US08048201B2
An oxygen scavenger is provided. An oxygen scavenger comprises iron, malic acid, and a wicking agent. A method for scavenging oxygen from an enclosed container comprises providing an oxygen scavenger compound comprising iron, malic acid, and a wicking agent, sealing the composition in an oxygen permeable, water impermeable container, and activating the composition by injecting water into the container.
US08048196B2
The aim of the invention is to produce stainless steel for all stainless steel products both in the austenitic and the ferritic range, based on liquid pig-iron and FeCr solids, without using a supply of electrical energy. According to the invention, the liquid pig-iron, after being pre-treated in a blast furnace (1), is subjected to a DDD treatment (dephosphorization, desiliconization and desulphuration), is heated, finished or alloyed and deoxidated. The quantity of slag-free liquid pig-iron that has been pre-treated in the blast furnace (1) and a DDD device (2) is separated and introduced into two classic “twin” AOD-L converters (3, 4), where the required chemical process steps (of the heating, decarburization and alloying stages) take place in parallel contrary processes using autogenous chemical energy, the heating stage being carried out first in the first twin AOD-L converter (3) and the decarburization being carried out first in the second twin AOD-L converter (4).
US08048193B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for producing gold colloid having a targeted particle size, a sharp particle size distribution and a uniform and perfect spherical shape. The present invention relates to a method for producing gold colloid including a nucleation step of forming nuclear colloidal particles by adding a first reducing agent to a first gold salt solution; and a growth step of growing nuclear colloid by adding a second gold salt and a second reducing agent to the solution of the nuclear colloidal particles, characterized in that the growth step is performed at least once; a citrate is used as the first reducing agent and an ascorbate is used as the second reducing agent; and the addition of the ascorbate in the growth step is performed simultaneously with addition of the second gold salt. According to the method for producing gold colloid of the present invention, gold colloid having a sharp particle size distribution and a uniform and perfect spherical shape can be obtained.
US08048182B2
Embodiments of the invention generally provide a containment system having integrated bubble tight-dampers. In another embodiment, the containment system includes an integral auto-scan mechanism disposed in the housing of the containment system so that a filter element, disposed in the housing, may be leak tested without accessing the interior of the housing. In yet another embodiment, a method for testing a filter disposed in a containment system includes challenging an upstream side of a filter element disposed in a housing of the containment system with a test aerosol, and automatically moving a probe disposed within the housing to obtain samples for leak testing.
US08048180B2
A dual cyclone dust-collecting apparatus of a vacuum cleaner is disclosed. The dust-collecting apparatus includes an air inlet through which an external air is drawn in, two cyclone chambers into which the external air drawn in through the air inlet air is drawn in, the two cyclone chamber being disposed in parallel, at least one dust-collecting chamber divided in parallel with respect to the two cyclone chambers, and two air outlets through which the external air from the two cyclone chambers is discharged. The air inlet is formed between the two cyclone chambers at a lower part of a cyclone body and the two air outlets are formed in bottom surfaces of the two cyclone chambers, respectively, so that the external air is drawn in through lower parts of one sides of the two cyclone chambers and then discharged through the bottom surfaces of the two cyclone chambers.
US08048176B2
A reformer for a fuel cell system, and a method of controlling the reformer. The reformer includes a cylindrical reforming catalyst; a burner disposed inside of the reforming catalyst and comprising a plurality of nozzles to direct flames at the reforming catalyst; a nozzle covering element to selectively cover a portion of each of the nozzles; a combustion fuel supply valve to change the amount of a combustion fuel that is supplied to the burner; and a controller that controls the nozzle covering units and the combustion supply valve. The method of controlling the reformer includes: moving the nozzle covering element to cover a decreasing portion of each of the nozzles in response to an increasing amount of the combustion fuel being supplied to the burner; and moving the nozzle covering element to cover a increasing portion of each of the nozzles in response to a decreasing amount of the combustion fuel supplied to the burner.
US08048173B2
A prosthetic foot comprises a ground engaging bottom resilient member, a resilient heel member, and a resilient toe member that collectively circumscribe an open volumetric space. The members resilient compress to absorb compressive force throughout the entire stride of an individual utilizing the foot.
US08048172B2
A system and method associated with the movement of a limb. In one example, the system, such as a prosthetic or orthotic system, includes an actuator that actively controls, or adjusts, the angle between a foot unit and a lower limb member. The actuator preferably selectively locks during a desired phase in a gait cycle of the limb and minimizes friction against a rotor of the actuator. A processing module may control movement of the actuator based on data obtained from a sensor module. For instance, sensing module data may include information relating to the gait of a user and may be used to adjust the foot unit to substantially mimic the movement of a natural, healthy ankle. The system may further accommodate, for example, level ground walking, traveling up/down stairs, traveling up/down sloped surfaces, and various other user movements. In addition, the processing module may receive user input or display output signals through an external interface. For example, the processing module may receive a heel height input from the user.
US08048171B2
According to one aspect of the invention, ureteral stents are provided that comprise an elongated stent body and a urologically beneficial agent. The elongated stent body comprises a kidney portion adapted to occupy the kidney of a subject upon implantation, a ureter portion adapted to occupy the ureter of a subject upon implantation, and a bladder portion adapted to occupy the bladder of a subject upon implantation. The ureteral stents of the invention are adapted to release the urologically beneficial agent into the subject. Moreover, the amount of urologically beneficial agent that is released varies along the length of the stent. Other aspects of the invention pertain to methods of forming such stents and methods of using such stents.
US08048170B2
A method for treating morbid obesity in a body of a mammal having a gastrointestinal tract extending through a stomach and a pyloric sphincter and a wall forming the stomach and pyloric sphincter. At least one implant is formed in the wall in the vicinity of the pyloric sphincter to inhibit emptying of the stomach.
US08048169B2
Methods, devices and systems facilitate intermittent and/or partial obstruction of a pyloric valve. Devices generally include a support portion for preventing the device from passing through the pyloric valve and a tissue engagement portion for contacting tissue adjacent the pyloric valve to obstruct the valve. Some embodiments also include a positioning member extending from the tissue engagement portion for helping position the device for obstructing the valve. A retaining member may optionally be included on the distal end of the positioning member for further maintaining a position of the device in the stomach. Some embodiments are deliverable into the stomach through the esophagus, either by swallowing or through a delivery tube or catheter. Some embodiments are fully reversible. Some embodiments self-expand within the stomach, while others are inflated or otherwise expanded.
US08048168B2
An elongate medical device configured for at least partial implantation or insertion into a subject. The medical device has at least one surface that contains one or more depressions, which are at least partially filled with a soluble material. Also described methods of making such devices.
US08048164B2
A total ankle replacement system, novel surgical method for total ankle replacement, and novel surgical tools for performing the surgical method are described. The total ankle replacement system includes the calcaneus in fixation of a lower prosthesis body, thereby significantly increasing the amount of bone available for fixation of the lower prosthesis body and allowing the lower prosthesis body to be anchored with screws. The total ankle replacement system further includes a long tibial stem which can also be anchored into the tibia with, for example, screws, nails, anchors, or some other means of attachment. The novel surgical arthroscopic method allows introduction of ankle prostheses into the ankle joint through an exposure in the tibial tubercle. Various novel surgical instruments, such as a telescoping articulating reamer and a talo-calcaneal jig, which facilitate the novel surgical method, are also described.
US08048161B2
Glenoid prosthesis with a hybrid design (combining both peg and keel designs), and surgical methods for reconstitution of a shoulder joint. The hybrid design combines both peg and keel components into one device. The hybrid glenoid component of a shoulder prosthesis includes an oval body having a concave lateral articulating surface and an opposing convex medial surface. The medial surface is provided with a plurality of pegs and a single inferior protrusion. The pegs are used to attain both a superior location as well as a central location. The inferior protrusion provides stability in the superior-to-inferior translation of the humeral head, as well as rotational articulation of the same.
US08048158B2
A graft ligament anchor comprises a graft ligament engagement member disposed in an opening in a bone, the graft ligament engagement member being arranged to receive a graft ligament alongside the engagement member, and a locking member for disposition in the opening, and at least in part engageable with the graft ligament engagement member. Movement of the locking member in the opening causes the locking member to urge the engagement member, and the graft ligament therewith, toward a wall of the opening, to secure the graft ligament to the wall of the opening. A method for attaching a graft ligament to a bone comprises providing an opening in the bone, inserting the graft ligament and a graft ligament engagement member in the opening, with the graft ligament disposed alongside a first portion of the engagement member, and inserting a locking member in the bone alongside a second portion of the engagement member, the locking member being separated from the graft ligament by the graft ligament engagement member. The method further comprises moving the locking member to cause the locking member to engage the graft ligament engagement member to urge the graft ligament engagement member, and the graft ligament therewith, toward a wall of the opening to secure the graft ligament to the wall of the opening.
US08048152B2
A simplified and more easily employed tool for holding an implantable annuloplasty prosthesis during passage of sutures through the prosthesis and for conveniently and efficiently releasing the prosthesis from the tool. Separation of the implantable prosthesis and the tool may be conveniently accomplished without requiring the use of a sharp instrument. Attachment between the prosthesis and its surgical carrying tool can be accomplished in a suture-less fashion. The tool includes a suture management device in some embodiments for selectively receiving and maintaining sutures otherwise securing the prosthesis to tissue.
US08048150B2
The present invention comprises a medical device having an underlying structure on which is disposed a fiber meshwork composed of one or more fibers of substantially uniform diameter. The fiber meshwork may optionally have a multi-layer structure disposed upon it. Either or both of the fiber meshwork or the multi-layer structure may have one or more therapeutic agents absorbed within it. The fiber meshwork is permeable to body fluids and thereby permits body fluids to contact the underlying structure to facilitate its controlled disintegration. The fiber meshwork degrades more slowly than the underlying structure thereby permitting release of the therapeutic agent over a timescale longer than that of the lifetime of the underlying structure, while also ensuring that the support function of the underlying structure is not abrogated by the disintegration of the underlying structure.
US08048142B2
An expandable endolumenal prosthesis comprises, in its non-expanded configuration, a tubular body extending along a longitudinal axis and having a distal end and a proximal end. The tubular body having a porous wall defined by a plurality of interlaced circumferential lines forming a pathway motif or pattern.
US08048131B2
A bone fixation screw includes a threaded screw shank and a screw head having upper and lower ends. The screw head lower end is secured to a proximal end of said screw shank. The screw head has substantially frustospherical shaped side surfaces and is split into segments at one of the ends. The head is radially expandable at the one end. An expansion screw is centrally received in the screw head. An interface between the expansion screw and the screw head forms a cam mechanism for expanding the screw head upon axial rotation of the expansion screw.
US08048126B2
A bone fixation assembly and associated method. The bone fixation assembly includes a bone fastener having a head and a bone-engaging portion, a receiver defining an opening along a first axis for receiving the bone fastener at a variable angle, and at least one supporting augment coupled to the bone fastener. The receiver has an inner articulation surface at a lower portion of the opening and matingly articulates with the supporting augment.
US08048116B2
A prosthetic implant for replacing a facet joint of a spinal motion segment includes a generally conical superior component adapted to be implanted at a surgically prepared site on a lower articular process of a cephalad vertebra of a spinal motion segment, and a cup-shaped inferior component adapted to be implanted at a surgically prepared site on a superior articular process of a caudad vertebra of the spinal motion segment.
US08048113B2
A dynamic stabilization, motion preservation spinal implant system includes an anchor system, a horizontal rod system and a vertical rod system. The systems are modular so that various constructs and configurations can be created and customized to a patient.
US08048108B2
A vascular closure device comprised of a sheath-delivered expandable, umbrella-like device with structural radial members with terminal and non-terminal hooks that engage the vessel wall. Unlike other vascular closure umbrella-type devices that effect closure by opening of the umbrella to cover an opening, the present invention effects closure of the aperture with closure of the umbrella. The closure can be maintained by a retainer lock that slides down the members, causing contraction, bringing the members into a compressed configuration (e.g., a parallel orientation of linear members) and the wound edges together, permitting immediate vascular closure and healing of the blood vessel. The device can be delivered and recovered by an intravascular sheath.
US08048104B2
A device for the implantation of electrolytically severable occluding spirals in body cavities or blood vessels comprising a source of electrical power, a cathode, a catheter and an occluding spiral adapted to serve as an anode and able to slide in the catheter in the longitudinal direction, wherein the occluding spiral (3) is designed to be electrolytically corrodible at several spaced apart points so that when in contact with a body fluid one or more variably dimensioned lengths of the occluding spiral (3) may be severed by electrolysis.
US08048099B2
To enable puncture of a body wall with a greater degree of sensitivity with a surgical obturator for puncturing the body wall having a knife, the cutting edge of which extends outwards from a tip of the obturator in the direction of various sides and backwards in relation to the tip, and which is orientated throughout its entire length parallel to the puncturing direction, so that the cutting edge points in the puncturing direction, it is proposed that the cutting edge be of helical line-shaped configuration.
US08048098B2
A lancing device comprises a main housing, a movable housing, and a damping ring. The main housing forming an inner aperture that encloses a portion of a lancet assembly. The lancet assembly has a lancet body, a lancet-plunger housing, and a lance. The lancet assembly is adapted to move between a resting position, a cocking position, and a puncture position. The movable housing is adjacent to the main housing. The moveable housing is adapted to move from a resting position to a cocking position. The moveable housing is adapted to connect to the lancet assembly. The damping ring is adapted to engage the lancet assembly as the lancet assembly moves from the puncture position back towards the resting position to reduce movement of the lancet assembly back towards the puncture position.
US08048075B2
The present invention is directed to (1) a plating system having multiple and single locking mechanisms for general skeletal use other than in the anterior cervical spine; (2) an orthopedic plating system that permits a pair of bone screws to be inserted into a bone in a crossed over orientation and locked to the plate; (3) a segmentable plating system which can be made to a selected length by the surgeon; and (4) a combination screw-lock-plating system for allowing and/or causing intersegmental compression of bone portions.
US08048068B2
A monopolar electrosurgical return electrode to prevent unwanted thermal effects in monopolar electrosurgery, accomplished in one aspect by volumetric incorporation of temperature-resistive material of positive nature into a flexible and adhesive return electrode pad is provided. The incorporation of positive temperature coefficient resistance with low resistance at room temperature will increase the local electrical resistance of the pad with an increase of the local return electrode temperature corresponding to a switching of the resistance from low to high value which in turn will lead to a reduction of the local current density. The switching temperature of the positive temperature coefficient return electrode is low enough to prevent significant thermal heating of the patient's tissue.
US08048066B2
Cryotreatment devices and methods of ablating tissue within the body are disclosed. A cryotreatment device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes an elongated member having one or more needle-like ablation tips configured to induce necrosis at a target site within the heart. A cooling fluid such as a cryogen may be injected through a lumen extending into the distal portion of the device. The ablation tips can be configured to pierce and ablate surrounding tissue, blocking electrical stimuli that can cause fibrillations or other arrhythmias of the heart. The device may also include means for controlling the transmural depth at which the ablation tips are inserted into the cardiac tissue. Methods of forming a contiguous line of conduction block in accordance with the present invention are also disclosed.
US08048057B2
A catheter is provided for uniform distribution of fluid medication within an anatomical region. One embodiment of the catheter is comprised of an elongate tubular catheter body defining a lumen. A distal end of the lumen is closed and a portion of the catheter body includes a plurality of openings thereby defining an infusion section of the catheter. A tubular sheath is constructed from a porous material and is positioned over the infusion section. The tubular sheath extends at least a length of the infusion section. The tubular sheath and the catheter body are configured such that fluid within the lumen must pass through the tubular sheath to exit the catheter. In at least one embodiment, a pore size of the porous material is less than about 0.5 microns.
US08048053B2
A tampon having an auxiliary patch. The tampon can include a compressed absorbent member having an insertion end, a withdrawal end, a longitudinal axis, and a body disposed between the insertion end and the withdrawal end. The compressed absorbent member can have an exterior surface. In addition, the tampon can include an auxiliary patch that can partially cover the exterior surface of the compressed absorbent member. The tampon can also include an overwrap.
US08048052B2
A sanitary napkin is constituted of napkin main body composed of a top sheet, a liquid-impermeable bottom sheet, and an absorber interposed therebetween; and a napkin sub-body joined to the upper layer of the napkin main body and similarly composed. The napkin sub-body is constituted of a front portion that is joined to the napkin main body at a bleeding port-corresponding region and a back portion that is positioned behind the front portion and can be divided into right and left parts at a dividing line formed along the longitudinal direction from the back end of the center in the width direction of the sanitary napkin such that, to provide hip-holding flaps, the divided right and left parts can spread outward in the width direction of the napkin main body from the boundary between the front portion and the back portion at which the base end of the dividing line is located.
US08048046B2
A system for subatmospheric pressure therapy in connection with the healing of a surgical wound is disclosed. The system may be portable or semi-portable, thereby providing the subject with the ability to be partially or completely ambulatory through the course of the treatment. The system includes a wound dressing dimensioned for positioning relative to a wound bed of a subject and a portable subatmospheric pressure mechanism dimensioned to be carried or worn by the subject. The subatmospheric pressure mechanism includes a housing, a vacuum source at least partially disposed within the housing and in fluid communication with the fluid conduit, a filter in fluid communication with the vacuum source, and a collection canister for collecting exudates from the wound bed removed under subatmospheric pressure. An elevation member is mounted with respect to the housing. The elevation member is adapted to position the housing and canister at a predetermined orientation when positioned relative to a support surface to minimize a potential of at least one of spillage of the exudates from the canister, clogging of the filter or an inappropriate canister full indication.
US08048045B2
A blood leakage detection device for attachment to the skin of a patient at a wound such as one caused by insertion a cannula into a vein or artery comprises a support of a flexible material having a top side and an opposite bottom side, a zone of adhesive for attachment to the skin on the bottom side of the support extending along its periphery except for a sector of from about 5° to about 150°, a blood absorbent patch disposed on the support and extending inwardly of the adhesive zone and, optionally, in the sector, and a blood detection probe comprising a probe head disposed at or near the center of the support in the absorbent patch or abutting the bottom side thereof. A blood transport element can be disposed between the support and the absorbent patch.
US08048042B2
Medical devices are described that comprise surface capillary (SCF) fibers, which can impart desirable properties to the devices. For example, implantable prostheses are described comprising SCF fibers. In other embodiments, catheters are described having SCF fibers along the surface of the catheters. In addition, SCF fibers can be useful for the delivery of bioactive agents in association with the fibers. Due to the fluid flow capabilities of the fibers, medical devices are described that incorporate fiber matrices to facilitate blood delivery to cells within the structure.
US08048041B2
A one-way valve comprises a seat and a membrane having an inner portion that is stretched over the seat, wherein, in use, the inner membrane portion is selectively deflected from the seat such that a fluid path is created from one side of the membrane to the other so as to open the valve, and wherein an outer peripheral portion of the membrane is stiffer than the inner portion such that the membrane deflection is substantially restricted to only the inner portion. The one-way valve may be used in a pump for an infusion system.
US08048040B2
A fluid titration system has an optical sensor, a physiological monitor, a titration controller and an infusion device. The optical sensor transmits multiple wavelengths of light into a tissue site of a person and detects the optical radiation after attenuation by pulsatile blood flowing within the tissue site. The physiological monitor receives a resulting sensor signal and derives a plethysmograph that corresponds to the pulsatile blood flow. The monitor also calculates a plethysmograph variability measure that is responsive to changes in perfusion at the tissue site. A titration controller generates a fluid control output according to the variability measure. The infusion device administers a liquid solution via an intravenous (IV) connection to the person according to the fluid control output so as to regulate at least one of a fluid flow start, rate and stop.
US08048035B2
An auto-injector automatically dispenses a predetermined dose of medicament upon activation. The auto-injector includes a needle cover operative to engage an injection site and activate the injector. The needle cover is configured to move from a locked retracted position prior to a medicament dispensing operation to a locked extended position after the medicament dispensing operation. The non-removable needle cover prevents contact with the needle both before and after the medicament dispensing operation.
US08048029B2
The present invention provides an injector apparatus suitable for use with an automatic injection device. The injector apparatus includes a cylindrical housing having a deflectable member and a removable guard. The deflectable member releasably holds a syringe tube assembly in the axial direction when the apparatus is in the initial position. Then, after use, the deflectable member provides a tamper evidence means for indicating whether or not the injector apparatus was previously used or tampered with.
US08048016B2
A long-term implantable arterio-venous shunt device is provided that can be used as a therapeutic method. The shunt device is implanted between an artery and a vein, preferably between the aorta and the inferior vena cava. The shunt device decreases the systemic vascular resistance and allows a blood flow rate through the shunt device of at least 5 ml/min after the implantation. The blood flow rate could be controlled either via an open loop or a closed loop control means. The shunt device could also be a self-adjustable shunt device to self-adjust its structure to control the blood flow rate through its lumen. Based on the effects of the shunt device to the respiratory, cardiac and circulatory system, the implantable shunt device could be beneficial as a therapy to patients with problems or conditions related to these systems.
US08048015B2
The present invention is directed to systems, apparatus and methods for creating derivatives of at least one form of HDL without substantially affecting LDL. These derivatives of HDL are particles with reduced lipid content, particularly reduced cholesterol content. These particles have the capacity to bind cholesterol and are administered to a patient to enhance cellular cholesterol efflux and reduce cholesterol levels in cells, tissues, organs, and blood vessels. The present method is useful for treating atherogenic vascular disease and may be combined with other therapies such as statins, inhibitors of cholesterol absorption, niacin, anti-inflammatories, exercise and dietary restriction.
US08048006B2
A method of treating a peripheral neuropathy, peripheral neurodegenerative disease, or peripheral nerve trauma is disclosed. The method includes the step of applying an ultrasound signal to an anatomical location on a patient.
US08048004B2
Medical devices for navigation through anatomy, including guidewires, which may have a core wire, a slotted tubular member, or both. Embodiments may have coils, including non-circular cross-section edge-wound marker coils, extended coil tips, and soldered or glued mesial joint coils. Core wires may have a step, ridge, or taper at the joints to the tubular member, and may be flattened at the distal tip. Radiopaque material may be located inside the tubular member, and the distal tip may be heat treated to make it shapeable. Additional tubular members or coils may be used concentrically or in line and may enhance flexibility, provide radiopacity, reduce friction, or reduce material or manufacturing cost. Tubular members may be chamfered or tapered continuously or incrementally. Slots may be arranged in groups, such as groups of three, and may be equal in depth or unequal in depth to provide a steerable or compressible tip.
US08047999B2
A system and method for filtering a pressure signal in a medical device in which a sensor terminal senses the pressure signal, an electrode terminal receives cardiac electrical signals, a signal filtering system filters the sensed pressure signal in response to a determined heart rate to generate a heart-rate dependent frequency response, and a microprocessor derives a respiration signal in response to the heart rate dependent frequency response, and determines metrics of hemodynamic function in response to the derived respiration signal.
US08047994B2
Ultrasound imaging method combined with the presence of contrast media in the body under examination
An ultrasound imaging method for use in the presence of contrast agents is disclosed in which acoustic waves are transmitted at a fundamental transmission frequency and are focused on at least one scan line. Acoustic beams reflected from the body under examination and the contrast agents are separated into harmonic and subharmonic components along with the fundamental frequency component. The amplitudes of these components compared to determine whether the reflecting material is either body tissue or the contrast agent.
US08047982B2
A urethra support having an elongated mesh tape portion and a mesh extension affixed to the tape portion transverse thereto. In accordance with a method of the invention, the urethra support is inserted into the lower pelvic cavity of a patient with the tape portion forming a sling extending beneath and supporting the urethra of the patient. In this position, the tape portion is generally perpendicular to the urethra. The extension is inserted into the peri-urethral fascia along at least a portion of the length of the urethra. This induces the formation of scar tissue proximate the extension, with the scar tissue eventually contracting thereby compressing the urethra.
US08047977B2
The invention relates to a filter (10) for tobacco products with a first terminal filter element (12), a second terminal filter element (14), a middle filter element (16) which is located between first and second terminal filter element and contains a granular filter material, and a casing (20), one part of one of the terminal filter elements (12) being displaceable vis-à-vis the casing (20). The invention furthermore relates to smoking articles with such filters, filter strands with two or more of the filters, and processes and devices for the production of such filters and tobacco products.
US08047963B2
Control apparatuses (6, 10) include an ending process element that, when a locked state is established within a reference period after operation of a parking mechanism (5), performs a normal ending process that stops a vehicle drive source (1) and switches to an ignition off position, and when the locked state is not established within the reference period, performs an abnormal ending process that stops the vehicle drive source (1) and switches to an accessory position; and a support process element that, when the parking mechanism (5) is operated, if a vehicle speed increase is detected, performs a support process that prohibits operation of the parking mechanism (5) and extends the reference period.
US08047951B2
A transmission is provided having an input member, an output member, four planetary gear sets, a plurality of coupling members and a plurality of torque transmitting devices. Each of the planetary gear sets includes first, second and third members. The torque transmitting devices include clutches and brakes.
US08047949B2
A transmission is provided having an input member, an output member, four planetary gear sets, a plurality of coupling members and a plurality of torque transmitting devices. Each of the planetary gear sets includes first, second and third members. The torque transmitting devices include clutches and a brake.
US08047948B2
A transmission is provided having an input member, an output member, four planetary gear sets, a plurality of coupling members and a plurality of torque transmitting devices. Each of the planetary gear sets includes first, second and third members. The torque transmitting devices are clutches and a brake.
US08047940B2
A heat-resistant endless resin belt including a heat-resistant resin sheet, which can be employed in a thermal fixing apparatus, wherein the sheet includes two cutting work parts in an inclined shape. The two parts are overlapped with each other and bonded with an adhesive to form a bonding part. An external shape displacement f(x), measured via a flatness measuring apparatus, which scans the belt in a width direction thereof, satisfies a following formula ∫ 0 x f ( x ) - g ( x ) ⅆ x ≤ XL 6800 , wherein “X” (mm) is a length of the belt in a width direction thereof; “L” (mm) is a perimeter of the belt and “g(x)” represents a displacement of an ideal shape of the heat-resistant resin belt, when g(x)=C (a constant), a left side of the formula is set to be a minimum; whilst when g(x) is a variable, the displacement of the ideal shape of the belt is set.
US08047921B2
A vibration damper, for example, a multistage torsion vibration damper, including at least two damper assemblies, connected in series and arranged coaxially, a first damper assembly forming a primary damping stage and a second damper assembly forming a pre-damping stage. The damper assembly that forms the primary damping stage is configured as a series damper including at least two dampers connected in series and is located on a larger diameter in the radial direction than the second damper assembly that forms the pre-damping stage. A multistage vibration damper, including at least two damper assemblies located in series, a first damper assembly forming a preliminary damper and a second damper assembly stage is configured as a series damper including at least two dampers connected in series and is located on a larger diameter in the radial direction than the second damper assembly that forms the preliminary damping stage.
US08047919B2
An automotive shaft assembly is provided including a first barshaft having a first connection end and a second barshaft having a second connection end. A connection tube rotationally engages the first connection to the second connection end and includes a shear diameter configured to experience shear failure in the presence of an overload torque such that the first connection end is rotationally disengaged the said second connection end.
US08047910B2
A gaming machine and methods for independently controlling the movement of each mechanical reel are disclosed. The gaming machine includes a plurality of mechanical reels each having indicia provided on an outer surface of each of the reels. A game controller generates a game outcome and determines a spin duration for each of the plurality of reels. One or more stepper motors are operatively coupled to the mechanical reels to independently spin each reel. A reel control unit is in communication with one or more stepper motors and the game controller. The reel control unit determines an appropriate spin profile for each reel based upon the game outcome and the spin duration to cause the reels to spin and stop in a rhythmic manner.
US08047907B2
A system and method are provided for playing a game of chance. The game of chance may include, for example, a lottery-type game using a pull-tab ticket. A result of the game of chance is revealed to a player in another medium. In one example, the result is revealed during multiple game instances of one or more online games.
US08047906B2
A game machine for giving more enjoyment to a player by using a timing instruction image for guiding the player to an evaluated timing. In the game machine for allowing the player to perform a game operation using a controller in time with game music, in order to give guidance to the player about when to execute the game operation, a first timing instruction image (reference arrow mark (48L)) is displayed on a display screen, and a second timing instruction image (special timing guide arrow mark (43)) gradually approaching the first timing instruction image is displayed on the display screen according to timing data stored in timing data storage means. Timing of the game operation executed by the player is compared with timing represented by the timing data stored in the timing data storage manes, the game operation executed by the player is evaluated, and a display position trajectory of the second timing instruction image on the display screen is changed depending on a result of the evaluation.
US08047905B2
A building structure includes means to utilize solar radiation to heat the building structure during relatively cold ambient environmental conditions and to cool the building structure during relatively hot ambient environmental conditions. The building structure includes chambered wall and floor constructions having integral heat sink masses. These integral heat sink masses provide for radiation of heat when air temperature in an interior space of the building structure is below a temperature of the heat sink masses and for absorption of heat when the air temperature in the interior space of the building structure is above a temperature of the heat sink masses. A flow of thermally treated air to the heat sink masses serves to regulate the temperature of the heat sink masses.
US08047875B2
A jack connector includes pairs of jack signal contacts and jack ground contacts arranged alternately, and a plug connector includes pairs of plug signal contacts and plug ground contacts arranged alternately. Respective contacts of each pair of jack signal contacts come into contact with respective contacts of each pair of plug signal contacts, and each jack ground contact comes into contact with each plug ground contact. In a first contact structure, each jack ground contact comes into contact with each plug ground contact at a first position, and in a second contact structure each jack ground contact comes into contact with each plug ground contact at a second position apart from the first position along an extending direction of the plug ground contact.
US08047871B2
An L-shaped coaxial connector manufacturable at low costs includes a housing having a cylinder portion and a back portion. The cylinder portion includes a first opening and a second opening, and the cylinder portion is in contact with an external conductor of a receptacle inserted from the first opening. The back portion is connected to the cylinder portion and covers the second opening. The housing is made of a metal plate. The diameter of a part of a bushing contained in the cylinder portion is equal to or smaller than the diameter of the first opening. The housing further includes a crimping portion extending from the back portion. The crimping portion fixes the bushing to the housing by being bent so as to face the back portion with the bushing therebetween.
US08047868B1
A stud-type junction block assembly having a mounting member and a body constructed from a highly conductive material. A non-conductive or insulating sheath may be provided over a portion of the body. The body defines a bore configured to receive and retain at least one post constructed from a high-strength material. The bore may include threads for receiving an external threaded surface of the post for securing the post with the bore. In addition, a locking agent or adhesive may be provided to secure the post within the bore. An electrical connector having a ring is coupled to the body over the post to provide an electric path of conduction. A nut or other connector is provided on the post for securing the ring of the electrical connector to the body. A non-conductive cap may be provided over the nut.
US08047860B2
An electrical assembly comprises an upper electrical center assembly and a lower mounting bracket lift assembly that is adapted for being secured to a support panel such as a support panel in an automobile. After the lower mounting bracket lift assembly is secured to the support panel, the upper electrical center assembly is attached to the lower mounting bracket lift assembly. The lower mounting bracket lift assembly is then operated to plug wiring harness end connectors in the lower mounting bracket lift assembly into lower sockets of the upper electrical center assembly.
US08047859B2
A USB Plug protective cover configured for detachably covering a USB plug connector of an electronic device includes a base cover and an elastic piece. The base cover includes a covering end, the covering end defines an accommodating cavity recessed therein configured for accommodating the USB Plug therein. The elastic piece is assembled to the base cover and accommodated within the accommodating cavity. The elastic piece detachably latches with the USB plug connector to prevent the USB protective cover from loosening or separating from the USB plug connector.
