US08002714B2

A first guidewire structure includes a medical guidewire having a working portion which is extendable beyond a distal end of a medical instrument. The working portion has a length, and the working portion is tapered for substantially one-hundred percent of the length. A second guidewire structure includes a medical guidewire having a working portion, wherein the working portion has a length, and wherein the working portion includes a tapered portion for over fifty percent of the length. A third guidewire structure includes a medical guidewire having a working portion. The working portion has a length, and the working portion includes a plurality of lengthwise-adjoining segment pairs for over fifty percent of the length. Each segment pair consists essentially of a non-tapered segment having a substantially constant cross section and a tapered segment lengthwise adjoining the non-tapered segment. Methods are described for using medical instruments having the guidewire structures.
US08002704B2

A method and system for determining contact along a surface of an ultrasound probe are provided. The method includes frequency analyzing ultrasound signals received by the ultrasound probe and displaying indicators of acoustic contact of the ultrasound probe with an object based on the frequency analysis.
US08002702B2

The operability of setting movement of a Doppler sample gate for setting a Doppler measurement portion on a sectoral or circular ultrasonogram is improved. An ultrasonograph is provided with calculation means (25) for determining the position where a Doppler sample gate is displayed after the gate is moved, with reference to the current position where the Doppler sample gate is displayed, according to the amount of movement of the Doppler sample gate position input through a tack ball (23). The calculation means decomposes the amount of movement in orthogonal two-axis direction input through a track ball (23) into a component in the direction of the ultrasonic beam line of an ultrasonogram and a component orthogonal to the former component, determines the ultrasonic beam line after the movement from the decomposed orthogonal components, determines the depth position of the ultrasonic beam line after the movement from the decomposed component in the ultrasonic beam line direction, and changes the display position of the Doppler sample gate to the determined display position after the movement. Thus, the movement of the Doppler sample gate corresponds to the operation of the track ball on the screen irrespective of the position in the sectoral or circular display area, thereby mitigating the feeling of strangeness and improving the operability.
US08002701B2

A medical alarm communications system comprises a pager like device to be kept near a patient. The pager like device communicates medical alerts regarding the patient to a remote central station, which can provide therapeutic and/or diagnostic assistance by communicating to the pager like device. When the pager like device determines that an alert should be sent to the central station, it attempts to establish communication with the central station according to a primary communication protocol. If this attempt is unsuccessful according to some predetermined criteria (e.g. too much time has elapsed before communication is established), then the pager like device generates a message to the patient indicative of the failure, and The attempts to establish communication with the central station according to a secondary communication protocol.
US08002686B2

A tool changer includes a spindle including a first collet, an auxiliary arm having a second collet, a tool-pan having a plurality of tool-seats, and an auxiliary tool-magazine. The auxiliary tool-magazine comprises a main body, a turnplate rotatable relative to the main body, a first tool-carrier attached to the turnplate, and a second tool-carrier attached to the turnplate.
US08002682B2

A therapeutic, fitness, and sports enhancement device comprising a cylindrically shaped body having a predetermined density and predetermined diameter including a plurality of projections of a predetermined shape. One or more of the predetermined density, the predetermined diameter, and predetermined shape are configured to enhance mobilization of one or more small soft tissue structures of the human body.
US08002676B1

The strikeable exercise apparatus provides several exercise benefits, all capable of being practiced indoors or out. The apparatus provides a plurality of bats and a plurality of hexagons, each of which may be padded. The bats' shapes are shaped to provide as much striking area as is possible. The abrupt taper disposed at the cylinder second end provides as much room for the handle as is possible within the length of each bat. The apparatus is especially useful in providing for the development of core power, as well as power in the extremities by providing that each dual-handled hexagon can be wielded as is chosen, as can each bat. The plurality of weights of the bats and hexagons importantly provide for the strongest as well as the not so strong to enjoy a myriad of activities that provide for both core power development and extremity development.
US08002675B2

Described is an exercise tool. More particularly, it is a therapy and exercise tool specifically devised as a foot-therapy and toe-aligning device to align, separate, and stretch toes. The foot-therapy and toe-aligning device comprises a frame with a plurality of posts connected with the frame. The device is formed of an elastic material such that a user may place at least one of the plurality of posts between a user's toes and pull the post to stretch and elongate the post between the toes. Upon release, the elastic material of the post causes the post to attempt to return to its original shape, thereby causing it to expand out and conform its shape to fit snugly against the user's toes. Additionally, the elastic material allows the toe posts to be positioned and maintained at numerous locations between the user's toes for customizable positioning between the toes.
US08002672B2

Gait analysis apparatus using a treadmill, comprising an endless belt, which is guided over at least two rollers and the upper surface of which serves as walking surface, a sensor system for determining a pressure/force distribution on a measurement plate located underneath the endless belt and having a plurality of pressure/force sensors arranged in a matrix on the side facing the treadmill belt, wherein the measurement plate comprising the plurality of pressure/force sensors arranged in a matrix is itself supported by at least one base force sensor and the analyzing unit comprises an additional signal input connected to a signal output of the base force sensor as well as an additional signal processing stage for processing the output signal of the or each base force sensor in terms of a calibration or correction signal processing of the output signals of the pressure/force sensors arranged in a matrix, respectively.
US08002669B2

A method for operating a motor vehicle drivetrain comprising at least an automatic transmission and a drive assembly. The automatic transmission includes at least five shifting elements to transmit torque and/or power. In each forward and reverse gear, three shifting elements are engaged and the remaining two shifting elements are disengaged. Two consecutive gearshifts are carried out through selection of the five shifting elements. During a first gearshift, implemented as a multiple gearshift, a subsequent second gearshift, implemented as either a single or multiple gearshift, is prepared. During the first gearshift, a first shifting element is disengaged, a second shifting element is engaged, a third shifting element is prepared for disengagement in a subsequent second gearshift and a fourth shifting element is prepared for engagement. Further, during the first gearshift and the subsequent second gearshift, a fifth shifting element is retained in at least a substantially engaged state.
US08002667B2

A powertrain system includes a transmission operative to transfer power between an input member and first and second torque machines and an output member. The first and second torque machines are connected to an energy storage device and the transmission is operative in a continuously variable operating range state. A method for controlling the powertrain system includes selecting an independently controllable parameter for the powertrain system, determining maximum and minimum motor torque constraints for the first and second torque machines and determining maximum and minimum power constraints for the energy storage device, determining maximum and minimum states for the independently controllable parameter for the powertrain system, and determining an achievable operating range for a parameter of interest based upon the maximum and minimum states for the independently controllable parameter for the powertrain system, the maximum and minimum motor torque constraints for the first and second torque machines and the maximum and minimum power constraints for the energy storage device.
US08002663B2

An automatic transmission that includes two adjacent clutches. Two clutches each include a clutch drum, a piston that structures an operating oil chamber with a portion of the clutch drum used as a cylinder, a plurality of friction plates that engage with the clutch drum, a cancel oil chamber that is arranged on a back surface side of the piston and that cancels a centrifugal oil pressure acting on the operating oil chamber, and a return spring that is provided within the cancel oil chamber and that is structured between a cancel plate and a back surface of the piston and that biases the piston toward the operating oil chamber.
US08002662B2

The transmission has a plurality of members that can be utilized in powertrains to provide at least ten forward speed ratios and one reverse speed ratio. The transmission includes four planetary gear sets, six torque-transmitting devices, and two fixed interconnections. The powertrain includes an engine and torque converter that is continuously connected to one of the planetary gear members and an output member that is continuously connected with another one of the planetary gear members. The six torque-transmitting devices provide interconnections between various gear members and the transmission housing, and are operated in combinations of three to establish at least ten forward speed ratios and one reverse speed ratio.
US08002659B2

A transmission belt (10) has a contact face (18a) which contacts a pulley when the belt (10) is wound around the pulley. Foreign matter (25) is embedded near the contact face (18a) in the belt (10). The contact face (18a) is worn by the pulley when the belt (10) rotates around the pulley, so that the foreign matter (25) is exposed at the contact face (18a). The foreign matter (25) contacts the pulley to make a warning sound. Due to this, a user of the belt (10) can determine the extent of the wear of the belt (10), and the decrease in the transmissibility of the belt (10) and the pulley.
US08002657B2

A tensioner operable to substantially maintain a specified tension in a flexible drive, such as a belt or chain, includes a spring, mounted laterally to the pivot shaft of the tensioner, which biases the tensioner arm towards the flexible drive. The spring is arcuate in shape and is maintained in a correspondingly arc-shaped spring retainer on a mounting plate of the tensioner. The arcuate shape of the spring and spring guide on the tensioner arm follows as the tensioner arm pivots towards and away from the flexible drive. The tensioner also has a wear take up mechanism to maintain the friction bushing in continuous engagement with the tensioner arm.
US08002656B2

A tensioner for an endless transmission belt includes a plunger body and a plunger. The plunger is movably provided in the plunger body to press the endless transmission belt. A pressure chamber provided between the plunger and the plunger body is configured to store hydraulic oil supplied from an oil pump. A check valve is provided in the plunger body, configured to be opened to supply the hydraulic oil to the pressure chamber when a pressure in the pressure chamber is lower than an oil pressure from the oil pump, and configured to be closed when the pressure is higher than the oil pressure. A relief valve is provided in the plunger body within a width of the plunger in a direction orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the plunger and configured to discharge the hydraulic oil in the pressure chamber when the pressure exceeds a predetermined value.
US08002654B2

A control system for controlling a belt-type continuously variable transmission having a pulley capable of varying its groove width to which a belt is applied, in which the pulley is provided with an oil chamber to which the oil pressure is fed so that the pulley clamps the belt, in which the capacity of the oil chamber is varied in accordance with a change in the groove width, and in which the oil pressure in the oil chamber is controlled in accordance with a deviation between a target oil pressure and an actual oil pressure, comprising: a pressure-receiving capacity change detecting device for detecting a change in the capacity of the oil chamber; and an oil pressure control contents altering device for altering a degree to reflect the deviation on the oil pressure control of the oil chamber on the basis of a change in the capacity.
US08002643B2

A golf system for training a golf player is disclosed. The golf system comprises a golf putter designed to train the user in practicing an unconventional motion and a grid for guiding the motion of the golf putter. The golf putter comprises a club head and a plurality of marking instruments such as styluses for marking the trajectory of the putter. The grid comprises an enclosure, a recording device to record the trajectory of the golf putter, a plurality of guiding rails and an optional leveling device as well as an optional aiming device, thereby allowing the user to analyze his/her putting trajectory.
US08002636B2

A communication game system includes a parent device and at least one child device. When a predetermined operational designation has been carried out with respect to an object at the child device, for example, the child device transmits to the parent device a request for permission to perform an action corresponding to the operation. Until a conclusion as to the request is received, the child device reproduces an image in which a player character is performing a first act of the action. The parent device determines whether the action can be permitted or not in response to the request from the child device, and transmits a conclusion of determination to the child device. When receiving the conclusion by the time of end of the first act, the child device reproduces an image in which the player character is performing a second act according to the conclusion after end of the first act. On the other hand, when not receiving the conclusion by the time of end of the first act, the child device reproduces an image in which the player character is performing a third act in conformity to the first act and the second act until the reception of the conclusion.
US08002631B2

A gaming machine for conducting a wagering game includes a value input device for receiving a wager, an array of positions for displaying respective randomly selected symbols, and a controller. The displayed symbols include a special symbol and a chain of adjacent symbols at least partially encompassing the special symbol. The controller is operative to progressively move and stop the chain of adjacent symbols at each of a plurality of locations and evaluate the array for any winning combinations of the displayed symbols when the chain of adjacent symbols is stopped at each location.
US08002629B2

A gaming machine (10) includes a controller for controlling operation of the machine (10), a primary display (16) is provided on which a game to be played is displayed. A secondary display (18) is also provided on which a scorecard (22), indicating prizes to be paid upon a winning game being achieved, is displayed. The game and the scorecard (22) are controlled by the controller and the scorecard (22) is a dynamic scorecard (22) with the relationship between combinations of symbols constituting a winning game and the prizes awarded by the scorecard (22) for that particular game changing from game to game.
US08002619B2

Augmented reality wagering game systems and methods are described herein. In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method includes presenting a first set of markings on a wagering game table, where the first set of markings is associated with a basic wagering game. The method can also include detecting an event associated with the basic wagering game. In one embodiment, after detecting the event, the method calls for presenting a second set of markings on the wagering game table, where the second set of markings is associated with a bonus wagering game.
US08002616B2

The combine includes internal apparatus incorporated into a system for threshing corn kernels from cobs, positively de-husking the cobs, cleaning other crop residue or material from the kernels, and direct the cleaned kernels and de-husked cobs to desired locations. The de-husking apparatus can include a modified type of husking bed, and is disposed for receiving a flow of grain, cobs and other residue from threshing apparatus of the combine, and positively grasping and pulling the remaining husks from the cobs and downwardly through the husking bed for disposal such as by discharge from the combine onto a field, with or separately from the other residue.
US08002614B2

Methods of processing four-legged slaughter animals for consumption as meat and/or meat product(s) are described. The methods comprise I) contacting exterior surfaces of the live animal at least once with a microbiocidal solution formed from mixing together at least (i) water and (ii) at least one N,N′-bromochloro-5,5-dialkylhydantoin, such contacting occurring at least once when the animal is en route to being slaughtered but before it is killed by exsanguination; or II) contacting the carcass of the animal, after exsanguination, with a microbiocidal solution formed from mixing together at least (i) water and (ii) at least one N,N′-bromochloro-5,5-dialkylhydantoin or III) contacting at least one raw meat product and/or at least one processed meat product derived from the carcass. The contacting can be done one or more times in each of I), II), and III). Considerable advantages, which are described, are realized when using such methods.
US08002609B2

A method of manufacturing a ferrule assembly. The method including first and second polishing operations. The first polishing operation including polishing only the end face of a ferrule of an assembly. The second polishing operation including polishing only the optical fiber of the assembly.
US08002582B2

End connector (20) for connecting a shielded cable (30) to an equipment (10) on which it is to be connected. The connector comprises a connector body (40) provided to receive the shielded end of said shielded cable, and an orientation component (70) having first fastening means (74) for the fastening thereof onto said connector body and guiding means (72A, 72B, 72C) to set the orientation of the cable at the connection thereof with the connector body. In this end connector, the orientation component (70) further comprises second fastening means (100) for the fastening thereof onto said equipment (10). Thanks to these second fastening means, a long-lasting connection is realized between the connector (20) and the equipment (10).
US08002572B2

In some PCB connector embodiments the internal pins of the probe or wire terminal end could be set at between about 0.4 mm to about 2.0 mm provided that the contact point between the male probe end and the mating female connector is about 1.0 mm. Such embodiments would adjust for alternate connector configurations for connectors while maintaining the required HDMI specifications for the contact point. In other embodiments intermediate distances could be used of about 0.4 mm to about 0.5 mm; about 0.5 mm to about 0.6 mm; about 0.6 mm to about 0.7 mm; about 0.7 mm to about 0.8 mm; about 0.8 mm to about 0.9 mm; about 0.9 mm to about 1.0 mm; about 1.0 to about 1.1 mm; about 1.1 to about 1.2 mm; about 1.2 mm to about 1.3 mm; about 1.3 mm to about 1.4 mm; about 1.4 mm to about 1.5 mm; about 1.5 mm to 1.6 mm; about 1.6 mm to 1.7 mm; about 1.7 mm to 1.8 mm; about 1.8 mm to 19 mm and about 1.9 mm to 2.0 mm once again provided that the probe pins are finally configured to meet the about 1.0 mm requirement for the contact point.
US08002571B2

An electrical connector for transmitting data signals between the insulated conductors of a first data cable and corresponding insulated conductors of a second data cable, including a socket shaped to at least partially receive a plug of said first data cable; a plurality of insulation displacement contact slots shaped to receive end sections of the conductors of the second data cable; a plurality of electrically conductive contacts including resiliently compressible spring finger contacts extending into the socket for electrical connection with corresponding conductors of the first cable; insulation displacement contacts seated in corresponding insulation displacement contact slots for effecting electrical connection with corresponding conductors of the second data cable; and mid sections extending therebetween; and a plurality of capacitive plates coupled to respective ones of the mid sections of the contacts by electrically conductive stems, wherein the capacitive plates induce capacitive coupling between adjacent contacts.
US08002569B2

An electric connection box which can easily attach electric components to an attachment portion of box body. The electric connection box includes a box body having the attachment portion attaching the relay on an upper surface of the box body, and a relay fixed on the box body. The attachment portion includes a tube, a plurality of openings and a plurality of holding portions arranged in the opening. The tube inserts the relay into an inside thereof, and stands from the upper surface. The opening passes through the tube 5, and is arranged with a space along a circumferential direction of the tube. The holding portion presses the relay toward the inside of the tube, and holds the relay to the tube. The holding portion includes an arm and a protrusion projecting toward the inside of the tube.
US08002566B1

A self-locking electrical connector has (a) a first shell body for receiving a first set of contacts; (b) a clamping ring for holding the first set of contacts in engagement with a second set of contacts; (c) a multiplicity of first detent members; (d) a multiplicity of second detent members; and (e) biasing means for holding the first and second detent members in facing engagement. The biasing means includes at least one spring washer, an end cap and a retaining ring retained within the clamping ring. The at least one spring washer is disposed between the detent members and the end cap. The end cap is axially movable by a force applied by the retaining ring between (i) a non-mated position wherein the at least one spring washer applies less than a desired amount of force to the detent members, and (ii) a mated position wherein the at least one spring washer applies a precise amount of desired force to the detent members.
US08002563B2

A card edge connector includes a longitudinal insulative housing having a receiving slot formed therein and extending in a longitudinal direction for insertion of a module; a set of contacts retained in the insulative housing and protruding into the receiving slot for mating with the module; an ejector rotatably attached to one longitudinal end of the insulative housing for latching with or ejecting the module; and a spring member retained in the other longitudinal end of the insulative housing and having a pair of resilient locking arms for locking with the module.
US08002561B1

A connector apparatus is provided. The apparatus can include a housing having at least a first aperture and a second aperture. The apparatus can further include a hollow, flexible member having a first end and a second end. The first end of the hollow, flexible, member can be non-detachably attached to the first aperture. The second end of the hollow, flexible, member can be detachably attached to the second aperture. The apparatus can also include a tensioning member disposed to bias the hollow, flexible, member towards the housing.
US08002560B2

An audio-visual (“A/V”) system includes one or more A/V components, each one of which can be attached to a wall using a bracket or support bar. Each support bar enables the transfer of power signals and control signals (including media data) to each of the A/V components. Instead of wires, each A/V component includes one or more contact or conductive surfaces that abut corresponding surfaces on the support bar in order to receive power and transfer control signals among other A/V components.
US08002557B2

An electrical connector (4) comprises a frame (41) and a plurality of terminals (42) received in the frame. The frame comprises a first portion (410) defining a holding slot (4101), a second portion (411) extending angularly to the first portion and a retaining member (43) formed on the second portion. The terminals each has a contact section (425) and a solder tail (427) extending out of the frame. The plurality of terminals (42) are arranged two rows on the first portion (410) and one row on the second portion (411). The contact sections of two rows terminals on the first portion are located at opposite sides of the holding slot (4101) and the contact sections of one row terminals on the second portion expose to an outer surface of the second portion.
US08002546B2

A veneer applicator to compressively place and photo cure a restorative covering to a tooth to include a photo transmissible insert (2) having a compressible applicator (4) with at least one traversing aperture (6) and a photo transmissible insert shaft (14) to dock with an LED device (22). Docking the insert shaft (14) with the LED device (22) permits a photo curing spectrum to traverse the shaft (14) and compressible applicator (4) at least one aperture (6). This allows for direct surface bonding during veneer application.
US08002542B2

A heat treatment jig includes a holding concave portion to hold an object and a void part formed near the holding concave portion and a thermal history variation of the object in a heat treatment process is reduced thereby.
US08002540B2

A neck block of a molding tool for the production of a hollow body preform by means of injection molding, wherein the neck block has a main body with a shaping surface which is adapted to the external contour of a neck portion of the hollow body preform to be produced and is provided to come into contact in the injection molding operation with the neck portion of the hollow body preform, wherein furthermore there is provided at least one cooling passage for a cooling fluid which at least portion-wise extends substantially parallel to the shaping surface. The neck block is further provided with an inlet and an outlet and an inlet passage and an outlet passage which connect the inlet and the outlet respectively to the cooling passage. The cooling passage is arranged closer to the shaping surface than the inlet and the outlet. The cooling passage has at least one portion which extends substantially parallel to the shaping surface and which extends within the main body so that the walls thereof are formed by the main body, and a connecting portion which adjoins said portion and the walls of which are formed in part by the main body and in part by a closure element fitted onto the main body.
US08002536B2

A concrete block machine including a mold having at least one mold cavity, a feedbox driven back and forth between retracted and extended positions, wherein the feedbox is positioned over a top of the mold deposits concrete in the at least one mold cavity when at the extended position, a cutoff bar coupled to the feedbox and including a moveable cutoff element, and a drive system. The drive system is coupled to the moveable cutoff element and moves the moveable cutoff element to adjust a distance between the moveable cutoff element and the top of the mold as the feedbox is driven from the extended position to the retracted position such that the moveable cutoff element removes varying amounts of concrete deposited in the mold cavity so that a depth of concrete remaining in the mold cavity varies in a desired fashion in a direction of movement of the feedbox.
US08002528B2

A compressor includes a shell, a compression mechanism, a motor, a base member, and a mounting foot. The compression mechanism is disposed within the shell and the motor is drivingly engaged with the compression mechanism. The base member is coupled to the shell and a mounting foot is fixed to the base member. The mounting foot includes a mounting aperture extending therethrough and a slot intersecting the aperture that attenuates vibrations within an operating frequency range of the compressor.
US08002526B2

According to embodiments described in the specification, provided is a rotor drum for use with a multiple-rotor wind turbine, the rotor drum being mountable on a generator shaft of a generator. The rotor drum comprises a plurality of rotors, each rotor being configured to permit a mounting of a plurality of blades. The rotor drum further comprises a plurality of cross straps affixed to the plurality of rotors for maintaining each of the plurality of rotors in a predetermined spaced-apart relationship. The rotor drum is provided with a mounting coupler provided on at least one of the plurality of rotors for affixing the rotor drum on the generator shaft.
US08002525B2

A cooling system for a turbine airfoil of a turbine engine having a trailing edge cooling slot positioned within the generally elongated, hollow airfoil and extending from the trailing edge chordwise into the generally elongated, hollow airfoil toward the leading edge such that a secondary trailing edge is offset upstream from the trailing edge. As such, the trailing edge cooling slot reduces stress formation at the trailing edge of the turbine airfoil.
US08002524B2

The present application provides a wind turbine system. The wind turbine system may include a number of blades, a number of wind speed sensors positioned on the blades, a controller in communication with the wind speed sensors, and one or more performance adjustment, mechanisms in communication with the controller. The controller activates the performance adjustment mechanisms in response to the wind speed sensors.
US08002521B2

A flow machine is described having a first space adapted to contain a hot fluid and delimited by a wall. The wall having a first wall surface facing the first space and a second wall surface turned away from the first space. Cooling is provided for a region of the wall by supplying a relatively cool fluid onto the second wall surface. The cooling means includes a supply chamber containing the second fluid, a cavity adjacent the second wall surface, at least one duct, which has an inlet opening at the supply chamber and an outlet opening at the cavity for conveying the cool fluid to the cavity, and a deflection surface facing the cavity.
US08002507B2

A connector assembly for installation to a surface having a slot pattern. The connector assembly includes a base shell and a clasp shell. The clasp shell movable relative to the base shell between an open position and a closed position, and one of the base shell and the clasp shell includes a threaded insert spaced from an end of the connector.
US08002498B2

Systems and methods for producing purified biogas are disclosed. In one embodiment of the invention, a method includes collecting biogas from a landfill, transporting the biogas to a first well, injecting the biogas into the first well, and pressurizing the first well to store the biogas.
US08002489B2

An absorber for a connecting component including a head with two faces parallel to each other is traversed by a bore forming a housing for a ball-joint including a cage. The absorber includes two elements in the form of discs, parallel to each other, each with a central opening sufficiently wide so as not to cover the portions of the ball-joint protruding in relation to the head and a connector configured to connect the two elements at their periphery.
US08002488B2

A ring binder mechanism that retains loose-leaf pages and has ring members that do not snap together when they close and that easily open and close as pages accumulate. The mechanism includes a housing that supports two hinge plates for loose pivoting motion, moving the ring members apart or together. The mechanism further includes an actuating lever pivotally mounted on the housing. The lever moves a travel bar and locking elements for controllably pivoting the hinge plates, and therefore controllably moving the ring members apart and together. In particular, the locking elements cam the hinge plates to softly close the ring members. When the ring members are apart, the locking elements register with openings in at least one of the hinge plates. When the ring members are together, the locking elements are out of registration with the openings, blocking the hinge plates from pivoting to separate the ring members.
US08002483B2

A lens barrel comprising bayonet type mount projections to detachably attach to a lens-fitting unit of a camera body having a photographic region, wherein mount projections are formed to avoid cross-section of light path area where object light is introduced in the camera body.
US08002482B2

A transparent screen is constructed in such a way that a plurality of Fresnel prisms 12d each of which is smaller than a plurality of Fresnel prisms 12a and has a shape approximately similar to that of each of the plurality of Fresnel prisms 12a are arranged in a sawtooth shape on a non-light incidence surface portion of a Fresnel lens 12 on a light incidence side to which any image light PB applied from a projector 1 is not applied directly because blocked by a Fresnel prism 12a placed frontwardly.
US08002480B2

A device having a support in the form of a base plate for being fixed to a camera such as with the receptacle for a tripod in the base of the camera, a slotted tube extending from the support for holding a spring loaded plunger rod and an actuator pin extending through the plunger rod and through opposing slots in the slotted tube. The plunger is moved by a retractable line from a remote position to cause movement of the actuator pin to actuate the shutter release of the camera.
US08002477B2

Optical devices, components and methods for mounting optical fibers and for side-coupling light to/from optical fibers using a modified silicon V-groove, or silicon V-groove array, wherein V-grooves, which are designed for precisely aligning/spacing optical fibers, are “recessed” below the surface of the silicon. Optical fibers can be recessed below the surface of the silicon substrate such that a precisely controlled portion of the cladding layer extending above the silicon surface can be removed (lapped). With the cladding layer removed, the separation between the fiber core(s) and optoelectronic device(s) can be reduced resulting in improved optical coupling when the optical fiber silicon array is connected to, e.g., a VCSEL array.
US08002468B2

There is provided a bag with a pouring spout that can surely improve opening properties and shape retention of a spout port part without the need to render the spout port part bulky, can prevent clogging of the spout port part caused by flexing of the spout port part, and can reliably and easily spout the contents of the bag. The bag with a pouring spout comprises a narrow-width spout port part provided at one end of a laminated film bag, characterized in that in the region of the spout port part, a tape shaped sheet material, which has been cut into a desired length, is applied to the inner surface of at least one of the laminated films provided on both respective sides of the bag.
US08002462B2

The present disclosure relates to thermal profiling systems for hypothermic and/or ablative energy systems and methods of their use. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a system for profiling a thermal or electromagnetic treatment system, including an energy delivery probe, is provided. The profiling system includes a bath including a fitting supported on a side wall thereof configured for selective insertion of a distal tip of probe therethrough; a test gel disposed within the bath; and at least one piece of a reactive medium submerged in the test gel.
US08002454B2

Backlight assembly includes a plurality of light guide plates, a plurality of light modules, and a plurality of driving units separately in control of corresponding light modules which are configured at the incident sides of the LGPs. Each light module faces two adjacent LGPs such that the driving unit drives the light module to provide light for two adjacent LGPs at the same time. As local dimming function is switched, besides the power-saving and the high contrast, the local edge effect due to the joint of the LGPs can be reduced.
US08002442B2

A color filter (1) for illumination purposes, such as, for example, for stage illumination is proposed, which comprises a full-surface antireflection layer (3) and an additional, multilayered structured interference filter layer (4) arranged on it.
US08002436B2

An LED chip package structure using a substrate as a lampshade includes a substrate unit and a light-emitting unit. The substrate unit has a substrate body with a lampshade shape. The light-emitting unit has a plurality of light-emitting elements electrically disposed on an inner surface of the substrate body. Therefore, one part of light beams projected by the light emitting elements is reflected out of the lampshade by the inner surface of the substrate body.
US08002431B2

An apparatus and method for reducing lumen depreciation caused by other than lamp lumen depreciation. In one aspect, manufacturing and assembly of the fixture uses clean-room light techniques. In another aspect of the invention, materials that have a propensity to outgas are shielded from direct exposure to light energy. Other aspects of the invention include other methodologies to eliminate causes for lumen depreciation.
US08002423B2

In an exemplary embodiment, a backlight module (20) includes a frame (21), a diffuser (25) and a supporting member (29). The frame includes a bottom plate (213). The diffuser is accommodated in the frame opposite to the bottom plate. The supporting member includes a supporting bar (290), a blocker (297) and at least one elastic arm (292). The supporting bar supports the diffuser. The blocker extends from an end of the supporting bar. Each elastic arm extends from the supporting bar. The blocker elastically abuts against an outer surface of the bottom plate. Each elastic arm has one end abutting a bottom of the frame at an inner surface of the bottom plate. A liquid crystal display (2) employing the backlight module is also provided.
US08002415B2

A projection-type image display device generates projection light by modulating light beams of at least three primary colors in accordance with image information and synthesizing the modulated light beams. The display device includes a light source unit constituted by arranging a plurality of light source elements each having light source arrays being arranged on heat receiving plates respectively so as to conduct the light beams of the colors to irradiation surfaces of a synthesizing prism, a refrigerating unit including at least a refrigerant compressor, a condenser, a pressure reducing unit and a refrigerant pipe constituting an evaporator, and an air cooling device lower in cooling capacity than the refrigerating unit. Of the plural light source arrays, those relatively large in the amount of heat generated are connected to the refrigerating unit, while the others are connected to the air cooling unit.
US08002413B2

There is provided a light source unit which includes a luminescent light source which receives excitation light so as to emit light of a predetermined wavelength band, excitation light sources which shine excitation light on to the luminescent light source, a reflection space having the luminescent light source in an interior thereof and an emission space which emits luminescent light source light emitted from the reflection space from an emission port whose area is made smaller than the area of the luminescent light source and a projector which employs the light source unit.
US08002401B2

A sheet processing apparatus includes a stapler configured to staple a bundle of sheets by driving a staple into the sheet bundle; a cutting mechanism configured to cut off portions of staples driven into the sheet bundle; a storage portion configured to store cut-off portions of staples; a lid mounted on the storage portion capable of opening and closing; an open and closed state detecting portion configured to detect open and closed state of the lid; a collecting portion configured to collect cut-off portions of staples from the storage portion; and a lid opening and closing portion configured to open the lid when cut-off portions of staples are collected, wherein after the lid opening and closing portion has performed a lid opening and closing motions, if the open and closed state detecting portion detects that the lid is not closed, the lid opening and closing portion repeats a lid opening and closing operation.
US08002400B2

A pattern forming process and a pattern forming apparatus comprising forming a liquid receptive particle layer on an intermediate transfer body in a specified area by using liquid receptive particles capable of receiving a recording liquid containing a recording material; applying a liquid droplet of the recording liquid on a specified position of liquid receptive particle layer according to specified data, trapping the recording material near the surface of the liquid receptive particle layer on the intermediate transfer body, and forming a pattern of the recording material near the surface of the liquid receptive particle layer; and removing the liquid receptive particle layer provided with the recording liquid from the intermediate transfer body so that the pattern may be positioned between the transfer object and the liquid receptive particle layer, and transferring the liquid receptive particle layer to the transfer object.
US08002399B2

