US08152161B2
A printing device includes a first transporting mechanism driven by a first motor, a printing unit, a second transporting mechanism configured to transport the printing medium transported by first transporting mechanism and is performed image printing on a first surface thereof by the printing unit, to the first transporting mechanism. The first transporting mechanism includes first transporting rollers disposed at a position upstream of the printing unit, and further includes second transporting rollers disposed at a position downstream of the printing unit and configured to rotate in both directions. The second transporting mechanism includes third transporting rollers driven by a second motor and configured to transport the printing medium switched back by the second transporting rollers toward the first transporting rollers. A transporting force of the second transporting rollers is smaller than a transporting force of the third transporting rollers.
US08152160B2
A tier sheet dispensing apparatus for a conveyor system stores a stack of tier sheets and sequentially dispenses the tier sheets, one at a time, onto the top of a two-dimensionally arrayed layer of objects that is being conveyed on a conveyor system. The tier sheet dispensing apparatus has a curved surface that supports the stack of tier sheets. The curved surface bends the stack of tier sheets in a convex curve that facilitates the removal of a single sheet from the top of the stack. The apparatus also has a lift mechanism that moves vertically over the stack of tier sheets to selectively attach to the top tier sheet in the stack and raise the top tier sheet from the stack. The lift mechanism also moves transversely relative to the stack of tier sheets to position the attached tier sheet over the conveyor for placement of the tier sheet on the layer of objects conveyed by the conveyor.
US08152158B2
An automatic document feeder includes a top cover having a fixing structure and first attracting element, a sheet pick-up module and a second attracting element. The fixing structure and the first attracting element are disposed on an inner surface of the top cover. The sheet pick-up module includes a sheet pick-up arm. The sheet pick-up arm is rotated to either a standby position or a sheet feeding position. The second attracting element is disposed on the sheet pick-up arm. When the sheet pick-up arm is rotated to the sheet feeding position, the sheet pick-up module feeds the sheet into an internal portion of the automatic document feeder. When the sheet pick-up arm is rotated to the standby position, the first attracting element and the second attracting element are attracted by each other so that the sheet pick-up arm is fixed on the standby position.
US08152154B2
An image forming apparatus has a tab sheet supply unit and a control unit. The tab sheet supply unit supplies tab sheets of an identical type from an identical sheet supply tray as a chapter tab sheet to be inserted at a breakpoint of a first level of classification of a document to be printed, as well as a section tab sheet to be inserted at a breakpoint of a second level that is a finer level of classification than the first level of classification. The control unit causes the tab sheet contained in the sheet supply tray to be discharged as an unnecessary tab sheet, if the tab position of the tab sheet to be supplied next from the sheet supply tray does not match with the tab position of the tab sheet to be inserted next during the printing of the document, until both of the tab positions match.
US08152138B2
A bite valve for a hydration system includes a body, a sheath, a seal post, a first seal, and a second seal. The body includes a body channel configured to flow a fluid. The sheath is configured to attach to the body. The sheath includes a sheath channel extending from the body to a sheath opening. The seal post is positioned within the sheath channel and is configured to be movable with respect to the sheath and the body between a sealed position and an unsealed position.
US08152132B2
A pneumatic valve actuator for moving the valve stem of a control valve comprises an upper casing and a lower casing each having flanges, a diaphragm plate operatively coupled to the valve stem, a spring arranged to bias the diaphragm plate in a first direction, a diaphragm movable in conjunction movement of the diaphragm plate, an air inlet defined in the casing and arranged for attachment to an air supply source to bias the diaphragm plate in a second direction, and a ring disposed between the upper flange and the lower flange and positioned to engage the outer portion of the diaphragm. The ring includes a protrusion positioned to engage a surface of the outer portion of the diaphragm.
US08152117B2
An adjustable bushing according to one embodiment includes a first part having a threaded section that extends outwardly from a base section such that an upper surface of the base section defines a ledge that surrounds the threaded section. The adjustable bushing also includes a second part having a threaded opening that is open along a bottom surface of the second part. The threaded opening has threads that are complementary to threads of the threaded section of the first part to permit the first and second parts to be securely coupled to one another and permit a height of the bushing to be adjusted between a fully retracted position where a height of the bushing is at a minimum and a fully extended position where the height of the bushing is at a maximum.
US08152115B2
An improved brewing stand enables ease of assembly, repeated assembly and disassembly allowing the brewing stand to be transported from one location to another location. The modular assembly enables a plurality of tiers to be positioned in an infinite number of vertical positions between a bottom of a mast and a top of the mast. A plurality of legs are removably attached to the bottom of the mast. Leveling devices are provided to maintain the mast in a vertical position.
US08152106B2
A process for automatically controlling the flight of at least one power wing airfoil, through a system for automatically controlling a flight of at least one power wing airfoil, the at least one power wing airfoil being controlled by a driving unit equipped with two winches to which the power wing airfoil is connected by two respective driving cables.
US08152101B2
System and method for integrating handicapped accessible seats into aircraft interior configurations
A handicapped accessible seat that classifies functionally as an aircraft seat is configured for maneuvering within an aircraft and docking to an aircraft floor using a typical track member having a longitudinal flange like extension and counterbores for mating with a shear plug of an aircraft seat. A bracket or track above the typical track member and containing inwardly-extending longitudinal flanges allows mating association with a plug or plunger on the wheel/caster or bottom seat structure of the handicapped accessible seat (94). A flange-like extension along the bottom portion of the track, having a planar portion along the floor of the aircraft and an outer, upward portion, could run the entire length of an aircraft or in only specific portions thereof and may also be used to guide the wheels into a locking position.
US08152098B2
A torque limiter device for an aircraft wing-mounted flap includes a drive input, an output rotatable in response to rotation of the drive input, and a roller-jammer operable in the event that the torque transmitted between the drive input and the output exceeds a predetermined level to apply a braking load to the drive input and/or the output, and a brake device operable to apply a braking load to the roller-jammer device to cause activation thereof.
US08152095B2
An aircraft, the propulsive units of which include engines, and which is distinguished by reduced noise emissions, includes a wing structure fixed to an upper region of the fuselage, and a vertical tail system having at least two vertical stabilizers which are generally vertically fixed to the fuselage aftwardly of the wing structure. The engines are disposed side by side in a propulsive package disposed above the fuselage, which propulsive package includes the following: air inlet openings for the propulsive package, which openings are disposed above the fuselage between a point at the leading edge and a point at the trailing edge of an aerodynamic root chord of the wing structure; and exhaust nozzle conduit outlets associated with exhaust nozzle conduits, which outlets are formed by the structure (cowling structure) of the propulsive package, and are disposed above the fuselage forwardly of an aft terminus of the fuselage and between the vertical stabilizers.
US08152090B2
The invention relates to a method for catching and taking up as well as a winding machine for continuously winding up threads. In order to catch the thread on a winding spindle, two thread guides form a thread section upstream and downstream of the winding spindle. Preferably, said thread guides are simultaneously displaced in a synchronous manner during the catching process and in such a way that the thread section is guided vertically over the winding spindle. Preferably, the thread guides are simultaneously and synchronously displaced by coupling the thread guides to each other and displacing the same with the aid of a common drive unit.
US08152084B2
A drier for a food waste disposal system. A hollow drum has a charge port and a discharge port for food waste. An agitating screw has a rotating thread which is rotatably disposed in an inner space of the drum and agitates and crushes the food waste, and a rotating shaft around which the rotating thread is disposed. A motor is installed on a first end of the drum, and provides a rotating force to the agitating screw. A crusher has a crush plate installed on a second end of the drum and a plurality of inclined crushing blades arranged radially, and a crush plate support installed around an upper portion of the crush plate. A heater is installed on an outer surface of the drum, and when powered provides high-temperature heat for the inner space of the drum, drying the food waste.
US08152083B2
Apparatus for preparing food, for instance baby food, the apparatus (1) comprising a receptacle (3) for receiving food to be prepared, a blending assembly comprising a blender element (10) for blending the food and heating means arranged for heating the food, wherein a first end (4) of the receptacle (3) is adapted to cooperate with the heating means to heat the food and wherein the blender element (10) is provided at an opposite second end (5) of the receptacle (3), such that in use an orientation of the receptacle (3) relative to the apparatus (1) is adaptable for switching between a heating operation and a blending operation.
US08152080B2
Methods for comminuting the pozzolanic material include (i) providing a comminuting apparatus including a rotatable drum and an agitation medium positioned within the rotatable drum and configured to slidably move along the interior surface of the drum when the drum is rotated (ii) introducing a pozzolanic material into the comminuting apparatus and operating the comminuting apparatus so as to create a static charge on the agitation medium; and (iii) comminuting the pozzolanic material in the comminuting apparatus by rotating the rotatable drum without causing the media to crush the pozzolanic material so as to yield a reduced-size pozzolanic material comprising a majority of particles having a substantially globular shape.
US08152069B2
A dual focus imaging scanner system and method for reading symbologies such as barcodes. The scanner system includes a light source producing two discrete wavelengths of light for illuminating a symbology target, a lens assembly for collecting a reflected image of the illuminated symbology target, which image preferably comprises the first and second wavelengths of light, and a color separation filter positioned to receive the combined reflected symbology target image from the lens assembly. The filter produces a first symbology image comprised of the first wavelength of light and a separate second symbology image comprised of the second wavelength of light. A first image sensor is positioned for receiving the first image and a second image sensor is positioned for receiving the second image. Preferably, the first and second sensors each have a different local point and focal range to scan near and far symbologies.
US08152068B2
Systems and methods for utilizing time-dependent dynamic barcodes in systems including a mail delivery system for manipulating delivery charges and/or sorting and delivery processing preferences are described.
US08152063B1
Rolls of pre-printed case labels are distributed at a harvest for labeling the cases of packed produce. The labels on each roll include common information such as the type of produce, the packing configuration, the country of origin, the company identifier, and a SKU. Labels on the same roll include a common batch number, while labels on different rolls include different batch numbers. The company, SKU and batch numbers are subsequently associated in a database with harvest event data to provide traceability back to the harvest and forward from the harvest to those cases packed at that harvest. Optionally, each label can also include a unique code, a field to place a date stamp, and/or a field to place a ranch stamp.
US08152060B2
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for processing closed loop cards/codes. The method includes identifying a closed loop card/code having associated money in an account, receiving a confirmation of an amount of money in the closed loop card/code account, presenting an owner of the closed loop card/code with the amount of money in the closed loop card/code account and an offer to pay an offer amount for the closed loop card/code, receiving an indication that the owner accepts the offer, receiving the amount of money from the closed loop card/code account, and paying the owner the offer amount. Payment can be on an open loop card/code, cash, automated clearing house (ACH) to bank, check, merchant credit, or bill pay. The method can include generating a new closed loop card/code associated with the amount of money. The new closed loop card/code can be sold to another user.
US08152051B2
A partitioned container includes an outer case member erectable from a substantially flat condition to an expanded condition, and at least one partition formed from a unitary blank separate from the outer case member and configured to couple to at least one interior surface of the outer case member in the flat condition, the unitary blank including at least one divider panel and a plurality of cross members configured to automatically divide an interior of the outer case member into a plurality of cells when the outer case member is erected to the expanded condition. A partition blank for forming the partition member and a method of manufacturing a partitioned container are also provided.
US08152038B2
In a fastener-driving tool equipped with a fastener magazine, and a power source including a reciprocating driver blade for driving fasteners obtained from the magazine into a workpiece, and a reciprocating valve sleeve actuated by a cage, a nosepiece is provided, including a nosepiece body configured for attachment at one end to the fastener tool and defining a fastener channel constructed and arranged for receiving the driver blade and the fasteners sequentially fed by the magazine, the fastener channel having a fastener outlet. A tubular pin guide is disposed for reciprocal movement in the fastener channel for receiving fasteners traveling toward the outlet. A unitary actuator has a first end engaging the pin guide for common reciprocation relative to the nosepiece body and a second end engaging the cage.
US08152033B2
It is intended to develop a technique of pressing and fixing a plate by a uniform force to suppress the occurrence of a crack around a nozzle hole of the plate during use, and provide a sliding nozzle device capable of improving durability of the plate, and a plate for use in the sliding nozzle device. The sliding nozzle device comprises a plate (2) and a plate-receiving metal frame (1) for fixedly holding the plate (2). The plate-receiving metal frame (1) is equipped with: at least two holding members (3) each having two pressing surfaces (31, 32) consisting of a longitudinally-pressing surface and a laterally-pressing surface which are protrudingly provided thereon in spaced-apart relation to each other and each adapted to be brought into contact with a corresponding one of a plurality of side surfaces of the plate (2), wherein the holding members (3) are symmetrically arranged with respect to a longitudinal axis of the plate-receiving metal frame (1); a movable block (6) rotatably supporting the holding members (3); and pressing means adapted to press the movable block (6) toward the plate. An angle between the longitudinally-pressing surface (31) and the longitudinal axis of the plate-receiving metal frame (1) is set in the range of 60 to 90 degrees, and an angle between the laterally-pressing surface (32) and the longitudinal axis of the plate-receiving metal frame (1) is set in the range of 1 to 30 degrees.
US08152030B2
A valve wrench assembly restores functionality to an aerosol container by being selectively and removably attachable the annular container rim adjacent the container outlet, which has been damaged or otherwise compromised, and by opening the valve of the compromised outlet and subsequently directing the aerosol container's product as purposed. The valve wrench assembly comprises an annular fitting assembly and a plunger assembly. The fitting assembly interfaces the plunger assembly to the container, which plunger assembly comprises a sleeve, a nut, and a plunger structure. The sleeve comprises communicating cavities in which the nut and plunger structure are received. The plunger structure is coupled to the nut, each of which provide certain conduit. The gasket structures axially align the plunger assembly with the container outlet and matter-conducting conduit thus extends from the container outlet to the assembly outlet via the valve wrench assembly.
US08152023B2
The present invention relates to a modular beverage system incorporable into a transportation unit. The system comprises a power source, at least one user point, at least one vessel, at least one liquid transferring apparatus operatively associated with said power source; and piping. The vessel is adapted to store therein liquid. Activation the liquid transferring apparatus causes the distribution of at least some of the liquid from the vessel to respective user points via said piping.
US08152017B2
A closure with an additive reservoir is mounted on a container for a consumable liquid. The closure has a base, which includes the additive reservoir; a spout mounted on the base; a plunger positioned in the additive reservoir, and an outer cap. Upon advancing the plunger, an additive in the reservoir is released into the consumable liquid after the additive or plunger ruptures or otherwise opens a barrier provided by a foil, membrane or plug. Upon moving the spout from a first position on the base to a second position, a passageway through the base is opened and the consumable liquid flows to the consumer without having to remove the closure. The additive chamber is mounted in a support column of the base with the passageway for the consumable liquid being disposed between the additive chamber and the support column. In a preferred embodiment the additive is the sole pressure link between the plunger and barrier.
US08152016B2
A cover for sealing a container and preferably containers for a well plate. The cover is comprised of at least a top layer and a bottom layer structured in a way to form a recloseable aperture. Preferably, each of the layers comprise a recloseable aperture structured as flap, damper, baffle or butterfly valve respectively, wherein the recloseable apertures are arranged on top of each other. In a preferred embodiment of the invention a third moveable layer is arranged between the top and the bottom layer. By moving the middle layer, the aperture in the cover can be closed.
US08152009B2
A device for protecting the cap of a bottle having a neck, said device comprising a cap portion adapted to be placed over the neck of the bottle and a base portion, the base portion being rotatably connected to the cap portion, at least one elongate securing member being provided having a first end attached to the cap portion and a second end attached to the base portion whereby rotation of the base portion with respect to the cap portion in a tightening direction causes the elongate securing member to tighten against the neck of the bottle to resist removal of the device from the neck of the bottle, locking means being provided for selectively preventing rotation of the base portion with respect to the cap portion at least in a second direction opposite to said tightening direction. The device may be provided with an EAS tag.
US08152004B2
The present invention relates to dispensers for disposable cutlery. The invention also relates to banded packets of disposable cutlery that can be used in the cutlery dispenser of the present invention, as well as other cutlery dispensers that do not use a cartridge therein. The present invention also relates to disposable cutlery that has been adapted to make it better suited to stacking, such as for use in cutlery dispensers that do not include a cartridge.
US08152002B2
Container support plate and the use thereof for the storage of containers by stacking said plates.
US08151997B2
A horizontal belt filter incorporates a filter web, a belt carrying the web in a substantially horizontal plane, at least one fluid removal member disposed above the web, at least one fluid guide disposed at an end of the fluid removal member and adjacent the web and the belt for receiving liquid runoff channeled to the guide by the fluid removal member, and a rake member disposed above the web on a downstream side of the fluid removal member. The fluid removal member may include at least two linear or straight bars each disposed at an acute angle relative to a respective edge of the filter web, the linear bars being connected to one another to form a V-shaped composite bar having an apex at an upstream side of the direction of belt travel.
US08151966B2
Arrangement for operating a clutch, in particular a clutch in the power train of a motor vehicle, comprising a means of transmission that is mounted movably in an operating direction with respect to a support. The support is flexibly mounted in the direction of operation with respect to a housing.
US08151959B2
A one-way clutch unit includes a one-way clutch and an unlocking member. The one-way clutch includes inner and outer races. Two pockets having wedge spaces having a wedge angle are formed between the inner and outer races. Several rolling elements are received in each pocket. The unlocking member includes an annular portion concentric with the inner race, and axially extending unlocking pieces each received in one of the pockets between the end of the pocket that faces the narrow ends of the wedge spaces having the wedge angle and the rolling elements. By externally actuating the unlocking member, the rolling elements are moved toward the wide ends of the respective wedge space having the wedge angle, thereby unlocking the clutch. Thus, it is possible to unlock the clutch and prevent transmission of torque to the output member while the input member is rotating in the forward direction.
US08151958B2
A cam mechanism is provided with a forward rotation plate and a reverse rotation plate. The respective plates are urged by the respective coil springs in the directions opposite to each other. When the number of rotations of the front wheels becomes great relative to the number of rotations of the rear wheels, the forward rotation plate rotates. Thus, a main cam which is urged by the respective coil springs toward the neutral position rotates together with the forward rotation plate when the forward rotation plate rotates. When the number of rotations of the rear wheels becomes great relative to the number of rotations of the front wheels, the reverse rotation plate rotates. Thus, the main cam which is urged by the respective coil springs toward the neutral position rotates together with the reverse rotation plate when the reverse rotation plate rotates.
US08151957B2
A piston plate anti-rotate mechanism in a closed piston, three passage torque converter including a cover having an inner radial surface, a drive plate comprising an annular plate, a piston plate having an axial inner crown, a front annular edge, an axial skirt, and a back annular edge, wherein the cover, drive plate, and piston plate are operatively arranged to rotate about a transverse axis of rotation, and wherein the piston plate is attached to the cover or the drive plate such that the piston plate is axially moveable and rotationally immovable relative to the cover. In some embodiment, the present invention further includes a leaf spring attaching the piston plate to the cover or the drive plate, such that the piston plate is axially moveable and rotationally immovable relative to the cover.
US08151956B2
A power transmission device is proposed especially for long pathways, which comprises at least one energy supply unit composed of members, which are linked together around axes perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the energy supply unit, wherein a first end of the energy supply unit can be fixed locally and the second end can be moved at least in the longitudinal direction. The energy supply unit forms an upper run and a lower run, whereby between these at least one cart is arranged, which can be moved back and forth in the longitudinal direction of the energy supply unit. This cart has a base body, which is connected to a return motion device. The return motion device is formed at least partially by at least on curved guide channel, so that the energy supply unit is guided in the curved region.
US08151950B2
A brake assembly (18) includes a permanent magnet (36) that generates a first magnetic field (52) in a direction that causes application of a clamping force on a brake disk (22). An electromagnet (38) is energized with current of a proper polarity to generate a second magnetic field (54) opposite the first magnetic field (52). The rate and magnitude at which current is applied produces a controlled repulsive force between the two magnetic fields (52, 54) to disengage the brake disk (22). As a distance between the permanent magnet (36) and the electromagnet (38) increases, the difference in field strength decreases until an equilibrium position is obtained. The brake is applied and released in a controlled manner by varying the strength of the second magnetic field (54) relative to the first magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet (36).
US08151947B2
The present invention provides a single motor electronic controlled wedge brake system that can achieve parking brake, frictional correction of pads, and fail safe as well as travel brake through the drive control using a single motor. Accordingly, it is possible to achieve a simple configuration of the electronic controlled wedge brake system, reduce manufacturing cost, and facilitate control.A single motor electronic controlled wedge brake system of the invention includes: a mounting plate that is fastened to a carrier movably in the pressing direction of a disc rotor; a movable wedge that is supported by the base wedge that is movably installed to the mounting plate and contacts inner/outer pads to the disc rotor by a motor in braking; a correcting wedge that is in contact with a fixed wedge fixed to the mounting plate and supports the rear side of the base wedge; and an adjusting unit that includes a pinion nut that movably supports the correcting wedge, selectively applies reaction force to the correcting wedge, and corrects a gap when the inner/outer pads are worn by cooperation with the movable wedge.
US08151942B2
The present invention deals with a method and system for producing services in the communication system of a building. In the method of the invention, the communication system includes at least one terminal device applicable for local-area communication, at least one communication unit, at least one server controlling the communication system, at least one base station for implementing a local-area network in the communication system, and a local network for implementing mutual data transfer between the communication unit, the server controlling the communication system and the base station. In the method, a number of service folders are generated in the terminal device and a service folder applicable to the purpose in each case is selected. From the selected service folder, a service request is selected which is transmitted from the terminal device to the communication system, where the service request is executed in one or more sub-stages using one or more communication units.
US08151938B2
A tool case for engaging a ladder comprises a skeleton, having a horizontal top surface and a vertical surface, extending from the horizontal top surface, the vertical surface and the horizontal top surface defining a compartment. The tool case also comprises a horizontal bottom surface and another vertical surface, extending from the horizontal bottom surface, the vertical surface and the horizontal bottom surface defining a cavity for receiving a top portion of the ladder.
US08151937B2
An ergonomic worker support stand with convenience features for reducing stress and supporting either the upper or lower portion of a person's body is disclosed. The stand is designed for safety, convenience and comfort in performing worker tasks. My patent includes features that reduce stress, conserve energy, and facilitate increased work productivity are important to physically challenged persons as well an able bodied worker. The stand is separable, adjustable and foldable to make it compact for storage purposes. The ergonomic stand, in the operational position, provides a sturdy, balanced, adjustable, and ergonomic platform for the support of the worker, appliances and tools. The stand has features for lighting of the workspace, holding work related accessories, powering electrically, hydraulically or pneumatically operated tools. The stand has ports for connecting personal data assistants, wireless communications, and computers used in accessing worker instructions and information.
US08151935B2
A lifting and positioning apparatus (10) including a base support (14), an elevator mechanism (12) having an upper and a lower end; an actuator (21) for operating the elevator mechanism between a collapsed and a raised operating position; and a positioning component (20) mounted on the upper end of the elevator mechanism providing for horizontal linear motion backwards and forwards in a first direction (X), horizontal linear motion backwards and forwards in a second direction (Y), and horizontal rotation (Z).
US08151929B2
An acoustic waveguide with at least two portions coupled by vibration damping structure. The vibration damping structure may be a conformable material such as closed cell foam. The vibration damping structure may further include structure for inhibiting motion in a direction transverse to the interface between the vibration damping structure and a portion of the waveguide.
US08151928B2
An operator input assembly includes an operator input device. The operator input device includes a paddle and a leaf spring interfacing with the paddle so as to bias the paddle to a predetermined position. The paddle includes a region which interfaces with the leaf spring.
US08151921B2
A vehicle front structure is disclosed in which a bulkhead (15) is provided between left and right front side frames (11), and a cooling unit (17) is provided having a radiator in the bulkhead. An upper support bracket (41) and a lower support bracket (42) for supporting upper and lower parts of the cooling unit are provided so as to be capable of sliding in a rearward direction of the vehicle body. The upper and lower support brackets slide in the rearward direction of the vehicle body when the vehicle is involved in a light collision, whereby the cooling unit moves rearward while kept in a vertical state and damage is reduced.
US08151919B2
A vehicle-used composite braking/accelerating system is provided. In accordance with the composite braking/accelerating system, a movable motor is provided adjacent to a wheel of the vehicle. The movable motor is electrically connected to a control circuit and a battery. When the vehicle is moving and the moving vehicle is braked to decelerate, in which the driver of the vehicle slightly steps on the braking device, the control circuit instructs the movable motor to execute a generator function and drives the actuator to operate. The movable motor includes a coil member and a magnetic member. When the coil member and the magnetic member are correspondingly positioned and relatively rotated, the movable motor generates electrical energy, and saves the generated electrical energy into the battery. In such a way, the kinetic energy of the moving vehicle is transformed into electrical energy for saving the fuel consumption.
US08151904B2
A drilling system includes a downhole well control device that can be used to control out-of-norm wellbore conditions. The downhole well control device can control one or more selected fluid parameters. The well control device in cooperation or independent of surface devices exerts control over one or more drilling or formation parameters to manage an out-of-norm wellbore condition. An exemplary well control device hydraulically isolates one or more sections of a wellbore by selectively blocking fluid flow in a pipe bore and an annulus. The control device also selectively flows fluid from the pipe bore to the annulus. A communication device provides on-way or bidirectional signal and/or data transfer between the controller(s), surface personnel and the well control device. Exemplary application of the well control device include controlling a well kick, controlling drilling fluid being lost to the formation and controlling a simultaneous kick and loss.
US08151899B2
A method for producing Shockwave pulses in a tool direction (R) of a pulse machine (1) having a housing (2), wherein an impulse piston (4) is arranged, wherein the impulse piston is influenced by a first force in a direction opposite to said tool direction through a first fluid pressure (Pi) in a first chamber (7), and by a second force in said tool direction, wherein 'a Shockwave pulse is produced through a rapid relief of the first fluid pressure after displacement of the impulse piston (4) relative to the housing in a direction opposite to the tool direction, is distinguished in that the length of the shock wave is controlled by the length (L) of said displacement is regulated. The invention also concerns a device, rock drilling machine and a rock drilling rig.
US08151896B2
An automotive vehicle includes a vehicle body and at least one reservoir containing a fire suppressant agent. A distribution system receives the fire suppression agent from the reservoir and conducts the agent to at least one location about the vehicle's body in response to the determination by a sensor system and controller that the vehicle has been subjected to a significant impact. The distribution system includes composite nozzles having pressure-configurable orifices.
US08151886B2
A fracturing method for preferably open hole uses fluid velocity impinging on the wellbore wall to initiate fractures. Telescoping members that extend using nozzles inside them but come out to a distance from the wellbore wall can be used. Fixed nozzles that do not extend are also another option. The nozzles can be eroded or corroded as the fracturing takes place or they can be made of sufficiently durable materials or have coatings to withstand the erosive effects of high velocity slurries pumped to impinge the wellbore wall to initiate fractures.
US08151882B2
A system that is usable with a well includes tubular body, at least one perforating charge that is disposed on the tubular body and at least one screen section that is disposed on the tubular body. The perforating charge(s) and the screen sectional(s) are adapted to be run downhole in a single trip into the well with the tubular body.
US08151879B2
A zone isolation assembly for a fluid monitoring system in an existing subsurface well includes a fluid receiving pipe, a docking receiver, a docking apparatus and a first sealer. The fluid receiving pipe includes a pipe interior and a fluid inlet structure. The fluid receiving pipe receives a fluid through the fluid inlet structure into the pipe interior. The docking receiver is connected to the fluid receiving pipe. The docking apparatus moves between (i) a docked position wherein the docking apparatus is docked with the docking receiver, and (ii) an undocked position wherein the docking apparatus is undocked with the docking receiver. The first sealer is spaced apart from the docking apparatus. In certain embodiments, the first sealer selectively forms a fluid-tight seal between the fluid receiving pipe and the casing to divide the fluid zone into a first zone and a spaced apart second zone. The first zone and the second zone are not in fluid communication with one another when the docking apparatus is in the docked position.
US08151873B1
An open hole packer uses mandrel expansion and a surrounding sealing element that can optionally have a swelling feature and further a seal enhancing feature of a ring with an internal taper to match an undercut on the mandrel exterior. As a swage progresses to the taper at the transition between the ring and the extending flat fingers, the fingers get plastically deformed in an outward radial direction to push out the sealing element. Shrinkage of the mandrel axially due to radial expansion brings a ring on the mandrel outer surface under the fingers to act as a support for the fingers against the seal which is pushed against the open hole. Mirror image orientations are envisioned to aid in retaining pressure differentials in opposed directions. Another external mandrel ring extends into the seal to keep its position during differential pressure loading.
US08151871B2
The invention relates to a heat exchanger (1), in particular, a gas cooler for a vehicle air-conditioning unit, comprising several flat tubes (2) arranged in two or more parallel rows, a collector tube (6), with one or more longitudinal separating walls (12), running along the longitudinal axis of the collector tube (6), dividing the collector tube (6) into two or more collector channels, whereby the collector tube (6) is embodied from two metal sheets (8) and openings (4) are provided in at least one of the metal sheets (8), for accommodating the ends of the flat tubes (2). Each longitudinal separating wall (12) is provided with tongue-like projections (14), arranged in grooves (16) in at least one of the metal sheets (8) and fixed on the outer side of the metal sheet (8).
US08151864B2
In a system for sealing a dummy bar head in a mould of a continuous casting plant for casting large-format preliminary sections, a flat gasket (6) to seal the gap between the dummy bar head and the mould is provided, which is held on a packing plate (7) contained on the dummy bar head. Said packing plate has approximately the cross-sectional shape of the mould profile and covers the flat gasket (6). The packing plate (7) is displaceable towards the centre of the mould by an amount which is a function of the conicity of the mould (3). To this end, it consists of two plate halves (7a, 7b) lying in one plane with respect to each other. This makes it possible, when inserting the dummy bar head, to compensate for the angled course of the mould with the contracting packing plate until the sealing gap between packing plate and mould remains uniform on all sides.
US08151860B2
A metal article containing at least 10% interconnected porosity is produced by using a preform.To make the preform, an organic binder, a wetting agent and a granular material are mixed to obtain a mouldable paste that combines 10 vol. pct. or more of the granular material, this material dissolving easily in a liquid solvent. The paste is shaped into an aerated preform, thus creating an open pore space to be infiltrated by the metal or alloy.The wetting agent is evaporated and the preform is baked to a temperature sufficient to degrade the binder and create a network of interconnected open porosity in the preform. Then, the open pore space is filled with the liquid metal or alloy.All or part of the baked preform can be easily leached by a liquid solvent through the network of fine pores.
US08151857B2
A retractable cover for architectural openings having collapsible vanes includes a support structure in the form of a sheet of material, monofilaments, tapes, ribbons, cords, or the like, supporting an upper edge of a plurality of vertically spaced, horizontally extending vanes with the lower edges of the vanes in most embodiments of the invention being connected to operating elements adapted to raise the lower edges of each vane toward the upper edges to define openings or gaps between the vanes through which vision and light can pass in an open condition of the covering. Variations of the covering do not require movement of a lower edge of a vane relative to an upper edge but simply movement of some vanes relative to other vanes. The vanes can be made of materials having different flexibilities and where more rigid materials are used, creased fold lines can be established for desired operability.
US08151853B2
Device for manufacturing a reinforcement from a thread laid directly in its final place by casting lengths of the said thread onto a receiving surface, the said device comprising a feed means (200) for feeding the thread (1) from a source of thread (10), a rotary assembly comprising a rotary guide (2) of axis rr′ fixed to a hollow shaft (20, 205) constituting the axis of rotation (RR′) of the said guide (2) so that the outer radial end (21) of the said guide (2) is directed substantially radially with respect to the axis of rotation of the hollow shaft (RR′), the said guide receiving the thread (1) that comes from the said feed means via its central end (22) that is the opposite end to the said outer radial end (21), the said thread leaving via the said outer radial end (21), the said feed means controlling the linear speed at which the thread advances inside the said rotary guide (2), means (13, 131) for rotating the hollow shaft, and means (31) for cutting the thread, acting on the thread in such a way as to part off one length for each revolution of the said rotary guide (2). The said feed means comprises a motorized pulley (200), borne by the hollow shaft, the circumference of which is tangential to the axis (rr′) of the rotary guide (2), and about which pulley the thread is wound before it directly enters the inlet (22) of the rotary guide (2) when the device is in operation.
