US08177751B2
A conveying device in or for an apparatus for administering a product, including a base, a first conveying member which can be moved relative to the base and includes a first thread, a second conveying member which can be moved relative to the base and includes a second thread for a threaded engagement with the first thread, wherein the second thread extends over an axial portion of the second conveying member which is radially flexible in relation to its threaded axis, such that one of the conveying members can be axially inserted into the other in an overlap of the threads, and a blocking member which can be moved relative to the base, wherein one of the blocking member and the second conveying member can be moved relative to the other into a blocking position in which the blocking member radially stiffens the second thread in the threaded engagement in the region of the flexible axial portion and thus secures the threaded engagement.
US08177748B1
Systems and methods for determining tissue contact and penetration depth are provided. In one aspect, the system includes a needle and a pressure measurement assembly. The needle, in one exemplary embodiment, includes a first end and a second end with at least one aperture located a predetermined distance from the first end. The pressure measurement assembly is connected with a portion of the needle to measure pressure of fluid flowing through the needle. The pressure measurement assembly measures a first pressure when the needle contacts tissue and a second difference in pressure when the needle penetrates the tissue and the aperture becomes occluded.
US08177742B1
An inflatable retention system for an enteral feeding tube having a base deployed outside the human body and an indwelling retainer which is deployed within a lumen or cavity of the body by insertion through a stoma from outside the body. The retention system includes a tube having a proximal end, a distal end, an external tube diameter, and tube walls defining a feeding lumen and an inflation lumen. The retention system also includes an inflatable balloon located at a distal end of the tube in fluid communication with the inflation lumen, the balloon having thin, flexible walls, a predetermined spheroid shape, and a volume at which a fluid in the balloon is under no pressure such that upon inflation with a fluid to pressurize fluid in the balloon, the balloon assumes a stable spheroid shape and exhibits a substantially linear pressure versus volume curve.
US08177735B2
A cardiotomy and venous blood reservoir including a housing assembly, a downtube, and a bowl. The housing assembly forms a chamber. The downtube extends from an inlet port to a downstream end within the chamber. A diameter of the tube lumen increases to the downstream end. The bowl forms a floor surface shoulder, intermediate segment, and protrusion. The shoulder circumferentially surrounds, and is spatially above, the downstream end. The intermediate segment extends radially inwardly and downwardly from the shoulder to a bottom face. The protrusion extends radially inwardly and upwardly from the bottom face to a center that is aligned with the lumen and below the downstream end. The flared inner diameter of the lumen reduces fluid velocity as venous blood enters the reservoir. The bowl floor surface gently receives the incoming venous blood at the protrusion, and smoothly guides the blood flow.
US08177732B2
A rehabilitation apparatus with at least three degrees of freedom of motion, comprising: a plurality of brakes; a motor, wherein the motor is operationally connected to the brakes; a plurality of surfaces, wherein each of a plurality of the surfaces correlates to a brake; and, wherein when the motor is activated, the brakes are selectively advanced to make contact with the surfaces causing friction between the brakes and the surfaces and thus causing variable resistance in the three degrees of freedom to the apparatus based on the extent of advancement of the brakes.
US08177727B2
The present invention relates to a method for automation of objective hearing test based on the assessment of auditory evoked potential (AEP), for shortening of testing time, and for the minimization of inaccuracy and errors which may be resulted from the automation and time shortening. The method includes the steps for: as a preliminary test, presenting standard test stimulus to a subject; searching the wave V peak and SN10 peak; and as a main test, presenting test stimulus of each frequency, searching the minimal intensity and determining objective hearing threshold of each frequency.
US08177725B2
A method including measuring time periods in which a reflex point of a subject is struck and a reflex response is observed. A method including determining a resting metabolic rate of a subject by applying the Kail-Waters equation. An apparatus including a striking instrument capable of delivering a kinetic energy to a reflex point of a subject; and a measurement instrument capable of being coupled to a subject and measuring a reflex response. A machine-readable storage medium containing executable program instructions which when executed cause a digital processing system to perform a method including determining time periods in which a reflex point is struck and a reflex response is observed. A machine-readable storage medium containing executable program instructions which when executed cause a digital processing system to perform a method including determining a resting metabolic rate of a subject by applying the Kail-Waters equation.
US08177719B2
Highly specific measurements of flow in vessels, such as the coronary artery, can be obtained by processing cubic fundamental information. By showing flow in vessels with a high degree of contrast-to-tissue specificity, ultrasound based 3D contrast agent based coronary artery angiograms may be possible. Measurement and display of the velocity of agent from the cubic fundamental signal is provided simultaneously with display of cubic fundamental energy, such as providing a display map indexed by both energy and velocity. High pulse repetition frequency (PRF) for cubic fundamental detection in conjunction with long velocity measurement intervals may increase low velocity sensitivity and measurement precision. Pulsed wave (PW) Doppler may be improved by using a cubic fundamental sensitive pulse sequence. Using cubic fundamental sensitive techniques with other motion estimation techniques, such as two-dimensional velocity estimation or speckle tracking, may operate better than using other contrast agent detection techniques because of substantially reduced clutter.
US08177718B2
An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system has a two dimensional array arranged in multiple patches of multiple transducer elements. Each patch of transducer elements is coupled to a group of microbeamformer delay lines having outputs which can be coupled to a selected channel of a system beamformer, which beamforms the partially summed beams of each patch into a final beamformed signal. The ability to direct a delayed signal from a transducer element to a selected beamformer channel enables the patch boundaries to be changed as the aperture is translated across the array.
US08177710B1
An endoscope includes an insert portion, a display portion, a manipulation portion, a casing which houses the display portion and the manipulation portion at a front side, and to which the insert portion is connected at a back side, and a battery. The casing has an upper portion in which the display portion is housed and a lower portion in which the manipulation portion is housed. The insert portion is connected to the lower portion and extends from the lower portion in a first direction. And a line connecting a center of gravity of the battery and a center of gravity of the casing while the battery is housed in the casing extends in a second direction that intersects the first direction at an angle.
US08177704B1
Some embodiments of a system or method for treating heart tissue can include a control system and catheter device operated in a manner to intermittently occlude a heart vessel for controlled periods of time that provide redistribution of blood flow. In particular embodiments, the system and methods may be configured to monitor at least one input signal detected at a coronary sinus and thereby execute a process for determining a satisfactory time period for the occlusion of the coronary sinus. In further embodiments, after the occlusion of the coronary sinus is released, the control system can be configured to select the duration of the release phase before the starting the next occlusion cycle.
US08177702B2
A proximity sensor for a transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) system detects the proximity of a TMS coil assembly to a position at which the coil is to receive pulses during TMS treatment and provides feedback to the operator so that the operator may adjust the TMS coil assembly as necessary to maintain optimal positioning during treatment. A flexible substrate containing a sensor or sensor array is disposed between the TMS coil assembly and the position such that the coupling of the TMS coil assembly to the position may be detected by the sensor(s). Sensor outputs are processed by signal processing circuitry to provide an indication of whether the TMS coil assembly is properly disposed with respect to the position during TMS treatment. A display may be used to provide an indication of how to adjust the TMS coil assembly to improve the positioning of the TMS coil assembly. On the other hand, a sound generator may be used to generate a sound that indicates to an operator whether the TMS coil assembly is properly positioned at the position. Many different types of sensor devices may be used to detect proximity, including membrane switches, variable resistance sensors, resistive strips, touch screens, pickup loops, fluid displacement sensors, optical sensors, acoustic sensors, inductive coupling sensors, capacitive coupling sensors, temperature sensors, and the like.
US08177701B2
A dunnage conversion machine for converting stock material into a dunnage product includes a forming assembly and a pulling assembly. The pulling assembly includes at least two grippers movable together through a transfer region in opposition to one another and cooperative to grip therebetween the dunnage strip for advancing the dunnage strip through the transfer region, and at least one of the grippers including an aperture operative to gather and laterally capture therein the dunnage strip as the grippers move through the transfer region. Also disclosed is a severing assembly including a movable blade and a reciprocating actuator connected to the blade by a motion transmitting assembly that moves the blade through a full severing cycle upon a stroke of the actuator in either direction. Also disclosed is a void fill dunnage product including a three dimensional crumpled strip of dunnage round in cross-section and including at least one ply of sheet material having, in cross-section, a crumpled multi-lobed undulating body, with the lobes thereof extending longitudinally and being dispersed in an irregular pattern.
US08177697B2
A dunnage conversion machine (36) converts a sheet stock material into a dunnage product that is relatively thicker and less dense than the stock material, but is relatively thin and sufficiently flexible to function as a protective wrap. The conversion machine includes a feed mechanism (40) that advances a sheet stock material therethrough and a connecting mechanism (42) downstream of the feed mechanism. The connecting mechanism retards the passage of the sheet stock material therethrough by feeding the stock material therethrough at a slower rate than the feed mechanism feeds the stock material to the connecting mechanism. This causes the stock material to randomly crumple in a longitudinal space between the feed mechanism and the connecting mechanism. The connecting mechanism connects multiple overlapping layers of sheet stock material together as they pass therethrough, including connecting at least one crumpled sheet to one side of one other sheet.
US08177690B2
A handheld exercise device in the form a single nonresilient ball, or a pair of balls, which have a copper surface and have internal permanent magnets embedded within the balls which generate magnetic fields around the outer surface of the ball. The balls may be grasped in the palm of a hand and manipulated so as to combine the therapeutic effects of exercise, copper absorption into the skin, and magnetic field therapy.
US08177684B2
A gear change control device is provided for a straddle-type vehicle having a clutch and a transmission. The device includes a clutch actuator configured to engage and disengage the clutch. A transmission actuator is configured to change a gear of the transmission. At least one sensor is configured to sense an operational condition of the straddle type vehicle. At least one switch is configured to generate a gear change command. A controller is operatively connected to the clutch actuator, the transmission actuator, the at least one sensor, and the at least one switch. The controller is configured to change gears in response to the gear change command and during the gear change reengage the clutch under either a first control routine or second, different control routine based upon the operational condition of the straddle-type vehicle determined by the at least one sensor.
US08177683B2
When performing kick down, during re-acceleration after decelerating, the engine sometimes races unnecessarily, and a smooth acceleration feeling is not obtained. During control by a kick down mode, when accelerating after a throttle has been fully closed, a control target value is set so as not to pass to a Low side of a limit value of the control target value used during re-acceleration. As a result, racing of the engine is inhibited.
US08177682B2
An apparatus for improving fuel efficiency of a vehicle is provided, including an engine, a generator system and an air-conditioning system. The generator system and the air-conditioning system are connected respectively through transmission elements and a moveable first active transmission wheel and a second active transmission wheel on the engine core axis. A first clutch is placed between the crank shaft of the engine and the first active transmission wheel, and a second clutch is placed between the first active transmission wheel and the second active transmission wheel. Also, a control circuit is provided to control the operation of the first clutch and the second clutch, in order to control the driving and rotation of the first active transmission wheel and/or the second active transmission wheel. The control circuit further determines according to the signal whether power is provided directly to the generator system and further drives the air-conditioning system.
US08177668B2
The present invention provides a dart having a durable and break-resistant structure. A dart in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention has, in order from the front thereof, a tip, a barrel, a shaft, and a flight. At the rear of the shaft, a cap-receiving portion having a diameter smaller than that existing elsewhere is formed, this cap-receiving portion being capable of receiving a cap-like portion of the flight. At the front end of the flight, a hollow cylindrical cap-like portion containing a hole for attachment to the cap-receiving portion of the shaft is formed. The shaft and the flight are connected to each other by a sliding engagement method.
US08177666B2
This invention is related to multi-layer golf balls having at least one layer containing a neutralized high acid ionomer linked to a grafted metallocene copolymer, where the golf balls exhibit improved performance characteristics and properties.
US08177657B2
The present invention is directed at a quick release connection system to facilitate customization of golf clubs. It can be used to interchange shafts, removable weights, or soleplates quickly and easily. Teeth are disposed on the inside of a frame so that a shaft may be inserted with minimal resistance, but cannot be removed without specific steps which may require the use of a simple tool. Strengthening and interlock devices are provided to ensure performance quality akin to tradition al golf clubs.
US08177652B2
A golf downswing guide which prevents medial rotation (rotation towards the center of the body) of the right arm for a right handed golfer during the backswing but more specifically during the downswing.The device consists of a lower and an upper elongated member joined together by an elbow joint which allows pivoting on a single plane. The device attaches to the right arm (for a right handed golfer)A counter acting elongated member is mounted on the lower and upper elongated members by means of pivoting joints.A holding device consisting of a pivoting arm with an elongated opening at the non-pivoting end is attached to a ratchet device which is attached to a base section which in turn attaches to the waist area of the golfer.During the backswing but more specifically the downswing, the counter acting elongated member stays inside the elongated opening of the pivoting arm of the holding device and prevents the counter acting elongated member from moving out of the elongated opening and consequently prevents the right arm from medially rotating during the downswing. The ratchet device allows the pivoting arm to rotate only in one direction.
US08177651B2
A weighted ball rebounder and method for increasing power on an athletic performance provide a trampoline member including a resilient sheet affixed to a peripheral frame pivotally coupled to a base and disposed on a substantially horizontal surface. Stabilizing members prevent the rebounder from moving along the surface when a weighted ball such as a 2–20 pound medicine ball, is rebounded therefrom. The trampoline member is angularly adjustable up to 180° in fixed positions. The method provides a user drawing a weighted ball in a direction away from the rebounder, then abruptly swinging the weighted ball toward the rebounder and releasing. The rebounder returns the weighted ball in flight, to the user.
US08177645B2
In a first aspect, a method is provided that includes the steps of (1) providing an auxiliary unit adapted to allow a gaming machine to be retrofitted to provide communications services; and (2) retrofitting a non-communications-enabled gaming machine with the auxiliary unit so that the non-communications enabled gaming machine is adapted to provide communications services based on game play at the non-communications-enabled gaming machine. Numerous other aspects are provided.
US08177639B2
In various embodiments, methods and systems are provided for simulating the effect of mental state on character behavior in an interactive story environment. One method embodiment includes facilitating manipulation of a simulated mental state model of a character in the interactive story, wherein the mental state model comprises at least one pre-behavior representation associated with at least one character behavior which may be a thought, verbal expression, or action, for example; and, applying the manipulated mental state model to generate at least one behavior of the character in the interactive story.
US08177636B2
According to a gaming system of the present invention, the control device cumulatively counts a part of the number of game media betted in each of the gaming machines as a cumulative value. Further, when the cumulative value reaches a predetermined value, a common game is executed in the gaming machine. When the common game is executed, the control device lights the illuminants included in the coupling illuminated line provided for each of the gaming machines based on a result of the common game and pays out a predetermined number of game media to the gaming machine provided with the coupling illuminated line with all the illuminants included therein having been lighted.
US08177628B2
In various embodiments a single reel on a gaming device contains multiple symbols.
US08177624B2
Disclosed are gaming machines, including related methods, apparatus, and systems, including computer program products, for promoting play of a bonus event in a wagering environment with one or more gaming machines providing games of chance. The gaming machines are configured to output an award for play of a game of chance. A wager to play a game of chance is received from a player at an input device of a gaming machine. An indication of occurrence of a trigger event is received for promoting play of a designated bonus event differentiated from games of chance. The designated bonus event excludes any bonus event on the gaming machine at which the wager is placed and/or the player is located. Responsive to the indication of occurrence of the trigger event, a ticket is output from an output device of the gaming machine. The ticket has no associated monetary value and has bonus information thereon. The bonus information authorizes participation in only the designated bonus event and can provide one or more plays of the designated bonus event.
US08177617B1
A poker game which comprises generating a row-column grid or matrix of three cards by three cards, a total of nine cards, such that there are three horizontal rows of poker hands and three vertical columns of poker hands a total of six poker hands. The nine cards and the replacement cards may be dealt or generated from a special or custom deck or a standard deck of 52 cards. Multiple standard 52 decks may be used.
US08177612B2
This invention is directed to amusement devices wherein players attempt to rapidly convert target messages into a “text message” using a conventional keypad arrangement such as that provided on a push button phone. The target message is the message that is intended to be translated may be communicated to the player using a visual display or be provided to a player orally. The object of the game is to accurately convert the target message to a “text message” as rapidly as possible using the keypad and the translated message is sent from the keypad data entry device to a central processing unit where it is then displayed and provided a score or rank according to predetermined scoring criteria.
US08177611B2
A method for use in relation to a performance includes receiving a selection of a reference video segment, capturing a performance with a camera, generating a new video segment that is representative of the reference video segment having a portion thereof that is replaced with at least a portion of the captured performance, and displaying the new video segment on a display. Another method includes displaying a representation of a new video segment in the online community and providing feedback relating to the captured performance. And another method includes comparing one or more aspects of a performance with corresponding aspects of a reference performance, and providing an indication of how closely the performance matches the reference performance. A storage medium stores a computer program adapted to cause a processor based system to execute the steps of any one or more of these methods.
US08177609B2
An apparatus for processing crustaceans comprising a feeder for feeding crustaceans to a singulating and conveying device, said singulating and conveying device delivering the crustaceans individually to at least one separating device, said at least one separating device separating the tail section of each crustacean from the head section thereof.
US08177602B1
A brassiere with floating cups which are independently positionable in relation to the brassiere body. Depending on the point of attachment to the brassiere, the floating brassiere cups control the support, position, cleavage, and separation of individual breasts. The floating cups are partially or fully detached from the brassiere at various selectable locations. It is not just rotational motion, but also lifting the breasts upward and toward the center of the chest. The brassiere has floating cups that apply rotational pressure to move the breasts closer together if rotated in one direction, and will move the breasts apart if rotated in the other direction. The cup positioning mechanism can be implemented by an adjustable clip, by integral hook and loop strips, buttons, ornamental clasps, straps, string ties, or other suitable devices.
US08177596B2
An anchoring base and a buoy that are adapted to resist entanglement with a trawler net that may be dragged over the anchor and buoy. The buoy may have a plurality of cones that are secured to the tether in a spaced relationship proximate the lower end of the buoy. The anchoring base has a top side having an upper surface that defines a plurality of indentations between raised portions. The tether may be received in at least one of the indentations when the tether is pressed against the upper surface of the insert to protect the tether from being damaged or severed.
US08177592B2
A personal watercraft comprises a water jet pump configured to be driven by an engine to generate a rearward water jet, a reverse bucket mounted at a periphery of the water jet pump and movable between a forward driving position and a reverse driving position, a driving power operation member configured to control an engine driving power, a reverse driving operation member configured to change a position of the reverse bucket from the forward driving position to the reverse driving position, and a deceleration operation member, wherein the reverse bucket is in the forward driving position when the deceleration operation member and the reverse driving operation member are not operated, and the reverse bucket is in a deceleration position between the forward driving position and the reverse driving position when the deceleration operation member has been operated and the reverse driving operation member is not operated.