A solid phase change ink composition that includes at least one colorant and an ink vehicle. The ink vehicle further includes at least one polyhydroxyalkanoate compound of the below formula wherein R is independently selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen atom, a hydrocarbon group, a heteroatom, and combinations thereof, and wherein n represents the number of repeating units of from 1 to about 35,000, and wherein x represents an integer from 1 to about 5.
US08002396B2

The present invention relates to a method for mounting ink cartridges, an ink cartridge holder, and an inkjet printer. The method includes preventing an ink chamber and an exterior of the ink cartridge case from being in fluid communication, dispensing ink from an interior of the ink chamber to an exterior of the ink chamber via an opening, moving a moveable member into a second position after the moveable member has been in the first position, placing the ink chamber and the air chamber in fluid communication. The ink cartridge holder includes a case having a first opening and a second opening, a partition wall, and a moveable member. The inkjet printer includes an ink cartridge holder and a recording head, the ink cartridge holder having a joint portion and a moveable member.
US08002394B2

A refill unit for a fluid container is provided. The unit has a housing defining a fluid path in fluid communication with an outlet and configured to be operatively engaged with the fluid container, a fluid reservoir having an ejection port arranged in fluid communication with the fluid path inside the housing, and a plunger having a toothed thread which engages with a screw thread provided in an internal wall of the housing, the ejector having a drive gear so that actuation of the drive gear imparts rotation to the toothed thread so as to rotate the plunger within the screw thread of the housing to incrementally eject fluid from the fluid reservoir when the drive gear is actuated by operative engagement of the fluid container with the housing.
US08002382B2

Various embodiments and methods relating to wiping of a print head are disclosed.
US08002379B2

A droplet discharging device for drawing by discharging a liquid as droplets on a work from an discharging head in accordance with a main scan for relatively moving the work and the discharging head facing each other, includes a plurality of carriages each mounting a plurality of the discharging heads, a weighing mechanism for measuring weight of the discharged liquid for every discharging head, and a main scan moving mechanism for moving the weighing mechanism and the work in a direction of the main scan independently from each other, wherein the weighing mechanism is disposed in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the main scan and along a drawing area in which the plurality of discharging heads mounted on the plurality of carriages can perform drawing by discharging.
US08002377B2

An image forming apparatus includes a print head, an endless belt, a pressure roller, and a controller. The print head is configured to eject droplets of ink from multiple nozzles onto a recording sheet. The endless belt is stretched around at least first and second rollers, and is configured to convey the recording sheet placed on an outer surface thereof. The pressure roller is configured to exert pressure against the outer surface of the endless belt. The controller is configured to move the endless belt into a correcting position where the pressure roller meets a given portion of the endless belt. The given portion of the endless belt is previously retained in contact with the first roller and develops deformation due to the previous retention. The pressure exerted by the pressure roller corrects the deformation while the endless belt is in the correcting position.
US08002366B2

A drawer includes comprising two drawer frame members, a rear wall, a drawer bottom and a front facing panel. The front facing panel is angled inwardly and fixed adjustably to the drawer.
US08002365B2

A suspension system for a lightweight robotic crawler is disclosed. The suspension system provides for mounting of a flexible endless track thereon. The suspension system includes a forward guide and a rearward guide around which the endless track can be looped. A deflector positioned between the forward guide and the rearward guide downwardly deflects a ground-engaging portion of the endless track to form a peaked area. The peaked area can support the lightweight robotic vehicle allowing alteration of a distribution of load over the ground-engaging portion of the endless track with respect to a supporting surface.
US08002362B2

A fiber reinforced plastic bicycle wheel rim is formed of six segments per side and formed in a section having precisely formed, machinable brake surfaces and preferably combining inner high modulus fiber reinforced plastic lamination as a main structural body and an outer lamination of improved frictional coefficient materials at the braking surfaces. The main structural body with overlapped individual sheets of unidirectional fiber reinforced plastic, having crossing fibers, in segments, and continuous unidirectional fiber bundles in areas of concentrated load, enables strong, light wheels for sew up or clincher tires to be formed.
US08002349B1

A chair provisioned with an apparatus for converting solar energy to power electrical devices which comprises the chair having a seat member and a backrest member to support a person thereon. A mechanism stored in the chair, is for converting the solar energy into electrical energy. At least one socket in the chair is electrically connected to the solar energy converting mechanism, wherein at least one of the electrical devices can plug into the at least one socket to receive the electrical energy therefrom.
US08002339B2

A side sill of a body of a motor vehicle of sheet metal shell construction is composed of a sheet metal outer shell and a sheet metal inner shell which are welded to one another. A rolled profile for stiffening can be inserted into the side sill from an open end side and can be fastened to the side sill. In this way, a side sill can be stiffened by assembling the rolled profile after the basic construction of the body of the motor vehicle.
US08002337B2

A vehicle frame sub-assembly including a hinge pillar assembly and A-pillar assembly. A high strength hinge pillar reinforcement and A-pillar reinforcement are provided to increase the support in roof crush tests. Collision impact loads are transferred through an upper load path, lower load path, upper intermediate load path, and lower intermediate load path. A back-up rail receives loads from the front rail. The back-up rail transfers loads to the rocker and through a back-up rail extension to the hinge pillar assembly. An upper intermediate load path transfers loads from the upper rail through a fork rail to the hinge pillar assembly.
US08002336B2

Construction equipment includes an undercarriage on which an upper frame is mounted, especially in the form of an excavator or crane. At an underside of the upper frame at least one flap and/or at least one compartment is arranged which can be open and closed and which is adapted such that a component of the construction equipment can be operated or is accessible or can be stored when the flap or compartment is open, or such that a compartment is provided for a fuel filler pump, a fuel suction hose, tools, accessories and/or spare parts.
US08002335B2

A vehicle cowl structure is provided. A cowl part is disposed between a lower end of a front glass of a vehicle and a rear end of a front hood. The cowl part has a two-layer structure which has a metallic cowl panel having a design surface and a resinous cowl cover disposed below the metallic cowl panel.
US08002334B2

A service panel is provided for a motor vehicle that is designed for closing an opening between an apron and a hood and for being mounted on the suspension strut top mountings of the motor vehicle. The service panel is equipped with an integrated strut top mounting brace. A motor vehicle is also provided with an apron for separating a passenger compartment from an engine compartment and a service panel designed for closing an opening between an apron and a hood and for being mounted on the suspension strut top mountings of the motor vehicle. The service panel is equipped with an integrated strut top mounting brace.
US08002333B2

Structural element, such as a panel, which is embossed with a mode shape (φtotal), i.e. with any of the various stationary vibration modes (φn) of which the structural element is capable, or a combination thereof.
US08002329B2

In a powered back door for a vehicle, which is opened and closed automatically by the drive device, a projecting end of a connection rod of a drive device is connected to an inner peripheral surface of a door frame around a door window opening of a back door, an opening is formed in a door garnish adapted to cover the inner peripheral surface of the door frame in the connection position between the door frame and the connection rod so as to open toward a vehicle compartment, a space is formed between the inner peripheral surface and the door garnish so as to be interconnected with the opening, and the projecting end of the connection rod is connected to the inner peripheral surface of the door frame in the space to conceal the connection section between the door frame and the connection rod.
US08002328B2

A door assist system for use in a motor vehicle, to aid the user in opening doors by providing a power assist and operative controls. The door assist system can be retrofitted to existing vehicles such as armored motor vehicles used in military operations, to aid the user in opening heavy armored doors. The door assist system includes a programmable central controller coupled to internal and external open and close switches and sensors for activating door movement.
US08002327B2

A motor vehicle (5) has a roof structure including a front roof member (6) and a rear member (4) which together form a cover for a passenger compartment (I) of the motor vehicle (5) when both of the roof members (4, 6) are in respective raised positions. When both of the roof members (4, 6) are lowered into stowed positions to form a convertible vehicle, a flap (7, 107) is deployed on each side of the motor vehicle (5) to bridge a gap between the stowed front roof member (6) and an upper edge of an outer rear panel (9).
US08002321B2

A leaf grapple for grabbing and lifting a pile of leaves or other loose debris is disclosed. The leaf grapple includes a basket at the end of a handle. The basket has multiple sections, each section being movably attached at the top to a first spider and, some distance away from the top, pivotably attached to a second spider. An actuating rod is assembled in the handle. The first spider is attached to the end of the actuating rod; the second spider is attached to the end of the handle. Pushing on the handle forces the first spider downward, which forces the top portions of the grapple sections downward. The grapple sections pivot about the lower ends of the second spider, which causes the grapple sections to open. Pulling up on the actuating rod forces the grapple sections to close.
US08002319B1

A pooper-scooper device for hands-free, no bending, scoop-up, temporary storage, release, and disposal of pet droppings having longer inner handle with attached to the ground end an ejector plate with a pattern of apertures incised throughout. Inner handle is received into shorter outer hollow handle part having a plate with skewers attached in the same pattern to its ground end. Longer inner handle extends from the ground end of the outer handle or from the top end providing for movement of its ejector plate over the length of the skewers to clean the skewers of the waste skewed. A hands-free detachable holding receptacle is an optional part and offers the use of disposable bags for collecting the waste.
US08002310B2

An apparatus (10) helps to protect an occupant (28) of a vehicle (12) that has a side structure (16) and a roof (18). The apparatus (10) includes an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device (14) that has a stored condition for being positioned along the vehicle roof (18). The protection device (14) is inflatable away from the vehicle roof (18) to a deployed condition positioned between the side structure (16) and a vehicle occupant (28). The protection device (14) further comprises a portion (38) for receiving an elongated member (94) for helping to place the protection device in the stored condition.
US08002307B2

A rear-view unit with an airbag device is presented, wherein the rear-view unit is set up in such a way that it has expected break points and/or flexible connections in different positions. The rear-view unit is completely clad by an air pocket of the airbag device.
US08002300B2

A rear wheel mounting assembly for a wheelchair having a frame with upper and lower longitudinal members vertically spaced from one another and disposed along the same side of the frame. The rear wheel mounting assembly includes an elongated upright member with a plurality of spaced apart recesses arranged longitudinally along an inward face. The elongated upright member includes a clamp disposed at each of its ends. One of the clamps is clamped to the upper longitudinal frame member and the other to the lower longitudinal frame member. The rear wheel mounting assembly includes a camber clamping assembly having an aperture for receiving and retaining an axle of a rear wheel and a removable clamp having a clamping surface engaged with a portion of the elongated upright member. The clamping surface comprises a projection received within one of the recesses of the elongated upright member.
US08002280B2

A BOGGLE brand word game apparatus having a plurality of dice enclosed in an interior chamber formed in upper and lower container shells. The object of the game is for each player to find as many three and four letter words as possible formed by adjoining dice before three minutes expire. A point system determines the winner.
US08002277B2

An original reading apparatus includes an original transport mechanism that has a pickup roller (R1) and the like and an original reading mechanism that has a light source unit (6) and the like, and captures an image of an original transported by the original transport mechanism. When multi-feeding has occurred, in which when a read original (P1) is transported, another original (P2) is also transported, and the other multi-fed original (P2) is not positioned between the read original (P1) and the light source unit (6) (that is, when a read face (P1a) of the read original (P1) is not obstructed), the reading operation of the read face (P1a) of the read original (P1) is continued by the original reading mechanism.
US08002272B2

There are provided a sheet conveying apparatus and an image forming apparatus, which enable stable sheet conveyance without depending on sheet size.An air suction portion having a duct portion for air suction is provided inwardly of an endless belt having a plurality of suction holes. Air is taken in through the suction holes of the endless belt and the duct portion for air suction by the air suction portion to absorb a sheet onto the endless belt. When the sheet having a sheet conveying direction length in which a sheet trailing end reaches the endless belt before a sheet leading end reaches a fixing device is conveyed, at least part of the portion of the duct portion through which the sheet trailing end passes before the sheet leading end reaches the fixing portion is closed by a shutter.
US08002270B2

A media tray includes a housing and a media restraint assembly mounted in the housing having a position selection mechanism for placing respective floor portions of the housing in a selected one position of a multiplicity of closely spaced apart positions. The position selection mechanism includes an actuator adapted for undergoing movement relative to the floor portions along a first direction between extended and retracted positions and a position securement arrangement adapted for undergoing conversion along a second direction transverse to the first direction between engaged and disengaged conditions in response to movement of the actuator between the extended and retracted positions to correspondingly select and de-select the selected one position of the floor portions and accordingly set the floor portions at and release the floor portions from the selected one position thereof. The media restraint assembly also includes an actuation lever and a lock mechanism for the lever.
US08002260B2

A card processing unit may include a card processing part for performing predetermined processing to a card, a card stack part in which a plurality of cards are stacked and stored, and a card feeding part for carrying a card between the card processing part and the card stack part. The card stack part may be structured such that the card stack part is capable of being separated from the card feeding part as a module and mounted on a main body base as a module. A plurality of card stack parts and a plurality of card processing parts may be mounted on the main body base as modules.
US08002259B2

Described is an image forming apparatus, which makes it possible to create a vacant tray. The apparatus includes a paper sheet managing section to conduct consecutive operations including: acquiring the residual amount of the paper sheets accommodated in each of plurality paper sheet trays; calculating a total sum of residual amounts of paper sheets having the same attributes; comparing the above-calculated total sum with the maximum accommodating capacity of each of the paper sheet trays currently accommodating the paper sheets concerned; and notifying the operator of the fact that a vacant tray can be made by collecting the paper sheets concerned into a specific paper sheet tray, if there exists such paper sheets and a combination of paper sheet trays that make the total sum of the residual amounts of the paper sheets equal to or smaller than the maximum accommodating capacity of the specific paper sheet tray.
US08002256B2

A sheet processing apparatus includes a first roller, a second roller configured to press the first roller to form a nip portion, a moving member opposite to the nip portion to move from a start position to an operation position approaching the nip portion, a pushing member supported on the moving member to press a sheet by an end thereof by movement of the moving member and push the sheet into the nip portion, and a third and fourth rollers positioned on both sides of the pushing member and supported on the moving member.
US08002248B2

A diffuser for an aeration system includes a base, a valve member, and a diaphragm. The diaphragm has a central portion, a peripheral portion, and a surrounding segment. The surrounding segment is interposed between the central portion and the peripheral portion, and includes a base web layer and a porous foam layer. The base web layer includes a plurality of fibrous filaments arranged to form a textured structure with a plurality of pores. The porous foam layer is disposed on the base web layer.
US08002241B1

The present invention is a unitary piece block formed of polymers (such as polystyrene or other high strength polymer) by a single injection molding step which are assembled into a recreational vehicle leveler. The invention ramp provides four sets of four connectors at a top of a floor plate, which are adapted to interlock in cavity structures formed within a cavity on the underside of the block. Two adjacent blocks are secured together by applying to their top surfaces the securing cavity structure of an underside of a third such block. Such blocks can be stacked in an interlocking manner to reduce storage space.
US08002240B1

This invention will assist or allow an operator to easily lift a concrete frame panel into position without much risk of personal injury and with greater efficiency of time. A lifting bar is secured to a vertical frame member through openings in the vertical frame members and a crane or forklift is used to lift the panel prior to setting it to form the wall.
US08002238B2

A valve has a closure member for closing a valve orifice, particularly so as to be tight against gas, in a closed position of the closure member. The closure member can be moved in a closing process by at least one actuator starting from a first position of maximum opening at least along a first partial distance with a linear movement component in direction of its closed position, and the actuator carries out a closing stroke with a linear stroke direction for a movement of the closure member with this movement component. The actuator is so arranged in relation to the closure member that an angle diverging from 0° and 180° is provided between the linear movement component of the closure member along the first partial distance, proceeding from the first position of maximum opening, and the linear stroke direction of the actuator.
US08002234B2

A device 10 for forming concrete includes a first form 12 dimensioned to surround substantially one-half of a predetermined object 13, such as a vertical column 13, from a preselected distance; a second form 14 dimensioned to surround substantially one-half of the column 13 from substantially the same preselected distance; joining members 16 for detachably joining end portions 18 of the first and second forms 12 and 14; and securing members 20 for removably securing the first and second forms 12 and 14 to the column 13 after joining together the end portions 18 of the first and second forms 12 and 14 about the column 13. The joined first and second forms 12 and 14 remain substantially stationary as concrete is poured into the device 10; whereupon, the concrete ultimately hardens and the device is quickly removed and re-positioned about another vertical column 13.
US08002229B2

A support device is provided including first and second telescopic members, the distal end or ends of the members engaging with a suitable surface in use. Locking means are provided on the first and/or second members to lock the members in a required relative position. The locking means includes a locking portion movably mounted on the first and/or second members and actuating means. The actuating means move the locking portion between a first unlocked position, wherein the locking portion is movable relative to the first and/or second members, and a second locked position, wherein the locking portion engages with the first and/or second members to lock the members in the required relative position.
US08002223B2

This display support mechanism comprises a support shaft provided in the form of a plate, a display screen support member, having a first hole receiving the platelike support shaft, provided on the side of a display screen and a base support member, having a second hole receiving the platelike support shaft, provided on the side of a base, and at least either the first hole or the second hole receiving the platelike support shaft is provided in the form of a sector while the display screen support member is rotatable about the platelike support shaft serving as an axis of rotation in the angular range of the sector.
US08002222B2

A protective glove includes at least one resilient member (17) integral with chain mail fabric and arranged to draw the chain mail fabric of at least one of the glove fingers (16) in the direction or substantially in the direction of the longitudinal axis thereof and toward the wrist portion (12). The resilient member or members (17) are disposed on the portion (11) intended to cover the hand. These resilient member or members (17) are preferably in the form of a flat spring of pin type. The resilient members enable the chain mail to fit at best the fingers of the hand and enable in particular to limit, or even eliminate, the presence of an excess of chain mail at the end of the glove user fingers.
US08002206B2

A solenoid operated valve assembly is provided. The valve assembly may include a solenoid having a solenoid coil and an armature movable under influence of the solenoid coil. The valve assembly may also include a valve member operably connected to the armature and configured to selectively contact a valve seat. The valve assembly may further include an outer body containing the solenoid, the armature, the valve member, and the valve seat. In addition, the valve assembly may include a grounding device including an electrically conductive element disposed between the valve member and the outer body.
US08002200B2

A spray gun (1) has a fluid reservoir (11) with a removable liner (13) received in a container (12) having a detachable lid (15). The liner (13), which may be thermo/vacuum-formed from a planar material, has a shape that corresponds to and is a close fit within the interior of the container (12) and collapses as fluid is withdrawn from within the liner (13) during operation of the spray gun (1). The lid (15) has an outlet (16) connected to an inlet on the spray gun (1) for transfer of liquid from the reservoir (11) to the spray gun (1) and the container (12) has a vent (12A) in the base end for admitting air between the container (12) and the liner (13) as liquid is withdrawn from within the liner (13).
US08002199B2

Sensors, apparatus and methods are disclosed for detecting airflow direction between two volumes. The preferred airflow sensor includes a tube for conducting an airflow stream between the volumes, a first temperature sensor sensing ambient temperature in the first volume and a second temperature sensor sensing temperature of the airflow stream in the tube. A heat source heats air in the tube adjacent the end thereof communicating with the second volume and a comparator receives and compares output signals from the temperature sensors, providing an output indicative thereof. Various means are provided responsive to the output advancing appropriate response thereto. The disclosed sensors, apparatus and methods are particularly well adapted for indicating positive and negative pressure differentials at flues associated with combustion appliances.
US08002195B2

A radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag includes: a plate-shaped sealing piece made of an elastic material. An inlet is enclosed within the sealing piece. The inlet includes an electronic component and an antenna connected to the electronic component. A pair of reinforcing pieces are located respectively on the front and back surfaces of the sealing piece so as to sandwich the electronic component. The reinforcing pieces are made of a first material harder than the elastic material. A joint piece configured to couple the reinforcing pieces to each other. The joint piece is made of a second material harder than the elastic material.
US08002188B2

A portable hand held optical reader having a specially constructed two-dimensional image sensor array is operational in a bar code decoding mode and in a picture taking mode. The specially constructed image sensor array, in one embodiment, is a hybrid monochrome and color image sensor pixel array, wherein a first subset of the pixels are monochrome pixels devoid of wavelength selective color filter elements and a second subset of the pixels are color sensitive pixels including wavelength selective color filter elements.
US08002180B2

Systems, devices, and methods are provided for monitoring and tracking an item in a controlled space. In one embodiment, a portal system that monitors the controlled space includes a radio frequency tag that is attached to inventory and a portal device, which includes a computing device, a receiver and a locking door. The receiver is configured to receive a signal from radio frequency tag, and send the signal to the computing device. The locking door is coupled to the computing device. The computing device is configured to verify whether the user is authorized to be taking inventory in and out of the controlled space through the locking door based on the received signal, and to unlock the locking door based on the received signal. The computing device has a database that includes the total value of the inventory that the user has taken out of the controlled space. The computing device determines whether the user have exceeded a threshold value of inventory based on the total value of inventory that the user has taken out of the controlled space, and provides a notification signal to an administrator based on the total value of inventory.
US08002175B2

A system and method for utilizing a highly secure two-dimensional matrix code on a mobile communications display includes a mobile communications device having a visible display, and a means for creating a highly secure two-dimensional matrix code representing selected data. Means are provided for selectively transmitting the highly secure two-dimensional matrix code, from the means for creating it to the mobile communications device. The highly secure two-dimensional matrix code is then displayed on the visible display of the mobile communications device. Upon reading the code, a transaction is facilitated.
US08002172B2

A shredding/recycling paper collection system and device, wherein a cabinet-style housing with a self-locking door is adapted with a paper guard member to prevent unauthorized reach-in access and assist with directional feed, and wherein the door-mounted paper guard member and the uniquely supported collection bag hangers facilitate easy authorized access to collection bag contents, while also providing secure positioning for weighty materials within the housing.
US08002171B2

A package having a dispenser with reclosable features. The package has a reclosable flap that is positionable between an open position for accessing products within the package and a closed position preventing access to products within the package.
US08002170B2

A dual-ovenable container is formed from a blank of laminate material that includes a paperboard layer sandwiched between outer heat-sealable layers of amorphous polyester or heat-sealable cellophane. The blank is wrapped into a tubular or conical configuration and opposite edges of the blank form a lap joint at which the edges are heat-sealed together to form a container body. End closures can then be applied to the ends of the container body. The laminate is heat-sealable to itself, is able to withstand heating/cooking conditions in both conventional and microwave ovens, and has a low oxygen permeability. The edge of the blank exposed to contents of the container can be wrapped by a sideseam tape in order to protect the edge.
US08002160B2

A dual combustion fastener device implements a first combustion event, contained in a first combustion chamber portion to compress a combustible fuel/air mixture contained in a second combustion chamber portion, which is separated from the first combustion chamber portion by a piston including a driver for driving a fastener disposed in the driver's path of travel into a workpiece, in order to generally provide rapid driving power for securing a fastener disposed in a nose guide of the combustion fastener. Ignition of the second combustion event may be timed so that the second combustion event substantially occurs when the piston has achieved top dead center or the maximum compression of the combustible material in the second combustion chamber portion. Utilization of compressed combustible material may allow for the utilization of a piston having a small cross-sectional area in comparison to a typical combustion device while providing equal or greater driving force in a rapid manner.
US08002141B2

A storage unit which is substantially water proof is provided. The storage unit may comprise a shell having lower edges which mate into a groove formed in a top surface of a base to provide a substantially waterproof barrier therebetween. The junction between the lower edge of the side walls and the first groove may be sealed with a water proof sealant. A front side wall of the shell may have an aperture therethrough to allow users to move items into and out of the storage unit. A door may be attached to the storage unit to prevent water from entering into the storage unit through the aperture. Moreover, a lower edge of the door body may be inserted into a second groove formed in the top surface of the base to prevent water from entering into the storage unit from under the door.
US08002136B2

The present invention provides an explosion-proof material which includes a high-porosity sheet (11); With one side(12) of the material as center, the high-porosity sheet (11) is wound into multilayer material body(1) along the direction perpendicular to the side(12); The skeleton(13) is inserted between the multilayer high-porosity sheet (11) of the material body(1); The present invention also provides a processing method for explosion-proof material, including: inserting the skeleton (13) between the high-porosity sheet (11), cutting off the high-porosity sheet (11), and the high-porosity sheet in which the skeleton(13) is inserted is wound into multilayer explosion-proof material. The present invention adopts skeleton to support the body of high-porosity sheet, and thus can effectively prevent the material body from collapse and deformation. Featured by simple structure and easiness of processing, the present invention can effectively prevent explosion accident, thus achieving the safety, environment friendness and reliability of storage-transport vessel.
US08002129B1

A liquor bottle device for holding liquor comprising a bottle portion and a bottom chamber inside the bottle portion at the bottom. The liquor bottle device can be constructed from a material comprising a thermal glass so as to keep the contents of the device cool. The bottle portion is for holding liquor and comprises two shot glasses disposed in an first inner compartment and a second inner compartment. The bottom chamber can hold ice to keep the contents of the bottle cool. A screw-on cap is disposed at the top of the bottle portion and functions as an additional shot glass.
US08002125B2

A motorcycle accessory rack is provided which includes spaced-apart first and second brackets having a plurality of support rods secured thereto and extending therebetween. The first and second brackets may be secured to a supporting surface such as a wall or the like. The rods may be moved in their respective slots or openings or moved to different slots or openings to accommodate accessories from different models of motorcycles. Optional helmet hangers and jacket hangers are also provided at the sides of the rack. A pair of upright supports are mounted on a pair of support rods and are adapted to have a motorcycle windshield clamped thereonto.
US08002123B2

The present invention relates to a telecommunications termination panel with a tray pivotably mounted within the front opening of a housing. The tray pivots about a hinge located adjacent one of the sides of the housing and includes a raised floor. The raised floor of the tray cooperates with the side adjacent the hinge and a bottom of the housing to define a cable path from a rear cable access port to an opening on the tray adjacent the hinge. The tray includes a plurality of connection locations and cable management structures to direct a telecommunications cable from the cable access port to a rear of the connection locations without violating bend radius rules. The tray may also include a temporary cable holder to assist in pulling cables through the rear opening into the housing. The present invention further relates to a telecommunications equipment rack with a termination panel with such a pivoting tray mounted to the rack.
US08002121B2

An in-line flow separator (1) comprises an uphill section (2) of pipeline which, in use, carries a gravitationally stratified flow of a first liquid (3) and a second denser liquid (4). The second liquid (4) forms a sump (5) extending uphill from the foot of the uphill section (2), and an interface between the first and second liquids on the uphill section is inclined from the horizontal. An extraction port (6) in the pipeline extracts the second liquid from the sump.
US08002106B2

The present invention relates to a distribution star for containers of the type used in systems for manipulating containers (particularly bottles), for example in filling plants.More particularly, the present invention relates to a distribution star of the type used in systems for manipulating containers, comprising a ring structure characterised in that it comprises: an annular fixed element that carries a plurality of grippers; an annular displacing element that carries cam means for the grippers; wherein the said annular displacing element is displaceable along a circumference of the said ring structure to set the said annular displacing element at different positions of the cam means with respect to the said grippers.
US08002097B2

A clutch mechanism of an outboard motor includes a forward gear and a reverse gear that are always driven in opposite directions by a drive shaft driven by a drive system, and a dog gear disposed around the output shaft. The forward gear, the reverse gear, and the dog gear are provided with a plurality of engaging projections and engaging recesses that can be engaged with each other, with the dog gear being engaged with either the forward gear or with the reverse gear by forceably moving the dog gear toward one side in the axial direction. A drive shaft has a drive gear and is driven by the drive system generating a maximum output power of about 300 ps or more, the forward gear and the reverse gear have input gears respectively which are always engaged with the drive gear, and the engaging projections and the engaging recesses are located radially inside of the input gears and disposed at least seven in a row along a circumference thereof.
US08002089B2

Systems and methods for providing a haptic device are described. In one described system, a first brake surface of a first element contacts a second brake surface of a second element. At least one actuator is configured to exert a force on at least one of the first and second elements. A flexure is coupled to at least one of the first element, the second element, a housing, a manipulandum, and a shaft coupled to the manipulandum. The flexure provides a degree of rotational flexibility to the manipulandum when the at least one actuator exerts the force. The described system may include a processor in communication with the at least one actuator for providing the haptic effects.
US08002088B2

A self-boosting electromechanical friction brake for a motor vehicle in which, with an electromechanical actuator, a friction brake lining can be pressed against a brake disk, and the friction brake lining is braced in the brake caliper via a wedge mechanism, which effects a self boosting. A friction brake lining which is pressed by the actuator has with a lower coefficient of friction, and in particular with less relative fluctuation in the coefficient of friction, than another friction brake lining positioned fixedly in the brake caliper. An operation-dictated fluctuation in the coefficient of friction and thus a change in the self boosting is reduced, and as a result the disk brake, with a low coefficient of friction, can be actuated with less actuation force and less actuation energy.
US08002087B2

An elevator entrance apparatus includes a reading device for reading transmission information from a transmission device, and a control device for controlling operation of an elevator based on information as to whether transmission information has been read by the reading device or not. The reading device reads transmission information only when the transmission device is within a predetermined detection range on an inner side of an elevator entrance.
US08002086B2

A magnetic guide apparatus includes at least two gap sensors which are disposed with a predetermined interval in a direction of movement of a moving body, and detect a gap between a magnet unit and a guide rail, a signal correction unit which determines variation amounts of detection signals which are output from the gap sensors, relatively varies weight coefficients for the respective detection signals on the basis of the variation amounts, and outputs, as a signal for magnetic control, a signal which is obtained by adding the detection signals which are multiplied by the weight coefficients, and a control unit which controls the magnetic force of the magnet unit on the basis of the signal for magnetic control, which is output from the signal correction unit.
US08002077B2

The invention relates to an electrical power steering system for a motor vehicle with a steering housing, in which a gear system is arranged, wherein a bar mounted such as to be displaceable longitudinally in the housing is a gear element for actuating steerable wheels, and wherein the steering housing is closed off by at least one folding bellows element, which is secured on one side to the steering housing and on the other side to the bar. Rapid pressure compensation in the event of temperature change is guaranteed, because a hose is connected at one end such as to communicate with the interior volumes of the steering housing, and when in operation is secured at a second free end above the steering housing.
US08002074B2

The center-pivot vehicle has forward and rearward sections with traversing means for traversing terrain. A rotary actuator connects the forward and rearward sections. Rotation of the rotary actuator articulates the forward and rearward sections relative to each other for steering the vehicle. The present invention also includes a method for controlling articulation of a center-pivot vehicle which includes connecting first and second sections of the center-pivot vehicle together with a rotary actuator, powering the rotary actuator with an engine and providing a steering input by an operator for operating the rotary actuator for rotating the rotary actuator and articulating the first and second sections of the vehicle relative to each other for turning the vehicle.
US08002073B2

A hydraulic drive vehicle includes a bypass valve for fluidly connecting or disconnecting a pump/second-motor line and a second-motor/first-motor line, and set a capacity of a first hydraulic motor to a standard capacity which makes a peripheral speed of a first wheel driven by the first hydraulic motor equal to a peripheral speed of a second wheel driven by a second hydraulic motor when the bypass valve fluidly disconnects the two lines and set the capacity of the first hydraulic motor to a first capacity smaller than the standard capacity when the bypass valve fluidly connects the two lines. The present invention makes it possible to widen a variable range in which a traveling speed of the vehicle could be changed.
US08002067B2

