terminal operating based on a hierarchical protocol stack requiring registration for each of individual layers and/or services, a base station providing a wireless access service to the access terminal, and network elements required for performing the registration for each of individual layers and/or services with respect to the access terminal, a comprehensive registration method is provided where the access terminal transmitting to the base station or requesting from the network parameters required for the access terminal to register in at least one layer and service, and the a base station transmits to the corresponding network elements parameters required for the access terminal to register in the at least one layer and/or service and receiving the parameters from the network elements. The access terminal is registered in the at least one layer and/or service depending on the collected parameters. Redundant procedures in the registration of individual layers and/or services are reduced by considering characteristics of the respective layers and/or services, thereby enabling seamless handover as well as fast service.
US07917141B2
A method for tuning a system to a plurality of service signals. The method uses a first and a second tuning process. The first tuning process is adapted and performed to search and find carrier signals of potential service signals and to determine frequencies of potential services corresponding to the service signals. The second tuning processing is adapted and used to register to the system the services corresponding to the service signals based on the determined frequencies.
US07917140B2
An initial search for locating cells in a telecommunication system includes defining a set of carrier frequencies to be searched, and selecting as a cell search mode either a wide cell search mode or a narrow cell search mode, wherein selecting the cell search mode is based on a level of frequency generation accuracy. The wide cell search mode searches a wider frequency range than the narrow cell search mode searches. For each carrier frequency in the set of carrier frequencies to be searched, a most-recently selected cell search mode is used when searching for a cell transmitting on the carrier frequency. The narrow cell search mode is used only when the level of frequency generation accuracy is better than an expected worst level of frequency generation accuracy.
US07917134B2
A method for determining deteriorations in the quality of a mobile or fixed telephony network on a day D (or at any other frequency, for example hour or minute) by implementing one or more items of special equipment in the network, wherein the method implements at least one measurement means and at least one calculation means, characterised in that the method including at least: a stage for selecting (S1) the Usage Messages (MU) (1) corresponding to each call of the day D (2a) or at any other frequency (for example hour or minute); a stage for characterising (S2) groups of UMs corresponding to the callbacks from among the UMs of the calls selected (4); a stage for filtering (S3a) the UMs in order to separate the UMs called “incoming—outgoing” (5), the UMs called “return incoming” (6) and the UMs called “return outgoing” (7); a stage for calculating at least one indicator (S7) by grouping the UMs (15) as a function of several common data fields; a stage for calculating the callback rates for an indicator; a stage for intervening to restore or improve the quality of the calls in the section of the network defined by at least one field code common to several UMs.
US07917129B2
The present invention provides for methods and apparatus for fragmenting a single message and sending the message fragments over multiple independent networks to a single receiving unit. The receiving unit then reassembles the message fragments to generate the original message. The preferred apparatus embodiment is a wireless radio frequency modem that can both receive and transmit fragmented messages over multiple independent networks.
US07917127B2
A novel apparatus and method for changing the behavior of an electronic device is provided. In an embodiment, an electronic device includes the functionality of a cellular phone, a voice mail system and a calendar application. The device is configured to use the calendar application to determine whether to direct a phone call to the user or whether to instantly direct the call to voice mail.
US07917125B2
A method and apparatus for managing history data of messages received from and transmitted to other users by a user of a mobile communication device is provided. Message history data is extracted from received and transmitted messages and stored such that a user of the mobile communication device may easily input a conditional request to the device and view message history data associated with a specific other user or message history data identified by conditional data input to the device.
US07917124B2
A telecommunications architecture exposes telecommunications services to third parties through a secure access gateway. The third parties may be other telecommunications service providers who employ the services to support their own products and services. The access gateway provides a secure, standardized, and controlled access platform for the exposed services, and addresses the technical problems associated with such access. In addition to providing technical solutions for efficient and secure access to exposed services, the architecture also provides an additional revenue channel for existing telecommunication service providers.
US07917085B2
There is disclosed a system and method for blocking a device from a carrier network. In an embodiment, the method comprises defining an unauthorized combination filter including one or more device parameters; attaching the unauthorized combination filter to a carrier; comparing the device parameter values in the unauthorized combination filter to device parameter values stored in the device; and if the device parameter values stored in the device match the device parameter values in the unauthorized combination filter, then blocking the device from accessing the carrier network. The device parameter values stored in the device may include one or more of a device type value, a device operating system version value, and a device application version value, and the method further comprises comparing these one or more values to corresponding device parameter values defined in the unauthorized combination filter. The unauthorized combination filter may be attached to a carrier by providing a carrier identifier.
US07917074B2
A fixing device including a pressure member that presses an endless fixing belt toward a fixing nip portion from the inner circumferential surface side; a sliding sheet that covers the pressure member; and a regulating member arranged on an end part of the sliding sheet for regulating the slack of the sliding sheet.
US07917071B2
An image forming apparatus includes a transfer belt unit which has an intermediate transfer belt for supporting toner images and primary transfer rollers for pressing the intermediate transfer belt against corresponding photoreceptor drums and moves the intermediate transfer belt along the surface of each photoreceptor drum to transfer the toner images to the intermediate transfer belt. The intermediate transfer belt is formed so as to be 30 μm to 50 μm in average thickness, each primary transfer roller is arranged at a position, along the moving direction of the intermediate transfer belt, which is deviated downstream with respect to the moving direction from the position where the intermediate transfer belt is in contact with the photoreceptor and which is projected toward the photoreceptor drum side so as to press the intermediate transfer belt against photoreceptor with a nip pressure ranging from 10 gf/cm2 to 40 gf/cm2.
US07917070B2
An intermediate transfer device includes a secondary intermediate transfer member configured to transfer a toner image from an image bearing member via a primary intermediate transfer member, for transfer of the toner image onto a recording medium, a heating unit configured to heat the toner image on the secondary intermediate transfer member, and a deformation unit configured to deform the toner image on the secondary intermediate transfer member by application of pressure. A heating region in which the heating unit heats the toner image has a larger area than a deformation region in which the deformation unit deforms the toner image. The deformation region is provided on a downstream side from the heating region relative to a direction of movement of the secondary intermediate transfer member.
US07917061B2
Disclosed is an image forming apparatus with an improved structure for mounting or dismounting a cleaning device. An image forming unit includes an image carrier for transporting a developer image. A cleaning device includes a cleaning member to remove residual developer from the image carrier. The cleaning device is mounted or dismounted to/from the image forming unit by moving along a first direction and along a second direction. A first guide device includes a restraining unit to generally restrict movement of the cleaning device in the second direction when the cleaning device moves in the first direction, and a receiving unit to receive the restraining unit so as to allow the cleaning device to move in the second direction when desirable.
US07917055B2
A toner container includes a vessel for storing toner, a toner draining unit having a toner draining passage, and a shutter in the toner draining passage. The toner draining passage includes a horizontal passage and a connection passage. Further, the toner draining unit includes the horizontal passage, a middle part, and an external part.
US07917050B2
A wiring structure of an image forming apparatus includes a main body frame; a cylindrical motor disposed on the main body frame and having a cylindrical surface, an end surface, and a peripheral edge between the cylindrical surface and the end surface; a wire routed near the motor and along the main body frame; and a flexible sheet member attached along the cylindrical surface of the motor so as to cover at least a part of the peripheral edge and having a shape substantially capable of maintaining the wire in a routed state.
US07917047B2
An image forming apparatus includes a toner image forming means for forming a toner image on a belt member, a stretching member that stretches the inside of the belt member, a transfer member, a fur brush, and a controller. The transfer member presses against the stretching member through the belt member, forming a transfer portion for transferring a first toner image onto a recording material. The controller applies a first voltage of a predetermined polarity to the stretching member to transfer the first tone image onto the recording material. During an ejecting operation, the toner image forming member forms a second toner image which is not transferred to the recording material, and the stretching member is supplied with a second voltage that has the predetermined polarity and an absolute value smaller that an absolute value of the first voltage, and subsequently the fur brush electrostatically cleans the transfer member.
US07917036B2
An optical transceiver is provided which includes: a bi-directional optical subassembly; a printed circuit board which transmits and receives light for the bi-directional optical subassembly; and an outer casing which covers the bi-directional optical subassembly and the printed circuit board. The bi-directional optical subassembly includes: a laser diode; a photodiode; a stem on which to laser diode and the photo diode are mounted; a cap, which cooperates with the stern to seal the laser diode and the photodiode; and a crosstalk reducing structure for reducing optical and/or electric crosstalk. The crosstalk reducing structure may include a layer which is formed on an inner surface of the cap and is able to absorb an infrared ray.
US07917027B2
An actuator body and a throttle mechanism that are small and have a simple structure are provided. The actuator body comprises a polymer actuator 11 that bends and deforms by an electric driving source, an intermediate 12 that transmits the bending force of the polymer actuator, and an elastic body 13 to which the bending force is applied through the intermediate, wherein the dimension of a hole portion that is formed in the elastic body 13 changes when the bending force of the polymer actuator 11 is applied onto the elastic body 13 through the intermediate 12.