US08177588B1
A battery contact terminal assembly for electrically connecting the conducting end of a cable to a battery post so that the mechanical and electrical connection can be effectively ensured. The assembly includes two hingedly mounted members with semicircle ends each that embrace the post when a fastening member tightens the free ends. The fastening members include a hook that pulls the conducting end against one of the members. An anti-corrosion member is sandwiched between the two free ends for protection against the electrolyte chemical reaction typical in batteries.
US08177587B2
A connector which makes it possible to accommodate positional displacement from a mating connector, and prevent the contact force and the amount of deformation of contacts from becoming too large. Fixed-side contacts are fixed to a fixed-side housings. A movable-side housing is assembled to the fixed-side housing slidably in a direction orthogonal to a fitting/removing direction in which the movable-side housing is fitted to and removed from the mating connector. Movable-side contacts each include first contact portions brought into contact with an associated one of the fixed-side contacts, and second contact portions brought into contact with an associated one of mating contacts of the mating connector. Contact-accommodating chambers for accommodating the movable-side contacts are formed in the movable-side housing such that each movable-side contact can be pivoted about a pivotal axis extending orthogonal to the fitting/removing direction.
US08177578B1
Provided is a wiring connector, including a insulating housing, a wiring contact and a rotary push member. The insulating housing disposes a limiting portion in a receiving cavity and forms and inserting hole on the limiting portion. The wiring contact is mounted in the receiving cavity and includes a clamping portion. The rotary push member is rotatably mounted on the insulating housing and forms a through hole. The rotary push member can be rotated to make the through hole face the inserting hole. One end of the cable can be inserted into the through hole and the inserting hole and be clamped in the clamping portion. The wiring connector can clamp the cable by the clamping portion and fix the cable to the insulating housing by rotating the rotary push member, so that saving the soldering process and enhancing a reliability of connection between the wiring contact and the cable.
US08177570B2
A cable connector includes a housing and a first contact provided in the housing. The first contact includes a first engaging and pivoting unit opposed to a back surface of the cable. The cable connector also includes a second contact which is provided in the housing and which includes a second engaging and pivoting unit opposed to the back surface of the cable. The second engaging and pivoting unit has a root which is thicker than that of the first engaging and pivoting unit. The cable connector also includes a cover. The cover includes a first through hole into which the first engaging and pivoting unit is inserted, a first cam unit engaged with the first engaging and pivoting unit, a second through hole into which the second engaging and pivoting unit is inserted, and a second cam unit engaged with the second engaging and pivoting unit.
US08177569B1
A busway joint pack for joining busway conductor sections has a heat sink assembly with an interstitial heat sink portion sized to fit between its connector plates; an exterior heat sink portion projecting beyond the exterior surface of a side panel of the joint pack; with the interstitial heat sink portion having thermal conduction to the exterior heat sink portion; to attain cooler operation. The heat sink may include thermally conductive dielectric materials or metals, or both, or other thermally conductive materials used with the thermally conductive dielectric materials.
US08177559B2
A plug element (1) for connecting supply lines of an articulated train with at least one line element (3) including a fluid contact (4) located in the housing (2) of said train, that is able to be brought into functional engagement with a second plug element (5). The plug element (1) remains in an operationally safe position without the pre-stressing force of a spring element (11a, 11b). The housing (2) of the plug element (1) can be moved laterally relative to a connection socket (6) that is fixed in space and the cross sectional area (AD1, AD2) for pressurization of the line element (3) is configured such that upon impingement with compressed air a force acts in the direction of insertion (8).
US08177558B2
The present invention discloses an electromechanical tactile cell assembly comprising a plurality of piezoelectric element reeds, each one of the piezoelectric element reeds being bendable at an elongated end portion when a voltage is applied to the reed, a plurality of conductive fulcrum pins secured to a printed circuit board, and a plurality of multiple element conductive supports secured to a printed circuit board, each multiple element conductive support, in combination with the plurality of conductive fulcrum pins, adapted to secure a plurality of piezoelectric reeds, corresponding to the plurality of conductive fulcrum pins, to the printed circuit board. The electromechanical tactile cell is adaptable for use with a Braille display.
US08177555B2
The invention relates to a device (1) for extracting a tooth root, said device having a pin (2) which can be inserted and fixed in the tooth root (10). The pin (2) can be fixed to the front end of a unit (5) via a connection piece (3). The unit (5) can transfer an impact force to the pin (2) in the direction of extraction (A). The device enables an especially simple operation, without clearance problems or danger of injury in the mouth area, particularly on account of the good access to the tooth root provided by the connection piece, which is designed as a thin connection rod.
US08177550B2
A vertical heat treatment apparatus includes: at least one loading and unloading part 3 and 4 for loading and unloading a carrying container 2 containing a plurality of process objects W into and from said vertical heat treatment apparatus; a first storage part 5 that stores a plurality of carrying containers loaded into said vertical heat treatment apparatus via the loading and unloading part; a heat treatment furnace 7 that accommodates a holder 6 holding a plurality of process objects at multiple levels to perform a predetermined heat treatment to the process objects; and a transfer 8 part that supports thereon a carrying container for transferring process objects between the holder and the carrying container, wherein an upper loading and unloading part 3 and a lower loading and unloading part 4 are provided as said at least one loading and unloading part, and a second storage part 20 that stores a carrying container is disposed between the upper and lower loading and unloading parts. Either one of the loading and unloading parts 3, 4 is utilized as a third storage part 30 that stores a carrying container 2. The carrying container storage capacity may be increased and the throughput may be improved.
US08177549B2
A method and apparatus processing materials including medical waste, municipal waste, along with other wastes, and processing materials; the apparatus comprising an elongate pressure vessel of generally cylindrical configuration having an inlet end, and an end cap for the inlet.
US08177547B2
The invention relates to a method for starting a burner for combusting synthesis gases, wherein said burner comprises first and second fuel passages, the first fuel passage encompasses the second fuel passage in a substantially concentric manner and the gas transferred to the burner is mixed with combusting air and is combusted. According to said invention, in order to start the burner, the second fuel passage is first loaded with a synthesis gas to a predefined burner power at a first starting phase and the first fuel passage is loaded with the synthesis gas at a second starting phase.
US08177542B2
The present invention comprises a rotary drive nozzle die machine for use with at least first and second dough extruders. The machine includes at least one rotatable nozzle having at least two openings for extruding at least two strands of dough therethrough, a first compression head for directing a first flow of a first type of dough under pressure from the first extruder toward the at least one rotatable nozzle and a second compression head for directing a second flow of a second type of dough under pressure from the second extruder toward the at least one rotatable nozzle. A mixing chamber is connected to the first and second compression heads for receiving the first and second flows of dough, for mixing the second dough into the first dough and for directing the mixed dough to the at least one rotatable nozzle and a drive assembly rotates the at least one nozzle whereby the at least two strands of the mixed dough extruded through the at least two openings of the at least one nozzle are spiral wound together to form a single dough stream.
US08177538B1
An apparatus for molding a tire includes a first mold section having a first cavity, with an annular ridge disposed thereon. The apparatus also includes a second mold section having a second cavity. A plurality of lugs are removably attached to the first mold section. The apparatus further includes a ring having a plurality of projections, wherein the lugs retain the ring in a fixed position against the first mold section about the annular ridge.
US08177532B2
The expander-compressor unit 70 includes the closed casing 1, the expansion mechanism 4 disposed in the closed casing 1 so that a surrounding space thereof is filled with the oil, the compression mechanism 2 disposed in the closed casing 1 so as to be positioned higher than the oil level, the shaft 5 for coupling the compression mechanism and the expansion mechanism 4 to each other, and the oil flow suppressing member 50 disposed in the surrounding space of the expansion mechanism 4 so that the space 55a filled with the oil is formed between the expansion mechanism 4 and the oil flow suppressing member 50. Thereby the flow of the oil filling the inner reserving space 55a is suppressed, and thus, heat transfer from the high temperature oil to the low temperature expansion mechanism can be reduced.
US08177531B2
A fluid transportation system includes an elastic tube, a tube frame to which the tube is attached such that the tube forms a circular arc, a first cam and a second cam disposed inside the tube, and fingers which radially extend from a rotation center in the space between the tube and the first and second cams. The first and second cams produce a first condition where the fingers are all released and a second condition where at least one of the fingers constantly closes the tube. The first and second cams sequentially press the fingers, and the fingers sequentially repeat closure and release of the tube so that fluid can continuously flow.
US08177529B2
In a compressor, a motor includes a stator and a moving member that reciprocates. A frame supports the stator and a conductivity member flows at least a portion of magnetic flux flowing away from the stator back to the stator. Accordingly, the reciprocating compressor has enhanced energy efficiency.
US08177526B2
Power and control logic configurations for gas well dewatering systems are provided. In one example, a reservoir is configured to contain hydraulic, lubricating fluid. An electric motor is configured to receive fluid from the reservoir for lubrication and a hydraulic pump powered by the electric motor is configured to receive fluid from the reservoir and pump the fluid into a hydraulic circuit. A positive displacement oscillating pump is powered by the hydraulic pump and configured to pump fluid from the reservoir to an outlet from the well. The electric motor and hydraulic pump receive the same fluid from the reservoir for lubrication and to create pressure in the hydraulic circuit, respectively. A switching device is connected to the hydraulic circuit and is switchable between a first position wherein fluid pressure from the hydraulic pump causes the piston pump to move in a first direction and a second position wherein fluid pressure from the hydraulic pump causes the piston pump to move in a second direction.
US08177525B2
An expander-integrated compressor 200A includes a closed casing 1, a compression mechanism 2, an expansion mechanism 3, a shaft 5, an oil pump 6, and a heat insulating structure 30A. The oil pump 6 is disposed between the compression mechanism 1 and the expansion mechanism 3, and draws, via an oil suction port 62q, an oil held in an oil reservoir 25 to supply it to the compression mechanism 2. The heat insulating structure 30A is disposed between the oil pump 6 and the expansion mechanism 3, and limits a flow of the oil between an upper tank 25a, in which the oil suction port 62q is located, and a lower tank 25b, in which the expansion mechanism 3 is located, so as to suppress heat transfer from the oil filling the upper tank 25a to the oil filling the lower tank 25b.
US08177521B2
A system and method for monitoring and controlling oil return to a compressor, characterized by monitoring and controlling oil level, oil temperature, and compressor outlet pressure, so as to determine whether the oil level is lower than a predetermined level threshold, whether the temperature in the lubricating oil box is lower than a predetermined temperature threshold, and whether the compressor outlet pressure exceeds a predetermined pressure threshold, so as to control the flow of lubricating oil returned to the oil box by controlling the valve opening of the oil return valve according to a non-segmentation principle or a segmentation principle, ensure sufficient lubricating oil in the oil box, and enhance efficiency of the system.
US08177514B2
A sectional blade for a wind turbine comprising a first and a second blade section extending in opposite directions from a blade joint, and each blade section comprising a spar section forming a structural member of the blade. The blade sections are structurally connected by a spar bridge over a spar joint, which comprises a center beam of two extending beam caps joined by one or more extending beam webs. The spar joint further comprises at least two extending spar caps and one or more extending spar webs connecting the spar caps to opposite sides of the center beam. A method of manufacturing such a sectional blade is also disclosed.
US08177509B2
The invention relates to a lightning protection system for a wind turbine blade, where the blade is a shell body made of a composite material and comprises a root area and a tip end. The lightning protection system comprises at least one lightning receptor arranged freely accessible in or on the shell unit surface on or in the immediate vicinity of the tip of the blade, and a lightning conductor made of electrically conductive material extending within the shell body along substantially the entire longitudinal direction of the blade. The lightning receptor and the lightning conductor are electrically connected by means of a connection area. The lightning conductor in its entire longitudinal direction as well as the connection area between the lightning conductor and the lightning receptor are electrically insulated in order to prevent lightning striking through the surface of the blade.
US08177507B2
A cooled airfoil includes a concave pressure wall extending radially from a base to a tip of the airfoil, a convex suction wall connected to the concave pressure wall at a leading edge and a trailing edge spaced axially from the leading edge, and cooling channels extending radially between the base and the tip of the airfoil between the concave pressure wall and the convex suction wall and configured to receive a cooling fluid supply through the base of the airfoil. The cooling channels include a leading edge channel, a trailing edge channel, a serpentine cooling circuit, and a dedicated up-pass channel. The serpentine cooling circuit includes a first up-pass channel forward of the trailing edge channel and configured to be in flow communication with a supply channel through the base of the airfoil, a down-pass channel forward of and in flow communication with the first up-pass channel, and a second up-pass channel forward of and in flow communication with the down-pass channel. At least the down-pass channel and the second up-pass channel of the serpentine circuit have a generally triangular transverse cross-sectional shape. The dedicated up-pass channel is arranged between the leading edge channel and the second up-pass channel of the serpentine cooling circuit.
US08177499B2
In the turbine blades set to a large outflow angle, the performance of the entire turbine is improved by reducing a cross flow generated on the turbine end wall and a whirling up of flow on the suction side of a blade irrespective of the difference of the blade shape, thereby reducing the loss. There is provided a turbine blade cascade end wall positioned on the hub-side and/or the tip side of a plurality of turbine blades arranged in an annular shape, including a first projection having a ridge extending downward from the trailing edge of a turbine blade toward the downstream side gently at the beginning and steeply at the end, and along the suction side of an adjacent turbine blade.
US08177490B2
A control device of variable pitch vanes in a turbomachine is disclosed. The control device includes a ring surrounding a casing of the turbomachine and connected by links to the variable pitch vanes, and a jack connected to the ring in order to displace it in rotation around the casing. The jack is mounted pivoting on the casing and its piston rod is connected to the ring by a connecting rod. The piston and connecting rods are articulated on an axis which is connected to the casing by a guiding device maintaining it at a substantially constant distance from the casing.
US08177481B2
One aspect of the present invention relates to a vertical axis wind turbine. In one embodiment, the vertical axis wind turbine comprises a rotor comprising a vertical oriented shaft, and a plurality of vertical oriented blades angle-equally and radially secured to the vertical aligned shaft. Each of the plurality of vertical oriented blades has a face side, a back side, at least one window and at least one pane pivotally mounted onto the at least one window on the face side such that the at least one pane is rotatable between a closed position and an opening position around a pivotal axis responsive to a wind condition thereof. The pivotal axis is substantially perpendicular to the vertical oriented shaft.
US08177480B2
The invention provides a system for producing electricity from the channel, river, ocean or tidal water currents and wind. Each system module contains a vertical axis fluid driven turbine positioned in a protecting housing. The turbine employs a plurality of rotating paddles with mutually perpendicularly oriented asymmetric blades that are non-rotatably fixed by their leading edges to the poles at both ends. The high efficiency of the turbine comes from creating maximum drug force by vertically oriented blades on the power generating side and practically zero frictional force produced by blades on the resting side of the turbine.
US08177470B2
A cutter dome for use with a reclaimer includes a sidewall that at least partially encircles a central axis and that extends from a lower end to an upper end, the sidewall having a lower portion that bounds a first chamber and an upper portion that bounds a second chamber, a collection opening being formed on the lower portion of the sidewall so that a reclaimer, such as an auger, can pass through the collection opening and communicate with the first chamber. A roof is disposed on the upper end of the sidewall so as to cover second chamber, the roof having a first inlet formed thereon. A first passageway is disposed within the second chamber and extends from the first inlet to a first outlet, the first outlet communicating with the first chamber.
US08177462B2
A system for arranging wind turbine blades includes first and second root cradles and a first support proximate to the second root cradle. A first tip cradle is rotatably connected to the first support, and a second tip cradle is proximate to the first root cradle. A method for arranging wind turbine blades includes transferring a first wind turbine blade proximate to a first root cradle and rotating the first wind turbine blade at least 90 degrees so that the first wind turbine blade is angled approximately 20 to 90 degrees with respect to a horizon. The method further includes transferring a second wind turbine blade proximate to a second root cradle and nesting the second wind turbine blade with the first wind turbine blade.
US08177460B2
A cutting insert has a trigonal shape. The cutting insert has a peripheral surface that extends between two opposing identical end surfaces. A median plane (M) bisects the cutting insert between the end surfaces. A through bore extends between the end surfaces. A cutting edge, formed at the intersection of each end surface with the peripheral surface, is divided into three identical cutting sections. Each cutting section is located between two vertexes of the trigonal shape. Each cutting section has a convex primary cutting edge and a concave secondary cutting edge that merge together. An insert tangential abutment surface is located between the cutting edge and the through bore. A primary relief surface forms an insert internal obtuse angle with a first reference plane (P1). A secondary relief surface forms an insert internal acute angle with a second reference plane (P2).
US08177459B2
A cutting insert for a ball nose end mill includes a body including two opposed substantially flat retention surfaces. Each retention surface includes a chip control groove thereon extending from a point at or near an axial center of the body at an angle relative to the axial center of the body. The insert further includes a peripheral surface joining the two retention surfaces, wherein the peripheral surface includes a locating surface at a first end thereof and two arcuate surfaces at an opposed, second end thereof extending rearwardly from approximately the axial center of the second end and positioned on opposite sides of the insert symmetrically with respect to the centerline of the insert. The arcuate surfaces each including an arcuate cutting edge at the intersection of outer portion of a chip control groove and the arcuate surface. The arcuate surfaces are formed with a face clearance angle under the cutting edges.
US08177452B2
A nail polish container includes an outer barrel having a dispense nozzle and a detachable refill container. The dispense nozzle includes a brush and a dispense tube seat mounted therein. The refill container contains therein a liquid content and has a top mouth receiving therein a volume-regulating valve seat and a tubular sleeve. When the refill container is fit into the outer barrel, a dispense tube of the dispense tube seat is inserted into the valve seat, whereby depression of the refill container may cause the valve to open to allow the nail polish contained in the refill container to flow, in a volume-regulated manner, to the brush for performing application of the nail polish.
US08177449B2
An implement 1 for applying a volume of liquid to a treatment surface. The implement includes a support 3 onto which is mounted a receptacle 2, the receptacle defining a reservoir space 4 which receives the liquid. The receptacle includes a wall 6 having a working surface that is used to spread the liquid over the treatment surface. The wall 6 is resiliently deformable so in use the working surface maintains contact with the treatment surface when spreading the liquid. The implement has a specific application in applying a transdermal lotion to the axilla area of the user. A system for transdermal administration of a physiological active agent from a liquid composition and a method of conducting the transdermal administration.
US08177442B2
A digital printing machine and a platen assembly therefore for printing on multiple garment portions, the platen assembly comprising a base member configured for operation with a printing machine, and multiple garment support members that are attached to the base member. Each support member comprises a first portion attached to the base member and a second substantially horizontal portion extending outwardly from the base member. The garment support members are configured to support multiple garment portions, permitting printing on the multiple garment portions in a single printing operation.
