US08092826B2
The present invention provides improved confectionery compositions which have a substantial reduction in the unpleasant organoleptic sensations associated with the release of functional ingredients from the confection in the oral cavity. The confectionery composition comprises a confectionery base, a functional ingredient which is a botanical or a mineral or a mineral salt having an unpleasant mouthfeel, and from about 0.5% to about 5.0% by weight of the composition of one or more fats, said amount being effective to suppress the unpleasant mouthfeel of the functional ingredient. For botanicals the confectionery composition is a hard boiled candy composition or a hard gum composition and the fat is one or more partially hydrogenated vegetable oils or saturated fats. For minerals or their salts the confection is a hard boiled candy composition and the fat is one or more partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. As a result of the present invention, improved hard confectionery products are provided which have a substantial reduction in the unpleasant organoleptic sensations associated with the functional ingredients upon release of the functional ingredient from the confection in the oral cavity.
US08092818B2
According to an aspect of the present invention, medical devices are provided, which contain (a) a substrate and (b) a polymeric region disposed over the substrate which contains at least one block copolymer. The block copolymer, in turn, contains at least two polymer blocks which phase separate into two or more immiscible phase domains within the polymeric region. Moreover, a bioactive species is covalently attached to at least one of the polymer blocks. By attaching the bioactive species selectively to at least one polymer block, self-assembled clusters of the bioactive species are created as the blocks phase separate into immiscible phase domains.
US08092816B2
The present invention relates to an insecticidal composition comprising a pyrethroid and a second insecticide selected from the group consisting of imidacloprid, nithiazine, thiamethoxam, dinotefuran, nitenpyram, thiacloprid, clothianidin and chlorfenapyr, with significantly improved knockdown and mortality characteristics when applied to general household pests.
US08092810B2
The present invention relates to the use of polypeptides related to a Bacillus licheniformis polypeptide (amino acids 1-85 of SEQ ID NO: 2) as antimicrobial agents, for example in pharmaceutical applications, including veterinary applications, as well as for preservation, cleaning and disinfection of various surfaces, objects and substances. The polypeptides may in particular be used to treat textiles or laundry, e.g., in detergents, for reducing microbes on textile or laundry, and/or for odor reduction. The invention also relates to use of Bacillus strains producing these polypeptides as antimicrobial agents. Examples of microorganism inhibited by Lento are Gram positive bacterial strains, such as Bacillus cereus, and various species of Corynebacterium, Enterococcus, Micrococcus, Streptococcus, and Staphylococcus.
US08092802B2
The present invention provides methods for treating one or more diseases or disorders which are improved, inhibited or ameliorated by reducing interleukin-4 (IL-4) activity. The methods of the invention comprise administering to a patient an antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, which specifically binds to a human IL-4 receptor.
US08092797B2
Anti-VEGF antibodies and variants thereof, including those having high affinity for binding to VEGF, are disclosed. Also provided are methods of using phage display technology with naïve libraries to generate and select the anti-VEGF antibodies with desired binding and other biological activities. Further contemplated are uses of the antibodies in research, diagnostic and therapeutic applications.
US08092787B2
The present invention relates to compositions comprising a structured benefit agent pre-mix or delivery vehicle comprising benefit agent structured with crystalline materials, as defined, which when separately prepared and combined after preparation, provides enhanced delivery of optical modifier carried on, trapped within or in the presence of the structured benefit agent.
US08092779B2
A post-biopsy cavity treatment implant includes a radiopaque element, a core portion and a shell portion. The core portion is coupled to the radiopaque element, and includes a first porous matrix defining a first controlled pore architecture. The shell portion is coupled to the core portion and includes a second porous matrix defining a second controlled pore architecture that is different from the first controlled pore architecture.
US08092776B2
A process and method for recovering elemental selenium, selenite or selenate from minerals and selenium salts solutions using a reducing sugar to reduce selenium before precipitating the elemental selenium, selenite and/or the selenate.
US08092771B2
The present invention provides a process for producing a nitrogen-containing carbon material, comprising a first step of subjecting azulmic acid to a first heat treatment in an oxygen-containing gas atmosphere, thereby preparing a heat-treated product, and a second step of subjecting the heat-treated product to a second heat treatment in an inert gas atmosphere.
US08092769B2
A process and apparatus are described for converting a feed that is substantially comprised of halogenated materials, and especially byproduct and waste chlorinated hydrocarbons as are produced from a variety of chemical manufacturing processes, to one or more higher value products via a partial oxidation reforming reaction step. These products can be in the form of a useful or salable acid product and/or a product synthesis gas comprised of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, or the reaction product including the same hydrogen halide, carbon monoxide and hydrogen components can be employed as a feed in the synthesis of a different useful or salable product.
US08092763B2
An apparatus for positioning a cuvette in an optical beam path of an optical measuring instrument, with a shaft for axially inserting a cuvette, and means for pressing a cuvette against at least one wall surface of the shaft, which comprise at least one arrangement of a magnet, stationarily arranged with respect to the shaft, and a magnet movable with respect to the same, which are oriented such that the movable magnet tends to occupy a certain position with respect to the stationary magnet, in which the movable magnet engages at least partially into the shaft.
US08092759B2
Microfluidic sample processing disks with a plurality of fluid structures formed therein are disclosed. Each of the fluid structures preferably includes an input well and one or more process chambers connected to the input well by one or more delivery channels. The process chambers may be arranged in a compliant annular processing ring that is adapted to conform to the shape of an underlying thermal transfer surface under pressure. That compliance may be delivered in the disks of the present invention by locating the process chambers in an annular processing ring in which a majority of the volume is occupied by the process chambers. Compliance within the annular processing ring may alternatively be provided by a composite structure within the annular processing ring that includes covers attached to a body using pressure sensitive adhesive.
US08092756B2
Catalyst withdrawal apparatuses and methods for regulating catalyst inventory in one or more units are provided. In one embodiment, a catalyst withdrawal apparatus for removing catalyst from a FCC unit includes a vessel coupled to a flow control circuit. Another embodiment of a catalyst withdrawal apparatus includes a vessel, a delivery line, and control valve. The control valve is configured to control the amount of gas to the delivery line and entrained with the catalyst. Another embodiment of catalyst withdrawal apparatus includes a vessel coupled to a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger includes a first conduit; a housing confining a coolant volume around a portion of the first conduit; and a sliding seal sealing the housing to the first conduit in manner that allows longitudinal expansion. A fluid catalyst cracking system coupled to a catalyst withdrawal apparatus and method for withdrawing catalyst from a unit are also disclosed.
US08092752B2
An apparatus and method for extracting oils and fats from oil-bearing substances without using degrading temperatures. The apparatus may comprise an extraction chamber containing an oil-bearing substance, an oil-collecting chamber, a recovery pump, a first jacket adjacent at least a portion of the extraction chamber, and a second jacket adjacent at least a portion of the oil-collecting chamber. The method involves heating a solvent and reducing pressure to facilitate a low-temperature vacuum boil; delivering the heated solvent into the extraction chamber configured to facilitate the low-temperature vacuum boil of the solvent within the extraction chamber; pumping the solvent in vapor form out of the extraction chamber with the recovery pump; delivering the oil and fat extracted in the extraction chamber to the oil-collecting chamber; pumping solvent in vapor form out of the oil-collecting chamber with the recovery pump; and delivering the solvent received by the recovery pump to the first and second jackets to provide heat to the chambers.
US08092748B2
A housing for a component of an exhaust system, in particular for an exhaust gas purification device, has an envelope that comprises a shrunk clamping portion for the component, a transition portion that adjoins the clamping portion in an axial direction, and a connecting portion that adjoins the transition portion in the axial direction. The diameter of the connecting portion is larger than that of the clamping portion. A method of producing the housing for the component includes providing a tubular envelope, and inserting the component into the envelope. A shrinking step is then carried out in the clamping portion which terminates spaced apart from ends of the envelope as viewed in the axial direction, whereas the axial ends of the envelope are not acted upon.
US08092747B2
Modular reactor for exothermic/endothermic chemical reactions which take place in three-phase systems, comprising a series of modules, superimposed with respect to each other, fixed to each other by means of coupling flanges, each module consisting of an external cylindrical body and a series of tube bundles, for the circulation of a thermal-exchange fluid, positioned inside said body.
US08092745B2
The present invention provides a magnetic sensor which detects a target substance indirectly by making a labeling substance larger than the target substance bond with the target substance contained in a sample in a detection area, and detecting the labeling substance, comprising a capture area which is relatively easy to capture the target substance, and a non-capture area which is relatively hard to capture the target substance, on a surface of a member which is comprised in a detection area, wherein the capture area is surrounded by the non-capture area. Thereby, the sensor enables to detect comparatively accurately the number and concentration of substances which cannot be directly detected, and enables to be used for detection of various target substances.
US08092741B2
A water chlorinating device having a vessel (2) in turn having a bottom portion (6) for containing water; a grille (10) located over the bottom portion and for supporting a solid chemical chlorinating substance (11); a spray device (13) for directing at least one water jet on to the grille (10); and a mixing nozzle (29) located inside the bottom portion (6), at the bottom of the vessel (2), and for agitating the water in the bottom portion (6) by means of a water jet.
US08092737B2
Disclosed is a method of micro/nano imprinting, which applies soft mold, pre-shaping sealing film, and soft holder arrangements to the micro/nano structure imprinting process of the curved substrates. The method of the present invention can prevent the curved surface from crumbling, which may result from high gas pressuring, and can obtain uniform imprinting pressure distribution throughout the whole curved substrate. Moreover, replicating micro/nano structures onto double-sided curve, both convex and concave, surfaces can also be achieved.
US08092734B2
Covers for microelectronic imagers and methods for wafer-level packaging of microelectronics imagers
Methods for forming and attaching covers to microelectronic imaging units, packaging microelectronic imagers at the wafer level, and microelectronic imagers having covers that protect the image sensor are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method includes providing a first substrate having a plurality of covers, the covers including windows comprising regions of the first substrate and stand-offs projecting from the windows. The method continues by providing a second substrate having a plurality of microelectronic dies with image sensors, integrated circuits electrically coupled to the image sensors, and terminals electrically coupled to the integrated circuits. The method includes assembling the covers with corresponding dies so that the windows are aligned with corresponding image sensors and stand-offs contact corresponding dies inboard of the terminals and outboard of the image sensors. The first substrate is then cut to singulate the individual covers, after which the second substrate is cut to singulate individual imaging units.
US08092733B2
A method of manufacturing decorative plastic composites having a decorative layer, a backing layer and a clear outer layer which provides exceptional “depth of image” is disclosed. Decorative or protective appliqués' having a wide range of decorative patterns may be formed by injection molding a backing layer behind and a clear outer layer on the top surface of a relatively thin foil, film, fabric, veneer or sheet of paper.
US08092729B2
A steam dispersion system including insulation is disclosed. The steam dispersion system may include a steam dispersion tube with at least one opening defined on an outer surface of the steam dispersion tube and a hollow interior. The insulation covers at least a portion of the steam dispersion tube, the insulation defining an opening aligned with the opening of the steam dispersion tube, wherein the insulation meets 25/50 flame/smoke indexes for UL723/ASTM E-84 and has a thermal conductivity less than about 0.35 Watts/m-K (2.4 in-hr/ft^2 deg F.). A nozzle defining a throughhole may be placed within the opening of the steam dispersion tube, the throughhole being in fluid communication with the hollow interior of the steam dispersion tube to provide a steam exit.
US08092727B2
The invention a method of forming complex shape of styrenic polymer foams in which a pressing surface is created, for example, by planing/machining a layer of an as formed extruded styrenic polymer plank, contacting said plank with a contoured die face and pressing the foam to form the complex shape.
US08092726B2
Method of making eyeglass lens are disclosed where the lens are made of layers which include an outer, convex hard coating, a layer of hard epoxy, a laminated PVA film where one of the layer of the PVA film is dipped in high contrast dye, a layer of soft epoxy, a base material, and an inner, concave hard coating. Other methods configuration of lens also include a camouflaged patterned lens, a layer of hard epoxy, a polyurethane mixture, a laminated PVA film where one of the layer of the PVA film is dipped with high contrast dye, a layer of soft epoxy, a base material, and an inner, concave hard coating.
US08092721B2
Methods and compositions for the deposition of ternary oxide films containing ruthenium and an alkali earth metal.
US08092715B2
A terpene alcohol premix formulation raises the flash point of a volatile organic solvent to a level that results in a solvent solution that is less volatile. The catalytic formulation consists of a blend of two or more terpene alcohols and acetone. The blended terpene alcohols are present in the catalytic formulation in an amount of from about 5% to about 40%, by weight, based on the total weight of the terpene alcohol premix formulation. The remainder of the terpene alcohol premix formulation consists of from about 60% to about 95% acetone, by weight, based on the total weight of the terpene alcohol premix formulation.
US08092713B2
The invention concerns a method for marking a material characterized in that it consists in incorporating into the material: either a phosphor capable of producing, following excitation, two light emissions whereof the respective wavelengths and the emission decay times are different, or several phosphors capable of producing, following excitation, a light emission whereof the wavelength and the emission decay time are different from the wavelength and emission decay time of the other or other phosphors. The material can in particular be of the paper, board, paint, textile, ink, glass or macromolecular material type.
US08092705B2
The present invention provides a simple method for introducing magnetic particles into a polymer for further preparing a magnetic polymer, the method using the capability of polymer to absorb Fe3+ and other divalent metal ions M2+, adding alkali immediately each time after absorbing Fe3+ or M2+, thereby generating hydrated oxide of the Fe3+ and hydrated oxide of the divalent metal ions in sequence inside the polymer, and then heating, so that the hydrated oxide of the Fe3+ and the hydrated oxide of the divalent metal ions are transformed into magnetic particles MFexOy, where M may be Fe2+, Zn2+, Mg2+, Cu2+, Ca2+, Ba2+, Sr2+, Ni2+, Co2+, Mn2+ and the like, and x=1.0˜2.0; y=3.0˜4.0. Compared with the prior art method, the present one is simpler, wider in application, and more operable.
US08092702B2
A method of multi-stage substrate etching and a terahertz oscillator manufactured by using the method are provided. The method comprises the steps of forming a first mask pattern on any one surface of a first substrate, forming a hole by etching the first substrate using the first mask pattern as an etching mask, bonding, to the first substrate, a second substrate having the same thickness as a depth to be etched, forming a second mask pattern on the second substrate bonded, forming a hole by etching the second substrate using the second mask pattern as an etching mask, and removing an oxide layer having the etching selectivity between the first substrate and the second substrate, whereby the etched bottom is made uniformly even in a deep step, the edge curvature is minimized, and a T-shape is prevented from being formed on the etched wall face to thereby improve the etching quality. Further, the etching depth is previously controlled by lapping or polishing, the upper and lower substrates are precisely boned to each other using the alignment key, and a multi-layer processing is possibly performed thereto, so that the precision and the uniformity in structure of the oscillator or amplifier is obtained.
US08092699B2
A method for forming a phase grating is disclosed. First, a substrate is provided. Second, a first dielectric layer with a tapered recess or bulge is formed on the substrate. Later, a second dielectric layer is formed to fill the tapered recess and to cover the first dielectric layer. Afterwards, the second dielectric layer is selectively etched to form the phase grating. The phase grating includes a column and multiple rings. The column and multiple rings are concentric and the multiple rings are disposed on the tapered side so that the height of each ring is different.
US08092689B2
A method of reducing styrene emissions in aqueous cured-in-place pipe closed molding processes and other aqueous environments using a styrene reduction agent. The reduction agent generally comprises a calibrated mixture of salts including sodium chloride plus three persulfate salts: ammonium (APS), potassium (KPS), and sodium (NPS). These ingredients are combined in powder form and are compressed into soluble capsules containing calibrated amounts of the mixture. The capsule(s) may be prescribed through the use of software. Capsule(s) are added to the cure water prior to starting the boiler equipment for the Cured-In-Place Pipe process in order to reduce the residual monomer content in either process or waste streams.
US08092688B2
A method for treating water in a ballasted flocculation system comprises directing water into a ballasted flocculation zone and adding ballast and a flocculation reagent to the water to form a water-floc mixture. The water-floc mixture is directed into a settling zone to form treated water and sludge containing ballast. The ballast is then directed to a recirculation line where the ballast is recirculated to the ballasted flocculation zone. The method further includes determining the ballast concentration and comparing the ballast concentration with a predetermined threshold value. The rate at which ballast is recirculated to the ballasted flocculation zone is adjusted based on the determined ballast concentration and the predetermined threshold value. A ballasted flocculation system for treating water comprises a ballasted flocculation zone, a water inlet for directing water into the ballasted flocculation zone, and a flocculation reagent inlet for directing flocculation reagent into the ballasted flocculation zone. The system includes a settling zone for separating treated water from sludge containing ballast and a recirculation line for recirculating ballast from the settling zone to the ballasted flocculation zone. A first ballast inlet is operatively connected to the recirculation line for directing ballast into the ballasted flocculation zone. Finally, the system includes a sensor for measuring a parameter of ballast in the system.
US08092685B1
Methods and systems for growing algae are disclosed. For example, disclosed is an exemplary bioreactor for growing algae that includes a chamber, a liquid-permeable membrane that includes a plurality of hollow fiber membranes disposed within the chamber. Each hollow fiber membrane can include a hollow interior and may be made of a liquid-permeable, algae-impermeable membrane, and each hollow fiber membrane may be disposed within the chamber. The respective interiors of the hollow fiber membranes may at least partially define an inner-capillary space (ICS). The interior of the chamber and respective exteriors of the hollow fiber membranes may at least partially define an extra-capillary space (ECS). When algae is grown in the ECS, lipids produced by the algae may be extracted from the ECS to the ICS via the hollow fiber membranes without killing the majority of algae and while containing the algae to the ECS.
US08092683B2
The present invention relates to a method of preparing a library of resins which are useful in chromatography, which method comprises creating a diversity of multi-modal ion exchange resins; and providing the diversity in a parallel system in which each resin is presented separated from the other resin(s).
US08092676B2
A tank for use in a system that outputs a liquid at a user defined constant temperature in order to regulate the temperature of a piece of equipment includes a body of material defining a chamber for receiving and storing the liquid. The top wall has a fill port and one of the other walls includes an outlet port. An auxiliary port and fluid return port are also included. The body further includes a well, sized to accommodate a deionizer cartridge, extending down into the chamber from an opening in top wall that can be removed. A flow velocity reducer is disposed in the auxiliary port for reducing the velocity of the liquid entering the auxiliary port from the return fluid port and then passing into the fill port so that the liquid does not spray or splash onto the walls of the fill port.
US08092667B2
An electrochemical deposition method to form uniform and continuous Group IIIA material rich thin films with repeatability is provided. Such thin films are used in fabrication of semiconductor and electronic devices such as thin film solar cells. In one embodiment, the Group IIIA material rich thin film is deposited on an interlayer that includes 20-90 molar percent of at least one of In and Ga and at least 10 molar percent of an additive material including one of Cu, Se, Te, Ag and S. The thickness of the interlayer is adapted to be less than or equal to about 20% of the thickness of the Group IIIA material rich thin film.
US08092663B2
A gas sensor control device is disclosed as including a sensor cell having a negative terminal, to which a current-voltage converter is connected, and a differential amplifier is connected to the current-voltage converter to provide a current measured result applied to a microcomputer. The current-voltage converter has an opposite-to-sensor terminal to which another differential amplifier is connected. A sensor-side terminal of the current-voltage converter and another differential amplifier is electrically connected to each other via an electric pathway having a sensor-current flow disabling pathway in which a switch circuit is provided. Closing the switch circuit allows a potential difference between both terminals of the current-voltage converter is zeroed. With the switch circuit closed, the microcomputer calculates an element current correcting value, while detecting an electromotive force of the sensor cell based on which a failure is determined.
US08092661B2
The invention relates to novel electropolymerisable monomers which are to be polymerised in an aqueous solution and comprise: an electropolymerisable pattern selected from acetylene, pyrrols, thiophenes, indols, anilines, azines, p-phenylene vinylenes, p-phenylenes, pyrenes, furanes, selenophenes, pyrridazines, carbazoles, acrylates, methacrylates and the derivatives thereof, and a metalloporphyrine which is substituted by at least two ionised or ionizable entities in an aqueous solution. The invention also relates to a method for the polymerization of such monomers, to the electroactive probe that can be obtained by the polymerization of such monomers, and to a method for detecting a target ligand in a biological sample using one such electroactive probe.
US08092654B2
A process belt for papermaking with a long operational life comprises an integrated structure of a reinforcing fibrous base material 6 and a polyurethane layer, the reinforcing fibrous base material being embedded in the polyurethane, wherein an inorganic filler selected from calcined kaolin clay, fused silica and zeolite is homogeneously dispersed in the polyurethane.
US08092650B2
This invention relates to a method for producing or treating a fibrous web, in particular a paper web or paperboard web, with which at least one property of the fibrous web, in particular a CD (cross direction) profile, such as the moisture CD profile, is established such that a preselected quality range is adhered to or a predefined quality value is undershot by no more than a predefined deviation, wherein the power consumption of the method, in particular the heat energy input, is reduced therewith by establishing at least one property such that the lowest permissible value of the quality range or the maximum permissible deviation is reached at least approximately on a straight line.
US08092647B2
The present invention is a method for producing a pulp from a fibrous lignocellulose material or source using a treatment or pretreatment step which exposes the material to oxalic acid derivatives, particularly dialkyl ester derivatives, particularly in the vapor phase. Once treated, the material may be refined using any one of the several pulping methods to produce a final pulp product and the production of the product is accompanied by strength increases in paper made from the pulp and energy savings in making the pulp, hi addition the treatment or pretreatment produces a soluble carbohydrate source and other components (e.g. acetic acid, other wood components) for further product development. In certain cases a pulp product is not produced and all of the carbohydrate present in the lignocellulose is converted into soluble sugars.
US08092646B2
A vaporization apparatus and related vaporization method is provided that relies on thermocapillary convection. The apparatus of a thermocapillary evaporator has three sections: an evaporation section, a displacement section, and a storage system for storing the liquid to be evaporated. The evaporation section is operable to distribute thermal energy substantially along the entire liquid-gas interface. The method of the present invention includes providing a thermocapillary evaporator. Advantageously, the present invention provides substantial evaporation from relatively low temperature heat sources, compared to conventional evaporators.
US08092645B2
During detachment of a die from an adhesive tape, the inner and outer portions of a first side of the die which is in contact with the adhesive tape is supported with a support surface. A collet contacts the inner and outer portions of a second side of the die opposite to the first side. Support is withdrawn from the outer portion of the die such that the outer portion of the second side of the die bends away from the collet while the support surface only supports the inner portion of the die. Vacuum suction from the collet is applied to attract the outer portion of the die towards the collet and the vacuum suction pressure is monitored until a threshold pressure is reached indicating that the outer portion of the die is contacting the collet. Thereafter, the collet is lifted while holding the die with vacuum suction to completely separate the die from the adhesive tape.
US08092642B2
Provided is a plasma processing apparatus capable of generating a uniform plasma by preventing a nonuniformity of a current flow in a slot antenna. A dielectric plate is disposed to close a top opening of a plate cover and a slot antenna for generating plasma is disposed on the dielectric plate. By allowing an outer periphery of the slot antenna to make direct contact with an inner wall portion of the plate cover by using a conductive member having elasticity, when a microwave is supplied to slot antenna, it is possible to make an electrical resistance between the inner wall portion of the processing vessel and the outer periphery of the flat plate antenna substantially the same at any point in the entire circumference of the processing vessel, so that magnitude of the microwave current flowing in the slot antenna can be made approximately the same.
US08092639B2
A plasma reactor having a reactor chamber and an electrostatic chuck with a surface for holding a workpiece inside the chamber includes a backside gas pressure source coupled to the electrostatic chuck for applying a thermally conductive gas under a selected pressure into a workpiece-surface interface formed whenever a workpiece is held on the surface and an evaporator inside the electrostatic chuck and a refrigeration loop having an expansion valve for controlling flow of coolant through the evaporator. The reactor further includes a temperature sensor in the electrostatic chuck and a memory storing a schedule of changes in RF power or wafer temperature. The reactor further includes a thermal model capable of simulating heat transfer between the evaporator and the surface based upon measurements from the temperature sensor, and a control processor coupled to the thermal model and to the memory and governing the backside gas pressure source in response to a prediction from the model of a change in the selected pressure that would compensate for the next scheduled change in RF power or implement the next scheduled change in wafer temperature.
US08092636B2
An anisotropic conductive adhesive for anisotropic conductive connection of an electronic component to a wiring board under no pressure or a low pressure is prepared by dispersing conductive particles in a binder resin composition. A metal flake powder having a major axis of 10 to 40 μm, a thickness of 0.5 to 2 μm, and an aspect ratio of 5 to 50, is used as the conductive particles. The amount of the conductive particles contained in the anisotropic conductive adhesive is 5 to 35 mass %. This anisotropic conductive adhesive is supplied to a connection terminal of a wiring board, and a connection terminal of an electronic component is preliminarily connected to a connection terminal of a substrate while arranging the anisotropic conductive adhesive therebetween. Then, the electronic component is heated without applying a pressure or while applying a low pressure to the electronic component to connect the substrate with the electronic component.
US08092633B2
Deadhesion of an IC tag inlet during vulcanization molding of tire is suppressed, while preventing adhesion of a portion other than a sticking out portion. An IC tag comprises a sheet-like IC tag inlet 2, a protective cover 3 of an unvulcanized rubber sheet adhered to the surface Sf of the inlet 2 through a primer layer 10 and an adhesive layer 11, and an antiadhesive layer 4 formed on the rear surface Sr of the inlet 2, wherein a maximum value Ga′max of storage shear modulus Ga′ of a rubber of the protective cover 3 at a temperature of 150 to 200° C. and a storage shear modulus Gb′0 of the primer layer 10 at a temperature T0 showing the maximum value Ga′max satisfy the following equation: Ga′max×10−2
US08092613B2
A method of warewashing for the removal of starch is described herein. The method includes applying an alkaline composition to a dish, then applying an acidic composition to a dish, and then applying a second alkaline composition to the dish. The method may include additional steps. Compositions for using with the method are also disclosed. Finally, dish machines that may be used in accordance with the method are disclosed.
US08092608B2
The present invention relates to a composition comprising prebiotic (prebiotic adjuvant) for decreasing inflammatory process by improving the homeostasis of non-specific immune parameters and of lymphocyte subpopulations. It also relates to the use of a prebiotic formulation in the manufacture of a medicament or a food or petfood composition for decreasing inflammatory process and/or abnormal activation of non-specific immune parameters, such as phagocytes.
US08092607B2
In a vacuum coating installation to coat planar substrates, comprising a vacuum chamber and a transport device arranged in the vacuum chamber for transporting the substrates along a transportation path through the vacuum chamber, with the transport device comprising a multitude of transport rollers arranged successively along the transportation path, each transport roller is adapted to be mounted at least at two different positions, vertically distanced from each other. A carrier frame has a substrate accepting structure and a guiding rod arranged at the bottom of the carrier frame in the direction of transportation to create a friction connection with the transportation device, connected to the carrier frame at the connection points, with the guiding rod being connected at least at one connection point to the carrier frame such that a relative displacement is possible of the guiding rod relative to the carrier frame in the direction of transportation.
US08092604B2
A solid organometallic compound novel filled container stably supplies an apparatus for vapor phase epitaxial growth such as an MOCVD apparatus with a solid organometallic compound over a long term. The solid organometallic compound-filled container has a carrier gas inlet and a carrier gas outlet. The interior of the filled container is separated into a plurality of vertical compartments. A carrier gas introduced via the carrier gas inlet flows through each of the vertical compartments and is then discharged via the carrier gas outlet.
US08092595B1
A method for forming an ordered array of nanocrystals where a hydrophobic precursor solution with a hydrophobic core material in an organic solvent is added to a solution of a surfactant in water, followed by removal of a least a portion of the organic solvent to form a micellar solution of nanocrystals. A precursor co-assembling material, generally water-soluble, that can co-assemble with individual micelles formed in the micellar solution of nanocrystals can be added to this micellar solution under specified reaction conditions (for example, pH conditions) to form an ordered-array mesophase material. For example, basic conditions are used to precipitate an ordered nanocrystal/silica array material in bulk form and acidic conditions are used to form an ordered nanocrystal/silica array material as a thin film.
US08092592B2
Exemplary embodiments as disclosed herein are directed to setting and curing accelerators for hydraulic binders, including at least one ester of a polyhydric alcohol with an acid and/or salts thereof, where the acid is a phosphoric acid, phosphorous acid or a C2 to C20 carboxylic acid. Compositions including at least one accelerator as disclosed herein can accelerate the setting and curing of hydraulic binders and mortar or concrete produced therefrom, such as quick-setting cement. Methods for accelerating the setting and curing of hydraulic binders and mortar or concrete produced therefrom are also disclosed.
US08092584B2
Disclosed is a process for making an animal blood adhesive and the resulting adhesive composition. The adhesive is made by adding to fresh, whole animal blood, without dewatering the blood, an anticoagulant and a preservative. Lime is then added to the anticoagulated, preserved blood, and the pH is adjusted to between about 9 and about 11. A curing agent (such as potassium silicate, sodium silicate and aluminum dihydrogen phosphate) and ammonia are then added to the mixture to yield the animal blood adhesive. The adhesive can be made from any animal blood, such as bovine, porcine, or avian blood. The resulting adhesive is useful for adhering wood-based products, such as plywood and particle board.
US08092577B2
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for removing chemical sterilant molecules from a medium, such as a carrier gas. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a housing that defines an internal cavity. The housing has an inlet and an outlet fluidly communicating with the internal cavity. An electrode is dimensioned to be received in the internal cavity of the housing. The electrode is made of a material that is chemically active with respect to molecules of a chemical sterilant and conductive to electricity. The electrode is connected to a source of an electrical charge such that an electrical field gradient is formed in a region of space surrounding the electrode. The electrical field gradient is operable to force the chemical sterilant molecule toward the electrode.
US08092573B2
A process for the production of a purified PGM selected from the group consisting of platinum and rhodium from an impure PGM source, the process comprising (a) obtaining an anhydrous PGM halide from the impure PGM source; (b) treating the PGM halide with carbon monoxide at an effective temperature; pressure and time to form the PGM carbonyl halide; and (c) (i) wherein the PGM is platinum, heating the platinum carbonyl halide at an effective platinum decomposition temperature to produce the purified platinum; (ii) wherein the PGM is rhodium, heating the rhodium halide at an effective rhodium decomposition temperature to produce the purified rhodium; and (iii) wherein the platinum carbonyl carbonyl halide and the rhodium carbonyl halide are in a gaseous mixture, effecting step (i) at a temperature lower than the rhodium effective decomposition temperature prior to effecting step (ii). The process is of particular value in the recovery and recycle of PGM materials from vehicle exhaust catalytic converters.
US08092569B2
This invention includes uses and methods of preparing phosphites and/or hyposphosphites (and their polymeric forms and/or their salts) and phosphite-based agrochemicals (fertilizers and biocides) from phosphate or other naturally occurring or synthetic phosphorus sources using anaerobic microbial fermentation. The fermentation process produces both a liquid and solid phase phosphite/hypophosphite salts which can be used as an agrochemical product.
US08092568B2
A ceramic honeycomb filter comprising a honeycomb structure having large numbers of flow paths partitioned by porous cell walls, and plugs alternately formed in the flow paths on the exhaust-gas-inlet and outlet sides, the outlet-side plugs having porosity of 65% or less, and the upstream-side end surfaces of the outlet-side plugs having surface roughness Ra of 13-50 μm.
US08092551B2
A method for producing pantyhose and other nylon or spandex hosiery with a long-lasting aloe finish is provided. A first step of the method is to place the pantyhose in a dye tub with a quantity of dye mix and ammonia sulfate. The contents of the dye tub are then heated until the pores in the nylon fibers of the pantyhose open and accept the dye molecules. A color fix is then added to the dye tub along with an acid substitute for creating a strong bond between the dye molecules and the nylon fibers. A softening mix containing a cationic nylon softener and a diluted silicone softener is then applied to the pantyhose. Lastly, an aloe finish containing a silicone micro-emulsion is added to the dye tub followed by another quantity of acid substitute for creating a strong bond between the aloe finish and the nylon fibers of the pantyhose.
US08092546B2
A knee arthroplasty prosthesis includes a femoral component having multiple pieces with engagement means provided for engaging various pieces of the femoral component to one another following their insertion in the incised area of the femur. A tibial component includes multiple pieces designed for assembly following positioning in the incision. The tibial component includes a Morse taper cavity on one piece of the tibial component and a Morse taper extension on another member of the component for receipt therein.
