US08003321B2
A probe, a set of probes, and a probe carrier on which the probe or the set of probes is immobilized, are provided for classification of fungus species. The probe or the set of probes is capable of collectively detecting fungus of the same species and distinguishingly detecting those fungus from fungus of other species. The probe is an oligonucleotide probe for detecting a pathogenic fungus DNA and includes at least one of base sequences of SEQ ID NOS. 1 to 3 and mutated sequences thereof.
US08003314B2
The present invention describes a liquid direct fluorescence antibody assay that is rapid and sensitive to detect respiratory virus in infected cells. The assay includes centrifugation of the specimen, incubation of sample and reagents in solution, and detection of the absence or presence of respiratory virus. Sapogenin is used as a detergent to permeabilize the cells for entry of the monoclonal antibodies to react with intracellular antigens. The cells are stained with fluorescently labeled monoclonal antibodies against the viral antigens along with a background stain and a fluorescent nuclear stain. This counter staining decreases background and allows co-localization of antigen and nuclear structures for enhanced detection.
US08003313B2
The present invention relates to bacteriophage tail proteins and the derivatives and fragments thereof that are capable of binding endotoxins in the absence of bivalent positive ions, especially Ca2+ or Mg2+. Further, the present invention relates to methods for depleting endotoxins from solutions and samples using the bacteriophage tail proteins according to the present invention and to a detection method for endotoxins.
US08003312B2
We describe herein a cell-based multiplexing technique called detectable cell barcoding (DCB). In DCB, each individual sample is labeled with a different DCB signature that distinguishes each sample by one or both of detected intensity or type of detection characteristic. The samples are then combined and analyzed for a detectable characteristic of interest (e.g., presence of an analyte). By employing multiple distinct DCB labels at varying concentrations, one can perform multiplex analyses on up to hundreds or thousands (or more) of cell samples in a single reaction tube. DCB reduces reagent consumption by factors of 100-fold or more, significantly reduces data acquisition times and allows for stringent control sample analysis.
US08003309B2
The present invention relates to a composition comprising a photoresist polymer and a fluoropolymer. In one embodiment, the fluoropolymer comprises a first monomer having a pendant group selected from alicyclic bis-hexafluoroisopropanol and aryl bis-hexafluoroisopropanol and preferably a second monomer selected from fluorinated styrene and fluorinated vinyl ether. The invention composition has improved receding contact angles with high refractive index hydrocarbon fluids used in immersion lithography and, thereby, provides improved performance in immersion lithography.
US08003305B2
A method for etching a pattern on a surface is disclosed. A mask layer is disposed over a surface and a resist is disposed over the mask layer. The resist is exposed to light through the mask exposing primary pattern and sidelobe regions. The resist is developed and the mask layer is etched according to the resist pattern. A first material is deposited over the mask layer, wherein a gap is formed beneath the material and over the primary pattern region. The material is etched back so that the gap is exposed, and the primary pattern region is etched using the first material as a mask.
US08003300B2
This invention provides processing steps, methods and materials strategies for making patterns of structures for electronic, optical and optoelectronic devices. Processing methods of the present invention are capable of making micro- and nano-scale electronic structures, such as T-gates, gamma gates, and shifted T-gates, having a selected non-uniform cross-sectional geometry. The present invention provides lithographic processing strategies for sub-pixel patterning in a single layer of photoresist useful for making and integrating device components comprising dielectric, conducting, metal or semiconductor structures having non-uniform cross-sectional geometries. Processing methods of the present invention are complementary to conventional microfabrication and nanofabrication platforms, and can be effectively integrated into existing photolithographic, etching and thin film deposition patterning strategies, systems and infrastructure.
US08003289B2
A photoconductor that includes, for example, a supporting substrate, a photogenerating layer, and at least one charge transport layer comprised of at least one charge transport component, and wherein at least one of the photogenerating layer and charge transport layer contains a ferrocene.
US08003288B2
Disclosed is a photoconductive member including a self-healing composite coating having a polymer matrix, a photoconductive component, a healing material encapsulated within nano- or microcapsules, and an optional catalyst, that is capable of repairing physical damage to the photoconductive member when the capsule ruptures. Also disclosed is photoconductive member including a substrate, an undercoat layer, a charge generating layer, a charge transport layer, and an optional protective overcoat layer; in which one layer of the photoconductive member further includes a healing material encapsulated within nano- or microcapsules and an optional catalyst, and that is capable or reparing physical damage to the photoconductive member when the capsule ruptures. Also disclosed is an imaging forming apparatus including same.
US08003281B2
A hybrid mask set for exposing a plurality of layers on a semiconductor substrate to create an integrated circuit device is disclosed. The hybrid mask set includes a first group of one or more multi-layer masks (MLMs) for a first subset of the plurality of layers. Each MLM includes a plurality of different images for different layers, the images being separated by a relatively wide image spacer. The hybrid mask set also includes a first group of one or more production-ready masks for a second subset of the plurality of layers. Each production-ready mask includes a plurality of similar images for a common layer, each image being separated by a relatively narrow scribe street.
US08003276B2
A membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell of the present invention includes an electrolyte membrane (100); and a pair of electrode catalyst layers (110) provided on both surfaces of the electrolyte membrane. Furthermore, in the present invention, a plurality of hydrophilic groups exist along a substantially continuous concentration gradient from a surface of one of the electrode catalyst layers opposite to a surface thereof in contact with the electrolyte membrane to a surface of the other electrode catalyst layer opposite to a surface thereof in contact with the electrolyte membrane in a thickness direction of the electrolyte membrane (100) and the electrode catalyst layers (110). This makes it possible to provide a membrane electrode assembly with water management performed not only in the surfaces but also in the entire assembly in the thickness direction.
US08003269B2
A fuel reforming apparatus includes an oxidation reaction unit in which an oxidation catalyst is formed, a reforming reaction unit in which a reforming catalyst is formed, and an ignition unit for igniting a hydrocarbon-containing fuel and an oxidant and preheating the oxidation catalyst in an early driving stage. The oxidation reaction unit has a first section and a second section respectively formed opposite to each other with the oxidation catalyst interposed therebetween and forms a stream of the fuel and the oxidant flowing to the second section through the oxidation catalyst from the first section, the ignition unit being located in the second section.
US08003258B2
An alkaline cell having an anode mixture comprising zinc particles, aqueous alkaline electrolyte, and molecular sieve additive. The cathode preferably comprises manganese dioxide. The cell may be cylindrical or any other shape or size. The molecular sieve additive preferably comprises a crystalline aluminosilicate material which is in at least a partially dehydrated state before admixture with the aqueous electrolyte, preferably potassium hydroxide. The aluminosilicate crystalline structure has average pore size between about 3 and 25 Angstrom. The addition of the molecular sieves to the zinc anode improves the cell's discharge capacity and service life. The molecular sieves preferably comprises between about 0.07 and 0.7 percent by weight of the anode mixture.
US08003253B2
A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery including: a positive electrode; a negative electrode, and a non-aqueous electrolyte. The negative electrode includes a negative electrode active material that includes at least Si. The non-aqueous electrolyte includes lithium hexafluorophosphate as a main supporting electrolyte and has an acid content of not less than 50 ppm and not more than 200 ppm. The negative electrode has a potential of not less than 0.6 V and not more than 1.5 V relative to a Li electrode at an end-of-discharge voltage of the battery. The battery is prevented from suffering degradation of storage characteristics caused by the dissolution reaction of Si from the negative electrode during charging and the precipitation reaction of the dissolved Si.
US08003251B2
The present disclosure relates generally to an electrochemical cell such as a battery, and more particularly to an improved grommet suitable for electrically insulating an anode can from a cathode can of an electrochemical cell. In particular, the present disclosure relates to an improved grommet that has a tubular sidewall that varies in thickness from top to bottom.
US08003250B2
The energy density of the entire cell may be improved while retaining high power density by use of an alkali metal transition metal polyanion compound as the cathode and a thin film metal or metalloid anode. The thin film anode may be initially unalloyed or partially unalloyed. During use, the thin film anode may be only partially unalloyed relative to the theoretical maximum. The high volumetric capacity of the metal anode makes it possible to use a dense or porous thin film anode in conjunction with a relatively thin particle-based cathode to thereby improve the energy density of the cell.
US08003237B2
A magnetic disk 10 for use in perpendicular magnetic recording, which includes an underlayer 18, a size-reduction promoting layer 20 (nonmagnetic granular layer) of a granular structure, and a magnetic recording layer 22 having a ferromagnetic layer 32 of a granular structure. The size-reduction promoting layer 20 has an inorganic oxide matrix and nonmagnetic metal crystal grains and is disposed between the underlayer 18 and the ferromagnetic layer 32, thereby reducing the size of magnetic crystal grains in the ferromagnetic layer 32.
US08003222B2
The object of the present invention is to find a resin composition for forming an ultraviolet absorbing layer having excellent adhesion to various plastic substrates such as polyester type films of PET etc. and provide a laminate of plastic substrate having no yellowing, excellent weather resistance and less curl formation with good productivity. There is provided a resin composition for use in forming an ultraviolet absorbing layer on the surface of a plastic substrate, having an ultraviolet absorbing polymer as a major component being synthesized from monomer mixtures containing an ultraviolet absorbing monomer, wherein the resin composition contains 0.5-5 parts by mass of a saturated polyester resin with a number-average molecular weight of 10000 or more and 0.1-30 parts by mass of a polyisocyanate based crosslinker relative to 100 parts by mass of the ultraviolet absorbing polymer, and a laminate with an ultraviolet absorbing layer made of the above composition formed on the surface of a plastic substrate.
US08003220B2
Methods, manufactures, machines and compositions are described for nanotransfer and nanoreplication using deterministically grown sacrificial nanotemplates. An apparatus, includes a substrate and a nanoreplicant structure coupled to a surface of the substrate.
US08003214B2
The present invention is directed to an improved thermoplastic material-coated particulate composition useful for hydraulic fracturing treatments, gravel packing for sand control or other well formation treatments and especially the related methods of its use and is particularly directed to using a thermoplastic material as part of a particulate composition in a method for enhancing the stabilization of and reducing particulate flowback and fines transport in a well formation.
US08003213B2
Composite particles, wherein each particle contains titanium oxide, a first covering layer containing cerium oxide and a second covering layer containing silicon oxide in this order from the inside, and wherein the amount of cerium oxide is from 3 to 30 parts by mass based on 100 parts by mass of titanium oxide, the amount of silicon oxide is from 5 to 60 parts by mass based on 100 parts by mass of titanium oxide, and the average particle size of the composite particles is from 0.15 to 3 μm. The composite particles suppress discoloration, decomposition and photocatalytic reaction of titanium oxide by ultraviolet rays and show excellent resistance against hydrogen fluoride. Discoloration, changes in visible light transmittance, and decreases in the mechanical strength of coating compositions, printing inks, and resin films coated with printing inks containing the composite particles are suppressed for long periods of time.
US08003212B2
The present invention relates to proppants which can be used to prop open subterranean formation fractions. Proppant formulations are further disclosed which use one or more proppants of the present invention. Methods to prop open subterranean formation fractions are further disclosed. In addition, other uses for the proppants of the present invention are further disclosed, as well as methods of making the proppants.
US08003211B2
Microencapsulated particles having improved resistance to moisture and extended release capabilities are produced by microencapsulating the particles in a film-forming, cross-linked, hydrolyzed polymer.
US08003207B2
An adhesive bonding sheet having an optically transmitting supporting substrate and an adhesive bonding layer, and being used in both a dicing step and a semiconductor element adhesion step, wherein the adhesive bonding layer comprises: a polymer component (A) having a weight average molecular weight of 100,000 or more including functional groups; an epoxy resin (B); a phenolic epoxy resin curing agent (C); a photoreactive monomer (D), wherein the Tg of the cured material obtained by ultraviolet light irradiation is 250° C. or more; and a photoinitiator (E) which generates a base and a radical by irradiation with ultraviolet light of wavelength 200-450 nm.
US08003206B2
An optical laminate is provided, which prevents the occurrence of interface reflection and interference fringes at the interface between a light transparent base material and an antistatic layer has been effectively prevented. The optical laminate includes a light transparent base material and an antistatic layer and a hardcoat layer provided in that order on the light transparent base material. The hardcoat layer is formed on the antistatic layer using a composition for a hardcoat layer including a resin and a penetrative solvent. The penetrative solvent penetrates into the antistatic layer and the light transparent base material so that the antistatic agent contained in the antistatic layer disperses into the antistatic layer or the light transparent base material.
US08003205B2
This invention relates to sprayable polyurethaneurea compositions, composite articles comprising at least one layer of these polyurethaneurea compositions and at least one layer of a polyurethaneurea foam forming composition, and to a process for the production of these composites.
US08003204B2
The present invention relates to a multi-layered microporous polyolefin film for a battery separator and a method for preparing the same. The microporous multi-layered film of the present invention has a characteristics to have both the low shutdown temperature conferred by the polyethylene and the high melt fracture temperature conferred by the polypropylene and heat-resistant filler. In addition, it has the high strength and stability conferred by the micropores prepared under wet process and the high permeability and high strength conferred by the macropores prepared under dry process. Therefore, this multi-layered film can be used effectively to manufacture a secondary battery with high capacity and high power.
US08003202B2
A semiaromatic polyamide composite article comprising a first component comprising a fiber-reinforced material comprising a polyamide composition and reinforcing fibers and having a tensile modulus of at least about 16 GPa as measured by ISO method 527-2:1993 at a rate of 5 mm/min on test specimens having a thickness of 4 mm, a second component comprising a polyamide composition, and an optional tie layer therebetween. The polyamide composition of first component and/or the second component is a semiaromatic polyamide compositions. The second component is prepared by injection molding and/or injection-compression molding the semiaromatic polyamide composition onto the first component.
US08003199B2
An acrylic glass plate for use as an opaque noise protection element in noise protection walls, the plate measuring a minimum of 2×2 m and having a minimum thickness of 8 mm wherein threads, strips, grids or networks consisting of a material which is incompatible with the acrylic glass are integrated into the acrylic glass for binding splinters in the event of a fracture of the plate, and the plate comprises between 40 and 80 wt. % of filling materials, in relation to its total weight (calculated without integrated threads, strips, grids or networks); and a method for producing such plates.
US08003195B2
A method for manufacturing a display device includes forming an active layer by performing an SPC (solid phase crystallization) process on a first substrate; forming a cushioning layer of amorphous silicon (a-Si) on the active layer under an atmosphere containing about 90 to about 97% by flow rate of hydrogen (H2) and about 10 to about 3% by flow rate of silane (SiH4); forming an N-type impurity layer on the cushioning layer; forming a metal layer to cover the N-type impurity layer; forming a source and drain by removing the metal film by a first etching method; and separating the N-type impurity layer and the cushioning layer by a second etching method.
US08003176B2
An ink receptive article including a substrate having applied on at least a portion thereof a layer of an ink receptive coating, wherein the ink receptive coating layer includes a cross-linked polymer and an ink absorbing polymer, wherein the ink absorbing polymer has a solubility parameter of equal to or less than 9 (cal/cm3)1/2.
US08003161B2
A method of manufacturing a dielectric film includes a coating step of coating sol made of an organic metal compound and forming a dielectric precursor film, a drying step of drying the dielectric precursor film, a degreasing step of degreasing the dielectric precursor film, and a baking step of baking the dielectric precursor film to form a dielectric film. The drying step includes a first drying step of drying the dielectric precursor film by heating the dielectric precursor film to a temperature lower than a boiling point of a solvent which is a main solvent of the sol and then holding the dielectric precursor film at the temperature for a predetermined period of time, and a second drying step of drying the dielectric precursor film further by reheating the dielectric precursor film and then holding the dielectric precursor film at the temperature for a predetermined period of time.
US08003151B2
A low fat frozen confectionery product is provided having 5 wt % or less fat which product comprises a combination of an ice structuring protein (ISP) and a polyol ester of a fatty acid.
US08003143B2
The invention concerns a process respectively an apparatus for filling a container with articles such as food, in particular meat, and a process respectively an apparatus for cooling articles and is characterised by repeating the following steps: (A) a first portion of the articles is conveyed with a conveying means, in particular a conveyor belt, having a conveyor outlet and is discharged into a container at a lower conveying speed such that a first portion accumulates in the container at the first location closer to the conveyor outlet; and (B) thereafter, a second portion of the articles is conveyed by the conveying means and is discharged into a container at a higher conveying speed, such that the second portion accumulates in the container at the second location further away from the conveyor outlet; as well as a process respectively an apparatus for cooling articles using said process and said apparatus for filling; as well as the articles processed by said processes respectively said apparatus. The control of the conveying speed allows for reducing the number of necessary surfaces of machinery with which the articles come into contact. The invention effects that the articles may be handled more easily in a clean way without the expense of non-uniform filling of the container. The process and the apparatus is particularly suited for homogenously and efficiently cooling articles using carbon dioxide particles.
US08003139B2
A pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of rheumatism and a method of preparing it are provided. The composition consists of an alcoholic extract of 1-4 parts by weight Tripterygium hypoglaucum (Levl.) Hutch.; 1-4 parts by weight Epimedium brevicornum Maxim.; 1-4 parts by weight Lycium barbarum L.; and 1-4 parts by weight Cuscuta chinensis Lam., or Cuscuta australis R. Br. The composition has substantial therapeutic efficacy, with mild side effects, and is easy to administer.
US08003133B2
A composition for delivery of osteogenic proteins is disclosed. The composition comprises an osteogenic protein, a calcium phosphate material as a carrier, and an effective amount of an effervescent agent. Methods of making the compositions and methods of using the osteogenic compositions to treat osteoporotic and/or osteopenic bone are also disclosed.
US08003131B2
A tissue graft composition comprising liver basement membrane is described. The graft composition can be implanted to replace or induce the repair of damaged or diseased tissues.
US08003117B2
A polyalkylene glycol derivative containing a compound of the formula (1): wherein R is a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 24 carbon atoms, OA2 is an oxyalkylene group having 2 to 4 carbon atoms, the groups represented by R are the same or different from each other in one molecule, the groups represented by OA2 are the same or different from each other in one molecule, m is an average number of moles of the oxyalkylene group added, m represents 10 to 1000, and X represents a functional group capable of chemically reactive with a bio-related substance, polydispersity Mw/Mn of the above polyalkylene glycol derivative in gel permeation chromatography satisfying the following relationship: Mw/Mn≦1.07 wherein Mw represents a weight average molecular weight and Mn represents a number average molecular weight.
US08003115B2
The invention provides immunomodulatory compounds and methods for immunomodulation of individuals using the immunomodulatory compounds.
US08003114B2
The invention relates to the abfB-2 gene of Penicillium funiculosum that codes for a type B α-L-arabinofuranosidase and has a cellulose binding domain. This enzyme α-L-arabinofuranosidase can be incorporated in nutritional additives or in foods for animals for which it improves the digestibility and thus the nutritional value.
US08003113B2
The present invention is directed to a DNA vaccine for immunization against HIV. The invention comprises a DNA molecule that has a sequence encoding a plurality of viral proteins capable of stimulating an immune response against HIV. The DNA molecule is rendered safe for used as a vaccine by the disruption of genes encoding reverse transcriptase, integrase, and Vif. The DNA molecule is further rendered safe by at least a partial deletion of the 3′ LTR.
US08003112B2
This disclosure relates to vaccine formulations comprising an immunogenic composition for inducing antibodies to both S. pneumoniae and N. meningitides in a subject. In a preferred aspect, the immunogenic composition comprises covalently conjugated recombinant PsaA (“rPsaA”) from S. pneumoniae and capsular polysaccharide from N. meningitidis serogroup C. This disclosure further relates to methods for producing the immunogenic composition as well as methods for their use.
US08003096B2
Described are methods of modulating stem/progenitor cell recruitment involving molecules that agonize the formation of plasmin stimulating the recruitment of stem/progenitor cells, including hematopoietic and endothelial precursor cells. Conversely, antagonists of plasmin can inhibit recruitment of the stem cells. In addition, the identification of the uPA receptor (uPAR) as a retention signal for stem cells in their niche suggests a novel method for increased engraftment and isolation of multipotent stem cells.
US08003093B2
The present invention relates to a B cell-based vaccine loaded with the ligand of natural killer T cell and antigen for the prevention and treatment of disease, more precisely, an immunotherapeutic and prophylactic vaccine mediated by B cells loaded with α-galactosylceramide, a kind of glycolipid which can stimulate natural killer T cells. A vaccine composition of the present invention can be effectively used as an antitumor immunotherapeutic agent. B cells therein, which are easily obtainable compared with dendritic cells, not only induce a similar level of cytotoxic T lymphocyte response to that of the conventional dendritic cell-based vaccine but also have a prophylactic and therapeutic effect on solid tumor and metastatic tumor.
US08003086B2
Disclosed herein is a cosmetic and/or pharmaceutical composition comprising, in a physiologically acceptable medium, a fatty phase and at least one compound chosen from compounds of formula (I), salts thereof, and isomers thereof, used to texture the fatty phase. Also disclosed herein is a method for texturing a cosmetic and/or pharmaceutical composition comprising adding to the composition at least one compound of formula (I). Further disclosed herein is a method for the cosmetic treatment of keratin materials comprising applying to the materials at least one composition of the present disclosure.
US08003082B2
The present invention relates to a sunscreen capsule comprising i) at least one UV-A organic sunscreen and ii) at least one photostabilizer, furthermore it relates to a composition for topical application comprising these capsule and methods of production and use of these capsules and compositions.
US08003080B2
The present invention relates to the delivery of drug amines through an inhalation route. Specifically, it relates to aerosols containing drug amines that are used in inhalation therapy. In one aspect of the present invention, a method of delivering an amine drug in an aerosol form is provided. The method comprises: a) heating a coating, which includes an amine drug salt on a substrate contained in a device to a temperature sufficient to volatilize the amine drug from the coating, b) by said heating, forming an amine drug vapor, and c) during said heating, drawing air through said device, condensing said vapor to form aerosol particles containing less than 10% degradation products of the compound.
US08003079B2
Nanoparticles having an average particle size of less than 2000 nm, wherein said nanoparticles comprise a polymer having pendant cleavable iodine substituted groups are provided. Processes for preparing the nanoparticles and their use as a contrast agent for X-ray imaging are also described.
US08003071B2
The invention relates to microbiological processes using non-selenium-respiring bacteria for the production of elemental selenium nanospheres having a size in the 50-500 nm range and compositions comprising said nanospheres. The invention further concerns grey elemental selenium nanospheres directly obtainable by the processes of the invention. The compositions and materials of the invention are useful, in particular, as food additives and for use as raw material in the microelectronic and optical industries.
US08003070B2
Single source precursors are subjected to carbon dioxide to form particles of material. The carbon dioxide may be in a supercritical state. Single source precursors also may be subjected to supercritical fluids other than supercritical carbon dioxide to form particles of material. The methods may be used to form nanoparticles. In some embodiments, the methods are used to form chalcopyrite materials. Devices such as, for example, semiconductor devices may be fabricated that include such particles. Methods of forming semiconductor devices include subjecting single source precursors to carbon dioxide to form particles of semiconductor material, and establishing electrical contact between the particles and an electrode.
US08003062B2
A microchannel has a substrate body; a separation channel which is formed within the substrate; at least two (first and second) connection ports which are formed at one end of the separation channel close to the thickness direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the substrate body; and first and second branch channels connected respectively to the first and second connection ports. When the substrate body is perpendicular to gravity, a blood sample containing blood cells and plasma, flows from one end of the separation channel. Before the blood sample gets to the other end of the separation channel, the blood cells in the blood sample settle out. The blood cells having settled out are then separated into the branch channel.
US08003059B2
A system having a reactor for continuous processing of fluid is provided herein. The reactor, in general, includes an outer vessel to accommodate fluids to be processed or used in connection therewith, an inner vessel situated within the outer vessel to serve as an energy exchange surface, and an annular space defined between the outer and inner vessels and along which processing of the fluids can be implemented. The continuous thin film reactor can be used to perform, for example, distillation and evaporation, fluid-fluid or solid-fluid-fluid reactions, organic reactions, cooling, and desalination.
US08003056B2
A gas analyzer apparatus includes a device or platform for supporting a predetermined quantity of a reagent capable of reacting with a predetermined gas to cause a detectable change in a characteristic of the reagent, a reservoir adapted to retain the reagent, a dispenser for dispensing a controlled quantity of the reagent from the reservoir to a predetermined position on the device for supporting the predetermined quantity of the reagent, and a detector that detects the presence of the predetermined gas upon the predetermined gas and the controlled quantity of reagent reacting to cause a detectable change in a characteristic of the reagent detectable by the detector, the detector adapted to detect a change in the controlled quantity of the reagent by detecting the change in the characteristic through the predetermined quantity of the reagent.
US08003053B2
A liquid container having a top opening, a base, and an extraction chimney which extends into the container and which is in alignment with the top opening is presented. The extraction chimney is intended for the withdrawal of liquid by a liquid-withdrawal element that is introduced into the liquid container through the extraction chimney. The extraction chimney has a liquid-permeable zone in its bottom region, adjacent to the liquid container base. The liquid permeability of the liquid-permeable zone of the extraction chimney can be adjusted between a setting for minimal liquid permeability and a setting for greater liquid permeability. The extraction chimney can be adjusted while the extraction chimney remains in the liquid container.
US08003046B2
A method for operating a cleaning device or a cleaning system is proposed. In this case, the cleaning device is set up for carrying out a process for cleaning an article with a germicidal action. The method includes the following steps: information on a target germ with which the article could be contaminated is received; at least one process parameter of the cleaning process is selected according to the target germ in such a way that the target germ is killed with a high degree of probability during the cleaning process; and the cleaning process is carried out with the process parameter.
US08003042B2
Pressureless sintering of silicon carbide with fracture toughness in excess of about 4 MPa-m1/2 as measured by the single-edge precracked beam (SEPB) technique while maintaining a density greater than 3.1 g/cc for compositions with SiC greater than about 94 wt. % is made possible through the use of metallic Al to promote sintering and grain growth. Boron and carbon may be used as traditional sintering aids, with nitrogen to suppress grain growth, and additions of yttrium and/or lanthanide elements to promote intergranular fracture.
US08003041B2
The invention concerns a process for the production of hollow bodies of thermoplastic material. In the process according to the invention preforms in web or band form of plasticized material are shaped in a multi-part tool forming a mold cavity comprising two outer molds and at least one central mold which perform an opening and closing movement relative to each other. The central mold is provided with at least one component holder which can be moved of and into the tool plane defined by the central mold. In a first step the component holder is fitted with at least one insert portion, then the insert portion is placed by means of the component holder against the inside wall of an outer mold. In a further step introduction and shaping of the preforms within the tool is effected in a two-stage procedure, wherein firstly the preforms are respectively applied against a contour forming a part of the mold cavity by means of increased pressure and/or reduced pressure and shaped and then the intermediate products forming respective parts of the hollow body are joined together to form a finished product.
US08003039B2
A solid imaging apparatus is provided that includes a replaceable cartridge containing a source of build material and an extendable and retractable flexible transport film for transporting the build material layer-by-layer from the cartridge to the surface of a build in an image plane. An operator using the device needs merely to remove a spent cartridge and replace it with a fresh cartridge to continue solid imaging virtually uninterrupted. The apparatus also includes the capability of withdrawing and inserting an imager without the operator having to perform a separate alignment step. A brush attached to the transport film and forming part of the cartridge provides for intra-layer removal of excess uncured build material. If desired, the apparatus can produce a fully reacted build. A high intensity UV source cures the build between layers. An injection molded build pad is designed to hold a build in an inverted position for improving the build. The invention also provides for tilting the build elevator to reduce air entrainment and for releasing the build from the image plane.
US08003031B2
The invention relates to a method for producing oriented slit film tapes, comprising the following steps: extruding melt polymer through a die (2); simultaneous quenching and melt-drawing of the molten polymer in the cooling device to form a film sheet (3); slitting the initial film sheet into a plurality of relatively narrow slit film tapes (4); stretching (8) at elevated temperature, by passing the slit film tapes through a heating medium (7) at a temperature just below the softening temperature of the slit film tapes; y annealing and cooling the oriented slit film tapes (10, 11); winding the slit film tapes (13); characterized in that before the stretching step, it has a stage of pre-stretching (108) made by passing the slit film tapes through one set of heated holding rollers (107) turning at a given speed and one set of cooled pre-stretch rollers (109) turning faster than the heated holding rollers, wherein at least one of the rollers of the set of holding rollers is heated and at least one of the rollers of the set of pre-stretch rollers is cooled. The invention also relates to an apparatus for performing this method and to the products obtained by said method.
US08003022B2
A method of forming a coated optical element is disclosed herein. The method uses a mold having first and second mold sections that will form front and back surfaces of the optical element, one of the mold sections having a casting face. The method includes the steps of: applying an abrasion resistant coating layer to the casting face of a mold section, the casting face being capable of imparting a desired optical configuration on a surface of the optical element; treating the abrasion resistant coating layer to prevent damage to the layer during subsequent steps; applying a second coating layer to the abrasion resistant coating layer to substantially cover the abrasion resistant coating layer; treating the second coating layer to provide at least weak adhesion of the second coating layer to the abrasion resistant coating layer and to prevent damage to the second layer during subsequent steps; filling the mold with an organic liquid material; and hardening the organic liquid material so as to form the optical element adhered to the second coating layer.
US08003017B2
An adhesive composition includes an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, a copolymer of an aliphatic heterocyclic compound and a monomer having an aromatic ring, a binder resin, a radical polymerizable material, and a radical initiator.
US08003016B2
The present invention relates to a thermoplastic resin composition that includes a first phase polymeric material, at least one conductive filler and a second phase polymeric material where in the first phase polymer and second phase polymer are in co-continuous in nature and said conductive composition exhibits positive temperature coefficient behavior. The invention also relates to a method of making a co-continuous conductive composition that exhibits positive temperature coefficient behavior.
US08003013B2
A waterborne thermoset cured anticorrosion formulation includes a water dispersed or emulsified phosphonated or water dispersed or emulsified sulfonated epoxy resin that is cured with a phenoxy resin having a polyhydroxyl ether backbone and terminal alpha glycol moieties. Water is present as a predominant volatile in which the epoxy resin and phenoxy resin are present in a weight ratio of epoxy resin to phenoxy resin of between 0.1 and 3:1. An aqueous curative is provided to induce cure between the epoxy resin and phenoxy resin, A corrosion inhibiting metal salt is also present having a salt anion of phosphate, biphosphate or tetraborate and a metal cation with the proviso that the metal cation formulation as a whole is devoid of chromium, lead, cobalt, and cadmium. Ideal curatives include aqueous aminoplast crosslinkers, aqueous unblocked isocyanates, aqueous blocked isocyanates, and a mixture thereof. With the inclusion of electrically conductive aluminum or zinc particulate the formulation is rendered corrosion resistant as well as electrically conductive to make an inventive coating amenable to powder coating.
US08003008B1
Color-tailored and white-light emitting polymer colloid-based OLEDs are disclosed. Devices include electroluminescent (EL) colloidal conductive polymer systems that can include EL dyes or other EL materials. Systems can sequester multiple EL components in different colloids in a single emissive layer of an EL device with little or no appreciable energy transfer between colloids. Devices can exhibit tailored emissions over a broad range of wavelengths through mixing of, e.g., red, green and blue PLED colloids. Disclosed methods including incorporation of one or more electroluminescent dyes into a semiconductive EL polymer colloid that can isolate the dyes and prevent energy transfer while retaining individual color emission.