The weight balance of an electric motorcycle including a battery, a power drive unit, and a driving power generating motor, in the left-and-right direction or in the frontward-and-rearward direction is easily secured. An electric motorcycle includes a power drive unit and a driving power generating motor which are mounted to a swing arm swinging about a pivot shaft in an upward-and-downward direction. A rear wheel WR is driven by the power generating motor. The electric motorcycle includes a battery to supply electric power to the power generating motor. A center of gravity (BC) of the battery is located at the side opposite to the power drive unit and the power generating motor about a central line CX of a motorcycle body.
US08002058B2

When an accelerator opening Acc is equal to or more than a threshold value A2 upon a shift from a N position to a D position, a target torque T* is set to gradually change in comparison with when the accelerator opening Acc is less than the threshold value A2 based on a torque demand Trq corresponding to the accelerator opening Acc and a time constant τ or a gradual change restriction until a satisfaction of a release condition. An Engine 22, motors MG1 and MG2 are controlled so as to ensure a driving torque equivalent to the target torque T*.
US08002053B2

Embodiments of a system, method, and apparatus for predicting and reducing tracking by roller cone bits by adjusting compact spacing are disclosed. Different pitches between adjacent compacts or teeth provide a cone row that is substantially less likely to track. A given row on a cone may include compacts that are arrayed at a single pitch in a contiguous group for approximately half of the row. The remaining approximately half of the row includes alternating pitches. This configuration enables anti-tracking behavior without very wide spaces and consequent breakage and wear seen in prior art anti-tracking pitch schemes.
US08002046B2

A fire sprinkler head anti tamper canopy discourages hanging objects from a sprinkler head, or otherwise tampering or accidentally activating a sprinkler head. The canopy encloses the projecting portion of a sprinkler head, at least around the sides of the sprinkler head, and allows heat to enter and activate the sprinkler head, and water to escape from the sprinkler head for fire suppression. The canopy is magnetically secured to the wall or ceiling surface, without a requirement for physical attachment to the sprinkler head. Upon sprinkler head activation, water pressure dislodges the canopy, the latter returnable to an anti-tamper position once the fire sprinkler system has been reset.
US08002044B2

A liner hanger has a housing with a pocket disposed on an inner wall surface and a slip slidingly engaged within the pocket. A moveable cover is disposed interior to the slip thereby restricting movement of the slip from a unset position to a set position. The liner hanger housing is secured in the string of casing and an actuator is mounted on the liner. As the liner is moved through the casing coupler, the actuator actuates the cover, causing the cover to be moved so that the slip can move axially downward from its unset position to its set position. As the cover is moved, the slip moves radially inward and grips the liner to secure the liner within the casing string of the wellbore.
US08002043B2

A thread protection member for protecting threads in a threaded joint includes a body formed of a material selected to reduce damage to the threads during a make-up of the threaded joint and a discontinuity reducing remaining clamping forces and thus allowing the body to deform in a predetermined manner when the body is removed from the threaded joint. In one arrangement, the discontinuity is a void at least partially penetrating the body. For example, the void can be a longitudinal slot that extends partially or fully through the body. In another embodiment, the discontinuity is a region in the body that has at least one material property different from a material property of an adjacent portion of the body. To remove the thread protection member from the joint, a suitable tool may be used to deform the body to extract the body from the joint.
US08002040B2

A technique enables control over flow in a wellbore with a flow control system. The flow control system combines a flow reduction mechanism with a flow control device, such as a valve. The flow reduction mechanism comprises a closure member which can be selectively moved between an unactuated and actuated position, allowing relatively greater flow through the flow control device in the unactuated position. The flow reduction mechanism actuates prior to or in conjunction with the flow control device to reduce flow and thus reduce the loading forces that would otherwise act against the flow control mechanism upon closure of the flow control device.
US08002036B2

A tubing connection release system. The system includes, a male connector having a profile at one end thereof and receptive to a tubular at the other end thereof, a female connector receptive to a tubular at one end thereof and receptive to the male connector at the other end thereof. The system further includes, a sleeve disposed radially inwardly of the female connector, and a collet having at least one deflectable collet finger disposed radially inwardly of the sleeve. The collet is biased to a position within the female connector whereat the at least one collet finger is supported against radially outward deflection. The collet is further movable by the push-in connector against the bias to a position where the at least one collet finger is radially outwardly unsupported such that the profiled end of the male connector is movable into engagement with the at least one collet finger.
US08002022B2

The invention relates to a heat exchanger, in particular an exhaust gas heat exchanger for motor vehicles, having tubes (3) through which a gas can flow, which are arranged in a housing casing (2) and around which a liquid coolant can flow, wherein the tubes (3) have tube ends which are held by tube bases. It is proposed according to the invention that the tubes are embodied as flat tubes (3), and that, at least one side of the tubes (3), the tube ends (3a, 3b) are flared to form an approximately rectangular cross section and can be soldered to the tube bases (7, 8).
US08002020B2

A heat dissipation assembly comprises a heat sink for being disposed on an electronic component mounted on a printed circuit board, and a pair of fasteners for securing the heat sink on the printed circuit board. Each fastener comprises a sleeve extending through the printed circuit board, a latch received in the sleeve, a stretchable pole inserted through the sleeve and a handle pivotably fixed to the pole. The pole is raised by rotation of the handle to a locked position. At the locked position, the handle downwardly acts on the heat sink, and the pole pushes the latch out of the sleeve. The latch presses against the printed circuit board upwardly to realize an intimate contact between the heat sink and the electronic component.
US08002013B2

A device for altering the airflow pattern from a ceiling vent diffuser. The device comprises a flexible member that is secured to a diffuser vane by a spring-biased hook and one or more tabs. A release button on the outer surface of the device is depressed to pivot the hook out of engagement with the vane. The device is complementary shaped to a region of the diffuser. When installed, the device blocks the openings in that region and substantially prevents air from flowing out of the openings. One or more devices may be installed in selected regions to block airflow from those selected regions. A plurality of devices may be utilized to completely prevent airflow from the diffuser.
US08002009B2

An adhesive-backed film application tool (10) is provided for applying an adhesive-backed film (100) having at least first and second widths to a first surface (202) of a sash (200). The sash (200) further includes a second surface (204). The tool comprises (10): a directing structure (20) adapted to engage the second surface (204) of the sash (200); an application structure (30) pivotably coupled to the directing structure (20); and an element (40) for biasing the directing and application structures (20, 30) toward one another such that the directing and application structures (20, 30) are capable of being releasably clamped to the sash (200). The application structure (30) includes at least one rotatable element (37a, 37b) for applying the adhesive-backed film (100) to the first surface (202) and guide structure (160) for properly locating the adhesive-backed film relative to the rotatable element (37a, 37b) and the first surface (202). The guide structure (160) has a movable guide surface (172a) capable of being located in a first position corresponding to the first width (w1) of the adhesive-backed film (100) and a second position corresponding to the second width (w2) of the adhesive-backed film (100).
US08002004B2

A timber-working head comprises a frame, first and second delimb arms pivotally coupled to the frame, and a single delimb cylinder operatively coupled to both the first delimb arm and the second delimb arm to pivot the first and second delimb arms relative to the frame to open and close them. The first and second delimb arms are otherwise operatively unconnected from one another allowing pivotal movement of each of the first and second delimb arms without corresponding pivotal movement of the other of the first and second delimb arms. The second delimb arm comprises a cam stop defining a variable closure point for the first delimb arm, and the first delimb arm is configured to pivot into closed engagement with the cam stop.
US08001989B2

A liquid flow control device has a port or passageway through which liquid flow is to be controlled. A body of a liquid swellable material is located in the port or passageway having an upstream side and a downstream side in relation to the direction of liquid flow through the port or passageway. A layer of sealing material is provided on the upstream side of the body to prevent contact of that side of the body with the liquid when the body is swollen to close the port or passageway whilst allowing contact of the downstream side of the body when the body is in the non-swollen condition allowing liquid flow through the port or passageway.
US08001988B2

A method according to this invention employs a set of valves, a series of pressure checks, and a physical stop for verifying the closing of a locking system of a cylindrical passageway. The method may also employ an equalization piping. The valves isolate a tapping machine, a pipeline, and the equalization piping from one another so that product cannot flow from one to the other. The valves are then opened as a series of pressure checks are performed. A completion plug is then lowered into the passageway until the plug comes to rest within the passageway and is oriented so that a locking ring of the plug is in a filly expanded position. The expanded position is then confirmed by raising the plug until its upward travel is restricted. The plug is then released and pressure above the plug is reduced to 0 psi gauge.
US08001982B2

The present invention relates to a makeup compact including a base, a cosmetic, and/or an applicator contained in the base, a support connected to the base via a hinge, a lid that turns relative to the support and a mirror carried by the lid, the lid turning relative to the support in such a manner as to be able to pass from a first configuration to a second configuration and vice versa, after the lid has turned relative to the support, with turning being performed in a single plane, and other than about an axis of rotation that intersects the axis of rotation of the hinge.
US08001974B2

Methods, devices, tools and assemblies for treating a patient to effect weight loss. One method embodiment involves passing a device including an expandable member in a collapsed configuration and a buoyancy member through an opening in the skin of a patient and into the abdominal cavity of the patient, and anchoring at least a portion of the expandable member, relative to at least one structure in the abdominal cavity. Devices including at least one expandable member and at least one buoyancy member are provided.
US08001970B2

The present invention provides devices for use with a patient under anesthesia and associated methods. Various embodiments of the present invention include a device for establishing and maintaining a patient's head and/or jaw in a particular position, including the sniffing position. Embodiments also include a method for positioning a patient comprising the use of a device of the present invention, wherein the device may substantially maintain a patient in a desired position.
US08001967B2

The invention is directed to a ventilation control system for controlling the ventilation of a patient. The ventilation control system utilizes a user-friendly user interface for the display of patient data and ventilator status. The user interface includes a graphic representation of a breath cycle that displays the breath cycle currently being ventilated, and is also responsive to changes in ventilation settings to assist the user in evaluation the effect of those changes on the ventilator strategy before the changes are implemented.
US08001965B2

The invention relates to a novel capsule for receiving an active substance to be administered by inhalation, which is preferably intended for use in a powder inhaler operating on the Bernoulli principle.
US08001960B2

A solar energy collection system includes a primary solar receiver and a secondary solar receiver. The secondary solar receiver generates steam using energy from solar radiation incident thereon. The primary solar receiver receives the generated steam from the secondary solar receiver and superheats the steam using energy from solar radiation incident thereon. A plurality of heliostat-mounted mirrors reflects incident solar radiation onto one of the primary and secondary solar receivers. A controller aims a portion of the heliostat-mounted mirrors at the primary solar receiver such that a predetermined thermal profile is provided on a surface of the primary solar receiver.
US08001952B2

An electropneumatic converter for connection with an exhaust recirculation valve in a motor vehicle. The electropneumatic converter includes a vacuum port and an atmospheric pressure port configured to connect with a valve chamber using a valve device, wherein a mixed pressure is formed in the valve chamber and supplied to a mixed pressure port. An armature is affixed to a valve body of the valve device movable in an axial direction, the valve body being connected to a suspension device, wherein the armature is displaceable in the axial direction using a solenoid. The electropneumatic converter also includes a damping element configured to dampen the axial movement of the armature and the valve device affixed thereto. The damping element includes at least one of an elastomer or a foamed material.
US08001951B2

In order to control an internal combustion engine according to the invention, a polytropic exponent is determined in accordance with at least two measured values of the pressure in the combustion chamber of the cylinder, said measured values being detected after closing the gas discharge valve and before successively opening the gas intake valve. An exhaust gas mass which is located in the cylinder after closing the gas discharge valve and before successively opening the gas intake valve is determined according to the polytropic exponent at an estimated value of the pressure after closing the gas discharge valve and before successively opening the gas intake valve as well as at a certain temperature of the exhaust gas located in the cylinder after closing the gas discharge valve and before successively opening the gas intake valve. An actuation signal for controlling an actuating member of the internal combustion engine is generated in accordance with the determined exhaust gas mass.
US08001949B2

An engine with expansion piston located on the end of a motion arm connected to the engine shaft. On the shaft, rotating compression pistons are mounted. The distance between the two piston types allows for the production of great torque. The geometry of expansion chamber and compression chamber is concentric toroidal. A pressure chamber stores the air-fuel mixture coming from the compression chamber to the expansion chamber and is therefore interposed between the two. The timing of the two or more sliding ports attached to the compression chambers determines the compression volume, while the valves control the communication of the pressure chamber with the other chambers.
US08001943B2

A starter for an internal combustion engine has no radial protrusion of an auxiliary switch in a shape projected along an axial direction thereof, thus improving the degree of freedom in mounting the starter on the engine. An axially extending electromagnetic switch is mounted on a motor for turning it on and off. An auxiliary switch extends in an axial direction of the motor and is mounted thereon for operating the electromagnetic switch by means of an operation of a key switch. A pinion gear can be placed into or out of engagement with a ring gear of the engine so as to be driven by the motor. The motor has a bracket with a radially extending flange, through which the starter is mounted on the engine. The auxiliary switch is arranged at an inner side of a common tangent line between outer peripheries of the electromagnetic switch and the flange.
US08001941B2

A lash adjuster for a valve gear includes a plunger movable upward and downward and including a high-pressure chamber, a leak path defined by an inner circumferential surface of a body and an outer circumferential surface of the plunger so that operating oil reserved in the chamber leaks through the leak path, and a ring-shaped member located between the body and the plunger. The member projects into the leak path during normal operation and is elastically deformed radially inward with increase in oil pressure at the chamber side so as to be retreated from the leak path when abnormal movement occurs in the valve gear such that oil pressure in the chamber exceeds a normal range, thereby reducing flow resistance of the oil in the leak path. The member has a surface receiving oil pressure in the chamber thereby to elastically deform the ring-shaped member radially inward.
US08001940B2

A switchable bucket tappet for a valve drive of an internal combustion engine, which has a bucket base body with a ring-shaped base guided by a skirt projecting from the outer edge of the base in a bore of the engine. A lifting cam acts on the base and a hollow cylindrical extension projects from an inner edge of the base. In the bore, an inner body is axially movable relative to the bucket base body and, formed in the underside of the inner body, is a support for indirect contact with a gas exchange valve. A coupling piston, which has a flattened portion on its upper side, runs in a bore of the inner body and is engaged with a driver surface for full valve lift. A lost motion spring acts between the bucket base body and inner body.
US08001932B2

An adjustable apparatus for fish spawning that is suspended below a buoyant float system at a predetermined depth. The apparatus is resistant to vertical motion by surface waves, and may provide additional aeration for egg species that require a high level of dissolved oxygen in order to incubate successfully. The apparatus may be constructed so as to provide maximum or minimum sunlight exposure to spawning bed nests and to accommodate the spawning depth and/or preferred bed slopes of certain fish species.
US08001928B2

The invention relates to apparatus for milking animals such as cows, components of the apparatus and methods of milking animals employing the apparatus. The apparatus comprises at least two resilient membranes having a space therebetween into which the teat of the animal may be inserted. The membranes are held by a support structure under tension in a direction transverse to the direction of insertion of the teat, to protect the teat from excessive force when the membranes fall onto the teat.
US08001925B2

The present invention provides a method and system for loading drug onto a stent. The method comprises positioning at least one polymer coated stent on a mandrel, positioning a drug infused sheath onto the stent and diffusing drug from the sheath into the polymer coating of the stent. The system includes a drug coated mandrel and sheath positioned adjacent to and in contact with a polymer coated stent.
US08001910B2

A hollow core article of gluelam wood or engineered bamboo furniture, such as bench or table, includes a horizontal main panel (1) and a pair of vertical side panels (2) having upper ends respectively connected to opposite ends of the main panel (1) to support it. The main panel (1) includes a main framework (11), an upper plate (12) disposed on ledges (1115) on an upper surface of the mainframe work (11), and a lower plate (13) having edges disposed on ledges (1116) on a lower surface of the main framework (11). Each of the side panels (2) includes a side framework (21), an outer support plate (22) having edges disposed on ledges (2116) and (2115) on an outer surface of the side framework (21), and an inner support plate (23) having edges disposed on ledges (2116) and (2115) on an inner surface of the side framework (21).
US08001909B2

A telescopic lifting column for height adjustment of elevatable tables (1) consists of a stationary rectangular profile (2), which at the bottom rests against a floor, and of a sliding quadrangular profile (3), which slides inside the stationary profile (2) and which can be activated up or down by a linear actuator (4) and which at the top rests against a table top (7). The profiles (2, 3) each have an open side (resp. 8 and 9), and the linear actuator is embodied as a toothed rack (10), which is fastened to the internal side (3′) of the sliding profile (3) opposite the open side (9), and which is in mesh with a toothed wheel (11), which is coupled to a gear motor (12,13), which is fastened to the stationary profile (2) of the lifting column. On the side facing the open side (9), the toothed rack (10) is embodied with a guide way (18) with a width (a) in which two guide pins (19, 20)—with a mutual distance (b) and fastened to the stationary profile (2)—are in mesh.
US08001901B2

A system and method of detecting, processing, and selectively responding to radio frequency transmissions detected by at least one projectile deployed above a geographic area.
US08001897B2

A system for checking the loading of a print form magazine, which stores at least two print forms, utilizes at least one code reader to read a code which is carried by the print forms. The code reader reads the coding of the printing forms in a secondary region. The coding of at least two printing forms, which are arranged adjacently, horizontally or vertically together, is read by the code reader. The code reader has an image sensor and an illumination system for lighting the secondary region. A system is also provided for transporting at least one print form stored in the print form magazine to a cylinder. An analytical unit can be connected to the code reader, or to another registration device, and stores information regarding the transport of each printing form, that is stored in the print form magazine, to the cylinder. The analytical unit that may be connected to the code reader is provided with a signaling device.
US08001892B2

A printing machine system includes a first printing machine which has at least one first printing unit and a first fold forming funnel and that is arranged in the machine alignment of the at least first printing unit. A second printing machine, which has at least one second printing unit, and a second fold forming funnel, is also provided in the printing machine system. The second fold forming funnel is in machine alignment with the at least one second printing unit. The printing group cylinders of the first and second printing units are positioned substantially orthogonally in relationship to each other in their axial directions. The two fold forming funnel structures are positioned substantially orthogonally in respect to each other in a line running in a direction of material web transport as projected onto a horizontal plane.
US08001888B2

An automatic pneumatic gripper applied to a screen printing machine includes a pneumatic cylinder disposed on a top surface of a fixing post and two elastic grippers pivoted on two transverse sides of the pneumatic cylinder respectively. The lower part of two grippers extend downward beyond a bottom surface of the fixing post and projects inwards to form a hook. When a plunger of the pneumatic cylinder protrudes downward and leans against the top surface of the fixing post 30, the two grippers pivot inward, clip and fasten a squeegee/scraper firmly on the fixing post by the hook. When the plunger retracts upward, the pneumatic cylinder falls down relatively falls down so that the two grippers pivot outward, away from each other and the squeegee/scraper is released.
US08001886B1

Beverage ingredient filter (10) having a inwardly located, filtering, section (12) of water permeable filter paper (11) and an outwardly located, water impervious, nonfiltering outer section (14) joined to the surrounding the inner filtering section (12). The beverage ingredient filter (10) is made by forming, from water permeable paper filter stock having a porous structure, the inner section (12) defining the bottom surrounded by the outer section (14) defining an encircling cylindrical wall, and altering the outer section (14) to render the outer portion (14) water impermeable. Altering may be performed by dimensionally reducing the porous structure of the outer section relative to the inner section until it is substantially water impervious relative to the inner section (12), securing together the porous structure after the porous structure has been dimensionally reduced, and holding the outer section in a dimensionally reduced, nonporous state relative to the inner section.
US08001885B2

Disclosed is an apparatus, method and kit for use with a beverage producing device. Included are a fitting and an insulating tube for insulating water being introduced into a heated water tank from heated water retained in the tank. Use of an insulating tube helps to reduce the heat transfer between the heated water retained in the tank and the water being introduced to the tank.
US08001884B2

A swivel motor has a plurality of work chambers and a join system between the work chambers that joins the work chambers at least by pairs. The arrangement of the joined work chambers is carried out in such a way that the work chambers which are connected to the first pressure medium connection alternate with those which are connected to the second pressure medium connection. At least two work chambers associated with different pressure medium connections are connected to a pressure compensation element, and the pressure compensation element is formed by a compensation space that is divided by a movable dividing element. A partial compensation space is connected in each instance to at least one work chamber of a pressure medium connection, and the dividing element is held in an initial position by oppositely acting springs. The spring force characteristic is formed by a spring arrangement which comprises a plurality of springs and has at least one coil spring and one elastomer spring. At least one volume compensation space is available for the elastomer spring.
US08001872B2

Embodiments of an improved jar opener and method for loosening jar lids particularly suitable for persons with arthritic hands are generally described herein. The jar opener includes first and second leveraging elements coupled by a threaded rod and a dual-axis hinge assembly. The jar opener includes curved cut-out regions of different curvatures and the dual-axis hinge assembly includes selectable pivot points to accept jar lids of various diameters.
US08001871B2

A corkscrew (1) with fulcrum moving and acting alternately in two different positions: the first one to screw the worm into the cork; the second one to extract it. The three operations (screwing, extracting and ejecting the cork) take place with a single reciprocating movement of two-lever (12).
US08001864B2

An actuation force transmission mechanism is provided that can be interposed between a shift actuator and a shift shaft. The mechanism can include: first and second coupling parts that can be coupled for movement relative to each other in sliding directions; a biasing mechanism that can be configured for urging the first and second coupling parts toward a neutral position; and a stopper mechanism that can be configured for stopping relative movement of one of the first and second coupling parts when moved relatively from the neutral position against an urging force of the biasing mechanism. When the shift actuator is stroked by a predetermined amount, the first coupling part can move relative to the second coupling part against the urging force until the first coupling part is stopped by the stopper mechanism, at which point, the first and second coupling parts can move together.
US08001855B2

A fluid transferring apparatus includes a frame, a sample inlet chamber, a filling channel, a plurality of filling passageways, a plurality of test wells, and a plurality of venting passageways. The sample inlet chamber is disposed within the frame. The filling channel is disposed on the frame and connected to the sample inlet chamber, wherein the filling channel has a top part above the outlet of the sample inlet chamber. The filling passageways are disposed on the frame and connected to the filling channel. The test wells are disposed within the frame and connected to the filling passageways respectively, wherein the test wells are below the top part of the filling channel. The venting passageways are connected to the test wells respectively.
US08001851B2

A rotation sensor includes a first rotor constituted by a magnetic material and having an outer face that has first conductive layers disposed in two levels as viewed in the direction of a rotation axis and second conductive layers disposed outwardly of and between the first conductive layers, a second rotor having metal members corresponding to the first conductive layers of the first rotor, and a stationary core having a stationary core body that accommodates therein two exciting coils that are spaced from each other in the direction of the rotation axis. The second rotor is disposed between the first rotor mounted to a first shaft and the stationary core fixed to a stationary member, and is mounted to a second shaft which is rotatable relative to the first shaft.
US08001847B2

There is provided a Coriolis mass flowmeter. The flowmeter is configured to vibrate a pipe line through which a fluid flows and measure a mass flow rate of the fluid flowing through the pipe line, based on a phase difference between an upstream vibration signal and a downstream vibration signal, wherein the upstream vibration signal is detected in an upstream side of the pipe line, and the downstream vibration signal is detected in a downstream side of the pipe line.
US08001842B2

A method and apparatus for effecting ultrasonic flaw detection of an object processes an echo signal received from the object being tested in at least three signal channels, wherein the echo signal is scaled to different degrees along each channel to increase and extend the dynamic range of an associated A/D converter system, in a manner which dispenses with the need for using numerous analog high pass and low pass filters and a variable gain amplifier. This reduces complexity and avoids performance limitations. The digital to analog converters sample the differently scaled input signal and a selection circuit selects the output of the digital output obtained from that analog to digital converter which has the highest gain, but which has not overflowed. The digital outputs are seamlessly merged to produce an output that can be displayed as a scan display which shows the location of faults.
US08001838B2

A sensing device obtains range-related data—such as Doppler data or pulse time-of-flight data—from a sports projectile during flight. The time course of the range-related data is employed, in light of predictable characteristics of the projectile trajectory, to determine and output an accurate determination of the projectile speed for one or more points of interest in its flight. Such determination of speed may, for instance, be the speed at the time of projectile release, even though range-related data is gathered later in the flight, when the projectile is traveling neither so fast, nor straight at the sensor. Such sensing device may employ inexpensive short-range acoustic Doppler, and be incorporated into a target device that automatically displays to a pitcher-in-training the speed and ball/strike condition of each pitch.
US08001833B2

A method for determining the trapping efficiency and/or a scavenging air mass of an internal combustion engine has the steps of: for operating points (BP), in which a scavenging of a cylinder of the internal combustion engine with air takes places, an efficiency curve (ηKL, ηKL,M1) of the internal combustion engine is created as a function of an injection mass (mK) of fuel in the cylinder, and on the basis of the efficiency curve (ηKL, ηKL,M1) an optimum injection mass (mK,opt) for an optimum efficiency (ηopt,1) of the internal combustion engine is determined, which is a measure for the trapping efficiency and/or a measure for the scavenging air mass of the internal combustion engine.
US08001831B2

There is provided a scanning probe microscope employing a positioning apparatus M1 including a unit to be driven in XY direction having a substantially square form in plane geometry at the center of the plane in the XY directions and having a first elastic support that bends in the X-axis direction at least on one side of the square form and a second elastic support that bends in the Y-axis direction at least on one side orthogonal to the side and a support unit that supports a stage unit 1 in the XY directions such that the facing surface can face in parallel against the facing surface of the unit to be driven in the XY directions. The positioning apparatus has a space of a predetermined thickness between the surface corresponding to the unit to be driven in the XY directions at least and the facing surface of the support unit that faces against it, and the space is filled with a viscosity agent.
US08001827B2

A sensor is provided, in particular a gas sensor for determining the concentration of a gas component in a measuring gas, which has a sensor element that projects from a housing by a measuring-gas-side end section exposed to the measuring gas, and a sheath tube having gas passageways, which is placed over the measuring-gas-side end section and affixed on the housing. To prevent condensation of water vapor contained in the measuring gas in the measuring space enclosed by the housing and the sheath tube, and thus the production of water droplets that reach the hot sensor element, sheath tube and/or sensor element are/is thermally decoupled from the housing. The thermal decoupling is produced using, for instance, a flange sleeve made of a material having poor thermal conductivity, which separates the sheath tube from the housing by a flange and, via a sleeve section, is inserted in the space between the housing and the measuring-gas-side end section of the sensor element.
US08001812B2

A security apparatus is disclosed. The security apparatus comprises an attachment device comprising a base, and a locking head configured to secure to the base. The attachment device can be small and strong. The locking head can have a securing element and a locking component, associated with a housing. The locking head may be in a secured configuration upon a single motion or movement of the locking head. The locking head may contain one or more gate structures for securing to the attachment device.
US08001805B2

The present invention discloses improved apparatuses for forming sheet glass. In one embodiment, the invention introduces a structural web that supports the forming structure in a manner such that the thermal creep which inevitably occurs has a minimum impact on the glass flow characteristics of the forming structure.
US08001804B2

A frame assembly for use with jewelry including earrings, pins, pendants, necklaces, charms and for use with ornaments including Christmas tree ornaments (e.g. display articles) that includes a plurality of legs that are coupled, in such a way to permit swinging, to a vertical member that is attached to the display articles. Each leg includes a ring assembly through which extends another ring either one or both of which may include a pair of hubs that are placed on the outer surface of the rings and such additional ring is coupled to a decorative element.
US08001801B2

The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a water filter, a water filter housing, a water filter cap, and a tool for rotating the water filter cap. Engagement of the tool and the water filter cap and subsequent rotation of the tool thereby rotates the water filter cap and water filter. The tool includes a head portion and a body portion and the head portion is an inverse surface of at least a portion of the water filter cap for mating with the water filter cap.
US08001800B2

Fixed part 21 of a shield panel 20 is fixed to a casing 1 in vicinity of a lower edge of an opening 15. In the shield panel 20, a portion of step part 22 adjoining the fixed part 21, flat part 23 and bent part 24 are placed inside the casing 1. Extremity of the bent part 24 is in contact with an inner side surface of the casing 1 in vicinity of an upper end of the opening 15. Thus invasion of flame into the casing 1 through the upper end of the opening 15 is prevented. Besides, gaps as air circulation paths that are formed between side edges of the opening 15 and the flat part 23 of the shield panel 20 provide ventilation in the casing 1 and improve efficiency of cooling electrical components in an electrical component box 10.
US08001788B2

A method and apparatus for preparing pulverized coal used in the production of synthesis gas combusted in gas turbines used in integrated gasification combined cycle power plants uses gas turbine exhaust gas to dry and convey pulverized coal from a pulverizer to a coal/gas separation device.
US08001787B2

A transition duct support system for a transition duct that channels hot gases from a combustor exit to a gas turbine inlet of a turbine engine. The transition duct support system includes a transition support frame formed from a body positioned around a transition duct body at an outlet transition section. The transition support frame may include a first inner surface aligned with and positioned proximate to portion of the outlet transition section that is positioned at an oblique angle relative to the outer wall of the transition duct body to limit linear movement of the transition duct body in a first direction. The transition support frame may also include a second inner surface positioned at an oblique angle to limit linear movement of the transition duct body in a second direction opposite the first direction.
US08001784B2

A system that utilizes the naturally superheated fluids available from hydrothermal vents to harness the almost limitless quantities of heat energy they contain. It consists of one major system that has three parts: (i) funnel, (ii) pipes, and (iii) any combination of several mechanical attachments. The recovered heat energy will then be used to drive steam turbines or other equipment for electricity generation, water desalination, or any other thermal energy use. It could also be simultaneously or separately fed into resource recovery equipment for the recovery of valuable metals, minerals, and chemicals without system modification.
US08001776B2

The invention relates to a hydraulic circuit arrangement for setting the delivery volume of a pump, with an electrically activatable control-valve unit, by means of which, alternately, an active side of a servo system can be acted upon with pressure and, at the same time, its passive side can be relieved to the tank, and with a device for pressure limiting pressure regulation, which comprises pressure limiting valves, by means of which the working lines of the pump can be connected to the servo lines. To reduce the servo pressure load and improve the reaction time, check valves which shut off in the direction of the servo system are provided, by means of which the two servo sides can be connected in each case to the charge pressure via a relief line. Moreover, the device for Pressure limiting pressure regulation comprises an orifice which can be positioned in a line leading to the passive servo side. The invention relates, furthermore, to a method for pressure.
US08001773B2

The invention relates to an apparatus for producing hot gas with a first combustion chamber (2) to burn fuel (17). The first combustion chamber features an open (5) and a closed end (36), and the first combustion chamber has a fuel inlet (13) arranged at its closed end. A second combustion chamber (35) encloses the first combustion chamber, with the second combustion chamber featuring a discharge outlet (37) for the hot gas, and the second combustion chamber featuring a closed end at which an inlet for combustion air (39) is arranged.
US08001763B2

A turbine engine provides a spool supporting a turbine. The spool is arranged in a core nacelle and includes a thrust bearing. A fan is arranged upstream from the core nacelle and is coupled to the spool. A fan nacelle surrounds the fan and core nacelle and provides a bypass flow path that includes a fan nozzle exit area. A flow control device is adapted to effectively change the fan nozzle exit area. A controller is programmed to monitor the thrust bearing and command the flow control device in response to an undesired load on the thrust bearing. Effectively changing the fan nozzle exit area with the flow control device actively manages the bearing thrust load to desired levels.
US08001755B2