US08177436B2
The present invention is an anti rotational creep bearing including a socket designed in the inner race of the bearing for partially receiving an anti creep ball therein, further including a shaft onto which the bearing is to be longitudinally mounted, including a channel defined along a longitudinal direction for receiving there along the anti creep ball projecting from its socket, wherein the depth of the socket plus the depth of the channel is at least equal to the diameter of the anti creep ball, such that when the bearing is installed on the shaft, the anti creep ball prevents creep in the rotational direction, however allows movement in the axial direction.
US08177434B2
A fluid dynamic bearing device includes a housing injection molded with a bearing sleeve as an insert. Accordingly, the molding of the housing and the assembly of the housing and the bearing sleeve can be performed in a single step. In addition to this, by simply increasing the die precisions the housing and the bearing sleeve can be fixed easily with high precision. Since the housing is opened at both ends, it is possible to sandwich the bearing sleeve, and accordingly, the bearing sleeve can be accurately positioned inside the dies with reliability.
US08177432B2
A guide carriage for a linear roller bearing is supportable in a longitudinally displaceable manner via at least one row of rollers on a guide rail which extends in a longitudinal direction, a separate rolling surface part which includes a rolling surface for the rollers is assigned to each row of rollers, and the rolling surface part is connected via an adhesive layer to a carrier body. The adhesive layer is designed essentially planar on the back side of the rolling surface part which faces away from the rolling surface, the rolling surface part being accommodated in a recess—which has an L-shaped cross section—of the carrier body.
US08177421B2
Infrared IR thermometer calibration systems and methods are disclosed in which the temperature of an IR thermometer calibration system is controlled such that radiation emitted by a target at a given input temperature is equal to the radiation emitted by a graybody heated to the input temperature and having an emissivity equal to an emissivity setting of an IR thermometer to be calibrated using the IR thermometer calibration system.
US08177417B2
The present invention provides a continuous blender having a drive unit assembly with a shell assembly mounting assembly and a shell assembly structured to be removably coupled to the shell assembly mounting assembly by one or more clamps. The drive unit assembly may be coupled to shell assemblies having different lengths and diameters. Thus, by changing the shell assembly coupled to the drive unit assembly, the output of the continuous blender may be dramatically changed.
US08177415B1
A system and method for agitating pouched products traveling along a conveyor belt to facilitate heat transfer, blending, mixing and/or stirring of the contents thereof. An agitation station is located along the conveyor belt, and includes an agitator secured to one end of an arm, the arm being pivotally secured to the frame supporting the conveyor belt.
US08177412B2
A kneading apparatus includes a barrel having a cylindrical chamber; a screw assembly rotating in the chamber so that a material to be kneaded is extruded in the axial direction by the rotation, the screw assembly including a screw section having helical blades and a kneading blade section in order to allow the material to flow into the clearance between the inner wall of the chamber and the kneading blade section, and to apply shearing forces to the material; a metering feeder for feeding the material at a substantially constant volumetric or gravimetric rate into the chamber; an injecting device for injecting a heat-removing medium into the chamber; and a discharging device for separating the heat-removing medium from the material and discharging the heat-removing medium from the chamber. A kneading method using the kneading apparatus is also disclosed.
US08177410B2
The invention relates to a lamp base comprising a plastic base part (320) that is provided with electric connections (61, 62, 63) for supplying power to at least one luminous means (21, 22) of the lamp that is surrounded by the lamp vessel (10). The electric connections (61, 62, 63) comprise contact sections (610, 620, 630) for connecting to power supply lines (51, 52, 53) of the at least one luminous means (21, 22), that protrude from the lamp vessel (10), and the lamp base is equipped with a sealing element (330) for covering the contact sections (610, 620, 630), said sealing element being fixed to the plastic base part (320) by a detent connection (3213, 3223, 3311, 3312, 3321, 3322). Said detent connection is preferably concealed. Said lamp base can be used, for example, in a motor vehicle headlight.
US08177404B2
An edge-lit back plate has two mounting frames coupled to opposite longitudinal side surfaces of a back plate including a laminate body with a reflector, a light guide and a diffuser. At least one light source assembly is located within a recess of each mounting frame and positioned adjacent to one of the longitudinal side surfaces of the laminate body. The edge-lit back plate is configured to be installed on a rack to illuminate products on such rack.
US08177402B2
The invention relates to a light module (1) for an illumination device (20), in particular for a headlight, for a motor vehicle. The light module (1) comprises a plurality of light sources (2) for emitting light beams (4, 5), at least one primary optical unit (6; 12) for focusing the emitted light beams (4a, 5a), a stop arrangement (8) in the beam path of the focused light beams (4b, 5b), and at least one secondary optical unit (9) for imaging the focused light beams (4b, 5b) which passed the stop arrangement (8) on a roadway in front of the motor vehicle in order to generate a desired light distribution. In order to be able to implement a particularly compact illumination device (20), in particular with a particularly low installation height, in which moreover the exhaust heat generated by the light sources (2) during operation can escape particularly well, it is proposed that the light module (1) has at least two laterally emitting light emitting diodes (2) as light sources and at least two laterally arranged half-bowl reflectors (6), assigned in each case to at least one of the light emitting diodes (2), as primary optical units.
US08177390B2
An electronic visual display system with an integrated general lighting system including an electronic visual display having a housing and one or more lighting devices integrated therewith to provide light to one or more spaces external to the electronic visual display housing. The lighting devices have an independent on and off state which allows for the lighting devices to be in the on state independent of the on and off state of the electronic visual display. The lighting devices provide a relatively constant and user selectable color and level of light output.
US08177389B1
An intelligent light source deterministically calculates luminous flux levels of individual color sources of four or more light sources without a look-up table to determine the luminous flux levels.
US08177388B2
An improved LED tube structure capable of changing an illumination direction allows for use of a conventional fluorescent lamp holder and is capable of changing an illumination direction. The LED tube structure includes a transparent tube having a plug track disposed on an inner tube wall thereof, wherein the plug track is disposed approximate to or above a horizontal center line of the transparent tube, and the plug track is adapted for an LED lamp strip to be plugged therein; a conductive terminal having a tandem piece between two terminals thereof; and a positioning enclosure having two terminal plugholes spaced apart disposed in the middle portion thereof for the terminals to be fixedly plugged therein. The plug track grooves are disposed at different angles for the plug track on the inner wall of the transparent tube to be selectively plugged therein.
US08177386B2
A lighting apparatus having a base member and a directional member are shown and described. The base member includes a first surface having a plurality of reflective elements extending therefrom. The base member also including a plurality of openings arranged in a pattern. Each openings is configured to receive a respective light source. The directional member has a portion of a reflective surface positioned relative to at least one opening to reflect light radiating from a lighting source disposed within the opening towards a portion of at least one of the reflective elements extending from the base member.
US08177382B2
Provided are solid state lighting devices that include multiple solid state light emitters that are configured to emit light and a multiplane light diffuser including a first diffusion plane and a second diffusion plane that are separated by a gap, the multiplane light diffuser including first side that is configured to receive the light emitted from the solid state light emitters and a second side that is configured to transmit diffused light.
US08177372B2
This invention provide a projector apparatus enabled to lower its exhaust air temperature by adding only minor modifications to the existing structure, without altering its basic structure. The liquid crystal projector apparatus of the invention has a casing (1) for accommodating therein a light source (4), an optical system adapted to construct imaging light in response to a beam of light received from the light source, a power supply (9), and a cooling unit (6) mounted on the side wall of the casing (1) to cool the components in the casing. Provided on the inner wall of the casing is an air inspiration mechanism (16, 17, 18, 126) in association with the exhaust unit (6), whereby the exhaust unit (6) can inspire ambient air through the air inspiration mechanism to lower the temperature of the air to be expired from the exhaust unit.
US08177370B2
Method to display an image using four or more primaries having different spectral distributions that are distributed into three groups of primaries, wherein, in a visual color space, all primaries belonging to the same group have the same visual color and are metamehc. Each image being got from a combination of three primary images and each primary image being associated with each visual color of a group, the different primaries of each group are spatially or sequentially distributed over the primary image associated with this group, then allowing an efficient anti-copy protection based on metamerization of images, without any supplemental video processing.
US08177366B2
A stereoscopic image projection system using a circular polarization filter module is provided. Even though this system uses a single projector, it allows left and right images to have different polarization directions using the circular polarization filter module, thereby reducing crosstalk compared to an LCD-shutter-based system.
US08177359B2
A pair of health-caring glasses consists of two lenses, a bridge and two temples. The bridge is fixed between the lenses by screws, provided with two nose pads respectively inlaid with a loadstone. The temples are respectively positioned at an outer portion of the lenses, provided with a rubber sleeve made of far infrared material, and a plurality of massage projections closely spread on the rubber sleeve. By means of resonance created by the loadstone, far infrared released by the rubber sleeves and massage projections to massage acupuncture points about head, a user wearing the glasses can ease eyes fatigue, has his or her face beautified and brain stimulated.
US08177357B2
An adjustment device adapted to glasses each including two polarization filters having adjustable transmission axes varying an angle therebetween in a front view is constituted of a physical parameter receiving unit for receiving at least one physical parameter which is produced by measuring the user's body, an angle calculation unit for calculating a target angle to be formed between the transmission axes of the polarization filters based on the received physical parameter, and a polarization filter adjustment unit for rotating at least one of the polarization filters, thus making the present angle formed between the transmission axes of the polarization filters agree with the target angle. Thus, it is possible to reduce a load or strain imparted to a user's eyes in light of the user's fatigued condition.
US08177354B2
A recording device includes: a first suction unit which has a support member for supporting a recording medium and a plurality of suction holes provided in the support member to support the recording medium under control that a second suction force of the suction holes not covered by the recording medium is restricted to be smaller than a first suction force of the suction holes covered by the recording medium; a recording head which performs recording on the recording medium supported by the first suction unit.
US08177352B2
A drum maintenance system for use in an imaging device includes a reservoir having a supply of release agent, and an applicator configured to receive release agent from the reservoir and to apply the release agent to an intermediate imaging surface of an imaging device. A first metering blade is positioned in wiper mode at a first position adjacent the intermediate imaging surface and configured to meter the release agent on the intermediate imaging surface applied by the applicator. A second metering blade is positioned in wiper mode at a second position adjacent the intermediate imaging surface. The system includes a second metering blade positioning system operably coupled to the second metering blade and configured to move the second metering blade into engagement with the intermediate imaging surface to further meter release agent applied to the intermediate imaging surface by the applicator when printing a first side of a duplex print job and out of engagement with the intermediate imaging surface when printing simplex print jobs and when printing a second side of a duplex print job.
US08177351B2
In the image-recording of an intermediate transfer system applying an ink jet recording method, reactive liquid reactable with ink is properly formed on the intermediate transfer body. By using the intermediate transfer body having a pattern consisting of lyophilic and lyophobic sections on a surface thereof, the reactive liquid is uniformly applied to the intermediate transfer body to form a layer having a suitable thickness. Thereby, it is possible to form an ink image on the intermediate transfer body while preventing the miss landing of ink droplets and restricting the deformation of an ink dots. By transferring this ink image to a recording medium, it is possible to form a high-quality ink image on various kinds of recording media in a stable manner.
US08177345B2
A liquid ejecting head including a plurality of nozzle orifices for liquid ejection, a reservoir plate made of rolled metal rolled in a first direction which includes a liquid reservoir communicating with the plurality of nozzle orifices, and a compliance plate made of rolled metal rolled in a second direction, laminated on the reservoir plate, and having a thin portion that is formed by forming a recess which extends in the lengthwise direction in the opposite surface of the reservoir plate from the surface facing the liquid reservoir, the thin portion serving as a wall of the liquid reservoir. The second direction is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the recess and the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.
US08177339B2
A fluid dispensing assembly has a fluid reservoir, a reservoir structure having at least one opening corresponding to a location of at least one fluid chamber in the reservoir structure, and a compliant film arranged to seal the opening and flex in response to pressure fluctuations in the fluid chamber. A system has a fluid supply, a fluid dispensing assembly having a fluid reservoir to receive fluid from the fluid supply, the fluid dispensing assembly having a reservoir structure with at least one opening corresponding to at least one fluid chamber, and a compliant film arranged to cover the opening such that a side of the film contacts fluid in the chamber and a side opposite the side contacting the fluid contacts air and is arranged to allow the film to flex.
US08177334B2
The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a substrate which forms a wiring pattern on a substrate having a plurality of through-holes. In the method, the wiring pattern is formed, after burying a filling material into the through-holes and planarizing a surface of the substrate. The filling material may be a conductive material, and a portion of the conductive material may be removed after the wiring pattern is formed. Removal of the portion of the conductive material may be carried out after a protective film, which protects the wiring pattern, is formed. The filling material may be a conductive material and a sacrificial material, and the sacrificial material may be removed after the wiring pattern is formed.
US08177333B2
In a printhead element board including a plurality of printing elements which align in a predetermined direction, driving circuits which drive the printing elements, and an element selection circuit which selects printing elements within each group for each group having a predetermined number of adjacent printing elements, a plurality of element selection circuits are laid out adjacent to the driving circuits of the respective groups. With this layout, even if the number of printing elements increases, only the length in the printing element array direction increases without increasing the length in a direction perpendicular to the printing element array direction.
US08177327B2
An ink jet recording apparatus in which a head supporting plate having a line head mounted thereon which comprises a plurality of short heads staggered is attached to a carriage whereby recording is performed by ink jet printing with the line head on a recording medium positioned beneath the carriage is rendered capable of using ordinary short heads.To this end, in an ink jet recording apparatus in which a head supporting plate 12 having a line head mounted thereon which comprises a plurality of short heads 11 staggered is attached to a carriage 9 whereby recording is performed by ink jet printing with the line head on a recording medium 2 positioned beneath the carriage, a portion of projection 25 is provided which is formed on a surface of attachment where the head supporting plate is attached to the carriage, the portion of projection entering into a hole 26 formed in the carriage; and a portion of recess is provided which is formed on an obverse side of the head supporting plate and at a position corresponding to that of the portion of projection and whose inner bottom surface becomes a head mounting surface 27 on which a said short head having a nozzle is to be mounted, the head mounting surface being formed with a nozzle accepting hole adapted to accept the nozzle of the short head for mounting the short head on the head mounting surface.
US08177316B2
A blower is disposed at least at backward side of printing moving direction of the head unit, out of two sides of the head unit. The blower has air nozzles for injecting compressed air perpendicularly to the printing plane, and the bottom of the blower is provided with a curved plane and a parallel plane so that the compressed air injected from the air nozzles may be bent in a direction at right angle by Coanda effect. The curved plane and the parallel plane generate a horizontal air stream parallel to the printing plane, toward a direction departing from the adjacent head unit, at the downside of the blower. The printing device, using the ink jet head, dries the ink on the printing medium by the horizontal air stream injected from the blower while printing on the printing medium.
US08177314B2
A printing apparatus includes a head which discharges color inks and into which clear ink that prevents the head from being clogged and white ink are selectively filled. A selection portion communicates either of a white or a clear ink container with the head. A controller executes a first switching from a second filled state where the head is filled with clear ink to a first filled state where the head is filled with white ink by shifting from a state where the clear ink container is communicated with the head to a state where the white ink container is communicated with the head. A second switching is executed from the first filled state to the second filled state by shifting from a state where the white ink container is communicated with the head to a state where the clear ink container is communicated with the head.
US08177308B2
A system and method for establishing a running clearance position for an electromechanical actuator (28), wherein the running clearance is based on an actuator ram (34) position attained during a force application to a brake stack (30). In particular, a running clearance calibrator (66) determines a position value corresponding to a position of the force applicator when retraction from an application of force on the brake stack commences. The running clearance calibrator also generates a running clearance position as a function of the position value.
US08177304B2
A side dump body or trailer comprising a wheeled frame having one or more side dump bodies pivotally mounted thereon which may be individually moved from a transport position to a side dumping position at either side of the truck or trailer. Once the side dump body is in its dumping position, the side dump body may be moved somewhat upwardly and inwardly away from the pile of material which has been dumped at one side of the truck or trailer.
US08177296B2
A motorized rocking chair includes a support frame, a seat pivotally mounted on the support frame, an actuating mechanism mounted between the support frame and the seat to drive the seat to move relative to the support frame, a backrest pivotally mounted on the seat, and a telescopic mechanism mounted between the seat and the backrest to drive the backrest to move relative to the seat. Thus, the actuating mechanism is controlled by an electrically control device to drive the seat to pivot relative to the support frame reciprocally in a pendulum manner so that the seat is pivoted relative to the support frame automatically. In addition, the telescopic mechanism is controlled by the electrically control device to adjust the inclined angle of the backrest so as to provide a comfortable sensation to the user.
US08177290B2
A cab reinforcement structure for reinforcing a cab by a gusset disposed in a corner at which a right rear pillar and a hollow rear lateral beam member joined to the right rear pillar meet each other is formed such that a gusset retaining member for sustaining a load from a gusset side is disposed within the rear lateral beam member in relation to the rear lateral beam member side end of the gusset and the gusset retaining member is composed of a plate-like member for blocking up the inside of the rear lateral beam member at a position corresponding to the rear lateral beam member side end of the gusset.
US08177283B2
A curved glass for a motor vehicle dashboard including a mechanism positioning the glass with respect to the dashboard of the vehicle and with respect to a reference point representing an upper observation point. A reference axis to be vertical when the glass is assembled on the vehicle includes the reference point. The glass includes a main portion having partially elliptical sections in vertical cross-sectional planes including the reference axis. Each of the elliptical sections has a first focus situated at the reference point of the glass.
US08177280B2
A vehicle seat device is designed to perform tilt adjustment of a seat cushion in a construction which is high in rigidity, downsized and high in the quality of external appearance. The device comprises rotational links; floor attached front brackets and front swing links which make couplings between first joint portions of the rotational links and upper rails; flank brackets coupled to the rotational links at front portion thereof; floor attached rear brackets and rear swing links which make couplings between rear portions of the flank brackets and the upper rails; a front drive device secured to one of the flank brackets for rotationally driving the rotational links; and cushion frames coupled to the flank brackets and second joint portions of the rotational links respectively at rear portions and front portions thereof. The second joint portions and the cushion frames are coupled to respective both ends of cushion frame swing links.
US08177279B2
To be able to store a seat back and a seat cushion in line from front to back and be able to widely ensure space above a storage position of the seat cushion.In a rear seat (10), when a seat back (18) is rotated to a forwardly collapsed position in a state where a seat cushion (16) has been moved to a storage position, the seat back (18) and the seat cushion (16) are stored in parallel from front to back. Consequently, the seat back (18) and the seat cushion (16) can be thinly stored in an up-down direction of a vehicle. Moreover, the storage position of the seat cushion (16) is set on a rear lower side of a use position, so space above the storage position can be widely ensured.