US08003006B2
A nematic liquid crystal composition of the present invention includes one or at least two compounds represented by general formula (I) as a first component; and one or at least two compounds represented by general formula (II) as a second component, wherein a dielectric anisotropy is negative. The use of this nematic liquid crystal composition can provide a highly reliable liquid crystal display element capable of maintaining a high voltage-holding ratio even in a high temperature region, and achieving quick responsiveness without reducing the cell gap.
US08002996B1
A self-cleaning discharge system used with a wastewater treatment system. The wastewater treatment system includes a tank for collecting wastewater while the wastewater typically includes solid particles. The discharge system comprises a housing, a filter positioned in the housing, an effluent discharge apparatus positioned inside the filter, and a venturi effect flushing system positioned proximate to the bottom of the housing. The housing includes a perimeter and at least one intake aperture positioned in the perimeter to accept the wastewater. The filter is shaped to substantially restrict flow of particles into the filter and to the discharge apparatus. The discharge apparatus is in fluid communication with the wastewater in the tank and includes a discharge path to position to transport filtered wastewater outside of the tank. The venturi effect system is in fluid communication with the housing and the tank to return the particles restricted by the filter to the tank.
US08002984B1
Media compositions for use in wastewater treatment, stormwater treatment, CSO treatment and greenroof stormwater management systems as filtration media, plant growth media or pollutant retention media. Media composition includes at least one of a recycled material selected from a group consisting of tire crumb, wood sawdust and paper and a naturally occurring material selected from a group consisting of sand, limestone, sandy clay, expanded clay, organics used for processing geothermal water, organics used for agricultural drainage basins and filtration, and organics for aquaculture drainage and organics used for silviculture and forest drainage, and organics used as growing media.
US08002982B2
A water/wastewater filtration tank includes a fluid deflector coupled to the inner surface of the water/wastewater filtration tank to divert fluid traveling along the inner surface of the tank into filter media within the tank. The fluid deflector includes a back plate coupled to a tank wall and a flange extending outwardly from the back plate.
US08002979B2
Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to waste disposal methods and systems. In one embodiment of the present invention, a waste disposal system is positioned under a sink in a building connected to a septic system for disposal of food waste and wastewater. The waste disposal system includes a grinding chamber, a centrifugal-pump chamber, and a straining chamber for separating food waste from wastewater. The straining chamber includes a filtration basket, and an outlet pipe.
US08002977B2
A drain grate filter assembly having a filter sheet member, wedging anchors and mechanical fasteners, whereby the assembly is connected to a drain grate by inserting wedging anchors into the apertures of the grate, placing the filter sheet member atop the grate and inserting fasteners through the filter sheet member and into the wedging anchors.
US08002969B2
A method for upgrading a petroleum oil by a hydroprocessing reaction in which the oil is hydrogenated, includes the steps of: a. forming a liquid reaction mixture of the oil with water and an amphiphilic liquid in predetermined proportions to thereby render the oil and water miscible; b. introducing the liquid reaction mixture into an electrolytic reactor having one or more cathodic elements formed from a porous high surface area, conductive material; c. operating the reactor to form reactive hydrogen atoms whereby the oil is hydrogenated by the hydrogen atoms; d. removing the liquid mixture from the reactor; and e. separating the hydrogenated upgraded oil from the amphiphilic liquid and any remaining water, e.g., by distillation, recovering and recycling the amphiphilic liquid for use.
US08002967B2
Partial conversion hydrocracking process comprising the steps of (a) hydrotreating a hydrocarbon feedstock with a hydrogenrich gas to produce a hydrotreated effluent stream comprising a liquid/vapor mixture and separating the liquid/vapor mixture into a liquid phase and a vapor phase, and (b) separating the liquid phase into a controlled liquid portion and an excess liquid portion, and (c) combining the vapor phase with the excess liquid portion to form a vapor plus liquid portion, and (d) separating an FCC feed-containing fraction from the controlled liquid portion and simultaneously hydrocracking the vapor plus liquid portion to produce a dieselcontaining fraction, or hydrocracking the controlled liquid portion to produce a diesel-containing fraction and simultaneously separating a FCC feed-containing fraction from the vapor plus liquid portion. The invention also includes an apparatus for carrying out the partial conversion hydrocracking process.
US08002957B2
A fuel cell sensor is provided for detecting the presence of acetylene and hydrogen in a fluid. The sensor includes a sensing element having first and second gas diffusing electrodes spaced from one another. The first gas diffusing electrode can be used for sensing acetylene. The second gas diffusing electrode can be used for sensing hydrogen. A fuel cell spacer having an acidic electrolyte is disposed between the sensing element and a common electrode. The sensing element can be configured to have a specific ratio of the area between the first gas diffusing electrode in relation to the area of the second gas diffusing electrode.
US08002954B2
The invention relates to a process for the purification's of silicon tetrachloride or germanium tetrachloride contaminated with at least one hydrogen-containing compound, in which the silicon tetrachloride or germanium tetrachloride to be purified is treated in a targeted manner by means of a cold plasma and purified silicon tetrachloride or germanium tetrachloride is isolated from the phase which has been treated in this way. The present invention further relates to an apparatus for carrying out the process of the invention, which comprises a stock and vaporization unit for silicon or germanium tetrachloride (4.1 or 5.1) which is connected via a connecting line with the inlet of the reactor (4.3 or 5.3) with control unit (4.4 or 5.4) for producing the dielectrically hindered discharges whose outlet leads via a pipe either directly or indirectly via at least one further reactor (5.5) to a condensation unit (4.5 or 5.11) with downstream collection vessel (4.6 or 5.12) which is connected via an offtake line (4.6.2 or 5.12.1) to a distillation unit (4.8 or 5.13) and, if appropriate, is equipped with a feed line (4.6.1) to the unit (4.1).
US08002941B2
A package material with a tamper evident feature and methods of manufacture thereof, are disclosed herein. The package comprises a colored primer or lacquer coating applied along a portion of a seal and further comprising a peelable sealant. When opened the peelable sealant is separated from the portion of the seal containing colored primer or lacquer and removes a section of the coating, thus providing a visual indication that the package has been opened.
US08002939B2
Methods and devices are provided for improving the encapsulation processes for an organic electronic device.
US08002936B2
Radiation-curable (such as UV-curable) ink is used to form an image on a moving substrate. A radiation-transmissive web is attached to the substrate, and then radiation is applied to the web and substrate to cure the ink. The resulting combined substrate and web forms a laminated print.
US08002931B2
A method and apparatus are provided for of applying a sublimation transfer to a coffee cup having a handle connected at two locations to the cup. A sublimation transfer is placed around the container with a dye image an outer surface of the cup and extending beneath the handle. An elastic clamp wraps around the cup and sublimation transfer and extends beneath the handle to press the dye layer against the cup beneath the handle. The clamp has an elongated opening near one end of the clamp and the opening is placed over the handle to fasten the clamp to the cup. The wrapped cup and sublimation transfer is placed on a conveyor oven for sublimation heating, with the clamp being removed for reuse after the sublimation transfer of the dye layer onto the cup is completed.
US08002928B2
A method for producing a wearing article of the present invention includes the steps of: supplying an elastic member; stretching the elastic member; placing the stretched elastic member so that the elastic member spreads across a plurality of first webs divided in a transport direction; making a part of a second web loose in the transport direction while transporting the second web, thereby forming a loose portion; placing the first webs, on which the elastic member is disposed, on non-loose portions before and after the loose portion of the second web; and cutting the elastic member between adjacent first webs of the plurality of first webs.
US08002918B2
The present invention relates to a gas generating composition including a fuel, an oxidizing agent, a binder and an additive, the additive being one or two or more selected from complex basic carbonates represented by Formula (I) or (II) below; M1+M23+CO3(OH)2 (I) M32+M42+CO3(OH)2 (II) (In Formula (I), M1+ stands for H+, Li+, Na+, K+, or NH4+; M23+ stands for Al3+, Fe3+, Cr3+, Co3+, In3+, Bi3+, Sb3+, B3+, Sc3+, or Ga3+; in Formula (II), M32+ and M42+ are mutually different, each standing for Cu2+, Zn2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Mg2+, Mn2+, Fe2+, or Be2+).
US08002907B2
Obtain a bearing's component, a heat treatment method thereof, and a rolling bearing having a long life against rolling contact fatigue and high anti-crack strength, and suppressed long-term dimensional variation rate. The bearing's component is carbonitrided at a carbonitriding temperature higher than an A1 transformation point of steel for the bearing's component and then cooled to a temperature lower than the A1 transformation point, and subsequently, using a heat treatment apparatus that successively moves and heats each individual bearing's component, reheated to a range of quenching temperature of no less than the A1 transformation point and less than the carbonitriding temperature to be quenched.
US08002905B2
The aim of the invention is to provide a fluxing agent for soldering components, which creates one or more specific surface characteristics during the soldering process itself, thus obviating the need for the surface treatment process that is conventionally carried out after the soldering process. To achieve this, nanoparticles are added to a base substance.
US08002898B2
A method of determining one or more operational parameters of a washing system having a wash tank to which water and material are added. In one embodiment, the method includes monitoring a concentration of material, which is decreased at least partially due to water being added to the wash tank. The method also includes maintaining the concentration of material by dispensing material into the wash tank during a material dispensing operation. Additionally, the method includes generating a parameter indicative of a rate at which the material is dispensed during the material dispensing operation. The method also includes determining a presence of a water flow abnormality based at least partially on the generated parameter.
US08002897B2
An at-home integrated cleaning and disinfection system for dental hardware, for consumer use includes a compact and portable base unit sized for at-home use by a consumer, the base unit including a holding frame and an ultraviolet lamp. The system also includes a cleaning chamber within which dental hardware and a cleaning solution that includes hydrogen peroxide are receivable. The cleaning chamber fits within the holding frame in a manner such that contents of the cleaning chamber are exposed to light emitted by the ultraviolet lamp. A vibration mechanism is positioned so as to cause the cleaning chamber to vibrate while the cleaning chamber is fitted within the holding frame. To clean and disinfect dental hardware, the consumer places dental hardware in the cleaning chamber, fills the cleaning chamber with the cleaning solution, and inserts the cleaning chamber into the holding frame. The vibration mechanism is activated, so as to cause the cleaning chamber to vibrate while the cleaning chamber is fitted within the holding frame, and the ultraviolet lamp is activated, so as to expose contents of the cleaning chamber to light emitted by the ultraviolet lamp.
US08002892B2
Affords a Group-III nitride crystal substrate that is of low dislocation density and is inexpensive to manufacture, a method of manufacturing such a substrate, and Group-III nitride semiconductor devices that incorporate the Group-III nitride crystal substrate. The Group-III nitride crystal substrate manufacturing method includes: a step of growing, by liquid-phase epitaxy, a first Group-III nitride crystal (2) onto a base substrate (1); and a step of growing, by vapor-phase epitaxy, a second Group-III nitride crystal (3) onto the first Group-III nitride crystal (2). The Group-III nitride crystal substrate, produced by such a manufacturing method, has a dislocation density of 1×107 dislocations/cm2.
US08002889B2
The use of silicate as a retarder enhancer at appropriate levels to enhance the retarding effect of retarders at high temperatures encountered downhole while accelerating the set of cement at lower temperatures encountered near to the surface.
US08002887B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a process to obtain a calcium carbonate material comprising GCC and PCC, presenting a fraction of particles finer than 1 μm of greater than 80%, preferably of greater than 85%, more preferably of greater than 90%, and even more preferably of greater than 95%, and a specific surface area of less than 25 m2/g, in a cost efficient manner, wherein GCC and PCC are co-ground, possibly with at least another mineral material. An other object of the present invention lies in the co-ground calcium carbonate material in the form of an aqueous suspension and in the form of a dry product. An other object of the present invention lies in the uses of such products in any sector making use of mineral material, and notably in the paper, paint and plastic industries.
US08002882B2
A droplet separator installation for gas washers, cooling towers etc. is described according to which a row of parallel droplet separator profiles is supported at a support construction by means of an intermediate construction. The intermediate construction serves for the support and the stabilization of the droplet separator profile row and for the support of a rinsing means for rinsing the droplet separator profile row.
US08002881B2
An ultraviolet treatment chamber for treating exhaust streams, particularly those containing organic particulates, utilizes ultraviolet light energy very efficiently. This is done by setting up a circulating flow in a treatment plenum so that all of the effluent experiences a substantially uniform residence time without the need for baffles or other flow controllers that would block the ultraviolet light.
US08002873B2
A method of increasing the nitrogen concentration within a tire of a vehicle includes transporting a mobile nitrogen concentrating apparatus to a position adjacent the vehicle and concentrating a nitrogen content of a compressed first gas to obtain a second gas. The method also includes coupling the nitrogen concentrating apparatus in fluid communication with the tire and programming an inflator to purge the tire to a predetermined pressure and then pressurizing the container to a predetermined pressure. The method also includes purging the container of a portion of the existing gas and introducing a portion of the second gas into the tire to create a first gas mixture. The method additionally includes purging the container of a portion of the first gas mixture, and introducing a portion of the second gas into the tire to create a second gas mixture.
US08002871B2
A method for control of a basic oxygen furnace includes creating a computer-implemented model of the basic oxygen furnace based on support vector regression (SVR) such that the model is configured to produce a prediction of first turndown quality of the basic oxygen furnace. Historical data associated the first turndown quality is received. The model is applied to the historical data to produce a prediction of first turndown quality, which is compared to an actual measurement of first turndown quality. The control recipe for the basic oxygen furnace based at least in part upon a result of the comparison. The system generally includes a preprocessor, a database configured to store historical data associated with first turndown quality of the basic oxygen furnace, a prediction module coupled to the database, and a run-to-run control module. A graphical user interface is provided for visualization and adjustment of data.
US08002867B2
Embodiments of the invention generally include a filter housing having a bagging ring coated to enhance a bag-to-bagging ring seal. In one embodiment, the housing assembly includes a housing having an inlet, an outlet and an access port. A bagging ring is disposed around the access port and includes a material having a property that enhances the bag-to-bagging ring seal. Examples of materials that have a property that enhance the bag-to-bagging ring seal include materials that are attracted to a plastic bag, materials that are tacky, materials that have a static attraction to a plastic bag.
US08002864B2
A de-oiler system for an aircraft engine including a casing defining a volume containing a rotary shaft and a mixture of air and oil for processing is disclosed. The system includes a hollow rotary axle; a de-oiler structure fastened to the hollow rotary axle and rotating together with the hollow rotary axle, the de-oiler structure having an inlet first face communicating with the volume and an outlet second face connected to a passage formed in the hollow rotary axle; and a transmission device between the hollow rotary axle and the rotary shaft for communicating to the hollow rotary axle a speed of rotation V about its axis in such a manner that the speed of rotation V is greater than a speed of rotation v of the rotary shaft.
US08002848B2
A two-part hair dye including a first part containing an alkali agent, a second part containing hydrogen peroxide, and a non-aerosol foamer vessel to discharge in the form of foam a liquid mixture of the first part and the second part, wherein at least one of the first part and the second part contains a surfactant, 90% by mass or more of the total amount of which being a nonionic surfactant component.
US08002838B2
A prosthesis assembly in one embodiment includes a stem configured to be implanted in a bone and including a first coupling portion, a head having a bearing surface configured to mate with at least one of a natural opposing joint component and a prosthetic opposing joint component, the head further having a second coupling portion, a coupler including a third coupling portion and a fourth coupling portion, the third coupling portion configured to couple with the second coupling portion, and an insert including (i) a fifth coupling portion configured to couple with the fourth coupling portion in any of a plurality of rotational orientations in combination with any of a plurality of roll angles and any of a plurality of pitch angles, and (ii) a sixth coupling portion configured to couple with the first coupling portion only when the insert assumes a predetermined rotational orientation with respect to the stem.
US08002831B2
A modular lateral expansion device to be inserted into a vertebral body. The modular lateral expansion device comprises a pair of complementary lateral members. Each of the lateral members includes a first end, a second end, a first lateral portion, a second lateral portion, a top wall, a bottom wall, and a cavity configured through the top wall and the bottom wall. The top wall includes a top ridge and a top contour surface and the bottom wall includes a bottom ridge and a bottom contour surface. The top ridge and the bottom ridge are inwardly angled into the second lateral portion. The first lateral portion includes a plurality of cuts. The second lateral portion includes a first slot positioned at an edge of the second lateral portion and a second slot positioned in a substantially central area of the second lateral portion.
US08002824B2
A cardiac valve with a support frame having a first end member and a second end member opposing the first end member in a substantially fixed distance relationship, and a cover extending over the support frame to allow for unidirectional flow of a liquid through the valve.
US08002809B2
A dynamic cervical plate has a ratchet and pawl mechanism that allows the cervical plate to post operatively shorten the length of the plate and maintain compression between adjacent vertebrae. The plate has an elongated shaft with grooves on one surface and a groove along each longitudinal edge. A lateral bar is attached on one end of the shaft. The bar has screw holes for connecting with the head of a spinal screw. Another lateral bar is slidably engaged in the longitudinal grooves along the shaft and has a spring clip acting as a pawl with the grooves on the shaft. The sliding bar has screw holes on each side of the shaft. The clip is configured to span the screw holes to prevent screws from backing out of the holes.
US08002804B2
Instruments and method are provided for introducing a flexible stabilization element into a patient in a minimally invasive surgical approach and securing the flexible stabilization element to one or more anchors. Also provided are instrument and methods for reduction of displacement between adjacent vertebrae in a minimally invasive surgical approach, and for minimally invasive stabilization of reduced vertebrae.
US08002798B2
A posterior spinal fusion system may include a plurality of cannulas that mate with cages polyaxially coupled to pedicle screws. The cannulas maintain access to the pedicle screws to facilitate percutaneous insertion of a fusion rod into engagement with the cages. Each cannula has a pair of blades that may be held together by an abutment member that at least partially encircles the blades. Each abutment member abuts the skin to define a variable subcutaneous length of the corresponding cannula. Each abutment members is also lockably removable from the corresponding blades to enable the blades to pivot with respect to the connecting element to a position in which they can be withdrawn from the connecting element. The blades of each cannula are spaced apart to provide first and second slots of each cannula, through which the fusion rod can be percutaneously inserted.
US08002795B2
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a surgical instrument for operating on tissue is provided. The surgical instrument includes an end effector including a first tissue engaging member and a second tissue engaging member in juxtaposed relation to the first tissue engaging member; a gap determination element operatively associated with each of the first tissue engaging member and the second tissue engaging member for measuring a gap distance between the first tissue engaging member and the second tissue engaging member; and a tissue contact determining element operatively associated with a respective tissue contacting surface of at least one of the first tissue engaging member and the second tissue engaging member. The present disclosure also relates to methods of using the surgical instrument.
US08002793B2
Devices and methods for accessing and closing vascular sites are disclosed. Self-sealing closure devices and methods are disclosed. A device that can make a steep and controlled access path into a vascular lumen is disclosed. Methods for using the device are also disclosed.
US08002789B2
Disclosed herein are vaso-occlusive devices for forming occluding the vasculature of a patient. More particularly, disclosed herein are vaso-occlusive devices comprising at least one polymer structure and methods of making and using these devices.
US08002783B2
A surgical device (1) for bone surgery including a body (2) able to be gripped by the user and a tip (3) mounted at the head of the body and set in vibration at a modulated ultrasonic frequency to operate on bone tissue, the surgical device (1) being particularly suitable for oral surgical procedures such as bone sampling, excision of cysts, third molar extraction, preparation of alveolar sites, creation of an opening into the maxillary sinus (Caldwell Luc), elevation of the maxillary sinus by the crestal route and orthopedic and neurosurgical procedures such as osteoplasty, ostectomy and osteotomy.
US08002778B1
A method for securing a soft tissue replacement in a bone tunnel includes forming a first and second tunnel in the bone. The second tunnel intersects the first tunnel and defines a first and second access passage. A first flexible member is passed through the tunnel and includes a first end extending out of the first passage, an intermediate portion supporting the soft tissue replacement and a second end extending out of the second passage. The first end of the first flexible member is fastened to an insertion member. A crosspin is positioned between the first passage and the insertion member. The second end of the first flexible member is advanced until a distal portion of the crosspin advances into the first access passage. The insertion member is impacted thereby pushing the crosspin into an engaged position with the bone.
US08002775B2
Methods, instruments, and kits for treating spinal pseudoarthrosis are provided. In one embodiment, a method includes delivering to a location of spinal pseudoarthrosis an effective amount of an osteoinductive composition that includes an injectible osteoinductive composition that includes an injectible osteoinductive composition in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. In other embodiments, cannulated drills 10, 10′, 10″ and surgical instrument assemblies, 50, 50′ including a drill and a syringe 60 and 60′ wherein the syringe has a distal end that is matingly engaged to a proximal end of the drill are provided. The drill and other instruments, instrument assemblies, and kits formed therefrom may advantageously be used in a method for treating pseudoarthrosis.
US08002759B2
A disposable ostomy receiving bag having front and rear walls sealed together along the rim thereof and having a top end and a bottom end, and a cover of a sheet material covering one or both surfaces of the bag and only secured to the wall along the part of the rim being superimposed on the sealed rim of the front and rear walls. The bottom end can be folded to reduce the size of the bag, with the folded end discreetly hidden under the cover sheet. Should a larger collecting volume be needed, unfolding of the bag allows for an easy enlargement of the active volume of the bag simply by withdrawing the end of the bag from under the cover sheet.
US08002753B2
An apparatus includes a medicament container and an actuator assembly coupled to a proximal end portion of the medicament container. A distal end portion of the medicament container is configured to be coupled to a needle. A piston is movably disposed within the medicament container such that the medicament container is divided into a first internal portion and a second internal portion, the first internal portion containing a medicament. The actuator assembly has a pressurized fluid container, a regulator and a bias member. The pressurized fluid container is configured to move relative to the medicament container between a first position and a second position. The regulator is configured to fluidically couple the pressurized fluid container and the second internal portion of the medicament container when the pressurized fluid container is in the second position. The bias member is configured to bias the pressurized fluid container in the first position.
US08002745B2
A retractable syringe includes a barrel, a collar mounted to the barrel, a retraction spring and a needle mount. The plunger includes a first plunger member and a second plunger member that are releasably coupled to initially compress the spring. The second plunger member further includes a seal to prevent fluid leakage between plunger and barrel. After depression of the plunger to deliver the syringe fluid contents, the first plunger member engages the needle mount with needle attached thereto and is rotatably uncoupled from the second plunger member to allow decompression of the retraction spring, which forces retraction of the first plunger member, needle mount and needle engaged therewith. The first plunger member and the collar include elements that co-operatively disable subsequent depression or withdrawal of the plunger. Following retraction of the first plunger member, the second plunger member and seal prevent refilling and re-use of the syringe.
US08002738B2
A lesion formation apparatus including adhesive and cytotoxic material and methods associated with the same.
US08002727B2
A blood processing system includes a flow reversing device with at least an air sensor in the venous line located near the patient. During treatment, blood flow is reversed to cause air to infiltrate the blood lines if any disconnections or breaks in the blood line are present. One means for placing the sensor close to the patient is to provide the flow switching device aid sensors in a small lightweight module that can be located close the treatment machine. Another is to provide a module with just the sensors near the access.
US08002724B2
An orthopedic device in the form of a circumferential walker includes a first member (posterior shell) and a second member (dorsal shell) corresponding to the first member. An outsole or plantar shell portion is attached to, or formed on or with the posterior shell. An expansion joint is positioned in the posterior shell or dorsal shell to expand to accommodate larger sized lower legs. The dorsal and posterior shells may include flexible or resilient edge portions to reduce pressure points and to further accommodate users having larger sized lower legs. The dorsal shell also includes a flexible or resilient connecting portion to accommodate users having larger ankles and feet and to reduce or eliminate the formation of a pressure point along the dorsal shell. Quick-connecting buckle assemblies can be provided to allow a user to quickly don and doff the orthopedic device.
US08002718B2
In a shockwave system with a shockwave source for treatment of a patient with shockwaves, a control and evaluation unit for evaluating an input signal supplied directly thereto that is correlated with a blood pressure value of the patient determined during the treatment, and controls the shockwave source dependent on the input signal.
US08002717B2
The present invention relates to a system (10) operable to evaluate spasticity in a movable extremity (12). The system (10) comprises a fixation device (14) comprising a first part (14.sub.1) connected via a movable joint (16) to a second part (14.sub.2). The fixation device (14) is operable to fix the movable extremity (12) in such a way that the rotational axis of the fixation device (14) is aligned with the rotational axis of the joint of the movable extremity (12). The system (10) also comprises a moving device (18) operable to move the second part (14.sub.2) with a first, constant velocity (V.sub.1), without any reflex contribution, and with a second, constant velocity (V.sub.2) with reflex contribution. The system (10) also comprises a force sensor (20) operable to measure a first force trace in connection with the first velocity (V.sub.1), and a second force trace in connection with the second velocity (V.sub.2). The system (10) also comprises a processor means (22) connected to the force sensor (20), the processor means (22) is operable to extract a first point (P1) and second maximum point (P2) from the second force trace, and a third point (P3) from the first force trace, which three points (P1-P3) are used to evaluate spasticity.
US08002711B2
Easy to use, cost-effective methods and devices for evaluating and treating stress and thereby disorders caused or exacerbated by stress are provided. More particularly methods and devices for identifying RSA waves during respiration which provide a subject with real-time RSA wave information are provided. These methods and devices also can be used to identify drop points in RSA waves. Such methods and devices provide subjects with the ability to maintain parasympathetic outflow and thereby prevent and/or reduce levels of stress.
US08002710B1
A system and method (1000) for an interactive game is disclosed herein. The system (1000) preferably includes monitoring device (20) monitoring the vital signs of a user, an interface (1115), a game console (1010) and an accessory (1020). The monitoring device (20) is preferably an article (25) having an optical sensor (30) and a circuitry assembly (35), and a pair of straps (26a and 26b). The monitoring device (20) preferably provides for the display of the following information about the user: pulse rate; blood oxygenation levels; calories expended by the user of a pre-set time period; target zones of activity; time; distance traveled; and/or dynamic blood pressure. The article (25) is preferably a band worn on a user's wrist, arm or ankle.
US08002705B1
In one embodiment, an ultrasound imaging method comprises: providing a probe that includes one or more transducer elements for transmitting and receiving ultrasound waves; generating a sequence of spatially distinct transmit beams which differ in one or more of origin and angle; determining a transmit beam spacing substantially based upon a combination of actual and desired transmit beam characteristics, thereby achieving a faster echo acquisition rate compared to a transmit beam spacing based upon round-trip transmit-receive beam sampling requirements; storing coherent receive echo data, from two or more transmit beams of the spatially distinct transmit beams; combining coherent receive echo data from at least two or more transmit beams to achieve a substantially spatially invariant synthesized transmit focus at each echo location; and combining coherent receive echo data from each transmit firing to achieve dynamic receive focusing at each echo location.
US08002692B2
A method of preparing an opening formed in a penis for reception of a penile prosthetic includes measuring a length of the opening formed in the penis with a shaft of an instrument, and moving a dilation head longitudinally along the shaft of the instrument and dilating a diameter of the opening formed in the penis.
US08002684B2
A vibrating plate apparatus including a vibrating plate on which a user rests, a vibration motor member connected to the vibrating plate, several air cushions provided under the vibrating plate for dampening vibration, and an air tank in communication with each of the air cushions. The tank establishes the air pressure in at least one of the air cushions at a predetermined value independently from the user's weight. The motor member includes two motors rotating in opposite directions, each of the two motors including a set of flyweights driven by the two motors and having a center of gravity offset relative to the axis, the two sets having the same mass, being symmetrical to each other and including at least one moveable flyweight that can assume at least one position to vary the vibrating plate's vibration amplitude.
US08002680B2
A dumbbell is described including a handle having a grip and at least one end, an inner plate mounted on the handle adjacent the grip, in a fixed rotational orientation, a support plate rotationally mounted on the handle adjacent the inner plate, at least one collar rotationally mounted on the handle adjacent the support plate, and rotationally fixed with the support plate, a selector knob rotationally mounted on the handle adjacent the at least one collar, and rotationally fixed with the collar, a weight plate removably mounted on the handle adjacent the at least one collar, and a means for selectively securing the support plate to the inner plate to resist the rotation of the support plate, collar and selector knob with respect to the inner plate and handle.
US08002666B2
A method for controlling a motor vehicle drive train including a combustion engine, an electric machine and a transmission, which are coupled by a summation gear system, having two input and one output elements, and a clutch. One input element is coupled to the crankshaft of the combustion engine, the other input element is coupled to the rotor of the electric machine and the output element is coupled to the input shaft of the transmission and the clutch is arranged between two elements of the summation gear system, such that when the clutch is disengaged a speed difference between the combustion engine and the transmission input shaft is synchronized by the electric machine and, if necessary, by a controlled engagement of the clutch. To improve synchronization, at the beginning of the synchronization the clutch is brought to its contact point before the engagement of the bridging clutch.
US08002665B2
A method for controlling a powertrain system includes controlling a first power actuator based upon a set of power constraints for the first power actuator. The method further includes controlling a second power actuator based upon the set of power constraints for the second power actuator.
US08002660B2
A vehicular automatic transmission including first and second shafts coaxially splined to each other at their adjacent axial end portions, and a lubrication system including: first and second lubrication passages formed through the respective first and second shafts in their axial direction, in communication with each other through the adjacent axial end portions, oil outlet holes in communication with the lubrication passages and spaced apart from each other in the axial direction, and first and second oil inlet holes formed through the respective first and second rotary shafts such that the oil outlet holes are located between the oil inlet holes and the adjacent axial end portions of the shafts, so that lubricating oil introduced into the lubrication passages through the respective oil inlet holes flows through the lubrication passages toward the adjacent axial end portions of the shafts.
US08002655B2
An actuator device for a bicycle gearshift is provided. The actuator device having an articulated quadrilateral mechanism intended to be integrally fixed to a bicycle frame and to a derailleur of the gearshift, a motor member that acts on the articulated quadrilateral mechanism to deform the articulated quadrilateral, and displaces the derailleur and a support element for the motor member associated with the articulated quadrilateral. According to the invention, one of the motor member and the support element comprises at least one jutting element and the other of the motor member and the support element comprises at least one seat adapted to receive said jutting element. Thus, the motor member is associated with the support element so as to prevent mutual translations in the axial direction in any operating or climatic condition.
US08002647B2
A golf ball has an increased surface occupancy ratio of dimples, the dimples are shallow to restrain a lift acting on the golf ball flying in a high-speed region after the ball has been hit, and the lift of the golf ball flying in a low-speed region in the latter half of the trajectory is maintained for a long time, by which a longer carry can be obtained. The golf ball has plural dimples formed on the surface thereof, in which at least about 10 percent of dimples of all the dimples on the surface are noncircular dimples in which a boundary line between a land part and the dimple include a curved line part and a straight line part, and the noncircular dimples each have a flat bottom surface.
US08002644B2
A golf club (20) having a club head (22) with an interchangeable shaft (40) is disclosed herein. The golf club (20) includes a tube (44, 144) mounted in the club head (22), and a sleeve (46, 146) mounted on a tip end (50) of the shaft (40). The tube (44, 144) includes a tapered portion (60, 160) and a rotation prevention portion (62, 162). The sleeve (46, 146) has a frustoconical portion (72, 172) and a keyed portion (74, 174) that are respectively received in the tapered portion (60, 160) and the rotation prevention portion (62, 162) of the tube (44, 144). The golf club (20) further includes a mechanical fastener (48, 148) for removably securing the shaft (40) to the club head (22).