An adjustable and foldable V-shaped hay rake is an agricultural tool used for raking hay on fields, in which, for each arm of the hay rake, all the mechanisms for moving the arm are centered on a single adjustable master support plate.
US08001752B1

An auxiliary device is adapted to be electrically connected to a lawn mower, and includes a connecting unit having a first arcuate rack member, a housing turnably mounted on the connecting unit, a guard member turnably mounted on the housing and having a second arcuate rack member, and first and second pinions meshed with the first and second arcuate rack members, respectively. A sweeping area of a grass cutting member is adjusted by turning of the housing between a first position to increase a mowing area and to place a skirt portion of the guard member rearwardly of the grass cutting member, and a second position to enable the grass cutting member to be operated on an obstructed area and to place the skirt portion upwardly of the grass cutting member.
US08001746B2

An apparatus and a method are described for manufacturing and/or packaging of multiple items simultaneously, in particular the handling and placement for packaging of the items on an assembly line. In particular, the apparatus and method are for use in changing the center spacing of the simultaneously manufactured items between two locations on the assembly line.
US08001745B2

Material usage tracking systems for monitoring and optimizing usage of stretch film on a stretch wrapping machine is provided. A system includes a rotary encoder collar securable to a pre-stretch roller of a stretch wrapping machine and a proximity sensor securable proximate to the rotary encoder collar. Upon installation, the proximity sensor measures the revolutions of the pre-stretch roller when the stretch wrapping machine is wrapping a product or pallet. The system also includes a controller in communication with the proximity sensor. The controller converts the revolutions of the pre-stretch roller to measurements of the amount of stretch film pulled off a film roll in the stretch wrapping machine based on data received from the proximity sensor. Different uses for the data collected by the material usage tracking system and different ways of presentation of the data are also provided.
US08001744B1

A process for grouting floors using a two-part reactive epoxy grout formulation comprising two distinct components (parts) which can utilize a two-part cartridge for storing, metering and having a means of attaching a static mixer tube to the front of the cartridge for inline mixing of the epoxy components as they are being dispensed directly into the grout joint. The cartridge contains a resin and pre-colored hardener, which maybe heated to accelerate the cure speed in cold environments if necessary, mixed, and applied to an empty grout joint-line by means of a static mixer tube that acts as a mixer-nozzle. Masking tape or other protective material is placed on both sides of the joint-line prior to grouting to prevent epoxy contacting tile faces. The grout is dispensed directly into the grout joint by the applicator gun pressurizing the cartridge pistons to flow epoxy resin and hardener in the correct mix ratio through the static mixing nozzle. A leveling tool is used to even out the dispensed grout into the grout joint and remove excess material before curing. By means of the reactivity of the hardener and resin, which are mixed in the proper stoichiometric ratios, the epoxy will cure in the designed period of time to allow full use within hours after application. A two-part methyl methacrylate grout formulation can be used in grouting new tiled floors or regrouting existing tiled floors with the same procedures as the two part reactive epoxy grout.
US08001738B2

An airloop wall system with durable water-tightness performance is disclosed. The system comprises a base anchor member secured to a top surface of a first floor slab, a base track connected to the base anchor, a base flashing for repelling moisture, a first ceiling anchor member secured to a bottom surface of the first floor slab, a first ceiling track connected to the first ceiling anchor member, a slab edge panel attached to the base track and the first ceiling track, a second ceiling anchor member secured to a bottom surface of a second floor slab, a second ceiling track connected to the second ceiling anchor member, a panel sill frame attached to the base track, a panel head frame attached to the second ceiling track, two jamb frames, and a panel secured between the frames. Corners of the frames are miter-matched such that air spaces inside form an airloop.
US08001727B2

A weatherstrip assembly is provided for a motor vehicle door frame. The weatherstrip assembly includes a sealing molding having a mounting portion adapted to be attached to the door frame. The weatherstrip assembly also includes an insert having a main body and a head fixedly secured thereto. The head is disposed within the mounting portion of the sealing molding. The insert and the sealing molding define an insert cavity therebetween. A molding substrate is disposed within the insert cavity to bond the insert with the sealing molding and provide a finished appearance at one end of the sealing molding.
US08001725B2

A shaft such as a worm drive shaft for a movable barrier operator is disclosed. The shaft includes at least two shaft segments having connection ends. The shaft segments include respective connection ends permitting a first connection end to be joined with a second connection end by inserting a portion of at least one of the connection ends within the other connection end along the longitudinal axis of the shaft. The shaft segments may be retained by a resiliently expandable connector such as a snap ring. The connector may expand to permit the joining and then contract to be received within a surface recess on a connection end. The connector may be part of or pre-assembled on a connection end, such as by being positioned within a surface recess thereof. The connector may provide a pre-determined position for joining the first and second connection ends.
US08001723B2

The present invention is to provide a technology capable of planting seedlings in soil in planting ground such as dry land and allowing the seedling to root securely and grow without artificially supplying water continuously. Not only is a seedling fixed inside an upper opening portion of a tube having a length to a deep water-containing layer in the planting ground but also a growing medium is put inside the tube at a hardness that allows the root of the seedling to grow long downward, and the root of the seedling is allowed to grow below the tube, thereby obtaining the seedling having a long root. A vertical hole having approximately the same diameter as that of the tube is dug in the ground of the planting ground until reaching a soil layer having water quality and water quantity necessary for growth of plant, the seedling having the long root is buried in the vertical hole together with the tube, thereby planting the seedling in the planting ground.
US08001721B2

To provide a system for producing safe and high nutrition vegetables at low cost.A plant cultivation system for cultivating a plant on a nonporous hydrophilic film, which comprises a nonporous hydrophilic film and a feeding means for supplying water or a nutrient fluid to the lower surface of the film in the absence of a hydroponic tank for accommodating water or a nutrient fluid and cultivating a plant therein. As the feeding means, use is made of a water absorbing material which is in contact with the film and which is disposed between the film and a water impermeable material. A system for producing safe and high nutrition vegetables at low cost can be obtained by disposing the water impermeable material directly on ground soil, whereupon the water absorbing material and an irrigation tube are disposed, followed by disposing the film thereon.
US08001720B2

A data processing apparatus includes a mask processor for performing a mask process for binary data, which is obtained by a binarization process using a dot arrangement pattern, by using mask patterns having print permitting pixels to generate binary data used for each of a plurality of scans of a print head to a same area of a print medium. An arrangement pattern of pixels that correspond to both of first data representing the print permitting pixels in at least one of the mask patterns and second data representing pixels to which dots are printed in the dot arrangement pattern satisfies the characteristics of (a) power spectrums of a low frequency region are smaller than power spectrums of a high frequency region, and (b) a peak of the power spectrums does not exist in a region lower side of half of the low frequency region.
US08001714B2

A scope may include an adjustment dial, which may be moved among a plurality of positions to configure the scope to compensate for projectile drops. The adjustment dial may be labeled with dial-calibration data, which may include one or more distance indicators and/or one or more windage hold-off indicators. The scope may be attached to a gun and the dial-calibration data may be at least partially generated using ballistics performance data based on shots fired by the gun. The dial-calibration data may be at least partially generated using shooting conditions. An electronic device may include a derived distance calculation module, which may be configured to use a distance to a target and actual shooting conditions to calculate a derived distance. The derived distance may be used in connection with an adjustment dial labeled with dial-calibration data at least partially generated using shooting conditions different from the actual shooting conditions.
US08001710B2

The biodegradable badge has a paper name tag placed within a translucent envelope carried by a lanyard secured to the envelope by at least one clamp. The paper name tag degrades readily. The translucent envelope shows the name tag but upon disposing of the envelope, it degrades in the waste stream and at a landfill. The envelope has a material that degrades rapidly by solar, thermal, and chemical action with minimal release of toxic and volatile organic compounds. The lanyard also degrades readily in the waste stream with material such as textile blends or that of the envelope. The clamp joins the lanyard to the envelope. Designed for single use, the clamp strongly grips the lanyard and then the envelope, and then the clamp degrades when placed in the waste stream. The entire biodegradable badge poses no long-term pollution of the environment as it uses formulations, such as polyethylene terephthalate (g) and poly lactic acid, along with natural fibers such as cotton and wool.
US08001707B2

Various exemplary embodiments are provided of wheeled shovels. In one exemplary embodiment, a wheeled shovel generally includes a frame, a wheel, a handle, and a pivotable or steerable shovel blade. A pivot couples the shovel blade to the lower portion of the frame, such that the shovel blade is pivotable or steerable relative to the frame about a pivot axis.
US08001699B2

An electronic device for impressioning a lock comprises a housing having a key decoder secured to the housing and a connector for connection to electronic circuitry. A key decoder portion extends from the housing for insertion into a keyway. A groove extends along a surface of the key decoder. An insulated conductor is positioned in the groove. An exposed portion serves as a reader of wafers positions in the keyway as the key decoder slides through the keyway. An electrical measuring device is secured to the housing and includes a slidable member including the reader, both of which are connected through a sensor interface included in the housing. When the reader engages and disengages with a wafer, the measuring device transmits electrical signals to the electronic circuitry which mathematically calculates a cut in a key blank for each wafer using stored programs for fitting a key to the lock.
US08001697B2

A portable articulated arm coordinate measurement device is provided. The coordinate measurement device includes a base and an articulated arm portion having at least one arm segment. A biasing member is coupled on a first end to the base and on a second end to the articulated arm portion. The first end of the biasing member is movable between a first position and a second position. An adjuster is coupled between the base and the biasing member. The adjuster is coupled to move the first end of the biasing member from the first position to the second position.
US08001695B2

An axle guide assembly for a drywall coating box. The axle guide assembly comprises one or more, preferably two, axle guides. Each axle guide is a clip that fits onto an axle of a drywall coating box in order to allow coating mud to be applied to the outside of a corner bead. As the axle guide assembly is slid down the corner bead, mud is applied to the corner bead.
US08001671B2

A method for using an insulated holder is provided. The holder includes first and second polarized magnetic materials positioned at the sleeve portion. The first and second polarized magnetic materials each have first and second poles, the first pole of the first polarized magnetic material being positioned opposite and adjacent to the second pole of the second magnetic material and the second pole of the first polarized magnetic material being positioned opposite and adjacent to the first pole of the second magnetic material. The holder is placed adjacent to and in contact with said mounting surface.
US08001663B2

One embodiment of the present invention relates to an automatically locking carabiner system including a frame, a gate, a gate biasing system, and a gate locking system. The frame and gate form a continuously enclosed inner region in a closed configuration with respect to the frame. When in an engaged state, the gate locking system is configured to automatically lock the gate in the closed configuration with respect to the frame. The gate locking system may include a trigger coupled to the frame such that the position of the trigger corresponds to the state of the gate locking system. The trigger may be positioned on an opposite side of the frame from the gate with respect to the inner region. The force required to disengage the gate locking system may be substantially opposite that which is required to transition the gate to the open configuration with respect to the frame.
US08001662B1

A clip device for releasably securing objects together is provided. The clip device comprises a clip body with a first slot formed in the clip body and a second slot formed in the clip body substantially parallel to the first slot. A cross member divides the first slot from the second slot. A faceplate substantially parallel to the cross member is formed in the clip body with the faceplate having a substantially planar front face surface and a rear face surface. A finger extends from the front face surface with the finger curling back toward the front face surface. An opening is formed through the faceplate wherein upon positioning of the front face surfaces of two adjacent clip bodies together, the finger is releasably receivable within the opening formed in the front faceplate.
US08001661B2

An ornamental device includes a first member adapted to be coupled to a personal item. The first member has a first end having a sidewall. A second member is releasably engagable with the first member, and is provided with a recess that receives the first end of the first member when the first and second members are engaged. The second member has a flange that contacts the sidewall of the first member substantially along a width of the sidewall when the first and second members are engaged. The first and second members are magnetically coupled, such that the magnetic interaction, and the interaction of the flange with the sidewall, secures a decorative second member to a personal item in a selected location.
US08001656B2

A handle has at least one holding plate which can be mounted in an opening in a thin wall such as a sheet-metal cabinet door, a head part, such as a flange or olive-shaped handle, which overlaps the rim of the opening of the thin wall on its (outer) side, and a body part which proceeds from the head part and can be pushed through the opening in the thin wall, and a holding part which is carried by the body part, supported on the other (rear) side of the thin wall, and is separate from the body part, wherein the holding part is formed by holding elements which project in a flexible manner from the body part in the direction of its outer surface and whose free end has an inclined surface for supporting the body part on the rim or edge of the opening without play.
US08001648B2

A skin cleanser device may include a cleanser member including a cleanser surface configured to be moved in contact with skin. The cleanser surface may be defined by an elastically deformable synthetic material other than a foam, and may include cavities that include undercuts.
US08001630B2

A child containment system has a child containment structure with a bottom and a perimeter side wall surrounding the bottom. The system has a removable bassinet with a bottom panel and a surrounding wall around the bottom panel. The bassinet is mounted to the perimeter side wall of the child containment structure with the bottom panel elevated above the bottom. The system also has an infant sleeping apparatus with a fabric panel having a top surface. The infant sleeping apparatus is removably mounted to the child containment structure with the fabric panel suspended above the bottom panel of the bassinet.
US08001628B2

The present invention is directed to methods and apparatus for tempering the temperature of a liquid in a fluid conducting system. More particularly, some embodiments of the invention relates to tempering the temperature of water supplied to a fixture from a water heater in a fluid conducting system. The system can include a heater for heating the fluid and a diffuser for slowing the rate at which water provided to a decontamination fixture is heated.
US08001627B2

A portable main drain utilizing top and bottom walls with an attached flexible conduit for the removal of debris from bodies of water, ponds or spas, which operates with suction at the cleaner suction port and/or the skimmer from the circulation pump. The bottom wall has four cork feet to support the portable main drain. A flow regulator is positioned where the flexible conduit connects to the suction port. The top wall contains an internal annular wall projecting downwardly to form a flow-regulating gap with the bottom wall to thereby divide the water flow at about 30% from the ports in the bottom wall into a manifold that is supplied with the remaining portion of water by the ports in the top wall.
US08001622B1

A pad (10), a plurality of which can be positioned in a helmet (21) or the like for comfort and protection, includes a first generally rectangular fabric material (11) having truncated corners (25). A first generally rectangular foam material (12) having truncated corners (24) includes a top surface, a bottom surface, and side surfaces (18), the top surface being attached to the first fabric material (11). A second generally rectangular foam material (14) having truncated corners (22) includes a top surface, a bottom surface, and side surfaces (19) having a scallop (23), the top surface being attached to the bottom surface of the first foam material (14). A second generally rectangular fabric material (16) having truncated corners (22) and sides having a scallop (23) is attached to the bottom surface of the second foam material (14). The side surfaces (18, 19) of the first and second foam materials (12, 14) are exposed. The first foam material (12) is an open-celled polyurethane, and the second foam material (14) is an impact rate dependent polyurethane having a thickness at least as great or greater than the thickness of the first foam material (12).
US08001620B2

A temperature sensing glove (101) is provided. The glove includes a temperature sensor (131); a plurality of memory locations; and assigning means (121, 123) for assigning a temperature reading made by the temperature sensor to one of the plurality of memory locations.
US08001618B2

A ventilated and water-resistant garment is provided. The ventilated garment has at least one vent disposed in a wind-resistant protective material layer and has a closure to selectively permit fluid flow through the vent. A breathable material underlies the vent. The vent has a securing strap with a fastener that secures with a complementary fastener to ensure that the breathable material is substantially exposed to promote fluid flow through the breathable material. A pair of vents is preferably provided in the garment with each have a securing strap with a fastener that removably engages with the complementary fastener on the other securing strap to enhance flow through the vents. Further, double-vent water-resistant openings are provided, having a primary and a secondary closable opening, which can be offset from one another to enhance water and fluid impermeability while providing ventilation.
US08006315B2

The present invention relates to an indirect-gap semiconductor substrate, the gap being greater than that of silicon and preferably greater than 1.5 eV, to its use for imaging a specimen by photon-emission scanning tunnel microscopy, and to a photon-emission scanning tunnel imaging method using such an indirect-gap semiconductor substrate. Advantageously, the indirect-gap semiconductor substrate is made of silicon carbide. The present invention also relates to devices for implementing the imaging method according to the invention.
US08006312B2

To provide a system which allows large volumes of data to be exchanged efficiently through network connections using portable terminals. An example data communications system includes a data terminal which stores certain data; and an operation terminal which controls access rights to the data stored in the data terminal, in which the operation terminal grants another operation terminal access rights to desired data. The data terminal returns the data according to an access request made based on the access rights. On the other hand, the operation terminal passes the acquired access rights to the data terminal, which then accesses the data terminal via a high-speed, stable, wired network and acquires the desired data, based on the access rights.
US08006311B2

A movie anti-piracy system with sensing and reporting is provided. An anti-piracy subsystem is utilized to preclude, interfere with and/or prevent copying of the movie. Anti-piracy compliance sensing selectively provides compliance violation signals respectively to a sensor response controller. The controller is responsive to the compliance violation signals to provide a violation status (and other data) signal output to a control center. The control center responds to the violation status and other data signals, from one or a plurality of theaters, and provides for reporting of information (such as security compliance, attendance, etc.) to one or multiple reporting sites (such as movie distribution studios, etc.). In a preferred embodiment, the control center determines whether there are violations of providing of anti-piracy protection within a theater (or theaters) and provides reporting on the anti-piracy compliance status and data. If a violation is indicated, then the control center sends a violation signal such as to the sensor response controller which can trigger an alarm and/or activate a violation inhibit output to shut down the movie projector and/or communicate to the control center for reporting purposes.
US08006310B2

A disk control unit of a storage system stores identifies of initiators that are capable of communications with storage devices and information of the storage devices correlated with the initiators. When an initiator performs a discovery processing, the disk control unit judges based on the information correlated with the initiator whether or not the initiator accessing to a storage device is illegal, and denies the access if illegal.
US08006309B2

An interface receives, in a ticket request, service ID data designating a service to be provided, together with user ID data and apparatus ID data, from an external apparatus, and receives a cancellation request including the user ID data and the apparatus ID data from the external apparatus. A processor produces a result of an authentication based on the user ID data and the apparatus ID data upon a reception of the ticket request, and deletes, from a memory, the apparatus ID data after deleting, from the memory, the service ID data, when the interface receives, from the external apparatus, the cancellation request requesting a deletion of the apparatus ID data. The interface transmits a ticket to the external apparatus, in response to the reception of the ticket request, based on the result of the authentication based on the user ID data and the apparatus ID data.
US08006306B2

A system, method and computer program product for exploit-based worm detection and mitigation are disclosed. The system, method, and computer program product are configured to identify a signature representing content prevalent in network traffic, determine if the traffic including the signature exhibits propagation, determine if the traffic including the signature exhibits connectedness, and generate a worm signature based on the signature if the signature exhibits both connectedness and propagation.
US08006305B2

A computer worm defense system comprises multiple containment systems tied together by a management system. Each containment system is deployed on a separate communication network and contains a worm sensor and a blocking system. Computer worm identifiers generated by a worm sensor of one containment system can be provided not only to the blocking system of the same containment system, but can also be distributed by the management system to blocking systems of other containment systems.
US08006303B1

Intrusion protection. A first packet en route to a first destination is received. A first value representing a benefit for analyzing the first packet for intrusions in relation to a cost for analyzing the first packet for intrusions is automatically determined. An automatic determination is made that the first value is sufficiently high to warrant an analysis of the first packet for intrusions, and in response, the first packet is analyzed for intrusions. If the analysis of the first packet for intrusions indicates an intrusion, the first packet is discarded without forwarding the first packet to the first destination. A second packet en route to a second destination is received. A second value representing a benefit for analyzing the second packet for intrusions in relation to a cost for analyzing the second packet for intrusions is automatically determined. An automatic determination is made that the second value is not sufficiently high to warrant analysis of the second packet for intrusions, and in response, the second packet is forwarded to a next hop en route to the second destination without analyzing the second packet for intrusions.
US08006302B2

A system for detecting unauthorised use of a network is provided with a pattern matching engine for searching attack signatures into data packets, and with a response analysis engine for detecting response signatures into data packets sent back from an attacked network/computer. When a suspect signature has been detected into a packet, the system enters an alarm status starting a monitoring process on the packets sent back from the potentially attacked network/computer. An alarm is generated only in case the analysis of the response packets produces as well a positive result. Such intrusion detection system is much less prone to false positives and misdiagnosis than a conventional pattern matching intrusion detection system.
US08006301B2

A method for computer security, includes intercepting an incoming communication, placing the communication into a quarantine queue, selecting a communication from the quarantine queue, determining whether the selected communication contains undesirable code, determining whether a quarantine time for the selected communication has lapsed if the selected communication does not contain undesirable code and placing the selected communication back in the quarantine queue if the quarantine time has not elapsed.
US08006293B2

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.
US08006280B1

Improved system and approaches for decentralized key generation are disclosed. The keys that can be generated include both public keys and private keys. The public keys are arbitrary strings that embed or encode access restrictions. The access restrictions are used to enforce access control policies. The public keys are used to encrypt some or all portions of files. The private keys can be generated to decrypt the portions of the files that have been encrypted with the public keys. By generating keys in a decentralized manner, not only are key distribution burdens substantially eliminated but also off-line access to encrypted files is facilitated.
US08006277B2

A method for providing power to a boost device in a high-speed cable connected between a transmitting data source device and a receiving data sink device is described. The method comprises receiving differential data signals from the data source device in a differential input circuit of the boost device; boosting at least one of the received differential data signals into a boosted differential data signal; transmitting the boosted differential data signal from a differential output circuit of the boost device to the receiving data sink device; and obtaining power to operate at least some of the circuitry of the boost device from the data sink device through its connection with the differential output circuit, for example, providing at least some of the power to operate the processing block. A corresponding high-speed cable is also described.
US08006273B2

A method provides download options for purchasable recordable media (PRM). The method includes storing a download option associated with a PRM content instance, updating the option, and transmitting the option to a digital home communication terminal. The option includes a time at which the PRM content instance is downloadable from a digital content delivery system. The update and transmit occurs in response to a change in availability of resources for transmitting the PRM content instance to a subscriber. Another method includes providing a download option to a user. The option is associated with a PRM content instance and includes an indication of a time at which the PRM content instance is available for download from the remote server. The option is updated responsive to a change in availability of the option due to a change in download resources that are associated with transmitting the PRM content instance to the subscriber.
US08006253B2

Methods for serializing and deserializing a program object are disclosed. Serialized data may be generated to convey a representation of the program object. The serialized data may include data identifying a class for the program object, and a data type and at least one data value for each data member comprising the program object. The program object may be reconstructed from the serialized data according to a definition of the identified class. A received data member may be reconstructed if the received data type is an expected data type according to the class definition. A received data member may be ignored if the expected data type according to the class definition is a null data type. Default data may be substituted for a received null data member if the expected data type according to the class definition is not a null data type. The received data type may be converted to an expected data type according to the class definition.
US08006251B2

To provide a technology capable of maintaining the consistency of a managed object even when an existing operation program is used for manipulation without modifying the existing operation program when the managed object itself on an execution base is expanded. An operation consistency maintenance method for an operation consistency maintenance system which maintains operation consistency of an application which operates on an application server comprises reading, from a storage device, manipulation control information indicating a manipulation control method when middleware is manipulated from an application operation program, and transmitting a call for inhibiting a manipulation request or for changing a calling operation function based on the read manipulation control information to the application server by a communication device; and receiving the call by the application server by means of the communication device, and calling either an application operation function or a middleware operation function indicated by the received call.
US08006250B1

An application programming interface is provided in an object-oriented programming platform for developing applications. A method comprises, in response to a first message received at a first object that contains one or more properties, creating a second object that responds to a second message sent thereto responsive to sending of the first message to the first object and returning the second object. By returning, for example, key-value collection proxies by specific key-value coding methods a read-only or a read-write access may be allowed to a collection of a container object's related objects. A specific implementation of one object's class may change over time without requiring changes in another object's implementation.
US08006247B2

A real-time operating system (RTOS) for use with minimal-memory controllers has a kernel for managing task execution, including context switching, a plurality of defined tasks, individual ones of the tasks having subroutines callable in nested levels for accomplishing tasks. In the RTOS context switching is constrained to occur only at task level, and cannot occur at any lower sub-routine level. This system can operate with a single call . . . return stack, saving memory requirement. The single stack can be implemented as either a general-purpose stack or as a hardware call . . . return stack. In other embodiments novel methods are taught for generating return addresses, and for using timing functions in a RTOS.
US08006245B2

A system and method are provided for state management and workflow control. The system includes a metadata based state management system that can be used as a workflow control system. The system enables business rules to be separated from application logic, thus allowing businesses to easily change rules and adapt and respond to competition without requiring code changes. The system preferably includes database tables that interface with procedure calls in order to manage transactions in accordance with business rules. The business rules may include action permission rules that determine if a user is in a required state before allowing a selected action. A second set of rules determines an updated user state based on user actions.
US08006243B2

A method and apparatus for remote installation of network drivers and software. The present invention provides for the remote installation of a rerouting driver into the network driver interface in the path between one or more media access control units and one or more protocol drivers in a computer system. Code in the network driver interface is disabled, patched to insert the rerouting driver, and then re-enabled. The disabling and re-enabling of the code is performed such that the computer system does not have to be restarted following installation of the patch.
US08006238B2

A process, compiler, computer program product and system for workload partitioning in a heterogeneous system. The process includes determining heterogeneous alignment constraints in the workload, partitioning a portion of tasks to a processing element sensitive to alignment constraints, and partitioning a remaining portion of tasks to a processing element not sensitive to alignment constraints.
US08006230B2

Described are methods, apparatus and computer programs for determining run-time dependencies between logical components of a data processing environment. Components of the data processing environment are monitored by monitoring agents accessing run-time activity data via APIs of the managed system. A dependency generator identifies correlations between the run-time activity of the monitored components. For synchronous monitored systems, the dependency generator calculates an activity period for monitored components and determines which component's activity periods contain the activity periods of other components. Containment is used as an indicator of a likely dependency relationship, and a weighting is computed for each dependency relationship based on the consistency of containment.
US08006223B2

A system for estimating and generating project plans for implementing packaged software applications, the system includes: a view layer configured to act as a user interface for user inputs and system outputs; a model and control layer configured to implement rules based on a series of estimation and implementation models, and to perform calculations of project plan details and project plan schedules; an estimation knowledge base layer configured to hold and derive the series of estimation and implementation models; and wherein the system for estimating and generating multi-dimensional project plans for implementing packaged software applications is carried out over networks comprising: the Internet, intranets, local area networks (LAN), and wireless local area networks (WLAN).
US08006222B2

A method of software release planning. The method comprises the steps of assigning stakeholder priorities to a set of requirements for software; explicitly defining a set of constraints on the requirements; and operating on the stakeholder priorities with algorithms using a computer, subject to the constraints, to generate at least one release plan solution. Priorities are balanced between priorities of multiple stakeholders, and between the impact of various release plan solutions on project time, overall benefit, and quality of the software. A set of near optimal and maximally distinct solutions is generated.
US08006220B2

A method and system for performing multi-objective optimization of a multi-parameter design having several variables and performance metrics. The optimization objectives include the performance values of surrogate models of the performance metrics and the uncertainty in the surrogate models. The uncertainty is always maximized while the performance metrics can be maximized or minimized in accordance with the definitions of the respective performance metrics. Alternatively, one of the optimization objectives can be the value of a user-defined cost function of the multi-parameter design, the cost function depending from the performance metrics and/or the variables. In this case, the other objective is the uncertainty of the cost function, which is maximized. The multi-parameter designs include electrical circuit designs such as analog, mixed-signal, and custom digital circuits.
US08006217B2

To reduce current consumption in a frequency-division circuit, particularly in a multistage frequency-division circuit, in a multistage frequency-division circuit, an inputted signal has a higher frequency in a preceding stage, and an inputted signal has a lower frequency in a following stage. Thus, placement is performed preferentially from the basic cell corresponding to the frequency-division circuit into which a signal having a higher frequency is inputted, and then wiring connection is performed. In other words, the layout of a plurality of basic cells corresponding to a multistage frequency-division circuit is performed so that, as compared to a wiring into which a signal having a lower frequency is inputted, a wiring into which a signal having a higher frequency is inputted has a shorter wiring length and has less intersection with other wirings, so that parasitic capacitance and parasitic resistance of the wiring are reduced.
US08006214B2

Techniques for improving efficiency and accuracy of computer-aided design are provided. In one aspect, a method for generating a computer-based representation of a design having one or more shapes is provided comprising the following steps. Each of the shapes in the design is represented with one or more trapezoids, wherein a fixed number of non-vertical lines are used to define an x-coordinate of a left and right base and sides of each trapezoid with intersection points being formed between the non-vertical lines that define the sides. The x-coordinates and intersection points are used to divide the trapezoids into disjoint trapezoids, wherein each disjoint trapezoid is defined by a combination of the same non-vertical lines that are used to define one or more of the trapezoids. An order is assigned to the x-coordinates and intersection points, wherein the x-coordinates and intersection points in the assigned order are representative of the design.
US08006213B2

A design methodology and algorithms for the computer aided design of integrated circuits having clock distribution networks. The clustering of latch distribution tree components is combined with repositioning of such components within clock sector areas. The movement and clustering of components is such that the timing constraints are preserved. The methods is described in terms of reducing and balancing the load inside each clock sector, although the techniques may also be applied to balancing load between clock sectors.
US08006205B2

A semiconductor device layout method is disclosed, wherein vias carrying the same signal are arranged at intervals equal to the minimum value defined by a design rule, and vias carrying different signals are arranged at second intervals that are greater than the minimum value.
US08006203B2

A method is described herein for predicting lateral position information about a feature represented in an integrated circuit layout for use with an integrated circuit fabrication process, where the process projects an image onto a resist. The method includes providing a lateral distribution of intensity values of the image at different depths with the resist. Next, the lateral position of an edge point of the feature is predicted in dependence upon a particular resist development time, and further in dependence upon the image intensity values at more than one depth within the resist.
US08006193B2

A method is provided for allocating resources for users of a service based on whether a user has expressed intent to fully utilize capabilities of the service. If the intent is expressed by a user, an infrastructure is created that enables the user to maintain, via a user interface, artifacts associated with an account of the user on the service. A user that has not yet expressed such intent is presented with a prospective user interface simulating the user interface without enabling the prospective user to maintain the artifacts associated with an account of the prospective user.
US08006192B1

A method of creating a graphical user interface having control(s) to direct any task through a computer system is provided. One application of the user interface is for manipulating a time based stream of information to create a presentation. The methods use a layered graphic file that is accessed by an application program to generate the user interface. Each layer of the graphic file contains a control object to an element of the user interface. The control objects are capable of being revised in order to make alterations to the user interface. Other aspects of the present invention relating to the graphical user interface are also described.
US08006190B2

A device, system, and method are directed towards enabling a user to disambiguate an identity of a member included in a user's social network (USN), and towards enabling an operation to be performed based on information about the member. The USN is determined. The namespace identifier (NID) of the member is received. If the NID is non-unique within the USN, member distinctions are determined for members in the USN who are associated with the same NID. The member distinctions are sent to the user. The user makes a selection of one of the members associated with one of the member distinctions. Based on the selection, information about the selected member is received. The operation is enabled to be performed based on the information about the selected member. The operation may include addressing the selected member, enabling a communication between the user and the selected member, or the like.
US08006189B2

