US07988706B2
Methods and apparatus for sealing a puncture or incision formed percutaneously in tissue separating two internal portions of the body of a living being with an anchor, a sealing plug and a filament connecting the anchor and sealing plug are disclosed. The methods and apparatus provide for automatic tamping of the sealing plug. In addition, torque required to tamp the sealing plug is automatically sensed and gear ratios of an automatic tamping device are automatically changed in response to sensed changes in torque. A planetary transmission may be used to automatically change gear ratios in response to the changes in torque.
US07988702B2
The present invention generally relates to surgical clips. A surgical clip comprises a first piece comprising a first base and a first projection extending from the first base, a second piece comprising a second base, a second projection extending from the second base wherein the second projection further comprises a top surface, at least one side surface and a bottom surface, the surfaces defining a reservoir therein, and the first and the second piece are detachably connectable. In a preferred embodiment, the reservoir is self-releasing to deliver therapeutic materials when the first piece and second piece are connected.
US07988694B2
Provided is a novel spinal fixation system that includes a novel multi-planar taper lock screw for connecting a connecting rod to bone as well as a novel locking device and a novel unlocking device, each being configured to selectively partially lock or fully the novel screw of the system. The screw is capable of multi-directional articulation while the connecting rod position can remain stable and aligned as needed. After the screw had been articulated and properly positioned, it can be locked such that the screw and the connecting rod will remain in relative position to the bone. The screw is configured for easy insertion and connection as well as easy removal and disconnection from the connecting rod. A method of fixing bones or bone fragments using the novel system is also provided.
US07988693B2
A chisel with U.V-shaped, saw tooth or other shaped opposing blades is used to form channels in adjacent vertebrae. The chisel has a projection extending from at least one of the top and bottom surfaces to limit depth of penetration into the vertebrae. A guide member may be attached to the forward tip of the chisel to guide the chisel into the disc space to uniformly chisel both adjacent vertebrae simultaneously to form a channel in the vertebrae. The so formed channels serve as sa guide for a second chisel having no guide member. The second chisel, which may be a box chisel, is used to complete the channels to the desired depth to receive an associated implant, typically of cortical bone. Other embodiments are disclosed in which a two step box chisel has a retractable guide member for initially guiding the chisel as it forms partial channels in the vertebrae disc space. The guide member is then retracted and the channels formed to the desired depth. The chisels include guide member pins which serve to both limit the extension and retraction of the guide member and also to serve to limit the depth of penetration of the chisel, physically and visually. The guide member may be retracted with a rotatable knob and a threaded engaged rod or with an axially displaceable pin and rod assembly attached to the guide member. A procedure for using the chisels is also disclosed.
US07988686B2
A device for the treatment of a medical fluid including a permanently installed fluid treatment machine and a cassette with fluid-carrying channels as well as an elastic matt placed between these two items. The matt channels are recessed in the elastic matt and are provided with slits. Via the matt channels, an optimized vacuum distribution takes place and the slits serve the purpose of removing air between the cassette and the fluid treatment machine.
US07988684B2
A syringe adapter assembly 10 for permitting a front loadable power injector 100 having a pressure jacket 106 with an open front end to attach syringes 70 that do not require pressure jackets for their intended purpose. The syringe adapter assembly comprises a main adapter body 12 having a central bore 28 therethrough, a lifting ring 60 secured within the main adapter body 12, a connector plate 50 for attaching the main adapter body to the door injector, and a drive ram extender 30 that attaches to the drive ram. Additionally, the ram extender 30 may have a ram tip cone 40 attached at its forward end. The connector plate 50 is inserted into a recess 112 in the rear side of the door, and attaches to the main adapter body 12 located on the front side of the door. The invention additionally or alternatively comprises both a syringe lock 120 that locks an installed syringe relative to the injector to prevent unwanted movement of the syringe, and a method of locking syringe relative to an injector.
US07988682B2
An absorbent prefastened product in the form of a disposable pants diaper is provided with a side closure arrangement on each side. The side closure includes front and rear side flaps having elastic portions where an inner surface of a rear side flap is overlapped and welded to an outer surface of a front side flap. Each side flap is also provided with one part of a releasable fastening system located such that the weld is located on at least one of the elastic portions and such that it lies inward of the releasable fastening system in the prefastened state. A method of forming the absorbent product is also provided, in which an overlapped attachment is formed by joining front and rear side flap members together and attaching the side flap members to an absorbent chassis member.
US07988681B2
The present invention relates to a portable waste containment device that is rapidly deployable. The waste containment device allows containment of liquid or semi-liquid waste until permanently disposed. The present invention also provides a portable waste containment system wherein the waste containment device is enclosed within a package for storage and when pulled from the package the waste containment device is ready for use. Still further, the present invention provides a method of using the portable waste containment device of the present invention.
US07988675B2
An automatic injection and retraction device having a longitudinal axis is provided that includes an injection assembly, a retraction assembly, and a pre-filled syringe cartridge. The injection assembly has an activation-prevention feature moveable between an on position and an off position. The retraction assembly has a needle guard that is removable in a direction along the longitudinal axis upon application of a removal force. The pre-filled syringe cartridge has a hypodermic needle with a needle sheath thereon. The retraction and injection assemblies are secured to one another so that the pre-filled syringe cartridge is in the retraction assembly with the needle sheath secured to the needle guard. The retraction and injection assemblies are configured so that, upon application of a twisting torque to the injection and retraction assemblies, the activation-prevention feature moves from the on position to the off position simultaneous with applying the removal force to the needle guard.
US07988674B2
Embodiments of the present invention include anchor assemblies and methods for using the same to immobilize a device within a body portal. In one embodiment, the anchor assembly is utilized to immobilize a catheter relative to a covered (e.g., skin-covered) burr hole formed in a skull. Anchor assemblies in accordance with embodiments of the present invention may include anchors located subdermally that may be unlocked from outside the body to release the device without a surgical procedure.
US07988672B2
A surgical access assembly for receiving instruments of various diameters is disclosed. The access assembly includes a housing defining a longitudinal axis and having a longitudinal opening for passage of a surgical instrument. The access assembly may also include a mechanism disposed within the housing and having a passageway for reception and passage of the surgical instrument in substantial sealed relation therewith. The mechanism may be adapted for reciprocal longitudinal movement within the housing between a first position corresponding to a first dimension of the passageway and a second position corresponding to a second dimension of the passageway. The mechanism may include a single seal element or first and second seal elements. The seal elements may be adapted for lateral movement during longitudinal movement of the seal. The first and second seal elements may be in at least partial overlapping relation when in the first position of the seal. The access assembly may include a lock or latch for preventing movement of the seal elements.
US07988669B2
The present disclosure relates to surgical access apparatus for positioning within a percutaneous tissue tract to facilitate access to an underlying surgical worksite. In one embodiment, the disclosed surgical access includes a housing with proximal and distal ends that is configured to removably receive at least one surgical instrument, a tubular member that extends distally from the housing along a longitudinal axis, a connective member that is secured to the tubular member, either internally or externally, at least one filament that is secured to the connective member so as to extend proximally therefrom, and at least one manual member that is secured to the at least one filament.
US07988668B2
A microsyringe includes a body, a barrier movable within the body, and a flow regulator. The body includes a pressurizable chamber, an inlet fluidly connected to the pressurizable chamber, an outlet fluidly connected to the pressurizable chamber, and a cannula fluidly connected to the outlet. The flow regulator is fluidly connected to the cannula to limit the flow of a pharmaceutical through the cannula to a maximum rate. The movable barrier fluidly separates the inlet from the outlet. A pharmaceutical is disposed in a space between the movable barrier and the outlet. The inlet is designed to mechanically and fluidly couple to a hydraulic fluid delivery system. Hydraulic fluid from the inlet pressurizes the chamber, causing the barrier to move and displace the pharmaceutical out of the chamber and into the cannula. The movable barrier may be a piston or a collapsible membrane.
US07988653B2
An adjustable support assembly for an orthopedic brace has a support bar, a housing and a locking mechanism. The housing includes a travel track which receives the support bar. The locking mechanism includes a lock stop and a lock peg array having at least one column and a plurality of rows. The lock stop is perpendicularly positioned between two lock pegs in adjacent rows to prevent displacement of the support bar in the travel track when the length locking mechanism is in the closed position and the lock stop is parallely positioned to enable displacement of the support bar in the travel track when the length locking mechanism is in the open position.
US07988652B2
The present invention discloses a pivotal disc is pivotally coupled to a first brace and a second brace. The pivotal disc has a motion-limit member and a positioning member limiting the angle by which the second brace rotates with respect to the first brace with the pivotal disc being the axis and fixing the angle between the first and second braces. The present invention is characterized in that the motion-limit member uses a range-adjust member to push a slide block and determine the range that a block portion of the second brace is blocked by the slide block, and that the positioning member uses a switch knob actuates on end of a positioning rod to engage with or depart from a positioning notch on the pivotal disc, and that the pivotal disc has two limit elements to define the maximum movement range of the first brace and the second brace.
US07988645B2
A lancing device, an embodiment of which controls the advancement and retraction of a lancet by monitoring the position of the lancet in conjunction with a lancet controller which incorporates a feedback loop for modulating the lancet driver to follow a predetermined tissue lancing profile.
US07988643B2
The invention relates to a biopsy needle for obtaining material for histological examination of body tissue, in particular, of bone marrow, or for the isolation, culture and modification of body cells, comprising a cannula with a cutting edge and a manual turning handle and a stylet running in the cannula. At the end of the cannula is an internal thread and preferably an outer thread. An easily visible marking is preferably provided on the manual turning handle. On withdrawing the biopsy needle the biopsy sample is thus held in position in the cannula and the advancing is precisely controllable.
US07988642B2
A biopsy device is disclosed that comprises a cutting element mounted to a handpiece and a vacuum chamber. The cutting element comprises a stylet assembly and an outer cannula assembly. The stylet assembly includes a stylet that includes an open proximal end and a tissue opening at a distal end thereof. The tissue receiving opening is in communication with a lumen extending through the stylet. The outer cannula assembly includes an outer cannula that is slidably mounted over the stylet and has an open distal end with a cutting edge formed thereon. The vacuum chamber is in communication with the lumen of the stylet. The stylet is selectively advanced distally outwardly with respect to outer cannula to expose the tissue opening to targeted tissue. The outer cannula is selectively advanced over the tissue opening to sever tissue, while vacuum is generated in the vacuum chamber and delivered to the tissue opening through the lumen. The vacuum causes tissue to be drawn into and maintained in the tissue opening while the outer cannula severs tissue to obtain a biopsy core.
US07988635B2
A method of identifying sleep disordered breathing (SDB) in a patient includes monitoring a hemodynamic pressure, deriving high, middle, and low values representative of the distribution of the hemodynamic pressure over a storage interval, measuring a ratio of a lower range to a full range of the hemodynamic pressure based on the derived high, middle, and low values, and using the ratio to determine whether the patient has experienced an SDB episode. Certain embodiments of the invention compare the ratio to a threshold value to identify the occurrence of an SDB episode, while other embodiments of the invention identify the occurrence of an SDB episode by monitoring for a simultaneous increase in both the ratio and the full range of the hemodynamic pressure. In certain other embodiments of the invention, activity level and/or duration criteria may be employed to confirm the occurrence of an SDB episode detected using the ratio.
US07988630B1
A method and system for monitoring and/or controlling a glycemic state of a subject, comprising a housing device having one or more chambers, extendable and retractable sensors, extendable and retractable catheters, insulin reservoir, neuroprotective agent reservoir, release mechanism for releasing insulin and neuroprotective agent into the subject, and a control mechanism with a processor for receiving and analyzing outputs from the sensors and for controlling the release mechanism, a clock mechanism for providing logging and/or circadian information to the processor.
US07988625B2
A retractor having interchangeable or replaceable blades facilitates the expansion of a surgical site below an incision in the skin, and establishes a work-through surgical space. The retractor includes a frame connected to two collar arms, a pair of blades connected to the collar arms, a sheath for encompassing the blades and providing a circumscribed working space, and a device for rotating the collar arms, thereby displacing the blades and any tissue surrounding them.
US07988623B2
An apparatus for shielding a body structure during surgical procedures which is configured for insertion into the internal passage of a support structure, and includes an elongated body portion with a distal tip portion configured to cover the body structure without substantially displacing the body structure. The apparatus also includes a mounting portion at a proximal end portion thereof for mounting the apparatus within the internal passage of the support structure, and a member connected to the mounting portion to release the mounting portion with respect to the internal passage of the wall portion.
US07988622B2
The invention relates to a luminous optical laryngoscope having a heating device built into the end that is inserted into the patient or the distal end thereof in order to prevent the formation of condensation and to facilitate viewing inside the patient through the laryngoscope.
US07988614B2
An organ assist system having a closed fluid system having a ring-shaped prosthetic contactively surrounding at least a portion of a body part, including bladders adapted for selectable dilation and contraction in response to varying fluid pressure therewithin, a fluid pump, and apparatus for pressurizing the bladders; and a control unit for controlling operation of at least the fluid pump; pressure sensors within the fluid system; a power source, and shut off valves. The pressurization apparatus includes pressure cells arranged in an array, each pressure cell having a shut-off valve at its inlet, and a shut-off valve at its outlet, the shut-off valves being controlled by the control unit such that the pressurization apparatus is operable to provide a range of pressurizations to the bladders of the prosthetic for applying a controlled variable pressurizing effect to the body part thereby.
US07988613B2
A method and apparatus for generating electromagnetic fields for healing. A device preferably includes a microcontroller and associated memory, a wire coil in electrical communication with a driving circuit that is controlled by the microcontroller in accordance with a program stored in the associated memory, wherein the driving circuit is effective to produce a pulsed DC output having a frequency in the range of about 0-45 Hz, more preferably in the range of 0.5-14.1 Hz and most preferably around 9.6 Hz. A user interface is provided for selecting one of a plurality of modes of operation and a port (e.g., a USB port) is provided to allow the program stored in the associated memory to be modified by way of a computer, memory card or the Internet. In another embodiment, the apparatus takes the form of a medallion that can be worn around a user's neck or strategically placed on a user's body or embedded in other user hardware such as a combat or racing helmet.
US07988610B2
A particle separation apparatus includes a base, a disc-shaped container rotatable on the base at a constant speed and a suspension supply tank for separating in the container particles contained in a suspension supplied from the tank according to specific gravities or particle diameters of the particles. The container includes a plurality of centrifugation vessels disposed around a rotation axis and in a circumferential direction of the container, particle supply cylinders disposed at a center of the container for discharging the particles in the suspension toward the vessels and a lid, and has a structure controllable in rotational speed to adjust a distance of relative movement in a rotation direction between large-gravity particles and small-gravity particles. The vessels are individually in a form of dents independent of one another and are each formed of an inner circumferential wall and a bottom wall. Each of the cylinders has means for discharging the particles in the suspension toward a centrifugation vessel filled beforehand with water.
US07988609B2
A folding table, in particular for a folding device which is provided with a chopper folding device, includes a folding face which is suitable for receiving a flat product to be folded, and a folding aperture which extends in a conveying direction, the table extending along a table plane. The folding face includes guides which are capable of guiding at least one conveyor for conveying a flat product to be folded in the conveying direction.
US07988608B2
An apparatus for producing longitudinally folded products has a machine frame (17) which is arranged below a former arrangement which can be charged with web material. Transporting and processing units are arranged in tandem in the machine frame (17), and a superstructure wall (18) which carries web guiding members (19) associated with the former arrangement is mounted on the machine frame (17). At least one web ribbon (2a) is guided through the superstructure wall (18). The machine frame (17) has at least two modules (22, 23) arranged one above the other which are rotatable by 180° relative to one another and can be connected to one another. Each module (22, 23) has its own at least one drive motor, and every unit provided in the region of the dividing line (24) between modules (22, 23) which are rotatable relative to one another is constructed symmetrically with respect to a center working plane containing the axis of rotation.
US07988605B1
A resistance exercise machine, equipped with two different types of resistance disks. Both disk types apply a frictional resistive force in one direction only, created by tension by means of a pressure plate and brake disk arrangement varied by a tension knob. One disk type, provides circular motion type exercises, by using a mounted accessory to rotate the disk repeatedly. Disk can be adjusted to any angle relative to the user, by means of the universal frame assembly. The other disk type provides motion simulation type exercises by using a remote accessory, a cable, and a rewind arm assembly. Pulling against the cable, urges a pawl to engage a gear situated on the disk's periphery, forcing the disk to rotate. Upon discontinuing the pull on the cable, the disk stops rotating, the pawl disengages the gear, and the rewind arm assembly rewinds the cable back onto the disk's periphery.
US07988602B1
A device and method for treating and preventing plantar fasciitis includes a wedge adapted to be placed under the big toe. The wedge has a top surface for supporting the big toe, a first support surface separated from the top surface by a first angle, and a second support separated from the top surface by a second angle. The first and second support surfaces are perpendicular with each other so that one rests on the floor and the other serves as a backstop. The wedge has a first position for inclining the top surface upwardly at the first angle to provide moderate stretching of the plantar fascia, and a second position for inclining the top surface upwardly at the second angle to provide maximum stretching. The first angle is within a range of 20 to 25 degrees, and the second angle is within a range of 65 to 70 degrees.
US07988601B2
A seated row exercise system including an exercise cycle assembly that detachably connects to a chair frame of a chair; and, an elongated support assembly. The exercise cycle assembly includes a main frame having a first end portion detachably connectable to a frame element of a chair frame, the main frame including a plurality of support legs for supporting the exercise cycle assembly relative to the floor; and, a pedal assembly securely connected to the main frame. The elongated support assembly includes a substantially vertical support member secured to the main frame; and, a pulley housing assembly attached to the vertical support member for supporting a cable assembly.
US07988598B2
The user puts on a wearable electronic device at a gym and the wearable electronic device updates itself wirelessly through a server with a fitness session for the user that is stored within a plurality of user workout routines in a database as part of the server. The fitness session is a sequence of exercises the user should perform at the gym where the wearable electronic device provides an indication to the user of the various exercises. The user determines which exercises to complete and thereafter at the end of the fitness session the user's progress is stored back to the database. On a subsequent visit to the gym a second fitness session is derived based upon the first fitness session where preferably this second fitness session is derived with the assistance of a trained professional. Optionally if an article of fitness equipment is busy, the user is advised of another article of fitness equipment to utilize. Optionally the machines are equipped with a wireless interface that allows the wearable electronic device to know which machine is being used.
US07988591B2
There is provided a control system for a powertrain system including an electro-mechanical transmission operative in a plurality of fixed gear modes and continuously variable modes. The control system is adapted to identify preferred operating conditions for operating the powertrain in a fixed gear operating range state. The method comprises determining a range of permissible input torques. States for input torque are iteratively selected, and a motor torque output from the first electrical machine is optimized based upon the selected state for the input torque. A motor torque output from the second electrical machine is determined based upon the optimized motor torque output from the first electrical machine. A cost for each of the iteratively selected states for the input torque and the motor torques from the first and second electrical machines is calculated. A preferred operating range is identified based upon the plurality of costs.
US07988585B2
Disclosed is a kit which enables the rapid conversion of an open differential gear assembly in a golf cart to a limited slip differential gear assembly by replacing the side gears with side gears containing an integrated clutch surface that engage a double wound spring loaded case containing an integrated clutch surface that transmits power away from the slipping wheel and to the wheel having traction.
US07988583B2
A final reduction gear device including an orthogonal axis gear and a speed reduction mechanism portion employing a planetary gear is provided. A radial bearing, more specifically a cylindrical roller bearing, having a large radial load capacity is disposed between a bevel ring gear of the orthogonal axis gear and a differential case. A thrust bearing, more specifically a thrust ball bearing or a thrust roller bearing, having a large axial load capacity is disposed between an axial end portion of a sun gear, and an inner race side of the radial bearing and the side of a fitting portion of the differential case, to which the inner race is fitted. A thrust bearing, more specifically a thrust ball bearing or a thrust roller bearing, having a large axial load capacity is disposed between the bevel ring gear and a planetary carrier of the speed reduction mechanism portion.
US07988575B2
A driving mechanism for a labeling machine aims to drive a transmission assembly thereof from a power source through a linking member such as a belt. The transmission assembly concurrently drives rotation of an axle assembly so that a feeding wheel coupled on an axle can draw and convey a roll of film. A belt with teeth formed on two sides serves as a transmission member of the transmission assembly to transmit rotation to two axle wheels. The transmission assembly can transmit rotation accurately, rapidly and concurrently. The structure of the transmission assembly is simplified. Wearing can be reduced. Repair and maintenance also are easier.
US07988573B2
A control device includes an arrangement for deriving an input torque input to a belt-type continuously variable transmission based on a control amount of a first actuator. The continuously variable transmission includes a first actuator that is provided on a one movable sheave side, that presses the one movable sheave toward one fixed sheave, and that can generate a belt pinching pressure on the one movable sheave side, and a second actuator and a torque cam that are provided on the other movable sheave side, that press the other movable sheave toward the other fixed sheave, and that can generate a belt pinching pressure on the other movable sheave side.
US07988569B2
Golf balls having a multi-layer core and a cover are disclosed. The multi-layer core contains a center and an outer core layer that are both soft relative to a hard intermediate core layer. The outer core layer is thin relative to the center and outer core layer. In one embodiment, the relatively hard intermediate core layer has a surface hardness of 80 to 90 Shore C which is greater than the center hardness and surface hardness of the outer core layer. In another embodiment, the cover includes an inner cover layer having a surface hardness of 60 Shore D or greater and an outer cover layer having a surface hardness of 20 to 70 Shore D.
US07988568B2
Golf clubs, club heads, and club weighting systems may include: (a) a club head body member; and (b) one or more weight members movably engaged with the club head body member so as to move between a first position and a second position to change an overall exterior shape of the club head. This shape change may result in changes to the overall center of gravity, weighting, and/or moment of inertia characteristics of the club head. Alternatively or additionally, the weight member(s) may be removed from the club head body member, reoriented, and/or replaced with a different weight member, e.g., to change the overall exterior shape, center of gravity, weighting, and/or moment of inertia characteristics of the club head. Methods of making and using these clubs, club heads, and weighting systems also are described.
US07988566B2
Provided is a soft golf club head that forms a striking surface with a plurality of strings fixed to a body of the head and a tension adjusting screw to enable adjusting of string tension, so that shock transferred to a golfer is reduced, flight distance of the golf ball can be adjusted, and a broader demography can enjoy golfing with less restrictions.
US07988562B2
The observation apparatus provided with the observation wheel comprises a water tank housing fish and being arranged around the substantially lower half of a rotation locus of the observation wheel in which at least an inside face facing the observation wheel of the water tank is formed of a transparent material.
US07988550B2
A system, method, and apparatus for processing gaming voucher images are described herein. In one embodiment, the method includes recording voucher information on a gaming voucher, creating an image of the gaming voucher, causing the image to be stored, and dispensing the gaming voucher.
US07988543B2
A system and method for controlling air flow through a passenger cabin and battery pack of a vehicle having a battery module is disclosed. A HVAC controller communicates with a battery pack controller to assure that air flow from the passenger cabin through the battery pack, and either out to atmosphere or returned to the passenger cabin, is coordinated to obtain desirable passenger cabin heating/cooling and battery cooling.
US07988542B1
To obtain a quality-meat-attached backbone part suitable as a material for minced fish the invention proposes cutting off a fin part and a kidney from a meat-attached backbone part obtained when filleting a fish into three pieces. The meat-attached backbone part is conveyed by a pair of upper and lower conveyor belts while being sandwiched and held between the belts. When the backbone part reaches a fin cutter arranged in a midstream of the conveyance, a belly part is pushed by a first pushing lever while a back part of the meat-attached backbone part is received and stopped by a receiving and stopping lever, and the back skin from a back fin to a tail fin is cut off by the fin cutter. Then, when the meat-attached backbone part reaches a kidney cutter, the belly part of the meat-attached backbone part is pushed by a second pushing lever to position the kidney-attached backbone section of the meat-attached backbone part at a cutting position by a kidney cutter. The kidney-attached backbone section is cut off by the kidney cutter to obtain the quality-meat-attached backbone part.
US07988535B2
The present invention generally relates to a substrate transferring system. Particularly, the present invention relates to apparatus and method to effectively remove the chemical fume, vapor and other byproducts generated during a polishing process. One embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus for polishing a substrate comprising a platen having a polishing surface configured to polish the substrate by contacting the substrate while moving relatively to the substrate, a polishing head configured to support the substrate and position the substrate to be in contact with the polishing surface during polishing, a solution nozzle configured to dispense a polishing solution on the polishing surface, and an exhaust assembly configured to remove fume, vapor and other byproducts generated during polishing.
US07988533B2
A polishing wheel including a lower polishing surface and defining a different color from a secondary portion of the polishing wheel, so as to indicate wear of the polishing surface. The polishing surface includes a plurality of main radial flutes extending from a central passage to an outer edge. A reduced profile for the main radial flutes is provided adjacent to the outer edge. A plurality of secondary radial flutes is provided extending from the outer edge, but not in communication with either the central passage or the main radial flutes.
US07988520B2
A sculpture device may comprise a base, at least one figure, a cover and a control element. The base may have upper and lower surfaces. The figure may be movable along the upper surface. The cover may be coupled to the base and may have a lens mounted therein to which an operator may view the figure. The control element may include a magnetic mechanism for magnetically attracting the figure such that movement of the control element along the lower surface causes corresponding movement of the figure along the upper surface.
US07988518B2
A magnetic block toy is provided that includes a plurality of magnetic blocks coupled to one another by magnets therein. Each of the magnetic blocks includes a body part having two or more end portions and a magnet-mounting part at each end portion of the body part adapted to mount magnets having different polarities on upper and lower surfaces thereof so as to be rotatably supported by a shaft formed on both sides of an outer periphery thereof. When one magnetic block approaches another magnetic block, the magnets are rotated to cause the magnetic blocks to be coupled to each other irrespective of a coupling direction. When the magnetic blocks are coupled to each other, they do not slide against or separate from each other.
US07988515B2
A method for manufacturing a field emission electron source includes: providing a CNT array; drawing a bundle of CNTs from the CNT array to form a CNT yarn; soaking the CNT yarn into an organic solvent, and shrinking the CNT yarn into a CNT string after the organic solvent volatilizing; applying a voltage between two opposite ends of the CNT string, until the CNT string snapping at a certain point; and attaching the snapped CNT string to a conductive base, and achieving a field emission electron source. The field emission efficiency of the field emission electron source is high.
US07988507B2
A method (10) of forming an electrically conducting feedthrough. The method (10) comprises a first step (11) of forming an electrically conductive structure (21) comprising a sacrificial component and a non-sacrificial component. At least a portion of the non-sacrificial component can then be coated with a relatively electrically insulating material (35) prior to removal of at least a portion of the sacrificial component from the electrically conductive structure. The structure of the feedthrough provides electrical connection through the wall of a housing of an implantable component while preventing unwanted transfer of materials between the interior of the component and the surrounding environment.
US07988503B2
An open-face electrical wire connector for forming an electrical connection to a wire connector lug wherein the wire connector lug, which is free of any sealant can be brought into engagement with another portion of a housing, which carries a sealant, to cause the sealant to flow around the wire connector lug and the electrical connection therein for on-the-go formation of a sealant covered electrical connection.
US07988502B2
According to the invention, the lance for primarily retaining the terminal is formed integrally on the retainer for secondarily retaining the terminal. Therefore, there is no need to form the lance on the connector housing, and therefore the structure of the connector housing can be simplified, and the moldability of the resin-made connector housing can be enhanced.
US07988499B2
A receptacle connector including at least three mating interfaces is provided and includes an insulative housing with a first and second groups of contacts mounted thereon. The first group of contacts serve as first Interface (USB 2.0), and a second group of contacts alternatively serve as mating interface of second and third interfaces (ESATA and USB 3.0). A switching board is provided and includes mounting interface of the second and the third interfaces. A shuttle member is moveably disposed within the housing and selectively interconnects the second group of contacts with either the mounting interface of the second interface or mounting interface of the third interface.
US07988495B2
The present invention relates to a connector, wherein a connector is defined with an opening for connecting a USB connector. The connector is mainly assembled from a hollow casing, a first base and a second base, and two rear side walls of the hollow casing are respectively formed with a position fixing portion extending away from the opening. Moreover, after fixedly combining together the first base and the second base, two sides thereof are respectively formed with a guiding portion, which enable fixing portions extending from two sides of a printed circuit tongue to effect sliding inserted disposition. After assembly of the bases with the printed circuit tongue, then the fixing portions enable fastening to the position fixing portions. Accordingly, the bases not only enable achieving the objective of product customization, but also retaining positioning of the connector is enabled to prevent errors from occurring due to displacement.
US07988487B2
A number of the terminal rows RT1 to RT3 are minimized, as compared to a number of the connect rows RC1 to RC4. In the terminal row RT1, the terminal portions 304 of the signal contact pair C22, C23 are arranged between the terminal portions 304 of the signal contact pair C11, C12 and the terminal portions 304 of the signal contact pair C14, C15. In the terminal row RT3, the terminal portions 304 of the signal contact pair C42, C43 are arranged between the terminal portions 304 of the signal contact pair C31, C32 and the terminal portions 304 of the signal contact pair C34, C35. Thus, a size of the footprint of the connector 100 can be reduced, and cross talks between the signal contact pair C11, C12 and the signal contact pair C14, C15 and between the signal contact pair C31, C32 and the signal contact pair C34, C35 can be reduced.
US07988474B2
An electronic apparatus includes: first and second electronic units opposed to each other and connected to relatively rotate in a given plane; and a flat cable electrically connecting the first and second electronic units. The flat cable includes: first and second extending portions respectively connected to the first and second electronic units sides, and each having a surface extending along the given plane; and a bent portion having a bent surface located between the first and second extending portions, and the bent surface bent to surround a normal line perpendicular to the given plane.
US07988468B2
A protective cover mechanism for an interface opening of a portable electronic device includes a protective cover and a sliding member. The protective cover includes a cover body for covering the interface opening, and a shaft projecting from the cover body. The sliding member is engaged with the shaft of the protective cover so the cover body is rotatable relative to the sliding member to selectively cover or expose the interface opening.
US07988465B2
Provided is a circuit board based connector with raised projection section, which is formed by applying substrate bonding and formation techniques to make a connector that features a raised projection section. The circuit substrate has an end that is provided with conductive terminals and an opposite end that is provided with flat cable connection terminals for connection with a flat cable. The circuit substrate has a first surface on which the projection section is formed. A shielding layer covers the projection section and a portion of the first surface. The circuit substrate has a second surface on which a second shielding layer is selectively formed. When the circuit substrate is inserted into an insertion space defined in a connection socket with the conductive terminals thereof, the shielding layer and the projection section of the circuit substrate are put into engagement with and thus retained by the insertion space of the connection socket to thereby fix within the connection socket.
US07988460B1
A connection device includes an electrical engagement structure. The connection device includes a connector and a printed circuit board (PCB) based tongue. The PCB based tongue is received and retained in the connector and has a distal end extending toward an open-cavity plug receiving side of the connector in such a way that side edges of the tongue are spaced from corresponding inner walls of the connector. As such, the connector is made compatible to various buses through the PCB based tongue that include contacts that are selectively arranged to correspond to the buses.
US07988454B1
A portable electronic device includes a main body and a card connector assembly mounted inside of the main body. The card connector assembly includes a base including a protrusion and a protrusion plate, a cover, and a movable plate. The protrusion includes a plurality of contacts. The protrusion plate includes an electromagnet. The cover is rotatably connected to the base, and includes a retaining member for retaining an electronic card. The movable plate is slidably connected to the protrusion plate, and is made of magnetic material. When in use, the cover is rotated until the electronic card contacts the contacts, the electronic device controls to power for the electromagnet, the electromagnet generates a magnetic field which drives the movable plate to slide toward the protrusion along the protrusion plate until the movable plate moves below the cover to prevent the cover from rotating in one direction.
US07988438B2
An extrusion die configured to have an interior chamber sealed from the atmosphere is disclosed. The extrusion die includes an extrusion die head disposed at a downstream end of the interior chamber; and a vacuum seal disposed at an upstream end of the interior chamber; wherein the vacuum seal is configured to selectively form a seal between the extrusion die and a product disposed in the interior chamber. The vacuum seal includes an annular sealing surface disposed at an inner diameter of the vacuum seal; a hollow, interior chamber; and a plurality of bellows disposed between the annular sealing surface and the extrusion die; wherein the vacuum seal is configured to selectively form a seal between the extrusion die and a product disposed in the interior chamber. A method of selectively sealing an end of an extrusion die is also disclosed.