US08151852B2
A bonding apparatus and method holds first and second bodies peripherally, one above the other, on respective shelves. A lower heat-transfer body is configured to lift the first body from below and press the first and second bodies against an upper heat-transfer body to enable bonding between the first and second bodies.
US08151850B2
The object of the present disclosure is to provide a label application device which can easily perform label applying operation by protruding a portion of the label towards an article in a mountain-shape and automatically applying the label.The label application device includes: a label holding unit comprising of an attracting board provided with a pair of divided bodies and attracting and holding a label supplied from the label supplying unit; a folding and applying unit folding and protruding a portion of a label held by the label holding unit in a mountain-shape forming a folded portion having a first side face and a second side face with an apex portion as a border therebetween, and applying an outer end portion, provided next to a folded portion via a bent portion, to an article; wherein the folding and applying unit includes: a folding unit, wherein the divided bodies and are relatively approaching and separating the other and when approaching the other, and a portion of the label is folded by pressing such that the bent portion of the label at each end surface opposing each of the divided body and forming the folded portion; and a movement control unit controlling the movement of the folding unit.
US08151849B2
A pneumatic tire for mounting on an aircraft wheel has a radial carcass and flipper reinforcement. The tire has a pair of bead cores, at least two or more axially inner plies greater than or equal to, extending between the bead cores, a crown reinforcement radially outward of the plies having a maximum belt width BW, and at least one flipper reinforcement wrapped around each bead core. Each bead core has a radially extending cross sectional length B. Each flipper reinforcement extends along an inner surface of the bead core to the axially inner end located in an area that is between 0.01 BW to 0.25 BW as measured from the belt edge toward a centerline of the tire preferably in the range of 0.05 BW to 0.125 BW and wherein one flipper reinforcement has an axially outer end lower than the top of the bead core.
US08151840B2
A method of manufacturing a new tire having a reinforced rubber structure and a polyurethane tread.
US08151830B2
A powder dispensing device is disclosed for dispensing powder into hard gelatin capsules or the like. The powder dispensing device comprises at least one plunger for compacting the powder to a powder compact and/or at least one transfer plunger which transfers the previously produced powder compact into a capsule part ready to be filled. The device includes a sensing apparatus including fiber-optical cables and a lens for introducing and receiving radiation passed through the powder or the powder compact. The sensing apparatus is connected to either the compacting plunger or the transfer plunger, or both.
US08151829B2
A powder toner transferring method that fluidizes a powder toner with a gas supplied from an air supply, sucks the fluidized powder toner with a suction, and transfers the powder toner by discharging the powder toner in a toner storage container. The suction of the powder toner is performed with a reciprocating-motion pump. A powder toner filling method includes the powder toner transferring process.
US08151818B2
The invention concerns a system for supplying hydraulic fluid to a hydraulic system, with an operating reservoir that accepts the hydraulic fluid provided for the operation of the hydraulic system and an auxiliary reservoir connected to the operating reservoir over a hydraulic line for intermediate storage of hydraulic fluid withdrawn from the operating reservoir. According to the invention, an air pump is available that is connected on the one hand on its low pressure side to a suction line that ends in a fluid free area of the auxiliary reservoir, so that a negative pressure can be built up in the auxiliary reservoir as against the external atmospheric pressure, and that is connected, on the other hand, to a control line that is provided with a control opening that is covered by the hydraulic fluid in the operating reservoir at least before the air pump is put into operation.
US08151811B2
The present invention pertains to a protective mechanism for automatic umbrella mainly including a drive unit, a pulley tackle, a spring motor, a clutch, and a clutch spring; wherein, a strand has one end fixed to the pulley tackle and the other end secured to an upper notch of the umbrella, and the spring motor and the clutch are separately mounted on the pulley tackle. Further, between the clutch and the pulley tackle are unidirectional rotor members cooperating with each other. Thus, the drive unit and the clutch spring substantially control the separation and contact of the clutch and the pulley tackle for either releasing the strand and tightening the spring motor while stretching the umbrella or winding the strand in a single direction and loosening the spring motor when collapsing. Therefore, the present invention prevents from striking users by taking off the umbrella stick halfway when manually retracting it.
US08151806B2
Smoking articles having reduced Hoffmann analytes contained in the mainstream smoke is disclosed. In one embodiment, an alginate composition is applied to a wrapper that is incorporated into a smoking article. The alginate composition causes a significant reduction in at least certain of the Hoffmann analytes that are generated when the smoking article is smoked. The alginate composition may be applied so as to cover a substantial portion of the surface area of the wrapper in one embodiment. In another embodiment, the alginate composition is applied as a single band to the paper wrapper so to cover a substantial portion of the distal end of the smoking article.
US08151804B2
A method of curing tobacco comprises drying a harvested tobacco plant in a controlled environment for a time sufficient to substantially prevent the formation of at least one nitrosamine. The tobacco is first subjected to the controlled environment while at least a majority of the tobacco is in a green state. The resulting cured tobacco usually has tobacco-specific nitrosamine (TSNA) levels which are undetectable and are similar to levels found in freshly harvested, green tobacco.
US08151802B2
Pouches (2) of cohesionless material, typically a smokeless tobacco product, are manufactured by conveying portions of the tobacco initially on a dispensing disc (5a) with cavities (7) from a delivery station (8) to a transfer station (9), where each portion of tobacco is then removed forcibly from the relative cavity by an ejection system (14) and directed into a duct (12) connecting with a wrapping station (10) at which the pouches (2) are formed, filled and sealed; the removal and transfer of each portion from the cavity (7) of the disc (5a) into the duct (12) is controlled in such a way as to displace the material by degrees and ensure its smooth passage toward the wrapping station.
US08151801B2
An implantable medical device system includes an implantable device and an external locator device for percutaneously locating detecting port opening of the implantable device. The implantable device includes a port chamber forming the port opening, a septum sealing the port chamber relative to an exterior of the device, and a coil positioned at a known location relative to the port opening. The locator device includes a controller, at least one X-loop electrically coupled to the controller and oriented along a first major axis, and at least one Y-loop electrically coupled to the controller and oriented along a second major axis differing from the first major axis. The system is configured such that when the locator is spatially proximate the coil, an induced voltage in at least the Y-loop(s) is read by the controller to indicate a location of the coil relative to the locator device.
US08151800B2
An oral bib includes a thin sheet protective shield portion having resistance to the passage of a sexually transmitted disease microbe therethrough. The shield portion is configured to overlie a chin and mouth region of a wearer and has opposing sides. A strap is adapted to secure said shield portion to a wearer head.
US08151798B2
The preferred embodiments provide, e.g., a high quality flexible tracheostomy tube assembly including an outer tracheostomy cannula and a disposable, flexible inner cannula. In preferred embodiments, the product provides a single patient use, sterile device.
US08151791B2
Methods and devices for performing emergency and non-emergency tracheotomies are disclosed. In one embodiment, a device for performing an emergency tracheostomy includes a dilator having a generally curved outer surface which is arranged for insertion into a trachea of a patient. The dilator includes an open linear passageway therein. Situated within the internal passageway is an anchor that includes a distal tip portion protruding outside the dilator. The anchor is normally biased to a retracted position and is arranged to move from the retracted position to an extended position in response to a distal force. A driver is provided for applying the distal force to the anchor to drive the distal tip portion through an opening in the patient's neck and trachea. A method for using the device is also disclosed.
US08151787B1
An apparatus for supporting and aiming various solar devices. Includes a cradle assembly (70) with two tilt pivots (59) located on opposite sides for vertical adjustment, and a turntable (46) for horizontal adjustment. Both adjustments, required for aiming the device toward the sun, are accomplished simultaneously and instantly by steering a biaxial control arm (74) while sighting an aiming instrument (88). The instrument can be used for aiming the solar device either in a direct line or by using the novel aim-ahead indicia (101). An optional utility cart (140) is used for mobility. The cradle assembly locks in either a direct-fit solar device (226) or an adaptor box (110) that, in turn, latches to a standardizing interchange mount (122). The mount, along with a device mounting kit (FIG. 16D), converts various solar devices (FIGS. 2, 12B, 13, and 16E) from different manufacturers, to be utilized by the apparatus. A second embodiment (FIGS. 17A and 17B) sans tilt capability, also accepts solar devices attached to the interchange mount.
US08151781B2
An ignitor assembly constructed in accordance with one aspect of the invention has an upper inductor subassembly coupled to a lower firing end subassembly for relative pivot movement between the subassemblies. The upper inductor subassembly includes a tubular housing with inductor windings received therein with an upper electrical connector adjacent an upper end of the housing and a lower electrical connector adjacent a lower end of the housing. The lower firing end subassembly includes a ceramic insulator and a metal housing surrounding at least a portion of the ceramic insulator. The ceramic insulator has an electrical terminal extending from a terminal end and an electrode extending from a firing end. A flexible tube couples the upper inductor subassembly to the lower firing end subassembly and maintains the electrical terminal of the lower firing end subassembly in electrical contact with the lower electrical connector of the upper at a pivot joint.
US08151763B2
A lost motion valve actuation system includes an engine brake housing and one or more hydraulic fluid supply passages extending through the housing. Master and slave pistons are slidably disposed corresponding bores in the housing. The master and slave pistons are used to provide selective actuation to one or more engine valves. An engine brake rocker arm disposed adjacent to the housing includes a master piston contact surface and a bias mechanism contact surface. A bias mechanism is disposed in the housing and includes a bias piston which extends from the housing. The bias piston biases the rocker arm out of contact with an engine cam during select engine operation modes, such as during a positive power mode of operation. The bias piston may be mechanically or hydraulically repositioned to permit the rocker arm to contact the engine cam during a second mode of engine operation, such as an engine braking mode.
US08151760B2
The invention relates to a high pressure injection arrangement for an internal combustion engine with direct injection, with an injection valve and a support element, which supports the injection valve in the installed state on a seat of an internal combustion engine. It is provided that a spring element is arranged between the injection valve and the support element.
US08151755B1
An internal combustion engine includes a rotary valve such that said rotary valve serves as an output shaft for said engine.
US08151749B2
An engine with a valve opening arrangement includes an engine including at least one cylinder and at least one valve for opening and closing an opening in the cylinder. The valve is spring loaded to a closed position. The engine also includes a movable contact surface for urging the valve to an open position, and a control arrangement at least partially connected to the contact surface and operable in a modified mode to at least one of advance opening and delay closing of the valve relative to opening and closing in a normal mode.
US08151748B2
A method for an internal combustion engine that reduces the possibility of misfire during transitions between a lower valve lift mode and a higher valve lift mode.
US08151747B2
The present invention generally relates to a recess in the top of a piston. More particularly, the present invention relates to a crescent-shaped recess in the top of an expansion piston of a split-cycle engine.
US08151741B2
A control device for a premixed charge compression ignition (PCCI) internal combustion engine is provided, capable of stable operation over a wide operating range. The control device of an engine 1 comprises: a fuel supply means 20 of supplying the main fuel to the engine 1; an hydrogen supply means 30 of supplying reformed gas containing hydrogen; a fuel supply control unit 41 of controlling an injection timing and an injection period of the main fuel supplied from the injector 22 of the fuel supply means 20 based on the PCCI combustion condition of the engine 1; and a hydrogen supply control unit 42 of controlling an injection timing and an injection period of reformed gas from the gas injector 32 of the hydrogen supply means 30 based on the PCCI combustion condition.
US08151739B2
Certain techniques involve the use of a device including a fluid distributor which has at least one flow duct with an inlet opening and an outlet opening. The inlet opening can be connected to a supply line for a fluid. Means for moving the fluid distributor are provided. Additionally, means are provided for recording an environmental parameter through the outlet opening.
US08151735B1
A leash is disclosed for coupling a first animal and a second animal to an object. The leash comprises an exterior bulbous body and an interior bulbous body. A first tether spool and a second tether spool rotatably engage within the interior bulbous body. A first tether coils about the first tether spool and a second tether coils about the second tether spool. The interior bulbous body is positioned within the exterior bulbous body. A sleeve is interposed between the interior bulbous body and the exterior bulbous body for rotatably engaging the interior bulbous body relative to the exterior bulbous body. A first conduit and a second conduit traverse the interior bulbous body and the exterior bulbous body for receiving the first tether and second tether respectively and coupling with the animals. A rotation of the interior bulbous body occurs upon a traversing of the first tether relative to the second tether and prevents the first tether entangling with the second tether.
US08151734B1
The invention discloses a movable cradle capable of surrounding or enclosing an animal. The movable cradle may have a frame with a back end that opens and locks closed, and leg spaces or portions that bow-out from a general rectangular shape of the frame. Wheels may be attached to the frame near a back end of the cradle and near a front end of the cradle. The movable cradle may be used to train a surrounded animal.
US08151727B2
A film formed on a substrate different from the monocrystalline perovskite substrate contains a piezoelectric oxide expressed as A(BxC1-x)O3 other than Bi(FeySc1-y)O3 and Bi(Fe, Co)O3, where 0
US08151726B2
The traphouse safety flag is an electromechanical safety device mounted at the roofline of a traphouse intended to replace the traditional safety cone or cloth flag that is commonly used to indicate to the shooters that the traphouse is occupied and shooting cannot commence. A “no flag” detent position energizes the normal trap shooting control mechanism while indicating to the shooters that the traphouse and personnel are secure. The safety flag obscures the entrance to the traphouse in a shooting position and if the flag is moved out of the no flag detent position for any reason, the trap shooting control mechanism is deactivated and will not accept a launch command from the shooter.
US08151723B2
A steering system for a marine vessel which has a primary propulsion unit and an auxiliary propulsion unit is disclosed. In one embodiment, a cable extending through a support rod of a tilt tube of the primary propulsion unit couples the primary propulsion unit to the auxiliary propulsion unit. Also disclosed is a method of coupling a primary propulsion unit to an auxiliary propulsion unit with a cable.
US08151722B2
A method of manufacturing an airbag with which an airbag having a left airbag section and a right airbag section and constituted so that peripheral edge portions of an opening of an opposing face of each bag are sewn together can be easily manufactured. An airbag 10 is constituted by a total of two panels, namely, an inside panel 20 and an outside panel 30. After the inside panel 20 and the outside panel 30 are overlapped in a double-folded state so that airbag outer side faces thereof oppose to each other, opposite sides 61, 62 are sewn together, and lower edge portions of the inside panel 20 and the outside panel 30 are sewn together. Then, the inside panel 20 is reversed so that airbag outer side faces of a right side 20R and a left side 20L oppose each other, and the peripheral edge portions of the openings 18, 18 are sewn together. Then, the remaining peripheral edge portions of the inside panel 20 and the outside panel 30 are sewn together. Then, the outside panel 30 is reversed through an opening port M on rear end sides of the inside panel 20 and the outside panel 30, and the opening port M is sealed.
US08151717B2
An agricultural implement for tilling at least a strip of soil to be planted includes a tillage device for penetrating and tilling a strip of soil and displacing soil and residue upwardly, and a depth control device laterally offset from the centerline of the strip of soil and mounted for rotation about an axis of rotation located rearwardly of the tillage device and positioned to intercept soil and residue displaced upwardly by the tillage device. Multiple tines mounted on the depth control device extend laterally away from the depth control device toward the centerline to intercept a portion of the soil and residue displaced upwardly by the tillage device. The tines are attached to the depth control device only at one end of each tine, and the free ends of the tines terminate laterally short of the centerline and vertically between the elevations of the upper and lower edges of the depth control device.
US08151711B1
The illustrative embodiment provides bumpers which are roughly shaped like skis that face towards the air-water boundary of the air cavity. When the projectile fishtails and one or more of the bumpers come into contact with the air-water boundary, the water imparts torque and a rebounding force to push the projectile completely back into the air cavity. Furthermore, because the bumpers are shaped roughly like skis and not like knives, the bumpers do not penetrate the water or create unnecessary water drag.
US08151689B2
There is disclosed a radial piston machine comprising a cylinder block having at least one bore in which a piston supported on an eccentric disk is movably guided via roll bodies, wherein at least one hydrostatic relieving field is provided between the piston and the roll body. According to the invention, the active surface A2 of the relieving field is equal to or larger than the active piston area A1 of the piston restricting a cylinder chamber and the relieving field is in fluid communication with the cylinder chamber via a hydraulic resistance.
US08151680B2
A band saw includes a drive wheel and a fixed, curved band saw guide surface having one or more tracks for one or more band saw continuous strips. The one or more tracks contains lubricant openings which are accessed from a source of lubricant under pressure to reduce frictional resistance of the band saw moving over the guide surface.
US08151673B2
A clamping device used for securing a toolholder for metal working operations includes a lock rod reciprocating along a lock rod longitudinal axis to radially activate locking balls to engage perforations within the shank of a toolholder, wherein the toolholder is oriented along a toolholder axis non parallel to the locking rod longitudinal axis. Additionally, the lock rod includes a ramp which engages a bump-off pin in a direction lateral to the motion of the lock rod to provide a mechanism for ejecting the toolholder from the clamping device.
US08151668B2
A steering apparatus for a vehicle includes a movable column member supporting a steering wheel at a rear end of the movable column member and rotatably supported about a column swinging point provided at a front part of the movable column member relative to a vehicle body, a fixing bracket supported at an upper portion of the fixing bracket to the vehicle body and including first and second retaining portions that face each other and support the movable column member therebetween, first and second pressing mechanisms facing each other so as to press and support the movable column in a slidable manner, a first pivot axis disposed at a lower side of the fixing bracket, a second pivot axis disposed at a lower side of the movable column member, and a drive mechanism driven so as to adjust a distance between the first pivot axis and the second pivot axis.
US08151667B2
A steering column assembly comprises a steering column shroud which supports a steering shaft for a steering wheel, a support bracket which is fixed in position relative to a part of vehicle, and a clamp mechanism which is movable between a locked position in which the clamp mechanism fixes the shroud in position relative to the support bracket and an unlocked position in which the clamp mechanism permits movement of the shroud relative to the support bracket. The support bracket comprises a generally U-shaped member with two depending arms of the U extending from its base having a portion of the column shroud located therebetween. A clamp mechanism is also provided which upon locking of the clamp mechanism provides tension between the two arms of the U shaped member together thereby clamping the steering column shroud in position. One arm of the U-shaped member comprises an outer leaf extending from the base to a free end of the arm and an inner leaf connected to the free end of the arm and extending upwards from the free end towards the base, the inner leaf being located between outer leaf and the other arm of the U-shaped member, the clamp mechanism acting to apply tension between the inner leaf and the other arm such tension acting to pull the inner leaf away from the outer leaf.
US08151666B1
The present invention is a handle grip comprising a twist throttle with an integrated hydraulic master cylinder directed to vehicle throttle and brake or clutch controls and suitable for mounting and use on motorcycle handle bar wherein the operator selectively twists the handle grip in one direction to retract a throttle cable and in the opposite direction to release the throttle cable and activate a hydraulic master cylinder capable of providing hydraulic fluid to a hydraulically activated mechanism on the vehicle. A helical cam surface within the twist grip mechanism guides centrally positioned throttle and hydraulic cam followers within an inner stem cylinder bore forcing the followers longitudinally within the bore to activate the hydraulics or throttle. The pitch of the helical cam surface defines the distance of grip rotation and the twisting torque required to move the followers predetermined distances within the stem bore to provide sufficient activation force.
US08151665B2
A shift device for a speed change transmission in motor vehicles having at least one selector rod which is movably supported in the gear housing in cross walls, by means of which rod the transmission steps in the gear housing can be shifted. The selector rod on one end penetrates a cross wall of the transmission, which wall separates the oil compartment, and by means of a plastic sleeve, which is sprayed onto the selector rod, is guided and sealed in the corresponding through hole of the cross wall of the transmission.
US08151661B2
A compact capstan includes a drum, a coupled hub, a passage extending through the drum and hub, and a shaft extending through the drum and hub. The shaft engages the passage such that the shaft can transmit a torsional force to the drum and the hub which are free to move along the length of the shaft. The drum includes a spiral groove to receive a cable loop wound around the drum. The hub has a thread with substantially the same pitch as the spiral groove to engage a threaded support such that the hub and the drum move laterally along their length relative to the threaded support as the hub and the drum are rotated. The shaft has a length that is substantially greater than the passage such that the shaft extends beyond both ends of the passage.
US08151650B2
In a method of operating a material testing machine for testing a specimen, the machine has an electrically controllable actuator arranged to apply a force to the specimen. The method includes inputting a single adjustable parameter value, calculating all necessary feedback control gains therefrom, and subsequently conducting a test of the specimen.
US08151646B2
According to one embodiment, a system for measuring vibration includes multiple spatially separated detectors coupled to a differential signal analyzer and a light source. The light source generates a coherent light beam onto a target that is reflected as backscattered light. The differential signal analyzer receives signals from each of the detectors indicative of backscattered light from the target. The differential signal analyzer then applies a phase shift to a subset of the received signals and combines the phase shifted signals with signals from other detectors to form a differential signal representative of physical vibration of the target.
US08151638B2
A spring force component tester for determining a load distribution on each end of a spring of generally cylindrical shape using three, mutually-parallel load cells. One tester includes a lower plate and an upper plate movable with respect to the lower plate. Each plate includes a plurality of recesses and a load cell positioned in each recess. Each plurality of recesses is positioned such that a center of each recess is a point on a circle coaxial to the plate. The tester also includes a data logger that obtains and stores load cell outputs from the load cells and spring tester electronics that obtain height measurements of the upper plate and send a trigger signal to a computer. The computer executes application software when the computer receives the trigger signal that reads the load cell outputs stored in the data logger, and calculates a spring force acting along the spring axis between approximately 0.5 Newton and 100 Newton.
US08151623B2
A wear sensor (30, 50, 60) installed on a surface area (24) of a component (20, 21) subject to wear from an opposing surface (74, 75). The sensor has a proximal portion (32A, 52A, 62A) and a distal portion (32C, 52C, 62C) relative to a wear starting position (26). An electrical circuit (40) measures an electrical characteristic such as resistance of the sensor, which changes with progressive reduction of the sensor from the proximal portion to the distal portion during a widening reduction wear of the surface from the starting position. The measuring circuit quantifies the electrical changes to derive a wear depth based on a known geometry of the wear depth per wear width. In this manner, wear depth may be measured with a surface mounted sensor.
US08151621B1
A device attached to a fluid-level sensing probe used in association with the primary drain pan located inside an air conditioning unit or other condensate-producing unit, which provides quick testing for proper sensing probe function without its removal from the condensate-producing unit. A tester can simply press a different finger against each of two electrically-conductive rods attached to an inverted U-shaped mount that is typically fixed to the upper perimeter edge of a secondary drain pan positioned underneath at least a portion of the condensate-producing unit. If the sensing probe is properly functioning, the tester will immediately know, as a circuit will be completed and the condensate-producing unit will be shut off and/or a pump activated to assist removal of collected condensate from the secondary drain pan. For user convenience, an optional quick disconnect can be provided between the sensing probe and the inverted U-shaped mount.
US08151620B2
A method for calibrating an input electrical signal to an individual pressure control device includes the steps of providing a target pressure-to-current (P/I) threshold, providing a lower estimated P/I threshold, and providing an estimated P/I curve that passes between the target P/I threshold and the lower estimated P/I threshold. Next, the method determines a lower actual P/I threshold at a pressure equal to the pressure at the lower estimated P/I threshold. A maximum offset current is calculated from the difference between the currents at the lower actual P/I threshold and the lower estimated P/I threshold. Finally, the method calculates a calibrated P/I curve. The calibrated P/I curve includes the target P/I threshold and the lower actual P/I threshold. The slope of the calibrated P/I curve is calculated as a proportional value of the maximum offset current.
US08151609B2
A lock cylinder consisting of a housing with a lock bit, an unlocking device and an actuation device is described.The unlocking device comprises a coupling arranged between the actuation device and the lock bit, which coupling is decoupled in the locked state and coupled in the unlocked state. The coupling can be electromagnetically or piezoelectrically actuated and the unlocking device is externally fed with energy contactlessly.
US08151605B1
A device is disclosed for locking to a gooseneck-type trailer tongue of the type having a lockable tongue mechanism and a lower surface. A ball member has a semi-spherical upper portion and a lower surface. The lower surface is traversed by a threaded aperture. A peripheral side of the upper portion has at least one set screw aperture traversing through to the threaded aperture. A tang is threaded at a top end thereof for threaded rotational engagement with the threaded aperture of the ball member and includes a lower end that has at least one bolt aperture therethrough. A collar member includes a tang slot traversing the top and bottom surfaces thereof. A puck lock has a selectively positionable bolt adapted to traverse the bolt aperture of the tang to lock the collar member onto the tang and ball member. The top surface of the collar member is locked against the lower surface of the trailer tongue to prevent removal of the ball member from the trailer tongue, thereby inhibiting unauthorized towing of the trailer.
US08151597B2
The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a cold air flow passage structure for allowing ice, which is received in an ice-storing device provided in a refrigerating chamber door, to be in a frozen state without being melted.The refrigerator of the present invention comprises a main body including at least a refrigerating chamber and a cold air flow passage for supplying cold air to the refrigerating chamber, a refrigerating chamber door for opening or closing the refrigerating chamber, a shelf provided in the refrigerating chamber, and a container provided in the refrigerating chamber door to store ice therein, wherein the cold air flow passage extends forward along the shelf so that cold air is discharged to the container.According to the refrigerator of the present invention, even though an ice bank for storing ice is provided in a refrigerating chamber door, it is possible to prevent a phenomenon by which ice is partially melted and stuck again together.Further, since ice is not partially melted and stuck again together, it is possible to prevent a phenomenon by which an overload is applied to an ice crusher provided in the ice bank.
US08151587B2
A refrigerated merchandiser (100) includes an upright, open-front, insulated cabinet (110) defining a product display area (125) connected in airflow communication with a compartment (120) via an air circulation circuit (122, 114, 116). A high pressure drop evaporator (40) and a plurality of closely spaced fans (70) are disposed within compartment (120). The evaporator (40) is provided with a relatively high fin density heat exchanger coil providing a relatively high air side pressure drop through the evaporator. The increased flow resistance through the evaporator coupled with the plurality of closely spaced fans results in a substantially uniform evaporator outlet temperature profile across the length of the evaporator.
US08151586B2
To realize a CO2 heat pump system in which reduction in coefficient of performance of heat pump cycle is prevented by maintaining the temperature of the water supplied to the gas cooler of the CO2 heat pump below a certain temperature and raising heat source side temperature in the evaporator, and which has functions to supply a heat source not only to hot water supplying equipment but also to supply a heat source or coolness source to air conditioning equipment or others, the system comprises a low temperature water tank 6, a high temperature water tank 9 for storing high temperature water heated in a gas cooler 3, piping 10, 12 for supplying the high temperature water to hot water supplying equipment and room heating equipment respectively, a first heat exchanger 21 in which brine (water) for supplying latent heat of vaporization of CO2 refrigerant to the refrigerant in the evaporator 5 exchanges heat with heat giving fluid (fluid from which heat is withdrawn), a second heat exchanger located upstream of the first heat exchanger to cool the high temperature water after it is used as a heat source for the room heating equipment (therefore the temperature is already not so high) by heat exchange with the heat receiving fluid, piping for introducing the water cooled in the second heat exchanger to the low temperature water tank 6, and a low temperature water supply means 7.
US08151585B2
A system and method is provided for monitoring a system pressure to infer whether a high pressure cut out (HPCO) switch has opened disabling a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) compressor. A system and method are also provided for determining whether to disable the heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) compressor based on a status of a low pressure cut out (LPCO) switch, an ambient temperature, and system mode state. The systems and methods may be used interchangeably with the appropriate adjustments to decision limits, such as where the LPCO may be monitored to infer status and the HPCO status may be directly used with temperature and system mode state.
US08151584B2
When during a first action of a refrigeration system the internal cold storage temperature is held at a desired temperature by an evaporator, the refrigeration system performs a second action of increasing the cooling capacity of the evaporator to decrease the internal cold storage temperature. When during the second action the internal cold storage temperature reaches a minimum temperature Tmin, the refrigeration system stops a compressor and performs a third action. When during the third action the internal cold storage temperature reaches a maximum temperature Tmin, the refrigeration system drives the compressor and performs the first action.
US08151582B2
The liquid galley refrigeration system for cooling food carts for aircraft employs an intermediate working fluid to transfer heat from one or more food carts to one or more remote chillers, allowing the carts and chillers to be advantageously distributed in the aircraft. A plurality of heat exchanges effect a cooling of the carts wherein heat from the food cart is first transferred to a first airflow; heat from the first airflow is then transferred to an intermediate working fluid that is circulated between a location immediately adjacent the food carts and a remote chiller; heat from the intermediate working fluid is subsequently transferred to the chiller working fluid; and finally, heat from the chiller working fluid is expelled. While the chiller working fluid undergoes a phase change in order to transfer heat from the intermediate working fluid to the cooling air, the intermediate working fluid remains in its liquid phase throughout its circulation. A recirculation pump circulates the intermediate working fluid through a distribution system that may link a plurality of chillers to a plurality of food carts, and the temperature of the food carts is regulated by a combination of controls.
US08151578B1
A system for cooling computer systems in a room of a data center includes a dehumidification system and an air channeling sub-system. The air channeling sub-system includes a mechanical cooling section that removes heat from the cooling air and an evaporative cooling section downstream from the mechanical cooling section. The dehumidification system may be upstream from the mechanical cooling section and the evaporative cooling section. A controller for the cooling system selectively operates the mechanical cooling section and the evaporative cooling section in an adiabatic mode if a first set of control conditions is met and in a hybrid mode if a second set of control conditions is met.
US08151568B2
Systems, methods, and apparatus relating to the use of Stirling engine technology to convert heat, such as from solar radiation, to mechanical work or electricity. Apparatus, systems, components, and methods relating to energy converting apparatus are described herein. In one aspect, the invention relates to the field alignment of panels and the assembly of a concentrator. In another aspect, a passive balancer is used in combination with a ring frame and other moving masses to reduce engine forces and vibration on the structure of the energy converting apparatus while maintaining properly constrained alignment of various suspended masses. In yet another aspect, the invention relates to various over-insolation control and management strategy to prevent overheating of the energy converting apparatus or components and subsystems thereof.
US08151565B2
The invention is directed to the use of buoyancy force as a prime mover that converts the potential energy of a compressed gas transmitted to a buoy device within a liquid into rotating mechanical energy which is mechanically connected to a electric generator, wherein said prime mover comprises a shaft and several extended arms with a buoy device at each distal end to generate the rotational motion at the electric generator.
US08151563B2
The present invention relates to a hydraulic drive system for driving an apparatus, with a drive unit, a first and a second hydraulic displacement machine, with which the drive unit is connectable or connected for transmitting mechanical energy, and a third and a fourth hydraulic displacement machine, which are connectable or connected with the apparatus for transmitting mechanical energy, wherein the first hydraulic displacement machine is hydraulically connected or connectable with the third hydraulic displacement machine, and wherein a high-pressure accumulator is provided, which is hydraulically connected or connectable with the second and the fourth hydraulic displacement machine.
US08151560B2
In an apparatus having an internal combustion engine, an exhaust system for transporting engine exhaust from the engine is described. In one example, a particulate filter disposed in the exhaust system is assessed for degradation. The approach may be particularly useful for an image charge sensor.
US08151554B2
An object of the present invention is to perform removal of NOx in an exhaust gas purification system for an internal combustion engine equipped with an NOx catalyst while suppressing the consumption amount of reducing agent used for NOx removal even when the NOx catalyst is deteriorated. To achieve the object, when the degree of deterioration of the NOx catalyst is lower than or equal to a specific deterioration degree, the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing into the NOx catalyst is adjusted to the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio or a rich air-fuel ratio. On the other hand, when it is determined that the degree of deterioration of the NOx catalyst is higher than the specific deterioration degree, the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing into the NOx catalyst is adjusted to a specific lean air-fuel ratio.