A system and method configured to allow production team members to view, organize and manage production of a motion picture. The system and method allows the production team members to organize the project script; extract the script into scenes and slates; view, organize, select and collaborate on uploaded digital media and takes for each scene as well as uploaded audio, music or special effects that are to be applied to the product. The system tracks versions of the project by monitoring each change as well. The system also allows production member to organize project calendars, tasks associated with projects, contacts, notes, budgeting and other facets of the project. The system incorporates security measures which allow certain members of the production team to only have access to designated high-security material.
US08006185B2

A computer-implemented method of presenting digital content can include displaying several arranged in a staggered formation in a user interface, wherein at least one of the several panes is entirely visible and adjacent panes are partially visible and displayed adjacent to the entirely visible pane, displaying a frame of an item of digital content comprising a sequence of frames in an entirely visible pane and displaying adjacent frames in corresponding adjacent panes, and displaying in the entirely visible pane successive frames of the digital content item by sequentially replacing the frame in the entirely visible pane with an adjacent frame.
US08006178B2

Markup language stylizations that may be applied to a source document are defined in overlay documents such that no special tags or markers are required in the source document to enable stylization via the overlay document. A manifest document defines an association between a source document and one or more overlay documents.
US08006172B2

A parallel iterative decoding system interposed between a network interface and a block memory matrix receives encoded data and both stores the data in a First-In-First-Out (“FIFO”) memory block and processes it through a timing recovery engine. The timing recovery engine delivers to an iterative decoder synchronized data samples and detects cycle slip. The iterative decoder thereafter performs a predetermined number of iterations to decode the data. Responsive to encoded data failing to converge after the predetermined number of iterations, the encoded data is communicated from the FIFO memory to an auxiliary decoder module. The auxiliary iterative error correction code decoder performs a second predetermined number of iterations to decode the data wherein the number of iterations performed by the auxiliary iterative error correction code decoder is greater than the primary iterative error correction code decoder. Converged data from the auxiliary decoder replaces otherwise null data stored in the block matrix memory.
US08006169B2

An RNIC implementation that performs direct data placement to memory where all segments of a particular connection are aligned, or moves data through reassembly buffers where all segments of a particular connection are non-aligned. The type of connection that cuts-through without accessing the reassembly buffers is referred to as a “Fast” connection because it is highly likely to be aligned, while the other type is referred to as a “Slow” connection. When a consumer establishes a connection, it specifies a connection type. The connection type can change from Fast to Slow and back. The invention reduces memory bandwidth, latency, error recovery using TCP retransmit and provides for a “graceful recovery” from an empty receive queue. The implementation also may conduct CRC validation for a majority of inbound DDP segments in the Fast connection before sending a TCP acknowledgement (Ack) confirming segment reception.
US08006154B2

A semiconductor integrated circuit includes a clock generator for generating a second clock signal having a frequency that varies over time by using a first clock signal having a fixed frequency, a test circuit for generating a digital signal according to a difference between a first frequency corresponding to the first clock signal and a second frequency corresponding to the second clock signal by a digital logic operation based on the first clock signal and the second clock signal, and a signal path for outputting the digital signal generated by the test circuit.
US08006152B2

A method comprises generating a test pattern for a device under test (DUT), wherein the DUT comprises a plurality of scan chains coupled to a plurality of multiple input shift registers (MISRs). The plurality of faults detected by a first MISR and by a second MISR are identified. In the event the plurality of faults detected by the first MISR does not include any of the plurality of faults detected by the second MISR and the plurality of faults detected by the second MISR does not include any of the plurality of faults detected by the first MISR, the first MISR and the second MISR are coupled as an independent MISR pair. The test pattern is applied to the DUT to generate a scan chain output. The independent MISR pair captures the scan chain output to generate a test signature. The test signature is compared with a known good signature.
US08006143B2

A semiconductor memory device having a first memory block used when it is determined to be used in a first case, a second memory block used as an alternative of the first memory blocks when it is determined to be used in a second case, a write section that writes determination data into the first memory block for making a determination at the time of the determination and writes the determination data into the second memory block and a read section that reads the determination data written into the first memory block by the write section for making a determination at the time of the determination and reads the determination data written into the second memory block by the write section.
US08006129B2

In an example embodiment the occurrence of the split-brain condition in a High-Availability system, having active and standby processing units, is detected, its cause is diagnosed, and the cause is treated to prevent interruption of service. Diagnosis and treatment procedures are performed at the active processing unit prior to being performed at the standby processing unit.
US08006127B2

A redundant array of independent disks system includes a first storage array with a first target processing module and a first plurality of storage devices. A second storage array includes a second target processing module and a second plurality of storage devices. A data processing module receives a plurality of data blocks for storage in one or more of the first and second plurality of storage devices. The data processing module assigns a first data block of the plurality of data blocks to the first target processing module and a second data block of the plurality of data blocks to the second target processing module. The first and second target processing modules concurrently generate first and second error checking and correcting data based on the first data block, respectively.
US08006126B2

Data validation systems and methods are provided. Data is recorded in N data chunks on one or more storage mediums. A first validation chunk independently associated with said N data chunks comprises first validation information for verifying accuracy of data recorded in said N data chunks. The first validation chunk is associated with a first validation appendix comprising second validation information, wherein the first validation appendix is stored on a first storage medium independent of said one or more storage mediums.
US08006111B1

A file server includes active storage containing frequently accessed files, and active/inactive disk drives for containing infrequently accessed files. Groups of the files having become inactive in the active storage are successively migrated to respective evacuated active/inactive disk drives so that each active/inactive disk drive is loaded with files having a similar probability of access when access to the active/inactive disk drive reaches an inactivity threshold for powering down the active/inactive disk drive. Storage of the active/inactive disk drives is reclaimed when an oldest group of the files is archived or when an active/inactive disk drive is evacuated by migrating files from the active/inactive disk drive to storage having been released in other disk drives by promotion of files for client access to the promoted files. Therefore, recovery of storage can be planned and scheduled in advance and performed efficiently in a background process.
US08006106B2

A method and system for flexibly supplying power to a high-end graphics card is described. The graphics system includes the high-end graphics card and also a configurable power supply module, which is physically separated to the graphics card and connected to a power source external to the graphics system. The configurable power supply module converts a first voltage from the power source to a second voltage for the graphics card, wherein the second voltage satisfies a set of power supply specifications required by the graphics card.
US08006101B2

An encryption device includes a system processor having a first key for encrypting information. The system processor periodically generates random data strings that are also encrypted using the first key. The encryption device also includes a first output for communicating the encrypted information to an external location and a tamper detection module for receiving on a periodic basis the random data strings generated by the system processor. The tamper detection module includes a second key that is the same as the first key, an encryption engine for encrypting the random data strings using the second key, and a second output for communicating the encrypted data strings to the system processor. The tamper detection module is configured to alter the second key upon detection of a tampering event so that the second key is different from the first key.
US08006098B2

The present invention provides methods, systems, computer program products, and methods of doing business whereby legacy host application/system access is integrated with single sign-on in a modern distributed computing environment. A security token used for signing on to the modern computing environment is leveraged, and is mapped to user credentials for the legacy host environment. These user credentials are programmatically inserted into a legacy host data stream, thereby giving the end user the look and feel of seamless access to all applications/systems, including not only modern computing applications/systems but also those residing on (or accessible through) legacy hosts. In addition to providing users with the advantages of single sign-on, the disclosed techniques enable limiting the number of user identifiers and passwords an enterprise has to manage.
US08006096B2

There is described an information processing apparatus, which makes it possible to discriminate the injustice inputting operation from the input error simply committed by the authorized user, in order to prevent the correct password from being illegally found by the injustice intruder. The apparatus includes: a storage section to store a first password, which is represented by a plurality of characters; an input section to input a second password which is represented by a plurality of characters; a comparing section to compare the first password with the second password inputted at the input section; a specifying section to specify a position of unmatched character of the second password when the first password and the second password is unmatched; and a time control section to control time for allowing to input a third password at the input section in accordance with the position specified by the specifying section.
US08006092B2

The invention provides methods for embedding digital watermarks for authentication of printed objects, and corresponding methods for authenticating these objects. One aspect of the invention is a method of embedding a digital watermark in a digital image to be printed on an object. The method embeds an auxiliary signal in the digital image so that the auxiliary signal is substantially imperceptible, yet machine readable. It converts the image to a halftone image using a halftoning process. If copies are made of the printed image, the image characteristics change due a change in the halftoning process used to create the copies. These changes are detected to determine whether a suspect document is authentic.
US08006085B2

A license-management system and method is provided. A method of issuing a proxy certificate includes transmitting a proxy-certificate-issuance-request message to a license server in order for the local license manager to acquire an authority to issue a license by a local license manager; enabling the license server to verify the proxy-certificate-issuance-request message; if the proxy-certificate-issuance-request message is valid, transmitting a proxy certificate to the local license manager by the license server, the proxy certificate including information regarding the authority to issue a license; and verifying the proxy certificate by the local license manager.
US08006073B1

A system and method for management of resource allocation of threads for efficient execution of instructions. Prior to dispatching decoded instructions of a first thread from the instruction fetch unit to a buffer within a scheduler, logic within the instruction fetch unit may determine the buffer is already full of dispatched instructions. However, the logic may also determine that a buffer for a second thread within the core or micro core is available. The second buffer may receive and issue decoded instructions for the first thread until the buffer is becomes unavailable. While the second buffer receives and issues instructions for the first thread, the throughput of the system for the first thread may increase due to a reduction in wait cycles.
US08006066B2

A method for transmitting data of a plurality of data types between a digital processor and a hardware arithmetic-logic unit with at least one associated table memory, first involves preselecting a base address in the table memory that (base address) is dependent on the data type of the data to be transmitted. This is followed by a read and/or write access to the table memory by taking the preselected base address as a starting point for computing the address used for the read/write access in the table memory for each access operation according to an arithmetic computation rule.
US08006059B1

A system and method to facilitate the process of creating end to end storage from a network storage controller to one or more hosts is described. A storage controller management engine provides the network storage controller with configuration information, provisions storage on the network storage controller as one or more logical units, and maps a host to the one or more logical units, to create end to end storage from the network storage controller to the host in a highly automated and user-friendly manner.
US08006056B2

A storage system comprises a plurality of storage arrays, a plurality of controllers selectively coupled to ones of the storage arrays, a network fabric coupling the plurality of controllers, and a processor. The processor is capable of moving control and/or data transfer functions related to a group of elements in the plurality of storage arrays between controllers or storage arrays by transferred management information rather than data.
US08006051B2

A data processing device with maintenance counters reliably stores the maintenance counter values. A data processing device such as a printer has RAM for storing the maintenance counter values, EEPROM segmented into a nonvolatile maintenance counter area and a temporary maintenance counter storage area, and a CPU for updating the maintenance counter values in RAM based on detection of a state change in the printer. The CPU writes the maintenance counter values accumulated in RAM at a predetermined time to the temporary maintenance counter storage area, and at a predetermined time writes the maintenance counter values from the temporary maintenance counter storage area to the nonvolatile maintenance counter area.
US08006049B2

A virtual tape server for implementing a method for exporting one or more logical volumes contained in a source physical volume pool. The method involves an activation of an export clone pool to clone an identity of the source physical volume pool into the export clone pool based on the logical volumes, an exportation of the export clone pool including the logical volumes subsequent to the activation of the export clone pool, and a deactivation of the export clone pool to purge the identity of the source physical volume pool from the export clone pool subsequent to the exportation of the export clone pool.
US08006044B2

Some embodiments of the invention pertain to a memory system containing multiple memory devices, in which one or multiple ones of the memory devices may flexibly be selected at one time for a common operation to be performed by all the selected devices concurrently.
US08006036B2

The present invention comprises a CHA 110 which transmits/receives data to/from an external device, a DKA 140 which transmits/receives data to/from an HDD unit 200, a primary cache unit 120 which has a primary cache memory 124, a secondary cache unit 130 which is installed between the primary cache unit 120 and the DKA 140 and has a secondary cache memory 134, a CCP 121 which stores write target data received by the CHA 110 in the primary cache memory 124, and a CCP 131 which stores the write target data in the secondary cache memory 134, and transfers the write target data stored in the secondary cache memory 134 to the DKA 140.
US08006028B2

Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for enabling memory module slots in a computing system after a repair action, the computing system having a plurality of memory module slots and having at least one memory module installed in one of the memory module slots, that includes: determining, during a boot process for the computing system, whether any of the memory module slots are disabled; and if any of the memory module slots are disabled: retrieving, for each memory module installed in one of the memory module slots, a memory module identifier for that memory module, retrieving, from non-volatile memory of the computing system, previously stored memory module identifiers, determining whether the retrieved memory module identifiers match the previously stored memory module identifiers, and enabling the disabled memory module slots if the retrieved memory module identifiers do not match the previously stored memory module identifiers.
US08006026B2

A multi-port memory, comprising: m (m≧2) input/output ports independent of one another; n (n≧2) memory banks independent of one another; and a route switching circuit capable of optionally setting signal routes of a command, an address, and input/output data between the m input/output ports and the n memory banks, wherein the route switching circuit allocates p (1≦p≦m) input/output ports optionally selected from the m input/output ports to a memory bank optionally selected from the n memory banks.
US08006024B2

The present invention relates generally to a generic fabric interconnect system and method for providing a data path between and among nodes and processing elements within an interconnection fabric. More specifically, there is provided a device accessible by a host processor for expanding access over a first bus to a second bus, the first bus and the second bus each being adapted to separately connect to respective ones of a plurality of bus-compatible devices, each device which comprise a link, a first circuit adapted to couple between the first bus and the link, and a second circuit adapted to couple between the link and the second bus, the first circuit and the second circuit each being operated as a bridge and being operable to (a) send outgoing information serially through said link in a form different from that of the first bus and the second bus (b) approve an initial exchange between the first bus and the second bus in response to pending bus transactions having a characteristic signifying a destination across a device, and (c) allow the host processor, communicating through the first bus, to individually address different selectable ones of the bus-compatible devices on the second bus: (i) using on the first bus substantially the same type of addressing as is used to access devices on the first bus, and (ii) without first employing a second, intervening one of the bus-compatible devices on the second bus.
US08006019B2

Techniques for transferring stored data between a media player and an accessory. In one set of embodiments, one of the media player and the accessory can obtain a unique identifier for a particular file stored in the other of the media player and the accessory. The one of the media player and the accessory can then retrieve data from the stored file using the unique identifier. In certain embodiments, accessories and media players can retrieve and store data utilizing an arbitrary format. This data can be opaque to any protocol used by the media player or accessory and can require no parsing or interpretation. To provide this facility, a plurality of commands can allow both media players and accessories to present a simple file system. The plurality of commands can be utilized in a variety of environments.
US08006017B2

A system, method and apparatus for prioritizing transactions is disclosed. I/O devices may generate transactions with a stream identifier. A transaction classifier may assign a priority to a transaction based upon a stream identifier of the transaction. An arbiter may select a transaction for processing based upon priorities assigned to the transaction.
US08006016B2

A method for addressing system latency within a network system which includes providing a network interface and moving data within each of the plurality of memory access channels independently and in parallel to and from a memory system so that one or more of the plurality of memory access channels operate efficiently in the presence of arbitrary memory latencies across multiple requests is disclosed. The network interface includes a plurality of memory access channels.
US08006015B2

A device and a method for managing access requests, the method includes: (i) receiving, from a master component coupled to a master bus, multiple access requests to access a slave component over a pipelined slave bus; acknowledging a received access request if: (a) at least an inter-access request delay period lapsed from a last acknowledgement of an access request; (b) an amount of pending acknowledged access requests is below a threshold; wherein the threshold is determined in response to a pipeline depth of the pipelined slave bus; (c) the received access request is valid; wherein a validity of an access request is responsive to a reception of an access request cancellation request; and (ii) providing information from the slave component, in response to at least one acknowledged access request.
US08006010B2

A workspace control unit performs a process on a common work area screen for sharing information, and an information processor display transmission and reception unit transmits to a display of an information processor the common work area screen processed by the workspace control unit. An information processor manipulation detection unit detects manipulation performed on the common work area screen of the information processor. A peripheral control unit controls a peripheral based on control information managed by a peripheral control information management unit according to the result of detection by the information processor manipulation detection unit.
US08006009B2

Disclosed is a method and associated apparatus for defining an interface between a peripheral device and a computer application using standard driver(s) without use of specific peripheral device drivers. The method provides for processing one command in a multifunction peripheral device comprising a communication interface capable of connecting the peripheral device to a host system, the processing being in accordance with at least one of the functions of the multifunction peripheral device, called first function. After reception, the command is processed according to the first function and analyzed to determine whether at least one specific parameter related to at least one other function, separate from the first function, called second function, is associated with said one command. In response to said analysis, if at least one specific parameter related to said second function is associated with the one command, a request related to the second function is executed.
US08006008B2

A data processing apparatus is provided with multiple devices. These devices generate parallel signals using a parallel signal protocol. A serializing circuit captures a set of parallel signals, serializes them to form a serial stream of data and transmits this serial stream of data. A deserializing circuit at a destination device receives this serial stream of data, deserializes this serial stream of data to form a second set of parallel signals corresponding to the first set of parallel signals and then applies this second set of parallel signals to the destination device.
US08006006B2

Systems and methods for aggregating transmit completion interrupts for multiple packets are provided. A network device can include a buffer with multiple memory locations capable of temporarily storing a packet being transmitted across the network via the network device and nodes connected to the network device. The network device can include a high watermark for determining when to process transmit completion interrupts. If the number of packets stored in the memory exceeds the high watermark, an aggregated transmit completion interrupt for all of the packets can be processed. Otherwise, the network device waits until sufficient packets are received to reach the high watermark.
US08006005B2

A centralized polling system is set forth for providing constant time select call functionality to a plurality of polling tasks in an operating system kernel. In one aspect, the CPS registers for and thereby captures events of interest on a continual basis. Polling tasks are supplied with active events thereby eliminating the need to repetitively poll large numbers of inactive sockets. An exemplary embodiment of the CPS includes a system interface to the operating system kernel, a data structure for maintaining a profile for each of the polling tasks, and an application programming interface for registering the polling tasks, receiving the active sockets and corresponding read/write event types via the system interface, updating the profile within the data structure for each of the polling tasks, and returning the current read and write ready sockets to respective ones of the polling tasks.
US08006004B2

A processor having a core configured to control a keyboard and a plurality of pins connected to the core, configured to transfer signals from the processor to the keyboard. A controller is configured to transfer signals from one or more registers through at least one of the pins, intermittently with signals transferred to the keyboard.
US08006002B2

Peripherals and data processing systems are disclosed which can be configured to interact based upon sensor data. In one embodiment, a peripheral, which is configured to be used with a data processing system, includes an interface to couple the peripheral to the data processing system, and at least one sensor, such as a proximity sensor, to sense a user of the peripheral, and a processor coupled to the interface and to the at least one sensor, wherein the processor configures the peripheral in response to data from the at least one sensor. The peripheral may communicate sensor data from its sensors to the data processing system, which may be a wireless PDA, and the data processing system analyzes the sensor data from its sensors and from the peripheral's sensors to decide how to configure the peripheral and/or the data processing system based on the sensor.
US08005997B2

A monitoring device according to the present invention is a monitoring device connectable between a target device including a first memory holding a first data sequentially renewed and a host device acquiring a second data coinciding with the first data held in the first memory, and includes a first bus, a second memory holding the second data, a first control portion allowing the second data to be sequentially inputted to the second memory through the first bus according to the renewal of the first data, an event detection portion outputting an event detection signal when the data flowing to the first bus satisfies an event detection condition set in advance, and a second control portion allowing the second data to be outputted from the second memory based on the event detection signal. As a result, an overlapping between a data writing period to the memory of the monitoring device and a data reading period from the memory of the monitoring device is excluded, so that the reliability of the data read from the memory of the monitoring device can be improved.
US08005996B2

Embodiments provide unique and novel systems and methods for deleting data on removable disk drives. In embodiments, the removable disk drives store data that may be erased such that the data is considered destroyed but that allows the removable disk drive to be reused. The archiving system can determine which data should be erased. Then, the data is digitally shredded on sector boundaries of the removable disk drives such that the reclaimed memory cannot be read to decipher the erased data. In alternative embodiments, data is written across sector boundaries such that two or more files may occupy a single sector. A journal area, in embodiments, allows for copying the data in a sector with two or more files, digitally shredding the sectors in the removable disk drive, and rewriting the data that was not to be digitally shredded to the original location of the data.
US08005988B2

Systems, methods, and machine-readable media are disclosed for switching a media streaming session between a plurality of networks. In one embodiment, a method of switching networks in a media streaming session can comprise detecting a plurality of networks available for communication of streaming data. The plurality of networks can include a first network providing a first streaming session and a second network. A determination can be made as to whether to switch the first streaming session from the first network. Determining to switch the first streaming session from the first network to the second network can be based on detecting a loss of the first network, detecting a lower cost alternative to the first network, etc. In response to determining to switch the first streaming session from the first network, the first streaming session can be switched from the first network to the second network.
US08005979B2

Entities within a cluster are uniquely identified with a node ID and an engine ID. The node ID uniquely identifies a node within a cluster of nodes and the engine ID uniquely identifies one of several engines included in the node. Entities may be further identified with a cluster ID, an engine type ID, and/or a virtual server ID. At least some of these IDs may be included in communications received from clients and used to route the communications to the cluster entity identified by the included IDs.
US08005956B2

According to one embodiment, a distributed computing system includes a resource control system coupled to a web server. The web server configured in a service oriented architecture and operable to provide a business application by executing a plurality of services on a plurality of computers configured in the distributed computing system. The resource control system is operable to determine a performance parameter of the business application, and provision or un-provision one of the plurality of computers according to the determined performance parameter.
US08005949B2

The present invention relates to a method of obtaining a generic sample of an input stream. The method is designated as VAROPTk. The method comprises receiving an input stream of items arriving one at a time, and maintaining a sample S of items i. The sample S has a capacity for at most k items i. The sample S is filled with k items i. An nth item i is received. It is determined whether the nth item i should be included in sample S. If the nth item i is included in sample S, then a previously included item i is dropped from sample S. The determination is made based on weights of items without distinguishing between previously included items i and the nth item i. The determination is implemented thereby updating weights of items i in sample S. The method is repeated until no more items are received.
US08005944B2

A system and method are disclosed for monitoring a space and its contents over a network. The system can include an embedded Java microprocessor to provide processing and network connectivity capability, and sensors to detect physical parameters associated with the space. The sensors can generate one or more sensor signals representative of the detected physical parameters. An analog-to-digital converter can convert the sensor signals to a digital format and can provide corresponding digital signals to the microprocessor. The system further includes instructions for processing the sensor signals and corresponding digital signals. An alarm signal can be generated when any of the physical parameters exceeds a corresponding threshold value. The system of the present invention can have at least one input/output port for communicating with the network and one or more memory modules for storing system data. The system of this invention can have a network-based interface for providing programming instructions to the microprocessor and for receiving monitoring status and alarm information from the system. The interface can be an HTML interface. A power source provides power to the system.
US08005923B2

The present invention is generally directed to a method, system, and article of manufacture that avoid exposing the sensitive information (e.g., infrastructure details) to untrusted clients. For example, in one embodiment of the present invention, message destinations are protected from a client in an HTTP bridged scenario. Thus, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the replyTo message destination are obfuscated (e.g., via a hash function) and sent to the client as a replyTo address. Consequently, the embodiments of the present invention negate the requirement to expose the sensitive information to the untrusted client applications.
US08005920B2

Embodiments are described that leverage commonly used HTML tags to enable the transfer of large quantities of data in a network. Embodiments are described where large amounts of data can be sent to a server by fragmenting data into small portions and encoding each portion as part of a URL contained in, for example, the src attribute of an tag. The path of this URL can refer to a predetermined resource contained on the server that is responsible for retrieving fragments of data from the requested URL. Each fragment of data can be sent together with whatever additional pieces of information are required by the server to correctly reassemble the portions to obtain the original, defragmented data. Methods are described that enable a client to communicate an arbitrarily large amount of data to a server using only the GET method.
US08005905B2

An approach to handling dynamic information selection based on associated is presented. A user configures a plurality of endnotes in order to assign one of the endnotes to a recipient address. Each endnote may include signature text (e.g., name, phone number, etc.), as well as images, web page links, and/or animation, which add to the aesthetics and personalization of a constructed email message. When a user creates an email message that includes one or more email recipient addresses, an endnote manager analyzes each email recipient address and automatically selects one of the configured endnotes based on the email recipient's assigned endnote category. In addition, a user may configure the endnote manager to select an endnote to include in an email messages based upon the time at which the email is created.
US08005903B2

A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for managing e-mail messages. A local copy of the e-mail message is stored on the data processing system for a selected period of time in response to sending an e-mail message to a recipient from a data processing system. A determination is made as to whether the local copy of the e-mail message is present in response to receiving a notification that the recipient is unable to respond. The local copy of the e-mail message is retrieved if the local copy of the e-mail message is present to form a retrieved e-mail message. The retrieved e-mail message is presented.
US08005901B2

Within a distributed system, e.g., Web service environment, the present invention provides a way for identifying policies mapped to messages associated with an application, without having to have code within the application for determining what policies should apply to the messages. A centralized Web service engine is provided that receives incoming and outgoing messages associated with an application. The messages have associated with them destination endpoint identifiers and request-reply properties, which the Web service engine can access. The Web service engine can then use at least the identifiers and properties for scanning policy message files corresponding to the applications in order to identify what policies, if any, should be applied to the messages.
US08005897B1

A contact list client application running on a client device operates to request and receive contact lists over a network from a plurality of different contact list servers, and the application stores the contacts from these lists in a merged contact list. When a user selects a contact in the merged list, the contact list client application identifies one out of a plurality of communication applications on the client device and causes the identified communication application to initiate communications with the contact. Contact lists that relate to different communications formats, such as voice communications, SMS (short message service) messages, and email can be integrated into a single client view on the client device.
US08005894B2

A computationally implemented method includes, but is not limited to: acquiring a first inference data indicative of an inferred mental state of a first authoring user in connection with a particular item of an electronic document, acquiring a second inference data indicative of an inferred mental state of a second authoring user in connection with the particular item of the electronic document; comparing the first inference data with the second inference data; and presenting data indicative of an extent of congruity between the inferred mental state of the first authoring user and the inferred mental state of the second authoring user based, at least in part, on said comparing. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
US08005890B2

Systems and methods for website and application monitoring and testing inside from a private network are presented. An agent module resident on an agent device inside the secured network periodically sends an HTTP message to a controller server and receives an HTTP response. The agent module parses out a set of instructions from the content of the HTTP response and executes the instructions. The agent module collects and compiles responsive information resulting from the instructions being executed and sends the compiled information to the controller server for storage and reporting.
US08005886B2

A networking system may include a traffic generator. The traffic generator may include a scripting module configured to create a script. The traffic generator may execute the script to send and/or receive network messages within the networking system, which may help test one or more components of the networking system. The script may include one or more entries. An entry may be configured to instruct the traffic generator to send one or more network messages.
US08005885B1

A processor, an instruction set architecture, an instruction, a computer readable medium and a method for implementing optimal per-instruction encoding of rounding control to emulate directed rounding are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus designed to perform directed rounding includes an instruction decoder configured to decode an instruction, which includes a rounding control information to calculate a result boundary. The apparatus also includes a directed rounding emulator configured to adjust the result boundary to form an adjusted result boundary as a function of the rounding control bit. The adjusted result boundary establishes an endpoint for an interval that includes a result. In one embodiment, the directed round emulator is further configured to emulate a round-to-negative infinity rounding mode and a round-to-positive infinity rounding mode based on at least the single rounding control bit.
US08005881B1

A rank order filter and instantiation thereof in programmable logic is described. A maximum filter core frequency is determined for an input sampling frequency, a filter window height, and a number of input samples. The maximum filter core frequency is greater than the sampling frequency. The maximum filter core frequency may be insufficient for a word serial instantiation of the rank order filter in the programmable logic. The size of a fully parallel instantiation of the rank order filter may be excessive in programmable logic. Thus, a partially parallel filter core is instantiated for the rank order filter with overclocking.
US08005880B2

A circuit and method are provided for storing a data word in a latch and determining the number of consecutive equal value bits within the data word. The data word consists of bits stored in unique bit positions and having a least significant bit position and a most significant bit position. The data word is examined to determine the number of consecutive bits having the same numeric value. The invention first corrects for any single bit anomaly within the consecutive equal value sequence, counts the number of consecutive bits having this equal value using logic that examines only every other bit position of the stored data word and provides a numeric value representing this number of consecutive equal value bits.
US08005879B2

A service repository is used to store at least one service in association with service metadata describing service requirements of the service. The service repository also may store one or more platform-specific service executables. A service mapper is used to determine device metadata associated with each of a plurality of devices, where the device metadata provides device characteristics of the devices. The service mapper may thus map the service to a selected device of the plurality of devices for deployment thereon, based on a matching of corresponding elements of the service requirements and the device characteristics. The service mapper also may re-map the service between devices to maintain a quality and reliability of the service.
US08005876B2

In various embodiments, a method comprises defining a plurality of translating references for an object, generating a common information model (CIM) with a processor of a system, the CIM comprising one or more functional object attributes of the object, generating a first instantiation of a user information model (UIM), the first instantiation of the UIM comprising one or more user-associated attributes of the object, interfacing with the CIM using the first instantiation of the UIM, and translating one or more user-associated attributes of the first instantiation of the UIM to the one or more functional object attributes of the CIM using the plurality of translating references.
US08005856B2

A list of media, such as image media, is dynamically generated and provided to a user. The dynamically generated media playlist may be associated with a user's “favorite pictures,” “favorite music” or some other type of media. Each of the “favorite media” features may be associated with playlist criteria, which is used to dynamically construct a query for media files to include on the playlist. The criteria may specify several requirements for including media in the dynamically created playlist, for example user rating, recently added media, and other criteria. The query is sent to a database, which returns a playlist of media. The returned playlist is provided to a media center, which retrieves and provides the listed media to a user.
US08005848B2

Programming mechanisms for data parsing facilitate both clear code specification and efficient execution. Declarative style code can be employed to enable clear and concise specification of data parsing. Further, an efficient parsing approach can be utilized that enables processing of a data structure without first materializing the entire structure to memory. More specifically, streaming and/or selective materialization of portions of data to memory can be employed.
US08005842B1

Systems, techniques, and machine-readable instructions for inferring attributes from search queries. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a description of a collection of search queries, inferring attributes of entities from the description of the collection of search queries, associating the inferred attributes with identifiers of entities characterized by the attributes, and making the associations of the attributes and entities available.
US08005841B1

Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for classifying content segments. A set of annotations is received that occur within a segment of time-varying content. Each annotation is scored to each node in an ontology. The segment is classified based on at least one of the scores.
US08005836B2

A method and system for performing logical partial declustering in a shared-nothing database environment. The solution defines a partial declustering technique that can be used to dynamically adapt the declustering of base tables or intermediate result sets. The partial declustering technique is defined to limit the number of partitions (P) involved in an operation. The technique is defined to limit the operation to a subset of the system partitioning map (SPM). There are two components: the association between the data values and partitions is altered by restricting the data values to P′ partition values where P′ is less than P; and the actual partitions of the SPM selected are then derived based on a seed derived from a dynamic parameter, such as a session number, or a static parameter, such as a table identifier. In the case of intermediate result sets the number of P′ partitions selected is a cost based decision based on the estimated number of rows in the input intermediate result sets. In the case of a base table the number of P′ partitions is selected based on the table DDL. There is no physical partitioning definitions, rather logical partitions are defined based on subsetting the SPM.
US08005828B2