US08047851B1
A wall-mounted storage and organization organizer for notes, memos, calendars, business cards, reminders, keys and the like, comprising a multi-door cabinet is herein disclosed. The organizer has approximate dimensions of twenty-eight (28) inches in height, twenty (20) inches in width, and three (3) inches in depth. The front door is provided with a clear pane under which photographs, calendars and the like can be placed on a second door in a neat manner for all to see without opening the outer door. When additional doors of the organizer are opened, additional organizational spaces are provided. The organizer further provides cork board surfaces and white board surfaces as well as a magnetic tray for holding dry erase markers and an eraser. Such surfaces would allow users to leave themselves or others messages or large notes. The rearmost door provides a mounting means thereto a wall surface and provides a series of varying sized pockets capable of holding small business cards up to a large sheet of paper. Such pockets would be used to organize lists, appointment reminders, additional calendars, photographs and the like. Finally, the rear surface provides a plurality of hooks used to hold keys, ID tags and other similar items.
US08047850B2
A training tourniquet for use in training a user or another person, such as a medic, includes a non-functioning tensioning mechanism to model application of developing a tensile force in a strap of a tourniquet. The training tourniquet has particular application to training field personnel, such as medics and soldiers as to how to apply a tourniquet, without actually creating a compressive force that could damage a person's tissue during the training or practice sessions. In one embodiment, an inoperative windlass can be rotated to simulate the action necessary to create tension in a strap of a real tourniquet, however, the inoperative windlass spins around without actually tightening a strap of the training tourniquet.
US08047846B2
Systems and methods are disclosed to prevent interference between two physical tooth models in a physical dental arch model by acquiring the coordinates of a plurality of points on the surfaces of each of the two physical tooth models and digitally representing the surfaces of each of the two physical tooth models by a mesh of points in three dimensions using the acquired coordinates. The meshes representing the surfaces of the two physical tooth models intersect at least at one point to form an overlapping portion. The method also includes calculating the depth of the overlapping portion between the two meshes to quantify the interference of the two physical tooth models.
US08047835B2
A method of transcribing a shape of a surface of a stamper on a transcription surface of a transcription object by pressing the stamper on the transcription object, which comprises steps of: having one of the stamper and the transcription object positioned opposite a plate surface and the other of the stamper and the transcription object placed on one surface of a pressure plate; and having the one of the stamper and the transcription object pressed onto the plate surface by applying a fluid on the other surface of the pressure plate, wherein an area of the one surface of the pressure plate is larger than a contact area in which the other of the stamper and the transcription object is in contact with the pressure plate.
US08047834B2
A heated, segmented pressware die set for making pressware containers from a paperboard blank includes a plurality of guide keys mounted between at least one of an inner member of a punch or die and an outer ring which reciprocates independently. Each guide key extends in an outward direction from the central axis of the die set. The guide keys are positioned, configured and dimensioned to engage the outer ring in order to limit rotation of the outer ring with respect to the inner member of the punch or die. In a preferred construction, the guide keys have radially extending planar surfaces which cooperate with guide channels having like surfaces such that clearances necessary to accommodate thermal expansion are reduced, greatly increasing durability of the tool.
US08047830B2
For use in a blow molding machine for containers, especially plastic bottles, a production line is provided for thermally pretreating preforms transported by holders, where each holder is loaded with at least one exchangeably fixed fitting such as a shielding plate. To reduce the exchange period for the holders the fitting is secured by a quick-change element which remains on the holder during the exchange and is adjustable on the holder between a secured position and a release position by the application of an external force, and which can be adjusted manually and/or mechanically.
US08047829B1
Methods for making a micofluidic device according to embodiments of the present invention include defining a cavity. Polymer precursor solution is positioned in the cavity, and exposed to light to begin the polymerization process and define a microchannel. In some embodiments, after the polymerization process is partially complete, a solvent rinse is performed, or fresh polymer precursor introduced into the microchannel. This may promote removal of unpolymerized material from the microchannel and enable smaller feature sizes. The polymer precursor solution may contain an iniferter. Polymerized features therefore may be capped with the iniferter, which is photoactive. The iniferter may aid later binding of a polyacrylamide gel to the microchannel surface.
US08047825B2
A positive-displacement pump comprising a housing, a rotatable component disposed at least partially within the housing, and a film disposed at least partially between the housing and the rotatable component, where the film comprises a reinforcing material and a fluoropolymer material.
US08047817B2
A method for managing deposits within a pump mechanism (81) is provided. Fluid suitable for dissolving, diluting or otherwise disengaging deposits which have accumulated on the internal working surfaces of the pump is brought into contact with the mechanism. The performance of the pump is monitored and this data is used together with process data received from, or associated with, a tool (83) being evacuated by the pump to calculate (80) fluid flow characteristics which are required to compensate for the accumulation of deposits on the internal working surfaces of the pump. Fluid is then introduced (2, 84) into the pumping mechanism in accordance with the calculated fluid flow characteristics.
US08047816B2
An electric pump for use with an engine in a vehicle is provided. The electric pump has an impeller having a plurality of blades for moving coolant. A working surface of each blade is formed to be a flat plane which extends generally straight in both an axial direction and a radial direction. The electric pump is formed by a centrifugal pump. When the electric pump is not operating and is used as a portion of a coolant passage, flowing resistance can be reduced as compared with a case where the working surface of each blade is curved.
US08047812B2
A portable pumping system provides insulin or other drugs to a user. A shape memory element is used to actuate the pump and an intelligent system controls the actuator in order to minimize stresses within the system and provide accurate and reliable dosage delivery. The control system utilizes various types of feedback to monitor and optimize the position of the pumping mechanisms. Physical design aspects also minimize stress and the combination of the physical design aspects and the intelligent operation of the system results in a lightweight and cost effective pump that may be used in a disposable fashion if desired.
US08047811B2
A portable pumping system provides insulin or other drugs to a user. A shape memory element is used to actuate the pump and an intelligent system controls the actuator in order to minimize stresses within the system and provide accurate and reliable dosage delivery. The control system utilizes various types of feedback to monitor and optimize the position of the pumping mechanisms. Physical design aspects also minimize stress and the combination of the physical design aspects and the intelligent operation of the system results in a lightweight and cost effective pump that may be used in a disposable fashion if desired.
US08047791B2
Provided are a wind turbine generator and a method for constructing a wind turbine generator that allow for alleviation of construction costs, particularly for large wind turbine generators, and alleviation of limitations on construction due to weather. Provided are a rotor head that has a plurality of wind turbine rotor blades and that is rotated by wind power received by the plurality of wind turbine rotor blades, a front segment disposed on top of a tower and constituting a nacelle to which the rotor head is attached, a rear segment attached to the front segment and constituting the nacelle, a front frame disposed in the front segment and positioned between the rotor head and the tower so as to support a load on the rotor head, a rear frame disposed in the rear segment and attached to the front frame, a front cover covering the periphery of the front segment, and a rear cover covering the periphery of the rear segment.
US08047778B2
Disclosed herein is a compressor case assembly that includes a compressor case section having an assembly track and a set of stator portions that are insertable in the assembly track, the compressor case section and the set of stator portions are configured such that the set of stator portions only assembles to the compressor case section in a single configuration.
US08047775B2
There are described components of a steam turbine, comprising a thermally insulating layer and a metallic anti-erosion layer on said thermally insulating layer. The anti-erosion layer is provided with the same material as the metallic connecting layer.
US08047763B2
A method is disclosed for improving a turbine's thermal response during transient and steady state operating conditions in which the flow of cooling fluid in the turbine's casing is caused to be asymmetrical relative to the horizontal and vertical symmetry planes of the casing so that the turbine's cooling symmetry planes are rotated relative to its geometric symmetry planes and thereby the heat transfer at locations in the casing with increased mass is increased.
US08047756B2
An automatic load transfer device is provided for automated material handling systems of the type having a tow AGV pulling a train of trailers along a predetermined path between stations. The device has a base positioned adjacent to the path with spaced apart rails that support a movable carriage which shifts between retracted and extended positions. A conveyor having a plurality of side-by-side fingers with moving conveyor elements is supported on the carriage by a lift which shifts the conveyor between lowered and raised positions. The carriage, conveyor elements, and lift have separate drives that are operably connected with a controller which sequentially activates the same to load and/or unload loads onto and/or from the trailers.
US08047751B2
A wheel chock for restraining movement of a vehicle tire on a supporting grating during transit includes a base, a grate lock mechanism for locking the base to the grating, and a ramp on the base for engagement with a circumference of a vehicle tire. A strap connected with the base is extensible around the vehicle tire to help restrain movement of the tire on the grating. The chock includes a retractor for retracting the strap and for taking up slack that forms in the strap during transit.
US08047744B2
In one aspect, the invention is directed to a conduit laying system for laying conduit, including a vehicle, a trench former, a conduit feed system and a base material handling system. The trench former is configured for forming a trench. The conduit feed system includes a conduit feed passage having a conduit feed passage inlet for receiving at least one conduit and a conduit feed passage outlet positioned to deposit the at least one conduit in the trench. The base material handling system includes a base material hopper and at least one base material passage. The at least one base material passage is positioned to receive base material from the base material hopper and to discharge base material in the trench around the at least one conduit. The base material handling system, the conduit feed system and the trench former are driven by the vehicle.
US08047742B2
A vibrating plate serving as a tamping device comprises an upper mass equipped with a drive and comprises at least two lower masses, which are coupled to the upper mass while being able to oscillate relative to the upper mass. Each of the lower masses comprises a soil contacting plate and at least one oscillator assigned to this soil contacting plate. The oscillators can be controlled differently so that, in addition to an advancing and compacting action, a turning moment can be executed about a vertical axis (Z).
US08047738B2
An exemplary mechanical joint system (100) includes a joint (10), an arm (20), a plurality of teeth (211), and an engaging member (3). The arm is rotatable relative to the joint. A pivot hole (210) is defined in the arm. The teeth are formed on an inner surface adjacent to an end of the pivot hole. The engaging member is fixed to the joint. The engaging member includes a prong (323) for engaging with the teeth.
US08047736B2
A floor scrubber that includes a housing having a plurality of brush assemblies mounted therein. Each brush assembly is connected to a liquid supply by a tube. A disperser is mounted on each brush assembly and cleaning liquid flows from the liquid supply onto the disperser. As the brush assembly is rotated, the disperser rotates in unison with the assembly and the cleaning liquid is dispersed onto the bristles and onto the floor surface to be cleaned. The disperser includes a plurality of fins that aid in propelling the cleaning fluid onto the bristles.
US08047728B2
A method of assembling an optical fiber connector includes the steps of providing a ferrule with an internal through passage, and using a gas for treating a surface of the internal through passage to enhance a bonding capability of the surface. Adhesive is introduced into at least a portion of the internal through passage and at least one optical fiber is secured to the surface of the internal through passage by the adhesive. Another method includes the steps of providing the ferrule with an internal through passage including a shoulder, a window that extends through a side surface, and a cap having at least a portion inserted into the window. Adhesive is introduced into at least a portion of the internal through passage and is in engagement with the shoulder for providing an axial stop for securing at least one optical fiber with respect to the internal through passage.
US08047727B1
A strain-relief assembly for a field-installable fiber optic connector is disclosed, wherein the assembly includes a ferrule holder, an intermediate sleeve, and a crimp sleeve. The ferrule holder back section holds a buffered section of a fiber optic cable, while the ferrule holder front end holds a ferrule and a splice assembly. A stub fiber is held within the ferrule and the splice assembly so as to interface with a section of field optical fiber protruding from the buffered section. The intermediate sleeve engages and generally surrounds a portion of the ferrule holder back section and thus surrounds a portion of the buffered layer. An intermediate sleeve handler may be used to handle the intermediate sleeve and attached the intermediate sleeve to the ferrule holder back section. Stress-relief strands from the fiber optic cable are flared around the outer surface of the intermediate sleeve. A crimp sleeve is placed over the intermediate sleeve to hold the ends of the stress-relief strands in place. The crimp sleeve is then crimped, which fixes the strand ends in place and also fixes the intermediate sleeve in place on the ferrule back section.
US08047724B2
A wheel bearing apparatus includes a roller bearing, an inner shaft having an outer circumferential surface to which an inner ring of the roller bearing is installed, a coupler ring attached to an end portion of the inner shaft, and a caulked portion provided in an end portion of the inner shaft so as to fix the coupler ring and the roller bearing to the inner shaft so as to be immovable in an axial direction of the inner shaft. An outer diameter of the coupler ring is set smaller than a diameter of a shoulder portion of the inner ring. Alternatively, a protruding portion is provided in any one of opposing end surfaces of the coupler ring and the inner ring, whereby the coupler ring is arranged away from a seal member. Accordingly, it is possible to avoid an interference of the coupler ring with the seal member.
US08047714B2
Systems, methods, and other modalities are described for (a) obtaining an indication relating to an emission module (which may be dangerous, e.g.) or its user (who may be untrained, e.g.) and for (b) configuring the module or causing an irradiation (for imaging, e.g.) in response to the indication.
US08047713B2
Provided is a plasmon resonance detector that can detect temperature change in optical devices, in which the metal structure having plasmon resonance absorption is used for the optical devices. A diode formed of a conductive substrate, an n-type semiconductor layer, an i-type semiconductor layer, a p-type semiconductor layer, an n electrode (negative electrode), a p electrode (positive electrode), an insulating film, or the like is used as a semiconductor device whose resistance value changes in accordance with temperature change. A nanochain formed by connecting a plurality of metal nanoparticles is disposed on this diode. When the nanochain is irradiated with light, the nanochain generates heat. The heat generated in the nanochain is conducted to the diode. The resistance value of the diode changes in accordance with temperature change, and thus this change is read, a temperature or an amount of heat generation of the nanochain is measured, and existence and strength of the plasmon resonance are detected.
US08047709B1
A method and system for detecting the location of an air/sea interface on an Instrumented Tow Cable (ITC) when distributed temperature measurements are provided. The air/sea interface is determined by estimating the variance of observed temperature in the proximity of each measurement cell. The method and system described herein uses a sliding variance across the entire cable length. The variance of the cell or cells in the area of the interface has been found to be large compared to other cells. Accordingly, the location of the air/sea interface is determined based on the location of the peak variance. The location of the air/sea interface is used in determining the catenary of the ITC.
US08047708B2
The present invention relates to a device and a method for the measurement of heat flow from at least one sample. The device 1 is adapted to receive a multi well vessel assembly (2) with samples in one or several vessels (21, 22, . . . 2n). The device (1) comprises an opening (11) for insertion of the vessel assembly (2) into the device (1), a measurement chamber (12) with a heat sink (13), a channel (14) extending from the opening (11) to the measurement chamber (12). The present invention specifically teaches that the opening (11) and channel (14) leads horizontally into the device (1), and that the height of the opening (11), channel (14) and measurement chamber (12) is only high enough to receive the vessel assembly (2).
US08047704B2
Novel dispenser means are provided for mixing and dispensing two-part curable compositions wherein the mixer elements are isolated from the curable components.
US08047699B2
An illuminating device includes a light source module for emitting light and an optical lens configured for adjusting the light emitted from the light source module. The optical lens includes an array of lens units. Each lens unit includes a main body, a light diverging portion and a light converging portion. The main body includes a light incident surface and a light emitting surface opposite to the light incident surface. The light diverging portion is configured for expanding a light field along a first direction, and the light converging portion is configured for compressing a light field along a second direction. The light diverging portion and the light converging portion are formed on at least one of the light incident surface and the light emitting surface. The light diverging portion includes parallel protrusions distributed along the first direction.
US08047696B2
A luminaire arrangement for providing a luminous flux in a target direction (z) comprising a light guide (101), multiple light sources (103) arranged at said light guide for emitting light into said light guide, out coupling means (106) arranged at said light guide and adapted to direct light out from said light guide; and a cover layer (102) arranged in front of said light guide at the side where light it to be directed out, said cover layer being provided with at least one optically transparent area (104) such that light directed out from said light guide is allowed to pass said cover layer. The cover layer allows for use of the same or similar light guide, light sources and out coupling means in a number of different luminaire applications, where each application may have different requirements on e.g. appearance, and/or collimation and/or directivity of the luminous flux.
US08047694B2
An adaptive front lighting system (AFLS) having a high heat-dissipation efficiency increases heat-dissipation efficiency of a light emitting diode (LED) to improve durability in headlamps which use LEDs as a light source and have a variable illumination angle according to conditions. The AFLS includes a lamp housing, a reflector installed in the lamp housing and rotatable around a rotational axle formed at the lamp housing, a light source installed in the reflector to emit light, an external heat sink installed at an external surface of the lamp housing so as to dissipate heat towards outside of the lamp housing, and/or a heat conduction member connecting the light source and the external heat sink so as to transfer the heat of the light source to the external heat sink. The heat conduction member is flexibly transformed in response to a movement of the reflector and the light source.
US08047685B2
An adjustable lighting device having a main body, a light generation device inserted into a receptacle, a movable lens, a base electrically connected to the light generation device, and an adjustor cover rotatably mounted to and covering the outside of the main body so that rotation of the adjustor cover causes the lens to extend/retract within the receptacle so that the extension/retraction of the lens can be controlled by the rotation of the adjustor cover for realizing focus adjustment.
US08047681B2
A flexible light emitting array includes a flexible substrate, pluralities of first wires, second wires and light emitting components. The flexible substrate has a first surface and an opposite second surface. The first wires and the second wires penetrates across the first surface and the second surface to form pluralities of first conductive wire segments and second conductive wire segments on the first surface side and the second surface side. The light emitting components are arranged on the first surface side and electrically connected to the first conductive wire segments and the second conductive wire segments. The flexible light emitting array not only increases the reliability of bonding between the light emitting component and the flexible substrate but also drives the light emitting components with programmable control to achieve the dynamic effects.
US08047680B2
An LED lamp includes a heat sink and a plurality of LED modules. The heat sink includes a base and a plurality of supporters extending from a top face of the base. Each supporter has an inclined supporting face facing an adjacent one of two opposite lateral sides of the base. Each LED module is mounted on an inclined supporting face of a corresponding supporter. The supporters have extending heights gradually increasing along a horizontal direction from the two opposite lateral sides toward a center of the base. Angles between the base and the supporting faces of the supporters are acute angles and gradually decrease along the horizontal direction from the two opposite lateral sides toward the center of the base.
US08047679B2
A LED lamp with 360-degree illumination includes a base, a first substrate, a stepped structure, a plurality of LEDs, and a cover. The first substrate is fixed on the base. The stepped structure is mounted on the first substrate. The stepped structure has a first annular frame connected to the first substrate, a second substrate connected to the first annular frame, and a second annular frame connected to the second substrate. The peripheral length of the second annular frame is smaller than that of the first annular frame. The plurality of LEDs is fixed to the first substrate and the second substrate and surrounds the first annular frame and the second annular frame respectively. With this arrangement, the LEDs can be arranged in a multi-storey stepped structure to generate an effect of 360-degree illumination. Also, the illumination range of the lamp can be increased.
US08047666B2
An asymmetrical mirror lens, usable on front fenders of school buses and similar vehicles, which has a plurality of mirror sections, each having a distinct constant radius of curvature to reduce image distortion. Optional sections located between sections of the constant radius of curvature have a step-wise changing radii of curvature to smooth the image sizes as an object moves across the mirror lens.
US08047665B2
An exterior rearview mirror assembly for a motor vehicle includes a housing defining an interior and including a mirror opening oriented rearward when the exterior rearview mirror assembly is secured to the motor vehicle. A backing plate is operatively connected to the housing in the interior. The backing plate is selectively moveable within the housing. A primary mirror is fixedly secured to a first portion of the backing plate. A secondary mirror is fixedly secured to a second portion of the backing plate. The secondary mirror is spaced apart from the primary mirror. An adhesive member extends between the backing plate and the primary and secondary mirrors such that the single adhesive member secures all of the primary and secondary mirrors to the backing plate. A demarcation divider separates the primary and secondary mirrors. The demarcation divider is secured to the backing plate.
US08047664B2
A protective automatic darkening filter (ADF) and an associated tool, such as a welding torch, are controlled by a corresponding communication unit. The invention helps to ensure that the tool is not activated before the ADF has reached its dark state. A communication channel between the communication unit and the ADF may be established using a wired or wireless medium.
US08047660B2
A method and apparatus for a projection display system includes a spatial light modulator and a volume illumination hologram. The spatial light modulator comprises a digital micromirror device, and the projection system includes a laser light source to produce a sequence of collimated, colored, light beams for the illumination hologram. Waste light produced by the spatial light modulator is transmitted to the illumination hologram, and the illumination hologram emits waste light from at least one of its edges. Waste light emitted from an edge of the illumination hologram is absorbed by a light sensor to control the intensity of the light beams. A projection focusing element is mounted proximate a side of the illumination hologram to focus the image beam from the spatial light modulator for viewing. A projection hologram is interposed between the side of the illumination hologram and the projection focusing element to manage waste light.
US08047659B2
A light source device includes plural light-emitting elements that emit lights, a wavelength selection element that has plural light selection areas in which wavelength selection is performed for the lights emitted from the plural light-emitting elements, respectively, and selectively reflects a part of the lights emitted from the plural light-emitting elements, a state detecting unit that detects states of the plural light selection areas of the wavelength selection element, and a state changing unit that changes, according to the states of the plural light selection areas detected by the state detecting unit, the states of the light selection areas of the wavelength selection element to make wavelengths of the lights selected in the plural light selection areas different from one another.
US08047658B2
Methods and systems for multiple primary color display are provided. Methods and systems of the present invention improve the spectrum efficiency of a color display system, and provide enhanced brightness and color gamut. In an embodiment, methods and systems of the present invention improve the brightness of a color display system employing a high pressure lamp by efficiently incorporating lights components of the lamp output that are outside the red, green, and blue spectrum in creating the color image.
US08047657B2
Screens are positioned at front areas of respective placing tables which form placing spaces for placing an article. Each of the screens is a transmission-type screen capable of transmitting projection image light projected on a back side of the screen. A first optical system and a second optical system are arranged inside the display shelf. The first optical system leads first partial image light, which is included in projection image light projected from a projector in the display shelf, to the back sides of the screens. And the second optical system leads second partial image light, which is included in the projection image light, to at least one of the placing spaces.
US08047655B2
A projection display apparatus is provided that is capable of reducing speckle noise, with no image of a flaw or dust noticeable in or on a screen even if it exists in or on an optical component. The projection display apparatus includes a glass rod that makes uniform an optical beam emitted from a laser beam source; a lens that focuses an optical beam passing through the glass rod; a diffusion layer that provides an optical path difference distribution to the optical beam focused using the focusing element, the diffusion layer being optically conjugated with an incident end of the glass rod by the focusing element; a display device that spatially modulates the optical beam provided with the optical path difference distribution by the diffusion layer; and a magnification projection lens that projects on a screen an optical beam modulated by the modulator.
US08047653B2
An Si—O containing hydrogenated carbon film as an optical film has a refractive index in a range from at least 1.48 to at most 1.85 for light of 520 nm wavelength and an extinction coefficient of less than 0.15 for light of 248 nm wavelength, wherein the refractive index and the extinction coefficient are decreased with energy beam irradiation. By utilizing such an Si—O containing hydrogenated carbon film, it is possible to provide various types of optical elements and an optical device including the same.
US08047640B2
An inkjet printer system includes a print head, a sub tank, a pressure controller, and a check valve. The print head is configured to eject ink. The sub tank is connected to the print head and has a pressure control hole. The pressure controller is connected to the pressure control hole to control an inner pressure of the sub tank. The check valve is provided at the pressure control hole to prevent ink in the sub tank from flowing into the pressure control hole from the sub tank.
US08047638B2
In a liquid ejecting apparatus using the electrostatic attraction method or electric field assist method, a liquid ejecting apparatus where discharging of a nozzle plate is securely performed and appropriate liquid ejecting is possible is provide. The liquid ejecting apparatus is provided with an electrode; a liquid ejecting head, having, a nozzle plate including a nozzle opposed to the counter electrode to eject liquid, a pressure generating device to rise a meniscus of liquid at a ejecting port of the nozzle, and a charging electrode opposed to the counter electrode via the nozzle plate, an electrostatic voltage applying device to apply electrostatic voltage onto the liquid in the nozzle; a discharging device to discharge the charged nozzle plate; and a control device to control the electrostatic voltage applying device and the discharging device; wherein the discharging device provides a conductive discharging member detachable to an whole area of the nozzle plate opposed to the counter electrode.
US08047632B2
An ink jet recording head includes an ejection outlet for ejecting ink; an energy generating element, provided on a silicon substrate, for generating energy for ejecting the ink from the ejection outlet; an ink flow passage, provided correspondingly to the energy generating element, communicating with the ejection outlet; a through hole passing through the silicon substrate; and an ink supply port for supplying the ink supplied into the through hole to the ink flow passage. The ink supply port is formed with an extended member which contacts a bottom of a flow passage wall constituting the ink flow passage and extends into an opening of the through hole.
US08047611B2
A headrest bushing into which a headrest stay are inserted for supporting a head rest includes a lock mechanism for preventing disengagement of the headrest stay from the headrest bush; and an unlock mechanism having a button for unlocking the lock mechanism and a housing for accommodating which has an opening for manipulating the button, and wherein a surface of the button is placed inwardly from the opening of the housing. The surface of the button is placed correspondently to the opening of the housing or inwardly in a pressing direction from the opening of the housing. The headrest stay has a notch consisting of a horizontal surface and an inclined surface to increase its diameter of slowly downward from the deepest part of the horizontal surface, and wherein the horizontal surface of the notch engages with the lock mechanism.
US08047605B2
One aspect of the present invention can include a vehicle seat, a seat frame having a cushion frame, the cushion frame with a first and second side frame, a bead extending from an outer side of one of the first and second side frame, the bead including a first and second inclined surface connected at a ridge portion, and a notch portion defined in a lower portion of the at least one of the first and second side frame, wherein the notch portion is positioned proximate the bead.
US08047604B2
A bicycle is provided with a saddle. The saddle includes a frame and a padding device. The frame includes a front tray and a rear tray. The padding device includes a front pad and two rear pads. The front pad is installed on the front tray. The rear pads are installed on the rear tray. A space is defined between the front pad and the rear pads. A space is defined between the rear trays.
US08047595B2
A powered actuator includes a rotating output member that may be operatively connected to one or more cables or mechanical links for release/actuation of a lock, latch, or the like, of a vehicle seat or other component. The powered actuator may be configured to provide a required force on the release cable and/or a required distance of travel. The actuator may also be configured to provide for proper timing of the movement of the release cables if required for a particular application.
US08047574B2
In a passenger automobile having a pressure tank which extends along the longitudinal vehicle axis, the tank comprises between its front and rear ends at least one conical section.
US08047566B2
Exemplary embodiments are directed to an inflatable cushion for deployment along an interior side of a vehicle. In one exemplary embodiment the inflatable cushion has: an inflatable portion, the inflatable portion partially surrounding an area; a non-inflatable member secured to the inflatable portion and positioned in the area; and a retentive pocket formed by the non-inflatable member and the inflatable cushion, the retentive pocket having a periphery bounded on at least one side by the non-inflatable member and the non-inflatable member being configured such that a recessed area is formed in the retentive pocket, the recessed area being disposed within the periphery of the retentive pocket.
US08047558B2
An axle/suspension system for a heavy-duty vehicle, in which the vehicle has a frame that includes a pair of hangers. The axle/suspension system is attached to the hangers, and includes an axle and a pair of suspension assemblies. Each of the suspension assemblies includes an air spring and at least one spring member. The spring member includes a first attachment portion and a second attachment portion. The first attachment portion is generally rigidly connected to the hanger via a clamped connection, and the second attachment portion is operatively connected to the axle. The spring member, connected in this manner, reduces or eliminates dock walk when a cargo transfer vehicle enters the heavy-duty vehicle, and also reduces or eliminates rebound when the cargo transfer vehicle exits the vehicle. The spring member is also capable of being tuned to a predetermined stiffness that is sufficient to control heavy-duty vehicle roll forces.
US08047556B2
Disclosed herein is a board capable of voluntary forward movement. The board comprises: a pair of front and rear boards, each of which is integrated with a connecting step formed on its lower surface and has a connecting hole formed within the connecting step; a connecting assembly including a connecting pipe inserted into the connecting holes, fixing blocks rotatably coupled to both ends of the connecting pipe to integrally connect the front board and the rear board, each of the fixing blocks having a track groove, and coupling pins inserted into the track grooves through the connecting pipe to be in association with the connecting pipe so that the front and rear boards are rotated within limited angle ranges corresponding to predetermined widths of the track grooves; and voluntary advancement assemblies.
US08047544B2
A printing apparatus includes a holding section connected to a downstream end of a main transfer path for consecutively transferring paper sheets and formed of a curved transfer path, which consecutively transfers the paper sheets led out from the main transfer path in a curved state and holds them in an overlaid state.
US08047540B2
A recording medium conveying device including a body portion capable of being mounted to and removed from a body of an apparatus, the body portion being provided with a conveying roller; a knob member disposed at a side at which the body portion is removed, the knob member allowing manual rotation of the conveying roller; and a handle member for mounting the body portion to and removing the body portion from the body of the apparatus. The handle member is rotatably supported so as to move between a first position and a second position, The knob member is connected to a rotating shaft of the conveying roller so as to move along a direction in which the body portion is removed. The handle member moves between the first position and the second position in response to an accommodation operation and a draw-out operation of the knob member.
US08047538B2
In one embodiment of the present invention, a sheet transport apparatus is provided with a registration roller, a sheet transport path, a first optical sensor, a second sensor that detects the presence or absence of a sheet at an upstream side of the first optical sensor in a sheet transportation direction Xd, and a sheet transportation control unit that stops the driving of the registration roller after an elapse of a transportation time after the detection of sheet absence following sheet presence by the first optical sensor, wherein the sheet transportation control unit does not perform control with sheet detection by the first optical sensor within a detection restricted time after predetermined sheet detection by the second sensor when the sheet is of a specific type.
US08047537B2
An apparatus for registering a sheet. The apparatus including a sheet registration nip assembly for changing a position and/or timing of the sheet. The apparatus also including a controller communicating a first signal to the sheet registration nip assembly to change a first sheet characteristic to a target characteristic. The first signal generated to impart the target characteristic to the sheet by the time the sheet reaches a preliminary datum. The preliminary datum disposed along the transport path between the sheet registration nip assembly and a delivery datum that is disposed downstream of the sheet registration nip assembly. The controller communicating a second signal to the sheet registration nip assembly to change a second sheet characteristic to the target characteristic. The second signal communicated when at least a portion of the sheet is disposed along the transport path between the preliminary datum and the delivery datum.
US08047535B2
An apparatus and a method for successively conveying a series of sheets are disclosed. The apparatus has a first conveyer for conveying a sheet in a sheet conveying direction at a first speed and a second conveyer disposed spaced vertically away from the first conveyer for conveying the sheet in the same direction at a second speed. The second conveyer has a region overlapping with the first conveyer at least for a distance corresponding to a dimension of the sheet, e.g. the width of veneer sheet, as measured in the sheet conveying direction. A suction mechanism is disposed in said overlapping region for transferring by suction the sheet in the entirety of its dimension from the first conveyer to the second conveyer and holding by suction the sheet against the second conveyer. The sheet is further moved by the second conveyer, e.g. to a sheet stacking station.