US08002641B2
A method of making a direct tension indicating washer including: forming a first surface having a discrete protuberance formed thereon; forming a second surface having a discrete indentation formed opposite the protuberance; and positioning an indicating material in the indentation, wherein the indicating material has a cured skin on an outside of the indicating material and a liquid core in an interior of the indicating material.
US08002638B2
A discard rack moves and reads suit and rank of individual cards. The cards are provided to a card in-feed area and moved to a card collection area. Both suit and rank of each card is read in the card in-feed area or between the card in-feed area and the card collection area. The discard rack comprises a) a card in-feed area with card moving elements that move only a bottom card from a set of cards in the card in-feed area, b) a card collection area that receives cards from the card moving area in the same sense as cards are received in the card in-feed area, c) an image capture device that captures data from a card while the card is between the card in-feed area and the card collection area, d) preferably a communication port to send out captured data to a processor, and e) an elevator that lowers to maintain a level at which cards are received in the card collection area.
US08002635B2
An impact emulator that provides impact effects to a player of a video game system is provided. The video game system has a magnetic field generator that is able to produce magnetic field to generate a force on a magnet on a remote controller. The amount of magnetic field to be produced is depending on the relative movement of the remote controller and a target element.
US08002632B2
In a collective control of plural game machines placed in the same parlor, it is detected whether there is player change on each game machine and, based on the detection result, the credit cumulative consumption on each game machine is managed player by player. When the credit cumulative consumption of a certain player reaches a predetermined upper limit, payout return is executed to this player. The display status and non-display status of information about the upper limit can be switched depending on the play status. Therefore, the player can perform a game without anxiety while enjoying amusement of the game. As the result, the problem of missing customers is eliminated.
US08002617B1
A system and method for supplying selected advertising to gamers accessing games suppliers over communications networks including mobile networks. Data on the user's geographic location and personal profile are used to select the advertising. The selected advertising is displayed in the game either on screen borders or at selected intervals in the game.
US08002610B2
To provide a technique for rotating a plurality of carriers 500 between an upper and a lower rotary surface plates to simultaneously polish both surfaces of a plurality of works 400. The work 400 is merged with the carrier 500 outside a polishing apparatus main body 110. The work 400 is supplied onto a lower rotary surface plate 111 of the polishing apparatus main body 110 while remaining merged with the carrier 500. The present invention enables the work 400 on the lower rotary surface plate 111 to be perfectly automatically supplied. After double side polishing has been completed and when an upper rotary surface plate, a liquid such as a water is injected from the upper rotary surface plate to hold the plurality of works 400 to have both surfaces thereof polished, on the lower rotary surface plate 111. The present invention enables the works 400 to be automatically ejected from the lower rotary surface plate 111. A brush housing section 180 and a dresser housing section 190 are provided near the polishing apparatus main body 110. Brushes and dressers are used to frequently efficiently process polishing clothes installed on opposite surfaces of the upper and lower rotary surface plates to efficiently and economically achieve high-quality double side polishing.
US08002601B2
An organic electroluminescent device is disclosed. The device can include a substrate, a first electrode on the substrate, a partition wall next to the first electrode, an organic luminescence media layer including an organic luminous layer on the first electrode, and a second electrode which is on the organic luminescence media layer and facing the first electrodes, wherein the partition wall comprises a first partition wall and a second partition wall, the first partition wall covers a part of the first electrode, and the second partition wall is located on an inner side of the first partition wall.
US08002595B2
An electrical contact material includes a surface layer formed of a noble metal or an alloy containing the noble metal as a major constituent. An organic film having heat resistance is formed on a surface of the surface layer, and the organic film is formed of an organic compound having an ether bonding group. Accordingly, the electrical contact material has good corrosion resistance and sliding resistance.
US08002588B1
An electrical connector includes an insulative housing defining a mating port with a mating tongue exposing therein and a base from which the mating tongue extends forwardly. A plurality of grooves is arranged in the mating tongue and extends along a front-to-back direction through the base. A plurality of contacts defines mating sections received in the grooves. Each of the grooves defines a wider portion adjacent to the base.
US08002585B2
A detachable lamp socket includes a contact member (1), a housing (2), and a fixing ring (3). A lower end of the contact member (1) is connected to an upper end of the housing (2). The fixing ring (3) is fitted on the junction of the contact member (1) and the housing (2) to fix the contact member (1) and the housing (2). The top of the housing (2) is provided with the engaging groove (22) and the bottom of the contact member (1) is provided with hooks (12). With the hooks (12) and the engaging groove (22), the contact member (1) and the housing (2) are connected together. The notch (221) of the engaging groove (22) is open, such that the hooks (12) of the contact member (1) are levelly pushed in the engaging groove (22). The fixing ring (3) may be threaded onto outer threads (23) of the housing (2) to complete the assembly. This can prevent a lamp base from being loosened when rotating a lamp, so that the contact member (1) and the housing (2) are connected firmly. Furthermore, this connection way is very easy, quick and convenient for disassembly and assembly.
US08002574B1
An RF module includes a housing that has walls defining connector cavities. The walls include a rear wall that has a plurality of openings therethrough. The connector cavity is open opposite the rear wall to receive an electrical connector. RF connectors are received in the connector cavities. The RF connectors are terminated to corresponding cables. The RF connectors extend through the corresponding opening and are spring loaded in the connector cavity to allow the RF connectors to float in the connector cavity. A strain relief feature extends from the housing rearward of the rear wall and has a plurality of pockets configured to receive corresponding cables extending from the RF connectors.
US08002564B2
A housing of a portable electronic device includes a main body, a waterproof structure, and a plug retainer. The main body defines a jack hole therein. The waterproof structure is formed on the main body and defines a plurality of waterproof grooves. The plug retainer is received in the waterproof structure and defines a connecting hole and a plurality of draining holes therein. The connecting hole is aligned with the jack hole, and the draining holes guide water entering the plug retainer to flow into the waterproof grooves.
US08002562B2
A receptacle for receiving a plug-in module with at least one depression at a side surface thereof includes a main body, an elastic element, a first resilient strip and a control element. The main body has a receiving chamber penetrating a bottom thereof for engaging the plug-in module and a first slot extending up and down defined in a front surface thereof and connecting the receiving chamber. The elastic element has an elastic portion received in an upper portion of the receiving chamber. The first resilient strip is received in the first slot, and defines a locking portion extending rearward at a lower portion thereof and penetrating into the receiving chamber for buckling to the depression of the plug-in module. The control element is for driving the locking portion to depart from the depression of the plug-in module for allowing the plug-in module to move outward due to the pulling of the elastic element.
US08002550B1
Children and adults interested in the visual arts often have trouble mastering basic drawing and painting skills due to a lack of structured instruction. A device composed of gridded drawing and painting apparatus is used to eliminate ongoing frustration that can occur during artistic training. Supporting charts and equipment used to maximize efficiency are also provided. A method to operate the device to its maximum potential is supplied. Procedures to advance a pupil through various stages of development are set forth. Alternate working methods that target the specific needs of various artists and art students are proposed. A routine for identifying optimal results is set forth, along with methods to measure that success. Examples of student artwork verify the logic of a system that ensures positive results.
US08002548B2
A method of maxillary sinus bone grafting for placement of an implant in which upon placement of the implant, a vertical hole is formed and enlarged with ease in a maxillary sinus floor, a maxillary membrane is easily lifted in an always-stable state using a piezotome and gel type bone graft material while preventing the membrane from becoming damaged, and even the bone graft material of coarse bone meal is uniformly diffused and infused, thereby ensuring that the implant is placed in a fast, safe manner while allowing a patient to keep relaxed and alleviating the pain the patient feels, resulting in shortening a curing time and maximizing effects of the placement of the implant.
US08002541B2
A burner has a port facing into a combustion chamber along an axis. A secondary fuel injector structure has secondary fuel injection ports that face into the combustion chamber at locations spaced radially outward from the burner port. A tertiary fuel injector structure has tertiary fuel injection ports that face into the combustion chamber in directions perpendicular to the axis at locations spaced axially downstream from the secondary fuel injection ports.
US08002539B2
An injection stretch blow molding system with rotating and linear conveying functions includes a lifting and rotating mechanism, an injecting mechanism, a conveying mechanism, an extending and blowing mechanism installed at a third operating position, and a pushing mechanism installed at a second operating position. The lifting and rotating mechanism has a lifting seat, a rotating plate, and two bottleneck seats. Each of the two bottleneck seats has at least one bottleneck mold, with the rotation of the rotating plate, positions of the two bottleneck seats are selectively interchanged between a first and the second operating positions. The injecting mechanism has a female mold and a core mold installed at the first operating position. The conveying mechanism has a conveying seat connecting the two bottleneck seats whose bottleneck mold clamps a preform is installed at the second operating position. The conveying seat is driven by a convey driving device.
US08002534B2
Methods and apparatuses for cutting dough are described. One described dough cutting apparatus comprises a barrel having two ends, a removable die comprising a shaped opening, the removable die adapted to be coupled to a first end of the barrel, and a knife adapted to cut dough extruded from the shaped opening. In one illustrative method for making doughnuts, dough is extruded and cut using such a dough cutting apparatus and the dough is then cooked.
US08002532B2
Force from an electrically operated ejector mechanism of a molding machine is selectably supplemented by operation of second actuators. Second actuators are advantageously fluid (hydraulic or pneumatic) operated to supplement force provided by an electrically operated primary actuator when the ejector mechanism is driven to advance ejector members into cavities of a mold assembly. The second actuators may be enabled to be operated during automatically controlled execution of a machine cycle of operation and may be operated in response to operator selections when machine operation is controlled manually.
US08002529B2
A scroll type compressor, according to the invention, comprises first and second scroll members each having an end plate and a scroll wall projecting from the end plate. The scroll members have their scroll walls interleaved with one another to define therebetween a compression chamber and upon relative orbiting movement between the scroll members the compression chamber migrates to compress a compressible medium. The scroll walls are each comprised of a plurality of alternating straight line wall portions and circular arc portions. The straight line wall portions can be modified to house a catalyst or a fluid port. Or the straight line sections may be telescopically extendible in length to thereby adjust the displacement of the compressor.
US08002522B2
A centrifugal pump comprising a pump housing made of injection-molded plastics with a first housing part, which is designed as a single piece with a suction connection and a pressure connection, and comprises a sealing area, by means of which said first housing part is joined in a liquid-tight manner to a second housing part, that receives an electric motor, and a motor housing part. In this centrifugal pump, very good leak tightness is achieved with minimum number of parts, minimum weight and minimum assembly costs with universal applicability without impairing the visual overall impression of the centrifugal pump. This objective is achieved in that the second housing part is made of a material that is permeable to laser light of a wavelength or a wavelength range, and the first housing part is made of a material that absorbs the same laser light, and the first housing part and the second housing part are heat-sealed to one another.
US08002514B2
A method of supplying a portable medical gas system is provided. The disclosed method includes preparing a portable medical gas system, the portable medical gas system including a cylinder adapted to be filled with medical gas and a gas dispensing valve. The portable medical gas system is place in a specialized container having a configuration adapted to hold the portable medical gas system only when the cylinder of portable medical gas system is unused state or empty state. The portable medical gas system is delivered to the customer, and returned as an empty cylinder via commercial carrier. Upon receipt of the empty or spent portable medical gas system, another portable medical gas system filled with medical gas is sent to the customer. In one embodiment, the portable medical gas system includes a single-use flow control valve which ensures the cylinder is empty after its initial use.
US08002505B2
A tie down assembly for a vehicle is provided. The tie down assembly includes a retention body and an anchor assembly. The anchor assembly is slidably disposed within the retention body for reciprocating movement between a release position and a restraint position. The tie down assembly also includes a stop secured to the anchor assembly. The stop is positioned on the anchor assembly for releasably locking with a portion of the retention body when the anchor assembly is in the restraint position.
US08002500B1
A method of elevating the deck area of a marine platform (e.g. oil and gas well drilling or production platform) utilizes a specially configured sleeve support to support the platform legs so that they can be cut. Once cut, jacks elevate the platform above the cuts. The sleeve support is then connected (e.g. welded) to the platform leg and becomes part of the structural support for the platform.
US08002496B2
Irrigation pipe including a pipe having at least a longitudinal row of delivery holes arranged at predetermined distances and communicating with a dripping unit provided inside the pipe, and further having an inlet communicating with the inside of the pipe and an outlet communicating with at least one delivery hole. The inlets or outlets of some or all of the dripping units communicate with the inner space of the pipe or with some or all of the delivery holes through an inlet collecting channel or an outlet collecting channel or segments thereof.
US08002486B1
A bath sponge that is equipped with a built-in soap dispenser constructed of a sponge body that has a first cavity on one side, and a handle portion that has a second cavity for holding a quantity of liquid soap that may be in fluid communication with the first cavity when a gate is opened by operating a push button gate release device.
US08002485B2
A guide apparatus for mounting and dismounting an inner part usable in an image forming device includes: a first and a second sliders formed at both sides of a built-in part respectively; a first and a second undercut preventing parts formed at a first and a second side walls of the frame facing the both sides of the inner part under the connecting member, respectively; and a first and a second guide rails integrally formed with the first and the second side walls adjacent to the first and the second undercut preventing parts, respectively, and housing and guiding the first and the second sliders. Accordingly, the first and the second guide rails are integrally formed with the first and the second side walls of the frame, respectively, so that manufacturing is simpler, manufacturing costs and inferiority are reduced, and the intensity is increased.
US08002475B2
Protection device for a speed sensor, the sensor being provided with a reading surface which is arranged at a first determined distance from an encoder of a contact rolling bearing, and the protection device being coupled to the contact rolling bearing, and presenting a housing for the sensor, and at least one scraping element which is arranged in such a way as to face the encoder itself in order to remove any eventual impurities from the encoder.
US08002470B2
A drawable track assembly comprises a track and a retainer; the track being installed on a drawable box or other computer peripherals; the track having a plurality of locking points serving to be combined with a drawable box; the retainer is locked to a frame; and the retainer being installed with at least one rolling unit; thereby, a center of the retainer being formed with a sliding space at a central area thereof for receiving the track. Each of two sides of a long sheet of the track is extended with a strip for retaining a drawable box. A front end of the retainer is bent with a bending section with at least one through hole. The rolling unit is formed with a rolling post and a bearing set.
US08002456B2
An LED light has a pinhole-imaging function for dark area use as a plug-in wall outlet light, direct current (DC) operated light, or interchangeable power source light to project a shaped image to a surrounding environment. Tiny shaped pinholes can create a fine image of desired message, data, logo, or time on a ceiling, walls, floor, optics means surface or other desired surface. At least one pinhole-means may be incorporated with an LED and parts selected from a housing-member, plastic film openings, cut-outs, transparent material piece, translucent material piece, adjust-means, sealed-unit, battery-pack, paper material, plastic material, metal material, wood material, geometric shape substrate, AC adaptor and jack means, and/or solar power or wind power generator to project the desired image, message, data, logo, to the surrounding environment, which may include any combination of ceiling, walls, floor, or other desired surfaces(s). The light may have an adjustable feature, interchangeable power source feature, dot-matrix gerometric shape feature, and features to change position or orientation of the pinhole substrate or LED.
US08002455B2
A light-emitting panel (50) includes a first light source (511) for emitting first light of a first single color, a second light source (512) for emitting second light of a second single color and a light guide plate (52). The light guide plate (52) includes a light incident surface (55) for receiving the first and second light and a display surface (53). A plurality of first microstructures (561) and second microstructures (562) are formed at the display surface (53). The first and second microstructures (561,562) are configured for allowing the first and second light to exit therethrough. The first and second microstructures (561,562) are respectively arranged to form a first pattern (58) and a second pattern (59). A first dye material and second dye material are respectively applied to the first and second microstructures (561,562).
US08002453B2
A backlight module is disclosed for reducing the occurrence of corner dark space. In the backlight module, two tightly adjacent light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are disposed near a light-guide plate, and each of the LEDs is tilted outwards with a predetermined angle, wherein an outer angle extending from two respective light-emitting surfaces of the LEDs is about between 90 degrees and 180 degrees.
US08002450B2
The present invention describes a light mixing waveguide including a transparent slab waveguide having a reflectorized edge, a pair of opposing side edges adjacent to the reflectorized edge, a light transfer edge opposite the reflectorized edge, and a plurality of cavities formed inside the slab waveguide, wherein at least one of the side edges is configured to receive light from one or more light sources so that the received light is totally-internally reflected from top and bottom surfaces of the transparent slab waveguide. Interaction of the received light, the cavities, and the reflectorized edge mixes the received light prior to the light passing through the light transfer edge and into a target optical system.
US08002440B2
A method for controlling a remote LED lamp includes: using a memory unit (452) to record a standard value for indicating a normal environmental brightness and a reference value for indicating a normal LED brightness; using a first sensor (41) to detect real-time brightness of the environmental light and transmit a signal (31) indicating the real-time brightness to the memory unit; using the memory unit to compare the signal with the standard value to obtain a result; using a driving unit (451) to control the LED light lamp to be turned on/off according to the result.
US08002439B2
A stage projector extends along a first axis and is provided with a first optical system having a first focus and designed substantially to generate and concentrate a light beam in the first focus, and a second optical system set downstream of the first focus and having a second focus, the second optical system having a first optical assembly, set in a given position along the first axis so that the second focus coincides with the first focus, and a second optical assembly, selectively mobile between an operative position, in which the second optical assembly intercepts the light beam between the first focus and the first optical assembly, and a position of rest, in which the second optical assembly does not intercept the light beam, the first and the second optical assemblies being mobile along the first axis in order to modify the form of the light beam and obtain a homogeneous distribution of the light within the light beam, when the second optical assembly is set in the operative position.
US08002437B2
A light emitter to be attached to caps includes a case having several second lamps formed at a front surface thereof, a power switch attached to an outer surface of the case, a battery installed inside the case to provide power, a guide channel formed at a center of the case, a mounting clip formed at the outer surface of the case, a sub-body having a first lamp at a front surface thereof and being coupled to the guide channel, and a switch unit for controlling on/off operation of the first lamp. A user may move the sub-body back and forth to activate the first lamp, and may rotate the sub-body to alter the illumination angle of the first lamp.
US08002435B2
A mounting surface for mounting a plurality of LEDs has a plurality of orientable lenses each individually affixed about a single LED. Each orientable lens has a primary reflector and a refracting lens that direct light emitted from a single LED to a reflective surface of the orientable lens that reflects the light off a primary LED light output axis.
US08002430B2
One embodiment relates to a portable article illumination system with an enclosure disposed between openings in the interior and external surfaces of a portable article. A removable illumination device may be disposed within the enclosure such as a selectably engageable portable lighting device. The interior and exterior openings may each be substantially covered by transparent and opaque members respectively. The transparent members cover the interior and exterior openings and are disposed proximal to the enclosure with respect to the opaque members. The transparent members may further provide optical pathways between the enclosure and the interior and/or exterior region. The opaque members substantially cover the transparent members thereby optically obstructing the optical pathways which extend from the enclosure through the corresponding transparent member to the interior or exterior region. The opaque members are selectively passable to selectively unobstruct the respective optical pathways between the enclosure and the interior or exterior region.
US08002424B2
A lighting apparatus for a gaming machine cabinet comprising: a spot light source which emits light relative to a central emission axis; and a translucent diffuser spaced from the spot light source, the diffuser comprising an inner portion located so as to intercept light emitted along the emission axis and an outer portion spaced from the emission axis, the inner and outer portions arranged such that the diffuser prevents transmission of more light in the region of the inner portion than in the region of the outer portion.
US08002421B2
A light-generating device includes a driving substrate and a plurality of light source arrays. The driving substrate has a rectangular planar shape. The plurality of light source arrays is formed on the driving substrate. The light source arrays include at least one light emitting diode to generate light in response to power being applied through the substrate, and the light source arrays are spaced apart from each other. Thus, heat generated from the light-generating device is rapidly dissipated from the light-generating device, improving brightness of the light, brightness uniformity of the light and color reproducibility of the light.
US08002420B2
Optical components and systems are disclosed that include an optical element and a base member. Multiple wells correspond to respective locations on a surface of the optical element. Liquid metal in the wells is coupled to the respective locations to apply respective hydrostatic pressures to the locations. At least one displacement device is coupled to at least one well to selectively change the respective hydrostatic pressure applied, relative to the base member, by the liquid metal in the well to the respective location. The “liquid metal” is any of several formulations of metal that are liquid under actual-use conditions (e.g., a liquid alloy of gallium). The liquid metal can be displaced through conduits to change the hydrostatic pressure being applied to the respective locations. The displacement, and hence the hydrostatic pressure, can be feedback controlled.
US08002403B2
A variable focus lens includes a ring with a front surface and a rear surface. A flexible membrane is held between the front surface of the ring and a generally rigid transparent front cover, and a rear cover is attached to the rear surface of the ring, optionally with a second flexible membrane sandwiched between the rear cover and the ring. A cavity is formed between the flexible membrane and the rear cover or the second flexible membrane is filled with a liquid, and the amount of fluid in the cavity can be varied to vary the curvature of the flexible membrane and so vary the optical characteristics of the lens. The ring of the lens may be coloured, and may be transparent, translucent or opaque. Alternatively, a decorative cover may be attached to the front of the ring to give the appearance of a frame. The lenses may be used in variable focus spectacles.
US08002387B2
An inkjet recording apparatus for recording an image by jetting inks in a plurality of colors includes a plurality of recording-head modules for jetting inks in the plurality of colors, and a carriage for mounting the plurality of recording-head modules, wherein each recording-head module includes a plurality of recording heads for jetting ink in the same color and constructs a unit capable of integrally attaching and detaching the plurality of recording heads to and from the carriage.
US08002384B2
A printing cartridge comprises a body configured to removably engage with an inkjet printer; a printhead assembly mounted to the body, the printhead assembly including at least one printhead integrated circuit and an ink distribution support, the at least one printhead integrated circuit being mounted to an underside of the ink distribution support; a plurality of conduits provided through an underside of the ink distribution support, the conduits providing fluidic communication between a plurality of ink paths of the ink distribution support and the underside of the ink distribution support; and a sealing film for adhesively mounting the printhead integrated circuit to the ink distribution support, the sealing film including a plurality of through-holes which correspond to and align with the conduits. The sealing film provides a seal preventing mixing of ink from each of the plurality of ink paths at an underside of the ink distribution support.
US08002376B2
Provided is a printing device which prints an image using a metallic ink and a color ink, the device including: an input unit which inputs image data; a metallic dot formation unit which forms dot concentration dots on a printing medium using the metallic ink; and a color print unit which prints the image indicated by the image data using the color ink on the printing medium on which the dots using the metallic ink are formed.
US08002373B2
In a switch provided in a driver device and connected to a driver, a terminal and a lever is separated from each other (in the separated state) when a predetermined electric potential is not applied to a gate electrode. When a predetermined electric potential is applied to the gate electrode, the lever of the corresponding switch is deformed by electrostatic force between the gate electrode and the lever and comes into contact with the terminal, and thus the terminals are connected with the lever (in the contact state). A plurality of drivers are connected to the terminals of two or more of switches, respectively, and, when a driving potential is outputted from a driver, the driving potential is applied to a surface individual electrode connected to the switch in the contact state.
US08002369B2
A slide system for an appliance is provided. The system may be used with a retractable compartment, such as a drawer, shelf or grill and may be implemented inside a cavity of the appliance having a pair of vertical walls provided with a series of ribs having a recess at their top surfaces, and a movable runner in the recess. The runner may be located over slides that delimit and guide travel of the runner to provide a longer draw-out distance for the retractable compartment, which is conducive to improving storage ability and accessibility to the retractable compartment.
US08002361B1
There is an apparatus comprising a two-part hub system that can be used to make decorative wheel designs customizable, easier to assemble, and in a more cost effective way to manufacture. By splitting the hub into two parts, each individual hub part can be economically molded with simpler molds and be made from two separate processes; specifically, the first hub part could be made from a plastic injection molding process, and the second hub part could be made from a die-casting or plastic injection molding process combined with a vacuum metalizing process.
US08002357B2
An adjustable armrest for a vehicle seat comprising an armrest housing pivoted on a seat back frame and a pair of locking elements in the housing, one of which is adjustable and the other being fixed. A seat back stop is engageable with the adjustable locking element. A seat occupant, using an armrest release mechanism, may adjust the relative positions of the locking elements to change a desired active position of the armrest. A memory feature permits return of the armrest to the desired active position from an upright stowed position.
US08002356B2
A pivoting headrest assembly including a bracket supported upon a seatback frame. A headrest support secures a bun and is pivotally secured to the bracket in a forward biased direction. A rotating sector is supported upon the bracket and is pivotally slaved to the headrest support. A cam is pivotally supported upon the bracket and biased in a first direction to abut the sector in an upright design position established by the headrest support. A contact portion extends from a location of the cam offset from its pivotal connection to the bracket. A lever is independently rotated and coaxially supported relative to the rotating sector in a first biased direction. The lever is actuated against the bias to engage the contact portion, with continued actuation causing the cam to pivotally disengage from the rotating sector, whereupon the headrest support and bun pivotally actuates to a forward dump position.
US08002350B2
A passenger seat assembly and method for converting the seat assembly between a three-seat configuration and a two-seat configuration includes a seat assembly base and first, second, and third seats mounted on the seat assembly base. The first and third seats define outboard seats and the second seat defines an inboard seat disposed between the outboard seats. The seat back of the inboard seat includes an upper portion movably mounted to the lower portion. The seat bottom is removable and repositionable between the three-seat configuration and the two-seat configuration to form a convenience area between the outboard seats. A power console movably mounted on the seat assembly base supports the seat bottom of the inboard seat and provides at least one power outlet for supplying electrical power. In particular, the inboard seat is convertible between a seating configuration and a non-seating configuration.
US08002344B2
A temperature adjustable seat is disclosed. The temperature adjustable seat comprises a seat and air being blown into an inside thereof a thermoelectric device for heating and cooling the air, an air-blower for blowing either heated air or cooled air by the thermoelectric device through the inside of the seat, and control device for controlling the thermoelectric device. The control device calculates a required heat quantity, the required heat quantity being a sum of a first heat quantity required for a seat surface temperature of the seat reaching to a target seat temperature and a second heat quantity that is given and received between the seat and an ambient environment and the control device controls a temperature of the thermoelectric device so as to supply the required heat quantity to the seat.
US08002341B2
A roll sunshade device, which includes a screen for shadowing an inner opening of a roof of a vehicle, a rotating body which is disposed ahead of the inner opening or behind the inner opening in a front-rear direction of the vehicle and rotates freely around an axis in a vehicle width direction, a turning member which is disposed at a predetermined distance from the rotating body in the front-rear direction of the vehicle and rotates freely around an axis in the vehicle width direction, and two circular wires which are disposed on both sides of the inner opening in the vehicle width direction, respectively and hung between the rotating body and the turning member, in which both edge portions of the screen in the vehicle width direction are supported by the two circular wires, respectively, and when the screen is slid in the front-rear direction of the vehicle from a state where the screen shadows the inner opening, the screen is folded along an outer circumferential surface of the turning member.
US08002326B2
A linkage of a convertible top supports a portion of a cover and provides movement of the top between an extended position extending over a passenger compartment and a retracted position. A rear bow supports a rear edge of the cover and articulates the rear edge of the cover during movement of the top between the extended and retracted positions. The top also includes a backlight assembly having a rear window and supporting a rear portion of the cover. The backlight assembly forms part of an articulating mechanism that moves the rear bow.
US08002323B2
A center console assembly for a vehicle interior compartment includes a console body defining a storage compartment characterized by an access opening. A first member is operatively connected to the console body and is selectively rotatable about a first axis between a closed position and an open position. In the closed position, the first member obstructs the access opening. In the open position, the first member does not obstruct the access opening. A second member is operatively connected to the first member such that the second member is selectively rotatable with the first member about the first axis, and such that the second member is selectively rotatable with respect to the first member about a second axis.
US08002320B2
A tongs for manually grasping items has two elongate tong arms pivotally joined together with a pair of magnet members. The arms pivot between an open position when the magnet members are joined together and a closed position when the magnet members are separated. A user can easily break the connection of the magnet members and separate the two arms, making it easier to store and clean the tongs.
US08002313B2
An apparatus for connecting multi-lumen conduits may include a conduit adapter and a conduit collar. The conduit adapter may include a housing, a bayonet connector, and a support member connecting the housing and the bayonet connector. The support member has an aperture that permits fluid communication through the support member. One end of the conduit collar is sized for insertion into the housing, and a second end is adapted to receive a first multi-lumen conduit. The housing also is adapted to receive a second multi-lumen conduit. The bayonet connector engages a primary lumen of the first multi-lumen conduit and the second multi-lumen conduit such that the primary lumen of the second multi-lumen conduit fluidly communicates with the primary lumen of the first multi-lumen conduit. The conduit adapter and the conduit collar are capable of 360 degree rotation relative to each other about a common axis.
US08002311B2
An airbag system including an airbag having a first section and a second section coupled to the first section. The airbag further includes an inlet coupled to an inflatable portion. The first section is configured to inflate between a trim member and a vehicle frame; and the second section is configured to inflate into a vehicle cabin.
US08002297B2
A wrap used on pneumatic suspension systems which includes a cylindrical body (100) with a single aperture for links (110) which extends along the surface of the cylindrical body (100), the aperture (110) having a region of interruption (101) with the single aperture form (110), and also including a sequence of concordant slots (120).
US08002296B2
A skate board (1) of the type including a riding platform (2) having a leading end and a trailing end and an undercarriage (3) formed by front and rear bogies which support said platform; wherein the platform and undercarriage mutually co-operate to allow relative movement. The platform has a peripheral edge (5) in which there is/are embedded a wear means (4); wherein, the wear means provides reinforcing and contributes to wear resistance of said surface of said platform.
US08002293B2
A material handling apparatus includes a support portion having a beam, a wheel disposed on one side of the beam, and a wheel bracket disposed on an opposing side of the beam. The wheel bracket has two legs and a yoke, and is disposed with the legs against the beam to define a gap between the beam and the yoke. The beam and wheel bracket each include a defined pattern of identically arranged holes, a first set arranged on a square pattern, a second set arranged on rectangular non-square pattern, and a third set arranged on a rectangular pattern similar to that of the second set but oriented ninety degrees to the second set. The wheel bracket is disposed having its defined pattern of holes aligned with the defined pattern of holes in the beam. The wheel, beam and wheel bracket are attached by fasteners passing through one set of holes and traversing the gap.
US08002292B2
A banquet cart including a cabinet, a plurality of chimneys, an information center, and releasably lockable swivel casters. The plurality of chimneys are positioned inside the cabinet at different corners of the cabinet. The information center includes at least two of (a) a thermometer display indicating the temperature inside of the cabinet; (b) a display indicating time information from a programmable timer; and (c) an information board for displaying text. The releasably locking swivel casters are unlocked to allow swivel action of the casters when a user actuates a foot-operable lever at the front of the cabinet, and are locked when the user releases the lever and the casters are rotated to a predetermined position.
US08002266B2
A pickoff system for removal of mail pieces one at a time from the end of a stack includes a pickoff belt mechanism, a sensor positioned to determine mail piece movement speed, and a measurement device determines belt movement speed during operation of the pickoff belt mechanism. A vacuum system includes a vacuum pump and a vacuum manifold positioned to apply suction to the mail piece in a direction that tends to hold the mail piece against the belt of the pickoff belt mechanism. A controller is configured to compare the belt movement speed and the mail piece movement speed during operation, and when mail piece movement speed is slower than belt movement speed, indicating slipping of the mail piece relative to the belt of the pickoff belt mechanism, the controller temporarily increases suction force applied to a mail piece being transported by the pickoff belt mechanism.