A blended query rewrite provider takes as an input a search query and produces a list of query rewrite suggestions. The blended query rewrite provider generates suggestions by applying a number of individual query rewrite providers in series to a query. The sequence in which query rewrite providers are applied to a query is encoded in a query rewrite policy. Policies differ between query types. A policy application engine component selects which policy to apply to a given query based on the cluster to which a query belongs. The policy application engine uses a machine learning algorithm to assign a query to a cluster based on query features. The policy generation engine generates policies and trains the clustering algorithm used by the policy application engine offline based on training data sets and query logs.
US08005818B2

A computer readable storage medium comprises executable instructions to receive a query referencing a set of members of an OLAP hierarchy. The query is parsed into a syntax tree. Changes to the OLAP hierarchy metadata are received. The syntax tree is refined in response to the changes. The query is evaluated to return results that are independent of the changes to the OLAP hierarchy metadata.
US08005811B2

Systems and media for utilizing electronic document usage information are disclosed. More particularly, hardware and/or software utilizing electronic document usage information to respond to user search requests with search engines are disclosed. Embodiments include receiving a search request from a requesting user and receiving document utilization information associated with one or more electronic documents, where the document utilization information provides an indication of the usage of the electronic documents by one or more users. Further embodiments include generating search results based at least partially on the search request and the document utilization information and transmitting an indication of the search results to the requesting user. Further embodiments include generating statistical information regarding the search results for electronic documents and transmitting the generated statistical information.
US08005809B2

A computer data processing system and an article of manufacture for determining database workload periodicity. The computer data processing system includes a module for converting database activity samples spanning a time period from the dime domain to the frequency domain, the converting resulting in a frequency spectrum, a module for identifying fundamental peaks of the frequency spectrum, and a module for allocating database resources based on at least one of the fundamental peaks.
US08005797B1

A system for continuous data protection includes a storage device and a backup storage device. The continuous data protection procedure is performed as two parallel processes: creating an initial backup by copying a data as a file/directory from the storage device into the backup storage device, and copying the data to be written to the data storage as a part of a file/directory into the incremental backup. When a write command is directed to a file system driver, it is intercepted and redirected to the backup storage, and the data to be written in accordance with the write request, is written to the incremental backup on the backup storage. If the write command is also directed to a data (a file/directory) that has been identified for backup, but has not yet been backed up, the identified data (a file/directory) is copied from the storage device to the intermediate storage device. Then, the write command is executed on the identified file/directory on the storage device and the file/directory is copied from the intermediate storage device.
US08005790B2

A system and method for automatically handling data objects within groupings in a PACS network. Where a data object belonging to one grouping is moved to or copied into another grouping, certain associated data objects will automatically be moved or copied to the other grouping. Similarly, where some data objects are deleted from a grouping, data objects associated with objects which will not be deleted are automatically protected from deletion.
US08005780B2

A control system for controlling the operation of a useful system comprises at least one controller configured to control an operation of the useful system in response to a well formed command from a group of well formed commands. At least one taxonomy engine of the system is adapted to generate a taxonomy dataset establishing the group of well formed commands, and at least one command generator of the system is adapted to generate a well formed command using the taxonomy dataset. The taxonomy engine is configured to deliver the taxonomy dataset to the command generator, and the command generator is configured to deliver the well formed command to the controller.
US08005777B1

A decision making system, method and computer program product are provided. Initially, a plurality of attributes is defined. Thereafter, first information regarding the attributes is received from a receiving business. Second information is then received regarding proposed products or services in terms of the attributes. Such second information is received from a supplying business. In use, a decision process is executed based on the first information and the second information.
US08005771B2

A method and framework are described for detecting changes in a multivariate data stream. A training set is formed by sampling time windows in a data stream containing data reflecting normal conditions. A histogram is created to summarize each window of data, and data within the histograms are clustered to form test distribution representatives to minimize the bulk of training data. Test data is then summarized using histograms representing time windows of data and data within the test histograms are clustered. The test histograms are compared to the training histograms using nearest neighbor techniques on the clustered data. Distances from the test histograms to the test distribution representatives are compared to a threshold to identify anomalies.
US08005769B2

A method of generating association rules from a data stream, which is a non-limited data set composed of transactions, includes: when itemsets in the generated transactions and the counts of the itemsets are managed using a prefix tree, and each node of the prefix tree has information on the count of a specific itemset corresponding to the node and a specific item, updating the information of a node corresponding to the itemset or adding a new node on the basis of the itemset included in the generated transaction and the count of the itemset; comparing the support of the itemset corresponding to each of the nodes of the prefix tree with a minimum support to select frequent itemsets; and visiting all or some of the nodes corresponding to the selected frequent itemsets and generating the association rule on the basis of the information of each of the visited nodes.
US08005760B1

A facility has been developed whereby an applicant (or his representative) may initiate performance of an intellectual property service such as the making of a maintenance fee, annuity, renewal, tax or other payments and transact the associated fees coincident therewith. Such a facility has several advantages including the ability to reduce float time. Outside the context of annuity-type payments, similar facilities may be employed in conjunction with preparation, filing and prosecution support tools to similarly transact fees associated with the performance of intellectual property services at or about the time such intellectual property services are performed. An intellectual property portal or hub is employed, which in some realizations is hosted on a public, packet switched data network and communicates with both applicants (or representatives) and associates. In some realizations, the intellectual property portal facilitates selection, by applicants (or representatives) of particular jurisdictions and associates based at least in part on fee quotations made in accordance with particulars of an intellectual property filing and in accordance with fee structures of the particular jurisdictions and foreign associates. In addition, some realizations of the intellectual property filing portal facilitate registration of associate- and jurisdiction-specific services and fee schedules.
US08005755B2

A software-based syndication and filtering platform for a first Web server hosted by a first enterprise has a rules-based filter for interacting with communications from customers of the first enterprise, the communications coming from a second Web-site of a second enterprise, and a discrimination layer for providing specific services to said customers according to one or more characteristics of the Web site of the second enterprise. In some cases there is also a layer for interacting with a third Web server hosted by a third enterprise. In preferred embodiments the services include a broad range of transaction capabilities.
US08005748B2

A license exchange is provided that allows for companies who desire to obtain licenses for intellectual property and speculators to bid in order to set pricing for license contracts that provide for market rates to be set for such licenses. The exchange insures liquidity for such license contracts by providing market makers, scarcity features or modules and predetermined trading periods. In an embodiment the exchange may provide an electronic auction where license contracts may be traded by parties including patentees who may wish to avoid litigation and obtain fair and reasonable royalties for the patents underlying the license contracts being traded. The exchange also provides an alternate licensing resolution process where IP can be evaluated with respect to validity, valuated to determine a fair license rate and auctioned to licensees in a transparent bidding process.
US08005742B2

Analyzing educational saving plans by considering the tax implications of these plans is provided by storing a plurality of educational institution identifiers and a plurality of educational savings plan parameter sets. Each of the educational institution identifiers is associated with a corresponding set of cost parameters specifying room, board, and tuition costs for the respective educational institution. Each of the educational savings plan parameter sets specifies a characteristic of a corresponding educational savings plan. A comparative analysis of educational savings plans is generated by applying a retrieved set of cost parameters for each educational plan parameter sets. This comparative analysis takes into consideration tax implications of an educational savings plan. The results of the comparative analysis are outputted on a display and/or printout so that an investor can determine which of the plurality of educational savings plans best meets their needs.
US08005740B2

A system, method and computer program product creates an index based on accounting based data, as well as a portfolio of financial objects based on the index where the portfolio is weighted according to accounting based data. A passive investment system may be based on indices created from various metrics. The indexes may be built with metrics other than market capitalization weighting, price weighting or equal weighting. Non-financial metrics may also be used to build indexes to create passive investment systems. Additionally, a combination of financial non-market capitalization metrics may be used along with non-financial metrics to create passive investment systems. Once the index is built, it may be used as a basis to purchase securities for a portfolio. Specifically excluded are widely-used capitalization-weighted indexes and price-weighted indexes, in which the price of a security contributes in a substantial way to the calculation of the weight of that security in the index or the portfolio, and equal weighting weighted indexes. Valuation indifferent indexes avoid overexposure to overvalued securities and underexposure to undervalued securities, as compared with conventional capitalization-weighted and price-weighted.
US08005738B2

The present invention relates to a credit index, a system and method for structuring a credit index, a system and method for operating a credit index, and a system and method for determining the liquidity of a credit.
US08005727B2

A system and method is described for controlling user access to a carrier's shipping services for delivery of a package. The system controls the user's access to the carrier's services by either limiting the selection of locations from which a package can be shipped to fewer than those described by the carrier's service area, or by limiting the user's ability to select shipping service levels to fewer than those provided by the carrier. Such limitation may be by way of displaying only a limited collection of ship from locations and service levels, or by pre-populating and locking ship from information submission fields on a web page. The distributed-user shipping system may reside on a client server or mobile computer that is connected to the carrier's server and transmits various shipping location information and service level selections to the carrier to facilitate shipping of packages while controlling the scope of shipping services provided.
US08005717B2

An Internet advertising method using a Web page according to the present invention is performed between a Web server and a client terminal in the Internet. The Internet advertising method includes an advertisement location searching step of searching in a Web page transmitted from the Web server to the client terminal for a location into which new advertising content is to be inserted, a space information identification step of identifying a size and coordinates of a found location, an advertising content searching step of searching for new advertising content corresponding to the identified location size and coordinates, and a Web page editing step of inserting found new advertising content into the location.
US08005704B2

A method for work-item tracking, in a computer system that includes client computers and at least one server maintaining a database, includes defining at least one work item, associating version identifiers with corresponding versions of at least one work item, and storing, in the database, work-item data. The work-item data can include the current version of the work item, one or more prior versions of the work item, and the version identifiers. A computer readable medium is encoded with a program that, when executed, can perform the method for work-item tracking.
US08005701B2

Systems and methods for generating work schedules are provided. Work schedules are generated based on an identification of work periods and tasks and information related to the workers. A work schedule is produced based on a selected optimization parameter. The optimization parameter can be any type of parameter related to the tasks and workers. The optimization parameter can be ergonomic impact, level of training, experience level or the like. The systems and methods can also receive assigned tasks for one or more of the workers, and generate a schedule incorporating the assignments.
US08005690B2

The invention provides for modeling and scoring risk-assessment and a set of insurance products derived therefrom. Risk indicators are determined at a selected time. A population is assessed at that time and afterward for those risk indicators and for consequences associated therewith. Population members are coupled to client devices for determining risk indicators and consequences. A server receives data from each client, and in response thereto and in conjunction with an expert operator, (1) reassesses weights assigned to the risk indicators, (2) determines new risk indicators, (3) determines new measures for determining risk indicators and consequences, and (4) presents treatment options to each population member. The server determines, in response to the data from each client, and possibly other data, a measure of risk for each indicated consequence or for a set of such consequences. The server provides this measure with regard to each population member, or with regard to population subsets. The expert operator uses this measure to determine either (1) an individual course of treatment, (2) a resource utilization review model, (3) a risk-assessment model, or (4) an insurance pricing model, for each individual population member or for selected population subsets. Information requested by the client, information determined and presented by the server, and responsive measurements, are adapted dynamically to changing population aspects or changing population membership, or of an external environment having relevance to the population.
US08005689B2

The method, system and user-interface allows alignment of refill dates associated with a plurality of prescriptions to a plurality of alignment dates, such that a plurality of selected prescriptions require refills on each of the plurality of alignment dates, thus limiting the number of occasions on which a customer must visit the pharmacy to retrieve refills of the aligned prescriptions, and increasing the likelihood that the customer will comply with the recommended medication regimen.
US08005684B1

A method for estimating a used vehicle's market value is disclosed. The method searches for a set of comparable vehicles in an existing historical database of used vehicles. Estimations of the used vehicles are established based on each comparable vehicle (neighbor) in the set of comparable vehicles by adjusting their resale value in accordance with the individual differences found between the neighbor(s) and the used vehicle whose market value is to be estimated/predicted (the target vehicle). Finally, a distance-weighted average of all such estimations is calculated to arrive at a market value estimation for the target vehicle.
US08005677B2

A method of generating speech from text messages includes determining a speech feature vector for a voice associated with a source of a text message, and comparing the speech feature vector to speaker models. The method also includes selecting one of the speaker models as a preferred match for the voice based on the comparison, and generating speech from the text message based on the selected speaker model.
US08005676B2

Included are embodiments for providing speech analysis. At least one embodiment of a method includes receiving audio data associated with a communication and providing the at least one phoneme in a phonetic transcript, the phonetic transcript including at least one character from a phonetic alphabet.
US08005674B2

A recognition model set is generated. A technique is described to take advantage of the logarithm likelihood of real data for cross entropy to measure the mismatch between a training data and a training data derived model, and compare such type of mismatches between class dependent models and class independent model for evidence of model replacement. By using change of cross entropies in the decision of adding class independent Gaussian Mixture Models (GMMs), the good performance of class dependent models is largely retained, while decreasing the size and complexity of the model.
US08005668B2

A method of configuring a speech recognition unit in a vehicle. The method includes receiving a noise error from the speech recognition unit responsive to a user voice command and reducing a confidence threshold for an appropriate grammar set responsive to the received noise error.
US08005664B2

The transliteration scheme developed as the present invention is contingent upon two languages, namely the keyboard language and the target language. While the invention is independent of the actual languages in question, save to the extent that they must be phonetic or pseudo-phonetic and the keyboard language must possess a script, it is nonetheless convenient to cast the invention within the framework of two specific languages. In this regard, English has been chosen as the keyboard language, and Hindi (a language widely spoken in India) has been chosen as the target language. An understanding of the current invention is possible without any knowledge of Hindi by a practitioner skilled in the art.
US08005662B2

A translation method for properly recognizing and automatically translating a sentence containing an emphasized word including two or more successive identical characters. First, words in a source text to be translated are looked up in a dictionary (step S201) to determine whether the text includes an unregistered word (step S203). Then, it is determined whether an unregistered word contains successive identical characters (step S205). If it contains successive identical characters, the number of the characters is reduced (step S207) and determines whether a modified word thus obtained is contained in the dictionary (step S209). If it is determined that the modified word is contained in the dictionary, the unregistered word is determined as the modified word (step S215), the part of speech and the attribute of the modified word are determined (step S217), and the unregistered word is replaced with the modified word to make translation.
US08005659B2

A simulator for simulating a first object and a second object that is coupled to the first object is disclosed. The simulator models the first and second objects as a plurality of segments, with each segment having a plurality of nodes connected by one or more edges. The simulator then indexes each of the nodes and couples at least one node of the first object to a node of the second object. The indexing and coupling is based on the current simulated position of the first and second objects. The simulator then generates and solves a linear system of equations Ay=b from the indexing, and updates a position of each of the nodes. The simulator flow then dynamically re-indexes the nodes, and continues in a loop.
US08005656B1

A method of evaluating a design model, including: providing a design model; simulating a behavior of at least one digital user in said model; simulating at least one environmental effect modulated by said model and affecting or affected by at least one of said at least one digital user; and evaluating said design model based on a result of said simulations.
US08005652B2

An improved method of designing hearing aid molds is disclosed whereby regions of an ear impression model are identified as a function of a geodesic distance measure. According to a first embodiment, a canal point of an ear impression model is identified as that point having a maximum normalized geodesic distance as compared to all other points on the surface of the ear impression model. According to a second embodiment, a helix point of the ear impression model is identified as that point having a maximum normalized geodesic distance as compared to all points except those points in the canal region of the ear impression model. Finally, in accordance with another embodiment, a geodesic distance between a canal point and a helix point of an ear impression model is identified and a percentage threshold, illustratively 65%, is applied to that geodesic distance to identify a crus region.
US08005638B1

Provided is a distributed test system and method for electrical devices that features bifurcated testing and analysis of test results for electrical devices by aggregating test results from multiple testing systems to a centralized server where analysis of test data is undertaken. The system includes a plurality of testing systems, each of which is configured to operate test software to provide electrical stimuli to devices under test (DUTs) and obtain measured metrics indicative of actual operational characteristics (AOCs) of the DUTs. A decision support system (DSS) is selectively placed in data communication with the plurality of testing systems to receive the measured metrics from each of the plurality of testing systems. The DSS is configured to operate on software and compare desired metrics, indicative of desired operational characteristics (DOCs) of each of the DUTs, with the measured metrics and provide a plurality of operational characteristic determinations (OCDs).
US08005628B2

Systems and methods for normalizing detected emission data collected in real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and other reactions, are provided. In some embodiments, a sample plate can be loaded with a fluorescent dye and subjected to a real-time PCR reaction. During the initial cycles, detected emissions that correspond to the background signal contributed by the plate, buffer, and other non-reactant pieces of the reaction system and chemistry can be identified. The raw emission data can be normalized by dividing the emission data by the identified baseline signal. According to various embodiments, the normalized amplification profile can normalize to an initial value of 1, because the actual signal emerges from the baseline at the point exponential growth begins. A normalized amplification profile based on a ratio to the baseline can create a more uniformly scaled amplification curve across different samples, filters, wells, dyes, or machines.
US08005621B2

A transcript mapping method according to an embodiment of the invention is described hereinafter and combines short tag based (SAGE and MPSS) efficiency with the accuracy of full-length cDNA (flcDNA) for comprehensive characterization of transcriptomes. This method is also referred to as Gene Identification Signature (GIS) analysis. In this method, 5′ and 3′ terminal tags are obtained from a transcript and the terminal tags are for identifying 5′ and 3′ sites located on a genome sequence. Further, occurring segments and thus feasible gene locations are identified along the genome sequence after the 5′ and 3′ sites are identified. A data structure is also generated for indexing the genome sequence so that the terminal tags can be mapped to the genome sequence.
US08005619B2

A method of determining the effect of formation porosity on formation resistivity and parameters derived from the formation resistivity is described, including the step of determining for a depth interval a heterogeneity measure; and using a pre-defined relation to transform the heterogeneity measure into an algebraic term determining the effect of the formation porosity on the formation resistivity, based for example on Archie's law or similar relations.
US08005610B2

A computer-implemented method for pre-processing a network, wherein the network comprises nodes and edges, each edge having a length measured according to a given metric, comprises the steps of selecting a source and a target node; determining a transit node for the selection; determining a length of a shortest path between the source node and the transit node; and storing it. A method for determining the length of a shortest path in the network may use the pre-processed network to answer the shortest path query in constant time.
US08005608B2

A fuel injection control apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes a fuel injection portion that performs each of first fuel injection for performing stratified-charge combustion, and second fuel injection for performing homogeneous-charge combustion; and an injection distribution ratio control portion that controls an injection distribution ratio. The injection distribution ratio control portion controls the injection distribution ratio to a target injection distribution ratio set based on a predetermined engine condition after start of the engine. An initial injection distribution ratio is set based on an engine condition at a time of start of the engine, and a change in the injection distribution ratio is controlled by referring to the engine condition after the start of the engine, when the injection distribution ratio is changed from the initial injection distribution ratio to the target injection distribution ratio.
US08005600B2

The present invention generally relates to a method and a device for controlling a drive system, in particular a hydraulic traveling drive of a crane, a caterpillar, an industrial truck or a construction machine, which has at least one drive unit for an element to be driven. The invention relates to a control device for controlling such drive system, comprising a control signal circuit for providing an actuating signal for adjusting the at least one drive unit in dependence on a specified desired value of an output parameter as well as a specified power limit value for the at least one drive unit.
US08005599B2

A lubricating oil supply control device for delivering lubricating oil to the transmission of a vehicle is provided which overcomes disadvantages of the prior art by providing a simple and reliable configuration which does not require the addition of new sensors to an existing device. The lubricating oil supply control device includes, in part, an engine controller and a transmission controller, a lubricating oil supplying oil passage, a bypass oil passage, a relief valve or a control valve, a restrictor, and a lubricating oil supply controlling controller.
US08005596B2

A control system (18) and method for an automotive vehicle (10) includes a pitch rate sensor (37) generating a pitch rate signal, a longitudinal acceleration sensor (36) generating a longitudinal acceleration signal, and a yaw rate sensor (28) generating a yaw rate signal. A safety system (44) and the sensors are coupled to a controller. From the sensors, the controller (26) determines an added mass and a position of the added mass, a pitch gradient and/or a pitch acceleration coefficient that takes into account the added mass and position. The controller controls a vehicle system in response to the added mass and the position of the added mass, the pitch gradient and/or pitch acceleration coefficient variables.
US08005590B2

When a wiper is started, a wiper arm is moved at first in the backward path direction (S1). If a motor is locked (S2) before an original point position signal is outputted, a reciprocating operation for moving the wiper arm temporarily in the forward path direction and then moving the wiper arm again in the backward path direction is performed (S5-S8, S1). When an absolute position signal is not outputted even after repeating the reciprocating operation a plurality of times (S5) and the original point position cannot be recognized (S2, S5), the motor is not forced furthermore but stopped (S5→END) On the other hand, if the motor is not locked when the wiper arm is moved in the backward path direction (S1) and the original point position can be recognized (S2, S3), wiping control is performed (S4) by calculating the wiper arm position based on the original point position and the motor rotation pulse.
US08005587B2

Environment conditions expected to be encountered by a vehicle are used as inputs in determining operating modes of a motive power system of a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. A vehicle operating in charge depleting mode may transition to operate in charge sustaining mode if the vehicle is expected to encounter circumstances where it is desirable to allow the vehicle to more quickly respond to sudden requests for torque.
US08005584B1

Presently the only way to obtain the flight data from an open ocean crash site is to physically retrieve the flight data recorder. Retrieving a flight data recorder from the sea floor is extremely complex and expensive, requiring remotely operated robotic devices to locate and then to physically bring a piece of wreckage to the surface. In some cases water depth may preclude any retrieval. In these cases the flight data recorder will not be recovered and the cause of the crash will never be known. What is needed, however, is not the flight data recorder but the flight data. The invention provides a safe, convenient and economical way to retrieve flight data from a submerged flight data recorder without having to physically retrieve the recorder hardware.
US08005580B2

Aircraft power systems, aircraft galley systems, and methods and systems for managing power distribution to aircraft galley systems are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, an aircraft system can include an aircraft power source and at least first and second galley appliances operably coupled to the aircraft power source. The aircraft system can further include a controller operably coupled to the first and second galley appliances. The controller can be configured to receive a first power request from the first galley appliance and a second power request from the second galley appliance. The controller can be further configured to sort the first and second power requests and distribute power to the first and second galley appliances from the aircraft power source based on the sorting of the first and second power requests.
US08005579B2

A vehicle control device and method. To reduce consumption, the device and method test the state of each member used to input a command or interpret the wishes of the driver with the aid of a computer that is dedicated to each electricity-consuming resource. According to the device and method, when the engine is stopped, the accessories are no longer started up by pressing the start button.
US08005574B2

A stable rotation speed is acquired by finely changing a rotation speed of a rotary shaft 3 based on an expected stable rotation speed, and calculating an amount of change of a k′ number, and the like. Therefore, a more accurate rotation speed can be acquired, and “chatter vibration” generated during machining can be suppressed more effectively than a conventional method. As a result, a quality of a workpiece surface can be improved, and a tool wear and the like can be suppressed.
US08005560B2

A method of optimizing production cycle queue time includes selecting a plurality of process steps for a production cycle, calculating queue times for each of the plurality of process steps, statistically analyzing the queue times, and generating at least one visual output that illustrates the statistically analyzed queue times.
US08005551B2

An implantable medical lead includes a device, such as a physiological sensor, that is coupled to one or more stimulation/sensing sensing conductors within the lead. When the implantable medical lead is coupled to an implantable medical device, the device carried by the lead both receives power from, and communicates with the implantable medical device via the one or more stimulation/sensing sensing conductors. Each of the one or more stimulation/sensing sensing conductors is also coupled to an electrode that is exposed to body tissue.
US08005541B2

An implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) has a programmable ICD energy level corresponding to the maximum defibrillation energy deliverable with each defibrillation shock pulse. The ICD energy level is programmable within the maximum energy capacity of the defibrillation capacitor(s) of the ICD. In various embodiments, after a user enters the ICD energy level, one or more corresponding ICD performance parameters are presented. Restrictions are applied to the energy level programming of the ICD to ensure the predictability of the one or more ICD performance parameters.
US08005533B1

Embodiments of the present invention relate to implantable systems, and methods for use therewith, for assessing a patients' myocardial electrical stability. Implanted electrodes are used to obtain an electrogram (EGM) signal, which is used to identify periods when the patient experiences T-wave alternans. Additionally, the EGM signal is used to determine whether premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) cause phase reversals of the T-wave alternans. The patient's myocardial electrical stability is assessed based on whether, and in a specific embodiment the extent to which, PVCs cause phase reversals of the T-wave alternans. This abstract is not intended to be a complete description of, or limit the scope of, the invention.
US08005532B2

There are provided an electrocardiograph with an extended lead function and an extended lead ECG deriving method capable of easily deriving an ECG signal of an extended lead ECG by an arithmetic operation, based on ECG signals of a standard 12-lead ECG measured by a potential detector 10. An ECG memory 12 stores the ECG signals measured as the standard 12-lead ECG by the potential detector 10. An extended lead ECG calculator 16 calculates extended lead ECGs V7-V9 from the ECG signals stored in the ECG memory 12, using coefficients α representing a relationship among leads. The extended lead ECGs V7-V9 calculated are displayed through an extended lead ECG waveform outputting device 18 on a display monitor 20.
US08005531B2

A method and apparatus for processing electrocardiographic signals of a patient. The apparatus comprises ten or fewer electrodes connected to a patient at at least one of the standard twelve lead ECG electrode positions. The apparatus further comprises a plurality of ECG interpretation algorithms, each of the algorithms specifically tailored for analyzing a twelve lead ECG comprising both measured and derived ECG leads. The method of the present invention comprises determining whether an ECG lead is measured or derived and selecting an ECG interpretation algorithm based upon this determination.
US08005525B2

Systems and methods for minimizing or eliminating transient non-glucose related signal noise due to non-glucose rate limiting phenomenon such as ischemia, pH changes, temperatures changes, and the like. The system monitors a data stream from a glucose sensor and detects signal artifacts that have higher amplitude than electronic or diffusion-related system noise. The system replaces some or the entire data stream continually or intermittently including signal estimation methods that particularly address transient signal artifacts. The system is also capable of detecting the severity of the signal artifacts and selectively applying one or more signal estimation algorithm factors responsive to the severity of the signal artifacts, which includes selectively applying distinct sets of parameters to a signal estimation algorithm or selectively applying distinct signal estimation algorithms.
US08005506B2

A mobile terminal includes a display located on a front side of the terminal and an input device located on a rear side of the terminal and having a rotatable wheel.
US08005501B1

Entertainment content is stored in a memory. The content can be audio or video or both. According to an aspect, encryption is keyed to the disc contents to produce a cryptographically created value. That cryptographically created value is based on the content on the memory along with the cryptographic operation. The cryptographic value can be used to determine if data on the memory is valid. One aspect of the memory can be an optical disc. Another aspect carries this out only for recorded discs and does not do this for prerecorded discs.
US08005499B2

A set of power control step size increments are determined such that at least two step size increments differ from one another. The set is sent to a Mobile Station MS. A first power command to the MS informs of a first power for a uplink data transmission on a radio resource (E-DPDCH). To change power on the same radio resource, an offset is computed, the set of step size increments is accessed to determine which one, or combination of them, yield the offset, and the MS is informed of the second power by a second message that identifies those elements of the set that alone or in combination yield the offset. The MS determines the second power as a function of the first power and the step size increment(s) from the second message.
US08005495B2

The invention relates to an electronic short messaging and advertising method where minimal initiative is required from the consumer. Some embodiments of the invention may also be applied to an electronic sales method. The invention may also be applied for normal short messaging. The electronic short messaging method for collect calling may send transmissions to at least one subscriber terminal via the Internet and/or the telephony network. The method may include sending a first transmission to a recipient subscriber terminal for display, wherein the first transmission defines one or more active alternatives including at least one of initiating a collect call and deleting the first transmission. The method may also include calculating costs associated with at least one of the first transmission and the one or more active alternatives.
US08005493B2

The invention relates to a system and method of managing SMS messages in a first mobile operator network, said network comprising a plurality of subscribers and a Short Message Service Centre (SMSC) The invention can be implemented by carrying out the steps of starting a delivery attempt of the SMS message from a first subscriber to a second subscriber via said SMSC; intercepting transparently said SMS message delivery attempt from the first subscriber in the network before delivery of said SMS message; routing said intercepted SMS message delivery attempt via a smart services control node in the network; examining said message delivery attempt for possible invocation of a smart service to said SMS message; and invoking said smart services for said SMS message destined to said subscriber in response to said examination. The invention can be implemented in a single network or between two or more networks.
US08005490B2

An in-vehicle apparatus determines in the vicinity the presence of a portable terminal designated with a device requiring restriction on radio transmission as a device name thereof. Radio transmission from a cellular phone is thereby restricted. In contrast, when determining in the vicinity the absence of the portable terminal designated with a device requiring restriction on radio transmission, the restriction on radio transmission from the cellular phone is removed. In the event of a person with a cardiac pacemaker getting on the vehicle, if the person carries a portable terminal designated with a device requiring restriction on radio transmission as a device name, the concern of the person about a possibility that the cellular phone has a bad influence on the cardiac pacemaker can be prevented.
US08005481B2

A node B comprises a downlink data scheduler and an uplink data scheduler. Information associated with a downlink data transfer is transferred from the downlink data scheduler to said uplink data scheduler. The uplink data scheduler schedules an uplink data transfer as a result of the transmission of the downlink data transfer.
US08005472B2

The present invention provides a method for storing data relating to network conditions in a mobile unit. A mobile station receives a signal from a base station. The mobile station stores data associated with the signal in memory within the mobile unit. When the mobile unit determines that the signal has been dropped, the mobile unit freezes the memory until it can transmit the data to a network outage data center. This helps the system diagnose and correct transient service outages.
US08005467B2

A method and system for providing a telematics readiness mode including receiving a first readiness mode input at a telematics unit, initiating a readiness mode responsive to the received first readiness mode input, receiving a second readiness mode input at the telematics unit while in the readiness mode, and determining a readiness action based on the received second readiness mode input. A computer usable medium with suitable computer program code is employed for providing a telematics readiness mode.
US08005458B2

A device and method for detecting and preventing sensitive information leakage from a portable terminal is provided. A device for detecting and preventing leakage of sensitive information from a portable terminal includes a data storage unit that stores data containing sensitive information, an external interface that interfaces the portable terminal with the external, a sensitive information manager that detects and prevents leakage of the sensitive information stored in the data storage unit through the external interface, and a sensitive information leakage detecting and preventing unit that is disposed between the data storage unit and the external interface to detect and prevent the leakage of the sensitive information.
US08005457B2

A system and method for enabling verification of billing data received from an operator of a network resource access gateway by a billing service provider. An access gateway device is coupled to a network user device and to a billing service provider's system. The network user device generates billing data. The access gateway device is configured to compare received billing data with corresponding billing data generated by the access gateway device and if the received billing data correlates to the billing data generated by the access gateway device, the access gateway device stores portions of the received billing data.
US08005451B2