US08092545B2
A knee arthroplasty prosthesis includes a femoral component having multiple pieces with engagement means provided for engaging various pieces of the femoral component to one another following their insertion in the incised area of the femur. A tibial component includes multiple pieces designed for assembly following positioning in the incision. The tibial component includes a Morse taper cavity on one piece of the tibial component and a Morse taper extension on another member of the component for receipt therein.
US08092544B2
An orthopaedic implant includes a patella component having a posterior bearing surface configured to articulate with the femoral condyles of a femur, and an anterior surface having a number of pegs extending outwardly therefrom. The superior edge of the patella component is thickened relative to conventional dome-shaped patella components.
US08092542B2
The invention relates to a surgical implant that provides an artificial diarthroidal-like joint, suitable for use in replacing any joint, but particularly suitable for use as an intervertebral disc endoprosthesis. The invention contains two rigid opposing shells, each having an outer surface adapted to engage the surfaces of the bones of a joint in such a way that the shells are immobilized by friction between their outer surfaces and the surfaces of the bone. These outer surfaces are sufficiently rough that large frictional forces strongly resist any slippage between the outer surface and the bone surfaces in the joint. They may be convex, and when inserted into a milled concavity, are immediately mechanically stable. Desirably, the outer surfaces of the shells are adapted to allow for bony ingrowth, which further stabilizes the shells in place. The inner surfaces of the shells are relatively smooth, and adapted to slide easily across a portion of the outer surface of a central body disposed between the shells. The central body has a shape that cooperates with the shape of the inner surface of the shell so as to provide a range of motion similar to that provided by a healthy joint. A flexible sheath extends between edges of the opposing shells. The inner surface of this sheath, together with the inner surfaces of the rigid shells, defines a cavity encasing the central body. At least a portion of this cavity is filled with a fluid lubricant, further decreasing the frictional force between inner surfaces of the shell and the surface of the central body.
US08092537B2
Instrument and implants are disclosed which provide for insertion of an implant into an intervertebral disc space from multiple approaches to the spine. Specifically, as a preferred aspect of the invention the implant includes a tapered portion and the implant may be inserted from multiple approaches to the spine with the orientation and taper properly oriented in the disc space regardless of the approach.
US08092533B2
Implants and methods for dynamic stabilization and/or fusion of vertebral members. The implant includes relief cuts that provide flexibility to accommodate relative movements of the vertebral members. The number, size, and shape of the relief cuts may vary depending upon the desired flexibility. Shims are sized to fit within the relief cuts to adjust the flexibility of the implant. The shims may be placed within the relief cuts to adjust the overall flexibility of the implant. In general, the stiffness of the device increases with an increase in the number of shims. Shims may also be placed within specific relief cuts to adjust the flexibility for predetermined vertebral movement.
US08092522B2
An implantable valve prosthesis including a frame defining a lumen extending between a proximal frame end and a distal frame end and a leaflet positioned within the lumen and having a distal edge attached to the frame and a proximal edge free of the frame. The leaflet includes a first and a second slit extending distally from the proximal edge and defining a free portion of the leaflet between the first and second slits. The leaflet is movable between a position that allows fluid flow in an antegrade direction and a second position that restricts flow in a retrograde direction.
US08092519B2
Method and apparatus for implanting radially expandable prostheses in the body lumens rely on tacking or anchoring of the prostheses with separately introduced fasteners. The prostheses may be self-expanding or balloon expandable. After initial placement, a fastener applier system is introduced within the expanded prostheses to deploy a plurality of fasteners at least one prosthesis end, usually as each end of the prosthesis. The fasteners are usually helical fasteners which are delivered from a helical track in the fastener applier by rotation with a rotator wire. The fasteners will be applied singly, typically in circumferentially spaced-apart patterns about the interior of each end of the prosthesis.
US08092512B2
An intraluminally implantable stent is formed of helically wound wire. The stent has a generally elongate tubular configuration and is radially expandable after implantation in a body vessel. The wire includes successively formed waves along the length of the wire. When helically wound into a tube, the waves are longitudinally nested along the longitudinal extent of the stent so as to form a densely compacted wire configuration. After radial expansion the stent maintains high radial compressive strength and wire density to retard tissue ingrowth.
US08092510B2
A delivery system for self-expanding stents is provided. The delivery system includes a wire releasably attached to a portion of the self-expanding stent. The wire restrains movement of the stent when the stent is released from the delivery system. Thus, more accurate placement of the stent may be possible.
US08092493B2
The surgical stapling apparatus includes a handle assembly, an elongated body extending distally from the handle assembly, and an articulation mechanism for articulating a tool assembly. The articulation mechanism includes a first gear rotatably mounted on a transmission shaft and configured to engage a second gear, a clutch interconnecting the second gear and a main shaft; and a yoke shaft coupled to the main shaft and adapted to linearly advance a J-channel, the J-channel operatively connected to an articulation link. A motor assembly may rotate the transmission shaft of the articulation mechanism. Alternatively, the articulation mechanism may include an articulation knob. Users may manually rotate the articulation knob to articulate the tool assembly of the surgical stapling apparatus.
US08092489B2
A tissue grasping apparatus includes a control member, an elongated shaft, and a tissue grasping member attached to the distal end of the elongated shaft. An activation mechanism provides an user-operable connection between the control member and the tissue grasping member. In an embodiment, the tissue grasping member includes a pair of jaws configured to open to an included angle between the jaws of 180 degrees or more. In an embodiment, the activation mechanism includes a flexible drive wire attached to the penetrating member.
US08092480B2
This invention relates to devices, such as cannulas or needles, which are used for inserting expandable structures, such as medical balloons, into interior regions of a human or animal body, as well as methods for their use. In various embodiments, insertion devices described herein are capable of flaring at their tip to ease insertion and removal of expandable structures and reduce the risk of damaging such expandable structures during their insertion, inflation and removal. In other embodiments, insertion devices described herein are capable of directionally guiding and/or inhibiting expansion of an expandable structure within an interior region of an animal or human body to create optimally placed cavities for repair, augmentation and/or treatment of fractured and/or diseased bone.
US08092476B2
Disclosed are cap embodiments each comprising a body having a skin-engaging end defining a piercing aperture, a lancet receiver, and an intermediate member. A first cam path is located on one of the lancet receiver and the intermediate member, and a first cam follower is located on the other of the lancet receiver and the intermediate member that engages the first cam path. A second cam path is located on one of the cap body and the intermediate member, and a second cam follower is located on the other of the cap body and the intermediate member that engages the second cam path. The first and second cam paths are configured such that rotation of the intermediate member by an actuating mechanism causes the cap body to move forward and rearward and the lancet receiver to move forward and rearward. Also disclosed are lancing devices and methods of use.
US08092458B2
The present invention describes a magnetic targeting system suitable for guiding a biocompatible device to a target area within the body (in vivo) and method of using the same. The system includes a targeting member having a steering material and is attached to the biocompatible device. The system also includes at least one anchoring member constructed and arranged for the inclusion of a magnetic material effective for influencing the traversal of the steering material, in vivo. The magnetically influenced anchoring member interacts with the targeting member such that the biocompatible device is positionable relative to the target area.
US08092454B2
A fixation instrument for treating a bone fracture including a bone screw and a nail, wherein the bone screw extends through an opening in the head or proximal end of the nail. A movable insert is disposed within a chamber located at the proximal end of the nail. The insert engages the bone screw to prevent rotation thereof once the bone screw is placed in position.
US08092453B2
Medical kits for treating fractures in or adjacent the wrist and distal forearm employ an intramedullary interlocking fixation rod (i.e, it interlocks the distal and proximal fracture fragments together) to stabilize the skeletal structure in a manner which can inhibit the amount of collapse or loss in skeletal length exhibited by a patient with a distal radius fracture.
US08092444B2
An articulation segment for a catheter includes a tube formed with a first plurality of axially aligned slits that are respectively oriented in planes perpendicular to the axis, with each slit extending azimuthally in an arc partway around the axis. The tube is also formed with a second plurality of similarly formed slits that are axially offset and diametrically opposed relative to the slits of the first plurality to allow for a bending of the catheter in a plurality of different planes. In a particular embodiment, the slits are arranged to allow the articulation segment to be reconfigured from a straight, substantially cylindrically shaped tube to a configuration in which a portion of the articulation segment is formed in the shape of a ring.
US08092440B2
An absorbent article of the kind which is worn as a pair of absorbent pants with a waist opening defined by a rear waist edge and a front waist edge, and two leg openings. The absorbent article preferably includes an absorbent body attached to a covering. The covering preferably includes an elastic material arranged within an area which extends at least from the front waist edge to the leg openings. The elastic material is preferably treated. The treated elastic material preferably has no or reduced elasticity within a portion of the covering overlapping the absorbent core.
US08092436B2
A bodily fluid drainage assembly having one or more covers and a fluid bag. The fluid bag has a first and a second volume indicator. The first volume indicator is employed by comparing a top level of a fluid with graduations that make up the first volume indicator. The second volume indicator and one of the covers can be used to appreciate an approximate volume of the fluid without directly observing the fluid. Any covers present on the assembly can be removed.
US08092428B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for adjusting the delivery times of an insulin delivery profile of an insulin pump, wherein the insulin pump is operable to automatically deliver insulin to a person having diabetes based on an operating time of the internal clock and a delivery time of an insulin delivery profile. The method may comprise receiving a local time zone time from an external local clock, determining whether the operating time of the internal clock differs from the local time zone time by at least a first predetermined amount of time, requesting the person provide a time adjustment value when the operating time of the internal clock differs from the local time zone time by at least the first predetermined amount of time, receiving the time adjustment value from the person, and adjusting the delivery times of the insulin delivery profile based on the time adjustment value when received.
US08092426B2
A regional anesthesia system and a cart for aiding in the placement of a regional anesthesia block without the need of ancillary assistance. The invention includes equipment for use in the performance of a regional anesthesia block which is carried on a cart for transporting and providing a stable foundation for the equipment. The equipment includes a nerve localization means such as ultrasound or a peripheral nerve stimulator for locating a target nerve of a patient, a position assist arm for maintaining the position of the localization means over the target nerve while the operator inserts an anesthetic needle over the target nerve, and an anesthetic infusion device for infusing or aspirating through the anesthesia needle. The infusion device includes an infusion pump controlled by a foot pedal. The system may be easily transported to a patient requiring a regional anesthesia block, and allows the regional anesthesia block to be performed with minimal ancillary assistance.
US08092419B2
A disposable injector with a housing (10) in which are arranged at least one mechanical spring energy reservoir (50), at least cylinder/piston unit (100) filled with an injection solution, at least one piston-actuating ram, and at least one trigger unit. The spring-loaded piston-actuating ram is supported on the housing via at least one support rod (21), wherein the contact zone located between an individual support rod and the piston-actuating ram represents a wedge gear pairing that forces the respective support rod radially outwards. The support rod or support rods bear on at least one activation element (82) that is mounted on the housing and positioned in a locking position. The activation element can be brought by displacement into a triggering position that releases the piston-actuating ram.
US08092417B2
The present invention relates to a device for injecting a liquid medicine such as a Ringer's solution, and more particularly, to a device for regulating the amount of liquid medicine to be injected. According to the present invention, there is provided with a device for regulating the flow rate of a liquid medicine on a flow path of the liquid medicine, comprising an inflow passage for allowing the liquid medicine to be introduced therethrough; a discharge passage for allowing the liquid medicine to be discharged therethrough; a space for storing the liquid medicine introduced through the inflow passage therein; a capillary unit placed between the space and the discharge passage and having at least two capillaries and a plurality of outlets formed on the side of the discharge passage to correspond to the respective capillaries; and a discharge amount regulating valve that is placed between the capillary unit and the discharge passage and is movable to change the number of capillaries communicating with the discharge passage.
US08092405B2
A self-contained oral vibrator featuring an elastomeric band that is generally used as a sexual novelty apparatus. The apparatus is made of two basic parts. The first part, the integrated vibrator, is comprised of a motor used to cause vibration, a small battery power source and an external barrel 4. The second primary element of the apparatus is the elastomeric band itself. The band is designed to both fasten to the tongue during use and also house the vibration apparatus. The elastomeric band is essentially made of two parts; the first part, the bottom part, is a flat loop that wraps around the tongue during use while the second part, the top part, is designed as a barrel 4 to hold in place the vibration barrel in place. The vibration barrel and band together form an integrated tongue vibrator absent the necessity for multiple parts to achieve the same end result.
US08092401B2
The invention describes a method and an apparatus for producing shock waves in a fluid for medical applications. In a work volume filled with fluid, the pressure is increased mechanically by pulses. The pressure pulse produced in the work volume is transferred to the fluid volume by means of a partition, in order to produce shock waves in the fluid volume.
US08092391B2
An ultrasonic imaging catheter apparatus and a method of using the same to scan the inner wall of a body lumen. The ultrasonic imaging catheter apparatus comprises: (a) a flexible elongate element adapted for insertion into a body lumen, the elongate element having distal and proximal ends; (b) an ultrasonic transducer generating and detecting ultrasonic energy disposed proximate the distal end of the elongate element; (c) a reflective member disposed proximate the ultrasonic transducer and optionally rotatable with respect to an axis of the body lumen, wherein the reflective member is adapted to reflect (i) ultrasonic energy generated by the ultrasonic transducer to a wall of the body lumen and (ii) ultrasonic energy reflected by the wall back to the transducer; and (d) an actuator, for example, an electroactive polymer actuator, adapted to change the angle of incidence of the ultrasonic energy relative to the reflective member.
US08092366B2
The present disclosure is generally directed to surgical articles useful for implanting support members in patients. The articles disclosed herein include a support member, such as a sling for urinary incontinence, tissue anchors, filamentary elements for associating the support member with the anchors, and introducer needles for placing the anchors in a patient. The support members can also be configured for use in pelvic floor repair, such as for treating cystoceles, rectoceles, and enteroceles.
US08092363B2
The present invention relates to an external heart device, having a layered band dimensioned to be received around a patient's heart, which also includes at least one fillable chamber between the layers in the band that functions to apply localized pressure to the outside of the heart when filled. More particularly, the fillable chambers are positioned such that they exert an inward radial force on a heart valve. Areas between the fillable chambers may also be sized and positioned to form a bridge of little to no pressure over the vascular structures of the heart.
US08092360B2
Methods for making multi-walled containers from a single blank, preferably using a continuous process approach, and the resulting containers are disclosed. Various embodiments of the invention include, alone or in combination, intermediate panels formed from flap precursors that are in- or out-folded such that their distal ends are in proximate relationship to each other; outer flaps sized to overlap exposed edges of a container formed from the blank; stress relief features a joint corners to reduce stresses thereat. Methods for making select containers of the invention include folding and adhering the flap precursors to an inner panel, up-folding the inner panel/intermediate panel combination about a mandrel, and continuing to up-fold the outer panel until a container having a “use” position as a resting position is formed.
US08092359B1
A fuser member for toner fusing systems and processes. This fuser member has a fuser base and a fusing surface layer, and the fusing surface layer contains a fluoroelastomer and filler particles. The filler particles have a mean particle diameter greater than 5 microns, and a modulus greater than the modulus of the fluoroelastomer at fusing temperatures. The fusing surface layer has at least the minimum proportion by volume of these particles, with at least the minimum mean particle diameter, that will provide the fusing surface layer with an equilibrium surface roughness so that, in fusing toner to substrate, the fuser member generates an image having a gloss number less than 10.
US08092349B2
A stationary exercise device having variable footpaths is disclosed. The exercise device includes a frame, a pair of supporting members that have a first end to rotate about an axis and a second end to move along a reciprocating path, a pair of pedals joined to the supporting members, and a guider assembly for adjusting an incline angle of the reciprocating path.
US08092339B2
A method for controlling a powertrain includes operating a transmission in a neutral operating range state, monitoring commands affecting an input speed, monitoring a tracked clutch slip speed, determining constraints on an input acceleration based upon the commands, determining a clutch slip acceleration profile based upon the constraints on the input acceleration, determining an input acceleration profile based upon the clutch slip acceleration profile, and controlling the powertrain based upon the clutch slip acceleration profile and the input acceleration profile.
US08092337B2
The composite planetary gear apparatus according to the present invention can bring about an advantageous effect to prevent fuel efficiency from being lowered stemming from the increased stirring loss of oil. The apparatus comprises a first planetary gear assembly 11 having a sun gear S1, pinion gears P1, and a ring gear R1, and a second planetary gear assembly 12 having a sun gear S2, pinion gears P2, and a ring gear R2. The ring gears R1 and R2 surround the pinion gears P1 and P2 and are combined together to integrally form a counter drive gear 13. The counter drive gear 13 is formed with a plurality of through bores 13c each having an inner end opened at a closed space defined by the first and second planetary gear assemblies 11 and 12, and an outer end opened at an outer space surrounding the counter drive gear 13.
US08092328B2
A dual tensioner assembly for a two-belt drive system including a mounting bracket, a first and second cup coaxial and integrally formed on opposite sides of the mounting bracket with a common base wall having a hub formed therein, a first and second pivot arm each having an integral cylindrical member and each having a tensioner pulley journaled thereon, a tensioning mechanism in each cup biasing its respective pivot arm, a pivot shaft in each cup that is fitted into the hub, and a sleeve bushing on each pivot shaft pivotably supporting its respective cylindrical members.
US08092324B2
Provided are: a sheet-like ball material including a fibrous base material, and an elastic polymer cover layer that is laminated on a surface of the fibrous base material, in which continuous pebbles and discontinuous valleys are formed on a surface of the cover layer, the valleys discontinuously formed are formed at average intervals of 0.5 to 3 mm, the valley has a depth of 50 to 500 μm, a vertical projected area of each valley is 1 to 5 mm2, and a total area of the vertical projected area of each valley accounts for 3 to 30% relative to a surface area of the elastic polymer cover layer; a ball used for volleyball or beach volleyball including the sheet-like ball material, which is excellent in the controllability for all types of ball plays such as tossing and serving in the smoothness of the attenuation degree in the ball speed of the ball during flight of the ball, and in the design, e.g., three-dimensional shape, which is not realized in a heretofore-existing ball, and also has a sufficient surface abrasion resistance; and a sheet-like ball material suitably used for such balls.
US08092323B2
A sports stick exhibiting a superior strength to weight ratio. The sports stick design allows for decreased flexure, increased rigidity and increased durability, which lend to greater generation of force, accuracy, reliability and longer life expectancy. The sports stick utilizes aerodynamic features in order to achieve an exposed truss like structure which permits airflow through the internal sections of the shaft which creates greater shaft acceleration and velocity. The sports stick also affords enhanced strength in the direction of a shot and receipt of a pass. The sports stick also provides for channeling away of fluids throughout the length of the stick. The sports stick also provides a system wherein weight can be regulated in multiple regions throughout by utilizing removable or fixed weighted elements or by sizing of cutaways strategically designed to be placed in a certain area of the stick, depending on player handling preference.
US08092322B1
A bunt guard 1 that easily attaches to all baseball and softball bats during bunting practice. A protective shield 2, durable and deflective by design, protects the bunter's hands 10 and fingers 12 from erratic pitches, or slow reaction. The shield 2 attaches and detaches quickly with straps 5 B holding the bunt guard 1 in its desired location.
US08092320B2
The present invention provides a golf club head that can hit a ball with a sufficiently large amount of backspin. The golf club head according to the present invention is an iron type golf club head made of a metal and including a flat face. A plurality of traces are formed by milling on the face. The pitch of the traces is between 0.1 mm and 1 mm.
US08092318B2
A golf club head includes a body member having a front surface, a major recess formed in the front surface, and a plurality of minor recess formed in a surface of the major recess. A face plate includes a front surface, a rear surface, and a plurality of projections extending outwardly from the rear surface. The face plate is received in the major recess, and each projection is received in a corresponding minor recess. A layer of resilient material may be disposed between each projection and the corresponding minor recess.
US08092316B2
A golf club head is presented comprising a sole including a removable panel secured to the sole via a non-threaded attachment assembly. Further, the removable panel may have a large surface area relative to its thickness, resulting in a chip-like or wafer-like weight member. This design allows the mass of the removable panel to be spread substantially along the surface of the sole as opposed to in the interior of the club head. The golf club head may comprise more than one removable panel. A removable panel of the present invention may generally comprise one or more discrete areas of higher basis weight or higher density. Even further, the removable panel may generally be releasably attached via a quick disconnect mechanism that allows easy interchangeability.
US08092313B2
A universal joint yoke includes: a cylindrical portion for fixing a shaft; a slit that is formed in the cylindrical portion and that extends from one end of the cylindrical portion in an axial direction of the cylindrical portion, which is a first direction; a reinforcement flange that extends from the other end of the cylindrical portion radially outward with respect to the cylindrical portion; and a pair of arms that extend from the reinforcement flange on a side opposite to a side on which the cylindrical portion is provided and that are swingably coupled to another yoke via a coupling shaft.
US08092310B2
A propshaft having first and second universal joints. The first universal joint has a first joint member, which is fixedly coupled to a first end of the shaft member, and a second joint member that is pivotally coupled to the first joint member. The second universal joint has a third joint member, which is fixedly coupled to a second end of the shaft member opposite the first end, and a fourth joint member that pivotally coupled to the third joint member. At least one of the second joint member and the fourth joint member is electrically insulated from the shaft member.
US08092294B2
At least one pool of game play records is stored at a central processing system. Each game play record includes a record index selected from a set of unique index values, each associated with a different result type. A record index associated with a particular game play record is communicated from the central processing system to the player terminal in response to a game play request which a player has entered at the player terminal. The player terminal responds to the received record index by generating display commands using data at the player terminal to produce a graphic representation at the player terminal. This graphic representation is consistent with the result type associated with the index value comprising the particular record index which has been communicated to the player terminal.
US08092291B2
A gaming device having a poker game with multiple options for the player to purchase extra cards. In one embodiment a stud five card hand is dealt to the player. The player can keep the five cards or purchase an extra card at a first cost. If the player purchases the first card, the player can thereafter keep the six card hand or purchase a second card at a second higher cost. This cycle is repeated for up to a predetermined number of cards such as five additional cards in one embodiment. When five additional cards are purchased, the game provides any accrued award to the player.
US08092285B2
A sensor system (24) for controlling a ventilation unit (22) of a vehicle (20) includes a sensitivity selector (70) for enabling a user to select a setting (76) corresponding to an air quality threshold (94, 98), and an air quality sensor (62) proximate an exterior of the vehicle (20) for detecting an air quality parameter (71). A controller (66) is responsive to the selector (70) and the sensor (62), and is in communication with an inlet air valve (32) of the ventilation unit (22). A method (118) of operating the sensor system (24) entails receiving a current value of the air quality parameter (71) at the controller (66) for comparison with the air quality threshold (94, 98). The controller (66) generates a switch signal (74) in response to the comparison for adjusting the inlet air valve (32) between an outside air mode (44) and a recirculation mode (46).
US08092282B2
The invention relates to a device (1) at a mobile grinding machine (2) for stone materials and that comprises a rotatably driven disc-shaped housing (3), which is arranged to support a plurality of grinding disc holders (6) rotatably driven by a belt (5) or chain driven by a motor (4), which holders are distributed along the circumference of said housing (3) and supported by shafts (11) connected to said housing (3) at a mutual distance from each other. According to the invention, internally (7) in a casing (8), which surrounds a said housing (3), a gear rim (10), situated concentrically with a centre driving shaft (9), is arranged non-turnably connected to the casing (8). The grinding disc holder shafts (11) support an intermediate coupling cogwheel (18) each that co-operates non-turnably with the appurtenant shaft and with said gear rim. The gear rim (10) has a through opening (19) for the shaft (9) driven by the motor (4), and between the gear rim (10) and the housing (3), formed of a grinding supporting drum, a seal (31) is arranged that extends along their outer periphery (10A, 3A). Upon driving actuation of the motor (4), it is accomplished that the grinding disc holders (6) and the housing (3) are driven to rotate in different directions (100 and 200, respectively) in relation to each other.
US08092271B2
An interactive toy for playing a game with a user of the toy includes electrical components for producing audible messages to instruct user actions. The toy also includes a hat having a brim movable between up and down positions. The position of the brim determines the play sequence of the toy and the audible messages played thereby by way of an activation mechanism. The toy is switched between “hide me” and “locate me” modes based on the position of the brim. An abbreviated trial mode is provided by way of a removable pull tab.
US08092268B2
The invention provides a method of repairing the pixel structure, and the method includes the following. First, an electrical connection between the current control unit and the power line is cut. The power line is then electrically connected to the redundant active device, so that the current control unit and the redundant active device control the current provided by the power line. The invention provides a method of repairing the organic electro-luminescence display unit, suitable for repairing the above-mentioned organic electro-luminescence display unit, and the method includes the following. First, an electrical connection between the current control unit and the power line is cut. The power line is electrically connected to the redundant active device, so that the current control unit and the redundant active device control the current passing through the organic electro-luminescence layer.
US08092262B1
An electrical contact includes a base and an eye-of-the needle (EON) pin extending a length outwardly from the base to a tip. The EON pin is configured to be received within an electrical via. The EON pin includes a neck segment that extends outwardly from the base, a tip segment that includes the tip, and a compliant segment that extends from the neck segment to the tip segment. The neck segment has opposite end walls and opposite side walls that extend between the end walls. The end walls are connected to the side walls at corresponding transitional walls that interconnect spaced-apart edges of the corresponding end and side walls.
US08092253B2
According to an embodiment, a communication terminal is discussed, by which a coaxial cable capable of carrying a pair of signals is provided to the communication terminal and by which the case performs a grounding function for the coaxial cable to enhance the grounding function.
US08092246B1
A connector apparatus and concomitant method of connecting first and second Micro-D connectors comprising inserting latches affixed at both ends of the first connector into mounting holes on the second connector and causing locking tabs on the latches to engage with a support portion of the second connector.
US08092244B1
An electrical connector includes an insulating housing with a plurality of terminals disposed therein, a buckling part, and a locking element. The insulating housing has a receiving chamber penetrating through a rear thereof. The insulating housing defines two buckling grooves with rears thereof being narrower than fronts thereof, and two fixing grooves connecting with insides of the buckling grooves. The buckling part is inserted in the buckling groove, and has a base arm, a contact arm and a fixing arm having a greater width than that of the base arm to be buckled in the front of the buckling groove. The locking element is inserted in the fixing groove, and has a base board resisting against the fixing arm, a fastening portion and a hook grappling an inside of the fixing groove. The fastening portion is located between the inside of the fixing groove and the fixing arm.
US08092242B2
A socket, mounted on a printed circuit board for electrically connecting an IC package, comprises an insulative housing receiving a plurality of contacts, a linking member and a cover. The insulative housing and the linking member are mounted on the printed circuit board, and the linking member is located beside of the insulative housing. The cover is formed with a first end pivotally assembled to the linking member and a second end opposite to the first end. The second end is provided with a tongue portion to be retained to the printed circuit board by a screw and a projecting piece extending from a side of the tongue portion to be handled by operator to lift and open the cover.
US08092241B2
An electronic type removal preventing connector includes a joint and an electronic switch. The joint includes a port, and at least one through hole formed on an external surface of the joint and interconnected to the port. At least one set of electronic switches is installed onto the through hole, and includes a tongue passed through the through hole and having an oblique surface. If a metal plug of a portable electronic device is inserted into the port of the connector, the tongue of the electronic switch will be entered into a bolt hole of the metal plug to prevent the portable electronic device from being stolen. If the electronic switch is electrically conducted for an operation, the tongue will be separated from the through hole and the bolt hole, such that a user can remove the metal plug of the portable electronic device from the joint of the connector.
US08092240B2
The invention relates to an electric connection device including two conjugated connection devices (1, 2), one of which (2) including an outer casing (12), which are both provided with electric contacts (3; 4a, 4b) co-operating together in a connection position. The device of the invention is characterised in that the connection member (1) conjugated with the connection member (2) having the outer casing (12) is provided with a flexible tubular outer seal (13) attached at one end to said member (1) and provided with at least one front abutment annular surface (14) that co-operates by contact with a conjugated surface (15) on said casing (12) of the other member (2) and that comprises a rigid or semi-rigid ring (11) provided with means for translation guiding during the coupling of the connection members (1, 2) so that water tightness is provided between said connection members from at least their intermediate rest position to their connection position due to the co-operation between the front abutment annular surface (14) of the seal (13) and the conjugated surface (15) of the casing (12), said seal being further submitted to a creasing in the connection position.
US08092235B2
A connector assembly includes a housing and a plurality of contacts. The housing has a plurality of channels that extend between a housing mating end and an opposing back end. The housing mating end is configured to mate with a mating connector. The contacts each have a plurality of contact mating ends and a plurality of contact mounting ends. Each of the contact mating ends extends through one of the channels and is configured to provide a plurality of electrical connections with the mating connector. The contact mounting ends of each contact are arranged in a group and configured to be mounted to a circuit board. The contact mating ends are separated from one another by a first pitch and the contact mounting ends within each group are separated from one another by a second pitch that is smaller than the first pitch.
US08092226B2
A game is provided for teaching users about conditions affecting the human body. The game may include a game zone representing a body inflicted with a condition, a number of opponents representing attributes of the condition, and at least one character representing the user. The user may be asked a number of questions, and be required to answer the questions to obtain one or more weapons for overcoming the opponents. The story line of the game may represent the progression of the condition, and may require elimination of at least some of the opponents in order to overcome the condition and win the game.
US08092224B2
According to some embodiments, systems, apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture may provide for improved health care compliance. Embodiments may comprise, for example, identifying an occurrence of an event associated with the taking of a substance by a patient, determining output information associated with a game, and providing the output information to the patient. Some embodiments may comprise receiving a code associated with a patient, wherein the code includes encoded information that is indicative of an occurrence of an event associated with the taking of a substance by a patient, decoding the code to determine the information, determining whether the occurrence of the event is compliant with a condition associated with the taking of the substance, and providing, in the case that compliance with the condition is determined, one or more rewards to the patient.
US08092223B1
Learning aid device/method for children/adults/second-language-learners learning to read and write comprising a single or double-sided card depicting one or more words in upper and/or lower case displayed on ruled upper/lower case guidelines, and a corresponding real object image. The card includes ample space for a left or right-handed learner to copy/draw the word(s) depicted with erasable markers next to and/or below the word(s). The card is laminated (including a sealing margin) or coated, and is heavy-duty. The text may be textured, distinguishing it from the card's slick surface. When touching the text, learners gain finger/hand muscle training, assisting them in manipulating the writing instrument (marker). A key aspect of the inventive learning device is the provision of personalizable/interactive activity features, namely a slot at the edge of the image area where a picture personal to the user/learner may be inserted into a clear pocket viewable from the front of the card.
US08092215B2
A method for designing a restored smile includes receiving scan data of a patient's teeth, developing a digital model of the patient's teeth via a computing device, where the model represents the patient's teeth based upon the scan data, creating a dental treatment plan to restore one or more teeth from an initial condition to a successive condition, and wherein a final condition of the one or more is based on the one or more teeth having at least one planned additional restorative tooth structure provided therewith.
US08092214B2
The invention relates to a method for the continuous melting of inorganic salts and a furnace installation for realizing the method. Solid salts are fed into a furnace with the aid of a feeding unit. The salts contained in the furnace are heated. A flow of the salts is generating inside the furnace with the aid of a circulating unit. The flow generates a two-phase region containing solid and melted salt and a separate second region containing substantially solely a melt that is heated to the desired temperature. The melt is discharged from the separate second region simultaneous with the feeding of the solid salts into the furnace with the aid of a removal unit.
US08092210B2
Especially when it is necessary to provide voids (29) for panelling or glazing and a material formed by wood and glue conglomerate particles in one or three layers. These materials are received in separate metering devices that are able to move over a bench, being placed over the mould in accordance with a specific sequence of discharge and movements. It is defined by a fixed perimeter frame (10, 32) with apertures (12, 33) of the dimensions of the door, in which slides, snugly, a first framework (11, 34) and a second framework (14, 35) that can be moved inside the first framework and whose hollow is occupied by a series of pads or blocks (21, 22, 36, 37, 38) that can move independently through the action of respective cylinders (39, 40, 41) in order to occupy the raised position, forming the voids (15, 16, 29) for panelling or glazing, if any. The fixed frame (10, 32) has a moveable interior part (78) for producing oversized doors.
US08092199B2
Provided is a scroll compressor that is capable of three-dimensional compression, ensuring a required wrap strength while increasing a shoulder section height of a spiral wrap, and facilitating wrap processing. The scroll compressor includes shoulder sections at an end surface and a bottom surface of spiral wraps of a paired fixed scroll member and revolving scroll member and configured to be capable of three-dimensional compression in a circumferential direction and a height direction of the spiral wraps by setting a spiral wrap height of the spiral wraps further toward the outside of the shoulder sections greater than the spiral wrap height of the inward side, and wherein the shoulder sections provided on the end surface and the bottom surface at the spiral wrap are constructed of a plurality of shoulder sections, and the heights of the shoulder sections are set to heights in which base stresses at the shoulder sections are substantially equal.