US08151549B2
A high humidity gas turbine equipment includes a turbine; a compressor; a humidifier, which brings the air compressed by the compressor into contact with feed water to humidify the air; a regenerative heat exchanger, which causes the air humidified by the humidifier to be heated by exhaust gas from the turbine; a combustor, which burns the air heated by the regenerative heat exchanger and fuel to generate the combustion gas; a deaerating equipment including a deaerating section, a water storage tank, and a steam generating section, which causes feed water and makeup water in the water storage tank to be heated by exhaust gas from the turbine to evaporate and supplies the steam to the deaerating section; and a feed water supply pipe, through which the feed water and the makeup water in the water storage tank are supplied to the humidifier.
US08151547B2
A cutting assembly for a header of a plant-cutting machine includes a blade assembly fastened to a head assembly, which is configured to be drivingly connected to a motor. The cutting assembly is suitable for mounting proximate to the center of the header, in an end-to-end relation with another cutting assembly. Removal of the blade assembly from the head assembly can be efficiently effected by releasing or removing a small number of fasteners, thus allowing an operator to readily remove or replace the blade assembly as needed.
US08151544B2
A bottle filling plant configured to fill blow molded bottles with a liquid beverage filling product and a treatment machine for bottles or similar containers. The abstract of the disclosure is submitted herewith as required by 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b). As stated in 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b): A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification must commence on a separate sheet, preferably following the claims, under the heading “Abstract of the Disclosure.” The purpose of the abstract is to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. The abstract shall not be used for interpreting the scope of the claims. Therefore, any statements made relating to the abstract are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.
US08151535B1
A novel, triangular connector containing intersecting triangles and tabs. Triangles are connected along their longest sides by a bend. Tabs are connected to the sides of the triangles opposite the longest sides. The tabs have nail holes for attaching to intersecting structural members on a building. When fastened to the structural members, the connector forms a gusset with multiple intersecting triangles. These provide multi-angles of stiffness. The connector helps prevent movement of the structural members during seismic events. The connector can be retrofitted to vertical and horizontal beams on a building to help prevent earthquake and hurricane damage.
US08151532B2
A construction assembly for interior works including prefabricated elements, wherein the prefabricated elements include a coating layer formed of at least one skim coat deposited on the prefabricated elements by a coating device; and at least one jointing material, e.g. a sealing coat, joint coat and/or joint pointing coat, which joints adjacent said prefabricated elements to form a substantially plane outer surface.
US08151529B2
A curved beam of fiber composite material. The beam includes a first flange curved in a longitudinal direction, a second flange curved in a longitudinal direction and having a greater longitudinal extent than the first flange, and a web curved in a longitudinal direction and extending between the first flange and the second flange. The beam includes a fiber composite laminate including layers of fibers having different fiber directions, wherein a fiber density per unit of area of the second flange is lower than a fiber density per unit of area of the first flange, and wherein the first flange, the second flange and the web are seamless, continuous, and unfolded in a longitudinal direction.
US08151528B2
The present invention provides a system for anchoring a modular or manufactured building. The system includes at least one concrete pad formed in at least one hole in the ground. The building is coupled to and supported on the ground by the at least one concrete pad. Additionally, the system includes at least one ground anchor buried in the at least one hole below the at least one concrete pad. The system further includes a connector having a first end affixed to the ground anchor and a second end embedded within the concrete pad, for resisting an upward force to the building by high winds.
US08151527B2
A system for providing both partial-height and full-height wall modules can include a plurality of wall module portions. The plurality of wall module portions can include lower wall module portions and upper wall module portions. A lower wall portion can be configured with a top bracket upon which a trim cap can be placed to form a partial-height wall module. One or more upper wall module portions can also be stacked on the lower wall module portion to form a full-height wall module.
US08151510B2
Apparatus, assemblies, and methods for sighting objects disclosed. A sighting device includes a segmented optic and a reticle. The reticle is optically aligned with the segmented object and is magnified by the segmented optic. A body structure supports the segmented optic and the reticle to define an open sight construction. In another aspect, a sighting device includes a segmented object and reticle, where the reticle includes multiple distance indicia and a contrast component. A support structure supports the reticle and the segmented object for magnification of the distance indicia by the segmented optic. A segmented optic in a sighting device is cut above center or otherwise such that a partial optic is defined having a portion above and below center. In another aspect, a sight adjustment mechanism includes a threaded connector that adjusts the sight position based on a difference between coarseness of threads engaged with the threaded connector.
US08151501B2
A wrap display system (50) employs a stick (70), a flexible display (60) structurally configured to be wrapped around the stick (70), and a hinged frame structurally configured to support the flexible display (60). The flexible display (60) is wrapped around the stick (70) for facilitating a storage of the flexible display (60) and unwrapped from around the stick (70) for facilitating an operation of the flexible display. The hinged frame has a curvilinear configuration for fixing the flexible display (60) in a storage position relative to the stick (70) in response to the flexible display (60) being wrapped around the stick (70), and a planar configuration for fixing the flexible display (60) in an operational position relative to the stick (70) in response to the flexible display (60) being unwrapped from around the stick (70).
US08151498B2
The invention relates to an electric fireplace flame curtain with fixed simulated charcoal bed comprises a transparent plate, a imaging mechanism and a charcoal bed being disposed on the transparent plate, and a number of fixed light-holding charcoals with plurality of transparent surfaces being disposed on the charcoal bed. The charcoal bed is fixed directly on the transparent plate with imaging mechanism, so the image of charcoal flame after optimization appears on the image screen, which has the best visual effect. The essential effect of the present invention is to solve the monotone flame and poor visual effect of the exiting electric fireplace. Meanwhile, the problems such as constant charcoal flame brightness, lack of reality are solved as well. The present invention could simulate a plurality of independent charcoal burning spots, with various styles. The light-spots of the flame are sparkling intermittently with bright and shade, and the flame is of light-holding effect. The visual effect and the authenticity are both perfect.
US08151494B2
A coupler assembly to interpose between the arm of the vehicle and a parallel pinned implement having two docks, one on each of the two members able to be caused to slide relative to each other, each dock engagable outwardly to its pin with at least one pin being captive in its dock by a pivoted retention member.
US08151491B2
An article of footwear including a strap and a fastener is disclosed. The article of footwear is reversible by configuring the article in two different positions. The article of footwear may include a sole having a first side configured to contact a ground surface in a first position and a second side configured to contact a ground surface in a second position. The article of footwear may include a strap that may be selectively affixed to the second side of the sole in a first position and the first side of the sole in a second position.
US08151488B2
Linked articles and a method for customizing the linked articles are disclosed. The linked articles comprise a first link matrix and a second link matrix comprising a first portion of the article and a second portion of the article, respectively. The first link matrix consists essentially of links of a first material and the second link matrix consists essentially of links of a second material.
US08151486B2
A fluid-filled may include including an outer barrier, a tensile member, and a fluid. The tensile member may be located within barrier and formed from a textile element that includes a pair of spaced layers joined by a plurality of connecting members. In some configurations, an edge of the tensile member may have a finished configuration or the tensile member may be contoured. The fluid is also located within the barrier and pressurized to place an outward force upon the barrier. In manufacturing a fluid-filled chamber, a textile tensile member may be formed with at least one contoured surface or a finished edge. The tensile member is then located within a polymer barrier and bonded to opposite sides of the barrier.
US08151480B2
A contour measuring device includes a guide rail, a slidable assembly, and a measuring probe. The slidable assembly is slidably engaged with the guide rail. The slidable assembly includes a weight adjusting unit connected to the slidable assembly. At least part of the weight adjusting unit is detachable from the slidable assembly. The measuring probe is fixed on the slidable assembly. A weight of the slidable assembly provides a measuring force and a weight of the weight adjusting unit is adjustable to adjust a value of the measuring force.
US08151477B2
An articulated arm CMM system comprises an articulated arm comprising a plurality of articulated arm members, a measuring probe at a distal end, and a base at a proximal end, the base comprising a docking portion. The articulated arm CMM system also includes a plurality of feature packs configured to electronically connect to the articulated arm via the docking portions and provide additional electronic functionality.
US08151475B2
A device includes: a gyroscope adapted to be mounted to a goniometer, wherein a sensitivity axis of the gyroscope is substantially perpendicular to a rotation axis of the goniometer, wherein the goniometer is adapted to provide at least a first goniometer azimuth reading (A1) at a first azimuthal direction and a second goniometer azimuth reading (A2) at a second azimuthal direction, wherein the gyroscope is adapted to provide at least a first gyroscope angular rate reading (ω1) at the first azimuthal direction and a second gyroscope angular rate reading (ω2) at the second azimuthal direction, wherein the device enables measurement of a tilt angle.
US08151469B2
A handle for a personal grooming article with a substantially rigid elongated gripping section having a longitudinal axis, a proximal end portion and a distal end portion. A plurality of substantially rigid ribs project from a top surface of the elongated gripping section and extend substantially traverse to the longitudinal axis. A flexible cover is joined to the elongated gripping section. The cover has a plurality of fins and a frame interconnecting a plurality of end portions of the plurality of fins. The plurality of fins define a plurality of slots extending through the cover. The fins are positioned between respective ribs of the elongated gripping portion. The fins are releasably joined to the elongated gripping section.
US08151467B2
A cutter member for a rotary shaver includes a number of cutters arranged in at least two rings around a central axis, and a number of upwardly bent arms connecting the cutters to the central base. The rings are formed by bending some of the arms more outward and/or inward than others. Further, the cutter member may be made by consecutively cutting a blank of sheet material so as to have a number of arms with cutters and by bending some of the arms more outward and/or inward than others, so as to arrange the cutters in the at least two rings.
US08151462B2
A sprinkler assembly includes a body, a support, which extends from the body, and a closure device that releasably closes the discharge opening of the body. The sprinkler assembly further includes a trigger that releasably holds the closure device at the discharge opening. The support is adapted to allow the fluid flowing from the discharge opening, when the closure device is released, to pass through the support substantially unimpeded by the support and, further, is adapted to reshape the flow of fluid as it flows through the support.
US08151454B2
In the invention, a joining means having a ram tool, a countertool and a holder with an opening to accommodate the ram tool or the countertool, is described. The two tools are arranged coaxial with each other at different ends of a C-bracket. The invention is distinguished in that the holder comprises at least one plane contact surface arranged on the outer surface of the holder, resting in contact with at least one plane face of the corresponding end of the C-bracket and detachably fastened thereto. Between the contact surface and the face, at least one interlay is arranged, determining the information and/or the distance of the contact surface from the face.
US08151451B2
In a construction in which the intermediate stage 5 is interposed between the substrate positioning stage 4 and the electronic component supply stage 3; and in which it is possible to select either a mode of the bonding head 10A transferring to the substrate positioning stage 4 the electronic component P taken out of the electronic component supply stage 3 by the pickup head 6 and mounted on the intermediate stage 5 or a mode for transporting the electronic components, which has been taken directly out of the electronic component supply stage 3, to the substrate positioning stage 4 by means of the bonding head 10A, the pickup head moving mechanism 7 for moving the pickup head 6 is coupled in a suspended manner to the lower surface of the beam member 8b of the gantry 8 positioned at the end of the base 2, and a space S that allows entry of a portion of the electronic component supply stage 3 is assured at a position beneath the pickup head moving mechanism 7.
US08151440B2
A method for manufacturing a head suspension is capable of suppressing the dispersion in the vibration control effect of a head suspension and improve productivity, the manufacturing method includes a step of punching, by use of a hollow punch having a tooth portion at a distal end thereof, a vibration damper piece out from a base material having a vibration damper provided detachably on a liner through an attaching surface, to hold the vibration damper piece on a hollow internal surface of the punch, a step of positioning the punch holding the vibration damper piece on an objective portion of a semi-finished head suspension, and a step of attaching, by use of an extruding implement, the vibration damper piece on the objective portion with the attaching surface through extruding the vibration damper piece from the punch.
US08151438B2
The present invention provides a wiring method of a motor for connecting a coil wound around an armature of the motor and having a coating layer on a core made of aluminum material to a lead wire connected to power source, comprises the steps of: removing the coating layer on the end position of the coil; electrically connecting the end of the lead wire with the end of the coil in which the coating layer is removed; covering the connected part of the end of the lead wire and the end of the coil with a tube; and performing a varnishing process by impregnating the part covered with the tube with an insulation varnish solution.
US08151434B2
A brake disk mounting surface is ground by bringing it into contact with an annular grinding wheel, while an inner ring having the brake disk mounting surface is rotated around its center axis, in a state where a part of the annular grinding wheel overlaps with a recess over an entire region of the annular grinding wheel in a radial direction, and in a state where a grinding surface of the annular grinding wheel is inclined with respect to the brake disk mounting surface so that a distance between the brake disk mounting surface and the annular grinding wheel grows larger in a direction toward an outer edge of the brake disk mounting surface.
US08151430B2
A circular sheet metal duct having a sealant applied across the longitudinal seam. The sealant will improve the efficiency and will reduce or eliminate air leakage from the longitudinal seam. The sealant is applied during the manufacturing processes so that an installer does not have to seal the duct work. The method of manufacturing the sealant is provided.
US08151429B2
A method for producing a composite part is provided. The method includes a first and at least one second part, wherein the first part at least in part is made of a first metal and the second part at least in part is made of another metal that has a lower melting temperature than that of the first metal. Composite parts produced by the method are also provided. The method for producing composite parts which have an improved load-bearing capacity and yet low weight, is achieved by the fact that at least one breakthrough encompassing a breakthrough collar is introduced into the first part and the second part is non-positively and/or positively moulded onto the first part at least in the area of the breakthrough and the breakthrough collar by heating the second part and applying pressure to said second part.
US08151420B2
The funeral vase statues include pre-cast statues or figurines and vases, the statues or figurines being interchangeably attached to or supported by the vases. The statues or figurines are lightweight and can be installed or removed easily from the vases. The vases may have bottom fastening members for attachment to a monument stone equipped with a complementary fastening system. Alternatively, the bottom fastening members may be directly attached to bottom of the statues or figurines so that the statues or figurines may be securely attached to the monument stone directly without a vase. A variety of statue/figurine designs are provided, and may include cultural and/or religious figures, symbols, and the like.
US08151415B2
A hinge assembly includes a stationary member, a rotating member, and a pivotal shaft. The stationary member forms a position protrusion. The rotating member defines a receiving depression to receive the position protrusion. The pivotal shaft includes an elastic portion. The stationary member and the rotating member are positioned on the pivotal shaft such that the position protrusion is received in the receiving depression. The rotating member is non-rotatable relative to the pivotal shaft. The stationary member is rotatable relative to the pivotal shaft. The elastic portion deforms to push the rotating member to firmly engage the stationary member.
US08151410B2
A debris herding method and apparatus is described comprising a low power air blower and a tilted rotary rake. The air blower acts together with a tilted rotary rake to dislodge and impel the debris. A motor driven chassis transports the blower and the rotary rake across the lawn. The blower and rotary rake can be energetically powered, such as by a solar cell array mounted to the chassis. The present invention is directed to an energetically efficient device for moving debris on a surface, such as leaves on a lawn.
US08151407B2
A surface cleaning apparatus is disclosed. The surface cleaning apparatus comprises a dirt inlet, a clean air outlet and a fluid flow path extending between the dirt inlet and the clean air outlet. The surface cleaning apparatus further comprises first and second side by side housings. The first housing comprises a cyclonic cleaning stage in the fluid flow path. The cyclonic cleaning stage comprises a cyclone having a dirt outlet. An associated dirt collection chamber is positioned below the dirt outlet. The dirt collection chamber extends under at least a portion of the first and second housings. The surface cleaning apparatus further comprises a fluid flow motor in the fluid flow path.
US08151398B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide effective technique for a higher cleaning effect and higher operability of a cleaning element. Representative cleaning element includes a fusion bonded part having a curved portion to project to the holding space.
US08151397B2
An oral care implement is provided includes a head platform having a plurality of faces with cleaning elements extending therefrom. The oral care implement can have flexibly mounted cleaning elements extending in opposite directions. The oral care implement can include a handle and a head with tooth cleaning elements extending from fixed pods and one or more central pods suspended between the fixed pods via a bridge. The bridge may be formed from an elastomer and permit the one or more central pods to move from an initial position toward and away from the head platform during use. The one or more central pods can include first cleaning elements extending in a first direction toward the first face and second cleaning elements extending in a second direction opposite the first direction. The second cleaning elements can extend through one or more apertures in the head platform.
US08151391B2
An inflatable device has non-pressurized ducts and channels formed within the body of the inflatable device when inflated, wherein the inflation pressure of the inflatable device is maintained when the interior of the ducts and channels are exposed to atmospheric pressures allowing fluid to flow through the ducts and channels at substantially lower pressure levels than the inflation pressure of the inflatable device. When used for heating or cooling, a plurality of non-pressurized channels and pressurized support columns can be located in substantial proximity to the surface of the inflatable device in contact with the object to be heated or cooled.
US08151390B2
An inflatable bed includes a bedstead assembly, a mattress assembly, and an electrical air pump unit. The mattress assembly is disposed on and above the bedstead assembly, and includes a top sheet, a bottom sheet disposed under the top sheet, and a plurality of surrounding sheets interconnecting the top and bottom sheets to form a plurality of air chambers, which are not in fluid communication with each other. Each of the air chambers is defined among the top sheet, the bottom sheet, and a respective one of the surrounding sheets. The electrical air pump unit is disposed on the bedstead assembly, and is operable to inflate the air chambers individually so that air pressures in the air chambers may be different.
US08151384B2
A shower expander assembly is provided for use with a shower area having a curtain. The assembly has a coupling for connecting the assembly to a shower curtain rod. The assembly also has a pair of rods. A first rod is connected to the coupling and extends from the coupling. The first rod has a first end and a second end, and the first rod is connected to the coupling at the first end. A second rod is pivotally connected to the second end of the first rod. The second rod is movable between a storage position and a use position. The second rod is configured such that in the storage position the second rod is substantially parallel to the first rod and in the use position the second rod is not substantially parallel to the first rod.
US08151377B2
The technology described herein provides an odorless and overflow-less toilet system. The technology provides for the removal of odor at its source and aids in overflow protection. The technology provides a toilet system having a second chamber running in fluid communication with a first chamber and a second exit port to allow for the continuation of the second chamber flow to a trap assembly. The trap assembly is configured to separate exhaust odors and overflows. The trap assembly prevents sewage gasses from escaping back through the toilet. The trap assembly allows overflows to be routed back to a sewage out line. The trap assembly provides for the flow of odors from the toilet with an inline exhaust fan. The inline exhaust fan pulls odors from the toilet through the second chamber and exit port of the toilet through the trap assembly and then through the inline exhaust fan to exit.
US08151371B2
A jacket of the type used by firefighters as protective garment. A collar of the jacket comprises a lower edge connected to a shoulder/torso portion of the jacket in a straight seam. An upper exposed edge is spaced apart from the lower edge. A given shape is provided to the upper exposed edge such that a variable height is defined between the lower edge and the upper exposed edge along the upper exposed edge.
US08156565B2
Computer-readable media, computerized methods, and computer systems for protecting secure data by writing content of the secure data to a protected memory segment are provided. Initially, streaming media is received from a media-reading device and portions of the streaming media are identified as secure data. A data-management process to protect content within the secure data is executed. During execution, the protected memory segment is instantiated, a region of memory is dynamically allocated to hold the protected memory segment, and content of the secure data is written thereto. The protected memory segment is generally a data store that conditionally limits access thereto utilizing hardware-based rules, thereby guarding the content against exposure to unauthorized systems and to attackers. The region of memory may be allocated on CPU hardware, GPU hardware, or a combination thereof. The content may then be encrypted and released for conveyance to one or more presentation devices.
US08156547B2
Aspects of the present invention relate to systems and methods for device-independent portable session synchronization between multiple devices connected to a server system. Some aspects relate to the use of a real-time-request (RTR) database construct for managing communication between devices. Some aspects relate to management logic, which manages entries in the RTR database construct. In some aspects, database construct entries relate to device identification, session identification, device requests and device responses.
US08156533B2
A media transmission system and method for the transmission of a desired one of a plurality of broadcast media channels to a remote client over a data connection is disclosed. The system includes means for routing data for a first one of the broadcast media channels over the data connection to the remote client and means for routing data for an alternate one of the channels over the data connection following receipt of a channel change request from a user; this allows efficient use of a limited bandwidth data connection.
US08156530B2
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a television having a controller to determine an access plan associated with a mobile communication device that is capable of wirelessly receiving broadcast video content, present one or more options for adjusting the access plan where the one or more options include wireless access for the television to the broadcast video content, and receive a selection of the one or more options, wherein the access plan is adjusted based on the selection. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08156527B2
A method includes receiving data representative of a plurality of multimedia channels and associating channel numbers with at least a subset of the plurality of multimedia channels to generate a first channel numbering set. The method further includes providing, in response to user input indicating a selection of a channel number of the first channel numbering set, data representative of one of the plurality of multimedia channels for display. A set of executable instructions manipulate a processor to display an electronic programming guide (EPG) interface. The EPG interface includes a user input interface to receive user information indicating a preferred arrangement of a plurality of multimedia channels ordered in a channel numbering set. The set of executable instructions further manipulate the processor to provide, in response to user input indicating a selection of a channel number by a user, one of the plurality of multimedia channels for display based on the channel numbering set.
US08156523B2
Disclosed is a system and method of providing a TV program sharing service that enables sharing of a TV program among EPG-based TV sets and/or set top boxes, and thus enables recording of the already broadcast program whenever a user desires to do so. The system includes a TV client for directly uploading a program stored in its own storage device to another TV client, or for directly downloading a program stored in a storage device of another TV client to itself, and a shared program management center for storing record information of the programs stored in the TV clients in its own database, and enabling a mutual transfer of the programs among the TV clients using its database.
US08156516B2
In various embodiments, techniques for virtualized federated role provisioning are provided. An entire policy and role provisioning environment is packaged in a first environment and sent to a second environment. The second environment authenticates and initiates the policy and role provisioning environment as a virtualized federated role provisioning service or a shared policy decision point service. The shared policy decision point service dynamically resolves policy, roles, and constraints for requesting resources within the second environment and supplies this information to a local policy enforcement point service that enforces roles on the resources.
US08156493B2
The present invention provides a method and system for exception handling in an executable process executing in a concurrent computing environment. The present invention allows a user to interrupt the executable process at any stage of the computation without disconnecting the communication channel among the instances of the executable process. Additionally, the present invention also allows interrupting the concurrent computing process at any stage when an error occurs in the executable process or the communication channel without terminating the communication among the instances of the executable process. Upon notification of an interrupt request, each of the instances of the executable process in the concurrent computing environment flushes any pending incoming messages to return itself to a previous known state while maintaining the communication channel between the instances of the executable process.
US08156473B2
A system and method for debugging a business application that has been generated according to a model are disclosed. A system includes a debugger that generates a model-oriented debugging view based on a model-oriented development environment that generates the business application. The model-oriented debugging view uses debugging information determined from a Java virtual machine that executes the business application to generate one or more breakpoints in the model-oriented debugging view.
US08156472B2
A reflective process algebra called the ρ-calculus facilitates the serialization of processes at the level of the reflective process algebra. The reflective process algebra because of its reflective properties, can be used on computing systems with finite resources. The reflective process calculus can be made to be sensitive to resources, such as memory and bandwidth, hence facilitating its use as a programming language at the machine level. The reflective process calculus causes the dual nature of a computation entity to be exposed. A name can be caused to become a process and a process can be caused to become a name.
US08156471B2
A data processing representation is expressed in the form of code sections, which may be nested, using multiple programming languages. The representation is read by an execution engine. The execution engine identifies the language of each code section, and a corresponding language specific processing unit is invoked to process the code section. The processing unit reads that section, identifying sub-sections specified in it's associated language and other sub-sections specified in unknown languages. It executes the sub-sections specified in its associated language with the intended semantics and in the appropriate order. When a sub-section specified in an unknown language is encountered, it delegates processing of that sub-section back to the execution engine, which repeats this process for the unknown sub-section. The execution result is returned back to the requesting language specific processing unit, which continues processing from where it left off.
US08156469B2
A computer-implemented method, system, and computer program product for generating an application based on a selection of one or more application patterns. A model of an operation of the application is generated. A design time application component to provide content for the model is provided, as well as a runtime application component to execute the operation associated with the model based with the content. The model, design time application component, and runtime application component are linked together to form a pattern module, the pattern module being an executable and portable operation of the application.
US08156467B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for reusing a component. In one aspect, a method includes executing a source application in an application environment; presenting a reusable component in a source application window corresponding to the source application, wherein the reusable component is visibly distinguishable from one or more non-reusable components displayed in the source application window; receiving input selecting the reusable component in the source application window and adding the reusable component to a target application window corresponding to a target application; and inserting one or more computer-readable instructions associated with the reusable component into the target application. Further, input can be received to activate a reuse function associated with the source application. Additionally, the reusable component can be visibly distinguishable from one or more non-reusable components displayed in the source application window only when the reuse function is active.
US08156462B2
A method of performing formal verification on a design for an integrated circuit can include accessing a set of constraints for the design. These constraints can be partitioned based on their variables, wherein any overlapping variables can result in the conjoining of their corresponding constraints. Binary decision diagrams (BDDs) can be generated based on such conjoining. Notably, invariants can be derived from the BDDs. These invariants can include constant, symmetric/implication, one-hot/zero-hot, and ternary invariants. Deriving the invariants can include cofactoring and counting of minterms of the BDDs. Using the invariants while performing formal verification on the design can advantageously optimize system performance.
US08156461B2
In one embodiment, a SPICE corner model generating method for generating a SPICE corner model of an MOSFET includes preparing a table of a ratio X regarding a combination of two kinds of MOSFETs selected from N kinds of MOSFETs, the ratio X being a magnitude of a variation of an MOSFET in a case where directions of variations of the two kinds of MOSFETs are opposite directions to a magnitude of a variation of an MOSFET in a case where the directions of the variations of the two kinds of MOSFETs are the same direction, where N is an integer of 2 or greater. The method further includes reading out, when a combination of two kinds of MOSFETs is designated among the N kinds of MOSFETs, a value of the ratio X corresponding the designated combination from the table of the ratio X. The method further includes forming two kinds of corner models of opposite directional variations, the two kinds of corner models including a first corner model generated by applying the value of the ratio X to a fast-side corner of a first MOSFET of the two kinds of MOSFETs and to a slow-side corner of a second MOSFET of the two kinds of MOSFETs, and a second corner model generated by applying the value of the ratio X to a slow-side corner of the first MOSFET and to a fast-side corner of the second MOSFET.
US08156459B1
A method of detecting differences between high level block diagram models using text based analysis. Previous methods of determining differences between high level block diagram models derive differences through traversal of the block hierarchy which is complex and cannot compare differences between models created with third party design environments. The present invention increases interoperability and capabilities of existing circuit design environments, and achieves an advance in the art, by converting high level block diagram models to a user readable text-based format and performing a text-based differential analysis on the converted models to determine differences.
US08156456B1
A method of designing an integrated circuit (IC) having multiple dies can include identifying a unified design library having a first process node specific (PNS) library for a first IC process technology and a second PNS library for a second IC process technology. The first PNS library can be correlated with a first die of the IC. The second PNS library can be correlated with the second die of the IC. Via a processor, a circuit element can be defined within a circuit design implemented within the IC according to the PNS library correlated to the die in which the circuit element is located.
US08156442B2
A system and method that includes capturing content active in a device, identifying at least one target device to which the captured content is to be uploaded, and automatically uploading the content to the at least one other target device if a content sharing module in the device is active.
US08156438B2
A system for processing electronic data which is transmitted from a host computer to a client computer is provided. The system converts the electronic data into a target format that differs from the format in which the data was received at the host computer. With the system, stock market-relevant information is to be made accessible, intuitive, and quickly grasped by market laypersons and promotes risk-free and motivating learning of the market's ground rules and an understanding of their complex mechanisms within the stock exchange. The system includes modules to receive and store data on a host computer, to convert the data received at the host computer by a conversion rule into an object-oriented data format, to transmit the converted data to a client computer, its display unit reproducing the transmitted data as graphical objects; and to interactively process the transmitted data on the client computer.
US08156435B2
Systems and methods to select media content are provided. A particular method includes generating a media playlist based on user preference data and generating a user interface display. The user preference data indicates proportions of each of a plurality of categories of media content to be present in the media playlist. The user interface display presents the user preference data using adjustable bars. Each bar is associated with one of the categories of media content, and a dimension of each bar is associated with the proportion of the respective category of media content included in the media playlist. The method includes receiving user input adjusting the dimension of a first bar associated with a first category of the plurality of categories of media content. The method includes adjusting the proportion of the first category of media content included in the media playlist based on the user input.
US08156415B1
A method and system for command queuing in disk drives may improve performance by queuing multiple commands and sequentially executing them automatically without firmware intervention. The method may use a number of queues, e.g., a staging queue for commands to be executed, an execution queue for commands currently being executed, and a holding queue for commands which have been executed but have not received a status report from a host. With the pipelined nature of queued commands, when data requested by one command are being sent to the host, the queue logic may already be fetching data for the next command. If an error occurs in the transmission, commands in the queues may backtrack and restart from the point where data were last known to have been successfully sent to the host.
US08156414B2
Disclosed are systems and methods for reconstructing a string comprising characters given multiple strings that may contain one or more errors. In embodiments, pairwise comparisons of strings within a set of candidate strings that may contain errors is performed so that measures related to similarity between the strings in each pair may be calculated. In embodiments, an alignment and voting method using at least some of the similarity measures may be employed to generate a reconstructed string. In embodiments, the reconstructed string may be validated, and in embodiments, its characters may be converted to another encoding, if necessary.
US08156413B2
Convolutional encoding throughput is increased by partitioning input information bits into a plurality of blocks that are convolutionally encoded in parallel. A plurality of convolutional encoding operations which have respective initial encode states that are mutually different from one another are applied in parallel to one of the blocks to produce a respectively corresponding plurality of convolutional encoding results. One of the convolutional encoding results is selected based on a convolutional encoding operation applied to another of the blocks.
US08156410B2
A video decoder capable of generating a check data in response to a data selection code for debugging is disclosed. The video decoder includes a plurality of functional blocks, wherein each said plurality of functional blocks has a output signal to be used as an input signal for a next stage functional block; a multiplexer (209) that receives a plurality of data extracted from said plurality of output signals from said plurality of functional blocks, and outputs one of said plurality of data according to said data selection code; and a check logic (210) that generates said check data by calculating one of said plurality of data outputted from said multiplexer.
US08156398B2
A method for operating a memory, which includes analog memory cells, includes encoding data with an Error Correction Code (ECC) that is representable by a plurality of equations. The encoded data is stored in a group of the analog memory cells by writing respective input storage values to the memory cells in the group. Multiple sets of output storage values are read from the memory cells in the group using one or more different, respective read parameters for each set. Numbers of the equations, which are satisfied by the respective sets of the output storage values, are determined. A preferred setting of the read parameters is identified responsively to the respective numbers of the satisfied equations. The memory is operated on using the preferred setting of the read parameters.
US08156395B2
A single-pass method for test pattern generation for sequential circuits employs a local-fault at each time-frame. The result is that a fault arriving at circuit primary output lines unambiguously signals the discovery of a valid test pattern sequence for the fault. The valid test pattern sequence is reconstructed from stored history and is used to test a sequential circuit.
US08156390B2
A pruned bit-reversal interleaver supports different packet sizes and variable code rates and provides good spreading and puncturing properties. To interleave data, a packet of input data of a first size is received. The packet is extended to a second size that is a power of two, e.g., by appending padding or properly generating write addresses. The extended packet is interleaved in accordance with a bit-reversal interleaver of the second size, which reorders the bits in the extended packet based on their indices. A packet of interleaved data is formed by pruning the output of the bit-reversal interleaver, e.g., by removing the padding or properly generating read addresses. The pruned bit-reversal interleaver may be used in combination with various types of FEC codes such as a Turbo code, a convolutional code, or a low density parity check (LDPC) code.
US08156389B2
A pruned bit-reversal interleaver supports different packet sizes and variable code rates and provides good spreading and puncturing properties. To interleave data, a packet of input data of a first size is received. The packet is extended to a second size that is a power of two, e.g., by appending padding or properly generating write addresses. The extended packet is interleaved in accordance with a bit-reversal interleaver of the second size, which reorders the bits in the extended packet based on their indices. A packet of interleaved data is formed by pruning the output of the bit-reversal interleaver e.g., by removing the padding or properly generating read addresses. The pruned bit-reversal interleaver may be used in combination with various types of FEC codes such as a Turbo code, a convolutional code, or a low density parity check (LDPC) code.