US08047531B1
A sheet pressing apparatus assembled to a file processing equipment which has an input tray for stacking sheets and a pickup roller for feeding sheets. The sheet pressing apparatus includes a sheet pressing assembly movably mounted to the file processing equipment, a driving device including a connecting member and a stepping motor, a sensor unit and a control system. The sheet pressing assembly is driven by the stepping motor to be descending through the connecting member. When the sheet pressing assembly descends, the sensor unit touches the sheets and sends a signal to the control system, the control system figures out the thickness of the sheets by calculating steps the stepping motor having passed, then the control system makes the stepping motor further move with certain steps to drive the sheet pressing assembly further descend to apply a suitable pressure on the sheets.
US08047527B2
The sheet containing apparatus is provided with: an apparatus main body; a drawer that is capable of being pulled out from the apparatus main body; a sheet container that is movable relative to the drawer and that contains a sheet; a feeder that feeds a sheet contained in the sheet container; and a moving unit that moves the sheet container in a direction intersecting with a feed direction in which the feeder feeds a sheet.
US08047526B2
A mail justifier system including at least one bucket for holding a flat article and a plurality of ramps configured to contact the flat article through an opening defined on the bucket to raise the flat article to a desired level. A plurality of parallel rollers is configured to enter into the opening and contact the flat article. The parallel rollers rotate causing the flat article to move within the bucket from a first position to a second position.
US08047525B2
A conveying unit has a nipping hook to nip a sheet bundle and conveys the sheet bundle while nipping the sheet bundle with the nipping hook. A discharge roller sequentially discharges the sheet bundle conveyed by the conveying unit. A stack unit stacks the sheet bundle conveyed by the conveying unit. A shutter is provided between the discharge roller and the stack unit. A push-out lever is fixed to the discharge roller. An opening is provided on one side of the shutter, and a push-out part which causes the push-out lever to protrude to the stack unit from the opening of the shutter with a rotation of the nipping pawl is provided on the nipping hook. The push-out lever caused to protrude to the stack unit by the push-out part pushes out the sheet bundle to the stack unit in accordance with the rotation of the nipping hook.
US08047523B2
A sheet loading apparatus has an ejecting member to eject a sheet; a loading member to load the sheet ejected by the ejecting member; and a movable member capable of moving in a state keeping contact with ejecting member side ends of the sheets loaded on the loading member. The movable member moves a distance equal to a moving distance of the loading member in the moving direction of the loading member. The sheet loading apparatus has a screen which is located between the loading member and the ejecting member and moves up and down, while waits at a position capable of avoiding interruption to the ejection of the sheet; and a first rotating member mounted to the screen in a location above the loading member and suspending the movable member.
US08047520B2
The coupling apparatus for bringing a pallet 3 (a movable article) near to a base side support 2 from above, positioning it in the horizontal X, Y directions and in the vertical Z direction, and clamping it in a releasable manner comprises a pair of first engaging protrusions 12 and a pair of second engaging protrusions 13 formed on the top surface of the support 2 for positing in the X direction and in the Y direction, respectively; a pair of first movable article side engaging protrusions 32 each abutting the pair of first engaging protrusions 12 on one side and a pair of second movable article side engaging protrusions 33 each abutting the pair of second engaging protrusions 12 on one side; a Z direction positioning mechanism 8 for positioning the pallet 3 relative to the support 2 in the Z direction; and a clamping mechanism 7 for clamping the pallet 3 on the support 2.
US08047512B2
A vibration damping apparatus actively damping vibration of a vibration source by adding vibration to the vibration source includes a vibrational state detecting means and a vibrator including a magnetic pole, a coil, and a controlling means, and the vibrator adds vibration to the vibration source by controlling a current-supplied state of the coil to vibrate the coil and the magnetic pole relatively, wherein the controlling means selectively switches a vibration generating mode and a regenerative mode based on the vibrational state of the vibration source, the vibration is added to the vibration source to damp the vibration of the vibration source in the vibration generating mode, and regenerative current is caused by an electro motive force generated at the coil by the vibration of the vibration source to flow into a regenerative resistor in the regenerative mode.
US08047507B2
A modular lift assembly includes a frame, at least one head block connected to the frame, a drum rotatably connected to the frame about an axis of rotation and having at least one winding section, and a drive mechanism operatively connected to the drum for rotating the drum. In various examples, the lift assembly includes at least one loft block internal or external relative to the frame. The loft block is configured to guide a cable from the at least one head block to a load. The lift assembly can further include a load brake positioned along the axis of drum rotation to reduce risks associated with a drive or motor failure.
US08047504B2
A valve actuator has a set of sensors (2) for detection of the internal parameters of the actuator, a controller (3) for recording and storing the parameters and the operations performed by the actuator, a wireless module (5) to temporarily and omnidirectionally connect the actuator with a PDA (Personal Data Assistant) or a PC (pocket PC) (6) which controls the actuation thereof. The wireless module (5) further allows to download the collected data for analysis and to achieve an early diagnosis of any failure and/or inefficiency of the actuator. The wireless module (5) includes a transceiver operating at the frequency of 2.4 GHz.
US08047500B2
The baking tin comprises a hollow part (1a) made of a flexible material having a side wall (3) whose upper end defines an opening (5), and a rigid reinforcement (7). Another annular or disk-shaped reinforcement (11′) is linked to the bottom (2), close to the join with the side wall (3).
US08047491B2
A strapping base including a central portion having a generally flat surface, the central portion having a central hole pattern defined therein, an angled portion coupling the central portion to the lateral portion, and at least one lateral portion having a generally flat surface and having a plurality of lateral holes defined therein, wherein the lateral portion is offset from the central portion.
US08047487B2
A display apparatus including a display main body displaying a picture, and a base supporting the display main body about an installation surface. The display apparatus further includes a tilting unit provided between the display main body and the base and allowing the display main body to be tilted about the base; a pivoting unit provided between the display main body and the tilting unit and allowing the display main body to be pivoted about the base; a lifting unit provided between the tilting unit and the base and allowing the display main body to move up and down about the base; and a swiveling unit coupled to the base and allowing the display main body to be swiveled about the installation surface. With this configuration, the present invention provides a display apparatus of which a display main body not only rotates about a base in various directions, but also moves up and down about the base.
US08047483B2
A self-adjusting base member preferably of a mounting bracket assembly is utilized in conjunction with exterior siding that covers sheathing of an exterior wall. The base member of the assembly has a mounting flange secured to the sheathing and a wall arrangement that projects outward with respect to the sheathing and from the mounting flange. Preferably, the wall arrangement supports a raised central panel used for mounting of fixtures. Spaced radially outward from the wall arrangement is at least one flexible drip ledge of the base member. The drip ledge is generally self-adjusting with respect to the thickness of the adjacent siding.
US08047481B2
A continuously angle-adjustable multifunction tripod is provided. The continuously angle-adjustable multifunction tripod includes a connecting base, at least three legs, an adjusting cap, and a supporter. The adjusting cap and the supporter are disposed on and under the connecting base, respectively. Each of the legs is peripherally distributed around the supporter. Upper ends of the legs are movably connected to the connecting base. Distances between the adjusting cap, the connecting base and the supporter are adjustable along a vertical direction, and can be relatively fixed at anywhere therebetween. Meanwhile, a bottom of the adjusting cap and the supporter clamp and fix the legs, so that an angle of each of the legs relative to the horizontal plane can be arbitrarily adjusted in a range from 0° to 90° in accordance with variations of relative positions of the adjusting cap, the connecting base, and the supporter. The present invention has a simple and compact structure, small volume, light weight, low cost, and convenient to operate. Spans of the legs may be arbitrarily adjusted in a range from 0° to 180°, so that the tripod may be mounted quick and steadily in all kinds of complex environments. The present invention may be widely applied in areas of observation, photography, and illuminating, etc.
US08047480B2
An exemplary flat panel display (200) includes a display body (21) and a height adjusting member (23). The height adjusting member includes a supporting member (25) and a base (26). The supporting member includes a slider (30) and a sidewall (272). The slider is attached to the display body, and the slider abuts against but is slidable up and down along the sidewall. The slider is configured to be adjustable to vary an amount of friction between the slider and the sidewall such that a height of the display body is adjustable by applying external force to the display body and moving the display body to a new height.
US08047473B2
A connecting node comprises a polyhedral structure comprising a plurality of panels joined together at its side edges to form a spherical approximation, wherein at least one of the plurality of panels comprises a faceted surface being constructed with a passage for integrating with one of a plurality of elements comprising a docking port, a hatch, and a window that is attached to the connecting node. A method for manufacturing a connecting node comprises the steps of providing a plurality of panels, connecting the plurality of panels to form a spherical approximation, wherein each edge of each panel of the plurality is joined to another edge of another panel, and constructing at least one of the plurality of panels to include a passage for integrating at least one of a plurality of elements that may be attached to the connecting node.
US08047453B2
Aspects of the invention include an air freshener device that emits fragrance through the evaporation of a fragrance-containing fluid comprising: a container, comprising a particular volume of the fragrance-containing fluid; a wick disposed partially in, and partially out of the fragrance-containing fluid, the wick having an immersion section immersed in the fluid so as to displace a displacement volume of fluid and a non-immersion section extending outward from a surface of the fluid, the immersion and non-immersion section being disposed on opposite lateral ends of the wick; the wick further comprising a displacement portion and a wicking portion, the displacement portion being configured to displace a desired first volume of fluid, the wicking portion being configured to wick a second volume of fluid; the displacement portion and the wicking portion designed to achieve a desired ratio between the displaced first volume of fluid and the wicked second volume of fluid.
US08047445B2
A wireless IC device includes a plurality of insulating sheets that are stacked on top of one another. Coil electrodes are arranged so as to sandwich the insulating sheets therebetween and define an antenna coil by being connected to one another. The coil electrodes are superposed with one another and thereby define a single ring when viewed in plan from a z-axis direction.
US08047444B2
The described embodiments relate generally to devices, methods and systems for managing access to a memory card, such as a smart card, by a plurality of accessing devices. Certain embodiments relate to a smart card reader (SCR) for managing access to a smart card by a plurality of accessing devices. The SCR comprises: a processor; a channel manager responsive to the processor for interfacing with the smart card; and a communication interface responsive to the channel manager for communicating with the plurality of accessing devices.
US08047442B2
A semiconductor device in which damages to an element such as a transistor are reduced even when external force such as bending is applied and stress is generated in the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a first island-like reinforcement film over a substrate having flexibility; a semiconductor film including a channel formation region and an impurity region over the first island-like reinforcement film; a first conductive film over the channel formation region with a gate insulating film interposed therebetween; a second island-like reinforcement film covering the first conductive film and the gate insulating film.
US08047440B2
Described is a method and system for obtaining a digitized representation of a bar code, estimating a set of parameters from the digitized representation and acquiring a waveform representation of the bar code based on at least one parameter in the set of parameters.
US08047432B2
Method and system for tracking packages including readable indicia in a movable cargo container includes mounting at least one scanner to an interior surface of the container capable of reading the indicia on, in or associated with the packages, operatively reading the indicia from the packages, converting the read indicia into an identification of the packages, and transmitting the package identifications to a remote facility. Each scanner may be controlled to read the indicia at predetermined times, upon command from the remote facility or upon detection of an event which could result in a change in the contents of the container. A positioning system may be arranged on the container to determine its location and the location of the container transmitted with the package identifications. This provides an entity managing the delivery or transport of the packages with an efficient way to track its package in real-time.
US08047431B2
Provided is a portable terminal (100) which can perform pseudo push distribution and display of a message obtained in response to a request from a reader/writer from a noncontact IC card by noncontact communication which is difficult to be always connected with. A noncontact IC card, a reader/writer and information distribution method are also provided. The noncontact IC card for receiving a message transmitted from the reader/writer by noncontact communication is mounted on the portable terminal (100). The message transmitted from the reader/writer is provided with an event header wherein setting conditions for specifying a message to be displayed by the portable terminal (100) are indicated. The portable terminal is provided with a message acquiring section (103) for acquiring only a message that satisfies the setting conditions indicated on the event header, from the noncontact IC card which has received messages, and a display section (106) which displays the message acquired from the message acquiring section (103).
US08047429B1
An automated banking machine system and method includes ATMs which accept checks and dispense cash to users. The ATMs are operated to acquire image and magnetic data from deposited checks to determine the genuineness of checks and the authority of a user to receive cash for such checks. Cash is dispensed to the user from the ATM in exchange for the deposited check.
US08047423B1
A swing away or pivotable mailbox support includes a lower post anchored in the ground and pivotally connected to an upper post having a horizontally projecting mailbox support arm. The upper post is pivotally movable in response to horizontal loads applied to the support arm. Adjacent connecting ends of the posts have aligned centrally located mounting bores for receipt of a mounting shaft. A bearing and detent assembly is mounted to the connecting ends of the posts to provide support and relative rotational movement between detent-engaged stable rotational positions. A kit including a bearing and detent assembly and a shaft is also provided for converting a stationary mailbox support to a swing away or pivotable support in accordance with the invention.
US08047419B2
A welding facility includes a main welding line for manufacturing an assembly of frame members, and a sub-welding line for manufacturing an assembly of panel members, the sub-welding line merging with the main welding line. The main welding line is comprised of a plurality of welding stages provided with a welding robot, the sub-welding line is provided at the end with a transfer mechanism for transferring the panel member assembly to the desired welding stage, and the merging parts are changeable according to the type of product to be welded. The facility permits a plurality of vehicle bodies having different vehicle types to be manufactured using the same manufacturing line.
US08047417B2
A friction stir weld apparatus having a linear drive actuator and a separate friction stir weld device. The linear actuator and the friction stir weld device are driven by concentric motors. In the preferred embodiment, the thrust member of the actuator is connected to the friction stir weld device within or adjacent to the friction stir weld device motor to advance and retract the friction stir weld device along a linear axis concentric with the actuator and friction stir weld device motors.
US08047416B2
Fasteners, such as rivets (60), are fed to a fastener insertion tool (1) via a buffer magazine (5) adjacent to the tool. The buffer is movable with the tool and C-frame (6) between an operative position where fasteners can be inserted into a workpiece and a re-filling position where it is docked at a docking station (13) to reload. Fasteners are delivered to the docking station from a source (14) and held there ready for when the tool docks. Once docked a transfer gate (25, 28) is opened at an interface between the buffer magazine and the docking station and fasteners from the docking station are transferred into the buffer magazine. The quantity of fasteners in the buffer magazine is detected and the last fastener is retained so as to support preceding fasteners loaded into the buffer magazine. Any subsequently loaded fasteners back to the docking station either under gravity, under the influence of a pressurized gas or both. The gate is then closed and the insertion apparatus separates from the docking station.
US08047414B2
A fastener outlet assembly for a fastener driving tool includes: an outlet passage arranged to expel fasteners from the assembly to a workpiece during use, the outlet passage having one or more walls; and a detector arranged to detect whether a fastener is present in the outlet passage. The detector comprises at least part of a cover that provides at least part of a wall of the outlet passage, the cover being movable with respect to the remainder of the outlet passage to open the outlet passage and gain access thereto.
US08047413B2
The present invention relates to soft, multifunctional carriers which transport equipment, such as hunting equipment, hunting bows, compound bows, hunting gear, camping gear, hiking gear and animal antlers for camping, fishing and/or hunting. The equipment can be placed on or hung from a tree or the like and act as a backrest or cushion and provide access to the equipment transported for hunting, camping or fishing purposes. The carrier can be utilized in conjunction with an elevated tree stand or as a storage area on or near ground level.
US08047406B2
A metered dispenser includes a housing including a reciprocable piston drive stem including an inlet opening at a first end thereof, a floating piston at a second end, and a passage between the first and second ends. An inlet valve is provided adjacent the first end for permitting entry of liquid product into the passage. A biased cocking mechanism is reciprocally disposed substantially within the housing. A biased loading mechanism is movable in a second generally opposite direction by the cocking mechanism, and is engageable with the piston drive stem to move the drive stem in the second direction. When the cocking mechanism is moved from an initial rest position toward the second direction, a series of operations allow the loading mechanism to project the drive stem in the first direction to dispense a metered dose of liquid product through a discharge orifice provided adjacent the second end.
US08047399B1
A dispenser places transdermal devices and packaged transdermal devices in an electrically charged state. The dispenser is particularly suitable for transdermal devices that include electrically actuatable components, such as transdermal, drug-delivery patches that include microporator circuitry. A controller can be operatively coupled to a power circuit of the dispenser to control the times that transdermal devices can be charged, thereby providing a measure of control over use and misuse of the transdermal devices to be dispensed.
US08047398B2
An overcap for a container, which container is of the type having a rim adjacent to an opening in which the rim has an exterior facing top surface, an exterior facing side surface and an exterior facing bottom surface. The overcap includes a center portion having a top surface and a skirt extending downward relative to the top surface. A wall is spaced radially inward from the skirt, defining a channel in one form of the overcap. The wall has an end portion extending downwardly from the center portion. When the overcap is disposed on the container, the end portion engages with the exterior facing top surface of the rim of the container. In one further advantageous form, the overcap skirt has a bead extending radially inward, which engages with the exterior facing side surface of the container when the overcap is disposed on the container.
US08047397B2
A holder for to hold storage container(s) therein is disclosed. Each storage container has a lid with locking tabs or locking extension that hook underneath a protrusion around and near the top edge of the container to lock the lid to the container. The holder has a top with two downwardly extending sides with L-shaped extensions furthest from the top that create a ledge. The holder is attached to a surface. One or more containers with a lid locked thereto using the locking tabs or locking extensions are inserted into the holder and the underside of the locking tabs or locking extensions sit on the L-shaped extensions to support the container within the holder. There may be an interference fit between the container(s) with locked lid and the two downwardly extending sides that helps retain the container(s) within the holder and guarantees that two of the locking tabs are held in their locked position. A holder may have a rear overhang which only permits container(s) to be inserted into and removed from one end of the holder, otherwise they can be inserted into and removed from both ends. In alternative embodiments of the container(s) and holder there is a locking means that will not permit container(s) to be inserted into or removed from the holder until the locking means is deactivated; and a holder may hold one, two or more storage containers.
US08047388B2
A plastic container of the type that may be formed from a material such as PET using the stretch blow molding process includes a main body portion and a base portion that is characterized by a relatively tall and narrow profile above the standing ring and that has a deep inset recess defined therein. The deep inset recess is defined in part by an upstanding inner sidewall portion adjacent to the standing ring that has a height that may be greater than about 0.35 inch. The upstanding inner sidewall portion may have a substantially straight portion that is substantially parallel to a substantially straight portion of an outer sidewall of the base.
US08047387B2
Apparatus and associated methods for carrying and manipulation of bottles are presented herein. The apparatus may include a closure that may be sealably secured to a bottle. The apparatus may further include a movable handle attached to the closure with portions of the movable handle received in a recess defined by the bottle. The movable handle may be locatable between at least a first position and a second position. The methods may include providing a closure and a movable handle, attaching the movable handle to the closure, and locating the movable handle in at least the first position and the second position.
US08047386B2
A tool rack comprises a main body; a tool holding section including a plurality of longitudinal tool holding elements defining a plurality of tool holding supports for retaining tools; and a flexible member adapted for slide along an upper side of the tool holding section and across the tools for firmly retaining the tools on the main body.
US08047384B2
A mobile sign rack which can be easily and quickly mounted or disconnected from the tailgate of a truck for the purpose of storing and/or transporting signs, sign stands, traffic cones and stop and slow paddles to secure worksites on the roadway.
US08047380B2
The invention concerns screen panels of the kind used in vibratory screening operations. According to the invention, the screen panels (10) include recycled polyurethane, typically that recovered from worn screen panels. In one particular embodiment in which the panel has an upper, perforated screening section (16.1) for performing a screening action and an operatively lower section (16.2) beneath the screening section, the upper section is of molded, virgin polyurethane and the lower section comprises a reinforcing frame (12) and recycled polyurethane molded about the reinforcing frame. The invention envisages the use of blends of virgin and recycled polyurethane as well as method of manufacturing screen panels and methods of handling worn screen panels.
US08047379B2
A wafer container includes a container body, formed by a pair of side walls, a top surface, and a bottom surface, on one sidewall of which is formed with an opening and on the other sidewall opposite to the opening is formed with a back wall, a supporting module being disposed on each of said sidewall for supporting a plurality of wafers; and a door joining with opening of the container body with its inner surface for protecting the plurality of wafers within the container body, the characteristic in that: a purgeable supporting module is respectively disposed between each side wall of the container body and the back wall, a long slot is further disposed on the side of purgeable supporting module facing the opening, and an air inlet is further disposed on one end of the purgeable supporting module for being connected to an gas valve, wherein the purgeable supporting module is formed by a plurality of supporting ribs vertically arranged at intervals.
US08047377B2
A packaging material of the present invention, which comprises a plate member, packages an object to be packaged by sandwiching the object, and the plate member is provided with an installation portion for the object to be packaged as well as a reinforcing portion.
US08047375B1
A diaper changing kit is disclosed for assisting an individual in cleaning a soiled child. The diaper changing kit comprises a container defining an interior chamber and a container aperture for accessing the interior chamber. A tool cleans the soiled child and provides both a functional and a humorous characteristic. A first body item positions on the individual and provides both a functional and a humorous characteristic. A second body item positions on the soiled child and provides both a functional and a humorous characteristic. The tool, the first body item and the second body item are positioned within the container for transporting.
US08047374B1
A back support has front, rear, bottom, top and side edges. A box has a rear face formed coextensive with the back support, a front face, a bottom face, and side faces. A rectilinear chamber is formed by the front, rear, bottom and side faces of the box and has an open top for receiving and supporting medication containers on the bottom face of the box for easy access and removal. The chamber is formed with vertically oriented recesses on the front and rear faces of the box. A plurality of rectangular divider panels with edges removably received within the recesses divide the chamber into sections adapted to separate the containers received and supported in the chamber. The panels are repositionable as a function of the size and number of the containers within the chamber.
US08047370B2
A packing cushion includes a base and a plurality of sidewalls coupled to the base. The plurality of sidewalls interconnect with each other and cooperate with the base to form an accommodating space. A first and second cushion portions protrude from an inner surface of the base in the accommodating space. The first cushion portion has a first inclined surface, the second cushion portion has a second inclined surface. The second inclined surface is parallel to the first inclined surface. A contour defined by the first inclined surface matches with at least a part of an object packed in the packing cushion. When the object is packed in the accommodating space, the first inclined surface contacts with at least a part of the object to provided a first cushioning, and when the object is subjected to impact forces to deform the first cushion portion, the second inclined contacts with the object to provided a second cushion.
US08047365B1
A foldable case for storing a multimedia device including a first protective sheet, a second protective sheet and a connecting unit is disclosed. The second protective sheet is used for securing the multimedia device. The connecting unit disposed between the first protective sheet and the second protective sheet may serve as a hinge with respect to which the first protective sheet is foldable over the second protective sheet. The connecting unit has an earphone receiving cavity, and a magnetic element is located in the earphone receiving cavity for magnetically attracting a wireless earphone. Moreover, as the wireless earphone is in the proximity of the earphone receiving cavity, the magnetic element magnetically attracts the wireless earphone so that the wireless earphone may be accommodated within the earphone receiving cavity.
US08047363B2
The subject matter described herein includes a memory card holder and organizer for holding and organizing a plurality of portable memory cards. The memory card holder and organizer includes a card body having first and second memory card covering members defining first and second opposite-facing surfaces and first and second opposite-facing lateral edges. The card body defines a plurality of memory card insertion and holding slots for insertion and holding of a plurality of portable memory cards in an interior region defined by the card body. The memory card insertion and holding slots are laterally accessible through apertures in the first and second lateral edges. The first surface defines a plurality of notches adjacent to the first lateral edge for allowing removal of portable memory cards inserted in the memory card insertion and holding slots accessible via the first lateral edge. The second surface defines a plurality of notches adjacent to the second lateral edge for allowing removal of portable memory cards inserted in the memory card insertion and holding slots accessible via the second lateral edge.
US08047351B2
An adjustment mechanism for rotating an adjusting ring on a clutch is disclosed. The adjustment mechanism includes a support bracket having an opening therein and a a rotation assembly rotatable about an axis relative to the support bracket. The rotation assembly includes a detent mechanism that is configured to cause both rotational and axial movement of the rotation assembly relative to the support bracket when only a rotational force is applied to the rotation assembly.
US08047347B2
An outer retainer includes a pair of annular portions facing each other in an axial direction and a plurality of column members connecting the annular portions. A plurality of window portions is formed by the annular portions and the column members, and an outward flange is provided at one side end thereof. The column member between window portions in predetermined positions is cut and the cut portion on the outward flange side is bent radially outward to be an elastic member. Paired cut-away portions are formed in predetermined portions of the outward flange with the elastic member disposed between the paired cut-away portions. In the thus-configured outer retainer, at least three window portions are disposed between the elastic member and the cut-away portion adjacent to the elastic member in the peripheral direction. Column members between paired cut-away portions are bent outward in the radial direction to be enlarged in diameter.
US08047341B2
A hydraulic shock absorber enables its piston rod to be locked near its minimum length position and allows the locked condition to be visually confirmed easily. A cap member is secured to a distal end portion of a piston rod extending from a cylinder part, and a dust cover is secured to the cap member. A lock member is secured to an end of the cylinder part from which the piston rod extends to the outside. The lock member is cut and bent upward to form engaging portions. The cap member is cut and bent downward to form engaging pieces and windows. With the piston rod contracted to near its minimum length position, the cap member is rotated to engage the engaging portions and the engaging pieces with each other, thereby locking the piston rod. The engaged condition of the engaging portions and the engaging pieces can be visually confirmed through the windows.
US08047339B2
According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an EPB serving as an electrical parking brake in which a gear wheel and an external ring gear are arranged parallel to a driving gear rotating through a motor serving as the power source on a side surface, and fixed and output sun gears generating output torque are arranged to penetrate the external ring gear in a shaft direction via an internal ring gear and a planetary gear being in inner contact with the external ring gear, an overall length of a single body type housing with the motor is determined only by diameters of the driving gear, the gear wheel, and the external ring gear. Therefore, a power assembly converting the power of the motor driven by an ECU into the output torque is downsized so that a caliper mounted on a wheel presses a wheel disk.
US08047338B2
The invention relates to a self-boosting disk brake. In case of failure, in order to enable releasing the disk brake or putting it out of operation, the invention proposes embodying a self-boosting device so that it is movable in the direction of rotation of a brake disk and is fixable with a releasable fixation device.
US08047333B2
A method for allocation of a user to a elevator installation, which is provided with a plurality of elevator cars and with a destination call control unit, wherein the user lodges a destination call at the destination control unit using a communications unit. The destination call control unit determines a group of elevator cars for serving the destination call and makes the group known to the user by the communications unit. The user selects an elevator car from the group by the communications unit. In addition, information for guiding the user to the selected elevator car is communicated to the user by the communications unit.
US08047331B2
An attachment (10) for operably mounting and supporting a ladder (12) comprises an angular frame (18, 20) adapted for receipt by a vehicular hitch (14). The frame (18, 20) includes crosspieces (26) adapted for receiving rungs of the ladder (12), which are releaseably connected together with fasteners (28). In the second embodiment, the fasteners (28′) are captured on the frame (18′, 20′).
US08047320B2
A powered cycle vehicle having an adjustable mounting system for a power unit is described. A power unit is attached to a wheel mounting bracket which is affixed to the vehicle frame and carries the cycle wheel. The wheel mounting bracket may be a unitary structure that defines a wheel mount location and a power unit mount location. Adjustment of the power unit can be made independently of adjustment of the cycle wheel.
US08047319B2
A method for operating a cooling system for a fuel cell stack in a vehicle is provided. The method includes the steps of: determining a fan request for a variable speed fan disposed in the cooling system; employing a noise-comfort function to select a fan comfort request; and adjusting a speed of the variable speed fan in response to the fan request; wherein a noise emission by the variable speed fan is militated against. A cooling system for a fuel cell stack in a vehicle that employs the noise-comfort function is also provided.
US08047311B2
A track driven vehicle comprises a structural member underneath the vehicle. The structural member includes a plurality of structural member apertures for receiving fasteners inserted therethrough. The vehicle also includes a first track carrier and a first mounting strut attached to the first track carrier. The first mounting strut, which attaches the first track carrier to the structural member, includes a plurality of mounting strut apertures which, when aligned with the structural member apertures, receive the fasteners inserted therethrough. One of the first mounting strut and the structural member includes a fixedly attached dowel pin, and the other of the first mounting strut and the structural member includes a pin receiving aperture. When attaching the first track carrier to the structural member using the first mounting strut, the dowel pin extends into the pin receiving aperture to prevent cross-shearing between the structural member and the first mounting strut. This reduces camber between the structural member and the track carrier and allows fewer fasteners to be used to attach the first track carrier to the structural member.
US08047308B2
A rotary drill bit having one or more fluid nozzles is provided. Each nozzle may include interior surfaces designed to optimize hydraulic performance and efficiency of fluid flowing through the nozzle. The interior surfaces cooperate with each other to minimize turbulent fluid flow through the respective nozzle. Each nozzle may also include a discharge port or outlet with at least one Coanda surface operable to direct fluid flow in a direction which optimizes efficiency of transferring fluid energy to adjacent portions of a wellbore. The orientation of fluid flow from each nozzle may be directed to optimize cleaning of associated cutting structures and/or to minimize or prevent balling of formation cuttings.
US08047293B2
Disclosed herein is a flow-actuated actuator. The actuator includes, a tubular movable relative to a structure within which the tubular is positionable, and a plurality of full bore flow-resisting elements disposed at the tubular, the plurality of full bore flow-resisting elements having a greater resistance to fluid flow therethrough than any one of the plurality of full bore flow-resisting elements has alone.
US08047287B2
An oil recovery process utilizes one or more membranes to remove silica and/or oil from produced water. In one method, the process includes separating oil from produced water and precipitating silica. The produced water having the precipitated silica is directed to a membrane, such as a ceramic membrane, which removes the precipitated silica from the produced water. In some cases, residual oil is present and is also removed by the membrane.
US08047269B2
A thermal spreader comprises: a casing having a first side contacted with a heat source and a second side secured with a heat sink, and having a vapor chamber defined in an interior in the casing; and a crosslinking capillary lattice retained in the casing and occupying the vapor chamber in the casing, whereby upon evacuation to form vacuum in the vapor chamber and filling of a vaporizable working fluid in the vapor chamber, the working fluid will be repeatedly vaporized and condensed through the crosslinking capillary lattice to absorb and remove heat from the first side of the casing and to dissipate heat outwardly from the second side of the casing.
US08047268B1
A heat transfer system includes a first loop and a second loop. The first loop includes a condenser having a vapor inlet and a liquid outlet, a vapor line in fluid communication with the vapor inlet of the condenser, a liquid line in fluid communication with the liquid outlet of the condenser, and primary evaporators fluidly coupled in series with the liquid line and in parallel with the vapor line. The second loop includes a reservoir, a secondary evaporator having a vapor outlet coupled to the vapor line and a fluid inlet coupled to the reservoir, and a sweepage line in fluid communication with the reservoir and the primary evaporators.