US07988437B1
A method and apparatus for installing a flexible lining tube in an underground pipe by eversion. A pressure vessel is equipped with a gasket that has an arcuate slot for receiving the lining tube in a manner that provides an effective seal without creating undue friction. A guide has a cylindrical wall curved in conformity with the slot and a conical surface leading to the cylindrical wall.
US07988436B2
A vane machine includes a housing with a inlet port and an outlet port, a rotor mounted in a cavity of the housing. The rotor has a faceplate and a guide cylinder mounted eccentrically on an end surface of the housing opposite to the faceplate. The guide cylinder is rotatable and provided with a diametrical face groove open from a side of the faceplate, and one or more working vanes mounted on the faceplate such that the faceplate is rotatable and movable in the grooves of the guide cylinder as the faceplate rotates. The diameter of the guide cylinder 7 is D>4a−L, where e is the eccentricity of the axis of the guide cylinder and the length of the working vane is L≦4e×sin 90°/N, where N is the number of working vanes.
US07988431B2
A variable capacity rotary compressor is provided, in which a vane may be restricted by a pressure difference generated between both side surfaces of the vane when the compressor performs in a saving driving mode. The vane may be restricted quickly and stably by rapidly decreasing a pressure of a vane chamber by leaking a discharge pressure of the vane chamber to an inlet via a low pressure passage and thereby increasing a pressurizing force applied to a side surface of the vane relatively greater than a supporting force applied to a rear surface thereof. In this way, the vane may be prevented from being vibrated due to a weak restriction force of the vane when a power driving mode of the compressor is switched into the saving driving mode, which prevents noise from increasing due to design conditions, thereby enhancing a comfort feeling of a user.
US07988427B2
A compressor has first (26) and second (28; 30) enmeshed rotors rotating about first (500) and second (502; 504) axes to pump refrigerant to a discharge plenum (42). The compressor includes a muffler system (200) comprising a sound absorbing first element (232) and a sound absorbing second element (236). The second element at least partially surrounds the first element and defines a generally annular flow path portion (230) between the first element and the second element. A wall (250) at least partially surrounds the second element. A space (259) optionally containing a sound absorbing third element (261) surrounds the wall.
US07988423B2
The invention relates to a wind turbine blade having at least one component formed of a fibrous composite material including two or more different types of carbon fibres having a different elastic modulus to each other. The proportions of the different types of fibres vary in the longitudinal direction of the blade such that the elastic modulus of the fibrous composite material increases towards the tip end of the blade. The two or more different types of carbon fibres may be incorporated in an inner beam and/or in the outer shell portions of the blade.
US07988407B2
An axial fan is provided. The axial fan includes a base, a rotor, a guide and a plurality of blades. The guide connects to a guide tube to provide airflow. Each blade has a passive part and an active part, wherein the passive part is driven by the airflow from the guide to rotate the active part synchronously. The axial fan increases air quantity and decreases air pressure to provide efficient heat dissipation.
US07988405B2
A pallet jack is disclosed that comprises a left tine, center tine, and a right tine. The center tine is about 2 times the width of each of the left and right tines, though other widths of the center tine can also be implemented. Because the center tine is about twice the width of the left and right tines, two pallets, side-by-side, can be carried simultaneously with only three tines. According to another embodiment of the pallet jack, a portion of the center tine (a right-most portion) and the right tine can have raised areas that enable an operator of the pallet jack to lift a right pallet that sits on the raised areas higher than the left pallet. The left pallet sits on the left tine and center tine without the raised areas (at a lower height). Thus, the operator of the pallet jack can place the left pallet in a first location without disengaging the tines from the right pallet, or without lowering the right pallet all the way to the ground (or a first location surface). Alternatively, the raised areas can be located on the left tine and the left-most portion of the center tine, in which case, the operator of the pallet jack can place the right pallet in a first location without disengaging the tines from the left pallet, or without lowering the left pallet all the way to the ground (or a first location surface).
US07988386B2
A mounting assembly uses one hinge and one cam bolt mutually offset upon a two piece collar. A hopper tee has a member usually a vertical pipe and occasionally a horizontal pipe that connects to a hopper flange to receive bulk material. This assembly has two collars that mutually engage and surround a hopper flange. Pins pass through the collar pieces and the hopper flange then secure to tapped holes in the collar pieces to prevent rotation. A collar piece mounts a hook bolt and the other collar piece mounts a hinge in a spaced apart and offset manner. The other collar piece has a pivotal connection to a hinge arm and opposite the hinge arm, the hook bolt engages a cam. Opening the cam unfolds the tee downwardly while the hook bolt remains engaged. This partially open position allows for removal and installation of a valve. In opening and closing the assembly, the hinge arm spaces the flange below a hopper to admit a valve. The present invention fits standard hopper tee flanges, has a ground clearance below the horizontal member of at least 7 inches, and aids in the unloading of bulk materials.
US07988384B2
The instant disclosure relates to a system and method of constructing drilling and production platforms that are particularly useful in remote, inaccessible and/or environmentally sensitive operating environments. According to one aspect of the invention, an arctic drilling platform is provided wherein various methods and means of interlocking neighboring platform modules are provided. Methods and means for sealing the intersections formed between a plurality of interlocked platform modules are also disclosed. According to further aspects of the invention, improved platform floor plans are provided, and various wellhead cellar layouts and sealing means are also described. Methods and means of enhancing the usefulness of modular storage platforms are disclosed, and a number of support post installation and removal techniques are also provided. Also taught are a variety of methods of adjusting the height and level of an assembled drilling platform, and methods and means of adding extension members useful for extending the length of a support post are also described.
US07988380B2
A seal device for preventing entry of debris into a rotary cutter drive housing when a shock protection device having frangible drive features is removed after having fractured the drive features following a driveline overload condition. The housing includes an upwardly facing opening through which a drive shaft for the cutter extends. The drive shaft rotationally engages the shock protection device for driving the rotary cutter. The seal device is disposed in the upwardly facing opening beneath the protection device and includes drive means for rotation in unison with the drive shaft. The seal device further includes a seal interface for sealing interface with a contact seal disposed on the inner circumference of the opening thereby preventing the entry of debris into the housing.
US07988376B2
A fluid application device comprising a holder; a tube connected to the holder; and a porous fluid applicator contained within the holder wherein the holder contacts at least a portion of a bottom surface of the porous fluid applicator. The device allows the dispensing of fluid onto a target area without contacting a non-target area.
US07988362B2
A bearing bush system includes a bearing bush of polyamide that is held on an outer steering shaft with a stopping collar and on the free face of which the one-piece sealing element of thermoplastic elastomer that seals statically with a ring seal as well as dynamically with sealing lips is held in a form-fitting fashion by means of watchtower-like denticulated ribs provided on both sides. The bearing bush system of two plastics forms a single component, requires low manufacturing expenditures, can be easily assembled and also ensures a reliable seal.
US07988358B2
The X-ray fluoroscopic apparatus of this invention includes a slide arm for supporting an X-ray tube, a middle slider for holding the support arm to be movable in directions along an irradiation axis of the X-ray source, and a strut for holding the middle slider to be movable the directions along the irradiation axis. Thus, compared with an amount of stroke of the X-ray tube, an amount of movement of each of the middle slider and the support arm can be small, and each of the strut, middle slider and support arm can be shortened to reduce apparatus height. Therefore, the amount of stroke of the X-ray source can be secured appropriately, while inhibiting an increase in installation space.
US07988356B2
A cooling unit is provided in a storage section to locally cool a heat generating portion of an imaging device and to thereby reduce nonuniformity of the distribution of the temperature in the imaging device. Detectors detect a mount orientation of the imaging device, that is, whether the imaging device is mounted in landscape orientation or portrait orientation. Cooling portions of the cooling unit are selectively driven on the basis of the detection result.
US07988354B2
Temperature detection for a semiconductor component is disclosed. One embodiment includes a circuit arrangement for measuring a junction temperature of a semiconductor component that has a gate electrode and a control terminal being connected to the gate electrode and receiving a control signal for charging and discharging the gate electrode, where the gate electrode is internally connected to the control terminal via an internal gate resistor. The circuit arrangement includes: a measuring bridge circuit including the internal gate resistor and providing a measuring voltage which is dependent on the temperature dependent resistance of the internal gate resistor; an evaluation circuit receiving the measuring voltage and providing an output signal dependent on the junction temperature; a pulse generator providing a pulse signal including pulses for partially charging or discharging the gate electrode via the internal gate resistor.
US07988352B2
The present invention discloses an improved probe structure, which is installed in the body of an infrared clinical thermometer and comprises a plastic hollow casing having an opening; a curved block annularly arranged inside the opening; a hollow sleeve arranged inside the casing and along the perimeter of the opening; a temperature sensor arranged inside sleeve and below the curved block; a support element arranged inside the sleeve and supporting the temperature sensor; and a thermal insulation ring encircling the temperature sensor and pressing against the inner wall of the sleeve. The thermal insulation ring has an outer diameter larger than a width of the temperature sensor, and an air gap is thus formed between the temperature sensor and the inner wall of the sleeve; the top of the thermal insulation ring has an altitude higher than the top of the temperature sensor, and another air gap is thus formed between the temperature sensor and the curved block. Thereby is effectively retarded heat conduction from the external to the temperature sensor.
US07988350B2
The middle part includes an inner metallic middle part (10) and an outer middle part (20) made of a natural or synthetic mineral material, such as ceramics. The inner middle part (10) is itself made up of a top ring (12) and a bottom ring (14), each ring including a radial, peripheral extension (13, 15), whose opposite shoulders can mechanically lock the outer middle part (20), for example by screwing the two rings (12, 14) one inside the other.
US07988348B2
An improved fluid mixing apparatus is disclosed for the mechanical mixing of fluids or solids-laden slurries contained within a vessel. The invention utilizes a fluid driven turbine to drive a submerged mixing impeller through a speed reducing gearbox. A fluid conducting stator houses one or more turbine blade row(s) that are rotated as a working fluid is pumped through the turbine section by an external pump that circulates fluid at the required flow rate and head. The turbine shaft is rigidly connected to the high speed input shaft of a speed reducing gear box. The low speed output of the gearbox is rigidly attached to submerged mixing impeller(s).
US07988342B2
Systems and methods for installing row-mounted suspended light fixtures. Each of a row of suspended light fixtures includes brackets disposed on opposite ends of the fixture. Each bracket includes a slot configured to slidably receive an adjustment clip coupled to a support member, such as a ceiling cable or pendant. Each adjustment clip includes first and second segments disposed at a non-zero, acute angle relative to one another such that a space separates the first and second segments. The space is configured to receive a portion of one or more brackets associated with the adjustment clip, proximate the bracket slot(s). An operator can install the light fixtures by positioning a fastener through each adjustment clip, outside the bracket slot(s). He also can adjust an alignment and balance of one or more of the light fixtures by sliding one or more of the adjustment clips along the slot(s) associated therewith.
US07988335B2
An LED illuminating device includes a mounting module and a lamp unit mounted in the mounting module. The lamp unit includes a light-emitting module and a heat sink. The light-emitting module includes a light source having a plurality of LEDs, and a light penetrable cover located below the light source and defining a plurality of air venting holes therein. The heat sink includes an elongated base defining a plurality of air exchanging holes therein and a plurality of fins. The base has an outer convex surface and an opposite inner concave surface defining an elongated recess. The light source is received in the recess and thermally attached to the concave surface. Air flows into and out of a chamber defined between the base and the cover via the venting holes of the cover and the air exchanging holes of the base.
US07988319B2
A light-emitting device driven by an inertial power includes an inertial module, a magnetic element, a magnetic-conductive element, at least one wire, and a light-emitting module. Under an inertial effect, the inertial module drives the magnetic element to rotate, such that a magnetic field generated by the magnetic-conductive element changes due to the rotation of the magnetic element. Moreover, the wire wound around the magnetic-conductive element generates a drive current in response to the changing of the magnetic field, so as to drive the light-emitting module to emit a light. As such, the magnetic field is changed under an inertial power, so as to generate a drive current for driving the light-emitting module, thereby achieving, a renewable energy source, environmental protection, and power-saving purposes.
US07988315B1
A device for simultaneously illuminating objects with light from more than one light source for improved color matching and comparison that includes more than one light source, baffles for separating the light sources and for forming viewing slots, and a platform area in which samples can be simultaneously illuminated on separate portions by each light source.
US07988299B2
A handy image projection apparatus includes a main body containing a projection optical unit configured to project an image from its front part, with the main body having a gravity center, and an operation member provided on an outer face of the main body. The operation member is operated by a user's hand holding the main body when the image is being projected. When the apparatus is viewed from a first direction facing the outer face, at least part of the operation member is disposed in a front-rear direction of the apparatus, at one of a first position corresponding to the gravity center of the main body and a second position located at a distance within ⅓ of a length from the gravity center to the front part of the main body in the front-rear direction.
US07988295B2
An ophthalmic imaging system includes a light source, focusing optics, compensating optics, and a computer that coordinates both of the optics to optimize the Diffraction Limited Point Spread Function (DL-PSF) of the imaging light beam. In detail, the compensating optics includes a customized phase plate that provides substantially complete compensation for static aberrations introduced by an eye into the imaging light beam. Further, the computer measures an operational error signal that results from dynamic aberrations. The computer then uses the error signal to control the compensating optics and thereby optimize the DL-PSF by compensating for both static and dynamic aberrations. For an alternate embodiment, an active mirror can be included in the compensating optics to provide additional compensation for the dynamic aberrations.
US07988293B2
A method of determining a wavefront of a received light beam includes: (a) receiving a light beam; (b) producing a group of light spots from the light beam; (c) qualifying a set of the light spots for use in determining a wavefront of the received light beam; and (d) determining the wavefront of the received light beam using the qualified set of light spots. Qualifying the set of light spots includes, for each light spot: calculating a first calculated location of the light spot using a first calculation algorithm; calculating a second calculated location of the light spot using a second calculation algorithm; and when a difference between the first and second calculated locations for the light spot is greater than an agreement threshold, excluding the light spot from the set of light spots and/or from being employed in determining the wavefront of the received light beam.
US07988290B2
A system for determining the shape of an object and/or a distance of the object from the system includes a first plurality of light source, a second plurality of light sources, and a detector or detector array. The first plurality of light sources are disposed about a central axis and are separated from the central axis by radial distances defining an aperture in the first plurality of light sources. The system also includes an optical system adapted to provide light from the second plurality of light sources through the aperture to the object. The system may further include a computer configured to determine the shape of the object and/or the distance of the object from the system using light from the first and second plurality of light sources that is reflected from the object and received by the detector.
US07988284B2
An eyeglass lens and manufacturing method using epoxy aberrator includes two lenses with a variable index material, such as epoxy, sandwiched in between. The epoxy is then cured to different indexes of refraction that provide precise corrections for the patient's wavefront aberrations. The present invention further provides a method to produce an eyeglass that corrects higher order aberrations, such as those that occur when retinal tissue is damaged due to glaucoma or macular degeneration. The manufacturing method allows for many different applications including, but not limited to, supervision and transition lenses.
US07988281B2
Disclosed are: a structural member for use in an eyeglass which has a super elastic property and shape memory property while retaining an excellent biocompatibility in addition to the fact that it is N-free, and which also has an excellent cold workability; an eyeglass frame containing the structural member; and a process for producing the structural member or eyeglass frame. A structural member for an eyeglass containing a Ti—Nb—Zr alloy which comprises (A) 40 to 75% by weight of Ti, (B) 18 to 30% by weight of Nb, (C) 10 to 30% by weight of Zr and (D) 0.2 to 3.7% by weight of at least one additive metal element selected from the group consisting of Al, In and Ga.
US07988279B2
An ink-discharging apparatus includes a discharge head discharging an ink, of which viscosity is increased by being irradiated with a predetermined energy ray, from a nozzle onto a recording medium; a first light source radiating the predetermined energy ray; and an irradiation mechanism which irradiates an energy ray for increasing the viscosity of the ink to the nozzle. When the energy ray is irradiated to the ink remaining in the nozzle, the viscosity on the surface of the ink is increased to thereby form a film which covers or closes the nozzle. As a result, it is possible, with the film, to prevent the ink located inside the film from leaking out from the nozzle even when any shock is imparted to the body of the apparatus. Further, it is possible, with the film, to prevent the viscosity of the ink, located inside the film, from further increasing.
US07988277B2
An ink set is provided which can suppress bleeding irrespective of the type of recording medium. The ink set includes a plurality of aqueous inks each containing a dye, and has at least a first aqueous ink containing a dye, wherein the difference between the dynamic surface tension of the first aqueous ink at a lifetime of 50 milliseconds and the dynamic surface tension of the first aqueous ink at a lifetime of 500 milliseconds is 7 mN/m or more; and, between the first aqueous ink and at least one type of aqueous ink except the first aqueous ink included in the ink set, dynamic surface tension γa (mN/m) of an ink A having relatively higher lightness at a lifetime of 500 milliseconds and dynamic surface tension γb (mN/m) of an ink B having relatively lower lightness at a lifetime of 500 milliseconds satisfy −5≦(γa−γb)≦3.
US07988270B2
An inkjet printer including a printhead unit. The printhead unit includes a printhead for ejecting ink onto a sheet and a plurality of sub-tanks for supplying the ink to the printhead. The printhead unit is configured to reciprocate in a main scanning direction that is perpendicular to a sheet conveying direction. The plurality of sub-tanks is arranged such that two of the plurality of sub-tanks are adjacent to each other. The adjacent two sub-tanks overlap with each other, at least partially, both as seen in a direction parallel to the main scanning direction and as seen in a direction parallel to the sheet conveying direction.
US07988268B2
An image forming apparatus comprises a printing head that ejects one or more ink drops onto a medium. The print head is mounted on a carriage and is supplied with ink via a supply tube. A sheet like member keeps the supply tube apart from the medium when the printing head ejects ink drop onto the medium.
US07988262B2
A fluid ejecting integrated circuit (IC) includes a nozzle chamber defined by chamber side walls extending from a wafer substrate, and a roof wall provided on the chamber side walls; a fluid ejecting member provided within the nozzle chamber between the roof wall of the nozzle chamber and the wafer substrate; a support formation provided within the nozzle chamber and spaced inwardly away from the chamber side walls, the support formation extending from the wafer substrate to support the fluid ejecting member thereon; a first planar electrode layered to the fluid ejecting member; a second planar electrode layered on the wafer substrate; and a projection provided on the first planar electrode on a side facing the second planar electrode, the projection for contacting the second planar electrode to prevent contact between the first planar electrode and the second planar electrode. The first and second planar electrode establish a potential therebetween to deform the first planar electrode towards the second planar electrode.
US07988259B2
An inkjet printer including a UVLED unit which emits ultraviolet light to a print medium supported on a supporting table to cure UV ink droplets deposited on the print medium. The inkjet printer further includes a controller which adjust the light quantity of ultraviolet light, emitted from the UVLED unit to the UV ink droplets deposited on the print medium, from a light quantity for temporary curing to a light quantity for final curing, and a control unit capable of selecting between a two-stage curing mode in which UV ink droplets deposited on the print medium are temporarily cured ant are then finally cured and a single-stage curing mode in which UV ink droplets are finally cured by an irradiation with ultraviolet light at one time by means of the UVLED unit and the controller.
US07988257B2
An ink cartridge to prevent image degradation due to a misalignment of nozzles in a transfer direction of a printing medium and a transverse direction includes a print head substrate, a first head unit including at least one first print head chip which is disposed on the print head substrate and includes a plurality of first nozzles arranged in plural lines in a second direction perpendicular to a first direction which is a transfer direction of a printing medium, thereby forming a first line in the second direction, and a second head unit including at least one second print head chip which is disposed on the print head substrate and which has an ink jetting area overlapping a predetermined area of the first line, thereby forming an overlapping area, and which includes a plurality of second nozzles arranged in plural lines in the second direction, thereby forming a second line spaced from the first line, and dots formed by the first and the second nozzles, which neighbor each other in the overlapping area when jetting ink, have a gap with respect to the first and the second directions within a range satisfying the following equation: T≦(n±⅛)*P(n is integer) wherein “T” denotes a gap between dots formed by the first and the second nozzles neighboring each other, and “P” denotes a pixel value.
US07988255B2
An apparatus and method of operating a maintenance station in a printer are provided. The method includes providing a feed roller shaft including an end, the feed roller shaft being connected to a motor; providing a maintenance station disposed near the end of the feed roller shaft, the maintenance station comprising a first pinion; a second pinion; and a maintenance sled including a rack with the rack including teeth positioned along a length dimension of the rack to provide a travel path for the maintenance sled; and using the motor that is connected to the feed roller shaft to cause the maintenance sled to travel back and forth along the travel path by separately engaging the first and second pinions, respectively, with the rack teeth.
US07988246B2
A mounting apparatus is provided for mounting a slide rail to a fixed structure includes a mounting bracket fixed to the slide rail, an actuating member slidably attached to the mounting bracket, at least one blocking member extending from the actuating member, a locking member deformably attached to the mounting bracket, and a resilient member connecting between the mounting bracket and the actuating member. The actuating member is slidable between a first position to maintain securing of the mounting bracket to the support, and a second position to allow release the mounting bracket from the support. The locking member comprises at least one first abutting end releasably abutting the blocking member to maintain the actuating member in the first position, and at least one second abutting end releasably abutting the blocking member to maintain the actuating member in the second position. The resilient member biases the actuating member to the first portion.
US07988245B2
A storage system for supporting clothing, textiles, or other delicate articles includes a pair of rails and a tray. The tray includes a frame and an inert liner located in the frame. Further, the frame includes guides for sliding engagement with the rails. Optionally, the rails permit unrestricted sliding movement of the tray so that the tray can be moved in opposed directions and removed or inserted from either side of the storage system.
US07988231B2
A vehicle has an area capable of seating ambulatory passengers and alternatively receiving a mobility aid, such as a wheelchair. The area provides tracks for mounting at least two movable seats that can be moved to provide space in the area for the mobility aid. The tracks are provided with track covers that reduce maintenance requirements by preventing entry of debris. One of the seats is configured to move further than the other whereby the spacing between the seats after moving to accommodate a mobility aid is less than the spacing of the seats when used by ambulatory passengers. The seat configured to move further has a longer track cover, but the tracks are laterally spaced to avoid engagement between the track covers of the two seats whereby they can be moved to be spaced from each other by a distance less than the length of either of the track covers.
US07988228B2
A foldable frame comprises a front leg frame and a rear leg frame, each having one or more leg units foldable or detachable with one another. The front leg frame and the rear leg frame are rotatable with each other such that the foldable frame can be folded to a small size. The foldable frame also utilizes a receiving frame pivotally or steadily configured on the frame body for receiving the detachable infant carrier. A recliner apparatus is further configured between the receiving frame and the frame body for adjusting the receiving frame together with the infant carrier to different reclining angle for convenient use.
US07988227B2
In a fender panel fixing structure of a passenger vehicle according to the present invention, a notch portion of a fender panel is provided with a first flat plate-shaped projection strip that is capable of being inserted into a space between an upper end periphery of a fixed window and a side body and has an engagement portion, and a second flat plate-shaped projection strip that is capable of being inserted into a space between a lower end periphery of the fixed window and the side body and has an engagement portion. The side body has a first engaging portion and a second engaging portion that are disposed in portions covered by the upper end periphery and the lower end periphery of the fixed window. The first and second engaging portions are respectively capable of engaging the first flat plate-shaped projection strip and the second flat plate-shaped projection strip.
US07988223B2
A vehicle cowl structure is provided with a cowl box disposed so as to be positioned between a rear end portion of a hood and a front end portion of a front glass, a cowl cover covering an upper portion of the cowl box; and a vertical wall provided at a position under the rear end portion of the hood in the cowl cover. The vertical wall is slantingly disposed rearward and obliquely upward in the cowl cover.
US07988215B2
A surgical robotic system includes a robotic arm, an end effector movably connected thereto and provided with a movable end effector element driven by an actuator, and a force sensor arranged between the robotic arm and the end effector. The actuator is formed by a hydraulic cylinder. The robotic arm is provided with a hydraulic line connected to said hydraulic cylinder of the end effector.
US07988211B2
An improved integrated interbox connector to permit vertical stacking of cargo containers using no manual labor and includes an automatic pivoting engagement lock, a latch, a lip/end stop. The connecting corner can be retrofitted to existing containers by welding or the like.
US07988209B2
An improved seal for a tamper evident security device employs out-of-plane curved barbs and an elongated slot to provide visual and tactile indications of proper seal installation. The out-of-plane curved barbs require elevating the seal body for installation. Only if the barbs are properly inserted into a seal receptacle does the body then assume a flat contiguous position. The elongated slot cooperates with a raised bar on the security device to provide a second distinct indication of proper seal installation.
US07988206B2
In a flareless-type pipe joint, a pressing surface, which presses a rear end portion of a ferrule in the axial direction and toward the inner periphery of the ferrule, is formed in a joint body or a coupling member in which a cam surface is not formed. The ferrule has a groove that extends radially outward from the inner periphery. By pressing the rear end portion in the axial direction and toward the inner periphery by the pressing surface, the distal portion of the ferrule is pressed against the cam surface and an edge portion of the distal portion is deformed to bite into a pipe. An edge portion of a rear end portion of the inner peripheral surface of the ferrule is deformed to bite into the pipe.
US07988205B2
A threaded pipe connection includes a pin member having an external thread increasing in width in one direction, a box member having an internal thread increasing in width in an opposite direction so that complementary internal and external threads move into engagement upon make-up of the connection, and at least one contact zone in which the pin member and box member are in sealed contact.
US07988204B2
A pipe fitting includes a polymeric body molded into and fixedly connected to a metallic body, so that the metallic body extends around the polymeric body. The polymeric body extends around and is contiguous with a passageway of the pipe fitting, and at least partially defines a first opening of the passageway that is for being mated to a polymeric pipe. The metallic body extends around and is contiguous with the passageway, and at least partially defines a second opening of the passageway that is for being mated to a metallic pipe.
US07988199B2
A safety skin appliqué kit for parents and custodians of children, disabled persons, and the elderly, including a marking pen and a pre-packaged collection of preprinted skin appliqués each removably sandwiched between two carrier sheets. Each of the appliqués further comprise a die cut section of breathable polyurethane tape, printed with a forward image on one side defined by a lightly-colored high-contrast window, and pre-printed plea to call if lost. The appliqués are coated with hypoallergenic acrylate adhesive for application to skin or other surfaces. Parents and custodians can apply one of said appliques' to their child, disabled person, or elderly charge, and write a contact telephone number in the window of the appliqué. This way, if their charge becomes lost, passersby will notice the appliqué, read the contact telephone number, and call the custodian.
US07988188B2
A side airbag (10) for a motor vehicle comprises an airbag shell that surrounds a gas compartment and has at least one opening. A hose (20) has an outlet opening (22) and is located on the outside of the airbag shell. When the hose is in a state in which it is not under pressure, the hose connects the opening (16) to the outlet opening (22), and thereby to the surrounding area. The hose (20) comprises a first section (20a), which is situated at the height of the opening (16), and a second section (20b), which connects the first section (20a) to the outlet opening (22). The ventilation arrangement composed of the opening (16) and the hose (20) is used to make the side airbag hard for a large occupant and soft for a small occupant. In order to improve the behavior of the side airbag for a small occupant, without impairing the behavior thereof for a large occupant, the maximum cross-section of the first section (20a) is larger than the minimum cross-section of the second section (20b).
US07988185B2
The knee-protecting airbag apparatus includes an airbag folded and housed in a lower area inside the column cover. The airbag pushes and opens a door section on the column cover upon deployment. When the door section is thus opened, a door of the door section blocks off an allowance gap formed between an outer circumference of the column cover subjected to position adjustment and a lower area of a peripheral region of an installation opening on a dashboard for installing the column cover by locating a rear edge region of the door to abut on a rear side of the dashboard or the lower area of the peripheral region of the installation opening on the rear side of the dashboard.
US07988181B2
A storage and work place apparatus used in conjunction with a wheelbarrow or similar item. The apparatus includes a housing having a bottom portion and a side portion extending outwardly to form an open chamber the bottom portion is intended to a lie atop a wheelbarrow a cover is used in conjunction with the open chamber and is hingedly or slidingly attached to the housing in order to extend laterally from the housing. At least a first leg attainably connects to the housing and extends outwardly to contact a ground surface adjacent the wheel barrow. At least a second leg is rotatable attached to the cover and also extends outwardly therefrom to support the cover above the ground surface when the leg contacts the ground surface.
US07988179B1
A tow bar having orthogonally-articulated towed-vehicle connectors includes a body element; a first connector element secured to and extending forwardly from the body element, the first connector element being structured to releasably connect the body element to a towing hitch arrangement of a towing vehicle; at least one tow bar leg having a fore end connected to the body element, and an aft end extending rearwardly from the body element; and a second connector element secured to and extending rearwardly from the aft end of the at least one tow bar leg, the second connector element being orthogonally-articulated and structured to releasably connect the aft end of the at least one tow bar leg to a towing hitch arrangement of the towed vehicle.
US07988177B2
An adaptive displaceable fifth-wheel hitch system operable with a vehicle hitch coupling system comprising a fifth-wheel hitch, a displacement mechanism operable to couple and displace the fifth-wheel hitch in a bi-directional, an adapter configured to operably relate the displacement mechanism to a vehicle hitch coupling system, the displacement mechanism and vehicle hitch coupling system otherwise being incompatible and inoperable with one another, and the adapter comprising a first interface operable to relate the adapter to the displacement mechanism; and a second interface operable to relate and removably couple the adapter to the vehicle hitch coupling system.
US07988173B2
A bicycle suspension system of the present invention generally includes a bicycle suspension and a hydraulic control assembly. The hydraulic control assembly includes a fluid pump, a fluid responder and a fluid path. The fluid pump is mountable to a bicycle handlebar. The fluid responder is mountable to the bicycle suspension. The fluid path links the fluid pump and the fluid responder. The fluid responder is operatively connected to the bicycle suspension to operate the bicycle suspension between first and second suspension settings in response to fluid displacement between the fluid pump and the fluid responder.
US07988172B2
A wheelchair having a lower frame with drive wheels and forwardly extending arms with casters and an upper frame with a seat and backrest. Linkage assemblies on opposing sides pivotably attach at a first end to the lower frame and at a second end to the upper frame. Power cylinders attached on opposing sides are extendable between the upper frame and the lower frame and are lockable from moving from a selected position. When unlocked, the power cylinders apply a supplemental force in association with a force applied by a user on the drive wheels for moving the upper frame relative to the lower frame guided by the linkage assembly. A method of adjusting the seat height of a wheelchair is disclosed.
US07988170B1
An improved scooter includes a frame, a front wheel, a rear wheel, a stem, a handle, left and right pedal devices, and left and right first driving devices and second driving device. The left and right first driving devices are driven by the left and right pedal devices respectively for solely or jointly driving the second driving devices, and the driven second driving devices can drive the rear wheel to rotate and roll forward, such that the front and rear wheels can jointly drive the scooter to move forward. Users can pedal the pedal device(s) by one leg or both legs alternately to operate the scooter. The scooter not only complies with the simple, smooth, power-saving, stable and safe ergonomic design, but also comes with a unique operation and driving mode and achieves the effects of providing a recreational sport with fun as well as a transportation tool.
US07988164B2
An arrangement of a roll stabilization system equipped with a split lateral stabilizer and an arrangement of a steering system on a double track motor vehicle is provided. A gear of the roll stabilization system is arranged essentially coaxially between two halves of the lateral stabilizer rotatable with respect to one another, and a motor for introducing a stabilization torque is arranged at the side of this gear and the lateral stabilizer. The steering system has, in addition to a steering gear, with which steering arms can be moved essentially in the transverse direction of the vehicle, a motor, which is arranged at the side of the steering gear and a movement axis defined by the movable steering arms. The motor of the roll stabilization system and the motor of the steering system lie in essence one behind the other, as viewed in the transverse direction of the vehicle, and may preferably be electric motors with essentially coinciding axes of rotation that run in the transverse direction of the vehicle and are arranged inside an axle carrier so as to lie essentially in the plane thereof.
US07988155B2
A submachine gun target system has a target support having a target attachment facility and a target having an attachment element. The target attachment facility may have a first position and a second position, such that the target may be suspended from the target attachment facility with the attachment element residing at the first position or the second position. The target attachment facility may have a retention surface operable to retain the target attachment facility in the first position in response to a bullet strike on the target. The retention surface may be in a forward direction from the second attachment position, such that the retention element does not prevent the target attachment element from being dislodged from the attachment facility when residing at the second position in response to a bullet strike on the target from the forward direction.