There is provided with a filter circuit, including: an input terminal configured to input signals; a band stop filter configured to have a center frequency of input signals from the input terminal in a stop band and configured to reflect signals in the stop band that is included in the input signals and pass signals outside the stop band; a band pass filter configured to have a pass band including the stop band, and configured to pass signals in the pass band out of the signals having passed through the band stop filter; a synthesis circuit configured to synthesize the signals reflected on the band stop filter and the signals having passed through the band pass filter to obtain synthesis signals; and an output terminal configured to output the synthesis signals.
US08005450B2

A disclosed method tunes a signal from a channelized spectrum having a predetermined channel spacing. A signal of interest having a predetermined maximum bandwidth is mixed with a local oscillator signal, which has a frequency that is an integer multiple of the channel spacing or one-half of a channel spacing displaced from an integer multiple of the channel spacing. The local oscillator signal is selected to frequency translate the signal of interest to within a near-baseband passband whose lower edge is spaced from DC by at least about the maximum bandwidth of the signal of interest. Problems associated with 1/f noise, DC offsets, and self-mixing products are avoided or substantially diminished. Other methods and systems are also disclosed.
US08005449B2

A Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) circuit includes a subsampling circuit that processes an input signal comprising a sampling frequency, fs, wherein the subsampling circuit subsamples the input signal, wherein the input signal is subsampled to concentrate a power in a narrow bandwidth; an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) operatively connected to the subsampling circuit, wherein the ADC digitizes the subsampled signal; and a baseband detector operatively connected to the ADC, wherein the baseband detector detects a power from the digitized subsampled signal and creates an output signal. The subsampling circuit and the ADC may operate as a single subsampling ADC. The RSSI circuit may further comprise ignoring higher order aliases at a multiple of the sampling frequency if the baseband detector is clocked at the sampling frequency.
US08005447B2

A method and apparatus for providing a dual-loop phase lock loop (PLL) for a radio-frequency (RF) receiver is provided. The dual-loop PLL may include coarse tuning circuitry and fine tuning circuitry. The coarse turning circuitry and fine tuning circuitry may be arranged in parallel. Both of the coarse tuning circuitry and fine tuning circuitry provide respective tuning signals to a voltage-controlled oscillator (e.g., a varactor tuned VCO). The coarse tuning circuitry and the fine tuning circuitry may provide the respective tuning signals simultaneously. In addition, coarse and fine tuning circuitry may be formed monolithically with other elements of the dual-loop PLL so as to provide a highly-integratable having a wide frequency lock range and high sensitivity.
US08005442B2

A wireless network connection system remotely connects to a network without the use of crystal reference oscillators. This provides communication at long range using a low transmit Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP). Operation is obtained through a combination of injection locking the system clock to the fundamental frequency of a remote reference oscillator, injection locking the transmitter to the third harmonic of the remote reference oscillator, a micro-watt RF receiver, and a network connection.
US08005437B2

A radio transceiver device includes circuitry for radiating electromagnetic signals at a very high radio frequency both through space, as well as through wave guides that are formed within a substrate material. In one embodiment, the substrate comprises a dielectric substrate formed within a board, for example, a printed circuit board. In another embodiment of the invention, the wave guide is formed within a die of an integrated circuit radio transceiver. A plurality of transceivers with different functionality is defined. Substrate transceivers are operable to transmit through the wave guides, while local transceivers are operable to produce very short range wireless transmissions through space. A third and final transceiver is a typical wireless transceiver for communication with remote (non-local to the device) transceivers. Additionally, a multi-mode transceiver is operable to configure transmit and receive circuitry based upon transmission path.
US08005422B2

A telecommunication network for establishing radiofrequency links between gateways and ground terminals via a multispot satellite, the network comprising a multispot satellite, a plurality of gateways, each gateway establishing a link with the satellite on at least Ns link channels corresponding to Ns frequency intervals [fi; fi+1] with i varying from 0 to Ns−1 and a service area comprised of Nc cells each comprising a plurality of ground terminals, each cell being associated with a link spot beam with the satellite to which is allocated a frequency interval selected from among a plurality of frequency intervals [f′i; f′i+1] with i varying from 0 to N−1, N being an integer strictly greater than 1, is disclosed. The frequency f′0 is substantially equal to the frequency fNs or the frequency f′N is substantially equal to the frequency f0. Each of the gateways is located in one of the Nc cells. The cells in which the gateways are located are associated with a spot beam to which is allocated a frequency interval selected from among the frequency intervals [f′i; f′i+1] with i varying from 1 to N−1 in the case where the frequency f′0 is substantially equal to the frequency fNs or [f′i; f′i+1] with i varying from 0 to N−2 in the case where the frequency f′N is substantially equal to the frequency f0.
US08005418B2

An antenna system is provided having switched directional antennas. The antenna system includes a first antenna for receiving signals within a first directional coverage zone, and a second antenna for receiving signals within a second directional coverage zone. According to one embodiment, the first and second antennas are located on a vehicle. The system has a device to detect orientation of the vehicle. The system further includes a receiver having control circuitry for controlling selection of the signals received from the first and second antennas based on orientation of the vehicle, location of one or more sources, and antenna coverage zones for the first and second antennas.
US08005416B2

A gripping device that grips a plate member provided with a long plate body, a first recess formed along a shorter length of the plate body, and a second recess formed at a position spaced apart from the first recess along a longer length of the plate body, the gripping device including: a first movable member entering the first recess; a second movable member entering the second recess; and opposing members opposed to the first and second movable members along the shorter length of the plate body and serving to grip the plate member in cooperation with the first and second movable members, wherein the gripping device grips the plate member by causing the second movable member to press against at least two positions of the second recess as well as the first movable member to press against a bottom of the first recess.
US08005415B2

A tandem color electrostatographic printer apparatus has five or more color printing stations or modules for applying respective color separation toner images to a receiver member to form a pentachrome color image in a single pass. A fuser station fuses the pentachrome color image. A clear toner overcoat is then applied to the fused pentachrome toner image and enhanced glossing of the image is provided by a belt glosser to improve color gamut.
US08005414B2

An image bearing apparatus includes an image heating belt heating a toner image on a sheet in a nip; a roller, opposing the belt, and forming the nip between the belt and itself; a pad, sandwiching the belt between the roller and itself, and pressing the belt toward the roller in the nip; a device pressing at least one of the pad and the roller so that the belt is pressed between the pad and the roller in the nip; and a device changing a pressure in the nip by the pressing device. The pad has a thickness, at its longitudinal central portion, larger than that at its longitudinal end portions. The pad has two curved surfaces, each being curved toward the opposing roller so that the longitudinal central portion of the pad is closer to the opposing roller than the longitudinal end portions of the pad.
US08005413B2

A pressure roller forms a nip for contacting a heating member to pinch and convey a heat recording material. The roller includes a core metal and an elastic layer containing filler. The elastic layer containing the filler includes thermal conductive filler with a length of not less than 0.05 mm and not more than 1 mm and with a thermal conductivity λf in the longitudinal direction in a range of λf≧500 W/(m·k), being dispersed in not less than 5 vol % and not more than 40 vol %. The elastic layer containing the filler has a thermal conductivity λy in the longitudinal direction perpendicular to a recording material conveyance direction, of λy≧2.5 W/(m·k) and an ASKER-C hardness of the filler is not more than 60 degrees. A solid rubber elastic layer with a thermal conductivity λ in a thickness direction of not less than 0.16 W/(m·k) and not more than 0.40 W/(m·k) is included.
US08005410B2

An intermediate transfer belt that includes a thermosetting polyimide and a conductive component, and where the polyimide is rapidly cured.
US08005404B2

A developing device is provided that facilitates developing agent delivery upward. A cartridge includes a developing roller, a supply roller, and a container disposed below the supply roller. The container can have an upper portion formed with an opening having upper and lower edges. A conveying member can be rotatably disposed in and in rotational contact with an inner surface of the container for delivering the developing agent upward. The developing agent container can include a first wall portion for receiving developing agent through the opening. The first wall portion extends from the lower edge in a downstream direction with respect to a rotational direction of the conveying member toward a bottommost portion of the supply roller. The container also includes a second wall portion extending from the upper edge in an upstream direction. The conveying member can be in simultaneous sliding contact with the first and second wall portions.
US08005403B2

An image forming apparatus includes: a latent image bearing member on which an electrostatic latent image is to be formed; a developing unit which contains the developer and performs a development process to develop the electrostatic latent image formed on the latent image bearing member; and a movement mechanism which moves the developing unit toward the latent image bearing member when the development process is performed, and moves the developing unit away from the latent image bearing member and changes the attitude of the developing unit with, respect to the latent image bearing member when the development process is not performed.
US08005393B2

A sheet conveying apparatus includes a pair of first guides formed with a first opening; a pair of second guides; and a pair of third guides, wherein an air which has passed through a first opening of the pair of first guides is deflected to one pair of guides of the pair of the second guides and the pair of the third guides by the other pair of guides.
US08005390B2

A method creates a printing image charge on a photoreceptor printing region of a photoreceptor within a printing apparatus and, simultaneously with the creating of the printing image charge, charges source patches on the photoreceptor outside the photoreceptor printing region. The method then transfers developer material from a donor roll to the photoreceptor. The source patches cause developer material to be removed from areas of the donor roll outside a donor roll printing region to create developer material-depleted regions. The method then reloads the donor roll with developer material using a magnetic brush and evaluates a reload function of the donor roll by characteristics of developer material on target patches with developer material in areas of the non-printing region of the photoreceptor adjacent the target patches. The method then alters the printing image charge to maintain the reload function within a predetermined range.
US08005388B2

In an image forming device, the actual speed of a media sheet through a fuser is detected and the fuser speed is controlled so as to maintain a bubble in the media sheet within predetermined limits. A media sheet speed sensor is disposed downstream of the fuser nip. The sensor may be a rotary optical encoder generating a signal comprising a series of pulses, the spacing of the pulses indicative of the speed of at least the leading edge of a media sheet actuating the sensor. Based on the actual speed of the media sheet, the speed of the fuser is adjusted to maintain a desired bubble in the media sheet, when the media sheet is engaged by both the fuser nip and another nip in the media path, such as a toner transfer nip.
US08005381B2

An image forming apparatus includes a latent image bearing body that bears a latent image, a charging member applied with a charging voltage and configured to charge a surface of the latent image bearing body, a developer bearing body applied with a developing voltage and configured to develop the latent image with a developer, a developer regulating member applied with a regulating-member-application voltage and configured to form a layer of the developer on the developer bearing body, and a voltage switching unit configured to switch the regulating-member-application voltage. In a non-image-forming period, the voltage switching unit switches the regulating-member-application voltage from a voltage set for an image forming period to a different voltage.
US08005377B2

An image forming device includes an image carrier having a surface onto which an electrostatic latent image is formed, a development station including a case made of a conductive body and one or more developer rollers, which supply toner housed in the case to the surface of the image carrier, and develop the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the image carrier as a toner image, a unit, which forms a standard concentration toner image of on the surface of the image carrier, a detector, which detects a toner adhesion amount of the standard concentration toner image formed on the surface of the image carrier by the standard concentration toner image-forming unit, and a voltage controller, which controls a bias voltage to be applied to the case according to a detected result of the toner adhesion amount of the standard concentration toner image by the detector.
US08005373B2

An optical signal reception device that receives and demodulates an optical signal modulated by DQPSK and performs logical inversion and other controls to transit to the object reception state. The signal reception device includes a front end including a delay interferometer and an opto-electric conversion element that receive the DQPSK optical signal and convert it into an in-phase signal and a quadrature-phase signal, a clock regenerator that regenerates a clock signal based on the in-phase signal and the quadrature-phase signal, a multiplexer that multiplexes the in-phase signal and the quadrature-phase signal, a reception frame processing unit that detects frame synchronization based on the signal multiplexed by the multiplexer and de-maps the received frames, and a controller that, based on out-of-frame-synchronization information (LOF/OOF) from the reception frame processing unit, performs logical inversion control in the clock regenerator, multiplexing timing control in the multiplexer, and controls the delay interferometer in the front end so as to transit to the object reception state.
US08005367B2

The bi-directional optical module, which installs the receiver and the transmitter within one package, is disclosed with an improved optical crosstalk. The optical module provides a lens, a WDM filter and a photodiode (PD) on an axis of the single mode fiber coupled with the module, while, a laser diode (LD) in a position perpendicular to the optical axis. The WDM filter provides a multi-layered optical film on a primary surface and an edge in a side far from the LD and the (PD) makes an obtuse angle to the primary surface so as to prevent light from the LD and reflected at this edge from entering the PD.
US08005364B2

A wireless communication device (10) includes a radio frequency transceiver (22) adapted for burst transmission responsive to an enable signal in accordance with at least one communication protocol and an infrared transceiver (24) adapted for asynchronous data communication. The infrared transceiver (24) is responsive to the enable signal to suspend data communication. A controller (20) is coupled to each of the radio frequency transceiver (22) and the infrared transceiver (24), and the controller (20) is operable to generate the enable signal in accordance with the at least one communication protocol.
US08005362B2

In order to be able to moderate the inclination of the PON burst reception characteristics and to improve the FEC effect, a first offset is used in a ranging window field, and a second offset, which is lower than the first offset value, is used in a burst data field other than the ranging window field.
US08005353B2

A flow-through heater includes a heating element and a liquid-bearing tube connected to the heating element. The liquid-bearing tube has a flat area on which a thermostat is mounted.
US08005350B2

An aromatic odor neutralizer includes a vaporization chamber containing a wick with an end part immersed in fluid in a storage cup that is gravity fed from an airtight vessel by the use of air pathways exposed when the liquid level in the cup is reduced. The vaporization chamber is located in a dispenser housing with an internal passage between end walls and communicating with vents in the sides for aerodynamic airflow to efficiently absorb vapors from a vaporizer chamber.
US08005343B2

A recorded data storing unit previously stores recorded content data. An index information storing unit stores index information corresponding to portions being grouped depending on attributes of the recorded content from the outside. A playlist creating unit creates a playlist presenting editing targets for the attributes according to specified information specified by a user for the attributes using the specified information and index information appended to the portions of the recorded content depending on the attributes. A playlist storing unit stores the playlist created by the playlist creating unit. A content editing unit edits the editing targets in recorded content in the recorded data storing unit according to the index information in the index information storing unit and the playlist in the playlist storing unit.
US08005335B2

A method for configuring an enclosure used in a communications network is described. The method may include providing a group of pigtails. The method may further include routing the group of pigtails circumferentially around a subscriber termination field, where the group of pigtails is associated with an optical splitter module used to convey optical signals to a destination, and where the routing is performed in a manner that does not substantially obstruct access to at least one of a group of subscriber terminations that are associated with the subscriber termination field.
US08005333B2

A fiber optic cable connection assembly includes an enclosure housing and a fiber optic cable. The enclosure housing defines a chamber and a fiber handling region disposed in the chamber. The fiber optic cable has a lengthwise cable axis and including a plurality of cable optical fibers, a jacket surrounding the cable optical fibers and a strength member extending through the jacket. The cable includes an arcuately bent cable segment disposed in the chamber. The bent cable segment defines a cable plane and an interior region within the arc of the bent cable segment. At least one of the cable optical fibers extends fully through the enclosure housing uncut. The strength member extends fully through the enclosure housing uncut. The fiber handling region is disposed in the interior region. At least one of the cable optical fibers is removed from the bent cable segment and routed into the fiber handling region where at least a portion of the removed cable optical fiber is stored and/or spliced to another optical fiber.
US08005330B2

An optical transmission element comprises optical waveguides embedded into a UV-curing protective layer. The optical waveguides and the UV-curing protective layer are surrounded by a sheath, on which spherical elements are arranged. A conductive layer is applied on the sheath and the spherical elements arranged thereon, said conductive layer having a resistivity. of an order of magnitude of 5·1010 ohms per meter measured at a temperature of between 18 degrees Celsius and 24 degrees Celsius and a relative humidity of 45 percent. In the case of an optical transmission element of this type, electrostatic charging when the optical transmission element is blown into an empty conduit is avoided to the greatest possible extent, such that possible blowing-in lengths within a range of between 500 meters and 1000 meters are obtained.
US08005323B2

A method and apparatus for generating and transmitting high energy optical pulses are described. Distributed temperature sensors usually use Raman scattering in optical fibers as the means to determine the temperature. Here, light from a laser source is sent down a fiber and the small amount of light that is scattered back towards the source is analysed. As the fiber length increases, the resolutions of the temperature and loss measurements become poorer. This is because losses in an optical fiber attenuate the signal. An obvious solution to this problem is to launch more light into the fiber to compensate for the losses but stimulated Raman scattering limits how much light may be launched. The present invention solves this problem by using a pulse conversion method to maximize the resultant pulse energy while the power is kept below SRS threshold.
US08005314B2

A high speed, high-resolution flow imaging system is modified to achieve extended depth of field imaging. An optical distortion element is introduced into the flow imaging system. Light from an object, such as a cell, is distorted by the distortion element, such that a point spread function (PSF) of the imaging system is invariant across an extended depth of field. The distorted light is spectrally dispersed, and the dispersed light is used to simultaneously generate a plurality of images. The images are detected, and image processing is used to enhance the detected images by compensating for the distortion, to achieve extended depth of field images of the object. The post image processing preferably involves de-convolution, and requires knowledge of the PSF of the imaging system, as modified by the optical distortion element.
US08005312B2

A video processing system may implement a video scaling algorithm using interpolation based on polyphase filtering. A video or graphics scaler may be utilized to scale luma, chroma, and/or alpha information in a video image. The scaler may comprise a first polyphase sub-filtering with zero phase shift that generates an in-phase filtered output from an input video image and a second polyphase sub-filtering that generates an out-of-phase filtered output from the input video image. The video scaler may also comprise an interpolator that may generate a scaled video image based on the generated in-phase and out-of-phase filtered outputs and a scaling factor. The scaling factor may be determined based on an input video size (M) and a desired output video size (N). The interpolation of the generated in-phase and out-of-phase filtered outputs in the video scaler may be implemented by utilizing a Farrow structure.
US08005309B2

A wavelet transform unit performs a wavelet transform on original images and a quantization unit quantizes wavelet transform coefficients. A ROI selector selects a region of interest or regions of interest in the original image, and a ROI mask generator generates ROI masks with which the wavelet transform coefficients (which are also called ROI transform coefficients) corresponding to the regions of interest are specified. By referring to the ROI masks, a lower-bit zero substitution unit substitutes low-order bits of non-ROI transform coefficients with zeros. An entropy coding unit entropy-codes the wavelet transform coefficients sequentially from high-order bit-planes, after the substitution. A coded data generator turns coded data into streams together with parameters and then outputs coded images.
US08005308B2

A method for determining values of motion vectors includes receiving an irregular pattern of motion vectors for a target image, estimating an initial value for each of the motion vectors, using the motion vectors to generate a tap structure for an adaptive temporal prediction filter, and using the tap structure to re-estimate the value of each motion vector.
US08005305B2

A method and apparatus are provided for generating a halftoned image from an image compressed by a domain transformation yielding coefficients for resulting domain components and by a coding operation by which these coefficients are coded. The method includes performing a decoding operation by which decoded coefficients (yp) are obtained and performing a thresholding operation by which a bitmap is obtained, wherein only certain decoded coefficients (yp) verifying a selection criterion are selected and taken into account in the thresholding operation.
US08005289B2

Methods, computer software, and systems for analyzing a biological specimen (e.g., a cytological specimen) on a slide are provided. Magnified image data frames of the biological specimen are taken at different locations on the slide. An object that is not entirely contained within at least one of the image data frames is identified, and complementary portions of the object respectively located in different ones of the image data frames are matched. A fully integrated object is created from the matched object portions. Attributes of the integrated object are then analyzed.
US08005283B2

The invention relates to a method and a device for the combined representation of a series of 2D fluoroscopic images of the beating heart with a static 3D image data set of the same heart. The fluoroscopic images are registered with the 3D image data set and from this a 2D pseudo-projection on to the image plane of each fluoroscopic image generated in each case. This is then represented with the associated fluoroscopic image overlaid. The method is characterized in that the pseudo-projection is represented differently in each case or is not represented depending on the interval of the cardiac phase of the currently represented fluoroscopic image relative to the cardiac phase of the 3D image data set.
US08005281B2

Systems, methods and apparatus are provided through which in some embodiments an image acquisition station transmits images that have been identified as having inadequate diagnostic quality to a computer system of an image quality consultant. The image quality consultant may develop recommendations on how to improve the quality, and the recommendations are communicated to appropriate personnel.
US08005279B2

The present invention discloses a capsule endoscope image display controller (26) including: an image-to-image similarity calculating unit (36) that calculates, for each image included in an image sequence captured by a capsule endoscope which moves within the digestive organs, a similarity between the image and its temporally consecutive image; an amount-of-movement calculating unit (47) that calculates, for each image included in the image sequence, an amount of movement of a feature area included in the image; a video state classifying unit (41) that classifies, for each image included in the image sequence, a video state of the image into one of the following states, based on the video state, the similarity, and the amount of movement of the image: (a) “stationary state” indicating that the capsule endoscope is stationary, (b) “digestive organs deformation state” indicating that the digestive organs are deformed, and (c) “capsule moving state” indicating that the capsule endoscope is moving, based on the similarity and the amount of movement of the image; a rendering duration determining unit (42) that determines, for each image included in the image sequence, a rendering duration between the image and its temporally consecutive image; and a display controlling unit (44) that sequentially displays, on a screen, the images included in the image sequence with the determined rendering durations.
US08005273B2

Methods and systems are provided for analyzing and assessing documents using a writing profile for documents, such as a payment instrument. A method may include providing a document to a computer system. In an embodiment, the method may further include comparing writing in one or more non-signature information fields of the document to at least one forger writing profile representation. In some embodiments, at least one forger writing profile representation may be obtained from at least one non-signature information field of at least one document that includes forged information. In an embodiment, the document may be identified as a document including forged information from an approximate match of at least one forger writing profile representation with writing in the document.
US08005271B2

A face detection method is provided, including: classifying into levels time-wise continuously captured images by increasing/reducing the total number of pixels; selecting sequentially and reading out image data for all of the levels using read-out units of the same size of pixels, or a smaller size of pixels, as those of the image with the smallest size of pixels; carrying out face detection processing by extracting candidate levels in which face image data is present, based on the read-out image data for each of the levels; and, when repeating the face detection processing, setting the number of candidate levels for face detection processing from the second time onward as less than the total number of levels. A digital camera incorporating the face detection method is also disclosed.
US08005269B2

A method for image-based driver identification in a motor vehicle is provided. At least one two-dimensional driver facial image is recorded using a camera. Recorded driver facial images are temporarily stored. The temporarily stored driver facial images are compared to two-dimensional reference images of each possible driver from multiple possible drivers of the motor vehicle. The current recording angle between the camera and the facial normal line of the driver is determined by a device not otherwise used for image-based driver identification and relayed to the method for image-based driver identification and the recording of a driver facial image is triggered when the current recording angle reaches a specific preset value.
US08005265B2

A method of processing a digital image using face detection within the image achieves one or more desired image processing parameters. A group of pixels is identified that correspond to an image of a face within the digital image. Default values are determined of one or more parameters of at least some portion of the digital image. Values are adjusted of the one or more parameters within the digitally-detected image based upon an analysis of the digital image including the image of the face and the default values.
US08005260B2

A method for sorting mail includes performing an automatic address recognition process on a digitized image of a mail piece and generating a plurality of conditional address recognition results and a plurality of confirmation values each associated with one of the plurality of conditional address recognition results. The method can include sending the digitized image, the plurality of conditional address recognition results and the plurality of confirmation values to a video coding system. The method can include detecting a possible error in a first video coding result, the possible error detected using error correction information including information from the automatic address recognition process. The method may include indicating the possible error to a video coding operator, and performing a video coding operation to obtain a second video coding result and arbitrating or selecting one of the results as output.
US08005253B2

The invention is intended to enhance the driving efficiency in a speaker being less in distortion. In order to achieve the purpose, there is provided a damper disposed rather closer to a magnetic circuit than the diaphragm, of which the inner rim is connected to a voice coil body, and the outer rim of the damper is connected to the frame via the second edge. The second edge is protruded toward the diaphragm or the opposite side thereof. The damper has such a structure that the first protrusion protruding toward the diaphragm and the second protrusion protruding in a direction opposite to the first protrusion are alternately repeated in a plurality of times, and the first protrusion and the second protrusion are different in size from each other. The smaller protrusion out of the first and second protrusions is same in protruding direction as the second edge.
US08005250B2

One embodiment of a microphone housing having at its base a cylindrical solid section (4) containing circuit boards (3) and on which is mounted transducer (2) and acoustically permeable basket (1). The basket is made of rigid, conductive foam providing electrical shielding, mechanical protection and wind and pop screening, without appreciably altering the acoustical characteristics of the transducer. Another embodiment is also described and shown.
US08005246B2

There is described a hearing aid comprising input transducer means for converting input acoustic signals into electrical input signals, signal processor means and output transducer means. The signal processor means is operable to divide said electrical input signals into a plurality of frequency bands and to perform a contrast enhancement operation in each said frequency band, to increase the difference between the amplitudes of those frequency components of the input electrical signals having a relatively high amplitude and those frequency components thereof having a relatively low amplitude to produce output electrical signals in each said respective frequency bands. The output transducer means is operable to produce an output acoustic signal corresponding to a combination of said output electrical signals.
US08005238B2

A novel adaptive beamforming technique with enhanced noise suppression capability. The technique incorporates the sound-source presence probability into an adaptive blocking matrix. In one embodiment the sound-source presence probability is estimated based on the instantaneous direction of arrival of the input signals and voice activity detection. The technique guarantees robustness to steering vector errors without imposing ad hoc constraints on the adaptive filter coefficients. It can provide good suppression performance for both directional interference signals as well as isotropic ambient noise.
US08005237B2

A novel beamforming post-processor technique with enhanced noise suppression capability. The present beam forming post-processor technique is a non-linear post-processing technique for sensor arrays (e.g., microphone arrays) which improves the directivity and signal separation capabilities. The technique works in so-called instantaneous direction of arrival space, estimates the probability for sound coming from a given incident angle or look-up direction and applies a time-varying, gain based, spatio-temporal filter for suppressing sounds coming from directions other than the sound source direction resulting in minimal artifacts and musical noise.
US08005236B2

A method for controlling presentation of data through a wireless home entertainment hub in a home entertainment system includes obtaining a registration for one or more source devices and for one or more sink devices. An indication is received at the wireless home entertainment hub that at least one of the source devices has become active. An instruction is transmitted to the sink devices to receive data from the at least one active source device. An indication is transmitted to at least one active source device that at least one of the sink devices is ready to receive data.
US08005235B2

A noise control system is operable within a box-like structure provided by the dual bulkhead plenum of the vehicle dashboard positioned within the transfer path along which the noise is being transmitted from the source of the generated noise to the receiver of the noise in the passenger compartment of an automobile. The plenum is divided into discrete chambers into each of which is provided a counter noise generating apparatus to create a counteracting noise offsetting the noise generated at the source. The acoustic resonance of the chambers amplifies the noise control energy. The geometry of the individual chambers can be varied to optimize the packaging and sound control or shaping strategy. The sound energy permitted to pass through the plenum to the driver's side of the passenger compartment can be tuned to be different than the noise received in the passenger's side.
US08005234B2

An impulse response synthesis method is carried out by a dispersion calculation process for calculating a dispersion of phase characteristics in association with a given room based on a volume of the room, a degree of sound absorption of the room, and a distance between a sound source and a receiving point arranged in the room, a noise creation process for creating a noise having the dispersion of the phase characteristics calculated in the dispersion calculation process, a trend addition process for adding a phase trend to the noise created by the noise creation process in accordance with the distance between the sound source and the receiving point and obtaining a phase characteristic of a minimum-phase component from the noise added with the phase trend, and a synthesis process for synthesizing an impulse response based on the phase characteristic of the minimum-phase component, the impulse response being used to create reverberation for the room.
US08005232B2

The hearing system comprises at least one request-receiving unit for receiving requests for assistance from a user of said hearing system and an assistance unit operationally connected to said request-receiving unit adapted to carrying out an assistance function providing assistance for said user. Preferably, said assistance unit is adapted to carrying out an analysis of a current status of at least one device of said hearing system. Preferably, said assistance unit is furthermore adapted to attempting to correct said current status if a faulty or inappropriate current status has been detected. Preferably, the hearing system comprises a communication interface, wherein said assistance unit is adapted to attempting to establish a communication link to a remote assistance provider using said communication interface. The method for assisting a user of a hearing system, comprises the steps of a) receiving a request for assistance from said user by means of a request-receiving unit of said hearing system; and b) automatically carrying out an assistance function upon step a).
US08005231B2

A system includes a variable amplifier, a source sound processor, an area sound processor, and an adjustment circuit. The variable amplifier adjusts an audio input signal to generate an audio output signal with an appropriate level so that the audio output signal is audible over noise in a listening area. The source sound processor and the area sound processor may split the audio output signal and a monitoring signal into frequency bands, and may compare these signals band-by-band to find differences that represent time-varying noise in the monitoring signal. These differences may be modified to account for the acoustic response of the listening area and for constant-level background noise in the listening area. The adjustment circuit controls the variable amplifier in response to these differences.
US08005225B2

A hierarchical threshold tree-based broadcast encryption method includes a first step for a server initialization and a user subscription, a second step of distributing a message to enable a privileged user (authorized user) to decrypt a group key, and a third step of the privileged user (authorized user) decrypting the message using the group key. According to the method, it is possible to prevent any group of revocators from obtaining the group key using their secret information and information being broadcast by the server.
US08005224B2

A method for establishing a new security association between a mobile node and a network source, the method comprising creating a first token comprising a security association between a network source and a mobile node, the first token being encrypted using a first key known to the mobile node and a first trust authority within a home network associated with the mobile node, and creating a second token comprising the same security association between the network source and the mobile node, the second token being encrypted using a second key known to the first trust authority and a second trust authority associated with the network source, wherein the first token and the second token are sent to the second trust authority using a chain of trust infrastructure.
US08005223B2

Embodiments of a system and method for providing additional security for data being transmitted across a wireless connection that has been established using a known wireless protocol (e.g. Bluetooth) are described. An encryption key is exchanged between a computing device (e.g. a mobile device) and a wireless peripheral device (e.g. a keyboard, a printer). In exemplary embodiments, the encryption key is generated at one of the two devices. Data associated with the encryption key is output at the one device, which can be input by the user at the other device. The encryption key is then recovered at the other device from the input, thereby completing the key exchange. The encryption key can then be used to encrypt and decrypt data transmitted over the established wireless connection, providing additional security.
US08005221B2

A method is provided for coherently demodulating a chaotic sequence spread spectrum signal at a receiver (104). The method includes receiving a chaotic sequence spread spectrum signal including a plurality of information symbols. The method also includes generating a first string of discrete time chaotic samples. The first string of discrete time chaotic samples is identical to a second string of discrete time chaotic samples generated at a transmitter. The method further includes processing the chaotic sequence spread spectrum signal at the receiver to identify a time offset and a frequency offset relative to the first string of discrete time chaotic samples. Each of the discrete time chaotic samples of the first string of discrete time chaotic samples has a shorter sample time interval than the duration of the information symbols.
US08005219B2

A data decryption apparatus that decrypts encrypted data, includes a first data-receiving unit that receives a first data set, in which information on an encryption specification is embedded, through a first communication path; a time-information obtaining unit that obtains time information on a reception of the first data set by the first data receiving unit; a time-information storage unit that stores the time information with the information on the encryption specification associated therewith; a second data-receiving unit that receives a second data set through a second communication path, the second data set being encrypted based on the encryption-specification and appended by time information on performing data encryption; and an encryption-specification selecting unit that selects an encryption specification for use in decryption of the second data set based on the time information stored in the time-information storage unit and the time information appended to the second data set.
US08005214B2