US08156386B2
An information processing apparatus having a first subsystem and a second subsystem, is provided. The first subsystem includes a first updating unit configured to update a first counter at a priority higher than that of a processing task executed by the first subsystem, and a second updating unit configured to update a second counter at a priority lower than that of the processing task. The second subsystem includes a check unit configured to check whether the first and second counters have been updated, and a determination unit configured to determine that failure has occurred in the first subsystem if at least one of the first and second counters has not been updated.
US08156382B1
A system and method are provided for counting storage-related error events using a sliding window. This is accomplished by counting error events that occur within a sliding window of time and triggering a reaction based on such count. By this feature, the error events are counted with additional accuracy so that a reaction will be appropriately triggered. To this end, in various embodiments, more accurate error counting is afforded to avoid a situation, such as in fixed sampling window frameworks, where an appropriate reaction is not triggered due to a failure to count an appropriate number error events in close proximity.
US08156377B2
A method and apparatus are provided for determining that problems have occurred within a complex multi-host system and for identifying for each problem, sequences of causes and effects called a fault cause path, starting with a root cause. A probabilistic model representing the cause/effect relationships among potential system problems identifies the probability that a problem occurred in the system. Such failure probabilities may be determined based on aggregating, over a recent time interval, probability of failure values determined by the probabilistic model. Each fault cause path may have an associated probability of accuracy value reflecting the expected accuracy of the fault cause path relative to other fault cause paths. When more than one fault cause path is identified, the number and order of the fault cause paths may be ranked and displayed based on their probability of accuracy value.
US08156375B1
Techniques for efficient restoration of granular application data are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for restoring one or more portions of application data comprising virtualizing one or more backup files of the application data into a specified staging area, running a recovery process for the one or more backup files, virtualizing the one or more backup files and the one or more recovery files, instantiating an instance of an application utilizing the virtualized one or more backup files and the virtualized one or more recovery files, and recovering one or more portions of the application data.
US08156368B2
Rebuilding lost data in a distributed redundancy data storage system including multiple nodes, is provided. User data is stored as a collection of stripes, each stripe comprising a collection of data strips and associated parity strips, the stripes distributed across multiple corresponding data owner nodes and multiple corresponding parity owner nodes. A data owner node maintains the associated data strip holding a first copy of data, and a parity owner node maintains a parity strip holding a parity for the collection of data strips. Upon detecting a failure condition, the owner node initiates a rebuilding protocol for recovery of lost data and/or parity it owns. The protocol includes reconstruction of lost data or parity by a computation involving data and/or parity from a recovery strip set in a stripe, wherein a recovery strip set contains at least one surviving data or parity strip. The recovery strip set for a lost data strip contains at least one surviving parity strip.
US08156360B2
A system and method for wireless waking computing devices over a computer network is provided. A signal is broadcast over the network that includes one or more device specific wake-up data sequences. Each device specific wake-up data sequence includes multiple iterations of the hardware address of the wireless network card associated with that device. While in a reduced power or “sleep mode”, the wireless network card monitors wireless channels for packets containing a wake-up data sequence. If a wake-up data sequence is received, the sequence is matched against the hardware address information for that network card. If a match is determined, the network card sends a signal to the computing device causing full system power to be restored. A signal is sent to the network confirming that the device has been successfully woken from the sleep mode.
US08156359B1
Low-power idle mode for network transceivers. In one aspect, a method for reducing power consumption of a transceiver connected to a communication network includes entering a low-power idle mode, and in this mode, repeatedly turning off a transmitter of the transceiver and turning on the transmitter according to a pattern, where the pattern has been customized based on characteristics of the receiver. Turning off the transmitter conserves power consumed by the transceiver.
US08156358B2
Infrastructure power resources of a chassis information handling system are made available to run chassis information handling system modules when infrastructure devices are not using the power resources. For example, cooling fans that cool information handling system modules supported by an information handling system chassis run at variable speeds having variable power consumption. A power reserve maintained to run the cooling fans at full speed if needed is made available to information handling system modules when under power management by a chassis manager.
US08156357B2
A memory has bits that fail as power supply voltage is reduced to reduce power and/or increase endurance. The bits become properly functional when the power supply voltage is increased back to its original value. With the reduced voltage, portions of the memory that include non-functional bits are not used. Much of the memory may remain functional and use is retained. When the voltage is increased, the portions of the memory that were not used because of being non-functional due to the reduced power supply voltage may then be used again. This is particularly useful in a cache where the decrease in available memory due to power supply voltage reduction can be implemented as a reduction in the number of ways. Thus, for example an eight way cache can simply be reduced to a four way cache when the power is being reduced or endurance increased.
US08156352B2
A power controller for a peripheral bus interface. A peripheral bus power controller includes a first terminal, a second terminal coupled to receive an power enable input signal from a host controller, and a third terminal coupled to provide an over-current output signal indicative of an over-current condition to the host controller. The peripheral bus power controller further includes an enable circuit configured to assert a power enable output signal on the first terminal responsive to receiving the power enable input signal and a first buffer configured to provide the over-current output signal to the host controller responsive to the power controller detecting the over-current condition on the first terminal.
US08156347B2
An audio stream is divided into a plurality of audio object (AOB) files that are recorded having each been encrypted using a different encryption key. At least one piece of track management information (TKI) is provided corresponding to each track. Playlist information (PLI) assigns a playback position in a playback order to each track when a plurality of tracks are to be played back one after the other.
US08156335B2
A method for multi-factor authenticating of a user using an application server and an authentication server is disclosed. The method includes receiving from the application server a first source IP address associated with a request for authenticating from the user browser program to the application server. The method also includes receiving from the user browser program a request to perform additional authentication between the user browser program and the authentication server using a separate communication channel. The method additionally includes comparing the first source IP address with a second source IP address associated with the request to perform the additional authentication and failing, if the first source IP address does not match the second source IP address, authentication of the user.
US08156326B2
A method to search for affinities between subjects comprises registering a user with a certification authority, receiving first information relating to the user, memorizing the first information in a portable electronic device of the user, and synthesizing the first information by transmitting it to a user interface which processes the first information memorized. The method also comprises encrypting the first information and memorizing the first information encrypted in the portable electronic device, disseminating the first encrypted information to other portable electronic devices in geographical proximity, collecting second encrypted information relating to other users, sent from other portable electronic devices in geographical proximity and decrypting the first and second information encrypted at the certification authority. Finally, the method provides for processing and analyzing the first and second decrypted information, in order to identify affinities between them, at the certification authority, and notifying the affinities, by the certification authority.
US08156321B2
In one embodiment, a method for operating a field-programmable logic chip or circuit (FPLC) is disclosed. Operation of the FPLC includes a configuration state and a cryptographic processing state. Switching between states is controlled by a state machine. Each state has one or more images. Transferring between states causes some or all images from the other state being overwritten.
US08156310B2
One embodiment of the present method and apparatus for data stream alignment support includes retrieving a first input from a first register file, retrieving a second input from a second register file, the second register file being dedicated to a stream shift unit and performing the stream shift instruction in accordance with the first input, the second input and a third input.
US08156308B1
Method and system for supporting multiple byte order formats, separately or simultaneously, are provided and described. In one embodiment, a page attribute table (PAT), which is programmable, is utilized to indicate byte order format. In another embodiment, a memory type range register (MTRR), which is programmable, is utilized to indicate byte order format.
US08156303B2
A storage system condition indicator and method provides a visual display representing the operating condition of a set of storage devices. Various operating conditions may be defined based on available storage capacity and capacity to store data redundantly. One or more indicators may be used to represent the operating condition of the set of storage devices. The indicator(s) may be used to indicate whether additional storage capacity is recommended and, in a storage array, which slot in the array should be updated with additional storage capacity.
US08156289B2
The claimed matter provides systems and/or methods that effectuate utilization of fine-grained concurrency in parallel processing and efficient management of established memory structures. The system can include devices that establish memory structures associated with individual processors that can comprise a parallel processing phalanx. The system can thereafter utilize various enqueuing and/or dequeuing directives to add or remove work descriptors to or from the memory structures individually associated with each of the individual processors thereby providing improved work flow synchronization amongst the processors that comprise the parallel processing complex.
US08156287B2
A data processing system includes a processor, a unit that includes a multi-level cache, a prefetch system and a memory. The data processing system can operate in a first mode and a second mode. The prefetch system can change behavior in response to a desired power consumption policy set by an external agent or automatically via hardware based on on-chip power/performance thresholds.
US08156286B2
A microprocessor includes a cache memory, a prefetch unit, and detection logic. The prefetch unit may be configured to monitor memory accesses that miss in the cache and to determine whether to prefetch one or more blocks of memory from a system memory based upon previous memory accesses. The prefetch unit may be further configured to use addresses of the memory accesses that miss to calculate each next memory block to prefetch. The detection logic may be configured to provide a notification to the prefetch unit in response to detecting a memory access instruction including a particular hint. In response to receiving the notification, the prefetch unit may be configured to inhibit using an address associated with the memory access instruction including the particular hint, when calculating subsequent memory blocks to prefetch.
US08156283B2
Apparatus and method for employing a Hardware Processing Function in a processor system using a hierarchical memory. Embodiments of the disclosed invention may be used to enhance processor performance and functionality while maintaining cache coherency and reducing cache pollution. A system includes a processor, a hierarchical memory system coupled to the processor, and a Hardware Processing Function coupled to the hierarchical memory system. The processor is configured to decode an instruction and the hierarchical memory system is configured to execute the instruction. The instruction directs the memory system to perform a data manipulation. The processor transfers a value to the memory system. The value comprises a location of source data to be manipulated, a selection of a Hardware Processing Function to perform the data manipulation, and a destination storage location where the manipulated data is to be stored.
US08156272B2
The claimed subject matter can provide an architecture that interfaces a single slave device such as a UICC smartcard with multiple host controllers. For example, a secondary host can be interfaced between a primary host (e.g. a controller in a cellular phone, a PDA, an MP3 player . . . ) to manage all transactions with the slave device. The secondary host can operate transparently to the primary host and thus does not require any modifications to the primary host. This can be accomplished, e.g. by employing the CMD channel (which is relatively sparsely used by the primary host) to communicate both commands and data with the slave. Moreover, the transactions initiated by the secondary host can be segmented into many smaller fragments and interleaved between transactions initiated by the primary host. In addition, the secondary host can temporarily take on the role of the slave device and affect direct communication with the primary host.
US08156271B2
Methods and systems for storage management in a data processing device. The data processing device may be connected to a host computer and it can be in one of two states: disk mode (e.g., docked) or device mode (e.g., undocked). According to an embodiment, a mass storage device associated with a data processing device is divided into two or more segments or virtual volumes, and at least one volume is managed by the device even in a disk mode. In some cases, this makes the device usable while in the docked state and hence it improves the user experience. In some embodiments, an extra software component other than the file system is employed on the device to manage the storage device. Certain volumes may be dynamically increased or decreased while the data processing device is in a disk mode.
US08156257B2
A removable medium capable of performing formatting conforming to the standard if a host machine does not include a special formatting command is provided.A removable medium has an information storage section 20 having a first storage area for storing first management information and a second storage area for storing second management information; a formatting information storage section 30 for storing formatting information to format the first storage area and the second storage area; a formatting start detection section 11 for detecting update access to update the first management information from an external machine; and a format processing section 12 for performing format processing of storing the formatting information stored in the formatting information storage section 30 in the first storage area and the second storage area as the first management information and the second management information when the update access is detected.
US08156256B2
An address management method and a device thereof are provided. The address management method includes determining by a device whether all logical addresses corresponding to a type of the device are currently being used by external devices; setting by the device a non-use logical address as a logical address of the device, if it is determined that one of the logical addresses is currently not in use; and setting by the device a predetermined logical address as a logical address of the device, if it is determined that all the logical addresses are currently being used. Therefore, logical addresses may be allocated to a device even if all logical addresses corresponding the type of the device are currently being used.
US08156243B2
A system, method and computer-readable medium for request routing. A client request processing a resource identifier for requested content transmits a first DNS query to a content delivery network service provider. The content delivery network service provider transmits an alternative resource identifier in response to the client computing device DNS query. The client computing device then issues a second DNS query to the same content delivery network service provider. The content delivery network service provider can then either resolve the second DNS query with an IP address of a cache component or transmit another alternative resource identifier that will resolve to the content delivery network service provider. The process can repeat with the content delivery network service provider's network until a DNS server resolves a DNS query from the client computing device.
US08156241B1
Data is transferred over a network for storage purposes in a way that accommodates systems which are equipped to only handle a predetermined data block size. This is accomplished by transmitting the data using the same data block size regardless as to whether the data is compressed or not. In use, data to be transferred is identified on a first computer. Prior to being transferred to a second computer, it is determined whether the data is to be compressed. If it is determined that the data is not to be compressed, the data is subdivided into a plurality of data blocks with a predetermined size. If it is determined that the data is to be compressed, the data is compressed and subdivided into a plurality of data blocks with the predetermined size. Such data blocks are then transferred to the second computer via the network, for storing the data.
US08156239B1
A server for adaptively rendering a multimedia content stream includes a first interface for connecting the server to a multimedia network server to receive an original multimedia content stream. A second interface connects the server to a client for receiving a rendered multimedia content stream. Processing logic determines rendering parameters responsive to connection parameters related to connection bandwidth between the server and the client. Rendering logic renders the multimedia content stream from the original multimedia content stream responsive to the rendering parameters.
US08156234B1
Components of an antivirus program may be updated by multicasting fragments of the update and unicasting missed fragments. The components may include a virus pattern file. The virus pattern file may be divided into several file fragments, with each file fragment being multicast to several client computers. The client computers may receive the file fragments and assemble them into the virus pattern file. The file fragments may be multicast in several rounds. When a client computer misses a file fragment, that client computer may request the missing file fragment from a server computer, which may unicast the missing file fragment to the client computer. An announcement indicating the name of the virus pattern file, the number of file fragments that form the virus pattern file, and the designated server from which to request and receive missed file fragments may be multicast to the client computers prior to the file fragments.
US08156231B2
A method for enabling a subscriber terminal to remotely access terminal equipment, the terminal equipment storing identification data of the subscriber terminal, and the subscriber terminal being subscribed to a communication network and to a remote access service, wherein the method includes: receiving a request for authentication from the terminal equipment, the request for authentication including identification data of the subscriber terminal; receiving a request for access to the terminal equipment from the subscriber terminal; authenticating the subscriber terminal based on information from the communications network; forwarding the request for authentication from the terminal equipment to the subscriber terminal upon authenticating the subscriber terminal, the subscriber terminal processing the request for authentication to authenticate the terminal equipment; receiving an authentication notification from the subscriber terminal; forwarding the authentication notification from the subscriber terminal to the terminal equipment, the terminal equipment processing the authentication notification to authenticate said subscriber terminal; receiving an authentication notification from the terminal equipment; and enabling the subscriber terminal to remotely access the terminal equipment upon receiving the authentication notification from the terminal equipment.
US08156221B2
In order to collect performance information of a computer capable of executing more than one application software, collection information indicating a timing at which the performance information is to be collected is prepared by the unit of application software. This collects the performance information by referring to the collection information corresponding to the application software currently being executed by the computer. Such a manner collects the performance information at an appropriate timing suitable to the application software currently being executed.
US08156218B2
A computer-implemented method and system is provided for tracking a cumulative number of identifiable visitors to different objects (S1, S2 . . . SN), each of which may be visited by multiple visitors. A data structure is adapted to contain records relating to each object (S1, S2 . . . SN) and to each combination of two or more objects (S1S2, S1S3, . . . S1SN, S2S3, S2S4, . . . S2SN, S1S2S3, S1S3S4, . . . S1SN-1SN etc.). For each visitor visiting an object (SM) for the first time there is determined a current combination of objects previously visited by the visitor. If no objects have been previously visited by the visitor, a respective record relating to the object (SM) is incremented; and if objects have been visited by the visitor, the record relating to the current combination is decremented and the record relating to the combination of the object (SM) with the current combination is incremented.
US08156216B1
A distributed, redundant, multi-homed system collects and aggregates website usage information. Two or more data collection nodes, preferably situated in diverse locations, efficiently collect and time-stamp information from users in a wide variety of geographic locations. Data collected by the individual data collection nodes is aggregated at a master processing center, sorted according to time stamps, and subjected to statistical analysis in order to generate complete and accurate reports regarding website traffic.
US08156206B2
Systems and methods for a contextual data platform are provided. According to one embodiment, an Internet-enabled mobile device is provided, including a storage device having embodied thereon instructions and one or more processors operable to execute the instructions. An HTTP request relating to a service supported by the server device and contextual information including (a) information regarding an end user, (b) information regarding the mobile device and (c) information regarding a location of the mobile device are concurrently transmitted to the server device. Responsive to the request and the contextual information, an HTML file within which contextual menu information based on the service and the contextual information is embedded is received from the server device. Contextual menu information is extracted from the HTML file. End user interaction with the service is customized by dynamically reconfiguring a browser menu of the mobile device based on the contextual menu information.
US08156201B2
Various embodiments provide a unified discovery control that can be incorporated as part of a web browser. The unified discovery control provides a central location that describes various services that a website has to offer. In addition, the unified discovery control can allow the user to interact with the individual services that the website has to offer as by providing the user with the ability to add, update, uninstall and/or otherwise manage the various services that are described in the unified discovery control. Thus, the unified discovery control provides a centralized management system that provides the user with a common, predictable and repeatable user experience for interacting with various services that a website can offer.
US08156200B2
A method and system for creating an information network in which web pages are addressed by phone numbers, which enables phone users and computer users to create web pages with phone numbers as the basis of URLs, and enables computers and phone terminals, including fixed phones, IP phones and mobile phones to have the capability to access and display the phone number addressed web pages. The current invention designs system architectures which consist of centralized and embedded page servers, phone number to page server network address lookup services, proxy servers, and phone terminals with browser capability to access and display phone number addressed web pages. In this system, the browser sends access requests via a proxy server or directly to the page server which hosts the pages, the page server's network address is resolved by querying the phone number—page server address lookup service.
US08156199B1
Techniques for centrally controlling client-side domain name resolution are described. A virtual private network (VPN) client installed on a client device may establish a VPN connection to a load-balancing server that balances load from client devices among a set of data centers that provide a resource. The VPN client may obtain and cache load-balancing information from the load-balancing server. The VPN client may then intercept a Domain Name System (DNS) request to resolve a hostname of a device in the data centers. The VPN client may use the load-balancing information to locally generate a DNS response to the DNS request. In addition, the load-balancing server may cause the VPN client to update its cached list of network addresses when one of the data centers fails.
US08156191B2
A system and method for providing e-mail messages to a user in a more efficient manner. Specifically, the system and method of the present invention enable attachments to be downloaded separately from the text-part of the e-mail message, which requires less bandwidth to download. Instead, these attachments are represented by links in the message which is downloaded to the e-mail client of the user, such that the user can “click on” or otherwise select a link in order to retrieve the attachment. Preferably, the attachment is downloaded to the computational device of the user in a streamed manner.
US08156189B2
The disclosed embodiments provide for an email and messenging system that allows a user composing a message to select an application which will appear next to the composition screen at both the sending and receiving computer. The application is specified as an attachment at the sending client and when received at a receiving client of a user with an enhanced or compliant mail/messenging account the application will be executed at the receiving client, thus customizing the functionality of the receiving client computer and the mail experience between sender and receiver. An unapproved application sent as an attachment will not be executed and/or alter the receiving client interface. Similarly, the application will simply appear as a standard attachment at a non enhanced recipient client/account.
US08156182B2
A system and method for preventing unwanted communications. A communication is received from a sending party. Input indicating the communication is to be filtered is received. Filtering information is extracted from the communication. The filtering information is distributed to multiple telecommunications platforms. The communication and future communications are blocked across the multiple telecommunications platforms utilizing the filtering information.
US08156181B2
A communication apparatus which obtains a content on the basis of a content URL associated with image data displayed on a display portion, including: a feed information obtaining section which obtains feed information including content informations each including a title, an image URL, and a content URL and which stores the obtained feed information into a storage device; an image data obtaining section which obtains the image data on the basis of the image URL; a display judging section which judges whether all the image data is displayable on an image display area; a small-display-image-data producing section which produces small display image data; and a display controller which displays, instead of the image data, the small display image data in association with the content URL, where the display judging section has judged that all the obtained image data is not displayable on the image display area.
US08156180B2
Systems and methods of the present invention provide for redirecting a user to a book's website after submitting a request for information about the book. The book's website or a link to the website may be displayed to the user on a client browser.
US08156179B2
Disclosed herein are systems and methods for a distributed computing system having a service-oriented architecture. The system is configured to receive workloads from client applications and to execute workloads on service hosts. The distributed computing system dynamically assigns the workloads to the applications running on the service hosts, with the workloads being assigned according to the service needs and the availability of service hosts and other resources on the system. The presently disclosed systems and methods provide for high-throughput communications through an asynchronous binary or a synchronous binary communications protocol. Further disclosed embodiments include flexible failover and upgrade techniques, isolation between execution users of the system, virtualization through mobility and the ability to grow and shrink assigned resources, and for a software development kit adapted for the present architecture.
US08156165B2
In one aspect, the present disclosure describes a process for maintaining file allocation tables (FATs) for a volume of storage medium. The process includes triggering, by a write operation, modification of data in an existing sector of a data file by writing of data to a new sector of the storage medium. The process also includes writing revised used/unused sector information into one FAT and setting a variable indicative of a number of FATs (NOF) to a first value. The process additionally includes copying the one FAT to another FAT and re-setting the variable to a second value.
US08156160B2
A method of generating a poet personality including reading poems, each of the poems containing text, generating analysis models, each of the analysis models representing one of poems and storing the analysis models in a personality data structure. The personality data structure further includes weights, each of the weights associated with each of the analysis models. The weights include integer values.
US08156151B2
An apparatus, method and system to track information access over a communications network. The present disclosure teaches how to associate access credentials with content accesser in a global and persistent manner. Both content and people are registered with a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) handle system (1603). Furthermore, security and other information such as certificates, personal records, encryption keys, and all other objects involved in such transactions may also be registered with a DOI in the handle system and/or may be associated with another DOI as one of the multiple-resolution pointers contained in a DOI record. A right clearinghouse (1604) then maintains a rights database associated content rights with content accessers by DOIs. The association of people, i.e., content accessers, with digital object identifiers further ensures that content and accessers may be mapped in a manner allowing for the secure tracking of content access.
US08156143B2
A system and method to reconcile Human Resource databases, including payroll, accounting, tax and travel databases, are provided. The system and method may include a database aggregation component that automatically gathers and stores a plurality of databases in a corporation business information system wherein these databases may be logically related to each other and a database reconciliation component that is capable of querying a database for retrieving data entries based on user instructions or on requests automatically generated according to preset conditions. The reconciliation method may further compare data from logically related databases. If discrepancies exist in a comparison result, the method may provide a drill-down step where data at next level of detail may be retrieved according to automatically generated queries. This reconciliation process of comparison and drill-down for more detail may continue until a preset condition is satisfied or there is no further detail to retrieve. The system may produce a report relating to the reconciliation results.
US08156138B2
An arrangement for providing targeted content includes data repositories storing information from which targeted content may be selected. The data repositories store at least one contextual relationship graph. The arrangement also includes an input/output interface through which a request for targeted content is made. The arrangement further includes a controller that receives the request for targeted content and selects targeted content using the contextual relationship graph. The controller further provides the selected targeted content through the input/output interface. An arrangement for determining the relative strength of a classification for a group of words includes memory for storing a contextual relationship graph for a given classification and a processor that receives the contextual relationship graph and a plurality of words to be analyzed by the processor, identifies occurrences of the relationships identified in the contextual relationship graph and determines the relative strength of classification based on the identified occurrences.
US08156136B2
A method, system, and medium are provided for revising a first set of search results related to high-resolution satellite imagery. One embodiment of the method includes receiving a query that seeks high-resolution, remotely sensed images of geographic areas that have changed consistent with a given change signature; returning indications of the geographic areas; and presenting a first set of images that corresponds to the indications; presenting a set of feedback of options in connection with each of the set of images, wherein the feedback options include one or more of a more-like-this option and a less-like-this option; such that a second set of images can be identified based on receiving input by way of the feedback options.
US08156129B2
A system described herein includes analyzer component that analyzes queries submitted by users and corresponding URLs selected by the users, wherein the queries include a first query and a second query, and wherein the analyzer component determines that the first query and the second query are substantially similar queries. The system additionally includes a correlator component that, responsive to the analyzer component determining that the first query and the second query are substantially similar, generates correlation data that indicates that the first and second queries are substantially similar.
US08156123B2
Methods and apparatuses for processing metadata are described herein. In one embodiment, when a file (e.g., a text, audio, and/or image files) having metadata is received, the metadata and optionally at least a portion of the content of the file are extracted from the file to generate a first set of metadata. An analysis is performed on the extracted metadata and the content to generate a second set of metadata, which may include metadata in addition to the first set of metadata. The second set of metadata may be stored in a database suitable to be searched to identify or locate the file. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.
US08156117B2
A system for storage and methods for search and retrieval of information presentable as a plurality of tree-structured information objects of an arbitrary application domain are disclosed. The system comprises a distributed computer system consisting of computing devices, interconnected with each other by physical communication lines, and a connected logical storage network, every node of which is an active unit of storage (AUS), incorporating an information object, a program agent and a list of links of said AUS to a plurality of other AUS on the network, wherein the links form connections among the nodes of the logical storage network. Links of an AUS pointing at a plurality of other AUS are created based on a metric calculated taking into account the intrinsic structure of stored and retrieved information objects, and enabling determination and use of the degree of relevance between search information attributes and respective attributes of a search query. Methods for storing and retrieving information in the disclosed system are provided. The system and methods enable efficient storage, searching and retrieving information.
US08156115B1
A Mixed Media Reality (MMR) system and associated techniques are disclosed. The MMR system provides mechanisms for forming a mixed media document that includes media of at least two types (e.g., printed paper as a first medium and digital content and/or web link as a second medium). The present invention provides a system, method, and computer program product for modifying tie strength between members of an existing network using captured digital images of documents. Documents associated with the captured images are recognized and other members associated with the document are determined. Using this information, ties between members or the network are modified.
US08156114B2
Disclosed is a system, method and computer-readable medium related to searching at least one media presentation. The media presentation may be a video such as a movie or television program, an audio presentation such as a song or music, or a printed media such as a book or publication. The method comprises receiving a query associated with words in a media presentation and in response to the query, searching within a database organized as a plurality of indexed segments associated with at least one media presentation, each indexed segment further comprising text and a still image corresponding to an associated portion of the media presentation. A word-based analysis of the media presentation is also presented such as a verbosity histogram to provide context for the retrieved search text. The matching indexed segments are retrieved as a result of the search and presented to the user in such a way as to enable the user to browse or purchase the media presentation.
US08156113B2
A method of selecting and presenting content based on learned user preferences is provided. The method includes providing a content system including a set of content items organized by genre characterizing the content items, and wherein the set of content items contains microgenre metadata further characterizing the content items. The method also includes receiving search input from the user for identifying desired content items and, in response, presenting a subset of content items to the user. The method further includes receiving content item selection actions from the user and analyzing the microgenre metadata within the selected content items to learn the preferred microgenres of the user. The method includes, in response to receiving subsequent user search input, selecting and presenting content items in an order that portrays as relatively more relevant those content items containing microgenre metadata that more closely match the learned microgenre preferences of the user.
US08156107B2
The present invention addresses the problem of partitioning database relations across a plurality of hosts in a shared-nothing cluster while minimizing communication costs. A new partitioning approach for database relations—join-partitioning—is introduced that focuses on relations and their dependencies to a priori partition the plurality of relations to the plurality of hosts such that each host can locally compute a large class of queries over its partitioned data in isolation at query time, independent of other hosts in the cluster. Such an approach thus overcomes the primary bottleneck, i.e., the network, in deploying database systems over shared-nothing clusters by allowing them to seamlessly scale linearly to tens of thousands of hosts and manage tens or hundreds of terabytes of data.
US08156102B2
Systems and methods for inferring category synonyms from prior result data may include identifying prior query data including query information and category information relating to the prior result data; determining whether the query information is a synonym for the category information; and using the query information and the category information in subsequent search requests if it is determined that the query information is a synonym for the category information.
US08156097B2
A two stage model identifies individuals having knowledge in a subject matter area relevant to a query. A relevance model receives a query and identifies documents, or other information, relevant to the query. A co-occurrence model identifies individuals, in the retrieved documents, related to the subject matter of the query. Individuals identified can be scored by combining scores from the relevance model and the co-occurrence model and output in a rank ordered list.
US08156093B2
Just in time compiled code and other data within a runtime environment may be shared between multiple applications by identifying common data objects and allowing two or more applications to access the data objects. While at least one application is accessing the objects, the objects may remain in memory. When all applications have stopped accessing an object, the object may be removed from memory. One embodiment may use a server process to manage various operations to facilitate sharing between various applications, such as identifying objects that may be removed from memory and adding newly created data to a database of sharable data.
US08156086B2
Methods and systems are described for verifying stored data by receiving a first set of metadata associated with a first set of stored data, generating a second set of metadata associated with a second set of stored data which is associated with the first set of stored data, and comparing the first set of metadata and second set of metadata. Alternatively, the storage system can also generate a first set of metadata associated with a first set of stored data, generate a second set of stored data which is a copy of the first set of stored data, generate a second set of metadata associated with the second set of stored data, and compare the first set of metadata and the second set of metadata.
US08156082B2
System and methods for temporary data management in shared disk cluster configurations is described. In one embodiment, a method for managing temporary data storage comprises: creating a global temporary database accessible to all nodes of the cluster on shared storage; creating a local temporary database accessible to only a single node (owner node) of the cluster; providing failure recovery for the global temporary database without providing failure recovery for the local temporary database, so that changes to the global temporary database are transactionally recovered upon failure of a node; binding an application or database login to the local temporary database on the owner node for providing the application with local temporary storage when connected to the owner node; and storing temporary data used by the application or database login in the local temporary database without requiring use of write ahead logging for transactional recovery of the temporary data.
US08156081B2
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for updating resource records in a name-server database. During system operation, a network node creates an update-request message containing a set of resource-record updates, and a requested lease, which specifies the length of time for which the name server is being requested to store the resource-record updates. Next, the network node sends the update-request message to a name server, which is part of a distributed system that provides a global naming service. The network node then receives a response message from the name server, wherein the response message contains a granted lease, which specifies the length of time for which the name-server database will store the resource-record updates.
US08156080B2
A computer system with read/write access to storage devices creates a snapshot of a data volume at a point in time while continuing to accept access requests to the mirrored data volume by copying before making changes to the base data volume. Multiple snapshots may be made of the same data volume at different points in time. Only data that is not stored in a previous snapshot volume or in the base data volume are stored in the most recent snapshot volume.
US08156071B2
A method for performing differencing and updating between electronic files is provided. A byte-level file differencing algorithm receives two byte streams corresponding to an original file and a new file. The new file includes updated and revised versions of the original file. The file differencing algorithm determines a longest common sub-string (LCS) between the two byte streams and divides each of the two byte streams into sub-streams. The sub-streams include the LCS along with prefix and suffix sub-streams to the LCS. The file differencing algorithm then recursively determines an LCS and divides each sub-stream until a size of the sub-streams is less than a pre-specified size. Byte-level differences are then identified between each of the corresponding sub-streams. Further, the file differencing algorithm defines a protocol for structuring a delta file by using a set of operation codes and a variable length integer format to eliminate redundant information in the delta file. Using this protocol, the file differencing algorithm generates the delta file including an operation array that codes the identified byte-level differences.
US08156059B2
A recommendation system and method uses data structured according to an indicator-based recommendation paradigm. Items to be considered for recommendation are stored in a text retrieval system, along with associated meta-data such as title and description. To these conventional characteristics are added additional characteristics known as indicators which are derived from an analysis of the usage of the system by users. This indicator-based system provides a more robust recommendation system that is able to capture a greater depth and variety of real-world relationships among items, and is able to handle p-adic systems and systems with ternary or higher relations.