US08002264B2
An automatic document feeder (ADF), which is capable of feeding a document for double-sided reading, includes an input tray, an output tray, which are vertically arranged, a U-shaped document feed path, which is made up of an upper portion, a curved portion, and a lower portion, feeding rollers disposed in the document feed path, a bidirectional feed path connected to a connection position, a bidirectional feed roller provided in the bidirectional feed path, a bypass connecting a branch position and the connection position, and an ADF cover, which is rotatable with respect to an ADF frame. A paper jam is readily cleared with a simple structure and reasonable cost.
US08002262B2
A method for applying a pick retry using a modified pick roller force includes operating an actuator in a first duty cycle to cause a pick roller to impose a first force on a media stack ordinarily sufficient to pick and feed a top sheet from the media stack to a media path, sensing whether or not the sheet arrives in the media path, and retrying the actuator in a second duty cycle different than the first duty cycle to cause the pick roller to impose a second force on the media stack different from the first force in response to not sensing the arrival of the sheet in the media path. The second force may be greater than the first force. The second duty cycle may be longer than the first duty cycle. Also, the method includes rotating the pick roller concurrently with or subsequently to operating the actuator.
US08002258B2
An image forming apparatus has a tab sheet supply unit and a control unit. The tab sheet supply unit supplies tab sheets of an identical type from an identical sheet supply tray as a chapter tab sheet to be inserted at a breakpoint of a first level of classification of a document to be printed, as well as a section tab sheet to be inserted at a breakpoint of a second level that is a finer level of classification than the first level of classification. The control unit causes the tab sheet contained in the sheet supply tray to be discharged as an unnecessary tab sheet, if the tab position of the tab sheet to be supplied next from the sheet supply tray does not match with the tab position of the tab sheet to be inserted next during the printing of the document, until both of the tab positions match.
US08002250B2
An air spring and shock absorber unit for bicycles or motorbikes includes operator control elements which are accessible from the outside and are disposed on an outer surface of the air spring and shock absorber unit. The operator control elements are disposed so as to be rotatable about a common axis and relative to a position of articulation points.
US08002247B2
The present invention is a quartz bubbler container with cross purge capability. This cross purge allows the user to easily purge air and chemical from the valve inlet and outlet by simply flowing inert gas, and avoids the requirement for a more complicated vacuum purging apparatus. The design incorporates two small footprint 3-way valves mounted on the bubbler container inlet and outlet connectors. The 3rd port of each valve is piped together between the valves with a crosspurge line. The valves are corrosion resistant, leak free, maintenance free, non-leaching of impurities, and can accommodate an optional breakseal crusher that will perforate quartz break seals (on the inlet and outlet of ampoule). Liquid out containers of various materials of construction are also contemplated.
US08002244B2
A high load lightweight block assembly (1) with a reduced mass hollow central shaft (2) through which a continuous or discontinuous rope loop (10) can be passed, which rope loop (10) carries the tensile operating loads within the block (1) thereby minimizing the weight of the assembly.
US08002228B2
A rotary supporting structure without drawing is provided. A base is designed to have a protrusion to cooperate with a locating hole of an electronic device to make the base rotate between the accommodating position coinciding with the bottom surface of the electronic device and the supporting position intersecting with the bottom surface without drawing. The tenons used in the conventional design are replaced, and thus the operation is more convenient. The base is composed of an upper lid and a lower lid, and this may overcome the thickness limitation of the conventional single plastic component and provide stable support.
US08002224B2
An adjustable support which includes a housing constructed of a sidewall wherein a column is positioned within the housing and spaced apart from the sidewall and wherein the column defines threads. A leg is also provided which is constructed of another sidewall which defines other threads wherein the other threads are dimensioned to engage the threads defined by the column.
US08002221B2
A panel-mounted control stick for aircraft providing for roll and pitch input that emulates the response of a traditional floor-mounted control stick. The panel-mounted control stick incorporates a pitch beam input assembly and a roll input assembly for translating the movements of the control stick into movements of aircraft control surfaces.
US08002220B2
A variable rate limit is implemented in an active inceptor haptic feedback control system. The rate limit is modulated based on a rate error between an aircraft rate command supplied from the active inceptor, and actual aircraft rate. As the rate error increases, the rate limit is reduced, which limits inceptor movement and provides haptic feedback to a user when the rate error is exceeded.
US08002219B2
An annular fairing having aerodynamic, thermal, structural and acoustic attributes couples a launch abort motor to a space vehicle having a payload of concern mounted on top of a rocket propulsion system. A first end of the annular fairing is fixedly attached to the launch abort motor while a second end of the annular fairing is attached in a releasable fashion to an aft region of the payload. The annular fairing increases in diameter between its first and second ends.
US08002215B2
A reel changer is usable for supporting a reel of material that is wound on a winding sleeve. The reel holder includes a carrier journal and a plurality of driver elements. These driver elements are arranged such that they engage in a front of the winding sleeve. The number of these driver elements which can engage in the front of the winding sleeve can be varied.
US08002209B2
A fragmentation system including a reaction vessel with processing fluid and fragmentation product and a pair of electrodes. Two respective ends of the pair of electrodes are arranged at a distance to each other inside the reaction vessel and can be admitted with pulsed high-voltage to grind the fragmentation product positioned in a reaction zone. The system also including a solid/fluid separation device, a suspension device to keep the fragmentation product continually suspended in the processing fluid, and a transfer device to transfer processing fluid and a first share of the fragmentation product out of the reaction vessel to the solid/fluid separation device. A second share of the fragmentation product returns to the reaction zone. The system includes at least one return-flow line coupled to the solid/fluid separation device and the reaction vessel to empty the processing fluid from the solid/fluid separation device into the reaction vessel.
US08002202B2
An air brush marker includes a marker barrel having a first end and a second end, with a pump disposed at the first end of the marker barrel and a hollow nib disposed at the second end that is configured to absorb ink. A filter is disposed within the marker barrel, is configured to absorb ink and is positioned in contact with the nib. A tube is disposed within the marker barrel and provides an air passage extending from the pump to the nib. The pump is configured to supply a burst of air through the tube and the nib such that ink particles are sprayed out of the marker at the second end in a generally dispersed pattern.
US08002197B1
An encoded transactional card unit having die cut components and a removable data component comprising a first or top protective plane, a second or bottom protective plane, a substrate, having at least one fixed region which is adhesively attached to said first protective plan and a second protective plane forming die cut components, and a portion or region wherein element with a removable data component may be removed and reused by application to another item.
US08002194B2
Disclosed is a smart information carrier containing a security element laminated with a transparent polymer foil having a melting point higher than 150° C. and the security element is surrounded by an edge at least 1 mm wide in which the transparent polymer foil on each side of the security element are laminated to one another, the security element including an IC-module and a fibre-containing continuous support, wherein the support is security printed on at least the side of the support nearer to the IC-module and the IC-module is encapsulated with a transparent polymer or polymer mixture with a melting point up to 150° C. wherein the transparent polymer or polymer mixtures also coats the side of the support nearer to the IC-module. Also disclosed is a method of preparing the smart information carrier.
US08002191B2
A segmented microencapsulated display system that includes a substrate upon which an image is produced in a layer of microencapsulated electrophoric elements and a unit remote from the substrate that includes electronics circuitry that creates the image produced in the layer of microencapsulated electrophoric elements.
US08002189B2
A hybrid processing device that continuously reads information from a plurality of process media can set the speed of the continuous reading process appropriately to the situation. The hybrid processing device 20 has a conveyance portion 2c, a reading control unit 28, and a discharge control unit 25 that runs a discharge process according to the result of the read process, and continuously reads a plurality of checks S according to instructions from a host computer 30. The reading control unit 28 runs a read process to read all read items when the reading accuracy priority mode is selected. When the reading speed priority mode is selected, the reading control unit 28 runs a read process to read only specific read items. In the reading accuracy priority mode the discharge control unit 25 runs the discharge process based on the results of reading all read items, and in the reading speed priority mode runs the discharge process controls the discharge process based on the results of reading only the specified read items.
US08002187B2
A device for processing image data relating to bar codes is described. In one embodiment a bar code verification device is provided having an ergonomic form factor characterized by a domed hand held trigger and a viewing window. The verification device may be disposed in a network that includes a host processor system and other bar code reading devices which may include other bar code verification devices. Processing circuitry for processing image signals corresponding to printed bar codes may be partially disposed within the hand held verification device and partially disposed within a host processor system spaced apart from and associated with the hand held verification device. The hand held verification device may be in wireless communication with the host processor system to which it is associated. The bar code verification system may include signal enhancement modules which interpolate constructed pixel values from actual pixel values and which correct for signal degradation resulting from high frequency spatial sampling.
US08002183B2
A scanner flipper integrity checking method, computer-readable medium, and apparatus is provided. In one embodiment, the method powers a motor for a predetermined amount of time. After the predetermined time has expired a wave is received indicative of the frequency of the oscillation of the flipper. Thereafter, the method uses the wave signal to determine whether there are two consecutive transitions indicative of movement by said flipper. In another embodiment, an apparatus is also provided which performs the similar features recited by the above method.
US08002169B2
In various embodiments, a method of joining clad structures includes providing first and second clad structures each comprising a protective layer disposed only partially over a steel layer such that an edge region of the steel layer is exposed, joining the first and second clad structures at their respective edge regions, thereby forming a joint, and cold spraying a metal powder over and in contact with (i) the joint, (ii) the edge regions, and (iii) the protective layers of the first and second clad structures, thereby directly connecting the protective layers of the first and second clad structures with a layer of unmelted metal powder.
US08002163B2
A friction welding apparatus includes a first holder for holding a first work piece, a second holder for holding a second work piece, a thrust mechanism and a shaft. The thrust mechanism moves the second holder toward or away from the first holder. The shaft is connected to the first holder and the second holder for receiving thrust caused by the thrust mechanism. The shaft has a tie rod and an externally threaded member which is coaxially connected to the tie rod so that the externally threaded member is rotatable on an axis thereof. The thrust mechanism has the externally threaded member, an internally threaded member and a thrust motor. The internally threaded member is provided in either one of the first holder and the second holder and engaged with the externally threaded member. The thrust motor rotates the externally threaded member relative to the internally threaded member.
US08002162B2
A friction-welding device for the integral joining of components, having an oscillator, which generates a periodic movement of a component and a welding surface provided thereon relative to another, static component and a welding surface provided thereon, with directions of movement parallel to the welding surfaces, having a compression device which presses the welding surfaces together, and a cartridge which accommodates the moved component. The oscillator includes two or a greater, even number of piezoactuators, which are arranged in pairs on a line of application and are able to be prestressed with respect to the cartridge from opposite sides under pressure generation and are able to be moved in a synchronous, oscillating manner together therewith and the component.
US08002153B2
The present invention is a powder dispenser for dispensing predetermined amounts of a powder product. The powder dispenser includes a housing and a dispensing tube. The dispensing tube removes a predetermined amount of the powder product from the housing to be dispensed into a container. The dispensing tube includes recesses having a predetermined volume to control the amount of powder product dispensed. The housing includes a lower cavity for storing containers that receive the dispensed powder product.
US08002152B2
A fluid dispenser device comprising a dispenser member (10), such as a pump or a valve, a fluid reservoir (30), and a fastener element (20) for fastening said dispenser member (10) onto a neck (35) of said reservoir (30), a turret (40) being disposed between the body (11) of the dispenser member (10) and said fastener element (20), said turret (40) including a deformable radial flange (45), said deformable radial flange including deformable sealing means (46, 47) projecting from said radial flange (45), said radial flange (45), after assembly, being deformed and co-operating in leaktight manner with the top edge of the neck (35) of the reservoir (30), and said sealing means (46, 47), after assembly, being deformed and co-operating in leaktight manner with said fastener element (20).
US08002151B2
One aspect of the invention is a foaming component for use in association with a foam dispenser. The foaming component includes an air sparging element, a mixing chamber, and an air chamber. The mixing chamber is on one side of the air sparging element and it defines a portion of the mixing chamber. The air chamber is on the other side of the air sparging element and it defines a portion of the air chamber. The air chamber has an air inlet. The mixing chamber has a liquid inlet and an outlet, and the outlet is down stream of the inlet. The foaming component also forms part of a new foam dispenser. The foaming component and the foam dispenser are for use in the production of foam with a plurality of particles suspended therein. Another aspect of the invention is a dispenser with a foaming component therein.
US08002149B2
The present invention provides a child-resistant closure for a container. The closure comprises a dispensing nozzle, a cap for the dispensing nozzle, inter-engaging formations and a resiliently deformable element. The inter-engaging formations provided on the closure hold the cap to the nozzle in an interengaged assembly thereof. The resiliently deformable element biases the cap and the nozzle apart. The inter-engaging formations comprise a retaining slot for receiving a retainer and a retainer for engagement with the retaining slot. The retaining slot, retainer and resiliently deformable element are arranged so that the cap and the nozzle are retained interengaged in the interengaged assembly by bias from the resiliently deformable element. The release of the interengaging formations is achieved by applying sufficient pressure axially to the assembly to overcome the bias of the resiliently deformable element, and sufficient turning force to move the retainer out through the opening of the retaining slot.
US08002131B2
A stopper apparatus for closing wine bottles and like receptacles having an elongated stopper body of flexible material adapted for insertion into the neck of the bottle so as to create a water-tight and air-tight seal between the media contained within said bottle and the outside environment. The stopper body has a generally cylindrical shape with a slight taper near the base of the cylinder and features a cavity near the top of the cylinder. The cavity features a concealed apparatus therein. At least one self revealing handle is attached to the stopper body for extracting said stopper from the neck of the bottle, wherein extracting said stopper body from the neck of said bottle exposes said concealed apparatus contained therein.
US08002113B1
A medical seal dispenser having a container molded of plastic and having clamshell portions hinged together. The clamshell portions of the container can be locked together when in a closed position. One clamshell portion includes a core holder for holding a roll of medical seals. The core holder includes speed bumps that are raised or domed protrusions on the core holder to provide rolling friction to the roll of medical seals during dispensing. This controlled rotation of the roll prevents spooling if the carrier strip is pulled out of the container too quickly.
US08002110B2
A toothed belt connector for making an endless belt has two leaves, adapted to be connected to each other by knuckles along one or more teeth. Each knuckle has at least one hole extending through tooth portions so that when the holes are in registry, a pin can be extended through the holes to connect the leaves at the teeth. The leaves can be adjoined to the ends of a belt to make the belt endless. The tip end of each knuckle can be beveled or it can have a stepped finger that fits into a cutout on the opposite leaf to keep the end of the knuckle from protruding as the belt wraps around a sprocket.
US08002108B2
A tensioning apparatus for a circulating element, such as a belt or a band, has a basic body in which a first chamber is formed. A piston is positioned in the first chamber and carries a piston rod. The piston can be displaced in the first chamber by the use of a pressure fluid. Either the piston rod or the base body is attached to the carrier for the belt or band. Either the piston rod or the basic body carries a head piece which can be moved in contact with the circulating element. A locking mechanism for the piston rod can be engaged and disengaged by the use of fluid pressure.
US08002103B2
The invention relates to a method and a device for controlling the flow of banknotes between at least two locations, in particular a Central Bank and/or Monetary Authority and a local financial institution, said method comprising the following steps: i) collecting banknotes at the local financial institution, ii) subjecting the banknotes received in step i) to a fitness measurement so as to obtain a flow of “fit” banknotes and a flow of “unfit” banknotes, iii) returning the flow of “unfit” banknotes to the Central Bank and/or Monetary Authority, and iv) bringing the flow of “fit” banknotes into circulation.
US08002100B2
The invention concerns a device for actuating a diaphragm spring clutch (20) for vehicles by means of a pneumatic, hydraulic or electric actuator (24), comprising a controller connected upstream of the actuator (24), whose output control variable actuates the actuator (24). To compensate for the strong nonlinearity of the releasing force over the releasing stroke that is typical of diaphragm springs, a controller is used, whose characteristic curve is plotted in such a way that this nonlinear curve of the releasing force is at least approximately compensated via a correspondingly coordinated actuation of the actuator (24), so that it remains essentially identical over the releasing stroke.
US08002099B2
A clutch operation mechanism wherein when a clutch is disengaged and engaged by manual operation or by operation of an actuator the one operation does not affect the other operation. The clutch operation mechanism includes a lever side lost mechanism which is disposed between a clutch lever and a turn-operating force transmitting member for interrupting, from the clutch lever side, an operated-force applied from the turn-operating force transmitting member by driving the electric motor when the clutch lever is not operated. A motor side lost mechanism is disposed between the electric motor and the turn-operating force transmitting member and interrupts, from the side of the electric motor, the operated-force applied from the turn-operating force transmitting member by operating the clutch lever when the electric motor is not operated.
US08002081B2
An exhaust system includes a tubular inner shell for passing therethrough exhaust gases from a combustion engine, and a tubular outer shell enclosing the tubular inner shell and cooperating therewith to define a sound silencing chamber into which the exhaust gases are introduced. The tubular inner shell forms an inner peripheral wall of the sound silencing chamber, and an upstream portion of the inner peripheral wall is formed with a perforated wall area having a plurality of communicating perforations for communicating between an interior of the tubular inner shell and the sound silencing chamber, and a downstream portion of the inner peripheral wall has a non-perforated wall area having no communicating perforation defined therein.
US08002078B2
An acoustic waveguide with at least two portions coupled by vibration damping structure. The vibration damping structure may be a conformable material such as closed cell foam. The vibration damping structure may further include structure for inhibiting motion in a direction transverse to the interface between the vibration damping structure and a portion of the waveguide.
US08002076B2
The present invention provides an electric power steering apparatus, in which reduction and thickness thereof can be achieved, radiation performance thereof can concurrently be ensured, and manufacturing and running costs thereof can also be reduced, even when the apparatus includes a structure having a motor and a motor control device integrated therewith. The apparatus includes a motor which assists in steering operations, a motor control device which controls the motor, and a housing which accommodates the motor and the motor control device. The housing includes a motor accommodation portion which accommodates the motor, and a control device accommodation portion which accommodates the motor control device. The motor control device includes a drive unit which drives the motor, and a control unit which controls the motor. The drive unit is disposed in a position in the control device accommodation portion, the position being in proximity to the motor accommodation portion.
US08002071B2
To realizes an easy maintenance of the load sensor.A passenger's weight measurement device 1 comprises a left and right pair of fixed lower rails 3 which are fixed on the vehicle floor, a left and right pair of movable upper rails 4 which are disposed to move in a front-and-rear direction on the fixed lower rail 3, load sensors 50 and 60 which are fixed to an upper surface of the right movable upper rail 4, load sensors 70 and 80 which are disposed on the movable upper rail 4 to be movable in a left-and-right direction with respect to the right movable upper rail 4, a sub frame 110 which is mounted on the load sensors 50, 60, 70, and 80, side frames 141 and 142 which are welded to the sub frame 110, and a pan frame 143 which is detachably disposed to the side frames 141 and 142 to cover the front of the side frames 141 and 142. A gouged section 151 is formed on the side frame 141.
US08002069B2
A work machine having a mechanical transmission in combination with a hydrostatic ground drive including a primary drive and a secondary drive engageable for providing additional propulsion torque in a power assist mode, the hydrostatic drive automatically providing an increased torque capability when the transmission is engaged in a high speed range, thereby allowing the work machine to accelerate from a complete stop to a high speed range with the transmission in a high speed range without the need to stop to shift the mechanical transmission to accommodate an increased propulsion torque requirement.
US08002068B2
A motorcycle includes a swing arm, a rear wheel mounted on a leading end of the swing arm, a drive shaft disposed in the swing arm, and a final gear transmission mechanism interposed between the drive shaft and the rear wheel. The final gear transmission mechanism includes a gear case mounted on the leading end of the swing arm for supporting a rear axle; a first end bearing and a second end bearing for supporting a first end and a second end of the rear axle, respectively, a ring gear mounted on the rear axle for transmitting the rotary drive force of an engine to the rear axle; a holding portion for holding the first end of the rear axle in the axial direction of the rear axle; and a fastening member for fastening the second end bearing to the second end of the rear axle.
US08002066B2
A motorcycle includes a seat configured to support a rider, and an antilock braking modulator disposed downwardly of the seat. The antilock braking modulator is configured to control an antilock braking system (ABS). A first control valve is configured to distribute a braking force between a front wheel and a rear wheel. A second control valve is configured to introduce fuel vapors into an intake system. A first bracket is fixed on a vehicle body frame, and is mounted with the second control valve. A second bracket is supported on a side of the vehicle body frame and further supported by the first bracket and mounted with the antilock braking modulator and the first control valve.
US08002056B2
Systems and methods are provided for an inverter system for use in a vehicle having a first energy source and a second energy source. The system comprises a motor having a first set of windings and a second set of windings. The first set of windings is electrically isolated from the second set of windings. The system further comprises a first inverter coupled to the first energy source and adapted to drive the motor, wherein the first set of windings are coupled to the first inverter. The system also comprises a second inverter coupled to the second energy source and adapted to drive the motor, wherein the second set of windings are coupled to the second inverter. A controller is coupled to the first inverter and the second inverter.
US08002052B2
A rotary drill bit includes a bit body substantially formed of a particle-matrix composite material having an exterior surface and an abrasive wear-resistant material disposed on at least a portion of the exterior surface of the bit body. Methods for applying an abrasive wear-resistant material to a surface of a drill bit are also provided.
US08002050B2
An onshore oil or gas well is completed with a coiled tubing unit. A completion liquid is circulated through coiled tubing and thereby removing solids from the well. The completion liquid and drilled solids pass into a tank where the solids are removed and the cleansed completion liquid is redelivered into the well. In some embodiments, drilled solids from the completion liquid are dewatered to a suitable extent in the tank and dumped into a bin where they are mixed with cotton motes to sorb any free liquid. In some embodiments, drilled solids from drilling an onshore subterranean well are mixed with cotton motes to sorb free liquid. The mixture of cotton motes and drilled solids are disposed of in a manner consistent with appropriate regulations, as by delivery to a commercial landfill, which may be either privately or municipally owned.
US08002042B2
A downhole tool includes, a tubular, a tooth profile on the tubular, at least one first actuatable latch complementary to the tooth profile and at least one second actuatable latch complementary to the tooth profile. The at least one second actuatable latch prevents movement of the tubular when actuated. Additionally, at least one actuator is in operable communication with the at least one first actuatable latch such that actuation of the at least one actuator while the at least one first actuatable latch is actuated and the at least one second actuatable latch is nonactuated causes movement of the tubular.
US08002039B2
Embodiments of the invention are directed to a valve. In one embodiment, the valve includes a body having a first biasing member and a sealing member configured to axially move inside the body against the first biasing member to provide a path for fluid to flow from an interior region of the body to an exterior region of the body at a first predetermined pressure difference across the sealing member.
US08002035B2
A perforating apparatus (170) used to perforate a subterranean well. The perforating apparatus (170) includes a generally tubular gun carrier (106) and a charge holder (172) rotatably mounted within the gun carrier (106). At least one shaped charge (102) is mounted in the charge holder (172) and is operable to perforate the well upon detonation. A dynamically adjustable weight system (174) is operably associated to the charge holder (172). The dynamically adjustable weight system (174) includes a plurality of longitudinally extending tubes (176) that are operable to contain a weighted material therein and are operable to adjust the center of gravity (120) of the charge holder (172) such that gravity will cause the charge holder (172) to rotate within the gun carrier (106) to position the at least one shaped charge (102) in a desired circumferential direction relative to the well prior to perforating.
US08002033B2
This method deals in recovering energy in-situ from an underground resource and upgrading such resource above ground. It consists of injecting a hot gas to pyrolyze it to produce gases and liquids with high hydrogen content and a residual hot char. The gases and liquids together with the injected hot gas form a mixture of gases and liquids that is brought above ground and treated into a clean mixture of gases and liquids rich in hydrogen and then used as a chemical feedstock and/or transportation fuel. Following the pyrolyzation of the resource, carbon dioxide and air are injected into the residual hot char to convert the CO2 into 2CO+N2, which is brought above ground and treated into a clean lean gas. This lean gas is used to generate efficient electric power, heat the injected gas for pyrolysis, and convert the 2CO+N2 as a feedstock into fertilizer.
US08002029B1
An apparatus, and a method which uses the apparatus, for raising a fluid from a lower region to a higher region of an at least partially cased well. The apparatus includes: a tubing string; a contacting structure at the upper end of the tubing string for engaging a stop structure in the well casing such that the tubing string is held in suspension; an exterior sealing element for sealing against the casing wall; and an internal check valve.
US08002026B2
Electronic time delay apparatuses and methods of use are disclosed. An explosive or propellant system, which may be configured as a well perforating system includes an electronic time delay assembly comprising an input subassembly, an electronic time delay circuit, and an output subassembly. The input subassembly is activated by an external stimulus, wherein an element is displaced to activate an electronic time delay circuit. The electronic time delay circuit comprises a time delay device coupled with a voltage firing circuit. The electronic time delay circuit counts a time delay, and, upon completion, raises a voltage until a threshold firing voltage is exceeded. Upon exceeding the threshold firing voltage, a voltage trigger switch will break down to transfer energy to an electric initiator to initiate an explosive booster within the output subassembly. The explosive booster provides a detonation output to initiate the next element explosive or propellant element, such as an array of shaped charges in the well perforating system.
US08002015B2
A cooling system for a low pressure casting device, which includes an upper mold provided with a core portion of a spark plug and an upper die, a lower mold provided with a mold portion of a combustion chamber and a lower die, and side molds, may include i) a coolant supply unit connected respectively to the core portion of the spark plug, the upper die, the mold portion of the combustion chamber, and the lower die through coolant supply lines, ii) a cooling air supply unit connected respectively to the side molds and the mold portion of the combustion chamber through air supply lines, and iii) a vacuum intake unit connected respectively to the core portion of the spark plug, the upper die, the mold portion of the combustion chamber, and the lower die through vacuum intake lines.
US08001998B2
A weaving loom including a mechanism drawing-in threads, for insertion of picks, and for formation of a weaving shed, so as to render possible formation of a continuous angle or corner by a thread during weaving. The loom preferably also includes a vertical offset system, so that it is possible to weave a three-dimensional surfacic structure, the threads of which are continuous between the faces and at the level of the edges. The loom can be configured particularly for manufacture of continuous tridedral corners that are used as reinforcements for composite structures.
US08001993B2
An apparatus includes dead band reduction circuitry. The dead band reduction circuitry includes an input configured to receive an input signal and an output configured to provide an output signal. The dead band circuitry is configured to apply compensation to the input signal to create the output signal. The output is configured to be coupled to an electronically controlled valve. The valve is configured to use the output signal to control movement of a valve member in the valve. The valve member includes one or more lands that overlaps an associated one or more openings. The one or more lands are sized relative to an associated one or more openings such that a dead band is caused. The compensation is defined to reduce the dead band.
US08001992B2
A liquid enclosure has an automatic air bleeding valve which has a first stage wherein the fluid pathway is open and a one-way valve is interposed in the fluid pathway; a second stage wherein the fluid pathway is open and circumvents the one-way valve; and a third stage wherein the fluid pathway is closed. A float automatically transitions the valve from the first, then second, then third stage as a level of the liquid in the liquid holding chamber rises from below the first to above the second predetermined level, and the valve automatically returns from the third stage to the second stage, then to the first stage as the level of the liquid in the liquid holding chamber lowers from above the second to below the first predetermined level.
US08001983B2
A wafer W is held in a horizontal attitude within an airtight container 41 by a vacuum chuck 42 such that small gaps are formed between the wafer W and the inner surfaces of the airtight container 41. A cleaning liquid is supplied toward the center portion of a front surface of the wafer W through a fluid supply port 40 which is an end of a fluid supply path 5, and is discharged through a fluid discharge portion 44 arranged in the bottom portion of the airtight container 41 in a form of a groove running along a circle having its center located on the center axis of the wafer W. The cleaning liquid flows and spreads from the center portion of the wafer W toward the peripheral portion while removing particles adhered to the wafer W, and is discharged through the fluid discharge portion 44. This arrangement allows the particles to be uniformly and reliably removed without rotating the wafer W. The entire cleaning apparatus 4 has a small size.
US08001980B2
An applicator brush includes a stem, and a plurality of bristles supported by the stem. The stem extends from an end of a rod and includes a first branch and a second branch twisted together, each branch having a non-circular cross-section The bristles are positioned between the twisted first and second branches. In some embodiments, each branch includes a plurality of strands pre-twisted together to create the non-circular cross-section of each branch, forming a multi-helicoidal stem.
US08001976B2
In one embodiment, a pressure sensing system is described which transmits data to a patient management system external to a patient. The pressure sensing system can rigidly couple to an implantable port or flexibly couple to an implantable port. In some embodiments, the pressure sensing system communicates with a hydraulic actuating system. In some embodiments, the pressure sensing system is implantable and comprises a circuit capable of wireless transmission through the skin of a patient to an external receiver which is part of a patient management system. A patient management system is described which receives up to date as well as historical data from the pressure sensing system and manages the these data in the context of a patient database.
US08001972B2
According to one embodiment, an oral appliance for maintaining stability of one or more aspects of a user's masticatory system includes a first arch adapted to receive at least some of the user's teeth and a second arch adapted to receive at least some of the user's teeth. The first arch includes an anterior substantially planar region located proximate a midline of the first arch. The second arch includes an anterior bearing platform located proximate a midline of the second arch, elongated in an anterior-posterior direction, and operable to contact the anterior substantially planar region of the first arch when the user bites down with the oral appliance inserted in the user's mouth and the user's temporomandibular joint in its proper natural position to help maintain stability of one or more aspects of the user's masticatory system.
US08001971B2
Systems and methods prevent magnetic implant migration and extrusion in the upper airway. The systems and methods relate both to surgical techniques as well as structural features to address the problem of magnetic implant migration.
US08001962B2
The invention relates generally to a nebulizer, for example, of ultrasonic nebulizer (30) having a bowl shaped container (12) and a tubular energy transmitter in the form of acoustic transmitter pipe (34). One end of the acoustic transmitter pipe (34) is immersed in the liquid (14) of the container (12). The bowl shaped ultrasonic transducer (16) is operatively coupled to the bowl shaped container (12) for transmission of ultrasonic energy to the liquid (14) and acoustic transmitter pipe (34). Absorption of transmitted energy by the liquid (14) forces the liquid (14) toward an upper end of the acoustic transmitter pipe (34) where it is nebulized in the form of an aerosol. The invention also relates generally to a device and method for delivering a substance in an aerosol form into a cellular organism, and a hand held device for delivering a substance to a cellular organism.
US08001956B1
A cooking apparatus includes a frame with an upper section for holding a pot and a lower section for resting upon an underlying support surface. The frame has a burner element that can be a nozzle tube having a commercially available burner nozzle for generating a cooking flame during use. The nozzle can be fueled with propane, butane or the like using a commercially available tank, regulator and supply hose. The frame can include an upper ring, lower rings, the upper ring providing legs, pot support bars or members for holding the bottom of a pot. A heat shield is comprised of multiple specially configured sections that overlap and connect to the frame. The shield is positioned below the flame during use to lessen heat transfer from the flame to the underlying support surface.
US08001946B2
A piston for an internal combustion engine has annular cooling passage arranged in the vicinity of the piston crown and radially on the outside, which, in those regions of the pin bosses which lie close to the boss holes, has boss cooling passages which are connected to the cooling passage and are intended for improved cooling of the pin bosses.