US07988148B2
A transporting path configuration includes: a separating mechanism that separates from one of transporting members the other transporting member; an opening/closing transporting path member that is rotatably attached above the transporting members and has one surface that configures a first transporting path of the recording medium discharged from the transporting members; a transporting path member that forms a second transporting path between the transporting path member and the other surface of the opening/closing transporting path member in a state of covering the opening/closing transporting path member; a handle that is attached to the opening/closing transporting path member so as to be extended above the second transporting path and is further extended above a cover that covers a discharge member; and a moving mechanism that moves the handle in the direction away from the cover when the other transporting member is separated from the one transporting member by the separating mechanism.
US07988144B2
A mailpiece selector device for separating mailpieces one-by-one from a stack of mailpieces and for transporting them downstream, the mailpiece selector device having a first guide followed by a second guide, both of which guides co-operate with a plurality of opposite selector rollers to select the mailpieces one-by-one and to transport them downstream, the first guide being able to pivot about a first pivot axis in opposition to first resilient returner, the second pivot axis being offset upstream relative to the first pivot axis, and the first and second guides having a driver for making it possible, above a predetermined mailpiece thickness range, for the second guide to pivot automatically when the first guide pivots.
US07988142B2
An image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes: a first sheet feeding unit; a second sheet feeding unit provided adjacent to the first sheet feeding unit; one or plural first shutter(s) provided in the first sheet feeding unit; a driving unit that drives the first shutter(s); and one or plural second shutter(s) provided in the second sheet feeding unit, the second shutter(s) opening and closing in association with the opening and closing of the first shutter(s) driven by the driving unit. According to the present invention, when plural shutters for designating a stacking range of sheets are provided, an operation of any one of the shutters can be suitably associated with operations of the other shutters.
US07988133B2
A combined guardrail and cable safety system is disclosed. In one aspect, a safety barrier incorporating the teachings of the present disclosure may include a plurality of cable posts spaced from each other and disposed adjacent to a roadway. At least two cables may be releasably engaged with and supported by the cable posts. The cable posts and the at least two cables may cooperate with each other to prevent a vehicle from leaving the roadway. A plurality of guardrail posts may also spaced from each other and disposed adjacent to the roadway longitudinally spaced from the plurality of cable post. A box beam guardrail beam may be attached to the plurality of guardrail posts. The at least two cables may operably extend from the cable posts to engage respective cable anchor brackets attached to the box beam guardrail beam.
US07988129B2
The present invention generally comprises a floating slit valve for interfacing with a chamber. A floating slit valve moves or “floats” relative to another object such as a chamber. The slit valve may be coupled between two chambers. When a chamber coupled with the slit valve is heated, the slit valve may also be heated by conduction. As the slit valve is heated, it may thermally expand. When a vacuum is drawn in a chamber, the slit valve may deform due to vacuum deflection. By disposing a low friction material spacer between the chamber and the slit valve, the slit valve may not rub against the chamber during thermal expansion/contraction and/or vacuum deflection and thus, may not generate undesirable particle contaminants. Additionally, slots drilled through the chamber for coupling the slit valve to the chamber may be sized to accommodate thermal expansion/contraction and vacuum deflection of the slit valve.
US07988119B2
A mount for attaching a projection device to an overhead structure includes a device interface operably attachable to the projection device and a device orientation adjustment structure operably coupled with the device interface. The device orientation adjustment structure has structure defining up to three independent axes for adjustment of projector pitch, roll, and yaw. A single selectively adjustable friction element may be provided to enable projector position to be fixed about for any one or all of the independent axes. A gear adjustment mechanism may be provided to enable fine adjustment of projector position. Moreover, any one or all of the independent axes may pass through the projector device, preferably proximate its center of gravity so that it is self balanced on the mount to ease adjustment.
US07988112B2
A multi-screen display device includes a display device and a folding bracket. The display device includes a first display frame and a second display frame. The folding bracket includes an inner rotating portion pivotally connected to the first display frame, and an outer rotating portion pivotally connected to the inner rotating portion and pivotally connected to the second display frame.
US07988109B2
A fixing mechanism assembled on brackets of a computer casing. The fixing mechanism includes a main portion; a connecting portion disposed on the main portion, the connecting portion movably connecting to the bracket; at least one restriction portion connecting with the connecting portion; and a switching portion connecting between the connecting portion and the restriction portion; whereby the restriction portion switches from a first position to a second position by the switching portion for supporting hard disk drives with different heights. The fixing mechanism also includes a plurality of tighten means at the other said bracket for fixing the hard disk drive. Therefore, it is convenient for users to accommodate the hard disk drivers with different heights within the computer casing.
US07988101B2
A flow control system and method especially well adapted for use on a Coanda surface. In one embodiment a plurality of plasma actuators are disposed over a Coanda surface of a wing of an aircraft. The actuators are selectively energized to either delay the onset of boundary layer flow separation from the Coanda surface, or to promote flow separation. One embodiment discloses using dual mode plasma actuators on a Coanda surface. The system and method is applicable to a wide variety of aerodynamic surfaces where control over the separation of a boundary layer flow over a trailing edge surface is desired.
US07988094B2
An erosion shield for an aircraft window includes an annular band having a radially outer brim and a radially inner clip. The shield is sized to cover a composite window frame having an outer rim and an inner sash around a central aperture in which is mounted a window pane. The clip is asymmetrical around the central aperture to protect the sash and permit assembly of the shield thereto.
US07988092B2
A vortex-generating device is presented to reduce a thermal exposure of an aircraft to hot exhaust gases discharged from an aircraft engine. The engine also discharges cold air from a fan of the engine. The aircraft engine may be coupled to the aircraft via a support mast located on a main wing. A portion of the support mast of an aircraft engine is located near a hot gas flow being discharged from the engine. The vortex-generating device is positioned on a surface of the support mast. The device generates a vortex which crosses the hot gases and prevents the hot gas flow from reaching a heat sensitive portion of the support mast. This device is adaptable to the operating conditions of an already-built aircraft without any notable increased weight.
US07988091B2
This device is provided for a luggage compartment designed to be placed overhead. The compartment comprises a mobile part (4) between an open position and a closed position and a mechanism for acting on said mobile part (4) to promote its closing. Said mobile part (4) presents an opening (14) designed for introducing and retrieving luggage as well as a lower exterior surface (12). The control device comprises detection means reacting when pressure is exerted on a predetermined zone of the lower exterior surface (12) of the mobile part (4) as well as for sending a control signal to the mechanism acting on the mobile part (4) to close the part when pressure is exerted on said detection means. The detection means are disposed at the lower exterior surface (12) of the mobile part (4).
US07988084B2
In at least one embodiment of the present invention, a device for pretensioning a seatbelt is provided. The device comprises a spindle for receiving a portion of the seatbelt. A retractor frame that has a weakened portion is supported by the spindle for rotational movement within the retractor frame. A pretensioner is operatively connected to the spindle for rotating the spindle to tighten the seatbelt. The pretensioner includes pretensioner balls. The pretensioner is configured to drive the pretensioner balls toward a ball collection area adjacent to the weakened portion. The weakened portion is deformed by the pretensioner balls to increase the size of the ball collection area.
US07988082B2
A gyratory crusher has a crushing head fixedly attached to an upper portion of a substantially vertical shaft, on which crushing head a first crushing shell is mounted, and a frame on which a second crushing shell is mounted. The second crushing shell defines, together with the first crushing shell, a crushing gap. The gyratory crusher has a space adapted to contain liquid. The space is defined by a piston, which is formed at least partly of the lower end of the shaft, a cylinder, which is formed at least partly in an eccentric assembly, and a bottom element. The space is adapted to form a cushion with the aid of the liquid, so that the cushion can serve as a thrust bearing transmitting vertical forces from the crushing head to the bottom element.
US07988077B2
A connecting apparatus adapted in a conjunctive structure is provided. The conjunctive structure comprises a baseboard, a peripheral element and a connecting apparatus. The connecting apparatus comprises at least one first connecting element and at least one second connecting element. The first connecting element is a magnetic element and is placed on one corner of the peripheral element. The second connecting element is placed around a hole of the baseboard, and the second connecting element comprises two adjacent magnetic elements with opposite polarity arrangement.
US07988075B2
A coating dispensing device includes a trigger assembly for actuating the coating dispensing device to dispense coating material and a nozzle through which the coating material is dispensed. The coating dispensing device also includes a first port adapted to supply compressed gas to the coating dispensing device and a second port adapted to supply coating material to the coating dispensing device. The coating dispensing device further includes a generator having a shaft and a turbine wheel mounted on the shaft. Compressed gas coupled to the first port impinges upon the turbine wheel to spin the shaft, producing voltage. The dispensing device further includes an electrode adjacent the nozzle and coupled by circuitry to the generator to receive electricity therefrom to electrostatically charge the coating material. A circuit board assembly containing components of the circuitry is configured to partially surround and partially enclose the generator.
US07988072B2
A sprinkler apparatus comprises a water wheel that is configured to be alternatively driven in a first wheel direction by a first fluid flow and a second wheel direction by a second fluid flow. The water wheel drives a water tube having at least one fluid outlet. The water tube is moveable in a first tube direction in response to the water wheel being driven in the first wheel direction, and is further moveable in a second tube direction in response to the water wheel being driven in the second wheel direction. The sprinkler apparatus further comprises a switch wheel positioned to receive an initial fluid flow and generate the first and second fluid flows therefrom. In particular, when the switch wheel is in a first position, the first fluid flow is generated. When the switch wheel is in a second position, the second fluid flow is generated.
US07988067B2
A sprinkler apparatus comprises a spray tube configured to move between a first side position and a second side position. The sprinkler apparatus also comprises a first side adjustment mechanism and a second side adjustment mechanism. Each adjustment mechanism comprises markings indicating lesser to greater degrees of sprinkling coverage area. The sprinkler apparatus further comprises a coverage indicator component attached to the spray tube. The coverage indicator component includes at least one window defined therein. The first side adjustment mechanism and the second side adjustment mechanism are independently moveable in relation to the coverage indicator such that the markings on the first side adjustment mechanism and the second side adjustment mechanism are selectively viewable to the user through the window. The positioning of one of the markings within the window results in a related degree of sprinkling coverage area by the sprinkler apparatus.
US07988065B2
A valve for preventing the flow of fluid when the temperature of the fluid is above a predetermined threshold, the valve including: a body having at least one opening for allowing the fluid to pass when the temperature of the fluid is below the predetermined threshold; and a shape memory or bi-metal actuator for substantially closing the at least one opening when the temperature of the fluid is above the predetermined threshold to prevent the fluid from passing.
US07988064B2
A valve for preventing the flow of fluid when the temperature of the fluid is above a predetermined threshold, the valve including: a body having at least one opening for allowing the fluid to pass when the temperature of the fluid is below the predetermined threshold; and a shape memory or bi-metal actuator for substantially closing the at least one opening when the temperature of the fluid is above the predetermined threshold to prevent the fluid from passing.
US07988056B2
The invention relates to a code carrier that has a code carrier coil, whereby the code carrier coil is configured as a ring shaped like a triangle or the projection of the code carrier coil in the direction of the coil axis is shaped like a triangle. The code carrier coil or the code carrier, including the code carrier coil, is part of a cap that can be placed onto a corner of a cuboidal object and that functions as a physical corner protector, whereby the coil axis intersects the planes encompassed by the side surfaces of the object, all at an angle between 5° and 85°, and a body diagonal of the object pierces the triangle. The invention also relates to a code carrier set consisting of an object having a base area with a first edge and a second edge running obliquely, crosswise or perpendicular to the first edge, and consisting of a code carrier that is arranged on or in the object and that has a code carrier coil, whereby the perpendicular projection of the coil axis onto the base area runs obliquely to the first and second edges of the base area.
US07988051B2
An XML system is configured to print bar code labels, tags, tickets, cards, or other media, and/or encode RFID devices embedded in media, based upon an extensible markup language (XML) input data stream. The XML system includes a computer system operatively coupled to a network. The computer system further includes an XML processor configured to receive, parse, and process an XML input data stream and obtain schema identified in the XML data stream from a schema repository. The XML processor validates the XML data stream based upon the schema obtained. Also included is an XSLT processor configured to obtain a stylesheet identified in the XML data stream from a stylesheet repository. The XSLT processor transforms data in the XML input data stream into transformed XML data based upon the stylesheet obtained. Also, an XSLFO processor formats the transformed XML data into formatted XML data based upon XSLFO instructions contained in the stylesheet. A barcode rendering subsystem then receives the formatted XML data and generates a bit map representative of the bar code label. Alternatively, the system includes an XML processor configured to receive and process the XML input data stream, a ZPL processor configured to receive and process a format template, a variable data integrator configured to develop an association between the XML data contained in the XML input data stream and the format template, a formatting engine configured to format the associated XML data according to a format governed by the format template, and a barcode rendering engine configured to generate a printable representation of the bar code label, tag, ticket, card, other media, and/or generate encoding information for an RFID device.
US07988044B2
One embodiment of the present invention provides for detecting a physical change at a transaction card, and, in response to detecting the physical change outputting content to attract the attention of a user.
US07988042B2
The present invention relates to a method for playing a request on a player device. The method includes the step of transmitting a pen stroke corresponding to a first one of a number of possible applications to a server. A form is then submitted to the first application. The method further includes the step of sending, from the server and to the player device, a play request corresponding to play information borne by the submitted form so that the player device plays a request corresponding to said play request.
US07988036B2
A portable card adapted to interact with a data processing station when the portable card and the data processing station are moved relative to each other is disclosed. The portable card includes a substrate having a predetermined shape, e.g. rectangular. An accessible embedded storage member is enclosed within said substrate. The storage member includes at least one layer of storage material for storing information in a predetermined format for processing by the data processing station. The storage member and the substrate are adapted to be transported relative to each other to expose at least a portion of the storage member to the data processing station to facilitate processing of stored information and for embedment of the storage member within the substrate. The storage member may be in the form of an elongated strip member, or a circular member.
US07988033B2
A method of profiling a wire bond between a contact pad on a die, and a conductor on a supporting structure, by electrically connecting the contact pad on the die to the conductor on the supporting structure with a wire bond, the wire bond extending in an arc from the contact pad to the conductor, pushing on the wire bond to collapse the arc and plastically deform the wire bond, and then releasing the wire bonds such that the plastic deformation maintains the wire bond in a flatter profile shape. The strength of the wire bond is known to be relatively small; of the order of 3 to 5 grams force. However, the Applicant's work has found that the wire bond structure is robust enough to withstand a certain degree of work hardening from plastic deformation. The arc of the wire bond can be deformed into a flatter profile without compromising the electrical connection with the PCB.
US07988030B2
In a conventional wave soldering bath, the bottom surface of a bath body in a position which is below the inlet of a duct underwent erosion by molten solder and had a hole formed therein, causing molten solder to be spilled out from the hole. The cause of erosion of the bottom surface of the bath body is a vortex (T) of molten solder formed below the duct inlet accompanying rotation of an impeller pump (10), and the vortex rubs the bottom surface of the bath body.In the present invention, a shielding member (14) is installed between the duct inlet (12) and the bottom surface (13) of the bath body such that the vortex is prevented from affecting the bottom surface.
US07988027B2
A mechanism is provided for crimping and releasing a suture securing a strip of buttress material to an end effector. The mechanism includes a retention member movably mounted within the end effector. The retention member is movable from a first position crimping the suture to the end effector to a second position releasing the suture from the end effector. The mechanism additionally includes a follower member, engageable with the retention member, and movable in response to actuation of a surgical instrument to move the retention member between the first and second positions. A lock mechanism is also provided to secure the retention member in the first position. The follower member operates to disengage the lock mechanism.
US07988025B2
A nose casting assembly for a pneumatic fastener includes a body having a driver channel formed therein for receiving a driver blade. The body includes a first end having an aperture for allowing passage of a driver blade into the channel. The body further includes a second end configured for allowing a fastener to be expelled from the nose casting assembly. The body further includes an exterior surface and an interior surface, the interior surface having a loading aperture formed therein for allowing passage of a fastener into the driver channel. Additionally, the interior surface includes a nose casting groove formed therein, the nose casting groove extending linearly along the interior surface of the body towards the second end of the body, wherein the nose casting groove is configured for receiving the shank of a fastener being utilized with the pneumatic fastener for preventing the fastener from becoming wedged between the driver blade and the interior surface of the nose casting assembly when a shank of a fastener is oriented toward the driver blade.
US07988022B1
A sock applying device for helping a user put a sock on his feet comprising a first extension pole; a second extension pole; a first connector pole and a second connector pole for connecting the first extension pole to the second extension pole; a first threaded rod spanning the first extension pole; a second threaded rod spanning the second extension pole; a first spring-loaded clamp for grasping the sock disposed on the second end of the first threaded rod, wherein the first spring-loaded clamp is moveable between a closed position and an open position; and a second spring-loaded clamp for grasping the sock disposed on the second end of the second threaded rod, wherein the second spring loaded clamp is moveable between a closed position and an open position.
US07988013B2
A flow control device includes a hood, a ball valve, a sealing ring, and a handle. The ball valve is movably received in an interior receiving space of the hood and the ball valve is set in sealing engagement with the sealing ring. The ball valve and the handle located outside the hood are coupled together and are thus movable in unison with each other. The ball valve defines a flow passage. The hood forms a discharge opening. When installed on an opening of any kind of container, such as a PET bottle or a glass bottle, or an outlet tube of a water tank, by rotating the handle to move the ball valve, the flow passage can be selectively set in fluid communication with the discharge opening.
US07988000B2
A merchandising system includes a display fixture placed on a floor in a retail environment. The display fixture includes a first end piece resting supported on the floor, a second end piece supported on the floor, a first member, and a second member, each of the first member and the second member being substantially horizontal with the second member extending substantially parallel to, and vertically offset from the first member. A display fixture accessory is releasably secured to the display fixture by receiving the first member in a first bracket of the display fixture accessory and receiving the second member in a second bracket of the display fixture accessory. A display piece is inserted into the display fixture accessory. Additionally, the display piece is maintained with the display fixture accessory in a substantially vertical position with the display fixture accessory extending above the display fixture.
US07987973B2
A conveyer belt, of the type used in endless conveyors, has a plurality of belt links. Each belt link is substantially identical, and has a front edge, a rear edge, two side edges, an upper surface, and an under surface between the edges. The front and rear edges relate to the direction of travel in use. The front edge of each belt link is provided with an indentation and the rear edge is provided with a mirror image of the indentation in the form of a recess. The front edge of one belt link snugly fits in the rear edge of an adjacent belt link.
US07987963B2
A loading and unloading station for a container that transports piece goods, particularly pieces of luggage on a conveyor belt is provided. The upper part of the container receiving the piece goods is formed by a storage surface for the piece goods, the surface including an continuous carrying belt spanning the lower part of the container and capable of bearing a load, the carrying belt is arranged transversely to the transport direction of the container and drivably guided around a plurality of deflection rollers provided on both sides of the container. A method for transporting piece goods on a conveyor track including supporting and guide elements for the container is also provided.
US07987961B2
A coin dispensing apparatus, which ejects coins by squeezing them substantially chordally between an element on a rotor and an ejector, has a variable height rotor (3), an improved two-part coin ejector (10a, 10b). A optical sensor for detecting coins being ejected positive detects both the presence and absence of coins in a coin path. Also, a payout device comprising a first coin dispensing device (61) including a dispensed coin type detector and a second coin dispensing device (62). The first coin dispensing device (61) is used to store coins of plurality of large denominations and is used initially for paying out an amount. The second coin dispensing device (62) is used for a single low denomination coin type and coins are dispensed from the second coin dispensing device (62) after the first coin dispensing device has been used as much as possible.
US07987955B2
The retracting luggage work station is a rolling suitcase with a retractable shelf that extends out from the top of the suitcase and provides support for a portable laptop computer or food or beverage items while waiting at an airport or other transportation terminal. The shelf also can function as a seat. Vertical telescoping support members are attached to the front of the shelf, and the back of the shelf engages a slot on the interior of the extendable handles of the suitcase permitting the shelf to be height adjustable. An integral carrying strap is attached to the top of the suitcase for aid in stowing the luggage work station in an overhead compartment or under an airplane seat.
US07987953B2
A brake cylinder for pneumatically actuated vehicle brakes includes a parking brake spring-loaded brake section and a service brake section combined to form a structural unit in a housing. The housing is divided into two chambers by a piston. A cylinder spring of the spring-loaded brake section acts on another spring-loaded piston in the chamber, which can be blocked in relation to the first piston by a pneumatically actuated locking mechanism, and can be released from the first piston by the releasing action of the blocking mechanism. Following the release, the cylinder spring acts between the two pistons and moves the two pistons in relation to each other during a parking brake process. The pneumatically actuatable blocking mechanism acts only in an expansion direction of the spring.
US07987951B2
There is provided an electromechanical actuator for a parking brake system of a vehicle, including an electric motor, reduction gear train associated with the motor for transmitting motion from the motor to a single power transmission chain sprocket, one power transmission chain section drivable by the sprocket partly encircling one sheave, rotatably mounted on a free longitudinally movable pulley block, an end of the power transmission chain being attached to a first stationary anchor point, and a connector connecting the pulley block to the vehicle's parking brake system.
US07987947B2
Destination calls entered by means of buttons (21-29) are each given a designation unique to the car and pick-up floor for that call and other calls to be serviced therewith, such as a letter (A-E), which is different from any other outstanding calls. Calls can be reassigned among elevators (UL, LL, UR, LR) whether they are in the same or different hoistways (LF, RT). Signs (31-39, 41-49) adjacent each hoistway are illuminated to display the designation of any call which is being answered by an elevator car approaching the floor. Thus, passengers are informed when their call is being answered by the signs identifying the call, rather than identifying any particular car. Another embodiment identifies (60, 31a, 41a) the hoistway landing doorway (1, 2) as well as a letter to allow passengers to wait adjacent to the hoistway landing doorway of the car which will serve them.
US07987940B2
A hydraulic pressure accumulator has an interior chamber containing a fire-suppressing gas such as nitrogen. The fire-suppressing gas in the accumulator is fluidly connected to a thermal device, such as a valve with a thermal fuse or a controlled valve triggered by a thermal sensor. The thermal device is designed to open a fluid connection between the accumulator's interior chamber to ambient when the exterior temperature exceeds a determined safety threshold, thereby releasing the fire suppressing gas from the accumulator.
US07987939B2
A hood system with a plurality of hood hinges is disclosed. The hood hinges associated with the hood system include a hole configured to receive a removable fastener. By inserting a fastener in the hole when the hood is in a fully open position, a protrusion on the hood hinge can rest against the removable fastener to maintain the hood in the fully open position.
US07987938B2
To enable the close arrangement of right and left cooling fans that are common to each other and rotate in the same direction. A radiator is disposed forward of an engine, is horizontally lengthwise and is formed such that the center thereof bends to protrude rearward. A pair of right and left cooling fans is provided on the rear surface of the radiator. The left and right cooling fans have the same specifications, rotating in the same direction. A support plate is provided to surround the cooling fans, that is, to close left and right sides of, the upper side of and the rear of the cooling fans and open the lower side thereof. A partition portion is formed to project from the center of a rear wall to partition between the left and right cooling fans. Thus, the adjacent cooling fans can be prevented from interfering with each other and can be arranged close to each other.
US07987933B1
The motorized stroller apparatus features double wheels at all four corners for lesser rolling resistance over various surfaces. The front wheel sets are fully pivotal. The on/off switch provides more than one function. In the on position, the motor is connected with the axle. The motor thereby serves as an automatic brake until the spring biased throttle lever is actuated. Spring bias causes throttle shut off when released. In the off position, the switch disengages the axle from the motor, thereby allowing for stroller function in a non-powered mode. The optional dual rear wheel sets drive encourages the stroller to track straight, as opposed to single wheel set drive which would continually encourage angular propulsion.
US07987931B2
A rotary drill bit for drilling a subterranean formation may comprise a bit body, a cutting element coupled to the bit body, and a torque-generating assembly configured to apply torque, either continuously or periodically, to the cutting element. The torque-generating assembly may be powered by the rotary motion of the rotary drill bit or may be hydraulically or electrically powered. The cutting element may comprise a substrate, a table of superabrasive material disposed on an end of the substrate, and at least one impelling feature formed along the exterior surface of the substrate. In addition, a method of rotating a cutting element coupled to a drill bit for drilling a subterranean formation may comprise providing a cutting element comprising a table bonded to a substrate, coupling the substrate of the cutting element to a drill bit body, and applying torque to the substrate of the cutting element.
US07987929B2
The invention relates to a method for processing dust when breaking rock, to a dust separator, and further to a rock-drilling rig. Rock material and air sucked from a borehole or some other operating location is separated from each other in the dust separator. The separated rock material falls into a discharge part of the dust separator, from which it can be dosed in batches into a discharging device. The discharging device comprises a closed compression space in which the rock material batch is compressed into a more compact state. This forms a solid matter cake that is removed from the dust separator.
US07987915B1
A circulator sub tool and fluid saver with a system and method for dispensing and circulating fluid in a well bore having a threaded packer sub with a quick coupler body, and wherein diameters for each annulus of the quick coupler body and the sub body are substantially identical enhancing laminar flow through the threaded packer sub.
US07987911B2
An oil and gas well shaped charge perforator is provided comprising a housing, a high explosive, and a liner with a further insert liner where the high explosive is positioned between the liner and the housing. In use the high explosive will collapse the liner and insert causing two cutting jets to form. The insert may substantially cover the surface area of the liner or it may over only partially cover the liner, such as the apical portion of the liner or the base portion of liner. Alternatively the insert may be varied in thickness across the surface area of the liner. Typically the thickness of the liner may be between 1 and 10% of the liner diameter and the thickness of the insert may be between 1 and 200% of the thickness of the liner. The insert may be produced during the manufacture of the liner, but preferably the liner will be a retro fitted item.
US07987898B2
A heat dissipation device includes a cooling fan (15) defining an air inlet and an air outlet (157) oriented perpendicular to the air inlet; a metal foam (11) is arranged in the air outlet of the cooling fan, and a heat pipe (13) has a condensing end (131) being thermally attached to the metal foam. The metal foam forms numerous open cells (118). A plurality of guiding holes (116) are defined in the metal foam facing to a rotor (153) of the cooling fan for an airflow generated by the cooling fan to flow therethrough. The guiding hole (116) has a size larger that that of the open cell (118). The guiding hole has an outer end opened to an outside of the cooling fan (15).
US07987895B2
Method and apparatus for improving the quality and mechanical properties of an aluminum alloy engine cylinder block or other large or complex castings by providing sand molds bound with a soluble binder only at locations on said casting from which rapid cooling for directional solidification and/or improved localized mechanical properties are desired with said molds being otherwise bound at the remaining locations only with a more typical insoluble binder.
US07987888B2
In a method for releasing a work having an adhesive tape from a holding member which sucks and holds the work having the adhesive tape, the work having the adhesive tape is released from the holding member while supplying a gas which reduces a holding force of the holding member between the holding member and the work having the adhesive tape.
US07987884B2
The invention relates to an installation for applying glue to fibers for the production of fiberboard, especially MDF board or similar wood material board. Said installation comprises a fiber feed unit having at least one fiber feed conduit which opens into a fiber exit tube via an arched fiber deflection element and receives the air that is used to transport the fibers, a chute which is located downstream of the fiber exit tube, a glue application device which is located e.g. between the fiber exit tube and the chute and which has spray nozzles for spraying the fibers that emerge from the fiber exit tube and enter the chute with drops of glue, and a collection device, located downstream of the chute and having a transport device for collecting and optionally carrying off the fibers. The installation is characterized in that at least a part of the fiber deflection conduit is configured as a subdivided conduit having a plurality of partial conduits, said conduit being subdivided by one or more dividing walls that extend in the axial direction.
US07987880B2
The rubber composition for a tire base tread includes a rubber component containing not less than 15% by weight of a terminal-modified diene rubber having a number average molecular weight prior to modification of 150000 to 400000, a filler, and a compound (vulcanizing agent) represented by the following general formula (1) in an amount of 0.5 to 5 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the rubber component: (wherein R represents a benzyl group, and n represents an integer of 3 to 12.)
US07987871B2
A selector valve, comprising a valve chamber having a first valve seat and a second valve seat facing the first valve seat, a first fluid passage communicating with a first valve port on the periphery of the first valve seat of the valve chamber to flow a first working fluid therein, a second fluid passage communicating with the valve chamber to flow the working fluid therefrom or therein, a third fluid passage communicating with a second valve port on the periphery of the second valve seat of the valve chamber to flow the working fluid therefrom, a valve element disposed in the valve chamber and alternately separating from and coming into contact with the first valve seat and the second valve seat, a stem part connected to the valve element, a guide hole movably guiding the valve stem, a storage chamber for a seal means installed around the guide hole, an auxiliary passage allowing the storage chamber to communicate with the first fluid passage, and a solenoid part connected to the stem part for operating a solenoid rod. A first pressure receiving area formed by the first valve seat and the valve element joined to each other to receive the pressure of the first working fluid is set approximately the same as the third pressure receiving area of the stem part receiving the first working fluid in the storage chamber.
US07987868B2
An exhaust gas valve assembly includes a housing defining a cavity therein and having an intake port and an exhaust port. A valve seat has a first axial end secured to the housing and a second axial end that is disposed within but decoupled a distance from the housing. The second axial end defines one or more apertures that provide fluid communication between the intake and exhaust ports. A seal is disposed between the second axial end of the valve seat and the housing so as to close the decoupled distance therebetween. A piston is received within and is axially movable relative to the valve seat so as to open and close the one or more apertures and thereby regulate exhaust gas flow between the intake and exhaust ports.
US07987864B1
Deployable structures and methods for assembling the same including a structural mechanism defining a columnar space comprising a plurality of structural members, a plurality of couplings and a plurality of tension lines, wherein each of the couplings interconnects three of the structural members and each of the tension lines interconnects one of the couplings and one of the structural members. Each of the tension lines interconnects one of the couplings and an end of one of the structural members not interconnected with one of the couplings. A columnar space, devoid of any structural members, is centrally located within the structural mechanism. Each of the couplings interconnects two of three structural members such that they are substantially aligned along their respective longitudinal axes and the third of the three structural members is interconnected such that its longitudinal axis is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the other two structural members.
US07987859B2
An apparatus and method for an adjustable multi-barrel hair waving appliance is disclosed herein. The appliance has a plurality of barrels, at least one of which is an adjustable barrel, wherein the barrels are heated during use. In one embodiment two outer barrels and one adjustable center barrel are provided. The center barrel is manually adjusted to be closer or farther from a winged shield that clamps hair against the barrels and is formed to cradle the outer barrels. A locking mechanism locks the center barrel in place after adjustments are made via projections at an end of the center barrel. Adjusting the center barrel closer to the shield results in shallow or tight waves, and deep or loose waves result when the center barrel is adjusted farther from the shield.
US07987841B2
A pneumatic launching apparatus is described. The pneumatic toy launching apparatus includes a collapsible bellows with an outlet configured to allow air to exit the collapsible bellows. A gripping device is attached with the collapsible bellows, and a platform is attached with the gripping device. A launching tube is attached with the platform and is formed to releasably engage a launchable object. An air transfer tube connects the collapsible bellows and the launching tube. Upon compression of the collapsible bellows against a surface, air travels from the collapsible bellows, through the air transfer tube, and out of the launching tube to launch an object attached with the launching tube. A rotating mechanism attached with the platform allows rotation of multiple launching tubes. The gripping device further comprises a rotation actuator to induce rotation of the platform.
US07987839B2
The invention concerns a method to determine the composition of a fuel from the components ethanol and gasoline of an internal combustion engine, wherein the fuel is supplied to the internal combustion engine by a fuel supply unit and via two fuel distributor rails; and the exhaust gas is discharged from the internal combustion engine by two exhaust gas manifolds of a first and a second exhaust gas system, which are separated from each other, wherein the first and second exhaust gas system have in each case at least one exhaust gas probe and wherein current changes in the ethanol content of the fuel are evaluated from the signal differences of lambda signals from the exhaust gas probes. With this method, a change in the ethanol content of the fuel can be detected, and an explicit condition for a change in fuel can be derived. Moreover, with the method, errors in the fuel-mixture can be distinguished from an altered fuel composition, which takes place after the tank has been filled fueling.