US07917022B2
A shaking sensing unit includes a sensor sensing a rotation about at least one axis, a high pass filter passing only a signal having a frequency not less than a cutoff frequency of the high pass filter, among electrical signals output from the sensor, and a low pass filter passing only a signal having a frequency not greater than a cutoff frequency of the low pass filter and higher than the cutoff frequency of the high pass filter, among the electrical signals output from the sensor. The cutoff frequency of the high pass filter and the cutoff frequency of the low pass filter are variably determined according to a shaking frequency.
US07917021B2
A portable apparatus, comprising a first detector, a second detector, and a controller, is provided. The portable apparatus has a photographing function. The first detector detects a movement in a first direction. The second detector detects a second direction. The second direction is different from the first direction. The controller switches the running and suspension of a first and second function according to the combination of movements in the first and second directions. The first and second functions are different from each other.
US07917017B2
If a PWM duty instruction D1 determined by a duty calculation circuit exceeds an upper limit value, a duty signal processing circuit in a motor drive apparatus divides a switching current supply period in each of the phases into a first current supply period and a second current supply period. In the first current supply period, the duty is set to the upper limit value. In the second current supply period, the duty is set to 100%, and the length of the second current supply period is set depending upon the duty instruction.
US07917016B2
There are provided an information storage medium capable of real-time recording/playback of digital moving picture information, and a digital information recording/playback system using this medium. In a medium that records/plays back data including video data and control information, the control information (DA21 in FIG. 4; RTR_VMG in FIG. 30) includes information (VOBU entry in FIG. 31) for accessing a specific portion (VOBU) of the video data.
US07917015B2
There are provided an information storage medium capable of real-time recording/playback of digital moving picture information, and a digital information recording/playback system using this medium. In a medium that records/plays back data including video data and control information, the control information (DA21 in FIG. 4; RTR_VMG in FIG. 30) includes information (VOBU entry in FIG. 31) for accessing a specific portion (VOBU) of the video data.
US07917009B2
There are provided an information storage medium capable of real-time recording/playback of digital moving picture information, and a digital information recording/playback system using this medium. In a medium that records/plays back data including video data and control information, the control information (DA21 in FIG. 4; RTR_VMG in FIG. 30) includes information (VOBU entry in FIG. 31) for accessing a specific portion (VOBU) of the video data.
US07917007B2
A method of generating a dependent media item (911) is disclosed. The method comprises arranging a sequence of EDL elements (901-907) in an order, wherein at least an ordered sub-set of the EDL elements (901-907) are associated with track control attributes (912) for the dependent media item (911). The method further comprises producing a sequence of media items (904-908) in a source track (906) dependent upon at least some of the sequence EDL elements (901-907), and generating the dependent media item (911) dependent the track control attributes (912) and the order in which the sub-set of EDL elements is arranged.
US07917006B2
There are provided an information storage medium capable of real-time recording/playback of digital moving picture information, and a digital information recording/playback system using this medium. In a medium that records/plays back data including video data and control information, the control information (DA21 in FIG. 4; RTR_VMG in FIG. 30) includes information (VOBU entry in FIG. 31) for accessing a specific portion (VOBU) of the video data.
US07917004B2
There are provided an information storage medium capable of real-time recording/playback of digital moving picture information, and a digital information recording/playback system using this medium. In a medium that records/plays back data including video data and control information, the control information (DA21 in FIG. 4; RTR_VMG in FIG. 30) includes information (VOBU entry in FIG. 31) for accessing a specific portion (VOBU) of the video data.
US07917003B2
There are provided an information storage medium capable of real-time recording/playback of digital moving picture information, and a digital information recording/playback system using this medium. In a medium that records/plays back data including video data and control information, the control information (DA21 in FIG. 4; RTR_VMG in FIG. 30) includes information (VOBU entry in FIG. 31) for accessing a specific portion (VOBU) of the video data.
US07916997B2
There are provided an information storage medium capable of real-time recording/playback of digital moving picture information, and a digital information recording/playback system using this medium. In a medium that records/plays back data including video data and control information, the control information (DA21 in FIG. 4; RTR_VMG in FIG. 30) includes information (VOBU entry in FIG. 31) for accessing a specific portion (VOBU) of the video data.
US07916995B2
Various applications record or handle uncompressed video, where the amount of information needed for each frame or field is constant, based on the video frame rate and color resolution of each pixel. Since various video frame rates and audio sample rates are defined and can be combined independently, the amount of audio samples per video frame may vary. The disclosed method allows packing audio samples and video samples into constant size containers, e.g. MXF containers, so that there is an integer amount of audio samples within the time period needed for one video frame, independent from the used video raster. The method includes generating constant length KLV encoded video packets, generating variable length KLV encoded audio packets corresponding to the same time period as the video packets, generating variable length KLV encoded data packets, wherein the sum of the lengths of the audio packet and the data packet are constant, and generating from said packets a constant size content package.
US07916990B2
A plurality of optical fibers are bundled, and the fiber bundle is cut at a part of a mouthpiece which is fixed on an intermediate part of the fiber bundle. Thus, the fiber bundle is divided into a first optical fiber bundle and a second optical fiber bundle. Division surfaces of the first and second optical fiber bundles have the same properties and condition since the first and second optical fiber bundles are formed of the fiber bundle that is obtained by bundling the same optical fibers. The first optical fiber bundle is assembled in an insertion section of an endoscope and the second optical fiber bundle is assembled in a flexible tube, and a first light guide in the insertion section of the endoscope and a second light guide in the flexible tube are formed. Thereby, a separable light transmission path of the light guide is formed.
US07916987B2
The present invention is to provide a beam homogenizer, a laser irradiation apparatus, and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, which can suppress the loss of a laser beam and form a beam spot having homogeneous energy distribution constantly on an irradiation surface without being affected by beam parameters of a laser beam. A deflector is provided at an entrance of an optical waveguide or a light pipe used for homogenizing a laser beam emitted from a laser oscillator. A pair of reflection planes of the deflector is provided so as to have a tilt angle to an optical axis of the laser beam, whereby the entrance of the optical waveguide or the light pipe is expanded. Accordingly, the loss of the laser beam can be suppressed. Moreover, by providing an angle adjusting mechanism to the deflector, a beam spot having homogeneous energy distribution can be formed at an exit of the optical waveguide.
US07916985B2
In one embodiment, a radiation based analysis system comprises a first radiation source to generate first radiation having a wavelength outside the visible spectrum, a second radiation source to generate second radiation having a wavelength within the visible spectrum, and a waveguide coupler to couple a portion of the first radiation and a portion of the second radiation into a combined radiation beam such that the first radiation and the second radiation follow a path that is substantially coaxial.
US07916981B2
An optical modulator, including: a substrate; an optical waveguide embedded in the substrate; a traveling wave electrode mounted on the substrate and having a traveling wave applied thereon so that a light wave is modulated by the traveling wave with an electro-optic effect. The traveling wave electrode includes a center electrode and ground electrodes; in which the optical waveguide has a plurality of interaction optical waveguides that form a Mach-Zehnder optical waveguide that modulates the light wave in a phase modulation manner when the traveling wave is applied to the traveling wave electrode, the interaction optical waveguides form a region where respective widths of the interaction optical waveguides are different from each other, and the center electrode and the ground electrodes are positioned such that interaction efficiencies between the high frequency electric signal and the light wave guided in the respective interaction optical waveguides are substantially equal to each other.
US07916978B2
A sensing device for sensing a region provided on or in a surface having at least one region. The at least one region having printed therein or thereon coded data indicative of an identity of the at least one region, and visible information at least some of the information being at least partially related to the at least one region. The sensing device includes a sensor for sensing at least some of the coded data when the sensing device is placed in an operative position relative to the at least one region and generating indicating data. The indicating data is at least partially indicative of the identity of the at least one region and at least one of movement and a position of the sensing device relative to the at least one region. The sensing device includes a communicator configured to communicate the indicating data to a computer system.
US07916975B2
An image processing apparatus capable of regulating memory increase to realize cost reduction while securing the degree of freedom in programming by means of a small-sized programmable data processing section, and thereby improving processing performance. A programmable data processing section comprises two processing sections capable of performing different processings simultaneously. Each of the processing sections repeatedly executes the steps of: reading image data from an image data storage section; reading mutually different processing programs from a processing program storage section; executing a predetermined processing in parallel on the image data; and returning the processed image data to the image data storage section.
US07916973B2
In order to provide an image processing apparatus and an image processing method whereby a high quality output image can be consistently obtained, regardless of the order in which an operator sets the parameters for the performance of filtering, (I) a GUI module (9a) stores, in an input value storage area (9p) of a RAM, reference signs that are employed for first to fourth processes for the filtering of reduced image data, and (II) a filtering module (9f) refers to the reference signs in the input value storage area (9p) when performing the first to the fourth processes for the filtering of input image data, and obtains output image data.