US08177278B1
A work bed with its low profile load bed recessed between fenders combined with a unique tailgate mounting system is disclosed. The combination is suited for fixed or dump mounting on a truck and fixed, dump, or selective tilt or dump use on a trailer. Tailgates systems are connected to one or both work bed sides, on one or a pair if symmetrically opposite inwardly inclined axes located outboard of the sides, allowing lateral tailgates or tailgate segments to be manually pivoted to longitudinal transport positions above the fenders where they can be secured. Some tailgates also pivot about lower or upper lateral pivot axes for added versatility.
US08177276B2
A bed extender assembly for a vehicle bed includes at least one bed extender device having a longitudinal length greater than a length of the vehicle bed. The at least one bed extender device has a first end disposed in the vehicle bed and a second end spaced apart from the first end to define the longitudinal length. The second end is spaced rearwardly apart from a rearward end of the vehicle bed. A locking bar extends transversely across the vehicle bed adjacent the first end to lock the first end of the at least one bed extender device against the bed floor.
US08177275B2
A partition for separating the cabin compartment from the cargo area in HHR-style vehicles where the cabin compartment is characterized by a deck having a front wall and recesses. The partition comprises a frame including a panel. The frame is securable to a front wall of the vehicle deck, and includes at least one support, each of the at least one supports receivable in one of the recesses of the deck.
US08177272B2
An ergonomic shovel that has a curved, bent angle shaft that reduces the user's exertion, strain and fatigue. In addition, when not in use, shovel provides a space saving design so it can be stored nearly flat, saving storage space. This is accomplished by rotating the handle and blade 90 degrees in one direction with the use of quick release detent pins that are easily removed and re-inserted at predetermined positions.
US08177269B2
Embodiments of a body of a motor vehicle are provided, as are embodiments of an energy absorbing element for a motor vehicle body. In one embodiment, the body of a vehicle includes a longitudinal member, a cross-member, and an energy absorbing element mounted between the longitudinal member and the cross-member and extending in the vehicle's longitudinal direction. The energy absorbing element includes a tube section, which is formed from a single metal strip and which includes: (i) a cross-section having at least one concavity, as taken along a plane substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the tube section, and (ii) opposing longitudinal edges disposed substantially adjacent one another and within the at least one concavity. The energy absorbing element further includes at least one weld seam joining the opposing longitudinal edges to the single metal strip.
US08177265B2
A latch assembly for use with a window sash sliding mounted with a window frame. The latch includes at least one bolt (18) moveable in a body (10) between a retracted position and a projecting position. In the projecting position the bolt 18 is engageable in cavity in a strike (12). A connecting mechanism in the form of cranks (20) couple the bolt 18 to an operating member (14), which is part of latch furniture (11). A magnetic actuating element (29) and a biasing element (33) are coupled to the bolt (18) whereby when the latch body (10) is disposed relative to a strike (12) in a position where the bolt (18) can engage with the strike (12) a magnetic attraction between a magnetic part (26) of the strike and the magnetic actuating element (29) occurs to draw the bolt (18) into latching engagement with the strike (12).
US08177263B2
A coupling for securing pipe elements together in end-to-end relation has segments joined end-to-end by adjustable connection members. The segments surround a central space which receives the pipe elements. One or more gripping bodies are captured between the segments. The gripping bodies are arranged opposite to each other. The segments have angularly oriented reaction surfaces on the connection members. The gripping bodies have angularly oriented contact surfaces which interface with the reaction surfaces. When the segments are drawn toward each other by the connection members, interaction between the reaction surfaces and the contact surfaces forces the gripping bodies radially inwardly. Inwardly facing arcuate surfaces on the segments and the gripping bodies engage and retain the pipe elements.
US08177262B2
An expandable tubular connection includes a pin member and a box member. The pin member includes a pin thread formed on a small step and a large step and a first seal surface formed between the small step and the large step. The box member includes a box thread formed on a small step and a large step and a second seal surface formed between the small step and the large step. The pin thread and the box thread are wedge threads. Upon a selected make-up of the pin member with the box member a selected gap exists between the first seal surface and the second seal surface. The gap is selected such that, when plastically radially expanded by a selected amount, a seal is formed between at least a portion of the first seal surface and the second seal surface.
US08177260B2
A coupon for providing an incentive for a user to participate in physical activity. The coupon detects the physical activity of a user and indicates to the user when the threshold of physical activity has been reached. Once the coupon has indicated that the threshold has been reached, the user may redeem the coupon for a reward.
US08177258B2
A trailer system that is quickly and easily assembled and disassembled. The trailer components can be shipped and stored in a knockdown configuration and then quickly assembled with single wrench and little mechanical skill. A plurality of structural members are bolted onto a beam set to form the trailer bed. A simple trailer axle and wheel assembled can then be attached to the trailer bed. The shipping container is used to form the surfaces of the trailer.
US08177257B2
A wheelchair base including a base frame and a pair of pivot arm assemblies each including a first pivot arm and a second pivot arm, pivotally coupled to each other for pivotal movement about a transverse pivot axis. The pivot arms defining first and second auxiliary wheel attachments opposed to the transverse pivot axis for attaching first and second end auxiliary wheels. Each pivot arm assembly including a link pivotally coupled to the second pivot arm intermediate the transverse pivot axis and the second auxiliary wheel attachment for pivotal movement about a link axis substantially parallel to the transverse pivot axis forming a drive wheel attachment intermediate the auxiliary wheel attachments. The pivot arm assemblies are mounted to the base frame substantially laterally opposed to each other through the link and first pivot arm such that the pivot arm assemblies are independently pivotable relative to the base frame.
US08177255B2
This device includes a flexible net (26), a first end portion (28) of which is overmolded by the flap (20) and a second portion (30) is overmolded by a support element (24), the central portion extending between the first and second portions (28, 30) forming a flexible hinge (22) for articulating the flap (20) relative to the support element (24). The second portion (30) includes an end part (32) protruding from the support element (24) on the opposite side to the hinge-forming part (22), the end part (32) including a stop element, such that, when the airbag is deployed, the stop element prevents the second part (32) from being pulled out of the support element (24).
US08177251B2
A bicycle seatpost assembly is provided with a pair of telescopically tubes, a floating piston, a valve unit and a flow control part. One end of the second tube is open such that one end of the first tube is telescopically disposed in the second tube. The floating piston forms a gas chamber in a first tube. The valve unit is immovably disposed with respect to a second tube and divides the first tube into first and second fluid chambers. The flow control part moves relative to the valve unit such that fluid flows from the second fluid chamber to the first fluid chamber through the valve unit when the flow control part is in a first position, and such that fluid flows from the first fluid chamber to the second fluid chamber through the valve unit when the flow control part is in a second position.
US08177247B1
A movable pullout step attachable to a vehicle and which has a spring actuated latching mechanism that selectively allows and restrains positioning of the pullout step in either a retracted position under the vehicle or a step position wherein a tread extends away from the vehicle to allow a person to stand thereon to facilitate the access to desired portions of the vehicle.
US08177244B2
A vehicle suspension includes a vehicle body, a supporting member, wherein a proximal end is attached to the vehicle body at a central axis. The supporting member is configured to secure an end of a vehicle suspension component to the vehicle body. A distal end of the support member includes a hanger configured to receive and to allow a tie-down hook to move in an arcuate path defined by a circle centered at the central axis.
US08177242B2
A radiographic grid cabinet for holding x-ray grids and/or cassettes that can have a vertical structure attached to a flat base with wheels that engage when the device is tilted backward like a handcart so that the cabinet can be easily transported from place to place. In an alternate embodiment, wheels can fold out when needed. The device also can have a support plate that can move vertically on a set of rails or other structure attached to the cart. A thumb controlled pin on a clamp or other locking device can select one of a number of holes in the rails to lock the cabinet into a fixed vertical position. The device can also have a rotating bearing that allows the grid holder to be rotated from a horizontal to a vertical position, or through a vertical position from either of two horizontal positions. The motion can optionally be restricted by the bearing so that the grid holder cannot rotate more than 180 degrees and cannot be turned upside down. This allows slipping in the grid and holding it without retainers. An optional counterweight or counter-balance can be used to make the vertical motion easier. The device can be supplied in different sizes and can be used with different sized grids. The grid assembly can be removable and independently usable for supine x-ray viewing or for other uses.
US08177239B2
In order to make an elastomeric sealing element available which is also suitable, in particular, for sealing tasks, with which the highest thermal and chemical resistance is partially required, and at the same time to save on costs and resources it is suggested that the elastomeric sealing element comprise a first and a second sealing section, wherein the first sealing section is produced with the use of a first elastomeric material containing a first cross-linking system, wherein the second sealing section is produced with the use of a second elastomeric material containing a second cross-linking system, wherein the first and the second sealing sections border directly on one another in a seam area and their elastomeric materials are materially joined to one another, and wherein at least one of the two cross-linking systems comprises, in addition, a cross-linking agent for the respectively other elastomeric material.
US08177231B2
A conveying body that can attract and peel-off a recording medium by a simple mechanism, and an image forming device using the conveying body are provided. One end portions of through-holes of a drum are blocked by a blocking member, and a suction member and a blowing-out member are provided at other end portions of the through-holes. Due to a suction pump being operated and suction force being generated within the through-holes via a suction port of the suction member, the suction force passes through the through-holes and acts on long grooves of an outer peripheral surface of the drum, and a sheet can be attracted reliably to the outer peripheral surface of the drum. Further, because air is blown-out from the blowing-out member by operation of the suction pump, a leading end portion of a sheet can be reliably peeled-off from the outer peripheral surface of the drum.
US08177230B2
Disclosed are a recording medium accumulating device and a method for accumulating recording medium. The device includes a cylindroid roller for winding up the recording medium and at least two endless belts, peripheral surfaces of the cylindroid roller contact with external surfaces of the endless belts respectively, and a closed medium-feeding passage is formed between the contacting surfaces, a medium-entering passage and a medium-discharging passage for the recording medium are respectively formed between two adjacent endless belts, the medium-entering passage and the medium-discharging passage connect with the medium-feeding passage, the medium-feeding passage drives the recording medium to rotate with the cylindroid roller using the friction force of the contacting surfaces, so as to accumulate the recording medium.
US08177225B2
An automatic document feeder of the present invention is provided with a turning/discharging path in a reversing path in order to read images on both sides of documents in lengths less than the main size and discharge in a discharging tray. Further, an aligning wall is provided to bump ends of documents discharged from the turning/discharging path against it. Thus, the documents of which both sides are read are discharged in the sequentially collated state at a high-speed and the aligned state.
US08177218B2
A sheet feeding device includes a loading tray configured to receive a plurality of sheets thereon; a sheet transporting unit which transports the uppermost sheet among the sheets to an image forming unit; a blowing unit which blows air to one end portions of the sheets to lift the end portion of the uppermost sheet to separate the sheets from each other; a rear end regulating member which is disposed behind the rear ends of the sheets; and side end regulating members which are disposed next to both side ends of the sheets. A portion of the side end regulating members at which the side end regulating members come in contact with the sheet is provided with an emission portion allowing air to be emitted from the blowing unit.
US08177216B2
A sheet conveying device, that can be included in an image forming apparatus, includes a first sheet conveying path, a second sheet conveying path, a third conveying path, and a belt-type sheet conveying unit. The first sheet conveying path has a curved portion, and feeds and conveys a sheet therethrough. The second sheet conveying path has a curved portion and different from the first sheet conveying path, and feeds and conveys the sheet therethrough. The third sheet conveying path is provided from a confluence of the first sheet conveying path and the second sheet conveying path. The belt-type sheet conveying unit is disposed on one side of the third sheet conveying path corresponding to an outer side of the curved portion of the first sheet conveying path and an inner side of the curved portion of the second sheet conveying path.
US08177209B2
A clamp includes a rear receptacle; a front fixed jaw carrier having an eccentric guide and a guide slot; an intermediate moveable jaw carrier; a handle having one end urged against the guide member and comprising a slide sleeve retained in one end of the guide slot in a standby position; a slide bar having one end fastened in the slide sleeve and the other end being spring-actuated in the receptacle, a portion of the slide bar passing the guide member and the moveable jaw carrier; and a locking assembly comprising a seat including a funnel shaped channel; a spring-actuated slide member threadedly fastened in the seat and including a funnel shaped member having two steel balls and a projection; and a release lever having one retained end and including a tunnel and a biasing member put on the projection and biased between the seat and the release lever.
US08177204B2
Disclosed herein is a securing device for plate-like work pieces, comprising a body member and an anchor member, the body member having a first end and a second end, the first end having an engagement portion, a biasing member to basis the body member laterally within a plurality of aligned openings in said work pieces and biasing the engagement portion past the openings, the engagement portion having an operative surface to engage an outer surface on a first outer work piece, the body member including a threadable portion, the anchor member being operable to engage an outer surface on a second outer work piece, the anchor member including a threaded member to engage the threadable portion, the threaded member be rotationally operational to draw the body member toward the anchor member.
US08177189B2
A differential dry pipe control valve for fire protection sprinkler systems includes an eccentric plug that rotates and separates supply water and system air pressure and uses an integral actuator that maintains the seal of the eccentric plug with a smaller ratio of air pressure to a higher supply water pressure. When the sprinkler system is actuated, the actuator allows the rotary eccentric plug to open the waterway and includes an eccentric plug opening that swings out of the waterway to reduce friction loss of the water supply. The eccentric plug includes a conical rubber coated seat surface and dynamic metal seal seat that seals due to water pressure eliminating close tolerance mating of sealing components. The actuator includes an integral alarm connection to provide a required alarm function and acts as a pilot differential actuator to provide the required operation of an approximately 5.5:1 ratio differential dry pipe control valve. This valve can also function as an open system Deluge valve or closed system Preaction valve for sprinkler systems that operate from separate detection systems where the supply liquid holds the valve closed until a detection system detects a fire and signals the deluge valve to open for discharge of suppressant liquid on the protected fire area.
US08177171B2
There is provided a piping installation structure for a vehicle which is installed under a floor of a vehicle body and configured to support and fix a long part including at least piping, the piping installation structure including: a clamp member for supporting and fixing the long part; a stud for fixing the clamp member under the floor of the vehicle body; a stud fixing member to which the stud is fixed; and an underfloor structural member installed under the floor of the vehicle body, in which the stud fixing member and the underfloor structural member are joined to form a closed cross section on a plane which is orthogonal to a front-rear direction of the vehicle body.
US08177167B2
An aircraft center section includes a center part of an aircraft fuselage, a wing section, a center wing box installed at least partly in the fuselage and providing a junction between the wing section and the fuselage, and a ventral fairing partly enveloping the fuselage and the wing section, with the ventral fairing being attached directly to the wing section and to the fuselage by means of structural elements that can make the ventral fairing a working fairing.
US08177159B2
A rescue aircraft having a rigid body with gas-filled envelopes and propulsion devices located inside rotatable aerodynamic toroidal modules. A longitudinal through passage in the lower part of the aircraft connects a crew cabin, a cargo-and-passenger compartment, fuel tanks, and accessories. The aircraft has exit hatches, mooring devices, and a gangway with railings and a removable cart. The aircraft also has a cross passage with exits onto its wings and a vertical passage with a pulley and other devices for lowering and lifting people and cargo. The lower part of the aircraft and hollow wings are filled with a foamed plastic for buoyancy and strength.
US08177156B1
A sheet roll dispenser includes an open-top hollow housing closed by a hingedly mounted lid. A first embodiment includes first and second roller support members mounted within the housing. A roll of sheet material is supported by the first roller support member when the housing is in a tabletop orientation and by the second roller support member when in a wall-mounted orientation. A nip is mounted in registration with an opening formed in the front wall. A free end of the sheet material is disposed in the nip. A switch actuator actuates a motor, causing the free end of the sheet material to be unrolled from the core and dispensed to a user through the opening. In a second embodiment, the roller support members may be rotatably mounted rollers, low-friction surfaces, or both. A third embodiment eliminates the rollers and plates and provides a “U”-shaped low friction surface.
US08177153B2
A side rail for installation in a shredder and method of fabrication in which the side rail has fingers that are partially embedded in a base. The fingers are made from steel and the base is made from cast aluminum. The fingers have a dovetail shape at an outer end thereof that is immersed in molten aluminum in a mold. When the aluminum is allowed to harden the fingers are embedded in the base. The side rails are much lighter weight than previous side rails, and are still sufficiently strong to be used in a mobile shredder.
US08177151B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure include a method for separating a material comprising a super absorbent polymer, a fiber and a plastic to separate the material into components thereof, one method comprising shredding the material, adding salt to the material, and agitating the material, wherein the material does not comprise a slurry.
US08177146B2
A shower head includes a nozzle unit, a quick connector mounted on the nozzle unit, and a bushing mounted in the quick connector. Thus, when the water flows through the shower head, the ambient air is introduced through the air conducting holes of the quick connector and the air conducting apertures of the bushing into the flow conduit of the bushing to break the vacuum state in the shower head and to perturb the water flow in the shower head so as to produce a turbulent flow in the shower head so that the water flow injected from the nozzle unit is divided into multiple straight water beams and multiple irregular water bubbles so as to increase the flushing angle and area of the shower head.
US08177143B2
A hand-held dispenser for precisely controlling the flow rate of water therethrough and for precisely injecting a liquid chemical into the water passing through the apparatus. The dispenser is also capable of dispensing a water-only rinse spray.
US08177140B1
An apparatus and method for providing an atomizing, shaping and driving fluid that can be used primarily in the painting industry. The apparatus includes a first heating and cooling unit for heating or cooling the paint carrying fluid, a series of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and argon units for adjusting the concentration of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and argon in said fluid, a manifold for mixing and controlling the flow rate of said fluid, a second heating and cooling unit for heating or cooling the fluid exiting said manifold, and an ionization unit for adjusting ionization of the fluid exiting the second heating and cooling unit.
US08177138B2
A radio IC device that is highly efficient in transmitting signals from a radio IC to a radiation pattern includes a radio IC chip arranged to processes radio signals, an auxiliary electrode pattern that is connected to the radio IC chip and includes a loop-shaped electrode, and a radiation electrode pattern that includes a magnetic-field radiation electrode having a resonant frequency and an electric-field radiation electrode having a resonant frequency. The loop-shaped electrode of the auxiliary electrode pattern is coupled to a maximum-voltage section of the magnetic-field radiation electrode through a capacitor.
US08177128B2
A processing device for a card-like recording medium may include a path for transferring the recording medium, a frame including a first frame and a second frame, a detector structured to detect presence of the recording medium, an imager structured to capture an image record on the recording medium. The detector may be placed in the frame before the imager in a transfer direction of the recording medium. The information processing device may further include a neutralizing member structure to remove static electricity charged in the recording medium, the neutralizing member being placed between the imager and the detector.