US07987833B2
A combustion system for a vehicle may include a piston in which a first combustion recess is formed in an upper end surface thereof, and at least one second combustion recess is further formed at the bottom of the first combustion recess, a first intake port and a second intake port for supplying a cylinder with air, and a controller that differently controls amounts of recirculation exhaust gas being supplied to the first intake port and the second intake port.
US07987829B2
The camshaft adjusting device has an inner spring retainer which mates with a rotor and an outer spring retainer which is fixed on a spring cover plate.
US07987827B2
A valve timing control apparatus for controlling valve timing includes a first rotor, a second rotor, and a controller. The second rotor and the first rotor defines therebetween an advance chamber and a retard chamber. The controller includes a supply passage, at least one drain passage, a spool valve, at least one connection passage, and at least one check valve. The at least one connection passage connects the supply passage to the at least one drain passage when a spool of the spool valve is moved to one of the advance and retard positions. The at least one check valve is respectively provided in the at least one connection passage. The check valve allows working fluid to flow in a direction from the at least one drain passage toward the supply passage and limits working fluid from flowing in an opposite direction.
US07987826B2
A variable valve lift apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a low lift cam, a high lift cam in parallel with the low lift cam, a low lift tappet body that selectively contacts the low lift cam, a high lift tappet body disposed within the low lift tappet body and constantly contacting the high lift cam, a guide portion that is connected with a valve and selectively connects the low lift tappet body and the high lift tappet body, and a lost motion spring that is disposed between the guide portion and the low lift tappet body and supplies restoring force to the low lift tappet body.
US07987817B2
A device capable of diverting, redirecting, and collecting fresh water from a faucet to a pet for drinking. The device includes a plurality of elbows and a reservoir with a faceplate or a reservoir connected to the faucet by use of a connection piece. The device includes extensions which allow the user to position the reservoir at a desired height and distance from the faucet. The device further includes a plurality of designs for the reservoir and faceplate that allow for different water flows from which the pet can drink. The chosen reservoir and faceplate can be changed by the user. A method for having multiple reservoirs and faceplates connected to a single faucet allowing multiple pets to drink at a time is also disclosed.
US07987813B2
Apparatuses and processes for maskless deposition of electronic and biological materials. The process is capable of direct deposition of features with linewidths varying from the micron range up to a fraction of a millimeter, and may be used to deposit features on substrates with damage thresholds near 100° C. Deposition and subsequent processing may be carried out under ambient conditions, eliminating the need for a vacuum atmosphere. The process may also be performed in an inert gas environment. Deposition of and subsequent laser post processing produces linewidths as low as 1 micron, with sub-micron edge definition. The apparatus nozzle has a large working distance—the orifice to substrate distance may be several millimeters—and direct write onto non-planar surfaces is possible.
US07987812B2
A mask assembly configured to prevent the mask from being thermally transformed and to maintain gaps between a plurality of divided pattern masks is disclosed. According to one embodiment, the mask assembly comprises: an open mask that has a plurality of first openings arranged in rows and columns; and a pattern mask that comprises a plurality of unit pattern masks. In some embodiments, the ends of the unit pattern masks may be fixed with respect to the open mask, and the unit pattern mask includes a plurality of mask pattern units configured to align with the plurality of first openings of the open mask. In some embodiments, a tensile force is applied to the unit pattern mask(s).
US07987810B1
An articulating paper dispenser is provided including an upper housing and a lower housing that, when engaged together, form a both a lubricant container and a chamber for containing an articulating paper roll. The articulating paper that is unwound from the articulating paper roll is passed through the lubricant container. The articulating paper dispenser will preferably include pressure rollers to guide the articulating paper through a dispensing slot in the dispenser. The lubricant container is configured to contain a lubricant that increases the marking ability of the articulating paper. As the articulating paper is dispensed from the articulating paper system, it is coated on both sides with a thin layer of the lubricant. The lubricant-coated articulating paper is then used to check a patient's occlusion more accurately and precisely.
US07987796B2
A loading pallet includes first bars (2) and second bars (3) arranged essentially parallel with each other, The first bars (2) are arranged essentially in a single plane (8) and the second bars (3) include upper parts (9) arranged essentially in the plane (8) and downwardly directed parts (10) directed downwards relative to the plane (8). Third bars (4) are arranged transverse to the first bars (2) and second bars (3), lie under the plane (8), and are connected to the first bars (2) and the upper parts (9) of the second bars (3). The loading pallet (1) can be stacked onto a corresponding loading pallet (1), whereby the third bars (4) can make contact with such bars (2) from the loading pallet (1) located below. The height (h5) of the third bars (4) is such that the height of the spaces between stacked loading pallets (1) is such that lifting structure (17) can be introduced into the spaces for lifting loading pallets (1).
US07987793B2
Amusement ride device, comprising a track and at least one carriage, which carriage is moveable along the track in a transport direction. The carriage comprises a transport part which engages on the track, at least one platform that allows to support the feet of at least one passenger, and at least one passenger torso restraint engaging on the torso of the passenger for safely supporting the passenger. The transport part comprises one of the passenger torso restraint or the platform to support the passenger, while the other is connected by connecting means to the transport part. The connecting means are designed to allow the passenger to perform movements during the ride while being restrained by the torso restraint, wherein the torso restraint performs a movement with respect to the platform during said movements of the passenger.
US07987791B2
A method of disrupting electrical power transmission including the steps of launching a projectile from a hand-held launcher, ejecting a plurality of electrically conductive members from the projectile, and bridging electrical contacts of power transmission equipment.
US07987789B2
A method for reducing the amount of ammunition types to be used against a wide set of targets. At least two explosive charges are made use of in cooperation. Each of the explosive charges has changeable characteristics and is arranged to mutually cooperate in different ways depending on the particular changeable characteristics given to the explosive charges in a specific case and the type of target to be combated. An ammunition device admitting a reduction of the amount of ammunition types to be used. At least two cooperating explosive charges are arranged in a row along the direction of movement of the ammunition device when activated. Each of the explosive charges is switchable between at least two operating conditions having different operating characteristics.
US07987787B1
An electronic ignition safety device configured to reject signals below a predetermined ‘all-fire’ voltage comprising an exploding foil initiator having an electrical input and an output end, a pickup comprising a secondary explosive donor charge adjacent to the exploding foil initiator's output end and separated from a secondary explosive acceptor charge by an integral barrier, and an output charge adjacent to the acceptor charge.
US07987780B2
Apparatus designed to cancel at least one postage or franking mark on a surface of a mailpiece moving on edge in a belt conveyor, said apparatus comprising: a conveyor portion with a plurality of small superposed belts and a plurality of superposed print heads; and control means for controlling the print heads in such a manner as to cause a print head to print one or more cancellation marks over the franking mark(s) detected on the mailpiece. Each print head is suitable for operating selectively with a plurality of superposed inkjets so as to print only a portion (¾, ½, ¼) of said cancellation mark or a scaled-down version thereof over the franking mark when said franking mark is positioned in such a manner as to be off-center between two belts.
US07987779B2
An apparatus for printing on the plant surface and the artificial plant surface, comprises a housing. A gripping device for holding the plant or artificial plant and a printing unit for printing on its surfaces are disposed in said housing. Said printing unit is connected to a computer which is external or integrated in the housing. The printing unit of the present invention is an ink jetting unit, which can print on the plant surface and the artificial plant surface, especially flower, artificial flower, leaves and the fruit. People can communicate information using these articles, which satisfied the demand.
US07987770B2
A pitcher includes a container body defining a liquid storage cavity therein and having an open end and a cover removably coupled to the container body. The cover extends along the open end, and the cover defining a fill opening configured to receive a liquid therein. The fill opening is in communication with the liquid storage cavity. The pitcher also includes a lid assembly having a lid closing access to the fill opening. A slide mechanism is coupled to the lid, and the slide mechanism is slidably coupled to the cover.
US07987766B1
The hydraulic cylinder apparatus has a crescent shaped length housing a piston of like shape. The crescent shape provides for fit into constrained spaces where a fully cylindrical cylinder cannot fit. Multiple crescent shaped case ring lands with case rings seal the length of the piston proximal to the top of the case. The plurality of piston ring lands and piston rings seal the sliding piston to the walls of the case's internal hydraulic fluid well. The numerous ports of the apparatus, both upper and lower, provide for more convenient application than would otherwise be provided. Hose routing can thereby be best suited to a particular application. An added advantage of the apparatus is the negation of piston and mount rotation, a feature not typically possible with cylindrical hydraulic cylinders.
US07987762B2
A armor system for protecting a vehicle from a projectile, the projectile having an expected trajectory and the vehicle having a hull, is disclosed. The armor system has a modular armor subsystem configured to be mounted exterior to the vehicle hull. The modular armor subsystem has a leading layer having metal, leading relative to the expected projectile trajectory, and an intermediate sheet-like layer having low density material, of a density less than metal, abutting a rear surface of the leading layer. The armor system also has an intermediate sheet-like layer having glass fiber material and abutting a rear surface of the intermediate low density material layer, and an intermediate sheet-like layer having metal and abutting a rear surface of the intermediate glass fiber layer.
US07987760B1
Systems and methods are presented herein that provide for ignition of explosive devices through electric and/or electromagnetic discharge. In one embodiment, an electrostatic discharge is directionally propagated through air to conduct electric current to the explosive device. The electric current may ignite the explosive device via heat, via triggering of ignition circuitry, via induced electric current conduction to the explosive material therein and/or via direct electric conduction to the explosive material therein. Alternatively, or in addition to, electromagnetic energy may be directionally propagated to the device through a waveguide. Such electromagnetic energy may be in the microwave region and may heat and/or induce electric current in the explosive device. In either instance, the directionally propagated energy may be time varying. In one embodiment, a system is configured with a vehicle to distally position the directionally propagated energy to the explosive device such that damage caused by the device is inhibited.
US07987757B2
A bread slicer is provided, which includes a receiving area for receiving a loaf of bread; a return area for delivering sliced bread; and a path along which the bread moves from the receiving area to the return area. The path includes a substantially downwardly inclined surface extending from the rear of the receiving area to the return area. The slicer has a slicing element for slicing the bread as it passes from the receiving area to the return area; and a guard for preventing access to the slicing element from the receiving area. The guard is fixed relative to a guide mechanism, the guide mechanism being movable along a path divergent from the inclined path to advance the loaf along the path.
US07987755B2
A device for forming envelopes from a continuous flat strip of a sleeve-like foil material, comprising a supply member, a cutting member for making a cut over the full width of the material so as to provide individual envelopes, and a discharge member for discharging the envelopes. The cutting member comprises at least two cutting elements movable relative to the strip of material, each cutting element comprising at least one cutting blade extending parallel to the width of the strip, such that the individual cutting blades form several partial cuts contiguous to each other in the foil material over the width thereof in successive cutting operations.
US07987744B2
A pliers-type gripping tool includes a pair of gripping jaws, a pair of pivotally connected hand grip levers for operating the gripping jaws between an open separated condition and a closed gripping condition, and an adjusting device for varying one of the physical operating properties of the tool. In one embodiment, the hand grip levers are sectional, and the adjusting device includes an angle setting arrangement for determining the angular relationship of the sections, thereby to permit use of the tool to engage an object at a relatively inaccessible location. In a second embodiment, at least one of the levers includes a metal lever body member partially enclosed by a synthetic plastic shell member. An adjusting device controls the lateral relative positions of the lever body and shell members to adjust the effective thickness of the hand grips to correspond with the size of the hand of the user.
US07987742B2
A transportation apparatus operable to linearly transport an object includes a first transmission unit provided in a first intermediate table and which is operable to transmit torque from one of a pair of first links to one of a pair of second links. The transmission unit includes a pair of pulleys supported by a pair of first intermediate shafts and fixed to the one of the first links and the one of the second links; and an upper belt and lower belt are partially wound around the pulley in opposite directions with each other and fixed to the pulleys so as to transmit the torque. One of the pulley is divided into an upper part fixed with the upper belt and a lower fixed with the lower belt in an axial direction of the first intermediate shafts.
US07987740B2
A transmission includes an input member, an output member, a first and second interconnecting member, a plurality of countershafts, a reverse member, a plurality of co-planar gear sets, and a plurality of torque transmitting devices. The torque transmitting devices include synchronizer assemblies and a dual clutch assembly. The transmission is operable to provide at least one reverse speed ratio and a plurality of forward speed ratios between the input member and the output member.
US07987738B2
A rotary selector forms a control element for inputting a setting value to an electronic control system, in particular for a control device of an electronic domestic appliance, such as a washing machine, a dishwasher, or the like. The rotary selector has a rotatably mounted control portion and an adapter non-rotatably connected to the control portion. The adapter has a latching section with side faces arranged uniformly about its periphery. Coaxially with the latching section of the adapter is a stationary spring element formed with elastic legs arranged uniformly about a periphery of the latching section and which extend tangentially relative to the side faces of the latching section. The number of the side faces of the latching section is an integral multiple of the number of the elastic legs of the spring element.
US07987727B2
A semiconductor pressure sensor is provided that includes a diaphragm, a resistive element arranged at an upper portion of the diaphragm, an insulating film arranged on an upper face of the resistive element and an upper face of the diaphragm, a via that penetrates through a portion of the insulating film and comes into contact with the resistive element, and wiring that is electrically connected to the resistive element through the via. The insulating film includes a concave portion having a bottom face that is substantially flat. The wiring is arranged on the bottom face of the concave portion, and the depth of the concave portion is substantially equal to the thickness of the wiring.
US07987724B2
The apparatus and method prevent inspection omission when ultrasonic flaw detection using a transducer array is applied to inspection of a test object being conveyed at a high speed. The method for inspecting a cross section of a test object using a transducer array comprised of many ultrasonic transducers arranged in one dimension includes the steps of transmitting ultrasonic waves from some or all of the ultrasonic transducers in the transducer array, receiving reflected waves generated by the transmitted ultrasonic waves using some or all of the ultrasonic transducers in the transducer array, converting the received signals into digital waveform signals, transforming the timing between the digitalized signal data received by each transducer element in at least one transducer group, which includes plural transducer elements selected from the transducer array, on the basis of the distances between the transducer element and spatially continuous focuses of receiving beam set to be formed in the test object; and summing all the timing-transformed signals received by transducer elements in the transducer group.
US07987723B2
There is provided a copying apparatus that copies a workpiece, includes a shoe that is brought into contact with the workpiece, an air cylinder that enables moving the shoe in a vertical direction, a clamping mechanism that grasps the workpiece from side surfaces placed in a direction orthogonal to a traveling direction and, and a lateral translatory slide guide that slides the clamping mechanism in the direction.
US07987721B2
The invention relates to a method and a measuring and evaluation device for determining defects in a turbine blade and to a fixing device for fixing a probe to a turbine blade surface.
US07987708B1
An apparatus for the testing of downhole a injection assembly prior to installation of the injection assembly in the completion string. The apparatus is comprised an injection tubing, an injection sub, an injection valve, an injection sub test block, a pressure foot, a pressure foot test block, and means for introducing pressure at a desired level. The injection sub test block, pressure foot, pressure foot test block are interchangeably engageable with the injection sub for testing in a sequence to allow the pre-testing of the connections of components of the injection assembly at the surface of the well.
US07987695B2
A particulate monitor includes a housing, an air-moving device coupled to the housing, and an air passageway disposed at least partially within the housing. The air-moving device is operable to create an airflow through the air passageway. The particulate monitor may include a real-time measuring device positioned at least partially within the housing and in fluid communication with the air passageway and a particulate collection device positioned at least partially within the housing and in fluid communication with the air passageway. A collection device may be positioned downstream of the real-time measuring device. At least one impactor may be movably coupled to the housing to be movable between a first position adjacent the air passageway and a second position displaced from the air passageway.
US07987692B2
An apparatus for aligning and leveling an associated vehicle door having an elongated member, a head member attached to said elongated member adapted to engage a vehicle door lock recess, a support member extending downwardly from said elongated member towards a vehicle door and a support plate attached to said support member adapted to rest on said vehicle door. The apparatus is designed to aid in the leveling and aligning processes of a vehicle door after assembly of the vehicle. The elongated member may include a series of bends to improve the ergonomic efficiency of the vehicle door leveler.
US07987686B2
There is provided a manufacturing apparatus of a porous glass base material which can prevent soot from being formed on an upper surface (ceiling) of the process chamber, and reduce the amount of soot that comes off the upper surface and falls. A manufacturing apparatus of a porous glass base material 4 deposits glass particles produced by subjecting a material gas to flame hydrolysis, onto a starting member 1 placed vertically. Here, a plurality of gas inlets 5 are provided in one or more lateral walls of a process chamber including a burner 2 for the deposition therein, in upper portions of the lateral walls and along a ceiling of the process chamber.
US07987677B2
Turbine exhaust steam, axially fed between counter-rotating radial flow disk turbines, separates into: (1) a radially inward flow of low enthalpy dry steam, and (2) a radially outward flow of high enthalpy steam, noncondensibles, and condensate. The radially inward flow goes to a conventional condenser. The radially outward flow loses enthalpy turning the disk turbines as it passes in the boundary layers against the disks, thus becoming low enthalpy dry steam, and the counter-rotation of the disks by impinging mass flow of condensate, high enthalpy steam, and noncondensibles sustains a cascade of dynamic vortex tubes in the shear layer between the boundary layers. The low enthalpy dry steam resulting from work being done flows into the condenser through the vortex cores of fractal turbulence. Condensate exits the periphery of the workspace, ready to be pumped back into the Rankine cycle.
US07987672B2
A turbocharger protection system for an engine system that includes a particulate filter and a turbocharger comprises a delta pressure estimator that estimates a pressure difference in a particulate filter. A pressure factor estimator module estimates a pressure factor based on the difference and barometric pressure. A fuel limit estimator module protects the turbocharger by selectively limiting fuel injection to the engine based on the pressure factor.
US07987662B2
A method of operating an internal combustion engine having a reductant delivery and storage system in an emission control system is disclosed. The method includes an approach for reducing thermal damage to aftertreatment devices in an exhaust system by reducing excessive exhaust gas temperatures created during particulate filter regeneration.
US07987661B2
A method for determining malfunction of a nitrogen oxide sensor compares a nitrogen oxide amount detected by the sensor with a predetermined value of nitrogen oxide. If the difference between the predetermined value and the amount detected by the sensor is within a predetermined range, the method determines whether an engine is in a steady state. If the engine is in a steady state, the method changes one or more engine control parameters, thereby varying an actual nitrogen oxide amount. After changing the parameters, the method determines whether the amount detected by the sensor changes. The method determines that the sensor is malfunctioning if the amount detected by the sensor does not change. A selective catalytic reduction system includes a first nitrogen oxide sensor, a selective catalytic reduction apparatus, and a second nitrogen oxide sensor, all disposed in an exhaust pipe. A control portion performs the above-described method.
US07987656B2
A system and apparatus for controlling height of a header of a work machine such as an agricultural windrowing machine or a harvesting machine, which includes height control cylinders jointly or individually operable for raising or lowering the opposite ends of a header to achieve a desired overall height or angle of tilt in relation to the surface of a field or pasture to be cut, and which allow the header to be raised, and lowered to the previously selected cut height, without changing the lengths of the cylinders, so as to be usable in combination with an optional header lift and/or float system.
US07987653B2
An embossed carrier tape manufacturing apparatus includes features for integrating with other processing equipment so that other processes such as forming, filling, and sealing the tape can be performed sequentially in one integrated process. The apparatus includes retractable contact spot heaters for heating the tape prior to embossing, along with a unique heat shield arrangement that is interposable between the heaters and the tape so that the process may be paused. Also, a synchronizing apparatus is integrated so that the carrier tape embossing process may be automatically paused for adjusting to the input rate of other carrier tape processing apparatus.
US07987643B2
A system for fastening an element, particularly made of fragile material such as glass, to a bearing structure or a framework at least at one point. At least at one fastening point, the system includes a mechanical connection device for fixing the element to a framework or bearing structure or connecting to an adjacent similar element. At least one arm at a first end is connected to a fastener mechanically connected to the element, and at a second end is connected to a joining piece. The joining piece includes a tubular envelope that contains a mechanism for adjusting degrees of freedom of the fixing or of the connection. A wall including at least one fixed or opening element can be fixed to a structure or a framework by such a mechanical connection device.
US07987635B2
A partition system includes a first pilaster and a door coupled to the first pilaster and rotatable from a closed position to an open position. The door is configurable in a first configuration wherein the door is rotatable from the closed position to the open position in a first direction and prevented from rotating in a second direction from the closed position, the second direction opposite the first direction. The door is further configurable in a second configuration wherein the door is rotatable from the closed position to the open position in the second direction and prevented from rotating in the first direction from the closed position. The door is coupled to the first pilaster to define a seam and prevents a line of sight from being established through the seam.
US07987625B1
Devices, and methods of extending legs from vertical fore grip handles on firearms, such as rifles, to different height positions. The vertical fore grip can include expandable bipod legs. The legs can be individually extended to different lengths by moving telescoping rod members in leg housings from retracted positions to extended positions. A lever switch can allow for the legs to be locked into the different extended positions, and depressing the switch can allow for the legs to go back to the retracted positions. Anti-rotation pins and slots can prevent the telescoping members from rotating relative to the legs.
US07987623B1
Adapter devices, apparatus, systems and methods of allowing a firearm to be supported by a foldable fore grip/gun handle. The fore grip gun handle can have bipod type legs that can be extendable from the handle. The fore grip handle can be just a vertical extension. The adapter can allow for the fore grip/gun handle to move from a fold back position along the bottom of the firearm so that the firearm can be easily carried, and the adapter to can allow for the handle to move down to a vertical support position beneath the firearm when the firearm is to be used. The adapter can also support a light in both a folded position and in a downwardly extended position, where light can be aimed forward, rearward to the side and/or pointed down from the firearm. The adapter can allow for a dual functioning component that can be either or both a fore grip and/or a light source. Other versions of the adapter can include a slidable thumb switch for locking a swinging plate with picatinny side rails to a main plate, and spring loaded detents for locking the swinging plate in substantially vertical orientations. Additionally, a folding rail system can be substituted for the existing picatinny rail system on firearms. The folding rail can have mounting holes for allowing the entire folding rail to be directly attached to the firearm, and have a hinge for allowing portions of the picatinny rails to pivot relative to the rest of the picatinny rails.
US07987610B2
The present invention relates to a method of examining an aperture diameter of a disk substrate having a circular aperture in the central portion thereof, the method including: attempting to pass a standard sphere for the aperture diameter through the aperture; and inspecting the aperture diameter of the disk substrate, based on whether the sphere passes through the aperture or not. Furthermore, the present invention relates to an examination apparatus thereof.
US07987598B2
A dynamic bearing manufacturing includes steps of: providing a bearing and a processing tool, the bearing having an axial hole, and the processing tool having at least one protruding pattern formed on an exterior wall of the processing tool; positioning the processing tool into the axial hole of the bearing; pressing the processing tool to contact with an inner wall of the bearing so as to transfer and print the protruding pattern of the processing tool onto the inner wall of the bearing; rotating the processing tool at a first rotation speed and driving the bearing to rotate at a second rotation speed; and forming at least one concave pattern on the inner wall of the bearing, and the at least one concave pattern being corresponding to the protruding pattern of the processing tool.
US07987597B2
An automated fabrication system is provided that utilizes electromagnetism to manipulate and/or sense the location of raw materials on a platform. Tools located around said platform may be utilized to fabricate a predetermined structure out of the raw materials. Tags that can be electromagnetically manipulated and sensed may be placed on passive raw materials. Structures fabricated from such a system may be, for example, a roof truss. Additionally, the fabrication system may be mobilized by way of a truck such that structures may be built on-site.
US07987596B2
A method for installing an interior structure for a mobile platform is provided. The method includes carrying a lightweight collapsible frame through a man-door of a mobile platform while the collapsible frame is in a collapsed state. The collapsed frame is then expanded to provide at least a portion of a load bearing frame for a mobile platform interior structure. A plurality of interchangeable panels are removable attached to the collapsible frame to form interior surfaces of the mobile platform interior structure.
US07987595B2
A method for making a probe card includes: mounting a plurality of probe needles on a probe-mounting seat; forming a conductive protective coating on tips of the probe needles; and bonding the probe needles to a printed circuit board through welding techniques after formation of the conductive protective coating on the tips of the probe needles.
US07987590B2
An insulating sheet including resin is attached to a conductor portion composed of a wiring pattern and a columnar conductor from above. Then pressure and heat are applied to the insulating sheet using the columnar conductor as a stopper to form a layer of resin having a uniform thickness with the height of the columnar conductor being a reference to cover the conductor portion. In such method for manufacturing an electronic part, a projecting portion is formed outside a part formation area. In this substrate sheet, the amount of the resin required for forming the layer is computed based on the proportion of the volume taken up by the conductor portion in a domain including the projecting portion, and the thickness of the insulating sheet is set in accordance with the computed resin amount.
US07987587B2
A method is described by which an electrical path is created between layers on a printed circuit board (PCB) without the use of plated through holes (PTH). Through the use of a liquid solder or conductive epoxy injection fixture, a conductive path is created in pre-drilled holes forming an electrical connection between internal PCB metal layers and surface mounted components without the creation of parasitic stubs on the signal nets.
US07987580B2
A method of fabricating conducting crossover structures for power inductors comprises providing a first lead frame array including first lead frames, providing a second lead frame array including said second lead frames, stamping one side of a second lead frame array to define first and second terminals of said second lead frames, at least one of coating, spraying, applying and/or attaching an insulating material to said first lead frame array to form a first laminate, stamping said first laminate in a direction from said insulating material towards said first lead frame array to define first and second terminals of said first lead frames; and arranging said insulating material of said first laminate adjacent to and in contact with said one side of said second lead frame array to form a second laminate.
US07987577B2
A method for providing a molded body and for inserting said molded body into a hollow bar section with a cross-section of a predetermined width and height that remains constant over its length, from which a frame-type spacer for insulating glass panes is subsequently configured, the molded body bridging a gap in said spacer. According to said method, a strand-type semi-finished product with a cross-section that remains constant over its length is provided; the semi-finished product is positioned in relation to a separation tool in such a way that a predefined section of the semi-finished product lies on one side and the remaining section of the semi-finished product lies on the other side of a separation plane of the separation tool and the length of the predefined section that is measured in the longitudinal direction of the semi-finished product is adapted to the inner width of the hollow bar section.
US07987575B2
The invention relates to a method and a device for applying films (10) to interior wall sections of the bodywork (7) of a vehicle with the aid of an instrument or robot (6) comprising a multi-membered articulated arm (18, 19) and gripping elements (21) for the films. To reduce the mounting time, the robot (6) is driven through an opening (14) in the interior of the bodywork (7), the films (10) to be applied are transported by transport elements (11) to the vicinity of the interior or into the interior of the bodywork (7) and the delivered films (10) are taken from the transport elements by the robot (6) and its gripping elements (21) and are applied to the respective interior wall sections.
US07987567B2
A machine tool has a pair of guide rails and a pair of upper and lower ball screws. No forces are transferred between a beam of a double column frame and a movable unit. The guide rails are spaced from each other and disposed on a bed, and the movable unit is horizontally movably supported on the guide rails. The upper and lower ball screws are mounted respectively on upper and lower portions of the double column frame for moving the movable unit horizontally. Even when the beam is deformed by flexing downwardly by gravity, the movable unit moves stably and smoothly at a high speed to machine a workpiece highly accurately without being adversely affected by the deformation of the beam.
US07987565B1
A grooved-stile shutter has a shutter frame with elongated stiles, inserts, louver end caps and louvers. The stiles define grooves disposed along opposite facing stile edges. The elongated inserts are installed into the stile grooves. The louver end caps rotatably mount along the inserts. The louvers removably mount to the louver end caps within the shutter frame. In this manner, the louvers can be individually removed and replaced without disassembly of the assembled shutter frame.
US07987564B2
The invention relates to an urn column, consisting of a segment (0) with a hollow body (1) which serves to receive and store a plurality of urn capsules (2). The urn capsules (2) are wrapped in urn carrier bags (3) with vertically adjustable carrying straps (4), and inserted into the upper cavity opening (5), suspended one above the other, extending from the bottom up. In so doing, each urn carrier bag (3), filled with the urn capsule (2), is fastened with vertically adjustable carrying straps (4) to the upper suspension annulus (6) and fixed in its particular position in the hollow body (1) of the urn column. The suspension annulus (6) is firmly connected to the upper cavity opening (5) of the urn column and both are covered with a cover (7) in any desired form. On the urn column surface the marking (8) of the urn column contents is provided by means of a suspension apparatus (9) which permits the attachment of flower vase holders (10) and grave candle holders (11). The bottom anchoring is effected via a concrete foundation (12) to permit a space-saving, vertical erection of the urn column on any desired ground.
US07987555B2
A hinged slide rail with buffering function, which includes a rail to which a hinge is mounted. The hinge has a movable blade and a fixed blade between which a buffering device is coupled. The buffering device is housed in a retention frame. The retention frame has an end forming a limiting structure. The buffering device has an active rod coupled to the limiting structure. The movable blade includes a pull bar that is connected to the limiting structure. The hinged slide rail is installed between a door panel and a body of a cabinet to remarkably enhance the convenience of operation and eliminates the potential problems of generating noise and clamping and hurting users.
US07987551B2
A vacuum cleaner is provided. The vacuum cleaner may include a dust collection container that stores dust, a compression member that is provided in the dust collection container and which is capable of rotating in first and second directions, and a driver that rotates the compression member. The compression member rotates in a first space corresponding to a first angle range and at least a portion of the dust is stored in a second space corresponding to a second angle range.
US07987548B1
A leaf and lawn vacuum bagger has a housing that is attached to the exhaust outlet of a conventional leaf and lawn blower/vacuum or mulching device, and a conventional disposable trash bag is releasably attached to the housing for capturing the vacuumed yard debris. When the disposable bag is full or otherwise, it may be easily detached and another disposable bag easily affixed to collect more vacuumed leaf and yard debris. Alternatively, the vacuumed leaf and lawn debris can be collected and retained in the housing for later removal.
US07987544B2
The attachment system includes a brushhead assembly having a spring/carrier combination which comprises a spring assembly and a separate carrier assembly, adapted to mate as a combination with a receiving portion, in the form of a cup member, at the top of the handle of the toothbrush. The spring/carrier combination includes a slot which mates snugly with a vertical rib on the inside surface of the cup member, and further includes a portion which opposes the slot on the spring/carrier combination which mates snugly with a cut-out portion in the cup member, to prevent rotational movement of the brushhead relative to the handle. The spring/carrier assembly further includes two opposing spring finger elements, wherein the lower ends of the spring fingers fit into corresponding openings in opposing sides of the cup member when the spring/carrier assembly is operatively positioned in the cup member, tending to prevent translational movement of the brushhead relative to the handle.
US07987539B2
Disclosed is the use of the compound of formula wherein R1 is hydrogen; or C1-C5alkyl for the fungicidal treatment of hard surfaces and textile fiber materials. The compounds of formula (1) impart antifungal properties to washed textile material. Bacteria that get on the textile material while it is being worn are destroyed.
US07987533B2
A shower water construction system for a child/user, which also functions as a showering system and utilizes a pre-existing bath/shower unit as a supporting structure. The construction system comprises a main control valve to divert water from a pre-existing shower water pipe stem, a pressure regulator to limit water pressure to downstream components, child/user control and diverter valves to allow for turning the system off and on and allocating water flow between components, semi-rigid and flexible pipe, “Y” connectors and suction cups and brackets. Other components, such as a hand-held sprayer, spraying bathtub mat and spraying shower curtain may also be integrated/connected into the system.
US07987529B1
An apparatus for discharging bodily wastes has a receptacle for holding a person's bodily waste products, including an upwardly facing opening for receiving the waste products. A forward load-bearing member extends from the receptacle to provide a support for at least one foot of a person discharging waste products into the receptacle. A rear load-bearing member arranged to engage the lower torso of the person above the buttocks when the person has at least one foot in the forward load-bearing member. The rear load-bearing member and the forward load bearing member are spaced apart a distance that is sufficient to hold a person therebetween with the person's buttocks suspended over the opening of the receptacle and the person's center of gravity behind the one foot supported in the forward load bearing member.