US07916966B2
This invention provides a system and method for image signal contrast extension and overflow compensation. The system includes contrast extension and overflow compensation look-up tables, an image gray level boundary determining unit, a contrast extension unit, an overflow judging unit, and an overflow compensation unit. The image gray level boundary determining unit defines a maximum and a minimum among the gray levels of the pixels of an image signal and calculates the difference. The contrast extension unit selects corresponding parameter from the contrast extension table for contrast extension of a given image pixel. The overflow judging unit judges whether the pixels are overflowed. The overflow compensation unit compensates the pixel. When a pixel is overflowed, the overflow compensation unit selects, according to the gray level of the pixel, a corresponding overflow compensation parameter to reduce the gray level to overcome the problem of overflow.
US07916961B2
A rate control unit performs data truncation on a code sequence having been sorted and bit shifted as shown in FIG. 10 so that a desired noise reduction effect is achieved. The data truncation occurs in sequence from the rightmost bit. For example, in FIG. 10, data is truncated from data of bit 0 in a subband VHL4 downwardly in sequence through data of bit 0 in a subband YHH5, and so on. If the desired noise reduction effect can be achieved by truncation of up to bit data in the subband YHH1, data in those subbands in a dotted area in FIG. 10 will be truncated. If the desired noise reduction effect cannot be achieved by truncation of up to bit data in the subband YHH1, data will then be truncated from data of bit 0 in a subband VLL4 downwardly in sequence.
US07916952B2
Systems, methods, and computer programs for high quality wide-range multi-layer image compression coding, including consistent ubiquitous use of floating point values in essentially all computations; an adjustable floating-point deadband; use of an optimal band-split filter; use of entire SNR layers at lower resolution levels; targeting of specific SNR layers to specific quality improvements; concentration of coding bits in regions of interest in targeted band-split and SNR layers; use of statically-assigned targets for high-pass and/or for SNR layers; improved SNR by using a lower quantization value for regions of an image showing a higher compression coding error; application of non-linear functions of color when computing difference values when creating an SNR layer; use of finer overall quantization at lower resolution levels with regional quantization scaling; removal of source image noise before motion-compensated compression or film steadying; use of one or more full-range low bands; use of alternate quantization control images for SNR bands and other high resolution enhancing bands; application of lossless variable-length coding using adaptive regions; use of a folder and file structure for layers of bits; and a method of inserting new intra frames by counting the number of bits needed for a motion compensated frame.
US07916949B2
A method of inspecting granular material and an inspection device for conducting that method, wherein agents (10a, 10b) to be inspected are imaged, the pixel value of each pixel of images thus picked up is digitized, a plurality of reference points are dispersed along the outlines of massive regions corresponding to the agents (10a, 10b) in digital images, the numbers of other reference points that can be viewed through massive regions from individual reference points are counted, a reference point giving a minimum counted value is extracted as a base point, and the number of these base points is counted as the number of granular materials. Accordingly, the number of granular materials can be counted accurately even if a plurality of granular materials to be inspected overlap each other, are in contact with each other, or any agent having a groove in one surface is erected.
US07916934B2
A method and system acquire and display light fields. A continuous light field is reconstructed from input samples of an input light field of a 3D scene acquired by cameras according to an acquisition parameterization. The continuous light is reparameterized according to a display parameterization and then prefiltering and sampled to produce output samples having the display parameterization. The output samples are displayed as an output light field using a 3D display device. The reconstruction can be performed by interpolating the input samples having the different views.
US07916933B2
A method of detecting objects in water, comprises the steps of capturing a plurality of images of a region of interest, extracting voxel data from the images, and processing the voxel data to detect items of interest in the region of interest. An apparatus that performs the method is also included.
US07916923B2
In an image forming apparatus, an isolated shadow is extracted from image data, and a feature amount is calculated from the extracted isolated shadow. The grayscale conversion characteristic is changed on the basis of the calculated feature amount. Grayscale conversion of the image data is executed on the basis of the changed grayscale conversion characteristic.
US07916915B2
A method and system for acquiring, processing, storing, and displaying x-ray mammograms Mp tomosynthesis images Tr representative of breast slices, and x-ray tomosynthesis projection images Tp taken at different angles to a breast, where the Tr images are reconstructed from Tp images.
US07916912B2
Method of segmenting mammography image comprising steps of: scanning along row from outermost pixel towards the breast and comparing grayscale gradient across adjacent pixels until a significant gradient is determined; confirming that variation in gradient indicates a first true boundary pixel by ascertaining gradient across subsequent pixels is still significant;iteratively repeating steps of: (i) scanning next adjacent line in vicinity of boundary pixel, and (ii) determining the boundary pixel of adjacent line by variation in grayscale intensity gradient along row (iii) until failure to find subsequent pixel occurs and (iv) attempting scanning horizontally by repeating steps (i) and (ii), and, if attempt fails, extrapolating to edge of image or to first line, until having determined boundary around the feature to one side of first line; repeating steps (i) to (iv) on other side of line until boundary of breast on the other side of the line is determined.
US07916877B2
The invention pertains to a modular inter-unit transmitter/receiver for a portable audio device such as an MP3 player, a handheld device for playback of audio signals, a telephone, etc. More particularly, the unit is configured for an audio player device to enable the player device for wireless transmission and reception of audio signals. In one aspect, a communication means connects the modular audio unit to the audio player device. The device further comprises a switch in which a user of the audio player device can select to play audio signals received from an inter-unit transmitter/receiver or from the audio player device. The switch further enables the user to select whether to play the audio signal on the audio player device or to play the audio signal while transmitting the signal to a compatible device.
US07916875B2
A plug-in device detection module includes a measurement signal generator for generating a measurement signal. A port coupler couples the measurement signal to a selected plug-in receptor of a plurality of plug-in receptors, generates an input/output signal and generates a port signal in response to the measurement signal. A reference signal generator generates a reference signal based on the input/output signal, the reference signal having a plurality of reference signal values. A detection module detects a plug-in device type of a plug-in device coupled to the selected plug-in receptor, based on the reference signal and the port signal.
US07916872B1
A low-power, software based modulator that is used to transfer text data from an auxiliary audio device to an FM radio receiver includes a processor that receives the text data to be transmitted to the FM receiver, processes the data as an RDS signal or converts the text data to speech and then combines the processed data signal with an FM audio signal that is sent to the FM receiver. In one embodiment, the auxiliary audio device is a CD or CD-MP3 player and the software-based modulator is implemented on the control processor or DSP of the device. The FM encoder that produces the FM encoded audio signal may be a separate analog encoder or may also be implemented in the control processor of the auxiliary audio device.
US07916861B2
A method for establishing a secondary communication channel between at least two computing devices over a network medium through use of a primary channel connects a first computing device with a first telephonic unit and a second computing device with a second telephonic unit. If the two telephonic units are in communication with each other over a primary channel, and communication channels are established between the computing devices and their respective telephonic units, then the first computing device transmits its location information to the second computing device over the primary channel. A connection is then established between the second computing device and the first computing device over a secondary communication channel.
US07916859B2
A method for determining a user intended number from a partial phone number includes steps for receiving a partial phone number, determining whether the partial phone number corresponds with at least one database number based on at least one selected criteria list and performing a system action based on the determination. The method may include prioritizing a list of database numbers that correspond to the partial number.
US07916854B2
A method of controlling a local process that forms part of a first processing entity, where the first processing entity maintains a plurality of associations with a plurality of remote processes in a second processing entity, comprises receiving a failure message from a remote process indicating a fault affecting an association linking the local process with that remote process; queueing data messages destined for that remote process; controlling the transmission of an acknowledgement of the failure message so that data messages pending on the association are received at that remote process before the acknowledgment of the failure message; and initiating a traffic diversion to set up an alternate path between the first processing entity and the second processing entity for queued data messages.
US07916850B2
A method of controlling subscriber access to SIP-based services facilitated by an IP Multimedia Subsystem. The method comprises defining at a Serving Call Session Control Function node at least one default screening trigger, and downloading from a Home Subscriber Subsystem, specific screening triggers allocated to at least certain subscribers. At the Serving Call Session Control Function node, at least certain SIP messages originating at subscriber terminals are intercepted and, for each intercepted message and in the absence of a matching specific screening trigger, the default trigger is activated so as to cause the SIP message to be forwarded to a specific SIP application service.
US07916848B2
Indications of which participant is providing information during a multi-party conference. Each participant has equipment to display information being transferred during the conference. A sourcing signaler residing in the participant equipment provides a signal that indicates the identity of its participant when this participant is providing information to the conference. The source indicators of the other participant equipment receive the signal and cause a UI to indicate that the participant identified by the received signal is providing information (e.g. the UI can causes the identifier to change appearance). An audio discriminator is used to distinguish between an acoustic signal that was generated by a person speaking from that generated in a band-limited manner. The audio discriminator analyzes the spectrum of detected audio signals and generates several parameters from the spectrum and from past determinations to determine the source of an audio signal on a frame-by-frame basis.