US08177123B2
A system for use in storing biopharmaceutical materials includes a holder and a container for holding biopharmaceutical materials therein. The container includes a storage portion and a sampling portion connected to each other by a connecting portion. The holder has a storage cavity receiving the storage portion and a sampling cavity receiving the sampling portion. The holder includes a first portion and second portion. The container is received between the first portion and the second portion to connect the container to the holder. The holder includes an interior storage cradle bounding the storage cavity of the holder. The holder includes an interior sampling cradle bounding the sampling cavity. The sampling cradle is separated from the storage cradle and connected to the storage cradle by a passage receiving the connecting portion connecting the storage portion to the sampling portion. An outer rim of the holder is connected to the cradle and separated from the cavity.
US08177121B2
A system and method compares aggregated spending transactions of a target entity with those of a collection of entities. The system and method aggregates spending transactions of the target entity, and compares with the corresponding aggregated spending transactions of the collection of entities.
US08177115B1
A wheel resurfacing method and system for resurfacing a worn track wheel to its original profile are disclosed. The system comprises a support for maintaining the worn railway wheel, a welding device, a controller, and a surface processing device. The worn railway wheel's circumferential surface defining a flange and a tread surface is reconstituted using a welding material. The welding device and the worn railway wheel rotate one relative to the other at a predetermined rate to adaptively aggregate annular welding beads along the circumferential surface to form a curvilinear profile slanted away from the flange. A surface processing device is then applied to the welded layer to form a substantially uniform surface to reconstitute the worn railway wheel to its original profile.
US08177110B1
A utility box structure for pick-up trucks and the like, wherein a guide rail of the structure is adapted for mounting on the top rim of the sides and front of the cargo body of the vehicle within the cargo bay thereof, wherein the box is affixed to rail follower means mounted within the guide rail structure whereby the box can be moved by hand along the guide rail structure to easily position the box at the front or at either side of the cargo bay or at any location therebetween.
US08177095B1
A low-profile particulate handling assembly (24) is provided for use in conjunction with a downstream treating device, such as a seed treater unit (22). The assembly (24) includes a plurality of juxtaposed particulate bins (34) and a surmounting turret assembly (36) designed to successively deliver particulates to the bins (34). The particulates within the bins (34) are delivered to the downstream treating device through respective lower outlets (110) each equipped with an adjustable slide gate assembly (112) and a lower, multiple-chute assembly (114). Preferably, each bin (34) has a top wall (50) which in plan configuration approximates a sector of a circle, planar sidewalls (64), and downwardly tapered, arcuate sidewall structure (58) leading to the lower outlet (110); in this fashion, the bins (34) can be grouped with the sidewalls (64) in close adjacency, and with the outlets (110) located to feed into a single inlet (26) of the downstream treating device.
US08177093B1
A paint tray and/or paint tray insert and method of manufacturing same.
US08177090B2
A combination liquid petroleum storage tank and emergency drainage system for draining rain water accumulated on the floating roof of the storage tank, including a drain duct having an inlet adapted to receive rain water accumulated on the roof and extending downward about a central axis, and a petroleum vapor barrier valve in the drain duct at an axial location downstream of the inlet, the valve formed as a multi-blade rotor that is rotatably mounted in the drain duct for rotation about a central rotor axis extending generally perpendicular to the drain duct central axis at the axial location, the rotor having a plurality of generally semi-circular blades.
US08177078B2
An eyeglass retainer for handle bars, including two spring-loaded pivot arms, attached to the handlebars with the pivot ends toward the stem, such that the pivot arms retail the temple pieces of the sunglasses with the temple pieces extending below the handlebars and the nosepiece of the glasses resting on the stem or stem connecting piece.
US08177075B2
A method for storing and displaying footwear including, without limitation, flip-flops and thong-type sandals, as well as other loose items, is provided. An elongate central body, such as a length of ribbon or other similar structure, having a number of upwardly facing hooks—typically combined in pairs—arrayed along the length of the central body, is suspended from a support. Sandals and other loose items are hung on the hooks.
US08177068B2
A packaging and display box (1). The box (1) has a base (2) with a retaining wall (4) adjacent a section of its perimeter. The wall is for retaining a primary package. The box has a lid (3) which extends between two portions of the base. The lid (3) covers at least a part of the primary package. The lid (3) is attached to the retaining perimeter wall such that removal of the lid from the package causes detachment of the perimeter wall from the base.
US08177065B1
A kit comprising a plurality of holding devices interchangeably attached thereto a side bed frame for storing various items and anchoring a pivoting tray table is herein disclosed. The kit provides storage of such items as television remotes, flashlights, bed operating controls, reading material, lotions, flashlight, snacks and even a handgun along a side bed frame as well as providing an anchoring means thereto a bed-side tray table. Each interchangeable holding device and anchor is attached to the side bed frame rail by means of a “U”-shaped clamp and wing nut mechanism allowing. The holders are available in multiple colors and styles and may be discreetly covered by a comforter, bedspread, or blanket when access is not required.
US08177058B2
A tray and slip sheet system for transporting aggregated bales of rubber that provides a manner for thawing rubber being transported, that prevents large rubber bales being transported from fusing together, and that does not damage or contaminate the packaged rubber when a forklift's forks are inserted between two stacked aggregated bales using the tray and slip sheet system. The tray and slip sheet system uses a tray sheet, a slip (when transporting more than one stacked aggregated bale of rubber), and a strap securing system. The tray and slip sheet system provides a system that defines an air recirculation system that allows the first two levels of bales of rubber stacked over the footprint to be defrosted in hot air chambers after winter transport. Systems not having ventilation slits do not allow the first two levels of bales being transported from being completely defrosted.
US08177056B2
A drive has a drive unit, wherein the drive unit includes a central body, a drive means, and a driven means circulating around the central body. Conveyor means or objects to be conveyed are able to be conveyed in a driven section of the drive unit along a conveyor path by way of the driven means. The driven means is mounted with respect to the central body by means of a roller body which circulates around the central body in an orbital track. To this end, the driven means rolls on the central body via rollers of the roller body and thereby the roller body transmits radial pressure forces to the central body. The driven means is driven directly by the drive means. The roller body itself is not driven directly by the drive means, but rather it is moved along solely by the rolling of the driven means on the roller body.
US08177054B2
A method for conveying material wherein a conveyor belt is guided over head drums so as to form a forward travelling and returning stretch. The conveyor belt is guided in such a way that the forward travelling and returning stretches intersect each other as seen in the horizontal projection, i.e., as seen in the direction of the drum axes, and the conveyor belt travels over both head drums from the top toward the bottom.
US08177036B2
Elevator reassignment information is communicated to passengers in a group elevator system (10). The group elevator system (10) includes a group of elevators (14a, 14b, 14c) that is operable to transport each of the passengers to one of a plurality of floors (L, F2, F3, F4, F5). A destination entry input device (30, 35) at each floor permits each passenger to enter destination input information. A dispatch controller (20) assigns an elevator to each passenger based on the destination input information. When service of a dispatched elevator is terminated, a communication device (46, 50) communicates elevator reassignment instructions to passengers assigned to or located in the dispatched elevator.
US08177034B2
An elevator system in which a controller monitors whether or not a speed of an ascending/descending body reaches a preset overspeed. At a time of maintenance work, a stopper is interposed between a buffer and the ascending/descending body to limit a lowered position of the ascending/descending body. A stopper detector detects installation of the stopper onto at least one of the buffer and the ascending/descending body. When the stopper is detected by the stopper detector, the controller lowers a set value of the overspeed.
US08177033B2
A transportation system and a method are provided for backing up the operational state of a transportation system. The transportation system includes a control apparatus for controlling the operation of the transportation system. The control apparatus further includes capacitive energy storage and a power supply backup circuit adapted to maintain power supply from the said energy storage to a storage circuit for a given length of time in connection with an operational anomaly in power supply to the control apparatus.
US08177031B2
A destination entry input device (30, 35) is commissioned in a group elevator system (10). The destination entry input device (30, 35) is connected to a dispatch controller (20). A network address is input into the destination entry input device (30, 35) corresponding to an installation location of the destination entry input device (30, 35). When the network address is input, installation location information related to the installation location of the destination entry input device is downloaded to the destination entry input device (30, 35) and verified.
US08177016B2
A hybrid internal combustion engine and air motor system is provided and includes at least one chamber having a drivable member and at least one intake valve and at least one exhaust valve, and a reservoir connected to the chamber through at least one of the intake valve and the exhaust valve. The system further comprises a computer configured to calculate air compressor efficiency during an air compressor mode of operation and select an intake and exhaust valve opening and closing timing sequence for maximizing air compressor efficiency and/or a computer configured to calculate air motor efficiency during an air motor mode of operation and select an intake and exhaust valve opening and closing timing sequence for maximizing air motor efficiency. A method for selecting an intake and exhaust valve opening and closing timing sequence for maximizing air compressor efficiency and/or for selecting an intake and exhaust valve opening and closing timing sequence for maximizing air motor efficiency is also disclosed.
US08177011B2
A forecab and additional electrical and mechanical components attachable to a motorcycle for converting a motorcycle between its standard configuration and a three-wheeled vehicle is disclosed. The forecab has two front wheels, chassis, a body, a motorcycle front wheel cradle, headlights and parking lights, and standard automobile-type components such as a steering wheel, foot brake, clutch, and foot-manipulated gas pedal. The forecab components are connected to corresponding motorcycle components using both electrical connections, and mechanical linkages as appropriate. The invention adds components to the motorcycle so that the linkages between the forecab and the motorcycle component may be implemented. The mechanical linkages, electrical connections and motorcycle-securing mechanisms are designed to they can be easily connected and disconnected in a manner so that the biker can easily transition between the three-wheeled motorcycle-powered vehicle and the standard motorcycle without tools.
US08177008B2
A vehicle is provided with a front hood 33 that covers, from above, the front of the front panel 5, a battery 49 provided below the front hood 33, where at least the top of the battery is positioned above the top 3a of the front wheels 3 when in a stationary state, an electric power steering unit 40 that is provided under the front hood 33, having an electric motor 40a disposed so that at least a portion thereof overlaps at least a portion of the battery 49 vertically, and an electric power steering control device 50 that is connected to the battery 49 and the electric motor 40a.
US08177001B2
A drill bit includes a bit body having a face on which two different types of cutters are disposed, the first type being cutting elements suitable for drilling at least one subterranean formation and the second type being at least one of an abrasive cutting structure and an abrasive cutting element suitable for drilling through a casing shoe, reamer shoe, casing bit, casing or liner string and cementing equipment or other components, as well as cement. Methods of forming earth-boring tools include disposing at least one abrasive cutting structure or element on the earth-boring tool. Methods of drilling with earth-boring tools including drilling with at least one abrasive cutting structure or element.
US08176987B2
A spring may include an annular plate having a central aperture; a plurality of spring members protruding from the annular plate, the plurality of spring members being resiliently flexible and radially disposed around the central aperture; and a plurality of alignment tabs protruding from the annular plate.
US08176982B2
A method and system of generating a range of petroleum products from bitumen or heavy oil reservoir by installing wells from a combination of surface and underground well-head platforms while controlling carbon dioxide emissions during thermal recovery operations are provided.
US08176981B2
A composition comprising a nonionic fluorinated polymeric surfactant having a weight average molecular weight of least 100,000 grams per mole, the nonionic fluorinated polymeric surfactant comprising: divalent units independently represented by formula (I): in a range from 30% to 65% by weight, based on the total weight of the nonionic fluorinated polymeric surfactant; and divalent units independently represented by formula (II): in a range from 70% to 35% by weight, based on the total weight of the nonionic fluorinated polymeric surfactant. Rf is a perfluoroalkyl group having from 3 to 4 carbon atoms; R and R2 are each independently hydrogen or alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms; R1 is alkyl of 16 to 24 carbon atoms; and n is an integer from 2 to 11. Foams comprising the nonionic fluorinated polymeric surfactant and a liquid hydrocarbon and methods of making and using the foams are also disclosed.
US08176971B2
An earth loop heat transfer system which, in certain aspects, has a heat transfer loop extending down into the earth and having a first portion, a second portion, and a bottom portion at a first level in the earth, heat transfer fluid flowable down to the bottom portion and up therefrom and in the second portion to the earth surface, and valve apparatus in the heat transfer loop for controlling flow of heat transfer fluid; and, in one aspect, such a system combined with a rig useful in well operations for supplying heat transfer fluid for use on the rig, either from a loop or loops with portion(s) in water or portion(s) in earth, or both.
US08176953B2
A device (10) to dispense fluid products into a container (12) provided with a closing portion (13) comprises delivery means (11) to deliver the fluid products into the container (12). The delivery means (11) comprises at least a tubular element (14) having a perforation end (34), by means of which the tubular element (14) perforates the closing portion (13) in order to make a delivery hole (16) in the closing portion (13) and is inserted, at least partly, into the container (12) in order to dispense at least one of the fluid products.
US08176942B2
A closing device for a vacuum user system or vacuum toilet system of an aircraft that makes it possible to quickly open and close a pipe connection piece in a vacuum user system or in a vacuum toilet system of an aircraft. The closing device comprises a cover; a closing element that can be inserted into the pipe connection piece and is connected to the cover by a spacer and is designed such that it substantially fully covers a cross section of the pipe connection piece; a sealing bellows located between the cover and the closing element and that at least partly encloses the spacer, wherein the sealing bellows comprises a sealing face; and an element that is movable in relation to the cover, which element is movable from a first position to a second position, wherein the movable element engages the sealing bellows such that the sealing face of the sealing bellows in the second position has a greater extension in a plane across the spacer than it does in the first position.
US08176941B2
An apparatus is disclosed for reducing pressure and velocity of a particulate-laden, supersonic vent gas stream from a pressure vessel such as an autoclave. The apparatus includes a diverging duct in which the vent gas expands, and a perforated plate located inside the diverging duct. The perforated plate provides an area reduction that increases back pressure and forces an upstream normal shock in the diverging duct, thereby bringing about a desired reduction in pressure and velocity. The perforated plate is comprised of a material, such as a ceramic, that is resistant to erosion by the abrasive particulate entrained in the high velocity vent gas. The perforated plate has a central portion provided with holes and an imperforate peripheral portion which is resiliently received between connection flanges of the duct.
US08176937B2
A temperature adjustable water mixing valve having a cold water inlet, a cold water outlet, a hot water inlet, a mixing water outlet, and a valve core configured to open or close water channels. The temperature adjustable water mixing valve further includes a pressure relief channel between the cold water inlet and a port connected with a water storage device. The channel is equipped with a check valve allowing water to flow from the water storage device to the cold water inlet. The temperature adjustable water mixing valve opens the check valve to discharge toward the front-end water source when the inner pressure in the water storage device is high.
US08176930B2
A water supply apparatus (1) for an automatic ice maker comprises: a water supply tank (10); an air pump (70); an air supply pipe (60); and a water supply channel, disposed between the water supply tank and an ice tray (80), for supplying water to the ice tray by using the air pump which feeds air into the water supply tank and through a pressure of the air sending the water outside of the water supply tank. The water supply channel includes a pressure adjusting chamber (40) for adjusting a pressure in the water supply channel and a water supply pipe (50) for causing the water to flow into the ice tray. The water supply pipe includes first and second water supply pipe parts (51), (52) that are attachable and detachable. The air supply pipe includes first and second air supply pipe parts (61), (62) that are attachable and detachable.
US08176920B2
The invention relates to apparatus (19) for use in establishing an artificial airway in a patient, the apparatus comprising a tube (19a) for introduction into the patient's trachea for passage of gases to and from the patient's lungs, an inflatable seal (20) disposed upon the tube (19a) to provide, on inflation, a seal between the tube and the trachea of the patient, the seal (20) thereby defining a lung-side portion (19c) of the apparatus and a mouth-side portion (19d) of the apparatus, the apparatus further having the ability to facilitate removal of fluid from at or adjacent the said mouth-side portion (19d) of the apparatus (19).
US08176907B2
A projectile-loading assembly (1) for an air-powered gun is configured to load projectiles (3) in a barrel (4) and includes a magazine module (10) and a slider module (20). The magazine module (10) includes a projectile chamber (11), a rail tube (14) located over the projectile chamber (11) to be aligned with the barrel (4), and a projectile-loading block (15) sheathed the rail tube (14). The slider module (20) slides with respect to the barrel (4) and includes: a spring (21) for pushing the projectile-loading block (15) to depart from the barrel (4), and an elastic piece (22) for pushing the projectile-loading block (15) to approach the barrel (4). The elastic piece (22) pushes the projectile-loading block (15) to slide toward the barrel (4) when the slider module (20) slides forwards, thereby pushing one projectile (3) into the barrel (4) while closing the projectile chamber (11).
US08176906B2
A cable buss apparatus for an archery bow for laterally deflecting tension cables extending between two opposing cams of the bow to prevent interference with an arrow. The apparatus includes a first cable alignment rod that is attachable to an upper portion of the bow for deflecting a first section of the cables extending between an upper cam and a cable guard. A second cable alignment rod is attachable to a lower portion of the bow for deflecting a second section of the cables extending between a lower cam and the cable guard. The cable guard can be a conventional cable guard, or the cable guard can include one or more further cable alignment rods similar or different from the first and second cable alignment rods.
US08176904B2
In an intake system comprising a first intake passage (1) having an upstream end communicating with an intake duct (3) and a downstream end communicating with an intake port of an engine cylinder, a first intake control valve (6) provided in the first intake passage, a second intake passage (2) having an upstream end communicating with the intake duct and a downstream end communicating with the intake port of the engine cylinder, a second intake control valve (7) provided in the second intake passage, an accelerator pedal(ACL) and a control unit (100) for controlling opening angles of the first and second intake control valves, the second intake control valve is opened when the first intake control valve has opened to an effective opening angle and an intake air flow rate is required to be further increased. The effective opening angle may be defined in a region where a change in the intake air flow rate of the first intake passage for a given change in the opening angle of the first intake control valve falls below a prescribed level. Thereby, as the accelerator pedal is depressed, a continuous increase in the intake air flow rate without involving a saturated region can be achieved.
US08176898B2
A fuel delivery pipe delivers fuel to a plurality of fuel injection valves corresponding to cylinders of an internal-combustion engine. The fuel delivery pipe includes a pipe body made of carbon steel for machine structural use and a plating film disposed on an inner surface of the pipe body. Preferably, the fuel delivery pipe includes a plating film disposed on an outer surface of the pipe body.
US08176895B2
In an electronic control governor that adjusts the amount of fuel supplied to an engine so as to coincide an engine rotation speed with a target rotation speed, by driving an actuator for actuating a fuel adjusting mean due to an actuator driving current overlapped with a dither current, an amplitude or frequency of the dither current is changed, corresponding to a change in the supply quantity of the actuator driving current. Or, the amplitude and frequency of the dither current are changed corresponding to a change in the engine rotation speed. Alternatively, a ratio between turn-on time and turn-off time during one period of the dither current is changed, depending on the velocity ratio between the increased velocity and the decreased velocity of the actuator driving current. Preferably, the ratio of the turn-on time to one period of the dither current is set at 20 to 40%.