US07987524B2
A long-sleeved, pullover-type upper body garment has a continuous slit, which runs up the side of the garment from the bottom of garment body to an arm pit, and downward along the underside of a sleeve, and terminates at a point intermediately along the length of the sleeve. The segment of the slit that is in the body of the garment is temporarily closeable using mating hook-and-loop fastener members that are attached to the body of the garment on opposite sides of the slit. The segment of the slit in the upper portion of the sleeve remains at all times “open”, thereby allowing access to the middle and/or upper end of the wearer's arm for attachment of IV tubing or other medical lines. The circumference of the lower end (e.g., forearm portion) of the sleeve is neither separable nor openable, thereby requiring that a wearer insert his/her hand through the lower portion of the sleeve. The garment can be donned or removed by a patient to whom mid-arm medical lines are attached, without necessitating detachment of the medical lines. Conversely, mid-arm medical lines can be attached to a wearer's arm without necessitating rolling up of the sleeve or removal of the garment.
US07987520B2
A concealable shoulder-supported harness system for a belt fastened around the torso of a wearer, includes a support portion adapted for operative engagement with the upper torso of the wearer above the belt, wherein the support portion is further adapted for concealment within an outer garment having a portion of the garment extending substantially through the interior side of the belt, and a fastening portion extending from a lower end of the support portion through an aperture in the outer garment located proximate to the belt, wherein the fastening portion further includes an attachment mechanism for securing attachment to the belt. The present invention is further directed to a clothing attire utilizing the same.
US07992210B2
Techniques utilizing common encryption approaches for data from multiple parties enable those parties to discover information that is held in common by the parties without disclosing to any party information that is not held in common by the parties. Encrypted information for each party can be compared to determine which encrypted values match, and those encrypted values can be returned to any of the parties such that a party can determine which corresponding data the parties have in common, without having access to any other data of any other parties.
US07992206B1
In one embodiment, an add-on pre-scanner card is removably pluggable into a local bus of a computer. The add-on pre-scanner card may be coupled to a computer network to receive network traffic. The add-on pre-scanner card may be configured to extract payloads from received packets and scan the payloads for computer viruses. The add-on pre-scanner card may pass scanned payloads and other data to the computer by way of a shared memory interface. The pre-scanner card may identify each payload as infected with a virus, virus-free, or unknown to allow the computer to distinguish payloads that do not need further scanning from those that do. The computer may further scan for viruses payloads that the pre-scanner card cannot ascertain as either virus free or virus infected.
US07992204B2
Solutions (including inter alia, systems, methods and software) for dealing with online fraud. Certain of these solutions provide enhanced responses to an identified instance of online fraud. Such enhanced responses can incorporate one or more of a variety of strategies for defeating an attempt by a server to filter and/or otherwise avoid responses to its fraudulent activity. Merely by way of example, responses may be disguised (e.g., by transmitting the responses from a variety of computers, by transmitting responses that appear to originate from a computer different than the actual source of the responses, etc.). In some cases, a response strategy may be implemented that forces the server (and/or an operator thereof) to choose between accepting the responses and blocking potential responses from the targets of the fraudulent scheme.
US07992194B2
Methods and apparatus for identity and role management in communication networks are disclosed. An example method for identity and role management in a communication network associates an entity with a key, associates the entity with a role, associates the key and the role with a signature, and enables the key, the role and the signature to be accessed through the communication network based on an identity of the entity.
US07992191B2
A system and method for securely controlling (e.g., “starting” and “stopping”) a WebSphere Portal (WP) in a production environment without the requirement of having knowledge of (and using) the administrator credentials (ID and password). The system and method, as implemented in a Java application, receives from requesting users and determines whether the requesting users are authorized to control (start/stop) the portal by comparing each requesting user's ID and PW against a list of authorized user IDs and PWs and, if there is a match, passing on the authorized user ID and PW to the portal for controlling (starting/stopping) the WebSphere Portal. The system and method further conveys portal control request authorized user acceptances or portal control request unauthorized user rejections—depending upon whether the requesting user's ID and PW matches any of the list of authorized user IDs and PWs.
US07992188B2
A document access control system for determining whether to allow a client to access a target document file according to a security policy set in a server, the system includes a cache timing determination part for determining the timing for caching policy determination data corresponding to the target document file in the client, a policy determination data obtaining part for obtaining the policy determination data from the server according to a report from the cache timing determination part, a policy determination data storage part for storing the obtained policy determination data in correspondence with the target document file, and a file access control part for controlling access to the target document file according to the policy determination data stored in the policy determination data storage part in a case where the user of the client requests access to the target document file when the client is in an offline mode.
US07992185B2
In a TS information sharing system, digital broadcast receivers and a digital-broadcast-compliant TV receive TS information separately and may transfer the received TS information to each other in a peer-to-peer manner or may transfer and store the received TS information into a server. Thus, the digital broadcast receivers and the digital-broadcast-compliant TV can retrieve, from the server, TS information that the digital broadcast receivers and/or the digital-broadcast-compliant TV have not yet received. The invention can be applied to a receiver for receiving terrestrial digital broadcasts.
US07992183B1
This invention relates to systems and methods for enabling users to create, to edit and to rate online video timed text over the web. A system embodiment of this invention includes a permission requester that enables a first user to send a permission request. The permission request requests permission from a second user to create a timed text track for a video. A permission granter enables the second user to send a permission response according to the permission request from the first user. A timed text editor enables the first user to create a timed text track for the video based on the response to the permission request and upload the timed text track to a server.
US07992174B2
Provided are a method and system for determining system time in a satellite based cable data communication system. The system includes a satellite modem termination system configured to transmit data frames to a receiver in a predetermined symbol rate. Each frame includes a corresponding number of symbols and has a time stamp (i) indicative of the frame's time of transmission and (ii) positioned within the frame at a location common to all of the frames. The method includes receiving at least two consecutively transmitted data frames within the receiver and registering the time stamp of the first received data frame within the receiver to produce a first time stamp. Also, the time stamp of the second received data frame is registered within the receiver to produce a second time stamp. The time of transmission of the second transmitted data frame is updated, wherein the updating is a function of the first time stamp, the second time stamp, the corresponding number of symbols, and the symbol rate.
US07992169B1
A unified system of programming communication. The system encompasses the prior art (television, radio, broadcast hardcopy, computer communications, etc.) and new user specific mass media. Within the unified system, parallel processing computer systems, each having an input (e.g., 77) controlling a plurality of computers (e.g., 205), generate and output user information at receiver stations. Under broadcast control, local computers (73, 205), combine user information selectively into prior art communications to exhibit personalized mass media programming at video monitors (202), speakers (263), printers (221), etc. At intermediate transmission stations (e.g., cable television stations), signals in network broadcasts and from local inputs (74, 77, 97, 98) cause control processors (71) and computers (73) to selectively automate connection and operation of receivers (53), recorder/players (76), computers (73), generators (82), strippers (81), etc. At receiver stations, signals in received transmissions and from local inputs (225, 218, 22) cause control processors (200) and computers (205) to automate connection and operation of converters (201), tuners (215), decryptors (224), recorder/players (217), computers (205), furnaces (206), etc. Processors (71, 200) meter and monitor availability and usage of programming.
US07992167B2
A method and apparatus for content substitution, consistent with certain embodiments of the present invention involves receiving data representing content, the data having at least first and second packet identifiers (PIDs) associated with first and second portions of content. The content having the first PID is placed into a data stream. An initiation flag is received indicating initiation of a PID mapping operation. The content having the second PID is then mapped to the first PID and the mapped content is placed into the data stream. A termination flag is received indicating termination of the PID mapping operation at which point the process returns to placing content having the first PID into the data stream. The content substitution process can be used to replace advertisements, provide multiple plots, multiple endings, multiple views as well as other applications. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.
US07992162B2
A method of auditing operation of a television appliance consistent with certain embodiments involves detecting an event that triggers an audit; generating a fingerprint value, wherein the fingerprint value is function of the television network characteristics at an authorized installation location; comparing the fingerprint value with a stored reference value; if the fingerprint value is within specified limits of the stored reference value, permitting the television appliance to carry out a normal operational function; and if the fingerprint value is outside of specified limits of the stored reference value, inhibiting the television appliance from carrying out a normal operational function. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.
US07992159B2
An optical disk apparatus according to the present invention includes an optical pickup device and a control section for controlling an operation of the optical pickup device. The optical pickup device includes a plurality of first wiring lines for transmitting signals from the control section, a second wiring line to be used for an adjustment of the optical pickup device, and a connector section which is electrically connected to the first wiring lines. The optical disk apparatus further includes a flexible printed wiring board (FPC) which is connected to the connector section for electrically connecting the first wiring lines to the control section. The FPC includes a plurality of third wiring line for electrically connecting the first wiring lines to the control section, such that a pitch of the plurality of third wiring lines in a central portion of the FPC is broader than a pitch of the plurality of third wiring lines in a region of the FPC adjoining the connector section. Moreover, the connector section is electrically connected to the second wiring line, and the FPC being connected to the connector section electrically connects the first wiring lines to the control section, but does not electrically connect the second wiring line to the control section.
US07992155B2
A system to correlate and consolidate a plurality of events includes at least one adapter to correlate and consolidate every one of the plurality of events to form a multi-personality event. Each one of the plurality of events is emitted in response to an incident affecting an event producer. The system also includes a plurality of smart event adapters to correlate and consolidate each of the plurality of events to form the multi-personality event. The multi-personality event includes complete details contained in each event of the plurality of events serially appended to an initial multi-personality event formed by two of the plurality of events. Each remaining event is serially appended the initial multi-personality event.
US07992153B2
A method and apparatus for processing message is described. In one embodiment, an application programming interface is configured for receiving and sending messages. A building block layer is coupled to the application programming interface. A channel layer is coupled to the building block layer. A transport protocol stack is coupled to the channel layer for implementing properties specified by the channel layer. The transport protocol stack has a concurrent stack consisting of an out of band thread pool and a regular thread pool. The transport protocol layer is to process messages from each sender in parallel with the corresponding channel for each sender.
US07992142B2
In order to upgrade firmware at network elements in a communications network a network upgrade protocol agent is installed on each network element. These agents run an upgrade protocol which allows an upgrade to be loaded onto a first network element and then broadcast through the network. The protocol includes notification messages, which change the state of the network elements to which the upgrade relates, download messages which include the firmware upgrade, apply messages which instruct relevant network elements to apply the upgrade, and inventory messages which send an inventory of firmware stored at a network element to neighboring elements to enable a determination to be made of whether a network element has received all relevant firmware upgrades.
US07992141B2
A program which is linked or bound by reference (referenced program) into one or more other programs supports multiple valid export signatures, each corresponding to a respective version of the referenced program. When a program is built, it records the current signature of each referenced program it is bound to. When subsequently determining whether to rebuild the program, the previously recorded signature of any referenced program is compared with all currently supported signatures of the referenced program, and only if none of the supported signatures matches does the program need to be re-built to ensure compatibility with the referenced program. Preferably, the referenced program is a program library containing supporting procedures, intended to be used by multiple applications programs which are bound to it.
US07992137B2
Embodiments of the invention provide a data communications protocol and client server architecture used for the performance analysis and debugging of a graphics application running on a remote device. The remote device may be a hand-held video game console, a mobile phone, or convergence device, but may also be a personal computer system. A graphical application debugger may include a host component and a target component. The host component executes on a host system and presents a debugging interface to a developer. The target component may record data related to the performance of a graphics pipeline on the target device and transmit this data back to the host system over a communication link. The target component may be included as part of an instrumented version of a graphics device driver.
US07992135B1
Tools and techniques are provided to allow partners of analytics providers and others who use web-beacons to submit plug-ins for scrutiny, and for the plug-in to either be refused or else to be certified for use in a core JavaScript file, data engine, or similar component. Analytics providers and others may also write plug-ins. Certified plug-ins are executed in response to page loads, visitor clicks, and other visitor and programmatic actions at a website that has been tagged by the analytics provider's web-beacon, without requiring re-tagging of the website with a separate web-beacon for the partner. This allows the partner to obtain analytics data by piggybacking on the analytics provider, without re-tagging, and without compromising the availability and accuracy of the analytics data already being gathered. To be certified, web-beacon plug-ins must satisfy specific criteria as to their privacy protection, size, behavior, namespace, and the like.
US07992132B2
A flexible, platform-independent integration infrastructure is provided. The integration infrastructure may include an integration bridge and at least one plug-in, where the at least one plug-in may include translation rules, mapping rules, and other information associated with a component coupled to the plug-in. The translation rules, mapping rules, and other information may be used by the integration bridge during a mapping process to control communication between components. Based on the rules and information, a mapping translator of the integration bridge converts data received from component into a form readable by another component.
US07992131B2
A programmer creates a computer program in assembly language by use of a first macro to identify an operation to be performed on a variable without knowledge of one or more assembly language instructions required to perform the operation. A macro expander (that may be tightly coupled to an assembler) receives the programmer-specified first macro and its argument(s), uses the variable's class type to identify a macro name of a second macro, and invokes this second macro with the argument(s). The macro expander also expands the second macro to generate appropriate assembler instruction(s) to perform the operation. The assembler instructions are automatically changed by the macro expander in an appropriate manner if any of the just-described attributes is changed, so as to still perform the operation indicated by the programmer-specified first macro. Therefore, the programmer may write a program in the assembly language using a high level language syntax.
US07992126B2
A computer-readable storage medium to direct a computer to function in a specified manner includes executable instructions to: process a balanced scorecard to generate a hierarchical tree; classify the parent to child relationships in the hierarchical tree; identify the quantitative associations among the parent to child relationships; and assess the balance within the balanced scorecard.
US07992124B2
A system for optimizing analog circuit designs includes an input device, a data processing device, and a data storage device. The data processing device includes a selecting module, a calculation module, and a determining module. The selecting module is for receiving input from the input device and selecting electronic components composing the circuit from the data storage device. The calculation module is for calculating average values and standard deviations of each electronic component, generating normal distribution samples of each electronic component, and calculating output voltages of the circuit. The determining module is for determining whether the circuit meets a process capability standard.
US07992117B2
An exemplary common centroid layout design system receives various inputs about an integrated circuit (IC) design. Based on such inputs, the system calculates a common centroid unit, which represents an array of segments of each device in the IC design. The number of segments for each device within the common centroid unit is selected based on the respective sizes of the devices. The common centroid unit is then tiled to automatically define the complete layout for the IC object. The system selects an algorithm for tiling the common centroid unit based on the size of such unit such that, upon completion of the tiling process, all of the devices have a common centroid. In other words, the system selects an algorithm for tiling such that a common centroid layout design is generated. Using the common centroid layout design, the IC object can be manufactured so that it is immune to linear process gradients and more resistant to non-linear gradients relative to ICs that do not have a common centroid layout design.
US07992112B2
A hardware verification programming description generation apparatus includes: a behavior synthesis section, for a circuit of hardware that operates in accordance with a multi-phase clock, for dividing the hardware into blocks corresponding to clock systems and performing a behavior synthesis on each of the divided blocks, based on a behavioral description, the behavioral description only describing a process behavior of the hardware but does not describe information regarding a structure of the hardware; and a clock precision model generation section for generating clock precision models using the behavior-synthesized data, the clock precision model capable of verifying the hardware at a cycle precision level.
US07992108B2
First and second evaluation substrates are prepared, a direction perpendicular to a surface of the first evaluation substrate being defined by first indices, and the direction defined by the first indices being inclined from a normal direction of a surface of the second evaluation substrate. Ion implantation is performed for the first evaluation substrate in a vertical direction. Ion implantation is performed for the second evaluation substrate by using an ion beam parallel to the direction defined by the first indices. Impurity concentration distributions in a depth direction of the first and second evaluation substrates are measured. A first impurity concentration distribution on an extension line of an ion beam and a second impurity concentration distribution in a direction perpendicular to the extension line are predicted from the measured impurity concentration distributions of the first and second evaluation substrates.
US07992090B2
A method, apparatus, system, and signal-bearing medium that in an embodiment verify that if a selected first link in a first page points to a reciprocal site, then a reciprocal link in a reciprocal page points back to the first page. The verification is performed by finding the reciprocal page and searching it for the reciprocal link. If the reciprocal link does not exist, then in various embodiments, the first link is removed or is removed after a time period has elapsed or a number of times has been exceeded, or a user is warned of the lack of the reciprocal link. In this way, reciprocal links are tracked to verify that the first page is receiving the agreed-upon links.
US07992082B2
Embodiments of a computer system which determines information associated with documents are described. During operation, this computer system receives documents (such as images). Then, the computer system determines a first set of editing instructions and classification information associated with the documents using image-processing software. Next, the computer system receives a second set of editing instructions and classification information associated with the documents. Note that the second set of editing instructions and classification information are generated by a group of individuals and include modifications and additions to the first set of editing instructions and classification information.
US07992079B2
A system and method for providing management such as creation, manipulation, storage, control, and retrieval of digital content for a company on a global basis. Digital content is created and stored in, for example, the eXtensible Markup Language (XML) format using the relationship between component mapping information and content information comprising webpage components. The XML data is developed by defining page components, mapping the components on a page and indexing the page for future retrieval of the page. The data is then stored in a single database, as segments related to the page, for call-up by a user.
US07992064B2
A controller that shares an interface with several other controllers connected in a scan topology in a target system may be selected by receiving a selection event and a selection sequence containing selection criteria from a signal line at each of the controllers, wherein the criteria for selection is broadcast to the controllers. A controller is placed online when the received selection criteria matches an activation criteria of the controller.
US07992063B2
A control circuit includes a plurality of shift register stages. Each shift register stage is capable of outputting an individual output signal. The output signal is utilized to be a driving signal of next shift register stages. Each shift register stage comprises a transistor for receiving a clear signal CLR. The residual charges of the shift register stage can be released when the clear signal CLR is in a high voltage level. The clear signal CLR is enabled during a non-blanking time of a liquid crystal display (LCD). Each current register stage can use an output signal of another shift register stage which is apart from the current shift register stage by a predetermined interval as the clear signal CLR. The clear signal CLR is used to release the residual charges of the shift register stage before the shift register stage outputs its own output signal.
US07992061B2
A method for testing a reliability of a solid-state storage medium is provided, wherein the solid-state storage medium has a plurality of blocks. First, a lifetime of each of the blocks of the solid-state storage medium is obtained. Then, an erase count of each of the blocks is obtained, and whether the erase count is greater than a predetermined erase count is determined. After that, those blocks having their erase counts greater than the predetermined erase count are accumulated to generate a problematic block number, and a test report is output.
US07992060B2
Various embodiments comprise apparatus, methods, and systems including method comprising searching for a group address among a plurality of group addresses in a mapping table, and if a match is found, performing a memory operation on a first plurality of memory blocks indicated by the mapping table, and if a match is not found, performing a memory operation on a second plurality of memory blocks, the second plurality of memory blocks having the group address.
US07992056B2
There is provided an information processing apparatus that includes a CPU board 1 having a processing unit, a control device (CPU 11, CPU board controller 12, and the like) that is mounted on the CPU board 1 and includes hardware replacement management area 16 that stores replacement information indicating that the CPU board 1 has been replaced, the replacement information initialized at the time when the information processing apparatus is started or when the CPU board 1 is replaced, a memory 13 that stores error information based on occurrence of an error in the control device, the error information initialized at the time when the information processing apparatus is started, an initialization control section 18 that initializes the information processing apparatus, and a unit control section 45 that includes an error monitoring section 42 that monitors the error information stored in the memory 13 and controls the CPU board 1.
US07992042B2
A debug support device for debugging a multiprocessor configured by a plurality of unit processors a unit processor stop section realized by a plurality of the unit processors executing a program for each of the threads, and any one of the plurality of unit processors performing a process of stopping a unit processor executing a thread in which exception handling occurs together with unit processors executing other threads when the exception handling of software occurs by a break point of a part of the plurality of threads; and a debugging execution section for performing a debugging process of detecting information about a state of the plurality of unit processors stopped by the unit processor stop section.
US07992041B2
The peripheral device through an interface cable, and includes a second memory device for storing an evaluation program for evaluating the peripheral device and its integrated circuit. A detection section detects whether the mode indicating signal which is transmitted from the computer indicates a test mode or a normal mode, and a starting means starts the evaluation program on the second memory device when the detection section detects that the mode indicates signal a test mode.
US07992040B2
An indication of a problem in at least one component of a computing system is obtained. A relevant change set associated with a directed dependency graph is analyzed. The computing system is configured to proactively overcome a root cause of the problem. The relevant change set includes a list of past changes to the computing system which are potentially relevant to the problem. The directed dependency graph includes dependency information regarding given components of the computing system invoked by transactions in the computing system. The analyzing includes identifying at least one of the past changes to the computing system that is the root cause of the problem.
US07992038B1
An architecture for protecting against failure in a switched storage network using virtualization.
US07992036B2
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for restoring cluster server data at a volume level. A setup module opens at least one source volume of a cluster server for a volume-level restore, flushes each buffer for the at least one source volume, closes the at least one source volume, disables file system checks for the cluster disks, saves disk signatures of the cluster disks, and disables device-level checks for the cluster disks. A copy module copies data with a volume-level restore from the at least one snapshot volume to the at least one source volume. A reset module rewrites the saved disk signatures to the cluster disks, re-enables the device-level checks for the cluster disks, and resets at least one volume attribute on the at least one source volume.
US07992029B2
An electronic device includes a flag circuit configured to generate a status flag indicating whether or not a power supply voltage to the electronic device has been cycled, and a controller configured to control an operation of the electronic device and to modify an operational characteristic of the electronic device in response to the status flag indicating that the power supply voltage to the electronic device has been cycled. Methods of operating an electronic device include generating a status flag indicating whether or not a power supply voltage to the electronic device has been cycled within about a defined time, and modifying an operational characteristic of the electronic device in response to the status flag indicating that the power supply voltage to the electronic device has been cycled within about the defined time.
US07992026B2
Controlling supplementary data channels using display state information involves processing, at a user device, a first broadcast signal having a content channel and a second signal having a supplementary data channel. The supplementary data channel is related to the content channel. The broadcast channel and supplementary channel are rendered to a user via the user device. The supplementary channel is at least partially rendered on a display of the user device. An event is determined that causes the display to be no longer viewable by the user. In response to determining the event, processing and rendering the supplementary data channel is ceased. The action of ceasing to process the supplementary data channel results in lowering power consumption of the user device.
US07992020B1
Power management with a packaged multi-die integrated circuit (IC) is described. A first integrated circuit die is capable of a first operational mode. A second integrated circuit die is coupled to the first integrated circuit die. The first integrated circuit die has a rate of power consumption that is lower than the second integrated circuit die when the first integrated circuit die is in the first operational mode and the second integrated circuit die is in a second operational mode. The first integrated circuit die is configured for power management of the second integrated circuit die for placing the second integrated circuit die in a standby mode from the second operational mode and for returning the second integrated circuit die to the second operational mode from the standby mode.
US07992019B2
The object is to realize reasonable power-saving operation in a NIC portion depending on a link status for the Ethernet in a system device including a NIC. For the protocol process functional portion and/or the encryption process functional portion in the NIC portions, the energy-saving process is executed in accordance with conditions, determined whether a protocol process is performed by the NIC or the controller depending on a link status. The power supply to the protocol process functional portion and the encryption process functional portion is turned off in the NIC.
US07992018B2
The object is to realize power-saving operation in a NIC portion while maintaining a processing ability necessary for services to be performed in a system device having a controller for a multi-CPU process including a NIC. A service request status in a predetermined period is comprehended through a total value obtained by summing weighting values corresponding to types of services and the following energy-saving process is executed in accordance with the total value. The energy-saving is determined whether a protocol process is performed by the NIC or the controller depending on the total value and if the process is performed by the controller, the power supply to the protocol process functional portion and the encryption process functional portion is turned off in the NIC.
US07992017B2
Methods and apparatuses for reducing step loads of processors are disclosed. Method embodiments comprise examining a number of instructions to be processed by a processor to determine the types of instructions that it has, calculating power consumption by in an execution period based on the types of instructions, and limiting the execution to a subset of instructions of the number to control the quantity of power for the execution period. Some embodiments may also create artificial activity to provide a minimum power floor for the processor. Apparatus embodiments comprise instruction type determination logic to determine types of instructions in an incoming instruction stream, a power calculator to calculate power consumption associated with processing a number of instructions in an execution period, and instruction throttling logic to control the power consumption by limiting the number of instructions to be processed in the execution period.
US07992012B2
In order to make it possible to reduce the time required for the central power source control unit to perform power source control of the power source unit of the expanded apparatus, the central power source control unit includes: a power source control information holding unit which holds power source control information written by a central processing circuit for performing power source controlling of another power source device; and a transmission control unit which transmits the power source control information held in the power source control information holding unit to another power source control circuit that performs power source control of said another power source device.
US07992007B2
A method is provided for authenticating debit card transactions engaged in by a cardholder on a communications network. The method includes: a) establishing a connection over the network with a client being used by the cardholder to engage in a transaction on the network; b) providing over the connection to the client a web page containing a keypad (22) having a plurality of buttons (24) that collectively define a geometry of the keypad (22), the keypad (22) being employed by the cardholder to enter a PIN via selection of the buttons (24) with a pointing device of the client; c) obtaining over the connection the PIN enter by the cardholder; d) determining if the obtained PIN is correct for a debit card being used by the cardholder to engage in the transaction; e) repeating step a) through d) for each transaction the cardholder engages in on the network; and, f) with respect to two transactions engaged in by the cardholder, changing at least one of a location of the keypad (22) on the web page, the geometry of the keypad (22), a size of the buttons (24) and a spacing between neighboring buttons (24).
US07992006B2
A data protection method and system thereof used for a smart card, wherein, the user may select a data frame in a smart card through a data access interface, and input data into the data frame. The data protection system includes a data protection module, an encryption-decryption module, and a data storage module. The data protection module is coupled respectively to a data access interface and a smart card. The encryption-decryption module is coupled to the data protection module, and is used to generate an encrypted data frame and a fake data frame. The data protection module is used to store the fake data frame into a smart card. When it is desired to access the data frame, the data access interface is used to read out the corresponding fake data frame.
US07992003B2
The presently claimed invention relates generally to steganographic encoding and digital watermarking. One claim recites a method including identifying at least one change to a digital signal that will be affected by a filter; and encoding at least one digital watermark so the digital watermark survives the changes introduced by the filter. The “digital signal” may represent audio or video. Another claim recites a system including a processor and an encoder. The processor identifies an area or portion of a digital signal that will be affected by a digital filter. The encoder encodes the at least one digital watermark in the digital signal, the encoder encoding the at least one digital watermark so as to avoid the at least one area or portion of the digital signal that is identified by said processor. Of course, other combinations are provided and claimed as well.
US07992002B2
A secure data depository assembly, and an associated method, provides for storage of data at a secured location forming a vault. Data associated with any of various compliance standards, such as the HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and the PCI (Payment Card Industry) data security standard is stored at sub-vaults defined at the vault. An access controller controls access to the sub-vaults and the data stored thereat. Remote requests generated remote from the vault are routed by way of a packet data network, and, if appropriate, the access controller provides access to the vault and sub-vault contents pursuant to the request.
US07991994B2
An authentication method including operation of a personal token, a personal token for a terminal in a communication network, an authentication server, and a computer program for an authentication server. The secure server producing derived key material on the basis of a random and a secret key (K), said personal token including program instructions for re-computing the derived key material (Ck, Ik) on the basis of the received random and the secret key (K) as stored in the personal token. The personal token includes program instructions for using a re-computed part of the derived key material in order to interpret the received additional data.
US07991987B2
A shorter and a longer text string may be compared. Instead of simply comparing the characters only one character at a time, more than one character can be compared at a time. In addition, a null terminated string may be detected. The shorter strings may be handled differently than longer strings.
US07991984B2
A loop control system comprises at least one loop flag in an instruction word, at least one loop counter associated with the at least one loop flag operable to store and compute a number of times a program loop is to be executed, at least one start address register associated with the at least one loop flag operable to store a program loop starting address, and at least one end address register associated with the at least one loop flag operable to store a program loop ending address.
US07991983B2
A parallel hardware-based multithreaded processor. The processor includes a general purpose processor that coordinates system functions and a plurality of microengines that support multiple hardware threads or contexts. The processor maintains execution threads. The execution threads access a register set organized into a plurality of relatively addressable windows of registers that are relatively addressable per thread.
US07991976B2
A method, system, and computer program manager for a computing system memory in the operation of a computing process. At least one memory segment provides memory resources for the computing process, which includes a plurality of memory objects, each of the memory objects includes an equal number of bytes and has a predetermined order that associates the address of the memory object in the memory segment to the addresses of the remainder of the plurality of memory objects. A pointer identifies a first memory object from the plurality of memory objects. The first memory object occupies a first ordered position according to the predetermined order. The process allocates the first memory objects from the memory segment during the operation of the computing process. The pointer increments to a second memory object having a second ordered position relative to the first memory object. The process continues the allocating and incrementing steps on subsequently ordered memory objects within the memory segment as required by the computing process. The process deconstructs the at least one memory segment only upon the completion of the computing process.
US07991975B2
To prevent random access commands from remaining even in the case of mixed sequential and random accesses. A storage medium control unit is used in a data storage device adapted to perform processing on a data storage medium based on multiple requests including sequential access requests and random access requests. The storage medium control unit includes: request response delay monitoring device for monitoring the presence of delay in response to the requests based on whether or not the response time for each request exceeds a certain allowable delay time; and request control device for preventing the rearrangement processing of the sequential access requests and controlling the processing of the requests to be performed in a certain request order at the allowable delay time if exceeded.
US07991971B2
Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to transactions. In aspects, a consistency requester such as a shadow copy service requests to have a consistent view of a set of resources. In response, transactions that are in a problematic state are allowed to exit the problematic state while new and existing transactions that are not in the problematic state are allowed to perform any work except work that takes them into the problematic state. After no transactions are in the problematic state, a consistent view of the set of resources is available. This view may be used by the consistency requester as desired. Afterwards, the consistency requester may indicate that a consistent view is no longer needed. Transactions are then allowed to enter the problematic state. Transactions may also be allowed to enter the problematic state if a timeout elapses.
US07991965B2
A technique for using memory attributes to relay information to a program or other agent. More particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to using memory attribute bits to check various memory properties in an efficient manner.
US07991964B2
A cache architecture to increase communication throughput and reduce stalls due to coherence protocol dependencies. More particularly, embodiments of the invention include multiple cache agents that each communication with the same protocol agent. In one embodiment, a pre-coherence channel couples the cache agents to the protocol agent to enable the protocol agent to receive events corresponding to cache operations from the cache agents to maintain ordering with respect to the cache operation events.
US07991960B2
Data store access circuitry is disclosed that comprises: a data store for storing values; comparator circuitry coupled to said data store and responsive to receipt of a data access request comprising an address to compare at least a portion of said address with at least a portion of one or more of said values stored in said data store so as to identify a stored value matching said address; a base value register coupled to said comparator circuitry and storing a base value corresponding to at least a portion of at least one of said stored values; and comparator control circuitry coupled to said comparator circuitry to control: (i) which portion of said address is processed as a non-shared portion and compared by said comparator circuitry with non-shared portions of said one or more stored values stored in said data store; and (ii) which portion of said address is processed as a shared portion and compared by said comparator circuitry with a shared portion of said base value stored in said base value register; wherein said shared portion of said base value has a value matching corresponding portions of all of said stored values stored within said data store.
US07991956B2
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for associating a first identifier with data stored by a first agent in a cache line of a cache to indicate the identity of the first agent, and storing the first identifier with the data in the cache line and updating at least one of a plurality of counters associated with the first agent in a metadata storage in the cache, where the counter includes information regarding inter-agent interaction with respect to the cache line. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US07991955B2
Achieving better uniformity of temperature on an integrated circuit while performing burn-in can result in reduced burn-in time and more uniform acceleration. One way to achieve better temperature uniformity is to control dynamic power in the core and cache by operating at different frequencies and increasing switching activity in the cache(s) during burn-in by changing operation of the cache so that during burn-in a plurality of memory locations in the cache(s) are accessed simultaneously, thereby increasing activity in the cache to achieve higher power utilization in the cache during burn-in.
US07991953B2
The invention relates to a verification of applications in interpreted language of the byte-code type (pseudo-code) loaded on portable electronic devices, in particular a chipcard and a method for verification of an application (31) interpreted by a virtual machine (42), said application being loaded on a portable electronic device (1), comprising at least one processor (2) and one RAM (5). The method comprises carrying out the following after loading said application in the device and before validation thereof, checks in the code of said application by means of a process carried out by the processor (2), characterized in comprising, on starting a sub-program, a step of backing up the actual verification context (200 to 203) in the RAM (5), a step for creation and activation of a new verification context (206 to 209) for the sub-program and a step for restoration of the verification context (200 to 203) previously backed-up.