US08001939B2
An apparatus and method for automatically adjusting the valve lash of an internal combustion engine is provided. In another aspect of the present invention, a probe is employed for verifying and/or setting valve lash settings in an automated manner. A further aspect of the present invention does not require determination of a zero lash position or reference datum prior to adjusting the valve lash adjusting screw for desired lash.
US08001938B2
After having determined a phase angle, the phase angle is maintained as the determined one without consuming electric power.An intermediate member 14 is movably disposed on the outer periphery of an inner cylinder part 12 that is relatively rotatably disposed with respect to an outer cylinder part 10 to which a driving force of a crankshaft is transmitted and that is connected to a camshaft. In a process in which the intermediate member 14 moves in the axial direction when a solenoid 74 or a solenoid 76 is energized, balls 46 and 48 move in mutually opposite directions in response to a displacement in the axial direction caused by the movement of the intermediate member 14, and the phase between the outer cylinder part 10 and the camshaft 2 is variably adjusted. After the intermediate member 14 is set at an advance position or a retard position when the solenoids 74 and 76 are deenergized, the balls 46 and 48 stop moving for the input of torque from the outer cylinder part 10 or from the camshaft 2, and a self-locking state is reached.
US08001937B2
An oil gallery for a variable valve timing apparatus of a cylinder head includes an advance oil supply passage that fluidly connects an oil control valve hole and a variable valve timing journal, a retard oil supply passage that fluidly connects the oil control valve hole and the variable valve timing journal, and an oil chamber in at least one of the oil supply passages. The oil chamber may have a slanted ceiling that may slant upward toward an outlet opening of the oil chamber. The uppermost point of the ceiling may be positioned at the oil outlet. The lowermost point of the outlet opening may be above the bottom surface of the oil chamber.
US08001936B2
In a control apparatus and a method for an internal combustion engine, a first cylinder group in which both of the intake and exhaust valves of each of the engine cylinders thereof are controllably stopped; and a second cylinder group in which a lift of the intake valve of each of the engine cylinders thereof is variably controlled are provided. The lift of the intake valve of each of the engine cylinders of the second cylinder group is controlled in order for an engine torque when the intake and exhaust valves of each of the cylinders of the first cylinder group are controlled to be stopped to be approximately equal to the engine torque by the first cylinder group and the second cylinder group before the intake and exhaust valves of each of the cylinders of the first cylinder group are controlled to be stopped.
US08001934B2
Various systems and methods are described for a controlling a flow of reformate fuel in a fuel system which includes a reformer and a storage tank coupled to an engine in a vehicle. The system includes a pump located between the reformer and the storage tank that is selectively operated in order to reduce parasitic losses on the system.
US08001930B2
A system for milking animals comprises a plurality of milking machines (107), a common vacuum source arrangement (102-105), and a vacuum conduit system (101, 106a-l) connecting each of said milking machines to the common vacuum source arrangement, wherein each of the milking machines is connected to the common vacuum source arrangement via an air flow regulation device (108). Preferably, the common vacuum source arrangement comprises at least one vacuum pump (103-105) and a header tank (102), and each of the air flow regulation devices is provided to regulate the air flow from the milking machine, to which it is connected, to be lower than a threshold value.
US08001927B2
The invention relates to a plasma spraying device (1) for spraying a coating (2) onto a substrate (3) by a thermal spray process. Said plasma spraying device (1) includes a plasma torch (4) for heating up a plasma gas (5) in a heating zone (6), wherein the plasma torch (4) includes a nozzle body (7) for forming a plasma gas stream (8), and said plasma torch (4) has an aperture (9) running along a central longitudinal axis (10) through said nozzle body (7). The aperture (9) has an convergent section (11) with an inlet (12) for the plasma gas (5), a throat section (13) including a minimum cross-sectional area of the aperture, and a divergent section (14) with an outlet (15) for the plasma gas stream (8), wherein an introducing duct (16) is provided for introducing a liquid precursor (17) into the plasma gas stream (8). According to the invention a penetration means (18, 161, 181, 182) is provided to penetrate the liquid precursor (17) inside the plasma gas stream (8). The invention relates also to a method for introducing a liquid precursor (17) into a plasma gas stream (8) as well as to the use of a plasma spraying device (1) and a method in accordance with the present invention for coating a surface of a substrate (3).
US08001916B2
Disclosed is an articulating sail feeder that solves problems associated with furling and reefing sails on yachts, particularly large yachts. The inventive sail feeder includes hinge tracks arranged in articulating column that bends and rotates freely, but limits the axial twist of the sail as during furling and reefing. The inventive hinge tracks have a cross section that includes a batten end receptacle with channels for headboard cars. Hinge tracks with the inventive cross section absorb the wind-generated compressive forces exerted by the battens on the batten pockets, reducing chafing, and eliminate the need for sail slides, which would otherwise lock the sail in place during furling and reefing.
US08001911B2
A shelf is connected to risers that are interference fit together to achieve a clamping effect between the shelves and the risers. Each shelf may comprise a plastic shelf portion and at least one reinforcement portion secured to the plastic shelf portion to reinforce the plastic shelf portion along its length. In one embodiment a plurality of metal bars are used as the reinforcement portion having a tapered end. The reinforcement portions may be inserted into channels formed in the plastic shelve portions and secured to the shelf portions using an interference fit.
US08001903B1
A tracer cylinder for use with a shotgun shell to provide an aiming and training aid for shotgun shooting sports, which also can be used for military and police applications. The tracer cylinder, which contains a liquid, is positioned in a shotgun shell above a disk-shaped piercing valve. The shell is loaded into a shotgun and fired. The forces of ignition cause the point on the piercing valve to puncture the bottom of the cylinder, and, when the cylinder is airborne, tracer liquid is released through the resulting opening by physical forces, creating a long-lasting mist or fog cloud that is visible to the shooter. The shooter is provided with a consistent and durable reference, allowing him or her to make effective corrections to his or her shooting technique. The tracer cylinder can be loaded into a shot holder, with or without shot pellets.
US08001900B2
A home position sensor, which constitutes a portion of a home position storage unit, stores a home position by means of previously detecting the position of a printing cylinder cam. Accordingly, a printing cylinder comes to a stop at a plate replacement position at the time of replacement of a plate even when the printing cylinder cam does not pass by the home position sensor.
US08001895B2
An inking unit of a rotary printing press includes a film roller. The film roller has a structured outer surface that has a Shore D hardness ranging between 80 and 90 and a stochastic surface. The stochastic surface is incorporated into the outer surface of the film roller by peening.
US08001894B2
A roller of a printing machine includes a device for use in the generation of an axial oscillating movement of the rotating roller. The device includes a drive that is comprised of a pump which pressurizes a working fluid. The pump is arranged inside of the roller.
US08001883B1
In a hydrostatic device using an axial piston pump, a yoke is mounted so that it contacts the movable swash plate of the hydrostatic transmission. The yoke is biased by a spring-type mechanism to force the swash plate to return to neutral, and the set position of the yoke plate may be externally adjusted. A bias or load arm rotatably fixed to a housing at one end and connected to a spring at the other end is engaged to the yoke to provide the return force to the yoke plate. The yoke plate may have two legs to provide a return to neutral force to the swash plate in either direction, or one leg to provide the return to neutral force in only a single direction.
US08001879B2
A method and apparatus for incorporating nanophase elemental materials and metastable interstitial composite materials into projectiles, projectile fragments, ordnance casings, warheads and structural components. The projectile, fragments and casings include an elemental material capable of oxidizing. A coating material that is capable of preventing oxidation of the elemental material and an oxidizing agent may be present and be capable of reacting with the elemental material so that a self-propagating high temperature synthesis reaction from a stabilized solid material is yielded for the purpose of rendering terminal effects or thermal impact to a target at impact.
US08001873B2
A universal joint comprises a tool set including a driving portion secured on one end thereof and a spherical member fixed on another end thereof; a base including a receiving chamber disposed on one end thereof and a circular groove mounted on another end thereof to receive the spherical member of the tool set, between the groove and the spherical member of the tool set being defined a stooping structure, the stopping structure including two opposite sliding slots and two locking tabs relative to the sliding slots, and a locking structure disposed on the base and including two annular recesses arranged on an outer periphery of the base and communicating with the groove to receive two engaging members respectively, on an outer periphery of the base being fitted a pressing member in which an abutting surface formed therein.
US08001870B2
An accelerator capable of detecting a turning angle of an accelerator pedal with high accuracy includes a bearing part, an urging part, an accelerator pedal, a stopper, and a turning angle sensor. The accelerator pedal has a turning shaft supported by the bearing part and is turned forward when a depressing force is applied thereto and is turned reversely when the urging force of the urging part is applied thereto. The stopper abuts against the accelerator pedal to limit the reverse turn of the accelerator pedal and substantially simultaneously guides the accelerator pedal in a direction equivalent to that which the urging force is applied. The turning angle sensor detects the turning angle of the accelerator pedal.
US08001865B2
An electromagnetic shifting device for a transmission (1) with an electronic control unit (22) and toothed gear wheels (6, 7), which are mounted to rotate on a transmission shaft (2) about an axis (3). To implement a gear stage, the toothed gear wheels can be connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the transmission shaft by moving a shifter pawl (4) axially along the axis. The shifter pawl is moved axially along the axis by a linear motor (12).
US08001852B2
The invention concerns a system for detecting a rupture inside a portion (6; 12; 13; 15) at least of one structure, delimited by a first (7; 16) and a second (7; 17) reference points of the structure, said portion having a predetermined stiffness in the absence of rupture and being subjected to a tensile or compressive stress (F). The method includes the following steps: detecting at least one length variation inside the portion of the structure, in response to a variation (?F) of the tensile or compressive stress applied to said portion; deducing from the detected variation length, the existence or not of a rupture inside said portion of the structure.
US08001848B2
A torque measurement device associated with a power driven ground engaging device having a power supplying device and a load. The torque measurement device includes a rotatable shaft, a first detectable feature, a second detectable feature, a plurality of sensors and an electrical controller. The rotatable shaft has a longitudinal axis, a first end and a second end. The first end is connected to the power supplying device and the second end is connected to the load. The first and second detectable features are respectively associated with a first longitudinal position and a second longitudinal position on the shaft. The plurality of sensors include a first sensor and a second sensor. The first sensor is proximate to the first detectable feature and the second sensor is proximate to the second detectable feature. The first sensor produces a first signal and the second sensor produces a second signal as the rotatable shaft rotates about the longitudinal axis. The electrical controller samples the first signal and the second signal at a sampling rate. The first signal has a first frequency and the sampling rate is less than twice the first frequency. The electrical controller computes a torque measurement representative of the torque on the rotatable shaft utilizing the first signal and the second signal.
US08001845B2
A gyratory compactor apparatus is provided that is adapted to interact with a mold that defines a mold axis. The gyratory compactor apparatus includes a frame that defines a frame axis and has a first mounting plate and a spaced-apart second mounting plate. A pivoted support is carried by the frame and capable of rotation in at least a first and a second rotational degree of freedom. A mold-engaging device is carried by the pivoted support and has a first carriage plate proximal the pivoted support and a second carriage plate axially spaced-apart from the pivoted support for receiving the mold therebetween. At least one actuator having a first end is carried by the frame and a second end is carried by the second carriage plate for imparting lateral translation to the second carriage plate relative to the frame axis. An associated method is also provided.
US08001839B2
A sensor unit has a reference base. An acceleration sensor block and angular velocity sensor support rods are arranged on the reference base, using a bottom face and one side face of the reference base as reference faces. Three acceleration sensors, which detect accelerations that act in the directions in which an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis extend, are fitted to three faces of the acceleration sensor block, respectively. Three angular velocity sensors, which detect angular velocities about the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis, are fitted to boards that are fitted, via rubber bushings serving as vibration-proofing rubber members, to the angular velocity sensor support rods with screws, respectively.
US08001837B2
A balancing device includes an active balancing mechanism. The active balancing mechanism maintains the balancing device in an actively balanced state within a range of the active balancing mechanism. An auxiliary balancing mechanism is configured to support the balancing device in an unbalanced state that is outside the range of the active balancing mechanism and aid a transition of the balancing device to the actively balanced state that is within the range of the active balancing mechanism.
US08001836B2
A pedal operation amount detecting apparatus detects a pedal operation amount based on a load applied by a rotating operation of an operating pedal between the operating pedal and a connecting shaft which rotatably connects the operating pedal and a connecting member connected at an end portion of an operating rod. The pedal operation amount detecting apparatus includes a load transfer member arranged between a connecting hole of the operating pedal and the connecting shaft and capable of transferring a load from the operating pedal to the connecting shaft, and a load detecting unit arranged on the load transfer member and capable of transferring the load from the operating pedal and of detecting a compressive load applied by a surface of the load transfer member and one of an inner circumferential surface of the connecting hole and an outer circumferential surface of the connecting shaft.
US08001828B2
A miniaturized Schottky diode hydrogen and hydrocarbon sensor and the method of making same is disclosed and claimed. The sensor comprises a catalytic metal layer, such as palladium, a silicon carbide substrate layer and a thin barrier layer in between the catalytic and substrate layers made of palladium oxide (PdOx ). This highly stable device provides sensitive gas detection at temperatures ranging from at least 450 to 600° C. The barrier layer prevents reactions between the catalytic metal layer and the substrate layer. Conventional semiconductor fabrication techniques are used to fabricate the small-sized sensors. The use of a thicker palladium oxide barrier layer for other semiconductor structures such as a capacitor and transistor structures is also disclosed.
US08001819B2
The present invention was made with the object of eliminating the short pipe member when attaching a bolting nut to a hydroformed part, preventing an increase in the difficulty of hydroforming for attaching the nut, extending the nut length so as to enable sufficient strength at the time of bolting, and enabling application even to thin wall hydroformed parts and comprises inserting a metal pipe into a split mold having a pierce punch able to be moved perpendicular to an axis of the inserted metal pipe or in a slanted direction, having a front part narrower than a center part, and having around the front part a nut having an inside diameter larger than an outside diameter of the front part and smaller than an outside diameter of the center part; hydroforming it; then making the pierce punch advance to pierce part of the hydroformed part and pushing the nut by a center part arranged behind the nut and embedding the nut in the metal pipe.
US08001818B2
A clutch mechanism permits a pulling movement to be transferred or not to the bolt of a lock when turning the internal or external handles attached to separate square-section shafts belonging to clutch elements and which can have independent rotation or they can do so integrally. A first clutch element connected to the outside handle possesses a prismatic projection with a radial orifice into which fits a pulling pin assisted by a spring and which is able to be displaced in order to be introduced into a slot of a second clutch element. The movement is controlled by a motor with a worm-screw linked to a spring which can displace a thruster rocker arm which makes contact with the pulling pin. The mechanism also includes an emergency device having a rod and another spring linked to the thruster rocker arm.
US08001817B2
The portability of a mechanical key and a locking/unlocking key having the mechanical key is improved. The mechanical key is housed in a portable device in such a manner that a key plate is folded into two at a portion formed with an inner groove. Thus, the housing space for housing the mechanical key can be reduced and the portable device can be made smaller. Accordingly, the portability of the locking/unlocking key can be improved.
US08001815B2
Disclosed is a device for starting and operating an engine in a motor vehicle. Said device comprises an ID generator (20) which can be inserted into a stationary receptacle of the motor vehicle and is provided with an engaging means (25.1, 25.2) on at least one sidewall. At least one lever (30.1, 30.2) of the first class that encompasses a retaining arm and a control arm (32.1, 32.2) is used for retaining the ID generator (20) in the receptacle. The retaining arm is fitted with opposite engaging means (25.1, 25.2) while the control arm (32.1, 32.2) is equipped with a control point for the swiveling movement of the lever (30.1, 30.2) as well as a locking point (34.1) for a locking device which secures the inserted position of the ID generator (20). In order to embody the inventive device in a compact manner, a stationarily pivot-mounted elbow lever (30.1, 30.2) whose control arm (32.1, 32.2) extends perpendicular to the direction of insertion of the ID generator (20) is used in the receptacle. The inserted end of the ID generator (20) is provided with an opposite control point (38) which acts upon the control point (33.1) of the control arm (32.1). The locking means (40) of the locking device can be moved perpendicular to the swivel plane of the control arm (32.1, 32.2) between a locked position and a released position.
US08001810B1
A dishwasher and associated control method are provided wherein a water supply manifold supplies a wash chamber with wash liquid. The supply manifold includes a hot water inlet from an external hot water source and a separate inlet from a storage tank, and is configured to be selectively actuated between the hot water inlet or storage tank inlet. A controller is in communication with the supply manifold and is configured to act on a signal that is indicative of an actual or pre-defined high electricity demand period on a power supply to the hot water source. The controller is configured to generate an output control signal to the supply manifold to cause the manifold to direct substantially only water from the storage tank to the wash chamber during the high electricity demand period.
US08001808B2
A burner for a vapor deposition process has a cylindrical central gas passage and a plurality of external gas passages surrounding the central gas passage. The burner has a back block defining an initial section of the gas passages, a face block defining a final section of the gas passages and a manifold plate positioned between the back block and the face block and defining an intermediate section of the external gas passages; the face block, the manifold plate and the back block have inner integral walls that define respective sections of the central gas passage.
US08001807B2
A filament forming apparatus has a bushing that includes a high palladium content screen along with structural components and non-structural components. The structural components are formed of a first material having a high creep strength and the ability to withstand corrosive effects of molten mineral materials. The non-structural components are formed of at least a second material that is different from the first material.
US08001806B2
A double-clad optical fiber fabrication method including the steps of: preparing a crystal fiber, inserting the crystal fiber into a silica capillary, attaching a sapphire tube to the periphery of the silica capillary, and applying a laser beam to the sapphire tube to increase the temperature of the sapphire tube and to further fuse the silica capillary with thermal radiation to have the fused silica capillary be wrapped about the crystal fiber, thereby forming the desired double-clad optical fiber.
US08001803B2
A diaper bag having a major compartment with pockets on the walls or bottom thereof for one or more of the following accessories needed either by the mother or baby for travel: wipes, diapers, spare clothes, Mom's ipod, cell phone, keys and/or wallet, a changing mat, snacks, formula, baby food, and having actively or passively heated and cooled insulated compartments for formula, baby food included on the inside or outside of the main compartment.
US08001798B2
The invention relates to an expansion valve, in particular for a vehicle air-conditioning system operated with cooling medium, with a valve seat (37) and a valve-closing element (39), which closes a passage opening (44) between a cooling medium inlet opening (14) and a cooling medium outlet opening (16), and with an actuating device (46) which acts on the valve-closing element (39) and opens and closes the passage opening (44), a shortened maximum working lift for opening the valve-closing element (39) out of the valve seat (37) being provided, at which a ball seat cross section formed between valve-closing element (39) and valve seat (37) is designed to be smaller than an annular gap cross section formed between a transmission pin (47) of the actuating device (46) and a passage opening (44).
US08001791B2
The turbine engine assembly has a frame and a turbine engine spool. A strut couples the frame to the spool and an actuator couples the strut to the frame. The actuator has a spring.
US08001782B2
An engine system for a vehicle is provided, comprising an internal combustion engine including an exhaust system; a first turbine including a first wastegate and arranged along a first branch of the exhaust system, a second turbine including a second wastegate and arranged along a second branch of the exhaust system; a first exhaust gas sensor arranged along the first branch of the exhaust system downstream of the first turbine and first wastegate; a second exhaust gas sensor arranged along the second branch of the exhaust system downstream of the second turbine and the second wastegate; and a control system configured to command the first and second wastegates to a closed or open position and to indicate one of said wastegates as unresponsive to said command in response to a temperature difference between the first and second branches indicated by the first and second exhaust gas sensors.
US08001779B2
An example system for inducting air into an engine includes a compressor and a turbine mechanically coupled to the compressor and driven by expanding engine exhaust. The system also includes high pressure (HP) and low pressure (LP) exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). The disclosed system allows EGR to be routed from an HP take-off point to an LP mixing point. Such functionality may be useful in averting compressor surge and increasing EGR flow potential under certain operating conditions.
US08001778B2
A method of operating an engine having a turbocharger and a high pressure EGR system is provided. A recirculation valve of the turbocharger's compressor is adjusted along with the throttle at different airflow conditions.
US08001775B2
In one exemplary embodiment, an exhaust dilution and dispersion device for a vehicle can include a generally elongate tailpipe including an inlet section capable of being in exhaust receiving communication with an exhaust system of a vehicle. The tailpipe further includes an outlet section in exhaust receiving communication with the inlet section. The outlet section can also include a downwardly directed exhaust deflection portion and an exhaust outlet in exhaust dispersing communication with the surroundings external to the device. The exhaust outlet can include a generally elongate exhaust dispersion opening extending in a lengthwise direction along the tailpipe. At least a portion of the exhaust outlet can be coextensive with the downwardly directed exhaust deflecting portion and a major portion of the exhaust dispersed from the outlet can have a transverse component.
US08001771B2
A work machine having dual compression ignition engines each driving motor generators providing a power output to selective loads. The compression ignition engines each have an exhaust aftertreatment device requiring regeneration in accordance with a selected parameters. A controller controls motor/generators or hydraulic pump/motors associated with the diesel engines to either transfer load between one or the other of the motor/generators or pump/motors to impose a load on one of the engines sufficiently high to produce passive regeneration. In the event that loads driven by the motor/generators or pump/motors are too low, one of the engines may be shut off or the loads increased.
US08001769B2
An emissions control system is disclosed. The emissions control system may have a power source that creates a flow of exhaust and a filtering device that receives the flow of exhaust. A first sensor may be located at or upstream of the filtering device, the first sensor being configured to measure a first temperature, and an SCR catalyst may be located downstream of the filtering device. The emissions control system may also have an injector configured to inject a reduction agent into the flow of exhaust in the presence of the SCR catalyst. The emissions control system may further have a controller in communication with the first sensor. The controller may be configured to predict a change in an ability of the SCR catalyst to store reduction agent using a measured change in the first temperature and adjust the injector according to the predicted change in the storage ability of the SCR catalyst.
US08001768B2
The disclosure sets forth operating a spark-ignition, direct-fuel injection internal combustion engine equipped with an exhaust aftertreatment system including a lean-NOx reduction catalyst upstream of a second converter element. The engine preferentially operates in one of a homogeneous charge combustion mode and a stratified charge combustion mode based upon temperature of the lean-NOx reduction catalyst. Exhaust gas flow is selectively diverted to the second converter element.
US08001764B2
A vibration isolation engine mount system and method for ducted fan aircraft, such as ducted fan vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft, includes an engine for driving the ducted fan. The system includes an engine support structure for supporting the engine within the ducted fan. A rotor of the ducted fan is coupled to an engine shaft of the engine via a rotor hub. The system includes a plurality of vibration isolators configured to mount the engine to the engine support structure. Each of the plurality of vibration isolators is substantially concentrically oriented along a surface of a sphere. A center of the sphere is located at a center of the rotor hub.
US08001747B2
An apparatus (100) for forming and filling flexible bags with a viscous product, said apparatus including: a support (104) for a supply (106) of a tubular web (108) of flexible packaging material; at least one guide (110) for accepting from said supply a continuous feed of the tubular web of packaging material; a bag forming (300) assembly for forming adjacent bags from the tubular web wherein the forming assembly further includes a sealing member (305) for providing a seal across the web, which seal is commonly formed along oblique edges of the adjacent bags; at least one drive mechanism (150) for griping and drawing the packaging material through said at least one guide; a cutting device for cutting first and second bags drawn from the supply, wherein the first bags are each adjacent to respective second bags; a plurality of transport carriages (210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260), said carriages including a gripping means (270) being arranged to grip and carry first and second bags; a plurality of filling devices (400, 450) associated with the transport carriages, said filling devices charging a flexible pocket of the bags with a viscous material; and at least one sealing device (500, 550) for sealing the charged pocket of the bags.
US08001741B2
The invention relates to a cladding panel having at least two pairs of side edges lying substantially opposite one another. The cladding panel includes a coupling mechanism structured and arranged on at least one of the at least two pairs of side edges, and including a groove and a tongue extending along respective side edges of the at least one pair. A roughening formed on at least a section of at least one of the tongue and the groove.
US08001733B2
A post adjustable in length as required. The post can be adjusted at any time during and after construction. The post can be used as an extension of a column which requires adjustment in length. The post can be used as a jack. The post is capable of withstanding compression, tension, and dynamic loading. The post can be used to provide support to beams and girders in a house frame.
US08001729B2
A gutter cover installation for covering a roof eave gutter to prevent debris from entering the gutter includes a main portion of the gutter cover formed with a pattern of openings and an outer edge of the outer side of the gutter cover projecting out and down past an outer wall of the gutter to form a diverter preventing overflow from flowing over the outer surface of the gutter outer wall and thereby avoid staining the same. The gutter cover inner side is held up by segments formed on the inner side of the cover forming a channel which projects down below the main portion and is engaged with a mounting bracket installed within the gutter to be supported thereby. An elastomeric sealing strip is inserted into the channel and projects up and back into engagement with a drip edge or fascia installed at the roof eave.
US08001719B2
The method of growing a fungal fruiting body requires exposing a mycelium of a desired organism type to environmental conditions sufficient to induce fruiting of fungal primordium in the organism type followed by enclosing the fungal primordium within a mold of a designated shape representing a near net shape volume of a desired final product. The fungal primordium is allowed to grow and fill the mold to form a mass of fungal tissue equivalent in shape to the designated shape of the mold after which the mass of fungal tissue is removed from the mold and dried.
US08001717B1
A fishing bait pen includes an upper floating member and a lower member having a specific gravity that enables the lower member to sink in water. A sidewall extends generally between the upper floating member and the lower member. A bottom is provided adjacent the lower member. The wall and bottom include a series of openings for permitting water to flow into and out of a fishing bait pen. Both the upper floating member and the lower member are sufficiently flexible such that each can be bent at multiple points and folder over to form a collapsed configuration.
US08001709B2
The present invention provides a data device to speech service bridge. The bridge allows packet-based devices, such as, for example, the PDA and 2.5/3G cellular phone, to access voice services.
US08001702B1
A double diaphragm check valve for a wetsuit boot comprising a first body disposed on said inside surface being partially inserted through said wall and having an inlet valve seat with a first diaphragm seated therein, a second body having an outlet valve seat being disposed on said outside surface and configured to hermitically connect in series to said first body sandwiching said wall therebetween with a second diaphragm seated therein, a chamber formed in said second body between said inlet valve seat configured to provide clearance for said first elastomeric diaphragm. The present check valve substantially restricts fluid flow to a direction from the inside of the boot to the environment, while preventing backflow. The present invention allows excess water to be expelled from the boot to prevent accumulation of water and the ballooning that results.
US08001696B2
A calibration method for calibrating a compass system suitable for use in a vehicle includes sampling data points of a magnetic field with a magneto-responsive sensor and processing output signals of the sensor via compass circuitry. The compass circuitry includes an analog-to-digital converter for converting analog signals of the sensor to digital signals and a digital-to-analog converter for converting digital signals to analog signals that are supplied to the sensor for adjusting the sensor. The output signals of the sensor are adjusted to be within an operable range of an analog-to-digital converter via an initial calibration mode. After completion of the initial calibration mode, output signals of the sensor are processed to determine when the output signals are outside a range of the analog-to-digital converter. An output of a digital-to-analog converter is adjusted to reposition the output signals of the sensor to be within the range of the analog-to-digital converter.
US08001684B2
An exemplary method for manufacturing flexible printed circuit board is provided. A metal foil is supplied from a first feeding roller. The metal foil has a first surface and a second surface on two opposite sides of the metal foil. A first coverlay having a number of first openings defined therein is supplied from a second feeding roller and laminated on the first surface of the metal foil. Electrical traces are formed with the metal foil. A second coverlay having a number of second openings defined therein is supplied from a third feeding roller and laminated on the second surface of the metal foil. Each of the second openings registers with the respective first opening so that the electrical traces are exposed from the corresponding first and second openings. The method can improve quality and efficiency of manufacturing flexible printed circuit boards in a hollowed out form.
US08001679B2
A compression tool for connecting end connectors to coaxial cable ends includes a die for supporting a cable thereon, a slider axially spaced from the die for compressing against an end connector, which is fitted around but not yet crimped onto the cable end, and a handle connected to the slider via an inner link. A push button on the handle can be selectively inserted in a front or a rear locating hole provided on the inner link. When the handle is pivotally turned downward, the push button forces the inner link forward while the inner link is pivotally turned about the push button, so that the slider connected to the inner link is pushed forward toward the die. By inserting the push button in the front or the rear locating hole, the slider can be pushed forward by a shorter or a longer length, respectively.
US08001676B2
Component placement apparatus (1, 21) comprising a storage device (2) for storing components, means (5, 25, 71, 81, 91) for transporting a component from the storage device (2) to a transfer device (6, 26) comprising at least one component pickup position (11), and a component pick and place device (7) for picking up a component from the pickup position and placing the component on a desired location on a substrate (8) positioned on a substrate support. The transfer device (6, 26) is movable between a position relatively close to the stationary storage device (2) and a variable desired position above the substrate support relatively close to the movable pick and place device whilst the means (5, 25, 71, 81, 91) for transporting a component from the storing device to the transfer device (6, 26) comprise guiding means for guiding a tape (4) comprising components from reel (3) located in the storage device (2) into the component pickup position (11) on the transfer device (6, 26).
US08001675B2
In a heat exchanger, a liquid resin is applied to an outer surface of the heat exchanger, and then surplus liquid resin is removed from the outer surface. In removing the surplus liquid resin, before air having a first velocity is directed to the heat exchanger for blowing the surplus liquid resin off the heat exchanger, air having a second velocity lower than the first velocity is directed to the heat exchanger to remove the surplus liquid resin from the heat exchanger by moving the surplus liquid resin along the outer surface of the heat exchanger. The air at the second velocity is directed toward the heat exchanger by a second blower before the air at the first velocity is directed toward the heat exchanger by a first blower.
US08001673B2
The present invention provides a clamping device for a vehicle body transfer cart, in which a rotation unit for rotating a cart unit, an air supply unit for supplying air to the cart unit, and an electrical signal unit for transmitting an electric signal to the cart unit are installed in a single processing device such that the structure of the device is simplified, the number of components is decreased to reduce manufacturing and installation costs, the structure of the cart unit is improved to be suitable for the clamping device, and thus the weight of the cart unit is reduced.
US08001672B2
A method for manufacture of a conductor assembly along a curvilinear axis. The assembly may be of the type which, when conducting current, generates a magnetic field or in which, in the presence of a changing magnetic field, a voltage is induced. In one example, the assembly includes a structure having a curved shape extending along the axis. A surface of the structure is positioned for formation of a channel along the curved shape. The structure is rotated about a second axis. While rotating the structure, a channel is formed in the surface that results in a helical shape in the structure. The channel extends both around and along the first axis.
US08001657B2
The present invention discloses a safety device for a bracelet including a system for adjusting the circumferential length of the bracelet. This system comprises; first and second curvilinear elongated elements, each having a slot and a plurality of notches; a clasp comprising a third curvilinear elongated element having a set of grooves, wherein the grooves receive one of the first or second elongated elements for slidably gliding the elements relative to one another, and a fourth curvilinear elongated element; a button slidably secured in each slot of said first and second curvilinear elongated elements to slidably secure said first and second curvilinear elongated elements together; a set of stop reliefs are provided within said grooves for limiting the sliding motion of the first and second curvilinear elongated elements. The third and fourth curvilinear elongated elements are engaged with one another after the safety device is adjusted to a desired position in order to lock the device in that desired position.