US08092195B2
An electric motor includes a stator portion, a rotor portion, and a bearing mechanism, wherein the rotor portion includes a rotor holder having a substantially cylindrical shape with a closed end, and a field magnet fixed to an inner circumference of the rotor holder; the stator portion includes a stator, a base portion to which the stator is fixed, and a magnetic member; and the magnetic member includes a cylindrical portion having a substantially cylindrical shape into which a lower end portion of an insulator of the stator is inserted, the lower end portion being a portion of an outer portion of the insulator and opposing the base portion, and a flat portion having a substantially annular shape which spreads outwardly in a radial direction from a lower edge of the cylindrical portion and opposes a lower edge of the field magnet.
US08092183B2
A fan rotor, in particular for a turbomachine, the rotor comprising a disk carrying blades having roots engaged in substantially axial grooves in the outer periphery of the disk, a substantially frustoconical annular spinner mounted on the disk upstream from the blades, and axial retention means for retaining the blades on the disk in the upstream direction, which retention means are formed integrally with the spinner.
US08092182B2
A wind turbine apparatus includes a unit structure that is coupled to a central hub by way of an in-tension cable. The unit structure includes a first set of struts, wherein each strut in the first set of struts includes first and second ends, the first ends of the first set of struts are coupled to a first node and the first set of struts extend from the first node towards the central hub. The unit structure also includes a second set of struts, wherein each strut in the second set of struts includes first and second ends, the first ends of the second set of struts are coupled to the first node and the second set of struts extend from the first node away from the central hub.
US08092177B2
A cooling system for a turbine airfoil of a turbine engine having at least one diffusion film cooling hole positioned in an outer wall defining the turbine airfoil is disclosed. The diffusion film cooling hole includes first and second sections. The first section may function as a metering section, and the second section may function as a diffusion section. The second section may include flow restriction ribs that direct the flow of cooling fluids in disproportionately larger amounts proximate to the downstream side of the diffusion film cooling hole.
US08092154B2
Disclosed is a compact and integrated fan, pump, and heat exchanger system where air-cooling is performed via the fan, liquid cooling is performed via a pump, and the drilled pump diffusers act as a heat exchanger. The pump has drilled diffusers through which liquid passes into the volute, the drilled diffusers are streamlined and thus act as fan stator blades. Hot liquid is centrifuged and carried inside the drilled diffusers while air flows around the outside surfaces of the drilled diffusers. A heat transfer occurs where heat transfers from the hot liquid into the air stream.
US08092145B2
A system and method for particle separation in a gas turbine engine centrifugal impeller bleed air system using a tangential velocity component of the compressor bleed air to centrifuge the particles radially outwardly and convey the particles circumferentially, away from a clean air outlet and towards a particle outlet where the particles are extracted from the bleed air.
US08092143B2
A pneumatic card transport system is disclosed. The system is configured to use pressurized air to transport a card inserted to a conveying duct inside a card passageway assembly from a first end to a second end. Air nozzles are configured to release the pressurized airstreams at an angle relative to the conveying duct so that the card is essentially floating when traveling along the conveying duct. Hence, the card makes zero or minimum contact with the inner surface of the conveying duct. This will not only reduce the wear and tear of the card, but also reduces the traveling time inside the conveying duct.
US08092139B2
There are comprised a load chamber (51) for carrying in a wafer from outside, an unload chamber (53) for carrying out a wafer to outside, and a plurality of conveyance chambers (54a, 54b, 54c) and a plurality of process modules (52a, 52b) connected in series between the load chamber and the unload chamber. The conveyance chambers and the process modules are connected alternately and the plurality of conveyance chambers includes a first end conveyance chamber (54a) connected to the load chamber, a second end conveyance chamber (54c) connected to the unload chamber, and another one or a plurality of intermediate conveyance chambers (54b).
US08092126B2
An indexable drill is offered which enables suitable integration of a drill body and cutting insert. The crosshatch angles of clamp receiving faces of a cutting insert which are respectively pressed by clamp faces and of torque receiving faces which cross the clamp receiving faces and are adjacent thereto and to which is transmitted the rotary force of the drill body from the torque transmission faces are formed smaller within a range of 2° or less which is less than the crosshatch angles of clamp faces which clamp and hold the cutting insert of the drill body and torque transmission faces which cross these clamp faces and are adjacent thereto and which transmit the rotary force of the drill body to the cutting insert.
US08092125B2
A pneumatic feed drill has a control unit that repeatedly advances and retracts the drill bit in peck cycles while drilling the hole. The drill has a hydraulic damper cylinder with a damper rod protruding from it that limits the speed of advancement of the drill bit. A retainer device is mounted to the damper rod and prevents the damper rod from resetting to its initial position during the peck cycles. The retainer device releases the damper rod to reset when the drill bit has reached total depth. A safety device is pivotally mounted to the housing and has a closure tab that blocks access to the start button of the drill unless the damper rod is in its initial position.
US08092116B1
A method of raising a slab is described here that uses inflatable hoses to raise slabs needing to be raised, for example, to raise sunken slabs of a roadway to align to their adjacent slabs without closing the roadway and breaking ongoing traffic. The described method of raising a slab makes it more efficient to repair slabs needing to be raised while conventional repairing methods, for example, re-pouring, or mud jacking, which need to close the roadway and interrupt ongoing traffic, are more expensive, time consuming and less effective.
US08092112B2
A dowel assembly for a furniture system provides a fastener usable in assembling various components in a furniture system. The dowel may be employed to define the relationship between first and second components of the furniture system, such as the relationship between adjoining planar surfaces of adjacent furniture panels. The dowel is fitted with a cam such that the cam provides a non-uniform radius at the interface between the dowel and one of the components. Through selective positioning of the cam about the longitudinal axis of the dowel, the interface between components of the furniture system may be selectively adjusted to ensure flush alignment of contiguous surfaces.
US08092107B2
An electronic device includes a housing, a key board, and a height adjustment apparatus. The key board includes a number of first keys and a number of second keys. The height adjustment apparatus includes a platform for supporting the second keys, a cross bridging, a sliding button, and a pushing rod. The cross bridging includes a first supporting arm and a second supporting arm, the first supporting has an end slidably connected to the platform and the other end pivotably connected to a securing portion. The second supporting arm has an end slidably connected to the platform. The sliding button includes a lever surface facing the cross bridging. The pushing rod includes a first end pivotably connected to the other end of the second supporting arm and a second end resisting the lever surface.
US08092096B2
A vehicle wheel bearing apparatus has an outer member, an inner member, and at least one inner ring press fit onto a cylindrical portion of a wheel hub. Double row rolling elements are rollably contained between double row outer raceway surfaces and double row inner raceway surfaces. A constant velocity universal joint torque is inserted into the wheel hub. It is axially separably connected to the wheel hub by a securing nut. A shoulder of an outer joint member of the constant velocity universal joint abuts against the inner member. An abutting surface of the inner member that abuts the shoulder of an outer joint member is formed so that it does not include a segment of a mirror finished surface with an area exceeding 0.005 mm2.
US08092086B2
A temperature sensor includes: a temperature-sensing element comprising a temperature-sensing portion and an element electrode wire connected to the temperature-sensing portion; a sheath member comprising a sheath tube and a sheath core wire extending from the sheath tube, the sheath core wire being joined to the element electrode wire to form a joint portion; an enclosing member comprising a closed-bottomed tube having a bottom portion at one end, and enclosing at least the temperature-sensing element and the joint portion; and a holding material filling at least a portion of a space enclosed by the enclosing member extending between a front end face of the temperature-sensing portion and the bottom portion of the enclosing member. The element electrode wire includes a bend at an intermediate portion of the element electrode wire between the temperature-sensing portion and the joint portion.
US08092084B2
A method for precision thermal measurement and control, especially for bioreactors, as well as the correction of temperature sensitive probes such as pH and dissolved oxygen. Typical control requirements are +/−0.1° C. The thermal measurement circuit converts a sensor output to a high level voltage or current with great accuracy and provides noise immunity and sensor isolation. While digital outputs from sensor converters can have the greatest noise immunity, the noise associated with digital circuitry may contaminate low level sensor signals so in many cases an analog sensor converter is preferred because of low noise generation, especially if the converter is near the sensor. The circuit is low cost, reliable, generates minimal heat is immune to, and does not generate noise, and requires minimal calibration effort.
US08092077B2
The invention relates to a mechanism for the positioning of wristwatch control elements, whereas such control element may be implemented as a crown intended for the adjustment of the watch—as well as winding up the energy storage spring, for mechanical watches—or a pushbutton, and it is embedded in a hole in the watch case in an axially movable manner. The position mechanism contains a seat for the control element, as well as an actuating element linked to the control element from the side through at least one drive element designed to move the control element in its normal position countersunk in the seat, or one or more elevated operating positions.
US08092075B2
An agitation/deaeration apparatus is provided which causes a container containing a viscous to-be-kneaded object to be rotated and revolved simultaneously, to agitate and deaerate the to-be-kneaded object, wherein piping (wiring) connecting the container and an external device is prevented from twisting even when the container rotates. In an agitation/deaeration apparatus (1A) which performs agitation and deaeration of a to-be-kneaded object (K) by causing a container (9) accommodating a to-be-kneaded object (K) to be rotated about a rotation axis (Y2) of the container (9) and revolved about a revolution axis (Y2), provided are: a first rotation drive mechanism (motor 5) configured to drive and rotate a revolution table (7); a second rotation drive mechanism (a round-belt groove 3d, a pulley P3) configured to rotate the container (9) in a reverse direction at the same rotational speed relative to the revolution table (7); one or more of distribution means (a suction tube 8) of which one end is connected with the container (9) and the other end is connected with the external device.
US08092067B2
A display panel and a light source device used therein are provided. The display panel includes a light-guide thin-film circuit substrate, a light source and a polarizing layer. The light-guide thin-film circuit substrate has a light entrance end and a light exit top surface, and the light source is disposed corresponding to the light entrance end. The polarizing layer is disposed on the light-guide thin-film circuit substrate and parallels the light exit top surface of the light-guide thin-film circuit substrate. The light produced by the light source enters the circuit substrate through the light entrance end, guided and transmitted through the circuit substrate, and then leaves the circuit substrate through the light exit top surface and enters the polarizing layer. The light after passing through the polarizing layer is turned into a polarized light having flat light source effect as a backlight source for the system. A polarizer may even be disposed between the light source and the light entrance end, so the light is turned into polarized light before entering the circuit substrate.
US08092062B2
A first light guide plate of a light-emitting element is formed by a plurality of strip-shaped light guide bodies arranged in parallel with each other, where each strip-shaped light guide body has a light incident surface on which light from a light source is incident, and a light-emitting surface from which light from the light incident surface is emitted, and on which a plurality of prisms are formed. A second light guide plate of the light-emitting element is positioned so as to face the light-emitting surface side of the first light guide plate, has prisms formed on a surface of the first light guide plate side in a shape that meshes with a shape of the prisms of the first light guide plate, and is formed by a fewer number of light guide bodies arranged in parallel than the strip-shaped light guide bodies.
US08092061B2
A display assembly includes a light pipe having re-directing channels defined therein. When a light source is provided in a compartment of the light pipe, light admitted from the light source to the light pipe emits from a front face of the light pipe. In addition, light emitted from reflective surfaces spaced apart from external surfaces of the light pipe combine with light emitted through the front face to provide glow regions of light resulting in symmetric uniform illumination of the display.
US08092057B2
A device for automatic switching of the touring diaphragm by an extreme travel of the height controls of the headlight is provided with a mechanism for changing the spatial distribution of the light, consisting of a projector (1), attached by fixed hinges (2) to the body of the headlight (3). The adjustable hinge (4) enables movement of the projector (1) relative to the body of the headlight (3) by means of an actuator (5), so that in the extreme position there is a collision of the two-armed lever (6) with the body (3) and its rotation on a pivot (7), resulting in a change in the shape of the light beam. A spring (8) can be used to ensure the extreme positions of the travel.
US08092050B2
A fluid-convection heat dissipation device includes at least one heat dissipation module, at least two baffles, and a heat dissipation fluid. The heat dissipation module forms at least one internal receiving space and has an outside surface to which at least one light emission element is attached. The baffles are arranged in the receiving space to divide the receiving space into a plurality of convection channels that are in fluid communication with each other. The heat dissipation fluid is received in the receiving space as a convection medium displaceable in a circulating path along the plurality of convection channels.
US08092042B2
An LED apparatus for illumination toward a preferential side in a downward and outward direction including a shield member in the form of a layer positioned over LED packages and secondary lens members. The shield member has a shield portion and a substantially planar non-shield portion thereabout. In preferred embodiments, the shield portion extends over a part of the lens portion of the secondary lens member. A cover preferably secures the shield member with respect to the secondary lens member, the primary lens and the LED package, the shield member preferably being sandwiched between the cover and the flange of the secondary lens member.
US08092037B2
A retrofit kit is configured for a single or multiple tubular fluorescent lamp fixture. The original fixture being retrofitted may or may not have any reflectors. The kit includes a new improved reflector with double concave wings. The winged reflector preferably has a central arched, preferably trapezoidal portion which forms the lower cover of the fixture box. This central trapezoidal portion includes an access door to permit access to the ballast without the need to remove the winged reflector once it is installed. An arched, preferably trapezoidal socket bar is installed at each end of the fixture, to lower the position of the lamp with respect to the winged reflector surfaces, to enhance the light distribution in a downward direction while permitting enhanced up-lighting. The distal ends of the trapezoidal central portion of the reflector mate with the trapezoidal socket bars at opposite ends of the fixture.
US08092036B2
The present invention relates to a floor panel and a flooring with a preferably continuous and unbroken front face, which is at least partially light transmitting and which has a light pattern/sign at the front face.
US08092035B2
An illumination system including a lamp housing that may be mountable on a ceiling panel and a lamp supported within the lamp housing in a position to emit light from an opening in the housing. The lamp includes at least one LED that's removable through the housing opening.
US08092026B2
An optical engine includes a receiving chamber and three light source modules. Each light source module includes a positioning board, a heat dissipating plate, and a light source unit. The heat dissipating plate is sandwiched between the light source unit and the positioning board and adhered to the corresponding light source unit. The light source unit is installed on the receiving chamber. The positioning board is matched with the light source unit and installed on the receiving chamber.
US08092019B2
A non-contact ultrasonic tonometer for measuring intraocular pressure of an examinee's eye in non-contact manner by use of an ultrasonic wave comprises: a probe including a vibrator for making the ultrasonic wave incident on the eye and a sensor for detecting the ultrasonic wave reflected from the eye; a detection unit which detects an alignment state of the probe with respect to the eye; a determination unit which determines whether the alignment state is proper or not based on a detection result of the detection unit; a trigger signal generation unit which generates a trigger signal to start measurement based on a determination result of the determination unit; and a control unit which controls the probe to emit the ultrasonic wave based on generation of the trigger signal.
US08092018B2
A non-contact ultrasonic tonometer for measuring intraocular pressure of an examinee's eye, in non-contact manner by use of an ultrasonic wave comprises: a probe including a vibrator for making the ultrasonic wave incident on the examinee's eye and a sensor for detecting the ultrasonic wave reflected from the examinee's eye; and an observation optical system for observing an anterior segment of the eye, wherein the probe is placed in an optical path of the observation optical system, and the observation optical system forms an image of the anterior segment through a surrounding region of the probe.
US08092017B2
The invention relates to a method for producing an ophthalmic lens exhibiting optical function coexisting in producing an optical component (10) incorporating at least one type of active material (2) which is distributed in a parallel direction to the surface thereof. Said active material exhibits a radiation-modifiable optical property. The active material (5) portions disposed through the component (10) surface are, afterwards, selectively irradiated in such a way that the optical function is obtainable by modulating said property from one portion to another one, wherein the sizes of said portions are less than 1 mm.
US08092010B2
Baby and toddler sunglasses comprising: frames having lenses; said frames secured around the user's head by a band; said band secured to said frames by a securing piece; said sunglasses having a sound chip; said sound chip attached to said band.
US08092001B2
A liquid jetting apparatus includes: a head; an ink storage chamber communicating with the head; a gas distributing chamber in which a gas introducing hole is formed; a buffer chamber in which a communicating hole for communicating with the gas distributing chamber, and an atmosphere opening hole for opening to the atmosphere are formed; a combination valve which is capable of opening and closing the gas introducing hole and the communicating hole; a gas introducing mechanism which introduces the compressed air through the gas introducing hole to the head to jet the ink forcibly, and a positive-pressure control valve which opens the atmosphere opening hole when a pressure in the buffer chamber exceeds a predetermined value. It is possible to operate a positive-pressure purge while suppressing an excessive increase in the pressure inside the liquid storage chamber, without increasing a size and a cost of the apparatus.
US08091998B2
A liquid container detachably mountable to a mounting portion of an ink jet recording apparatus, and which includes a liquid chamber, a light emitter, an electrical contact which receives a signal for light emission by the light emitter, and a display portion which directs emitted light from the light emitter toward an outside of the liquid container. A latch lever is elastically deformable and has a latching portion spaced from a first side of the liquid container, the first side being between the latching portion and the liquid chamber. A liquid supply port is disposed at a second side of the liquid container. The electrical contact is disposed at a position which is between the latching portion and the liquid supply port as seen facing both of the first and second sides, and the display portion is disposed adjacent to an upper portion, in use, of the first side.
US08091993B2
An ink containment system for an inkjet cartridge, for storing ink for printing, comprises a housing having a plurality of walls. A rigid basin member and a rigid moveable plate are disposed within the housing. A flexible membrane is affixed to a surface of the basin member and to a surface of the plate forming an ink reservoir within the basin member, plate and flexible membrane. A spring-biased mechanism is disposed between the basin member and plate, for biasing the plate apart from the basin member, generating a negative pressure within the ink reservoir and the basin member remaining stationary relative to the movement of the plate.
US08091988B2
Among other things, a cavity plate for use in ink jetting includes an outlet end. Elongated lands extend from the outlet end toward an inlet end of the cavity plate. The elongated lands have side walls between top and bottom surfaces of the cavity plate to form elongated cavities. There are structural supports upstream of the ink outlets and between the elongated lands, to support the elongated lands.
US08091986B2
Nozzle arrangement including active and static ink ejecting members defining variable-volume chamber
A nozzle arrangement for an inkjet printhead includes an ink inlet; a static ink ejecting member bounding the ink inlet; an active ink ejecting member having a roof defining an ink ejection port and sidewalls depending from the roof towards the substrate, the active ink ejecting member and the static ink ejecting member together defining a nozzle chamber; and an actuator arrangement configured to reciprocate the active ink ejection member relative to the static ink ejecting member to eject ink in the nozzle chamber out through the ink ejection port. The static ink ejecting member is located within bounds delimited by the sidewalls of the active ink ejecting member, the static ink ejecting member includes a sealing structure defined along an edge of the static ink ejecting member and spaced from the sidewall, and the sealing structure is shaped to facilitate a surface tension of a fluid in the variable-volume nozzle chamber to form a fluidic seal between the active and static ink ejecting members.
US08091984B2
An inkjet printhead includes a wafer having a droplet ejection side and a liquid supply side opposite the droplet ejection side; a plurality of active ink ejection structures formed on the droplet ejection side of the wafer, each active ink ejection structure partially defining a nozzle chamber, and defining an ink ejection port; a plurality of individual fluid passages formed in the wafer, each fluid passage providing fluid to corresponding nozzle chambers; a plurality of static ink ejection structures formed on the droplet ejection side of the wafer and inside of corresponding active ink ejection structures, each static ink ejection structure defining a nozzle chamber with a corresponding active ink ejection structure; and droplet ejection actuators respectively corresponding to each active ink ejection structure. The droplet ejection actuators are formed on the droplet ejection side of the wafer and attached to respective active ink ejection structures. The droplet ejection actuators are operable to displace an active ink ejection structures towards a corresponding static ink ejection structure to effect ejection of fluid in the nozzle chamber through the ink ejection port.
US08091981B2
A liquid ejecting apparatus having a first flow channel unit which includes a first nozzle plate formed with a first nozzle row of a plurality of nozzles arranged in a first direction with a pitch and a second flow channel unit which includes a second nozzle plate formed with a second nozzle row of a plurality of nozzles arranged in the first direction with the pitch. The first flow channel unit and the second flow channel unit are fixed to a head casing. The first flow channel unit and the second flow channel unit are arranged in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and are displaced in the first direction such that the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row are displaced in the first direction by a length of the first nozzle row and the pitch.
US08091977B2
When thinning processing is performed to reduce the occurrence of black stripe caused by an overlap between scanning areas that is designed to prevent an end deviation from causing a white stripe, dots printed in a predetermined region by not only an ejection opening array subjected to the thinning processing but also other ejection opening arrays are counted so as to obtain their respective printing duties. Then, a color gamut is obtained based on the printing duties of the respective ejection opening arrays. Then, a thinning rate of the ejection opening array subjected to thinning processing is obtained by referring to a table corresponding to the color gamut, based on the printing duties of the respective ejection opening arrays obtained as above, and the thinning processing is performed. Accordingly, thinning processing can be performed which accurately reflects an amount of actual end deviation.
US08091976B2
There are provided an inkjet printing apparatus and a method of predicting which can perform an accurate ink remaining amount detection. An inkjet printing apparatus is for performing printing onto a print medium by using a print head including an energy generating element generating energy used for ejecting ink from an ejection opening. The apparatus has a print head temperature detecting unit, an atmosphere temperature detecting unit and a predicting unit. The predicting unit drives the energy generating element at the time a difference between the temperature of the print head before driving the energy generating element and the atmosphere temperature detected by the atmosphere temperature detecting unit is less than a predetermined temperature.
US08091972B2
A fluid ejection device ejecting a fluid, the fluid ejection device includes: a fluid ejection unit; a main chassis case; a fluid-containing pack; a container case; and a plurality of holders. The fluid ejection unit ejects a fluid onto an ejection target. The main chassis case houses the fluid ejection unit. The fluid-containing pack contains a fluid for ejection. The container case houses the fluid-containing pack. The plurality of holders is disposed inside the container case. Each of a plurality of holders includes an incline panel that inclines toward the inside base plane, and the fluid-containing pack rests on the incline panel.
US08091970B2
IMPROVEMENT TO THE METALLIC STRUCTURE FOR MANUFACTURING ELECTRICAL PANELS/CABINETS, enclosing a structure of metallic cross sections (5), with the device for supporting the parts making up the external walls from folded sheets, as well as constituting the device for supporting and mounting the doors with its respective hinges and other accessories, such as: the upper (6) and lower enclosure with the base (7) and other components, being that, still, same structure, although, on the inside, also configures the necessary mounts for distributing and assembling the different electrical and electronic components and devices; in the first construction version, the said structure (5) presented semi-assembled, where four of its uprights or four of its cross sections (P1) are completely free while all the other cross sections are rigidly integrated into two equal rectangular frames (8) which form the two opposite sides of the said structure (5) and therefore at the corner point of the junction of each rectangular frame (8) there is a complementary device (9) cooperating for the interlinking at 90° between two adjacent cross sections (P2) and (P3) of each frame (8), as also this selfsame device presents the mechanism so that the extremities of the other cross sections (P1) may be coupled between the corners of the rectangular frames (8), thus forming the structure (5).
US08091969B2
A wall mount cabinet is disclosed. The wall mount cabinet includes a rear section having a first end and a second end, and a front section hingedly connected to the rear section at a pivot point. The rear section has a cutout area adjacent the first end, and the cutout area allows access for cables to enter the cabinet. The pivot point is adjacent the cutout area and the first end of the rear section. The cutout area allows cables to rotate about the pivot point when the cabinet is moved from a closed position to an open position.
US08091965B2
A stackable plastic booster seat apparatus with a body having a set of four corner cylindrical portions. A right foot having cylindrical portions engages two of the corner cylindrical portions and a left foot engages the other two corner cylindrical portions. The body includes a back with a lumbar support, a seat with a safety bump and a downward and rearward slope such that a child tends to sit properly in the apparatus away from the safety bump and against the lumbar support.
US08091962B2
The folding canopy chair includes a frame, a seat, a back, and arm rests. An umbrella is secured to the frame and is pivotal between an upright use position extending above the chair and a downward storage position adjacent the frame. The umbrella is pivotal about both a horizontal axis and a vertical axis for selective positioning of the umbrella relative to the chair, so as to shade a person sitting in the chair from the sun. The umbrella is non-symmetrical, and is removably mounted on either the left or right side of the chair using a clip.
US08091961B2
Two rows of seats (11, 12, 13) and (21, 22, 23), each having a seat cushion (2), a backrest (3) and a head rest (4) with wings (5). The outer seats (11, 13; 21, 23) face in one direction whilst the middle seats (12; 22) face in the other direction. The result is that the passenger in the middle seat (22) can look directly along lines of sight S at the passengers in the outer seats (11, 13) of the next row and vice versa, which they would prefer not to be able to do. The lines of sight pass the wings (5) of the head rests in front of the passengers concerned. The wings (5) extend from the edges (6) of their head rests (4) and have (screens 101) pivoted to the outside of the wings at their proximal ends (7). The screens comprise an outer frame (102) and a fabric screen material (103) within the frame. It is this material that interrupts the lines of sight S.
US08091953B2
In a vehicle ceiling structure, a long reinforcing rib is attached to a ceiling member of the vehicle, the rib being made of a resin having a different coefficient of thermal expansion from that of the ceiling member. The reinforcing rib comprises a plurality of segmented ribs that are divided by a gap in a longitudinal direction. One segmented rib of adjoining segmented ribs and is formed, in upper and lower parts of a front end portion thereof, with an upper protrusion and a lower protrusion protruding in the longitudinal direction. One segmented rib and the other segmented rib fit with each other such that a lower face of the upper protrusion and an upper face of the lower protrusion of the one segmented rib respectively face a rear end portion of the other segmented rib in an up and down direction.
US08091952B2
A hardwood floor used for making trailers in the transportation industry is treated, at least for a portion thereof, with a water-based wood preservative. The preservative is preferably a borate-based preservative. When the floor is provided with a steel plate at a rear thereof, the wood preservative located in the vicinity of the steel plate prevents the formation of fungi and increases the useful life of the floor.
US08091941B2
A lower structure of a vehicle body rear part includes a spare tire housing formed on a rear floor, a rear cross member disposed in front of the spare tire housing to connect side frames, and a hook reinforcing member extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The side frame at the vehicle rear of the rear cross member is divided into a frame front part and a frame rear part in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and the hook reinforcing member is divided into a reinforcing member front part and a reinforcing member rear part in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The lower structure is configured so that when a load F is applied from the vehicle rear to a vehicle body rear part, the side frame is deformed so as to be bent in an upward convex shape at a division position of the frame front part and the frame rear part, and also the rear floor and the hook reinforcing member are deformed so as to be bent in a downward convex shape at a division position of the reinforcing member front part and the reinforcing member rear part.
US08091940B1
An apparatus for moving an expandable room of a vehicle between a raised position and a lowered position is disclosed. The apparatus comprises at least one lift station attachable to the vehicle, an arm combined with the lift station, a rotatable member rotatably combining the at least one lift station and the arm, wherein the lift station rotates the arm between the raised position and the lowered position, and a support member fixed to the arm and engaging the expandable room, wherein the support member supports the expandable room.
US08091931B2
An electrohydraulic unit assembly for a motor vehicle includes a receiving body defining a sealing face and at least two connectors fastened to the receiving body of the unit, oriented substantially parallel one to another and separated by a defined distance from one another. Each connector is configured for connecting a fluid conduit to the unit. Each connector includes a screw fitting for fastening the respective hydraulic connection to the receiving body of the unit such that a sealing face of the screw fitting or a sealing face of the fluid conduit is seated on the sealing face of the receiving body. Each screw fitting is rotatably connected to the body and includes two spanner flat portions having different spanner widths.
US08091925B2
A directional hopper tee has a fluted interior vertical pipe that merges into a horizontal pipe. The vertical pipe has an opening that connects to a hopper to receive bulk material, or product, and a horizontal pipe centered upon the end of the vertical pipe. The horizontal pipe has an inlet that also receives bulk material and pressurized air from ahead of the hopper and an opposite outlet that discharges the bulk material from the hopper tee. The vertical pipe has a flange that abuts the hopper and an opening in the flange that matches the opening of a valve on the hopper itself. At the opening, the vertical pipe begins to turn towards the outlet of the lower pipe with an internal flute. The flute begins immediately at the flange resulting in a vertical pipe with a curved shape towards the outlet and a square shape towards the inlet. The present invention raises the ground clearance of the horizontal pipe by at least an inch resulting in a hopper tee that clears at least 7 inches above the ground. The hopper tee of the invention also unloads at least 15% more product per minute at temperatures closer to product temperature. Alternate embodiments of the present invention provide a reinforced flange, a drop tee, and a low profile drop tee. The present invention aids in the unloading of bulk materials from various haulers.
US08091920B2
A vehicle occupant restraint system includes an inflatable airbag arranged in a vehicle seat. When the airbag is triggered it at least partially unfolds in the direction of travel on a side of the vehicle seat facing the vehicle interior. The vehicle seat includes a backrest frame extending in a substantially vertical direction in the vehicle seat and substantially aligned in the direction of travel. The airbag is connected to a front end of the backrest frame pointing in the direction of travel.
US08091918B2
Mounting assemblies can be used to attach an inflatable curtain airbag to a vehicle structure. Mounting assemblies can include a mounting member, a connecting member, and an optional wrapper. The connecting member is attached to the mounting member and the airbag via stitching, which can be categorized according to the primary direction of stress that may be placed on the stitching during airbag deployment. Stitching in shear is stronger than otherwise identical stitching in peel; however, a preferred method of packaging a curtain airbag results in a b-rolled airbag that can not be attached to the connecting member with shear stitching alone. Peel stitching alone may not be strong enough to retain an occupant within the vehicle during a rollover event. As such, a combination of a folded connecting member, shear stitching, and peel stitching allows a b-roll airbag to meet occupant ejection mitigation requirements.
US08091909B2
A suspension for a two-wheeled vehicle includes first and second fork legs. Each fork leg includes a dropout. Each dropout has an opening therethrough. At least a portion of one of the openings is threaded. Each of the dropouts includes a split-clamp pinch bearing defining the opening and operable between an open position and a locked position, and a hand operable actuator pivoted to the bearing for operation thereof. The suspension further includes a one-piece axle. The axle is disposed through the openings. The axle has a threaded first end engaged with the threaded portion. The axle has an ergonomic grip formed at a second end. The bearing tightly engages an outer surface of the axle in the locked position, thereby rotationally coupling the axle to the dropout.
US08091906B1
A scooter includes a board for supporting the user thereof, at least one wheel assembly mounted on the board for facilitating movement and transportation of the board, and a braking system operable in a first mode that engages with and imparts a braking force to the at least one wheel assembly for stopping the scooter, and in a second mode that is subject to a force and is caused to disengage from the at least one wheel assembly for allowing the scooter to be moved without being subject to any braking force.
US08091905B2
A motorcycle low-profile positioning creeper allows a medium to large motorcycle to be easily mounted on the positioning creeper and easily moved to any desired position on a horizontal surface such as a showroom floor or storage area. The positioning creeper comprises a low slung H-frame body and four rotatable wheels. The low slung H-frame body is a plate and comprises four corners and four protrusions. The four protrusions protrude upward and outward respectively from the corners and are separated from adjacent longitudinal protrusions a distance greater than a motorcycle tire width. The four rotatable wheels are mounted respectively under the four protrusions.
US08091903B2
A retractable wheel assembly is provided for coupling to a mounting on an object. The retractable wheel assembly is moveable between one or more extended positions and a retracted position. The retractable wheel assembly is configured to expose a wheel in the extended position(s) and to stow said wheel in the retracted position. The retractable wheel assembly comprises a first wheel strut rotatably mounted at or proximate a first end thereof, a first link arm handle rotatably coupled at or proximate a second end of the first wheel strut, and a first over-centre locking arm rotatably coupled at or proximate a first end to the first link arm handle and rotatably mounted at a second end thereof. The retractable wheel assembly is configured to rotatably couple to the wheel at or proximate the coupling between the first wheel strut and the first link arm handle.
US08091901B2
A system for attaching a shoe to a skateboard is described. An interlocking structure attached to the shoe substantially prevents vertical and/or lateral movement of the shoe in relation the skateboard when the interlocking structure is pressed against another interlocking structure. The interlocking structures may register in a plurality of vertical and/or lateral positions. One or both of the interlocking structures may comprise a plurality of protrusions of a pointed or rounded shape.