US08176893B2
A system and method for operating an engine having at least two spark plugs per cylinder include controlling at least one actuator to alter combustion within a selected cylinder such that the combustion burn rate determined by ion sense current signals associated with the at least two spark plugs of the selected cylinder approaches a desired combustion burn rate. A desired combustion burn rate is determined based on current engine/vehicle operating and ambient conditions with ion sense signals from each spark plug analyzed to determine combustion timing relative to corresponding ignition timing. Ignition timing and/or other actuators are controlled in response to provide a desired combustion burn rate.
US08176883B2
A sootblower is provided having a multidirectional cleaning range for directing a cleaning medium against heated surfaces in a heat exchanger. The sootblower includes a rotatable lance tube that is selectively advanced and withdrawn along a longitudinal axis from an interior volume of the heat exchanger. The lance tube includes an articulating wrist coupled to a nozzle for projecting the cleaning medium in multi-directions onto the heated surfaces when the lance tube is advanced into the heat exchanger. The nozzle is pivotable about the longitudinal axis and about a second axis transverse to the longitudinal axis.
US08176878B1
A semi-rigid animal head enclosure with a handle effective in muzzling and controlling a fractious animal using a lead passing through a portion of the enclosure and secured thereto or in corporation with a special capture stick having a lead forming a loop secured to the enclosure, one end of the stick and loop passing through the head enclosure and encircling the neck of an animal the stick having a method for releasing the lead from the capture stick, removing the stick from enclosure allows the lead to be secured to the head enclosure thus maintaining the enclosure over the head of the animal.
US08176870B2
A liquid material application device having high space utilization efficiency and having excellent maintainability. In a liquid material application device for applying a liquid material to a desired position on a surface of a workpiece in a box by relatively moving a nozzle for discharging the liquid material and a table on which the workpiece is placed to face the nozzle, the liquid material application device comprises a carrying in/out opening formed in a side surface of the box and allowing the workpiece to be carried in and carried out therethrough, a beam extending toward the carrying in/out opening, an application head movable in the extending direction of the beam, beam moving means for moving the beam above and in parallel to the table, and a control unit for controlling operations of the aforesaid components.
US08176869B2
A production assembly and associated process for mass producing such as a thermoplastic pallet and which utilizes a multiple insert supporting and continuously moving carousels inter-faceable with an input line upon which is transported a plurality of rigid and planar shaped inserts, as well as an output line a spaced relationship from the input line for removing, from the carousel, the resin coated articles. The invention further teaches a series of subset variants for spray applying a two part resin and hardener upon the insert according to a selected thickness, following which the inserts are cured and dried prior to transferring to the output line and in order to create a finished product.
US08176839B2
An appliance for producing hot drinks comprising a water heating device; a heating source; a seat adapted to receive a product for preparing the drink; a duct for feeding hot water from the water heating device to the seat; a control device operatively associated with the heating source for adjusting the temperature of the water contained in the water heating device; and a compensating device to dynamically compensate for temperature drop undergone by the water flowing along the duct from the water heating device to the seat.
US08176833B2
A firearm receiver with an extended bridge is created to prevent the fully automatic fire of an assault rifle. The extended bridge receiver has a narrowed magazine well for a single stack removable magazine, safety catch with one or more grooves on its lower left hand side, new sporting stock where grip part and butt-stock part form one unit and barrel extension permanently attached to the muzzle. The receiver can be configured with a rivet on the bridge in a location that prevents backward turning of the safety catch, where the modified safety catch has two positions (i.e. safe and fire), rather than the three positions consistent with a fully automatic firearm. In a second version, the extended bridge lacks a release lever groove. In yet another version, an inseparable, double stack magazine box is used.
US08176828B2
A transparent armor system includes a hard face fabricated from a substantially transparent glass-ceramic material exhibiting crystalline bodies throughout the mass of the glass-ceramic material and a backing covering a rear surface of the hard face opposite an anticipated incoming projectile. The backing has a refractive index substantially matching that of the hard face such as to allow substantial transparency of the transparent armor system. The hard face serves to disburse energy caused by the impact of an incoming projectile with the transparent armor system, while the backing serves to retain any pieces of the hard face fractured during ballistic impact. In certain embodiments, a plurality of hard faces are held in parallel and spaced apart arrangement.
US08176827B2
The present invention relates to a hand gun with a tensioning lever (cocking lever), connected with the lock, with a handle for cocking the weapon, for which at least two alternative fastening positions are provided for the handle for actuating the tensioning lever. The relative position of the handle for actuating the tensioning lever is changeable on the weapon, so that one can engage for cocking in various positions on either the right hand or left hand side, so that the tensioning lever can be adjusted to fit and be operated by a right-handed or a left-handed person.
US08176825B1
A method for producing carbide and diamond cutting tool inserts adapted to compensate for braze-induced warp is provided. In this method, the anticipated warpage of the insert from brazing is considered prior to cutting the insert from a PCD and carbide disk and the cutting path for the insert is adjusted to compensate. The adjusted cutting path creates an insert shape that, after warping as a result of the brazing process, will conform substantially to the originally intended insert or cutting tool shape. Also, a method of providing relief on the bottom surface of a brazeable insert is provided. Further, tools produceable by these methods are disclosed, such as a diamond edged rotary cutting tool with a substantially sinusoidal rake face and cutting edge.
US08176822B1
Disclosed is a multi-function paper handling device primarily for use on pronged papers holders, typically two-pronged, which normally employ a compressor plate to hold papers which are spindled on the prongs. Instead of a compressor plate, the device replaces that function while simultaneously providing a hole punch which provides the holes for the prongs. The punch can also include an alignment guide, a letter opener or other features. A method of manufacture is also disclosed.
US08176819B2
The invention relates to a collision sensing device which can detect a collision between two or more objects. The collision sensing device comprises a deformable member (5) that defines a space (15) which can be assigned a pressure. In a first condition, the deformable member is undeformed, whereby the space (15) is assigned a first pressure (P1). In a second condition, the deformable member (5) is deformed whereby the space (15) is assigned a second pressure (P2). The pressure in the space is monitored. A collision with an object is detected when the pressure in the space changes from the first pressure to the second pressure.The invention can e.g. be applied in connection with machining, such as water jet cutting, but several other fields of application are also conceivable.
US08176816B2
A wrench includes a wrench head mounted on an end of a handle. A handle of the wrench includes a fixed portion and a rotatable portion. Rotation of the rotatable portion of the handle causes movement of at least one contact surface of the wrench head. In one embodiment, rotation of the rotatable portion provides adjustment or movement of one of the jaws of the wrench head relative to another jaw of the wrench head. In another embodiment, rotation of the rotatable portion provides rotation of the wrench head. The rotatable portion of the handle is slidably mounted within the fixed portion of the handle, such that rotatable portion can be selectively extended to provide additional leverage on the wrench.
US08176814B1
A wire forming plier and electrical multi-tool for the purpose of forming, stripping, crimping and cutting electrical wire is disclosed. The plier features two arms overlapped and pivoted together; the posterior ends of the arms serve as handles. Two symmetrically shaped round barrels, different in size, identified with indicia, extend from the anterior ends of the plier arms for the purpose of forming a controlled bend in electrical wires/conductors of varying thicknesses/gauges to fit around specific terminal screw/stud sizes. As the handles are squeezed together, the cylindrical tips will grasp the electrical conductor by applying pressure to the wire between the round and smooth barrel surfaces. While the wire is securely held between the cylindrical tips the wire loop is quickly and easily formed around either barrel by manually rotating the entire tool about a longitudinal axis in either direction.
US08176812B2
Methods for forming bodies of earth-boring drill bits and other tools include milling a plurality of hard particles and a plurality of particles comprising a matrix material to form a mill product comprising powder particles, separating the particles into a plurality of particle size fractions. Some of the particles from the fractions may be combined to form a powder mixture, which may be pressed to form a green body. Additional methods include mixing a plurality of hard particles and a plurality of particles comprising a matrix material to form a powder mixture, and pressing the powder mixture with pressure having an oscillating magnitude to form a green body. In yet additional methods a powder mixture may be pressed within a deformable container to form a green body and drainage of liquid from the container is enabled as the powder mixture is pressed.
US08176810B2
Wire attachment and attachment method for a sheathed wire including a wire and a sheath coaxially surrounding the wire, the wire attachment including: a housing; an axial bore inside the housing including an opening adapted to receive the sheathed wire; a spool slidably arranged inside the bore, the spool receiving the wire and including an engagement member for fixedly engaging the wire, such that any longitudinal movement of the wire will be transmitted to the spool; a sheath attachment member for fixing the sheath to the wire attachment inside the axial bore at a distance from the receiving bore, such that the spool and the wire are free to move axially with respect to the sheath. The sheath attachment member is arranged to exert a substantially radial pressure onto the surface of the sheath, such that it may be attached essentially without disturbing the axial position of the sheath.
US08176809B2
A torsion spring comprises an inner mounting segment. An outer mounting segment is located concentrically around the inner mounting segment. A plurality of splines extends from the inner mounting segment to the outer mounting segment. At least a portion of each spline extends generally annularly around the inner mounting segment.
US08176789B1
Method and apparatus for measuring sound intensity emitted by a vibrating surface (10). The apparatus includes a probe (25) with three miniature microphones in the side-by-side arrangement, attached to a straight supporting tube (23). The three microphones are matched in phase and amplitude and form a geometric straight line. The supporting tube (23) with the geometric straight line of microphones is positioned perpendicularly close to the vibrating surface (10). The geometric straight line of microphones can be extended to intersect the vibrating surface at the measurement point (30). The microphones are supported at the ends of narrow tubes (22) attached perpendicularly to the supporting tube (23). The tubes contain wires from the microphones that are collected inside the supporting tube (23) and connected to the instrumentation (100). The sign of computed sound-intensity spectra and sound intensity indicates the direction of sound-intensity flow at the vibrating surface.
US08176787B2
According to embodiments of the present technique, a system and a method for addressing transducers in a two-dimensional transducer array is disclosed. According to one aspect of the present technique, the transducers are arranged in rows and columns, and the columns are coupled to a shared transmit and receive circuitry while the rows are coupled to a row selection circuitry. In another embodiment, each transducer is coupled to a separate, dedicated transmit circuitry and the columns are coupled to a shared receive circuitry.
US08176786B2
Methods, apparatuses, and systems for damage detection and for other detection of the state of a structure or material. Such damage detection and detection of the state of a structure may be performed and operated without the use of baseline data. The present invention may operate using time reversal acoustics or polarization characteristics of piezoelectric devices. The present invention may include a piezoelectric device including two or more piezoelectric transducers.
US08176780B2
An angular velocity sensor includes a supporting substrate, a detecting portion, a displacement detecting portion, a first driving portion, and a second driving portion. The detecting portion is supported by the supporting substrate movably in at least a free direction. The displacement detecting portion detects a displacement of the detecting portion in the free direction. The first driving portion excites a first reference oscillation of at least a portion of the detecting portion so that a first Coriolis' force in the free direction is generated in response to an angular velocity about a first axis. The second driving portion excites a second reference oscillation of at least a portion of the detecting portion so that a second Coriolis' force in the free direction is generated in response to an angular velocity about a second axis.
US08176777B2
The present invention concerns a device for measuring of layer thicknesses, especially for measuring of layer thicknesses of a structural part (18) during or after a coating process, with at least a first and a second path length measuring device (12, 14), wherein a first path length (a) to a surface (20) of a layer (22) being applied to the structural part (18) is measured by means of the first path length measuring device (12) and a second path length (b) to an uncoated surface (24) of the structural part (18) is measured by means of the second path length measuring device (14) continuously or at predetermined moments of time. According to the invention, the device (10) furthermore comprises at least a third path length measuring device (16) for measuring and monitoring the position of the first path length measuring device (12) relative to the structural part (18), wherein a third path length (c) is measured by the third path length measuring device (16) to determine the position of the structural part (18) continuously or at predetermined moments of time. The invention furthermore involves a method for measuring of layer thicknesses, especially for measuring of layer thicknesses of a structural part (18) during or after a coating process.
US08176770B2
A sniffing leak detector which comprises a mass spectrometer, a turbomolecular pump and a forevacuum pump. In case that the sniffing hose with the hand-operated sniffing probe becomes detached from the main device, atmospheric pressure would pass into the gas inlet conduit and disrupt the high vacuum in the mass spectrometer. In order to protect the mass spectrometer and the vacuum pump apparatus, a flow restrictor with an upstream filter is arranged in the gas inlet conduit.
US08176758B2
A swivel lever can be locked in a trough in a swiveled in position and comprises a locking device which is accommodated in the swivel lever and which can be unlocked by way of an access opening in the swivel lever. The access opening can be made inaccessible by means of a cover. According to the invention, the cover can be blocked mechanically, particularly electromechanically, in its covering position.
US08176733B2
A torque converter including a cover, the cover having an axis and having an axially extending flange about the axis, the flange defining an aperture, a pilot fitted within the aperture, and a turbine hub connected to the flange.
US08176714B2
Method for producing a capsule containing beverage ingredients designed for insertion in a beverage production device in which a liquid under pressure enters the capsule in order to interact with the ingredients in the capsule and to drain a beverage from the capsule, wherein the capsule includes a body with a sealing member attached thereto. The method includes providing the body with a main cavity, injecting at least one sealing material by injection-molding onto at least a portion of the external surface of the body to mold a sealing member sealingly attached to the body, filling the cavity with food ingredients and imperviously closing the cavity with a membrane to provide a closed capsule containing the food ingredients.
US08176707B2
A system for partitioning an interior space includes a plurality of slotted, horizontal and vertical frame components configured for stable, permanent or temporary mountings. In one implementation, the frame components are configured to receive a plurality of different panels, such as glass or resin panels (or panes). The panels can be assembled with the frame components on site into virtually any length or shape, and can further be removed and replaced on-site as needed or desired without necessarily requiring complicated deconstruction efforts. In one implementation, a manufacturer can prepare preliminary assembly into which a plurality of different panels are inserted in any horizontal or vertical alignment. The manufacturer can the position an end frame-component to complete the sub-assembly after the different panels are inserted therein.
US08176693B2
A cam-actuated connection device joins rail mounting members of a photovoltaic panel array. The connection device slides within channels of mounting members until the members are in a properly positioned grid. When in position, the connection device is rotated to lock the mounting members in a rigid grid network. The connecting device can be subsequently loosened, repositioned and locked into position. The rail-mounting members create a grid for installation of multiple PV panels. The mounting rail allows the unit to remain relatively compact in nature but still covers a wide range of PV panel thicknesses. The rail system has a hinged connection with the mounting rail that allows an installer to assemble the module in a near perpendicular fashion to the mounting rail, make the required electrical connections and then lower the PV module into its working position. The unit is then locked into its working position.
US08176692B2
In areas with propensity for tornados, for example in the central part of the country, the plain states, the mid-west, and also in Florida, it is customary to have some form of storm shelter in which the occupants of commercial and residential buildings can seek refuge in the event of a tornado. The safest type of storm shelter is a so-called in-ground storm shelter. The embodiments of the In-Ground Storm Shelter are comprised of a bottom, a left side and a right side. The In-Ground Storm Shelter is further comprised of a front side and a back side, and a top side. The top side is further comprised of a removable back door, a sliding door, a top left shoulder and a top right shoulder.
US08176690B2
A high strength, lightweight building structure comprising a high-strength connection to a foundation, high-strength eaves, and high-strength structural panels. The fiber reinforced, high-strength structural panels form the walls, ceiling, roof, soffit, and eave of the structure. The panels comprise a rigid foam core having outer membrane layer, panel spacers, and sheeting. The high-strength foundation connection comprises a continuous seam plate with bonding agents, mechanical fasteners, and a metal bearing cap having continuously spaced, angle-shaped anchor studs welded to the metal bearing cap. The high-strength eave structure, comprise of a soffit panel connected to an inclined eave panel, a connection bracket and a rigid wedge continuously bonded between the ceiling panel and roof panel, thus forming a sealed, non-vented attic space.
US08176689B1
Retrofit hurricane and earthquake clips for connecting a roof to a wall. The connectors include a plate web and rafter web, connected by a modified right-angle bend. For added strength in the right angle bend, wavy edges add material into the bend. Multiple bends add strength and material to the right angle bends, and place the rafter web perpendicular to the plate web. A ledge allows the connector to clear frieze boards. The wide plate webs attach to the outside wall sheathing and underlying top plate to prevent bowing out of the wall and lateral movement. The rafter webs attach to the side of a rafter to prevent uplift, outward thrusting, and twisting. The material added to the connection between the rafter web and plate web strengthens a building against strong winds and seismic events.
US08176687B2
A gutter system is provided to guard a gutter from the entry of leaves, debris, pine needles, twigs, and the like, and to prevent water and animals from entry. In at least one embodiment, a hanger bracket is configured to secure a gutter to a building, and configured to secure an upper gutter cover and a lower gutter cover, in a tiered, stair-step manner, to the gutter. In another embodiment a gutter system is provided that includes a gutter, an upper gutter cover, a lower gutter cover, and a hanger bracket configured to secure the gutter to a building having a roof and rainwater runoff, and configured to secure the upper gutter cover and the lower gutter cover, in a tiered, stair-step manner, to the gutter. In yet another embodiment a method for protecting gutters from debris other than rainwater runoff is provided.
US08176673B2
An elongated vibration generating device with a self contained vibration generating mechanism having its own power source including a battery driven motor, and eccentric weight and means to vary the vibration that can be easily attached to an ordinary fishing rod having a reel and line mounted thereon to cause the fishing rod shaft to vibrate in a manner to cause a bait or lure attached to the line to vibrate in a selective manner to attract fish. The device is firmly detachably attached to a fishing rod shaft by the co-acting combination of: (1) a soft and resilient extension depending from one end of the device and having a curvilinear cavity defined by a wall adapted to frictionally engage the top of a fishing rod shaft, and a first strap which is fixably attached at one end to the device above the extension wrapped around the fishing rod and the extension, with the other end of the strap adjustably secured to the fixed end of the strap by a hook and loop fastening system; (2) a pair of spaced metal or hard plastic vibration-transmitting nubs depending from the device at the opposite end from the extension, adjacent the vibration generating mechanism, for self-aligning mounting on the rod, and a second strap fixably attached at one end to the device above the spaced projections, with the other end of the strap wrapped around the fishing rod and adjustably secured to the device by a hook and loop fastening system.