US08001655B2
A luggage handle includes a support unit, a control unit and an operation unit. The support unit includes an outer tube having at least one locking hole. The control unit includes a first casing, a second casing, a slide, a push spring, a push shank, an elastic member, a weight and a restoring spring. Thus, when the luggage handle is subjected to a larger shock, the weight is moved downward to move its stop block to abut the limit block of the slide to prevent the locking stub of the slide from being detached from the locking hole of the outer tube and to prevent the pull bar and the inner tube of the operation unit from being moved outwardly from the support seat of the support unit.
US08001653B1
A vacuum apparatus includes a housing that includes a vacuum assembly with a base. A rechargeable battery is mounted within the vacuum assembly and is electrically coupled to the blower of the vacuum assembly which creates suction through the base when the blower is turned on. A plurality of first mating charge contacts is mounted on the housing and are electrically coupled to the battery. The first mating charge contacts are engageable with second mating charge contacts mounted in an upper surface of a charging station. A power cord is electrically coupled to the second mating charge contacts to supply power to the second mating charge contacts. The battery is charged when the first and second mating charge contacts abut each other and the power cord is plugged into an electrical power source.
US08001639B2
A stiffening system for the perimeter edges of a foam core mattress comprising a coil spring (or other spring-based) structure disposed along one or more perimeter edges (e.g., one or both side edges, the foot, the head, or a combinations thereof including the foot and both side edges) of a mattress having a foam sleeping area. The perimeter spring structure is rectangular or square in cross-section and provides sufficient stiffness for comfortable seating on the edges of the mattress and is joined to the foam core by planar fabric elements that span the joint between them and are attached to both. The sleep area provides the softness and other salutary effects of a foam sleeping surface while the stiffer spring perimeter element provides the rigidity need for comfortable seating and wear resistance.
US08001638B1
A mattress converts from a crib mattress with side walls and end walls surrounding an infant sleeping surface on a central mattress section therebetween to a twin mattress with a substantially planar sleeping surface to support a reclining child or adult. The end walls and side walls are tethered or hingedly connected to the central mattress section and are moveable from an upright position (crib mattress) to an open position (twin mattress). Sidewall extensions are hingedly connected to the side walls and are pivotably moveable from a first position above the side walls to a second position axially aligned with the side walls when the side walls are in the open position.
US08001619B1
A lapel stiffener includes a stiffener strip and a peel-off label. A pressure sensitive adhesive is applied to one side of the stiffener strip. The peel-off label is applied over the pressure sensitive adhesive. The peel-off label is removed and the pressure sensitive adhesive is pressed on to an inside surface of a lapel. A second embodiment of the lapel stiffener includes the stiffener strip, a strip retainer pocket and a strip storage pocket. The strip retainer pocket is formed by securing a strip of material behind a lapel to receive the stiffener strip. The strip storage pocket is formed on a bottom of the lapel. A third embodiment of the lapel stiffener preferably includes the stiffener strip and a strip retainer cavity. The strip retainer cavity is formed by securing a strip of material behind a lapel. The strip retainer cavity surrounds the stiffener strip.
US08006299B2
Methods, apparatus, and systems are disclosed for, among other things, passphrase input using secure delay, passphrase input with characteristic shape display, user authentication with non-repeated selection of elements with a displayed set of elements, document authentication with embedding of a digital signature stamp within a graphical representation of the electronic document wherein the stamp comprises digits of a digital signature, and sub-hash computation using secure delay.
US08006296B2
A method (300;400) and system (100) for transmitting information across a firewall (130b) between multiple endpoints (120) and gateways (135), in a resource management environment (such as the TME) having characteristics that are firewall-incompatible. A gateway proxy (125g) and an endpoint proxy (125e) are associated with the endpoints and the gateways, respectively. The two proxies are connected to each other by means of a pass through communication tunnel crossing the firewall, which tunnel is secured by mutual authentication of the gateway proxy and the endpoint proxy at its ends. Each endpoint and each gateway is tricked into communication only with the respective proxy. Particularly, a listening port is allocated on the endpoint proxy on behalf of each endpoint, so that the corresponding gateway will open a connection back to the endpoint proxy on the listening port for transmitting any packet to the endpoint. A table (230) stored on the endpoint proxy associates each listening port with the corresponding endpoint for managing the routing of the packets.
US08006292B2
Embodiments of the present invention comprise systems, methods and devices for eliminating multiple submission of user credential data in a system with multiple distinct restricted sub-systems wherein a unique credential is required for each sub-system.
US08006291B2
Systems and methods for authenticating electronic transactions are provided. The authentication methods employ a combination of security features and communication channels. These security features can be based, for example, on unique knowledge of the person being authenticated, a unique thing that the person has, unique personal features and attributes of the person, the ability of the person to respond, and to do so in a fashion that a machine cannot, and so forth. Methods for enrolling the person prior to authentication are also provided, as well as systems for enrollment and authentication.
US08006289B2
A method is presented for managing authentication credentials for a user. A session management server performs session management with respect to the user for a domain that includes a protected resource. The session management server receives a request to access the protected resource, which requires authentication credentials that have been generated for a first type of authentication context. In response to determining that authentication credentials for the user have been generated for a second type of authentication context, the session management server sends to an authentication proxy server a first message that contains the authentication credentials for the user and an indicator for the first type of authentication context. The session management server subsequently receives a second message that contains updated authentication credentials for the user that indicate that the updated authentication credentials have been generated for the first type of authentication context.
US08006285B1
A distributed denial of service attack can be defended against by challenging requests at a machine upstream from the target of the attack. The upstream machine limits access to the victim machine in response to indication of the victim machine being attacked. The upstream machine begins trapping protocol data units destined for the victim machine and challenging requests to access the victim machine with tests that require sentient responses, such as Turing tests. The upstream machine then updates a set of rules governing access to the victim machine based, at least in part, on responses to the challenges or administered tests.
US08006272B2
According to a data display method, data having a program unit and instruction data for the program unit multiplexed on bit stream data is received. The program unit is extracted from the received data and is stored in a memory. The instruction data is extracted from the received data, and the program unit or part thereof specified by the instruction data is read from the memory and is executed. Then, the bit stream data and the execution result are displayed. This ensures smooth synchronization of reproduction of a bit stream with execution of an associated program and efficient use of resources.
US08006270B2
A method for enabling use of contents by a user of at least one set top box adapted to receive broadcast TV signals, includes: establishing an association between at least one identifier of the user in a communications network, and at least one identifier of the at least one user's set top box; notifying the user via the communications network of the availability of the contents, wherein the notifying includes exploiting the at least one identifier of the user in the communications network; upon receiving a confirmation by the user, delivering the contents to the user's set top box, wherein the delivering includes identifying the at least one user's set top box exploiting the at least one identifier thereof.
US08006269B2
An information communication terminal apparatus allows a broadcasting signal transmitting side and a secondary service provider to provide a television service in consideration of a user's desired way of viewing. This is attained as follows. That is, a television receiving control section controls, in accordance with a predetermined broadcasting control command extracted by a data extracting section from data received by a data communication section, a television broadcasting receiving section such that the television broadcasting receiving section controls (start, halt, or carry out channel switching) reception of a broadcasting signal.
US08006267B2
Disclosed are a method of constructing information on associate meanings between segments of a multimedia stream, which can describe the cause/effect or abstract/detail relationship between segments of the video streams to efficiently browse the video stream and a method of browsing a video using the same. The present invention defines the cause/effect or abstract/detail relationship between the segments, event intervals, scenes, shots, etc. existing within one video stream or between the video streams, and provides a method of describing the relationship in a data region based on the content of a video stream as well as a method of browsing a video by using the information on the cause/effect or abstract/detail relationship obtained by the aforementioned method. Accordingly, a video browsing on associate meanings is available with easy manipulation and easy access to a desired part, thereby providing an effective video browsing interface for easy browsing of desired segments in a short period of time.
US08006265B2
A method of providing advertising from a central database server connected to a global computer network to distributed sites via interactive television. A representative icon is presented to a subscriber on a television screen indicating an advertisement. When a the icon is selected, an advertisement information detail is retrieved from storage in a local memory, or from the central database server and presented to the subscriber on the television screen.
US08006262B2
A recordable media content purchasing system comprising a memory, and a processor configured with the memory to download recordable media content at one of a plurality of various download times for purchase of the recordable media content.
US08006260B2
A method and apparatus for exercising access control over television programs using a parental control user interface that has different functions is provided. The method requires a password to enter into a master mode for obtaining access to all the functions of the parental control user interface. Once in the master mode, the user may enter a criterion for blocking a television program from being viewed or recorded or the user can override an already blocked television program.If a user, not in the master mode, attempts to watch or record a program that meets the blocking criterion and the program does not meet the overriding criterion, a prompt is provided to the user to enter the password. Upon entering a correct password, the program is unblocked.
US08006259B2
A method, system, and computer-readable medium for collecting usage information in real-time for a computing device receiving digital content for presentation, such as to enable various types of real-time content modifications or content-related service enhancements. In some situations, real-time information is collected about Set-Top Boxes that allow viewers to receive various types of content (e.g., video broadcasts such as single-channel or multi-channel television programming, audio broadcasts, media-on-demand, etc.) and to interact with the content and with related services in various ways, such as information about content viewing and types of viewer interactions. Having access to information related to content viewing and to various types of user interactions provides a variety of benefits, with real-time or near real-time collection of such information enabling dynamic modifications to provided content, functionality, and services.
US08006256B2
A recording layer is described that is at least partially or entirely positioned at a distance T7 of less than 0.4 mm with respect to the second surface. When the optical recording medium is clamped in a drive, the recording layer has a “higher” position than a recording layer of a known DVD. The layer structure of the described optical recording medium reduces the thickness of the disc in an area of the recording layer. In particular, a thickness T1 of only 0.4 to 0.7 mm is possible while maintaining the reliability of the optical recording medium (i.e. without reading problems in most or all drives). Further, the optical recording medium may have only one substrate, i.e. only one disc of polycarbonate, whereas the other side of the recording layer is only covered by a protective lacquer.
US08006246B2
Provided are an apparatus and a method for forcibly terminating a thread blocked on an I/O operation by terminating the I/O operation, transmitting a user-defined signal to the thread blocked on the I/O operation, and temporarily releasing the corresponding thread from a blocked state such that a ThreadDeath Exception is generated with respect to the thread attempting to execute an I/O system call. The apparatus includes a control unit which checks a state of a thread that is included in an application, a signal transmitting unit which transmits a signal for releasing a blocked state of the thread, an operation managing unit which executes a first terminating function on the I/O operation that is included in the thread, and a thread managing unit which executes a second terminating function on the thread.
US08006242B2
Identification of software configuration data. One or more binary files from a memory area in a computing device are identified. The binary files include information relating to execution of software. One or more strings from the identified binary files are extracted according to a rule. The rule defines requirements associated with the configuration data. A list of strings is generated from those extracted one or more strings, each of the strings in the generated list refers to configuration data in the memory area. The configuration data may be transferred to another machine, backed up, or used for informational purposes.
US08006233B2
The present relates to a method for verifying privileged and subject-executed code within a program, the method further comprising the steps of constructing a static model of a program, identifying checkPermission nodes that are comprised within the invocation graph, and performing a fixed-point iteration, wherein each determined permission set is propagated backwards across the nodes of the static model until a privilege-asserting code node is reached. The method further comprises the steps of associating each node of the invocation graph with a set of Permission allocation sites, analyzing each identified privilege-asserting code node and subject-executing code node to determine the Permission allocation site set that is associated with each privilege-asserting code node and subject-executing code node, and determining the cardinality of a Permission allocation-site set that is associated with each privilege-asserting code node and subject-executing code node.
US08006221B2
A system and method for generating a test case and a bit mask that allows a test case executor the ability to re-execute the test case multiple times using different machine state register bit sets. A test case generator creates a bit mask based upon identified invariant bits and semi-invariant bits. The test case generator includes compensation values corresponding to the semi-invariant bits into a test case, and provides the test case, along with the bit mask, to a test case executor. In turn, the test case executor dispatches the test case multiple times, each time with a different machine state register bit set, to a processor. Each of the machine state register bit sets places the processor in different modes.
US08006219B2
A wiring processing apparatus decides each group formed by sorting signals that flow between component pins. Then, the wiring processing apparatus reads printed circuit board data and identifies a net cluster that belongs to each group. After a net cluster that belongs to each group is identified, the wiring processing apparatus refers to the printed circuit board data about the identified net cluster, and automatically creates each wiring route that indicates a wiring scanning area of the signal cluster in each group. Thus the wiring processing apparatus displays them on the printed board data. After the wiring route is automatically created, the wiring processing apparatus automatically creates wiring route information that corresponds to each wiring route, and controls them according to each wiring route.
US08006218B2
The invention discloses a power mesh arrangement method utilized in an integrated circuit having multiple power domains. The arrangement method includes: forming a first partial local power mesh according to a position of a first power domain; forming a second partial local power mesh according to a position of a second power domain; forming a global power mesh, utilized for providing powers needed by the first and the second power domains; coupling the first partial local power mesh to the global power mesh and the first power domain; and coupling the second partial local power mesh to the global power mesh and the second power domain.
US08006202B2
A method of designing a lithographic mask for use in lithographic processing of a substrate is disclosed. The lithographic processing comprises irradiating mask features of a lithographic mask using a predetermined irradiation configuration. In one aspect, the method comprises obtaining an initial design for the lithographic mask comprising a plurality of initial design features having an initial position. The method further comprises applying at least one shift to at least one initial design feature and deriving there from an altered design so as to compensate for shadowing effects when irradiating the substrate using a lithographic mask corresponding to the altered design in the predetermined irradiation configuration. Also disclosed herein are a corresponding design, a method of setting up lithographic processing, a system for designing a lithographic mask, a lithographic mask, and a method of manufacturing it.
US08006194B2
Associating an object with a relevant data source is disclosed. In some embodiments, an object pasted into a destination document is associated with a data source included in the destination document. In various embodiments, the data source associated with the object may comprise a data source concurrently pasted with the object into the destination document, a data source already existing in the destination document prior to the object being pasted into the destination document, or a data source generated in the destination document using data extracted from the pasted object.
US08006170B2
A bit quality evaluator receives a sequence of bits. A quality measure is assigned to each bit within the sequence. The bit sequence and the quality measures are provided to a decoding device that performs soft decision convolutional decoding on the sequence of bits using the quality measure. An off-path detector detects an occurrence of a trellis decode path change during the convolutional decoding operation and identifies a first symbol proximate corresponding to the occurrence of the trellis decode path change. An erasure decision circuit identifies at least the first symbol for erasure. The output of the first decoder and the erasure decision circuit are received at a second decoder, which decoder decodes the output of the first decoder after erasing at least the first symbol. The erasure decision circuit may also identify additional symbols for erasure based on performance measures of the trellis decode path and the quality measure of the sequence of bits.
US08006168B2
Wireless transmission of high-definition video, whether essentially uncompressed or compressed, is prone to errors during reception due to the condition of the wireless link. To ensure video quality during changing link conditions it is desirable to ensure that those portions of the video that represent the more important components of the video signal, such as the lower special frequencies or most significant bits, are assured correct reception at the receiver. Bandwidth limitations of the wireless link affect the amount of data that can be sent over the link. Hence, using a high level error recovery for all of the information is not feasible. Accordingly, a method and apparatus for unequal error protection is disclosed that provides a higher level of error protection to the more important elements of the transmission while affording less error protection to the other elements of the transmission.
US08006164B2
For one embodiment, an apparatus comprises memory circuitry including memory cells, error detection circuitry to detect error in data stored by memory cells of the memory circuitry, and supply voltage control circuitry to increase supply voltage for one or more memory cells of the memory circuitry based at least in part on detected error. Other embodiments have one or more other features.
US08006159B2
A method and apparatus for transmitting a broadcast physical layer packet in a mobile communication system supporting multi-slot transmission and hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (H-ARQ) are provided. The method comprises initially transmitting the broadcast physical layer packet according to a fixed transmission format for at least one first slot interval and retransmitting the broadcast physical layer packet for at least one second slot interval using a variable transmission format different from the transmission format used in the first slot interval.
US08006157B2
Outlier detection methods and apparatus have light computational resources requirement, especially on the storage requirement, and yet achieve a state-of-the-art predictive performance. The outlier detection problem is first reduced to that of a classification learning problem, and then selective sampling based on uncertainty of prediction is applied to further reduce the amount of data required for data analysis, resulting in enhanced predictive performance. The reduction to classification essentially consists in using the unlabeled normal data as positive examples, and randomly generated synthesized examples as negative examples. Application of selective sampling makes use of an underlying, arbitrary classification learning algorithm, the data labeled by the above procedure, and proceeds iteratively. Each iteration consisting of selection of a smaller sub-sample from the input data, training of the underlying classification algorithm with the selected data, and storing the classifier output by the classification algorithm. The selection is done by essentially choosing examples that are harder to classify with the classifiers obtained in the preceding iterations. The final output hypothesis is a voting function of the classifiers obtained in the iterations of the above procedure.
US08006156B2
Various exemplary embodiments provide methods and apparatuses for generating test conditions that efficiently detect delay faults while preventing overkill. According to an exemplary embodiment, i) test timing correcting block sets test timing faster than the actual operation timing of a logical circuit to be tested, ii) logical simulation block performs simulation by using delay times of signal paths corrected by adding minimum slack margin, and iii) when the simulation indicates that an end-side flip-flop cannot acquire data after an expected transition of logical value, masking block generates mask data that masks data held in the end-side flip-flop.
US08006153B2
A method, an apparatus, and a computer program are provided to utilize built-in self test (BIST) latches for multiple purposes. Conventionally, BIST latches are single purpose. Hence, separate latches are utilized for array built-in self test (ABIST) and logic built-in self test (LBIST) operations. By having the separate latches, though, a substantial amount area is lost. Therefore, to better utilize the latches and the area, ABIST latches are reconfigured to utilize some previously unused ports to allow for multiple uses for the latches, such as for LBIST.
US08006151B2
The disclosure describes a novel method and apparatus for providing a shadow access port within a device. The shadow access port is accessed to perform operations in the device by reusing the TDI, TMS, TCK and TDO signals that are used to operate a test access port within the device. The presence and operation of the shadow access port is transparent to the presence and operation of the test access port. According to the disclosure, the shadow access port operates on the falling edge of the TCK signal while the test access port conventionally operates on the rising edge of the TCK signal.
US08006149B2
A method for data logging from inside a semiconductor device, yielding timing performance information about the logic behind each and every flip-flop in the scan chain and displaying the sensitivity of certain flipflops to speed related manufacturing defects. The method comprises steps for testing, measuring, storing, and analyzing records for frequency characterization of complex digital semiconductors.
US08006147B2
An integrated circuit is provided with domino logic including a speculative node and a checker node. Precharged circuitry precharges both the speculative node and the checker node. Logic circuitry provides a discharge path for the speculative node and the checker node in dependence upon input signal values. Evaluation control circuitry first couples the speculative node to the logic circuitry and then subsequently couples the checker node to the logic circuitry such that these can be discharged if the input signals to the logic circuitry have appropriate values. Error detection circuitry detects an error when the speculative node and the checker node are not one of both discharged or both undischarged.
US08006144B2
This application discloses a data processing apparatus comprising: at least one memory; processing logic operable to perform data processing operations on data and operable to access said at least one memory; and memory testing logic operable to perform a transparent algorithm testing routine on said at least one memory, said data processing apparatus impeding said processing logic from accessing said at least one memory while said memory testing logic is performing said testing routine; wherein said processing logic and said memory testing logic are operable to detect a system event, said memory testing logic being operable when performing said testing routine to respond to detection of said system event by stopping said testing routine and restoring said at least one memory to an initial state, said initial state being a state it was in immediately prior to commencement of said testing routine, whereupon said data processing apparatus is operable to allow said processing logic to access said at least one memory.
US08006139B2
A degeneration control device that controls degeneration of a cache having a plurality of ways based on an error that occurs in response to an access request, includes a cache line degeneration information memory unit, which stores cache line degeneration information that indicates whether a cache line constituting each of the plurality of ways is degenerated, and a degeneration control unit, which writes, when an error that occurs in response to the access request causes a predetermined condition to be met, cache line degeneration information that indicates a predetermined cache line where the error occurs is degenerated in the cache line degeneration information memory unit.
US08006133B2
A primary I/O adapter and a redundant I/O adapter of a data processing system are assigned to support access to a system resource. While the primary I/O adapter is in service and the redundant I/O adapter is not in service in providing access to the system resource, a fail over command is issued to remove the primary I/O adapter from service and place the redundant I/O adapter in service in supporting access to the system resource. While the redundant I/O adapter is in service and the primary I/O adapter is not in service in providing access to the system resource, diagnostic testing on the primary I/O adapter is performed. In response to the diagnostic testing revealing no fault in the primary I/O adapter, a fail back command is issued to restore the primary I/O adapter to service and to remove the redundant I/O adapter from service.
US08006131B2
In particular embodiments, method and system for detecting a failure of a primary ad-splicer, conveying a failure information for the failed primary ad-splicer to a redundant ad-splicer, dynamically forwarding one or more pre-spliced packets intended for the failed primary ad-splicer to the redundant ad-splicer, receiving one or more post-spliced packets from the redundant ad-splicer, and transmitting the post-spliced packets towards one or more target receivers are provided.
US08006116B1
A computer-implemented method for storing information that identifies the state of health of a computing system at the time a backup of the computing system is created may comprise: 1) identifying a backup of the computing system, 2) performing an evaluation of the computing system's health, and then 3) storing health information that identifies the state of health of the computing system when the backup was created as metadata to the backup. Similarly, a method for determining whether to restore a backup of a computing system based on health information may comprise: 1) identifying a backup of the computing system, 2) identifying health information stored as metadata to the backup that identifies the state of health of the computing system when the backup was created, and 3) determining, based on the health information, whether to restore the backup. Corresponding systems and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US08006114B2
An apparatus for generating a digital signal pattern may comprises a memory, a program sequencer, first and second circuits, and an event execution unit. The memory may have stored therein a plurality of instructions that, when executed, cause a digital signal pattern to be generated on a plurality of nodes. The program sequencer may be configured to control a sequence in which the plurality of instructions are retrieved from the memory and executed. The first circuit may sequentially step through a plurality of different output states in response to a clock signal. The second circuit may identify an output event when an output state of the first circuit corresponds to an output state identified by retrieved instructions of a particular type. The event execution unit may control states of signals on the plurality of nodes in a manner specified by the retrieved instructions of the particular type in response to the second circuit identifying an output event.
US08006110B2
An apparatus for keeping a VPN session alive on a portable computer system such as a laptop computer includes a processor that executes instructions that implement application software. The laptop computer system also includes a wireless module that may communicate with a wireless network such as a wireless wide area network including wireless telephone networks, for example. In addition, the wireless module may establish a virtual private network (VPN) connection with a computer network via the wireless network. The wireless module includes a processing unit that may execute instructions that cause information to be transmitted to a host portion of the virtual private network connection at one or more predetermined times.
US08006107B2
The present invention provides a remote control system for a power supply, comprising: a display data channel (DDC); a first control circuit electrically connected to said DDC, coding and sending a control signal through said DDC to control said power supply; a second control circuit electrically connected to said DDC, receiving and decoding said control signal through said DDC to control said power supply.
US08006104B1
Apparatus and systems provide processing capabilities while utilizing power received via an Ethernet. A computing device has an Ethernet connector for receiving power and data, internal power supply circuitry for extracting power from the Ethernet connector, and a Central Processing Unit (CPU) for receiving the power. A housing may encompass the components of the computing device and be configured for installation in an electrical wall box. The housing may include a display or connectors for peripherals. A system includes at least two computing devices. Each device has an Ethernet connector for receiving power and communicating with other devices and are installed within a housing within an electrical wall box. One device has a display for receiving user input instructions for transmittal to another device, while another device has a peripheral connector for controlling a peripheral according to the instructions.
US08006102B2
A data transmission method and apparatus for transmitting data, such as encrypted content data. A device that is to be a destination of transmission is authenticated. If the device has not been authenticated, encrypted data read out from a storage unit is decrypted to give decoded data which then is re-encrypted based on innate key data acquired from the device that is to be the destination of transmission to give re-encrypted data. The re-encrypted data is then transmitted to the device that is to be a destination of transmission.
US08006099B2
In a state in which a fingerprint authentication mode is set, a fingerprint authentication unit authenticates a fingerprint input in accordance with an input instruction, performs unlocking if the authentication is successful, instructs another fingerprint input if the authentication fails, and determines unauthorized use and switches the mode to a PIN code authentication mode if the fingerprint authentication sequentially fails for a predetermined number of times. In a state of the PIN code authentication mode, a PIN code authentication unit authenticates a PIN code input in accordance with an input instruction, performs unlocking if the authentication is successful, instructs another PIN code input if the authentication fails, and determines unauthorized use and turns off the power source if the authentication sequentially fails for a predetermined number of times. Furthermore, when the power source is turned on again after the PIN code authentication unit has turned off the power source, the fingerprint authentication unit sets a state in which the fingerprint authentication mode is set, and keeps the fingerprint authentication mode even if the fingerprint authentication fails sequentially for a predetermined number of times.
US08006095B2
System and method for authenticating data or program code via a configurable signature. Configuration information is retrieved from a protected first memory, e.g., an on-chip register, where the configuration information specifies a plurality of non-contiguous memory locations that store the signature, e.g., in an on-chip memory trailer. The signature is retrieved from the plurality of non-contiguous memory locations based on the configuration information, where the signature is useable to verify security for a system. The signature corresponds to specified data and/or program code stored in a second memory, e.g., in off-chip ROM. The specified data and/or program code may be copied from the second memory to a third memory, and a signature for the specified data and/or program code calculated based on the configuration information. The calculated signature may be compared with the retrieved signature to verify the specified data and/or program code.
US08006090B2
A network security handshake exchange for combining user and platform authentication. The security handshake exchange performs operations on a pre-master secret to increase identity verification and security. The pre-master secret is augmented and authenticated with platform identity and user identity credentials of one endpoint. A second phase of exchanges may include exchange of a master secret that is the pre-master secret modified with platform identity and user identity of the other endpoint.
US08006088B2
To control privileges and access to resources on a per-process basis, an administrator creates a rule that may be applied to modify a process's token. The rule includes an application-criterion set and changes to be made to the groups and/or privileges of a token. The rule is set as a policy within a group policy object (GPO), where a GPO is associated with one or more groups of computers. When a GPO containing a rule is applied to a computer, a driver installed on the computer accesses the rule(s) anytime a logged-on user executes a process. If the executed process satisfies the criterion set of a rule the changes contained within the rule are made to the process token, and the user has expanded and/or contracted access and/or privileges for only that process.
US08006086B2
A computer system (110) provides validity status proofs each of which proves the validity or invalidity of a set (F) of one or more digital certificates (104). The computer system may decide to cache a validity proof for a set F to later provide the cached proof to other parties. The caching decision is based on the caching priority of the set F. The priority may depend on the number of certificates in the set F, the sum of the remaining validity periods for the certificates in the set, and other factors.
US08006080B2
An information processing apparatus for transitioning from an operating state for performing a process in accordance with an application program to a pause state and for transitioning back from the pause state to the operating state in one of a plurality of startup methods, may include a startup method determination unit for determining whether the startup method in a transition from the pause state to the operating state is a predetermined one of the plurality of startup methods, a capacity calculation unit for calculating a capacity available in a recording medium loaded on own information processing apparatus if the startup method is the predetermined one of the plurality of startup methods, and a recovery execution determination unit for determining whether to perform a recovery program for recovering an index of a file system managing data, recorded on the recording medium, based on the calculated capacity available in the recording medium.
US08006067B2
A flexible results pipeline for a processing element of a parallel processor is described. A plurality of result registers are selectively connected to each other, to processing logic of the processing element and to a neighborhood connection register configured to receive data from and send data to other processing elements. The connections between the result registers and between the result registers and the neighborhood connection register are selectively configurable by applied control signals.
US08006060B2
A path creation support apparatus acquires beforehand, from a storage system or a host, either a portion of the parameters required for path creation or parameter decision information which is information for deciding this portion of the parameters. The path creation support apparatus decides the portion of the parameters based on the parameter decision information. Upon receipt of an access path creation start request, the path creation support apparatus sends to the host and the storage system an access path creation indication which specifies the parameters specified together with the access path creation start request, and either the parameters acquired beforehand or the parameters decided based on the parameter decision information acquired beforehand.
US08006055B2
Protection entries and techniques for providing fine granularity computer memory protection are described herein. A method of protecting a computer memory may include separating or parsing the computer memory, containing data or code, into blocks and creating protection entries for each block. The protection entries optionally include a reference field for identifying a block of memory, and a protection field for specifying one or more levels of access to the identified block of memory. The protection entries may then be used to pass messages between various system entities, the messages specifying one or more levels of access to the one or more blocks of memory or code.
US08006043B2
In a virtualized system using memory page sharing, a method is provided for maintaining sharing when Guest code attempts to write to the shared memory. In one embodiment, virtualization logic uses a pattern matcher to recognize and intercept page zeroing code in the Guest OS. When the page zeroing code is about to run against a page that is already zeroed, i.e., contains all zeros, and is being shared, the memory writes in the page zeroing code have no effect. The virtualization logic skips over the writes, providing an appearance that the Guest OS page zeroing code has run to completion but without performing any of the writes that would have caused a loss of page sharing. The pattern matcher can be part of a binary translator that inspects code before it executes.
US08006039B2
A method for merging data including receiving a request from an input/output device to merge a data, wherein a merge of the data includes a manipulation of the data, determining if the data exists in a local cache memory that is in local communication with the input/output device, fetching the data to the local cache memory from a remote cache memory or a main memory if the data does not exist in the local cache memory, merging the data according to the request to obtain a merged data, and storing the merged data in the local cache, wherein the merging of the data is performed without using a memory controller within a control flow or a data flow of the merging of the data. A corresponding system and computer program product.
US08006033B2
Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to systems, methods, and apparatuses for in-band data mask bit transmission. In some embodiments, one or more data mask bits are integrated into a partial write frame and are transferred to a memory device via the data bus. Since the data mask bits are transferred via the data bus, the system does not need (costly) data mask pin(s). In some embodiments, a mechanism is provided to enable a memory device (e.g., a DRAM) to check for valid data mask bits before completing the partial write to the DRAM array.
US08006007B1
There is provided a method that includes (a) inputting data to a buffer, wherein the inputting increases a quantity of the data in the buffer, (b) processing the data from the buffer, wherein the processing decreases a quantity of the data in the buffer, (c) determining an average quantity of the data in the buffer, and (d) converting a data stream for inputting to the buffer, from a first quantity of samples to a second quantity of samples, if the average quantity is outside of a target range.
US08005987B2
A system and method provides transition continuity for an event across a plurality of media representation device types. The system and method allow identification information for a media event such as a sports game, talk show, music, video, etc. to be handed-off between various media presentation devices such as radios, broadcast televisions, cable television set top boxes, an internet connected computer, satellite receivers, and multimedia cellular phones. A multi-representation media event hand-off method includes receiving (804) a first event identifier that corresponds to a first media representation of an event, correlating (808) the first event identifier to a second event identifier that corresponds to a second media representation of the event, and transmitting (810) data indicative of the second event identifier to a media device that facilitates presentation of the second media representation.
US08005981B2
A computer network is described in which the data link layer address, e.g., MAC address, of the network cards of client nodes are used to uniquely identify the nodes in the provision of network to application layer services. A link layer aware router may determine the MAC address of a client node from a data packet transmitted by the client node, and determines the services to provide to the user, e.g., a proxy redirect of the packet, based on a database of client node MAC addresses to user attributes. By determining MAC addresses, the router can also identify unregistered MAC addresses, and can forward an HTTP request by an unregistered user to a remote configuration web page for registering the user, or to a security warning web page. The router may also support Network Address Translation and Domain Name System services using the MAC addresses, with a fully qualified domain name, hostname, or the like, being assigned to the MAC addresses.