US07916843B2
Techniques are disclosed for using Ethernet Layer 1 as a means for transporting audio, control, and status signals between telephones and an aggregator device in a telephone system. Techniques are also disclosed for using the aggregator to determine whether a telephone supports only Ethernet Layer 1, and for using the aggregator to communicate with the telephone using an appropriate protocol based on the results of the determination.
US07916839B2
The present invention is directed to a collimator that comprises grooves or channels in the submicrometer to micrometer range. The present invention is also related to uses of a collimator and collimator holder as described herein as well as apparatuses comprising the same.
US07916838B2
A Betatron having a toroidal passageway disposed in a cyclical magnetic field with a main electron orbit circumnavigating the toroidal passageway. Within the toroidal passageway is a first electrode that is spaced apart from a second electrode. The combination of the first electrode and the second electrode define a central space having a first opening and a second opening. A cathode is disposed within the central space. This cathode has a first electron emitter aligned to inject electrons through the first opening and a second electron emitter aligned to inject electrons through the second opening. Electrons injected in a proper direction are accelerated in the main electron orbit. At a time of maximum electron acceleration, the electrons are deflected and impact a target that generates x-rays on impact.
US07916836B2
A CT detector includes a direct conversion material configured to generate electrical charge upon reception of x-rays, a plurality of metallized anodes configured to collect electrical charges generated in the direct conversion material, at least one readout device, and a redistribution layer having a plurality of electrical pathways configured to route the electrical charges from the plurality of metallized anodes to the at least one readout device. A plurality of switches is coupled to the plurality of electrical pathways between the plurality of metallized anodes and the at least one readout device, wherein each of the plurality of switches includes an input line electrically coupled to one of the plurality of metallized anodes, a first output node electrically coupled to the at least one readout device, and a second output node electrically coupled to at least one other switch of the plurality of switches.
US07916826B2
The invention provides a circuit that can observe data within shift registers without altering the data. The circuit includes selectors connected to the inputs and outputs of the shift registers. The selectors selectively connect the input with the output of a selected shift register to form a wiring loop for the selected shift register. A control device connected to the wiring loop uses the wiring loop to cause the data to be continually transferred from the output of the selected shift register to the input of the selected shift register and back through the selected shift register in a circular manner. The control device includes a counter used for determining the length of a selected shift register and a set of registers to store, for future use when rotating data in the shift registers, the length of each shift register. The control device also includes a data output accessible from outside the circuit. An observation wire is connected to the wiring loop, and the data passes from the wiring loop to the control device through the observation wire. The control device outputs data appearing on the wiring loop as the data is circulated through the selected shift register to permit data within the selected shift register to be observed outside the circuit without altering the data within the selected shift register.
US07916825B2
The present invention relates to a fuel rod of a nuclear fuel assembly having a vase-like compression spring adapted to increase the internal volume thereof wherein when the vase-like compression spring is inserted into a cladding tube, it has a relatively smaller volume occupied inside the fuel rod when compared with the existing coil type compression spring, such that the vase-like compression spring can ensure a sufficient space portion receiving the fission gases generated during the operation of the fuel rod, thereby increasing the burn-up performance of the fuel rod and the mechanical integrity thereof.
US07916815B2
A method and apparatus for a multicarrier receiver circuit with guard interval size detection described. The invention allows the FFT size and guard interval size to be detected quickly even in the presence of relatively noisy input signals. The method is robust in noise environments, and also sufficiently robust to process signals having severe multipath and/or co-channel interference. Moreover, the method is of low complexity, and can be implemented in a VLSI circuit.
US07916809B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a digital receiving apparatus for providing useful information to its user without interruption when reception quality deteriorates.It includes: an information separating unit 4 for reproducing a stream of demodulation signal S3, and separating it into stream signals S4 on multiplexed respective channels for output; a decoding unit 5 for decoding and outputting the stream signals S4; and a control unit 6 for switching and controlling a stream signal for the decoding unit 5 to decode out of the stream signals on the respective channels, and the control unit 6 switches to the stream signal on another channel and makes the decoding unit 5 decode it when physical information for indicating reception quality under reception and the data type of the stream signal on the channel selected out of the channels do not conform to a predetermined relationship.
US07916806B2
A simple block coding arrangement is created with symbols transmitted over a plurality of transmit channels, in connection with coding that comprises only simple arithmetic operations, such as negation and conjugation. The diversity created by the transmitter utilizes space diversity and either time or frequency diversity. Space diversity is effected by redundantly transmitting over a plurality of antennas, time diversity is effected by redundantly transmitting at different times, and frequency diversity is effected by redundantly transmitting at different frequencies: Illustratively, using two transmit antennas and a single receive antenna, one of the disclosed embodiments provides the same diversity gain as the maximal-ratio receiver combining (MRRC) scheme with one transmit antenna and two receive antennas. The principles of this invention are applicable to arrangements with more than two antennas, and an illustrative embodiment is disclosed using the same space block code with two transmit and two receive antennas.
US07916800B2
A method and system of estimating frequency offset of a subscriber station is disclosed. The method includes the subscriber station receiving a composite signal, wherein the composite signal includes multi-carrier signals transmitted from a plurality of base stations. The subscriber station selects a subset of the plurality of base stations. The subscriber station selects at least one pair of multi-carrier symbols of the composite signal, wherein each of the at least one pair of multi-carrier symbols includes a plurality of pilot sub-carriers. The subscriber station selects at least one group of the plurality of pilot sub-carriers within the at least one pair of multi-carrier symbols based on transmit pilot symbols of the pilot sub-carriers of the multi-carrier signals transmitted by the subset of the plurality of base stations. The frequency offset is estimated based on a conjugate product between a linear combination of received symbols of a first multi-carrier symbol of a pair of multi-carrier symbols with a linear combination of received symbols of a second multi-carrier symbol of the pair of multi-carrier symbols on each of the pilot sub-carriers of the at least one group of the plurality of pilot sub-carriers.
US07916793B2
The picture input section 12 fetches image data from the storage device 11, and then, inputs image data on sequential n images into the section 13 for measuring correlation between sequential images and the section 14 for measuring correlation between sampled images. The section 13 for measuring correlation between sequential images measures the correlation between sequential images based on video data. The section 14 for measuring correlation between sampled images measures the correlation between sub-sampled images. The short shot determining section 15 determines short cut points by using the correlation between the sequential images and the correlation between the sub-sampled images. Otherwise, short cut points may be determined in consideration of motion amount between the sequential images or the sub-sampled images.
US07916789B2
An apparatus, medium, and method generating a motion-compensating layer, with the apparatus including a spatial layer generator to generate an enhancement layer and a base layer, the enhancement layer including a plurality of temporally sequential video frames, and the base layer including at least one sub video frame obtained by sub sampling the plurality of video frames, and a temporal layer generator to generate at least one temporal layer corresponding to the base layer, and to generate at least one temporal layer corresponding to the enhancement layer by predicting a lower second frame using at least one of an upper second frame and an encoded first frame. The first frame may be a frame included in the at least one temporal layer corresponding to the base layer, and the second frame may be a frame included in the at least one temporal layer corresponding to the enhancement layer.
US07916786B2
In one embodiment, the method includes obtaining a reference picture list including multiple reference pictures, obtaining motion vector information for the current field macroblock, and obtaining a field reference picture index associated with the current field macroblock. A frame reference picture index is determined based on the field reference picture index. The frame reference picture index is based on the field reference picture index divided by 2. The embodiment further includes selecting a frame reference picture based on the frame reference picture index and the reference picture list, selecting a field reference picture based on the selected frame reference picture and the field reference picture index, and decoding the current macroblock based on the motion vector information and the selected field reference picture.
US07916783B2
In the invention, a rate distortion optimization (RDO) based rate control scheme is comprised of following two steps: first, does bit allocation for every frame in a GOP, and based on the allocated bits, a predicted quantization parameter is used to do the first rate distortion optimization mode selection for every macroblock in the current frame; second, the information of the current macroblock collected from the first rate distortion mode selection is used to calculate a final quantization parameter for rate control, and if the final quantization parameter is different from the predicted one, a second rate distortion mode selection will be executed again. A rate distortion optimization based rate control implementation includes following modules: a video coding encoder module (for example, H.264/JVT processing module), rate distortion optimization based macroblock mode selection and adaptive quantization module, virtual buffer, and global complexity estimation module. As RDO and rate control are considered together in the invention, the RDO based rate control scheme can achieve better coding performance while with accurate target bitrate control.
US07916780B2
An adaptive equalizer system for use in a serial communication link uses timing information generated by a phase detector of a clock and data recovery circuit of the serial communication link and a frequency pattern of the recovered data to determine whether the data received over the serial communication link is over-equalized or under-equalized. The equalizer strength of the adaptive equalizer system is adjusted based on such determination.