US07991952B2
Provided are a storage system and a method of controlling a storage system in which respective real storage areas of a plurality of disk drives contained in the storage system contain management units, and a control device of the storage system assigns a real storage area of a plurality of first disk drives to the virtual storage area, distributedly stores the data in the plurality of management units of the assigned real storage area, distributedly stores, upon receiving a request for adding a second disk drive, the data stored in the plurality of management units of the plurality of first disk drives in the plurality of management units of the plurality of first disk drives and the second disk drive, and assigns the real storage area of the plurality of first disk drives and the second disk drive to an unused virtual storage area.
US07991950B2
A method and apparatus for incremental package deployment are described. In one embodiment, the method includes the redirection of disk input/output (I/O) requests to preserve contents of disk memory. Following redirection of the disk I/O request, a software distribution package is created according to disk I/O write requests redirected to unused blocks of disk memory. In one embodiment, the software distribution package is generated using a firmware agent, which uploads the software distribution package to a server, which provisions the software distribution packet to other computers within a uniform environment to ensure that each system within the uniform environment has an identical system and memory image. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US07991946B2
An apparatus usable with a flash memory as storage and a method of operating the same are provided, which can provide an optimized architecture to a flash memory through combination of a flash transition layer (FTL) with a database. The apparatus includes a flash memory, a device driver to manage a mapping table between logical addresses and physical addresses in accordance with a data operation in the flash memory, and a control unit to perform data recovery of the flash memory by requesting the mapping table through an interface provided by the device driver.
US07991939B1
Circuits, methods, and apparatus that provide transactions to wake an external device from a low-power state before a data transfer. This prevents an interruption that would be caused if the external device exited the low-power state during the data transfer. One example monitors a need for data by a first device. At a predetermined time before data is needed, the first device sends a transaction to a second device. The transaction is intended to wake the second device from a low-power state. If the first device has information to indicate that the second device is not in a low-power state, this transaction can be skipped. The first device then requests data. Later transactions to the second device do not result in the second device exiting the low-power state and therefore do not interrupt or cause delays in the data transfer.
US07991936B1
A communications subscriber (P) which is suitable as an interface between a network (N) and a field bus (BU) and has software objects (A′, B′) for representing appliances (A, B) which can be connected via the field bus, which software objects can be addressed, like the appliances (A, B) themselves, via the network (N), so that appliances having only field bus access can also be transparently incorporated into “high performance” networks.
US07991927B2
Disclosed is a store and forward device that reduces latency. The store and forward device allows front end devices having various transfer protocols to be connected in a single path through a RAM, while reducing latency. Front end devices that transfer data on a piecemeal basis are required to transfer all of the data to a RAM prior to downloading data to a back end. Front end devices that transfer data in a single download begin the transfer of data out of a RAM as soon as a threshold value is reached. Hence, the latency associated with downloading all of the data into a RAM 118 and then transferring all of the data out of the RAM is eliminated.
US07991924B2
A system for a first device to initialize a second device is disclosed. The initialization bus is coupled between the first device and the second device. During an initialization period, the first device triggers at least one transmission command through the initialization bus to transmit at least one initial value to the second device via the initialization bus.
US07991923B2
A system that facilitates maintaining hard disk drive performance comprises a memory component that includes extensions to at least one protocol associated with a hard disk drive, the extensions enable communications to occur in real-time between an operating system and the hard disk drive. An interface component utilizes the extensions to receive a notification from the hard disk drive and relay the notification to the operating system, the notification relates to an operating parameter of the hard disk drive.
US07991922B2
A system on a chip for network devices. In one implementation, the system on a chip may include (integrated onto a single integrated circuit), a processor and one or more I/O devices for networking applications. For example, the I/O devices may include one or more network interface circuits for coupling to a network interface. In one embodiment, coherency may be enforced within the boundaries of the system on a chip but not enforced outside of the boundaries.
US07991913B2
The present invention provides a method and device for hierarchical configuration of domain name in IPv6 network. Said method comprises: a) negotiating a unique user network's name between a user and a network SP; b) a client terminal device at the user network side obtaining prefix of IPv6 network address and suffix of the user network's domain name by sessioning with a network access device, said suffix of the user network's domain name being consisting of the user network's name and suffix of the network SP's domain name; c) the network access device further informing the network SP's DNS server of establishing the resource record of said user network's domain name server; d) said client terminal device conducting the address configuration and providing domain name service for hosts at the user network side according to the obtained prefix of IPv6 network address and suffix of the user network's domain name.
US07991902B2
This document describes tools capable of receiving reputation metadata effective to enable better decision making about whether or not to authorize operations. The tools may build a reputation value from this reputation metadata and, based on this value and an authorization rule, better decide whether or not to authorize an operation requested by some program, application, or other actor.
US07991898B2
A user equipment (UE), method and system for controlling a simultaneous session are discussed. According to an embodiment, the system includes a UE to transmit a SIP message including simultaneous sessions support (SSS) setting information associated with the UE to a home network including a server; and the server to store the SSS setting information therein, and to set a session operation mode of the server for a simultaneous session of the UE based on, in part, the SSS setting information.
US07991895B2
Establishing a data communications session involves determining a personal characteristic associated with a user of a terminal. A predetermined criterion for allowing establishment of the data communications session based on the personal characteristic is obtained. A token is embedded in a signaling message used to establish the data communications session. The token represents at least one of the personal characteristic and the predetermined criterion. The signaling message is communicated with a network entity capable of allowing users to establish the data communications session. The data communications session is established via the network entity if the personal characteristic satisfies the predetermined criterion.
US07991893B2
When an application running at a first data center needs to be migrated to a different data center, the first data center is able to automatically locate an appropriate target data center from among multiple other data centers for receiving the migration of the application. The first data center ensures that a specified level of performance of the application will be maintained following migration of the application by preparing a migration request document that specifies network requirements, server requirements and storage requirements for the application. A targeted data center that is a candidate for receiving migration of the application receives the specified requirements and uses a performance index and other analysis to determine whether its hardware, software and other configurations are capable of meeting the specified requirements. The results of the determination are sent back to the requesting data center, which then decides if migration will be carried out.
US07991885B2
Remote operation system, server, remotely operated device, remote operation service providing method
A remote operation robot system for having a robot perform a task by remote operation includes an operating device connected to a communication network, an operating terminal connected to the network, and a server. The operated device performs the task in accordance with a remote operation via the communication network. The operating terminal operates the operated device via the communication network. The server holds operated side information about a request, from a device user of the operated device, to have the task performed. The server holds operating side information about a request, from a terminal operator of the operating terminal, to perform the task. The server determines a combination of the operated device and the operating terminal that operates the operated device based on the operated side information and the operating side information, and notifies the operated device and the operating terminal of the combination.
US07991880B2
Systems and methods are provided for effectuating a basis for implementing services capable of self-creation, self-evolution and/or substantive personalization without direct intervention from, e.g., a service provider. The resulting services are flexible and user-friendly, as a basic set of service primitives can be updated and extended at any point. Additionally, new and/or improved service functionality that is adapted to a user's behavior is done so in a non-intrusive manner. Additionally, implementation of service families, meta-service and readdressing as described above in accordance with various embodiments allows for the maximization of, e.g., a community training effect, when some interesting service finding of one community user can be easily shared and utilized by other users. Moreover, the systems and methods described herein for implementing/providing a basis for a flexible architecture minimizes resource consumption on the client side.
US07991879B2
An exemplary architecture is for an Internet Location Coordinate enhanced Domain Name System (DNS). An exemplary method includes requesting information for a plurality of servers associated with a network domain name of a Domain Name System (DNS) where the information includes information based in part on packets transmitted by each of the plurality of servers to a plurality of network beacons; receiving the requested information from a name server associated with the Domain Name System (DNS); and, based in part on the received information, selecting an optimal server for the network domain name. Other methods, devices and systems are also disclosed.
US07991876B2
A system includes a monitoring management server, a monitoring target server, and one or more monitoring clients. The management server determines monitoring parameters for each client. The monitoring parameters specify at least when a client is to begin a monitoring session with the target server and when the client is to end the session with the target server. The management server determines the monitoring parameters for each client such that a predetermined maximum number of monitoring sessions performed within each time period is never exceeded by the target server. Each client receives monitoring parameters from the management server in response to a request initiated by the client, initiates a monitoring session with the target server in accordance with the monitoring parameters, and reports results of the monitoring session to the management server upon the monitoring session ending.
US07991871B2
Provided are a RFID tag and a method for providing a RFID service using the same. The RFID tag includes: a code type data denoting a code type of the RFID tag; and a content server IP address code denoting an IP address of a content server that provides content related to an item with the RFID tag attached.
US07991870B1
A method and apparatus for a connection manager have been disclosed. By providing for persistent connections with clients, the connection manager allows for servers to communicate with clients, which would otherwise be inaccessible.
US07991866B2
A method for updating a site is disclosed. A site controller may be provided. A plurality of devices that are not directly user updatable may be provided. The plurality of devices may be in electronic communication with the site controller. External media may be provided. The external media may include device software updates. The external media may be in electronic communication with the site controller. The method may automatically determine which devices of the plurality of devices need to be updated. The method may automatically update the devices needing an update by communicating at least a portion of the device software update to the devices needing an update.
US07991865B2
In an embodiment, methods and systems have been provided for detecting changes in a network using improved Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) polling that reduces network traffic. Examples of changes in the network include, but are not limited to, configuration and behavioral changes in a network device, and response of network device to a network change. A Network Management Station (NMS) periodically polls Management Information Base (MIB) groups instead of periodically polling individual MIB object instances. The NMS receives the Aggregate Change Identifiers (ACIs) of MIB groups in response to polling, from a SNMP agent. The changes in the received ACIs represent the changes in the MIB groups. A change in an MIB group represents changes in the MIB object instances of the MIB group. The ACIs can be checksum, timestamp, and a combination of number of MIB object instances in a group and checksum of the MIB group.
US07991852B2
Network architecture and related methods for maintaining traffic flow between clients and an end-server during a Denial of Service (DoS) attack are described herein. The network architecture includes a set of overlay nodes coupled between clients and a server. Each overlay node is able to rank and probe other nodes for purposes of selecting a best path for routing traffic to the end-server to resist a denial of service of attack. Probing is performed to detect overlay nodes having better performance based on one or more performance metrics (i.e., load, jitter, latency, loss rate). For instance, in one implementation probing detects lightly loaded overlay paths for purposes of routing traffic to the end-server, so as to maintain connectivity between the end-server and clients even under DoS attacks.
US07991845B2
A method and a system for delivering certified messages to message servers are provided. In example embodiments, a message request including message information may be received from an application. The message information may identify a message template in a message template database using an identifier comprising multiple fields. The message information may be sent in a certified message to a queuing system for storage in a data store. A confirmation that the message information has been stored in the data store may be sent to the application.
US07991842B2
Provided is a method for sharing data between at least two terminals over a LAN, in which a first terminal requests for information on whether to hold shared data to a terminal connected to the LAN, receives the information on whether to hold the shared data from the terminal, collects the information on whether to hold the shared data received from the terminal, identifies a total degree of sharing using the collected information on whether to hold the shared data, and determines a method for transmitting the shared data according to the identified total degree of sharing.
US07991839B2
Mechanisms for communication between host systems using a socket connection and shared memories are provided. With such socket-based communication, a work queue in the host systems may be used to listen for incoming socket initialization requests. A first host system that wishes to establish a socket communication connection with a second host system may generate a socket initialization request work queue element in its work queue and may inform the second host system that the socket initialization request work queue element is available for processing. The second host system may then accept or deny the request. If the second host system accepts the request, it returns the second half of the socket's parameters for use by the first host system in performing socket based communications between the first and second host systems.
US07991832B2
An information processing apparatus, that obtains pieces of content information relating to content recorded in an information recording medium, includes a content identifier generation unit configured to read a content certificate which is recorded in the recording medium and which corresponds to the content stored in the information recording medium, and generates a content identifier by combining hash values which correspond to the content and which are included in data stored in the content certificate, a data transmitting unit configured to transmit the content identifier generated using the content identifier generation unit to a content information provision server, a data receiving unit configured to receive, from the content information provision server, the pieces of content information relating to the content which is specified on the basis of the content identifier, and a data outputting unit configured to output the pieces of content information received using the data receiving unit.
US07991831B2
Certain embodiments of the present invention provide for a system and method for network computing. In an embodiment, the system may include a storage unit for archiving historical user events and historical server events. The system may also include a processing unit for receiving a current user event and generating one or more predicted server events. The processing unit may execute a screen update based on the one or more predicted server events. The system may also include a comparison unit having computer software for comparing one or more predicted server events with one or more server-supplied server events. The one or more server-supplied server events may be generated based on the current user event. In an embodiment, the system also includes an undo unit having computer software for executing an undo algorithm. The undo unit alters the non-matching events to match the server-supplied server events.
US07991829B2
An electronic device including a memory area that stores a program to be executed by the computer and data, the electronic device connecting a computer and a server device in a communicable state. The program includes a first processing portion that retrieves connection information from the computer and writes the connection information in the memory area when the electronic device is connected to the computer, the connection information being necessary for obtaining a connection with the server device, and a second processing portion that causes the computer to carry out a procedure for obtaining a connection with the server device, using connection information necessary for a connection written in the memory area and transmitted from the server device to the computer.
US07991824B2
A read-only bootable media is provided in which a remote agent loads the read-only bootable media onto a computer. The read-only bootable media provides a customized operating system that is run in the computer's volatile memory. The read-only media also disables any persistent storage connected to the agent computer or devices connected to the agent computer. This protects the agent's computer and any networks that the agent connects to from malicious software. Also, by disabling persistent storage, confidential information is protected from unauthorized retention by the agent.
US07991823B2
A method for determining the dynamics of a logical network, said network comprising a plurality of communication nodes (21, 24, 26, i, k). The method comprises obtaining (31), in a node (21) of the network, of at least one item of information (Li, Jk) relating to a modification of the neighborhood of said node, in the course of a predetermined period. The method also comprises determining (33), in said node of the network, of a local dynamics corresponding to at least one sum ( ∑ i L ′ i , ∑ k J ′ k ) of at least part of the information obtained.
US07991818B2
A division unit, an image analysis unit and a display apparatus using the same capable of simplifying the computation of overall average gray scale are provided. The division unit includes an adder for receiving a first to an Nth bus signals to produce an addition result, wherein the first to the Nth bus signals shift the input signal by a different number of bits and adding logic zeros to the shifted bits as compensation, where N is a positive whole number, and a multiplexer for receiving a most significant bit (MSB) of the addition result, wherein, when the MSB has a first value, the multiplexer treats P bits of the addition result as a division result, and when the MSB has a second value, the multiplexer outputs P logic 1 to serve as the division result, where P is a positive whole number.
US07991808B2
Per thread garbage collection is disclosed. Objects associated only with a thread that created them are tracked. At a garbage collection time for a particular thread, it is determined which objects associated only with that thread remain reachable from a restricted root set associated with the thread. Any thread-only objects that are not determined to be reachable are garbage collected.
US07991798B2
Techniques are described herein for altering the datatype of a column without having to immediately migrate the data items that currently reside in the column. In one embodiment, the alteration is performed without migration by creating a new column having the desired datatype while retaining the old column. Instead of migrating the data items from to the new column at the time the column is altered, the items remain in the original column until the items are updated.
US07991790B2
In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for storing documents that are being tracked in an on-demand service. These mechanisms and methods for storing documents in an on-demand service can enable embodiments to provide the sharing of documents and the storing of the documents in association with a tag. The ability of embodiments to provide the sharing of documents and the storing can enable an efficient searching for a shared document. In an embodiment, the shared document is categorized upon being stored.
US07991781B2
The invention receives a request to store a file having a filename written in a first text encoding, converts the filename into a Unicode filename and stores the Unicode filename and the file into memory. The invention then sets a flag, associated with the memory, indicating that a first text encoding has been used. To retrieve a Unicode filename, the invention receives a request to locate a Unicode filename from memory. Next, the invention uses a predetermined text encoding to convert the filename into Unicode. The invention then searches for the Unicode filename in the memory. If the Unicode filename is not found, the invention uses a next text encoding from the set of text encodings which have been used, to repeat the conversion and searches the memory until the Unicode filename is identified. Lastly, the Unicode file is retrieved.
US07991780B1
A first search is performed in response to a received search query. The first search is based at least in part on a first portion of the search query. In the first search, a first set of content items are searched over to identify a first set of search results. Each result in the first set of search results identifies at least one content item of the first set of content items. A second set of content items for performing a second search is determined based at least in part on one or more of the results in the first set of search results. The second set of content items includes content items not included in the first set of search results. A second search is performed, searching over the second set of content items to identify a second set of search results. The second search is based at least in part on a second portion of the search query. Each result in the second set of search results identifies at least one content item of the second set of content items.
US07991777B2
A search system with a search engine applies a user search query to an index of the documents stored in a document repository for returning a result set of matching documents to a user. In order to more efficiently access, search and retrieve documents stored in document repositories, one of a document repository and an index thereof or both are partitioned in one or more dimensions, and a partition is configured in a specific dimension according to two or more document attribute values selected from one and the same attribute category. This shall enable a search application to access significantly less data in order to determine a search result and shall specifically improve the efficiency of enterprise search systems in a high degree.
US07991773B2
A method of creating a playback control file for a recording medium and a method and apparatus for reproducing data using the playback control file are disclosed. The method of creating a playback control file includes reading an original PlayList from the recording medium, the original PlayList being configured to reproduce original data recorded on the recording medium, downloading at least one additional PlayList from an external source, the at least one PlayList being configured to reproduce additional data downloadable from the external source, and creating a composite PlayList by combining the original PlayList with the at least one additional PlayList, the composite PlayList being able to control reproduction of the original and additional data, individually or in combination. The method may further include playing-back any one of the original PlayList, the at least one additional PlayList, and the composite PlayList.
US07991767B2
A method and system for sharing search index entries across multiple computer systems organized in a peer to peer network, in which unique content is indexed only once, even though the content may be physically duplicated in multiple computer systems in the peer to peer network. When files are obtained by a shared indexing service, and a determination is made as to whether the received files are duplicates with regard to previously indexed files. If a file is determined to be a duplicate, the index representation of the previously indexed copy of the file is modified to indicate that the file is also associated with another computer system in the peer to peer network. If a file is not a duplicate of a previously indexed file, the file is indexed to support future searches. The index representation of a file includes category identifiers associating one or more computer systems with the file. When a file is indexed, one or more category identifiers are generated and stored in association with that file. The category identifiers for an indexed file may represent host computer systems on which copies of the file are stored. The category identifiers enable location specific searching by computer systems in a peer to peer network sharing a common search index. A software category filter may be provided to process search results from the shared search index, so that only files associated with certain categories are returned.
US07991766B2
A computer is programmed to accept a command to create a new aggregation defined by a user during execution of continuous queries on streams of data. The computer is further programmed to thereafter accept and process new continuous queries using the new aggregation, in a manner similar to built-in aggregations. The user typically writes a set of instructions to perform the new aggregation, and identifies in the command, a location of the set of instructions. In response to such a command, the computer creates metadata identifying the new aggregation. The metadata is used to instantiate one aggregation for each group of data in a current window, grouped by an attribute identified in a new query.
US07991758B2
A system and method for performing a search operation within a sequential access data storage subsystem are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a data storage subsystem is provided which comprises a search module and a communication channel interface to communicatively couple the data storage subsystem to a host data processing system via a communication channel. In the described embodiment, the search module is configured to receive search attribute data from the host data processing system via the communication channel interface, where the search attribute data specifies a search attribute. The search module is further configured to perform a search operation on data of a sequential access storage element utilizing the search attribute and to provide search result data to the host data processing system via the communication channel interface in response to a performance of the search operation.
US07991750B1
A source application reads a body of data in data block sized units and calculates a checksum value for each data block before sending the data block, the calculated checksum value and the identifier. Upon receipt, a destination application independently calculates a checksum value for each received data block and compares the two checksums. Non-matching checksums indicate a network-induced error in the data block. Identifiers for the erroneous data blocks are transmitted to the source application after all of the data blocks have been initially transmitted. The source application thereafter resends only those data blocks identified. The destination application repeats the process of comparing checksums and transmitting identifiers to the source application until all of the data blocks of the body of data have been correctly received, and then uses the data blocks to recreate the body of data.
US07991747B1
A method and apparatus for managing data loss due to policy violations in temporary files is described. In one embodiment, the method includes monitoring, by a client agent, information content on a client for violations of a policy. The method further includes determining, by the client agent, that a violation of the policy has occurred for content of a temporary file of an application. In one embodiment, the policy violation of the temporary file is correlated, by the client agent, with an original file of the application.
US07991745B2
A first log reader publishes first messages to a plurality of queues. The messages comprise changes for transactions extracted from a log by the first log reader. In response to one of the queues becoming unavailable, a second log reader is launched to read and extract from the log, and to publish second messages comprising changes for transactions extracted from the log by the second log reader to the unavailable queue as a catch-up queue. In response to the catch-up queue becoming available and the second log reader reaching the end of the log, the publishing of the second messages for the catch-up queue is transferred from the second log reader to the first log reader.
US07991744B2
A system and method for checkpoint tuning in a computer environment comprising a processor coupled to a statistical database and at least one database or table manager and data log files. The data log files store data relating to the operations of the database or table manager. The processor executes a module that captures data comprising the number of operations, the time taken by the checkpoint process, folded journal entries, long running transactions, and the ratio of WRITE:READ operations. The processor then stores the captured data and processes the collected data, generating statistics therefrom. The statistical data is stored in the statistical database. The system selects checkpoint intervals based on the data statistics; and implements the checkpoint intervals.
US07991736B2
Techniques are provided for processing a request. When the request is to read a data unit, information regarding the closest physical block locations is returned. When the request is to write to the data unit, information regarding one or more source block locations is returned, wherein the write is applied to one or more source blocks of the data unit. When a number of requests for the data unit exceed a threshold level and at least one quality of a service policy is not being met, a copy of the one or more source blocks of the data unit is created at a location selected based on proximity to at least one client computer from which the number of requests are high.
US07991734B2
Techniques for remote redirection are discussed. Redirection may be used to mimic a local user experience on a remote system. Redirection may include redirecting a pointer file, such as a shortcut, to account for remote access to a source file designated in the pointer file. The pointer file may be remapped so that the pointer file's file path accounts for a path from the remote access to the source file. Operating system (OS) information may be forwarded to the accessing system so that the redirected pointer file may be presented in accordance with the remote system's (OS). Redirection may be used to present a directory remotely in accordance with operating system running on the system being accessed.
US07991731B2
A technique is described for selectively obtaining information stored in a business warehouse. Such a technique may include selecting a data access service from a library during run-time and presenting data within the business warehouse using the selected data access service. The library may contain at least one data access service for each of a plurality of on-line analytical processing data access queries. Related apparatus, systems, computer program products, and computer systems are also described.
US07991728B2
System and method for operating reputation-based communication or content service. Method includes obtaining metric related to first user contributor reputation; identifying communication or content having association with first user contributor; and processing communication or content to generate processed communication or content based on the obtained objective contributor reputation. Service is broadly defined and may be selected from bulletin board, message board, chat room, forum, information provision service, content delivery service, email service, information provision service, search engine service, content delivery service, communication or content screening service, communication or content screening service, or other. System for providing reputation processed based on-line communication or content. Communication or content provided or generated by the inventive system or method. Business method for operating a communications or content provision service. Computer program and computer program product stored either on a tangible media or in an electronically accessible and readable form to implement method.
US07991723B1
Techniques for data pattern analysis using deterministic finite automaton are described herein. In one embodiment, a number of transitions from a current node to one or more subsequent nodes representing one or more sequences of data patterns is determined, where each of the current node and subsequent nodes is associated with a deterministic finite automaton (DFA) state. A data structure is dynamically allocated for each of the subsequent nodes for storing information associated with each of the subsequent nodes, where data structures for the subsequent nodes are allocated in an array maintained by a data structure corresponding to the current node if the number of transitions is greater than a predetermined threshold. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.
US07991716B2
A system and method for protecting identity fraud are disclosed. A system includes a detection subsystem to identify applications and/or accounts at risk of identity fraud, and a disposition subsystem to process data provided by the detection system and to determine whether identity fraud exists in the applications and/or accounts. According to an implementation, one or more neural network models are defined, each neural network model being configured to handle a class of cases related to the subject and a specific data configuration describing a case of the class. The one or more neural network models are run to generate data requests about the subject's identity, and the data requests are passed to a detection system that monitor transactions associated with the subject. Additional data associated with the transactions is requested until a threshold certainty is achieved or until available data or models are exhausted.
US07991714B2
Designs for cognitive memory systems storing input data, images, or patterns, and retrieving it without knowledge of where stored when cognitive memory is prompted by query pattern that is related to sought stored pattern. Retrieval system of cognitive memory uses autoassociative neural networks and techniques for pre-processing query pattern to establish relationship between query pattern and sought stored pattern, to locate sought pattern, and to retrieve it and ancillary data. Cognitive memory, when connected to computer or information appliance introduces computational architecture that applies to systems and methods for navigation, location and recognition of objects in images, character recognition, facial recognition, medical analysis and diagnosis, video image analysis, and to photographic search engines that when prompted with a query photograph containing faces and objects will retrieve related photographs stored in computer or other information appliance, and will identify URL's of related photographs and documents stored on the World Wide Web.
US07991713B2
A novel method is disclosed for efficiently solving minimax problems, and in particular, for efficiently solving minimax problems wherein the corresponding matrix is large. In particular, the novel method solves minimax problems in O(n2 T) operation count, where n denotes the problem size and T is reversely proportional to the required duality gap as one skilled in the art will understand. Further disclosed herein is a method for solving linear programming (LP) problems by converting such problems into minimax problems, and then using the novel minimax solution method disclosed herein.
US07991710B2
Landing pages associated with advertisements are partitioned into training landing pages and testing landing pages. Iterative training and testing of a classification mode on intrusion features of the partitioned landing pages is conducted until the occurrence of a cessation event. Feature weights are derived from the iterative training and testing, and are associated with the intrusion features. The associated feature weights and intrusion features can be used to classify other landing pages.
US07991708B2
A method and system for creating a personalized delivery payment coding includes selecting from a set of designs for delivery payment coding, calculating an appropriate fee, paying an appropriate fee, and printing a selected design on delivery payment coding product paper.
US07991707B2
Systems and methods for providing postal services which allow customers to flexibly obtain postal services while also allowing customers to defer the payment of postage until the time of mailing or later. Information provided by a postal service is used to identify items that have been processed by the postal service, allowing a service provider to collect payment for those items after they have been provided to the postal service for processing.
US07991700B2
An entrustee information transmitting method includes an entrustment managing storage storing entrustment relationship information indicating correspondence between entrusters who are voters performing entrustment and entrustees who are voters entrusted by the entrusters in an entrustment managing storage unit; an attendance managing storage storing attendance information of respective voters in an attendance managing storage unit in units of bills; an indirect-entrustment voter extracting operation of extracting one or more indirect-entrustment voter who indirectly entrust an attendee by using the entrustment relationship information and the attendance information; an entrustee determining operation of determining attendees who are indirectly entrusted by the indirect-entrustment voters to be recommended entrustees; and an entrustee information transmitting operation of transmitting information of the recommended entrustees.
US07991699B2
Provided is tamper detection line circuitry for an authentication integrated circuit for use in authenticating an integrated circuit. The tamper detection line circuitry includes a source of pseudo-random bits, and an XOR gate with two inputs and an output in signal communication with flash memory erase and reset circuits. A complete erasure of the memory is triggered by a 0 from the XOR gate. The circuitry also includes first and second paths arranging the source and XOR gate in signal communication with each other, as well as a number of triggers connected to the respective paths, each trigger configured to detect a physical attack on the authentication integrated circuit, said triggers configured to pull a respective path to 0 if a physical attack is detected.
US07991693B2
Systems and methods of the present disclosure provide a method for distributing payment media to a customer. In various embodiments, the systems and methods include receiving a request from a user via a network, generating a virtual payment number related to the user, associating the virtual payment number to an RFID chip embedded in a sticker, and distributing the sticker to the user via, for example, the mail.
US07991692B2
Methods and systems provide and utilize a transceiver-based electronic payment device to consumers in an arrangement which allows for convenient carrying of the device and payment using the device.
US07991691B2
A method and system provides for the use of credit arrangements in simulated environments. A user can participate in credit transactions involving purchases of virtual products, virtual services, and virtual items of value. Feedback is provided to the user regarding results of the credit transactions. In some embodiments multiple users can make simulated purchases or incur simulated credit obligations that are posted to virtual accounts, and the multiple users can also make simulated compensation against balances due or obligations owed for said virtual accounts. The user is also provided with an opportunity of engaging in real-world financial transactions related to the virtual credit arrangement. In some implementations of the system and method, multiple players at different locations can use virtual charge accounts and/or real world financial accounts in connection with arranging or resolving a virtual credit transaction. One aspect makes a virtual charge account service available for use in a fictional world environment, wherein a billing statement charges various fees that may be valuated in fictional world money, real-world money, or non-monetary fictional world value tokens.
US07991688B2
Methods and apparatus for pooling credit and business information are disclosed. A disclosed apparatus includes an input and a data processing facility structured to process credit information received at the input from one of a plurality of unrelated users. The apparatus also includes a data storage device structured to store the processed credit information received from the plurality of unrelated users and a search engine responsive to a request from a requestor for credit information to search the data storage device for responsive credit information. The apparatus further includes an output for outputting the responsive credit information to the requester. The apparatus may also include an accounting facility cooperating with the search engine to charge a search fee to the requester of the responsive credit information without disclosing lender identification information associated with the credit information.
US07991685B2
The invention is directed to methods and systems for commodities procurement with concomitant hedging. The invention enables automatic commodity purchase at a desired basis level when a seller's price matches a buyer's basis bid and concomitantly automatically placing an electronic commodities order to hedge the buyer's purchase.
US07991683B2
A credit data processing system for controlling trades in an electronic trading system according to credit arrangements, comprising a computer-readable storage medium, an interface to an electronic trading system and a credit data processor. The computer-readable storage medium stores information representing the credit relationship network, including a plurality of credit entities in the network and a plurality of credit relationships existing between at least some of those credit entities. The system uses preferred counterparty rankings provided by the participating credit entities to determine and select the optimal credit paths to use for booking multiple-legged trades between credit entities even though the credit entities may not have a direct credit relationship. The system then checks each leg of the selected optimal credit path to verify that, taking into account the current net open positions on that leg, executing the trade required on that leg to carry out the proposed deal will not cause a credit limit associated with that leg to be exceeded. If the credit limit of any leg in the selected optimal credit path is exceeded, then the system will repeatedly try to find viable credit path based on the preferences specified by the credit entities involved in the trade, until a viable credit path is found or it is determined that no credit path that can accommodate the proposed deal without exceeding a credit limit currently exists.
US07991677B2
Commercial size of spending wallet (“CSoSW”) is the total business spend of a business including cash but excluding bartered items. Commercial share of wallet (“CSoW”) is the portion of the spending wallet that is captured by a particular financial company. A modeling approach utilizes various data sources to provide outputs that describe a company's spend capacity. A mutual fund rating company can use this CSoW/CSoSW modeling approach to predict the performance of funds that invest in a particular industry or sector. In addition, since mutual funds often provide guidelines for selecting stocks, rating companies can use this modeling approach to predict the performance of companies in a fund's portfolio.
US07991675B2
A method of providing financial advice to a client that provides sufficient confidence that their goals will be achieved or exceeded but that avoids excessive sacrifice to the client's current or future lifestyle and avoids investment risk that is not needed to provide sufficient confidence of the goals a client personally values. The method comprises obtaining typical client background information, as well as a list of investment goals, and ideal and acceptable values in dollar amounts and timing for each goal. The client is then asked to provide their preferences for goals on the list compared to other goals in the list. A recommendation is then created using the portfolio value, and the client goal preferences and the ideal and acceptable values of goals, by simulating models of the relevant capital markets.
US07991672B2
The present invention provides a system and method for calculating and arraying an entirely universe of publicly traded stock performance data, technical and dynamic range of movement stock price data, underlying operating corporate balance sheet plus income statement fundamental data and ratios, and derived corporate operating and stock analysis data in such a manner as to enable the data for any selected single company to be phased, combined and superimposed within a series of graphical illustrations, which enable investors to easily visualize and compare the relationship of stock price movement and the underlying progression of fundamental operating variables of companies listed on exchanges around the world. The system includes a server computer, one or more client computer coupled to the server computer via the Internet, a database for storing, identifying and extrapolating stocks data, one module for calculating a set of selected performance parameters pursuant to a set of preset standards, a module for transforming calculation results of said calculation module into graphical illustrations; and a graphical user interface from which a user may send an inquiry to the server computer and be returned with a set of graphical illustrations on the inquired stock performance.