US08091899B2
A carriage and incorporated harness and towing assembly which allows for significant freedom of movement for a user and a safe and comfortable ride for a passenger is disclosed. The towing assembly comprises a flexible, semi-resilient member surrounded by a plurality of rigid linkages, a fixed towing member and a harness coupling member. The carriage is comprised of at least a single, two-wheel axis and at least one motion damping device. One object of the disclosure is to provide an apparatus that allows a user to comfortably tow a child, toddler or infant while participating in a variety of exercise or general travel-related activities.
US08091898B2
A circumferential seal system for sealing a high pressure region from a low pressure region separated by a runner with an outer circumferential surface and a seal ring disposed about the outer circumferential surface is described. The seal system includes a plurality of groove sets separately disposed along the outer circumferential surface. Each groove set further includes at least two grooves. At least one groove within each groove set exerts a lifting force via a fluid from the high pressure region onto the seal ring as the runner translates with respect to the seal ring along an axis substantially perpendicular to the rotation of the runner. The continuous feed of fluid onto the seal ring ensures a thin film between the seal ring and the runner regardless of their relative arrangement during axial excursions of the runner resulting from conditions within a turbine engine.
US08091893B2
A board game containing a board with multicolored squares laid out in a rectangular path and playing pieces to which specialized pieces are added connected as the player advances the playing piece around the board. The specialized pieces to be added to the playing piece represent and look like one of the following: a piece of bread, peanut butter, or jelly. The object of the game is to build a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and advance the sandwich to a space which represents a glass of milk. A player rolls a die, and advances a playing piece the number of spaces on the die. There are spaces of many different colors. Purple corresponds to jelly, yellow corresponds to a piece of bread and brown corresponds to peanut butter. Spaces of other colors don't have a special meaning. If a player lands on purple, yellow or brown and if the player needs the piece corresponding to that color, then that piece is joined to the player's playing piece. When the player has completed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, that player's piece must advance around the path to an exit lane and then the player must roll the exact number that causes the playing piece to land on the winning space which corresponds to a glass of milk. The game is intended for ages four and up.
US08091883B2
The sheet feeding device includes a straight sheet feeding passage, and plural sheet feeding sections. Each sheet feeding section includes a container containing a stack of sheets; a driving rotor; a first driven rotor contacting the driving rotor to form a first nip; a feeding member feeding the sheet from the container toward the first nip; and a second driven rotor contacting the driving rotor or the first driven rotor to form a second nip at the junction of the sheet feeding section and the sheet feeding passage. Only the sheet feeding section on the extreme upstream side has a curved guide instead of the second driven rotor to directly feed the sheet to the second nip of the adjacent sheet feeding section so that the sheet at the curved guide has greater curvature radius than the sheet fed from the other sheet feeding sections toward the second nip thereof.
US08091876B2
Generally, a fixture for securing optoelectronic packages may be used to secure one or more optoelectronic packages for mounting one or more components and/or one or more wires to at least first and second mounting surfaces at different relative angles. The fixture is rotatable between at least first and second mounting positions with a top surface of the fixture being at respective first and second mounting angles relative to a horizontal plane. The fixture may be configured to secure the optoelectronic package(s) for positioning at different mounting angles to facilitate mounting the components and/or wires to the mounting surfaces at the different angles. The fixture may also be configured to be continuously adjustable over a range of angles between the first and second mounting angles.
US08091868B2
A membrane humidifier for a fuel cell system is disclosed wherein the membrane humidifier includes a plurality of membrane layers, a first pair of spaced apart sealing bars disposed between a first membrane layer and a second membrane layer adjacent to perimeter edges thereof to form a first flow channel, a second pair of spaced apart sealing bars disposed between the second membrane layer and a third membrane layer adjacent to perimeter edges thereof to form a second flow channel, and a plurality of supports, wherein a first support is disposed adjacent the second planar layer and extending between the second pair of spaced apart sealing bars, and a second support is disposed adjacent the third planar layer and extending between the second pair of spaced apart sealing bars.
US08091867B2
In a microbubble liquid producing apparatus, an air bubble liquid producing device for mixing liquid with air by an aspirating pressure generated by a pressure pump arranged on a liquid feeding pipeline while aspirating the liquid from a liquid supply source and forcibly feeding the liquid by pressure is disposed on the liquid feeding pipeline on the upstream side of the pressure pump relative to the liquid feeding direction. A first air-bubble atomizer is disposed on the liquid feeding pipeline on the downstream side of the air bubble liquid producing device for atomizing the air bubbles contained in the air-mixed liquid produced by the air bubble liquid producing device. A second air-bubble atomizer is disposed on the liquid feeding pipeline on the downstream side of the first air-bubble atomizer for further atomizing the air bubbles atomized by the first air-bubble atomizer.
US08091863B2
A gate valve of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, which is formed between a processing chamber in which processing is performed and a transfer chamber which carries a substrate on which the processing is performed, includes a gate valve at a side of the processing chamber; a sealing member which is formed in the gate valve at the side of the processing chamber; a gate valve at the side of the transfer chamber; a sealing member which is formed in the gate valve at the side of the transfer chamber; and a thermal insulator which is formed between the gate valve at the side of the processing chamber and the gate valve at the side of the transfer chamber.
US08091862B2
A butterfly valve having a valve body, a butterfly shaft, a butterfly plate, and a sleeve insert is provided. The valve body is made of a first material and the sleeve insert is made of a second material. The butterfly shaft is in the valve body for rotation about a first axis. The butterfly plate is in the valve body and secured to the butterfly shaft so that rotation of the butterfly shaft causes the butterfly plate to rotate about a second axis through a travel path between a closed position and an open position. The sleeve insert is in the valve body at least in a region of the travel path between the valve body and the butterfly plate.
US08091861B2
A valve for use in connection with oil production and gas production comprising a valve housing (1) which is connected to at least one inlet (2) and an outlet (3), which together define a flow channel (16) through the valve, a valve body (9), which is set up to selectively open and close for fluid flow in the flow channel (16). A valve seat (6,7), is fitted with at least one seal against the valve housing (1), the valve seat (6) is fitted with an undercut (31) on the side of the valve seat that faces the valve body (9). The undercut (31) is in direct fluid communication with the flow channel (16).
US08091856B2
An automate fluid flow control system includes a valve member for being sealedly disposed within a fluid chamber to seal a flow of fluid flowing from a fluid inlet to a fluid outlet, a relief valve having a fluid passage extended along the valve member for communicating the fluid chamber with the fluid outlet and including a valve stopper sitting on a top opening of the fluid passage to sealedly close the fluid passage, and a powering assembly including an actuator to move the relief valve between a closed position that the valve stopper is sealedly retained to close the fluid passage and an opened position that the actuator drives the valve stopper to unseal the fluid passage for releasing a pressure within the water chamber to allow the fluid passing to the fluid outlet.
US08091855B1
A packer unit to be used in an annular blowout preventer. The packer unit includes an elastomer body including a compound of a carboxylated nitrile rubber (XNBR) base polymer having a polymer chain, and a quantity of fluorine atoms attached to the polymer chain. The compound includes between 50 and 60% XNBR, between 25 to 35% carbon black, and the rest includes other materials. The quantity of fluorine atoms displaces at least an equal quantity of hydrogen atoms from the polymer chain when the elastomer body is fluorinated.
US08091853B2
A pole type member support device has a conical shaped receptacle. The conical shaped receptacle has an opening formed in a top section thereof. The receptacle is tapered so that the top section of the receptacle is larger than a bottom section. A channel is formed around an outer perimeter of the top section of the receptacle. A support arm is slideably coupled within the channel and is used for supporting the pole type member in an upright position. A locking device is adapted to be inserted into and withdrawn from the opening formed in the top section of the receptacle for securing the pole type member in an upright position. A base member is provided for holding the receptacle.
US08091851B2
A vehicle slide device is provided, which can adjustably move the second rail along the first rail without play therebetween in a front-rearward direction with a long adjustment stroke. In the vehicle slide device according to the invention, since a plurality of rolling elements annularly arranged in the attaching portion formed at the second rail are always in contact with the operating surface of the attaching portion and the operating surface of the first rail when the second rail moves relative to the first rail in a front-rearward directions, the play of the second rail relative to the first rail in up-down and right-left directions can be eliminated. Further, since the plurality of rolling elements roll and circulate at the attaching portion, the second rail can smoothly move in a front-rearward direction along the first rail.
US08091848B1
A hands free specimen holder apparatus includes a cup holder. An arm is connected with the cup holder at a first end and the arm extends the cup holder from the first end and away from and below a second end. The second end of the arm is conformed to connect with a toilet seat.
US08091847B2
The invention relates to a connectable profiled mounting rail, comprising longitudinal webs (3) for connecting the elements to be mounted, wherein the basic profile has a discontinuous, essentially rectangular surface line (4). On the one side, a connection profile (5) for attachment of the profiled mounting rail (1) is provided. The connection profiles (6, 7) located on the opposite side are arranged in such a structural manner that a second profiled mounting rail (2) which has the same profile cross-section and is rotated by 180° can be connected in a positive fit to the first profiled mounting rail (1) by inserting the connection profiles (6, 7) into each other.
US08091843B2
A vacuum mount type support device includes a vacuum mount base member having a multilateral upright shaft, a hard vacuum mount cap member having a cup-like body capped on the top side of the rubber disk of the vacuum mount base member and a through hole for the passing of the multilateral upright shaft, a control device threaded onto the multilateral upright shaft and rotatably to impart a pressure to the vacuum mount cap member against the vacuum mount base member for causing formation of a vacuum suction force, and a device holder fastened to the connector of the vacuum mount base member above the control device for holding an external device.
US08091837B2
An aerodynamic body with a plurality of nozzles for throttling a fluid flow to be removed by suction through the nozzles in a self-regulated fashion is disclosed. The aerodynamic body according to one example, includes a plurality of throttling nozzles with a throttle section that is defined by an inlet and an outlet. In one example, the interior wall of the throttle section may be designed such that an effective flow cross section is reduced in a self-regulated fashion due to the creation of turbulences on the interior wall of the throttle section as the pressure differential between the inlet and the outlet of the throttle section increases.
US08091831B2
A door arrangement for tightly closing a door opening comprises a door frame, a door which, when closed, is arranged in the door frame, and inner and outer sealing lips. The inner and outer sealing lips run next to each other along a periphery of the door opening between a first surface of the door and a second surface of the door frame, wherein the first and second surfaces face each other. The inner and outer sealing lips bound a space formed between them. The door arrangement further comprises a pressure-reducing device configured to reduce pressure in the space.
US08091830B2
The present invention relates to a stringer for an aircraft wing and a method of forming such a stringer in which the stringer is formed from a single piece of material and then machined to optimise the dimensions and weight of the stringer.
US08091828B2
In a method for manufacturing a structural element intended for aeronautical construction, at least a first and second metal block are made available, the limit of elasticity under compression of the first metal block being greater than that of the second metal block. The first metal block is machined in such a manner as to obtain a first machined monolithic part which has a first web portion and at least one stringer element whose height is such that a stringer portion extends beyond the first web portion. There is prepared, by shaping the second metal block, at least one second part having at least a second web portion capable of co-operating with the first web portion to form the web. The first monolithic part and the second part are assembled by placing the first and second web portions end-to-end over their entire common length.
US08091822B2
An aerial image projection system (20) includes a light aircraft (22) having a parachute-wing (24) attached to a carriage (26). The system (20) further includes an on-board computing and projection unit (30) with an image projector (32) coupled to the carriage (26) and suspended below the parachute-wing (24). An image display process (98) utilizing the system (20) entails generating (100) still and/or moving images (34) in a digital format for management by the computing and projection unit (30) and projecting (102) those images (34) from the projector (32) onto the parachute-wing (24). The projection of particular images (34) may be governed by time of day, particular events, current location of aerial image projection system (20) as detected by a navigational system receiver (66) of the unit, and so forth.
US08091818B2
A gyratory cone crusher with a conehead centerline and a main centerline being skewed and non-coplanar with respect to each other. The conehead exhibits an elliptical movement path which results in faster throughput and enhanced cubicity performance.
US08091815B2
A platform for securing a portable vacuum and shredder apparatus has brackets for attaching a shredder onto the platform. A vacuum tube for the ingress of matter to be shredded. An ingress opening for the shredded matter. A closed area, or bag for collecting the shredded material. An air exhaust fitted with a filter system or device allowing for air exhaust while the shredded material is retained in the closed collecting area, or bag.
US08091814B2
A single-motor shredder has a housing, and multiple cutting rollers, a paper feeding mechanism and a motor mounted in the housing. A first gear set connects the cutting rollers with the motor and a second gear set connects the cutting rollers with the paper feeding mechanism. Only one motor is needed to drive the cutting rollers and the paper feeding mechanism. Therefore, the shredder is light and a manufacturing costs of the shredder are lowered. Moreover, the paper feeding mechanism separates a stack of paper into small piles to sequentially feed the stack of paper in small piles. Thus, the stack of paper does not jam the cutting rollersso improving lifetime of the shredder.
US08091811B2
An apparatus for collecting, processing, and recycling kitchen scraps is provided. Kitchen scraps are thrown into a throw-in conduit provided on each floor of a building and transferred to a delivery conduit by a flushing device so as to reach a kitchen scraps collection device and be processed thereby. After the kitchen scraps are processed by the kitchen scraps collection device, a liquid removed from the kitchen scraps is further processed by a grease interception device so that oil is separated from the liquid. Thus, the apparatus collects, processes collectively, and performs water/oil separation on kitchen scraps.
US08091810B2
An apparatus and method for crumbling a food product such as a block of cheese into irregularly shaped food particles. One embodiment of the apparatus consists of a chute-shaped housing that contains two opposing plates with a plurality of smooth, rounded, finger-like protrusions on their faces, where the plates are closer together towards the bottom of the chute. When food is inserted into the top of the chute and one of the plates is moved in an up-and-down motion, the protrusions on the opposing plates crumble the food into progressively smaller food particles until the crumbled particles drop through the gap between the bottoms of the plates and out the bottom of the chute. Other embodiments are described and shown.
US08091794B2
The present disclosure pertains to thermostats that assist users in monitoring and/or controlling their utility consumption habits and patterns. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a thermostat that includes a housing and a controller located within the housing. The controller may be adapted to implement a control algorithm that permits the controller to operate one or more components of an HVAC system. The thermostat may include a display and a receiver that is configured to receive messages from a utility. In some cases, the controller may provide, on the display, an indication of a measure of utility usage during a first time period (e.g. during a current month) and an indication of a measure of utility usage during a second time period (e.g. during the same month one year ago) that may be after the first time period.
US08091784B1
An automated banking machine operates to carry out financial transfers responsive to data read form data bearing records. The machine includes a card reader that operates to read data from user cards. The card data corresponds to financial accounts. The automated banking machine further includes a cash dispenser and a receipt printer. The machine is operative to dispense cash to an authorized user based on identifying data including card data, and to cause a financial transfer from an account corresponding to card data through communication with at least one remote computer. The machine includes a check acceptor that operates to determine magnetic symbols included on checks. Cash may be dispensed in exchange for a check received through operation of the check acceptor of the machine.
US08091781B2
A transaction product for a retail display includes a transaction sticker and a transaction card. The transaction sticker defines a front surface and a rear surface opposite the front surface. The transaction sticker includes a first account identifier linking the transaction sticker to an account or record configured to track a value available for use toward a purchase of goods and services. The first account identifier is machine readable by a point-of-sale terminal. The rear surface is coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive. The transaction card defines a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface and including a second account identifier. The second account identifier is machine readable by the point-of-sale terminal. The transaction sticker is releasably coupled to the transaction card and is configured to be removed from the transaction card and applied to an article. Other cards, products, combinations and associated methods are also disclosed.
US08091761B2
A bonding apparatus provided with a control unit capable of controlling the position of the central axis of a bonding tool in the X direction and the Y direction based on an image of a pad acquired with a camera and an offset amount, the apparatus including: an outline obtaining unit for obtaining each of the sides of the pad and an outline of a pressure-bonded ball by processing the image acquired with the camera; a gap length obtaining unit for obtaining gap lengths between the respective sides of the pad and the outline of the pressure-bonded ball; and an offset correcting unit for correcting the offset amount based on the gap lengths obtained by the gap obtaining unit.
US08091759B2
A soldering machine for soldering components which are mounted on a circuit board contains a soldering module and comprises at least one soldering station which is mobile and exchangeably insertable in the soldering module. The soldering station and the soldering module are equipped with means for mutual alignment and with female or male plugs, which fit with one another and which terminate supply lines for goods. When inserting the soldering station in the soldering module said means align the soldering station in relation to the soldering module. Preferably, the soldering machine is composed of modules which are situated one behind another in the transport direction and are removably connected to one another. Each module comprises an own transport system.
US08091750B2
A tape dispenser for a tape roll comprises a main seat, a rotation member, a dragging member, a cutting edge, a contact member and a supporting member. The main seat has a front member and two side members, the two side members thereof are structured with a Concave-shaped hollow space. The rotation member is connected to one side member of the main seat and move toward to the other side member of the main seat. The dragging member is mounted between the tops of the two side members of the main seat. The cutting edge locates transversally at the top of the front member of the main seat. The supporting member is located below the dragging member. A clearance space is formed between the dragging member and the supporting member. The aforementioned Concave-shaped hollow space makes users with their fingers to access the free end of the tape roll.
US08091742B2
A pump lid assembly for use with a container, having a rotatable pump cylinder configuration and a pump piston mechanically associated with the rotatable pump cylinder configuration such that at least a portion of the piston is deployed within the pump cylinder, thereby defining a variable pump volume. The pump piston is configured with a substantially cylindrical piston wall having an interior surface and an exterior surface such that at least a portion of the interior surface is configured for releasable attachment to the container such that when the lid is attached to the container and at least a portion of the piston circumscribes the part of the container. At least a portion of the exterior surface of the piston wall interacts with the rotatable pump cylinder configuration and the association is such that rotation of the rotatable pump cylinder configuration generates linear motion of the rotatable pump cylinder configuration.
US08091740B2
The invention concerns a dispenser, in particular for semi-solid or liquid systems, with a housing to hold a dispenser unit which is formed by a storage container, a metering unit (3) connected therewith via which the substance can be output in defined doses and an activation mechanism (4) which can activate the metering unit (3) to output a dose of substance, where the dispenser unit is held via a reservoir holder (5) in the housing (1). Known dispensers have the disadvantage that the dispenser unit is not held securely against tipping. The invention avoids this in that the storage container (2) is formed with a lower volume area (2″) and an upper volume area (2′) which to form the reservoir holder between its upper and lower end has a constricted shoulder area (9) with an inwardly angled setting surface, where the housing (1) has a corresponding support surface (10) to support the setting surface.
US08091737B2
A multiple flavor beverage dispensing nozzle includes at least one disposable beverage flavor syrup injector for injecting flavor syrup into a mixing fluid. The flavor syrup injector injects flavor syrup at an angle towards the longitudinal axis of the nozzle exit orifice such that the nozzle exit orifice does not come in contact with the syrup, avoiding color and flavor contamination of other dispensed beverages. Also, by injecting the syrup at an angle, the mixing fluid intersects with the syrup in midair below the surface of the nozzle, resulting in a complete and gentle mixing of syrup and mixing fluid, without syrup residue accumulating on any surface in contact with any other flavor. By directing the mixing fluid through and around the housing containing the flavor syrup injectors, a uniform even circular flow of mixing fluid is dispensed from the exit orifice of the nozzle. By using multiple flavor syrup injectors, a nozzle may contain several different flavors in a smaller space than a single flavor nozzle.
US08091736B2
A method and computer program product for defining a PWM drive signal having a defined voltage potential. The PWM drive signal has a plurality of “on” portions and a plurality of “off” portions that define a first duty cycle for regulating, at least in part, a flow rate of a pump assembly. At least a portion of the “on” portions of the PWM drive signal are pulse width modulated to define a second duty cycle for the at least a portion of the “on” portions of the PWM drive signal. The second duty cycle regulates, at least in part, the percentage of the defined voltage potential applied to the pump assembly.
US08091729B2
The invention concerns a peel-off package for sterilization.
US08091728B2
A wet well apparatus, and installation method therefore, that includes a cylindrical body extending between a first end and a second end along a body axis defining an interior material holding volume and a base form closing the first end of the cylindrical body to define a base interior volume adjacent the interior material holding volume of the cylindrical body. The base form is configured to receive a flowable fill material in the base interior volume.
US08091727B2
A single-use, clamshell protective cap for use primarily in healthcare settings in order to maintain the integrity of a medication solution. The cap has two halves, a cylindrical skirt, a puncture resistant lid portion, an interior flange, and an interlocking snap. When placed around a flanged injection port such as is found on a conventional fluid container and closed, the lid portion covers an access site on an injection port. After the cap is placed, the interior flange engages the port flange to prevent upward axial movement relative to the port, thereby preventing removal of the cap and thus deterring unwanted or erroneous drug administrations or withdrawals.
US08091721B1
A reconfigurable electrical box hanger assembly for mounting a lighting or fan fixture to the grid supporting structure of a drop ceiling. The hanger assembly includes a one-piece elongated bar, two end pieces with widely spaced support legs, a turnbuckle, and a center bracket supporting an electrical box. The turnbuckle and end pieces are rotatable with respect to the elongated bar, thereby enabling two configurations of the hanger assembly including a compact profile for storage and shipping and an expanded profile for installation on a suspended ceiling. A locking arrangement includes bendable tabs which lock the end pieces with respect to the elongated bar thereby placing the hanger assembly into the expanded profile for installation on a suspended ceiling.
US08091714B2
A top hardware bar includes a body, a first bracket, and a second bracket. The body is elongate and defines a first end, a second, opposite end, a channel, and a plurality of holes disposed lengthwise along the body. The first bracket is secured to the first end of the body and is releasably secured to a first upright. The second bracket is adjustably secured within the channel at the second end of the body and is releasably secured to a second upright. A backer piece is secured to the body of the top hardware bar along a top portion of the backer piece such that the backer piece hangs from the top hardware bar. A product fixture is then placed in front of the backer piece to support products, with the ends of the product fixture being attached to the first and second uprights, respectively.
US08091707B2
A system and method for securing, shipping, storing, loading, unloading, accessing and protecting sensitive heavy electronic assemblies. Integration of container dunnage, recessed hardware and exterior stacking features to protect container and contents during shipping.
US08091706B2
A container includes a plurality of walls extending upward from a base. At least one support is movable between a retracted position and a support position. Resilient tabs are provided to prevent inadvertent movement of the support out of the support position.
US08091705B1
A caddy for storing diamond polishing pads used by grinding machines holds multiple containers in a rack in a case. Each container is independently removable from the rack and case and stores a complete set of stacked pads so that sets of used pads are always sorted and accessible according to both their grit and wear characteristics. The case, rack and containers are configured with respect to the sets of pads and to each other so as to minimize their relative three dimensional motion during transport of the caddy. The case, rack and body of the containers are preferably made of cardboard so that many sets of pads can be stored and transported in one or more lightweight and inexpensive caddies.
US08091702B1
A folding cup holder carrier that provides for multiple cup carrying from a single folded sheet material blank. The cup carrier has a central handle with opposing tapered sides with multiple apertured hinged cup engagement flaps formed thereon. A base is defined between said respective sides below said multiple apertures to support a cup's bottom once placed through the corresponding apertures and retained by resilient retainment by the hinge flaps.
US08091690B2
The invention relates to a self-reinforcing, in particular electromechanical disk brake having a wedge mechanism as the self-boosting device, for example. The invention proposes that the actuating device be attached to a separate holder, which does not have forces or torques of the wedge mechanism applied thereto.
US08091689B2
The invention relates to an automatic parking brake acting on a disk brake and in which the piston of the brake comprises a cavity in which there is a spring (1) allowing pressure to be applied to the end (12) of the piston cavity. A washer (5) is positioned between the inlet (13) of the cavity and the spring (1). A pressing device (4) allows pressure to be applied to the washer (5) so that it preloads the spring (1).
US08091684B2
A low mass acoustically enhanced floor carpet system for vehicles. In a first embodiment, the carpet assembly comprising a face layer and an opposite lower fiber mat. The carpet assembly further including a primary backing if the face layer is tufted, a back coating layer, an upper fiber mat, and a perforated film layer all in between the face layer and the lower fiber mat. The perforated film layer providing for enhanced sound absorption. In an alternate embodiment, the carpet assembly comprising a face layer, an insulator pad opposite the face layer; a back coating, a perforated film layer, and an insulator pad all between the face layer and the insulator pad.
US08091681B2
A method and apparatus for providing a loudspeaker assembly is provided. In accordance with at least one embodiment, a method is provided which comprises forming a loudspeaker frame so as to define a driver housing portion, a horn portion, and a conformal portion. A driver aperture is defined for the driver housing portion, and a port aperture is defined for the horn portion. A driver is attached to the loudspeaker frame proximate to the driver aperture. A rear baffle is applied to a first conformal portion surface of the conformal portion of the loudspeaker frame. The rear baffle defines a horn cavity wall of a horn cavity of the horn portion. The horn cavity has an increasing cross sectional area as the distance from the driver housing portion increases. A grille is applied to a second conformal portion surface of the conformal portion of the loudspeaker frame.
US08091667B2
A hybrid electric powertrain includes an electrical energy storage device and electric machines. A method for operating the powertrain to control the electric machines is effective to attain a predetermined state of life profile for the electric energy storage device.
US08091659B2
A hybrid vehicle includes a battery system, an internal combustion engine, a first motor/generator, a second motor/generator, and an engageable clutch assembly. The engageable clutch assembly is disposed between the internal combustion engine and the first motor/generator. When engaged, the engageable clutch assembly couples the rotor spindle of the second motor/generator with the hollow rotor shaft of the first motor/generator. The engageable clutch assembly may also operate in a first mechanical mode that selectively engages and disengages the internal combustion engine from the second motor/generator, or operate in a second mechanical mode that dampens shock between the internal combustion engine and the first motor/generator when the international combustion engine operates at a rotational speed that is different than a rotational of the first motor/generator.
US08091656B2
A method and apparatus for reducing or eliminating the energy required by an operator of a delivery cart to start the cart moving in a predetermined direction at a predetermined speed as well as to recover some or all of the energy used to start the cart moving. The apparatus includes a cart, a drive wheel, a motor for driving the drive wheel, and a rechargeable energy source to power said motor where the rechargeable energy source is recharged during normal, unpowered movement of the cart. The method includes charging a power source while moving the cart, actuating a directional button to initiate movement in a desired direction, energizing a clutch to couple the motor to the driven wheel, energizing the motor to drive the driven wheel in the desired direction. After a predetermined time period, set by a run timer, the clutch is decoupled while the motor remains activated, and thereafter the motor is deactivated.
US08091649B2
A pneumatic screw driver includes: a tool body; a nose portion; a main air chamber; a hammering cylinder; a driver bit integrally combined with a hammering piston in the hammering cylinder; an air motor; a valve housing provided in an air passage between the main air chamber and the air motor; a stop valve piston provided in the valve housing; a stop valve stem coaxially provided with the stop valve piston; a timer chamber connected to the hammering cylinder; a first pipeline and a second pipeline respectively formed at upper and lower positions in a lower portion of the stop valve stem; and a upper end proximal portion of a contact member provided slidably in a driving direction. The upper end proximal portion of the contact member is provided engageably with the stop valve stem. The first pipeline and the second pipeline are arranged so as to close the first pipeline after closing the second pipeline by moving the stop valve stem upward from a bottom dead center.
US08091639B2
A method of selectively blocking fractures in a subterranean formation by injecting a diversion agent into the well is disclosed. According to one embodiment, the method comprises injecting a diversion agent into a subterranean formation to form an alkaline-earth carbonate precipitate from decomposition of a carbonyl compound, wherein the diversion agent includes the carbonyl compound and an alkaline-earth halide salt.
US08091635B2
Apparatus and methods to remove impurities at a sensor in a downhole tool are disclosed. During the testing and/or sampling of formation fluid in a borehole, the downhole tool creates a transient high rate of fluid flow of the formation fluid to remove impurities at the sensor.
US08091632B2
A device for the in-situ extraction of a hydrocarbon-containing substance, while reducing the viscosity thereof, from an underground deposit, has at least one injection pipeline extending in the deposit and at least one production pipeline leading out of the deposit, which together form a so-called well pair. The injection and production pipelines each have a starting region extending above ground in some areas, and an active region connecting to the starting region inside the deposit. With the method, during a heating phase hot steam is applied to the injection and production pipelines, while during a production phase hot steam is applied only to the injection pipeline. Furthermore, the active region of the injection pipeline is additionally configured as an induction heater regarding the surrounding area in the deposit. In the associated device, for example, the well pair formed by the injection pipeline and production pipeline can be configured as electrodes.
US08091630B2
Methods and apparatus for diverting fluids either into or from a well are described. Some embodiments include a diverter conduit that is located in a bore of a tree. The invention relates especially but not exclusively to a diverter assembly connected to a wing branch of a tree. Some embodiments allow diversion of fluids out of a tree to a subsea processing apparatus followed by the return of at least some of these fluids to the tree for recovery. Alternative embodiments provide only one flowpath and do not include the return of any fluids to the tree. Some embodiments can be retrofitted to existing trees, which can allow the performance of a new function without having to replacing the tree. Multiple diverter assembly embodiments are also described.
US08091606B2
An operating wand has a handle, an upper rod connected by an intermediate rod having one end pivotably attached to the upper end of the handle and the opposite end pivotably attached to the lower end of the upper rod. A sleeve slides along the upper rod between a first position and a second position. When in the first position the sleeve covers a portion of the upper rod, the handle, and the intermediate rod, keeping the handle, intermediate rod and upper rod in a co-linear alignment. When the sleeve is in the second position, the handle and intermediate rod are fully exposed allowing the intermediate rod to be moved relative to the handle and the upper rod so that the intermediate rod is normal to the handle and normal to the upper rod. With the sleeve in the second position the wand can be operated like a crank.
US08091603B2
A mandrel for manufacturing a unitary seamless section of an aircraft fuselage comprises a thin lay-up mandrel element disposed onto the outer shell surface of an inner mandrel shell, forming a mandrel with a substantially continuous lay-up surface. A unitary pre-cured section of an aircraft fuselage is formed by laying up a plurality of resin impregnated skin fibers onto the mandrel's lay-up surface while the mandrel rotates.
US08091602B2
A transfer ring especially suitable for use in the manufacture of vehicle tires including a skeletal cylindrical cage which houses an oscillatable circular drive member therewithin. The drive member includes a plurality of cam followers disposed about the outer perimeter thereof and which operatively engage respective camming grooves defined in each of a plurality of hinged driven links which are individually hingedly mounted internally of the cage about the outer perimeter of the cage. Each driven link includes an inboard end hinged within the cage and an outboard end having an articulating shoe mounted thereon. The shoes on the several driven links are interconnected to provide like simultaneous substantially equal articulative and rotational movement of the shoes radially inwardly or radially outwardly of the cage upon rotational movement of the drive member and resultant rotational movement of the hinged driven links effected through the cam followers and camming grooves of the driven links.
US08091599B2
A tire having a radial carcass reinforcement comprising a crown reinforcement formed of at least two working crown layers of inextensible reinforcement elements, which are crossed from one ply to the other, forming angles of between 10° and 45° with the circumferential direction, which itself is topped radially by a tread, said tread being joined to two beads by means of two sidewalls. The tire comprises additionally at least in each shoulder a layer of reinforcement elements which are oriented circumferentially and have an undulation, the axially inner end of said additional layer being radially adjacent to the edge of a working crown layer, the axially outer end of said additional layer being located at a distance from the equatorial plane of the tire which is at least equal to the distance between said plane and the end of the working layer to which it is adjacent and the distance between said layer and the end of the axially widest working crown layer being greater than 1.5 mm.
US08091597B2
A heavy-duty tire comprises two rows of middle blocks (11). The ground contacting face (S) of each middle block is defined as being surrounded with an axially inner longitudinal edge (14i), an axially outer longitudinal edge (14o), a first-side transverse edge (14a) and a second-side transverse edge (14b). The two transverse edges (14a and 14b) are substantially straight and substantially parallel with each other and inclined with respect to the tire axial direction. The axially inner longitudinal edge (14i) is nonlinear and has an axially inwardly protruding first-side protruding point (15a) and second-side protruding point (15b), and an axially outwardly denting part (16) therebetween. The axially outer longitudinal edge (14o) is nonlinear and has axially outwardly protruding first-side protruding point (20a) and second-side protruding point (20b), and an axially inwardly denting point (21) therebetween. The circumferential distances (Lia, Lib, Loa and Lob) between the protruding points (15a, 15b, 20a and 20b) and the adjacent circumferential ends (Pia, Pib, Poa and Pob) of the longitudinal edges (14i and 14o) are 5 to 15% of the circumferential length (Li, Lo) of the longitudinal edges (14i and 14o).