US07916758B2
A precise-clock synchronization method and system and a precise-clock frequency/time synchronization device are provided. In the embodiments of the present invention, two time stamp engines are provided at a slave clock side. A relative time stamp engine provides a relative arrival time stamp. An absolute time stamp engine provides an absolute arrival time stamp. The frequency/time synchronization is calculated by using different time stamps obtained from different time stamp engines, so the frequency synchronization and time synchronization of the master clock and the slave clock may be separately accomplished, and one synchronization function may be enabled or disabled. Therefore, the frequency synchronization and time synchronization of the master clock and the slave clock do not interfere with each other, thus greatly reducing the occupied link bandwidth resources.
US07916756B2
A transmission apparatus is disclosed, which performs positive/negative stuffing with 8-bit/10-bit (8B/10B) codes being kept intact while retaining the normality of 8B/10B codes and the continuity of running disparity (RD) without termination of 8B/10B codes of a plurality of Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) signals received. The apparatus then executes multiplexing and separation after synchronization of the plurality of signals, thereby achieving the “transparent” transport of management information which is contained in the 8B10B codes between user devices.
US07916749B2
A method and apparatus are provided for jointly encoding bits containing information about an existing modulation technique or an existing antenna transmission technique in order to extend signaling to include new information about an additional modulation technique or the use of an additional antenna transmission technique without having to increase the number of bits transmitted in the signaling; and conveying the new information in unused combinations of the encoded bits. The signaling may take the form of a high speed shared control channel (HS-SCCH) that forms part of a high speed downlink packet access (HSDPA). In some embodiments, the existing modulation technique may include quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK), 16 quadrature amplitude modulation (16QAM), or some combination thereof, and the additional modulation technique may include 64 quadrature amplitude modulation (64QAM).
US07916742B1
An embodiment of the invention provides for dynamically calibrating a jitter buffer based on a percentage used of the jitter buffer. Such a solution provides for efficiently adapting the size of a jitter buffer without the need for complex and processor intensive operations. By adjusting the size of a jitter buffer in a simple and dynamic fashion, undesirable delay can be removed from a service session, and gaps prevented. Similarly, delay can be easily introduced into a service session when necessary. In an embodiment of the invention, a communication system comprises a jitter buffer and a processing system. The jitter buffer is configured to buffer traffic. The processing system is configured to determine the percentage used of the jitter buffer by the buffered traffic, and calibrate the size of the jitter buffer in response to the percentage used of the jitter buffer.
US07916735B2
Systems and methods are described that manage routing information in an IP network using extensible indexing and use the indexing to control the network. The indexing and associated controls apply to any router within the routing domain.
US07916730B1
A method and system for preventing excessive flood packets from switching devices in a network for routing packets between a source station having an address and a destination station in the network having an address. A first packet directed toward the destination station is received over the network via an incoming traffic switch. The incoming traffic switch includes a table without the address of the destination station. The first packet is flooded over the plurality of switches. The flooded first packet is received at a front facing switch coupled to the destination station. The front facing switch has a table including the source address of the packet. The source address of packet is flushed from the table of the front facing switch. A response packet is sent from the destination station to the source station. The response packet is flooded to the incoming traffic switch. The flooded response packet is received at the incoming traffic switch. The table of the incoming traffic switch is updated with the address of the destination station.
US07916725B2
The present invention relates to a method, routing device, and access device for forwarding a data packet with multicast purpose to a connection-oriented network, wherein a predetermined broadcast address is added to the data packet if the address of the data packet to be sent is a network-layer multicast address. Based on the broadcast address, the data packet is forwarded to a plurality of access devices (31-3n) of the connection-oriented network, arranged to check whether the destination address of the data packet is supported. Then, the data packet is forwarded from a supporting access device (32) to the destination address. Thereby, the data packet does not have to be sent to every possible destination address one by one, and link capacity can be saved.
US07916724B2
A packet switching equipment and a switch control system employing the same performs operation of the switch core portion independent of content of decision of an arbiter portion and overall equipment can be constructed with simple control structure. The packet switching equipment includes input buffer portions temporarily storing packets arriving to the input ports and outputting packets with adding labels indicative of destination port numbers, a switch core portion for switching the packets on the basis of labels added to the input buffer portions, and an arbiter portion adjusting input buffer portions to provide output permissions for outputting to the output ports. A sorting network autonomously sorting and concentrating the packets on the basis of the labels added to the packets is employed in the switch core portion.
US07916722B2
A method and apparatus are provided for a support interface for memory-mapped resources. A support processor sends a sequence of commands over and FSI interface to a memory-mapped support interface on a processor chip. The memory-mapped support interface updates memory, memory-mapped registers or memory-mapped resources. The interface uses fabric packet generation logic to generate a single command packet in a protocol for the coherency fabric which consists of an address, command and/or data. Fabric commands are converted to FSI protocol and forwarded to attached support chips to access the memory-mapped resource, and responses from the support chips are converted back to fabric response packets. Fabric snoop logic monitors the coherency fabric and decodes responses for packets previously sent by fabric packet generation logic. The fabric snoop logic updates status register and/or writes response data to a read data register. The system also reports any errors that are encountered.
US07916718B2
A shared memory switch and switch fabric architecture are described which employ partitions of the shared memory to implement multiple, independent virtual congestion domains, thereby allowing congestion to be handled for different classes of traffic independently.
US07916717B2
A method and system for establishing a videoconference between a first network endpoint and a second network endpoint. The method and system including, inputting a plurality of numbers into the first network endpoint, wherein, the first network endpoint is an IP based network endpoint, the plurality of numbers are in a standard telephone format, and the plurality of numbers are associated with the second network endpoint. Then communicating the input numbers to a first network gatekeeper having a call forwarding table, wherein the input numbers are manipulated based on processing parameters, identifying a gateway based on the manipulated numbers, establishing a connection with the identified gateway, establishing a connection between the identified gateway and a second network gatekeeper, establishing a connection between the second network gatekeeper and the second endpoint, and transferring videoconferencing data between the first network endpoint and the second network endpoint through the established connections.
US07916715B2
Systems and techniques are disclosed relating to wireless communications. The systems and techniques involve monitoring a first network in accordance with a first air interface, and receiving a message from a second network through the first air interface, the second network being associated with a second air interface different from the first air interface. Various registration and related techniques are also discussed for maintaining connectivity with both networks as the wireless communications device moves through different geographic coverage regions.
US07916710B2
A method, mobile device, network device, and software product are for forming a time division duplex frame structure, including a downlink pilot timeslot within an initial data timeslot of the frame structure, and also including an uplink pilot timeslot in a further data timeslot of the frame structure. A guard period is located between the initial data timeslot and the further data timeslot.
US07916699B2
In CDMA communications, a base station detects a difference between a reference phase of a spreading code and a phase of a received signal of each terminal station, and feeds a phase jump signal PJ-i representative of the phase difference back to each terminal station. After timing acquisition, the reception operation is performed using the reference phase, and a shift amount between the phase of a received signal and the reference phase is fed back to each terminal station as phase synchronization control information PC-i. Each terminal station coarsely adjusts the phase of the spreading code in accordance with the phase jump signal PJ-i, and thereafter finely adjusts the phase of its transmitting signal in accordance with the phase synchronization control information PC-i. It is therefore possible to synchronize the phases of the signals transmitted from terminal stations and received at the base station. Accordingly, an orthogonal code is used for spreading on the reverse links.
US07916687B2
Broadcast or multicast traffic is classified into different types of traffic and different transmission schedules associated with each of the different types of traffic. The different types of broadcast and multicast traffic may be implemented in an 802.11-based system where an access point is configured to classify broadcast and multicast traffic into different types and assign different transmission schedules to each of the different traffic types. An associated wireless station may thereby wake from a power save mode only at intervals corresponding to delivery times of the types of traffic that the wireless station has elected to receive. In some aspects the different types of broadcast and multicast traffic may comprise user plane traffic and control plane traffic.
US07916686B2
A media signal quality manager for controlling one or more parameters of a network node through which passes a media signal. The audio signal quality manager has an input for receiving information conveying a characteristic of the media signal and a processor that generates performance control information in response to the characteristic of the media signal. The performance control information can be conveyed to the network node for allowing the network node to adjust at least one parameter of the media signal that can influence the quality of the media signal as perceived by a user.
US07916681B2
A wireless communication device or system generates transmit power control feedback for a received power control channel by determining a command error rate (CER), or by identifying a target signal quality for the power control channel according to a defined signal-quality-to-CER mapping function. Generally, the power control channel does not include error-coded data to use for CER estimation. However, in one embodiment, the channel does include known reference bits that are evaluated for CER estimation, with the estimated CER used to set the signal quality target for inner loop power control. In other embodiments, a computed reception error probability is used to identify a CER estimate according to a defined probability-to-CER mapping function. By way of non-limiting example, these embodiments may be used to provide power control feedback for power control commands transmitted on a Fractional Dedicated Physical Channel in WCDMA systems.