US07991668B2
A system and method are provided for defining slop parameters to an individual spread order or a customized group of orders. The system and method may be used to, for example, define inside slop, outside slop, and/or adjustable range parameters to one or more orders. The inside slop, outside slop, and/or adjustable range parameters may be input by a trader, and, among other things, allow a trader to prioritize orders, set parameters so that some orders are re-priced more aggressively than other spread orders. Alternatively, slop parameters associated with a spread order may also apply more restrictive slop parameters to orders within the same adjustable range. Slop parameters associated with a spread order can also be configured and modified by a trader based on the trader's preferences. Other features and advantages are described herein.
US07991665B2
A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product for automatically managing incentives associated with an electric vehicle charging transaction is provided. Incentives are received from a set of sources to form received incentives, by an incentive service. Applicable incentives are selected from the received incentives based on an identification of an electric vehicle, a charging station, and a set of principals associated with the electric vehicle charging transaction, by the incentive service. A set of selected incentives is identified from the received incentives for utilization in the electric vehicle charging transaction. The set of selected incentives is sent to an energy transaction planner, wherein the energy transaction planner incorporates the set of selected incentives into an energy transaction plan that is used to control the electric vehicle charging transaction.
US07991664B1
A method for mapping a business transaction involves obtaining a transaction record of the business transaction, where the transaction record includes business information associated with performing the business transaction, analyzing the transaction record to determine available business information, submitting available business information to a mapping service to obtain a map of a business location, and displaying the map.
US07991663B1
Methods, systems, and computer-readable media are disclosed for volume and stress testing bank/credit processing systems. In one implementation, the example system can be configured to include at least one subsystem configured to generate a plurality of data packages. In this example each data package of the plurality can include one of a plurality of simulated financial transactions. The example system can be configured to include at least one subsystem configured to transmit the plurality of data packages to a target database operable to perform at least one of the simulated financial transactions included in one of the plurality of data packages. In this example, the example system can also be configured to include at least one subsystem configured to monitor performance characteristics of the target database as it processes the plurality of data packages.
US07991661B1
A computer-implemented method and computer system for providing market analysis for a wireless voice market. Embodiments provide convenient and effective mechanisms for obtaining wireless voice information from online bills of a panel of wireless subscribers, thereby reducing subscriber interaction and enabling more complete and frequent access to the wireless voice information used to provide market analysis. The wireless voice information is scraped from the online bill (e.g., after obtaining permission from a wireless subscriber) and stored in a database for subsequent access, processing and output (e.g., in the form of a presentation, datafeed, as part of an online tool used by a client to access the information, etc.). The processing may include standardizing, cleaning, classifying and applying additional information (e.g., census data comprising demographic information, user-supplied information, etc.) to the voice information to provide further and/or more relevant market analysis.
US07991658B2
A computerized accounting process and system capturing customer transaction data, creating transaction codes or references at the time of the transaction and generating accounting reports for the customer.
US07991654B1
A system for selecting, picking by line, loading and delivering objects using a server with processor and data storage, at least one mobile processor, with a mobile data storage, a display, an input device and an output device, and an object location identification trigger for providing one of three signals to the host server is provided herein. The mobile processor receives, verifies, and stores various codes on objects and locations and delivery information for continuous and instantaneous use by an operator, while the operator provides the signals from the OLI trigger. The server stores various libraries containing information on an object, a location, an operator, a transport device, and a transport vehicle. The server can transmit a list of objects, a list of delivery devices, a delivery vehicle and a delivery location to the mobile processor for continuous use with the OLI trigger.
US07991651B2
A facility for displaying consumption information about items is described. The facility uses a current consumption rank for each of a number of items and at least one or more previous consumption ranks for each of these items to attribute to at least a portion of the items a score characterizing the magnitude of increase in the consumption rank of the item. The facility then generates a display incorporating at least a portion of the attributed scores in the corresponding items.
US07991643B2
Methods, articles of manufacture, and systems for providing access to a grid computing environment. In one environment, requests include resource specific criteria used to identify a particular grid resource to perform the request. In another embodiment, a request includes a queue criterion used to identify one of a plurality of queues on which the request is placed.
US07991628B2
Exemplary system and method embodiments may include real-time monitoring data regarding administration of a health-related procedure to a recipient patient which is posted to a patient data record that has restricted read/write access. In some instances the monitoring data is processed to determine compliance or non-compliance based on comparison of the health-related procedure with a predetermined benchmark standard. Exemplary aspects of the monitoring data transmitted and/or received via one or more communication links may include updated confirmation of a patient identifier and verification of an updated parameter regarding administration of the health-related procedure.
US07991618B2
In a method and device for outputting information and/or messages from at least one device using speech, the information and/or messages required for vocal output are provided in a voice memory, the information and/or messages are read by a processing device according to a demand, and the information and/or messages are output via acoustic output device. The information and/or messages are output with a varying intonation according to their relevance.
US07991616B2
The present invention is a speech synthesizer that generates speech data of text including a fixed part and a variable part, in combination with recorded speech and rule-based synthetic speech. The speech synthesizer is a high-quality one in which recorded speech and synthetic speech are concatenated with the discontinuity of timbres and prosodies not perceived. The speech synthesizer includes: a recorded speech database that previously stores recorded speech data including a recorded fixed part; a rule-based synthesizer that generates rule-based synthetic speech data including a variable part and at least part of the fixed part, from received text; a concatenation boundary calculator that a concatenation boundary position in a region in which the recorded speech data and the rule-based synthetic speech data overlap, based on acoustic characteristics of the recorded speech data and the rule-based synthetic speech data that correspond to the text; a concatenative synthesizer that generates synthetic speech data corresponding to the text by concatenating the recorded speech data and the rule-based synthetic speech data that are segmented in the concatenation boundary position.
US07991615B2
Described is the use of acoustic data to improve grapheme-to-phoneme conversion for speech recognition, such as to more accurately recognize spoken names in a voice-dialing system. A joint model of acoustics and graphonemes (acoustic data, phonemes sequences, grapheme sequences and an alignment between phoneme sequences and grapheme sequences) is described, as is retraining by maximum likelihood training and discriminative training in adapting graphoneme model parameters using acoustic data. Also described is the unsupervised collection of grapheme labels for received acoustic data, thereby automatically obtaining a substantial number of actual samples that may be used in retraining. Speech input that does not meet a confidence threshold may be filtered out so as to not be used by the retrained model.
US07991608B2
In one aspect, a method for multilingual data querying, includes determining a word ontology of a base word in a source language, generating a set of words representing the word ontology of the base word, translating at least a subset of the set of words into a target language and translating the at least a subset of the set of words from the target language into the source language of the base word.
US07991607B2
Architecture that combines capture and translation of concepts, goals, needs, locations, objects, locations, and items (e.g., sign text) into complete conversational utterances that take a translation of the item, and morph it with fluidity into sets of sentences that can be echoed to a user, and that the user can select to communicate speech (or textual utterances). A plurality of modalities that process images, audio, video, searches and cultural context, for example, which are representative of at least context and/or content, and can be employed to glean additional information regarding a communications exchange to facilitate more accurate and efficient translation. Gesture recognition can be utilized to enhance input recognition, urgency, and/or emotional interaction, for example. Speech can be used for document annotation. Moreover, translation (e.g., speech to speech, text to speech, speech to text, handwriting to speech, text or audio, . . . ) can be significantly improved in combination with this architecture.
US07991601B2
An isolated GRP94 ligand binding domain polypeptide, a three-dimensional crystal structure of the same, and methods of using the same to design modulators of Hsp90 proteins.
US07991596B2
A computer-implemented process for generating a bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) of a gonioapparent material containing effect flake pigments in a solid medium using limited measurement data, comprising the following steps: (A) acquiring and inputting into a computing device (1) photometric data and (2) the refractive index of the solid medium of the gonioapparent material; (B) converting any non-linear photometric data from step A) above to linear photometric data; (C) using the illumination angle and the reflective scattering angle associated with the linear photometric data and the refractive index of the medium to calculate corresponding effect flake angles; (D) fitting the linear photometric data and the effect angle data with an equation; (E) calculating the corresponding effect flake angle needed to calculate the BRDF being generated in step (F); and (F) generating the BRDF from the corresponding effect flake angle from step (E) and the equation developed in step (D).
US07991589B2
The present invention relates to a method and system for processing time-varying three-component signals to determine polarization dependent features therefrom. Relation data indicative of a predetermined expression relating ellipse elements describing an ellipse in three dimensional space to the components of the three-component signal are provided. Received signal data indicative of a three-component signal are processed for transforming each component of the three-component signal into time-frequency domain providing second signal data. Data indicative of polarization dependent features are then determined using the relation data and the second signal data. The method and system for processing time-varying three-component signals according to the invention are highly beneficial in numerous applications for evaluating three-component signal data such as seismology.
US07991583B2
A system and method for constructing a diagnosis function for mapping a symptom of a fault in an electromechanical system onto the fault by simulating the electromechanical system in at least a fault mode and a node fault mode, and learning a classifier function from the collected simulation results for mapping the system of the fault onto the fault.
US07991582B2
A process device for coupling to a two-wire process control loop—includes diagnostic circuitry configured to identify a failure or reduced level of performance or provide a prediction of a future failure or reduced level of performance. An output coupled to the two-wire process control loop is configured to provide an analog output on the loop related to an output from the diagnostic circuitry.
US07991579B2
A method of analysis including an intrinsically valid class of statistical methods for dealing with multivariate ordinal data. A decision support system that can (1) provide automated decision support in a transparent fashion (2) optionally be controlled by a decision maker, (3) provide for an evidence acquisition concept, including automatically increasing the content of an underlying database, and (4) provide a computationally efficient interactive distributed environment. The method is exemplified in the context of assisted diagnostic support.
US07991576B2
This document discusses, among other things, a portable device that generates position and orientation data to facilitate movement within a building. The device can be, for example, handheld or affixed to a cane. Data for navigation is derived from reflections from interior surfaces and dead reckoning sensors.
US07991572B2
Systems and methods for synchronizing communication between devices include using a test circuit to measure a propagation time through a delay circuit. The propagation time is used to determine an initial delay value within a delay lock loop. This delay value is then changed until a preferred delay value, resulting in synchronization, is found. In various embodiments, used of the initial delay value increases the speed, reliability or other beneficial features of the synchronization.
US07991565B2
A system for determining airtime of a moving sportsman includes at least one accelerometer for detecting vibration or acceleration of the sportsman. A processor in communication with the at least one accelerometer processing signals from the accelerometer to determine free-fall. A pressure sensor may be used to determine change in altitude and the processor may process signals from the pressure sensor with the accelerometer signals to determine airtime and drop distance during free-fall. A method for determining airtime of a moving sportsman includes processing data from one or more accelerometers attached to the sportsman, to determine when the sportsman is in free-fall, and determining a time period corresponding to the free-fall.
US07991564B2
Methods for genotyping polymorphisms using allele specific probes are disclosed. A training set is used to generate a model for each polymorphism to be interrogated. The training set is used to obtain an estimate of the asymmetry between an intensity measurement for a first allele and an intensity measurement for a second allele of the same polymorphism. The intensity measurement obtained for a test sample is adjusted using the estimate of asymmetry prior to using the intensity measurements to make a genotyping call. In preferred embodiments the adjustment is applied to polymorphisms that have a likelihood of being heterozygous that is above a specified threshold.
US07991563B2
The relationship between an amino acid sequence of a protein and its three-dimensional structure is at the very core of structural biology and bioinformatics. The occurrence and conservation of non-canonical conformations is a “local” phenomenon, i.e., non-canonical conformations are encoded intra-helically by short peptide sequences (heptapeptides at most). Effective descriptors can be formed for these short sequences employing training sets. Multiple, distinct patterns are created representing these sequences. A composite descriptor is formed by selecting from among the patterns discovered. The composite descriptor has a high level of sensitivity and specificity while, at the same time, a boosted signal-to-noise ratio.
US07991549B2
A traffic information system including a travel history database retaining the data on the travel history of vehicle measured at a constant temporal or running interval; a link cost weighting pattern database for storing patterns for weighting the link costs of road links, used in the determination of the travel paths of vehicles; a vehicle ID/link cost weighting pattern set database retaining the data representing the matching of the vehicle IDs with their associated link cost weighting patterns used to determine the travel paths of the vehicles; a link cost weighting pattern selection unit selecting the patterns for weighting the link costs used to determine the travel paths of the vehicles on the basis of the vehicle IDs; and a vehicle ID/link cost weighting pattern matching unit recording the data representing the matching of the vehicle IDs with their associated link cost weighting patterns.
US07991545B2
A method and apparatus for selecting a desired point of interest (“POI”) for a navigation system displays matching brand icons associated with POIs to assist the user in finding an intended POI. When the user inputs characters indicating a POI name or a POI type, or selecting a POI type from a list, the navigation system displays brand icons of the POI name or POI type. When the user selects one of the brand icons, the navigation system lists the POIs associated with the brand icons in the predetermined order such as distance from the current vehicle position. Since the number of brand icons are limited, and each brand icon has a readily recognizable image, the user can quickly find a desired POI by selecting a brand icon.
US07991532B2
The present invention provides a novel method for generating braking force in a wheel. In a vehicle having wheels, a wheel control device for controlling the wheels is provided with an actuator for performing an operation to vary a slip angle of the wheels, and a controller for controlling the actuator to increase the braking force of the wheels by increasing the slip angle absolute value of the wheels such that a lateral force is generated in the wheels relative to a ground contact surface of the wheels.
US07991531B2
A wheel speed transducer including a magnetic device associated with a wheel and a sensor device associated with the axle of the wheel provides data indicative of the velocity of the wheel. A processor located at the axle receives the wheel speed data and processes it to perform antiskid control functions. The velocity data is stored in a data concentrator also associated with the axle. A tire pressure sensor, a brake temperature sensor and a brake torque sensor, each associated with the wheel, send data to the processor at the axle, for storage in the data concentrator. A transmitting antenna associated with the axle and in communication with the data concentrator transmits stored data to a receiving antenna associated with the wheel. A data port at the wheel and in communication with the receiving antenna provides an interface to an external device for receiving the data.
US07991529B2
A method that detects whether the vibration level of the wheel is within the resonating frequency range by utilizing discrete velocity measurements. The method includes continuously measuring velocity levels of a wheel relative to a sprung mass vehicle component. These measurements are continuously recorded over a period of time. A periodic algorithm is provided, and the periodic algorithm and the velocity measurements are utilized to determine an output value. The output value is utilized to determine whether the vibration level of the wheel is within the resonating frequency range.
US07991519B2
There is provided a method and apparatus to determine operating conditions for a powertrain comprising an internal combustion engine and first and second electrical machines and an electro-mechanical transmission selectively operative to transmit torque therebetween. The method comprises determining a torque output and an operating cost for operating the first and second electrical machines of the hybrid transmission effective to meet an operator torque request when the engine is operating in an engine-off operating state. Determining the torque output for operating the first and second electrical machines comprises executing a predetermined system equation effective to determine motor torque outputs from each of the first and second electrical machines based upon the selected parametric value for the input torque and the operator torque request.
US07991507B2
An automated drug dispensing system includes a cabinet adapted to store a variety of prepackaged pharmaceuticals in a plurality of bins for filling patient prescriptions. Each bin stores a particular variety of packaged multiple-dose pharmaceutical. Each variety of pharmaceutical is associated with a particular code. A controller receives request signals and in response generates dispense signals. Each bin includes a dispenser coupled to the controller for dispensing the packaged pharmaceuticals therefrom in response to a dispense signal sent from the controller. After a package is dispensed, a code reader determines the code of the dispensed package and verifies whether the code on the dispensed package matches the code of the requested package.
US07991504B2
A method for determining the extent of cure of binder in a product comprising heating a sample of the product to vaporize free moisture in the sample and expel vaporized free moisture from the sample, measuring cure moisture content of the product, measuring binder content of the product, calculating a product ratio of cure moisture content to binder content, and comparing the product ratio of cure moisture content to binder content to a predetermined desirable ratio of cure moisture content to binder content.
US07991491B2
A control device for controlling a controlled system, such as steering, braking or accelerating when driving a car, as well other operations for other vehicles or systems, includes an automatic control system that generates automatically generated control signals, a haptic control command input device generates manual control command inputs, and an arbitration unit which resolves disputes between the automatically generated signals and the manual control command inputs. The haptic control generates control signals that depend on both the automatically generated control signals and the manual control command inputs, and adjustments are made continuously therebetween using rule based feed back control signals. Arbitration is performed in the dead spaced of the controlled system or the haptic control command input device.
US07991490B2
A system and method for control and maintenance units for utility treatment systems, having a start-up routine, an installation routine and a communication exchange between a user and the control unit of a utility treatment system. Communications from the control unit prompt the user for installation and maintenance information; communications from the user supply installation, set-ups, status, operation and maintenance information. The communication exchange allows a user to contact the system and request information regarding a particular treatment system and the system to display treatment system information. The system and method also include a control unit for a utility treatment system having an electronic controller, an input device connected to the controller, and a storage device connected to the controller, wherein historical repair codes may be inputted to the electronic controller and stored in said storage device.
US07991488B2
An apparatus includes a parallel computation unit including an input port and an output port and a one-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model. The input port is configured to sample at a time t1 a boundary condition signal for the one-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model and the output port is configured to provide an output signal before the boundary condition signal is sampled at a time t2.
US07991484B1
An implantable medical lead of the invention comprises an electrically active helix electrode extendable and retractable relative to a distal tip of the lead, an electrically conductive mapping collar disposed at the lead's distal tip and a proximal end carrying an electrical connector assembly. The electrical connector assembly comprises a first terminal connected to the helix electrode and a second terminal separately connected to the mapping collar. An advantage of the independent helix electrode and mapping collar circuits is that the implanting physician can confirm from separate electrode impedance readings that the helix is in fact extended and fully embedded within the myocardium. Further, the independent mapping collar and helix electrode circuits may be used, in conjunction with a configurable or programmable switch network, to provide the implanting physician with a choice of electrode impedances.
US07991482B2
A method of stimulating tissue of a patient is provided. The method comprises placing an array of electrodes in proximity to the tissue, conveying electrical current between the electrodes of the array to stimulate a tissue site, incrementally shifting the electrical current from at least one cathode to at least another cathode over a first range of fractionalized current values, and incrementally shifting the electrical current from at least one anode to at least another anode over a second range of fractionalized current values. The step sizes for the first and second ranges of fractionalized current values differ.
US07991480B2
Electrodes for tissue stimulation and sensing can comprise a support with nanostructures disposed on the support. Pairs of the electrodes can be placed in close proximity to one another. When electrical energy is supplied to the electrodes, an electrical field (and possibly an electrical current) can be established between the nanostructures on the electrodes. The nanostructures may have cells disposed thereon, for example myocardial cells, myocardial progenitor cells, neural cells and/or stem cells. In addition, the electrodes can be arranged in arrays.
US07991468B2
A method for allowing cardiac signals to be sensed and pacing pulse vectors to be delivered between two or more electrodes. In one embodiment, cardiac signals are sensed and pacing pulse vectors are delivered between least one of a first left ventricular electrode and a second left ventricular electrode. Alternatively, cardiac signals are sensed and pacing pulse vectors are delivered between different combinations of the first and second left ventricular electrodes and a first supraventricular electrode. In addition, cardiac signals are sensed and pacing pulse vectors are delivered between different combinations of the first and second left ventricular electrode, the first supraventricular electrode and a conductive housing. In an additional embodiment, a first right ventricular electrode is used to sense cardiac signals and provide pacing pulses with different combinations of the first and second left ventricular electrodes, the first supraventricular electrode and the housing.
US07991458B2
The present invention relates to a system or method for analyzing drug influence on ECG curvature and Long QT Syndrome. The system has an input means connected to an ECG source, where different parameters of a received ECG curvature are indicated and/or isolated for indicating possible symptoms which relate to certain diseases that influence the ECG curvature. The aim of the invention is to achieve a system and a method for diagnosing Long QT Syndrome in an objective, fast and effect way by indication of a number of symptoms derivable from an ECG curve. Further aim is to achieve an effective test of drug influence on ECG curvature. The system analyzes the QT curvature of the ECG curvature for indicating Long QT Syndrome.
US07991454B2
Images of blood vessels of a body are obtained by injecting a refraction enhancement contrast agent into the blood vessels to increase a difference in refractive indices of the blood vessels and surrounding material. The blood vessels are irradiated with a penetrating radiation, and an image of the blood vessels is generated based on detected radiation. The image has visible edge enhancement features indicating boundaries of the blood vessels.
US07991451B2
A method of operation for a magnetic resonance imaging suite. A power supply of magnetic resonance injector system receives electrical power from an AC power outlet, both of which are located outside of a shielded room of the magnetic resonance imaging suite. Electrical power from the power supply of the magnetic resonance injector system is conveyed (via an appropriate power connection) into the shielded room of the magnetic resonance imaging suite and to a component (e.g., a power head) of the magnetic resonance injector system located inside the shielded room. While this electrical power is being conveyed, radio frequency energy emitted from the power connection is being filtered.
US07991450B2
Methods and systems for automatically fusing images are provided. The method includes acquiring scan data from a first imaging modality and fusing scan data from a second modality with the scan data from the first modality as scan data from the second modality is acquired and the method further includes displaying reconstructed images of the fused data.
US07991437B2
Some embodiments discussed relate to a method and apparatus, comprising a power amplifier module, a transceiver module coupled to provide a signal to an input of the power amplifier module. The transceiver module comprising an integrated temperature sensor to sense an instantaneous operating temperature of the transceiver and providing a first sensor output signal dependent upon the operating temperature, and an integrated voltage sensor to sense a transceiver supply voltage and generate a second sensor output signal dependent upon the instantaneous transceiver supply voltage, and a processor configured to receive the first and the second sensor output signals, provide a control signal to the power amplifier module to reduce the output power of the power amplifier responsive to the first and the second sensor output signals.
US07991422B2
Systems and methods for dynamically adjusting a metric that influences power management of an access terminal are provided. Initially, an access node is configured to distribute reverse-activity bits (RAB's) to the access terminal, which conveys data, at a particular rate, to the access node. Adjusting the dynamic metric involves establishing a number of slots allocated for a filtered reverse-activity bit (FRAB) window and a hybrid reverse-activity bit (HRAB) window, wherein each of the slots are allocated to accept a RAB. The RAB's accepted to the slots of the FRAB window and the HRAB window are recursively averaged to derive a FRAB parameter and an HRAB parameter, respectively. The dynamic metric is adjusted by incorporating either the FRAB parameter or an HRAB parameter therein based on whether ramping conditions are satisfied. The rate of data conveyed from the access terminal is controlled based on the adjusted dynamic metric.
US07991421B2
The present invention provides a method for implementation in a base station that supports at least one downlink traffic channel and at least one overhead channel. The method includes determining power allocation(s) for overhead channel(s) based upon a measurement of downlink traffic channel power and a maximum transmission power of the base station. The method also includes transmitting signals over the overhead channel(s) using the power allocation concurrently with transmission of signals over the downlink traffic channel.
US07991401B2
A method for animating a virtual scene that comprises managing a virtual scene comprising at least one virtual object, receiving a text message via a wireless communication network, identifying a pattern indicative of an animation sequence in said text message, and applying a non-facial animation on said at least one virtual object according said animation sequence.
US07991400B2
The use of a wireless interface is dynamically changeable according to connection states of stations belonging to access points. Therefore, limited wireless interfaces are efficiently utilized without requiring operation in which the user conducts a complex setting operation. First, connection states of stations belonging to access points are measured. Based on information of the connection states, the connection destination of a wireless connection unit of an access point under consideration is changed over between an access point and a station.
US07991395B2
Provided is an apparatus and method for scanning a frequency in a mobile terminal. The apparatus includes a frequency scanner that detects an available frequency in such a manner that a Last-used frequency Band (LB) in which a last frequency used is included is first scanned when a frequency-scanning event is generated and thereafter the LB is periodically re-scanned while the entire frequency bands are scanned.
US07991393B1
A telecommunication system establishes location information concurrently with the set-up of a landline as a network address for delivering wireless-based subscription services. A location register in the wireless system defines a current network location where a respective subscriber is connected and a current geographic location where said respective subscriber is located. An access device is provided for coupling with a landline within the public switched telephone network, wherein the landline has a landline ID, and wherein a user terminal connected to the landline is associated with a fixed geographic location. A control channel transmits an electronic identification number of a subscriber and a location coordinate corresponding to the fixed geographic location from the access device to the location register during registration of the landline as the current network address of the user terminal. The subscriber receives location-based wireless services via the landline.
US07991389B1
Systems and methods for forwarding dispatch communications are provided. A dispatch communication forwarding request is sent to a dispatch processor or a dispatch communication forwarding server. A record associated with the dispatch station initiating the dispatch communication forwarding request is updated in a home location register to indicate that dispatch communications intended for the dispatch station should be forwarded to another dispatch station. The communication forwarding can be absolute such that all communications intended for one dispatch station are forwarded to another dispatch station. Alternatively, the communication forwarding can be conditional such that all dispatch communications meeting certain criteria intended for one dispatch station are forwarded to another dispatch station.
US07991384B2
The present invention discloses a method for charging Multimedia Message Service (MMS), where a corresponding relationship between a Mobile Station International ISDN Number (MSISDN) of a receiver and a Recipient Multimedia Message Service Center (Recipient-MMSC) that sends an MMS to the receiver is set in an adjacent Wireless Application Protocol Gateway (WAP-GW) which the receiver accesses. The method includes: upon the receipt of the MMS, the receiver sends an MMS receipt confirmation including the MSISDN of the receiver to the adjacent WAP-GW which the receiver accesses; the adjacent WAP-GW which the receiver accesses determines the Recipient-MMSC that corresponds to the MSISDN of the receiver contained in the confirmation according to the set corresponding relationship, and sends the confirmation to the Recipient-MMSC; and the Recipient-MMSC triggers the charging mechanism and takes the receipt of the confirmation as a charging point for charging.
US07991377B2
A mixer includes: a magnetoresistive effect element including a fixed magnetic layer, a free magnetic layer, and a nonmagnetic spacer layer disposed between the fixed magnetic layer and the free magnetic layer; and a magnetic field applying unit that applies a magnetic field to the free magnetic layer. The mixer is operable, when a first high-frequency signal and a second high-frequency signal as a local signal are inputted, to multiply the first high-frequency signal and the second high-frequency signal using the magnetoresistive effect element and to generate a multiplication signal. A frequency converting apparatus includes the mixer and a filter operable, when a higher frequency and a lower frequency out of frequencies of the first high-frequency signal and the second high-frequency signal are expressed as f1 and f2 respectively, to pass one out of a frequency (f1+f2) and a frequency (f1−f2) out of the multiplication signal.
US07991362B2
A wireless terminal determines the position of a moving base station and determines timing and/or frequency corrections. A wireless terminal determines its relative position with respect to the base station and determines a timing adjustment correction. The wireless terminal applies the determined timing correction to control uplink signaling timing and achieve synchronization at the base station's receiver. The wireless terminal determines its relative velocity with respect to the moving base station and determines a Doppler shift adjustment which it adds to the uplink carrier frequency or to its baseband signal. Base station position is determined from the current time and stored information correlating the base station position with time, e.g., for a geo-synchronous satellite. Base station position information, e.g., a GPS derived base station position fix, is determined from downlink airlink broadcast information, e.g., for an aircraft base station. Wireless terminals may be mobile and include a GPS receiver for wireless terminal position determination.
US07991360B2
A receiving apparatus, a receiving method, and a radio communications system are disclosed. The receiving apparatus is for receiving CDMA signals transmitted by M antennas and received by N antennas, where M and N are positive integers. The receiving apparatus includes a multipath receiving signal demodulating unit for primary demodulation of the CDMA signals received by the receiving antennas to obtain estimated transmission signals, and for obtaining signals in a multipath environment of each path of the receiving antennas based on the estimated results. Further, the receiving apparatus includes a multipath interference canceling unit for deducting signals of the paths other than a target path from the signals received by the receiving antennas to obtain multipath interference cancelled signals. Further, the receiving apparatus includes a demodulator for secondary demodulation of the multipath interference cancelled signals.
US07991359B2
A receiver has an offset application circuit for applying a known offset to an input signal, and a decision circuit for comparing the offset-applied input signal with a reference voltage. The level of the input signal is determined based on the known offset and on the result output from the decision circuit. With this configuration, a large common mode voltage can be eliminated in a circuit used for signal transmission.
US07991356B2
A wireless handset or wireless headset includes a Bluetooth transceiver that is coupleable to an external Bluetooth compatible device, that sends the first audio data to the external Bluetooth compatible device and that receives the second audio data from the external Bluetooth compatible device. The Bluetooth transceiver includes a first integrated circuit that includes a memory module that stores a plurality of operational instructions for implementing a plurality of protocol layers of a Bluetooth protocol, a processing module that executes the plurality of operational instructions, and a first interface module. A second integrated circuit includes a second interface module that couples data to and from the first interface module, an RF transceiver that modulates a first baseband signal to produce a transmitted RF signal, and that demodulates a received RF signal to produce a second baseband signal, and a baseband module that generates the first baseband signal based on data received from the first interface module via the second interface module, and that generates data based on the second baseband signal to send to the first interface module via the second interface module.
US07991349B2
A system and method for providing information which relates in broadcasting are disclosed. In one aspect, there is a system, which includes: a first data transceiver receiving audio and time information related to the broadcast content from a mobile communication terminal; an information analyser determining a broadcast program containing the audio information, using the audio and time information, and generating the determined broadcast content information extraction command; and a broadcast content information mapper reading broadcast content information related to the determined broadcast program from a database storing the broadcast content information, where the broadcast content provider server provides the read broadcast content information to the mobile communication terminal. In another aspect, a method of receiving broadcast content information includes transmitting audio and time information related to the audio information to the broadcast content provider server, and receiving a broadcast content information from the broadcast content provider server.
US07991342B2
A protective material block including a metal soap, wherein the surface of the protective material block has an X-ray diffraction pattern wherein a ratio (P2/P1) of a maximum peak height (P2) on a surface separation of from 3.6 to 5.0 Å to a maximum peak height (P1) on a surface separation of from 11 to 16 Å not greater than 0.5.
US07991337B2
An image heating apparatus of electromagnetic induction heating-type capable of providing a proper relative heat-generation distance with a magnetic flux generation member even when the magnetic flux generation member is bent by its own weight or thermally deformed includes at least an exciting coil, a holder for holding the exciting coil, and a rotatable fixation roller for generating heat by magnetic flux from the exciting coil to heat a material to be heated. The holder has an outer diameter φd1 at a central portion and an outer diameter φd2 at an end portion in a longitudinal direction of the holder perpendicular to a conveyance direction of the material to be heated. The outer diameters φd1 and φd2 satisfies: φd1<φd2.
US07991330B2
A developing unit includes a developer bearing member, a developer transporter, a developer conveyance system for directing the developer, including a supply path, a recovery path, and an agitation path, a developer supply opening through which the developer is supplied to the developer conveyance system, a developer supply device for supplying the developer from the developer supply opening to the developer conveyance system, a developer discharge device for discharging the developer outside the developing unit, a developer level rise detector for detecting increase in a level of the developer between the downstream end of the recovery path facing the developer bearing member in the direction of developer transport and a portion of the agitation path where the agitation path receives the collected developer from the recovery path, and a controller for controlling the developer discharge device based on the detection result provided by the developer level rise detector.
US07991323B2
A tandem type photosensitive unit detachably mounted in a main body of an image forming apparatus is provided. The tandem type photosensitive unit includes a plurality of parallelly arranged photosensitive drums; developer cartridges mounted on respective cartridge mounting positions having a constant positional relationship to photosensitive drums respectively; a pair of first side plates opposed to each other in an axial direction of the photosensitive drums for positioning each photosensitive drum by retaining both end portions of each photosensitive drum in the axial direction; and a pair of second side plates opposed to each other in the axial direction for retaining each developer cartridge mounted on the cartridge mounting position. The pair of second side plates are provided with guided portions guided to a unit guide portion provided in the main body and cartridge guide portions for guiding mounting of each developer cartridge on the cartridge mounting position.