US08091595B2
In a wood splitter for splitting a log of wood into several pieces comprising a receiving chamber for the log of wood which is limited by a stand arranged parallel to the axis of the log of wood, and transverse to the stand and relative thereto, is further limited by limit stops projecting in a direction normal to the said axis of the stand, with at least one limit stop being movable in the direction of the axis and at least one limit stop being designed as a splitting unit a high degree of user-friendliness and a rational method of operation may be achieved in that a splitting wedge designed in the manner of an insert pin held only in the area of the base thereof is associated with the end of the receiving chamber, which splitting wedge can accommodate a splitting insert comprising an insertion pocket which can be inserted into the insert pin, and further a set of tools attached to the insertion pocket containing several splitting wedges which are arranged according to a desired pattern of pieces resembling the blossoms of a tulip.
US08091591B2
A device for the filling of vessels, with a container for liquid and pressurized gas and at least one filling pipe connected with this, which filling pipe comprises a liquid valve and a return gas pipe, whereby a gas pipe discharges into the filling pipe outside the return gas pipe, which gas pipe is connected with the container by means of a pre-stressing valve, so that the pre-stressing valve is positioned on the upper side of the container and the gas pipe discharges into the container from above.
US08091580B2
A pilot valve is switchable between snap and throttle modes. The pilot valve supplies output gas to a process control valve and has an adjustable biasing member for applying an adjustable force to a pilot plug in a pilot body interior. An opposed force is applied to the pilot plug to overcome the adjustable force and the output gas.
US08091578B2
A fill limiter vent valve (FLVV) adapted for suspension downward into a fuel tank has upper and lower housing members having openings in their cylindrical walls cooperating to define a spill-over level for fuel into the FLVV producing float-initiated vent valve closure during a fuel fill event. The lower housing member has a latching member fixedly engageable with one or more cooperating latching features of the upper housing member in a plurality of relative axial positions; and the spill-over level is varied by relative axial movement of the housing members between those positions. Axial alignment of the latching member and the cooperating latching features is maintained by axially aligned, interacting surface features of the housing members.
US08091572B2
A method for tracking a pollution source in process water is presented. Firstly, variation curves of drain water drained from different rinsing tanks are respectively obtained, and a water quality concentration of the drain water drained to a buffer tank is detected, so as to output a water quality variation curve. Then, an analytical comparison is performed on each drain water amount variation curve and the water quality variation curve within a same time interval, so as to output an analytical result of each flow of drain water in a range exceeding a predetermined water quality standard. In this manner, the drain water that exceeds the predetermined water quality standard can be tracked in real-time according to the analytical result, thereby quickly improving the process for discharging the drain water.
US08091571B2
A valve box, a valve control device, an assembly thereof and a method are provided for accessing an underground valve and indicating presence and position of the underground valve. The valve box includes a support member having a tubular section; and a resilient tubular member telescopable slidably into the tubular section of the support member. An upper end of the resilient tubular member is extendable above the ground. Various elements are disclosed for stiffening the tubular member against deformation due to forces applied to it. The valve control device comprises a control rod having one end attachable to the underground valve and a control key including a key head, a key handle and a key stem. The key head has a cone-shaped cavity and a recess portion at the top of the cavity, the recess portion being dimensioned to engage a projection at the other end of the control rod.
US08091564B2
A volumizer attachment for connection to a device generating a stream of air, comprising a volumizer unit with hair styling fingers. A coupling section connects the volumizer attachment to the device. The volumizer unit is rotatably mounted, either in whole or in part. A rotating first drive shaft in the device connects to a rotatably mounted second drive shaft arranged inside the coupling section. The second drive shaft has a drive element on its output end, which is arranged eccentrically to the axis of rotation of the second drive shaft. The drive element engages a force converter to convert the rotational drive motion of the drive element into an oscillating rotational motion of the volumizer unit, or a part thereof. The axis of rotation of the volumizer unit, or of the part thereof, and the axis of rotation of the second drive shaft are at an angle to one another.
US08091563B2
A hair styling apparatus has a heating member and a cloth covering at least a portion of the heating member to define a hair-facing surface onto which hair is placed in contact therewith for heating. The cloth is constructed at least in part of a monofilament of a fluorinated polyethylene. In another embodiment, the cloth is responsive to heating of the heating member to shrink relative to the heating member in at least one of a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction of the cloth. In yet another embodiment, the cloth is unbonded to the heating member and held in tension over the portion of the heating member that defines the hair-facing surface.
US08091546B2
A method of humidifying a gas that includes supplying a gas to a surface of a humidification material that readily absorbs moisture and readily releases moisture when exposed to a dry environment and generating turbulence in the gas as it passes over the surface of the humidification material.
US08091536B2
A gaseous-fuelled internal combustion engine and a method of engine operation improve combustion stability and reducing emissions of NOx, PM, and unburned hydrocarbons. The method comprises fuelling an internal combustion engine with hydrogen and natural gas, which can be directly injected into the combustion chamber together or introduced separately. Of the total gaseous fuel delivered to the engine, at least 5% by volume at standard temperature and pressure is hydrogen. For at least one engine operating condition, the ratio of fuel rail pressure to peak in-cylinder pressure is at least 1.5:1. A fuel injection valve introduces the gaseous fuel mixture directly into the combustion chamber. Two separate fuel injection valves could also introduce the methane and hydrogen separately. An electronic controller controls timing for operating the fuel injection valve(s). The engine has a preferred compression ratio of at least 14:1.
US08091534B2
An engine is provided to facilitate installation of a compressor on an engine. The engine can include a crankshaft, a front end, and an installation structure, and can be disposed in an engine compartment having an opening for accessing the engine. The installation structure can comprise an installation mount that can be disposed at the front end of the engine. The installation mount can extend substantially parallel to the crankshaft of the engine. The installation mount can include a surface configured for mounting the compressor. Further, the installation mount can be configured with the surface thereof facing toward the opening of the engine compartment. Additionally, the installation structure can be configured to facilitate meshing engagement of the crankshaft with a drive shaft of the compressor.
US08091532B2
A diagnostic system includes a fuel pump module and a diagnostic control module. The fuel pump module activates a first pump when an engine is operating in a diagnostic mode. The first pump supplies fuel to fuel injectors of the engine via a fuel rail. The diagnostic control module receives a measured pressure signal from a pressure sensor that indicates a pressure of the fuel rail during the diagnostic mode. The fuel pump module sends at least one of a first and a second commanded fuel pressure signal to the first pump based on a predetermined relief pressure of a pressure relief valve. The diagnostic control module detects a fault of the pressure sensor based on an engine speed and a comparison between the measured pressure signal and at least one of the first commanded fuel pressure signal and a corrected relief pressure of the pressure relief valve.
US08091529B2
In a regulating method for controlling an electrical actuator, especially a valve for regulating a volume flow in an injection system for an internal combustion engine, a nominal value is set for an actuating variable of the actuator; the actuator is controlled by a pulse width-modulated electrical control signal with a pre-defined pulse duty factor and a pre-defined period for adjusting the desired nominal value of the actuating variable; a flow threshold value is determined according to the pre-defined nominal value for the actuating variable; the flow flowing through the actuator is continuously measured during the control by the control signal and before the end of the period; the measured flow is compared with the flow threshold value/and the flow flowing through the actuator is switched off before the end of the period of the control signal if the measured flow exceeds the current threshold value.
US08091518B2
A partition member used in a cylinder block of an internal combustion engine is disclosed. The partition member is arranged in a groove-like cooling passage through which a cooling heat medium flows. The partition member includes a separating wall and a flexible lip member. The separating wall divides the cooling passage into an inner passage and an outer passage. The inner passage is located close to the cylinder bores, and the outer passage is located outside of the inner passage. The lip member extends from the separating wall toward the opening of the cooling passage in such a manner that, when the partition member is arranged in the cooling passage, the lip member contacts one of the inner surfaces of the cylinder block forming the cooling passage. When the partition member is arranged in the cooling passage, the distal edge portion of the flexible lip member contacts the inner surface due to force produced through flexible shape restoration of the lip member.
US08091516B2
A cooling device in an engine bay of a motor vehicle has a radiator and a radiator louver with at least one lamella that controls the passage of a gas flow through the radiator. At least one bypass duct bypasses the radiator and can be closed off by an associated closing element which is operatively connected to the radiator louver in such a way that an opening of the radiator louver generates a closing of the closing element, and therefore of the associated bypass duct, and vice versa. The radiator louver and the at least one closing element are coupled to one another in such a way that, regardless of the position of the lamellae of the radiator louver and the position of the at least one closing element, an at least approximately uniform lift force, or an at least approximately uniform pitching moment, is imparted to the vehicle.
US08091512B2
A spray deterrent application type animal training apparatus and its control method is disclosed. The apparatus affixed to the collar of a dog provides a vibration stimulus, stimulus to olfactory sense and visual sense. The transparent spray deterrent reservoir case of the apparatus allows a trainer or an animal owner to simply identify level of spray substance. A light emitting diode (LED) is secured to the vicinity of a spraying nozzle of the spray unit and indicates a spray path by flashing a light on the spray path. Also, an animal is trained using stronger stimulus for a rapid learning at the beginning of training and is warned against an undesired behavior of an animal using light stimulus after being well trained.
US08091510B2
Devices and methods are disclosed for the containment, hatching, and culture of aquatic and semi-aquatic organisms. Methods and device can be applied widely in the care and culture of aquatic and semi-aquatic organisms important in the aquaculture industry, aquarium and pet hobby, science instruction and education, environmental screening and toxicity testing, and the education-entertainment field.
US08091508B2
A porous article for attracting animals to excrete urinal and fecal wastes thereof at a predetermined location includes a scent producing agent that is capable of generating a fragrance to attract the animals to the porous article. Further, the porous article includes an absorbent material that is capable of retaining the scent producing agent. A method for training the animals to excrete urinal and fecal wastes thereof at the predetermined location comprises using the porous article.
US08091505B2
In a method for testing a negative electrode of a secondary battery, light is irradiate to an active material layer formed on a current collector having a plurality of projections at least on one side thereof, the active material layer including first columnar bodies of active material grown obliquely from the projections. The angle is measured between the reflected light from the active material layer and a normal line parallel to the thickness direction of the current collector.
US08091487B2
A pallet assembly includes a top deck having a top deck upper surface and a top deck lower surface and also having a first predetermined fire retardancy. A bottom deck having a bottom deck upper surface and a bottom deck lower surface, and also having a second predetermined fire retardancy. A column extending between the top deck and bottom deck, the column having an other fire retardancy lower than at least one of the first and second fire retardancies.
US08091483B1
A boat ride with precise speed and orientation control. The ride includes a track assembly positioned in a water basin and includes front and rear bogies engaging the track assembly. The boat ride includes a passenger boat and front and rear tethering assemblies coupling the front and rear bogies, respectively, to the boat. The ride includes a propulsion assembly positioned along the track assembly that is operable to independently propel, with linear motors, the front and rear bogies at the same or differing first and second velocities by applying a magnetic force to reaction plates on the bogies. The track assembly includes a joined section and a divided section, which includes a primary track on which the front bogie travels and a secondary track, spaced apart from the primary track, on which the rear bogie travels. The boat may be rotated to any orientation in the divided track section.
US08091482B2
A warhead system for a projectile-intercepting munition, the warhead system includes a fuselage having an axis and one or more explosively-formed-projectile charge. The explosively-formed-projectile is with a length and configured to generate one or more explosively formed blade projectile propagating substantially perpendicular to the length, the explosively-formed-projectile charge assuming a deployed state wherein the length of the explosively-formed-projectile charge is non-parallel to the axis, the deployed state and the explosively-formed-projectile charge configured such that, when the explosively-formed-projectile charge is detonated in the deployed state, the explosively formed blade projectile propagates in a direction non-coplanar with the length of the explosively-formed-projectile charge and the axis of the fuselage.
US08091478B1
A target discrimination system monitors an acceleration switch signal to determine an impact of a projectile on a target. During a sample period of approximately 1.0 milliseconds, the system repeatedly samples the acceleration switch signal, compares the sampled acceleration sensor signal with a reference voltage, and sets a comparator data output to logic one if the sampled signal exceeds the reference voltage. Otherwise, the comparator data output is set to logic zero. The system counts the instances that comparator data output equals logic one during the sample period and executes a selected delay. The selected delay is approximately 50 milliseconds if the counted number of instances exceeds a predetermined threshold of approximately two-thirds of the samples and, otherwise, the selected delay is approximately 10 milliseconds. The selective delay enables target discrimination and selective detonation of a projectile.
US08091472B2
A food warming apparatus includes one or more heating compartments that can hold one or more trays, each covered by a cover, each tray containing previously cooked food portions. One or more supports are disposed inside a heating compartment. A support includes one or more guide members and one or more stop members. A cover includes one or more engagement sections. Without a tray, the cover rests on the one or more stop members. When a tray is inserted into the receiving space defined by the cover and the support, the cover is lifted. The one or more engagement sections engage the one or more guide members to guide the upward motion of the cover. The cover then rests on the tray to at least partially block an open top of the tray, thereby restricting evaporation of liquids from the previously cooked food portions contained therein.
US08091471B2
Aspects of the present invention relates to automated production processes and associated systems, including automated bread making processes which enable the continuous production of baked bread. One aspect of the invention is directed toward a system for the continuous production of baked bread that includes an ingredient metering unit, a dough mixing unit coupled to the ingredient metering unit, a dough transport coupled to the dough mixing unit, an endless oven conveyor having a plurality of dough holders spaced apart from each other, and an oven unit coupled to the oven conveyor. The oven conveyor is configured to move the dough holders through the baking portion at a rate so the single batches of dough in the dough holders will be sequentially baked to form the baked products when the dough holder exit the oven unit.
US08091465B2
According to the present invention there is provided an armor array for protecting a body to be protected from an incoming projectile having an anticipated impact direction. The armor array is constituted by at least a first and a second armor cassette, each comprising a top base plate and a bottom base plate sandwiching therebetween an expandable layer. The first and second armor cassettes are spaced apart by an intermediate depressible panel having a top and a bottom face, such that the bottom base plate of the first armor cassette faces the top face of the intermediate depressible panel and the top base plate of the second cassette faces the bottom face of the intermediate depressible panel. The armor array is constructed such that upon expansion of the expandable layer, caused by the impact of the incoming projectile, at least one of the bottom base plate of the first armor cassette and the top base plate of the second armor cassette is urged towards the intermediate depressible panel and depresses it.
US08091464B1
In one embodiment, a protective armor system includes first and second armor layers separated by a gap. The second armor layer has a hardness that is less the first armor layer. The protective shield is configured to disperse energy of a shaped charge, such as the energy within a penetrator generated by an explosively formed penetrator (EFP).
US08091460B2
The invention efficiently and effectively secures and releases a rail-launched missile. An asymmetrical secure-release wheel (70) is defined by several surfaces which extend radially outward from a pivot hole (70K). The surfaces include a wheel unlatch surface (70H), a wheel notch stop surface (70D), a wheel detent surface (70G), a clockwise stop surface (70C) and a counterclockwise stop surface (70B). The wheel (70) is rotatable within a wheel housing (72). When a missile is loaded onto the launch rail, the middle shoe of the missile engages the detent surface (70G) of the wheel. During missile launch, the plume of the missile moves a trigger (110) which pulls a connecting rod (52) aft which results in a wheel lock (78) being disengaged from the detent surface (70G). A microswitch (56) provides a signal indicating whether the wheel (70) is in a latched or unlatched state.
US08091457B2
The present invention discloses a guard assembly for a saw blade, which includes an inner guard portion and an outer guard portion. The inner and outer guard portions define a containing space therebetween. A circular saw blade includes two parallel sides and a rotating axis perpendicular to the two sides. At least a portion of the saw blade is located within the containing space. The outer guard portion is pivotally connected with the inner guard portion about a pivotal axis which is substantially parallel to each side of the blade. The improved guard assembly, which can be opened laterally, is convenient to change the saw blade and to clean the inner of the guard.
US08091456B2
In various embodiments, a saw can include a work surface and a blade at least partially extending through the work surface. In at least one embodiment, the saw can further include a sensor and a light emitter, wherein the light emitter can be configured to emit a first light beam and a second light beam onto at least a portion of the work surface. In various embodiments, the sensor can be can be configured to detect a plurality of saw conditions and, owing to communication between the sensor and the light emitter, the light emitter can be configured to emit the first light beam onto the work surface when the sensor detects a first saw condition and emit the second light beam onto the work surface when the sensor detects a second saw condition.
US08091435B2
An ultrasonic measuring arrangement (1) for the flow, speed of sound, density, viscosity and/or temperature measurement of flowing media, including a measurement tube (2) having a measurement section (3), with the tube being disposed in an area of a measurement housing (4). At least two ultrasound transmitting receivers are spaced apart as sensors for sound transmission through the measurement section (3) in the direction of flow of a medium, and opposite thereto, and for signal recording. In order to provide an ultrasonic measuring arrangement (1) that is simple and inexpensive to produce, has a small nominal diameter and permits direct sound transmission through the measurement section (3) at as low a transmission output as possible, the measurement tube (3) is configured together with the measurement housing (4) as a one-piece housing part (5) free of seals and seams, and the sound path form an acute angle with the flow direction of the medium.
US08091429B2
A pressure sensor for detecting an electric arc in an electrical switchboard, the sensor being in an enclosed case containing a conical opening, the case being placed in the switchboard. A pressure switch in the sensor is attached to the interior of the case and is electrically connected to a circuit board for transmitting a signal when a contact in the pressure switch is closed. When a pressure wave created by the electric arc enters the case through the conical opening it forces a contact on the pressure switch to close thereby completing a circuit with the circuit board which transmits the signal to, for example, a central processor, to turn off the source of electricity thereby quenching the electric arc.
US08091426B2
In a comparison between master data created from a waveform signal of an observed object of an acceptable article and a waveform signal obtained from a non-measured observed object, time phase difference generated in the observed object is corrected, and difference with the master data is detected. As a first stage, quality determination is performed on the non-measured observed object with a long interval master data using the created master data, and the time phase difference is corrected. Then, as a second stage, quality determination is performed with the short interval master data divided on a time axis and the similarly divided waveform signal of the observed object. The time phase difference generated between the observed objects (acceptable article and defective article) is thereby corrected, and quality determination of high accuracy can be performed from the comparison with the waveform signal of the acceptable article.
US08091422B2
A gas measurement apparatus can comprise a sensor and a processor, in an example. The sensor can measure a pressure condition of a gas tank, in an example. The processor can select at least one light source, the light source can be positioned or of a distinct color to indicate a corresponding level of gas remaining in the tank when illuminated. The level of gas can be based on the measured pressure.
US08091421B2
A system for measuring the height of bin content includes a transmitter for transmitting an acoustic pulse towards the upper surface of the content, a non-collinear receiver array for receiving an echo of the pulse and producing signals in response to the echo, and a processing apparatus for computing one or more directions of arrival of the signals from the upper surface to the array along with corresponding measured distances. Preferably, the receivers are transducers that also serve as transmitters. Two or more such measured distances constitute a map of the upper surface for estimating the quantity of the bin content. Preferably, the system includes a pulse shaper and repeater for optimizing the pulse shape relative to the signals.
US08091419B2
A fixture includes a housing assembly defined along an axis. A pressure bar assembly is mounted to the housing assembly for movement relative the axis. A bladder assembly is mounted at least partially within the housing assembly such that pressurization of the bladder assembly is operable to exert a force on a workpiece along the axis with the pressure bar assembly.
US08091411B2
An engine control system, controller, and method for estimating a bounce back angle of an internal combustion engine. Typical crank sensors do not indicate crank direction, a feature that would be useful to determine if an engine reversal occurs leading to the engine accumulating a bounce back angle. A crank sensor signal is analyzed as the engine coasts to a stop so an engine reversal can be detected. After an engine reversal is detected, the crank sensor signal is analyzed to determine the bounce back angle. Engine reversal is detected by determining that the crank shaft has decelerated by more than a threshold value, or that the crank shaft has decelerated and then subsequently accelerated.
US08091410B2
A misfire detection system monitors engine speed fluctuations in the engine rotation frequency domain and identifies misfire when a phase angle locks onto a stable value rather than fluctuating randomly. After misfire detection, the system also performs cylinder or cylinder pair identification using predefined phase angle regions, where the identification process incorporate knowledge of what phase angle region a locked phase angle falls within.
US08091407B2
The invention relates to a method and a device for monitoring a flow of liquid for the presence of air bubbles, in particular the blood flowing in an extracorporeal blood circuit of an extracorporeal blood treatment device. The air bubbles are detected by an ultrasound measurement and the ultrasound signals received in a continuous sequence of time intervals are each compared to a predetermined reference level. When the amplitude of the ultrasound signal, or a parameter correlating to the amplitude of the ultrasound signal, is less than the predetermined reference level, the presence of a defined volume of air is determined. When the number of times the ultrasound signal is less that the predetermined reference value if is greater than the set limit value, it is determined that a critical volume of air is present in the patient's blood and the dialysis is stopped.
US08091399B2
A process for manufacturing a seamless tube which can effectively suppress thickness deviations which are apt to occur in thin-walled seamless tubes is provided. A billet which has been soaked in a heating furnace at a given temperature for a given length of time is subjected to piercing and elongation rolling to form a mother tube, which is then soaked in a reheating furnace at a given temperature for a given length of time and then subjected to sizing to produce a seamless tube with a wall thickness of at most 4 mm. The wall thickness of the tube after sizing is at most 4 mm, the soaking time at the given temperature in the heating furnace is in the range of [billet diameter (mm)×(from 0.14-0.35 )] minutes, and the soaking time at the given temperature in the reheating furnace is in the range of [mother tube wall thickness (mm)×(from 3.0-10.0)] minutes.
US08091397B1
A roll grooving apparatus has a back-up roller, a grooving roller positioned vertically below the back-up roller, and a linear actuator positioned below the grooving roller. The linear actuator drives the grooving roller linearly toward the backup roller. A drive is coupled to turn the backup roller. A tubular workpiece is mounted with its wall between the two rollers and compressive forces are exerted on the wall as the backup roller rotates, thereby extruding a circular groove in the workpiece.
US08091395B2
A system, method and software arrangement are provided for generating press-formed parts having a more consistent quality based on improved determination of processing conditions. For example, an apparatus can be configured to compare actual performance values of material properties provided by a material property database with standard values, and to adjust forming conditions such as a forming speed and a blank-holder pressure in accordance with the compared result. A control arrangement can be provided to control a press-forming device using the adjusted forming conditions. Accordingly, it may be possible to reduce occurrences of defects such as cracks and wrinkles when press-forming materials, and to obtain products having consistent quality and substantially identical shapes.
US08091389B2
A multiple laundry machine, in which an auxiliary drying device is coupled to a general laundry machine, is disclosed. The multiple laundry machine includes a laundry machine for washing or drying laundry contained in an interior of the laundry machine, an auxiliary drying device arranged at one side of the laundry machine, the auxiliary drying device having a laundry container formed in an interior of the auxiliary drying device, and a driver provided at the auxiliary drying device, to drive the auxiliary drying device.
US08091378B1
A hitch mounted self-contained keg beverage dispenser removably mounts on a conventional receiver hitch of a vehicle for transporting a beverage keg over long distances to a site of use while maintaining the contents in a cooled condition and dispensing the contents at the site while supported on the transporting vehicle. The dispenser has an insulated container that receives the keg and is mounted on a platform received in the hitch and supported vertically proximate the vehicle rear bumper. The container may be secured to the platform in the vertically supported position and pivoted to an angular position to allow access to the vehicle cargo area. A compressed gas cylinder, a dispensing spigot and a drip tray are mounted on the container. The keg inside the container is surrounded by ice and connected with the gas cylinder and spigot by hoses extending through the container side wall.
US08091377B2
A heat pump capable of performing heating and cooling simultaneously is provided. The heat pump includes a compressor, indoor devices that heat or cool an indoor space, outdoor heat exchangers, and switching devices. The outdoor heat exchangers are configured to individually operate as a condenser or an evaporator depending on a ratio of heating to cooling of the indoor devices. When an operation mode is changed, continuous heating and cooling is performed without stopping the system.
US08091360B2
The invention relates to a drive system for motor vehicles comprising a waste heat-producing internal combustion engine and a circuit for draining off at least partially said waste heat with a working fluid which is relievable in an expansion machine, wherein said working fluid comprises several components, wherein at least one component is transferable into a gas phase by absorbing heat of the internal combustion engine and/or another source inside the drive system which also comprises means for separating the liquid fraction from the working fluid prior to the expansion machine pressure removal. The internal combustion engine can be cooled by a first cooling circuit. A second cooling circuit can be used in such a way that the first cooling circuit is cooled thereby.
US08091353B2
The present invention has an object to provide an exhaust device for a diesel engine capable of surely burning flammable gas in an exhaust route.In the exhaust device for the diesel engine, liquid fuel (6) is supplied from a liquid-fuel supply source (5) to a gas generator (3). The gas generator (3) converts the liquid fuel (6) to flammable gas (7) and has a flammable-gas flow outlet (9) of the with which an exhaust route (1) is communicated upstream of a diesel-particulate-filter (2). The flammable gas (7) flowed out from the flammable-gas flow outlet (9) is burnt with oxygen in exhaust gas (10) to produce combustion heat. The exhaust gas (10) heated by the thus produced combustion heat can burn the exhaust-gas fine particles remaining at the filter (2). The gas generator (3) is provided with a catalyst chamber (51) which houses a catalyst (4). Catalyst-combustion heat is generated in the catalyst chamber (51) which is arranged along an external periphery of a peripheral wall (1a) of the exhaust route (1).
US08091352B2
An ignition system includes an electrical energy delivery device having a first electrode terminating at a first end portion and a second electrode positioned in the ignition system separately from the electrical energy delivery device. The second electrode terminates at a second end portion disposed a first distance from the first end portion to form an air gap therebetween. The air gap forms an area including the shortest distance between the first electrode and the second electrode.
US08091349B2
A silencer for a motorcycle with relaxed layout restrictions has a drum portion connected to a head. A conduit extends through the drum portion in a direction of connection. The drum portion decreases in cross sectional area toward a downstream side. A catalyst holding portion formed in the head has a catalyst fixed member to which a catalyst inserted member is fixed at a position upstream of the drum portion. A catalyst is inserted into the catalyst inserted member.
US08091342B2
A method for controlling a powertrain includes selectively initiating an ammonia generation cycle, including injecting fuel into a combustion chamber of an engine before a primary combustion event to a calibrated air fuel ratio in a range lean of stoichiometry based upon generation of NOx within the combustion chamber, injecting fuel into the combustion chamber after the primary combustion event based upon an overall air fuel ratio in a range rich of stoichiometry and resulting generation of molecular hydrogen, and utilizing a catalyst device between the engine and a selective catalytic reduction device to produce ammonia.
US08091339B2
In a method for operating an air-compressing fuel-injection internal combustion engine having an exhaust gas post-treatment system with a particle filter and a nitrogen oxide reduction catalytic converter, a plurality of internal combustion engine operating settings are provided, each having respective predefined values for predefined internal combustion engine operating parameters. A heating operating setting is set when the internal combustion engine is warming up, while a basic operating setting is set in the warmed-up state. When the temperature in the exhaust gas system exceeds a predefinable first value, the heating operating setting is changed over to the basic operating setting. In the warmed-up state, at least one further, (third) operating setting, with an exhaust gas recirculation rate that is reduced compared to the basic operating setting, is provided in addition to the basic operating setting.
US08091336B2
A pulse detonation wave engine (PDWE) detonation system provides for optical ignition. The detonation system has a plurality of detonation banks, where each detonation bank has a plurality of detonation chambers for receiving a fuel/oxidizer mixture from a propellant source. An optical ignition subsystem generates a plurality of optical pulses. The detonation system also has an optical transport subsystem for transporting the optical pulses from the ignition subsystem to the chambers, where the optical pulses ignite each fuel/oxidizer mixture such that the chambers detonate in a desired order. This allows the banks to be sequentially detonated and the chambers within each bank to be simultaneously detonated, without the increased tankage and toxic ignition associated with conventional approaches.
US08091334B2
An inner core cowl baffle assembly for a turbofan engine assembly is provided. The engine assembly includes a core gas turbine engine, a core cowl which circumscribes the core gas turbine engine, a nacelle positioned radially outward from the core cowl, and a fan nozzle duct defined between the core cowl and the nacelle. The inner core cowl baffle assembly includes an inner core cowl baffle, and an actuator assembly configured to vary the throat area of the fan nozzle duct by selectively repositioning the inner core cowl baffle with respect to the core cowl.
US08091325B2
A diaphragm positioned in a waste disposal device for holding and twisting flexible tubing dispensed form a cartridge housed in the waste disposal device. The twisting of the tubing is accomplished either by rotating the diaphragm and holding the cartridge stationary, or rotating the cartridge and holding the diaphragm. A rotation mechanism is operatively configured to the waste disposal device for rotating either the cartridge or the diaphragm while impeding the rotation of the other. The twisting of the flexible sealably encapsulates a waste package inserted into the flexible tubing through an opening in the cartridge.
US08091319B2
The present disclosure provides an apparatus and method for packaging a non-contact printed edible substrate as well as the resultant packaged product. The packaging apparatus may include a non-contact printer, a carrier, and a package located at a discharge position. The carrier may be constructed and arranged to transport the edible substrate from the print position to the package and orient same in the package so that the printed ink indicia is visible through at least a portion of a panel of the package. At a print position, the non-contact printer is constructed and arranged to apply an edible ink indicia to an edible substrate. The packaging apparatus may form a packaged product having a plurality of compartments where at least one compartment at least partially defined by a panel. The interior of the compartment contains at least one edible substrate comprising a surface and a printed edible ink indicia on the surface so that the ink indicia is visible through at least a portion of the panel.
US08091296B2
A storm collar includes a shield, an upper anchoring collar, support arms, and a lower anchoring collar. The upper anchoring collar secures the shield to an exhaust stack. The support arms are attached to the underside of the shield and the lower anchoring collar. Gaskets are placed between the joints of the storm collar pieces and between the exhaust stack for a tight fit. The angle of the support arms and the shield provide a compression fit based on the load supported by the shield. The storm collar protects the flashing and joints around an exhaust stack from damage caused by moisture.
US08091286B2
A front door 20 includes a first door component 22 and a second door component 34. The first door component 22 forms an inner side portion of a door main body 21, and the second door component forms an inner side portion of the door main body 21 and has functional parts located inside the vehicle. The first and second door components 22, 34 have honeycomb structural bodies 23, 41, respectively. The honeycomb structural bodies 23, 41 are entirely formed of synthetic resin. The honeycomb structural bodies 23, 41 include honeycomb portions 24, 42, which are composed of numerous tubular cells 26, 44, 45 separated by partition walls 25, 43, and sealing plate portions 27, 28, 46, 47 that are located on the outer side and the inner side of the honeycomb portions 24, 42 and seal the cells 26, 44. The door components 22, 34 are joined to each other at least at a part of the adjacent sealing plate portions 28, 46 of the honeycomb structural bodies 23, 41.
US08091284B2
A glass supporting assembly for a motor vehicle door with an unframed upper edge is provided with a fixed structure and a frame, which has at least one guide to support and guide a glass and is connectable to the door in such a way as to make it tiltable about a substantially horizontal axis of adjustment; a slot is obtained in a tangential direction in relation to the axis of adjustment in one of either the fixed structure or the frame, and is slidingly engaged by a pin with an axis orthogonal to the tangential direction; the pin is carried by the other of either the fixed structure or the frame, carries a screwed locking nut, and is axially rotatable; the rotational motion of the pin is converted into translational motion by a positioning device to position the pin along the slot.
US08091277B1
A container for plants includes an integral structure having a bottom wall, a side wall extending upward to an edge forming an open top, and an elongated member extending downward from an opening in the bottom wall for attachment of the container to the soil of a garden. In one version, the elongated member is removably attached to the container, and a plug is provided for the opening, so that the container can be placed on a flat surface for displaying a plant that is later placed in a garden area in the container with the elongated member extending into the soil.
US08091274B2
A method for wrapping a floral grouping is disclosed. In the method a substantially shape-sustaining sheet of material having a substantially circular shape is formed into a substantially frusto-conical shaped bouquet holder with an open upper end that has a diameter greater than the diameter of a lower end thereof. A floral grouping may be disposed within the bouquet holder, and the bouquet holder may be further provided with a skirt.