US07916679B2
In a game system including a wireless LAN AP instrument and a portable game device, the AP instrument transmits a beacon signal including a MAC address of the AP instrument and a network ID obtained by encoding an instruction code so that the network ID can be decoded using the MAC address. The portable game device decodes the network ID included in the received beacon signal using the MAC address, and executes control based on control data when authenticity determination data included in the decoded instruction code coincides with specific data and the present date is within a valid period indicated by valid period data.
US07916667B2
A method for determining an RF link imbalance between an Uplink Path and a Downlink Path of an RF Link formed between a User Equipment (UE) and a Node in a wireless network is provided. The method includes determining the UE receive power levels and the UE transmit power levels for the RF Links at the UE side of the radio interface and identifying one or more RF Links having AvgSumTx+Rx values deviating from the AvgSumTx+Rx values of other RF Links, as one or more RF Links having an RF Link imbalance.
US07916666B2
A method for broadcasting messages in an ad hoc wireless network having a tree-based architecture is provided. When a node receives a broadcast message for re-broadcasting to other nodes in the network, it builds a list of identifiers of other nodes in the network from which the node requires reception of a broadcast message as an implicit acknowledgment that said other nodes in the network have received said broadcast message. The node builds this implicit acknowledgment list based on stored data pertaining to an existing tree-based topology of the network. After this list is built, the node re-broadcasts the broadcast message. Each node in the network executes this broadcasting protocol and in so doing a broadcast message quickly and efficiently propagates through the network with minimal redundancy and impact on the topology of the network.
US07916658B2
A method for measuring degree of packet congestion on a channel of a packet communication network. The method includes: during a training mode, generating an mathematical relationship between the degree of packet congestion on the channel and a plurality of measurable features of the network over a plurality of network conditions; and, during a subsequent normal operating mode, periodically measuring the plurality of measurable features and applying the generated mathematical relationship to such periodically measured plurality of measurable features to determine actual degree of congestion on the channel; and comparing the actual degree of congestion on the channel with a predetermined channel congestion threshold level. The degree of packet congestion on the channel is saturation level. The measurable features include: time delay between transmission starts and terminations of the previously transmitted packet; the fraction of time the channel is busy; and, average number of packet transmission retries.
US07916650B2
A wireless sensor network and data transmission method thereof provides for improving channel access efficiency and energy saving effect by using inventive carrier sensing mechanism. The data transmission method includes assessing a channel after initializing, when a packet to be transmitted is generated, a number of carrier sensing attempts (Ns) and a backoff value (W); determining, when the channel availability is assessed to be idle, whether W reaches 0; transmitting the packet if W reaches 0; and reassessing, if W does not reach 0, the channel after a duration corresponding W/(Ns-1) slot.
US07916638B2
A scheduling mechanism and method for scheduling the output of frames from a plurality of priority queues in a network router or multi-layer switch is disclosed. The method of scheduling packets generally includes the steps of: allocating bandwidth credits for a plurality of queues; dequeuing frames from a current queue if there is available credit; deducting the available credit in accordance with the credit requirements of the frames that are dequeued; and replenishing the available credit for each of the queues when the available credit for the current queue is insufficient to dequeue a frame. Since the available credit for each of the queues is replenished as needed instead of at a regular or periodic interval, the scheduling method is executed independent of time and with reduced computational resources. The present invention offers an efficient variant of deficit round robin, while reducing the computation burden associated with conventional deficit round robin.
US07916635B2
Methods and systems are disclosed for providing parties with levels of transparency into filtering functionality of network traffic inspection implementations. Embodiments include receiving a filter change request from a subscriber over a network that defines a modification to a set of filter criteria for filtering network traffic, the filter criteria being stored in association with the subscriber in a filter criteria data store; updating the set of filter criteria in the filter criteria data store as a function of the filter change request; receiving a content dataset relating to the network traffic; identifying the content dataset as being associated with the subscriber; retrieving the set of filter criteria associated with the subscriber from the data store; and filtering the network traffic as a function of the set of filter criteria. Embodiments further provide layers of access for different entities to the filtered traffic.
US07916628B2
N_Ports and F_Ports are provided with logic allowing designation of multiple virtual interfaces on a single host bus adaptor or other Fiber Channel interface, one virtual interface for each VSAN operating on the node interface. Node ports with this additional functionality are referred to as trunking N_Ports or TN_Ports. These ports have a functional design allowing creation of the multiple virtual interfaces as appropriate for the application at hand. This port design also includes logic for communicating with a peer fabric port to initialize and modify the configuration of the virtual interfaces on the TN_Port. A corresponding functional design and communication logic is provided for fabric ports, referred to herein as trunking F_Ports or TF_Ports.
US07916626B2
Certain embodiments of the present invention provide for a system and method for fault-tolerant QoS data communication including differentiating one or more message data into a primary storage, storing the differentiated one or more message data in a secondary storage if the primary storage becomes exhausted, prioritizing the one or more message data, and communicating the one or more message data. The one or more message data may be differentiated based on one or more queue selection rules. The one or more message data may be prioritized based on one or more queue sequencing rules. The one or more message data may be communicated based at least in part on the prioritization of the one or more message data.
US07916622B2
Provided are an apparatus and method for allocating resources in a mobile communication system. The apparatus includes a modulating/coding unit for modulating transmission data of one or more users according to a predetermined modulation scheme and for outputting a complex signal; a 2-Dimensional (2D)/1-Dimensional (1D) converter for converting the complex signal into a 1D signal; and a re-modulator for reconstructing the 1D signal to a 2D signal and for allocating two components of the 2D signal to two different frequency bands.
US07916619B2
An optically-readable disk includes a device that disrupts readability of the disk when the disk is spun at an angular velocity substantially greater than required to play the disk in its intended playing device, or for when a defined integral of velocity and time is exceeded. The device may include a fluid container that disperses a data-disruptive fluid. The device may include a membrane or layer that is disrupted when the disk is rotated above a defined angular velocity, or when a defined integral of velocity and time is exceeded.
US07916617B2
In order to distinguish a duplicated record carrier from an original record carrier, a pattern is included in a ROM type record carrier. The pattern is oriented perpendicular to the reading direction of the record carrier. During illegal duplication the spatial relationship is disturb which can be easily detected. The patterns can be read out simultaneously by the same single read-out spot by including both patterns within the diameter of the optical spot, thus guaranteeing that the read-out patterns are actually still spatially close together.
US07916613B2
A writing current circuit (42) supplies a controlled electrical current to a laser diode (34) for recording data swiftly onto a DVD (16). A plurality of current sources (62) in the writing current circuit (42) supply electrical current to the laser diode (34). Each current source (62) respectively receives a single output signal from a current control register (52) included in the writing current circuit (42) which activates or deactivates the current source (62) for supplying a particular quantity of electrical current to the laser diode (34). In each current source (62), electrical current flows to the laser diode (34) through a MOSFET output transistor (142) connected in series with the laser diode (34). Each current source's MOSFET output transistor (142) has a gate insulating layer which is thinner than the gate insulating layer conventionally used for a MOSFET output transistor (142) that is energized by the electrical potential the it applied to the writing current circuit (42).
US07916612B2
An optical pickup apparatus includes an astigmatic element, an angle adjusting element for contradicting propagation directions of luminous fluxes within four different luminous flux regions out of a reflected light, a polarization adjusting element. Two of the luminous flux regions are placed in a direction in which aligned are a set of opposite angles made by the two mutually crossing straight lines respectively parallel to a first convergence direction and a second convergence direction vertical to the first convergence direction by the astigmatic element, and the remaining two luminous flux regions are placed in a direction in which an alternate set of opposite angles are aligned. The polarization adjusting element differentiates polarization directions of luminous fluxes which are selected out of the luminous fluxes within the four luminous flux regions and which are adjacent in a peripheral direction in which the optical axis of reflected light serves as an axis.
US07916611B2
A light blocking unit includes a plate-like member which is different from a housing member, and a light blocking portion formed on the plate-like member, for blocking light. A light detector has a light receiving portion for receiving light which is partitioned into four divided regions, by a Y-axis-wise parting line and an X-axis-wise parting line in X-Y coordinates, and outputs photoelectric output signals for the respective divided regions in accordance with intensity of the light received by the respective divided regions of the light receiving portion. Of light beams emitted from a polarization beam splitter, a part of the light beams are blocked by the light blocking unit while the other part of the light beams are not blocked and thus emitted to the light detector excluding a region defined by two sides parallel to the parting lines.
US07916610B2
An information recording apparatus for recording information on a multi-layered optical information recording medium having a recording material, which changes quality according to light intensity of an irradiated light, and having an altered layer in which the recording material is already altered and a non-altered layer in which the recording material is not yet altered alternately existing in plurals is provided. The information recording apparatus includes a light source for emitting a recording light having coherency; a light path branching unit for branching a light path of the light into a first light path and a second light path; focal position control units for controlling focal positions of the light in the first and the second light path; and objective lenses for collecting the lights in the first and the second light path on the recording medium.