US08156048B2
A payload monitoring system for an excavation machine is disclosed. The payload monitoring system may have a tool, a first sensor configured to generate a first signal indicative of a velocity of the tool, and a second sensor configured to generate a second signal indicative of a lift force of the tool. The payload monitoring system may also have a controller in communication with the first sensor and the second sensor. The controller may be configured to record the velocity and the lift force of the tool during a work cycle based on the first and second signals, and partition the work cycle into a plurality of segments including a loaded moving segment. The controller may also be configured to determine a period of time within the loaded moving segment during which the velocity of the tool is substantially constant, and calculate a payload of the tool based on the lift force recorded during the period of time.
US08156041B2
A method and apparatus in which a Spender may spend money to buy an item, spend money on a donation, etc. A Spender (sometimes called a buyer) will typically use client software to access content, where the client is typically a computing device that includes a display, which facilitates the transaction between a Spender and an Earner. An “Earner” (sometimes called a seller) is someone who provides items or content within the system for sale, trade, or acquisition in return for credit or money earned. In the described embodiments, an Earner's server may be anything, which serves content and/or includes an Earner gateway, which facilitates trusted third party interaction frequently used in the system, and may also be used to describe several servers or a server farm. In some embodiments, the Earner's server is included as a part of the server controlling content access.
US08156036B1
At least one aspect comprises a method comprising: (a) receiving electronic data describing a trading order from a market participant; (b) associating the trading order with one or more target brokers, (c) selecting with a processing system one or more first trading algorithms from a plurality of available stored algorithms for execution of the trading order; (d) commencing with the processing system execution of the trading order via the one or more first trading algorithms; (e) evaluating with the processing system quality of execution, during the execution, of the trading order via the one or more first trading algorithms; and (f) if the evaluated quality of execution compares unfavorably to a threshold of acceptability, switching with the processing system the execution of the trading order to one or more second trading algorithms, wherein the processing system comprises one or more processors.
US08156034B2
An issuer models financial instruments (e.g., proposed securities) with initial financial parameters to facilitate defining a financial instrument with final financial parameters for actual issuance in the primary offering. The issuer models the initial financial parameter data associated with a corresponding proposed financial instrument based on at least market data relevant to the issuance of the proposed financial instrument. The initial financial parameter data is communicated between an issuer and an underwriter in a posting document via a communications network. The issuer and the underwriter collaborate via electronic communications to determine the final financial parameters of a financial instrument to be issued in the primary offering based on the initial parameter data and an agreement between the issuer and the underwriter.
US08156026B2
An electronic registration system facilitates authorized product returns and reduces the incidence of improper returns. A retailer sales associate is prompted to enter individual product identification information such as an individual serial number. This individual product identification information is then stored in a data base along with the date on which the product was sold and an appropriate UPC code, SKU number or manufacturer code. A check digit algorithm may be used to verify the serial number prior to storage. A sales receipt may be imprinted with at least the date of the transaction and the serial number. When a product is returned, the retailer may cross-reference the serial number on the product with that on the receipt to verify the sales receipt. Otherwise, the database may be searched for pertinent sales information. A customer may also access a return authorization engine via the Internet to obtain return approval, an authorization number, return instructions, etc. to reduce retailer hassle.
US08156021B2
Systems and methods for transmitting payment advice data from a payment computer system to a payee computer system are provided. An exemplary method may include generating a payment order and payment advice data. The method may further include generating a unique identifier for the payment order, transmitting the payment order and the unique identifier to a banking computer system, and transmitting the payment advice data and the unique identifier to a central computer system. The method may further include sending bank statement data indicative of an execution of the payment order to the payee computer system, where the bank statement data includes the unique identifier of the payment order. The method may further include storing the payment advice data and the unique identifier in the central computer system, in response to a receipt of the bank statement data by the payee computer system, and requesting the payment advice data from the central computer system using the unique identifier as a key.
US08156014B2
Each user terminal apparatus is connected with a service business enterprise system by a connection business enterprise system in a state that a live image can mutually be transmitted through the service business enterprise system. An user beforehand sets its live image to be appropriately utilized as an advertisement medium, and chooses selling goods to be advertised. A live image transmitted from the user terminal apparatus of the user who performed the aforesaid setting receives a superposed image, for example, by the superposing the T shirt of the user or the like with the image signal of the selling goods as the advertisement object in the service business enterprise system, and then the processed live image signal is transmitted to the user terminal apparatus of a communication companion. When the communication companion clicks this image signal, the user terminal apparatus of the communication companion is further connected with the sponsor system of the selling goods, and can receive a further explanation of the selling goods and can perform the transactions of the selling goods.
US08156013B2
Methods and apparatus for fulfilling tote delivery orders. A tote delivery service directs delivery of items ordered by customers via a network site to delivery addresses corresponding to the customers in reusable totes on assigned tote delivery days. Tote delivery data may be processed to generate bulk transfer data for fulfillment centers and zone delivery data for sortation nodes. Each fulfillment center may pick items indicated by the bulk transfer data and bulk transfer the items to particular sortation nodes. At a sortation node, the items in the received bulk transfers, and possibly items received from other sources such as direct transfers from vendors, are rebinned into totes corresponding to delivery addresses in zones. The totes are loaded onto delivery vehicles, which deliver the totes to the delivery addresses in particular zones served by the sortation node. The zones and tote delivery days may be determined by zip code.
US08156005B2
A system of contextual advertising is disclosed. The system includes a message receiving module to receive a message from a sender and determine a recipient of the message. The system further includes an advertisement selection module to select an advertisement. The advertisement is selected based on at least one of a characteristic of the recipient, a characteristic of the sender, and a characteristic of the message. The system further includes a message delivery module to send the message to the recipient and an advertisement delivery module to send the advertisement to the sender.
US08155998B2
Techniques for statistically estimating a rating or other “figure of merit” for a user are disclosed. According to one such technique, a first quantity of submissions that were submitted by a user is determined. A second quantity of submissions that (a) were submitted by the user and (b) obtained a particular rating from a rating mechanism also is determined. A user rating for the user is determined based at least in part on the first quantity, the second quantity, and a factor that is independent of both the first quantity and the second quantity—such as the probability that an answer submitted by any answerer in a population will obtain the particular rating from the rating mechanism. The influence that the second quantity has on the user rating relative to the influence that the factor has on the user rating may depend at least in part on the first quantity.
US08155995B1
A system and method are provided for assessing an effectiveness of Internet marketing campaigns, and for providing data gathered thereby to subscribers. The assessment data can be gathered in concert with, for example, private sector partners. Different marketing methods are tested, compared, and evaluated for effectiveness in reaching customers. Equations are provided for calculating such values as probability of conversion of a sale and of a success of a marketing campaign, based upon such factors as user anxiety and external motivation. The data can be used to improve a marketing campaign, and also to inform a subscriber base of techniques found to be effective in Internet sales.
US08155990B2
Computer-readable media for determining whether to accept a candidate order from a content provider, or advertiser, to display a particular number of advertisements within a specified time segment are provided. Initially, the content provider may include placement criteria that, among other things, identify a leaf node at which impressions of the advertisement are expected to be rendered. Generally, the leaf node refers to a location within a topic graph that describes inventory that is permissible to allocate to satisfy the candidate order. To perform the determination, the inventory of impressions available for accommodating the candidate order and a log of booked orders scheduled to be placed within the time segment are identified. Linear programs are then utilized to determine whether the estimated inventory that satisfies the placement criteria is available by predictively placing the booked orders at the estimated inventory. If estimated inventory remains available, the candidate order is accepted.
US08155982B2
In an aspect of a method of the present invention, medical data may be obtained either through a wired or wireless connection to a medical device (or both), and may be relayed to a medical data server directly or through an intermediary device (or a combination of both pathways). Accordingly, there is provided a method whereby data from a medical device can be received through one or more of a wired connection and a wireless connection, and a message including the received data for transmission may be formatted for transmission to one or more of: a medical data server and a intermediary device, wherein the intermediary device includes a software program configured to retransmit the message to the medical data server. Data received by the medical server may automatically determine a medical device type based on a medical device identifier. This method can be practiced automatically to allow a medical device for a patient or other subject to be monitored without requiring the patient to manually enter information.
US08155975B1
Client systems use a scanner to convert a paper form of a document to a digital representation and then send the digital representation over a network to a host system for storage. The host system archives the digital representation and determines the appropriate processing stream for a transaction related to the paper document, via a decisioning engine, based on a set of predefined stream selection rules. The host system then communicates the transaction to a back end transaction destination, according to the selected processing stream, using a hierarchy for coordinating the configuration of the host and client systems as well as coordinating the settlement process for the digital representations.
US08155974B2
Methods and systems obtain profile information from individuals using automation to select and provide the questions that are given to the individual. The answers the individuals provide to the questions can then be used to generate the profile information. Subsequent questions are selected and presented according to analysis of the previous answers. The exchange of the questions and answers occurs over a communications network and may take the form of emails, web page interfaces, wireless data messages, or verbal communication over a voiced call. The answers are analyzed to determine certain characteristics, such as the personality type, mood, and gender of the individual. The subsequent questions are selected based on the characteristics that are found from the answers to facilitate the information exchange between the automated system and the individual.
US08155966B2
[Problems]To convert a signal of non-audible murmur obtained through an in-vivo conduction microphone into a signal of a speech that is recognizable for (hardly misrecognized by) a receiving person with maximum accuracy.[Means for Solving Problems]A speech processing method comprising: a learning step (S7) for conducting a learning calculation of a model parameter of a vocal tract feature value conversion model indicating conversion characteristic of acoustic feature value of vocal tract, on the basis of a learning input signal of non-audible murmur recorded by an in-vivo conduction microphone and a learning output signal of audible whisper corresponding to the learning input signal recorded by a prescribed microphone, and then, storing a learned model parameter in a prescribed storing means; and a speech conversion step (S9) for converting a non-audible speech signal obtained through an in-vivo conduction microphone into a signal of audible whisper, based on a vocal tract feature value conversion model, with a learned model parameter obtained through the learning step set thereto.
US08155960B2
A system and method is provided for combining active and unsupervised learning for automatic speech recognition. This process enables a reduction in the amount of human supervision required for training acoustic and language models and an increase in the performance given the transcribed and un-transcribed data.
US08155957B1
An automated transcription system includes an housing on a PC, and a portable electronic device including a mechanism for creating and managing a plurality of predetermined templates with a plurality of headings and sub-headings that are automatically populated in real time as a user speaks an audio message. The portable electronic device further includes a mechanism for converting and displaying the audio message to a text message on the portable electronic device and thereby enabling a user to read, edit and print the text message. Such an audio message converting and displaying mechanism includes an LCD screen, a microphone for receiving the audio message when the user speaks, and a data transfer interface.
US08155941B2
A simulation apparatus includes an arithmetic process unit 20 that models a controlled plant and simulates the operation of the modeled controlled plant, and an interface unit 30 that inputs and outputs a signal between the arithmetic process unit 20 and an ECU 100A, and the arithmetic process unit 20 is configured so as to be capable of inputting and outputting the signal from/to the ECU 100A by using another interface unit 30 provided on another simulation apparatus in addition to the interface unit 30.
US08155940B2
A system and method for predicting fatigue life in metal alloys for very high cycle fatigue applications. The system and method are especially useful for cast metal alloys, such as cast aluminum alloys, where a fatigue endurance limit is either non-existent or hard to discern. Fatigue properties, such as fatigue strength in the very high cycle fatigue region, are based on a modified random fatigue limit model, where the very high cycle fatigue strength and infinite life fatigue strength are refined to take into consideration the sizes of the discontinuities and microstructure constituents since the fatigue life scatter depends upon the presence of discontinuities and microstructure constituents. The sizes of the discontinuities and microstructure constituents that can initiate fatigue cracks can be determined with extreme value statistics, then input to the modified random fatigue limit model.
US08155937B2
A system and method for viewing models and model variables within a sophisticated modeling environment is disclosed. The system provides varying levels of insight into a modeling infrastructure to help the user understand model and model variable dependencies, usage, distribution, and/or the like. The method includes storing model and model variable data within a relational database system, receiving a request from a user interfacing with the system via a web interface, extracting search criteria and presentation preferences from the request, formulating and executing one or more queries on the database to retrieve the required data, formatting the data in accordance with the request, and retuning the data to the requesting user in the form of a web page.
US08155936B2
A system and method for viewing models and model variables within a sophisticated modeling environment is disclosed. The system provides varying levels of insight into a modeling infrastructure to help the user understand model and model variable dependencies, usage, distribution, and/or the like. The method includes storing model and model variable data within a relational database system, receiving a request from a user interfacing with the system via a web interface, extracting search criteria and presentation preferences from the request, formulating and executing one or more queries on the database to retrieve the required data, formatting the data in accordance with the request, and retuning the data to the requesting user in the form of a web page.
US08155929B2
A method for computing geometric perturbations for probabilistic analysis. The probabilistic analysis is based on finite element modeling, in which uncertainties in the modeled system are represented by changes in the nominal geometry of the model, referred to as “perturbations”. These changes are accomplished using displacement vectors, which are computed for each node of a region of interest and are based on mean-value coordinate calculations.
US08155928B2
A scheduling system and a CAD system are used to prepare a construction plan in plant construction simulation. A construction work managed by the scheduling system and a plant part used in the construction work and managed by the CAD system, are managed in association with each other. When the plant part is broken down into a plurality of lower plant parts constituting the plant part, as a plurality of lower construction works of the construction work, the processing for associating the lower plant parts with the lower construction works is performed. Data for mutually associating the construction works and the plant parts based on the processing is generated. The generated data is used to mutually link the scheduling system and the CAD system, and a situation in which appropriate parts are installed as progress of the construction work, is displayed.
US08155919B2
A system and method of determining lift deflection during construction of aggregate columns allows for real time monitoring of construction to ensure meeting defined parameters. The amount of deflection of a tamper head during tamping is determined multiple times for each lift. When the amount of deflection matches a predetermined value, tamping is stopped.
US08155908B2
A system for providing real-time modeling of an electrical system under management is disclosed. The system includes a data acquisition component, a virtual system modeling engine, and an analytics engine. The data acquisition component is communicatively connected to a sensor configured to provide real-time measurements of data output from an element of the system. The virtual system modeling engine is configured to generate a predicted data output for the element. The analytics engine is communicatively connected to the data acquisition system and the virtual system modeling engine and is configured to monitor and analyze a difference between the real-time data output and the predicted data output.
US08155907B1
Methods of enabling functions of a design to be implemented in an integrated circuit device are disclosed. An exemplary method comprises applying test data to a plurality of dice having different element types for implementing circuits, wherein the plurality of dice have a common layout of the different element types for implementing the circuits; receiving output data from the plurality of dice in response to applying the test data to the plurality of dice; analyzing the output data from the plurality of dice; transforming by a computer the output data to characterization data comprising timing data associated with the different element types for implementing circuits, wherein the characterization data comprises data associated with regions of the dice, and storing the characterization data. A computer program product for enabling functions of a design to be implemented in an integrated circuit device is also disclosed.
US08155902B2
A sensor-less technique is described for detecting the status of an AC contactor of a power inverter. In one embodiment, a method is provided of sensing an unexpected condition of an AC contactor used to couple to a power distribution system a power inverter having at least one power conductor. The method includes determining a voltage value for the conductor; determining a current value for the conductor; determining a phase difference using the voltage value and the current value; and monitoring successive values of the phase difference to produce a monitoring result. Depending on the monitoring result, a determination is made whether or not to issue an alert signal. Control routines embodying such technique may be stored on computer-readable media. A power inverter using such technique is described.
US08155893B2
Thermodynamic properties of a natural gas stream can be determined in real time utilizing modeling algorithms in conjunction with one or more sensors for quantifying physical and chemical properties of the natural gas. A first data signal produced by a first sensor can include intensity as a function of wavelength. At least one region in the wavelength range outside of a selected absorption transition can be fitted to a function to obtain a zero-absorption baseline, and a carbon dioxide concentration can be determined based on a line strength at the selected absorption transition corrected by the zero-absorption baseline. A total hydrocarbon concentration in the gas stream can be inferred based on a database of characteristic natural gas concentrations, and an algorithm can be implemented that determines an energy content of the gas stream. Related techniques, apparatus, systems, and articles are also described.
US08155892B2
The invention relates to a method for identifying a strain isolated from a clinical sample, at the species and/or subspecies level, using MALDI-TOF-MS analysis comprising a step of classifying the germ in a group before performing the MALDI-TOF-MS analysis.
US08155891B2
Various embodiments of an oil monitoring apparatus are provided. In one embodiment, an oil monitoring apparatus includes a probe and an analyzing module in-line connected to the probe. The probe includes: a first sensor for measuring respective optical intensities of a light passing through the oil at respective red, green and blue wavelength ranges; a second sensor for measuring a water content; and a third sensor for measuring a temperature of the oil. The analyzing module calculates and monitors chemical deterioration of the oil, total contamination of the oil, a relative saturation of the oil by water and temperature of the oil based on the output signals of the first and third sensors. The oil monitoring apparatus monitors various parameters relating to the deterioration of the oil and to the physical properties of the oil.
US08155887B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for computer visualization of drugs for drug interaction information retrieval. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for computer visualization of drugs for drug interaction information retrieval can be provided. The method can include acquiring imagery of multiple different substances and detecting identifying content in each acquired image to determine an identity of each substance corresponding to each acquired image. The method also can include retrieving drug interaction data for each substance using the determined identity and correlating the drug interaction data for at least one of the substances with at least one other of the substances. Finally, the method can include displaying the correlated drug interaction data.
US08155876B2
Systems and methods for controlling aircraft electrical power are disclosed. A system in accordance with one embodiment includes an electric motor, an aircraft load coupled to the electric motor and powered by the electric motor, and a motor controller coupled to the electric motor to vary an output of the electric motor. The motor controller is changeable among a fixed number of preset controller modes, with individual controller modes corresponding to an operation mode of the aircraft and a non-zero output level of the electric motor. In further embodiments, motor controllers can be substituted for each other, e.g., in the event one motor controller becomes unoperational.
US08155867B2
A method for communicating with a vehicle about then-current vehicle operating conditions is disclosed herein. The method includes real-time monitoring, via a telematics unit in a vehicle, of vehicle data when the vehicle is traveling on a road segment, comparing the real-time monitored vehicle data with previously stored data of one or more other vehicles that previously traveled the road segment, and based on the comparison, determining an operation of the vehicle in order to achieve optimal fuel efficiency. The method further includes submitting, to the vehicle, the operation of the vehicle for i) increasing a then-current fuel efficiency of the vehicle or ii) maintaining the then-current fuel efficiency of the vehicle. Also disclosed herein is a system for accomplishing the same.
US08155865B2
Aspects of the invention disclose a method and system for automatically updating traffic incident data for in-vehicle navigation. This includes, but is not limited to, a method and system of notifying one or more traffic providers of a traffic accident when a telematics provider receives an automated accident notification from a vehicle. The notification prompts the traffic provider to investigate the traffic accident immediately using manual techniques (monitoring police scanners, visual confirmation by aircraft, etc.) and accurately updates its traffic information in a more timely manner. In turn, the traffic information received by the telematics unit from traffic provider is more accurate. This allows the telematics unit navigation system to provide accurate navigation directions to the subscriber while driving through traffic congested areas.
US08155860B2
A real time, average pressure difference method for monitoring doser efficiency is described that determines the difference between the average pressure when the doser is not injecting and the average pressure when the doser is injecting at a predetermined commanded injection rate. The average pressure difference method results in improved doser efficiency monitoring. The method can be implemented in a number of areas. For example, in a diesel truck application, the doser efficiency can be monitored accurately in real time.
US08155853B2
A system and method for providing mechanical time dilation by pre-braking a vehicle in the event there is a collision threat so as to reduce or eliminate the need for full automatic braking if the collision becomes imminent. The system calculates a time dilation deceleration to either maintain a time to collision at a previous value before the calculation or at a predetermined value. The system also estimates a projected closing speed of the vehicle to the object at a distance that would require full automatic braking to prevent a collision. The system then determines whether the time dilation deceleration is greater than a decelerating threshold and, if so, provides automatic vehicle braking at the threshold until the vehicle comes to a full stop. If the time dilation deceleration is not greater than the threshold, then the system provides automatic braking to decelerate the vehicle at the time dilation deceleration.
US08155848B2
A vehicle control apparatus includes a vehicle drive device having a friction engagement element capable of being engaged and disengaged by an oil pressure generated by an electric oil pump, a start operation detecting unit that detects a start operation of the vehicle, a vehicle status change detecting unit that detects a status change of the vehicle, an electric oil pump control unit that controls the electric oil pump, and a management unit that is connected between the vehicle status change detecting unit and the electric oil pump control unit in a manner capable of transmitting data. The management unit transmits a wakeup signal to the electric oil pump control unit when a status change of the vehicle is detected, and when the wakeup signal is received prior to detection of the start operation, the electric oil pump control unit starts the electric oil pump in response to the wakeup signal.
US08155833B2
The present invention relates to a method for controlling the operation of a compressor for preventing noise that occurs in case of the shortage of refrigerant flow caused by less discharge capacity of the compressor of an air conditioner for a vehicle. The compressor includes a cylinder bore for compressing a refrigerant, a piston inserted into the cylinder bore, a swash plate having a controllable slope with respect to a drive shaft, and a control valve for controlling the slope of the swash plate. The discharge capacity of the compressor is increased if it is determined that vehicle speed and accelerating rate satisfy predetermined conditions. If a low flow rate state of refrigerant of the compressor is predicted, the ECV duty is increased to prevent the compressor from entering the low flow rate state, thereby improving the workability of the compressor and solving the noise problem.
US08155830B2
The present invention discloses a parking pilot system and method. The system of the present invention comprises a display, at least one image sensor, at least one speed sensor and an ECU. The ECU uses the images captured by the image sensor to calculate an intended parking position and uses the captured images and the detected speed to work out the coordinates of the current position and the intended parking position. The ECU also works out an initial parking position. According to the adopted parking mode, the ECU presents on the display a forward pilot track extending from the current position through the initial parking position to the intended parking position, or a forward pilot track extending from the current position to the initial parking position. Then, the driver can easily park his vehicle and effectively avoid collision via the pilot instructions presented on the display.
US08155822B2
A vehicular electronic control apparatus is manufactured with at least a portion of control data is omitted, while permitting control data that corresponds to a specific specification to be set afterwards. The control apparatus includes a self-diagnosing function and an associated means for transmitting a diagnosis to the outside. A diagnosis indicating an occurrence of an abnormality which is attributable to the circumstance that the control data corresponding to the specific specification has not yet been set, is prevented from being transmitted to the outside.
US08155817B2
A vehicle maintenance event reporting system and method that utilizes a vehicle email notification system in which triggers are used to initiate the generation and transmission of email messages that provide diverse types of dynamic vehicle information to the owner or other authorized subscriber. The email notifications are triggered by different events, some of which are independent of the vehicle (e.g., a monthly trigger), and others of which occur at the vehicle, such as a mileage or low oil life trigger. The notification system builds and sends to the subscriber an email message that contains the dynamic vehicle information. Maintenance service events such as an oil change reset are detected and used to trigger email reporting to the subscriber as well as to transmit the oil change reset event back to a central data system where it is included in a vehicle maintenance record.
US08155815B2
A method to monitor integrity of a motor torque command for a transmission in a hybrid powertrain system includes calculating motor torque commands for the torque generating machines. Torque corrections for the motor torque commands are determined. The motor torque commands are adjusted based upon the torque corrections. The adjusted motor torque commands are verified based upon an estimated output torque.
US08155805B2
A flight guidance and navigation display (10) for a helicopter, includes a three-dimensional, semicircular flight guidance and navigation tunnel (12) to display a planned flight path of the helicopter; a circular surface (14), which is integrated in the flight guidance and navigation tunnel (12), which circular surface (14) includes a diameter that corresponds to that of the flight guidance and navigation tunnel (12), for displaying a longitudinal position within the flight guidance and navigation tunnel (12); a flight path prediction icon (16) for displaying a position of the helicopter relative to the flight guidance and navigation tunnel (12); and a command signal (18) that relates to the air speed, wherein via the command signal (18) a deviation from a reference speed that has been predetermined by flight planning is displayed.
US08155802B1
An optical navigation sensor includes four two-dimensional imagers, each aligned with an x or y axis of an orthogonal xyz coordinate system, and each defining mutually parallel vertical image directions and the same horizontal directions about a yaw axis. Translation or roll, pitch, and yaw cause image flow or movement, which can be determined by cross-correlation of successive images. Translation in the x or y direction is determined by differencing image motion in the horizontal direction, and translation in the z direction is determined by summing the image motion in the vertical direction. Pitch about x and roll about y are determined by differencing image motion in the vertical direction, and yaw about z is determined by summing the image flow in the horizontal direction.
US08155797B2
In the specification and drawings a window fan control system and a method of controlling a fan unit are described and shown. The window fan control system may comprise an electronic controller, an indoor sensor responsive to at least one characteristic of interior air, and an outdoor sensor responsive to at least one characteristic of exterior air. The electronic controller may cause at least one fan of a window fan to be activated when the interior air meets certain criteria relative to a set point and the exterior air meets certain preselected criteria relative to the interior air. The method of controlling a fan unit may comprise the steps of measuring at least one characteristic of exterior air, measuring at least one characteristic of interior air, and activating an intake fan of the fan unit when the interior air meets certain criteria relative to a set point and the exterior air meets certain preselected criteria relative to the interior air.
US08155796B2
Data from a digitizing unit is stored in a time-series data buffer, via a data receiving circuit. The data on which a digital filtering process is performed by a digital filtering processing circuit is stored in time series in a time-series instantaneous-value data storing circuit. A digital computing unit sets a time of temporally oldest data from among a group of latest time data stored in a latest time-data storing circuit as a reference time, extracts time data having the same time as the reference time from the time-series instantaneous-value data storing circuit, and then performs a digital computation.
US08155793B2
The present invention relates to a system and method for controlling air conditioning facilities, and a system and method for power management of a computer room. In an air-conditioning facility control system of a computer room (cooling room) equipped with air-conditioning facilities for air-cooling the computer room in which a large number of information processing units are installed, an air-conditioner monitoring and controlling unit calculates a temperature sensitivity coefficient of each information processing unit, and that of each air conditioner, and then determines discharge air temperature of each air conditioner by use of the temperature sensitivity coefficients in such a manner that the sum of squares of a deviation of a change in discharge air temperature of each information processing unit becomes the smallest, and in such a manner that the sum total of the power consumption of the individual air conditioners becomes the smallest.
US08155790B2
A robot control apparatus includes: a drive unit (101) driving an actuator (115) based on a torque command value; a drive torque estimation unit (107) estimating a drive torque from a joint shaft angle; an external torque calculation unit (108) calculating a difference between the estimated drive torque and the torque command value as an external torque; a Jacobian matrix calculation unit (105) calculating a Jacobian matrix based on the joint shaft angle; an external force calculation unit (109) calculating an external force from the Jacobian matrix and the external torque; and a correction amount calculation unit (110) calculating a correction amount from the external force.
US08155789B2
An offline programming device for preparing an operation program for making a robot with a hand perform a handling operation for an object with respect to a machine tool. The device includes a hand-position designating section designating a relative positional relationship between the object and the hand when the hand holds the object; a first calculating section determining a position and orientation of the object mounted on the machine tool when the robot performs the handling operation, based on a command specifying a position of the object and included in a workpiece processing program given to the machine tool; a second calculating section determining a position and orientation of the robot acting to hold the object by the hand when the robot performs the handling operation, based on the relative positional relationship between the object and the hand and the position and orientation of the object; and an operation-program generating section generating the operation program by using the position and orientation of the robot.
US08155781B2
In order to improve movement control in an automation system for movement control, profiles for movement control are freely defined via functions. Polynomial interpolations or spline interpolations are used for the defined functions, the interpolations being of a higher degree. The profile for movement control has a command variable and a secondary variable, at least one of which is time-based or position-related.
US08155780B2
A computer-implemented method for the automated adjustment of the position of a cutting tool when cutting dental aligner material includes using a computer for generating digital data that define (a) a first cutting angle in a labial cutting area along a dynamic cutting curve, (b) a second cutting angle in a lingual cutting area along the dynamic cutting curve, and (c) a third cutting angle in a back molar cutting area along the dynamic cutting curve. The cutting tool is automatically moved from the labial cutting area to the back molar cutting area while gradually increasing a cutting tool angle from the first cutting angle to the third cutting angle. The cutting tool is also automatically moved from the lingual cutting area to the back molar cutting area while gradually increasing the cutting tool angle from the second cutting angle to the third cutting angle.
US08155778B1
A system and method that may utilize one or more cutting tools to machine insulating sheet materials comprising one or more layers. In accordance with one aspect, a user may utilize a computer to input preferences and use software algorithms to determine an optimum fabrication sequence.
US08155770B2
Method and apparatus for dispatching workpieces to tools based on processing and performance history
Metrology data associated with a plurality of workpieces processed at a selected operation in the process flow including a plurality of operations is retrieved. A processing context associated with each of the workpieces is determined. The processing context identifies at least one previous tool used to perform an operation on the associated workpiece prior to the selected operation. A plurality of performance metrics is determined for a plurality of tools capable of performing the selected operation based on the metrology data. Each performance metric is associated with a particular tool and a particular processing context. A set of the performance metrics is identified for the plurality of tools having a processing context matching a processing context of a selected workpiece awaiting performance of the selected operation. The selected workpiece is dispatched for processing in a selected one of the plurality of tools based on the set of performance metrics.
US08155769B2
System and method for performing industrial control. A vision engine operable to execute vision functions to control a vision element in response to received asynchronous commands is stored on a vision system. An application programming interface (API) that provides access to the vision engine is stored. The API includes multiple function blocks operable to be included in an industrial control application, and executable to send the asynchronous commands to the vision engine. The application is created, including inserting at least one function block of the API into the application. The application is executed on a programmable controller, including executing the function block to send a corresponding asynchronous command to the vision engine. The vision engine performs a vision function corresponding to the function block in response to the asynchronous command, and sends resultant data to the industrial control application, which stores the resultant data.
US08155758B2
This disclosure relates to fault tolerant instantiations of a cardiac therapy delivery device such as an implantable cardiac stimulator (e.g., an implantable pulse generator, IPG, and/or an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, ICD) coupled to an implantable physiologic sensor (IPS). According to the disclosure delivery of cardiac pacing and/or cardioversion-defibrillator therapy delivery can cause errors in output signals from an IPS. Resolution of such errors involves selectively energizing (or disconnecting the output signal from) the IPS during pacing and/or defibrillation therapy delivery. Programmable signal “blanking” in lieu of or in addition to the foregoing also improves the integrity of the output signal (i.e., continuously energize the IPS and ignore parts of the output signal). An ICD having a transient weakness in an insulated conductor used for the IPS signal can likewise have the IPS de-energized and/or blank the IPS output signal during high voltage therapy delivery.
US08155757B1
Nerve cuff electrodes and methods using nerve cuffs. Nerve cuff electrodes are provided which can include a tubular body having a longitudinal slit and a flap curled over the slit. The tubular body interior can have a central cathode formed of two opposed and electrically coupled plates disposed between two anodes each formed of two opposed and electrically coupled plates. The tube interior region opposite the slit can be free of electrode material, such that the flexibility of the polymeric tube significantly determines the flexibility and strength of tube opening and closing. Some cuffs include a hinge region having a non-linear effective spring constant which can be higher at low cuff openings and lower at large opening to provide an effective yet non-damaging closing force over a wide range of cuff openings. In use, the tube body can be pulled apart using attached suture loops, with one loop and flap pulled under the nerve followed by part of the tubular body. The tubular body can be closed over the nerve and the flap closed over the tube slit. The nerve cuff can be placed minimally invasively over the nerve and used for neuromodulation and/or sensing purposes.
US08155756B2
An exemplary method includes use of a multielectrode device that can help position a cardiac stimulation lead to an optimal site in the heart based at least in part on cardiac motion information acquired via the multielectrode device and one or more pairs of current delivery electrodes that establish potential fields (e.g., for use as a coordinate system). An exemplary multielectrode device may be a multielectrode catheter or a multifilar, electrode-bearing guidewire. Various other exemplary methods, devices, systems, etc., are also disclosed.