US08091273B2
A method for wrapping a floral grouping having a bloom end and a stem end is disclosed. A wrapper is formed from a sheet of material or bag which is wrapped about at least a portion of the stem end of the floral grouping. The wrapped floral grouping is then positioned within a receiving space of a preformed sleeve whereby the wrapper is secured in a stable position about at least a portion of the stem end of the floral grouping by the preformed sleeve. A detaching element defines the detachable upper portion and a lower portion of the preformed sleeve so that the upper portion can be removed from the lower portion.
US08091265B1
An improved floating rail system for mounting accessories on a firearm having a barrel including a chassis and a clamp adapted to attach the chassis about the barrel of the firearm. A plurality of elongate accessory mounting rails are attached to the chassis and extend parallel to an axis of the barrel. The accessory mounting rails are supported in the chassis radially spread apart from the barrel.
US08091264B2
A novel firearm includes an underarm gun stock. The stock of the firearm is to be positioned under the forearm of the firearm user. Alternatively, the firearm has no underarm stock, but the action and barrel of the firearm are disposed beneath the forearm or the wrist of the user. The novel firearms promote a more steady shot with a single hand, the ability to support heavier firepower in a more compact package, and other advantages not found in prior art handguns or rifles.
US08091260B2
A handheld illuminated warning sign including front and back translucent plastic members, each having a predetermined size and a predetermined shape, connected together to form the sign. At least one of the translucent plastic members having a predetermined color and warning indicia thereon. A mechanism is engageable with each of the translucent plastic members at a first portion thereof for securing them together. A generally hollow handle member, having a predetermined length, is engageable with a second portion of such translucent plastic members for holding the sign. A light is disposed at one end of such handle and between the translucent plastic members for lighting the sign. A battery is disposed within the handle and electrically connected to the light and a switch on such handle is connected between the light and battery for turning on and shutting off such light.
US08091247B2
A gear shape measuring apparatus includes a supporting unit adapted to support a test gear so as to be rotatably driven about a first rotation axis, a gauge gear being rotatable about a second rotation axis while engaging with the test gear, an inter-axis angle setting portion for adjusting and setting a relative inclination angle between the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis, and allowing a distance between the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis to be changed, a biasing member biasing the gauge gear against the test gear, a center-to-center distance measuring portion measuring the distance between the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis, and a measurement data processing portion processing a measurement data.
US08091246B2
Casing or work string orientation indicating apparatus and methods. A system for indicating orientation of a structure in a wellbore includes an orientation indicating device responsive to fluid flow through the device, whereby fluid flow through the device at a selected flow rate produces a reduced pressure differential across the device when the device is at a preselected azimuthal orientation, compared to an increased pressure differential across the device produced by fluid flow through the device at the selected flow rate when the device is not at the azimuthal orientation. A method of detecting orientation of a structure in a wellbore includes the steps of: flowing fluid at a selected flow rate through an orientation indicating device interconnected to the structure; and observing a substantially constant pressure differential across the device during the flowing step, thereby indicating that the structure is at a predetermined azimuthal orientation.
US08091243B2
The invention relates to a positioning system for positioning and/or measuring a movable object, wherein the movable object (10) has an object position that is defined with respect to a at least two axes (X, Y) extending in at least two different directions. The movable object (10) has a first surface (SX) and a second surface (SY) having mutually different orientations. The first surface (SX) makes a first angle (α) with the first direction and the second surface (SY) makes a second angle (β) with the second direction. The positioning system comprises: i) a first bearing (BX) for establishing a first surface position of the first surface (SX) with respect to the first axis (X) and for allowing a movement of the movable object (10) in a first plane parallel to the first surface (SX) in at least the second direction; ii) a second bearing (BY) for establishing a second surface position of the second surface (SY) with respect to the second axis Y and for allowing a movement of the movable object (10) in a second plane parallel to the second surface (SY) in at least the first direction. The system further comprises respective actuators for establishing the respective positions. Such system may be further extended to three dimensions. The advantage of the positioning system is that during movement of the movable object less masses are moved. The positioning system is widely applicable. The invention further relates to a machine or a tool comprising such positioning system.
US08091237B2
A method for producing a rear crossmember for a vehicle seat that includes the steps of providing metal plate stock having a first edge and a second edge as well as performing a simultaneous punching and clinching operation to locate and secure a plurality of threaded fasteners into the plate stock at predetermined points. This operation causes an opening to be punched through the plate stock and the fasteners to be permanently retained in the plate stock at the openings. The plurality of fasteners provide threaded connection points that are employed in the further construction of the vehicle seat. A rolling operation is employed to cause the first edge of the plate stock to come into close proximity with the second edge of the plate stock in such a manner as to form the desired cross-sectional shape for the rear crossmember and a welding operation used to secure the first edge to the second edge thereby forming the rolled plate stock into the desired rear crossmember.
US08091229B2
A procedure for repairing subsurface defects in a shell member laminate of a wind turbine blade includes detecting the location and boundary of the subsurface defect and drilling a fill hole from an external surface of the laminate into the defect proximate to a boundary of the defect. A vent hole is drilled from the external surface of the laminate into the defect proximate to an opposite boundary from the fill hole. A flowable bonding material is injected into the fill hole until the bonding material flows from the vent hole. The repair zone is reinforced with at least one mechanical fastener defined through the laminate either within the boundary of the defect or outboard of the boundary of the defect.
US08091225B2
The manufacturing method of a probe with printed tip consists of a substrate having a plurality of probe tips connected to its end edge, a plurality of test paths, each connected to one of the probe tips and extending along the substrate, and at least one of the test paths including an electrical component adjacent to the test path's probe tip. The electrical component may be a resistor. The probe tips may have a width equal to the thickness of the substrate. The probe tips may consist of a plurality of probe tip layers. The invention also includes a method of probing signals transmitted over target transmission lines on a target board. The disclosure also includes a method of manufacturing the claimed invention.
US08091206B2
A method of producing a coil assembly to be wound in a stator core with a plurality of slots. The method prepares a first and a second coil wire each of which is made up of in-slot portions and turned portions, arranges the first and second coil wires in parallel with the turned portions being offset from each other in a lengthwise direction thereof, moves the first coil wire to establish engagement of the turned portions of the first and second coil wires, turns the first coil wire about a pivot where the turned portions engage, crosses the first coil wire over the second coil wire around the pivot, and turns the first coil wire around the pivot so as to twist the turned portions of the first and second coil wires together. This sequence of steps is repeated to twist or braid the first and second coil wires without undesirable deformation thereof.
US08091205B2
The present invention provides a cartridge adjustment tool for adjusting the axial position of cartridges of a slotting cutter. The adjustment mechanism has a body axis of rotation and comprises a body peripheral surface that extends between a body front surface and a body rear surface. The body is provided with threaded through bores, each of which receives therein a threaded portion of a threaded bolt. When the adjustment mechanism is mounted on a mutual arbor with a slotting cutter having cartridges, each of the threaded bolts is opposite a force engagement area of the associated cartridge. By turning the head portion of the threaded bolts, each of the cartridges is axially displaced and the axial position of each of the cartridges may be individually set.
US08091200B2
A bulge forming method includes arranging a raw material tube inside a die having an inner surface shape, in which plural crest portions and root portions are alternately formed, and providing a rod inside the raw material tube in the axial direction of the raw material tube, and the rod has a pressurized liquid supply opening. The bulge forming method further includes providing a pair of sealing portion having the pressurized liquid supply opening therebetween, and the sealing portions seal a space between the raw material tube and the rod. The bulge forming method further includes moving the rod in the axial direction while applying compressive stress to the raw material tube in the axial direction and supplying a pressurized liquid from the pressurized liquid supply opening into the raw material tube, whereby the raw material tube is formed into the shape of the inner surface of the die.
US08091196B2
A device for mounting a part to a body of a motor vehicle. A positioning mechanism positions the part in relation to the body in a determined fixing position, which is geometrically defined in a reference trihedral formed by the longitudinal axis X, the transverse axis Y, and the vertical axis Z of the body. The positioning mechanism includes a temporary mounting structure including a first mechanism mounting the structure to the body in a given use position in which a second mechanism belonging to the structure cooperates with the part to position the part in relation to the body in the above-mentioned determined fixing position, which is defined by a given positioning reference system corresponding to the use position of the structure on the body.
US08091189B2
A quartz crystal unit has a quartz crystal tuning fork resonator that is capable of vibrating in a flexural mode and that has a quartz crystal tuning fork base, and first and second quartz crystal tuning fork tines. The quartz crystal tuning fork resonator is mounted on a mounting portion of the case after which the oscillation frequency of the quartz crystal tuning fork resonator is adjusted. The quartz crystal unit comprising the quartz crystal tuning fork resonator has a series resistance R1 of a fundamental mode of vibration less than a series resistance R2 of a second overtone mode of vibration. At least one groove is formed in at least one of opposite main surfaces of each of the first and second quartz crystal tuning fork tines so that a width of the at least one groove is greater than a distance in the width direction of the at least one groove measured from an outer edge of the at least one groove to an outer edge of the corresponding one of the first and second quartz crystal tuning fork tines.
US08091188B1
The invention as presently conceived discloses an apparatus to aid in holding shoe eyelets in place during the shoe manufacturing process. The apparatus has a large comb shape with a plurality of rod shaped teeth corresponding to the number of shoe eyelet pairs. In operation, each tooth that is threaded through a shoe eyelet pair comprises “eyes” on each end similar to those found on sewing needles. A pair of metal or plastic rods, equipped with locking features, is then threaded through the eyes to secure the apparatus with the shoe eyelet in place. There are various sizes of the apparatus to accommodate different sized shoes and number of shoe eyelet pairs. The use of this apparatus saves time in the manufacturing process while improving work quality and increasing operator safety.
US08091187B2
A zip fastener comprises a pair of tapes and coupling elements along adjacent edges of the tapes. The tapes are partly cut away to form a gap into which an end stop is moulded. The end stop is provided so as to extend along the tape edges away from the fastener coupling elements.
US08091180B2
A hinge assembly includes a first connecting member, a second connecting member, a rotary member, an elastic member, and a limiting member. The rotary member includes a first pivot portion to engage with the first connecting member and a second pivot portion to engage with the second connecting member. The elastic member is disposed between the second connecting member and the rotary member. The limiting member is positioned on the second connecting member. A sidewall of one of the second pivot portion of the rotary member and the second connecting member defines a limiting structure. The limiting member is disposed on a sidewall of the other one of the second pivot portion of the rotary member and the second connecting member. The limiting member slidably engages with the limiting structure.
US08091175B2
A bearing device comprising: an at least partially hollow structural element having a first wall region provided with an opening and a second wall region, the first and second wall regions being located opposite one another; and a punching bushing provided for bearing at least one separate component, the punching bushing comprising a punching blade being in jam contact with a punched out opening of the second wall region such that the punching bushing connects the first and second wall regions. A method of producing a bearing device, the method comprising the steps of: providing an at least partially hollow structural element having a first wall region, provided with an opening, and a second wall region, the first and second wall regions being located opposite one another; introducing into the opening of the first wall region a punching bushing being provided for bearing a separate component; and displacing the punching bushing in a direction of the second wall region in order to punch out part of the second wall region coaxially in relation to the opening of the first wall region such that the first wall region and the second wall region are connected by the punching bushing.
US08091172B2
A paint brush includes a sleeve circumscribing a portion of a handle and a portion of a plurality of bristles. A plug can be coupled to the handle. The plug can extend away from the handle into the plurality of bristles to form a space between the bristles. An extension and a recess can be formed between the handle and the resin with the extension extending from one of the handle or resin and into the recess in the other of the handle or resin.
US08091164B2
There is provided an assisting table capable of horizontally holding a subject and holding an angle at which a head of a subject is supported in an inclined state, and an assisting instrument, which includes a containing portion for containing a fluid to introduce a capsule medical device into a body cavity, capable of ejecting a capsule medical device with the fluid from the containing portion by detachably attaching the capsule medical device at a distal end opening portion of the containing portion and by changing a shape of the containing portion.
US08091160B2
A foldable bed frame including first coupling members each having an opening facing outwardly with respect to the frame being in an open state; two sets of longitudinal beams, each formed by two longitudinal bars having two free ends, and two inner ends pivotally connected within one of the openings of the first coupling members. At least two transverse beams, each being formed by two transverse bars having first and second ends, the first ends respectively being pivotally connected together by a second coupling member. A plurality of third coupling members provided proximate to each free end of the longitudinal bars, each third coupling member having an opening facing inwardly with respect to the frame being in the open state, the opening being configured to pivotally connect one of the free ends of the longitudinal bars. A leg pivotally connected respectively proximate the free end of each longitudinal bar.
US08091154B2
A toilet seat assembly comprising a seat (2) and hinge means (5) for hingedly attaching the seat (2) to a toilet. The hinge means (5) comprises a mounting block (50) having an arcuate slot (17), and an arcuate seat tang (20) extends rearwardly of the seat which is slidable in the arcuate slot of the mounting block. The assembly may also comprise a lid (3); and hinge means for hingedly attaching the lid (3) to a toilet; and an arcuate lid tang (23) extending rearwardly of the lid which is also slidable in the arcuate slot (17) of the mounting block (50).
US08091151B2
A safety vest for use with a safety harness, which includes first and second shoulder straps connected with a connector in an overlapping, crisscrossing relationship proximate a juncture. The first and second shoulder straps form an opening therebetween and below the connector. The vest includes an outer lining and an inner lining, and the first and second shoulder straps are at least partially positioned between the outer and inner linings. The inner lining extends from proximate an upper portion of the outer lining to proximate an intermediate portion of the outer lining. The inner lining includes a releasable connector configured and arranged to extend through the opening and releasably connect to the outer lining, wherein the releasable connector is disconnected and the inner lining is moved away from portions of the first and second shoulder straps to allow for inspection of the first and second shoulder straps.
US08095989B2
The present invention relates generally to processing audio or video content. One claim recites an apparatus comprising: electronic memory, and an electronic logic processor. The electronic memory is for storing data representing audio or video content, in which the data includes a protect watermark embedded therein, the protect watermark providing an indication that the data is protected, and in which the data further includes a rights watermark embedded in the data, the right watermark providing an indication of user rights associated with rendering the audio or video content, the protect watermark being more difficult to remove from the data relative to the rights watermark. The electronic logic processor is programmed for analyzing the data to retrieve the protect watermark only when the rights watermark does not exist in the data. Other claims are described and provided as well.
US08095968B2
One embodiment in accordance with the present invention includes implementing a personal digital assistant (PDA) with a wireless personal identification mechanism. Specifically, the wireless identification mechanism can be a radio frequency identification (RFID) integrated circuit which is incorporated on the inside of the rear housing (e.g., plastic) of the personal digital assistant. Once the radio frequency identification integrated circuit has been implemented with an authorized security code, the personal digital assistant in accordance with the present embodiment is capable of functioning as a “key” enabling entry into restricted areas which are secured with non-contact radio frequency security systems such as corporate campuses, buildings, and/or laboratories. In this manner, an authorized person does not have to carry around a separate radio frequency keycard in order to gain access to restricted areas.
US08095953B2
An image processing apparatus is provided. The image processing apparatus includes a receiver which receives a broadcasting signal of a program corresponding to at least one of a plurality of categories; a UI generator which generates a UI having at least one of a plurality of attributes and capable of being displayed for the program; an image processing unit which performs image processing for the received broadcasting signal; and a controlling unit which controls the UI generator so that the attribute of the program can correspond to the category of the program.
US08095948B2
A system and method for billing for interactive television (ITV) includes recording the content accessed by a consumer and the time of access to render an access record. The access record for each interaction with the ITV is stored in a consumer database. When it is time to bill the consumer for a period of usage of the ITV system, the access record for each interaction with the ITV system is retrieved from the consumer database. Access records which do not contain billable content are discarded and a billing list of access records that contain billable content is constructed. Accordingly, each consumer is billed based on his or her respective billing list.
US08095945B2
An optical disc drive includes a rotation device that rotates an optical disc in a clockwise direction when an upper surface of the optical disc is viewed, a disc mounting portion for mounting of the optical disc thereon has a recess portion, and an optical pickup which irradiates a laser beam on a lower recording surface of the optical disc. The disc mounting portion includes a first penetrating opening portion therethrough that extends from a center area of the recess portion to a periphery of the recess portion. The disc mounting portion further includes a single second penetrating opening portion therethrough being provided at a rear of the disc mounting portion and periphery at an upstream side of the clockwise rotating direction with respect to a center line of the first penetrating opening portion extending from a front to the rear of the disc mounting portion.
US08095940B2
In a method for accessing resources provided by an operating system, a request for a resource is received by an application program executing inside an environment. A first identifier associated with the resource is acquired. A registry is consulted, responsive to an association between a first identifier associated with the resource and a second identifier associated with the resource, the association associated with the environment. The resource and an environment on which to launch the resource are identified, responsive to consulting the registry. The second identifier is associated with the resource, with the environment, and with the environment on which to launch the resource. A registry key for the resource is stored in the registry, the registry key comprising the second identifier. The request for the resource is redirected to the identified instance of the resource, responsive to the second identifier. The request for the resource is responded to using the instance of the resource located in the environment on which the resource resides. The requested resource is launched in the identified environment, responsive to the second identifier.
US08095939B2
A method for managing multimodal interactions can include the step of registering a multitude of modality components with a modality component server, wherein each modality component handles an interface modality for an application. The modality component can be connected to a device. A user interaction can be conveyed from the device to the modality component for processing. Results from the user interaction can be placed on a shared memory are of the modality component server.
US08095937B1
A system receives notification that a console has registered to receive a type of managed object event. The system receives a plurality of managed object events from a cache manager. Each managed object event is associated with a managed object. The system parses the plurality of managed object events to determine the type of managed object event for each of the plurality of managed object events, and distributes the plurality of managed object events to the console. The plurality of managed object events are distributed based on the type of managed object event associated with each managed object event within the plurality of managed objects events, and the type of managed object event the console has previously registered to receive.
US08095936B2
In some embodiments, a method includes receiving an input for a software application that is executing on a controlled device. The method also includes transmitting, over a network, an identification of an event for the software application, that is a result of the input, to a controller device to remotely control execution of the software application. The identification of the event comprises an identification of at least one of a control and the input for the control.
US08095918B2
A software development apparatus for developing application software based on an object model that requires security in a web service application is provided. The software development apparatus includes a display unit that displays, in a class diagram of the application software, security annotation for adding security requirements for a service, input means for inputting the security annotation, transforming means for transforming the class diagram into a configuration model based on a markup language, and configuration-file creating means for creating a configuration file based on a markup language by serializing the configuration model based on a markup language. The security annotation includes the security requirements and a token class of a security token that is a certificate for declaring identity of a client to a server.
US08095914B1
An instruction trace is segmented into a number of contiguous instruction segments, such that each boundary between adjacent instruction segments is defined by a branch instruction. A segment identifier is assigned to each instruction segment, such that each instruction segment having identical content is assigned a same segment identifier. Using the assigned segment identifiers, the instruction trace is translated into a sequence of segment identifiers. The sequence of segment identifiers is then iteratively consolidated into a prime form that does not include a repetition of a heterogeneous pair of consecutive segment identifiers. The prime form of the sequence of segment identifiers is then rendered in a graphical format.
US08095911B2
Methods, systems, and software for utilizing development components or other enterprise content—whether developed internally or by third parties—are described herein. One method for utilizing reusable development components includes presenting an interface to a remote user operable to display information for at least a first and a second development component. In some cases, the first development component is a first type of enterprise application content and the second development component of a second type of enterprise application content. The user is then allowed to update some portion of metadata associated with the first development component.
US08095900B2
Achieving clock timing closure in designing an integrated circuit involves virtually synthesizing a clock network for the integrated circuit design to generate virtual clock buffering in the clock network before a point in the design flow at which the clock network is actually synthesized and committed to a netlist. Timing violations are determined for clock gates generated by the virtual clock buffering. Clock gating transforms are evaluated for the clock gates having the timing violations, based on recalculated clock and data path delays, to incrementally virtually synthesize the clock network. The clock gating transforms that result in the best timing gains are committed to the netlist. The clock network is then actually synthesized for the integrated circuit design, and design changes, due to the actual clock network synthesis, are committed to the netlist.
US08095896B2
There is provided a device which may easily and visually judge which chip in an FEM wafer has a normal exposure condition, or which chip has an abnormal exposure condition.A feature quantity for a sectional shape of a resist pattern of an FEM wafer is calculated for each chip region on an FEM wafer using an image of a resist pattern for an FEM wafer. The feature quantity of a sectional shape is displayed for each chip in a chip table of a map representing a position of a chip region on the FEM wafer. Deviations in feature quantities of sectional shapes of resist patterns of a FEM wafer to an appropriate value are displayed in color in the chip table.
US08095885B1
Methods and apparatus provide for a Cache Manager to display a scaled image in an active view. The scaled image comprises the same content as an image from a stored collection of images, which is accessible by a plurality of active views in a user interface. The Cache Manager refreshes the active view to replace the displayed scaled image with a larger-sized image, which comprises the same content as the displayed scaled image. A reference counter associated with the larger-sized image is maintained to keep track of instances of display of the larger-sized image by any of the plurality of active views. The Cache Manager allows any other active view to use the larger-sized image while a current value of the reference counter is greater than zero.
US08095864B2
An electronic apparatus capable of displaying linked pages in turn by an easy operation for users is provided.In a element in an SMIL document, the attribute ??dur=t is added to URI description for specifying a media element. The resulting notation implies that a file name placed before ?? indicates a designated page and a link destination of the designated page is displayed. A numerical value following dur= indicates the duration for which a given link contained in the designated page can be activated. An SMIL player interprets an SMIL document having such a description, so as to allow auto-linking to the link destinations of the designated page with the defined link intervals.
US08095860B2
The present invention relates to a decoding method and system for stochastic decoding of linear block codes with parity check matrix. Each encoded sample of a set of encoded samples is converted into a corresponding probability. For each probability a corresponding probability message is the generated by encoding each probability as a sequence of digital symbols. Each probability message is then provided to a respective node of a logic circuitry for stochastic decoding. The logic circuitry represents a factor graph of the parity check matrix of the linear block code. Using the logic circuitry each probability message is processed for determining an estimated sequence of information symbols. If an equality node is in a hold state a chosen symbol is provided from a corresponding memory which is updated by storing output symbols from the equality node when the same is in a state other than a hold state.
US08095850B1
An apparatus, system and method can be arranged for coding and/or decoding with a phase invariant coding scheme that is useful for short burst signaling devices. 10-bit data is mapped into a 12-bit data with a non-coherent burst code mapper. A parity generator creates a 12-bit parity data to form a 24-bit extended binary Golay code from the 12-bit data. The values for selected bit fields in the 12-bit data and 12-bit parity data are swapped to generate I and Q data such that sensitivity to changes in rotational phase is removed. I and Q data can be used by a transmitter to transmit a rotationally-invariant signal. On receipt, I and Q signals can be recovered, reverse swapped to generate the parity and data signals, and remapped to recover the transmitted 10-bit data. The receiver can also be arranged to use a soft decoding method for improved signal integrity.
US08095841B2
Method and apparatus for testing semiconductor devices with autonomous expected value generation is described. Examples of the invention can relate to apparatus for interfacing a tester and a semiconductor device under test (DUT). An apparatus can include output processing logic configured to receive test result signals from the DUT responsive to testing by the tester, the output processing logic voting a logic value of a majority of the test result signals as a correct logic value; and memory configured to store indications of whether each of the test result signals has the correct logic value.
US08095836B2
A technique for detecting an imminent read failure in a memory array includes determining a first incident count for a memory array that does not exhibit an uncorrectable error correcting code (ECC) read during an array integrity check. In this case, the first incident count corresponds to an initial number of ECC corrections that are performed when the array integrity check of the memory array initially fails. The technique also includes determining a current count for the memory array when the memory array does not exhibit an uncorrectable ECC read during subsequent array integrity checks. In this case, the current count corresponds to a subsequent number of error correcting code (ECC) corrections required during the subsequent array integrity checks. An indication of an imminent read failure for the memory array is provided when the current count exceeds the first incident count by a predetermined amount.
US08095833B2
A transmission method includes generating a control information signal relating to control information of a data signal. A transmission frame is formed by repeating and discretely arranging the same control information signal. The data signal and the control information signal are transmitted using the transmission frame.
US08095831B2
A data processing system and method of operation has a processor coupled to a cache. Cache control circuitry is coupled to the cache and performs error detection. A user programmable error action control register stores a control value for selecting a type of error action to be taken when a cache error is detected. A first value of the control value permits handling of a cache error that is transparent to the processor, and a second value permits handling of the cache error by taking an exception that is visible to the processor. Various alternate actions to a detected error, including error correction or cache line invalidation, may be taken in response to other values of the control value.
US08095830B1
A method for diagnosing system health with system event logs is provided. The method includes receiving a plurality of event logs and health indicator states from a system; transducing the plurality of event logs into numeric-based metrics of the system; and deriving, based on the transduced numeric-based metrics, at least one model of the system that correlates the plurality of event logs to the corresponding health indicator states.
US08095829B1
A global processor operating mode is used select whether a processor stops processing when an error is detected or ignores the error and continues processing while overriding values as needed to recover from the error. When a soldier-on mode is enabled the system attempts to recover from the error while also recording the error state of the first error in on-chip registers for later analysis. When the soldier-on mode is not enabled and an error occurs, the system stops processing and the error is reported up to the operating system.
US08095827B2
A method for replicating a volume of data including selecting a target storage box to receive a physical copy of the actual volume of data stored on the source storage box for replication of the actual volume of data, selecting a point in time storage box to receive a physical copy of actual data stored on the target storage box, physically copying actual data stored on the target storage box to the point in time storage box, performing the replication of the actual volume of data by initiating the physical copying on the target storage box of the actual volume of data, and selectively undoing the physical copying on the target storage box of the actual volume of data by replacing the current actual data stored on the target storage box with the physical copy of actual target storage box data stored on the point in time storage box.
US08095820B2
A RAID group is configured and operated by using multiple storage drives 171 and expanders 112 and 121 connected with the storage drives 171. If a failure related to any storage drive 171 is detected, a storage system 10 which issues a broadcast and a discover command to the communication path of the storage drive 171 manages a broadcast inhibiting flag for setting the information showing whether to inhibit transmission of broadcast per storage drive 171. If a failure occurs to a storage drive 171 constituting a RAID group whose redundancy is lost, the storage system 10 sets the broadcast inhibiting flag to inhibiting the broadcast transmission, and if a failure related to the storage drive 171 occurs and the broadcast inhibiting flag of the storage drive 171 is being set to inhibiting the transmission, inhibits the transmission of the broadcast.
US08095808B2
The invention provides a method, an element and a circuit board for controlling an electronic device to be shut down. The method according to the invention includes the steps as follows. First, a power control signal is received, and the duration of the power control signal at a preset signal level is calculated. Then, whether the duration is greater than a threshold value is determined. If yes, an interrupt signal is generated and transmitted to a processing module of the electronic device to drive the processing module to set the preset mechanism of the electronic device according to the interrupt signal.
US08095803B1
A storage manager provides data privacy, while preserving the benefits provided by existing hash based storage systems. Each file is assigned a unique identifying code. Hashes of the content-derived chunks of the file are calculated based on the content of the chunk and the code identifying the file. When a request to store a chunk of data is received, it is determined whether a chunk associated with the hash has already been stored. Because hashes are based on privacy-preserving codes as well as content, chunks of duplicate copies of a file need not be stored multiple times, and yet privacy is preserved for content at a file level. In other embodiments, hashes indicating whether a given file is public and/or indicating the identity of the requesting user are also sent with storage requests. These additional hashes enable more robust transmission and storage efficiency, while still preserving privacy.
US08095791B2
A distributed storage system implements high-speed data reconstitution processing while ensuring a high security level. Devices (63) in a device group (51) with security level “low” distributedly store fragmented data. When a process requesting device (60) belonging to a device group (50) with security level “high” instructs devices (62) belonging to the same group to reconstitute the data, the devices (62) collect and reconstitute part of the fragmented and stored data. After that, the process requesting device (60) collects the data partially reconstituted by the devices (62) and completely reconstitutes the data.
US08095786B1
Techniques are described for providing secure communication of network traffic from specific applications operating on a client device to a server device using a network-layer virtual private network (VPN). For example, a module on a client device may intercept network traffic from an application executing on the client device. The module may then determine whether to send the application-layer data through a network-layer VPN tunnel from the client device to a gateway device. This network-layer VPN tunnel may be defined by a network address of a physical adapter of the client device and a network address of the VPN gateway. In other words, there may be no need for the interposition of a VPN proxy on the client device. The module makes this determination on an application-by-application basis. The client device then forwards the application-layer data through the VPN tunnel based on the determination.
US08095785B2
A method for determining whether the terminal is authorized to receive the selected service is practiced in a terminal of a conditional access system in which a user selects a service, the selected service being associated with a frequency, the terminal having a tuner and a secure element with at least one authorized entitlement unit number stored therein. The method includes receiving at least one encrypted entitlement control message corresponding to the service, and decrypting each of the at least one encrypted entitlement control message in the secure element, each decrypted entitlement control message revealing at least one first entitlement number associated with the selected service. The method further includes determining that the terminal is authorized to receive the selected service when any first entitlement number of any decrypted entitlement control message represents any number of the at least one authorized entitlement unit number. Alternatively, the method includes receiving at least one entitlement control message corresponding to the service, and authenticating each of the at least one entitlement control message in the secure element, each authenticated entitlement control message revealing at least one first entitlement number associated with the selected service. The method further including determining that the terminal is authorized to receive the selected service when any first entitlement number of any authenticated entitlement control message represents any number of the at least one authorized entitlement unit number.
US08095782B1
Graphics processing elements are capable of processing multiple contexts simultaneously, reducing the need to perform time consuming context switches compared with processing a single context at a time. Processing elements of a graphics processing pipeline may be configured to support all of the multiple contexts or only a portion of the multiple contexts. Each processing element may be allocated to process a particular context or a portion of the multiple contexts in order to simultaneously process more than one context. The allocation of processing elements to the multiple contexts may be determined dynamically in order to improve graphics processing throughput.
US08095772B2
A method for loading shared libraries. The method includes receiving an indication of a requirement to load the shared library into the virtual memory and determining that the shared library is a candidate for using shared large pages. Further, the method includes, in response to the determination, storing a text section of the shared library in a shared large page of the virtual memory and storing a data section of the shared library in a page of the virtual memory, where the virtual memory is mapped to a physical memory of the computer, where, within an address space of the virtual memory, a starting address of the text section of the shared library is separated from a starting address of the data section of the shared library by a predefined distance, and where the predefined distance is larger than a size of the large page.
US08095770B2
The invention relates to mapping data to a process. A method of the invention includes receiving a request to copy a parent process, where the parent process is associated with a first virtual memory address space that includes a first mapping to a page of a file loaded into physical memory. The method includes creating a child process (of the parent process) associated with a second virtual memory address space. The method includes determining that a fork count is greater than a fork count threshold and a COW count to fork count ratio is greater than a threshold ratio. The fork count is associated with the file and the COW count is associated with the page. The method includes creating a copy of the page in physical memory and further includes creating a second mapping from the second virtual memory address space to the copy of the page.
US08095767B2
Techniques for providing arbitrary precision floating number (APFN) processing are disclosed. In some aspects, an APFN store may be used to store a large number (i.e., an APFN) having many significant digits, which in turn may enable a high degree of precision in mathematical operations. An APFN module may be used to create and define the APFN store. The APFN module may enable a user to define a precision (significant digits) for the large number that corresponds to the size of an array of bytes in the APFN store that are allocated for storing the large number. In further aspects, the APFN store may be used to store additional intermediary data and a resultant.
US08095762B1
A synchronous memory device is configured to switch into and out of a full speed mode to change speed the speed of data transactions without significantly disturbing the frequency of a clock input to a PLL or DLL that provides the internal clock for the synchronous memory device. Since the PLL or DLL receives a clock signal whether or not the synchronous memory device is in a non-full speed mode, the PLL or DLL does not need to settle or relock when the clock signal is reapplied to exit a different speed mode and return to the full speed mode. Therefore, the latency incurred to switch into and out of different speed modes is reduced by eliminating or substantially reducing the time for settling or relocking the PLL or DLL.
US08095761B1
A synchronous memory device is configured to switch into and out of a full speed mode to change speed the speed of data transactions without significantly disturbing the frequency of a clock input to a PLL or DLL that provides the internal clock for the synchronous memory device. Since the PLL or DLL receives a clock signal whether or not the synchronous memory device is in a non-full speed mode, the PLL or DLL does not need to settle or relock when the clock signal is reapplied to exit a different speed mode and return to the full speed mode. Therefore, the latency incurred to switch into and out of different speed modes is reduced by eliminating or substantially reducing the time for settling or relocking the PLL or DLL.