A cipher key is generated by first information shared in secrete between a data transmitting unit 10 and a data receiving unit 20, second information derived from duplication control information of transmit data and third information which is time change information shared between the data transmitting unit and the data receiving unit to cipher data by a CPU 12 by using the above-mentioned cipher key to transmit, from the data transmitting unit 10 to the data receiving unit 20, transmit data in which the duplication control information and the time change information are added to the ciphered data.
US08005211B2

The present invention is aimed at performing shuffle-decrypting certification which is made more secure by not allowing any knowledge of secret information to leak when certifying the legitimacy of shuffling and decryption. A shuffle-decrypting legitimacy certifying apparatus is supplied with a plurality of encrypted texts, a public key, a decrypting secret key, and a random number, encrypts the encrypted texts with the public key, shuffles the order of the encrypted texts, generates a plurality of decrypted texts produced by decrypting the encrypted texts with the secret key, and certifies the legitimacy of the encryption, the shuffling of the order, and the decryption to a shuffle-decrypting verifying apparatus. Data to communicate with the shuffle-decrypting verifying apparatus includes a commitment of a shuffled encrypted text which is an encrypted text produced by encrypting the encrypted texts with the public key and shuffling the order thereof.
US08005209B2

Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is an encryption algorithm for securing sensitive unclassified material by U.S. Government agencies and, as a consequence the de facto encryption standard for commercial applications worldwide. Performing concurrent error detection (CED) for protection of such a widely deployed algorithm is an issue of paramount importance. We present a low-cost CED method for AES. In this method, we make use of invariance properties of AES to detect errors. For the first time, the invariance properties of the AES, which are for the most part used to attack the algorithm, are being used to protect it from fault attacks. Our preliminary ASIC synthesis of this architecture resulted in an area overhead of 13.8% and a throughput degradation of 16.67%.
US08005207B2

The invention provides a microphone coupler system for a communication device. The coupler system comprises: a microphone; a printed circuit board (PCB) to connect to the microphone; a platform having an aperture; a boot assembly to enclose the microphone and to direct acoustic signals to the microphone; and an acoustic channel formed in part by the boot assembly and a bottom surface of the platform when the boot assembly is mounted over the microphone and the platform is mounted over the boot assembly. The boot assembly has a coupling section shaped to hold the microphone with the aperture facing upward from the PCB and a lateral rib extending around its exterior to mate with an interior surface of the platform.
US08005206B1

A VDSL splitter device adapted to receive a multi-frequency signal that includes a POTS signal portion and a VDSL signal portion and outputs separate POTS and VDSL signals. The VDSL splitter device includes an input port that receives the multi-frequency signal, a POTS output port, and a VDSL output port. The VDSL splitter also includes a POTS signal conditioning network electrically connected to the input port and the POTS output port. The POTS signal conditioning network receives the multi-frequency signal from the input port and outputs the POTS signal at the POTS output port. The VDSL splitter device also includes a VDSL signal conditioning network electrically connected to the input port and the VDSL output port. The VDSL signal conditioning network includes a voltage blocker and a VDSL high-pass filter, and is adapted to receive the multi-frequency signal from the input port and outputs the VDSL signal at the VDSL output port.
US08005205B2

The invention relates to a protected plug socket (20) for distribution devices in telecommunications and data technology, comprising at least one housing (21) and at least one protective element (12), said protective element (12) comprising at least two contact posts (9-11), at least two contact elements (24a-c) being embedded in the housing (21), the contact elements (24a-c) each comprising a line contact (22a, b) and a clamping contact (24a-c), wherein the line contact (22a, b) is arranged in a plugging-in region and the clamping contact is arranged in a housing region of the protected plug socket (20). The contact posts (9-11) of the protective element (12) are in contact with the clamping contacts (24a-c), the protective element (12) is connected to a plugging-in aid (1), made from an electrically non-conducting material and the plugging-in aid (1) comprises at least one housing for the contact posts (9-11) in which the contact posts (9-11) are mechanically fixed, the plugging in aid (1) being arranged between the clamping contacts (24a-c) and/or elements of the housing (21).
US08005193B2

A system and method are disclosed for providing simple unified messaging. A method incorporating teachings of the present disclosure may include receiving an indication of a call from a calling party to a called party and answering the call at a premises of the called party. The calling party may be prompted to leave a message, and at least a portion of the message may be saved as an audio file. In response to recognizing that the calling party left the message, an outgoing message may be prepared. The audio file may be attached to the outgoing message, which may be addressed to a network node associated with a unified messaging mailbox of the called party. The message may then be sent from the premises to the network node. By employing teachings disclosed herein, a user may be able to make use of existing premises components and equipment to implement a network-based unified messaging system.
US08005192B2

Systems for monitoring, storage, and analysis of information in signaling messages, communicated from originating networks to a destination network through one or more intermediate networks are described. Correlation and comparison between signaling messages of interest sent from an origination network to signaling messages received by the destination network allows for the detection of inconsistent information, e.g., information fields in a communicated message that have been altered, either intentionally or unintentionally, by an intermediate carrier. The introduction of an additional communications path over which notification messages are forwarded from signaling monitoring equipment in the origination network to signaling monitoring equipment in the destination network allows for a significant reduction in the memory storage requirements at the destination network and in the amount of processing required to match, compare, and evaluate signaling messages. In addition, the reduction in stored messages and processing time allows the monitoring system to operate in near-real time allowing for fraud detection while a call is still in progress.
US08005178B2

A physical layer device comprises a first port that embeds a first clock into data transmitted over a first physical medium; a second port that embeds a second clock into data transmitted over a second physical medium; a first selection module that outputs the first clock to the first port based on one of a locally generated clock and a recovered clock; and a second selection module that outputs the second clock to the second port based on one of the locally generated clock and the recovered clock. A method comprises embedding a first clock into data transmitted over a first physical medium; embedding a second clock into data transmitted over a second physical medium; generating the first clock based on one of a locally generated clock and a recovered clock; and generating the second clock based on one of the locally generated clock and the recovered clock.
US08005177B1

In order to reduce the crest factor of a signal for power amplification, a windowing function is applied. The windowing function that is applied is a triangular windowing function. The use of this function produces good results when those results are measured in terms of their effect on a transmitted signal in a WCDMA communications system. The filter for performing the triangular windowing function receives the signal, and applies it to a first delay element. The output from the first delay element is applied to a second delay element. An adder forms a weighted sum of the received signal and the signals at the outputs of the first delay element and the second delay element. A first accumulator is connected to receive an input from the adder and provides a first accumulator output, while a second accumulator is connected to receive an input from the first accumulator output and provides a second accumulator output.
US08005173B2

A method of estimating a coarse frequency offset of Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) transmission frames includes receiving the DMB transmission frames including a synchronization channel having a phase reference symbol, circularly shifting the phase reference symbol by applying a circular shift to the phase reference symbol, numerically correlating the circularly shifted phase reference symbol with a known correct phase reference symbol to obtain a highest peak and a side peaks of the numeric correlation, and computing a phase reference symbol angle based on a multiplication of the peak and a carrier spacing of the DMB transmission frames. The peak is determined when the circularly shifted phase reference symbol is equal to the known correct phase reference symbol. The peak and side peaks corresponding to the peak are operated in a range of a maximum value of the circular shift.
US08005164B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide a system comprising a bit stream merger to merge a bit stream of a wireless apparatus with at least one bit stream associated with a wireless device in a common transmit cluster to form a merged bit stream; a time-frequency encoder and interleaver to time-frequency encode and interleave the merged bit stream to generate a coded bit stream; and at least a first and second encoding path, each coupled to the time frequency coder and interleaver, and an antenna array, wherein the first encoding path modulates the coded bit stream according to a first modulation scheme and the second encoding path modulates the coded bit stream according to a second modulation scheme.
US08005157B2

A correlation calculation unit includes: four arithmetic units each including a first differential arithmetic section calculating a difference between an OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing) signal and a first delay signal, a second differential arithmetic section calculating a difference between a second delay signal and a third delay signal, and a multiplication section multiplying arithmetic results of the first and second differential arithmetic sections; four polarity conversion units converting arithmetic results of the multiplication sections of the corresponding arithmetic units into polarity signals indicating polarities of the arithmetic results, respectively; four integrating units integrating the polarity signals obtained by the corresponding polarity conversion units, respectively; and an addition unit adding up integrating results of the four integrating units, and outputting an addition result as a correlation signal indicating a correlation between the OFDM signal and the second delay signal.
US08005153B2

Embodiments of the invention apply block spreading to transmitted signals to increase the number orthogonally multiplexed signals. The principle of the disclosed invention can be applied to reference signals, acknowledgement signals, and channel quality indication signals. In any given time interval, the set of transmitted signals is defined by two sequences: the baseline sequence, and the block spreading sequence. Different transmitters using the same baseline sequence can be identified by using different block spreading sequences.
US08005151B2

A method of filtering to remove coding artifacts introduced at block edges in a block-based video coder, the method having the steps of: checking the content activity on every line of samples belonging to a boundary to be filtered and where content activity is based on a set of adaptively selected thresholds determined using Variable-Shift Table Indexing (VSTI); determining whether the filtering process will modify the sample values on that particular line based on said content activity; and selecting a filtering mode between at least two filtering modes to apply on a block boundary basis, implying that there would be no switching between the two primary modes on a line by line basis along a given block boundary. The two filtering modes include a default mode based on a non-recursive filter, and a strong filtering mode which features two strong filtering sub-modes and a new selection criterion that is one-sided with respect to the block boundary to determine which of the two strong filtering sub-modes to use. The two strong filtering sub-modes include a new 3-tap filter sub-mode and a 5-tap filter sub-mode that permits a more efficient implementation of the filter.
US08005146B2

A variable length coding method is comprised of: a coefficient value scanning step in which an RL sequence generation unit 203, a reordering unit 202, and a binarization unit 203 scan coefficient values within a block in a predetermined scanning order starting at a higher-frequency component toward a lower-frequency component; and an arithmetic coding step in which an arithmetic coding unit 205 and a table storage unit 204 perform arithmetic coding on the absolute values of the coefficient values according to the scanning order used in the coefficient value scanning step, by switching between probability tables 1˜4 for use, wherein, in the arithmetic coding step, a probability table to be used is switched to another probability table in one direction, when the arithmetic-coded absolute values of the coefficient values include an absolute value exceeding a predetermined threshold value.
US08005144B2

The invention discloses a bi-directional prediction method for video coding/decoding. When bi-directional prediction coding at the coding end, firstly the given forward candidate motion vector of the current image block is obtained for every image block of the current B-frame; the backward candidate motion vector is obtained through calculation, and the candidate bi-directional prediction reference block is obtained through bi-directional prediction method; the match is computed within the given searching scope and/or the given matching threshold; finally the optimal matching block is selected to determine the final forward motion vector, and the backward motion vector and the block residual. The present invention achieves the object of bi-directional prediction by coding a single motion vector, furthermore, it will not enhance the complexity of searching for a matching block at the coding end, and may save amount of coding the motion vector and represent the motion of the objects in video more actually. The present invention realizes a new prediction coding type by combining the forward prediction coding with the backward.
US08005132B2

A method of analyzing the performance of a modem connection. The method includes connecting a line interface to a communication link carrying signals of a modem connection, between a pair of end modems, collecting signals passing on the communication link, between the end modems, through the line interface, determining quality or transmission characteristics regarding the modem connection, responsive to signals collected through the line interface, and displaying information on the determined characteristics.
US08005131B2

Compensation is provided for errors in channel information that can result when there is a delay between the measurement of the channel information and the subsequent use of the channel information. In one embodiment, downlink channel prediction is performed within a user device, in a system employing closed loop MIMO with implicit feedback, to reduce the occurrence of errors during the calculation of a calibration parameter within an associated base station. In another embodiment, channel prediction is used to predict a downlink channel state for a user device at a future time when a multi-user MIMO data transfer is to occur between a base station and a number of selected user devices.
US08005126B2

The proposed gas discharge laser comprises extended solid main discharge electrodes, at each of which at least one ultraviolet pre-ionizer is placed, a gas flow area being formed by means of dielectric gas flow guides and the work surfaces of main electrodes and the pre-ionizers being placed outside of the gas flow area for illuminating a space between the main discharge electrodes through a gap defined between the main electrodes and dielectric guides. The proposed invention makes it possible to design a gas discharge laser for a high pulse repetition frequency mode with high-quality laser radiation.
US08005124B2

A method for producing wide bandwidth laser emission responsive to high frequency electrical input signals, including the following steps: providing a heterojunction bipolar transistor device having collector, base, and emitter regions; providing at least one quantum size region in the base region, and enclosing at least a portion of the base region in an optical resonant cavity; coupling electrical signals, including the high frequency electrical input signals, with respect to the collector, base and emitter region, to cause laser emission from the transistor device; and reducing the operating beta of the transistor laser device to enhance the optical bandwidth of the laser emission in response to the high frequency electrical signals.
US08005117B2

A control data transmission and reception period of, for example, 1 ms is provided for each frame of a digital broadcast signal. The digital broadcast signal is intermittently transmitted. In the intermittent transmission, the transmitting device stops the digital broadcast signal from being sent during the control data transmission and reception period. At the same time, control data is transmitted during the control data transmission and reception period. In other words, a beacon signal is sent from a transmitting device to a wireless television receiver as control data, between the intermittent transmissions of the digital broadcast signal. Having received the beacon signal, the wireless television receiver returns a request signal to the transmitting device. As a result, communication between the transmitting device and the wireless television receiver can be established.
US08005115B2

A method of data processing in a protocol layer of a wireless communication system, the protocol layer having a header compression function, comprises generating at least one of a control packet which includes control information, and a data packet including at least part of an upper layer data block transferred from an upper layer, generating a lower layer data block including each of the generated at least one packet to transfer the lower layer data block to a lower layer, and transferring indication information to the lower layer, the indication information being associated with a method of data processing for the lower layer data block in the lower layer.
US08005114B2

A transceiver for wireless data transmission provides for variable bit rates within a packet (intra-packet rate changes) to provide a high-speed adaptation to variations in link quality useful for continuous mobility applications. Intra-packet rate variations may be obtained with standard hardware by remapping payload data to a subset of the hardware transmission constellation symbols.
US08005101B1

A system as described herein offers flexible and high-performance packet processing, and a unique scaling technology that matches the resource requirements with the demands of the individual application and operating environment. According to one aspect, the architecture enables wire-speed execution of any Packet Handling application, at any packet size. According to another aspect, the invention provides a general-purpose computing platform that enables Packet Handling applications to be dynamically developed and put into service, for a configurable set of traffic and with configurable amounts of processing power. According to a further aspect, the dynamically scalable architecture of the invention enables the processing power of the appliance to be freely adjusted to the performance requirements of a given application, without requiring any special configuration changes. According to another aspect, the present invention provides an internal traffic management scheme that ensures fair allocation of system resources from network traffic loads and guarantees proper load distribution among the various application processors. According to another aspect, arbitrary numbers of network interfaces and network processors to scale the amount network processing throughput in accordance with the needs of the device and/or managed network(s).
US08005095B2

A network includes a provider edge device with logic to encapsulate Ethernet frames received from customer equipment into Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) frames using Layer Two Tunneling Protocol. The provider edge device further includes logic to implement a virtual switch instance (VSI).
US08005092B2

A scheduler allowing high-speed scheduling scalable with the number of input and output ports of a crosspoint switch and suppressed unfairness among inputs is disclosed. The scheduler includes an M×M matrix of scheduling modules, each of which schedules packet forwarding connections from a corresponding input group of input ports to selected ones of a corresponding output group of output ports based on reservation information. A diagonal modulo pattern is used to determine a set of M scheduling modules to avoid coming into collision with each other. Each determined scheduling module performs reservation of packet forwarding connections based on current reservation information and transfers updated reservation information in row and column directions of the M×M matrix.
US08005089B2

Updating the next-expected transmission sequence number (NET) or the receiver window position to ensure that the NET always falls within the receiver window range to prevent unnecessary delays in delivering data blocks in order to avoid stall conditions and achieve high speed data transmission capabilities for a high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) system.
US08005085B2

The invention concerns a method for distribution of data packets (MBMS Data) from an access network node (aGW) via at least one base station (eNB) to at least one user terminal (UE) in a single frequency mobile communication network whereby information (T1(tx), T2(tx)) is added in the access network node (aGW) to the data packets (MBMS Data) indicating in which time intervals the data packets (MBMS Data) have to be sent from the at least one base station (eNB) to the at least one user terminal (UE), and information (SN) is added in the access network node (aGW) to the data packets (MBMS Data) indicating the order of the distribution of the data packets (MBMS Data), an access network node (aGW), a base station (eNB) and a single frequency mobile communication network therefor.
US08005083B1

In general, techniques are described to increase customer awareness within a network device of a cable network. Based on this increased awareness, a layer 3 network device, such as a router, may apply services that augment services applied by a Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS). The network device may be positioned between the CMTS and a backend network of the cable network. The network device may include a control unit to access the CMTS to determine network information and at least one network interface that receives network traffic. The control unit may apply at least one of a plurality of services provided by the network device to the network traffic based on the network information learned from the CMTS. Often, at least one of the differentiated services may comprise a service not provided by the CMTS and, consequently, a service that may augment those services currently provided by the CMTS.
US08005082B2

Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture, in which a logical path is established between a control unit and a channel over a fiber channel connection. Code for persistent information unit pacing is loaded into the control unit and the channel. An indicator is set in node descriptors of the control unit and the channel to indicate concurrent enablement of persistent pacing while retaining the established logical path between the control unit and the channel.
US08005080B2

An IPv6 address configuration method for a terminal in a wireless mobile network and an apparatus therefor are provided. In the wireless mobile network, an Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) address configuration apparatus is provided to a router (access control router; ACR) or a base station (radio access station; RAS). In the address configuration apparatus, a MAC access procedure is performed to extract information required for IPv6 address allocation procedure, and the address is configured by using available fields of a message. In addition, a duplicate address detector (DAD) in which the terminal directly takes part is omitted by using information on the router (ACR) or the base station (RAS). In addition, during the IPv6 address configuration procedure, in order to prevent messages of IPv6 from being transmitted in a wireless region, an agent for address configuration is provided to the terminal. The router (ACR) acquires information required for the address configuration by using a portion of fields of MAC management messages. Accordingly, in the wireless mobile network, it is possible to reduce a time taken for an initial access procedure in which an IPv6 address is allocated to the terminal and to reduce consumption of wireless resource.
US08005078B2

A packet processor having one or two or more packet processing units is provided with a packet detector which detects whether or not a packet exists in a packet processing unit, and outputs a packet detection signal indicating a result of the detection, and a clock frequency controller which controls a clock to be supplied to the packet processing unit based on the packet detection signal.
US08005075B1

The present invention is generally related to conference calls and more specifically, to methods and apparatus for conducting conference calls using a conference system adapted to operated between a circuit-switched network and a packet-switched network. In one embodiment, a method for conducting conference calls using a conferencing system is disclosed. In another embodiment, a conferencing system is disclosed.
US08005074B2

A method for identifying undesired telephone calls (Spit/Spam over IP), preferably in a VoIP network, in which the telephone calls coming in for a telephone subscriber, the callee, from at least one calling telephone subscriber, the caller, are subjected to a test or more precisely to a statistical analysis. The method is developed in such a manner that in the framework of the test for incoming calls, the time of the receipt of each call is determined and in each case the probability that the call is undesired is determined, where for the calculation of the probability the time of the receipt of the call, or a parameter dependent thereon, is related to the temporal distribution of previous undesired calls.
US08005069B2

Methods and apparatus are disclosed to self-configure a flexible residential gateway providing access to an external communications network, and providing communications with an in home network. An example flexible residential gateway may include at least one voice over Internet protocol (IP) (VoIP) processor, at least one VoIP coupler connecting VoIP signals between at least one VoIP processor and at least one telephone line. In such an arrangement, the VoIP coupler may be configurably capable to disconnect a battery feed voltage and ring voltages from a telephone line. The gateway may further include a switch controller capable of disconnecting the battery feed voltage and the ring voltages from at least one telephone line if POTS signals are detected on at least one telephone line.
US08005049B2

The present invention relates to methods and devices that support mobility of a client across a campus, particularly mobility across VLANs and subnets, while preserving the client's assigned IP address. Both layer 2 and layer 3 packets are supported. Mobility support most clearly applies to wireless clients, but could apply to other kinds of mobile connections, even to wired connections. A smart server is adapted to support multiple VLANs and to modify and redirect packets in sessions with a client that moves from one VLAN to another, preserving the client's assigned EP address. Two or more smart servers, in cooperation with a smart manger, modify packets and tunnel them between smart servers when a client that moves from one VLAN to another and from one smart server to another, again preserving the client's assigned IF address. A similar approach applies to support mobility of a client that moves between subnets that are supervised by two smart servers, with the second smart server acting on behalf of the first smart server and tunneling packets back and forth to the first smart server. Particular aspects of the present invention are described in the claims, specification and drawings.
US08005042B2

In a data communication system capable of variable rate transmission, high rate packet data transmission improves utilization of the forward link and decreases the transmission delay. Data transmission on the forward link is time multiplexed and the base station transmits at the highest data rate supported by the forward link at each time slot to one mobile station. The data rate is determined by the largest C/I measurement of the forward link signals as measured at the mobile station. Upon determination of a data packet received in error, the mobile station transmits a NACK message back to the base station. The NACK message results in retransmission of the data packet received in error. The data packets can be transmitted out of sequence by the use of sequence number to identify each data unit within the data packets.
US08005040B2

In the LAPDm a short message service is implemented by pre-emption of every second signalling message when there is a short message to be sent. Same pre-emption mechanism is also needed when the RLC/MAC protocol is used on the data link layer instead of the LAPDm. The mechanism is provided by defining at least two different identities to be used with frames transmitted on the signalling channel; and pre-empting frames on the MAC at least on the basis of the identity relating to a frame. The identities are preferably identified on the basis of the signalling radio bearer of the frame.
US08005036B2

Provided is an apparatus and method for scheduling for collaborative spatial multiplexing in a broadband wireless communication system. An apparatus for a base station for supporting collaborative spatial multiplexing in a broadband wireless communication system includes a controller, an estimator, and a determiner. The controller selects a second mobile station with the best channel quality among non-scheduled mobile stations. The estimator estimates a load and transmitting (TX) power of the second mobile station. The determiner is used to adjust a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) level of the second mobile station so that a total load of first and second mobile stations when coupled does not exceed a first threshold value and also the power of the second mobile station does not exceed a second threshold value.
US08005034B2

A scalable subscriber terminal for bi-directional communication with a gateway through one or more satellites is provided according to another embodiment of the invention. The scalable subscriber terminal may comprise a plurality of antennas and be configured to operate in at least a first communication mode prior to switching to a second communication mode. The first communication mode may comprise communicating with the gateway through a first satellite. The second communication mode may include communicating with the gateway through the first satellite and a second transceiver. The scalable subscriber terminal may download MIMO operational firmware from the gateway through the first satellite prior to switching to the second communication mode. The first communication mode may be a SISO or SIMO mode. The second communication mode may be a MISO or MIMO mode. The second transceiver may be a second satellite or a terrestrial repeater.
US08005033B2

Device, system and method of bidirectional wireless communication. In some demonstrative embodiments a method may include, for example, receiving by a wireless communication relay node a superimposed transmission corresponding to first and second transmissions from first and second wireless communication nodes, respectively, wherein the first transmission includes a first packet intended at least for a third wireless communication node; and broadcasting a broadcast transmission including the superimposed transmission from the relay node to a set of two or more wireless communication nodes including the third wireless communication node. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08005021B2

The invention concerns a method for transmitting packets in a network comprising at least a first sub-network and a second sub-network connected through a transparent communication link, said link comprising at least a first interface device connected to the first sub-network and a second interface device connected to the second sub-network. The method comprises the steps of: attributing a first set of addresses to the interface devices on the communication link; attributing a second set of addresses to nodes connected to the sub-networks, the attribution of the second set being done independently from the attribution of the first set; checking whether there appears a conflict between an address of the first set and an address of the second set, and in the affirmative: changing the conflicting address of the first set to a non conflicting address. The invention also concerns a device for implementing the method as well as a method for detecting and transmitting packets to be transmitted over the link.
US08005017B2

The embodiment of the present invention discloses a method for establishing a multicast LSP and a system for transmitting multicast data. The method includes: a MSA node learns and stores multicast stream information; the egress edge node in the MPLS domain obtains the multicast stream information sent by the MSA node by sending a query request message to the MSA node; the egress edge node joins the multicast group, according to the obtained multicast stream information, and establishes a multicast LSP between the ingress edge node and the egress edge node. The technical solution of the present invention supports dynamic implementation of multicast services, and reduces the cost of maintaining a network topology.
US08005015B2

Systems, methods, devices and software for negotiating and executing registry composition are described. Signaling frameworks for both of these aspects of registry composition are provided.
US08005011B2

A method for measuring network performance is disclosed to solve the problem in active network performance measurement that a measurement point on receiving a packet is unable to determine the source of the packet after the network address translation (NAT). The method includes that a first measurement point constructs a probe packet containing address information about the first measurement point in a data field thereof based on a measurement instruction and sends the probe packet to a second measurement point via a NAT device for translating the network address, and the second measurement point receives the probe packet and determines the source of the packet according to the address information in the packet; and finally calculates network performance metrics, according to related information in the probe packet. A network system is also disclosed.
US08005000B1

In one embodiment, one or more network devices located on a call path for packets destined to a server running applications examines payloads included in the packets to associate different ones of the packets to different ones of the applications. Information about the packets and the associations are used to determine which ones of the applications conform to their respective Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
US08004997B2

An apparatus and method is disclosed for generating path length information for two (usually redundant) receive paths in a receiving device such as a server blade so that the proper amount of equalization and/or pre-emphasis may be applied to receiver and driver circuits in the server blade. In one embodiment, the path length information comprises a longer or shorter path determination, and may also include a estimation of the slot location. In another embodiment, the path length information comprises a representation of the length of two receive paths. The path length information generating circuit is connected to the two receive inputs of the receiving device though high impedance elements, and the path length information may be utilized by hardware or a processor to set the equalization or pre-emphasis in the receiver and/or driver.
US08004996B2

According to an embodiment of the invention, a mobile communication apparatus includes: a first processor; a second processor; an intermittent receiver that is operated using the first processor; and a timer processing unit that is operated using the first processor and the second processor and configured to determine a start time of an operation thereof by performing a time-out control based on a timer, wherein the timer processing unit sets the timer so that a time-out occurs at a given timing, to perform a first function to be started at the given timing, and wherein the timer processing unit sets the timer so that a time-out occurs at a time when the intermittent receiver is operated, to perform a second function to be started at an arbitrary timing.
US08004992B2

A wireless node having a MAC layer configured to coordinate access to a shared wireless medium using a MAC protocol, a PHY layer configured to provide an interface to the shared wireless medium, and a HARQ layer between the MAC and PHY layers, the HARQ layer being configured to support HARQ using the MAC protocol.
US08004986B2

Disclosed is a method for transmitting data from an RLC layer in a radio communication system. The method includes the steps of storing RLC SDUs transferred from an upper layer in a transmission buffer, transmitting RLC PDUs on which the RLC SDUs stored in the transmission buffer are loaded to a receiving side in order, discarding the RLC SDUs stored in the transmission buffer, checking whether a transmission mode indicator is configured, and transmitting discard information about the discarded RLC SDUs to the receiving side entirely or in part in accordance with whether the transmission MRW mode indicator is configured.
US08004985B2

A communication terminal which sets a communication session between a plurality of communication terminals through a network to perform data transmission and reception includes a measuring unit which measures round-trip delay time (RTT) or one-way delay time between the communication terminals for performing transmission and reception on the basis of the received acknowledgement, a reception bandwidth measuring unit which measures a reception bandwidth in a reception terminal of the communication terminals on the basis of the received acknowledgement, a correcting unit which corrects a value of the round-trip delay time or the one-way delay time by using at least the reception bandwidth, and a transmission bandwidth determining unit which determines a transmission bandwidth on the basis of the value of the corrected round-trip delay time or the corrected one-way delay time.
US08004980B2

A data flow rate policer enforces data flow policies for a number of data flows using a probabilistic policy enforcement mechanism. The policer includes a memory that stores the state of each data flow in a compact data structure. Additionally, the policer includes one or more policing engines that implement the actual data flow policies based on information derived from the data structures. The policing engines may be implemented in hardware to increase performance.
US08004975B1

A method, apparatus and computer program product for providing adjacent channel interference avoidance is presented. A first set of channels and a second set of channels of a Radio Frequency (RF) spectrum used by the wireless network are defined, the first set having a plurality of channels and the second set having a plurality of channels, and wherein the first set and the second set have mutually non-adjacent channels. A channel in the first set is designated as the control channel, the control channel being non-adjacent to channels in the second set, and used by all nodes of the wireless network. The channels in the first spectrum are utilized for the control channel and for data channels for unicast transmissions between single-radio nodes. The channels of the second set are utilized as data channels for unicast and multicast transmissions by multi-radio nodes. Adjacent channel interference between data transmissions on multiple radios located in the same device is avoided by allowing adjacent-channel transmissions only when they go in the same direction (either both incoming or outgoing) and by sending acknowledgments on the control channel.
US08004972B2

A method for communication systems configured to provide wireless data communications for users is disclosed. The disclosed method includes communicating information with a node of a radio access part of the communication system. The information includes a first set of quality of service information and a second set of quality of service information. The second set of quality of service information is indicative of the nature of the information of the first set of quality of service information.
US08004966B2

In general, techniques are described for efficient management of ring networks with a system of two network devices. The first network device of the ring network is designated as an adjacent selective forwarding (ASF) device, and the second network device is designated as a master device. The master device monitors the ring network to determine whether a fault has occurred in the ring network and transmits via a secondary port of the master device a network status message to the ASF device based on the determination of whether the fault has occurred. The ASF device determines a status of the ring network based on the network status message and selectively forwards data traffic to the master network device based on the determination of the status. As a result, the master device more efficiently utilizes network resources by not consuming processor or memory resources to prevent traffic loops.
US08004941B2

Test writing is executed while skipping areas where deviations are present on an optical disk to thereby improve accuracy and reliability of an optimum recording condition to be derived. A deviation detecting unit detects the deviations of a guide groove on the optical disk on the basis of a fluctuation amount of a focus error signal or a tracking error signal, and registers information of the detected deviations onto a memory. A test writing processing unit refers to the memory, and records and reproduces a test signal while skipping the areas where the deviations are detected.
US08004938B2

Disclosed herein are aspects of optical tape technology, tape manufacturing, and tape usage. Methods and systems of tape technology disclose optical tape media including: configurations, formulations, markings, and structure; optical tape manufacturing methods, systems, and apparatus methods and systems including: curing processes, coating methods, embossing, drums, testing, tracking alignment stamper strip; optical tape methods and systems including: pick up head adapted for the disclosed optical tape; and optical tape uses including optical storage media devices for multimedia applications.
US08004937B2

There is provided a optical pickup in which a movable part is support by a fixed part through an elastic supporting member, one end of the elastic supporting member being fixed to a support base and the other end of the elastic supporting member being fixed to an terminal protrusion of a lens supporting member, and moreover, the winding wire of a driving coil entwined with the terminal protrusion is electrically connected to the elastic supporting member. At this time, the terminal protrusions adjacent in the height direction of the lens supporting member are formed so as to protrude in different directions from the surface of the lens supporting member.
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