US08176662B2
A digging system includes a machine having a machine frame, and an implement assembly mounted to the machine frame. The implement assembly includes an elongate boom and a trenching mechanism having a plurality of drawing cutters coupled with an endless drive chain movable about a drive system mounted to an elongate boom. The implement assembly further includes an undercutting mechanism having first and second rotating cutters projecting in opposite axial directions from the distal boom end. The implement assembly defines a compound projection profile in a plane which includes first and second axes of rotation of a drive wheel and guide wheel of the drive system. The compound projection profile includes a relatively narrow proximal stem segment corresponding to the trenching mechanism and a relatively broad distal footing segment corresponding to the undercutting mechanism. Actuating the trenching mechanism and undercutting mechanism enables simultaneously digging a stem segment and footing segment of a compound trench for a foundation system.
US08176651B2
A method of drying articles within a washer comprising: creating an airflow from an upper compartment of a chamber to a lower compartment of the chamber through a gap such that a curtain of air is formed along side walls of the chamber; creating an air flow from the lower compartment to the upper compartment through an opening therebetween wherein a portion of the curtain of air is drawn in a first direction over articles in the lower compartment and a portion of the curtain of air continues along the side walls and is redirected in a second direction over the articles in the lower compartment; heating the air in the upper compartment to a temperature sufficient to vaporize fluid in the chamber; venting a portion of the air in the lower compartment; and introducing clean filtered air into the upper compartment.
US08176649B2
A portable cleaning apparatus includes a base module having a base housing with a bottom base wall, and enclosing a fan. The base module is moveable along an external surface in a first direction. The fan can move air through the base housing from an interior of the base housing to exteriorly of the base housing through an exhaust outlet in the base housing. A plenum fluidly communicates at a first end with the exhaust outlet and at a second end with at least one plenum outlet opening. The at least one plenum outlet opening is between the base wall and the external surface. The at least one plenum outlet opening can direct air exhausted from the interior of the base housing along the external surface in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.
US08176644B1
An archery sight can include a scope with a Venturi-like inner opening, smaller in diameter at a narrow position and increasing in diameter toward each end, to provide a circular field of view through a range of off-axis angles. Archery sights with pins, such as extending into a scope, can include sight pin components that include bodies, tube-like parts extending to sight pin ends, optical fibers in the bodies and tube-like parts, and flexible, light-transmissive tubing that engages the bodies and surrounds the fibers along most of their exterior length. Each tube-like part can be attached to its body by inserting it into a portion of the body that surrounds it and then bending the portion of the body to produce one or more bends or kinks but without reducing inside diameter, so that a fiber can then be threaded through the tube-like part.
US08176639B2
A vegetation trimmer with a spool and hub assembly has a cutting filament wound around the spool. The free end of the filament extends through an aperture in the hub into the cutting plane. The spool and hub are rotated at a high rate to allow the filament to cut vegetation. The spool includes a plurality of arms which engage with arms on the hub. When the spool is acted upon, the arms on the spool disengage with the arms on the hub to permit relative rotation of the spool to the hub to feed additional filament into the cutting plane. An indexing feature is used to regulate the amount of additional cutting filament that is allowed to be fed into the cutting plane. When the spool and hub are engaged, the cutting filament is forcible clamped between the arms on the spool and the arms on the hub to prevent the centrifugal force generated by the filament in the cutting plane from acting upon the filament wound around the spool at cutting speed so that the filament does not have means to tangle or weld together and break prematurely. Upon disengagement of the spool and hub, the cutting filament is released to permit the additional cutting filament to be fed into the cutting plane.
US08176634B2
An expanded non-bonded mesh well screen. A method of manufacturing a well screen includes the steps of: expanding at least a portion of a screen jacket; and then securing the screen jacket onto a base pipe. A well screen system includes a base pipe and an at least partially expanded screen jacket surrounding the base pipe. The screen jacket is expanded prior to being positioned on the base pipe.
US08176627B2
In a method of manufacturing a wiring substrate, first, a structure in which an underlying layer is arranged in a wiring forming area of a temporary substrate and a peelable multi-layer metal foil that is larger in size than the underlying layer is arranged on the underlying layer and is adhered partially to an outer peripheral portion of the wiring forming area, is obtained. The peelable multi-layer metal foil is constructed by temporary adhering a first metal foil and a second metal foil with peelable. Then, a built-up wiring layer is formed on the peelable multi-layer metal foil, and the peelable multi-layer metal foil is separated from the temporary substrate by cutting a portion corresponding to a peripheral portion of the underlying layer, to obtain a wiring member in which the built-up wiring layer is formed on the peelable multi-layer metal foil.
US08176625B2
An electrical connector tool assembly is disclosed. The tool assembly includes a conductor tool and a connector tool connected to and cooperable with the conductor tool. The tool assembly can be used in connecting a first conductor to a second conductor with an electrical connector. The tool assembly is adjustably arranged and disposed to receive and removably retain a first conductive member of an electrical connector in the connector tool and is further arranged and disposed to both to hold the second conductor in place relative to a second conductive member of the electrical connector and to prevent rotation of the second conductive member with respect to the first conductive member.
US08176623B2
A method of manufacturing the magnetic head includes the steps of: forming the pole-layer-encasing layer; forming an initial nonmagnetic layer in the groove of the pole-layer-encasing layer by physical vapor deposition, the initial nonmagnetic layer being intended to become the nonmagnetic layer later by undergoing etching of a surface thereof; etching the surface of the initial nonmagnetic layer by dry etching so that the initial nonmagnetic layer becomes the nonmagnetic layer; and forming the pole layer in the pole-layer-encasing section formed by the nonmagnetic layer.
US08176615B2
The method is for securing a device. Security bolts are into the device. The bolts have openings defined therein. A wire is inserted through openings of each bolt. The wire has a male end and a female end. A male end is inserted into a cavity of the female end to align a cavity of the male end with an opening of the female end. A locking bar of a lock is inserted through the cavity and the opening to lock the male end to the female end. The wire may also be attached to an item so that the device cannot be removed from the item.
US08176613B2
A method for attenuating vibration in a driveline having a shaft assembly that transmits torque between first and second driveline components. The shaft assembly can have a hollow shaft member and at least one liner. The liner has a mass and a stiffness that are tuned such that the liner is a tuned resistive absorber for attenuating shell mode vibrations as well as at least one of a tuned reactive absorber for attenuating bending mode vibrations and a tuned reactive absorber for attenuating torsion mode vibrations. The tuned liner is inserted into the shaft member.
US08176611B1
A pin removal assembly for use with an upper block of a crane includes a sheave support and a pin support. The upper block includes a frame, a plurality of sheaves, and a removable sheave pin that defines and axis of rotation for the sheaves and supports the sheaves within the frame. The pin removal assembly includes a sheave support mountable to the frame of the upper block and a pin support mountable to the frame of the upper block. The pin support is configured to support the sheave pin when the sheave pin is removed from the upper block.
US08176609B2
A removal tool for removing washers located on each cylinder head stud when performing a valve job on an automobile engine. The removal tool includes a cylindrical body having a handle portion and a washer removal end opposite the handle. The cylindrical body includes a central bore that extends the axial length of the body. The removal end includes an end surface having at least one embedded magnet member and defines a pickup surface for use in attracting and securing the easy removal of automotive cylinder head stud washers and automotive cylinder head valve spring spacers valve from the cylinder head.
US08176606B2
To carry out frequency adjustment easily, accurately and efficiently and achieve low cost formation and promotion of maintenance performance without being influenced by a size of a piezoelectric vibrating piece, there is provided a method of fabricating a piezoelectric vibrating piece which is a method of fabricating a piezoelectric vibrating pieces having a piezoelectric plate 11, a pair of exciting electrodes 12, 13, and a pair of mount electrodes electrodes 15, 16 by utilizing a wafer S, the method including an outer shape forming step of forming a frame portion S1 at the wafer and forming a plurality of piezoelectric plates to be connected to the frame portion by way of a connecting portion 11a, an electrode forming step of respectively forming pairs of exciting electrodes and pairs of mount electrodes to the plurality of piezoelectric plates and forming a plurality of pairs of extended electrodes S2, S3 to be respectively electrically connected to the pairs of mount electrodes by way of the connecting portion, a frequency adjusting step of adjusting a frequency of the piezoelectric plate while applying a drive voltage between the pair of the extended electrodes, and a cutting step of fragmenting the plurality of piezoelectric plates.
US08176603B2
A universal cradle apparatus having a pair of substantially rigid jaw structures each configured with a flange structure having a substantially planar mounting surface adapted for being secured to respective cooperating male and female portions of a clamping mechanism formed of telescoping male linear drive shaft and mating female linear drive channel. One of the two jaw structures is configured with an inclined interior clamping surface that is projected above the respective flange structure and in resiliently flexible relationship therewith. The jaw structures are mounted on the respective drive shaft and drive channel each having its respective interior clamping surface facing toward the clamping surface of the other jaw. A threaded fastener secures the male drive shaft in the mating female drive channel of the clamping mechanism, thereby permitting linear adjustment of the two jaw structures along a linear drive axis of the clamping mechanism.
US08176600B1
A money pin device is a device that conveniently and securely holds paper money and/or similar paper instruments on one's person for celebratory or suitable purposes. It also can be decoratively streamed lined and used as a simple filing system for posting receipts, notes, memos, and/or similar postings.
US08176599B2
A cinching and bundling tie consisting of a planar strap having multiple teeth along both edges that engage when the strap is tied around an object or objects. The tie is self engaging, re-usable, simple in design, effective in its performance, easy to use, quick to apply, and adjustable.
US08176587B2
A folding headrest product for massage consisting of an upper plate with a cushion attached thereto for the purpose of placing a massage receiver's head face-down. A height adjustment and locking element located on a downwardly extending male portion that is attached to said upper plate with a rotatable mounted mechanism for the purpose of rotating said upper plate generally 180-degrees. A height adjustment and locking element located on an upwardly extending female portion that receives said downwardly extending male portion. A lower plate portion for inserting between a mattress and box spring of a typical bed that meets said upwardly extending female portion at a generally 90-degree angle. A hanger element located on said upwardly extending female portion for the purpose of hanging said product on a closet pole.
US08176586B2
An ergonomic, arm-positioning pillow includes an ornamental design including an upper portion having a top surface for supporting the head of a sleeper and a bottom portion having a lower surface for supporting the arm-positioning pillow and having a first space extending at an oblique angle from a first space located along the lower surface for receiving an arm therein and supporting the sleeper to position the arm for managing the amount of pressure applied to the arm, and a second space located in the lower surface for receiving a second arm or for receiving the second arm to provide for ambidextrous use of the arm-positioning pillow and to obtain improved sleep performance in the form of reduced snoring and sleep apnea.
US08176585B1
An external immobilizer for cancer treatment has a foot section with at least one inflatable bladder therein, a knee section connected to an end of the foot section, a pelvic section connected to an end of the knee section opposite the foot section, and an inflation device. The knee section has an elevated surface thereon. The pelvic section has at least one inflatable bladder cooperative with a surface thereof. The inflation device is cooperative with the foot section and the pelvic section and is used to selectively inflate the bladders of the foot section and the pelvic section.
US08176584B2
A patient-support apparatus includes frame and a lift arm. The frame includes a base frame and an upper frame. The lift arm has a first end coupled to the upper frame and a second end spaced apart from the first end and coupled to the base frame. In this embodiment, the lift arm is configured to move the frame in a generally vertical direction while the lift arm rotates with respect to the frame. The apparatus is configured to allow the first end of the lift arm to translate along the upper frame while the second end rotates about an axis that is fixed relative to the base frame. Other embodiments are also disclosed.
US08176579B2
A modular shower pan includes at least four polygon panels adapted to interlock in side by side relation to form a body. Each panel has a planar bottom surface and a top surface that is sloped based upon a pre-selected drain position on the body.
US08176577B2
A flush toilet includes a bowl assembly defining a bowl. The bowl assembly has a discharge outlet at a lower end and a ledge circumferentially extending about a substantial portion of the bowl. The bowl has a rear surface that is generally flat and vertical. The rear surface transitions to the ledge as the bowl continues clockwise and counter clockwise from the rear surface. A horizontal dimension of the ledge increases as the ledge continues from the rear surface to a front of the bowl. An angle of the ledge increases as the ledge continues from the rear surface to the front. A maximum slope of the ledge is located proximate the front. A nozzle is mounted to the bowl assembly for pressurizing a source of flush water and delivering the source of flush water to the bowl for rinsing and flushing of the bowl. The nozzle is positioned at a rear portion of the bowl and produces a first flow of water in a first circumferential direction about the bowl and a second flow of water in a second circumferential direction about the bowl. The second circumferential direction is opposite to the first circumferential direction. The ledge cascades the first and second flows of flush water down the bowl as the first and second flows of water move in the first and second circumferential directions, respectively.
US08176569B2
An under body armor hybrid fabric garment has first and second fabric portions. The first fabric portion, configured to cover an upper torso region of a user's body left exposed by the body armor and extending into a second body transition region covered by the body armor, is formed of low or no stretch fabric. The second fabric element, configured to cover a lower torso region of the user's body underneath the body armor, is formed of stretchable fabric.
US08181267B2
To provide a scanning probe microscope wherein the scanning means is not damaged by fluids, the scanning probe microscope 30 comprises a cantilever support part 2 for supporting a cantilever 1; displacement measurement parts 3, 4, 5 and 6 for measuring the displacement of the cantilever 1; a specimen container 11 comprising sidewalls 19 and bottom surface 18 and containing a fluid 10 and a specimen S; a carrying stage 40 on which the specimen container 11 is placed; and a scanning means 7 for moving and scanning the carrying stage 40. While the cantilever 1 is immersed in the fluid 10 that is contained in the specimen container 11, the carrying stage 40 is moved, and the displacement of the cantilever 1 is measured. The scanning probe microscope 30 further comprises a ring-shaped protective mat 50 that is capable of absorbing the fluid 10. A mounting mechanism 43 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the carrying stage 40 for removably attaching the protective mat 50 by its inner peripheral area.
US08181263B2
An LDAP server stores security levels individually assigned to a plurality of destinations and a plurality of users in advance. When a user is authenticated successfully by the LDAP server, a control section of a multi-functional machine obtains the security level of the authenticated user from the LDAP server via a communication section, and then restricts/relaxes display contents necessary in transmission processing, in accordance with the high/low of the security level. Further, when the security level is not lower than a predetermined threshold value, the control section obtains from the LDAP server a destination in which the user is adopted as the addressee.
US08181260B2
Provided are methods, apparatus and computer programs for tracking the origins of data and controlling transmission of the data. In one embodiment, transmission of sensitive data by script operations is limited, to prevent transmission to any network location other than to the source of that sensitive data, by a new function within a scripting engine of an HTTP client that is responsive to origin tags placed within the data. Origin tags that are associated with data inputs are propagated to any output data items, so that transmission of derived information can also be controlled.
US08181256B2
According to the present invention, a data transmission apparatus capable of transmitting data by using a plurality of transmission media, comprises an authority storage unit, adapted to store authority information representing use authority to use each transmission medium by each user; and a transmission control unit, adapted to, in transmitting data, restrict data transmission to a destination corresponding to a transmission medium for which a current user does not have the use authority.
US08181255B2
A digital rights management system including a controlled content disk to store content in an encrypted format, and a processor to run a plurality of applications and a secure device driver thereon, the processor being operationally associated with the controlled content disk, the applications being unable to decrypt content from the encrypted format, the secure device driver having a receiving module to receive a request from one of the applications to access the content, a validation module to validate the request based upon a recognized access pattern to the content by the one application, and a transport module to transfer the content from the controlled content disk to the one application, contingent upon a positive result of the validating of the validation module. Related apparatus and methods are also described.
US08181253B1
Disclosed are systems, methods and computer program products for reducing security risk in a computer network. The system includes an administration server that collects system usage, user profile and security incidents information from a plurality of computers in the network. The server determines values of one or more risk factors for each computer using the collected information. The server then calculates security rating of each computer user as a function of the risk factors and adjusts the calculated security rating of a given computer user based on the security ratings of other computer users with whom the given computer users communicates. The server then selects, based on the adjusted security rating, security settings for the computer of the given user in order to reduce user's security risk to the computer network and applies the selected security settings to the computer of the given user.
US08181250B2
A honeypot in a computer network is configured for use with a wide variety of computing resources that are defined by a network administrator or user which may include desktop and network resources such as address book contacts, instant messaging contacts, active directory user accounts, IP addresses, and files that contain particular content or that are stored in particular locations. The resources may be real for which protection against leakage is desired, or fake to operate as bait to lure and detect malicious attacks. The honeypot is implemented in an extensible manner so that virtually any resource may be honeypotted to apply honeypot benefits to resources beyond static IP addresses in order to improve both the breadth of information leakage prevention and the detection of malicious attacks.
US08181217B2
Techniques to monitor presentation timestamps for content are described, which may be used to render content at a client. In an implementation, content is received having timestamps that define expected timing for output of the content at a client. The timestamps may then be monitored and compared to a client clock to determine if the content rendered matches the content expected to be rendered. When a discrepancy is detected, one or more corrective actions may be undertaken to restore output of the content to the timing defined by the timestamps.
US08181215B2
In a system for broadcasting video programs to a user including a display, a system and method for providing program information or a copy of at least a portion of a program to the user. In one embodiment, a controller receives an input signal representing a request for summary information concerning a program, the program having a beginning and the input signal generated at a time during the broadcast. The controller provides via the display a summary of the program from the program beginning to the input signal time in response to the input signal. A controller may alternatively monitor a period of time during which the display is tuned to a broadcast of a program, the period starting during the broadcast. The controller is used to provide via the display a copy of at least a portion of the program when the period exceeds a predetermined threshold time.
US08181211B2
An apparatus can include a modem and a conditioning device can be provided and coupled at a signal transmission line of a CATV system at a premise of a user according to embodiments of the application. The apparatus can provide selected information (e.g., Table 1) upstream for use that can improve operations or increase capabilities at one or more users.
US08181207B2
A digital broadcasting system and data processing method are disclosed, which are highly resistant to channel changes and noise. The present invention includes receiving a broadcast signal having mobile service data and main service data multiplexed with each other from at least one parade, demodulating the broadcast signal, acquiring program table information describing at least one service included in at least one ensemble from the demodulated broadcast signal and decoding the mobile service data associated with a first service using a program table information transport unit in the acquired program table information.
US08181199B2
The present invention relates to a method for, when a broadcasting receiver outputs a broadcast program, determining whether the same program is present in a program list of an Internet television (TV) provided by an Internet server, and performing a notification function when the same program is present in the program list of the Internet TV, and a broadcasting receiver employing the same.
US08181191B2
A media processing device does not execute a media transportation process if the height of media stacked in a media storage unit is at an over capacity level, and reliably prevents problems such as damage to the media transportation mechanism caused by collision with the stacked media. If in the media processing device the height of media stacked in a media storage unit 121, 122 is at a full stack level or over capacity level (step S33 returns yes or step S35 returns yes), an appropriate warning is output (step S34 or step S36) and collision accidents of the media transportation mechanism 131 can be prevented.