US08095756B1
A system and method are described for coordinating deduplication operations and backup operations of a storage volume. In one embodiment, a request is identified to eliminate duplicate data from a storage volume. The storage volume may be scheduled to be backed up on a periodic basis. The duration of time required to complete an operation to eliminate duplicate data from the storage volume may be determined. The determination may be based on the amount of data modified on the storage volume since the last operation to eliminate duplicate data from the storage volume. The determined duration of time may be used to schedule the start time of the operation to eliminate duplicate data such that the operation is completed prior to the next scheduled backup of the storage volume. The operation may be initiated at the scheduled start time, ensuring the operation is completed prior to the next scheduled backup.
US08095753B1
A system and method are described for adding a disk to a cluster as a shared resource. In one embodiment, a request is received to add a disk to a cluster as a shared disk resource. The disk may share a disk identifier with a second disk currently connected to the cluster as a shared resource. A determination is made as to which partition format is used by the disk. A unique disk identifier is retrieved and written to the disk in accordance with the determined partition format. The disk is then connected to the node as a shared disk resource. The disk may be a snapshot, mirror, or backup of the second disk currently connected to the cluster.
US08095749B1
A device stores a plurality of applications and a list of associations for those applications. The applications are preferably stored within a secondary memory of the device, and once launched each application is loaded into RAM. Each application is preferably associated to one or more of the other applications. Preferably, no applications are launched when the device is powered on. A user selects an application, which is then launched by the device, thereby loading the application from the secondary memory to RAM. Whenever an application is determined to be associated with a currently active state application, and that associated application has yet to be loaded from secondary memory to RAM, the associated application is pre-launched such that the associated application is loaded into RAM, but is set to an inactive state.
US08095742B2
A microcomputer includes a first CPU, a first bus, a first memory, a second CPU, a second bus, and a second memory. The first memory and the second memory are arranged in address spaces individually managed by the first CPU and the second CPU corresponding to the memories. An address translation circuit is provided. When a task so programmed to have a data area in the first memory is transferred to the second memory and executed by the second CPU, the address translation circuit carries out the following processing: the address translation circuit translates an address outputted from the second CPU so that access to the first memory by the task becomes access to the second memory. As a result, the number of access cycles is reduced and degradation in computing capability is avoided when a task is transferred between CPUs for load sharing.
US08095738B2
A method for allocating space in a cache based on media I/O speed is disclosed herein. In certain embodiments, such a method may include storing, in a read cache, cache entries associated with faster-responding storage devices and cache entries associated with slower-responding storage devices. The method may further include implementing an eviction policy in the read cache. This eviction policy may include demoting, from the read cache, the cache entries of faster-responding storage devices faster than the cache entries of slower-responding storage devices, all other variables being equal. In certain embodiments, the eviction policy may further include demoting, from the read cache, cache entries having a lower read-hit ratio faster than cache entries having a higher read-hit ratio, all other variables being equal. A corresponding computer program product and apparatus are also disclosed and claimed herein.
US08095736B2
Software, systems and methods are described which provide cache management capabilities. The number of cache sets to be used in each partition of the cache memory space is based on a number of cache pages in each partition and an associativity level associated with the set associative cache. The cache sets can be numbered based on the partition number, a total number of partitions and a cache page index. Cache management according to these exemplary embodiments reduces problems associated with cache trashing in multiprocessor environments sharing common data structures in set associative caches.
US08095735B2
A memory interleave system for providing memory interleave for a heterogeneous computing system is provided. The memory interleave system effectively interleaves memory that is accessed by heterogeneous compute elements in different ways, such as via cache-block accesses by certain compute elements and via non-cache-block accesses by certain other compute elements. The heterogeneous computing system may comprise one or more cache-block oriented compute elements and one or more non-cache-block oriented compute elements that share access to a common main memory. The cache-block oriented compute elements access the memory via cache-block accesses (e.g., 64 bytes, per access), while the non-cache-block oriented compute elements access memory via sub-cache-block accesses (e.g., 8 bytes, per access). A memory interleave system is provided to optimize the interleaving across the system's memory banks to minimize hot spots resulting from the cache-block oriented and non-cache-block oriented accesses of the heterogeneous computing system.
US08095728B2
A method for retrieving a logical block, including receiving a request to read the logical block, and obtaining metadata associated with the logical block, wherein the metadata includes a replication type used to store the logical block and physical block locations in a storage pool for each physical block associated with the logical block. The method further includes obtaining power state information including a power state for the storage devices specified in the physical block locations, selecting a first set of physical block locations using the metadata, the power state information, and a power-usage selection policy, and generating I/O requests, where each I/O request specifies one of the first set of physical block locations. The method further includes issuing the I/O requests, receiving physical blocks in response to the I/O requests, and constructing the logical block using the physical blocks.
US08095712B2
A method and apparatus to read information from an information storage medium using a read channel, where that read channel includes a data cache. The invention generates an analog waveform comprising the information, and provides that analog waveform to a read channel, and generates a digital signal from that analog waveform using one or more first operating parameters. The method error corrects that digital signal at an actual error correction rate, and determines if the actual error correction rate is greater than an error correction rate threshold. If the actual error correction rate exceeds the error correction rate threshold, then the method captures the digital signal, stores that captured data in a data cache, reads that digital signal from the cache, generates one or more second operating parameters, and provides those one or more second operating parameters to the read channel. Thereafter, the method uses those one or more second operating parameters to read the information from the information storage medium.
US08095699B2
An interface to transfer data between a host processor and an external coprocessor is provided. The interface may operate in several write modes, in which in a first write mode the write operation is transferred across the interface in two clock cycles and in a second write mode the write operation is transferred across the interface in a single clock cycle. The interface can perform a first read operation initiated by the host processor and a second read operation initiated by the external coprocessor. The interface can include buffers to store read and write operations and clock gates to selectively gate off clock signals provided to the buffers to synchronize transfer of data into and out of the buffers. A selectable priority scheme can be modified to select between priorities that control a preference in transferring operations over the interface when both read and write operations are queued for transfer.
US08095695B2
A control apparatus for an input-output device includes a hardware part and a software part, in which a controller in the hardware part carries out a control operation in accordance with a signal from the input-output device, outputs a result of the control operation to a process, and has a timer unit to be excited at a constant period; and the software part has an information process part, a control process part, and an interrupt control unit to switch over the information process part and control process part one another, in which the interrupt control unit suspends an execution of the information process part to execute the control process part in priority and resume the information process part by switching over to the information process part from the control process part, when the execution of the control process part is terminated.
US08095688B2
Methods, systems, and machine-readable media are disclosed for orchestrating behavior of network resources while reducing latency. According to one embodiment, a system can comprise a first network resource communicatively coupled with a communications network. The first network resource can have predictable latencies and can be adapted to handle network signaling and transport processes. A first enabler introducing greater latencies than the first network resource can be communicatively coupled with the first network resource and can be adapted to control the first network resource. The system may also include an adapter introducing greater latencies than the first network resource and lower latencies than the first enabler and adapted to react to network events and signaling of the communications network not handled by the network resource. An orchestrator can be communicatively coupled with the first enabler and adapted to orchestrate behavior of the first network resource via the first enabler.
US08095686B2
A method and system are disclosed for communicating information between a switch and a plurality of servers in a computer network. In accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a first server constructs an original state of an information packet for transmitting client information to a client on a connection between the client and the server through the switch. The first server modifies a header of the information packet to include computer network information for use by the switch. The first server transmits the modified information packet to the switch. The switch extracts the computer network information from the modified information packet.
US08095682B2
Nodes in a realtime p2p media distribution can act in the role of ‘Amplifiers’ to increase the total available bandwidth in the network and thus to improve the quality of the realtime media consumed by the viewers. Examples of such media consumptions are TV channels over the Internet, video on demand films, and files, and media files downloaded to be consumed at a later time. Amplifiers are added to the p2p swarm by a mechanism that discovers the need for supplemental bandwidth in the swarm and orders nodes to join the swarm in the role of amplifiers. The amplifiers' main goal is to maximize the amount of bandwidth they supply (upload) to the swarm while minimizing the amount of bandwidth they consume (download).
US08095678B2
Data is stored in streams of varying size, a plurality of data streams are linked by references to form an application file such that each data stream is a portion of an application file, and an operating system transfers said application file between storage and a client application. Data streams that are below a predetermined size are identified as data fragments, wherein a plurality of data fragments are written to storage in a data block. Each data fragment is analysed to determine whether it is related in content to a first set of data fragments or to a second set of data fragments, the first set of data fragments is placed in a first block and the second set of data fragments is placed in a second block.
US08095673B2
Methods, systems and apparatus, including computer program products, for transferring, receiving, and storing multiple element data in a string of characters. Multiple data elements are sent in a string of delimited characters and have respective project identifiers, data types, and index numbers used to extract and store the data elements at a receiving computer.
US08095668B2
In order to carry out actions such as setting up a call from an entity in the address realm of one middlebox to an entity in the address realm of another middlebox, then a middlebox control node such as a call server is used. Previously, the middlebox control node has needed to have pre-configured information about all the middleboxes and which address realms they are associated with. The present invention provides one or more middlebox-identity-providing nodes which are separate from the middlebox control node, and which are more directly connected to the end users of the service than the middlebox control node. This provides greater flexibility in network design and removes the need for middlebox information to be pre-configured at the middlebox control node. Instead, this information is sent to the middlebox control node, as part of signalling messages, from middlebox-identity-providing nodes.
US08095660B2
A Principal Referencing method is described herein which enables an inviting principal-A to have access control over their shared resources by introducing a pair of user identifiers associated with an invited principal-B which are created and delivered during an invitation process. Each identifier is shared between two parties. The first identifier is shared between the Discovery Services (DS-A and DS-B) of both principals, invited and inviting. The second identifier identifies the invited principal-B as well, but it is shared between the inviting principal's web service provider (WSP-A) and the DS-A. Thus, the DS-A is the identifier switching point which isolates both identifier planes. The purpose of these two identifiers is to enable the invited principal-B to be referenced/identified during a discovery and access process without compromising her/his privacy by allowing anyone identifier to be shared between more than two parties. This is important since if an identifier was shared between more than two parties, then Liberty Alliance Project's privacy protection requirement would not be satisfied.
US08095657B2
A distributed data system may include nodes hosting at least one multi-threaded process operable to access portions of distributed data. A lock mechanism may grant locks to multi-threaded processes for portions of the distributed data. Only a process holding a lock may access a portion corresponding to the lock. Threads of other processes may not access the portion. A process may include a first thread to request access to a distributed data portion that may acquire a lock for the distributed data portion on behalf of the process. In one embodiment, the lock mechanism may require only a thread that acquired a lock release the lock on behalf of a process. In embodiments, the first thread may release the lock in response to no more threads of the process require access to the distributed data portion and/or in response to a request to release the lock.
US08095652B2
An analysis system, information processing apparatus, activity analysis method, and program for analyzing activities of an information source on a network. The system and apparatus include an attribute extraction block for extracting, an information propagation graph acquisition block for searching action history data, and a characteristic user calculation block for calculating an amount characteristic. The method and program product include the steps of extracting an information characteristic value, searching action history data, registering the information, calculating an amount characteristic, and integrating the amount characteristic.
US08095646B2
An ancillary device is used to access content related to a sensory work during the playback of the sensory work. The ancillary device receives information related to the playback of a sensory work on a primary device, prepares content information related to the sensory work using the received information, presents the prepared content information using the ancillary device.
US08095641B2
A method and system for monitoring computational resources within a data processing system is presented. A monitoring service receives a non-application-specific request to perform a monitoring operation in order to gather information about the usage of a computational resource within a data processing system. The monitoring service automatically selects a monitoring application from a set of monitoring applications in which the selected monitoring application is able to perform the monitoring operation on the computational resource. The monitoring service then sends to the selected monitoring application an application-specific request that identifies the computational resource and indicates the monitoring operation to be performed on the computational resource.
US08095639B2
If both of LUN security information on storage apparatuses and configuration information on an iSNS server are acquirable, a management server makes reference to configuration situation of the LUN security acquired from a monitoring-target storage apparatus, thereby acquiring iSCSI initiator names which are permitted to access the storage apparatus. Moreover, the management server acquires, from the iSNS server, IP address of an iSCSI initiator name which does not exist on a monitoring-target host out of the iSCSI initiator names, then adding the IP address into monitoring-target nodes. Meanwhile, when an access from the management server to a monitoring-target node becomes impossible for a certain constant time-period due to a reason such that the monitoring-target node has been excluded from the network, the management server is capable of excluding the monitoring-target node from the monitoring targets on a GUI.
US08095638B2
A system harvests sessions in a network device. The system receives a first data unit associated with a session and installs the session in a first queue until expiration of a first time period. The system installs the session in a second queue until the occurrence of at least one of an expiration of a second time period and a receipt of a data unit associated with the session. The system harvests the session upon expiration of the second time period.
US08095632B2
Disclosed are diagnostic utilities and complimentary interfaces that enable users to observe, from a remote location, the configuration and operation of data access servers and associated data source devices. The servers provide diagnostic data and server-specific diagnostic schema used by a diagnostic utility to analyze the received diagnostic data. Engines within servers supply data associated with diagnostic roots within each server. In an embodiment, the set of diagnostic root types is extensible. First, the diagnostic roots are extended by adding to the scope of data items provided by base diagnostic objects. Second, entirely new diagnostic object root types can be added for a particular server. A diagnostic utility development environment provides a set of class libraries for creating server-specific portions. Server developers use a class library to create customized diagnostic objects. The class library supports both pushing data to the diagnostic utility and serving requests from the diagnostic utility.
US08095628B2
A computer implemented method and apparatus for rebooting a host having a plurality of network interfaces. A server reboots the host by stopping an NFS server process on the host. The server sends at least one consolidated notification to a plurality of clients identified in a consolidated notification table, wherein the consolidated notification comprises at least two addresses of network interfaces of the host. The server determines that an acknowledgement is received from each of the plurality of clients. The server halts resending of consolidated notifications, responsive to determining that an acknowledgement is received from the each of the plurality of clients.
US08095621B2
Methods and systems are provided herein for the analysis of clickstream data of online users. The analysis methods and systems allow for the creation of new offline business methods based on online consumer behavior. In embodiments, the output file enables the third party to select an offering for automobile sales by sales region or geography.
US08095618B2
In a multi-tenant data sharing environment with shared, customizable data attributes are assigned to requested data and stored in a cache store along with the requested data. For non-customized data designated as system data, one copy is stored in the cache store for use by multiple tenants allowing optimization of memory and performance for each data request/retrieval operation. A “delete sentinel” attribute may be assigned to non-existing data in the cache store enabling notification of requesting tenant(s) without a need to access the tenant data store each time a request for the non-existing data is received.
US08095614B2
The present invention relates to optimally utilizing a peer to peer network by increasing the amount of communication messages that are received. The present invention does this by eliminating under performing connections, by controlling how connections are attempted and by locating optimal connections. The present invention provides a way to increase the number of nodes that are available for searching.
US08095611B2
Methods, devices, and systems are provided for enhancing the functionality of a communication device, such as a communication endpoint. This provides the ability to enhance less intelligent SIP endpoints with required features to support a richer user experience. Furthermore, the endpoint enhancer may be dynamically pluggable onto an existing network device. This provided pluggability allows a network administrator to add a new SEE template to the network without disrupting the network operation or the operation of previously existing SEEs.
US08095603B2
To promote efficient transmission of presence update information to a presence service client associated or integrated with a communication client such as an instant messaging (IM) client, a separate computing device may be notified when the communication client becomes dormant. The separate device may buffer presence updates destined for the communication client, each presence update containing information regarding availability of at least one of a set of contacts for intercommunication via said communication client. When the separate device learns that either the communication client has ceased being dormant or that an event has occurred which shall cause the communication client to cease being dormant, the buffered presence updates may be sent to the presence service client. Presence updates within the buffered set may be reconciled to eliminate obsolete information. The result may be a conservation of wireless connection bandwidth or reduction in device power consumption.
US08095598B2
Methods and apparatuses for processing enterprise messages are described herein. In one embodiment, an exemplary process is provided to maintain multiple delivery policies of multiple subscription sessions of a subscriber subscribing a topic published by a producer, wherein at least one policy is different from a remainder of the delivery policies. The messages associated with the topic are delivered according to substantially all the delivery policies of the subscription sessions including the at least one different delivery policy. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.
US08095596B2
A home-networking gateway may automatically provide a function based on data identified on a device on a home network. The home-networking gateway may perform the function using another device that is capable of performing the function and is accessible to the home-networking gateway.
US08095588B2
A method for multivariate analysis using a mathematical model for generating model data and actual data for more than one variable includes for each variable, determining a difference between the model data and the actual data. The model data is substantially representative of more than one variable. The method also includes for each variable, determining a fractional impact on performance. The method further includes for each variable, determining a weighted deviation based on the determined difference and the determined fractional impact. The method also includes transmitting the weighted deviation to an output device.
US08095586B2
Methods and arrangements to correct for double rounding errors when rounding floating point numbers to nearest away are described. Embodiments include transformations, code, state machines or other logic to perform a floating point operation on one or more floating point numbers of precision P1 in base b, producing positive result res0 of precision greater than precision P1; rounding positive result res0 to precision P1 to the nearest away, producing positive result res1; and rounding the result res1 to precision P2 to the nearest away, where P2 is narrower than P1, producing result res2. The embodiments may also include correcting res2 for double rounding errors. The correcting may include determining that res1 is midway between two consecutive floating point numbers of precision P2, the larger being res2, determining that rounding res0 to produce res1 involved rounding up, and decrementing the significand of res2 to obtain the corrected result.
US08095584B2
A random number generator generates a string of random bits from a received RF signal source. A sample-and-hold circuit is coupled to the received RF signal source. The RF signal is sampled by a jittered clock signal from a source coupled to the sample-and-hold circuit. The frequency of the jittered clock signal is less than frequency of the received RF signal. The random number appears at the output of the sample-and-hold circuit.
US08095581B2
A computer-implemented apparatus and method for performing patent portfolio analysis. The patent portfolio analysis apparatus and method clusters a group of patents based upon one or more techniques. The clustering techniques include linguistic clustering techniques (e.g., eigenvector analysis), claim meaning, and patent classification techniques. Different aspects of the clusters are analyzed, including financial, claim breadth, and assignee patent comparisons. Moreover, patents and/or their clusters are linked to the Internet in order to determine what products might be covered by the claims of the patents or whether materials on the Internet might render patent claims invalid.
US08095579B2
A method of updating a file attached to an electronic document can include attaching a file to an electronic document and storing a reference to the attached file. The reference can specify a location from which the attached file was obtained. Responsive to a user input, the attached file can be replaced with a file specified by the reference. The attached file also can be updated from newly specified locations.
US08095576B2
In the case of recording pieces of cache data stored in a cache information management unit onto a recording medium, a recording device pertaining to the present invention records, according to designation of a recording area by a file management unit, pieces of data that are to be recorded into empty areas on the recording medium before recording pieces of data that are to be recorded into occupied areas on the recording medium. This prevents that the pieces of data to be recorded into the occupied areas on the recording medium from being recorded into the empty areas. As a result, the recording device pertaining to the present invention can reduce the number of overwrite operations as a whole.
US08095575B1
A computer-implemented word processing presentation method is disclosed. The method includes obtaining an unformatted data structure containing a series of characters representing content for a word processing document, accessing a series of first records in a file associated with the unformatted data structure, wherein each first record contains data correlating a location of one or more characters in the unformatted data structure to a location for the one or more characters in the word processing document, and generating a display of the word processing document by applying the correlating data from the series of records to the series of characters in the unformatted data structure.
US08095573B2
Discrepancies in two sets of asset data for an organization are identified and automatically reconciled. One set of asset data may be compiled using automatic physical discovery software while the other set is from a financial system of the organization. Automatic reconciliation is performed according to user-configurable rules and corresponding user-configurable actions.
US08095567B2
A method of creating a family tree includes receiving a request from a user to return a file that includes the family tree and using a plurality of primary source records to construct the family tree based on the request. The records indicate multiple alternatives for at least one branch of the family tree. The method also includes sending a file that includes the family tree to the user. The file includes the alternatives.
US08095565B2
Metadata is used to create customized user interface (UI) portions for an application. The metadata may be XML-based and can be interpreted and then rendered to implement a customized UI that also supports data binding between data and the UI controls. Once created, the metadata is processed by a rendering engine to display the UI controls. An interpreter may be used to interpret the metadata file before it is sent to the rendering engine. Neither the rendering engine nor the interpreter needs knowledge of the host application and provides support for arbitrary metadata driven UI. The metadata schema may include mechanisms to create custom controls for the UI; programmatically modify the UI controls by providing access to a code-behind assembly as well as support event handling for the UI controls.
US08095559B2
Data structures, stored on various types of computer-readable media, include information related to user profiles and/or to various documents. The information included in these data structures is arranged and stored in manner that allows for rapid user profile updating to be performed as new or changed documents are processed in a document filtering system.
US08095557B2
A method and storage media for performing access resolution using ACL types is provided. Under an AND semantic, an intersection set formed from the types of multiple ACLs protecting a resource may be utilized to efficiently determine whether a request for a privilege to access the resource is granted or denied. If the privilege is not a member of the intersection set, the privilege cannot be granted. A union set may be used for an OR semantic. A global ACL type may represent all privileges system-wide or application-wide. A global ACL may represent a system-wide or application-wide access policy. A conjunction of a global ACL and a regular ACL may be stored in a cache. The union set, intersection set, or access resolution may also be cached for subsequent request processing.
US08095554B1
Building and maintaining an accurate and up-to-date global inventory of hardware, software, and telecommunications assets deployed throughout an organization is described. A global inventor warehouse (GIW) receives an identification and physical location of these assets from multiple source systems. Some of these source systems contain information pertaining to the assets that has been manually entered into the source system by a human administrator. Other source systems, meanwhile, contain information that has been automatically collected by the source systems without human intervention. The GIW receives this information from the source systems and stores it within a GIW database. The GIW database may thus contain a global inventory of all or nearly all of the hardware, software, and telecommunications assets distributed throughout the organization. This database may also contain an identification of physical locations within the organization of all or substantially all of these assets.
US08095553B2
The present invention generally provides methods, systems and articles of manufacture that provide a database query application that allows user to compose an abstract query that includes a sequence operator. In one embodiment, sequence operators are used to specify which data elements, from a sequence of data elements, should be retrieved for an abstract query. In another embodiment, a sequence operator may be used to specify that a condition included in an abstract query should be evaluated against particular data elements of the sequence.
US08095541B2
An improved approach for managing and sending electronic data which allows one to access electronic data corresponding to a hardcopy document is provided. For example, when the hardcopy bearing a visible image is output, an identification image corresponding to identification data identifying the document is added to the visible image. The identification data can be recognized from the identification image, and used to retrieve various information in a database corresponding to the document.
US08095531B2
In embodiments, methods and systems for controlling access to custom objects are provided. These techniques for controlling access to custom objects can enable embodiments to utilize a key for the protection of the security of data that is to remain private while not compromising efficiency of a query. The key for a requested custom object is identified and then used so that only an appropriate portion of a custom entity share table is searched to locate access information. It is then determined whether the user can access at least a portion of the custom object, and the appropriate and allowed data is sent to the user.
US08095529B2
A method and system for ranking relevancy of metadata associated with media on a computer network, such as multimedia and streaming media, include categorizing the metadata into sets of metadata. The categories are broad categories relating to areas such as who, what, when, and where, such as artist, media type, and creation date, creation location. Weights are assigned to each set of metadata. Weights are related to technical information such as bit rate, duration, sampling rate, frequency of occurrence of a specific term, etc. A score is calculated for ranking the relevancy of each set of metadata. The score is calculated in accordance with the assigned weight and category. This score is available for search systems (e.g., search engines) and/or users to determine the relative ranking of search results.
US08095527B2
The present invention is intended to automatically construct a database of contents data which are distributed over plural reproducing apparatuses and search this database on the basis of user's fragmentary memory. A contents sharing management system practiced as one embodiment of the invention comprises an episode server installed at user's home and plural reproducing apparatuses including a component stereo set, portable player, portable wireless terminal, and MD player, which are interconnected in a wireless manner based on wireless communication technologies such as Bluetooth. The episode server wirelessly connects to the portable player for example to get the episode information stored therein and organizes the retrieved episode information into a database. The episode server also searches the database upon request from the portable player to identify a source apparatus in which desired contents data are stored and supplies the retrieved contents data to the requesting portable player.
US08095511B2
The present invention relates to a system and method of data restoration, for instance, after the occurrence of a user error. In particular, snapshot database can be maintained that stores a copy of database data. The snapshot database does not have to store a complete copy of all data on a source database, but rather shares data that is common to both but not necessarily identical. If an error occurs on the primary database then the database can be reverted back to a point in time prior to the error by replacing source database files with snapshot files. Additionally, an undo component can be employed in conjunction with the snapshot to approach an error to a finer grained point in time. In brief, the present invention can restore a database much faster and simpler, while utilizing less space and resources than conventional data restoration technologies.
US08095509B2
Techniques are presented for retaining security restrictions with file versioning. Files are versioned in such a manner that metadata including full directory paths and access restrictions are retained for each version of the file and enforced when each version is accessed. The files are versioned to hashed subdirectories for space and management efficiencies. In an embodiment, prior versions of a particular file are maintained as delta data structures while a most-recent version of that file is maintained in its full or complete data state.
US08095506B2
Systems and methods for managing data, such as metadata. In one exemplary method, metadata from files created by several different software applications are captured, and the captured metadata is searched. The type of information in metadata for one type of file differs from the type of information in metadata for another type of file. Other methods are described and data processing systems and machine readable media are also described.
US08095495B2
Systems and methods that disclose alternative patterns for exchange of synchronization data and/or metadata, e.g., ‘knowledge’, to enhance performance of synchronization processes are disclosed. Accordingly, the innovation discloses synchronization mechanisms that employ exchange of data and metadata to alleviate a requirement of a complete ‘round-trip’ when synchronizing data. ‘Knowledge’ can be provided which informs a provider of data changes, modifications, additions or deletions. The ‘knowledge’ can lower expense and/or increase efficiencies of the synchronization exchanges by enabling informed decision-making related to enumerating changes within the synchronization processes.
US08095493B2
An information processing apparatus that constructs an information analysis processing configuration to be applied to information analysis processing in a target area including uncertainty is disclosed. The apparatus includes a data processing section that performs processing of automatically creating a Partially Observable Markov Decision Process (POMDP) model from the input of attribute data including attribute information and an attribute value, and a rule storage section storing a rule to be applied to processing of creating a Partially Observable Markov Decision Process (POMDP) in the data processing section, wherein the data processing section is configured to create a Partially Observable Markov Decision Process (POMDP) model by performing, as an action, processing of creating and outputting a question based on the attribute data, obtaining the answer to the question as observation information, and performing processing of creating probability distribution information corresponding to an object based on the obtained observation information.
US08095486B2
A system and method for optimizing system performance includes applying sampling based optimization to identify optimal configurations of a computing system by selecting a number of configuration samples and evaluating system performance based on the samples. Based on feedback of evaluated samples, a location of an optimal configuration is inferred. Additional samples are generated towards the location of the inferred optimal configuration to further optimize a system configuration.
US08095474B2
A method is disclosed for automatically processing Advanced Ship Notices (ASNs). In one embodiment, the method receives a first set of data associated with an ASN. The method further compares one or more data fields included in the first set of data with a second set of data associated with a Purchase Order (PO). In addition, the method determines a status associated with a shipment of items based on the comparison.
US08095468B2
A method for providing protected content, wherein content usage rights information and/or usage state information is embedded into obtained primary data that serves as a basis for a content item to be provided thereby providing the primary data with the embedded content usage rights information and/or usage state information as the content item.
US08095467B2
A computerized compensation system of disseminating a plurality of news and information items offered, contributed, and submitted by a plurality of independent submitters to an internet provider site. The provider site accepts, indexes, catalogs, tracks, meters, and calculates viewer exposure to each submitted news and information item chosen by a plurality of viewers. Compensation due individual submitters is transmitted in real time, as the submitter continues the submission to the provider web site. Billing of funding sources is provided.
US08095466B2
Methods and apparatus to conditionally authorize content delivery at content servers in pay delivery systems are disclosed. An example method comprises receiving an authorization for a program download, receiving a request to download the program from a receiver, wherein the receiver is configured to receive a broadcast signal, and transmitting the program to the receiver via point-to-point communication signal.
US08095462B2
An enrollment control system for activating and deactivating enrollment of beneficiaries of a first entity in a service program, such as a bill pay service program, of a second entity. The system requests information from the second entity identifying beneficiaries enrolled in the program and the timing of services provided to the beneficiaries. A request is sent to the second entity to deactivate enrollment of beneficiaries who have not received services within a dormancy threshold time. Advantageously, no enrollment charges are incurred by the first entity for dormant beneficiaries not recently availing themselves of the second entity's services. Optionally, the system can monitor unfulfilled service requests and remove the corresponding beneficiaries from the deactivation request to avoid deactivating enrollment of a customer needing services. Further, the system detects new requests made by beneficiaries for services from the first entity and requests reactivation of the beneficiaries' accounts by the second entity.
US08095460B2
Systems and methods that may determine whether to provide a resource to a consumer are disclosed. Further methods may allow distributing resources on an expedited basis or recheck previous determinations to provide a resource. In certain embodiment, resource transactions may be categorized. Illustrative categories may be organized by: investment, a non-investment expenditure, or income. In one embodiment, transactions categorized as non-investment expenditures may be categorized into subcategories, including necessities, discretionary, or debt. Calculations may be performed upon the categorized (and/or sub-categorized data). For example, one or more of the following ratios may be calculated: debt-to-income, investment-to-income, and expenditure-to-income. Ratios may be compared to one or more threshold values. Determinations of the threshold may consider information regarding other individuals' or business' resource transactions.
US08095459B2
Methods and systems for providing flexible financing are disclosed. In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a business card product with a customer activated credit line extension for accommodating large ticket purchases where the credit line extension may be linked to other business loan/lease products so that balances may be transferred to a customer's preferred financing product (or products). The purchases may be considered secured or unsecured loans/leases that may be capitalized as well as appreciate and depreciate in value. The purchases may include various types of revenue producing property, such as computer, office equipment, office furniture, copiers, farm equipment, and other types of revenue producing property.
US08095457B2
A computerized system and method are presented for exchanging information between a buyer, a seller, a lender, and a strategic business source. The system permits sellers, lenders and strategic business sources to input buyers that are then submitted for activation. The buyers use the system to obtain information about items, while the sellers, lenders, and strategic business sources make consistent contact with the buyer in order to work with the buyer. Information about the buyers is shared with the sellers, lenders, and strategic business sources. A business plan is input into the system for the financial institution employing the lender while another business plan is input for the seller institution employing the seller. Activity on the computerized system is calculated for compliance with the business plan. Feedback is provided to management relating to whether the business plan is being met.
US08095452B2
Systems and methods for monitoring the trading of financial instruments are provided. Trading messages are received at a live alert server. The messages are analyzed with a set of predetermined limits and rules. When a predetermined limit or rule is violated, an email message is sent to a regulator or other trading entity. The email message may include a hyperlink that may be selected to generate a real-time report relating to the limit or rule. When hyperlink is selected, a query is sent to a query server where the real-time report is generated and transmitted back to the requesting party.
US08095449B2
A seller may use an existing product catalog in a seller business information management system to generate an auction and populate auction parameters to expedite and facilitate the auction creation process. The information in the product catalog may be used to provide auction parameters (populate auction fields) in addition to adding a product and/or service to the auction. An auction profile may also be defined for a seller and may contain data or rules for generating an auction that may be used to provide additional default values for the auction. One or more auction profiles may be associated with a seller. The seller selects a product from the catalog and chooses a create auction option resulting in an auction being generated from the product information and the profile, if one exists. The seller may then modify the auction parameters and add or drop products before saving the auction.
US08095435B2
The method and system for a material cabinet for use in cooperation with a plurality of articles stored in the material cabinet is disclosed. Each of the plurality of articles having a radio frequency identification tag attached thereto is connected through at least an antenna or a plurality of antennas installed in the material cabinet to a radio frequency identification reader, which is interpreted through a software in a computer system. This method and system has capability to effectuate point of use control of the stored articles through a database in the computer system. This method and system also implements a security mechanism through a lock system to secure the store articles from unauthorized user/stock clerks.