US07916609B2
A method for holographic information storage and retrieval is disclosed. The method supplies a holographic data storage system comprising a light source and a holographic data storage medium and provides information to the holographic data storage system. The method generates a reference beam using the light source, forms a data beam comprising a data image and an orientation image, wherein the data image comprises all or a portion of the information. The method then generates a hologram using the data beam and the write reference beam, and encodes the hologram in the holographic data storage medium to form an encoded holographic data storage medium.
US07916600B2
When performing writing and/or reading of information to/from an optical disk provided with a wobble including time axis information, an occurrence of a reading error of the time axis information from the wobble is suppressed so that disabled reading of information from the optical disk and an occurrence of a writing error can be prevented. Evaluated parameters such as a CRC error rate of an ATIP signal, an FMDT jitter amount and a phase error between an ATIP synchronization signal and a frame synchronization signal of writing data are evaluated based on a range of set values. When the evaluated parameter is deviated from the range of set values, writing and reading speeds are changed, thereby increasing the reading accuracy of the wobble signal.
US07916593B2
An optical disk device capable of increasing access speed and an image pickup device having such an optical disk device. In a region at the inside of an optical disk where the rotational speed of the spindle motor reaches its limit, a CAV mode is used for access, while in a region at the outside of the optical disk where a frequency band of an RF signal processor reaches its limit, a CLV mode is used for access. High-speed access to a maximum extent in a range of performance limits of the spindle motor and the RF signal processor is achieved. A retry feature retries failed access attempts to the optical disk when access failure is determined and a controller judges whether or not a defect of the optical disk has caused the access failure. The controller further judges if the predetermined cause of the access failure repeatedly occurs in a predetermined nearby range on the optical disk.
US07916588B2
A control apparatus is provided for controlling an access means for accessing a recording medium containing at least one area so that the access means accesses the at least one area. The apparatus comprises a means for determining whether or not at least one first recorded area storing data is included in the at least one area, and a means for controlling the access means. When it is determined that the at least one first recorded area is included in the at least one area, the control means controls the access means based on a result of accessing the at least one first recorded area.
US07916585B2
An optical disc drive for recording and/or reading information on or from an optical disc is disclosed. The optical disc drive includes: a position controller which controls the position of the objective lens based on the position-controlling light beam reflected by the reflective surface by condensing the position-controlling light beam by the objective lens such that the position-controlling light beam is brought to a focus at a target guide position on the reflective surface corresponding to the target recording position; a tilt angle detector which detects tilt angle of the optical disc relative to optical axis of the position-controlling light beam; and a focal position corrector which makes a correction such that a focal position obtained when the information light beam is condensed by the objective lens is aligned to the target recording position according to the tilt angle.
US07916581B2
An optically-readable disk includes a device that disrupts readability of the disk when the disk is spun at an angular velocity substantially greater than required to play the disk in its intended playing device, or when a defined integral of velocity and time is exceeded. The device may include a fluid container that disperses a data-disruptive fluid. The device may include a membrane or layer that is disrupted when the disk is rotated above a defined angular velocity, or when a defined integral of velocity and time is exceeded. The device may include an electro-optical material that is activated by an electrical signal from a controller in response to an input from a sensor responsive to motion of the disk.
US07916575B2
A memory, such as a flash memory, may receive a configuration bit from a memory controller to set the memory in one of two selectable modes. Thus, based on the way the memory controller operates, it can adapt the operation of the memory to suit the memory controller's techniques for entering synchronous burst read mode. In some embodiments, the bit may selectively enable the memory to assume one of two synchronous burst read modes which are based on different arrangements of CLK and ADV# signals.
US07916574B1
A circuit is configured to be mounted on a memory module connectable to a computer system so as to be electrically coupled to a plurality of memory devices on the memory module. The memory module has a first number of ranks of double-data-rate (DDR) memory devices activated by a first number of chip-select signals. The circuit is configurable to receive bank address signals, a second number of chip-select signals, and row/column address signals from the computer system. The circuit is further configurable to generate phase-locked clock signals in response to clock signals received from the computer system, to selectively isolate one or more loads of the first number of ranks from the computer system, and to translate between a system memory domain and a physical memory domain of the memory module.
US07916573B2
A word line block select circuit includes a dummy repair logic unit including a dummy logic circuit to output a first control signal and having a delay path for a repair address decision, and a word line activation unit for activating a word line in response to the first control signal and an active command signal.
US07916572B1
Integrated circuits are provided that have memory arrays. The memory arrays may include rows and columns of data byte storage locations. To implement algorithms that that process data subwords, a memory array may be partitioned into individual memory banks each of which has its own associated data register and its own associated address decoder. Each address decoder may receive address signals from an associated multiplexer. Address mapping circuits may be used to distribute address signals to multiplexer inputs using an non-blocking memory architecture. The memory architecture allows collections of data bytes to be written and read from the memory array using column-wise and row-wise read and write operations. The data bytes that are written to the array and that are read from the array may be stored in adjacent data byte locations in the array.
US07916563B2
A dual-port static random access memory (SRAM) includes a multitude of programmable delay elements disposed along the paths of a number signals used to carry out read, write or read-then-write operations. At least one of the programmable delay elements controls the timing margin between a pair of clock signals that trigger a read/write enable signal. A second programmable delay element coarsely adjusts the delay of a first signal associated with a dummy bitline. A third programmable delay element finely adjusts the delay of a second signal associated with the dummy bitline. A fourth programmable delay element controls the delay of a signal used to reset the read/write enable signal. During a read operation, the voltage level of the second signal is used as an indicator to activate the sense amplifiers. During a write operation, the voltage level of the second signal is used to control the write cycle.
US07916561B2
A variable delay circuit successively delays an input clock to generate a plurality of delayed clocks having different phases. A phase comparison circuit receives a first reference clock, which is either one of the delayed clocks or the input clock, and a second reference clock, which is one of the delayed clocks and whose phase lags behind that of the first reference clock, specifies a validated interval for the second reference clock, and compares the phases of the first and second reference clocks according to voltage levels of the first and second reference clocks only during the validated interval. A delay control circuit controls a delay time in the variable delay circuit according to a result of the comparison obtained by the phase comparison circuit.
US07916540B2
A method of operating a non-volatile memory device included in a memory card can be provided by re-mapping addresses of bad blocks in a first non-volatile MAT in a memory card and re-mapping addresses of bad blocks in a second non-volatile MAT in the memory card, the second non-volatile MAT including blocks that are address mapped with blocks in the first non-volatile MAT. Also a method of scanning a non-volatile memory device for bad blocks can be provided by sequentially scanning blocks in a non-volatile memory device for data indicating that a respective block is a bad block starting at a starting block address that is above a lowermost block address of the non-volatile memory device, wherein the starting block address is based on a yield for the non-volatile memory device.
US07916539B2
Memory embodiments are provided to operate in memory systems which are configured to have a system ground and a system substrate that are biased at different voltages. At least one of these embodiments includes a memory cell and write and read circuits in which the memory cell is coupled to the system substrate and the write and read circuits are coupled to the system ground. The memory cell preferably has a cross-coupled pair of transistors which can be set in first and second states. The write circuit is arranged and level shifted to drive the cross-coupled pair into either selected one of the states and the read circuit is arranged and level shifted to provide a data signal indicative of the selected state.
US07916537B2
Embodiments of the disclosure include multilevel memory cell devices that utilize reference point cells to determine the states of other cells. Embodiments of the disclosure also include methods of storing data to and retrieving data from multilevel memory cell devices utilizing reference point cells. In one embodiment, a multilevel memory cell device includes user data cells, a reference point cell, and a controller. The user data cells each has one of a plurality of states. The reference point cell has a first state. The controller determines the states of the user data cells based at least in part on the first state of the reference point cell.
US07916534B2
A semiconductor memory device of the invention comprises a memory cell array which includes a first region that has a plurality of memory cells each capable of storing n-bit data (n is a natural number) and a second region that has a plurality of memory cells each capable of storing k-bit data (k>n: k is a natural number), a data storage circuit which includes a plurality of data caches, and a control circuit which controls the memory cell array and the data storage circuit in such a manner that the k-bit data read from the k/n number of memory cells in the first region are stored into the data storage circuit and the k-bit data are stored into the memory cells in the second region.
US07916532B2
A memory array and method for performing a write operation in a memory array that eliminates parasitic coupling between selected and unselected bitlines and protects memory cells on unselected bitlines. A memory array (100); has a plurality of memory cells (148, 150,152, 154), each of which is coupled to a unique array bitline (104, 106, 108,110). A unique recovery transistor (138; 140, 142, 144) coupled to each array bitline (104, 106, 108, 110). The recovery transistors (140, 144) on odd bitlines (140, 144) are coupled to a first and second voltage (128, 144), while the recovery transistors on even bitlines are coupled, to a first and third voltage (128, 126). During a write operation, each recovery transistor coupled to an unselected bitline is active during a write operation and a recovery operation, while each recovery transistor coupled; to selected bitline is active during a recovery operation. The first voltage (128) is sufficient to prevent parasitic coupling between the selected bitlines and the unselected bitlines during the write operation.