US08155752B2
A combination charging and telemetry circuit for use within an implantable device, such as a microstimulator, uses a single coil for both charging and telemetry. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, one or more capacitors are used to tune the single coil to different frequencies, wherein the coil is used for multiple purposes, e.g., for receiving power from an external source and also for the telemetry of information to and from an external source.
US08155750B2
A method and programmer for programming a neurostimulation device are provided. The method comprises varying a first stimulation parameter under user control, automatically varying a second stimulation parameter, generating a plurality of stimulation parameter sets from the varied first and second stimulation parameters, outputting a pulsed electrical waveform from the neurostimulation device between a plurality of electrodes in accordance with the stimulation parameter sets, such that neural tissue is stimulated without undergoing neurological accommodation that would otherwise occur if the second stimulation parameter were not varied, and programming the neurostimulation device with a new set of stimulation parameters based on a result of the neural tissue stimulation The programmer comprises a user interface capable of receiving an input from a user, a processor configured for performing the previous steps, and output circuitry configured for transmitting the stimulation parameter sets and the new stimulation parameter set to the neurostimulation device.
US08155735B2
Systems and methods are provided for predicting the onset of postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF) from electrocardiogram (ECG) data representing a patient. A signal processing component determines parameters representing the activity of the heart of the patient from the ECG data. A feature extraction component calculates a plurality of features useful in predicting postoperative AF from the determined parameters. A classification component determines an AF index for the patient from the calculated plurality of features. The AF index represents the likelihood that the patient will experience AF.
US08155734B2
This document describes, among other things, systems and methods for characterizing a tachyarrhythmia. A method comprises obtaining a current first primary characterization of the tachyarrhythmia and a current first primary confidence level of the current first primary characterization, obtaining a current second primary characterization of the tachyarrhythmia and a current second primary confidence level of the current second primary characterization, and determining a current secondary characterization using the current first primary characterization, the current first primary confidence level, the current second primary characterization, and the current second primary confidence level.
US08155733B2
The present disclosure provides a heart rate variability (HRV) analysis-based method of lie detection, related computer program product, computer readable storage medium and system. Also provided is a method of HRV analysis using strange entropy.
US08155729B1
Motion data is acquired simultaneously and in real-time with image data. The motion data provides accurate and near-instant information as to the state and position of an object prone to motion. The present invention is particularly applicable for cardiac CT or MR imaging and other physiologically gated acquisitions. In the context of cardiac imaging, the motion data includes information regarding size and location of the heart during the cardiac phases (diastole, systole, etc.) during each cardiac cycle.
US08155728B2
A medical system includes a catheter, a sensor, 3-D image data representative of a patient, and a computer. The catheter has a catheter distal end insertable into a natural orifice of a body lumen of the patient. The sensor is disposable proximate the catheter distal end and is adapted to provide position data. The computer is adapted: to receive an indication from a user of a medical target selected for a medical procedure which uses at least the catheter and which is to be performed within the patient; and to indicate to the user position information of the catheter distal end relative to the medical target using at least the 3-D image data and the position data. A storage medium contains a program readable by a computer which instructs the computer to perform the previously described steps. A method for assisting a medical procedure performs the above-described steps.
US08155722B2
The present application provides Ag/AgCl based reference electrodes having an extended lifetime that are suitable for use in long term amperometric sensors. Electrochemical sensors equipped with reference electrodes described herein demonstrate considerable stability and extended lifetime in a variety of conditions.
US08155720B2
A mobile communication device includes a first plate, and a second plate provided with guide rails on respective edges thereof and slidably coupled to the first plate. A main body is coupled to the first plate and a sub body is coupled to the second plate. Torsion springs are provided on the first plate, adjacent to respective edges of the first plate. Contact members are respectively provided at one end of each torsion spring and each contact member contacts a corresponding guide rail due to elasticity of the torsion spring. Guide slits are disposed in the first plate, adjacent to respective edges of the first plate. Each guide slit receives a corresponding contact member.
US08155717B1
A combined cellular phone and water-proof casing may include a cellular telephone. The cellular phone may include a display screen and a key pad communicatively coupled thereto. A protective water-proof casing may be connected to the cellular telephone in such a manner that the display screen remains operably responsive to the key pad after the cellular telephone is submerged in water. The water-proof casing may further include a first sheath and a second sheath. The second sheath may further be mated to the first sheath. A gasket may be intermediately intercalated between the first and second sheaths and thereby prevent water from penetrating through the outer edges of the first and second sheaths respectively. A plurality of ports may be formed in the water-proof casing, and a plurality of port covers may be removably interfitted within the ports.
US08155716B2
A portable radio device of a type having two-direction openable and closable enclosures that can effectively lessen influence on an antenna exerted by a hinge section is provided. A horizontal hinge section 5 for rotatably joining an upper enclosure 1 to a hinge enclosure 3 around a first shaft center includes a horizontal hinge anchor 52 electrically connected to a first metal part 13 disposed in the upper enclosure 1, a horizontal hinge plate 53 that is placed in the hinge enclosure 3 and that contains a conductive material, and a first hinge shaft 51 that electrically connects the horizontal hinge anchor 52 to the horizontal hinge plate 53 and that contains a conductive material interposed between an area from a substantial center to an end of a long side of a face along which the upper enclosure 1 and the hinge enclosure 3 face a direction of second shaft center (X). An electrical path length of the lateral hinge section 5 including the lateral hinge plate 53 and the first hinge shaft 51 corresponds to a predetermined value that is not a substantially constant multiple of λ/8.
US08155714B2
A portable media player is configured with a flip form factor in which a flip cover is hingedly fixed to a main body portion of the player. The flip cover rotates about the hinge between open positions that expose the display screen and user controls of the player and a closed position that covers that screen and controls to keep them clean and protected against damage when the player is being used or transported. The flip cover includes a set of secondary user controls on its exterior surface so that the user may operate the player when the flip cover is in its closed position. The hinge is configured to provide sufficient frictional torque over its angular range of motion to enable the flip cover to operate as a built-in display stand to angle the display screen for comfortable viewing. The flip cover further provides additional surface area for personalization.
US08155705B2
A display screen comprises a receiving module, a control module electronically connected to the receiving module, a backlight drive module, and a backlight module. The receiving module is configured for receiving incoming calls and transmitting the incoming calls to the control module. The control module is configured for converting incoming calls to control signals and transmitting the control signals to the backlight drive module. The backlight module has different operation modes according to the incoming calls. One end of the backlight drive module is electronically connected to the control module, the other end of the backlight drive module is electronically connected to the backlight module. The backlight drive module is configured for driving the backlight module. A method of shining the display screen is also provided.
US08155703B2
A camera operably coupled to a configurable camera interface within a wireless terminal operable to process images in accordance with multiple data formats. This camera interface has an ARM and an image process accelerator operably coupled to the ARM. The combination receives a captured digital image having a first data format from an image sensor operably coupled to the camera interface. The accelerator is configured based on information contained within the captured digital image. The captured digital image will be processed to produce additional digital images having a differing data formats. The captured digital image and/or additional digital images will be supplied to multiple devices or clients. This configuration allows the compute intensive operations to be offloaded from the processing module onto the image process accelerator within the camera interface in order to improve the overall system efficiency.
US08155698B2
A method for storing data with a digital image comprises providing a digital camera for capturing and storing digital images, the digital camera having a controller, a storage medium, a data entry mechanism, and a positioning system. The method further includes the camera receiving direction from a user to capture a digital image and capturing and storing the digital image in response to the user's direction. Additionally, the positioning system determines location information corresponding to the location of the digital camera when the image is captured. The camera receives user-supplied data input to be associated with the captured digital image captured via the data entry mechanism and the controller automatically associates the user-supplied data input and the location information with the digital image and stores the data input, the location information, and the digital image in the storage medium as a combined data file.
US08155693B2
A system and method in a mobile communication device for providing assistance to a user in determining a communication pathway. A mobile communication device may comprise a communication interface module adapted to communicate over at least a first plurality of communication pathways. At least one module may be adapted to utilize the at least one communication interface module to perform at least a particular type of communication over any of the first plurality of communication pathways. The at least one module may also, for example in a scenario where a second plurality of the first plurality of communication pathways are presently available for performing the first particular type of communication, provide assistance to a user in determining which of the second plurality of communication pathways to utilize for performing a communication of the first particular type of communication.
US08155691B2
A base station accommodation method and mobile communication system which allows the installation of many micro-miniature BTS devices are provided. The mobile communication system includes a plurality of base stations which accommodate a plurality of mobile terminals respectively; a plurality of first base station control devices, each of which accommodates a predetermined number of base stations out of the plurality of base stations; and a second base station control device which accommodates the plurality of first base station control devices, wherein each of the plurality of first base station control devices comprises, for supporting information identifying a mobile terminal, a mobile terminal data base to store identification information which identifies a base station to which the mobile terminal is subordinate, and a station data base to store an address of the base station.
US08155688B2
A method and an apparatus for adjusting power control mode in a wireless communication system is provided. A mode change message is transmitted from a base station (BS) to a user equipment (UE) to request changing a power control mode from a base station (BS). The mode change message comprises a power control mode change (PMC) field which indicates the power control mode to be changed. The UE transmits a UE confirmation message to the BS, and receives a BS confirmation message from the BS. The UE changes the power control mode based on the mode change message.
US08155680B2
Providing a frequency reference to a mobile telecommunications base station is disclosed. A radio frequency signal that includes a periodic component having a known frequency is received. A frequency reference is derived from the received radio signal, based at least in part on the periodic component. The frequency reference is used to transmit from the base station at an assigned frequency.
US08155678B2
An email communications system may include a plurality of wireless communications devices each supporting at least one markup language from among a plurality of different markup languages, and an electronic mail (email) server. The email server may include an account provisioning module for determining the at least one markup language supported by a given wireless communications device, providing at least one respective markup language provisioning template to the given wireless communications device based upon the supported at least one markup language, and generating a provisioned email account for the given wireless communications device based upon at least one provisioning parameter returned via the at least one markup language provisioning template. The email server may further include a mail-user agent module for forwarding emails to the given wireless communications device based upon the provisioned email account therefor.
US08155677B2
Provided herein is a system, method and product for performing address translation and routing of short codes. The embodiment described herein primarily supports the wireless and standardized SMS; however, one skilled in the art can readily appreciate that the present invention can also be applied to any mobile messaging technology, e.g., Multimedia Messaging Service (“MMS”), etc.
US08155663B2
A cellular telephone is provided with a wearable housing, desirably in a form which can be concealed in the user's clothing, wallet, or other place. The housing may be devoid of switches or buttons for controlling the cellular telephone, and control inputs can be provided through free space communications such as a short-range radio link. A module for use in portable communications devices includes chips superposed on one another on a stack, and incorporates an interposer for facilitating connections between the chips.
US08155658B1
A method is provided for altering a channel bandwidth in a wireless system, wherein the method comprises sending to a wireless device a report request message comprising an indicator of an ability to change the channel bandwidth from a first channel bandwidth to a second channel bandwidth, receiving at an access node a report response message from the wireless device, wherein the report response message comprises a channel condition for the wireless device, and changing the channel bandwidth from the first channel bandwidth to the second channel bandwidth based upon the channel condition.
US08155657B2
A method for managing transactions across a large number of service providers includes determining performance metrics associated with each of a plurality of service providers and generating a score for each service provider based on the performance metrics associated with each of the plurality of service providers taken over a short time period. The service providers are then sorted based on the scores to generate a list of service providers. Customer transactions are then assigned to one of the service providers based on the order of the list of service providers. The list of service providers is reprioritized based on mid-term metrics and accumulated costs taken over a mid-term period that is longer than the short term period.
US08155651B2
A user equipment (UE) includes a resettable timer that clocks a period after a successful packet-switched handover in a communication system. If a command message for setting packet-data transmission parameters is not received from the network before the period elapses, the UE starts a transmission-parameter negotiation if the UE wishes to do so. In this way, a UE can negotiate optimal parameters for packet-data transmission.
US08155647B2
Methods and apparatuses for automatically determining neighbor cells are disclosed. Cell information is received. The received cell information is compared with a list of old neighbor cells. When a new cell is detected, a determination is made as to whether the detected new cell covers the same geographical area as any of the old neighbor cells. When the new cell covers the same geographical area as at least one of the cells of the list, the new cell is stored as a neighbor cell in the list. Cell information is received. The received cell information is compared with a list of old neighbor cells. New neighbors are detected based on the comparison. A determination is made as to whether there are cells in a same geographic area as the new neighbors. A determination is made as to whether there are new cells in a same geographic area as the old neighbor cells. The new neighbors, the cells in the same geographic area as the new neighbors, and the new cells are stored as neighbors in the list.
US08155644B2
A wireless communication system, including: a first wireless base station disposed on a first wireless network; a second wireless base station disposed on a second network; and a mobile station that includes a communication controller, which controls wireless communication; wherein in the case where the mobile station attempts to switch communication to the second wireless network while coupled to the first wireless base station and communicating on the first wireless network, the communication controller temporarily synchronizes with the second wireless base station, and obtains an address pointer for acquiring network configuration information from the second wireless base station, the network configuration information containing information regarding the network configuration of the second wireless network, and after obtaining the address pointer, the communication controller recouples with the first wireless base station, accesses the data acquisition location specified by the address pointer via the first wireless network, and acquires the network configuration information.
US08155641B2
A system and method are provided for preventing lapses of communication in radio voice communications. The system may include a communications transceiver for transmitting signals through a communications antenna. A protection antenna, which may be isolated from the communications antenna, may obtain a received signal from a remote transmitter. The received signal may contain a signal of interest that may be combined with interference from the communications the communications transceiver. A protection receiver, coupled to the protection antenna, may obtain a sample of a transmit signal from the communications transceiver. Using the sample of this transmit signal, the protection receiver may remove the interference from the received signal to obtain the signal of interest. If it is determined that a communications channel is blocked, the protection receiver may store the transmit signal and later retransmit the stored transmit signal when the communication channel is unblocked.
US08155640B1
A system and method for improving efficiency of satellite communications is described. In one embodiment, efficient satellite communications is enabled through event-driven reporting by a mobile terminal.
US08155634B1
The present invention provides methods and systems to determine whether to upgrade the infrastructure of a wireless communication network. The invention is directed to generating an alert signal indicating that an additional data line between a packet-switched network and the wireless communications network should be installed. The alert signal may indicate that an additional data line should be installed. Alternatively, the alert signal may enter an automated order for the installation of an additional data line.
US08155632B2
Methods and systems for voting in a teleconference through the use of a telecommunication device are disclosed. The telecommunication device receives a digital vote request signal and transmits a digital vote signal from the user. A teleconference system is disclosed that enables a user to determine which participant is entitled to vote and solicits a vote from those participants through a digital signal communicated to a telecommunication device The teleconference system tallies the and reports the vote to all participants.
US08155629B2
The present invention is directed to a system and method for providing services, such as location-based services, in a GPRS network. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a database including local geographical information is stored in a BSS (Base Station System). The BSS transmits data in the database to at lease one MS on dedicated DPCHs in idle packet frames. The MS populates its database with the data while in idle mode and provides the location-based services to a subscriber using its database.
US08155621B2
The present invention provides systems and methods for facilitating mobile communication between a calling party and a called party. Aspects of the present invention include establishing, via a service node, mobile communications upon receiving a response, from the called party, to a mobile communication request made by the calling party to the service node, and further include facilitating, via the service node, charging the called party for the established mobile communications.
US08155620B2
In a converged communication network, IP data packet services are provided by a core network to access terminals via radio access nodes (RAN). By positioning accounting report triggering closer to the usage, accuracy and comprehensive of accounting is achieved, which can also reduce overhead burdens on the core network. Additional responsibility is given to an access gateway (AGW) between an enhanced base station (eBS) of the RAN and the core network that can reduce the volume and increase the accuracy of accounting message traffic to an authentication, authorization and accounting (AAA) server of the core network. The AGW informs the eBS of accounting rules to be used in making air link records that are merged and formatted in accordance with an accounting protocol for sending to the AAA server, to address duration and volume based accounting needs, postpaid and prepaid accounting types, and user, service and flow based accounting categories.
US08155619B2
Methods and apparatus for automatically connecting an emergency caller with appropriate responders within an interoperability and collaboration system. According to one aspect of the present invention, a method includes obtaining a request for a response, and identifying a first location from which the request originated. The request is obtained from a source that utilizes a phone and is located at the first location. The method also includes identifying at least one potential responder that may be capable or appropriate for providing the response. Finally, the method also includes creating a virtual talk group that includes the source and the potential responder. The potential responder may listen substantially directly to communications from the source within the virtual talk group using a land mobile radio.
US08155617B2
A method and arrangement for making a handover decision in a multi-access communication network is disclosed. A first set of criteria is determined for when a handover between at least two access paths should be performed and a report is sent when at least one criterion of a first set of criteria is fulfilled. A second set of criteria is determined for when a handover between said at least two access paths should be performed and a report is sent when at least one criterion of said second set of criteria is fulfilled. One or more data sessions of at least one user terminal network are determined to be handed over based on the sent reports and a core network anchor and a terminal anchor are directed to execute a handover by re-routing said determined data sessions from one access path to an alternative access path.
US08155615B2
A method (1100, 1200) of generating a composite mitigation signal (216, 902, 1002) is presented. The composite mitigation signal includes an odd integer (N) of transitions (310, 312) between a first amplitude and a second amplitude of the composite mitigation signal. Successive sets of the transition bursts are separated by a desired phase delay or time delay (330), or such separations are defined by a base signal (416) having a frequency equal to a fundamental frequency of the composite mitigation signal. The composite signal generators (222, 900, 1000) that generate the composite mitigation signal are also presented.
US08155607B2
An antenna apparatus of a portable terminal and method for implementing characteristics of the antenna apparatus of the portable terminal are disclosed. The antenna apparatus includes a circuit board including a power feeder and a ground, a radiation unit, a power feeder connecting unit for electrically connecting the power feeder to the radiation unit and for feeding electric power to the radiation unit, and a ground connecting unit including at least two paths which have different lengths for electrically connecting the ground to and disconnecting the ground from the radiation unit selectively.
US08155605B2
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for feedforward-type phase noise elimination in a portable terminal, which detect and eliminate phase-reversed phase noise by subtracting a GSM transmission signal, passed through the power amplifier of a GSM transmission device, from a GSM transmission signal, extracted from an upstream stage of the power amplifier, so that phase noise signals attributable to high-power transmission signals.
US08155596B2
In various embodiments, a communication device and a method for processing measurement control information in a communication device are provided. In an embodiment, system information and a system information identifier are stored by the communication device in a first connection state and the system information identifier is transmitted to the network communication device after changing to a second connection state.
US08155595B2
In a co-channel deployment of narrowband and multi-carrier technologies (e.g., a femtocell and a macrocell), a method provides cancelling of interference which treats the co-channel signals as desired signals and enhances each of them iteratively. At each iteration, each signal is demodulated and regenerated based on symbol decisions already made and a predetermined channel impulse response. To estimate the other (interfering) co-channel signal, the regenerated signal is subtracted from the aggregate signal. Simulations have shown that a method of the present invention can provide fundamental improvement in the performances of both interfering systems in as few as two iterations. The fundamental performance gain that can be obtained outweigh the required computational burden.
US08155593B2
A method is provided for allocating a frequency for wireless audio communications. A request is received for a frequency for wireless audio communications. The request contains the location, the time period, the quantity of required wireless communications paths and/or the available equipment for the wireless audio communications. This request is compared with information about frequency use which is stored in databases. Possible frequency ranges are outputted, and the possible frequency ranges are allocated to transmitting and/or receiving units of the requested audio communications.
US08155581B2
A method for exhibiting media segments includes accessing a database including user selection criteria fields associated with media segments and score fields associated with the user selection criteria fields. A directory of media segments is compiled by determining a selection score for each media segment utilizing the score fields. Score fields are modified based on selected media segments, and selected media segments are exhibited.
US08155578B2
Methods and systems for generating and processing an assessment examination answer sheet are disclosed. An answer sheet is formatted by question, column or section using a layout tool and includes calibration marks, and examinee and examination identifiers. The format is stored in a computer-readable form, such as an XML file. A conventional printer prints the answer sheet prior to a test administration. Upon completion, a scanned image of the answer sheet is produced using a conventional scanner. The calibration marks are used to determine relative positions of answer sheet elements and to determine light and dark answer values. The examinee and examination identifiers identify the examinee and the proper stored format. Automatic grading ensues. A graphical user interface (“GUI”) assists grading of the answer sheet. The GUI may use confidence level indicators to denote answer choices or questions for which the grading system cannot precisely determine the intended response.
US08155576B2
The invention is to provide a miniaturized sheet processing apparatus in that a conveying length a conveying distance need not be increased even though the number of sheets per bundle increases. A glue applying bookbinder that partially glues sheets and performs a pressing process to form a sheet bundle. The glue applying bookbinder includes a processing tray that stacks sheets, a glue applying portion that applies a glue on the sheets on the processing tray, and pressing portions that press the sheets on the processing tray. The glue applying portion is arranged such that the glue applying portion can be moved from a first standby position outside the sheets stacked on the stacking portion to a second standby position, different from the first standby position, outside the sheets through an upper surface of the sheets, and the pressing portions are moved integrally with the glue applying portion.
US08155569B2
A toner cartridge has a toner storage chamber, a discharge outlet, a conveying screw, and a blocking wall. The discharge outlet serves to send out toner stored in the toner storage chamber, and the conveying screw serves to convey the toner stored in the toner storage chamber. Further, before the toner cartridge mounted into an image forming apparatus, the blocking wall is located in a space between a toner area, which is an area in the toner storage chamber where the toner exists, and the discharge outlet, thereby putting the space in a blocked state. The toner cartridge further includes a driving mechanism for, when the toner cartridge has been mounted into the image forming apparatus, driving the conveying screw by power transmitted from the image forming apparatus, so as to cancel the blocked state.
US08155567B2
A developing device includes a first conveying unit provided within a developing agent storage chamber and configured to convey developing agent from one end of the storage chamber to another end in a longitudinal direction of a developing agent carrier disposed within a developing chamber and to supply the developing agent from the storage chamber to the developing chamber. The device may include a second conveying unit provided within the developing chamber and configured to convey the developing agent from the other end of the developing chamber to the one end in the longitudinal direction and to supply the developing agent toward a developing agent carrier, and a third conveying unit provided between the one end of the storage chamber and the one end of the developing chamber and configured to convey the developing agent from the one end of the developing chamber to the one end of the storage chamber.
US08155564B2
In a rotary-type image forming apparatus, rotation of a rotary is temporarily stopped at a position where a coupling member and a drive transmission member are engageable with each other, and a developing roller is set in a rotating state. Subsequently, the rotary is rotated so as to bring the developing roller into contact with a surface of a photosensitive drum.
US08155563B2
An image forming apparatus is capable of printing a position-coding pattern. A first print engine prints a position-coding pattern and holds a first developer material therein. A plurality of second print engines each print a corresponding image in accordance with print data, the image being different from the position-coding pattern, each of the second print engines holding a corresponding second developer material therein. The first developer material is charged to a first average amount of charge and has a first distribution of amount of charge. The second developer material is charged to a second average amount of charge and has a second distribution of amount of charge, such that the first average amount of charge is larger than the second average amount of charge, and that the first distribution of amount of charge has a smaller standard deviation than the second distribution of amount of charge.
US08155560B2
An image forming apparatus has a main body; an image forming portion for forming a toner image on a recording material; a fixing unit; a reverse roller to convey the recording material which is passed through the fixing portion to the image forming portion again after conveying the recording material which has passed through the fixing portion, where a rear end of the recording material passes through the fixing portion and the recording material is conveyed toward the image forming portion by rotating the reverse roller backward. The apparatus has a first and second conveying path, the second conveying path provided outside the first conveying path, and the reverse roller unit is attached to an opening/closing portion which exposes the first convey path when opened.
US08155555B2
A powder transporting device includes a transporting path that has first and second transporting path transporting paths, a connecting member that is disposed in a connecting portion of the first transporting path and the second transporting path, a sealing member that seals a connection transporting path and the connecting member; an opening that is disposed on an end side of the connection transporting path of the connecting member; a rotation gate member that moves between a rotation blocking position and a rotation opening position; and an outer gate member moves between an outer opening position and an outer blocking position.
US08155551B2
This disclosure provides power supply control methods and apparatus. According to one aspect of the disclosure, a method of operating a power supply operatively connected to a developer unit associated with a printing apparatus is disclosed. The method includes generating a modified output control signal as a function of stored gain and offset values associated with the power supply to generate a desired output voltage to drive the developer unit.
US08155543B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image carrying member, an image forming mechanism, an optical sensor, and a controller. The image forming mechanism performs an image forming operation for forming a reference toner image on the image carrying member under a specific setting associated with the image forming mechanism. The optical sensor is arranged in a vicinity to the image carrying member. The controller performs an optical toner test for checking, by using the optical sensor, optical characteristics of the reference toner image formed on the image carrying member and to adjust the specific setting based on a result of the optical toner test.
US08155539B2
An image forming apparatus includes a rotary for changing an attitude of a developing device to a first attitude in which developer in a developer accommodating chamber is feedable to a developer feeding member and to a second attitude in which the developer having been located above a nip between the developer feeding member and a developing roller drops from the nip. In the image attitude of the developing device, an electrostatic latent image is developed. In the second attitude of the developing device, detection of a remaining amount of the developer is carried out.
US08155532B2
A removable optical interface module is used to allow an optical transmission apparatus to flexibly respond to a change from a type of service to another that uses a different light wavelength. To this end, the optical transmission apparatus is removably provided with an optical interface module storing attribute information and includes a plurality of service implementation units implementing services using signals transmitted and received through the optical interface module. An operation selecting unit is provided which selects and causes a service implementation unit among the plurality of service implementation units that implement a service corresponding to the attribute information to operate.
US08155527B2
A free space optical communication system incorporates a kinematic sensor, such as an accelerometer, proximate an optical signal generator or emitter, such as a laser. Kinematic information generated using an output signal from the kinematic sensor is encoded along with a time signal and transmitted from the sending node to a receiving node. The receiving node receives the kinematic information and determines a future position and orientation of the sending node. The receiving node makes adjustments to receiving optical component hardware in order to better receive the signal based upon the acceleration data and the time signal.
US08155523B2
In a Wavelength Division Multiplexed Passive Optical Network (WDM-PON) including, a system for overlaying an analog broadcast signal. An Optical Line Terminal of the WDM-PON includes a broadband light source for generating uplink seed light for each uplink channel of the WDM-PON, and a modulator for modulating the analog broadcast signal onto the uplink seed light. An Optical Network Terminal of the WDM-PON receives the uplink seed light from the Optical Line Terminal, and includes an optical divider for dividing the received seed light into a first signal and a second signal; a light source for generating an uplink data signals using the first signal as seed light; and an RF receiver for detecting the analog broadcast signal modulated on the second signal.
US08155520B1
A network element of a transport network has three fabrics housed within a single shelf of a telco rack, namely a packet fabric, an electrical fabric and an optical fabric. The shelf also includes inter-fabric circuitry, to bridge between the fabrics, e.g. packet-electrical and/or electrical-optical and/or packet-optical. The inter-fabric circuitries switchably transmit packets across fabrics in intermediate nodes of the transport network. The single shelf of some embodiments has a wall (“midplane”) between a rear region that holds the three fabrics and a front region that holds inter-fabric circuitry, and external interfaces to optical trunks and/or packet services and/or optical tributaries.
US08155512B2
The camera system is constituted by the camera main body and the interchangeable lens which is removably attachable to the camera main body. The camera main body has an imaging unit, a main body shake detector, a main body image blur corrector, and a body microcomputer configured to control the imaging unit, the shake detector, and the image blur corrector. The interchangeable lens has a shake detector, an image blur corrector, and a lens microcomputer configured to control the shake detector and the image blur corrector. The body microcomputer selects either the main body or lens shake detector, activates the selected shake detector, and stops the other shake detector.
US08155508B2
A drying apparatus includes a casing and a cavity formed in the casing for receiving an object to be dried. A fan is located in the casing so as to be capable of creating an airflow, and a motor is provided in the casing for driving the fan. Ducting is provided for carrying the airflow from the fan to at least one opening arranged to emit the airflow into the cavity (12). The ducting includes at least one air duct having a wall in which perforations are provided, and a layer of sound-absorbing material is located on the external surface of the wall so as to cover the perforations. The invention is particularly suitable for use in hand dryers.
US08155506B2
Systems and methods for processing media information are disclosed and may include tracking a number of times that at least one stored identifier that identifies program content for a particular data channel that is received via one of a plurality of multiplexed transport data streams is modified. At least a portion of the received program content for the particular data channel may be discarded based on the tracking. The at least one stored identifier that identifies the program content for the particular data channel may include a packet identifier (PID) and a processor identifier associated with the PID that identifies at least one of a plurality of processors that parses at least a portion of the program content for the particular data channel that is received via one of the plurality of multiplexed transport data streams.
US08155501B2
A playback apparatus comprises a platform for executing an application, a playback engine for performing AV playback, and a playback control engine. Upon receipt of an instruction from a user, the playback control engine judges the state of the playback apparatus at the moment. If the playback apparatus is in the state of currently performing the AV playback, the playback control engine instructs the playback engine to perform the AV playback at a predetermined speed level. A key event corresponding to the instruction from the user is output to the application on the platform afterwards.
US08155500B2
The present invention has an objective of realizing compatibility of an optical disk having a high resolution video signal recorded thereon and a system for reproducing the optical disk, with a conventional system for producing a standard resolution video signal. A high resolution video signal is divided by video division means into a main signal and a sub signal, and the main signal and the sub signal are MPEG-encoded. The stream of the main signal and the stream of the sub signal are divided into 1 GOP or more of frames. First interleave blocks 54 each including 1 GOP or more of the stream of the main signal and second interleave blocks 55 each including 1 GOP or more of the stream of the sub signal are recorded on an optical disk 1. A high resolution reproduction apparatus reproduces both the first and second interleave blocks to obtain a high resolution video output. A non-high quality picture reproduction apparatus reproduces only the first or second interleave blocks to obtain a standard resolution video output.
US08155490B2
Furcation assemblies (100) for furcating a fiber optic drop cable (10) are disclosed. An example furcation assembly includes a furcation member (110) having an elongate furcation body (112) defining an axial channel (130) with a front section (132). The channel front section is configured to accommodate and be secured to either a buffer tube (30) of a buffered drop cable or a protective cover (20) of an unbuffered drop cable. A flexible guide (150) is secured to the furcation member back end. A flexible protection member (180) slidably fits within the guide back end and is telescopically adjustable relative thereto. To create a cable assembly (200) using the furcation assembly, the furcation member is secured to the drop cable so that the optical fiber (40) carried thereby is passed through the furcation member, through the guide and through the protection member to form an exposed fiber section. The fiber end (41) of the exposed fiber section is then connectorized with a connector (200) and the protection member is slid over the exposed fiber portion and is connected to the connector back end (214). Furcation assemblies and methods for handling multiple fibers are also disclosed.
US08155484B2
An all-optical device for data processing is presented. The device comprises at least one optical waveguide unit (10) made of linear media and configured to provide multiple total internal reflections of light passing therethrough, the waveguide unit (10) comprising a waveguide portion (11) for interaction between reflected light components of input light; an input aperture arrangement (14) formed by at least one input aperture at an input facet of the waveguide portion (11); and an output aperture arrangement form by at least one output aperture at an output facet of the waveguide portion. The geometry of the input aperture arrangement and the waveguide portion is selected so as to determine an interference pattern resulting from a diffraction-based interaction between light components of a predetermined wavelength while the light components propagate through the waveguide portion, a location of the at least one output aperture relative to features of the interference pattern being selected to provide at the output an appropriate modulation of at least one parameter of the input light.
US08155462B2
A reconstruction system for digital signals processed by the laplacian pyramid including a master lifting-based parameterization reconstruction scheme. The system also involves the design of low-complexity FIR linear-phase integer-coefficient filtering operators for lapacian pyramid decimation and interpolation stages that deliver a minimum mean-squared error reconstruction.
US08155461B2
Methods and apparatuses for encoding and decoding a multi-view image are provided. The method of encoding the multi-view image can use a difference in views between pictures of the multi-view image, add an image area obtained from a picture at one view at a first time to a picture at another view at a second time, thereby generating a reference picture, and perform prediction encoding using the generated reference picture, thereby increasing prediction encoding efficiency.