US08095406B2
A content display method is disclosed. The content display method includes the steps of: accepting an instruction input to create a target calendar; extracting a content that indication information has to be displayed in an elapsed period having already passed and a content that indication information has to be displayed in a non-elapsed period to pass from now on in the target calendar based on the instruction input accepted through the accepting step; and arranging the indication information of each of the contents extracted in the extracting step in a corresponding date in a target calendar and displaying the target calendar on a display device.
US08095399B2
A virtual insurance producer Web site is provided at which a prospective insurance customer may request a bindable premium quotation for an insurance policy. The prospective customer may be asked to provide information relating to the insurability of an individual to be insured by the insurance policy and information relating to the coverage to be provided by the insurance policy. The premium is displayed to the prospective customer as a bindable quotation that binds the insurance company providing the policy and that may be purchased on-line immediately. The prospective customer may purchase the insurance policy according to the provided bindable premium quotation through the virtual insurance producer Web site. If the prospective customer elects to purchase the policy, the virtual insurance producer Web site may re-intermediate an insurance agent into the sales process and transmit the insurance policy to the customer in electronic form.
US08095393B2
A method and system for automated processing of insurance information. A universal electronic insurance application form is automatically created and sent and received electronically. The universal electronic insurance information form includes a set of common insurance census information required by health insurance carriers to provide health insurance quotes. The universal electronic insurance information form is used to obtain group health insurance rate quotes automatically from multiple health insurance carriers.
US08095390B2
The invention relates to a medical treatment system, which has at least one device for carrying out a medical treatment, in particular dialysis treatment and a device for providing patient-related data. The patient-related data is stored by the server and the data can be displayed in a patient mode on a screen. The dialysis system has various security features, which prevent an erroneous input and the erroneous display of patient-related data in the patient mode on the screen.
US08095388B2
By selecting at least one of an image and a report to be provided for an institute to which a patient is introduced, an object having the same series ID as that of the image or report is automatically obtained. Medical information including the object is generated and stored in an external medium. By selecting an image or the like to be provided to the institute to which a patient is introduced, address information of the selected image or the like and address information of an object or the like having the same series ID as that of the image or the like is automatically obtained. Medical information including the address information is generated and stored in an external medium.
US08095387B2
The present invention relates to a method of providing enhanced health care and medical prescription information via customized prescription manager and portable medical/prescription statements. The prescription manager and portable medical/prescription statements may cover periods of time and can be provided by mail or electronically, and can be provided routinely or at the request of the individual. The prescription manager and portable medical/prescription statements contain medication (i.e., prescription) history and other pertinent health care information. The portable medical/prescription statement is a prescription manager pocket insert which can be carried to a doctor's appointment, trip to the pharmacy, or simply to have readily available in the event of a medical emergency.
US08095382B2
Methods, apparatuses, computer program products, devices and systems are described that include accepting three-dimensional blood vessel data; applying a sleeve-fitting algorithm to the three-dimensional blood vessel data; and presenting a sleeve-fitting algorithm output in response to said applying the sleeve-fitting algorithm to the three-dimensional blood vessel data.
US08095366B2
Various technologies and techniques are disclosed that improve the instructional nature of fonts and/or the ability to create instructional fonts. Font characters are modified based on user interaction to enhance the user's understanding and/or fluency of the word. The font characters can have sound, motion, and altered appearance. When altering the appearance of the characters, the system operates on a set of control points associated with characters, changes the position of the characters, and changes the influence of the portion of characters on a set of respective spline curves. A designer or other user can customize the fonts and user experience by creating an episode package that specifies words to include in the user interface, and details about actions to take when certain events fire. The episode package can include media effects to play when a particular event associated with the media effect occurs.
US08095364B2
The present invention provides a speech recognition system combined with one or more alternate input modalities to ensure efficient and accurate text input. The speech recognition system achieves less than perfect accuracy due to limited processing power, environmental noise, and/or natural variations in speaking style. The alternate input modalities use disambiguation or recognition engines to compensate for reduced keyboards, sloppy input, and/or natural variations in writing style. The ambiguity remaining in the speech recognition process is mostly orthogonal to the ambiguity inherent in the alternate input modality, such that the combination of the two modalities resolves the recognition errors efficiently and accurately. The invention is especially well suited for mobile devices with limited space for keyboards or touch-screen input.
US08095357B2
The disclosed embodiments include systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable mediums for compensating one or more signals and/or one or more parameters for time delays in one or more signal processing paths.
US08095348B2
A model creation portion having a obstacle in a space includes two creation portions, one is to separate them and another is to combine them which handles, as porous media, an obstacle in which narrow spaces are regularly arranged. A thermosets flow analysis portion includes two analysis portions to separate and combine them, each of them has a viscosity equation for thermosets. The space/obstacle separation analysis portion analyzes by combining the viscosity equation with conservation equations of mass, momentum and energy, and the space/obstacle combination analysis portion analyzes by combining the viscosity equation with a conservation equation directed to a shape simplified as porous media. Resin flow behavior is analyzed while data in an interface between two models is delivered to each other, to accurately predict filling behavior at the time of injecting resin of thermosets molded articles having the complex obstacles.
US08095346B2
An operation simulation system for plant construction, having operating expense calculated based on crane type determined by a command input; the expense to construct foundation calculated based on the foundation placement on which the determined crane is put; the operating expense calculated based on a period during which an operation is carried out; the expense to temporarily place the installation object calculated based on the specifications of the installation object before the installation; the installation operation expense calculated based on an installation milestone reflecting a due date of the installation object; the total necessary expense calculated based on all the expenses calculated; the total necessary expense is analyzed and evaluated; and the command input is adjusted by reflecting the results of an evaluation analysis so that the value of the command input falls in range of the set values in the specifications held by the corresponding setting apparatus.
US08095344B2
A method for modeling material behavior includes using empirical three dimensional non-uniform stress and strain data to train a self-organizing computational model such as a neural network. A laboratory device for measuring non-uniform stress and strain data from material includes an enclosure with an inclusion in it. As the enclosure is compressed, the inclusion induces a non-uniform state of stress and strain. A field testing device includes a body having a moveable section. When the body is inserted in a material and the moveable section moved, a non-uniform state of stress and strain can be characterized.
US08095342B2
The present invention provides systems and methods for highly efficient bit error rate (BER) modeling in quasi-linear communication networks. In the present invention, nonlinear noise is treated within a linearization approach along with the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) noise, and the nonlinear noise is considered as another source of noise in addition to the ASE noise. This enables a quasi-analytical approach to the BER calculation. First, a covariance matrix is analytically computed. An equation is derived for a noise component of a signal and an implicit analytical solution is found depending on the signal and system parameters. Second, probability distribution functions (pdfs) are computed for the signal. An analytical calculation is performed of the characteristic function for the noise statistics. Next, a numerical computation of the Fourier transform of the characteristic function is performed to yield the pdf, and numerical integration is performed on the pdfs to yield the BER.
US08095339B2
A device and method for testing the functionality of various electronic device components. The device is portable and is capable of being upgraded with changes in technology. The device is enclosed within a housing, which may include a power supply and a display. The disclosed device incorporates a tester for personal computer and laptop components, including but not limited to, power supply, microprocessor, motherboard, system memory, video subsystem, mass storage devices, and cables.
US08095334B2
A process that estimates the torque transmitted by a friction clutch coupled to the shaft of a motor vehicle engine. The process includes determining the angular speed of the engine shaft and the torque developed by this shaft; calculating the difference between the measured value of the engine shaft's angular speed and an estimated value of the angular speed; and determining an estimated value of the torque transmitted by the clutch, corresponding to the calculated value of the difference or error in the engine shaft angular speed. The estimated value of the torque is used, along with the value measured or otherwise determined of the torque developed by the engine shaft, to obtain the estimated value of the angular speed of the engine shaft on the basis of a predetermined mathematical model.
US08095333B2
A location device is provided, in which the device is configured to be carried by a tire and wheel assembly so as to locate a right or left position of the assembly in a vehicle. The device includes two magnetic sensors with axes of maximum sensitivity; a measurement circuit for measuring a signal across terminals of each of the magnetic sensors, the measurement circuit being able to deliver two periodic signals phase-shifted with respect to one another and each periodic signal being representative of variations in values of a magnetic field detected by a corresponding magnetic sensor during a revolution of the tire and wheel assembly; and a calculation processor programmed to determine, based on the phase shift between the two periodic signals, a direction of rotation of the tire and wheel assembly, and to deduce from the direction of rotation and a direction of travel of the vehicle, a right or left location of the tire and wheel assembly. The two magnetic sensors have their axes of maximum sensitivity oriented in parallel, and in the two magnetic sensors are configured to be placed on the tire and wheel assembly at distinct azimuths.
US08095330B2
A position detecting device includes a position calculator that performs an optimization convergence calculation using an evaluation function that expresses an error between a measurement value and a theoretical value of magnetic field information of a detection target to calculate at least a position of the detection target; a storage unit that stores a final convergence result of the optimization convergence calculation performed by the position calculator; and a controller that determines whether a result of the optimization convergence calculation converges, suspends the optimization convergence calculation performed by the position calculator when the result does not converge, and performs, after a predetermined time has passed, a returning process of returning a state of the optimization convergence calculation to a converged state by causing the position calculator to perform the optimization convergence calculation based on the final convergence result.
US08095329B2
A method for testing the linearity or non-linearity of an actual analyte concentration and a test result, where the actual concentration of the analyte and a test result are determined so that a computation based upon an algorithm may be performed, which allows computation of various variables so that regression may be performed and the linear significance may be determined.
US08095328B2
This present specification provides, amongst other things, an electro-optical monitoring system for obtaining a once-per-revolution signal based on the surface reflection of a rotating device that mandates non-contacting sensor input in potentially hostile environments. The system can use optical and electronic sections to illuminate and detect surface reflections from the rotating surface using existing mounting locations on the periphery of the machine to be measured. The electronic portion is configured to determine a unique mark as the once-per-revolution marker or allow an attending operator to assign a specific marker based on the observed reflected pattern. The optical portion consists of a light source, receiver, and optics that allow for focused and directed light paths.
US08095318B2
A method for determining dip of rock formations penetrated by a wellbore using multiaxial induction measurements and imaging measurements made from within the wellbore includes estimating dip from the multiaxial induction measurements. Dip is also estimated from the imaging measurements. The dip is determined by combining the induction and imaging measurements.
US08095315B2
The disclosure relates to a meteorological system and a method of generation with progressive prediction of data relating to the meteorological situation around a carrier. In at least one embodiment, the method includes reading data relating to the speed of the carrier and to the cloud formations and calculating for each cloud formation the geographical position and the vector of voluminal parameters predicted at a given time horizon. The time horizon is dependent for each cloud formation on the speed of the carrier and the distance separating the cloud formation from the carrier. The method also includes generating a mapping including a representation corresponding to the calculated geographical position and to the calculated vector of voluminal parameters of each cloud formation.
US08095314B2
A new method and system for generating probabilities of objective values of hazards as a fine granularity grid in four dimensions (three spatial dimensions plus time) to be used by decision support and visualization tools. Utilizing the proposed system, proxies for hazard data received at different times and in different formats may be used as input data to a grid of intelligent software agents which generate a four dimensional matrix of probabilities of objective values of hazards. The method allows for proxies and/or subjective information on hazards that may arrive asynchronously and with coarse temporal and spatial accuracy to be converted into a standard fine granularity four dimensional hazard probability grid. The grid is created automatically, without the need for expert human interpretation, can provide visualization of the four dimensional hazard volumes and may be used directly by decision support tools without the need for expert human interpretation.
US08095313B1
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for determining the risk of an object collision. The method includes transmitting a signal and analyzing a received signal that is indicative of the presence of a remote object. The signal is then analyzed to determine an initial azimuth value and an initial range for the remote object. Subsequent received signals are continuously analyzed to continuously determine subsequent azimuth values, azimuth value velocities and accelerations, as well as subsequent range values, range value velocities and range value accelerations. The factors are then input into a predetermined formula to yield a risk assessment of collision P. The formulas for determining P can be adjusted to account for such factors as number and proximity of remote objects, as well as the speed and maneuverability of both the remote objects and the vehicle that is avoiding collisions with the remote object(s).
US08095301B2
An on-vehicle system includes a plurality of control devices, a common data match determining unit, and a common data transmission permitting unit. Each of the plurality of control devices stores control data that includes common data and identification information. A first control device is configured to transmit the common data to a second control device such that the common data is updated. The common data match determining unit determines whether the common data of the second control device matches with the common data of the first control device based on the identification information of the common data when a first update condition is satisfied. The common data transmission permitting unit permits the first control device to transmit the common data to the second control device when the common data match determining unit determines that the common data stored in the first and second control devices mismatch with each other.
US08095294B1
A method and apparatus determine the fuel injection on-time to accurately meter fuel injected directly into the combustion chamber of a gaseous fuelled internal combustion engine. The fuel injection on-time is determined by interpolating between values retrieved from two of a plurality of predetermined look-up tables, which each define fuel injection on-time as a function of gaseous fuel rail pressure and fuelling amount. Each table corresponds to a fixed value of a third parameter that correlates to in-cylinder pressure.
US08095293B2
In a method and a device for operating an internal combustion engine, a first variable characterizing the air-mass flow to the internal combustion engine is determined, and a second variable characterizing the air-mass flow is determined. The second variable characterizing the air-mass flow is used to derive a third variable characterizing the air-mass flow, which is delayed in time with respect to the second variable characterizing the air-mass flow. A difference is formed between the second variable characterizing the air-mass flow and the third variable characterizing the air-mass flow. The first variable characterizing the air-mass flow is corrected by the difference.
US08095291B2
The invention relates to a control device for a motor vehicle having an internal combustion engine and a stop/start device, and to a method for controlling the operation of an internal combustion engine in such a motor vehicle, wherein the stop/start device is designed to switch off the internal combustion automatically when at least one stop condition is met, wherein the switching off of the internal combustion engine when the stop condition is present does not take place until after a switch off delay time has passed. The control device is designed to prevent, in reaction to a first voice command, the automatic switching off of the internal combustion engine for a predefined time period and/or until a predefined vehicle operating state criterion has been fulfilled irrespective of whether or not the stop condition was already met at the time when the voice command was issued.
US08095289B2
A communication passage for generating braking negative pressure is connected to an air passage for respective cylinders at a downstream side of a throttle valve. An air ejector is provided in a negative pressure pipe, to which communication passages for the respective cylinders are converged. A negative pressure passage for a brake booster is connected to the air ejector at a side of suction gas via a check valve. A passage for PCV gas and an intake air branched passage for bifurcating a part of the intake air from a surge tank at an upstream side of the throttle valve are connected to a driving gas side of the air ejector, wherein a negative pressure control valve is provided in the intake air branched passage. The PCV gas and the part of the intake air are forced to flow into the driving gas side of the air ejector, so that the air ejector functions as a vacuum pump. As a result, the braking negative pressure for the brake booster can be surely reduced to a target negative pressure.
US08095278B2
A method and apparatus for controlling a particular vehicle function, for example the adjustment of a vehicle seat, using a graphical user interface (GUI) is provided. The GUI is activating by toggling a control, switch intuitively linked to the particular vehicle function. The control switch is separate from, and not proximate to, the GUI. When the GUI is activated by toggling the control switch, a control screen specific to the particular vehicle function is displayed on the GUI.
US08095275B2
A method for determining a crash condition of a vehicle comprises the step of sensing crash acceleration in a first direction substantially parallel to a front-to-rear axis of the vehicle and providing a first crash acceleration signal indicative thereof. The method also comprises the step of sensing crash acceleration in a second direction substantially parallel to a side-to-side axis of the vehicle and providing a second crash acceleration signal indicative thereof. The method further comprises the steps of determining a crash metric value functionally related to the sensed crash acceleration based on the second acceleration signal and comparing the determined crash metric value as a function of the sensed first crash acceleration signal against an associated threshold. The method still further comprises the step of determining a crash condition of the vehicle in response to (a) the comparison and (b) the first acceleration signal.
US08095273B2
A method includes parallel parking a vehicle between a first object and a second object in response to an available parking distance therebetween. The vehicle includes front steerable wheels and rear steerable wheels. A distance between the first object and the second object is remotely sensed determining whether to apply a one or two cycle parking strategy. An autonomous one cycle parking strategy includes pivoting the front and rear steerable wheels in respective directions for steering the vehicle in a first reverse arcuate path of travel and then cooperatively pivoting the steerable wheels in a counter direction for steering the vehicle in a second reverse arcuate path of travel to a final park position. The autonomous two cycle parking strategy includes performing the one cycle parking maneuver and then changing a transmission gear to a drive gear and pivoting the front and rear steerable wheels in the first direction for moving the vehicle forward to a final park position.
US08095266B2
A lane keeping assist system (LKAS) is equipped with a compensator capable of solving the problem in which video data, which is measured by a video sensor, the processing speed of which is lower than the data processing speed of the LKAS, is repeatedly used, thereby improving the kinematic characteristics of a vehicle and lane-keeping control performance.
US08095263B2
When an electronic control unit receives a rewriting request of vehicle identification information, the electronic control unit writes state information indicating a rewriting state in a memory and rewrites the vehicle identification information into new vehicle identification information. The electronic control unit sends an erasing order to a peripheral electronic unit for erasing failure information stored in the peripheral electronic unit and determines whether the peripheral electronic control unit sends an erasing completion signal indicating that the erasing of the failure information is completed. The electronic control unit erases the state information indicating the rewriting state when the rewriting of the vehicle identification information is completed and the peripheral electronic control unit sends the erasing completion signal.
US08095261B2
A system and method for enhancing vehicle diagnostic and prognostic algorithms and improving vehicle maintenance practices. The method includes collecting data from vehicle components, sub-systems and systems, and storing the collected data in a database. The collected and stored data can be from multiple sources for similar vehicles or similar components and can include various types of trouble codes and labor codes as well as other information, such as operational data and physics of failure data, which are fused together. The method generates classes for different vehicle components, sub-systems and systems, and builds feature extractors for each class using data mining techniques of the data stored in the database. The method also generates classifiers that classify the features for each class. The feature extractors and feature classifiers are used to determine when a fault condition has occurred for a vehicle component, sub-system or system.
US08095260B1
An information display system for a vehicle includes a display screen disposed at an interior cabin of a vehicle so as to be viewable by a driver of the equipped vehicle. The information display system is operable to display on the display screen vehicle user information so as to provide information to the driver of the equipped vehicle related to use of the equipped vehicle. The display screen is operable to display video images captured by a rearward facing camera of the equipped vehicle for assisting the driver during a reversing maneuver. The video images are captured by the rearward facing camera and are displayed on the display screen when the equipped vehicle is executing a reversing maneuver. When the equipped vehicle is not executing a reversing maneuver, the information display system is operable to display on the display screen vehicle user information.
US08095257B2
The electronic control apparatus includes a rewritable nonvolatile memory, a first function of performing a monitoring operation to detect abnormalities in each of a first to N-th (N being an integer larger than 2) items, and a second function of, when the first function detects an abnormality in an M-th (M being an integer larger than 1 and not larger than the N), storing an abnormality code indicative of the detected abnormality in the rewritable nonvolatile memory. The second function is configured to store an identification information associated with the M-th item so that the M-th item can be identified from the first to N-th items in the rewritable nonvolatile memory.
US08095256B2
A system and method directed to determining vehicle attributes associated with a vehicle under service so as to eliminate the need for a user of a vehicle service tool to enter the vehicle attributes or to reduce the quantity of vehicle attributes that the user has to enter in order for the vehicle service tool to identify the vehicle under service and, in turn, to retrieve vehicle reference data associated with the vehicle under service. The vehicle service tool may include vehicle service applications for servicing various systems and/or components of the vehicle under service. A vehicle service application selected by the user may function as a requester application that queries other applications and/or data storage for the vehicle attributes needed by the requester application to identify the vehicle under service.
US08095254B2
A method for controlling a powertrain system includes monitoring operating conditions of an engine, a transmission device, and an energy storage device. The method further includes determining a first power constraint, filtering the first power constraint utilizing a first filter response time when the first power constraint changes in a first direction, and filtering the first power constraint utilizing a second filter response time when the first power constraint changes in a second direction.
US08095253B2
A fuel efficiency improvement device for use on each of a plurality of locomotives in a consist includes a processor configured to transmit an initialization message including an identifier and power and fuel consumption rate information for the locomotive on which it is installed to all other locomotives in the consist. One of the devices is chosen to act as a lead device. The lead device is responsible for determining alternative throttle notch settings for each of the locomotives based on the power and fuel consumption rate information in the initialization message. The lead device may be chosen on the basis of identifiers in the initialization messages such as serial numbers. The alternative throttle settings may be determined using greedy value and maximum power calculations.
US08095247B2
A turret control system and method is disclosed. The turret control system includes one or more control modules, such as an envelope control module, turret targeting module, a turret pan module, a turret deploy module, a turret store module. The preferred turret control system also provides improved turret control flexibility and improved operator feedback.
US08095239B2
A robot movement control device is connected to a communications network in a remote location relative to a robotic device that is also connected to the communications network. The robot movement control device is an electronic device with a video display for displaying a real-time video image sent to it by a camera associated with the robot. A robot movement control overlay is displayed in the field of the real-time video image at the robot control device and robot control commands are generated by selecting locations within the boundary of the movement control overlay which include speed and directional information. The control commands are sent by the robot control device over the network to the robot which uses the commands to adjust its speed and direction of movement.
US08095228B2
This invention has as its object to be able to maintain constant audio data transmission intervals even when video and audio data are transmitted to many users. A group number is assigned to each user, and every time data is generated, it is stored in buffers having different start positions. When a predetermined number of data can be stored, a transmission process to clients is executed. Hence, the load on the transmission processes can be distributed to the number of groups, and the difference of the transmission intervals of audio data can be minimized.
US08095227B2
A method for controlling a process, wherein the process has an input and an output, and including controlling the input to the process; predicting the output of the process based on a first set of operating parameters; predicting the output of the process based on a second set of operating parameters; updating the first set of operating parameters when a result from predicting the output from the first set of parameters differs from the output of the process by more than a predetermined amount, wherein the predetermined amount is a function the output predicted by the second set of parameters. The invention also includes apparatuses and systems.
US08095226B2
Methods and planning systems used to schedule gain matrices for process control loops and determine optimal values for manipulated variables according to a minimum cost function. A cost function is calculated for each of a predetermined number of plans as a sum of partial cost functions calculated over a predetermined number of projections in a horizon. Each partial cost function after the initial projection of a plan is calculated using a scheduled gain matrix. The gain matrix can be scheduled for each projection by selection from a predetermined set of gain matrices or can be calculated in real time during the calculation for each projection.
US08095214B2
The perivascular leak repair system, and method of using the same, of the present invention provides a sealant reservoir 102 with a repair catheter 104 operably attached; a flow control device 106 disposed between the sealant reservoir 102 and the repair catheter 104, and the flow control device 106 responsive to a flow control signal 108; a heart phase detector 114 generating a diastole phase signal 112; an injection switch 122 generating a injection signal 120; and a flow controller 110 responsive to the diastole phase signal 112 and the injection signal 120, and generating the flow control signal 108. A method of sealing a perivascular leak comprises identifying the perivascular leak 140; inserting a repair catheter to the perivascular leak 142; injecting sealant at the perivascular leak 144; and removing the repair catheter 146. The sealant can be injected when the heart is in diastole to sweep the sealant into the perivascular leak.
US08095213B1
A transdermal patch can include a drug source, a porator, and an energy storage device on-board the patch. Conductive contact terminals can extend from the energy storage device for connection to an external source of power. The porator operates free of any concurrent connection to any external source of power. A switch can be used to make the selective electrical connection between the porator and the energy storage device. The switch can be arranged to respond to a manual user action after the patch has been adhered to skin, including separation of the porator from a remainder of the patch. Optionally, a series of switches can make electrical connections between the porator and respective individual energy storage devices.In another aspect, a transdermal patch includes a mechanical bias that applies a displacement force to the porator to thereby better ensure good physical contact between the porator and the skin.
US08095211B2
A body fat measuring device comprises electrodes brought into contact with the waist portion of a subject, an optical sensor composed of a light applying section and a light receiving section, an impedance computing section for computing the impedance between the electrodes, a subcutaneous fat thickness computing section for computing the thickness of the subcutaneous fat of the subject from the value detected by the optical sensor, and a body fat computing section which subtracts the amount of subcutaneous fat determined using the thickness of the subcutaneous fat computed by the subcutaneous thickness computing section from the total fat amount of the subject determined using the impedance computed by the impedance computing section so as to determine the visceral fat amount of the subject. With this, not only the accuracy of measurement of the visceral fat amount is improved but also the visceral fat amount of the subject can be easily computed even without a database.
US08095207B2
An implantable medical device includes a voltage measurement circuit to measure a potential difference between implanted electrodes in a thorax of a living being, the potential difference resulting from an electrical P-wave cardiac signal. The implantable medical device also includes a processing unit to calculate a vector corresponding to the P-wave cardiac signal, the vector comprising a magnitude and a direction, and derived from measured potential differences and orientations defined by locations of the implanted electrodes. The implantable medical device further includes a monitoring unit to track a rotation of the vector corresponding to the P-wave cardiac signal. In various implementations, the monitoring unit may use the rotation to detect an inter-atrial block condition.
US08095204B2
A microwave breast cancer imaging method that includes an examination table that is both comfortable and reliable is provided that includes a support system and an orientation system such that breasts can remain in a fixed position to allow for scanning. A horizontal microwave and optically transparent scan plate forms part of the top of the examination table. The imprint of the breasts on the scan plate may be visually displayed to aid in the orienting of each breast such that all volumes within the breast are scanned. Microwave power is then scanned upward through the scan plate to develop a microwave response that is indicative of the presence of a lesion. After scanning, the visual imprint of the breast is recorded. As needed, microwave equipment can be included within a microwave shielded enclosure that also forms part of the scan table. Spurious leakage of microwave power may be further suppressed by use of microwave-absorbing materials, within the enclosure and, in the padding that covers the surface of the examination table and removable pads.
US08095203B2
A facility for processing data is described. The facility receives a stream of digital location indications, each location indication identifying a location of a patient while undergoing radiation therapy. In response to each location indication of the string, in substantially real-time relative to the receipt of the position indication, the facility performs an action responsive to the location indication.
US08095200B2
The invention generally pertains to a combination of a haptic device with a computer-assisted surgery system. The haptic device may be used as an input device, allowing information to pass from the user to the computer-assisted surgery system, and providing functionality similar to common user interface devices, such as a mouse or any other input device. When used as an input device, it may be used for defining anatomical reference geometry, manipulating the position and/or orientation of virtual implants, manipulating the position and/or orientation of surgical approach trajectories, manipulating the positions and/or orientation of bone resections, and the selection or placement of any other anatomical or surgical feature.
US08095199B2
A portable electrocardiograph, characterized in that a clamping cover which tends to close automatically is provided on one end of a housing; a finger hole is provided between the clamping cover and the housing; a lower half of the inner wall of the finger hole is defined on the housing; an upper half of the inner wall of the finger hole is provided on the clamping cover; the lower half of the inner wall is provided with a first electrode; the other end of the housing is provided with a second electrode; and the back face of the housing is provided with a third electrode, in which the first electrode or the third electrode is a neutral electrode. According to the present invention, at least one portion of at least one of the middle finger, the so-called ring finger, and the little finger of the user's hand for grasping the electrocardiograph can contact the neutral electrode, such that the error of the measured result caused by electrical potential fluctuation on the measured person's body can be eliminated.
US08095197B2
Medical devices, utilizing multiple reservoirs to protect and selectively expose sensors or other reservoir contents, are provided having (i) a reservoir contents destruction mechanism to interrupt the release or exposure of reservoir contents, for example, to deactivate an unneeded sensor and prevent it from negatively impacting other sensors, (ii) a protective covering material layer over the sensor underneath the reservoir cap, which protects the sensor membrane and sensor during reservoir cap disintegration and then is removed, (iii) a device design for containing sensors in shallow, wide reservoir structures to enhance sensor exposure by minimizing molecular diffusion distances, (iv) an implantable sensor unit and a separate drug delivery unit, or (v) combinations thereof.
US08095195B2
Embodiments of the present invention include systems and methods that relate to pulse oximetry. Specifically, one embodiment includes an oximeter sensor comprising a light emitting element configured to emit light, a light detector configured to detect the light, and a memory storing an ambient light value for comparison with a detected ambient light measurement.
US08095184B2
A system comprising a first device and a second device having an electronic data card associated therewith, information on the electronic data card being useable by and accessible by the first device, wherein the first device is arranged to control the operating characteristics of the electronic data card of the second device. Thus the first device may power up/down the electronic data card, reset the electronic data card or change the clock or baud rate associated with the electronic data card.
US08095165B2
Disclosed is a method for uplink power control in a communication system that includes determining a power control offset for controlling power for traffic to be transmitted by a subscriber station, according to whether a Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ) is applied to the traffic, and transmitting the power control offset to the subscriber station.
US08095164B2
A method is provided for operating a two-way communications service station having a maximum transmitter power adapted to avoid interference to broadcast station receivers. The communications service station shares a frequency band with the broadcast service station transmitter. The method includes periodically tuning the communications service station to the frequency band being used by the broadcast service station and detecting the presence of signals above a predetermined power level on frequencies known to be used by the broadcast station. The method further includes raising the maximum transmitter power limit for the two-way communications service station to a higher power level if the power level of the detected signal is above the predetermined power level.
US08095157B2
A method for broadcasting a short message service (SMS) payload is disclosed. The SMS payload is sent to a home network. The SMS payload is encapsulated in a session initiation protocol (SIP) message. The SIP message is sent to a target user equipment (UE). A SIP response is received from the target UE. The SMS payload is extracted from the SIP message. The SMS payload is broadcasted to a plurality of mobile stations.
US08095144B2
Method and apparatus for hashing mobile stations to frequencies in a communication system. The method uses two-level hashing to assign a mobile station first to a frequency band and then to a specific frequency within the frequency band. Embodiments allow for weights to be assigned to frequencies and mobiles hashed to the weighted frequencies. Weighting allows for a non-uniform distribution of mobile stations among frequencies to optimize system operating parameters.
US08095140B2
The present invention provides a method of switching a number of wireless devices to a common channel. The method comprises automatically broadcasting location coordinates for an initiator wireless devices to the other wireless devices in response to receiving an initiate switching message comprising the location coordinates from the initiator wireless device; automatically determining the distance between each of the other wireless device and the initiator wireless device in response to receiving respective location based information from the other wireless devices; and transmitting an instruction to switch to the common channel to the initiator wireless device and the other wireless devices within a predetermined distance of the initiator wireless device.
US08095137B2
A method, a system and an end-user terminal for providing a handover between a digital unidirectional data communication domain and a digital bi-directional data communication domain is disclosed. Exemplary domains can be a broadcast network such as IP over DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting) network, or a broadcast mode, in further examples IP over DVB-T (Terrestrial DVB) or alternatively referred to as IPDC (IP Datacast), the 3G (The Third Generation for Mobile Communication) network, in further examples UTRAN (UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Node). The embodiments apply measurement signalling structure of the Inter-system handover of ULMTS (Universal Mobile Telephone System) to control the handover. The measurements of the cell is extended to contain digital unidirectiona communications domain cells such as IP over DVB cells, as well as apply these cells to perform the handover. The fact that one of the network is principally delivering one (unidirectional) leads to a partial handover where the downlink data of the bi-directional network is applied in the handover. The unidirectional communications domain is already in a downlink transmission which knits the handover with the downlink of the bi-directional domain.
US08095131B2
Systems and methods are provided to establish a set of dynamic channel masks that select channels to be scanned in a wireless environment during a mobile terminal roaming. The set of channel masks is associated with a set of scan groups determined through a Boolean operation applied to a set of scan variables determined via data indicators that reflect channel quality and/or presence in the vicinity of the mobile terminal. Regardless of actual access point geometric configuration in a quasi-two-dimensional coverage plan, a universal set of three scan groups can be determined. In addition to the universal set, a fail-safe set is computed in order to ensure successful scanning in various roaming scenarios. Quality of service indicators like communication reliability and battery performance can be improved by successively scanning the universal scan groups during roaming.
US08095128B2
A device management system for remotely setting parameters to Terminal Equipments connected to a network comprises a Terminal Equipment management application (210), servers connected to the network, each supporting a different remote management protocol, and means (200) for, upon a generic functionality-oriented request (307) from the Terminal Equipment management application, and for each one of the Terminal Equipments: querying (305) a database (300, 301, 302, 303) of profiles containing all the objects supported by each Terminal Equipment; determining a remote management protocol if more than one is supported by each Terminal Equipment; mapping said generic functionality-oriented request into a request specific to each Terminal Equipment; and sending a command to each Terminal Equipment through the server (121) supporting the determined protocol.