US08005977B2
In a method for transmitting data of various traffic types an xDSL modem is utilized. Detectors are used to detect the traffic types of the data which are to be transmitted and the detected traffic types are taken as a basis for dynamically adjusting a data transmission rate for the xDSL modem.
US08005975B2
A new P2P streaming method and apparatus disseminates video chunks to all peers with the minimum (or at least reduced) delay. After obtaining a new video chunk, a peer keeps transmitting (uploading) that video chunk to other peers until all peers receive it. The approach quickly increases the aggregate bandwidth that can be utilized to transmit a video chunk. For example, the aggregate peer bandwidth used to transmit a video chunk can double every time slot. For a homogeneous P2P streaming system with N peers, a time slot is defined as a unit of the single chunk transmission delay between two peers. Using the P2P streaming method, a video chunk can be disseminated to all peers within 1+log2 N time slots.
US08005969B2
A communication system includes a server and at least one client. The server includes a first communication unit that performs first communication with each client based on a first protocol, a second communication unit that performs second communication with each client based on a second protocol, an information receiving unit that receives first information with the first communication unit, an information extracting unit that extracts second information, a judging unit that judges whether the second communication is feasible based on the first and second information, and a command sending unit that sends a command for issuing a request for establishing the second communication when the second communication is feasible. Each client includes an information sending unit that sends the first information, a command receiving unit that receives the command, and a request sending unit that issues the request to the first communication unit in response to the command.
US08005966B2
Disclosed are systems employing an architecture that provides capabilities to transport and process Internet Protocol (IP) packets from Layer 2 through transport protocol processing and may also perform packet inspection through Layer 7. A set of engines may perform pass-through packet classification, policy processing and/or security processing enabling packet streaming through the architecture at nearly the full line rate. A scheduler schedules packets to packet processors for processing. An internal memory or local session database cache stores a session information database for a certain number of active sessions. The session information that is not in the internal memory is stored and retrieved to/from an additional memory.
US08005964B2
Call Control entities in a network communicate between themselves by amending call processing messages to include encrypted network information. As such, a call may be established whose path through the network is dependent on the paths of other calls. Information of a scope larger than a Call Controller normally possesses can, as a result of this communication, be made available to Call Controllers for constraining call establishment. This information could relate to other calls and connections associated with those other calls. The information may also relate to gateways in and to adjacent networks and the Call Controllers in the adjacent networks that are related to the current Call Controller.
US08005962B2
A method of handling network access in a multi-user server system is disclosed. In the disclose system, a virtual network adapter is created for each user session on the multi-user server system. Each virtual network adapter receives its own independent IP address such that each individual user session appears to be a unique network node to other systems on the computer network.
US08005954B2
An apparatus for managing information in a network environment is provided that includes a content service gateway operable to communicate with an end user in order to facilitate a communication session. The communication session relates to a request by the end user for content or for a service. A quota server coupled to the content service gateway is operable to receive a service authorization request from the content service gateway relating to the communication session. The service authorization request operates to authorize access to the service or to the content for the end user.
US08005951B2
In a network of digital computers (20), a method for facilitating access by a first digital computer (24) to a file that is stored in a local file system tree (198) of a second digital computer (22). The method includes establishing, by recursively combining hierarchical file system trees (198) that are exported from one or more NDCs (50), a hierarchical domain tree (200) that encompasses digital computers (24, 26B, 26A and 22) in the network of digital computers (20). A domain manager (212) receives policy attributes, a new type of extended attributes, and enforces policies specified therein. In a particularly preferred embodiment the policy attributes identify at least one module that must be loaded by the first digital computer (24) to extend capabilities of the first digital computer (24) used in processing a file requested from the local file system tree (198) of the second digital computer (22).
US08005947B2
Systems and methods for medical care, and more particularly, systems and methods for providing remote diagnostics and support for surgical systems. A central computer system is communicatively coupled to one or more computer-based surgical machines. The central computer system is programmed to monitor the operation of each of the surgical machines, diagnose any problems that occur with the machines, and notify a technician of potential problems with the machines to provide for an efficient support system that minimizes undesirable downtime of the surgical machines.
US08005943B2
Network performance is monitored using timing information retrieved from a client device, server in communication with the client, or both. Client side timing information is retrieved using performance monitoring code provided by the server. The code may be provided to the client as part of a content response. Once content in the provided content response is loaded, the code sends the timing information to the server. The server may then process the timing information to calculate response time and other time information metrics.
US08005941B2
The management and transmission of events from a server to at least one client via a communication connection includes a server that has at least one server event service communicating with at least one client via a communication connection and at least one unit interface communicating with the at least one server event service. The client includes at least one client event server communicating with the server via the communication connection. Logging of possible events takes place in both the client event server and the server event service. Incident events are passed from the unit interface to the server event service. A client event service initiates requests to the server event service and, based on a submitted request to the server event service, the recorded events are transmitted to the client event service. Events received from the client event service are transmitted to a client application.
US08005932B2
A method for discovering a network comprising network devices, the method including dividing the network into zones of network devices, in a zone of the network, identifying devices in the zone that have SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) access, collecting data from those devices in the zone identified as having SNMP access, and stitching the collected data into a topology of the network. A machine readable medium a computer program for causing a computing device to perform the exemplary method. A system for discovering a network organized into zones of network devices includes means for identifying devices in a zone of the network that have SNMP access, collecting data from those devices in the zone identified as having SNMP access, and stitching the collected data into a topology of the network, and means for transferring data to and from the means for identifying, collecting and stitching.
US08005928B2
The network type audio system includes a content server storing a large number of music data pieces, an audio client reproducing music, and a controller monitoring and controlling the audio client through the content server. The audio client requests the server to provide the music data of a music piece selected in response to the user's operation. The content server returns the music data of the selected music piece in response to the request from the audio client. The music data is distributed from the content server to the audio client on the basis of a specified amount. The audio client notifies the content server of its status. The content server notifies the controller of the status of the audio client. The controller displays the status. The controller also instructs the audio client to reproduce the music piece selected in response to the user's operation through the content server.
US08005926B2
An e-commerce web site has an application tier and a web tier, each with multiple servers. The application tier runs the resource-intensive functions germane to the site's purpose; while the web tier provides the primary interface for clients. The web tier implements admission control so that some requests can be deferred during periods of heavy traffic. In addition, the web tier can request additional web-tier and application-tier resources when they can be added cost effectively. The application tier monitors its own resource utilization and communicates resource-utilization data to the web tier. The web tier uses this application-tier resource-utilization data to determine its deferral criteria. In addition, the web-tier can monitor its own resource utilization and take the results into account in determining the deferral criteria. By monitoring application-tier utilization at the application tier rather than remotely at the web tier, more accurate and more flexible information is obtained, allowing for a better-optimized deferral scheme.
US08005925B1
A process for staging file assets on a live Web server is described that includes detecting an index page of the Web server, creating a staging folder on the Web server, wherein the staging folder does not default to a directory listing when accessed, inserting a randomized string into a name of file assets containing content to be staged, and storing the file assets in the staging folder. By creating the staging folder that does not default to a directory listing when accessed, a system is enabled where users may access the file assets while other users may not.
US08005917B2
A system includes a leader server capable of communicating with a plurality of follower servers and a network. The leader server is configured to determine when a message received from a client connected to the network has been committed to main memory in a majority of the leader and follower servers. The leader server and each of the follower servers that committed the message to main memory retain the message in main memory until requested to remove the message from main memory by a delivery agent or an archiver.
US08005912B2
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided for communicating a presence notification to an end-point of a demand-based messaging system. The method includes monitoring an auxiliary output port for a video signal; detecting a video signal on the auxiliary output port; and reporting a video projection status to the end-point. In additional or alternative embodiments of the method, the method may include receiving a message from the end-point and blocking the message from being displayed on the auxiliary output port. In yet another additional or alternative embodiment of the method, the method may include sending a message to the end-point indicating that the message has been blocked.
US08005910B2
The present invention relates to workflow systems and methods. In one embodiment, the invention relates to integration of a calendar system with a workflow system where a calendar event can initiate a workflow by sending a message to a form route manager. The completion of a workflow or step in the workflow can result in sending a message to a calendar system to generate an event. In another embodiment, the invention relates to the integration of workflow with a project management system that includes project segments, which are processes that can be defined and controlled by workflow routes. The project management system sends a message to the workflow system to initiate workflow and the workflow system sends a message to the project management system, for example, at the completion of the workflow route. The relationship between the workflow routes can maintain the relationship between the project segments. If the relationships between project segments change, the relationship between the workflow routes changes without added effort.
US08005900B2
System and techniques are described for retrieving information relating to a received electronic message. Upon receipt of an incoming electronic message in a computer system, meta information stored in the computer system is accessed. The meta information identifies a first pre-selected class of a plurality of classes of stored fact information. A portion of the stored fact information that is a member of the first pre-selected class is retrieved. The retrieved portion of the stored fact information is stored in an electronic file that is associated with the incoming electronic message such that a rule for processing the incoming electronic message can be applied to the retrieved portion.
US08005892B2
Striped Multiplexing Download Queue software facilitates and increases throughput for client-server downloads through a limited communication device. In the “DS Download Station” application, this is used to queue many requests and to broadcast download segments to requesters seeking the same data. This works by employing a “download stripe” on both the server and client. The download stripe on the server side tracks acknowledgements from clients per download segment. On the client side, the stripe tracks received segments to account for duplicate data. Requesters are queued on a first-come first-serve basis. Requesters in the queue may receive segments of downloads while waiting in queue, if the client at the front of the queue is downloading the same file. This recursively saves waiting time for clients in the queue.
US08005882B2
A system for determining application of an adaptive filter includes a signal sensor to sense a detection signal; an adaptive filter to filter the sensed signal adaptively; and a module for determining application of an adaptive filter to analyze the sensed signal and the filtered signal and to determine application of the adaptive filter to the sensed signal based on the analyzed result.
US08005865B2
In one embodiment, systems and methods are provided for tracking events wherein an event system monitors certain areas of a system. When an event occurs in one area of the system, the event system notifies the processes listening to that area of the system of the event.
US08005852B2
A communication device may be used to obtain information regarding a group including a user and one or more group members. The communication device includes a table creating module, a user interface, a salutation obtaining module, and an information searching module. The table creating module is configured for creating a data table according to the one or more group members and relationships among the one or more group members of the group. The data table includes at least two personal nodes and a group node. The user interface is configured for acquiring login information about the user. The salutation obtaining module is configured for obtaining a salutation that is used by the user for obtaining a group member's information in the group. The information searching module is configured for locating a personal node corresponding to the group member in the data table according to the login information and the salutation.
US08005847B2
In an example embodiment, a method comprising accessing a relationship definition associated with a package of data items, the relationship definition including a template string and a first pattern string including a first wildcard symbol, accessing a main file name of a main file, matching the main file name to the first pattern string including associating the first wildcard symbol with a substring of the main file name, and deriving a second pattern string from the template string.
US08005834B2
Database systems using BitSets to model and manage relationships between and/or among entities describing the corresponding fast user defined scalar and column functions used for BitSets, including a technique to model categorization and steps to perform rule evaluation from retrieving the entities associated with ancestors and descendent categories, as well as a technique to model Boolean Expression using Bitsets for relationships and the steps to perform fast Boolean evaluation.
US08005830B2
A similar files management apparatus displays files similar to a specified file with the respective degrees of similarity. The similar files management apparatus includes a unit specific information generation means for acquiring information specific to each unit contained in a file by means of a predetermined computation formula from the contents of the unit, a file similarity degree computation means for computing the similarity degree between files by comparing the pieces of information specific to the respective units on a unit by unit basis and a display means for displaying the similarity degree of each file other than a specified file relative to the specified file and file identification information of the each file. The information specific to each unit may be a hash value, a sum check value or a CRC value. The units may be pages, chapters, sections or paragraphs.
US08005829B2
A keyword search system including a text input unit for inputting subtexts obtained by dividing each text into parts, while associating the subtexts with an event through a process recorded in the text; a prediction device adjuster for adjusting a corresponding event prediction device to maximize the percentage of text in which the inputted event is identical to a prediction result in a first text group selected from the subtexts; a prediction processor for generating a prediction result for each section, by inputting each text in a second text group selected from the corresponding subtexts in the adjusted event prediction device; and a search unit for calculating the prediction precision for the second text group of the event prediction device using a comparison between the inputted event and the prediction result for each subtext, and searching for keywords in sections with a certain degree of prediction precision.
US08005825B1
Apparatus and associated systems, methods, and computer program products relate to identifying types of search query terms based on the location of information that matches the search query terms. The query terms may be assigned weights according to the query type. The assigned weights may be used, in conjunction with a scoring rule, to determine a score that indicates how relevant blocks of information in the selected document are to the search query terms. In one example, query terms that are located in the title or the URL information associated with a document are classified as a query type that is assigned little or no weight. In this way, relevance scoring within a document may be improved by discounting the influence of query terms that are likely to be primarily meaningful for locating (i.e., navigating to) a relevant document, but less meaningful for locating relevant information within a document.
US08005817B1
A system, method and computer readable medium are disclosed. The method embodiment relates to a method of computing score of candidate answers to a database query. The method comprises receiving a database query, assigning a first score to a match to the query, the first score being associated with a relative importance of an individual keyword in a collection of documents based on all structural and content predicates in the query, assigning a second score to the match, the second score being associated with a relative importance of a keyword in an individual document and using the assigned first score and second score to compute an answer score for the query.
US08005813B2
Expert domains for a query category represent domains from which a high percentage of search results for queries associated with the query category are retrieved. The expert domains are identified by establishing a base statistical model that indicates frequencies of appearance for domains in search results retrieved for queries corresponding to multiple categories. In addition, frequencies of domain appearance are determined for search results retrieved for queries associated with a category. Domains that appear more frequently in the search results corresponding to the category are identified as expert domains for the category. A user may be allowed to customize expert domains related to one or more categories by adding or removing expert domains for the category.
US08005808B2
In an information processing apparatus connectable to a terminal through a network, a terminal type of the terminal is specified based on a first request requesting Web information, said first request sent from the terminal through the network, and reference Web information is generated so as to include reference path created by adding terminal type information showing the specified terminal type to a path indicated in the first request for accessing the Web information and to allow the terminal to automatically accesses to the reference path. Then, the reference Web information is sent to the terminal as a response with respect to the first request, and a second request for requesting the Web information specified by the reference path is received.
US08005807B2
Provided is an object oriented query path expression to relational outer join translator. A path expression, comprising a navigation path through a relationship in a schema, in an object oriented query is translated to a relational database outer join by analyzing each path expression defined in each level of the object oriented query, and by identifying each path expression which can be a candidate for a translation to an outer join. A quantifier is created for each path expression. A translation of the object oriented query to a relational query is then completed. An optimization may also be performed on the grouped quantifiers. After the optimization, an inner join is generated for each quantifier which remains a candidate for a translation to an inner join, and an outer join is generated for each quantifier which remains a candidate for a translation to an outer join.
US08005803B2
The Best Practices Analyzer scans one or more instances of the database server for conformance to a set of guidelines and recommendations (“best practices” or “best practice rules”). Best practice rules may be defined by the user and/or may be provided. The Best Practices Analyzer performs analysis of usage of database programming (query) language and conformance to guidelines. Best Practices Analyzer may check for correct execution of common administrative tasks. Rules may be implemented as procedural code in any language.
US08005768B2
An apparatus and method to check whether a user likes a multimedia file based on the user's emotional reaction index of the multimedia file and repeatedly reproducing the multimedia file if the user likes the multimedia file. The multimedia file reproducing apparatus can include an emotional reaction index calculation unit to calculate an emotional reaction index based on a physical reaction signal of a user; a like/dislike checking unit to check whether the user likes or dislikes a corresponding audio file based on the calculated emotional reaction index; a list generation unit to generate a list of audio files that the user likes based on an average of emotional reaction indices for each audio file and the user's preference for each audio file; and a reproduction management unit to control the reproduction of the corresponding audio file based on whether the user likes or dislikes the corresponding audio file and to reproduce the audio files in the generated list.
US08005767B1
The present invention enables identification of events such as target. From training target event data the present a very large number of clusters are formed for each class based on Euclidean distance using a repetitive k-means clustering process. Features from each cluster are identified by extracting out their dominant eigenvectors. Once all of the dominant eigenvectors have been identified, they define the relevant space of the cluster. New target event data is compared to each cluster by projecting it onto the relevant and noise spaces. The more the data lies within the relevant space and the less it lies within the noise space the more similar the data is to a cluster. The new target event data is then classified based on the training target event data.
US08005766B2
Disclosed is a method, a computer program product, and a device that are responsive to detected mental states of a user to perform selection processes to execute a task. The method includes providing a hierarchical multi-level decision tree structure comprised of internal nodes and leaf nodes, where the decision tree structure represents a task. The method further includes navigating, using information derived from detected mental states of the user, through levels of the decision tree structure to reach a leaf node to accomplish the task. The step of navigating includes selecting, using the information derived from the detected mental states of the user, between attribute values associated with internal nodes of the decision tree structure. As non-limiting examples, the device may be a communication device, and the task may be a name dialing or a command/control task.
US08005763B2
A system for providing distributed control to process transactions is disclosed. The system includes a service provider system having associated therewith a number of rules and a number of meta-rules, a point of service device having associated therewith a number of rules and a number of meta-rules, and a portable device having associated therewith a number of rules and a number of meta-rules. The portable device uses its associated rules to determine an outcome for a transaction. If the portable device is unable to determine the outcome for the transaction, the portable device uses its associated meta-rules to either determine whether one or more of its associated rules can be altered locally in order to determine the outcome or request the point of service device to help determine the outcome using the rules and meta-rules associated with the point of service device. If the point of service device is unable to determine the outcome using its associated rules, the point of service device uses its associated meta-rules to either determine whether one or more of its associated rules can be altered locally in order to determine the outcome or request the service provider system to help determine the outcome using the rules and meta-rules associated with the service provider system.
US08005757B2
To determine whether digital content can be released to an element such as a computer application or module, a scaled value representative of the relative security of the element is associated therewith, and the digital content has a corresponding digital license setting forth a security requirement. The security requirement is obtained from the digital license and the scaled value is obtained from the element, and the scaled value of the element is compared to the security requirement of the digital license to determine whether the scaled value satisfies the security requirement. The digital content is not released to the element if the scaled value does not satisfy the security requirement.
US08005732B2
An existing customer of a financial institution may open a new account with their financial institution using an optimized online interface. Initially, the interface presents a standard application for a new account in which an extensive number of fields for personal and financial information must be completed. A link is provided on this long application for use by existing account holders only. Upon selection of the link, an existing account holder is instead presented with a short application in which only the account holder's name, a portion of their social security number, their existing account number, and their account confirmation identifier are required to be entered.
US08005724B2
A system, method, and computer program product discover relationships among items and recommend items based on the discovered relationships. The recommendations provided by the present invention are based on user profiles that take into account actual preferences of users, without requiring users to complete questionnaires. An improved binomial log likelihood ratio analysis technique is applied, to reduce adverse effects of overstatement of coincidence and predominance of best sellers. The invention may be used, for example, to generate track lists for a personalized radio station.
US08005720B2
Information corresponding to a sentence or less of text is scanned from a rendered document and converted to text. The text is communicated to a search engine. Electronic content corresponding to the rendered document from which the text was scanned is identified from the search engine results.
US08005715B2
According to some embodiments, systems, methods, and articles of manufacture are provided for a domains template management system. In some cases, a domain landing page may be presented to a plurality of users, and historical user action data associated with the landing page may be collected. A subsequent presentation of the landing page may then be dynamically adjusting based on the historical user action data.
US08005711B1
A display system and method for collecting respondent ratings of a concept on multiple attributes simultaneously, and using the same display mechanism for analysis of collected multi-attribute data. A graphical user interface presents concepts and instructions of a researcher and enables a respondent to evaluate each concept along two attributes simultaneously by positioning the concept on a surface having two degrees of freedom, one degree of freedom for each attribute. The simultaneous evaluation enables the respondent to consider interdependent relationships between the attributes. A graphical analysis interface allows the researcher to control display parameters and segment the collected data by respondent characteristics. Using the same display mechanism for collection and analysis enables analysis of data collected using legacy techniques.
US08005706B1
A method is provided for risk management in project management. A risk is identified for a project during a concept phase for the project prior to an analysis phase for the project. A probability for an identified risk and an impact severity for the identified risk are analyzed to determine a risk exposure for the project. A risk response plan is developed based on the risk exposure. The risk exposure is mitigated by executing a portion of the risk response plan.
US08005688B2
A system and method for communicating and validating patient information including medication delivery information in a care-giving facility is provided. A medical transaction carrier is used to communicate information regarding medication delivery and other patient information between a control system in communication with the care-giving facility's other information systems and a patient specific asset such as an infusion pump. All information carried by the medical transaction carrier is validated both at the patient specific asset and at the control system. This validation allows for positive control of all transactions even if a medical transaction carrier is lost. The medical transaction carrier may be a smartcard, a PDA such as a Palm™ Pilot, laptop computer, pager, mobile phone, or other device capable of storing and communicating information. The system may use either wired or wireless connections to communicate information between the components of the system.
US08005683B2
A VoiceXML Dialog Engine (“VDE”) is employed to handle requests via a brokered session from a media communications server. The VDE interfaces with one or more information providers, such as a script server or an audio server, in order to service the requests received via the brokered session. The VDE can provide a response to the requests to the media communications server based on information retrieved from the information providers.
US08005675B2
An apparatus and method for an improved audio analysis process is disclosed. The improvement concerns the accuracy level of the results and the rate of false alarms produced by the audio analysis process. The proposed apparatus and method provides a three-stage audio analysis route. The three-stage analysis process includes a pre-analysis stage, a main analysis stage and a post analysis stage.
US08005667B2
Methods and systems for sample rate conversion convert a sampled signal to a higher data rate signal. Conversion pulses are received, having a conversion rate that is higher than the sample rate of the sampled signal. Sample points are then reconstructed from the sampled signal, in real time, on either side of a conversion pulse. An interpolation is performed between the reconstructed sample points, at the time of the conversion pulse. The interpolation results are outputted in real time. The process is repeated for additional conversion pulses. The outputted interpolated amplitudes form the higher data rate signal having a data rate equal to the conversion rate. Sample rate conversion is thus performed in real time according to the higher data rate clock, rather than with fixed ratios. As a result, when the higher data rate clock is affected by, for example, jitter or other frequency variations, the higher data rate samples immediately track the lower data rate samples. This helps to insure that the output higher data rate data tracks the lower rate data, thus providing a more accurate sample rate conversion.
US08005665B2
A method of extracting significant phrases from one or more documents stored in a computer-readable medium. A sequence of words is read from the one or more documents and a score is determined for each word in the sequence based on the length of the word. The score for each word in the sequence is compared against a threshold score. The sequence of words is indicated to be a significant phrase if the number of words in the sequences that have a score greater than the threshold score equals or exceeds a predetermined number. A sentence containing the sequence of words is retrieved from the document, if the sequence of words is a significant phrase. An abstract of the document is searched to determine if the sentence has been previously included in the abstract. If not, the sentence is added to the abstract.
US08005661B2
A computer implemented method for modeling and verifying concurrent systems which uses Satisfiability-Modulo Theory (SMT)-based Bounded Model Checking (BMC) to detect violations of safety properties such as data races. A particularly distinguishing aspect of our inventive method is that we do not introduce wait-cycles in our symbolic models for the individual threads, which are typically required for considering an interleaved execution of the threads. These wait-cycles are detrimental to the performance of BMC. Instead, we first create independent models for the different threads, and add inter-model constraints lazily, incrementally, and on-the-fly during BMC unrolling to capture the sequential consistency and synchronization semantics. We show that our constraints provide a sound and complete modeling with respect to the considered semantics. One benefit of our lazy modeling method is the reduction in the size of the BMC problem instances, thereby, improving the verification performance in both runtime and memory.
US08005657B2
A method of determining survivability is disclosed. The method can include selecting a mission scenario and providing data associated with the scenario as input to a plurality of low-level modeling tools each associated with a corresponding spectrum, and performing a spectral analysis of the selected scenario using each of the low-level modeling tools for the corresponding spectrum. The method can also include generating an event probability matrix for each analyzed spectrum based on the output of the low-level model, the event probability matrix including a probability of detection, a probability of tracking, and a probability of engagement for each of a plurality of mission scenario reference points. Using the event probability matrix as input, a constructive analysis can be performed using a high-level simulation system configured to simulate actual event occurrence for a specific run of the mission scenario and a probability of survival based on a result of the constructive analysis can be determined. A report of the probability of survival, as well as other statistics relevant to operational performance and/or survivability can be provided as output.
US08005654B2
A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for generating a multiple-input, multiple output (MIMO) workload model of a distributed storage environment on a plurality of predictive controller devices. The MIMO models can then be utilized by the predictive controller to manage storage resources on a distributed storage system.
US08005650B2
Embodiments of the invention include a method for generating a two-dimensional (2D) flattened nailboard representation of a wiring harness in a three-dimensional (3D) computer-aided design (CAD) model. The nailboard representation invention may be used to provide a dimensionally accurate “flattened” view of a complex 3D wiring harness depicted in a CAD model, without cutting any of the wires included in the harness, and minimizing the overlap of multiple exposed wires present in wire loops.
US08005645B2
The present invention is a method for detecting an abnormal event for process units of a hydrocracking unit. The method compares the operation of the process units to a model developed by principle components analysis of normal operation for these units. If the difference between the operation of a process unit and the normal operation indicates an abnormal condition, then the cause of the abnormal condition is determined and corrected.
US08005644B1
A system provides network application transaction analysis. An analysis tool, when executed by a processor, measures an application transaction metric and calculates a historical system average and a historical application average associated with the application transaction metric based on server performance logs. The tool determines whether the application transaction metric differs from the historical system average by more than a first threshold amount during consecutive measurements. The tool determines whether the application transaction metric differs from the historical application average by more than a second threshold amount during consecutive measurements if the application transaction metric does not differ from the historical system average by more than the first threshold amount during consecutive measurements. The tool outputs an alarm to a user interface to enable a generation of an investigation if the application transaction metric differs from the historical application average by more than the second threshold amount during consecutive measurements.
US08005642B2
A sensor readout includes a selector circuit, a predictor circuit, and a select controller. The selector circuit receives a plurality of actual sensor inputs. Each actual sensor input is provided to the selector circuit along a corresponding channel. The selector circuit also passes a selected sensor input. The predictor circuit receives the selected sensor input into a signal history and generates predicted sensor inputs. The select controller receives the predicted sensor inputs, determines which of the predicted sensor inputs is most changed from the actual sensor inputs as the most changed input, and directs the selector circuit to pass a next signal on a the channel having the most changed input.
US08005641B2
A semiconductor device that may include temperature sensing circuits is disclosed. The temperature-sensing circuits include an amplifier, a transistor, a temperature threshold resistance and a hysteresis resistance, and a latch. The amplifier includes a positive input and a negative input where the negative input is configured to be driven by a temperature-independent signal. The transistor is electrically coupled to the positive input where the transistor is configured to be controlled by a temperature signal. The temperature threshold resistance and a hysteresis resistance is electrically coupled in series to the positive input, wherein the hysteresis resistance is configured to be controlled, at least in part, by an output of the amplifier. The latch is configured to latch the output of the amplifier after a time delay initiated by a transition of a temperature detect signal.
US08005636B2
A method of controlling a clock signal with a print controller is provided. In response to receiving an external signal, the print controller determines the number of cycles of a clock signal generated by a ring oscillator of the print controller during a predetermined number of cycles of the external signal or the number of cycles of the external signal during a predetermined number of cycles of the clock signal and outputs the determined number of cycles to an external circuit. In response to receiving a trim value from clock trim circuitry of the print controller which trims the frequency of the clock signal based on the determined number of cycles from the external circuit, the trim value is stored in memory of the print controller. The clock trim circuitry is controlled to trim the frequency of the clock signal generated by the ring oscillator using the trim value.
US08005632B2
A method and article of manufacture are provided to monitor a sensing system operative to monitor electrical current in a transmission line between an electrical storage device and an electrical machine. The sensing system comprises first and second sensors, operative to monitor first and second ranges of electrical current. The method comprises determining outputs of the first and second sensors are valid, and comparing outputs of the first and second sensors when current is substantially zero. The method comprises comparing magnitudes of the outputs of the first and second sensors when the monitored electrical current, and monitoring polarity of each of the outputs of the first and second sensors.
US08005631B2
Systems and methods for locating the shooter of supersonic projectiles are described. The system uses at least five, preferably seven, spaced acoustic sensors. Sensor signals are detected for shockwaves and muzzle blast, wherein muzzle blast detection can be either incomplete coming from less than 4 sensor channels, or inconclusive due to lack of signal strength. Shooter range can be determined by an iterative computation and/or a genetic algorithm by minimizing a cost function that includes timing information from both shockwave and muzzle signal channels. Disambiguation is significantly improved over shockwave-only measurements.
US08005620B2
Methods, computer systems, and computer program products for biopolymer engineering. A variant set for a biopolymer of interest is constructed by identifying, using a plurality of rules, a plurality of positions in the biopolymer of interest and, for each respective position in the plurality of positions, substitutions for the respective position. The plurality of positions and the substitutions for each respective position in the plurality of positions collectively define a biopolymer sequence space. A variant set comprising a plurality of variants of the biopolymer of interest is selected. A property of all or a portion of the variants in the variant set is measured. A sequence-activity relationship is modeled between (i) one or more substitutions at one or more positions of the biopolymer of interest represented by the variant set and (ii) the property measured for all or the portion of the variants in the variant set. The variant set is redefined to comprise variants that include substitutions in the plurality of positions that are selected based on a function of the sequence-activity relationship.
US08005618B2
A logging-while-drilling system for efficiently providing a reliable measurement of various petrophysical properties of subsurface earth formations. The logging-while-drilling system generally includes drilling a wellbore within an earth formation, circulating a fluid within the wellbore and injecting it inside the earth formation under pressure, taking a first measurement of the earth formation as altered by the injected fluid within the earth formation during an initial stage of drilling the wellbore, taking a second measurement of the earth formation as altered by the injected fluid within the earth formation during a later stage after the initial stage of drilling the wellbore and determining a zero-time state measurement of the earth formation from a combination of the first measurement and the second measurement, wherein the zero-time state measurement represents the earth formation prior to drilling the wellbore, and determining an infinite-time state measurement of the earth formation from another combination of the first measurement and the second measurement, wherein the infinite-time state measurement represents the earth formation as altered by the injected fluid within the earth formation, assuming the injection had continued indefinitely. Different combinations of the zero-time state measurement, the first measurement, the second measurement, and the infinite-time state measurement, are used to determine the petrophysical parameters of the earth formation, such as but not limited to, volumetric composition, permeability, wettability, and reservoir rock-type.
US08005615B2
A navigation system includes data storage that contains map data, a current position detection portion that detects a current position of a host vehicle, an acceleration lane remaining distance determination portion that determines a distance from the current position to the end of an acceleration lane where it merges with a main thoroughfare, based on the map data and the current position of the host vehicle, a merging support guidance selection portion that selects a type of merging support guidance for supporting the merging of the host vehicle from the acceleration lane into the main thoroughfare, based on information for the host vehicle in the acceleration lane, information for another vehicle so located on the main thoroughfare as to be accounted for in merging, and the distance from the current position to the end of the acceleration lane, and a guidance execution portion that executes the selected merging support guidance.