US08155458B2
The present invention can code an I-picture that satisfies a predetermined condition using parameter information. When it is determined at step S1 that a picture type is the I-picture, it is determined at step S2 whether or not the phase of a macro block in previous coding agrees with that of the macro block of present coding. When the phases of the macro blocks agree with each other, it is determined at step S3 whether or not amount of generated code in a unit of picture in decoding≦target amount of code×α is satisfied. When the condition is satisfied, it is determined at step S4 whether or not an image frame of previous coding is the same as that of previous coding. When the image frames are not the same, the information of a picture type, motion vector, and a quantized value included in the parameter information is reused, whereas when the image frames are the same, the stream data input to a decoder is output. When the above condition is not satisfied, the parameters are not reused. The present invention can be applied to a coder, a coding apparatus, an information recording apparatus, an information reproducing apparatus, or a transcoder.
US08155457B2
Processing an image with embedded metadata by determining an integer value of a byte and separate the integer value into a plurality of digits, converting each of the digits into an encoding value using a predefined conversion function, selecting a pixel block in a metadata container, encoding into the selected pixel block each of the encoding values, and after the pixel block is encoded using a lossy compression scheme and subsequently decoded into raw pixel data, extracting the metadata from the raw pixel data, and performing at least one predefined action using the metadata.
US08155451B2
A matching apparatus and method compares a set of feature points of two objects projected to an N-dimensional space and determines the similarity between the objects and includes mapping the set to a one-dimensional space, creating a set of pairs of a feature point of first object that is the most approximate to a feature point of second object, partly extracting the pairs in small order of the pair distance from the set of the pairs of the feature points and creating a partial set of the pairs of the feature points, calculating a rating-scale of the pair belonging to the partial set of the pair of the feature points, and determining the similarity between the first object and the second object on the basis of an average value of the distance.
US08155439B2
An image processing device of the present application includes a color drift correcting section, a saturation reduction calculating section, and a color correcting section. The color drift correcting section corrects a color drift of an input image and generates a color drift correction image. The saturation reduction calculating section calculates a degree of saturation reduction caused by the color drift correction by comparing the input image with the color drift correction image. The color correcting section performs a color correction depending on the degree of saturation reduction with respect to a processed image of either one of the input image and the color drift correction image.
US08155436B2
Systems and methods are provided for reducing data size of at least one bitmap image, wherein the bitmap image comprises a plurality of image components, wherein each image component is associated with a distinct color plane. The plurality of color planes may be ranked using a dominance rank, wherein the dominance rank for a color plane is based on data in its associated image component. The data size of the at least one image component may be reduced based on the dominance rank of the color plane associated with the image component.
US08155435B2
An image display apparatus includes a display device for displaying an image on the basis of image data, and a detection unit which detects a size of a first color region of a predetermined color displayed on the basis of the image data, wherein pixels in the color region with the predetermined color are continuously arranged in at least one direction. In addition, a conversion unit converts the image data relating to the first color region when the size of the first color region is equal to or less than a predetermined number of pixels so as to increase a luminance of the first color region.
US08155431B2
In generating stereo image data based on a plurality of monocular images of the same subject with a predetermined parallax, a metadata generating section generates collateral data, related to stereo image data, and an image file generating section generates information related to a date and time at which collateral data was generated or updated. Stereo image data and collateral data are synthesized into an image file. Information, related to a date and time at which collateral data was generated or updated, and information, related to a date and time at which the image file is generated or updated, are further added for conversion to a predetermined file format to generate the image file. Using information related to such date and time makes it possible to appropriately process, edit and reproduce a subsequent stereo image even when the stereo image is processed and edited with non-3D-compliant equipment or software.
US08155430B2
A method of automatically counting a number of inclusions by eliminating the effects of shrinkage cavities in the conventional method and securing a high correlation with a value measured by a skilled worker and a casting mold for obtaining a cast sample used for the same are provided. A method of measurement of a number of nonmetallic inclusions comprising capturing an image of a rectangular fracture surface of a cast sample consisting of an aluminum alloy by a CCD camera or other image capturing means, processing the image captured by the image capturing means for color density, digitalizing the processed image by a predetermined threshold value, and counting the number of pixel clusters of a predetermined size or more, the method characterized by detecting the end edges of the short sides of the rectangular fracture surface before the capturing of its image and automatically setting measurement regions of an area of ¼ to ⅔ of the area of the fracture surface at the two ends of the fracture surface. A casting mold for obtaining a cast sample comprised of a top mold having a recess and a bottom mold having a sprue, having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped cavity extending in the melt flow direction in the state where the top mold and the bottom mold are assembled, and provided, at equal intervals at the bottom of the recess of the top mold with a handle, with inverted V-shaped projections extending in a direction vertical to the melt flow direction.
US08155427B2
A system for the long-term storage and high-speed retrieval of images stored on silicon wafers. The images are stored by utilizing semiconductor fabrication techniques. These images are organized and managed using metadata in the form of a barcode. Each barcode is a unique identifier that contains the location information for each specific image on the silicon wafer substrate. The system further provides an identifier in an electronic database that references the appropriate barcode and describes the contents of the image. The images and barcodes are transferred to specific predetermined locations on the silicon wafer. The stored images are retrieved by use of a software program that searches for a user's queries in the electronic database and outputs the specific barcode to the image reader. The image reader translates the barcode information for the desired image and drives the optics or the silicon wafer to the appropriate location.
US08155421B2
A method and a system for using tomosynthesis projection images of a patient's breast to reconstruct slice tomosynthesis images such that anatomical structures that appear superimposed in a mammogram are at conforming locations in the reconstructed images.
US08155418B2
Generating at least one view (420) of a portion of a computed tomography image includes selecting (310) a seed point (410) for a structure of interest within the image, pre-processing (320) a region of interest surrounding the seed point, estimating (325) at least one inertia axis for the region of interest, and generating (345) the at least one view from one or more of three planes that include the seed point and are orthogonal to each axis of inertia.
US08155413B2
The embodiments of the present invention include a method and system for analyzing skin conditions using digital images. The method comprises acquiring a white-light image and an ultraviolet (UV) image of a portion of a body surface, such as a person's face, each of the white-light and UV images including a plurality of pixels and each pixel in the UV image corresponding to a respective pixel in the white-light image. The method further comprises identifying skin-pixels in the white-light and UV images, and obtaining results associated with at least one skin condition using information in the skin pixels in the first white light and UV images.
US08155412B2
A problem inherent to radiographic images, which may occur when an independent component analysis technique is applied to energy subtraction carried out on radiographic images, is solved to achieve separation of image components to be separated with higher accuracy. As preprocessing before the independent component analysis, a spatial frequency band which contains the components to be separated is extracted, pixels of the radiographic images are classified into more than one subsets for each radiographic image based on a value of a predetermined parameter, and/or nonlinear pixel value conversion is applied to the radiographic images based on a value of the predetermined parameter. Alternatively, nonlinear independent component analysis is carried out according to a model using the predetermined parameter.
US08155409B2
The invention relates to a computer implemented method for processing of microscopic images to detect objects of interest. The method includes subjecting the microscopic image to a bandpass filtering to obtain a filtered image, wherein the bandpass filtering is such as to suppress the noise and any objects which are larger than a predetermined size; and processing the filtered image at a plurality of progressively decreasing threshold levels. The processing at each threshold level includes detecting the objects of interest using an object labelling algorithm and removing the detected objects detected at a given threshold level from the working image before proceeding to the next threshold level.
US08155408B2
A method for detecting a disease state is presented. In accordance with aspects of the present technique, a method for detecting a disease state is presented. The method includes creating a normal standardized data repository, where the normal standardized data repository includes one or more normal reference surface projections, where the normal reference surface projections include anatomical information obtained from one or more groups at different phases corresponding to one or more regions of interest in a normal organ, where each of the one or more groups includes one or more subjects having normal organs, and where the normal standardized data repository may be configured to aid in the detection of a disease state. Systems and computer-readable medium that afford functionality of the type defined by this method are also contemplated in conjunction with the present technique.
US08155407B2
The invention relates to a method and device for navigating on a vision plane (1) in a multidimensional image data set (8), wherein the intersection angle and degree of freedom (3, 6, 7) of the vision plane (1) displacement correspond to the degree of freedom of a sample (2) displacement, in particular an ultrasound transducer (2) during an interactive image producing examination. Said invention also relates to a method and device for carrying out measurements in dynamic image data, wherein said method consists in stopping, for a predefined time interval, a sequence reproduction when a frame (Fp) is interesting, thereby enabling a user to carry out measurements.
US08155406B2
An image processing system particularly for use with diagnostic images includes at least one processing unit, which receives digital images acquired by one or more imaging apparatus and provides output images, processed by an image processing program loaded in the memory of the processing unit and executed thereby, wherein the system includes a central service unit having an interface to be accessed by remote users, which connect to the central unit by remote communication.
US08155394B2
An integrated wireless location and facial/speaker-recognition system that provides distinct advantages over facial-recognition systems and speaker-recognition systems of the prior art is disclosed. The integrated system is capable of using information from a wireless location system to improve the performance of the facial recognition and speaker recognition. The system is capable of processing photographs and/or audio samples captured by a camera/microphone at a fixed location (e.g., a digital pan-zoom-tilt (PZT) surveillance camera, etc.) as well as those captured by a mobile camera/microphone (e.g., a digital camera and microphone in a smartphone, etc.). The system also features a feedback mechanism by which the location-informed results can be used to improve the system's recognition abilities.
US08155385B2
A vehicle-periphery-image-providing system may include an image-capturing unit, a viewpoint-change unit, an image-composition unit, an object-decttion unit, a line-width-setting unit, and a line-selection unit. The image-capturing units, such as cameras, capture images outside a vehicle periphery and generate image-data items. The viewpoint-change unit generates a bird's-eye-view image for each image-data item based on the image-data item so that end portions of the real spaces corresponding to two adjacent bird's-eye-view images overlap each other. The image-composition unit generates a bird's-eye-view-composite image by combining the bird's-eye-view images according to a predetermined layout. The object-detection unit detects an object existing in the real space corresponding to a portion where the bird's-eye-view images of the bird's-eye-composite image are joined to each other. The line-width-setting unit sets the width of the line image corresponding to the joining portion. The line-selection unit adds a line image having the set width to an overlap portion of one of the bird's-eye-view images.
US08155381B2
A method and apparatus for detecting vehicle headlights and a region-of-interest (ROI) segmenting method and apparatus are disclosed. The ROI segmenting method includes: performing an edge extracting operation on a captured image to obtain edges of the captured image; selecting edges meeting predetermined criteria from the obtained edges, the predetermined criteria being the similarity between the region surrounded by the selected edges and the pattern formed by a vehicle headlight in physical reality at a position of the selected edges; determining the region surrounded by the selected edges within the captured image as a vehicle headlight pattern; and segmenting the ROI which potentially includes the vehicle pattern from the captured image based on the determined vehicle headlight pattern. With such a method and apparatus, the ROI of a vehicle may be acquired from the image without using the vehicle's bottom shadow.
US08155378B2
The present invention relates generally to color image processing. One claim recites a method comprising: determining a plurality of color attributes associated with video or imagery; determining which samples representing the video or imagery should receive digital watermarking based on the plurality of color attributes; transforming at least some of the samples into a transform domain; and utilizing a programmed electronic processor, modifying transform domain coefficients representing the samples to hide the digital watermarking therein. Of course other claims and combinations are provided as well.
US08155374B2
An electroacoustic transducing device comprising: a magnetic circuit having a yoke, a magnet, and a pole piece; a vibration system having a diaphragm and a voice coil; and a frame which holds the magnetic circuit and the vibration system. The voice coil is placed in a magnetic gap, and has lead wires of the voice coil which are drawn out from the voice coil at positions which are remote from the diaphragm. Openings for air forming for forming slack portions in the lead wires are drawn out from the voice coil and are disposed in the frame. The lead wires are adequately subjected to the wire laying process, and the audio performance is prevented from being lowered.
US08155372B2
The present invention relates generally to a compact speaker with secondary wire suspension. The secondary suspension assembly is the speaker has a suspension assembly with preferably 3 wires which provide stability to reduce wobbling while maintaining linear excursion.
US08155366B2
A surface mountable package for use with an audio transducer is provided. In addition to the audio transducer, the surface mountable package includes a substrate, a cover, and a transducer support frame mounted within, and attached to, the substrate and cover. The support frame includes one or more cavities that, in combination with the audio transducer, substrate and cover, define the front and rear acoustic cavity volumes.
US08155362B2
A wireless listening system includes a base operable to receive an electrical signal corresponding to an audio signal, including the ring of an incoming telephone call, up-convert the audio signal to an infrared signal, and transmit the infrared audio signal wirelessly therefrom, and a wireless headset operable to selectably receive either the infrared audio signal transmitted by the base, or an infrared signal corresponding to an audio signal transmitted by a public address system, down-convert the received signal back into the audio signal, and audibly reproduce the audio signal to a wearer of the headset. The system enables a hearing impaired listeners to enjoy their favorite audio programs without disturbing nearby persons with normal hearing and without missing an incoming telephone call, and is also compatible with public IR PA systems currently used to assist the hearing impaired community.
US08155360B2
A hearing apparatus allowing a user to reliably switch the apparatus on and/or off includes a battery compartment for a battery and an actuation element disposed at the battery compartment for switching the apparatus on and/or off. A contact element has a contact point and taps an electric potential on the battery with the contact point when the actuation element is in a first position. The actuation element, in a second position linearly displaced from the first position, lifts the contact element at a lifting section of the contact element being different from the contact point, to remove the contact point of the contact element from the battery. Thus, the contact point of the contact element only contacts the battery and no additional material, preventing materials from being scratched and an electric circuit from being interrupted and ensures that an even, grippable surface of the actuation element is always available.
US08155352B2
A serializer/deserializer interfaces a microprocessor/controller with I/O devices over a flexible hinging cable. The I/O devices have parallel interfaces as does the controller but the serializer/deserializer reduces the number of signal that traverse the flexible hinging cable. LCD displays, cameras, keypads and audio signals handled by the invention.
US08155346B2
A sound source direction detector comprises FFT analysis sections (103(1) to 103(3)) for generating a frequency spectrum in at least one frequency band of acoustic signals for each of the acoustic signals collected by two or more microphones arranged apart from one another, detection sound identifying sections (104(1) to 104(3)) for identifying a time portion of the frequency spectrum of a detection sound which obtains a sound source direction from the frequency spectrum in the frequency band, and a direction detecting section (105) for obtaining the difference between the times at which the detection sound reaches the microphones, obtaining the sound source direction from the time difference, the distance between the microphones, and the sound velocity, and outputting it depending on the degree of coincidence between the microphones of the frequency spectrum in the time portion identified by the detection sound identifying sections (104(1) to 104(3)) in a time interval which is the time unit to detect the sound source direction.
US08155340B2
An apparatus and method for communications is disclosed. The apparatus includes a receiver configured to scale an audio signal, and a transducer circuit configured to provide an ambient signal in response to an ambient condition, wherein the receiver is further configured to scale the ambient signal from the transducer circuit and combine the scaled ambient signal with the scaled audio signal, the receiver being further configured to adjust the scaling applied to at least one of the ambient and audio signals.
US08155335B2
A wireless headset includes a first earpiece and a second earpiece, where the first and second earpieces communicate with each other over a wireless link. In some configurations, the first earpiece includes both a primary wireless interface for receiving audio from an audio source and a secondary wireless interface transmitting a portion of the audio to the second earpiece. The earpieces can incorporate Near Field Communication (NFC) technology to provide the wireless link between each other. The wireless headset can be configured to synchronize audio output at the earpieces, and can also include a second-earpiece detection mechanism that permits the first earpiece to be used in either a stand-alone mode, with audio output at only the first earpiece, or full-headset mode, with audio output at both earpieces when the second earpiece is detected within wireless range of the first earpiece.
US08155333B2
An active noise control apparatus that controls by a control sound a noise which is output from a noise source, includes: a control sound generating section which inputs a control signal, and produce the control sound; a residual noise detecting section which detects, as a residual noise signal, a noise remaining after the noise control by the control sound; a control signal generating section which inputs, as a reference signal, a signal concerning the noise or the generation state of the noise, and generates the control signal; and a controlling section which inputs the control signal and the residual noise signal, detects the components that cannot be identified in the control signal generating section, and controls the generation of the control signal in the control signal generating section.
US08155332B2
Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that attenuates noise from a fan exhaust of a computer system. During operation, the system monitors the noise from the fan exhaust and calculates a frequency spectrum of the noise from the monitored noise. Next, the system generates an antiphase spectrum from the frequency spectrum and generates a flow of air which exhibits a property of the antiphase spectrum. Finally, the system directs the flow of air into the fan exhaust so that the noise is attenuated by a reduction of turbulence in the fan exhaust by the flow of air.
US08155331B2
A result of a sound source direction measurement based on an output of an REMA (first microphone array) (11) and a result of a sound source position measurement based on an output of an IRMA (second microphone array) (12) are integrated through a particle filter or in space. Thus, the different microphones, i.e., the REMA (11) and the IRMA (12) can cancel mutual defects or ambiguities with each other. Therefore, from views of improvement in accuracy and robustness a performance of sound source localization can be improved.
US08155330B2
An audio communications device has a handset in which a touch sensing ear piece region is coupled to an acoustic leakage analyzer. The acoustic leakage analyzer is to analyze signals from the touch sensing ear piece region and on that basis adjust an audio processing parameter. The latter configures an audio processor which generates an audio receiver input signal for the device. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
US08155324B2
A calculating unit (201) arranges a three-dimensional spatial body containing a listening point within a virtual space in a voice processor (200). The three-dimensional spatial body is constituted by a group of predetermined unit figures. The calculating unit (201) acquires a distribution of a region and an amount of overlap between a region occupied by the three-dimensional spatial body and a region occupied by predetermined objects. A modifying unit (202) modifies reflected sounds of sounds by the predetermined objects based on the distribution of the region of overlap and the amount of overlap acquired by the calculating unit (201). An outputting unit (203) outputs the reflected sounds modified by the modifying unit (202).
US08155321B2
A processing system to serve as a source device for protected digital content comprises a processor and control logic. The processing system may generate and save a first master key, and may transmit that key to a first receiving device for use during a first session. During a second session, the processing system may obtain an identifier for a candidate receiving device. The processing system may use the identifier to determine whether the processing system contains a master key for the candidate receiving device. If the processing system such a master key, the processing system may send verification data concerning that key to the candidate receiving device, and may use that key to encrypt a session key for the second session. If not, a second master key may be generated and transmitted to the candidate receiving device for use during the second session. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08155308B1
A cryptographic device comprises a first pipeline stage, a pipeline register, and a second pipeline stage. The first pipeline stage comprises a first byte substitution module that performs mathematical operations on a received byte and outputs an intermediate value based on the mathematical operations. The pipeline register stores the intermediate value. The second pipeline stage comprises a second byte substitution module and a column mixing module. The second byte substitution module generates a replacement byte corresponding to the received byte based on mathematical operations performed on the stored intermediate value. The column mixing module transforms groups of four bytes of a plurality of replacement bytes including the replacement byte.
US08155297B1
A system and method for providing call-back options is disclosed. The method comprises receiving a call in a call routing system, providing at least one call-back option for a caller to receive a call-back, re-allocating resources in the call routing system based at least in part on the at least one call-back option, and calling the caller based on the at least one call-back option. The caller may specify a specific time, a relative time, or a time range when a call-back is preferred. The caller may also specify one or more telephone numbers in combination with the time preferences. The call-back may be initiated by a voice response unit (VRU) and additional call-back options may be presented to the customer who responds to the call-back.
US08155291B2
Peering partners register with a peering grid for direct broadband routing of call offers. The peering grid terminates call offers on behalf of peering partners, collecting call detail records, summarizing termination usage, and calculating a payment to be provided to the peering partner in return for using the services of the peering grid.
US08155290B2
Systems and methods for providing per call data measurement in an IMS network are provided. An IMS network adapted to provide per call measurement data comprises a plurality of network nodes serving a call for a subscriber adapted to monitor network performance to generate call measurement data for the call. The network nodes further generate charging information for the call and include the call measurement data in the charging information. The network nodes transmit the charging information to a charging system. The charging system is adapted to parse call measurement data from the charging information, and to transmit the call measurement data for the call to a network management system.
US08155289B2
A remote control system for at least one electric device, each electric device having device identification data, has a handset comprising a handset transceiver, and a base unit having a telephone function to make a call. The base unit has a base unit transceiver that communicates with the handset wireless transceiver bidirectionally, and a primary remote-controller that communicates the electric device bidirectionally to control the electric device. The primary remote-controller has a remote-control transmitter and a remote-control receiver. The remote-control transmitter transmits control data to the electric device by using the device identification data, the control data being used for controlling the electric device. The remote-control receiver receives response data from the electric device in response to the control data.
US08155287B2
An enhanced caller-id service providing multi-media based caller information to subscribers via a server system. The server system can combine user-provided profile information with other data to provide more detailed reports for the subscriber. The server can also be used to maintain long-term calling records for subscribers. The caller information can be accessed remotely by the subscriber and can be downloaded from the server to another computer for use with other applications.
US08155278B2
A method and apparatus for communicating through a phone having a voice recognition function are provided. The method of performing communication using a phone having a voice recognition function includes converting to an incoming call notification and voice recognition mode when a phone call is received; converting to a communication connection and speakerphone mode when voice information related to a communication connection instruction is recognized; performing communication using a speakerphone; and ending communication when voice information related to a communication end instruction is recognized during communication using the speakerphone. Therefore, when a phone call is received, a mode of a phone is converted to a speakerphone mode with a voice instruction using a voice recognition function, and thus communication can be performed without using a hand.
US08155256B2
A time to digital converter is used to determine which edge of the higher frequency clock (oversampling clock) is farther away from the edge of the lower frequency timing signal. At the same time, the oversampling clock performs sampling of the timing signal by two registers: one on the rising edge and the other on the falling edge. Then, the register of “better quality” retiming, as determined by the fractional phase detector decision, is selected to provide the retimed output.
US08155254B2
Techniques for the adjustment of a position of Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) window are provided. The adjustment may be based on the condition that the length of channel impulse response is larger than the length of cyclic prefix. The technique may determine a position of the FFT window that attempts to maximize carrier-to-noise (C/N) ratio value measured at the receiver.
US08155250B2
Method and apparatus for a wireless receiver are described which derive at least a first stream of first digitized samples from a received analog signal at a first sampling rate and identify a first frequency offset based on a plurality of parallel correlations using complex reference signals which differ from each other by phase offsets. A second frequency offset is identified based on tracking a demodulation accuracy for each symbol which is demodulated from the first stream of digitized samples. These frequency offsets can be used to rotate decision areas in the demodulator. The methods and apparatus may be used in a Bluetooth receiver.
US08155239B2
A multi-mode transmission system supporting OFDM and single-carrier signals is configured to perform interpolation and decimation such that the ratio of the interpolation factor to the decimation factor equals the ratio between the OFDM sampling rate and the single-carrier chip rate. A constant-envelope modulator comprises a π/4 fixed rotator, a π/2 continuous rotator, and in-phase and quadrature-phase analog Bessel filters. Frame formats and signaling protocols are provided for signal acquisition, synchronization, and tracking between wireless devices that employ different antenna configurations. Spreading gains are selected to compensate for different antenna gains such that the total gain (antenna gain plus spreading gain) is substantially equal for transmissions employing different beam patterns.
US08155238B2
A device for processing data which is to be transmitted by radio, with the data to be transmitted being in the form of a digital baseband signal (DAT1), has a filter unit (301) for pulse shaping and oversampling of the digital baseband signal (DAT1), a predistortion unit (302, 303) for predistortion of the filtered and oversampled digital baseband signal (DAT2), and a control unit (304, 313) for controlling the predistortion unit (302, 303) as a function of the digital baseband signal (DAT1).
US08155230B2
A method for soft demapping of complex-valued symbols y(k) (k=1, 2, . . . , K) by calculation of a Logarithm of Likelihood Ratio (LogLR) such that: Log LR ( b I , q ) = ln ∑ λ ∈ S l , q ( 1 ) exp ( - 1 2 β y ~ ( k ) - λ 2 ) ∑ λ ∈ S q , l ( 0 ) exp ( - 1 2 β y ~ ( k ) - λ 2 ) wherein bI,q is the qth coded bit of an in-phase part of a transmitted signal, β is an asymptotic Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio, {tilde over (y)}(k) is a standardized symbol associated with y(k), λ is a reference symbol of QAM constellation associated with a M-QAM modulation, S(1)I,q and S(0)I,q are complex plane partitions that bring together, respectively, all reference symbols λ having a “1” at the position (I, q) and all reference symbols λ having a “0” at the position (I, q), a formula similar to LogLR being given for the bit bQ,p, pth coded bit of a quadrature part of the transmitted signal. The method applies to code division multiple access transmission systems.
US08155227B2
A mobile terminal device for performing multi-carrier communication with a base station device can improve communication quality while reducing the data amount without lowering accuracy of feedback information. In the mobile station device (100), a reception level measuring unit (135) measuring SINR as a reception level for each chunk formed by a plurality of sub-carriers according to a known signal; a control information transmission control unit (160) transmits feedback information (CQI information) based on the communication quality of each chunk to a base station device (200); a relative value calculation unit (150) calculates a relative value of MCS corresponding to the reception level between adjacent chunks from the reception level of each chunk; and a CQI information generation unit (155) generates feedback information (CQI information) from an absolute value of MCS corresponding to the reception level of the reference chunk and a relative value of MCS corresponding to the reception level between the adjacent chunks.
US08155222B2
A base station transmits control information to a mobile station. A first control channel is transmitted to the mobile station. The first control channel contains an indication of the number of control channel occurrences in a frame. A second control channel is transmitted to the mobile station in a control subframe. The second control channel contains information for communicating a packet between the base station and the mobile station. The control subframe is determined from the number of control channel occurrences in the frame. The packet can then be communicated between the base station and the mobile station in a subframe based on the control channels transmitted.
US08155219B2
A method for suppressing the peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) while limiting deterioration in signal characteristics in wireless communication devices utilizing wireless communication methods (OFDM method, MIMO method) for multiplexing and sending multiple signals. A weight calculator unit sets a large weight for transmit signals whose channel quality is poor, relative to the weight of each base component based on the acquired channel quality. A peak detector unit detects the peak from the signal string after unitary conversion, and extracts a distortion component to apply for suppressing the peak. A peak suppression signal generation unit calculates the peak signal from the distortion component and weight of each base component, to add to each base component, and adds the peak suppression signal to each base component prior to unitary transformation.
US08155215B2
There is provided a circuit constituted by small-sized and simple logical gates which reduces the bit errors generated in a data sequence received by a receiver. A transmission system, in which a data sequence is transferred, includes a transmitter that transmits a first transfer signal including an edge-present data waveform which has (i) a first timing edge indicating a timing to obtain data included in the data sequence and (ii) a level signal indicating a signal level corresponding to a value of the data, and a receiver that outputs the value of the data in accordance with the signal level which is detected at the timing indicated by the first timing edge of the edge-present data waveform.
US08155212B2
A structure outputting a decoded video stream includes a processing block and a range modification circuit. The processing block decodes an input stream to generate and store a decoded stream in a decoded picture buffer, wherein the decoded stream comprises a luminance component and a chrominance component a decoded stream. The range modification circuit receives the decoded stream, and modifies, if required, a luminance range of the luminance component and a chrominance range of the chrominance component. The range modification circuit further outputs a video stream. The video stream comprises the modified luminance component when the luminance modification signal is true, and the video stream comprises the luminance component when the luminance modification is false. Similarly, the video stream comprises the modified chrominance component when the chrominance modification signal is true, and the video stream comprises the chrominance component when the chrominance modification signal is false.
US08155202B2
A scrolling encoder encodes scrolling elements that are to be scrolled around all or a subset of the frames of a video stream or file with their movement in time and space controlled by a path to produce a video stream or file, without searching previous or subsequent frames of the video stream or file for reference blocks. The scrolling element can be an image, video, text or any combination thereof. The scrolling element is encoded using information about the contents of the scrolling element and information about a path the scrolling element is to take across a screen. The information about the contents of the scrolling element is obtained when the scrolling element is first introduced into a frame. The information about the path of the scrolling element is provided by an external component or is otherwise deduced. Optionally, the path information includes information about how the scrolling element is to change appearance. This information may be used to automatically generate error terms.
US08155198B2
According to one embodiment, interpolated frame generating method of generating a new interpolated frame inserted between sequential frames, by using a plurality of input frame images, comprises first detecting of detecting at least one potential motion vector by block matching between the input frame images, using a first block of a fixed size, second detecting of detecting a motion vector by block matching between the input frame images, using a second block having a size variable within a range larger than that of the first block, and generating the interpolated frame by using the potential motion vector. The generating is generating the interpolated frame by using a potential motion vector closest to the motion vector detected by the second detecting among the potential motion vectors when a plurality of motion vectors are detected by the first detecting.
US08155197B2
An interframe prediction processor designed for high-speed video coding and decoding. The interframe prediction processor has an address selector and a predictor calculator. The address selector receives information about MBAFF type and coding type. When performing motion compensation for a given MBAFF picture with reference to blocks surrounding a current block, the address selector provides memory addresses of reference motion vectors according to the coding type of the current block pair, as well as to the coding type of the reference blocks. The predictor calculator that determines a motion vector predictor for each constituent block of the current block pair based on reference motion vectors read out of the provided memory addresses.
US08155193B2
An object of the present invention is to increase efficiency of information compression in coding and decoding. A moving picture encoding apparatus 10 of the present invention has a motion vector predicting part for performing, based on a temporal relation among adjacent reference frame images 703a, 703b, 703c referred to for detecting motion vectors of adjacent blocks adjacent to a coding target block, a target reference frame image 702 referred to for detecting a motion vector of the target block, and a target frame image 701 being the frame image of the coding target, or based on time information thereof, a correction of scaling the motion vectors 751a, 751b, 751c of the adjacent blocks on the basis of the target reference frame image 702; and a determination of an optimum predicted motion vector based on the motion vectors of the adjacent blocks, and thereby predicting the optimum predicted motion vector after the correction.
US08155190B2
A coding apparatus includes: an intra-coding complexity detecting section that detects an intra-coding complexity indicating a complexity of an intra-coding process; an inter-coding complexity detecting section that detects an inter-coding complexity indicating a complexity of an inter-coding process; a characteristic curve calculating section that calculates a characteristic curve indicating a value of strength data indicating the strength of a deblocking filter with a data amount per unit time of coded data as a variable, on the basis of the intra-coding complexity and the inter-coding complexity; and a strength value calculating section that calculates a value of the strength data by substituting a data amount of the coded data into the characteristic curve.
US08155187B2
An image decoding apparatus is capable of decoding coded bit streams with different coding schemes. The image decoding apparatus includes a coding scheme decision section for deciding a coding scheme from coding scheme identification information multiplexed into a coded bit stream, a setting unit for setting header information on a second coding scheme in accordance with header information in a first coding scheme, and a decoder for decoding image coded data in the first coding scheme in response to the header information on the second coding scheme, which is set.
US08155177B2
In connection with transmitted space-time, trellis encoded, signals that pass through a transmission channel that is characterized by memory, improved performance is realized with a receiver that combines a decoder with an equalizer that selects the trellis transition, s, that minimizes the metric ξ j ( k ) = r ( k ) - ∑ l = 0 L 1 h ~ j ( l ) s ~ ( k - l ) - ∑ l = L 1 + 1 L + 1 h ~ j ( l ) s ^ ( k - l ) 2 where {tilde over (h)}j(l) is related to both the transmission channel and to the encoding structure in the transmitter, {tilde over (s)}(k) are the (trial) symbols according to a certain transition and ŝ(k) are the symbols that were previously decided.
US08155175B2
A method is disclosed for measuring one or more parameters of a signal generated by a signal generator. The method employs capturing and analyzing a train of data packets or other forms of signals from a single transmission to obtain measured values for the one or more parameters. The obtained measured values may be used in valuing a calibration of a signal generator or in verifying the already calibrated values of the signal generator. In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the train of data packets contains packets having different properties.