US08047267B2
The present invention is directed to an apparatus for cooling communication equipment using a heat pipe, which releases heat from a heat-emitting unit by a simple, reliable and safe scheme. The present invention provides an apparatus for releasing heat, which comprises: a heat pipe for transferring heat generated in a heat-emitting unit of the communication equipment and being mounted on a predetermined location of the heat-emitting unit; a vaporizing unit for vaporizing liquid with the heat transferred via the heat pipe and draining the vaporized liquid through a vaporization line, wherein a lower part of the vaporizing unit contacts a predetermined location of the heat pipe; a condensing unit for performing heat-exchange by condensing the vaporized liquid from the vaporizing unit and returning the condensed liquid to the vaporizing unit through a condensation line; and a small capacity fan for releasing air to the outside when the condensing unit performs the heat-exchange.
US08047265B2
The present invention provides a previously unattainable compact and high thrust electromagnetic stirrer coil, that is, an electromagnetic stirrer coil for stirring molten steel in a mold by electromagnetic force, in which electromagnetic stirrer coil a space factor of the yoke sectional area (−) with respect to an inside area in a vertical cross-section of said electromagnetic stirrer coil is 0.5 to 0.9 and a yoke width B is 100 mm to 300 mm. Preferably, a magnetomotive force F of said electromagnetic stirrer coil divided by the yoke width B, that is, a value of F/B, is 800 kAT/m or more.
US08047262B2
A cooling system for a low-pressure casting mold is provided, in which a sprue is located at a side surface of a cylinder head to ensure a sufficient distance between a combustion chamber and the sprue so that a combustion chamber cooling system combined with water cooling and air cooling is provided in a lower mold, thus reducing cycle time. Moreover, the cooling system for a low-pressure casting mold improves mechanical properties of a material used by reducing dendrite arm spacing (DAS) and porosity.
US08047258B1
A die casting method for use with semi-solid metal billets allows the removal of air from portions of the billet as it is compressed and deformed to flow into a cavity of a die. The die is formed in a manner that captures other potential defects and impurities in portions of the finished die cast product that can easily be removed subsequent to the completion of the die casting operation. The air is removed through passages formed in a generally cylindrical rod that extends through a second surface of the die to allow the air to flow from pockets formed by a concavity of the billet and through the air conduit to the atmosphere.
US08047253B2
A container or array of containers that is are sealed with a peelable seal is transported via a conveyor along a processing path toward a desealing station at which an adhesive surface having a width substantially the same as or greater than the width of the seal is pressed against the upper surface of the peelable seal. A collection rod applies a downward pressure on the adhesive surface, pressing it against the seal and keeping the container or container array in position on the conveyor as the plate moves with the conveyor. As the leading edge of the seal passes the collection rod, the adhesive surface is rolled upward, away from the plane of the seal, pulling up on the leading edge of the seal to separate it from the container or container array while the container or container array is held down by the roller. The removed seal is then discarded.
US08047251B2
Disclosed are methods and systems for selective inhibition of sintering in 3D fabrication. The disclosure provides methods and systems that use selective heating arrangements to selectively sinter areas during fabrication thereby reducing waste improving efficiency.
US08047248B2
A tire, tire lining or inner tube, containing a polymer composite, made of at least one rubber and/or at least one elastomer and a modified graphite oxide material, which is a thermally exfoliated graphite oxide with a surface area of from about 300 m2/g to 2600 m2/g.
US08047247B2
The invention relates to a tire valve (10) comprising a valve body (11) which penetrates a bore (21) of a rim (20), particularly a vehicle rim, embodies a bottom valve body section (13) that is disposed on one side (23) of the rim (20), particularly in the interior of the rim, in the mounted state as well as a top valve body section (15) that protrudes from the rim bore (21), and is configured so as to cooperate with a cap nut (17) in the area of the top valve body section (15). The bottom valve body section (13) forms a stop collar (19) which is used as an abutment for a flat peripheral section (27) of the rim bore (21) and widens the bottom valve body section (13) relative to the top valve body section (15) beyond an internal width of the rim bore (21). The peripheral section (27) of the rim bore (21) can be braced against said stop collar (19) by tightening the cap nut (17).
US08047238B2
A liner for repairing damaged pipes, such as underground sewer or gas pipes is disclosed. The liner comprises a TPU coating on a fibrous mat of non-woven fabric. The TPU coating is a high heat resistance polyester TPU which allows an epoxy resin/amine to be saturated in the non-woven fabric and the cure initiated by the use of steam or hot water. The cured epoxy resin converts the liner from a flexible state to a rigid state as the liner is cured in place inside the pipe. The TPU containing liner may also be used with thermoset resins other than epoxy resins, such as polyester resins and vinyl ester resins.
US08047237B2
Thermosetting or thermoplastic arrangement for the manufacturing of pipes (1), made up of a pile of plies (3) in composite materials, characterized in that it comprises at least one structural ply (5) and at least one rigidity ply (7). More specifically, the said at least one rigidity ply (7) takes the form of a perforated or meshed ply and is placed on at least part of the length of the said pipe (1). Further, the said at least one rigidity ply (7) is placed last while forming the pile. Alternatively, the arrangement according to the invention comprises reinforcement means (2) and/or sealing means (6).
US08047233B2
An apparatus for generating vortexes in fluid flow generally adjacent to a surface includes: (a) at least one vortex generating element; and (b) a piezoelectric motor element coupled with the at least one vortex generating element. The piezoelectric motor element responds to a varying voltage signal to move the at least one vortex generating element between a first position extending into the fluid flow an operating distance from the surface and a second position generally flush with the surface.
US08047216B2
There is provided a standing aid comprising a leg engaging means and a handle and wherein the standing aid is adapted such that, in use, a user can brace the leg engaging means against a leg and pull on the handle so that the user is aided to move from a seated position to a standing position. Also provided is a method of using the aid.
US08047211B2
A hair clip which includes opposing first (12) and second (14) combs, each of which has a body (18) with an upper side (19) and an underside (20), a plurality of spaced apart teeth (21) which extend from the body (18) and a plurality of attachment brackets (22a, 22b, 22c) on the body (18), each of which has an individual recess formation on the underside (20) and at least two spaced apart apertures which extend in the recess formation and between the underside and the upper side, and a biasing member which is attached to the first and second combs (14) and which is engaged with the plurality of attachment brackets (22a, 22b, 22c).
US08047208B2
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for forming two filters in a two-up configuration. The apparatus includes a feed wheel 18, an assembly wheel 20, a take-off wheel 22, and a flipping wheel 24. According to the method of the invention, tubes 10 are loaded from the feed wheel 18 to the assembly wheel 20 where one hollow end of the tubes is filled. The half-filled tubes 10′ are then transferred to take-off wheel 22 and then to a flipping wheel 24 where the tubes are flipped. The half-filled and flipped tubes 10″ are returned to vacant positions on the feed wheel and transferred back to the assembly wheel so that the remaining hollow ends can be filled. The filled tube 10′″ is transferred to a take-off wheel 22, where it is then removed from the take off wheel 22 using a stripper and/or additional wheels for further processing.
US08047205B2
A gas-mixing device for respirators can be used both in stationary operation and in mobile operation. The gas-mixing device has a storage tank (5), into which compressed air and oxygen can be introduced by dispensing valves (3, 8). In addition, a blower (10), which draws in gas from the environment (11), is connected to the storage tank (5). To dispense gas from the pressurized gas sources (4, 6) by means of the dispensing valves (3, 8), a first operating pressure level is set in the storage tank (5). When changing over to the blower operation, the operating pressure level is lowered to a pressure level adapted to the maximum respiration pressure.
US08047204B2
Dosage forms containing pharmaceutical compositions for use in devices to produce a spray or mist delivery of the compositions include dosage blister compartments and a dispensing blister compartment, wherein crushing of the compartments delivers the compositions in a desired spray pattern. Certain dosage forms include a plurality of dosage chambers each containing a component or a portion of a pharmaceutical composition, the contents of which are mixed or combined just prior to or during administration.
US08047199B2
An oven rack assembly including full extension slides. Full extension slides are mounted to an oven rack and oven rack frames or wire racks providing full extension of an oven rack from an oven enclosure. The rack frame is mounted to oven walls or the slides are coupled to wire racks along oven slide walls.
US08047198B2
A device with a door, in particular a door of a cooking appliance, supported for pivoting movement in a pivoting direction, for closing a useable space and with a guide system for at least partially lowering the door into a storage space in a guided manner, the device comprising at least one guide assembly operatively associated with the guide system and coupled to the door in a static manner in the pivoting direction and coupled to the door in a movable manner in at least one surface extension of the door.
US08047196B1
A flexible metallic sheet has a lower edge, parallel side edges and an upper edge. The sheet has spaced long notches. A plurality of rods is provided. Each rod has an interior end with a tab. Each tab is formed with an aperture. Each rod has an exterior end. A primary cap has a circular bottom, a cylindrical side wall and a recess. A ring is provided within the recess. The ring pivotally supports the apertures.
US08047193B2
A non-core drill bit is provided with a metallic seat 2 attached to the tip of a shank of a boring tool, a cylindrical first diamond grindstone body 3 fixed to the metallic seat 2 and having a recessed cutout portion 10 to be opened to one side, and a second diamond grindstone body 4 installed inside the recessed cutout portion 10. The tip of the second diamond grindstone body 4 is positioned on the metallic seat 2 side from the tip of the first diamond grindstone body 3. The inner side of the tip face of the first diamond grindstone body 3 is preferably formed in an approximately reverse-conical recessed shape.
US08047188B2
A method for engine starting is provided. The method may include performing idle-stop operation, and during a subsequent re-start, applying multi-strike ignition operation for a first combustion cycle. In this way, improved engine starting may be achieved with reduced emissions.
US08047181B2
A device is disclosed for sensing the speed of an EMD 567/645/710 two-cycle diesel engine having a crankcase, electronic fuel injectors and an electronic control system for controlling the electronic fuel injectors. The device includes a spline shaft sized for insertion into the crankcase of the engine so that the spline shaft rotates with the engine, a gear operably secured to the spline shaft to rotate with the spline shaft and sized to rotate with the engine in a 1:1 ratio, and at least one electronic sensor located adjacent the gear to sense rotation of the gear. The at least one electronic sensor is connectable to the electronic control system to provide electronic signals to the electronic control system for determining when to inject fuel with the electronic fuel injectors. Also disclosed is a method for retrofitting the engine and a kit for retrofitting the engine.
US08047178B2
A force transfer mechanism is provided for an internal-combustion engine. In the most preferred configuration, the force transfer mechanism comprises two inter-connected first class levers that are driven by four pistons. Each of the pistons is driven through its non-powered strokes by the action of the piston in its powered stroke on the first class levers. The force transfer mechanism also drives the crankshaft through a single connecting rod. The force transfer mechanism provides for less frictional loss, and greater efficiency, than a typical internal combustion engine.
US08047177B2
A cylinder head having a plurality of integrally formed port-exhaust manifold assemblies therein, wherein the port-exhaust manifold assembly is integrally formed in the cylinder head by extending a plurality of exhaust port of an engine to function as an exhaust manifold and the plurality of the port-exhaust manifold assemblies is arranged in a triangle when each center portion of outlet portions thereof are connected.
US08047175B2
A two-plane type crankshaft is provided. The weight of crank webs for the respective cylinders is divided between left and right half webs and balance ratios kL and kR of the half webs for the respective cylinders are set so as to be (kL−0.25)·(0.25−kR)≅DR/DL to form a track of a vector of a primary inertial couple into a substantial circle. A primary balancer offsets the primary inertia couple.
US08047173B2
The invention relates to a method for controlling a stop and automatic restart device for a thermal engine of a vehicle, comprising electric energy storage means and a reversible alternator connected to the thermal engine. The method comprises: comparing (16, 18) the temperature of the alternator (10) with a first predetermined temperature detecting (16, 18) the occurrence of at least one of the two following conditions concerning the electric energy storage means: a temperature (12) lower than a second predetermined temperature and a charge level (14) lower than a predetermined threshold; and if the alternator temperature is higher than the first predetermined temperature and if at least one of said two conditions occurs, inhibiting (26) the automatic restart of the engine.
US08047171B2
A device for setting the relative rotational position of a camshaft (2, 3) of an internal combustion engine (11) relative to a crankshaft (1) driving the camshaft (2, 3), having a traction mechanism drive (4) wrapping around the crankshaft (1) and the camshaft (2, 3), which includes a loaded traction-mechanism section (8, 9) and a non-loaded traction-mechanism section (7), and a tensioning device (5, 6, 10) for changing the length of the loaded traction-mechanism section (8, 9). The tensioning device (5, 6, 10) is supported on the internal combustion engine (11) and has an adjustment device (20) that can be fixed.
US08047170B2
A device (10) for variably adjusting control times of gas exchange valves (9a, 9b) of an internal combustion engine (1), including an external rotor (22) and an internal rotor (23) that is arranged such that it can rotate in relation to the external rotor. One of the components is drivingly connected to the crankshaft (2) and the other component is drivingly connected to the camshaft (6, 7). At least one pressure chamber (33) is provided and each of the pressure chambers (33) is divided into two counter-working pressure chambers (35, 36). One of the working chambers (35, 36) of each pressure chamber (33) acts as an advance chamber and the other pressure chamber (35, 36) as a retarding chamber. At least two rotation angle limiting devices (42, 43) are provided, with each of the rotation angle limiting devices (42, 43) being able to assume an unlocked state and locked state. The locked state can be adjusted by supplying or withdrawing a pressure medium to and from the respective rotation angle limiting devices (42, 43).
US08047169B2
An ECU executes a program including the steps of: controlling, when the phase of an intake valve is a phase advanced relative to a threshold value CA (FF) (NO in S106), an electric motor operating an intake VVT mechanism by feedback control (S202); and controlling, when the phase of the intake valve is a phase retarded relative to the threshold value CA (FF) (YES in S106), the electric motor by feed-forward control (S200). Under the feed-forward control, a duty command value is output that is smaller than an upper limit of a duty command value under the feedback control.
US08047162B2
A system and method for quickly cooling and de-pressurizing a boiler arrangement in the event of a plant power loss, a.k.a. a black plant condition. A steam discharge system injects steam from the steam/water circuit into the furnace, thereby both cooling components of the boiler arrangement and reducing pressure in the steam/water circuit. This reduces or eliminates the additional cost associated with providing extra capacity in a steam drum and/or an independently powered boiler water pump. The system and method is particularly useful for quickly cooling the U-beams of a circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boiler during a black plant condition. In application to boiler arrangements with a selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) system employing steam as a carrier for a NOx reducing agent, the steam discharge system advantageously uses the discharge nozzles of the SNCR system to inject the steam into the furnace.
US08047157B2
A coating can be applied to an endolumenal wall of a medical device by positioning an optical fiber within the lumen, providing a photo-activated chemical to contact the endolumenal wall, supplying the optical fiber with radiation capable of activating the chemical within the lumen, and withdrawing the optical fiber from the lumen at a controlled rate while the radiation is being emitted from the optical fiber to activate the chemical in close proximity to the endolumenal wall.
US08047143B2
The present invention relates to apparatus for incinerating dangerous waste, and in particular, apparatus for incinerating dangerous waste in various forms. It comprises a continuous feeding device, an incineration furnace, a flue gas quenching device, a flue gas treating device, and an online monitoring system. The continuous feeding device includes device for feeding paste, powder, and solid device. The quenching device is connected to a steam boiler and a thermal oil tank, thus achieving comprehensive utilization of the thermal energy generated during incineration of the waste. Apparatus for incinerating dangerous waste according to the present invention enables sufficient combustion of the waste, recycling of the metal oxides or noble metals from the combustion flue gas and/or sinters and/or furnace ashes, effective elimination of the concurrent degradation and re-forming of dioxins. In addition, users can purchase one set of the apparatus for incinerating dangerous waste of the present invention for treating various forms of waste, thus substantially reducing the related capital cost.
US08047132B2
A hand-held device and a method for affixing a seal impression on a paper document are provided. The hand-held device includes a processor, a memory unit, an input unit, and a seal impression generation unit for generating a seal impression. The processor generates a file code in response to a file code generation request and generates a control signal. The seal impression generation unit generates a seal impression according to the control signal of the processor. After the seal impression is affixed on a paper document, the processor generates a log file in response to a log file generation request.
US08047128B2
A vacuum cooking apparatus for household use, comprising, on a supporting structure which has a column-like extension, at least one unit for packaging in pouches in vacuum food products to be cooked, at least one unit for cooking the food products arranged in pouches and at least one unit for quick refrigeration of the food products arranged in pouches and cooked, the at least one unit for packaging food products in pouches in vacuum comprising a vacuum packaging machine which is mounted on a drawer-like element which is supported so that it can slide by the supporting structure in order to pass from a retracted position, in which the vacuum packaging machine is arranged within the outer peripheral contour of the supporting structure, to an extracted position, in which the vacuum packaging machine is positioned at least partially outside the supporting structure, and vice versa.
US08047118B1
An integrated laser range finder and sighting assembly includes a range finder for determining a distance to a target and an onboard ballistics computer for calculating a trajectory and automatically rotating a pointing laser to the proper angle for aligning with the target for lobbing of a grenade.
US08047113B2
An apparatus and method for a solution that permits a carpenter to make exact, on-the-spot time-efficient cross-cuts of their boards while holding the board in one-hand and the circular saw in the other hand. A cross-out apparatus includes a guide system including a housing and a range of motion control for defining a processing path for a guide element as it moves from a first position to a second position relative to the housing; a workpiece coupler, coupled to the guide element, for defining a desired processing orientation with respect to a workpiece for maintaining the desired processing orientation as the guide element moves from the first position to the second position; and an attachment system, coupled to the housing, for cooperating with a hand-held power processing tool to position a processing implement at a reference location relative to the workpiece and at the desired processing orientation, the attachment system coupled to the housing so the guide element maintains the desired processing orientation along the processing path from the reference location during use of the hand-held power processing tool to process the workpiece.
US08047107B2
A paper cutting system includes a cutting assembly, a transport moving a web through the cutting assembly, a vacuum plenum utilizing a vacuum source to control the web moving through the cutting assembly, an air source providing purge air to the cutting assembly for removal of debris, and a heat exchanger normalizing a temperature of the purge air with respect to a temperature of ambient air prior to the purge air reaching the cutting assembly. The heat exchanger may be operated using the vacuum source.
US08047104B2
In a vibration cutting unit, a root portion of a holding member for supporting a vibration body is fixed on a fixed portion of a node portion which is common to axial vibration and bending vibration, on a jointless basis. Therefore, the node portion, namely, a vibration body main part is firmly fixed, thereby, the vibration body main part is supported stably, and vibrations of the vibration body main part is stabilized. In other words, vibrations under the mode where the vibration body main part cannot be controlled can be restrained, and works representing objects to be processed can be processed accurately.
US08047098B2
A steering wheel includes a rim that is rotatable around a steering shaft. The rim includes an armature; a first rim portion surrounding the armature; and a second rim portion, covering part of the surface of the first rim portion. A method of manufacturing a steering wheel includes providing an armature; injection molding a first rim portion such that the it surrounds the armature; injection molding a second rim portion; and attaching the first and second rim portions such that the second rim portion covers part of the surface of the first rim portion.
US08047095B2
Provided is an XY table actuator that, while building-in a drive means for freely moving an object placed on a table within an XY-plane and positioning the object, can be significantly reduced in size and that helps to suppress an increase in table height. The actuator has: a stationary plate (2) having a receiving groove extending in an X-direction; a moving plate (5) having a receiving groove extending in a Y-direction; an intermediate plate (4) whose lower body is assembled to the receiving groove (20) of the stationary plate (2) through intermediation of rolling bodies (3), whose upper body is assembled to the receiving groove of the moving plate (5) through intermediation of rolling bodies (3), and which is movable in the X-direction with respect to the stationary plate, with the moving plate being movable in the Y-direction with respect to the intermediate plate; an X-drive means (6) for propelling the intermediate plate in the X-direction with respect to the stationary plate; and a Y-drive means (7) for propelling the moving plate in the Y-direction with respect to the intermediate plate, in which the intermediate plate is provided with receiving chambers (40, 41) for the X-drive means and the Y-drive means, respectively.
US08047093B2
A parallel robot including a movable-section drive mechanism having a parallel mechanism configuration and operating to allow a movable section to perform a three-axis translational motion with respect to a base section; and a wrist-section drive mechanism operating to allow a wrist section to perform a rotational motion with respect to the movable section. The wrist-section drive mechanism includes a hollow outer holder connected to the base section rotatably about a first rotation axis; a hollow intermediate holder provided in the outer holder rotatably about a second rotation axis orthogonal to the first axis; a hollow inner holder provided inside the intermediate holder rotatably about a third rotation axis orthogonal to the second axis; a prime mover driving the outer holder to rotate about the first axis; and a transmission member received in the inner holder and linearly movable in a rotationally restrained state along a linear-motion axis orthogonal to the third axis, and connected at one end spaced from the inner holder to the wrist section through a universal joint. The transmission member operates to transmit a rotation of the outer holder about the first axis to the wrist section, and to allow the wrist section to perform a rotational motion about a fourth rotation axis orthogonal to the third axis.
US08047086B2
An automated analyzer for performing multiple diagnostic assays simultaneously includes multiple stations, or modules, in which discrete aspects of the assay are performed on fluid samples contained in reaction receptacles. The analyzer includes stations for automatically preparing a specimen sample, incubating the sample at prescribed temperatures for prescribed periods, performing an analyte isolation procedure, and ascertaining the presence of a target analyte. An automated receptacle transporting system moves the reaction receptacles from one station to the next. The analyzer further includes devices for carrying a plurality of specimen tubes and disposable pipette tips in a machine-accessible manner, a device for agitating containers of target capture reagents comprising suspensions of solid support material and for presenting the containers for machine access thereto, and a device for holding containers of reagents in a temperature controlled environment and presenting the containers for machine access thereto. A method for performing an automated diagnostic assay includes an automated process for isolating and amplifying a target analyte. The process is performed by automatically moving each of a plurality of reaction receptacles containing a solid support material and a fluid sample between stations for incubating the contents of the reaction receptacle and for separating the target analyte bound to the solid support from the fluid sample. An amplification reagent is added to the separated analyte after the analyte separation step and before a final incubation step.
US08047085B2
Methods and apparatus (7) for monitoring the tension (17) and pinch force (19) associated with the contact of angled stub rollers (91) with a glass ribbon (23) are provided. The apparatus (7) includes a support member (39) which supports the shaft (13) of the stub roller (91). The support member (39) undergoes linear displacement (45) in response to tension (17) in the glass ribbon (23) and rotation (59) in response to a pinch force (19). The linear displacement (45) and rotation (59) are detected and converted to force values by a calibration procedure. By monitoring these forces, glass attributes such as residual stress can be improved which is of importance in glass sheets used in such applications as the manufacture of liquid crystal displays.
US08047077B2
A surface acoustic wave (“SAW”) sensor includes; a first signal generator which generates a first signal having a predetermined frequency bandwidth using a pseudo random sequence, a second signal generator which generates a second signal with a predetermined frequency, a signal blender which blends the first signal with the second signal to generate a blended signal having the predetermined frequency bandwidth with the predetermined frequency as a center frequency, a wave generator which generates a surface acoustic wave using the blended signal, which converts the surface acoustic wave into a third signal after the surface acoustic wave travels a predetermined distance, and which outputs the third signal, and a signal detector which detects a change in the third signal from the wave generator to sense a substance bound to the wave generator.
US08047074B2
Provided are a humidity sensor and a method of manufacturing the same. The humidity sensor has high sensitivity, quick response time, improved temperature characteristics, low hysteresis and excellent durability. Moreover, for the humidity sensor, a humidity sensitive layer may be formed of various materials. The humidity sensor may be manufactured in a small size on a large scale.The humidity sensor includes a substrate, an open cavity with an open upper portion formed to have a depth and a width in the substrate, a plurality of electrode pads formed on the substrate, a heater connected to one pad of the electrode pads at one end, and connected to another pad of the electrode pads at the other end to be suspended over the open cavity, a plurality of sensing electrodes formed on the same plane as the heater, and suspended over the open cavity to output a sensed signal to the electrode pads, a humidity sensitive layer formed on the heater and the sensing electrodes, suspended over the open cavity, and changed in characteristic according to the humidity, and an ambient temperature measurement part configured to measure the temperature around the humidity sensor, wherein the temperature is used as a reference temperature to control a heating temperature of the heater.
US08047061B2
A system and method for determining whether a particular wheel on a vehicle is un-balanced during operation of the vehicle. The method includes providing wheel angle signals from the wheels of the vehicle and providing a vibration measurement signal from a response point on the vehicle, such as from an accelerometer on a steering column of the vehicle. The method also includes generating a regression vector using the wheel angle signals. The method also includes generating an estimated parameter vector using a recursive least squares algorithm, the regression vector and the vibration measurement signal. The method then calculates an imbalanced magnitude value of each wheel of the vehicle using the estimated parameter vector. The method uses a persistency of excitation test to determine whether the parameter vector has converged to a true value to determine whether the calculated imbalanced magnitude values are accurate.
US08047051B2
A gas sensor with a high temperature electrical connector is provided. The electrical connector incorporates a ceramic connector body having a pair of opposing ceramic body portions which each house a plurality of conductive terminals. The body portions are in pivoting engagement and fixed in a connector body retainer which also enables their pivoting, hinged movement. The pivoting engagement permits the ceramic body portions and terminals to hinge open to receive a gas sensor with a low insertion force and a hinge closed to provide the desired contact force.
US08047047B2
An apparatus for providing information pertaining to the orientation of a vehicle to which the apparatus is coupled includes a chassis having a first interior surface and an inertial-sensor assembly disposed within the chassis and having a first exterior surface. A first sensor element is mounted on the first interior surface, and a second sensor element is mounted on the first exterior surface. At least one of the first and second sensor elements is configured to generate a first signal corresponding to a distance of displacement of the second sensor element with respect to the first sensor element.
US08047043B2
An exemplary punch die (30) includes a lower die (40) and an upper die (50). The lower die includes a die core (45), a blank holder (417), and a cylinder (413) disposed in the lower die. The blank holder is disposed on a periphery of the die core. The cylinder is connected to the blank holder and provides a constant force to the blank holder. The upper die includes a punch core corresponding to the die core. A punch machine using the present punch die is also provided.
US08047042B2
The present invention is a press forging method by which porosities in a raw material are removed and mechanical properties such as ductility and toughness of a steel product are at a required level in a case that a steel ingot is treated as a raw material in press forging. A cylindrical steel ingot (a so-called “round billet”) is set onto a die as a raw material, and, a forging process is applied to the steel ingot so that buckling of the steel is not generated during the forging process and that a reduction ratio and a forging ratio are more than predetermined values, respectively.
US08047038B2
A flashing bender system for bending flashing at a selectable range of angles. The flashing bender system includes a first bending tool and a second bending tool. The first bending tool is arranged to bend flashing to an angle of about 90° and the second bending tool is arranged to bend flashing at a selectable range of pitches. The flashing bender system may include either or both of the first bending tool and the second bending tool. The flashing bender system allows a user to bend flashing of a range of sizes at a range of angles over an unlimited length. Each of the bending tools includes a plurality of starter slots and angling channels.
US08047032B1
A combination lock includes an outer case with an inner case received therein and the outer case has a chamber which communicates with a passage in which a latch is received. A spring is mounted to the latch and provides a force to move the latch in a direction away from the chamber. A front unit having two disks is located in the first chamber and a rear unit having two disks is located in the second chamber. The two disks of the front unit drive each other and the two disks of the rear unit drive each other. A first dial plate drives one of the disks of the front unit and a second dial plate drives one of the disks of the rear unit. When the notches are in alignment with each other, the end piece of the latch can pass through the notches and the lock is unlocked.
US08047031B2
An electronic lock includes a rotatable core movable within an outer body. The rotatable core includes a piezo-electric actuator configured to move a tumbler blocking member into or out of interfering engagement with one or more tumblers. Tamper circuitry coupled with the piezo-electric actuator is configured to resist an externally induced acceleration of the electronic lock by shunting electrical power produced by an externally induced motion of the piezo-electric actuator back to the piezo-electric actuator.
US08047027B2
A multiple function lock comprising a body, an engaging element having a first end and a second end, a locking mechanism for securing the first end and the second end of the engaging element to the body, and a gate mechanism for selectively concealing or revealing a passage in the body through which the second end may move to unlock the lock. In certain embodiments, a multiple function lock may comprise a body, a U-shaped shackle having toe and heel portions, the heel portion rotatably secured within the body, a locking mechanism for locking the heel and the toe portions within the body, a passage through the body adjacent to the toe portion, the toe portion adapted to move through the passage to unlock the lock, and either a retaining cup, an adjustable gate, or an outer housing, each being adapted to selectively block or reveal the passage.
US08047025B2
A tub (1) for a clothes washing-machine, in particular of the domestic type which houses a rotating drum (2) within which the washing load is placed, said washing tub (1) consisting of a peripheral cylindrical housing formed by a tub front section (3) and a tub rear section (4) which are joined at their respective plastic material edges (31, 41), enclosing the drum (2) in their interior, by the fusion welding of the plastic materials of said edges (31, 41), forming a weld bead (5a, 5b) between the tub front section (3) and the tub rear section (4) where the edges (31, 41) are joined by at least two joining lines (51, 52, 53, 54), forming at least one chamber (6, 61) between the edges (31, 41) along at least part of the weld bead (5a, 5b).
US08047016B2
Disclosed is an indoor unit of an air conditioner, in which discharge units respectively provided on upper and lower portions of the indoor unit have an improved discharge structure such that the discharge units are interchangeable, to increase cooling efficiency regardless of installation position of the indoor unit. The indoor unit includes a cabinet; a first discharge unit being detachably provided on the cabinet and configured to discharge air in a forward direction; and a second discharge unit separated from the first discharge unit, being detachably provided on the cabinet and configured to discharge air in the oblique direction, the first discharge unit and the second discharge unit being interchangeable according to a height of a position at which the cabinet is installed. The indoor unit of the air conditioner sets the optimum direction of discharged air, thus increasing the cooling efficiency of an indoor space.
US08047015B2
The present invention relates to an ice maker for a refrigerator. The present invention provides an ice maker for a refrigerator, which is provided at one side of the refrigerator to make ice. The ice maker comprises an ice maker body provided with an ice-making tray for making ice; an ejector rotatably mounted at one side of the ice maker body so as to eject ice made in the ice-making tray to the outside; a water supply hopper provided at one side of the ice maker body and having at least an open portion so that the water supply hopper is supplied with water from a water supply source through a water supply tube and then transfers the water to the ice-making tray; and a hopper cover coupled to the water supply hopper so as to selectively open and close the open portion of the water supply hopper. According to the present invention, it is possible to avoid a phenomenon in which water supplied from an outer water supply source to the water supply hopper splashes to the outside.
US08047011B2
In concurrent operation of performing a refrigeration cycle in which an outdoor heat exchanger (22) functions as a condenser, and at least one of a plurality of indoor heat exchangers (31, 41, 51) functions as a condenser, pressure difference ΔP1 between a high pressure refrigerant an a refrigerant in a liquid pipe (15) is detected, and the degree of opening of an outdoor expansion valve (23) is adjusted so that the pressure difference ΔP1 becomes larger than a predetermined target value.
US08047010B2
A portable apparatus and method for providing a cooled liquid for vascular administration are disclosed. The portable apparatus includes a source of liquid for vascular administration, a cooling reservoir for receiving liquid from the source, and a sorption-based heat exchanger for cooling liquid in the cooling reservoir by a sorption-based process. The heat exchanger may include an evaporative area for receiving and vaporizing a refrigerant, a sorptive material for sorping vaporized refrigerant, and a heat exchange member for conducting thermal energy from liquid in the cooling reservoir into the evaporative area. Additional componentry may be provided for fluidly interconnecting and controlling the flow of liquid from the source to the cooling reservoir and from the cooling reservoir to a vascular interface device. Such componentry may be conveniently packaged in a sterilized manner together with at least the cooling reservoir.