US08005614B2
A method for monitoring the integrity of an aircraft position computed on board including on-board means for monitoring the aircraft position that are able to detect common-mode failures. Dissimilar computing channels of the aircraft position are utilized, the dissimilar channels being on-board in the aircraft. Each aircraft position primary computing channel is supplemented by a dissimilar computing channel, which allows the coherence of the primary aircraft position, the position computed by the primary computing channels, to be verified. Mechanisms for verifying the reliability of the results from dissimilar computing channels are implemented to limit a loss of performance from the utilization of dissimilar computing channels, which are less performing than primary computing channels.
US08005602B2
The present invention relates to a vehicle speed control device for controlling a speed of a vehicle. The vehicle speed control device includes a current location error estimation section for extracting area attribute information from the map information, for producing a location error probability distribution, a target speed calculation section for receiving the target speed correction instruction, for accessing preset data that shows an acceleration or a gradient of an acceleration which allows a driver not to feel uncomfortable, and for computing target speed values at nodes over the distance in such a way that the target speed values create a continuous curve, and a speed control section for sensing a speed of a vehicle, and for controlling a driving torque of the vehicle so that the sensed speed traces the continuous curve composed of the target speed values.
US08005597B2
A system is provided for utilizing belt movement information in a motorized seat belt (MSB) control system algorithm to achieve better levels of comfort and safety. The MSB control system algorithm controls execution of multiple modes including a no friction mode, a stowage mode, a slack reduction mode, an out of position warning mode, a medium pull-back mode, and a high pull-back mode. The MSB control system algorithm also controls execution of a low power mode initiated after the other vehicle modules are put to sleep to provide the ability to stow the seat belt after the vehicle has been turned off for some period of time. The MSB control system algorithm also controls belt monitoring functions defined based on a buckle switch state that indicates the buckled or unbuckled state of the seat belt. Belt monitoring consists of belt movement being converted to counts based on a resolution provided by a belt movement sensor.
US08005594B2
The present invention provides a control apparatus for an electric power steering apparatus comprises: a steering assist command value calculating section; a current control section that calculates a voltage command value; and a motor driving section that drives a motor based on the voltage command value, wherein an assist power from the motor is applied to a steering system, the control apparatus is characterized in that an SAT measuring section, that inputs an angular speed and an angular acceleration of the motor, the steering assist command value and the torque signal therein so as to estimate an SAT, is provided, and the SAT obtained by the SAT measuring section is feedbacked to the steering assist command value via a feedback section composed of a phase compensating section and a gain section.
US08005575B2
Methods and apparatus for controlling load on a machine are provided. The method includes determining a maximum value of a process variable using a predictive model of the machine while holding a control output associated with the process variable substantially constant over a prediction period, incrementing the control output if the determined maximum value of the process variable is within an allowable limit range, and setting the control output to the last value of the process variable that did not cause the process value to exceed the allowable range.
US08005567B2
A control system (41) comprises a control program (42) which accesses a stored database (43) holding a predefined set of rules for performing predetermined machine tool operations, from which rules computer instructions can be derived for controlling an NC machine tool. A solid model (44) of a component to be manufactured is input to the control program (42). The solid model (44) is in the form of a computer model programmed using the International Geometry Export Standard (IGES). In operation, the control program (42) performs a feature recognition operation on the IGES data to identify geometric features present in the solid model (44). Having identified the geometric features present, the control program (42) uses the set of rules in the database (43) to generate control data in the form of a composite set of computer instructions for working the features of the component represented in the solid model (44).
US08005566B2
A measurement/correction system for use in machining an inclined slide core hole includes means for executing a measurement program which, after machining of an intermediate pocket hole in a mold surface, measures the position of the center of a rod hole in a seating surface of the intermediate pocket and the position of the seating surface of the intermediate pocket. Arithmetic means calculates the coordinates of an actual reference point of the rod hole from the measurements. Correction means compares the measured position of the reference point with the reference point previously set in a machining program, and, if there is an error, rewrites the coordinates of the reference point in the program to the measured coordinates. The corrected machining program is executed with the rewritten reference point in order to carry out machining of the core pocket while expanding the intermediate pocket.
US08005565B2
A drilling system includes a controller, a human-machine interface, and a drilling device. The controller stores a drilling procedure and a startup mode module for the drilling procedure, and generates an information list which includes location information and corresponding procedure line number for each hole. The human-machine interface is configured for selecting the startup mode module for the drilling procedure, and for inputting a query information corresponding to the selected startup mode module. The controller invokes the corresponding procedure line according to the inputted query information to restart the drilling process to enable the drilling device to return to work.
US08005562B2
Provided are a process-parameter prognostic system for predicting the shape of a semiconductor structure, a semiconductor fabrication apparatus having the process-parameter prognostic system, and a method of using the same. The process-parameter prognostic system may have a process prediction unit and a process-change point corresponding unit. The process prediction unit and the process-change point corresponding unit may obtain predicted parameters using measured parameters of semiconductor structures and sensor parameters of plasmas corresponding to the semiconductor structures.
US08005554B2
This device for controlling at least one operating variable of a regulated system comprising: a filter module for filtering at least one setpoint input to the control device, the module using a first order integrator; and a correction module for correcting the variable by servo-control, the module taking account of a measurement of the variable and of the setpoint as filtered by the filter module in order to generate at least one command for the system; a control module suitable for generating a gain control factor α on the basis of at least one parameter of the system and of an operating limit value associated with the parameter; and weighting means for weighting the gain of the filter module as a function of the factor and of the residue between the setpoint and its filtered value.
US08005552B2
The invention presents an apparatus and techniques for determining whether a medical electrode, such as a defibrillation electrode coupled to an automated external defibrillator, is in a condition for replacement. The determination can be made as a function of one or more data. In one exemplary embodiment, the determination is a function of one or more measurements of an impedance of a hydrogel bridge in a test module. In another exemplary embodiment, the determination is a function of one or more environmental condition data from one or more environmental sensors.
US08005544B2
Various methods and apparatus are implemented for modifying cardiac operation, for treating a condition of a patient's heart, and for monitoring cardiac operation. An electrode arrangement is used to capture the myocardium for re-synchronization of the left and right ventricles by providing first and second signal components having opposite polarity on respective electrodes. Use of a defibrillation lead may also be particularly useful. Other aspects involve use of such cardiac modulation technique to facilitate mechanically and/or electrically synchronous contractions for resynchronization, and a technique for pacing and/or mapping by generating pulses for delivery to a cardiac site useful for improving heart function as measured, e.g., by QRS width, fractionation, late LV activation timing, mechanical synchronicity of free wall and septal wall, effective throughput/pressure, or a combination thereof.
US08005542B2
Apparatus for treating a subject suffering from spontaneous atrial fibrillation includes an electrode device, adapted to be coupled to a vagus nerve of the subject, and a control unit, adapted to drive the electrode device to apply an electrical current to the vagus nerve, and to configure the current to maintain the spontaneous AF for at least about 24 hours, so as to modify blood flow within the atria and reduce risk of thromboembolic events.
US08005534B2
The present invention is a system and method of deriving and computing features and indices that predict the likelihood of psychological and neurological adverse events such as suicidal thoughts and/or actions. The method of the present invention further predicts the likelihood of suicidal thoughts and/or actions prior to and or during treatment for psychological disease. To obtain such features and indices, power spectrum and time domain values are derived from biopotential signals acquired from the subject being tested. The system and method identify people who are likely to experience changing, especially worsening, symptoms of psychological and neurological adverse events such as suicidal thoughts or actions and who therefore may be at risk (e.g. suicide).
US08005521B2
A portable terminal comprising first and second bodies, and a hinge unit configured to fold or unfold the first and second bodies in a rotational manner.
US08005517B2
A mobile communication device is provided. The mobile communication device includes a terminal body, and a speaker module located in the terminal body. The speaker module includes an enclosure located in the terminal body, the enclosure defining a chamber therein, and a speaker having a front surface and a rear surface, the speaker being located in the enclosure such that the front surface of the speaker is exposed from the enclosure and the rear surface thereof is positioned within the chamber, to allow a sound generated from the rear surface to resonate within the chamber. A mutual interference between the sound generated from the front side of the sound emission part and the sound emitted from the rear side thereof can be reduced to thereby improve the performance of the middle and low sound.
US08005516B2
The mobile information terminal comprises a first casing having an operation unit on the surface, a second casing having a display unit on the surface, and a joint mechanism. This joint mechanism joints the first casing and the second casing in an openable manner, and joints the first casing and the second casing such that the display unit can be shifted in the open state between the transversely long state and the longitudinally long state with respect to the first casing. A hinge pin for jointing the first casing and the second casing in the openable manner is positioned in the closed state above the second casing with respect to the surface of the first casing.
US08005514B2
The present invention provides a field device whereby the device's additional information can be transmitted wirelessly without the need for battery replacement or external wiring. The present invention also provides a field device whereby the firmware of a wireless module in the field device can be developed at minimum cost and whereby it can be made easy to link the firmware to applications, such as an asset management system, on the host system side.The field device in accordance with the present invention is installed in a plant, factory, or the like, connected to a higher-order distributed control system through a signal line, configured to input or output 4-20 mA signals, and comprised of: an RF unit for transmitting or receiving radio signals; and a power supply block for accumulating extra electric currents when the block is neither transmitting nor receiving radio signals; wherein electric currents accumulated in the power supply block are supplied to the RF unit so as to be used as electric power for transmitting or receiving radio signals.
US08005510B2
Systems, apparatus, methods, and manufactures for conserving power in a communications system such as a communications service cell site. The methods include adjusting the RF coverage of the cell site antenna, selective control of the RF output transmit power, selective control of the communications bit rate, transfer of communications to other cell sites, adjustment of indicators such that mobile devices transfer communications to other cell sites, and reallocation of logical slots between radios in the cell site.
US08005507B2
An information management system for operation over a network includes a first mobile device having a first application module, the first mobile device operating over the network and in communication with a second mobile device having a second application module, a first operating system residing on the first mobile device configured to detect a communication event between the first mobile device and the second mobile device, and an address book module residing on the second mobile device. The first application module is configured to send information associated with the first mobile device to the second mobile device in association with a detection of the communication event.
US08005505B2
A method for enabling a portable electronic device, such as a personal data assistant (PDA), cellular telephone, or notebook computer, to identify remote, external devices with which communication by at least one wireless transmission protocol over which the portable electronic device is capable of communicating may be established. The method includes selecting a type of wireless transmission protocol to be used, receiving signals from devices that are remote from the portable electronic device, and, based upon such signals identifying the remote, external devices that can communicate by the at least one wireless transmission protocol. A list of these devices may then be generated. One of the devices may be automatically selected or selected by the user of the portable electronic device from such a list.
US08005497B2
Methods and apparatus for assigning floor control based upon when a floor control request was initiated are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a first request for floor control from a first endpoint and granting the floor control to the first endpoint. The method also includes receiving a second request for floor control from a second endpoint, that has approximately the same priority level as the first endpoint, and determining if the first request was initiated from the first endpoint at approximately the same time or earlier than the second request was initiated from the second endpoint. If it is determined that the first request was not initiated from the first endpoint at approximately the same time or earlier than the second request was initiated from the second endpoint, then floor control is preempted from the first endpoint and granted to the second endpoint.
US08005494B2
An apparatus in one example comprises a gateway component that provides an identifier of a service provider to a sender of a message through employment of a user address associated with the recipient of the message.
US08005491B2
A method for controlling the delivery of messages in a telecommunications network, particularly in a mobile communications network, with data assigned to a subscriber relationship and to a terminal, that is, to the identification chip (for example, GSM, SIM, UMTS, USIM) connected thereto. These assigned data, entirely or in part, are transmitted synchronously or approximately synchronously to additional terminals, that is, to the identification chip (for example, GSM SIM, UMTS USIM) connected thereto, assigned to this subscriber.
US08005489B2
A method for providing location based messaging to a mobile user with a wireless portable receiving device includes sending a message to the portable device including content based on the location and the direction of travel of the portable device. In the method, the location and direction of travel of the portable device are determined, and a message is established. The message includes content based on the location and travel direction of the device.
US08005482B2
A method of performing compressed mode measurements for selecting communication means in a communication system. Statistics are collected on handovers from a cell in a communications system to a plurality of other cells in the communications system. A cell load of each cell of the plurality of other cells is weighted by a percentage of handovers from the cell to the respective one of the plurality of other cells. A threshold is determined based on the weighted cell loads. The threshold can be used to trigger a load based handover from the cell to one of the plurality of other cells.
US08005480B2
A communication initialization method at a MAC layer in a CR wireless communication system is provided. The use or non-use of a frequency band is sensed over a broadband with a minimized sensing time in a non-interfering manner with existing communication systems.
US08005479B2
An apparatus and process for allocating carriers in a multi-carrier system is described. In one embodiment, the process comprises determining a location (E, D, C, B, A; FIG. 6) of a subscriber (520) with respect to a base station (510), selecting carriers from a band of carriers to allocate to the subscriber (520) according to the location of the subscriber with respect to the base station (510), and allocating selected carriers to the subscriber (520).
US08005476B2
A system and method of supporting controlled access to multimedia information and media-related services via a broadband access gateway is disclosed. A plurality of user manageable tiers of access privilege may be implemented by the broadband access gateway, that may support communication using, for example, a wireless personal area network and a broadband network. A different degree of user authentication and/or identification may be established for each of the tiers, and users may be restricted in their access to multimedia information and services by their current tier of access privilege. The multimedia information and services may be provided by a variety of access devices via the personal area network, and from providers accessible via the broadband network connected to the gateway. Examples of access devices include mobile multimedia handsets, personal digital assistants, personal computers, digital cameras, and printers. The multimedia information may, for example, comprise data, text, and digitized voice, images, video, and music. The tiers of access privilege may be managed via, for example, the personal area network or from the broadband network, by a user with an access device.
US08005470B2
Multiple computing devices are connected together using a high-speed wireless link. The wireless link enables expansion of available resources to the host device, such as one or more of volatile memory resources, non-volatile memory resources, and additional processor resources.
US08005463B2
A service is provided to cell phone subscribers to improve reachability. A home location register node maintains state information on a subscriber's cell phone status. Cell phone status information includes: off; on, registered and available to receive calls; on, registered but busy participating in an ongoing call; on, registered but temporarily unavailable; and on, registered but unattended. Temporarily unavailable is further qualified: poor reception location, high interference, cell throughput saturation, intentional user disposition. Long term unavailability may also be inferred and indicated depending on the device and/or system status. When a call to a subscriber's cell phone cannot be completed or is not answered, the service annunciates the reason to the calling party. The calling party can then make a more informed decision as to when to reattempt the call and is more likely to reattempt the call. The service is provided in conjunction with call forwarding to landlines phones and/or voicemail.
US08005446B2
Apparatus, and an associated method, for a receiving station, such as the receive part of a mobile station, that has diversity antennas. The receiving station includes both legacy demodulators and a diversity demodulator. Calculations are made to determine signal indicia associated with the signal energy detected at the diversity antennas. Responsive to the signal indicia, selection is made as to whether to utilize demodulation data, demodulated pursuant to a diversity demodulation technique or pursuant to a legacy demodulation technique. As the characteristics of received signals change, reselection of the demodulation is correspondingly made, such as on a frame-by-frame basis of frame-formatted data.
US08005445B2
A RF power amplifying device is constituted by a system of a balanced amplifier including first phase shifters, a first RF power amplifier, a second RF power amplifier, second phase shifters, and a power combiner. Transmitting power Pout is detected by a first power level detector connected to an output of the first RF power amplifier, a second power level detector connected to an output of the second RF power amplifier, and an adder. A level control signal from a level control circuit controls transmitting power in response to a transmitting signal with wanted power level and a detected signal of the adder.
US08005436B2
An integrated circuit may enable transmission and reception of Bluetooth signals as well as FM signals. One or more clock signals may be generated via a phase-locked loop and may be utilized to enable Bluetooth transmission and reception. Bluetooth clock signals and frequency control words may be utilized by a direct digital frequency synthesizer to generate FM carrier signals that enable FM reception as well as digitally modulated signals for FM transmission. FM reception and transmission may be time division duplex. Frequency control words may be adjusted to compensate for variations in the Bluetooth clock signal frequency for FM carrier signals used in FM reception. Moreover, frequency control words may be adjusted to modulate a signal about the frequency of an FM carrier for transmission. Each of the Bluetooth clock signals, carrier signals and modulated signals comprise an in-phase component and a quadrature-phase component.
US08005432B2
A system and method for processing signals in a wireless communication system is disclosed. The method may include transmitting a wireless signal from a transmitter, and receiving at the transmitter, feedback information from a receiver that receives the transmitted wireless signal. The received feedback information may include one or more of a plurality of weight values corresponding to a maximum signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) value that is determined from a plurality of SINR values. The receiver may generate the plurality of SINR values from the received transmitted wireless signal based on the corresponding plurality of weight values. The feedback information that includes the one or more of the plurality of weight values may be received by the transmitter via one or more uplink communication channels. The at least one uplink communication channel may include a high-speed dedicated physical control channel (HS-DPCCH).
US08005428B2
An arrangement of devices which may be worn on the body of a person comprising a first device for transmitting signals to at least one second device via electromagnetic fields or waves, with the first device comprising a transmitter for transmitting such signals and an antenna connected to this transmitter, having a linear or chain-like, but not necessarily straight, arrangement of materials starting from the antenna, which affect the path of the electromagnetic waves or fields transmitted or produced by the antenna, such that at the location of at least one second device a higher receiving field strength of the signals transmitted by the transmitter prevails than without this arrangement of materials.
US08005409B2
A development device includes an open-ended housing, a rotatable roller, an array of multiple primary electrodes, a voltage source, a sealing member, and a secondary electrode. The housing accommodates toner for application to the photoconductive surface through an end opening thereof. The roller has an outer circumferential surface to deliver the toner from within the housing to a development zone. The array of multiple primary electrodes are aligned with each other on the roller surface. The voltage source applies a periodic pulse voltage to at least a subset of the primary electrodes to generate an oscillating primary electric field. The sealing member seals clearance between the roller surface and an edge of the end opening downstream from the development zone. The secondary electrode generates a secondary electric field to force the toner from the sealing member toward the roller surface to prevent premature removal of the toner.
US08005395B2
A toner hopper seal assembly is disclosed. The toner hopper seal assembly has a gasket which has a gasket opening, a pull strip having a first and second end, the pull strip attached to a first side of the gasket and covering the gasket opening. The first end of the pull strip is positioned near the gasket opening. The toner hopper seal assembly also having an integrated pull tab disposed at an end of the gasket, the integrated pull tab has a first side and a second side, the integrated pull tab is formed from a same material as the gasket and separated from the gasket by a cut in the material. The toner hopper seal assembly also has an adhesive layer covering a second side of the gasket and the second side of the integrated pull tab as well as a release liner covering the adhesive layer on the second side of the gasket and the second side of the integrated pull tab. The release liner secures the integrated pull tab in place adjacent to the end of the gasket. Also disclosed is a method of affixing the toner hopper seal assembly to a toner cartridge.
US08005392B2
A developer cartridge according to one aspect of the invention is attachable to a photoconductor unit that comprises a photoconductive drum. The developer cartridge comprises: a developing frame; a developing roller rotatably supported by the developing frame, and pressed to the photoconductive drum in a pressing direction when the developer cartridge is attached to the photoconductor cartridge; a memory unit attached to the developing frame; and a terminal electrically connected to the memory unit and disposed at an outer portion of the developing frame at a position substantially opposite to the developing roller with respect to the pressing direction.
US08005391B2
The present application is directed to methods for determining when to transition between printing color images and printing black-only images in an image forming device. A variety of factors may be evaluated in order to select a trigger value. An examined portion of a print history and an examined portion of a print queue may be evaluated to determine one or more test values. Based on a comparison of the one or more test values with the trigger value, a determination may be made whether to transition between color printing and black-only printing.
US08005387B2
An apparatus for forming a multi-color is disclosed which includes a controller that performs an anti reverse-transfer control such that a surface potential of a previously-formed separated-developer-image subset of a plurality of single-color separated-developer-images which has been previously transferred onto an image transferred medium is reduced, prior to a subsequent transfer in which a remainder of the plurality of separated-developer-images is transferred onto the image transferred medium after a previous transfer of the previously-formed separated developer-image subset onto the image transferred medium, to thereby prevent a reverse transfer of a part of a developer material on the image transferred medium from the image transferred medium onto a photoconductor at the subsequent transfer.
US08005386B2
In an image forming apparatus having a toner density sensor which emits light to a developer carried on a developing sleeve and which detects developer density by a reflection output value from the developer, when a reflection output value when the developer is initially set with respect to the illumination light of the toner density sensor is defined as A and a reflection output value of a region of at least the developing sleeve which is opposed to the toner density sensor when the developer is not carried on the developing sleeve is defined as B, a value of B/A is in a range of 0.3
US08005374B2
An optical transmission system is provided in which the optimum operating point of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, matched to the optical frequency of the light source on the transmitting side, can be set. The optical receiver (2) has an infinitesimal-modulated signal component detection circuit (222), which uses the signal train output from a balanced detection circuit (221) to detect the infinitesimal-modulated signal component applied to the phase adjustment terminal (201) of an MZI (200) by an infinitesimal-modulated signal oscillation circuit (224); a synchronous detection circuit (223), which synchronously detects the infinitesimal-modulated signals output from the infinitesimal-modulated signal component detection circuit (222) and infinitesimal-modulated signal oscillation circuit (224) and detects the error signal component arising from the shift between the optical signal carrier frequency and the optical frequency characteristic of the MZI (200); and a controller (207), which outputs a control signal to adjust the phase difference between two split optical signals output from the MZI (200) so as to correct the shift amount.
US08005371B2
A multiple wavelength signal generation device of the present invention is a multiple wavelength signal generation device having an optical comb generator for obtaining an input light and a group of lights shifted from the input light by predetermined frequencies; and an optical adjusting portion adjusting lights to be inputted to the optical comb generator; wherein the optical comb generator is composed of an optical fiber loop (105) which is provided with an optical SSB modulator (101), an optical amplifier (102) for compensating a conversion loss at the optical SSB modulator, an optical input port (103) for inputting lights from the light source, and an optical output port (104) for outputting lights, and the optical adjusting portion is composed of a phase modulator, an intensity modulator, or a frequency modulator.
US08005370B2
A system and method are provided for determining an optical signal frequency range in an optical/electrical transceiver. The method receives an optical receive signal having a non-predetermined data rate via a network interface, and also receives an electrical reference clock signal having a non-predetermined frequency via a framer interface. The reference clock signal frequency is cross-referenced to an optical receive signal frequency. In one aspect a clock and data recovery (CDR) voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) is selected having an output frequency matching the cross-referenced optical receive signal frequency. The optical receive signal is converted to an electrical receive signal. Initially, the VCO is frequency-locked to the reference clock. Subsequent to frequency-locking the VCO output frequency, the converted optical signal is phase-locked, generating a receive data clock. The CDR supplies a converted optical receive signal and receive data clock to the framer interface.
US08005366B2
A reconnection method and device for a peripheral interface using VLC provide a protocol for when a communication link between a primary device and a secondary device is disconnected. The primary device generates an R-XID message including reconnection information and a warning indication signal indicating the disconnection. The secondary device aligns the communication link with the primary device using the warning indication signal, receives the R-XID message from the primary device by the secondary device, and transmits an R-XID response message for the R-XID message to the primary device.
US08005361B2
While continuously providing a service in an existing optical communication system, a service at another communication speed is realized at low cost. For this reason, a station-side optical network terminal apparatus is configured so that to one light-emitting unit connected are a first processing unit that performs a process to output an optical signal at one communication speed by the light-emitting unit and a second processing unit that performs a process to output an optical signal at another communication speed by the light-emitting unit.
US08005357B2
An optical transmission apparatus includes redundant line cards each installed with hardware and a CPU. The hardware obtains failure information on redundant lines including a working line and a protection line, and the CPU determines switching control of the redundant lines based on the obtained failure information. Further, the hardware switches the redundant lines based on switching control determined by the CPU, so as to transmit an SDH/SONET optical signal. In the apparatus, from or to hardware installed in each of the redundant line cards, the failure information obtained by the hardware is communicated to hardware installed in a neighboring line card.
US08005356B2
It is an objective to provide a video transmission system enabling easy acquisition and addition of any video signal. According to the ring network, optical wavelength multiplexing and transmission of video signal to be utilized for this network is carried out, so that it is possible to implement an environment, in which all necessary video signals flow on the network. Consequently, by acquiring any video signal from the video signals flowing on the network, it is possible to acquire new video source, or by adding new video source to the network, it is possible to utilize the added video source by all apparatuses connected to the network.
US08005352B2
A heat treating device including a treatment room for accommodating therein a substrate, a plurality of light sources, which is disposed above the treatment room, for irradiating the substrate, a first reflector, whose inner surface is a reflective surface of a dome shape, for reflecting and directing a part of light emitted from each light source to the substrate, and a plurality of second reflectors, each of which is provided for each light source, for reflecting and focusing light emitted from each light source and directing it to the substrate. The reflective surface of each of the second reflectors is a part of a spheroidal surface or a curved surface approximate to it surrounding a first focal point in such a manner that the first focal point is formed at a position near each light source and a second focal point is formed on a side of the substrate.
US08005346B2
The recording medium includes a data structure having at least first and second clip stream files and a playlist. The first clip stream file includes video data representing at least one still image, and the second clip stream file includes at least audio data. The playlist includes at least one playitem and at least one sub-playitem. The playitem indicates at least a portion of the first clip stream file to reproduce, and the sub-playitem indicates at least a portion of the second clip stream file to reproduce.
US08005339B2
Reproduction apparatus, reproduction method, reproduction program, record medium, and data structure
A record medium is disclosed. The record medium that is readable by a computer device and on which content data that contain at least one of a video stream and an audio stream and at least one resource file that contains a reproduction control program that controls the reproduction of the content data and data used by the reproduction control program are recorded. The file name of the resource file contains information that represents a language that is normally used when the content data are reproduced and information that represents a language attribute of the resource file.
US08005337B2
A synchronisation of the presentation or reproduction of video data with audio data is described, which data each are processed on two non-synchronised computers. An MPEG-type stream is separated into video data and audio data, wherein the video data is processed utilising the first processing means and the audio data is timestamped and forwarded to the second processing means which compares the received time-stamp to the local time. The transmission time periods of sending audio data packets from the first processing means to the second processing means are calculated based on the local system time and timestamp is inserted into the audio data packets. Subsequently, synchronised audio and video presentation or reproduction is performed.
US08005334B2
An optical module including a cylindrical holder in an optical receptacle for optically connecting an optical fiber and an optical device, a ferrule that holds a tip end section of the optical fiber; and a holder that holds a base end section of the ferrule. The tip end section of the optical fiber and the ferrule are inserted into the cylindrical holder and held there within and a ring shaped spacer is provided that fills a gap between the cylindrical holder and the holder in a state in which the tip end section of the optical fiber and the ferrule are inserted into the cylindrical holder.
US08005327B2
An optical transmission module includes a first transmission line for transmitting an electric signal, a resistance element used as a termination point, a second transmission line connected to the resistance element, and a surface ground pattern forming a coplanar line through the first and second transmission lines on a surface of a substrate. A modulator-integrated light-emitting element for outputting output light from an output end face is connected to the surface ground pattern. An electrode pad for modulator driving is located near the output end face on a top face of the modulator-integrated light-emitting element. The first transmission line and the electrode pad are connected by a first wire. The electrode pad and the second transmission line are connected by a second wire. A first notch portion is located in the substrate at a point of intersection between a propagation path of output light of the modulator integrated light-emitting element and a first side face of the substrate. The first and second transmission lines and the electrode pad are aligned.
US08005326B2
An integrated circuit structure includes a semiconductor chip including a front surface and a back surface; a via extending from the back surface of the semiconductor chip into the semiconductor chip, wherein the via is light transparent; and a photon detector in the semiconductor chip and exposed to the via.
US08005322B2
It is provided a polarization-independent optical isolator without depending on the polarized wave of the light being input to the waveguide-type optical isolator, in particular, it is able to completely isolate the propagating light of the backward direction.
US08005318B2
A weight-adjusted method applied in adjusting a weighting coefficient in an image scaling process. First, an absolute difference is obtained by taking an absolute value of a difference between a first pixel value and a second pixel value of an image. Next, the absolute difference is compared with several threshold values, which define several zones, so as to generate a weight-adjusted value corresponding to a zone in which the absolute difference falls. After that, a first pixel weighted value and a second pixel weighted value are adjusted according to the weight-adjusted value. Finally, a weighted pixel value is outputted by adding a product of the first pixel value and a first adjusted pixel weighted value to a product of the second pixel value and a second adjusted pixel weighted value.
US08005317B2
When an original image in which an object to be concealed is mosaicked is so reduced as to have a low resolution, the mosaic block size at the lowered resolution is computed. It is judged whether or not the concealed object can be perceived by the eye of a human even though the object is mosaicked with the reduced mosaic block size. If so, the concealed object is re-mosaicked with an adequate re-mosaic block size. With this, even for a reduced image reduced by lowering the resolution of the original image in which the object to be concealed is mosaicked, the privacy of the concealed object can be protected.
US08005299B2
A method for making a device link (90) for a color management system, with an associated imaging apparatus (20), wherein the device link specifies a transformation of digital-image colorant combinations to imaging-apparatus colorant combinations. The device link converts the digital image (70) to a modified digital image (100) represented using the imaging-apparatus colorant combinations, thereby allowing the imaging apparatus to produce an output image (170) having output-image colors matching reference-image colors at corresponding physical locations in a reference image (80). The method includes establishing an association between selected digital-image colorant combinations and reference-image colors, determining for each associated measured reference-image color a suitable imaging-apparatus colorant combination that will produce the reference-image color when rendered by the imaging apparatus, extending the transformation to all other digital-image colorant combinations by means of a mathematical interpolation, and encoding and encapsulating the transformation in a digital form as a device link.
US08005293B2
A training method for a support vector machine, including executing an iterative process on a training set of data to determine parameters defining the machine, the iterative process being executed on the basis of a differentiable form of a primal optimization problem for the parameters, the problem being defined on the basis of the parameters and the data set.
US08005286B2
A method is disclosed for reconstructing CT image data. In at least one embodiment, the method includes provisioning CT projection data p. Secondly, it includes reconstruction of first image data fk=1 based on the CT projection data p. Thirdly, it includes iterative determination of k+1-th CT image data fk+1 on the basis of the first CT image data fk=1 as a function of: k-th CT image data fk, a reconstruction of differential projection data, the differential projection data being produced as the difference between reprojected CT image data fk and the CT projection data p, as well as a local contrast-dependent smoothing of the CT image data fk using a non-quadratic correction operator R(fk). Besides suppressing “cone” artifacts, the proposed method of at least one embodiment exhibits a significant reduction in image noise after just a few iterations.
US08005282B2
A method and device for preparing an implant from an implant material are provided. A defect image of the defect which has a defect contour is made available, in which a first calibration member arranged in or adjacent to the defect is displayed. A second calibration member is arranged on or adjacent to the implant material to be processed, this second calibration member corresponding to the first calibration member. A real-time image of the implant material is displayed on a display device. The defect image is displayed on the display device and superimposed on the real-time image so that the first and the second calibration members are displayed one on top of the other. A processing tool is displayed on the display device in the real-time image and moved over the implant material so that it follows the defect contour displayed in the defect image.