US07991322B2
An image forming apparatus is provided. In the image forming apparatus, a contact portion that contacts a detection gear of a development cartridge and to which information about the development cartridge is transmitted is positioned inside of a path for attachment and detachment of a process cartridge. At both times of attachment and detachment of the process cartridge to and from a main unit casing, when the process cartridge contacts the contact portion, the contact portion can be swayed in a single direction while a pivot extending in a direction parallel to the direction of attachment and detachment of the process cartridge is taken as a fulcrum for swaying action.
US07991319B2
In an image forming apparatus, a toner carrier roller rotatably mounted to a housing that stores toner rotates to convey toner to an opposed position facing a latent image carrier outside the housing. A plurality of convex sections are regularly arranged on a surface of the roller in an axial direction parallel to the rotational axis and in a circumferential direction orthogonal to the axial direction and parallel to a circumferential surface of the roller and a concave section surrounds the convex sections. A seal member abuts the surface of the roller moving from the outside toward the inside of the housing at a position downstream of the opposed position in a rotation direction of the roller to prevent toner leakage from inside the housing. The roller moves relative to the seal member in the axial direction.
US07991316B2
There is provided a fixing device 6 including a heating body 22 which has a heating heat generation section 24 subjected to induction heating upon application of alternating magnetic fields generated by a exciting coil 27, a pressure roller 23 which has a pressing heat generation section 25 being higher in magnetic permeability than the heating heat generation section 24 and being subjected to induction heating by a part of magnetic flux in the alternating magnetic fields leaking from the heating heat generation section 24, and a drive circuit for applying drive voltage to the exciting coil, wherein a rate of the alternating magnetic fields leaking from the heating heat generation section 24 is changed by frequencies of the drive voltage.
US07991311B2
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for forming an image. A controller manages a charger and a developing bias voltage to increase an absolute value of the charging voltage to an image-bearing member and an absolute value of a developing bias voltage to a developer-bearing member to predetermined values in a plurality of steps. The controller controls the developing bias voltage applied to the developer-bearing member; wherein the following relation holds in each of the plurality of steps: |VD|>|Vi|, where VD represents a developing bias voltage applied to the developer-bearing member and Vi represents a charged potential of the image-bearing member. This invention is especially useful for mono-component development using DC voltage as a development driving mechanism.
US07991287B2
An optical communication system and a communication network are disclosed herein capable of transmitting optical signals with high optical launch power over long distances with suppression of stimulated Brillouin scattering. A method of transmitting optical signals is also disclosed herein which comprises transmitting optical signals at high optical launch power with a high carrier-to-noise ratio (CNR). Passive optical networks disclosed herein provide greater reach and/or increased splits.
US07991280B2
There is provided an apparatus that includes a receiving unit configured to receive instructions for focus adjustment; an image-pickup unit configured to perform image-pickup of an object image input through a focus lens; a setting unit configured to set a focus detecting area to be used at a time of detection of a focus state of the focus lens; a light control unit configured to control an amount of light incident on the image-pickup unit; and a focus adjusting unit configured to detect a focus signal representing the focus state in the focus detecting area to move the focus lens based on the focus signal and a position of the focus lens corresponding to the focus signal.
US07991276B2
The optical image stabilizer shifts an image stabilizing element with respect to an optical axis of an optical system to reduce image shake. The stabilizer includes a lock ring which is rotatable to a lock position to limit shift of the image stabilizing element and to a lock-releasing position to allow the shift of the image stabilizing element, an actuator which rotates the lock ring to the lock position and the lock-releasing position, and a biasing mechanism which mechanically biases the lock ring rotated to the lock position toward the lock position and biases the lock ring rotated to the lock-releasing position toward the lock-releasing position.
US07991273B2
Cabling for a motor vehicle includes at least one fluid hose, a first cable for heating the fluid hose and at least one electrical connector for connecting the cable to an electrical supply, and at least one hose connector for connecting the fluid hose to a cooperating connector means. The hose connector may be provided with an electrically heated device arranged to heat at least part of the hose connector.
US07991264B2
A left view graphics stream and a right view graphics stream recorded on a recording medium each include one or more display sets, and the display sets are data groups used for displaying one screen worth of one or more graphics objects. The one or more display sets included in the left view graphics stream are in one-to-one correspondence with the one or more display sets included in the right view graphics stream, and an identical playback time for the video stream on the playback time axis is set in each of the corresponding display sets. Each display set includes state information indicating whether the data is all data necessary for displaying one screen worth of one or more graphics objects, or is a difference from the immediately previous display set, and the state information included in corresponding display sets indicate identical content.
US07991252B2
Blind-made optical connectors may not be robust and tend to be very sensitive to dust. Accordingly, a floating barrel blind mate optical connector is described which floats with many degrees of freedom for easy connections and accommodates expanded beam connectors to alleviate many common drawbacks.
US07991249B2
New circuit architecture for electro-optic modulator based on free-carrier dispersion effect is invented, in which the waveguide capacitor of the modulator is embed in the circuits and physically layout together with transistors, the switching of the modulator occurs in transistors, and as the result, the electro-optical modulation occurs in the waveguide capacitor. The invented modulator is not one physical device, it is actually a circuit. Several circuit design techniques are imported, leading to several new modulator circuits that have very high operation speed and very small power consumption. Several new waveguide capacitor structures are also invented that allow high efficient modulator circuits to be built.
US07991248B2
There are provided a substrate mounted with a photoelectric hybrid circuit having an optical path conversion mirror structure and optical waveguide wiring by reducing the number of parts and the number of fabrication steps, as well as most effectively implement high-density wiring for an optical connection between the optical waveguide and the photoelectric conversion element or optical waveguide array connector that are formed on the substrate, and a device. An optical waveguide layer 12 stacked on a substrate 10 and formed of a wiring core surrounded by a clad layer 11, and cores 15, 16 having tapered surfaces intersecting the respective wiring cores 13, 14 of the optical waveguide layer 12 perpendicularly are arranged, the tapered surfaces 15a, 16a of the cores 15, 16 having tapered surfaces are buried respectively in the wiring portion cores intersecting perpendicularly, and a first core 13 for turning the optical path of light propagating through the wiring portion core at the first core 15 with a tapered surface, and a second core 14 for turning the optical path of light passed through the first core 15 with a tapered surface at the second core 16 with a tapered surface are arranged alternately.
US07991240B2
Methods, systems and apparatuses for modeling high resolution images which significantly shortens computation time and reduces image artifacts, as compared to known methods. Embodiments implement a look-up table, to compute once and store the point spread functions for various points of an image. During modeling of the optical system, previously stored point spread functions may be used to determine the point spread function for a specified point using a weighted interpolation of the point spread functions that have been stored for nearby points.
US07991238B2
The invention facilitates adaptive compression of multi-level images, such as captured digital images of a whiteboard, etc., encoding a bitstream comprising a color image component and a black-and-white image component. Either or both of a color and a black-and-white image can be output to a user based on user desires, receiving device capabilities, etc.
US07991229B2
Disclosed are embodiments of systems, devices, and methods to reduce compression artifacts in multi-layer images. Pixel dilation operations, such as morphological dilations, are performed to identify unlabeled pixels at boundaries between layers, and the colors of those pixels are adjusted to mitigate formation of artifacts during layer compression.
US07991216B2
A method for analyzing the effectiveness of polishing frequency and the number of polishing times on the polishing pads having different patterns and profiles while performing the chemical-mechanical polishing process on the wafers is described. This method is to convert the images of various patterns and topography of the chips and grinding pads into binary images, and then calculates the binary images by numerical matrix method, which only needs to calculate the modified model of the position changed and the frequency of grinding during the rotation and deformation of different patterns and topography during relative movement, and then uses overlay model of effective grinding frequency to predict the distribution of effective grinding frequency at a fixed period of grinding time under a set grinding path. Further proposes the overlay model of the grinding frequency of “Least Pixel Number (LPN)”, “Cross-section Check CSC”, “Straight Line-Path Effective polishing Factor (SLEF)” and “Scale Factor (SF),” so as to develop the procedures of analyzing the distribution condition of effective grinding frequency on the surface of the chips. It is referential to design better patterns and topography of grinding pads as well as setting the assembly parameters for CMP machines in the future.
US07991212B2
An image processing apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a setting unit configured to set a radiation exposure condition; a radiation generation unit configured to generate a radiation beam according to the radiation exposure condition; a two-dimensional radiation sensor configured to transform the reached radiation beam into a radiation image data and output the radiation image data; a storage unit configured to store the radiation image data; a detecting unit configured to detect a scattered radiation fluctuation in the reached radiation beam based on a comparison of two radiation image data with different radiation exposure condition, where the two radiation image data are selected within the plurality of radiation image data stored in the storage unit; and an image processing unit configured to extract a outline of a region of interest from the radiation image data based on the scattered radiation fluctuation detected by the detecting unit.
US07991206B1
Surrogate heuristic identification is described, including selecting a portion of video content, wherein the portion is standardized, identifying a characteristic associated with the video content, using the characteristic to generate a data representation, the data representation being used to provide heuristic data, and processing the heuristic data to generate a fingerprint configured to compare against one or more stored fingerprints associated with other video content.
US07991196B2
Methods and systems for image processing are provided. A method for processing images of a scene includes receiving image data of a reference and a current frame; generating N motion vectors that describe motion of the image data within the scene by computing a correlation function on the reference and current frames at each of N registration points; registering the current frame based on the N motion vectors to produce a registered current frame; and updating the image data of the scene based on the registered current frame. Optionally, registered frames may be oversampled. Techniques for generating the N motion vectors according to roll, zoom, shift and optical flow calculations, updating image data of the scene according to switched and intermediate integration approaches, re-introducing smoothed motion into image data of the scene, re-initializing the process, and processing images of a scene and moving target within the scene are provided.
US07991195B2
A system and method of efficiently and effectively triaging an image that may include one or more target entities are provided. A target entity to be searched for in the image is specified. The image, or at least a selected portion of the image, is then divided into a plurality of individual image chips each having a chip size based on the specified target entity. Each image chip is then successively displayed for a presentation time period.
US07991193B2
A system, method and program product for providing automated learning for a people counting system. A system is disclosed that includes a grid system for dividing a field of view (FOV) of a captured image data into a set of blocks; an object detection and tracking system for tracking a blob passing through the FOV; and a learning system that maintains person size parameters for each block and updates person size parameters for a selected block when a blob appears in the selected block.
US07991170B2
A method is provided for computing frequency responses of crossover filters for multi-way loudspeakers. The method prescribes driver coordinates for drivers in the multi-way loudspeaker, prescribes an attenuation function for the sound pressure level at a desired angle, computes the crossover frequencies using a point source model and computes the frequency responses in intervals defined by the crossover frequencies.
US07991168B2
The invention provides a microphone. The microphone receives a first sound signal and at least one second electrical signal and outputs a third electrical signal. In one embodiment, the microphone comprises a transducer and a signal processor. The transducer converts the first sound signal to a first electrical signal. The signal processor has a first input terminal receiving the first electrical signal and at least one second input terminal receiving the at least one second electrical signal, and derives the third electrical signal from the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal. In one embodiment, the at least one second electrical signal is derived from a t least one second sound signal by at least one second microphone located in the vicinity of the microphone. In another embodiment, the at least one second electrical signal comprises a wind noise signal derived from wind pressure by a pressure sensor located in the vicinity of the microphone.
US07991163B2
A system and method for generating, transmitting and distributing audio signals. The system and method may include an array having a plurality of microphones and a plurality of speakers as well as a first processor disposed proximate the array. The system and method can also have a second processor disposed remotely from the array and communicatively coupled with the array, at least one remotely located device having at least one microphone and at least one speaker and one or more remotely located speakers. Also, there may be an audio signal that is generated by one of a microphone on the array and a microphone on the at least one remotely located device, the location of the generation of the audio signal determined by one of the first processor and the second processor, generated audio signal transmitted to at least one of the speakers on the array, the at least one speaker on the remotely located device and the one or more remotely located speakers.
US07991162B2
A method and apparatus for accelerating scalar multiplication in an elliptic curve cryptosystem (ECC) over prime fields is provided. Multiplication operations within an ECC point operation are identified and modified utilizing an equivalent point representation that inserts multiples of two. Algebraic substitutions of the multiplication operations with squaring operations and other cheaper field operations are performed. Scalar multiplication can also be protected against simple side-channel attacks balancing the number of multiplication operations and squaring operations and providing novel atomic structures to implement the ECC operation. In addition, a new coordinate system is defined to enable more effective operation of ECC to multiprocessor environments.
US07991156B1
A digital rights management (DRM) method is negotiated prior to initiating delivery of a DRM encoded content item over a digital network between a client and a target server. The client identifies a link to the target server for accessing the DRM encoded content item. The client initiates a network session with the target server. The client sends an offer message to the target server containing a list of at least one supported DRM method. The target server sends an answer message to the client containing a corresponding list 1) indicating whether each DRM method listed in the to offer message is supported by the target server, and 2) providing a network address of a DRM license server for each supported DRM method. The client selects a supported DRM method. The client obtains a DRM license using the network address listed for the selected DRM method. The target server delivers the DRM encoded content item to the client using the selected DRM method.
US07991152B2
Methods and apparatus to speed up Galois Counter Mode (GCM) computations are described. In one embodiment, a carry-less multiplication instruction may be used to perform operations corresponding to verification of an encrypted message in accordance with GCM. Other embodiments are also described.
US07991148B2
A cover for a display device and a case for a communication device are provided. The cover comprises: external dimensions shaped to fit said cover in a case for said communication device; a top surface; a bottom surface; a non-opaque region adapted to cover said display device allowing a user to see said display device; and a region defining a top of an enclosure cavity for a speaker associated with said communication device. Sound holes in the cover are preferably present. A recess around the region is provided for fitting with a cover for the recess. A communication device comprising the cover is also provided. The case comprises: an exterior frame; a first opening in the frame; an internal wall defined within the exterior frame; a first cavity located in the internal wall; and an air channel to connect the first cavity to a region in the case.
US07991145B2
A method and system for automating a switch matrix board for cross-connecting any line in a set of input lines to any line in a set of output lines, to be used e.g. in automating cross-connects for line pairs in a central office main distribution frame (MDF) of a telecommunication network. The switch matrix (100) comprises a plurality of contact sledges (130) driven by a plurality of sledge positioning screws (120) that slidably engage a plurality of main contact pads (110) to cross-connect the lines. In an embodiment of the invention, two electric motors cooperate to position a lateral drive gear (158) to engage and rotate a selected sledge positioning screw (120), which moves the contact sledge. In another embodiment, a single electric motor operates together with a magnetic clutch assembly (180) to position the lateral drive gear to rotate the sledge positioning screw (120). A controller unit is connected to a position detection system and to the motors to accurately position the contact sledge (130) on the switch matrix board.
US07991142B2
According to one embodiment, a telephone exchange apparatus includes a plurality of processors whose connect communication lines differing in communication protocol from one another, a memory which stores a plurality of items of protocol unique information to process communication signals corresponding to the plurality of processors, a communication controller which is connected to the plurality of processors via control buses with smaller transmission capacities than those of the plurality of communication lines and reads the corresponding-protocol unique information from the memory based on notified protocol identification information and makes the corresponding processor execute signal processing by the protocol unique information, and a call controller which notifies protocol identification information corresponding to a communication line to be added to the communication controller, when a setting request for a call is issued.
US07991140B2
An enhanced directory assistance system includes a telephone switch for receiving calls from at least one caller desiring to receive directions. A direction module is configured to receive a desired destination information provided by the caller and the location of the caller. The direction module is further configured to provide directions to the caller based on the destination and the caller location information, where the system maintains a preferred destination listing configured to store a preferred destination information relating to a destination request frequently requested by the caller, such that when the system recognizes the caller, the desired destination is populated directly from the preferred destination information.
US07991132B2
This invention relates to the field of communication technology, and provides a billing method and system, and a billing server. The method includes: generating, by a PBX, billing ticket information and reporting the billing ticket information to a billing server when an incoming call from an external user to an internal user of the PBX, an outgoing call from an internal user of the PBX, or a call between internal users of the PBX occurs; receiving and storing, by the billing server, the billing ticket information reported from the PBX; initiating, by the billing server, a service connection to a billing center through the PBX, or triggering, by the billing server, a fixed wireless station to initiate a service connection to a billing center directly when the PBX system is in an idle state; and sending, by the billing server, the stored billing ticket information to the billing center after the connection is established successfully. The present invention can implement billing for internal calls within the service scope of a wireless PBX without too many modifications to the existing network equipment, and has little adverse effect on the call.
US07991123B2
A system for causing application of sealing current to one or more local telephony loops has a current source; a switching interface for connecting the current source to the one or more telephony loop interfaces; and a machine-readable instruction accessible to the switching interface, the instruction providing intelligence to the switching interface for identifying the one or more loops to be serviced, the time period for current application to each loop serviced, and a sequence order when more than one loop is serviced.
US07991113B2
The present specification discloses a readily relocatable X-ray imaging system for inspecting the contents of vehicles and containers, and a method for using the same. The system is relatively small in size, and is used for inspecting commercial vehicles, cargo containers, and other large objects. The X-ray imaging system has a substantially arch-shaped collapsible frame with an X-ray source and detectors disposed thereon. The frame is preferably collapsible via a plurality of hinges and may be deployed into an X-ray imaging position, and collapsed into a transport position.
US07991109B2
An X-ray multichannel spectrometer comprising a polychromatic source (2), a holding means (3) for holding a sample (1), a fluorescence channel (4) that selects X-ray beams of a special wavelength and energy, and a detector (5) for measuring the selected X-ray beams, a diffractometry channel (6) that selects, by means of a monochromator (7), an X-ray beam wavelength of the source subsequent to diffraction of the X-ray beams by the sample, and a detector (8) for measuring the selected X-ray beams, is characterized in that a single slit device (9) is provided between the source and the sample, which can be moved transversely with respect to the direction of the beam from the source, and the monochromator of the diffractometry channel is stationarily disposed with respect to the source and the sample and has an entry single slit (10) which defines, together with the movable single slit device and the sample position, the characteristic diffraction angle 2θ of a predetermined crystal structure of the polycrystalline sample at the wavelength of the source selected by the monochromator. In this fashion, reliable element analysis and inexpensive X-ray diffraction can be performed with the same device, wherein the at least three collimator arrangements that have been necessary up to now for the diffractometry channel, are omitted and the monochromator does not require any complex diffraction mechanism in the diffractometry channel.
US07991106B2
A multi-mode tomosynthesis/mammography system and method in which a mammography gain map is used to gain correct mammographic images of a patient's breast but enhanced gain maps for respective projection angled are used to correct tomosynthesis images acquired with the same system.
US07991105B2
Original 2D rotational projections are combined preferably in an overlaying manner with corresponding viewings of a 3D reconstruction. By showing the 2D rotational projections in combination with the 3D reconstruction, 3D vessel information can be compared with the original 2D rotational image information over different rotational angles. In a clinical setup the combined visualization will allow for an easy check if findings in the 3D RA volume such as stenosis or aneurysms are not overestimated or underestimated due to e.g. an incomplete filling with contrast agent and/or a spectral beam hardening during the rotational scan.
US07991102B2
A signal generating apparatus includes: a test data generator for generating a test data; a fractional-N phase-locked loop device coupled to the test data generator for generating a synthesized signal according to the test data when the test data is received; and a calibrating device coupled to the fractional-N phase-locked loop device for measuring power of the synthesized signal to generate a calibration signal utilized for adjusting the fractional-N phase-locked loop device.
US07991098B2
Methods and apparatuses for calculating the location of an optimal sampling point for a receiver system are disclosed. In brief, a first method comprises determining a maximum voltage margin and a maximum timing margin of a received signal, and from these margins, determining an optimal sampling point, which includes a reference voltage level (Vref) and a relative sample phase. The location of the optimal sampling point is based on the locations of the sampling point of the maximum voltage margin and the sampling point of the maximum timing margin. A second method comprises establishing an initial sampling point, and then successively refining each of the voltage and timing components of the sampling point until an optimal sampling point is reached.
US07991092B2
A method is provided for receiving a multicarrier signal including a time-based succession of symbols, each including a plurality of multicarriers bearing data, at least one of said symbols including at least one reference pilot. The method includes the following steps: a first estimation of a propagation channel, in accordance with a first estimating technique taking into account the or said reference pilots; at least one second estimation of said propagation channel, in accordance with a second estimating technique different from said first technique; comparing said first and second estimations, delivering an error signal; detecting at least one interfering signal in said propagation channel, by analyzing said error signal.
US07991082B2
A method is provided for performing a MAP probability decoding of a sequence R(n) including N bits of encoded data. The method includes the steps of: (a) generating a sequence rn of sot-values by processing the sequence R(n); (b) performing a forward recursion by computing alpha values αS,SG utilizing the soft-decision values; (c) performing a backward recursion by computing beta values βS,SG utilizing the soft-decision values; and (d) performing an extrinsic computation by computing probability values p′k. The alpha values αS,SG are relative log-likelihoods of an encoding process arriving at various states. The beta values βS,SG are relative log-likelihoods of the encoding process arriving at various states. The probability values p′k represent a set of probabilities indicating that each data bit of an input sequence dK had a value equal to zero or one. The sequence R(n) represents an encoded form of the input sequence dK.
US07991080B2
A radio frequency identification (RFID) decoding subsystem includes a pre-decode module and a decode module. The pre-decode module is coupled to process down-converted RFID signals into pre-decoded baseband data. The decode module is coupled to: enable a counting process based on the pre-decoded baseband data to produce a count resultant; and compare the count resultant with a threshold at a data bit interval to produce decoded RFID data.
US07991067B2
Techniques for calibrating the transmit and receive chains at a wireless entity are described. For a pre-calibration, N first overall gains for a receiver unit and N transmitter units in the transmit chain are obtained, where N>1. Each first overall gain is for a combined response for the receiver unit and the associated transmitter unit. N second overall gains for a transmitter unit and N receiver units in the receive chain are also obtained. Each second overall gain is for a combined response for the transmitter unit and the associated receiver unit. The gain of each transmitter unit and the gain of each receiver unit are determined based on the first and second overall gains. At least one correction matrix is then derived based on the gains of the transmitter and receiver units and is used to account for the responses of these units.
US07991051B2
Provided is an inter-frame wavelet coding apparatus that can reduce the computation complexity of a decoder by adjusting a decomposition level and a filter length based on the information amount of a frame during wavelet transform and a method therefor. The inter-frame wavelet coding apparatus includes: a Motion Compensated Temporal Filtering (MCTF) unit for computing a motion vectors of a group of pictures (GOP) and filtering the GOP with respect to the temporal axis, to thereby obtain filtered frame; a wavelet transforming unit for performing spatial wavelet transform on the filtered frame and outputting a wavelet coefficient; a quantization unit for quantizing the wavelet coefficient; an entropy coding unit for entropy-coding the motion vector computed in the MCTF unit and the quantized wavelet coefficient, to thereby generate an entropy-coded bit stream; and a wavelet filter managing unit for selecting a decomposition level and a filter length for the wavelet transforming unit based on motion estimation information of the GOP video computed in the MCTF unit, wherein the decomposition level and the filter length are included in the entropy-coded bit stream.
US07991044B1
A device and methods for automatically diagnosing impairments in a digital quadrature amplitude modulated signal is disclosed. The impairments include phase noise, compression, coherent interference, and non-coherent interference. The device comprises a phase noise detector, a compression detector, and an interference detector. The phase noise detector detects phase noise by analyzing data points of an amplitude quadrature modulated constellation for orthogonal deviations from ideal points. The compression detector detects compression by analyzing the magnitudes of vectors from the constellation's origin to data points of the constellation. The interference detector detects coherent and non-coherent interference by detecting error signals in the data points and then analyzing the distribution of the error signals.
US07991037B2
There is provided a multi-beam laser apparatus including: a laser beam source generating a beam; an incident lens disposed on a path of the beam; a beam splitter splitting the beam incident on the incident lens into a plurality of beamlets; and a beam path adjustor disposed on each of paths of the split beamlets to change the respective paths of the split beamlets. The multi-beam laser apparatus easily produces a plurality of beamlets and adjusts paths of the beamlets obtained by a prism to improve machinability quality and uniformity.
US07991036B2
A two-dimensional photonic crystal plane emission laser of the invention includes a two-dimensional photonic crystal which has a two-dimensional photonic crystal area and a light reflecting area, and which selects a wavelength of light to be generated in an active layer. The light reflecting area is formed in such a manner that when light leaking from the two-dimensional photonic crystal area and reflected on a reflecting surface of the light reflecting area is returned to the two-dimensional photonic crystal area, the reflection light is combined with a standing wave residing in a propagating direction of the reflection light without disturbing its resonant state.
US07991031B2
In a method of controlling an injection-seeded laser, a response of the laser is sampled at a plurality of different laser current values. A threshold current and a slope efficiency of the sampled response are then estimated, and a bias current and a modulation current calculated based on the estimated threshold current and a slope efficiency.
US07991030B2
A method for deriving precise control over laser power of an optical pickup unit (OPU) includes: providing an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) within an automatic power calibration (APC) circuit to derive a path gain and/or a path offset from the APC circuit; and selectively performing compensation according to the gain and/or the path offset, in order to maintain precision of a relationship between the laser power and a target command utilized for controlling the laser power. An associated APC circuit comprising an ADC and at least one compensation module is further provided. The ADC is utilized for deriving a path gain and/or a path offset from the APC circuit. The compensation module is utilized for selectively performing compensation according to the path gain and/or the path offset, in order to control the laser power by a target command.
US07991024B2
In an external cavity wavelength tunable laser device including an external cavity (20) which includes a semiconductor optical amplifier (2) and performs laser oscillation operation by feeding back external light, a wavelength tunable mirror (7) having at least a single-peak reflection spectrum characteristic within a laser wavelength tuning range is placed on one end of the external cavity (20), and a Fabry-Perot mode interval determined by the effective length of the external cavity (20) is not less than 1/10 times and not more than 10 times the reflection band full width half maximum of the wavelength tunable mirror (7).
US07991019B2
With the growing number of, both personal and shared, devices that may be connected to the Internet, the number of possible media sources that may provide input for a message increases, as does the complexity of message preparation. Additionally, with the introduction of shared devices, such as televisions, as media sources for messages, both authentication and security issues are of fundamental importance. Aspects the present invention are related to systems and methods for combining media inputs at an external, central server for messaging.
US07991004B2
It is an object to provide a wireless communication base station device that can prevent the decline of a system throughput due to the degradation of a utilization efficiency of a communication resource of a channel for carrying out a frequency diversity transmission when a frequency scheduling transmission and a frequency diversity transmission are concurrently carried out in multiple carrier communication. In the wireless communication base station device, a modulation unit (12) carries out modulation processing for Dch data after coding to generate a Dch data symbol. A modulation unit (22) carries out modulation processing for Lch data after coding to generate an Lch data symbol. An allocation unit (103) allocates the Dch data symbol and Lch data symbol to each sub-carrier composing an OFDM symbol and outputs the allocated sub-carrier to a multiplex unit (104). In this case, the allocation unit (103) allocates the Dch data symbol to a plurality of resource blocks where one Dch is arranged at an interval equal to integral multiples of the number of resource blocks composing a resource block group.
US07991003B2
A transmission apparatus of the present invention includes an encoder unit configured to encode data including plural layers for each of the layers, a packetizing unit configured to generate a packet based on the data encoded by the encoder unit, a determination unit configured to determine transmission intervals at which the generated packet is transmitted for each of the layers, and a transmission unit configured to transmit the generated packet at the determined transmission intervals, wherein the transmission intervals are changed for each specified packet, where the change varies with each of the plurality of layers.
US07990997B2
The present invention relates to the field of contention in a network of communicating nodes. The present invention especially relates to a master node for a communication network, to a slave node device for a communication network, to a network comprising the master node device and at least one slave node device and to a method of contention in a network of nodes. The method of contention according to the present invention is method in a network comprising slave nodes, said slave nodes comprising a group of first slave nodes, the method comprising the step of sending, by every first slave node participating in a contention, a number of two or more contention participation messages during a contention window associated with the first slave node.
US07990994B1
Storage gateway provisioning, configuration, and management functions provide mechanisms to specify and manage parameters and operations associated with storage gateways. The parameters may include any combination of VLAN topology, zoning behavior, LUN masking, bandwidth, and priority. The parameters may also include path information describing initiator to target associations, enabling load-balancing aggregations and multipathing redundancy. Parameters may be specified at relatively low-levels, describing specific HW elements, or may be specified at relatively high-levels, describing desired bandwidth and redundancy requirements, with SW determining low-level HW assignments. Configuration and management functions enable dynamic modification of storage gateway parameters (such as bandwidth between selected initiator and target pairs). Management functions also enable dynamic switchover from a primary path to a secondary path with respect to a storage device.
US07990981B2
Connection-oriented services for packet switched data communications networks are provided, including distributed MAC and protocol alias addresses discovery. Link state topology exchanges provide each switch with network topology graphs to determine paths from source to destination end systems. Broadcast frames are resolved to unicast frames to reduce broadcast traffic. Policy restrictions may be applied prior to connection setup. Connection management includes source-routed mapping of connections on the desired path. Distributed call rerouting is provided so switches receive topology change notifications and unmap failed link connections. Broadcast/unknown services provide non-resolvable packet restricted flooding. Connection-oriented switching is provided based on source and destination MAC addresses. Resolution of networks outside the switch domain is enabled by listening for network and server route advertisements and maintaining best routes to the networks and servers. Route and path metrics may be combined to determine paths from access switches to egress switches connected to the external network.
US07990975B1
A fibre channel switch element and method for routing fibre channel frames is provided. The switch element includes a receive segment that can add a virtual storage area network (“VSAN”) tagging header to frames that are received by the receive segment; and strip the VSAN tagging header before frames are sent to ports that do not support virtual fabric capability. The receive segment includes a table used for matching fabric extension parameters. An incoming frame's VSAN identity value is compared to a control word entry to generate a value used for routing the incoming frame. The table is used to determine if a frame is part of a virtual fabric. The routing table for each port is used to route frames and the routing table includes entries for supported virtual fabrics.
US07990969B2
A method comprising receiving, from a first node, a first packet at a network application server via a first local area network (LAN); receiving, from a second node, a second packet at the network application server via a second LAN; associating the first packet with a first VPN based on receiving the first packet via the first LAN; and associating the second packet with a second VPN based on reception of the second packet via the second LAN, wherein the first VPN and the second VPN include overlapping network address spaces.
US07990968B2
Presented herein are method(s) and apparatus for demultiplexing, merging, and duplicating packetized elementary stream/program stream/elementary stream data. In one embodiment, there is presented a method for processing data. The method comprises receiving a bitstream wherein said bitstream comprises a plurality of streams; mapping the plurality of streams to a plurality of identifiers; packetizing the plurality of streams, thereby resulting in a plurality of packets, and wherein each packet further comprises: a portion of only one of the plurality of streams; and a particular one of the identifiers, wherein the particular one of the identifiers is mapped to the only one of the plurality of streams.
US07990966B2
Provided is an apparatus for changing Media Access Control (MAC) address, which is a conventional subscriber hardware identification address for identifying each subscriber, and a method thereof. The MAC address changing apparatus includes a frame receiving block for determining whether to change a source MAC address; a switch controlling block for controlling a switch; a change MAC address generating block for changing the source MAC address of the received frame; a change MAC address storing block for storing information of the change MAC address and the source MAC address corresponding thereto; a MAC address forwarding and lookup block for extracting output port information; a MAC address replacing block for forming an output frame by replacing the source MAC address; a MAC address storing block for storing a MAC address; and a frame transmitting block for transmitting the output frame.
US07990957B2
A method and device for selecting a service domain in a system for setting a session for at least one or more services between at least two or more terminals, in which when receiving an INVITE message for setting a voice service related session from an originating terminal, it is decided whether to send the INVITE message to a server or to directly send the INVITE message to a terminating terminal according to user pre-registered information for a domain selection, and then the terminating terminal having received the INVITE message sends to a network a response message including domain selecting information for directly selecting a domain with respect to the voice service related session according to a user's selection.
US07990951B2
An association table associates each program stream of a plurality of program streams with a MAC domain, with a channel frequency and with a multicast address. If a subscriber device selects a content program different from a current program, a determination is made whether the new program is serviced by a different MAC domain than the one serving the current program. If the selected new program is not serviced by the same domain that is serving the current program stream(s), the current MAC domain is informed that the subscriber device is ending the session therewith, the new frequency is tuned by the subscriber device and new content is received immediately after the new frequency is tuned. The subscriber device registers with the new MAC domain after receipt of new content has begun.