US08047005B2
A water injection system positioned about a combustor of a gas turbine engine. The water injection system may include a water manifold and a pressure relief system in communication with the water manifold. The pressure relief system may include a relief vent positioned on a pressure relief line.
US08047004B2
An engine exhaust nozzle comprises a plurality of CMC staves attached to one or more support rings arranged axially. The support rings provide a circumferential load path between the staves and for attaching the exhaust nozzle to the metallic engine components. The staves are fixed to the support rings with a spacing intended to accommodate for relative movement due to the difference in CTE for the CMC and metallic components and due to thermal gradients through the wall thickness. The resulting apparatus is lightweight, relieves the nozzle of thermal stresses, and is easier to manufacture and repair.
US08047002B2
The present invention relates to an annular combustion chamber of a gas turbine engine comprising a casing with at least one air tapping outlet situated at the chamber inlet, a fuel supply device with a plurality of fuel injectors in the chamber distributed annularly of which at least one is situated close to said tapping outlet.The chamber is characterized in that the fuel supply device comprises a means for reducing the fuel flow rate in said injector situated close to the tapping outlet relative to the other fuel injectors.Thanks to the invention, the hot spots downstream of the combustion chamber caused by the tappings are reduced.
US08046987B2
An air cooled core mounted ignition system for gas turbine engine applications is provided. The ignition system includes an ignition exciter component directly mechanically and electrically connected to an igniter component. The housing member of the exciter component includes an air plenum configured to receive bleed air from the engine fan or compressor sections of the turbine engine, or other source. The bleed air provides a relatively low temperature air source for the purpose of cooling the exciter. As such, the exciter component can be directly secured to the igniter, thereby eliminating the need for an ignition lead.
US08046980B1
The weed whacker attachment includes a weed whacker that extends via an arm from a mounting means that attaches upon the deck of a lawnmower. A pivoting motor rests atop the mounting means and rotates the arm around the deck of the lawn mower, which moves the weed whacker around to different sides of the lawnmower. An optional switch enables an end user to control both the weed whacker and the pivoting motor from behind the push bar of the lawnmower.
US08046974B2
A closure system for a container reduces the needed torque for assembly by minimizing frictional resistance to rotation of the closure into its desired alignment with the container before the closure is driven home onto the container neck. The reduction in the torque resistance during the application of the closure allows the rotary filling machinery to work within its torque limits and minimizes damage to the parts during the filling and sealing operation in a bottle filling line.
US08046971B2
This invention provides a new wall arrangement in panels composed of glass wool and fire resistant thermal and acoustical insulating material, adequate for any kind of land and weather condition, to create a habitable environment that may be utilized in many applications such as houses, attendance stations, schools, first aid stations, motels and others. The objective of this invention is to present the conception of a modular wall which comprises a structure composed of a sheet of glass wool, with a wooden frame core and the upper part designed to support cabinets, exhaust fans, and other utensils, offering good mechanical resistance, and receiving in the interior of the hollow areas of the wooden frame, a layer of expanded polystyrene, with grooves to receive the ribs of rock wool. To complete its composition, the structure also has rock wool internal panels, wooden frame with the upper area, a new layer of expanded polystyrene, and completing the assembly a plate of glass wool is added.
US08046955B2
A water deviation unit for external wall features comprises a frame shaped plate adaptable to be attached to a sheathing of a composite external wall and a box like subassembly projecting outwardly from and connecting to the frame shaped plate and provided centrally with a relatively large aperture. The box like subassembly includes: 1) a pair of spaced apart walls extending outwardly and perpendicularly in vertical planes from adjacent sides of said relatively large aperture and continuing above the latter; 2) upper and lower means for inclining used to deflect outwardly the water and connected laterally respectively at a top and a bottom of the pair of spaced apart walls; and 3) means for controlling an entrance and a withdrawal from an interior of the composite external, disposed between and joining the spaced apart walls.
US08046954B2
A window assembly including a frame having an interior portion with an inner surface, and a sash having an interior portion and an exterior portion. The window assembly includes an operational mode and a wash mode. In the operational mode, the sash is movable from a closed position to a position in which the sash is generally perpendicular with the frame. In the wash mode, the sash is movable to a position where the exterior of the sash faces toward the interior frame.
US08046950B2
A mount for mounting a device to a firearm that includes a side plate, a support plate and a mounting rail. The side plate has a first end and a second end. The support plate extends from the first end of the side plate at approximately a right angle. Moreover, the support plate is adapted to support a device resting thereon. The mounting rail is coupled to the second end of the side plate. In addition, the mounting rail extends out from the side plate in a direction that is approximately opposite the direction the support plate extends from the side plate.
US08046949B1
Embodiments of the invention can include systems and methods for installing a hand guard on a firearm. In embodiments, a method of installing a hand guard on a firearm can be provided. The firearm includes a barrel, a barrel nut, and a delta ring. The delta ring is retracted away from the barrel nut. A number of hand guard members are positioned about the barrel. An annular groove associated with each hand guard member is mated with a portion of a flange of the barrel nut. The flange is secured within the annular groove of at least one hand guard member. The delta ring is advanced over a portion of some or all the hand guard members.
US08046947B2
An apparatus and method for sealing the barrel of an underwater gun between firings is disclosed. The apparatus clears the barrel and/or prevents water from entering the barrel based on pressure variations.
US08046946B2
A device for counting shots fired by a firearm including a permanent magnet mounted to moving portion of the firearm and electrically coupled to a coil mounted on a relatively stationary portion of the firearm. Movement of the magnet relative to the coil induces an electromotive force within the coil. The induced electromotive force can be used increment a shot-count indictor and thereby record the number of shots fired by the firearm. The electromotive force can also be measured by a verification circuit to determine the strength of a shot and thereby verify whether a round was actually discharged by the firearm. In some embodiments, information regarding the number of shots discharged and the strength of the shots can be transmitted to an external device.
US08046944B2
An automobile interior exhibit is configured with a relief formed to replicate an automobile interior member and an interior cover covering the surface of the relief. In the automobile interior exhibit, the relief is provided with a simulative three-dimensional form in perspective so that the relief provides a view from a predetermined viewpoint even when the relief is viewed from the front.
US08046939B2
A mounting apparatus for a bucket of a front end loader vehicle. The mounting system allows the bucket to pivot up and over fixed objects when the leading edge of the bucket strikes an immovable object for the purpose of protecting the loader assembly, vehicle, and operator.
US08046937B2
An article of footwear with an automatic lacing system is disclosed. The automatic lacing system provides a set of straps that can be automatically opened and closed to switch between a loosened and tightened position of the upper. The article further includes an automatic ankle cinching system that is configured to automatically adjust an ankle portion of the upper.
US08046935B2
An apparatus including a flexible first member for removable attachment to a footwear device and a second member attached to the first member for interacting with the footwear device and being configured to sweep foreign objects away from and prevent entry of the foreign objects into an interior of the footwear device.
US08046927B1
A distance indicating mechanism can be used in combination with a bow sight to quickly determine distances to targets from an elevated position. The distance indicating mechanism has a generally circular, fluid-filled tubular device with one or more adjustable indicators located thereon. The indicators are positionable to correspond with the fluid level in the tubular device to indicate the orientation of the mechanism when aiming at a known distance. Each indicator generally corresponds to a sight pin of a bow site that indicates a corresponding linear distance for which an arrow will be at a desired vertical position when shot by a bow operator.
US08046926B2
A saw blade clamping arrangement for a power tool including a housing, a drive shaft mounted for reciprocating motion relative to the housing and having a longitudinal drive axis, and a saw blade releasably interconnected with the drive shaft. The saw blade clamping arrangement includes a blade support mechanism with first and second slots crosswise intersecting slots configured to selectively receive the saw blade in first and second orientations. The clamping arrangement also includes a tubular actuator rotatable about the longitudinal drive axis between an engaged position and a disengaged position, the actuator including a locking cam surface, and a locking member operatively associated with the actuator, and movable between a locked position that selectively locks the blade in one of the first and second orientations and an unlocked position that releases the blade, the locking member including a follower surface driven by the locking cam surface.
US08046925B2
A pruning hook includes an extension shank, a blade unit including a fixed blade mounted on the extension shank and a movable blade pivotally connected with the fixed blade, a driving cord to drive the movable blade, a slide movably mounted in the extension shank to drive the driving cord, a pull cord mounted in the extension shank to drive the slide, and a pulling member movable relative to the extension shank to drive the pull cord. Thus, the pulling member is pulled by a user's arm to drive the blade unit so that the blade unit is driven by a greater force applied by the user's arm and has a larger shearing force to perform a cutting action in an easier manner so as to cut a larger object easily and conveniently.
US08046913B2
The present invention relates to a manufacturing method of circle type terminal for driving motor of hybrid vehicle, comprising: assembling a terminal assembly having a plurality of bus-rings; accommodating the terminal assembly into an insert jig; coupling the insert jig with an injection mold; and supplying insert resin into the insert jig through the injection mold to integrally form an insulator with the terminal assembly thus performing manufacturing a circle type terminal, thereby providing a simple process to manufacture the circle type terminal and a method of forming an insulating material that can lower a manufacturing cost.
US08046906B2
The jig includes an upper jig part, a lower jig part, a support plate, a guide jig part, and a spring. The upper jig part has a pressure protrusion for press-fitting a rotating shaft, and applies pressing force to the rotating shaft. The lower jig part supports a rotor casing in a direction which is opposite the acting direction of the pressing force. The support plate is mounted to the lower jig part, and supports the rotor casing in a direction which is opposite that of the force for press-fitting the rotating shaft. The guide jig part supports the rotor casing in a direction which is opposite that of reaction force generated in the rotor casing by the support plate. The spring elastically biases the guide jig part towards the rotor casing.
US08046903B2
Cutting assemblies are disclosed that include an entrance portion and a receiving portion, with the receiving portion defining a receiving opening configured to be axially aligned with an entrance opening of the entrance portion when mounted to the surface of a cutting apparatus. Cutting assemblies are also provided that include a material carriage configured to be borne by a cutting apparatus. Cutting assemblies that include a material receiving portion configured to be slidably mounted to a surface of a cutting apparatus are also disclosed. Cutting methods are also disclosed that can include rotating a piece of material around the materials longitudinal axis and delivering the material to a cutting tool while the longitudinal axis of the material is aligned substantially opposite the direction of rotation of the cutting tool.
US08046902B2
A method for the production of an annular connection flange includes producing the annular connection flange from an element in the form of a circular ring. The element in the form of a circular ring has a substantially triangular profile.
US08046899B2
A connector for releasably securing a shaft and a head having a hosel with a bore of standard size. The connector includes a shaft adapter, a hosel adapter, and a compression nut. The shaft adapter has a shaft bore sized to receive the shaft, a first threaded coupling member, and a axial shaft. The hosel adapter has a hosel bore and a main body portion. The hosel bore is sized to receive the axial shaft. The compression nut has a second coupling member. The shaft is secured within the shaft bore and the main body portion is secured within the bore of the hosel using an adhesive and the axial shaft is inserted within the hosel bore. Thereafter, the compression nut is rotated to couple the first and second coupling members together thereby securing the shaft and head together without the shaft being received within the bore of the hosel.
US08046897B2
A balloon is inflated from a collapsed configuration, then deflated. A polymeric stent is then disposed over the deflated balloon and the stent crimped to the balloon.
US08046882B2
A casket and memorialization accessory combination comprises a casket comprising a casket shell having a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls and a casket lid closable on the casket shell, a decorative ornament comprising a digital image display device, and a keepsake box adapted to receive keepsake items therein. The casket shell and ornament are configured such that the ornament is removably attachable to the casket shell. The keepsake box and ornament are configured such that the ornament is attachable to the keepsake box. The ornament can be removed from the casket in which a deceased was displayed for viewing and attached to the keepsake box so that the keepsake box and ornament can be presented to a loved one of the deceased as a memorial to the deceased.
US08046877B2
A seed cotton dryer comprises an array of electromagnetic wave energy generators in a cotton gin and a cotton picker/stripper. An appropriate amount of energy is used to evaporate a considerable amount of moisture in the seed cotton without producing enough energy to pop the cotton seeds. Seed cotton dried by wave energy is much easier to separate the cotton seeds and lint from leaves, stems and other plant parts. The seed cotton is preferably transported through the dryer in a conduit having flat sides which reflects the wave energy more efficiently than through a round conduit. Provisions are made to prevent arcing in the transport conduit when extraneous metal pieces are inadvertently mixed with the seed cotton. In some embodiments, heated air from a diesel engine is used to dry crops as they are being harvested.
US08046872B2
A carriage for fitting a suspendable door on a rail is described. The carriage includes a housing and at least one running roller disposed on the housing. The running roller is positioned to engage the rail. An installation plate is included that is adapted to be connected to the suspendable door. A suspension bolt is connected between the housing and the installation plate. A portion of the suspension bolt engages a bearing disposed at one end of either the housing or the installation plate. The bearing permits at least angular displacement if the suspension bolt with respect to either the housing or the installation plate.
US08046871B2
A caster of an endless structure is provided which is almost jam-proof even in the case of a bigger gap. The caster includes a first wheel supported on a mounting leg, a second wheel supported by an axle on one end of a suspension arm of which the other end is supported by an axle which also supports the first wheel, and a wrap-around member which is wrapped around the first and second wheels. The wraparound member is formed an endless belt form by connecting independent pieces to each other. The outer peripheral section of each piece is provided with a wider section and when the wraparound member is depressed and warps, the wider section is adapted to touch a wider section of the adjacent piece, thereby preventing further depression.
US08046865B2
A flexible cleaning tool (22) is disclosed. The cleaning tool (22) includes a handle (24) connected to an elongated flexible support member (26) that includes a plurality of discrete, rotatably interconnected segments (40). A cleaning pad (28) encloses the support rod (26).
US08046863B2
In an embodiment, a mop includes a mop head and a shaft attached to the mop head. A handle is attached to the shaft by a pivot. An actuator member is coupled to the handle between a grip end and the pivot. Translation of the handle causes the actuator member to translate. In an embodiment, the pivot is offset from the shaft and arranged so that the shaft is located between the position where the handle is attached to the actuator member and the position where the handle is attached to the pivot. A stop may be provided to limit the translation of the handle. The actuator member is coupled a mop fiber base that supports mop fibers. The surface of the mop fibers may have a plurality of raised portions.
US08046848B2
A self-cleansing portable urine collection device and method of collecting urine in a self-cleansing portable urine collection device is provided. The collection device includes a housing which houses a urine collection receptacle configured to collect urine from a user. A cleansing container which retains a cleansing solution is configured to supply the cleansing solution to the receptacle. The device further includes a reservoir coupled to the receptacle and configured to receive the urine and the cleansing solution collected by the receptacle. A pump coupled to the receptacle and the reservoir is configured to transport the urine and the cleansing solution from the receptacle to the reservoir.
US08051489B1
A method for secure configuration of a sensor system involves identifying a new sensor not activated within the sensor system, the new sensor including a new sensor identifier, establishing a first transmission link between the new sensor and a sensor controller, transmitting the new sensor identifier between the sensor and the sensor controller, generating a key pair for the sensor controller, the key pair including a controller public key and a controller private key, generating a key pair for the new sensor, the key pair including a sensor public key and a sensor private key, transmitting the controller public key to the new sensor and the sensor public key to the sensor controller, and generating a pairwise key within the sensor controller and the new sensor.
US08051485B1
A system and method for optimizing a process of synchronization of a database of files checked by an anti-virus (AV) application implemented as a special AV driver. The database is updated by a special interface application using a log file and the AV driver cache. The AV driver monitors modifications of the files and records modification-related information in the context of the modified files. The AV driver creates and maintains a log of modified files. The AV driver supports a circular cache containing minimal required information about the modified files. This information is used for identification of the modified files by an application providing an interface between the AV driver and the database of checked files.
US08051483B2
A method of updating a content detection module includes obtaining content detection data, and transmitting the content detection data to a content detection module, wherein the transmitting is performed not in response to a request from the content detection module. A method of sending content detection data includes obtaining content detection data, selecting an update station from a plurality of update stations, and sending the content detection data to the selected update station. A method of building a content detection system includes establishing a first communication link between a central station and an update station, the central station configured to transmit content detection data to the update station, and establishing a second communication link between the update station and a content detection module.
US08051479B1
The invention is a method and apparatus for detecting shellcode such that a set of computer instructions is scanned for the presence of a null operation instruction. The computer instructions are also examined for the presence of a system call instruction, and reviewed for the presence of a decoder instruction set. A null operation weight value is then determined corresponding to the null operation instruction. Also assessed is a system call weight value corresponding to the system call instruction. In addition, a decoder weight value is calculated corresponding to the decoder instruction set. The null operation weight value, the system call weight value, and the decoder weight value are then analyzed to identify a shellcode.
US08051469B2
A cryptographic session key is utilized to maintain security of a digital identity. The session key is valid only for a limited period of time. Additional security is provided via a bimodal credential allowing different levels of access to the digital identify. An identity token contains pertinent information associated with the digital identity. The identity token is encrypted utilizing public-key cryptography. An identifier utilized to verify the validity of the digital identity is encrypted with the cryptographic session key. The encrypted identity token and the encrypted identifier are provided to a service for example. The service decrypts the encrypted identity token utilizing public key cryptography, and decrypts, with the cryptographic session key obtained from the identity token, the encrypted identifier. If the identifier is determined to be valid, the transaction proceeds normally. If the identifier is determined to be invalid, the transaction is halted.
US08051467B2
Apparatus, systems, and methods may operate to receive from a requesting device, at a memory device, a request to access a memory domain associated with the memory device, and to deny, by the memory device, the request if the memory domain comprises any part of a secure domain, and the requesting device has not asserted a secure transfer indication. Additional operations may include granting the request if the memory domain comprises some part of the secure domain and the requesting device has asserted the secure transfer signal, or if the memory domain comprises only a non-secure domain. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
US08051464B2
A method for provisioning client devices securely and automatically by means of a network provisioning system is disclosed. Provisioning occurs before the client is granted access to the network. The provisioning is determined dynamically at the time a client connects to the network and may depend on a multitude of factors specified by data dictionaries of the provisioning system.
US08051459B2
A Security Enhanced Linux (SELinux) system implementing extended policy models and method for their enforcement, is provided. Extended attributes are defined to specify extended policies. The SELinux policy model is extended to include the extended policies. The extended policies are enforced in addition to SELinux Type Enforcement. In one implementation, defining extended attributes involves defining TC-related attributes to specify TC-related policies. Further, extending the SELinux policy model includes extending the SELinux policy model to include the TC-related policies, in addition to SELinux Type Enforcement. Furthermore, enforcing the extended policies includes enforcing the TC-related policies in addition to SELinux Type Enforcement.
US08051458B2
A method and system for dynamic channel management of a television based on media center set-top box tuner availability. The method includes determining a last channel a television was tuned to prior to being turned off. Then it is determined whether the last channel is a radio frequency remodulated (RF-remodulated) channel. If the last channel is a RF-remodulated channel, then sending a signal to indicate that the television is on line with the RF-remodulated channel. If a tuner is not available for the television, then receiving an indication of a cable channel that was last RF-remodulated to the RF-remodulated channel for the television. Finally, changing the television to the cable channel.
US08051451B2
A digital broadcast receiver and a control method thereof are disclosed. The digital broadcast receiver includes a reception unit for receiving a broadcast signal which mobile service data and main service data are multiplexed, an extractor for extracting transmission parameter channel signaling information and fast information channel signaling information from a data group in the received mobile service data, an acquirer for acquiring a program table describing virtual channel information and a service of an ensemble by using the extracted fast information channel signaling information, the ensemble being a virtual channel group of the received mobile service data, a detector for detecting a descriptor defining Internet access information corresponding to the mobile service data by using the acquired program table, and a controller for controlling such that the Internet access information of the detected descriptor and the mobile service data are displayed.
US08051449B2
The present invention relates to a portable information terminal apparatus for additionally displaying information about other programs broadcast in the same time slot as a user-selected program. A TV program recording preset program under control of an I/O control program receives input of a user-selected start time of a given TV program. In turn, the TV program recording preset program extracts from a program list memory not the user-selected time but the start and end times of the TV program relative to the selected time, and retrieves information about all TV programs to be broadcast between the extracted start and end times so as to create a table of TV programs available in the designated time slot. The table is output to a display unit for display under control of the I/O control program.
US08051447B2
An exemplary system includes a media content processing subsystem configured to provide a program guide including a matrix of cells associated with a plurality of media content instances, and a condensed program guide including a condensed matrix of a subset of the cells and at least one interstitial symbol representing at least one of the cells excluded from the condensed matrix. In certain embodiments, the media content processing subsystem is configured to provide a graphical user interface to a display for presentation to a user, the graphical user interface including at least a portion of the condensed program guide. In certain embodiments, the graphical user interface includes a visual indicator of the interstitial symbol indicating a matrix position of a cell excluded from the condensed matrix. In certain embodiments, the interstitial symbol is spatially insubstantial in the condensed matrix.
US08051442B2
Various embodiments of apparatus and/or methods are described for presenting advertisements in association with broadcast video content on a presentation device in a non-residential location. The advertisements are identified based on characteristics of the non-residential location, such as goods or services offered at the non-residential location. The advertisements may be presented simultaneously with the broadcast video content, or may be used as substitute content to replace interstitials within the broadcast video content.
US08051441B2
An optical article for playback in a player includes a plurality of optically detectable marks disposed on a surface of the optical article; wherein the plurality of optically detectable marks are in a pre-determined combination of a first state and a second state; and at least one first control logic comprising at least one sector; wherein each optically detectable mark is associated with a particular first control logic; wherein each first control logic is executed only when its associated optically detectable mark is in a pre-determined state; and wherein a customized player-readable code is determined using a combination of the plurality of optically detectable marks and their associated first control logic. A method of making the optical article, a method of customizing the optical article, a method and a system for the playback of the optical article are also included.
US08051439B2
A disk drive includes: a pair of guide walls, which is arranged in the vicinity of the holder opening of a cartridge holder to define a direction in which a disk cartridge is supposed to be inserted; a first opening/closing lever, which has a first engaging portion that engages with a portion of the disk cartridge and which rotates while the disk cartridge is being inserted or ejected; and a second opening/closing lever, which has a second engaging portion that engages with another portion of the disk cartridge and which rotates while the disk cartridge is being inserted or ejected. The pivots of the first and second opening/closing levers are arranged opposite to the holder opening. The first and second opening/closing levers rotate so as to leave a broader gap between the first and second engaging portions than between the guide walls when the drive gets loaded with the disk cartridge, thereby opening a window in the disk cartridge.
US08051437B2
There is provided a tray including a tray main body that can be nipped by a driving roller rotatably driven and a plurality of driven rollers driven to rotate by making contact with the driving roller, the tray main body having a plate shape, a concave portion in which a thin plate shaped body can be set, the concave portion being formed in the tray main body, a fitting convex portion that is fitted in a fitting hole formed in the thin plate shaped body, the fitting convex portion being provided in the concave portion, and a plurality of elastic pieces for holding the thin plate shaped body by elastically making contact with an inner edge of the fitting hole, the elastic pieces being provided along an outer edge of the fitting convex portion.
US08051433B1
A system and method provides efficient message processing of assets. The system and method places all messages in a queue as they are received from an information feed and groups the messages according to the entities with which they are associated. The messages within each group are sorted according to the time the message was generated by the information feed, and then are processed in the order in which they were generated.
US08051432B2
Techniques for establishing virtual devices are presented. A legacy control system is encapsulated as a virtual device. The virtual device is isolated within a host hardware associate with a host OS and access to and from the virtual device is authenticated and controlled by the host OS. Legacy hardware used by the legacy control system is connected to the host hardware, thereby permitting the legacy control system to continue to access the legacy hardware when the virtual device processes.
US08051423B2
The present invention is directed to a parallel processing infrastructure, which enables the robust design of task scheduler(s) and communication primitive(s). This is achieved, in one embodiment of the present invention, by decomposing the general problem of exploiting parallelism into three parts. First, an infrastructure is provided to track resources. Second, a method is offered by which to expose the tracking of the aforementioned resources to task scheduler(s) and communication primitive(s). Third, a method is established by which task scheduler(s) in turn may enable and/or disable communication primitive(s). In this manner, an improved parallel processing infrastructure is provided.
US08051421B2
A method and system are described for estimating resource provisioning. An example method may include obtaining a workflow path including an external invocation node and respective groups of service nodes, node connectors, and hardware nodes, and including a directed ordered path indicating ordering of a flow of execution of services associated with the service nodes, from the external invocation node, to a hardware node, determining an indicator of a service node workload based on attribute values associated with a service node and an indicator of a propagated workload based on combining attribute values associated with the external invocation node and other service nodes or node connectors preceding the service node in the workflow path based on the ordering, and provisioning the service node onto a hardware node based on combining the indicator of the service node workload and an indicator of a current resource demand associated with the hardware node.
US08051401B2
A technique for generating a layout of an integrated circuit places standard cells in position and provides power rail conductors formed in a second metal layer overlying power connection conductors formed in a first metal layer via which the power is supplied to the standard cells. Routing connection conductors are added in the first metal layer and are permitted to pass through gaps between the power connection conductors of the first metal layer and underneath the power rail conductors of the second metal layer. Once routing has been performed, gaps between the power connection conductors of the first metal layer underlying the power rail conductors and not being used by routing connection conductors are closed so as form interrupted power rail conductors within the first meal layer.
US08051388B2
There is provided a device having a function of browsing contents obtained through a network. The device includes a display unit, an operation unit, a storing unit configured to store a thumbnail corresponding to a part of a captured image of contents as a bookmark, and a thumbnail rearrangement control unit configured to form a screen displaying stored thumbnails on the display unit while arranging the thumbnails in a ring shape, to accept user designation of a target thumbnail to be moved through the operation unit, to rotate the thumbnails arranged in the ring shape on the screen in response to a user operation through the operation unit while keeping a potion of the target thumbnail at a predetermined position in the screen, and to accept user designation of a target position to which the target thumbnail is to be moved through the operation unit.
US08051387B2
Methods, computer program products and apparatus provide an improved spatial user interface for content providers. In one non-limiting, exemplary embodiment, a method includes: displaying a plurality of first user interface (UI) objects each corresponding to an individual category of a plurality of categories, wherein a distance between two displayed first UI objects is indicative of a degree of similarity between the corresponding categories; and in response to a user selection of one of the displayed first UI objects, displaying at least one second UI object identifying at least one content provider associated with the category of the selected first UI object. The exemplary method may be utilized, for example, to assist a user in locating radio stations similar to a preferred radio station.
US08051386B2
Systems, processors and methods display image views of stacks or volume image data and allow a user to navigate the data and/or views using CAD findings. The systems, methods or processors can generate vicinity CAD marks that have an appearance that varies depending (a) the proximity to the suspected abnormality and/or (b) the navigation direction required to move to the suspected abnormality. The visual appearance of a respective vicinity CAD mark in a view can correspond to proximity of the related suspected abnormality to a current view, whereby the vicinity CAD marks have higher intensity, color saturation, size, or other more dominant visual characteristic in views close to the suspected abnormality and lower intensity, color saturation, smaller size or other less dominant visual characteristic in views further away from the suspected abnormality.
US08051385B1
An electronic device includes a content display for presenting content. The electronic device also includes a control display for enabling selection of a portion of the content. The content includes a plurality of items. The control display also enables a plurality of respective batch operations to be performed on the items.
US08051381B2
An appliance configured to perform a physical cycle of operation on an article includes a controller that controls the cycle of operation, an interface in network communication with the controller and adapted to connect to an accessory configurable to affect the cycle of operation, and a graphical user interface in network communication with the controller and the interface so that an accessory connected to the interface is configurable using the graphical user interface to affect the cycle of operation of the appliance.
US08051376B2
A method for creating a customized music visualization display for a music input involves presenting a user with a plurality of effects icons and a visualizer canvas as a portion of the user interface display. A user places one or more of the visual effects icons on the visualizer canvas. A sweep arm travels in a continuous sweeping motion through an arc and at a speed determined by a musical input and where each effect icon is detected and the effect is displayed when the sweep arm impacts the location of the video effect icon within the visualizer canvas.
US08051374B1
A computer-implemented method for determining whether a target text-string is correctly spelled is provided. The target text-string is compared to a corpus to determine a set of contexts which each include an occurrence of the target text-string. Using heuristics, each context of the set is characterized based on occurrences in the corpus of the target text-string and a reference text-string. Contexts are characterized as including a correct spelling of the target text-string, an incorrect spelling of the reference text-string, or including an indeterminate usage of the target text-string. A likelihood that the target text-string is a misspelling of the reference text-string is computed as a function of the quantity of contexts including a correct spelling of the target text-string and the quantity of contexts including an incorrect spelling of a reference text-string. In one application, the target text-string is received in a search query, the search executed following a spell-check.
US08051364B2
A parallel-to-serial conversion method for IBMA in a Reed Solomon decoder is used for obtaining discrepancies in IBMA iterations, thereby acquiring an error location polynomial and an error value polynomial. Syndrome sequences for the calculation of discrepancies in IBMA iterations have a fixed length. The number of syndromes is t+1, where t is the largest number of symbols that can be corrected of the error location polynomial. The feature that syndrome sequences have the same length is based on the fact that the discrepancies are not affected if the coefficients of polynomial orders of the error location polynomial are zero.
US08051360B2
A method and apparatus for receiving a wireless signal of a control channel wherein the wireless signal includes control information and an N bit field. The N bit field includes an N bit cyclic redundancy check (CRC) and an N bit user equipment (UE) identity wherein the value of N is a positive integer. The UE identity may be any one of a plurality of UE identities associated with the UE.
US08051356B2
Provided are an apparatus and method for receiving a signal in a communication system, in which a signal is received and decoded by setting an offset indicating a start position of a node operation for each block column of a parity check matrix of a Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) code and scheduling an order of performing the node operation on a Partial Parallel Scheduling (PPS) group basis. Here, the parity check matrix includes p×L rows and q×L columns, the p×L rows are grouped into p block rows, the q×L columns are grouped into q block columns, and each PPS group includes one column from each of the q block columns.
US08051341B2
A semiconductor memory device includes a test address generating circuit configured on the device. The test address generating circuit generates a plurality of test addresses for a test of the semiconductor memory device in response to at least one externally applied test address generation signal. As a result, the number of DUTs can increase, based on a reduction of required address pins, and manufacturing productivity and test efficiency of semiconductor memory devices can increase.
US08051331B2
In the initial setting of a memory card 1, the flash check data FD stored in a flash memory 2 is read out, this data FD is compared with the operation check data FD11 stored previously in the ROM, the write check data FD12 stored in the ROM 4a is written, if a fault is not detected, to the flash memory 2, and this data is read again and is compared with the write check data. FD12 of the ROM 4a. When any fault is not detected in comparison of these data, the CPU determines that the flash memory 2 is normal. Moreover, if a fault is detected in the comparison of data, the CPU sets the reset process fault data to a register 5a to set a controller 3 to the sleep mode. When the command CMD is received during this period, data comparison is executed again.
US08051328B1
On or more techniques and/or systems are provided for rapidly resuming processing of client requests after a system failure event. Accordingly, during a boot-up process, a storage system, upon detecting a system failure event of the storage system, conditions its system memory to reflect a state of the system memory at a time of the failure by processing client requests or commands stored in a non-volatile operations log. The storage system can resume processing client requests after processing the operations in the nonvolatile operations log and prior to flushing data to storage devices.