US08155167B2
A system and method for low complexity frequency hopping simulation for communication device performance testing is disclosed. A baseband and channel model combination in a baseband processing module (602) of a testing system (600) reduces the required number of computations while retaining accuracy. A simulated channel is generated (612) with a bandwidth required for frequency hopping, and the hopping is simulated by shifting (614) the channel (612) instead of the signal (606). Signal attenuation by the shifted channel (615) is modeled in the baseband processing module (602), and the resulting simulated signal (610) is then up-sampled (628) to the proper frequency for output to the test device (634).
US08155154B2
More customization and adaptation of coded data streams may be achieved by processing the information signal such that the various syntax structures obtained by pre-coding the information signal are placed into logical data packets, each of which being associated with a specific data packet type of a predetermined set of data packet types, and by defining a predetermined order of data packet types within one access unit of data packets. The consecutive access units in the data stream may, for example, correspond to different time portions of the information signal. By defining the predetermined order among the data packet types it is possible, at decoder's side, to detect the borders between successive access units even when removable data packets are removed from the data stream on the way from the data stream source to the decoder without incorporation of any hints into the reminder of the data stream. Due to this, decoders surely detect the beginnings and endings of access units and therefore are not liable to a buffer overflow despite a removal of data packets from the data stream before arrival at the decoder.
US08155149B2
In a first node, through which optical packets are able to input to the communication network, optical packets coming from the virtual network are assembled in packet field. The first node constructs a burst comprising the packet field and a label preceding the packet field and including helping to identify the virtual network and second information helping to identify a path between said first node and a second node through which the packets are able to output from the communication network. Each packet in the packet field can be preceded by an identifier identifying an interface through which the packet outputs from the communication network, and derived from a destination address in the packet.
US08155147B2
Techniques described use Generic Framing Procedure (GFP) to transport data across an optical transport network between near and far Fiber Channel (FC) or Fiber Connectivity (FICON) local area optical networks. Each FC/FICON edge node (FCE) on an edge of the optical transport network has multiple modes for processing FC/FICON frames transported across the optical transport network. The techniques include receiving, at a near FCE from a far FCE, a GFP control plane message that includes a mode field that holds data that indicates a far mode, wherein the far mode is used at the far FCE. It is determined whether a near mode used by the near FCE matches the far mode based on the mode field. If it is determined that they do not match, then an alert is caused. These techniques allow software to utilize existing GFP chips in FCE that use optional processing, such as distance extension.
US08155144B2
In one embodiment, the method includes receiving audio frame data having at least first and second channel data. The first and second channel data includes a plurality of blocks, where the blocks are classified by a block type. The first and second channel data is provided jointly if the first and second channel data are paired with each other. Block information indicating the block type is obtained. The block information corresponds to the first and second channel data being common when the first and second channel data are paired. The first and second channel data are lossless decoded based on the block information.
US08155138B2
Methods and systems for communications that generate a plurality of spatial streams, wherein each of the spatial streams comprises a data packet with a training sequence; and multiply at least a portion of the training sequence in each of the spatial streams with a different spreading sequence. Methods and systems that receive a plurality of spatial streams, wherein each of the spatial streams comprises a data packet with a training sequence; multiply at least a portion of the training sequence in each of the spatial streams with a different spreading sequence; and decode the plurality of spatial streams based on the different spreading sequences.
US08155133B2
A method is disclosed for handling communications over a non-permanent communication link. The method comprising centrally receiving a message to transmit from a plurality of applications, checking the availability of the non-permanent communication link, if the non-permanent communication link is not-available, queuing the received message for future transmission, and providing the message to a transport/network layer if the communication link is available.
US08155127B2
Communicating between a plurality of nodes includes: at one or more of the plurality of nodes, sensing spectrum activity on at least one channel; creating and maintaining at least one spectrum awareness table based at least in part on the sensed spectrum activity, determining at least one selected bearer based on the at least one spectrum awareness table; performing an adaptive control channel initialization operation to detect zero or more neighbor nodes.
US08155124B2
A method of MPLS network traffic switching is provided herein. The method includes these steps: receiving a message indicative of creating a new LSP successfully, and generating a new uplink forwarding entry and a new downlink forwarding entry according to the message; storing the new uplink forwarding entry, and configuring the new downlink forwarding entry; configuring the new uplink forwarding entry upon completion of configuring the new downlink forwarding entry; and forwarding the traffic according to the new uplink forwarding entry and the new downlink forwarding entry. By ensuring the sequence of processing the events in the traffic switching process, the method reduces the probability of traffic interruption in the traffic switching process. A network node device for implementing MPLS network traffic switching is also provided herein.
US08155120B2
A network comprising a plurality of nodes, and each of the nodes has at least one identifier from pre-determined group of identifiers, with each identifier identifying at least one functionality applicable such node. A method of identifying the nodes comprises at least one node sending over the network a message configured to ask for the presence of at least one identifier from the pre-determined group of identifiers. At least one other node sends a feedback message affirming the existence of the at least one identifier on the at least one other node.
US08155119B2
Methods, systems, and products are provided for intermediate message invalidation that include receiving, to an intermediate message validation service, a message to be forwarded to a device to administer at least one value of an attribute of the device; determining, by the intermediate message validation service, that the message is invalid; and terminating, by the intermediate message validation service, the invalid message. Embodiments may also include notifying a system administrator that the message is invalid.
US08155116B2
A method, device, and system control mobile packet flows forwarded between IP based networks. Individual packet flows on an IP user plane traverse middlebox functions that are controlled from a midcom agent. Each user flow registers its presence in each middlebox it encounters on its way from its source to its destination at the user plane. In response, each middlebox registers itself and the mobile flows it handles at the midcom agent with which they communicate using a midcom signalling protocol. The midcom agent comprises functionalities that its controlled middleboxes have and can provide control messages for how a middlebox shall handle a registered flow. The registration provides the midcom agent with knowledge of registered flows and middleboxes which allows the midcom agent to send control orders to the middleboxes that registered themselves, the orders pertaining to the handling of the flows at the respective middleboxes. A mechanism for control signalling at the IP control plane is described.
US08155109B2
An SS7-based call protocol conversion gateway that translates between circuit-switched SS7 protocols and session initiation protocol (SIP) oriented protocol, allowing an E911 call initiated over a switched network to be routed by a VoIP network. The SS7-based call protocol conversion gateway provides a PSAP with MSAG quality (street address) information about a VoIP dual mode phone user without the need for a wireless carrier to invest in building out an entire VoIP core. Thus, wireless carriers may continue signaling the way they are today, i.e., using the J-STD-036 standard for CDMA and GSM in North America, yet see benefits of a VoIP network core, i.e., provision of MSAG quality location data to a PSAP.
US08155105B2
A method and system for wireless monitoring is implemented in a variety of embodiments. In one such embodiment, a monitoring system method is implemented for, wireless communication between a central device and monitoring devices. Each of the devices includes a wireless communication circuit to effect wireless communications. Power consumption from a limited power source is reduced at least one of the wireless communication circuits based upon a communications time interval and a selected channel for communication between the central device and a monitor device to effect wireless communications between the central device and the monitor device.
US08155104B2
Disclosed is a method for a preamble-based bandwidth request. The present invention enables state control of a subscriber station based on the latest environment in a portable Internet system requesting a bandwidth using a preamble, and hence allows a subsequent more efficient transmission of user data. In addition, the present invention provides information for discrimination of the subscriber station transmitting the preamble as well as state control information of the subscriber station to the base station during a preamble-based bandwidth request by the subscriber station, and enables the base station to discriminate the subscriber station in the next time of data transmission with the subscriber station.
US08155095B2
A WLAN communication system and algorithm that adaptively changes the data transmission rate of a communication channel based on changing channel conditions. The WLAN communication system or algorithm has two modes being a searching mode and a transmission mode. Furthermore, the WLAN communication system or algorithm incorporates an additive increase, multiplicative decrease (AIMD) function into the rate adaptation algorithm.
US08155091B2
There is provided a broadcast router that includes at least one chassis adapted for a first, a second, and a third configuration. The first configuration (401 A) includes a plurality of input cards and no output cards. The second configuration (401 B) includes a plurality of output cards and no input cards. The third configuration (400) includes a plurality of input and output cards.
US08155090B2
The present invention sends multiple versions of a multimedia packet to the base station, and, based on the radio channel and traffic characteristics, an appropriate version of the multimedia packet is selected to send to the mobile station at a given time. In this way, source transmission is improved to instantaneous conditions. The steps of the present invention are performed in conjunction with RTP used for multimedia transmission over internet protocol (IP) networks. In a first embodiment, the multiple versions are sent to the base station in the same RTP packet, and the base station strips out the extraneous versions. In a second embodiment, the base station receives multiple RTP packets having identical information in the packet header in many fields, and selects an appropriate one among these for transmission to the mobile station, discarding the rest.
US08155089B1
Methods and apparatus for performing finger de-spreading and MRC combining are provided. A large antenna buffer is used to buffer all the finger signals of the same user so that the receiver can do both de-spreading and MRC at the same time without buffering the de-spreading finger symbols. For each user, a reference time is introduced to align all the finger signals of the same user in the Antenna Buffer. The reference time delay is used to generate the PN codes for de-spreading, as well as to count the number of symbols in a PCG or a frame. Methods for antenna buffer arrangement, interpolating filter implementation, channel estimation and MRC for traffic data channels, timing for the user's finger signal de-spreading and MRC, long code and short code generation for de-spreading, new finger allocation and finger timing adjustment.
US08155087B2
The mobile station performs Fourier transform of a signal received from a base station presently in communication in parallel to demodulation processing, by means of a plurality of FFT each having FFT start timing shifted one after another, so as to detect the synchronous timing of another base station by detecting correlation through a pattern comparison with a subcarrier signal including the pilot signal of the other base station.
US08155086B2
The present invention relates to a handover method between systems of a multi-mode terminal. A multi-cast based protocol is added to an Internet protocol (IP) based wireless network to cooperate with the wireless access protocol of the terminal. In addition, minimized processes are added to use the wireless access protocol having wide area coverage. Accordingly, the handover between the systems may be performed while packet loss or service delay caused by a movement of a user may be minimized, and terminal complexity may not be increased.
US08155079B2
There is provided a measuring system comprising: a measuring device configured to measure parameters of a serving cell required for camping into the neighbor cells of the serving cell, to camp into the neighbor cells in order to store reception quality and neighbor cell lists from the neighbor cells; and a base station configured to set parameters of the formed virtual cell such that the virtual cell becomes a tempting destination for a cell reselection, to interfere the serving cell in order to cause the one or more user terminals to camp into the virtual cell, and to catch one or more identifiers of the one or more user terminals camping into the virtual cell after the start of virtual cell transmission.
US08155077B2
Methods, apparatuses and systems directed to facilitating optimized routing and mobility for communication sessions in partial mesh network deployments. According to one embodiment, routing a packet flow in a communication session includes facilitating a communication session between a first mobile node and a second mobile node. A packet flow from the first mobile node is received at a transient anchor of a visited network. The transient anchor establishes whether the packet flow is to be routed along an optimized path according to one or more routing rules. One or more of the routing rules may be based on the current cell location of the first mobile node relative to a mobility or radio coverage boundary associated with the transient anchor.
US08155072B2
A method and device for managing resources in shared networks is based on a few basic comparisons between resources and/or thresholds. If an access request is received (202) and there are not enough resources available (204), the request is rejected (212). If there are resources available (204), there is a check to see if the resource is in a congested state (206). If not, then the connection is accepted (210). If the resource is in a congested state (206), then a test is performed (208) to determine whether or not the resources will be assigned to an operator who has already exceeded the assigned utilisation. If it has, then the connection is rejected (212), otherwise it is accepted (210). Preferred embodiments incorporating priority handling, re-negotiations and soft congestion are easily implemented. In a shared UTRAN, the functionalities for managing the radio baseband allocation for a shared Node B are preferably incorporated in the shared RNC.
US08155071B1
A system detects a communication transmitted from multiple transmitting antennas. The system includes a media access controller and a physical block. Based on a signal to noise ratio (SNR), the allocation circuit of the media access controller assigns a portion of a spectral resource to the communication. The physical block includes multiple receiving antennas for receiving the communication, an estimating circuit for determining the SNR of the communication received at the receiving antennas, and a sphere detector. The sphere detector calculates a respective cost for possible combinations of symbols for the transmitting antennas. The sphere detector calculates the respective costs of the possible combinations from the portion of the spectral resource of the communication received at the receiving antennas. The sphere detector selects one of the possible combinations in response to the respective costs. The system detects the transmitted communication to be the symbols of the selected combination.
US08155069B2
A method of transmitting scheduling information in a network of a wireless communication system which uses multiple carriers includes allocating at least one sub-region to a specific user equipment among an entire control information transmission region used in one cell, the entire control information transmission region comprising at least two sub-regions, and transmitting scheduling information for data to be transmitted to the user equipment, through at least one sub-region allocated to the specific user equipment.
US08155064B2
A disclosed communication system includes a base station and mobile stations. The base station includes a group management unit configured to classify the mobile stations into groups according to signal quality information transmitted from the mobile stations, a storing unit configured to store correspondence information on the correspondence between the groups and subframes constituting at least a part of a radio frame, a scheduling unit configured to schedule packets for the mobile stations according to the correspondence information, and a transmitting unit configured to transmit the correspondence information to the mobile stations. Each mobile station includes a transmitting unit configured to transmit the signal quality information indicating received signal quality to the base station, and a receiving unit configured to receive the packets transmitted from the base station in one of the subframes that corresponds to one of the groups to which the mobile station belongs.
US08155063B2
Methods and apparatus adapted to address asymmetric conditions in a multi-antenna system. In one embodiment, the multi-antenna system comprises a wireless (e.g., 3G cellular) multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) system, and the methods and apparatus efficiently utilize transmitter and receiver resources based at least in part on a detected asymmetric condition. If an asymmetric condition is detected by the transmitter on any given data stream, the transmitter can decide to utilize only a subset of the available resources for that stream. Accordingly, the signal processing resources for that data stream are adapted to mirror the reduction in resources that are necessary for transmission. The transmitter signals the receiver that it will only be using a subset of the resources available, and the receiver adapts its operation according to the signaling data it receives. The multi-antenna system can therefore reduce power consumption as well as increasing spectral efficiency on the network.
US08155060B2
A method and apparatus are provided for defining terminal behavior in a case where the terminal detects that it cannot receive the HS-DSCH from a serving cell reliably when the DCCH is mapped to HS-DSCH (e.g. does not receive any radio link control (RLC) acknowledged mode feedback for the uplink measurement reports or in general the common pilot channel (CPICH) level drops too low in the serving HS-DSCH cell). The terminal is autonomously moved to a cell forward access channel (CELL_FACH) state and uplink signaling is initiated on a random access channel (RACH) to inform a network node and ask for HS-DSCH re-establishment in a suitable cell (preferably in the one being strongest one in the active set or according to the measurements done prior the connection from the serving HS-DSCH cell was lost), or setting up a regular R′99/R′5 DPCH in order to restore the RRC signaling connection in the CELL_DCH state.
US08155058B2
Client balancing in a wireless digital network comprising a plurality of access nodes connected to a controller. Access nodes collect client density information and periodically report that client density information to the controller. The controller uses the client density information from the access nodes to compute Virtual RF Neighborhoods, identifying Virtual RF neighboring access nodes. Two access nodes are Virtual RF neighbors if a client which can connect to one access node can also connect to the other access node. The controller then identifies which nodes are overloaded by comparing the client loading of a target access node to the client loading of its Virtual RF neighbors. If an access node is identified as overloaded and selected for client balancing on a particular channel, it will initially refuse new association requests from client devices on that channel.
US08155054B2
Supporting idle stations in an IEEE 802.11 wireless distribution system. When a station in an IEEE 802.11 wireless distribution system (DS) enters the idle state, it is not associated with any access points (APs) in the DS, Prior to entering the idle state, a station may establish filters indicating what traffic it wishes to receive. These filters are sent to a server in the DS. When a station goes idle, it is associated with a paging server in the DS, which buffers all received for the idle station, and initiates paging of the idle station when such traffic meeting filter criteria is received. When the station exits the idle state by reassociating with an AP in the DS, the server is notified, and forwards the buffered traffic to the station through its AP. The server may be implemented as a process running in a controller or portal in the DS.
US08155053B2
A method and apparatus for implementing data security and automatic repeat request (ARQ) in a wireless communication system are disclosed. Cipher entities are included in a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) and an access gateway (aGW), and outer ARQ, (or radio link control (RLC)), entities are included in the WTRU and an evolved Node-B (eNode-B). Each cipher entity is located on top of an outer ARQ entity. The cipher entities cipher and decipher a data block by using a generic sequence number (SN) assigned to the data block. The outer ARQ entities may segment the ciphered data block to multiple packet data units (PDUs), may concatenate multiple ciphered data blocks to a PDU, or may generate one PDU from one data block. The outer ARQ entities may segment or re-segment the PDU when a transmission failure occurs.
US08155049B2
A wireless network system and corresponding methodologies that operates in a user cooperative communication system is provided. In operation, the system either combines packets transmitted from a direct channel with packets transmitted from and a relay channel, or uses erroneously relayed packets to assist decoding a direct packet.
US08155043B2
A wireless communication system comprises a plurality of antennas, a plurality of tuners, a plurality of receiver ends, a bus, and a processor. Each of the tuners is connected to one of the antennas and one of the receiver ends. Each of the receiver ends has a corresponding address. A common address code is assigned to the corresponding addresses of part of receiver ends during firmware loading. The processor transmits the firmware to the part of the receiver ends via the bus based on the common address code. The corresponding addresses of the part of the receiver ends are converted back into unique address codes after the firmware is loaded.
US08155016B2
A method and system for wireless communication with a mobile device in which wireless communication is established with the mobile device. A base station is used to transmit directly to the mobile device in a downlink direction. A relay node is used to transmit to the base station communications received in an uplink direction from the mobile station. The relay node relays at least a portion of the uplink traffic received from the mobile station to the base station.
US08155006B2
A method for adjusting data rate in a network is disclosed. In the method, when a device is added to the network, a data rate controlling parameter is configured, and when there is a new service or the requirements of a service have been changed, the data rate will be adjusted by modifying the data rate controlling parameter of a source device and/or a transfer device. Therefore, the fairness among these devices would be guaranteed, and the congestion over the network would be mitigated. The present invention also discloses a wireless communication system, a data rate adjusting device, and a topologic server.
US08155001B1
Transfer of data is facilitated between at least one application and a peer via a network. Data destined for the peer is provided from the at least one application for transmission to the peer via the network. Modulation event tokens are managed, and protocol processing of the data with the peer is based in part on a result of the modulation event tokens managing such that protocol processed data is caused to be transmitted to the peer via the network nominally with desired data transmission rate characteristics. A result of the protocol processing step is fed back to the to the modulation event tokens managing. The desired data transmission rate characteristics may include, for example, shaping and pacing.
US08155000B2
In one embodiment, Traffic Engineering (TE) is configured on a provider edge device to customer edge device (PE-CE) link extending from a provider edge device (PE) in a provider network to a customer edge device (CE) in a customer network. TE information regarding the TE-configured PE-CE link is conveyed from the PE to one or more other nodes in the provider network. TE information regarding one or more other TE-configured PE-CE links is received from one or more other nodes. A TE database (TED) is expanded to include information for the one or more other TE-configured PE-CE links. TE is applied to a customer edge device to customer edge device (CE-CE) path using at least some of the information for the one or more other TE-configured PE-CE links included in the TED.
US08154991B2
The present invention relates to an arrangement comprising an Ethernet carrier network, managed by a management system (100) and comprising a number of levels of management domains, each comprising a number of edge nodes (10, 20, 30, 40) and a number of intermediate nodes (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8). Each edge node (10, 20, 30, 40) comprises fault detection of connectivity check messages and fault locating means with holding means (11, 21, 31, 41) adapted to hold path information for the paths to all other edge nodes. A fault detection means of an edge node having detected a fault is adapted to activate edge node fault locating means to locate the fault using the patch information in the edge node holding means to find a first target intermediate node substantially in the middle of the path containing the fault, and to, directly, send a first loop back message to said intermediate node. A response from said intermediate node indicates that the fault is located at the distant portion of the path, no response indicates that the fault is located at the proximate portion of the path. Further loop back messages are sent to consecutively identified intermediate nodes of the respective path portion identified to contain the fault by the respective preceding loop back message until the fault is localized.
US08154989B1
A method of processing data within a controller for a network can include identifying frames within a data stream within the network (1110) and detecting a deadlock state according to a number of consecutive frames comprising at least one set control bit (1130). The method can include, responsive to detecting the deadlock state, adjusting the at least one control bit within a current frame (1135). Adjusting the at least one control bit clears the deadlock state and generates a modified frame. The modified frame can be output to at least one node within the network (1140).
US08154987B2
Techniques for self-isolation of a network device that has been identified as potentially harmful. The network device may be isolated from the network except for an out-of-band communication channel that can be used for management purposes to restore or repair the device prior to the network connection being re-established.
US08154982B2
An apparatus. method, and system for dynamically assigning orthogonal codes to different information signals communicated between a Node B and user equipment in a cellular radio communication system in which a fixed number of codes are allocated between dedicated transport channels (DCHs) and high speed downlink shared channels (HS-DSCHs). A radio controller (RNC) allocates a minimum number of codes for HS-DSCH physical channels (HS-PDSCH codes) to the Node B. The Node B determines HS-PDSCH codes that are not currently being utilized and allocates HS-PDSCH codes from the unused codes without having to communicate with the RNC. When the additional HS-PDSCH codes are needed for DCH codes, the Node B reallocates the codes for DCH purposes without reducing the number of HS-PDSCH codes below the allocated minimum.
US08154981B2
Record medium, its manufacturing method, mother disc for record medium, and its manufacturing method
Binary information previously recorded in an innermost rim side area is enabled to be stably reproduced. A record medium is formed by sequentially laminating a first information layer 2, an intermediate layer 3, a second information layer 4, and a cover layer 5 onto a substrate 1. First grooves are previously formed in the innermost rim area of the substrate 1. Second grooves are previously formed in an area where data is recorded. The first grooves are set to be shallower and narrower than the second grooves. Thus, such a situation that a BCA signal is modulated by diffraction due to the grooves can be reduced.
US08154973B2
A highly efficient and reliable reproduced signal evaluation method and an optical disc drive using that method in which assuming that the number of 2T's appearing successively in a predetermined evaluation bitstream is i, the evaluation bitstream is divided into a main bitstream (5+2i) long and sub bitstreams at the ends of the main bitstream. The check process to determine whether a predetermined evaluation bitstream is included in the binarized bitstreams is replaced with a main bitstream agreement check. This can prevent an increase in the circuit size. At the same time, by separately summing up for each main bitstream the calculated results of Euclidean distance between the reproduced signal and the target signal corresponding to the evaluation bitstream, the size of an evaluation summing circuit can be reduced.
US08154971B2
According to one embodiment, an optical recording medium is provided in which interlayer crosstalk is low and in which stable and high-quality recording characteristics can be obtained. To this end, an optical recording medium comprises a first recording part which includes a first recording layer and a first light reflecting layer and which is disposed on a side closer to a light receiving surface, and a second recording part which includes a second recording layer and a second light reflecting layer and which is disposed on a side farther from the light receiving surface, the first recording part and the second recording part being stacked, wherein the thickness of the second light reflecting layer is larger than the thickness of the first light reflecting layer.
US08154959B2
An optical storage system and a spherical aberration (SA) compensation apparatus and method thereof are provided. The SA compensation apparatus includes a microprocessor and a digital-signal-processor (DSP). The microprocessor repeatedly regulates a compensation value of an SA compensation driver in the optical-pickup-head (OPH) after the microprocessor has determined the type of an optical storage medium and before the OPH has focused on the optical storage medium. The DSP processes a plurality of electrical signals converted through the OPH whenever the microprocessor has regulated the compensation value of the SA compensation driver, so as to obtain width values of a plurality of focus-error (FE) signals. Accordingly, the microprocessor makes the SA compensation driver to drive an SA compensation unit according to the width values of the FE signals, so as to compensate an SA of the light point generated by the OPH and focused on the optical storage medium.
US08154957B1
A magneto-optical device (MOD) with optically induced magnetization for use in magnetic field sensors as a magnetic element pinning a magnetization in a preferred direction of a ferromagnetic layer as well as a magnetic memory cell for magneto-optical recording. The MOD comprises the Mg—Mg—Co ferrite film deposited on a magnesium oxide (MgO) substrate. The ferrite film is illuminated at room temperature with a circularly polarized light (CPL) in a static magnetic H-field (about of 3 kOe) normal to the illuminated ferrite film surface. At certain (“writing”) combinations of H, sigma (CPL helicity), the long-lived optically induced magnetization with a unidirectional anisotropy, stable to a conventional demagnetization occurs. For readout of information, conventional magnetoresistive sensors and MFM can be used. To erase information, the ferrite film should be illuminated with two field-light combinations, other than “writing”, or annealed at temperature higher than 530 degrees C.
US08154955B2
An obstacle detection apparatus includes an ultrasonic sensor and a control part. The ultrasonic sensor detects a presence of an obstacle around a vehicle and a distance to the obstacle by transmitting an ultrasonic wave and receiving the ultrasonic wave reflected by the obstacle. The control part includes at least one of a rainfall amount determining portion and a noise determining portion. When the rainfall determining portion determines that a rainfall amount is greater than a predetermined amount or when the noise determining portion determines that noise is present, the control part outputs a command signal to the ultrasonic sensor so that the ultrasonic sensor decreases a directivity compared with a case where the rainfall determining portion determines that the rainfall amount is less than or equal to the predetermined amount or a case where the noise determining portion determines that noise is not present.
US08154950B2
A method for displaying geologic stress includes determining magnitudes and directions of principal stresses at at least one a selected location. An analog symbol is generated for each magnitude and direction of the principal stresses. The analog symbols include a magnitude descriptor and a direction descriptor. The analog symbols are stored or displayed.
US08154949B2
A burst termination control circuit includes: a pull-up unit for pulling up a first node in response to a burst termination signal, a latch unit for latching a signal of the first node, a buffer for generating a first termination control signal for stopping data output operation by buffering an output signal of the latch unit, and a logic unit for generating a second termination control signal for stopping burst operation and generation of an output enable signal in response to an output signal of the latch unit.
US08154948B2
A method of operating a nonvolatile memory device includes supplying a variable voltage of a first voltage level to a selected page buffer and supplying the variable voltage to a first bit line, coupled to a selected memory cell selected for data reading, for a first time period, cutting off the supply of the variable voltage to the first bit line, after the first time period, and precharging the first bit line to a second voltage level through a sense node of the selected page buffer, which is in a precharge state, evaluating a voltage of the first bit line, after the precharging of the first bit line, so that the voltage of the first bit line is shifted according to a program state of the selected memory cell, and sensing the voltage of the evaluated first bit line and latching data in the selected memory cell.
US08154946B2
A device to selectively activate memory chips includes a memory unit including n memory chips activated in response to n memory chip activation signals (n is a natural number), a controller to generate m control signals (m is a natural number), and a memory chip activation signal generator to combine m chip enable (CE) signals to generate the n memory chip activation signals.
US08154945B2
The present invention discloses a decoding circuit withstanding high voltage via a low-voltage MOS transistor, where negative high voltage that can be withstood can be as high as double what the transistor itself can withstand via two-stage CMOS inverters connected serially. When the negative high voltage is withstood, the source of a PMOS transistor in the CMOS inverter is switched to high resistance, and the substrate to the ground; the source of an NMOS transistor in the first CMOS inverter is connected with a half negative high voltage, and the source of an NMOS transistor in the second CMOS inverter with a negative high voltage; the first CMOS inverter, whose output is the half negative high voltage, is grounded at its input terminal, and output of the second CMOS inverter is the negative high voltage. The present invention further discloses a method of implementing the decoding circuit and a memory circuit using the decoding circuit. The present invention can effectively reduce area the device occupies; it is applicable to the non-volatile memory field, realizing high-voltage output during a high-voltage operation and fast decoding output during a normal-voltage operation.
US08154943B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit includes a first region configured to operate at a specified first voltage, a second region configured to operate at a varying second voltage, and a memory device formed between the first region and the second region so as to straddle the first and second regions, wherein the memory device comprises a first port driven at the first voltage to transmit an output signal to and receive an input signal from the first region, a second port driven at the second voltage to transmit an output signal to and receive an input signal from the second region, and a memory cell accessed by the first and second ports.
US08154941B2
A device includes a memory cell array and a control circuit, the memory cell array including word-lines, bit-lines, and memory cells arranged at the intersections of the word-lines and the bit-lines, each memory cell including an electrically programmable antifuse element. The control circuit may perform, as a first step, applying a programming voltage to one of the word-lines while applying a ground voltage to bit-lines each connected to respective selected memory cells, and as a second step, after the first step, keeping one of the one word-lines at the programming voltage while concurrently reading the electrical states of the selected memory cells, and according to the read electrical states, applying the ground voltage again to a bit-line connected to an unprogrammed selected memory cell after the first step, and applying a voltage higher than the ground voltage to a bit-line connected to a programmed selected memory cell after the first step.
US08154940B2
The present invention provides a method of reducing current of a memory in a self-refreshing mode and a related memory. The memory includes a word line driver and a controller, and the word line driver includes a transistor. The transistor has a control terminal, a first terminal coupled to a word line, and a second terminal. The method includes: after the memory enters the self-refreshing mode: controlling a voltage difference between the control terminal and the second terminal to correspond to a first value during a self-refreshing operation period; and controlling a voltage difference between the control terminal and the second terminal to correspond to a second value smaller than the first value during a non self-refreshing operation period.
US08154937B2
An auto-precharge signal generation circuit comprises a signal generator, a set signal generator, and an auto-precharge signal generator. The signal generator is configured to generating a control signal and a precharge control signal in response to receiving a first column address strobe signal and an auto-precharge flag signal. The set signal generator is configured to generating a set signal in response to receiving the control signal and the precharge control signal. The auto-precharge signal generator is configured to generate an auto-precharge signal in response to receiving the set signal and a period set signal.
US08154934B2
A semiconductor memory device is disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a memory cell array, a clock signal generator configured to receive an external clock signal from the outside of the memory device and output an internal clock signal, and a data output unit configured to receive an internal data signal from the memory cell array and output a read data signal in response to the internal clock signal. The semiconductor memory device also includes a read data strobe unit configured to output a read data strobe signal having a cycle time of n times (n is an integer equal to or more than 2) a cycle time of the internal clock signal, based on the internal clock signal.
US08154932B2
Systems and methods for reducing delays between successive write and read accesses in multi-bank memory devices are provided. Computer circuits modify the relative timing between addresses and data of write accesses, reducing delays between successive write and read accesses. Memory devices that interface with these computer circuits use posted write accesses to effectively return the modified relative timing to its original timing before processing the write access.
US08154931B2
Embodiments of the invention are described for driving data onto a data bus. The embodiments include a data driver circuit having a data capture circuit coupled to the data bus. The data capture circuit receives a data signal relative to a write strobe signal and captures a first data digit of the data signal responsive to a first edge of the write strobe signal and at least a second data digit responsive to a second edge of the write strobe signal. The data driver circuit includes a feedback capture circuit that captures each of the data digits of the data signal in substantially the same manner as the data capture circuit, and also generates a latch control signal indicative of when each data bits is latched. The latch control signal is provided to a write control circuit coupled to the feedback capture circuit and the data capture circuit. The write control circuit determines which of the data digits was latched first relative to an external timing, and generate a select control signal to drive the captured data digits onto the data bus in the order in which the data digits were received.
US08154926B2
One or more embodiments include programming, in parallel, a first cell to one of a first number of states and a second cell to one of a second number of states. Such embodiments include programming, separately, the first cell to one of a third number of states based, at least in part, on the one of the first number of states and the second cell to one of a fourth number of states based, at least in part, on the one of the second number of states.
US08154922B2
A semiconductor memory device comprises memory cells, a bitline connected to the memory cells, a read circuit including a precharge circuit, and a first transistor connected between the bitline and the read circuit, wherein a first voltage is applied to a gate of the first transistor when the precharge circuit precharges the bitline, and a second voltage which is different from the first voltage is applied to the gate of the first transistor when the read circuit senses a change in a voltage of the bitline.