US07916530B2
In various embodiments, an addressable storage matrix includes a first plurality of intersection points, at least some of which are bridged by two-terminal non-linear elements that exhibit a threshold below which current flow is significantly lower than if the threshold is exceeded, as well as, disposed at each intersection point bridged by a non-linear element, a programmable material in series with the non-linear element and determining a bit state for the corresponding intersection point.
US07916528B2
A method and apparatus for using thermal preconditioning to write data to a non-volatile memory cell, such as a spin-torque transfer random access memory (STRAM) memory cell. In some embodiments, a logical state is written to an unconditioned non-volatile first memory cell associated with a first block address. Thermal preconditioning is concurrently applied to a non-volatile second memory cell associated with a second block address selected in response to the first block address.
US07916525B2
A phase-change memory device includes a data write control unit configured to generate write control signals according to a data combination of a plurality of input data and output write control codes with a code update period controlled according to an activation period of one of the write control signal, and a data write unit configured to output a program current in response to the write control signals and control a level of the program current according to a code combination of the write control codes.
US07916521B2
A magnetic random access memory includes a magnetoresistive effect element which includes a fixed layer in which a magnetization direction is fixed, a recording layer in which a magnetization direction is reversible, and a nonmagnetic layer formed between the fixed layer and the recording layer, and in which the magnetization directions in the fixed layer and the recording layer take one of a parallel state and an antiparallel state in accordance with a direction of an electric current supplied between the fixed layer and the recording layer, and a yoke layer which concentrates a magnetic field generated by the electric current, and causes the magnetic field to act on magnetization in the recording layer.
US07916520B2
A memory cell is used which includes a plurality of magneto-resistive elements and a plurality of laminated ferrimagnetic structure substances. The plurality of the magneto-resistive elements are placed corresponding to respective positions where a plurality of first wirings extended in a first direction intersects with a plurality of second wirings extended in a second direction which is substantially perpendicular to the first direction. The plurality of the laminated ferrimagnetic structure substances corresponds to the plurality of the magneto-resistive elements, respectively, is placed to have a distance of a predetermined range from the respective plurality of the magneto-resistive elements, and has a laminated ferrimagnetic structure. The magneto-resistive element includes a free layer having a laminated ferrimagnetic structure, a fixed layer, and a nonmagnetic layer interposed between the free layer and the fixed layer.
US07916519B2
A burn-in method for SRAMs and chips. For a memory cell of the SRAM, the SRAM burn-in method controls the control signals of the memory cell to generate current paths to pass through the memory cell, the corresponding bit-line and the corresponding bit-line-bar. The contacts/vias in the current paths are tested by providing burn-in currents to flow through the current paths, so that mismatched contacts/vias are burned by the burn-in currents. SRAMs that fail the burn-in test are abandoned after the burn-in procedure.
US07916510B1
An apparatus and method of programming a search engine to implement regular expression search operations are disclosed that selectively transform a source regular expression into an equivalent reformulated regular expression in response to a determination of the architectural characteristics of the search engine. In this manner, the regular expression can be reformulated to optimize the configuration and available resources of the associated search engine.
US07916508B2
An exemplary embodiment includes a system for measuring and controlling a thyristor comprising a thyristor, a Rogowski coil in operable communication therewith the thyristor, and a processor operative to receive signals from the Rogowski coil, determine a direct current value of the thyristor, and control the thyristor.
US07916494B1
A printed circuit board includes a high-speed differential signal control chip, first to fourth coupling capacitor pads, first and second connector pads, first and second inductor pads, a number of transmission lines, a power pin, two sharing pads, and two selection pads. Two coupling capacitors can selectively connect the first and second coupling capacitor pads and the two sharing pads or between the third and fourth coupling capacitor pads and the two sharing pads, respectively. Two inductors can connect the first and second inductor pads and the two selection pads respectively, and the first and second inductor pads and the two selection pads can be void.
US07916490B2
The invention related to an electronic device enclosure that includes a chassis and a cover. The chassis includes a bottom wall, an opening and a circuit board mounted on the bottom wall. The cover is mounted on the chassis and is adapted to cover the opening of the chassis. A shock absorber is mounted on the cover and is resiliently resisted on the circuit board.
US07916483B2
A method and associated assembly is provided for cooling of a computing embodiment having electronic components. The heat generating components are disposed in the vicinity of at least one cold plate providing direct liquid cooling. Coolant is provided to the cold plate which will eventually exit it through one or more ports or orifices placed on the sides or both side and bottom of the cold plate. The placement, size and number of port(s) or orifice(s) can be selectively adjusted to control amount of coolant flow. Effluent flow from the cold plate flows over the remaining immersion cooled components and then exits the liquid tight enclosure which houses the electronic components.
US07916475B2
An electronic device includes a main body, a pivoting member pivotably mounted to the main body, a display, a sliding piece fixed to the inner surface of the display and capable of sliding relative to the pivoting member, and a resilient member positioned at one side of the sliding piece opposite to the pivoting member for driving the sliding piece to slide relative to the pivoting member.
US07916466B2
A computer enclosure includes an inner chassis, an input/output (I/O) module defining a number of I/O interfaces, a latching unit attached to the inner chassis, a resilient member connected between the I/O module and the inner chassis, a gear rack attached to the I/O module, and a damping gear assembly attached to the inner chassis and engaging with the gear rack. The I/O module is pivotably mounted to the inner chassis. The latching unit is capable of keeping the I/O module at a closed position where the I/O interfaces of the I/O module are unexposed. A movement of the I/O module is restrained by the damping gear.
US07916465B2
A hard disk fixing rack, which is used to emplace and fix the hard disks used in a computer, is composed of a seat which is fixed in an interior of a computer casing, a rack body, and a plurality of elastic gliding members which are installed on the hard disk. An interior of the rack body is formed with a plurality or rails, such that after the hard disk is gliding on the aforementioned rails, it can be fixed into locking slots at tail ends of the rails.
US07916461B2
An electronic device with a rotatable keyboard is provided. The electronic device includes a casing defining a plurality of button holes, and a pressable plate having a plurality of transparent pressable protrusions. Each of the pressable protrusions exposes itself through a corresponding button hole of the casing for a user to press the pressable protrusions to input commands to the electronic device. The electronic device further includes at least one rotatable member mounted in the base. A plurality of touch points are arranged on each surfaces of the rotatable member. The electronic device further includes a transmission mechanism and a knob. The knob is for driving the transmission mechanism, and the transmission mechanism is for rotating the rotatable member to make one surface of the at least one rotatable member face the pressable plate and the touch points on the surface being touchable by the user.
US07916455B2
A conductive composition comprises a π conjugated conductive polymer, a dopant composed of polyanion, and at least one crosslinking site forming compound selected from (a) compounds having a glycidyl group and (b) compounds having a hydroxyl group and one selected from the group consisting of allyl, vinyl ether, methacryl, acryl, methacrylamide, and acrylamide groups. An antistatic coating material comprises a π conjugated conductive polymer, polyanion, at least one crosslinking site forming compound selected form the above (a) and (b), and a solvent. An antistatic coating is formed by applying the above-mentioned antistatic coating material. In a capacitor comprising an anode composed of a valve metal porous body; a dielectric layer formed by oxidizing the surface of the anode; and a cathode formed on the dielectric layer, the cathode has a solid electrolyte layer formed by crosslinking complexes of a π conjugated conductive polymer and a dopant composed of a polyanion.
US07916450B2
A ceramic slurry composition includes 20˜50 wt. % of a ceramic powder, 2˜10 wt. % of a polymer having average molecular weight of 400,000 or more, 0.1˜2 wt. % of a polymer having hydrogen bond-forming functional groups, and 40˜75 wt. % of a solvent. If necessary, the ceramic slurry composition further includes 1˜5 wt. % of a polymer having weight average molecular weight of 400,000 or less.
US07916447B2
An electrostatic chuck is provided for a substrate stage that can be used in plasma treatment of various substrates such as a large-sized glass substrate for a flat panel display (FPD), a semiconductor wafer or the like. The electrostatic chuck is divided into a plurality of electrodes formed into nearly bar-like shapes. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, each of the divided bar-like electrodes includes an inner electrode and a single layer thermally sprayed film formed on the surface of the inner electrode, with the bar-like electrodes disposed in parallel so as to form a plane electrode.
US07916434B2
A TMR effect element with sufficiently reduced element resistance and restricted popping noise is provided, which comprises a tunnel barrier layer formed primarily of a metal oxide including many electric charge sites. The electric charge sites density n and the mobility μ of electrons trapped due to the electric charge sites satisfy a relationship expressed by: 0<(ns1−1−ns2−1)−1·(μ0−μ)·(nμ)−1<0.2, where ns1 and ns2 are densities of tunnel electrons when an element resistance is a minimum and maximum respectively during reading signals and μ0 is the mobility of electrons when not trapped.