US08051327B2
Machines may be connected to power distribution units (PDU/STSs) in such a way that if one PDU/STS fails or is taken out of service, the machines' loads are shifted more-or-less evenly to the other PDU/STSs. Several PDU/STSs may be provided for a group of dual-corded machines. The two cords of each machine are connected to a pair of PDU/STSs. Different pairs of PDU/STSs may be used for different machines. In normal operation, each machine may draw part of its power through each of the two cords. If one PDU/STS to which a machine is connected fails or is taken out of service, the entire load on that machine may be shifted to its remaining cord. Since redistribution may be approximately even across PDU/STSs, tolerance for one PDU/STS failure can be implemented with relatively little over-sizing of the PDU/STSs.
US08051326B2
System and method for completeness of transmission control protocol (TCP) high availability (HA) are disclosed. The system includes an active processor, having an application and a TCP, and a standby processor, having another application and another TCP; wherein communications among the active application, the active TCP, the standby application and the standby TCP quickly and efficiently enable the system seamlessly switching over from the active processor to the standby processor for transmission of incoming TCP data streams and outgoing TCP data streams if the active processor fails.
US08051324B1
Described are techniques for executing an application on two or more processors. A first portion of one or more modules of the application is determined. A second portion of one or more modules of the application is determined. The first portion of modules is executed on each of the two or more processor. A first of said two or more processor is selected as an active processor. The second portion of modules is executed on the active processor and not on the other ones of said two or more processors.
US08051321B2
When a first server node fails in a cluster system, a client node device transmits failure detection information to a second server node device. Upon receipt of the failure detection information, the second server node device transmits a survival confirmation request to the first server node device. When receiving no survival confirmation response from the first server node device, the second server node device determines that the first server node device has failed and starts the switching control of a server node device which performs a service process. Upon receipt of failure detection information, the second server node device starts switching control when further receiving failure detection information from another client node device.
US08051314B2
A host device and a storage device with a Serial ATA (SATA) architecture to independently transition to a deeper low power state after first entering an initial low power state without first transitioning to the Active state. The transition from the Partial state to the Slumber state is direct and the transition may be enabled, but not negotiated through a handshaking process.
US08051312B2
An integrated circuit includes an energy controller that generates a power supply voltage level for the integrated circuit based on a desired target frequency value for the integrated circuit. The energy controller configures a programmable hardware process sensor based on the power supply voltage level such that the programmable hardware process sensor is capable of mimicking the electrical characteristics of a predetermined critical path associated with the integrated circuit when operating at the power supply voltage level. By monitoring the frequency of the programmable hardware process sensor over a period of time, the energy controller can compare the monitored frequency to an expected value and determine whether the power supply voltage level can be adjusted or whether it should be maintained.
US08051309B2
A mobile computing device is described that includes multiple device components, a power supply and a power line connected to each device component. The power supply is operative to provide power signals to the device components over the power lines. The mobile computing device also includes a processor operative to generate a control signal for one or more device components. A power line communications control module is connected to the power supply and the processor, the power line communications control module is operative to receive a power signal and a control signal for a device component, combine the power signal and control data from the control signal to form a power data signal, and send the power data signal to the device component over a corresponding power line. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08051308B2
A method to power an electronic device through an electrical connection port of a display device, includes electrically connecting a display device to a first power source of a host capable of controlling the display device by control signals therefrom, and a second power source independent from the host, the control signals indicating statuses of the host, each of the status comprising a normal mode, a power-saving mode, or a power off mode, and powering the electronic device electrically connected to the display device through the electrical connection port thereof by means of using one of the first and second power sources based on the control signals transmittable from the host to the display device.
US08051304B2
In a power supply apparatus for supplying a target power supply voltage to a microprocessor, a system controller sets the target power supply voltage to be supplied to the microprocessor based on a voltage configuration signal outputted from the microprocessor and outputs a voltage setting signal corresponding to the target power supply voltage. The regulator circuit generates the target power supply voltage set by the system controller based on the voltage setting signal outputted from the system controller and supplies the voltage to the microprocessor 10. The system controller acquires the conditions of the microprocessor, such as the operating time and temperature of the microprocessor and the amount of computation in the microprocessor, and reflects the acquired conditions on the setting of the power supply voltage.
US08051302B1
Encrypted music data and additional information necessary for accessing a server (30) are copied from a CD-ROM (200) onto a memory card (110). The memory card (110) receives via a digital portable phone network the distribution of a contents decoding key (Kc) necessary for decoding encrypted music data and control information data (AC1) for limiting the number of accesses to the memory card from the server (30).
US08051299B2
A method for secure loading, integrity checking of the runtime image and control over the runtime execution of applications which ensures that a software application loads only code it was authorized to load, and that the software application is monitored for unauthorized modifications of the runtime image. The method proposed can be used as a basis for further enforcing of authorization rules during the execution of an application, e.g. for Digital Rights Management.
US08051298B1
A system and computer implemented method for identifying active applications in an enterprise computing system is provided. The method includes defining a plurality of fingerprints for an application. A first fingerprint is related to a directory structure associated with the application. A second fingerprint is related to checking memory of at least some of the enterprise computing systems for data related to the application. The method includes searching the enterprise computing system for at least one fingerprint. The method includes when a fingerprint is found, identifying the application associated with the fingerprint as active.
US08051293B2
Various improvements to data processing systems involve enhancements to BIOS functionality, use of identifiers associated with specific instances of hardware, and data hiding techniques—sometimes alone, sometimes in combination. Many of these improvements can be applied to increase the security of computer systems, and networks of which they form part.
US08051288B2
Architecture that facilitates validation of a data mapping of data from a data source to a data target. There is included a signature generation component that generates a source signature of all or a portion of the data source and a target signature of all or a corresponding portion of the data target, and a sampling component that obtains a sample of the source data a corresponding sample of the target data. The data signatures and data samples are compared respectively and processed with a processing component to determine the status of the validation process.
US08051282B2
A method of identifying a reset condition includes the steps of determining if a stored value is equal to a specified value, executing a first mode if the stored value is not equal to the specified value, and executing a second mode if the stored value is equal to the specified value. The second mode also includes the step of setting the stored value to a value different than the specified value.
US08051278B2
Provided is a microcomputer having the improved flexibility in changing correspondences between exception causes and exception vectors. The microcomputer includes: a vector candidate output section capable of outputting a plurality of vector candidates; an address selecting section selecting, as an exception vector, one of the vector candidates according to an exception cause; an instruction execution section starting an exception processing routine by accessing a memory area specified by the exception vector; and a correspondence changing section changing the number of exception causes associated with at least one of address candidates included in the vector candidates.
US08051262B2
A storage system stores golden image of a server or any physical/virtual machine execution environment and associate the golden image and the storage port. The storage system also creates the copy of the golden image to the logical volume, and allocates the internal path between the storage port and the logical volume. Upon receiving an access request from the host computer via the storage port, the storage system transfers the access request between the storage port and the logical volume which stores the copy of golden image associated with the host computer.
US08051258B2
A storage system includes a storage medium configured to store data and a buffer memory configured to buffer data to be written to the storage medium. The storage system further includes a controller configured to selectively transfer the buffered data to the storage medium responsive to an invalidity indicator received from an external source. For example, the invalidity indicator may comprise unwrite information received from an external source, e.g., information that indicates that selected buffered data corresponds to deleted file data.
US08051257B2
In a nonvolatile memory with block management system, critical data such as control data for the block management system is maintained in duplicates. Various methods are described for robustly writing and reading two copies of critical data in multi-state memory. In another aspect of the invention, a preemptive garbage collection on memory block containing control data avoids an undesirable situation where a large number of such memory blocks need be garbage collected at the same time.
US08051254B2
A storage device including a logical volume being a migration source of an application copies data stored in the logical volume being a migration source into a logical volume being a migration destination of the application. After such a copy process is started, the storage device stores the data written into the logical volume being a migration source as differential data without storing the data into the logical volume being a migration source. When the copy process is completed for the data stored in the logical volume being a migration source, a management computer starts copying of the differential data, and in a time interval after the copying of the data stored in the logical volume being a migration source is completed but before the copying of the differential data is completed, a computer being a migration destination of the application is turned ON. With such a logically-partitioned computer system, power consumption at the time of application migration can be reduced.
US08051252B2
Method and apparatus for rapidly determining whether a particular subblock of data is present in a reduced-redundancy storage system. An aspect of the invention achieves this by hashing each subblock in the storage system into a bitfilter that contains a ‘1’ bit for each position to which at least one subblock hashes. This bitfilter provides an extremely fast way to determine whether a subblock is in the storage system. In a further aspect of the invention, index entries for new subblocks may be buffered in a subblock index write buffer so as to convert a large number of random access read and write operations into a single sequential read and a single sequential write operation. The combination of the bitfilter and the write buffer yields a reduced-redundancy storage system that uses significantly less high speed random access memory than is used by systems that store the entire subblock index in memory.
US08051250B2
A system for pushing data, the system includes a source node that stores a coherent copy of a block of data. The system also includes a push engine configured to determine a next consumer of the block of data. The determination being made in the absence of the push engine detecting a request for the block of data from the next consumer. The push engine causes the source node to push the block of data to a memory associated with the next consumer to reduce latency of the next consumer accessing the block of data.
US08051249B2
The present invention discloses methods for improving data-retrieval times from a non-volatile storage device. A method for preloading data to improve data-retrieval times from a non-volatile storage device, the method including the steps of: providing a cache memory for preloading the data upon a host-system request to read the data; determining that a plurality of data segments that constitute a non-contiguous data object, stored in the storage device such that at least one data segment is non-contiguous to a preceding data segment in the data object, are in a predictable sequence; and preloading a non-contiguous next data segment in the predictable sequence into the cache memory after loading a current data segment into a host system from the cache memory, wherein the next data segment is preloaded prior to the host-system request to read the next data segment.
US08051246B1
A method and apparatus for utilizing a semiconductor memory of a node as disk cache is described. In one embodiment, a method of utilizing a semiconductor memory of a second server for a first server, comprising generating a storage access request at a first server, routing the storage access request through a communication link to a second server and performing the storage access request using a semiconductor memory of the second server.
US08051240B2
Optimized verify and read pass voltages are obtained to improve read accuracy in a non-volatile storage device. The optimized voltages account for changes in unselected storage element resistance when the storage elements become programmed. This change in resistance is referred to as a front pattern effect. In one approach, the verify pass voltage is higher than the read pass voltage, and a common verify voltage is applied on the source and drain sides of a selected word line. In other approaches, different verify pass voltages are applied on the source and drain sides of the selected word line. An optimization process can include determining a metric for different sets of verify and read pass voltages. The metric can indicate threshold voltage width, read errors or a decoding time or number of iterations of an ECC decoding engine.
US08051239B2
A memory bank contains a plurality of memories, a first Butterfly network is configured to apply memory addresses to the memory bank, and a second Butterfly network is configured to pass data to or from the memory bank. A control signal is generated for the first and second Butterfly networks in accordance with a multiple access rule to enable parallel access to the memory bank, without memory access conflict, for one of a linear order and an interleaved order. The method and apparatus is particularly advantageous for use in turbo decoding.
US08051234B2
The present invention provides a technique capable of processing a plurality of interrupt causes sharing one interrupt request in different processors. An interrupt controller outputs an interrupt request when the interrupt request shared by a plurality of interrupt causes is notified. The interrupt request output by the interrupt controller is accepted by one of the processors. The processor accepting the interrupt request determines whether the interrupt cause that the processor must process has occurred, executes an interrupt processing when such interrupt cause has occurred, and notifies the generation of the interrupt request to another processor that processes another interrupt cause of the plurality of interrupt causes sharing the interrupt request when the relevant interrupt cause has not occurred.
US08051232B2
Methods and apparatuses for identifying types of data streams and communicating stream information to improve performance of data storage devices are disclosed. Method embodiments generally comprise identifying one or more isochronous requests among a plurality of requests which may be issued to a data storage device, assigning a completion deadline an isochronous request, and communicating the isochronous request and completion deadline information to the data storage device. Apparatus embodiments generally comprise a request identifier to identify an isochronous request, a logic module to assign a completion deadline to the isochronous request, and a communication module to communicate the isochronous request and the completion deadline to a data storage device. Alternative apparatus embodiments may include a monitor module to monitor a system process operating in the system and determine if the system process issues isochronous requests. Various embodiments may process asynchronous requests, including prioritized asynchronous requests, with the isochronous requests.
US08051223B1
In an embodiment, buffer constructs may be generated to be associated with any one of multiple mutually exclusive states, including an open state and a closed state. When the buffer construct is in the closed state, the region of memory represented by the buffer construct is made accessible to one or more direct memory access (DMA) operations. Upon completion of the one or more DMA operations, the buffer construct transitions from the closed state to the open state. The region of memory represented by the buffer construct is made accessible for use with one or more cache operations when the buffer construct is in the open state, so that the one or more cache operations are not in conflict with the one or more DMA operations.
US08051222B2
An apparatus and a process for transferring packet data includes receiving packets from a first interface such as a network interface and transferring data to a second interface such as an SD Bus interface such as SDIO using a protocol such as one described in SDCard.org. The SD Bus second interface operates as a slave device to a master device, and the packet transfer from first interface to second interface includes concatenating length fields and packet data fields from packets received on the first interface to form a superframe which is provided to the second interface at time of data transfer. The formation of each superframe includes starting a timer such that the superframe is transmitted to the second interface by asserting an interrupt on that interface when either the timer expires, the number of packet from the first interface exceeds a threshold, or the amount of data from the first interface exceeds a threshold.
US08051216B2
A method and integrated circuit for providing enclosure management services compatible with a multitude of physical interfaces and protocols for exchanging enclosure management data between an HBA and an enclosure management backplane is provided. According to one method, two or more interfaces utilized for exchanging enclosure management data may be monitored to determine whether one of the interfaces is actively being utilized by an HBA to transmit enclosure management data. If one of the interfaces is identified as being active, a determination is then made as to which of a plurality of protocols for transferring enclosure management data is being utilized on the active interface. In particular, a determination may be made as to whether a protocol defined by one HBA manufacturer is being utilized or whether another protocol defined by another HBA manufacturer is being utilized. Alternatively, a determination may be made as to whether one of a multitude of different protocols defined by the same manufacturer is being utilized. Once the interface and protocol have been identified, enclosure management data received on the active interface is decoded utilizing the identified protocol.
US08051214B1
A system and method are provided for accelerating data transfer between networked databases. First provided are a plurality of databases coupled by a network. At least one laser unit is coupled to each database. In operation, such laser units are capable of communicating data between the databases via free space by way of a laser beam. This allows data communication at a rate faster than that which the network is capable.
US08051213B2
A network controller improves load-balancing within a network system without requiring an intelligent switch having TCP splicing capability. The network controller forwards connections in response to directives from the connected server, permitting connection splicing within the network controller, but in response to a determination within the server that a connection to an alternative node is more desirable. The server detects that a packet buffer for an original destination node exceeds a threshold and sends a command to the network controlled to forward connections to an alternate destination node. The alternative node connection can be determined based on data availability, server load or other criteria. The packet forwarding mechanism and can be implemented very compactly within the firmware of the network controller and the server forwarding control can be communicated via the network controller device driver.
US08051211B2
A method and system for multi-bridge LAN aggregation is disclosed. The method includes aggregating a plurality of LANs coupling a host to a first and a second intermediate network device. The system includes an intermediate network device. The intermediate network device includes a multi-bridge engine. The multi-bridge engine includes a tunnel engine coupled to a bridge interconnect port and a first physical port.
US08051210B2
A server includes a processor, a memory, and a plurality of interfaces for outputting server status information. A LAN switch includes a first port configured to be coupled to a first LAN, a second port configured to be coupled to a second LAN, and a plurality of interface connection ports. Each interface connection port is configured to be coupled to one of the plurality of interfaces. The LAN switch is configured to selectively connect ports of the switch based on a combination of a first set of connection information received from the first LAN through the first port and a second set of connection information received from the second LAN through the second port.
US08051207B2
Server state objects are identified by an intermediate server among packets transmitted between an application server and a client device on a network based upon a stateless communication protocol, by monitoring and analyzing the packets transmitted between the application server and the client device. The packets are parsed into a plurality of name-value pairs. The entropy of the name-value pairs having a same name field is computed, and candidate data objects that are likely to be server state objects are selected based upon the computed entropy. Candidate data objects that were transmitted bi-directionally between the application sever and the client device are identified as server state objects.
US08051203B2
Techniques are disclosed for abstracting write acceleration techniques and tape acceleration techniques away from transport providers (e.g., away from an FC or FCIP interlink between two storage area networks) and allowing acceleration to be provided as a service by nodes within the storage area network (SAN). Doing so allows the acceleration service to be provided anywhere in the SAN. Further, doing so allows users to scale the acceleration service as needed, without having to create awkward topologies of multiple VSANS. Further still, as the acceleration service is offered independently from the transport, compression, encryption, and other services may be offered as part of the transport between the FC/FCIP connection along with the acceleration service.
US08051195B1
A method and system for providing content in a virtual environment. A host computer hosting a region in a virtual environment provides an event stream including a plurality of event data segments identifying activity occurring in the virtual environment to a client computer participating in the virtual environment. The host computer receives a request to provide virtual environment content including imagery data associated with the virtual environment to the client computer, and provides a content stream including a plurality of content data segments containing virtual environment content at a content stream bandwidth based on an event stream bandwidth associated with the event stream to the client computer.
US08051190B2
System and method for processing received packets. A QuickNak (QN) packet may be received. The QN packet may include a segmentation and reassembly (SAR) packet. The SAR packet may be delivered to a SAR receiver and it may be determined if there are missing packets, e.g., after delivery of the SAR packet. If there are missing packets, a QN indication may be generated and provided to the SAR receiver. Alternatively, the SAR receiver may receive the SAR packet with the QN indication. Accordingly, the SAR packet may be stored in a reception buffer or delivered to an upper layer, e.g., depending on current state variables. The SAR receiver may update the state variables and determine if there are missing packets. If there are missing packets, the SAR receiver may deliver an indication of the missing packets.
US08051186B2
Method for device capability negotiation, and method, system and device for synchronization. The synchronization system includes a synchronization server and a synchronization client. The synchronization server or the synchronization client is adapted to skip the device capability negotiation and directly perform a synchronization with the synchronization server and the synchronization client when the negotiated device capability or status ID, or the status ID indicating that the device capability has not been changed and has been stored. The method for device capability negotiation includes receiving an operation request carrying a parameter requesting a device capability negotiation; determining that the session is a device capability negotiation session according to the parameter requesting the device capability negotiation, carried by the request; returning a response and performing the device capability negotiation; storing results of the device capability negotiation. Embodiments of the present invention can improve the synchronization efficiency.
US08051183B1
Non-disruptive server replacement for session-based clients. An embodiment of a method includes establishing a first session between a first storage server and a client, the first storage server comprising a data component coupled to a data storage, a network component, and a session data structure in the network component for the first session. Transferring an operation of the first storage server to a second storage server during the first session with the client, wherein the second storage server is a replacement storage server for the first storage server.
US08051182B2
The present invention is a network layer protocol used for free-space optical transmission utilizing an LED or LD as a light source. In order to connect to a device, the network layer issues a connection request command (LAP_con_req2) to a lower layer when the network layer has received a connection request command (LM_con_req1) from an upper layer. Furthermore, when the network layer has received a connection confirmation command reception notification (LAP_con_conf1) from the lower layer, the network layer issues a connection confirmation command reception notification (LM_con_conf2) to the upper layer without issuing a data transfer request command to the lower layer. Accordingly, the invention provides a network layer protocol with which time for a connection or disconnection is reduced.
US08051181B2
A technique is disclosed for establishing a secure communication link between a first computer and a second computer over a computer network. Initially, a secure communication mode of communication is enabled at a first computer without a user entering any cryptographic information for establishing the secure communication mode of communication. Then, a secure communication link is established between the first computer and a second computer over a computer network based on the enabled secure communication mode of communication. The secure communication link is a virtual private network communication link over the computer network in which one or more data values that vary according to a pseudo-random sequence are inserted into each data packet.
US08051175B2
A method and system for providing enhanced intelligent agents that are moveable by a user from a browser application to a desktop. In specific embodiments, agents provide advanced interactive graphics and communications back to a server.
US08051173B2
A monitoring device and a method for monitoring at least two resources at a node in a cluster system are provided. A priority is allocated to each of the at least two resources. In the monitoring device and in the method, one of the at least two resources to be monitored is selected on the basis of the associated priority, and a monitoring detector which is required for the monitoring is selected for the resource. Furthermore, the monitoring detector is run, and the monitoring of the resource is performed once by the monitoring detector. The result of the monitoring performed by the monitoring detector is signaled. Selection via the associated priority and the single monitoring save computation time at the node. The monitoring detector can be a dynamic library.
US08051172B2
A communication system issues tokens in order to control communication received by the system. The tokens are arbitrary symbols which are stored in one or more Token Logs (TLs) for future reference. Those to whom the tokens are issued use specific tokens by including them in messages sent to the token issuer. The communication systems belonging to the potential token users record tokens which they have been issued, so that those tokens may be included in subsequent communication to the token issuers. Incoming messages without tokens are given a tokenless status and possibly rejected. Token-request tokens are automatically issued to allow other individuals to request tokens which can be used in subsequent communication. Multiple Token Logs are synchronized across multiple devices. Functional and informational message address headers are employed when sending messages so that tokens issued to a given user are not divulged to other message recipients who are different from the given user and different from the token issuer.
US08051155B2
A method of persisting SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) variable values associated with SNMP object IDs for an SNMP managed network element across network element reloads comprises implementing a generic persist operation at the network element; and defining, in conjunction with the generic persist operation, at least one object ID for which a value is to be persisted.
US08051149B2
An apparatus for provisioning a data communications client on a host communications device, the host communications device adapted to operate on a communications network, the apparatus comprising: a first data store adapted to store variant configuration information; a second data store adapted to store provisioning information; a provisioning module adapted to select the provisioning information stored in said second data store as a function of the variant configuration information stored in said first data store and apply the selected provisioning information to provision the data communications client; and a user interface interacting with said provisioning module to enable a user of the host communications device to provision the data communications client.
US08051145B2
A method of providing data to two client devices on a first network having a shared cache from a server device on a second network. An instance of substantially simultaneous requests for data being made to a server from two client devices on a same network is identified. In response to a first request for the data being received at a first point in time a first one of the two client devices is served with the requested data from the server such that the data is stored in the shared cache. The second one of the two client devices is directed to make a second request for the data at a second point in time, later than the first point in time, so that the requested data is available in the stored cache.
US08051143B2
In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for sharing sessions between web-based applications. These mechanisms and methods can enable embodiments to provide sharing sessions between web-based applications. A method embodiment includes receiving a request to access a second web application from a user currently accessing a first web application. Session information from a first session between the user and the first web application is provided to a second session established between the user and the second web application. Access to the second web application is provided responsive to the user's request, using session information from the first session.
US08051127B2
Systems and methods of storing previously transmitted data and using it to reduce bandwidth usage and accelerate future communications are described. By using algorithms to identify long compression history matches, a network device may improve compression efficiently and speed. A network device may also use application specific parsing to improve the length and number of compression history matches. Further, by sharing compression histories, compression history indexes and caches across multiple devices, devices can utilize data previously transmitted to other devices to compress network traffic. Any combination of the systems and methods may be used to efficiently find long matches to stored data, synchronize the storage of previously sent data, and share previously sent data among one or more other devices.
US08051124B2
A matrix multiplication module and matrix multiplication method are provided that use a variable number of multiplier-accumulator units based on the amount of data elements of the matrices are available or needed for processing at a particular point or stage in the computation process. As more data elements become available or are needed, more multiplier-accumulator units are used to perform the necessary multiplication and addition operations. To multiply an N×M matrix by an M×N matrix, the total (maximum) number of used MAC units is “2*N−1”. The number of MAC units used starts with one (1) and increases by two at each computation stage, that is, at the beginning of reading of data elements for each new row of the first matrix. The sequence of the number of MAC units is {1, 3, 5, . . . , 2*N−1} for computation stages each of which corresponds to reading of data elements for each new row of the left hand matrix, also called the first matrix. For the multiplication of two 8×8 matrices, the performance is 16 floating point operations per clock cycle. For an FPGA running at 100 MHz, the performance is 1.6 Giga floating point operations per second. The performance increases with the increase of the clock frequency and the use of larger matrices when FPGA resources permit. Very large matrices are partitioned into smaller blocks to fit in the FPGA resources. Results from the multiplication of sub-matrices are combined to form the final result of the large matrices.
US08051121B2
According to some embodiments, a dual multiply-accumulate operation optimized for even and odd multisample calculations is disclosed.
US08051113B1
Method and system for managing a storage environment having a cluster based storage system and a non-cluster based storage system is provided. A management application collects information regarding components of both the cluster based storage system and the non-cluster based storage system. A layout having a plurality of data structures is generated and maintained by the management application. The data structures include information regarding the components and their relationships with each other, if any. The layout is used for responding to user requests and presenting an integrated view of the storage environment on a display device with selectable options for selecting the cluster based storage system components and the non-cluster based storage system components.
US08051106B2
An object oriented design for an automated modeling system for mapping and monitoring the business roles and impact of elements within an IT Infrastructure that make up specific applications or business processes, spanning not only network elements, hosts, servers and programs but also users, company structure and processes. The design including: a series of collector modules for collecting relationship, modeling and status information from IT specific sources used to build a model of the application or process in the database and to gather data about activities occurring on the computer network from a business impact perspective; a series of visualizer modules for reporting monitoring activities; a modeling database for storing information collected by the collector modules; a series of correlator modules for automatically determining relationships between data objects stored in the database to build application models of individual applications.
US08051104B2
Systems and methods that create and edit a network of interconnected concepts are disclosed. In one embodiment, a semantic engine implements a method comprising receiving a primary term representing a first concept to be added to a network of interrelated concepts, receiving at least one related term related to the primary term, receiving at least one relationship between the first concept and a second concept, receiving a strength value associated with the relationship, and adding the first concept to the network.
US08051096B1
Methods and systems for augmenting a token lexicon are presented. In one embodiment, a method comprising identifying a first token from a search request, storing the first token in a lexicon data storage, receiving a character string comprising a second token, wherein the second token is substantially similar to the first token, and parsing the character string using the lexicon data storage to resolve the second token is set forth. According to another embodiment, a method comprising identifying a first token from an interne article, storing the first token in a lexicon data storage, receiving a character string comprising a second token, wherein the second token is substantially similar to the first token, and parsing the character string using the lexicon data storage to resolve the second token is set forth.
US08051095B2
Systems and methods for data classification to facilitate and improve data management within an enterprise are described. The disclosed systems and methods evaluate and define data management operations based on data characteristics rather than data location, among other things. Also provided are methods for generating a data structure of metadata that describes system data and storage operations. This data structure may be consulted to determine changes in system data rather than scanning the data files themselves.
US08051092B2
Systems, methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for saving a plurality of objects to persistent storage as part of a finalize sequence. In one implementation, a computer-implemented method may include, receiving a request to instantiate a plurality of objects; sorting the plurality of objects based on a priority assigned to each of the plurality of objects before the request to instantiate the objects is received; and saving in sequence the sorted plurality of objects to the persistent storage.
US08051090B2
A file management method of a ring buffer includes translating actual positions of an actual file stored in the ring buffer into virtual positions of a virtual file according to a specific mapping manner, searching the actual positions in the actual file according to the virtual positions, and accessing data at the actual positions of the actual file stored in the ring buffer.
US08051088B1
A particular computer-implemented method includes generating a plurality of intent maps based on a plurality of documents. The plurality of intent maps includes a first intent map based on a first document and a second intent map based on a second document. Each intent map of the plurality of intent maps corresponds to a document of the plurality of documents and includes a set of event structures. Each event structure includes data descriptive of an actor and an action described in the document that corresponds to the intent map. The method also includes performing a comparison of event structures of the first intent map and event structures of the second intent map. The method further includes determining, based on the comparison, whether at least a portion of the first document is duplicative of at least a portion of the second document.
US08051075B2
A method includes processing a performance query to a dimensional data model by processing dimension coordinates that exist within the dimensional data model, wherein the dimension coordinates have a first particular grain (“finer grain”) that is finer than a second particular grain (“coarser grain”), the method to determine an evaluative score for a particular finer grain value based on performance facts for dimension coordinates associated with the particular finer grain value. Performance parameters are determined relative to a particular coarser grain value, against which to measure the performance facts associated with the finer grain value, including processing the temporal relationships of finer grain values to coarser grain values for the dimension coordinates. The evaluative score is determined for the particular finer grain value based on performance facts of dimension coordinates having the particular finer grain value, in view of the determined performance parameters.
US08051067B2
A system receives a request to search an electronic catalog of a vendor which specifies a query term. The query term is used to search an electronic catalog of a third party. The results obtained by searching the electronic catalog of the third party are parsed to uncover a keyword recognized by a search engine associated with the electronic catalog of the vendor. The uncovered keyword is then used in the search engine associated with the electronic catalog of the vendor to locate one or more items in the electronic catalog of the vendor. Items located in this manner are the search results responsive to the query term.
US08051057B2
A system for supplying network content to a device. The system includes a first interface for communicating with a network content source for retrieving the network content. The system also includes a second interface for communicating with the device for delivering processed network content to the device. The system includes an agent framework operatively connected to the first interface and the second interface and which operates a plurality of autonomous agents including a content retrieval agent, a content personalization agent, and a content delivery agent. The content retrieval agent is for retrieving the network content from the network content source via the first interface. The content personalization agent is for processing the network content thereby producing the processed network content. The content delivery agent is for delivering the processed network content to the device via the second interface.
US08051056B2
Methods are disclosed for acquiring ontological knowledge using query logs. In one embodiment, query logs are first utilized as a basis for identifying important contexts associated with terms belonging to a semantic category. Then, those contexts are as a basis for identifying new terms belonging to the same category or, in another embodiment, as a basis for removing extraneous or obsolete terms identified as being in the same category.
US08051052B2
The mobile storage device may be provided with a system agent that is able to create at least one hierarchical tree comprising nodes at different levels for controlling access to data stored in the memory by corresponding entities. Each node of the tree specifies permission or permissions of a corresponding entity or entities for accessing memory data. The permission or permissions at the node of each of the trees has a predetermined relationship to permission or permissions at nodes at a higher or lower or the same level in the same tree. Thus, the mobile storage devices may be issued without any trees already created so that the purchaser of the devices has a free hand in creating hierarchical trees adapted to the applications the purchaser has in mind. Alternatively, the mobile storage devices may also be issued with the trees already created so that a purchaser does not have to go through the trouble of creating the trees. In both situations, preferably certain functionalities of the trees can become fixed after the devices are made so that they cannot be further changed or altered. This provides greater control over access to the content in the device by the content owner. Thus, in one embodiment, the system agent can preferably be disabled so that no additional trees can be created.
US08051044B1
Continuous data protection is performed as two parallel processes: copying a data block from the storage device into the backup storage device (creating initial backup) and copying the data block to be written to the data storage into the incremental backup. When a write command is directed to a data storage block, it's intercepted and redirected to the backup storage, and data, which is to be written in accord to the write request, is written to the incremental backup on the backup storage. If write command is also directed to a data storage block identified for backup that has not yet been backed up, the identified data storage block is copied from the storage device to the intermediate storage device, the write command is executed on the identified data storage block from the storage device, and the data storage block is copied from the intermediate storage device to the backup storage device. In case of an error accessing a block on the storage device, the block is marked as invalid. The system suspends a write command to the storage device during the initial data backup process if the intermediate storage device has reached a selected data capacity; and copies a selected amount of data from the intermediate storage device to the backup storage device.
US08051043B2
The present invention is capable of determining the rights to a file based on providing a descriptor. The descriptor can be calculated using an algorithm, which may be cryptographic and/or non-cryptographic. The descriptor may further be based on the file contents, metadata of the file, other file data, or any combination thereof to uniquely identify the file in a shared file repository. Since the descriptor is generated based on file data it will be the same regardless of which user generates it. Accordingly, only one copy of the file needs to be maintained in the shared file repository, thereby reducing the amount of network bandwidth required to assure the file is backed up and further reducing the amount of storage required to backup the files. This results in a vastly more efficient method of backup in terms of processing time, network bandwidth, and storage requirements.
US08051040B2
A system and method for modifying publication data in a publication system are described. An example embodiment includes receiving proposed publication data and accessing a success measurement associated with past publications within a publication system. The success measurement may indicate a measurement of success associated with the past publications. An example system and method may generate modification data to be used to modify the proposed publication data. The modification data may be based on the success measurement and proposed publication data.
US08051039B2
A system for storing time series data in a database using round robin includes a user input interface and a round robin database file manager. The interface receives inputs specifying a time period and a sample rate for collection of delta samples. Each sample represents a difference between two subsequent values of the time series data. The manager accumulates the samples over the time period in accordance with the sample rate, calculates a field size for storing the samples for the time period based on a maximum one of the samples, and writes the delta values to the database using the calculated field size. The database is relatable to a plurality of records. Each record corresponds to a respective time period for delta sample collection and has an adjustable field size for delta sample storage based on a maximum delta sample value for the respective time period.
US08051037B2
A system and method for pseudorandom permutation for interleaving in wireless communication is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving a first ordered sequence of communication symbols having a first order, permuting the first ordered sequence of communication symbols to generate a second ordered sequence of communication symbols having a second order, and outputting the second ordered sequence of communication symbols, wherein the second order is based, at least in part, on a third order having a greater size than the second order, the third order being a pseudorandom permutation defined by the input-output relationship Y = mod ( m * S * ( S + 1 ) 2 , P ) , wherein P is the smallest power of two not less than the number of elements in the first ordered sequence, S is an input order represented by a sequence of consecutive integers from zero to P−1 in increasing order, Y is an output order represented as a sequence of integers, and m is an integer.
US08051029B2
A method provides a knowledgebase having a set of existing print product classes into which print product descriptions are classified. The method receives the new print product class from a user and maps the representation of new print product class conditions to be semantically consistent with the representation of existing class conditions. The method evaluates the new print product class to produce user feedback. The user feedback is output to the user. The new print product class is added to the knowledgebase only if the new print product class is valid and free of errors and semantically consistent with the definitions of already existing print product classes.
US08051026B2
A rules collector system and method. The system and method enables a process of capturing an expertise of an individual in a formalized manner, and which may update rules and knowledge databases with information based on the interaction with the individual. The system includes a rules retrieval coordinator responsive to an input from an individual and adapted to provide relevant information to the individual based on the input and to enable a bidirectional information exchange with the individual. A rules input processor is used for monitoring responses from the individual and generating one of a plurality of different outputs depending on the responses. A rules generator is responsive to the rules input processor and is used to form one or more new rules based on the responses from the individual. A rule integrity check subsystem automatically checks integrity of the new rule based on pre-existing rules.
US08051022B2
Memory architecture provides capabilities for high performance content search. The architecture creates an innovative memory that can be programmed with content search rules which are used by the memory to evaluate presented content for matching with the programmed rules. When the content being searched matches any of the rules programmed in the Programmable Intelligent Search Memory (PRISM) action(s) associated with the matched rule(s) are taken. The PRISM content search memory is embedded in a single core or multi-core processors or in multi-processor systems to perform content search. PRISM accelerates content search by offloading the content search tasks from the processors. Content search rules comprise of regular expressions which are converted to finite state automata and then programmed in PRISM for evaluating content with the search rules.
US08051016B2
A method of billing for printing service costs is presented. The method entails examining the content of a page and applying a cost function to approximate the cost of printing the page. Examining the content of the page may include detecting at least one object in the page and determining an approximate area of coverage of the detected object within the at least one object in the page. The cost function can approximate the cost of printing the page using the detected object and the determined approximate area of coverage of the detected object.
US08051014B2
A method and system are provided for a user to determine the status of a shipment being transported by a carrier. The user performs a transaction at a web site, and chooses a type of shipment. A file in markup language includes at least one link to shipment tracking information, and this file is provided to the user and saved locally at a user device. The user activates the file to check the shipping status, which is then displayed. In this way, the user is able to access aggregated shipping information from a plurality of carriers. Also, the user is able to obtain pinpoint shipping status, if the user needs more details than merely finding out a checkpoint through which a shipment has passed.
US08051000B2
Described are methods and systems, including computer program products, for trade strategy monitoring. A back-end server can receive a first input from a first client device indicative of a first trade strategy and a first test parameter. The back-end server can obtain historical data associated with the first trade strategy, execute the first trade strategy on the historical data in accordance with the first test parameter, and transmit the results in a normalized format to the first client device. The back-end server can receive a second input from a second client device indicative of a second trade strategy and a second test parameter. The back-end server can obtain historical data associated with the second trade strategy, execute the second trade strategy on the historical data in accordance with the second test parameter, and transmits the results in a normalized format to the second client device.
US08050996B2
Methods and apparatus which deal with the management of risk relating to specified, yet unknown, future events. ‘Sponsor’ stakeholders specify a particular product relating to an event or phenomenon for which there is a range of possible future outcomes. ‘Ordering’ stakeholders then offer contracts relating to the predetermined phenomenon and corresponding range of outcomes. The offered contracts specify an entitlement or (pay-off) at the future time of maturity for each outcome, and a consideration (or premium) payable, in exchange, to a ‘counter-party’ stakeholder. Independently of the offered contracts, the ‘counter-party’ stakeholders input data as to their view of the likelihood of occurrence of each outcome in the predetermined range into the future, or specifically at the predetermined date of maturity. Each offered contract is priced by the processing units by calculating counter-party premiums from the registered data, and a match attempted by a comparison of the offered premium with the calculated premiums. Matched contracts can be further traded until maturity, and at-maturity processing handles the exchange of entitlement as between the matched parties to the contract.
US08050987B2
A computer-implemented method and apparatus for processing on-line donations associated with media content is disclosed. An example embodiment includes elements to integrate a payment button with an associated item of media content on a web page; link the payment button with an account on a payment site; receive a donation from a donor via the payment button; and credit the donation to the account linked to the payment button.
US08050985B2
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for planning replenishment of products in a distribution system. A first key figure associated to a first product and a second key figure associated to a second product are collected, the first product and the second product being distributed by the distribution system. The first key figure and the second key figure are aggregated into an aggregate. The aggregate is used to replenish the first product and the second product.
US08050982B2
A business process is described for conducting business transactions over the Internet, allowing buyers an opportunity to reduce the price of a product/service based on the buyer's performance during a Price-Determining-Activity (PDA). Sellers offer the product/service within a specified price range, and buyers agree to a binding agreement, in exchange for the opportunity to close the transaction at the lowest price by achieving a high score or performance during the PDA. The price may change during the PDA, and the available price at any given time may be displayed or otherwise made available to the buyer. The price change may be continuous, at intervals, in response to certain events. The PDA may be a video game, electronic board game, sports bet, card game, or any other activity, or against the seller, a software opponent, or a computer opponent. The PDA may involve another buyer competing for the same product/service.
US08050972B2
A method for using a workflow server to provide targeted advertisements recommended by users of workflow software includes: receiving, at a server from a user completing a workflow, information corresponding to a step in the workflow and an advertiser, the advertiser recommended by the user in connection with the step in the workflow; identifying, by the server, an advertisement corresponding to the recommended advertiser; and transmitting, from the server to a second client, a markup language page corresponding to the step in the workflow, the markup language page including the identified advertisement. Corresponding systems are also described.
US08050971B2
A method and system for providing product information, which can retrieve an advertising shopping mall that has suggested a bidding price for an upper display area, and can sort product information of the retrieved advertising shopping mall according to a predetermined standard, and display the sorted product information in the upper display area and also can sort product information according to various types of standards, such as a popularity, a sales volume, and the like, and display the sorted product information in a remaining area excluding the upper display area, when sorting and displaying product information on a product search result page.
US08050969B2
A data processing system issuing electronic certificates through “online” networks of personal computers, televisions, or other devices with video monitors or telephones. Each electronic certificate includes transaction data and identification data, and can be printed out on a printing device linked to a consumer's personal input device, or electronically stored in a designated data base until a specified expiration date. The certificate can be used for various purposes, including use as a coupon for a discounted price on a product or service, proof of a gift or award, proof of reservation, or proof of payment. Consumers access the data processing system online, browse among their choices, and make their selections. The data processing system provides reports on the selected certificates and their use following selection. Certificate issuers also have online access to the data processing system and can create or revise offers, and provide various instructions pertaining to the certificates, including limitations as to the number of certificates to be issued in total and to each individual consumer.
US08050966B2
Integrated advertising management method and system with respect to plurality of advertising domains
An integrated advertising management method and system with respect to an advertising campaign including a plurality of advertising domains is provided. The integrated advertising management method includes the steps of: generating an advertiser identification associated with an advertiser; in response to a request from the advertiser, setting up an advertisement management component associated with the advertiser identification; and allowing the advertiser to manage the plurality of advertisements included in the advertising campaign by using the advertisement management component such that the advertiser can set up and update at least one of a plurality of conditions for the plurality of advertisements included in the advertising campaign.
US08050944B2
A patient health record system uses knowledge bases to dynamically build visit templates and suggest content based on the user's profile and current patient information. The visit template is available to the health care provider using the system, and is presented within an easy-to-use graphical interface comprising a navigation pane for moving from one section of the template to another, and a visit information window that displays current visit information and allows the user to add and edit that information.
US08050918B2
A method and system for evaluating the quality of voice input recognition by a voice portal is provided. An analysis interface extracts a set of current grammars from the voice portal. A test pattern generator generates a test input for each current grammar. The test input includes a test pattern and a set of active grammars corresponding to each current grammar. The system further includes a text-to-speech engine for entering each test pattern into the voice server. A results collector analyzes each test pattern entered into the voice server with the speech recognition engine against the set of active grammars corresponding to the current grammar for said test pattern. A results analyzer derives a set of statistics of a quality of recognition of each current grammar.
US08050917B2
A system including a conferencing telephone coupled to or in communication with an identification service. The identification service is configured to poll user devices of conference participants to determine or confirm identities. In response, the user devices transmit audio electronic business cards, which can include user voice samples and/or preprocessed voice recognition data. The identification service stores the resulting audio electronic business card data. When the corresponding participant speaks during the conference, the identification service identifies the speaker.
US08050914B2
A system enhances speech by detecting a speaker's utterance through a first microphone positioned a first distance from a source of interference. A second microphone may detect the speaker's utterance at a different position. A monitoring device may estimate the power level of a first microphone signal. A synthesizer may synthesize part of the first microphone signal by processing the second microphone signal. The synthesis may occur when power level is below a predetermined level.
US08050912B1
A method of mitigating errors in a distributed speech recognition process. The method comprises the steps of identifying a group comprising one or more vectors which have undergone a transmission error, and replacing one or more speech recognition parameters in the identified group of vectors. In one embodiment all the speech recognition parameters of each vector of the group are replaced by replacing the whole vectors, and each respective replaced whole vector is replaced by a copy of whichever of the preceding or following vector without error is closest in receipt order to the vector being replaced. In another embodiment determination of which speech recognition parameter or parameters are to be replaced is performed by predicting, from vectors received without error, a predicted value for each speech recognition parameter within said identified group of vectors, and replacing those speech recognition parameters within the identified group of vectors which are outside of a predetermined threshold relative to their respective predicted value. Also described is an apparatus for mitigating errors in a distributed speech recognition process.
US08050904B2
A method, data processing system, and computer program product are provided for performing time-based symbolic simulation. A delay-aware representation of a circuit is created that includes a plurality of circuit nodes. The data-aware representation is simulated. In particular, the simulator simulates transitions from a first set of circuit nodes to a second set of circuit nodes selected from the plurality of circuit nodes, the simulating based on executing a first set of simulation events. A second set of simulation events is then generated in response to executing the first set of simulation events. During the simulation, a time is computed for each of the transitions. An an event scheduling diagram is constructed during simulation. The event scheduling diagram depicts the transitions and the times of the transitions.
US08050898B2
A method of generating a model for simulating the imaging performance of an optical imaging system. The method includes the steps of defining the optical imaging system and a process to be utilized by the optical imaging system; defining a first model representing the imaging performance of the optical imaging system and the process, and calibrating the model, where the first model generates values corresponding to a latent image slope. The method further includes the step of defining a second model for estimating a line width roughness of a feature to be imaged, where the second model utilizes the latent image slope values to estimate the line width roughness.
US08050897B2
System and method of simulating large deformation and rotation of a structure in a finite element analysis used for improving structural design is disclosed. A solid finite element is configured for simulating large deformations and/or rotations of a structure. The solid finite element comprises only corner nodes with each node having six degrees-of-freedom (DOF), three translational and three rotational. In other words, each node is configured to include translational deformation and rotation deformation, each of the translational and rotational deformation has three components corresponding to one of the six DOFs. The solid finite element has a plurality of external edges. Each external edge has two ends, each end is located at one of the adjacent corner nodes. Additionally, translational deformation at mid-edge point of each external edge is implicitly embedded in the translational and rotational deformations of two adjacent corner nodes.
US08050871B2
The present invention provides a method of predicting outbreaks in influenza virus comprising monitoring concentrations of small peptides having defined structure in influenza viruses, and in particular viral pathogens of shrimp.
US08050870B2
Statistical models for identifying associations are described herein. By way of example, a system for identifying associations between variables can include a model builder and an association identifier. The model builder can receive observations about the variables and generate a null model and a non-null model. The association identifier can assess the strength of the association between the variables by determining how much the non-null model better explains the observed data than the null model. Additionally or alternatively, the structure of the observed data can be inferred simultaneously with the statistical model.
US08050866B2
A method and related system of determining formation density by compensating actual inelastic gamma rays detected from a pulsed-neutron tool for the effects of neutron transport. The method and systems may model response of the tool and use the modeled response as an indication of an amount to compensate detected inelastic gamma rays.
US08050865B2
Disclosed herein is a method of measuring a resistivity parameter of an earth formation. The method includes: applying a first electric measurement current including a first series of pulses to a first electrode and inducing a first formation current in the earth formation; applying a second electric measurement current including a second series of pulses to a second electrode and inducing a second formation current in the earth formation, the first series of pulses and the second series of pulses occupying distinct portions of a time domain in a selected time window; measuring the first measurement current, the first formation current, the second measurement current and the second formation current by coherent in-phase demodulation; and calculating at least one resistivity parameter by i) comparing the first measurement current to the first formation current and ii) comparing the second measurement current to the second formation current. A system for measuring a resistivity parameter of an earth formation is also provided.
US08050861B2
A road map is provided which allows a determination to be intuitively rendered whether a course contains an increased number of upward slopes or downward slopes as viewed in the direction of the course. The direction of the course is set up across roads indicated on the map, and the upward slopes and the downward slopes located along the course are indicated in different colors. For example, the direction of the course is set up on the map by a starting point and destinations. A gentle upward slope is indicated by a red color of a low thickness, a medium upward slope is indicated by a red color of a medium thickness and a sharp upward slope is indicated by a red color of a high thickness. On the other hand, a gentle downward slope is indicated by a blue color of a low thickness, a medium downward slope is indicated by a blue color of a medium thickness and a sharp downward slope is indicated by a blue color of a high thickness. Accordingly, a determination as to whether the course contains an increased number of upward slopes or downward slopes can be intuitively made.
US08050841B2
An air-per-cylinder (APC) security system for a vehicle comprises an APC determination module, an APC threshold determination module, and an APC diagnostic module. The APC determination module determines first and second APC values for first and second cylinders of an engine, respectively, based on mass airflow (MAF) into the engine. The APC threshold determination module determines an APC threshold based on the first APC value and a spark timing for the first cylinder. The APC diagnostic module selectively diagnoses a fault in the APC determination module when the second APC value is greater than a sum of the first APC value and the APC threshold.
US08050840B2
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for the calculation of aircraft braking friction and other relating landing parameters, including but not limited to aircraft braking action, aircraft takeoff distance, aircraft landing distance, runway surface conditions and runway surface friction based on the data collected by and available in the aircraft Flight Data Recorder (FDR) or other flight data management system, for example, the Quick Access Recorder (QAR), to provide all involved personnel in the ground operations of an airport and airline operations, including but not limited to aircraft pilots, airline operation officers and airline managers as well as airport operators, managers and maintenance crews, with the most accurate and most recent information on the true aircraft landing performance parameters to help better and more accurate safety and economical decision making.
US08050831B2
A vehicle and a method for controlling a vehicle transmission is provided. The vehicle has at least one wheel and a positionable acceleration device. The vehicle includes an engine being responsive to the position of the acceleration device, wherein the engine provides torque to the wheel. In one embodiment, a transmission is coupled to the engine and the wheel, wherein the transmission provides multiple speed ratios and is configured to operate in a continuously variable mode. The vehicle also includes a controller that communicates with the engine and the transmission. The controller senses the position of the acceleration device, determine a shift schedule based on the position of the acceleration device, and set an engine speed limit for the engine. The controller also generates signals for the transmission to provide the speed ratio based on the engine speed limit while the transmission operates in the continuously variable mode.
US08050829B2
An electronic locking mechanism for a vehicle differential assembly includes a lock element movable in response to an actuation signal between an open position and a locked position. The lock element generally forces side gears of the differential assembly to turn generally at a same rate when the lock element is in the locked position. The electronic locking mechanism further includes a processor configured to determine a status of the differential assembly from a current profile that includes the actuation signal and an induced current. The determined differential assembly status is generally one of an “activated and locked” status, an “activated but unlocked” status, a “deactivated but locked” status, and a “deactivated and unlocked” status.
US08050828B2
A system includes a pressure sensor that measures a transmission fluid pressure at a first fluid cavity of a transmission. A transmission control module receives the transmission fluid pressure, determines a transmission fluid temperature in the first fluid cavity based on the transmission fluid pressure, and controls the transmission fluid pressure based on the transmission fluid temperature.
US08050827B2
A vehicle has an engine, an accelerator for controlling the rotary speed of the engine, an axle and a multi-speed transmission for transmitting power from the engine to the axle. The multi-speed transmission includes an odd-numbered speed drive train for an odd-numbered speed level, a first clutch for the odd-numbered speed drive train, an even-numbered speed drive train for an even-numbered speed level, and a second clutch for the even-numbered speed drive train. In correspondence to operation of the accelerator and an actual speed of the axle, either the odd-numbered speed drive train or the even-numbered speed drive train is selected so as to transmit power from the engine to the axle. A shift-up or shift-down timing between the odd-numbered speed level and the even-numbered speed level relative to variation of the actual speed of the axle is changed according to detection of a tilt angle of the vehicle or a weight of the vehicle.
US08050811B2
A method for controlling the wireless distribution of vehicle-related data that is collected from a vehicle and is distributed to one or more authorized recipients in a confidential manner. This method uses predetermined business rules, which can be maintained and/or applied at the vehicle, at the telematics service provider, or elsewhere, to control the distribution of vehicle-related data. These business rules can determine which pieces of vehicle-related data, if any, are to be sent to which authorized recipients and can do so in a confidential manner that prevents even the telematics service provider from having access to the vehicle-related data.
US08050791B2
This invention discloses a method of fabricating color jacquard fabric, comprising the processes of design and fabrication of pattern card, loom preparation, looming and weaving. The steps of design and fabrication of pattern card are: reading target image for jacquard into a computer; adjusting the image and setting parameters; selecting pixel value according to image dimensions; modifying the image; dividing the modified target image into motif image and auxiliary pattern around the motif image, designing and making the pattern card of motif image and auxiliary pattern of different design characteristics by jacquard design software; and finally combining said two pattern cards into a pattern card that represents the image and pattern of different characteristics in one fabric with corresponding warp and filling yarns. The invention can provide vivid lifelike picture of fabric, integrating rich color representation and artful pattern.
US08050790B2
A manufacturing method for the inductor/transformer is disclosed. A simulator is used to simulate the inductance, the quality factor, and the self-resonance frequency of said inductor/transformer to generate at least one group of the area size, the number of the conductive layer, the line width, the number of turns, and/or the line space of the conductive layers and the first conductive layer; the inductor/transformer is manufactured according to the factors. Thereafter, the Monte-Carlo simulation is used to initiate the process variability analysis of the factors of the conductive layer and the first conductive layer, and the geometric size of the inductor/transformer can be modulated according to the results of the process variability analysis during the manufacturing process, such that the inductor/transformer can be manufactured by the process of the generic logic circuit.
US08050782B2
A method to retrieve and display technical data for an industrial device supervised by a computer program for control, configuration or condition monitoring in an industrial or commercial plant. The method can use a substantially static and easily visible large sized display member to provide a graphical user interface for retrieving data about, and/or controlling, one or more industrial devices. A computing device or mobile computing device send a copy of its graphical user interface to the large display for ease of information retrieval and access.
US08050778B2
The invention relates to a sensor-machine interface for the coupling of at least one sensor to at least one machine with at least one sensor input for receiving sensor status signals, at least one machine output, for transmission of machine control signals, a programme memory and a controller for programme-controlled operation of the machine output dependent on the signals received by means of the sensor input and a method for operating such an interface.
US08050770B2
Neural stimulation device with improved power consumption and/or effectiveness. The device is configured to recognize proposed stimuli which will be masked by earlier or simultaneous stimuli. Such masked stimuli are either deleted, or replaced by another stimuli.
US08050767B2
Methods for treating and/or collecting information regarding neurological disorders, including language disorders, are disclosed. A method in accordance with one embodiment directing a patient to perform a language-based task, directing information to be collected, with the information corresponding to a level of neural activity in the patient's brain while the patient performs the language-based task, and, based at least in part on the information, selecting a stimulation site within the patient's skull for receiving an electrode coupleable to an electrical current. In further embodiments, at least one electrode can be placed at the stimulation site, and the patient's language disorder can be reduced by applying electrical stimulation directly to the stimulation site via the at least one electrode.
US08050764B2
A first chamber minute ventilation rate is determined based on a first transthoracic impedance signal received from a first chamber of a heart and a second chamber minute ventilation rate is determined based on a second transthoracic impedance signal received from a second chamber of the heart. A processor compares the minute ventilation rates to determine a rate. In one embodiment, an accelerometer sensor provides data for evaluating propriety of a rate. Before implementing a rate change, signals from multiple sensors are cross-checked.
US08050759B2
A cardiac rhythm sensor positioned on or close to the heart senses electrical or mechanical activity and transmits a cardiac rhythm signal wirelessly to a subcutaneous ICD. Arrhythmia detection and delivery of therapy are performed by the SubQ ICD based upon the cardiac rhythm signal received from the sensor.
US08050758B2
An implantable medical device delivers anti-tachyarrhythmia therapies including anti-tachyarrhythmia pacing (ATP). When a tachyarrhythmia episode is detected, the implantable medical device analyzes cardiac cycle length stability to determine whether and/or when to deliver an ATP. In one embodiment, the cardiac cycle length stability is measured by existence of stable ventricular tachyarrhythmia clusters (SVTCs) during the tachyarrhythmia episode. Each SVTC includes at least a specified minimum number of heart beats over which the cardiac cycle lengths meet a stability criterion.
US08050756B2
Tools and methods are particularly suited for certain cardiac conditions involving use of a catheter for pacing of the right and left ventricles from a lead in the right ventricle, e.g., to facilitate mechanically and/or electrically synchronous contractions for resynchronization. Certain aspects involve pacing and/or mapping by generating pulses for delivery to a cardiac site useful for improving heart function as measured, e.g., by QRS width, fractionation, late LV activation timing, mechanical synchronicity of free wall and septal wall, effective throughput/pressure, or a combination thereof. In one embodiment, an implantable pulse generator includes circuitry for generating pacing profiles, with signals of opposite polarities, specifically selected for delivery on electrodes at a site near the septal wall of a right ventricle of the heart.
US08050751B2
Techniques for determining whether artifacts are present in a cardiac electrogram are described. According to one example, a medical device senses a cardiac electrogram via electrodes. The medical device determines a derivative, e.g., a second order derivative, the electrogram. The medical device detects beats within the derivative, e.g., by comparing a rectified version of the derivative to one or more thresholds determined based on a maximum of the rectified derivative. The medical device determines whether the beats are periodic, and determines whether artifacts are present in the cardiac electrogram based on the determination of whether the beats are periodic. The medical device may further determine whether tachyarrhythmia is present and/or whether the cardiac rhythm of the patient is treatable based on the determination of whether the beats are periodic. For example, the medical device may determine that an electrogram is not treatable when the beats are periodic.
US08050745B2
The present invention employs image intensification for medical procedures within the human body. Methods and systems of the invention utilize infrared radiation (e.g. greater than about 750 nm) illumination and visualization of a surgical treatment area. Preferred methods and systems of the invention incorporate use of an infrared radiation visualization system which may be known as “night vision” systems.
US08050740B2
Microwave examination of individuals is carried out by transmitting microwave signals from multiple antenna locations into an individual and receiving the backscattered microwave signals at multiple antenna locations to provide received signals from the antennas. The received signals are processed to remove the skin interface reflection component of the signal and the corrected signal data are provided to a hypothesis testing process. In hypothesis testing for detecting tumors, image data are formed from the test statistic used to perform a binary hypothesis test at each voxel. The null hypothesis asserts that no tumor is present at a candidate voxel location. The voxel threshold is determined by specifying a false discovery rate to control the expected proportion of false positives in the image. When the test statistic value associated with a voxel is greater than the threshold, the null hypothesis is rejected and the test statistic is assigned to the voxel. For voxels where the test statistic falls below the threshold, the null hypothesis is accepted and the voxel value is set to zero. The resulting image indicates the locations or other characteristics of detected tumors.
US08050737B2
In a method and apparatus for examination and evaluation of a blood flow in a pulmonary artery of a patient, measurement data are recorded, from which at least a part of the blood flow in the pulmonary artery is able to be re-constructed at least two-dimensionally in a plane defined by a longitudinal axis of the pulmonary artery and by an anterior-posterior direction, including at least at several diastolic points in time in the course of a heart cycle, after a closure of the pulmonary valve. The number of diastolic points for which an asymmetry in relation to the longitudinal axis of the pulmonary artery in the anterior-posterior direction exists is determined. A measure is then determined that characterizes how long, after the closure of the pulmonary valve, the aforementioned asymmetry exists.
US08050723B2
A portable electronic device includes a main body and a solar cell module. The main body has electric components. The solar cell module is mounted in the main body. The solar cell module is configured for supplying electric energy to the electric components of the main body. The solar cell module includes a solar cell, a cell cover and a light diverging lens. The solar cell has a light-absorbing surface. The cell cover faces the light-absorbing surface. The cell cover defines a through hole therein. The light diverging lens is engaged in the through hole. The light diverging lens faces toward the light-absorbing surface and is configured for diverging light transmitted therethrough.
US08050721B2
A mobile information terminal has a front surface on which a display surface of a display device is arranged and a rear surface on which a plurality of operation keys are arranged. The mobile information terminal further has a half-depressing sensor for detecting that each of the operation keys is half-depressed and/or a touch sensor for detecting that each of the operation keys is touched. A control section executes a processing operation to cause the display device to display an image showing the arrangement of said operation keys and to change an icon which corresponds to a key of operation keys when a control section determines, according to an input signal from the half-depressing sensor or the touch sensor, that the finger of the operator is placed on this key of operation keys.
US08050718B2
The present invention utilizes a wireless base station having a first radio transceiver and a second radio transceiver connected to the first radio transceiver with a communication cable, a first baseband unit connected to the first radio transceiver with a communication cable, and a second baseband unit connected to the second radio transceiver with a communication cable.
US08050703B2
A mobile communication method according to the present invention includes: notifying, from a MAC-e functional unit 10, to a first mobile station UE through a first E-AGCH, a transmission rate for the EUL in the first mobile station UE, in a 2 ms interval; notifying, from the MAC-e functional unit 10, to a second mobile station UE through a second E-AGCH, a transmission rate for the EUL in the second mobile station UE, in a 10 ms interval; notifying, from the MAC-e functional unit 10 to a MAC-hs functional unit 20, the number of the first E-AGCH and the number of the second E-AGCH, in each sub-frames; and determining, at the MAC-hs functional unit 20, a transmission power for a HS-PDSCH, based on the respective numbers of the first E-AGCH and the second E-AGCH.
US08050702B2
To provide a mobile station and a transmission power control method in the mobile station, which are capable of improving the power saving characteristic associated with the transmission power control in the mobile station under a condition in which the transmit diversity is applied. The transmission power of feedback information (11: FBI) is controlled on the basis of control information (TPC) transmitted through a sub-information downlink channel (21) from a base station (210) as a main branch, only when it is determined by a communication method determining section 103 that a cosed loop transmit diversity can be applied (step S201: Yes), and when it is determined by a communication base station determining section 104 that sub-information downlink channels (21, 22) and sub-information uplink channels (11, 12) are connected to a plurality of base stations (step S202: Yes).
US08050696B2
A system and method for wirelessly transferring content to and from a vehicle, in particular, an aircraft. The content includes, for example, data, voice, video and multimedia, that can be wirelessly exchanged over a wireless communication link between an aircraft and a ground station while the aircraft is at or near a parking gate, or between aircraft. In an example, the system employs long distance metropolitan area technology, such as IEEE Standard 802.16 wireless technology, to increase transfer range. The parameter of the wireless communication link can be adjusted based on, for example, the location of the link. The content can further be provided between the vehicle and ground station based on priorities, such as the available link speed, importance of the information, and/or anticipated connection time between the vehicle and ground station. A media creation center can be networked to a plurality of base stations.
US08050679B2
A method is disclosed for transferring preferred frequency information in a mobile communication system which establishes a preferred frequency layer and a non-preferred frequency layer for a Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) service. The method involves the steps of determining at least one preferred frequency of the MBMS service when a session of the MBMS service starts, generating the preferred frequency information representing said at least one preferred frequency, and transmitting the preferred frequency information to at least one serving radio network controller for managing communication of user equipments intended to receive the MBMS service.
US08050676B2
Direct content redistribution between users belonging to the same community is enabled. A portable telephone set issues a request to a community management server to register portable telephone sets belonging to a community, in association with the community, and the community management server performs community registration. The portable telephone sets issue requests to the community management server for permission to redistribute content which has been distributed from a CP server, and when the redistribution permission request is for registered portable telephone sets belonging to the same community, the community management server grants permission for the redistribution. By this means, content redistribution can be performed directly between users belonging to the same community, without the intervention of the CP server.
US08050667B2
In order to provide a new service even to a conventional mobile communication terminal without installing a new function when starting a new mobile communication service, a mobile communication terminal includes a virtual terminal server that controls the communication on behalf of the mobile communication terminal according to a request from the mobile communication terminal to realize a service function that is a communication function not included in the mobile communication terminal. The virtual terminal server processes, in accordance with the model information of the mobile communication function, information to be informed to the mobile communication terminal to realize the service function to thereby enable the mobile communication terminal to acquire and transmit information obtained by realizing the service function.
US08050656B2
A wireless communication device and method for making a secure transfer of a communication connection from a direct connection with a cellular network to a connection via a wireless local area network is provided. The device and method are adapted for detecting the presence of the wireless communication device within the communication coverage area of the wireless local area network and authenticating the wireless communication device with the wireless local area network. After authenticating the wireless communication device with the wireless local area network, a handoff is requested from the cellular network to the wireless local area network, where a secure connection between the mobile station and the cellular network via the wireless local area network is established, and then the direct connection with the cellular network is broken.
US08050652B2
A network-enabled audio device that provides a display device that allows the user to select playlists of music much like a jukebox is disclosed. The user can compose playlists from disk files, CD's, Internet streaming audio broadcasts, online music sites, and other audio sources. The user can also select a desired Web broadcast from a list of available Web broadcasts. In addition, the user can play standard audio CD's and MP3 encoded CD's and have access to local AM/FM stations. Further, the software, the user controls, and the display in the network-enabled audio device are operably configured and connected such that the user can listen to playlists that include CD's and other audio sources just as the user would choose a playlist in a jukebox. The user accesses a server site via a PC and the Internet. From the server site, the user obtains a list of the devices in his or her Internet Personal Audio Network (IPAN) and what songs are on those devices. The IPAN includes an IPAN server, an IPAN client, and IPAN software stored on the network-enabled audio device. Thus, the network-enabled audio device provides people who are or are not comfortable with computers a way of taking music from various sources and putting it into one place for listening pleasure. In one embodiment, the Personal Computer (PC) is used to compose the playlists, but the user is able to listen to playlists and other audio sources without using the PC.
US08050640B2
An improved antenna diversity system is provided. The antenna diversity system has at least two spaced-apart antennas, with each antenna providing a respective antenna signal. The signal(s) may be processed and scaled according to its respective power level. The phase difference is determined between the signals, and the phase difference reduced by using phase rotation. The signals, which are now substantially in-phase, are summed to generate a combined antenna signal.
US08050639B2
Reception signals received by first to fourth antennas 11 to 14 are sequentially selected one by one repeatedly in accordance with first to fourth switches 31 to 34 being controlled by first to fourth switch control circuits 41 to 44, respectively, so as to be inputted to a signal shaping section 60. The reception signals having been shaped by the signal shaping section 60 are sampled by a sample-and-hold section 71 and AD-converted by an AD converter 72 in accordance with a time at which the reception signals are sequentially selected. The resultant signals are converted into parallel signals by a serial-parallel conversion section 73. Thus, the parallel signals are obtained as the reception signals of the first to the fourth antennas 11 to 14.
US08050636B2
A transmitter capable of operating according to a first standard that does not interfere with a nearby frequency generator operating according to a second standard. The transmitter comprises an oscillator, a frequency divider, a mixer, and a filter. The oscillator is configured to output a first frequency that is outside of a frequency harmonic of the frequency generator. The frequency divider is coupled to the oscillator and divides the first frequency by a selective divide ratio to produce a second frequency. The mixer is configured to receive the first and second frequencies, which combines them to produce a mixed frequency. The filter is then used to filters the mixed frequency to obtain the higher portion of the mixed frequency. The divide ratio of the frequency divider is selected base on the desired output frequency of the transmitter such that a 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz ISM band frequency is achieved.
US08050624B2
A distributed control and/or monitoring system and method includes a local application and a remote application separated from the local application. The local application includes a host computer. The remote application includes a plurality of field devices and a communication bus connected to the plurality of field devices. Packet messages are wirelessly communicated between the local application and the remote application such that the host computer and field devices can communicate with each other as if they were directly connected to the same communication bus.
US08050621B2
A method and an apparatus are provided for estimating and removing interference of a signal at a wireless repeater operating in a multi-carrier system. In the method, a current echo channel linear prediction coefficient, which represents a coefficient between a current train signal section and a previous train signal section, is estimated using a current echo channel coefficient estimated in the current train signal section and a previous echo channel coefficient generated in the previous train signal section. A next echo channel coefficient is estimated using the current echo channel coefficient, the previous echo channel coefficient, and the current echo channel linear prediction coefficient. An echo channel coefficient outside a train signal section is estimated using the current echo channel coefficient and the next echo channel coefficient.
US08050614B2
Hard image forming apparatuses and methods are described. According to one arrangement, a hard image forming apparatus includes an imaging member comprising a surface, a development system configured to provide a marking agent to the surface of the imaging member to form developed images upon the surface of the imaging member which correspond to latent images formed using the surface of the imaging member, and a transfer system configured to transfer the developed images from the surface of the imaging member to media. The arrangement further includes a contamination removal device configured to remove contamination material from the surface of the imaging member, and a control system configured to control the contamination removal device to contact the surface of the imaging member to remove the contamination material from the surface of the imaging member at a first moment in time and to space the contamination removal device from the surface of the imaging member at a second moment in time where the contamination removal device does not remove the contamination material from the surface of the imaging member.
US08050610B2
A heat roller of a fixing apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention has a slidable metal belt on an outer side of an elastic roller. At the room temperature, the outer diameter of the elastic roller is smaller than the inner diameter of the metal belt. On the other hand, when the elastic roller is thermally expanded, the metal belt and the elastic roller fit onto each other in a state in which the metal belt fastens the elastic roller.
US08050609B2
In a fixing device, a heat roller and a fixing gear for rotating the heat roller are arranged concentrically, and coupled to each other by inserting a key formed in the fixing gear into a keyway formed in the heat roller. The keyway is designed such that the key is allowed to move along a direction in which the heat roller is rotated. For example, the keyway is formed by notching a free end of a one-side rotary shaft of the heat roller so as to extend along the direction in which the heat roller is rotated.
US08050605B2
An image forming apparatus includes: an image carrier having an endless circumferential surface on which a latent image is formed due to an electrostatic potential difference; a developing device that attaches a toner to the image carrier to form a toner image; an endless intermediate transfer belt that is entrained around a plurality of roll members and moves circumferentially, and contacts the image carrier to transfer the toner image to the intermediate transfer belt; a transferring device that further transfers the toner image that has been transferred to the intermediate transfer belt, to a recording sheet; and a load applying member that cooperates with one of the roll members placed inside the intermediate transfer belt, to nip the intermediate transfer belt to apply a load to the intermediate transfer belt, the load applying member contacting a non-image region of the intermediate transfer belt.
US08050604B2
A belt member is rotatably extended around a plurality of rotatable members of an image forming apparatus for forming a toner image on a recording material by using a developer containing a magnetic carrier. The belt member includes a layer, formed of a crystalline resin material, having an outer peripheral surface and an inner peripheral surface. The layer has a hardness of 0.25 GPa or more and 0.40 GPa or less at the outer peripheral surface and a hardness of 0.10 GPa or more and 0.20 GPa or less at the inner peripheral surface.
US08050598B2
A toner cartridge in a bottle shape for storing toner is composed of a first cylindrical portion having a blocked bottom wall at one end and an opening at the other end and a second cylindrical portion in which one end thereof is connected to the opening, and an opening for ejecting toner is formed at the other end, and the outside diameter thereof is smaller than the first cylindrical portion.
US08050588B2
An image forming apparatus capable of shortening a time needed for the assembly work is provided. The image forming apparatus of the invention comprises a low-voltage power supply and a housing, wherein the low-voltage power supply includes a substrate provided with a low-voltage power supply circuit, a pair of connection cords each connected to the substrate and an external power supply, a casing made of metal and provided with an accommodation portion inside which the substrate is fixed and a notch located on an opening edge of the accommodation portion, a lid body made of metal and configured to cover the accommodation portion and to define a cord insertion port by closing the notch, and a ring body made of resin and inserted into the notch in a state where both the connection cords are inserted in the ring body and to be attached to the cord insertion port.
US08050574B2
The present invention relates to an optical receiving apparatus designed to receive light wavelength-demultiplexed in a wavelength multiplex optical transmission system. The optical receiving apparatus includes an optical level adjusting unit for adjusting a level of light inputted and for outputting the level-adjusted light and a light receiving unit for receiving the light outputted from the optical level adjusting unit. An optical level adjusted quantity in the optical level adjusting unit is set so that the level of light of relatively shorter wavelength band becomes lower than the level of light of relatively longer wavelength band. This enables normal signal light reception to be achieved irrespective of a variation in the number of wavelengths with a simple configuration.
US08050566B2
A system and a method for quantum key distribution between a transmitter and a receiver over wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) link are disclosed. The method includes providing one or more quantum channels and one or more conventional channels over the WDM link; assigning a different wavelength to each of the one or more quantum channels and each of the one or more conventional channels; transmitting single photon signals on each of the one or more quantum channels; and transmitting data on each of the one or more conventional channels. The data comprises either conventional data or trigger signals for synchronizing the transmission of the single photon signals on the quantum channels. All channels have wavelengths around 1550 nm. The WDM link can be a 3-channel WDM link comprising two quantum channels for transmitting single photon signals and one conventional channel for transmitting conventional data or triggering signals.
US08050556B2
An apparatus comprising an optical transmitter coupled to an optical fiber, and an optical receiver coupled to the optical fiber, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit a test signal data pattern and user data into the optical fiber, and wherein the receiver is configured to receive a reflection of the test signal data pattern. Also disclosed is a network component comprising a processor configured to implement a method comprising promoting the transmission of an optical test signal data pattern into an optical fiber, wherein the test signal data pattern creates a radio frequency (RF) tone, and detecting a reflection of the RF tone in the optical fiber.
US08050553B2
A lens module includes a flexible printed circuit board, a first sensor, a second sensor, an adjustment device, a lens, a protective frame, an outer housing, a drive mechanism and a resilient member. The flexible printed circuit board includes a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion. The first sensor and the second sensor are fixed on the flexible printed circuit board. The outer housing is connected to the flexible printed circuit board and covers on the outside of the adjustment device and the protective frame. The resilient member and the flexible printed circuit board are arranged on opposite sides of the outer housing. The flexible printed circuit board can be folded along a connecting line between the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion.
US08050547B2
A device and a process are provided for uniformly lighting an operating area for performing the lighting of an operating area (2) of a bed (30) by means of a lighting unit (3) such that a selected lighting field (13) is lighted uniformly. The image signals of a camera (7) are sent to an image processing unit (17), in which the image signals are analyzed and the individual lighting elements (6) are switched via the control unit (18). A lighting situation is acquired in the process for initializing and operating this lighting system and a lighting field (13) of interest is selected. The image signals are analyzed during the operation and sent to the control unit (18) in order to switch the lighting elements (6) such that uniform lighting is obtained in the first lighting field (13).
US08050544B2
The invention relates to an electronic control device for regulating the voltage across a high-side load, especially for regulating a fan in a motor vehicle, with a control voltage (V1) which is referenced to system ground and which is mirrored to the positive high-side supply voltage, wherein the control voltage (V1) is supplied to the base of a first transistor (Q1) operated in common-emitter connection, which transistor (Q1) has, in the emitter circuit, a first resistor (R1) and, in the collector circuit, a second resistor (R2) and, in series with the latter, the base-emitter diode of a second transistor (Q2). Compensation for temperature effects of the base-emitter voltage of the first transistor is performed by the base-emitter path of a second transistor of the same conductivity type in series with the first transistor.
US08050537B2
An image and audio recording apparatus has a function of recording image data and/or audio data on a recording medium and a function of recording data on a set time band with a timer. When the timer-recording function is caused to set the recording operation, the recording of the image data may be set separately from the recording of the audio data.
US08050534B2
A recording medium, method and apparatus for providing management information are provided. According to an embodiment, the method includes grouping data of a digital stream into a plurality of object units, and grouping one or more object units into an object; and creating management information for accessing the data, the management information including map information and indication information, wherein the map information includes an object unit index table associated with the object units, and wherein the indication information indicates whether the data of the digital stream are grouped into the object units on a basis of a predetermined time period or an entry point information included in the digital stream.
US08050533B2
A left view graphics stream and a right view graphics stream recorded on a recording medium each include one or more display sets, and the display sets are data groups used for displaying one screen worth of one or more graphics objects. The one or more display sets included in the left view graphics stream are in one-to-one correspondence with the one or more display sets included in the right view graphics stream, and an identical playback time for the video stream on the playback time axis is set in each of the corresponding display sets. Each display set includes state information indicating whether the data is all data necessary for displaying one screen worth of one or more graphics objects, or is a difference from the immediately previous display set, and the state information included in corresponding display sets indicate identical content.
US08050532B2
A digital camcorder records an image of an object as a moving image on a recording medium, and displays an image recorded during a period from the start of image taking to a predetermined time on a screen while recording a currently taken image.
US08050528B2
A sealing gland system having an upper half, a lower half, and a sealing material positioned between the upper and lower halves. Each of the upper and lower halves and the sealing material has at least one opening extending therethrough, and wherein the sealing material forms a seal around at least one cable extending through the sealing material upon compression thereof.
US08050526B2
A method for making a micro optical device includes providing an optical element, providing a glass perform, providing a substrate with a precision formed feature designed to passively position the optical element relative to the substrate, and bonding the optical element to the substrate using the glass perform. The optical element is passively located in a predefined relationship with the substrate, and the glass perform has a shape prior to contacting the substrate that is maintained before the bonding.
US08050525B2
An integrated DWDM transmitter apparatus includes a silica-on-silicon substrate which includes a silica layer and a silicon layer. A plurality of input waveguides and a plurality of gratings are provided within the silica layer. Each of the plurality of gratings is coupled to a corresponding one of the input waveguides. An arrayed waveguide grating within the silica layer is coupled to the plurality of input waveguides, and at least an output waveguide within the silica layer are coupled to the arrayed waveguide grating. The transmitter also includes a plurality of lasers disposed in a recessed region of the silica-on-silicon substrate, and each of the lasers is optically coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of input waveguides. The integrated transmitter also includes plurality of photodiodes, each of the plurality of photodiodes overlying a corresponding one of the plurality of grating.
US08050524B2
An optical device includes an electrooptic crystal substrate, a polarization-inverted region formed in a part of the electrooptic crystal substrate, an optical waveguide formed in the electrooptic crystal substrate, and a groove for relaxing stress disposed between a domain wall of the polarization-inverted region and the optical waveguide.
US08050519B2
The color of a measurement object, such as a vital tooth, and the color of a comparison object to be compared with the measurement object are displayed to a user in an easily comparable manner. The invention provides an image combining apparatus including an image extracting unit for extracting an image of a vital tooth (hereinafter referred to as “measurement-object image”) from a color image of the vital tooth and extracting an image of a shade guide (hereinafter referred to as “comparison-object image”) from a color image of the shade guide, a combining-reference-line setting unit for setting combining reference lines on the measurement-object image and the comparison-object image, a combining unit for combining the measurement-object image and the comparison-object image to form a combined image, and a correction unit for correcting at least one of the measurement-object image and the comparison-object image so as to align their outlines on the combining reference line in the combined image when the outlines are not aligned.
US08050514B2
In order to perform appropriate image correction considering the moving image region and static image region of image data forming a moving image, the image data forming the moving image is input in a unit of frame, the image data is divided into a moving image region and static image region, and a feature amount of the moving image region and that of the static image region are calculated. At least one table for image correction is generated based on the feature amount of the moving image region and that of the static image region, and the image data is corrected using the table.
US08050489B2
Methods and systems for the differential wear mapping of the surface of an object are described. The process involves establishing a radioactive wearing surface on the object through surface layer activation (SLA) and/or radioactive ion implantation (RII) and imaging the wearing surface with conformal photographic or x-ray film to produce a first autoradiograph providing a baseline profile of the wearing surface. After subjecting the object to wear during testing the wearing surface is again imaged with conformal photographic or x-ray film to produce a second autoradiograph providing a worn profile. The first and second autoradiographs of the wearing surface are digitized and compared to produce a differential wear map of the surface of the object.
US08050488B2
In a method of analyzing a wafer sample, a first defect of a photoresist pattern on the wafer sample having shot regions exposed with related exposure conditions is detected. A first portion of the pattern includes the shot regions exposed with an exposure condition corresponding to a reference exposure condition and a tolerance error range of the reference exposure condition. The first defect repeatedly existing in at least two of the shot regions in a second portion of the pattern is set up as a second defect of the pattern. A first reference image displaying the second defect is obtained. The first defect of the shot regions in the first portion corresponding to the second defect is set up as a third defect corresponding to weak points of the pattern. The exposure conditions of the shot region having no weak points are set up as an exposure margin of an exposure process.
US08050480B2
A method is disclosed for generating computed tomography image data of a volume of interest from X-ray CT data sets generated by a computed tomography system during scanning of an examination subject on a helical path rotating around a longitudinal system axis in the infeed direction. In at least one embodiment, at least two volume-based reconstructions of the volume of interest are performed by way of differential back-projection over surfaces constituted by different groups of M-lines, followed in each case by an inverse Hilbert transformation. The method further includes combining different reconstructed volumes to form a final reconstruction of the volume of interest.
US08050474B2
A system reduces artifacts introduced by patient or table motion during generation of a composite image visualizing contrast agent flow. A system for generation of a composite medical image of vessel structure, includes an imaging device for acquiring multiple sequential images of vessel structure of a portion of patient anatomy in the presence of a contrast agent. An imaging processor aligns individual images of the multiple sequential images with a single particular mask image containing background detail of the portion of patient anatomy in the absence of contrast agent. The imaging processor forms data representing multiple digitally subtracted images by subtracting data representing the single particular mask image from aligned individual images of the multiple sequential images. The imaging processor associates different individual images of the multiple digitally subtracted images with different corresponding visual attributes and combines data representing the digitally subtracted images to form a composite image. A reproduction device presents the composite image to a user.
US08050473B2
An improved method of segmenting medical images includes aspects of live wire and active shape models to determine the most likely segmentation given a shape distribution that satisfies boundary location constrains on an item of interest. The method includes a supervised learning portion to train and learn new types of shape instances and a segmentation portion to use the learned model to segment new target images containing instances of the shape. The segmentation portion includes an automated search for an appropriate shape and deformation of the shape to establish a best oriented boundary for the object of interest on a medical image.
US08050472B2
A method and system for acquiring a phalange edge image using an X-ray image of a hand are provided. The method includes: selecting a region of interest from an X-ray image of the hand; acquiring a soft tissue background gray level removed image by removing a soft tissue background gray level from the region of interest; and extracting a phalange edge image from the soft tissue background gray level removed image.
US08050471B2
To reduce the contrast fluid and X-ray load on patients during interventional procedures, a real-time visualization architecture combines 2D live images with 3D reconstructed volume information. In general, 2D X-ray images are recorded from below (Posterior Anterior) and presented head up (Anterior Posterior) by applying a mirroring operation on the image data. In order to ensure a correct alignment of the 2D live images within the reconstructed 3D volume, the 3D information is displayed under the same inverse viewing angle as the 2D live images by applying a mirroring around the Y-axis to the 3D information and by presenting the 3D information in a reverse sorting order. Furthermore, transparent surface/volume rendering combined with silhouette rendering maintains the contrast in the 2D information while preserving the 3D impression.
US08050470B2
A branch extension method and system for segmenting airways in 3D image data is disclosed. An initial airway segmentation is obtained from the 3D image data. Terminal branches of segmented airways of the initial airway segmentation are identified. The segmentation of the terminal branches is then extended. The segmentation of the terminal branches can be extended using various segmentation techniques. This method can use complex segmentation techniques to extend the terminal branches without having a large impact to the overall speed of the segmentation.
US08050466B2
A face recognition method for working with two or more collections of facial images is provided. A representation framework is determined for a first collection of facial images including at least principle component analysis (PCA) features. A representation of said first collection is stored using the representation framework. A modified representation framework is determined based on statistical properties of original facial image samples of a second collection of facial images and the stored representation of the first collection. The first and second collections are combined without using original facial image samples. A representation of the combined image collection (super-collection) is stored using the modified representation framework. A representation of a current facial image, determined in terms of the modified representation framework, is compared with one or more representations of facial images of the combined collection. Based on the comparing, it is determined which, if any, of the facial images within the combined collection matches the current facial image.
US08050465B2
A database includes an identifier and associated parameters for each of a number of faces to be recognized. A new acquired image from an image stream is received potentially including one or more face regions. Face detection is applied to at least a portion of the acquired image to provide a set of candidate face regions each having a given size and a respective location. Using the database, face recognition is selectively applied to at least one of the candidate face regions to provide an identifier for a face recognized in a candidate face region. A portion of the image is stored including the recognized face in association with at least one image of the image stream.
US08050461B2
A method for mapping includes projecting onto an object a pattern of multiple spots having respective positions and shapes, such that the positions of the spots in the pattern are uncorrelated, while the shapes share a common characteristic. An image of the spots on the object is captured and processed so as to derive a three-dimensional (3D) map of the object.
US08050458B2
A frontal view imaging and control device installed on a movable object, includes: an image input unit receiving an image taken by an image device that captures a region of a road surface in a predetermined direction; a projection transformation unit linking each pixel of the image onto a virtual two-dimensional plane of a road surface through coordinate transformation so as to form a virtual projection image on the two-dimensional plane; a projection likelihood calculation unit dividing the virtual projection image into a distant view section and a close view section, and calculating similarity defined between a projection of the distant view section and a projection of the close view section; and an attitude angle calculation unit determining an angle of depression and a panning angle that maximize the similarity as a measured attitude angle that indicates an image capturing direction of the imaging device.
US08050454B2
Methods to process digital video using trajectory extraction and spatiotemporal decomposition for search and retrieval of video are described. An example method extracts interest point data from data representing a plurality of video frames. The interest point data is extracted from each of the video frames independent of the other video frames. Subsequent to extracting the interest point data, the example method links at least some of the interest point data to generate corresponding trajectory information. The example method also clusters the trajectory information to form clustered trajectory information and extracts a representative feature index from the clustered trajectory information.
US08050452B2
Novel methods and systems for quantization based data embedding and reading in host signals, such as image, audio and video signals. To embed auxiliary data in a host signal, an embedder maps the host signal from a first domain into a mapped signal in a second domain. The embedder performs quantization based embedding of auxiliary data into the host signal using quantizers. The quantizers are adapted such that the relationship between corresponding quantizers in the first and second domains satisfies a predetermined constraint. The mapping improves the robustness of the data embedding method by increasing the chances that the embedded data can be recovered by an auxiliary data reader after modifications. A related embedding method projects the mapped signal unto a vector, and specifically, a pseudorandom vector. It performs quantization based embedding on the projected signal. The use of this projection provides added robustness of the embedded data to noise and other forms of distortion.
US08050448B2
A method is disclosed for gaining access to an object and/or to a service of an object or service provider. A biometric reference parameter of at least one user is recorded in a personal mobile station. The user orders an object or service from a remote server by means of his personal mobile station. An actual biometric parameter is recorded by a biometric sensor of the object or service provider and the recorded actual biometric parameter is compared to the reference parameter. On a successful comparison, access to the object or service is permitted. The invention further relates to a system with the components mentioned.
US08050447B2
A partial data acquisition unit acquires partial data included in digital data, a partial data specifying information acquisition unit acquires specifying information for the partial data, a combining unit combines the partial data and the specifying information, and a verification data generation unit generates verification data. Thus, it is possible to verify whether or not region data in image data has been altered. In addition, it is possible to verify that the region data is the region data in image data different from the original image data, and/or, it is possible to further verify that the region data is the different region data included in the original image data.
US08050445B2
Provided are a microspeaker and a method of designing the same. The microspeaker includes a first permanent magnet and a second permanent magnet disposed on the first permanent magnet with a predetermined gap therebetween, the first and second permanent magnets having opposite magnetization directions; a third permanent magnet and a fourth permanent magnet disposed on the third permanent magnet with a predetermined gap therebetween, the third and fourth permanent magnets being disposed next to the first and second permanent magnets, respectively, with an air gap therebetween; a yoke interposed between the first and second permanent magnets and between the third and fourth permanent magnets; a voice coil inserted into the air gap; and a vibrating diaphragm attached to an end of the voice coil and forming a sound field according to the movement of the voice coil, wherein the first and third permanent magnets have opposite magnetization directions, and the second and fourth permanent magnets have opposite magnetization directions.
US08050444B2
A headphone, headset, or ear protector incorporating adjustable clamping pressure and providing configurable distribution of headband pressure. In one embodiment, the headphones, headsets, or ear protectors include a headband or neckband and at least one earcup coupled to the headband or neckband. The headphone, headset, or ear protector further includes an adjustment mechanism coupled to the headband or neckband and the at least one earcup that provides continuously variable adjustment of clamping pressure provided by the at least one earcup to the head of a user. In another embodiment, the headphone, headset, or ear protector include a headband or neckband, a first earcup coupled to the headband or neckband and a second earcup coupled to the headband or neckband. The headphone, headset, or ear protector further include an adjustment mechanism coupled to the headband or neckband and the first and second earcups that adjusts clamping pressure provided by the first and second earcups to the head of a user and a single control configured to control the adjustment mechanism. In other embodiments, the headphone, headset, or ear protector allows a user to maintain correct left/right stereo imaging while allowing the user to choose which side is placed over the right or left ear.
US08050438B2
The manufacture of housing parts of a hearing apparatus and in particular a hearing device is to be simplified. To this end, provision is made to also efficiently use a so-called tumbling process for the surface treatment of housing. On account of this, a closure element is proposed for closing openings of housing parts for a hearing apparatus of this type during a tumbling process. The closure element has a disk-like center part, a first column section, which protrudes from the one side of the disk-like center part and has a first swelling on its free end, and a second column section, which protrudes from the other side of the disk-like center part and has a second swelling on its free end. A closure element of this type allows openings of housing parts, which are attached to the column sections, to be closed and protected for a tumbling process.
US08050415B2
A method and an apparatus for detecting audio signals are disclosed. The input audio signal is detected to determine whether it is a background frame. The detected background signal is further detected according to a music characterization value and a decision rule. Therefore, background music can be detected, and the classifying performance of the voice/music classifier is improved.
US08050412B2
A demodulator (10) converts television signals to video baseband signals and audio baseband signals including stereo signals representing a right channel signal value and a left channel signal value. A DSP (60) recursively finds a preferred coefficient value for a scaling that reduces stereo separation due to amplitude variation of the right and left channel signal values. The preferred coefficient value is thereafter used for scaling the right and left channel signal values.
US08050409B2
As various applications of wireless ad hoc network have been proposed, security has become one of the big research challenges and is receiving increasing attention. The present invention provides for a distributed key management and authentication approach by deploying the recently developed concepts of identity-based cryptography and threshold secret sharing. Without any assumption of pre-fixed trust relationship between nodes, the ad hoc network works in a self-organizing way to provide the key generation and key management service, which effectively solves the problem of single point of failure in the traditional public key infrastructure (PKI)-supported system. The identity-based cryptography mechanism provided not only to provide end-to-end authenticity and confidentiality, but also saves network bandwidth and computational power of wireless nodes.
US08050396B2
Techniques for message forwarding based on a relationship between a sender and a recipient are described herein. In one embodiment, a process includes, but is not limited to, in response to a message from a sender over a network, identifying a list of candidate recipients to handle the message based on roles of the candidate recipients within an organization in view of the sender, and forwarding the message to a recipient selected from the list of the candidate recipient to enable the selected recipient to handle the message. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.
US08050394B2
A method of implementing call compliance at a central facility through account specific access, the method involving: receiving a call from a caller on an incoming connection; obtaining and verifying account information; enabling the caller on the incoming connection to initiate an outgoing call on an outgoing connection depending on account information; receiving over the incoming connection an identifier of a destination to which a call is to be initiated over the outgoing connection; checking a do-not-call database for an indication of whether the destination is a do-not-call destination; if it is determined that the destination is a do-not-call destination, blocking the outgoing call from taking place over the outgoing connection; and if it is determined that the destination is not a do-not-call destination, allowing the outgoing call to take place over the outgoing connection.
US08050391B1
A method for creating an accounting record in a communication network may include receiving a SIP message and matching service point triggers with data. The method may also include invoking an application server associated with the service point trigger matched. The method also includes capturing accounting information associated with the invoked application server.
US08050384B2
A small tabletop stationary five-degree of freedom device such as a “robot” is used to define the treatment region by tracing the region under direct visualization and then to precisely deliver the treatment plan created by an automatic planning system by positioning a single low energy radiation source, or a plurality of low energy sources connected to each other in a predetermined parallel or similar geometry, each source equipped with blocking and attenuation mechanisms, at a plurality of positions in a planar fashion across or through a selected treatment field, thereby delivering a plurality of parallel overlapping beams indexed on a millimeter or submillimeter grid such that a concentration of dose is achieved at a variable depth in tissue relative to the dose where the radiation first enters the tissue and can be used to treat regions on or below the surface of tissue, in a cavity and underlying region created following a surgical resection, on or below the surface of an internal cavity, hollow viscus, or lumen, or deep in tissue adjacent to an inserted probe or conduit or catheter. By generating a plurality of overlapping beams indexed on a millimeter or submillimeter grid that converge on a target volume loaded with gold nanoparticles, a tumorcidal dose of radiation can be delivered in as little as a single session to tumor cells but not to normal cells within or outside the treatment volume. This approach also makes it possible to deliver serial radiosurgical treatments.
US08050380B2
A zone-optimized mirror (MZ) for reflecting extreme ultraviolet (EUV) or X-ray radiation (18) includes a reflective surface (S) having two or more substantially discrete zones (Z1, Z2, . . . Zn) that include respective coatings (C1, C2, . . . Cn). Each coating is configured to optimally reflect a select range of incident angles of the radiation incident thereon. An EUV optical system (10) and an EUV lithography system (200) that includes at least one zone-optimized mirror are also disclosed.
US08050378B2
In a spent fuel pool of a nuclear power plant, there is provided a system for aligning a nuclear fuel bundle and handling selected fuel rods within the fuel bundle. The bundle includes water rods, full-length and part-length fuel rods extending through a plurality of fuel spacers provided between top and bottom ends of the bundle, each spacer having a plurality of cells accommodating corresponding fuel and water rods. The system includes a bundle alignment system for aligning the fuel rods and water rods, a rod grapple tool to extract selected part-length rods from the bundle, and a fuel rod guide block slidable onto the top end of the bundle for protecting an uppermost fuel spacer of the bundle, and for aligning fuel rods within individual cells of all the fuel spacers in the fuel bundle.
US08050377B2
Irradiation target retention systems, fuel assemblies having the same, and methods of using the same
Example embodiments and methods are directed to irradiation target retention devices that may be inserted into conventional nuclear fuel rods and assemblies. Example embodiment devices may hold several irradiation targets for irradiation during operation of a nuclear core containing the assemblies and fuel rods having example embodiment irradiation target retention devices. Irradiation targets may substantially convert to useful radioisotopes upon exposure to neutron flux in the operating nuclear core and be removed and harvested from fuel rods after operation.
US08050373B2
A system and method is provided for phase interpolator based transmission clock control. The system includes a transmitter having a phase interpolator coupled to a master timing generator and a transmission module. The phase interpolator is also coupled to a receiver interpolator control module and/or an external interpolator control module. When the system is operating in repeat mode, the transmitter phase interpolator receives a control signal from a receiver interpolator control module. The transmitter phase interpolator uses the signal to synchronize the transmission clock to the sampling clock. When the system is operating in test mode, a user defines a transmission data profile in an external interpolator control module. The external interpolator control module generates a control signal based on the profile. The transmitter phase interpolator uses the signal to generate a transmission clock that is used by the transmission module to generate a data stream having the desired profile.