US08181182B1
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a technique for resource allocation brokering in nested containers. According to one aspect, a broker mechanism is established within a first container. A second container also is established within the first container. The second container has a client mechanism. The first container's broker mechanism communicates with the second container's client mechanism to provide notices to the second container's client mechanism. The second container also has a broker mechanism that may or may not be a part of the second container's client mechanism. A third container is established within the second container. The third container also has a client mechanism. The second container's broker mechanism communicates with the third container's client mechanism to provide notices to the third container's client mechanism. Thus, communications are facilitated between higher-level containers and lower-level containers in a hierarchy of nested containers.
US08181177B1
One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that reduces the number of heap handles in a program. First, the system builds an intermediate representation of the program. The system then analyzes the intermediate representation to determine whether executing a function may cause a garbage-collection operation. If so, the system further analyzes the program to determine whether a heap handle in the program is defined and/or used in proximity to a call to the function. Next, the system determines whether the heap handle can be replaced by an ordinary pointer, in order to facilitate subsequently converting the heap handle to an ordinary pointer, if possible. Note that converting a heap handle to an ordinary pointer reduces the space requirements for the program and increases the speed and efficiency of the program and garbage collection operations.
US08181175B1
A technique for accounting for resource usage time by virtual machines is provided according to which a virtual machine observes a non-virtual timer to determine an elapsed non-virtual time interval during which the virtual machine performed a computation while using a shared processing resource. The virtual machine infers the amount of time it used the shared processing resource based on the observation.
US08181172B2
A method for operation of an automation system is specified, with programming elements for integration into a control program provided for the control and/or monitoring of a technical process being transferred or being able to be transferred from a programming device included at least part of the time in the automation system to at least one automation device included in the automation system, with a program element being assigned a first state which identifies this element as available for the control program or a second state which identifies the program element as integrated into the control program, in which there is provision for each program element to be assigned or be able to be assigned at least one further state, so that this state, especially for program modifications, when program elements have been deleted for example, enables the option of testing (debugging) the control program at any time to be maintained.
US08181169B2
Devices, compilers and methods to reduce energy consumption associated with execution of a program by adjusting a computational capability of a CPU with higher accuracy than before. A device sets an appropriate computational capability to the CPU. It includes: changing a computational capability of the CPU every time each of a plurality of program areas included in the execution program is executed while the execution program is being executed, and measuring execution time each of the program areas; deciding an optimal computational capability required to execute the program area using the CPU, based on the execution time for each of the computational capabilities measured for the respective program areas; and performing setting of the optimal computational capability for executing the program area, which is to be used when executing the program area again in the course of executing the execution program, for each of the program areas.
US08181155B2
Allowing a continuation based runtime to resolve different types of location expressions, value expressions, and/or locations. This may be accomplished using a different class for each particular type. The location expression classes may each have a common method used for all of the location expression classes. The value expression classes may each have a common method, and the locations may also each have a common method. This allows the resolution of such location and value expressions to be treated in a unified fashion regardless of the type of location expression, or the type of value expression. Also, the location may be treated in a unified manner regardless of the type of location.
US08181154B2
The invention comprises a system and method for monitoring the performance of an application. The invention includes a monitoring system graphical user interface (GUI) having an interactive window with on-screen graphics representative of the application architecture and component performance. The GUI comprises straightforward and intuitive icons, panels, and dataflows, representing the existence, capacity, or number of processes, memory structures, and the like of the application being monitored. In addition, the monitoring system includes an alert firing mechanism and process for alerting an administrator to potential or actual performance problems in the application.
US08181147B2
Various embodiments of systems and methods are disclosed for providing adaptive body bias control. One embodiment comprises a method for adaptive body bias control. One such method comprises: modeling parametric data associated with a chip design; modeling critical path data associated with the chip design; providing a chip according to the chip design; storing the parametric data and the critical path data in a memory on the chip; reading data from a parametric sensor on the chip; based on the data from the parametric sensor and the stored critical path and parametric data, determining an optimized bulk node voltage for reducing power consumption of the chip without causing a timing failure; and adjusting the bulk node voltage according to the optimized bulk node voltage.
US08181145B2
One embodiment provides a system comprising methods and apparatuses that generate a floorplan for a hierarchical circuit design. More specifically, the system can receive a non-reduced netlist description for the hierarchical circuit design, and generate a reduced netlist which includes the interface logic elements of the netlist. The system can then generate the floorplan by using the reduced netlist as input. Note that the amount of computational resources and time required to generate a floorplan is substantially reduced because the system generates the floorplan using the reduced netlist instead of using the non-reduced netlist.
US08181135B2
A method of hold fault modeling and test generation. The method includes first modeling a fast-to-rise and a fast-to-fall hold fault for a plurality of circuit nets. Testing a fast-to-rise hold fault is accomplished by: setting up a logic value on each of the plurality of circuit nodes to 0; transitioning each of the plurality of circuit nodes from 0 to 1 with a single clock pulse; and determining if at least one downstream node was inadvertently impacted by the transitioning from 0 to 1. Testing a fast-to-fall hold is accomplished by: setting up a logic value on each of the plurality circuit nodes to 1; transitioning each of the plurality of circuit nodes from 1 to 0 with a single clock pulse; and determining if at least one downstream node was inadvertently impacted by the transitioning from 1 to 0.
US08181134B2
A technique for conditional sequential equivalence checking of logic designs embodied in netlists includes creating an equivalence-checking netlist over a first netlist and a second netlist. The conditional sequential equivalence checking includes conditions under which equivalences of the first and second netlists are checked. The technique derives a set of candidate conditional equivalence invariants for each correlated gate in a correlated gate pair set and attempts to prove that each candidate conditional equivalence invariant in the set of candidate conditional equivalence invariants is accurate. The candidate conditional equivalence invariants that cannot be proven accurate are removed from the set of candidate conditional equivalence invariants. The candidate conditional equivalence invariants that have been proven accurate are recorded as a set of conditional equivalence invariants. Finally, the conditional sequential equivalence checking of the equivalence-checking netlist is completed using the set of conditional equivalence invariants that are recorded.
US08181128B2
One embodiment provides a system for determining a process model for a photolithography process. The photolithography process can use multiple exposure-and-development steps to create features on a wafer. When the photolithography process exposes the wafer to a layout, the wafer can include topography variations which were caused by previous exposure-and-development steps. The process model can be used to predict patterns that are created on the wafer when the wafer is exposed to a second layout, wherein the wafer includes topography variations that were caused by resist features that were created when the wafer was exposed to a first layout. The process model can include a first term and a second term, wherein the first term is convolved with a sum of the first layout and the second layout, and wherein the second term is convolved with the second layout.
US08181123B2
Techniques for managing virtual ports are disclosed herein. Each such virtual port may have different associated features such as, for example, privileges, rights or options. When one or more users are in a capture scene of a gesture based system, the system may associate virtual ports with the users and maintain the virtual ports. Also provided are techniques for disassociating virtual ports with users or swapping virtual ports between two or more users.
US08181122B2
A method implemented on the graphical user interface device to invoke an independent, user-localized menu in an application environment, by making a predetermined gesture with a pointing device on an arbitrary part of a display screen or surface, especially when applied in a multi-touch, multi-user environment, and in environments where multiple concurrent pointing devices are present. As an example, the user may trace out a closed loop of a specific size that invokes a default system menu at any location on the surface, even when a second user may be operating a different portion of the system elsewhere on the same surface. As an additional aspect of the invention, the method allows the user to smoothly transition between the menu-invocation and menu control.
US08181114B2
An apparatus and method for transferring files between a plurality of computers in a virtual network is disclosed. The present invention allows the selective transference of files between designated computers in a virtual network. The computers contain a VNRS program that allows a computer to display another computer's desktop next to its own. Although the two computers are not physically connected, the present invention allows files to be transferred from the first computer to the second computer and vice versa by merely dragging and dropping icons from one desktop to another.
US08181095B2
A system and method for improving signaling channel robustness. Additional error correction is provided for (L1) dynamic signaling that is carried in P2 symbols in such way that high time diversity can be provided. In other embodiments, transmitted services are scheduled such that services will rotate or “move” between frames, thereby ensuring that a first slot for a service is not always transmitted in the same frequency.
US08181087B2
An apparatus and method for recording and/or reproducing data on a disc are provided using padding information, and a corresponding information storage medium. The recording method includes recording a recording unit block in which invalid data is padded in part of the block and recording padding information indicating that the invalid data is included. According to the method, a disc drive becomes able to distinguish valid data from invalid data in an error correction block such that reliability of reproduction increases and stability of the system is improved.
US08181082B2
A wireless receiver system with automatic gain control, which includes a receiving path, an analog to digital converter, an automatic gain control (AGC) device and a controller. The controller has an adjacent channel interference off mode, an adjacent channel interference acquisition mode and an adjacent channel interference tracking mode to accordingly set the AGC device for adjusting the gains of a plurality of modules of the receiving path. Namely, the strengths of different adjacent channel interferences are appropriately adjusted to thereby obtain the best received signal quality.
US08181072B2
To provide a method and the like for testing a main memory in a multi processor system, which is capable of reducing a test execution time and accordingly a start-up time as compared with the case where a single processor is used for the test. The present invention provides a method for testing a main memory (MM) in a multi processor system (MPS) including a main processor (MP) and multiple sub processors (SP) each having a DMA transfer mechanism and a local store (LS). The method and the like including: MP allocating a partial memory region (PMA) in MM to each SP; MP requesting each SP to test the allocated PMA; each SP filling LS thereof with initial data in response to receiving the request; each SP transferring the data stored in LS thereof to PMA by using a DMA transfer; each SP transferring the data stored in PMA to LS thereof by a DMA transfer; and SP testing the data in LS; and MP judging a test result on MM by putting together the tests results in response to the completion of all the tests by respective SP.
US08181070B2
A method for detecting errors in a networked embedded system having a multiplicity of components. Error and/or diagnostic data which are relevant to a component are stored in a set of further components of the networked embedded system and are determined if necessary (for example if a disturbance, error or failure occurs). This method is used, in particular, to find error and/or diagnostic data relating to a failed component of a networked embedded system.
US08181064B2
A northbridge, when detecting a synchronization break of a redundant CPU, stops the operation of an abnormal CPU bus where an error has occurred and the firmware in a firmware hub instructs the northbridge to inhibit an external instruction. In addition, the firmware saves the inside information of a normal CPU connected to a normal CPU bus and cache data on a memory and the northbridge issues reset to all CPUs in the home system board. The firmware then restores the inside information of the CPU saved on the memory to all CPUs and instructs the northbridge to cancel the inhibition of the external instruction.
US08181046B2
A memory system self-initiates hibernation mode and responds to host commands issued during hibernation within a host protocol timeout period. Hibernation mode is entered after controller state data has been stored and while no host command to the memory system is pending. Power to volatile data storage is diminished during hibernation mode. Upon receiving a host command during hibernation mode, power is restored and a reduced portion of the controller state data is read from non-volatile memory. A removable data storage device or a portable electronic device with embedded data storage may be constructed with such a self-hibernating memory system.
US08181042B2
Methods, apparatus and computer program products are provided for reducing power consumption in a device. One method includes identifying a plurality of addressable areas for storing data in a volatile memory element of a device and, responsive to a detection of a power condition in the device, enabling power to a first portion of the addressable areas and disabling power to a second portion.
US08181036B1
Techniques are disclosed that enable extrusion detection (i.e., outgoing confidential information from an enterprise or other entity). The techniques operate to detect outgoing confidential information at the gateway and/or the client, even if that confidential information is encrypted, compressed, or otherwise obfuscated before transmission (e.g., via email or to a portable storage media such as a memory stick).
US08181034B2
A system, comprising an external memory operative to store data therein, the data including a plurality of sections, each of the sections being associated with a signature, and an internal memory operationally connected to the external memory, and a processor arrangement operationally connected to the internal memory, the processor arrangement including a transfer module to transfer one section from the external to the internal memory, an authentication module to authenticate the signature of the section transferred from the external memory, a validity status module to identify the section as valid if the signature is authentic, and an execution module to utilize the section of the data only if the section is valid, wherein the validity status module is operative to invalidate the section, if the content of the section is changed while stored in the internal memory. Related apparatus and methods are also described.
US08181029B2
Apparatus, methods and/or computer program products are provided that facilitate entering secure passwords into a user device. A user requested image is displayed via a display or monitor of a user device. The image is zoomable to one or more higher resolution levels beyond an initial display resolution, and the image is displayed at higher resolution levels in response to a user activating a zoom function via the user device. The coordinates of a user selected feature within a displayed higher resolution level image are obtained and translated into a password. The password is then entered into the requesting application.
US08181026B2
An image input device which includes a means for inputting image data, a memory for storing a secret information and an operator for carrying out an operation by using the image data and the secret information.
US08181022B2
A method and apparatus for controlling access restrictions for media resource playback may include defining a user-specific content control profile authorizing one or more classes of content to be delivered to a client device, generating a media resource request identifying a first media resource associated with a first class of content and one or more attributes of the content control profile, determining whether the first class of content has been authorized for delivery to the client device based at least in part upon the one or more attributes of the content control profile, and delivering the first media resource to the client device if the first class of content has been authorized for delivery to the client device.
US08181019B2
The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for maintaining Certificate Revocation Lists (CRLs) for client access in a multi-core system. A first core may generate a secondary CRL corresponding to a master CRL maintained by the first core. The CRLs may identify certificates to revoke. The first core can store the secondary CRL to a memory element accessible by the cores. A second core may receive a request to validate a certificate. The second core can provisionally determine, via access to the secondary CRL, whether the certificate is revoked. The second core may also determine not to revoke the certificate. Responsive to the determination, the second core may request the first core to validate the certificate. The first core can determine whether to revoke the certificate based on the master CRL. The first core may send a message to the second core based on the determination.
US08181009B2
In accordance with a nonlimiting example, a network device transfers communications data along a communications channel within an Internet Protocol (IP) network. A communications module includes a signal input connected to the communications channel of the IP network and receives an Ethernet packet having an Ethernet header and IP data. A processor is coupled to the communications module and processes the Ethernet packet. It removes the Ethernet header and adds Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) tagging information to a padding section in the packet. In one aspect, the processor includes an encryption module that encrypts the VLAN tagging information along with the IP data. The network device includes a signal output through which the packet is transferred to a destination within the IP network over the communications channel as an IPSec tunnel.
US08181007B2
An electronic device and method for secure embedded operating system update within embedded system. The embedded system includes a random-access memory, a non-volatile storage unit and a processing unit. The non-volatile storage unit defines a boot sector, a first sector and a second sector and contains a boot loader in the boot sector, an initialization variable in the boot sector and an embedded operating system in the first sector. The second sector is provided for storing another embedded operating system. The processing unit is coupled to the random-access memory and the non-volatile storage unit and is capable of executing the boot loader in order to copy one of the embedded operating systems from either the first sector or the second sector of the non-volatile storage unit into the random-access memory according to the current value of the initialization variable and then executing the loaded embedded operating system.
US08181005B2
A system and method for branch prediction in a microprocessor. A hybrid device stores branch prediction information in a sparse cache for no more than a common smaller number of branches within each entry of the instruction cache. For the less common case wherein an i-cache line comprises additional branches, the device stores the corresponding branch prediction information in a dense cache. Each entry of the sparse cache stores a bit vector indicating whether or not a corresponding instruction cache line includes additional branch instructions. This indication may also be used to select an entry in the dense cache for storage. A second sparse cache stores entire evicted entries from the first sparse cache.
US08180985B2
A storage switch includes a first bitmap generator for generating a first bitmap, a controller for controlling copying of data, a first modifier, a second bitmap generator for generating a second bitmap, a second modifier, a merging controller for controlling to generate a third bitmap. When the writing of data is performed during the copying of data, the merging controller modifies a part of the index bits in the third bitmap corresponding to a part of the index bits of the first bitmap modified by the first modifier on account of the copying of data performed before the writing of data, and merges the second bitmap modified by the second modifier and the third bitmap modified by the merging controller. The controller resumes copying of data of any sub-regions on the basis of the merged bitmap.
US08180976B2
A nonvolatile memory device includes a memory cell array, a data scanning unit, and a program unit. The memory cell array includes a plurality of memory cells, where each of the memory cells is programmable to store data have a first logic value or a second logic value. The data scanning unit is configured to search among a plurality of data to be programmed in the memory cells to identify data having the second logic value. The program unit is configured to group the identified data having the second logic value, and to program at least a portion of the group of identified data at a same time into the memory cells.
US08180973B1
Interrupts and code threads are assigned in a particular way to the core CPUs of a network file server in order to reduce latency for processing client requests for file access. Threads of the network stack are incorporated into real time threads that are scheduled by a real-time scheduler and executed exclusively by a plurality of the core CPUs that are not interrupted by disk adapter interrupts so that the disk adapter interrupts do not interrupt execution of the network stack. Instances of a storage access driver are hard affinity threads, and soft affinity threads include a multitude of instances of a thread of the file system stack for file access request processing so that file access request processing for a multitude of concurrent file access requests is load balanced over the core CPUs.
US08180972B2
Reducing remote reads of memory in a hybrid computing environment by maintaining remote memory values locally, the hybrid computing environment including a host computer and a plurality of accelerators, the host computer and the accelerators each having local memory shared remotely with the other, including writing to the shared memory of the host computer packets of data representing changes in accelerator memory values, incrementing, in local memory and in remote shared memory on the host computer, a counter value representing the total number of packets written to the host computer, reading by the host computer from the shared memory in the host computer the written data packets, moving the read data to application memory, and incrementing, in both local memory and in remote shared memory on the accelerator, a counter value representing the total number of packets read by the host computer.
US08180971B2
In a transactional memory technique, hardware serves simply to optimize the performance of transactions that are controlled fundamentally by software. The hardware support reduces the overhead of common TM tasks—conflict detection, validation, and data isolation—for common-case bounded transactions. Software control preserves policy flexibility and supports transactions unbounded in space and in time. The hardware includes 1) an alert-on-update mechanism for fast software-controlled conflict detection; and 2) programmable data isolation, allowing potentially conflicting readers and writers to proceed concurrently under software control.
US08180969B2
A cache stores information in each of a plurality of cache lines. Addressing circuitry receives memory addresses for comparison with multiple ways of stored addresses to determine a hit condition representing a match of a stored address and a received address. A pseudo least recently used (PLRU) tree circuit stores one or more states of a PLRU tree and implements a tree having a plurality of levels beginning with a root and indicates one of a plurality of ways in the cache. Each level has one or more nodes. Multiple nodes within a same level are child nodes to a parent node of an immediately higher level. PLRU update circuitry that is coupled to the addressing circuitry and the PLRU tree circuit receives lock information to lock one or more lines of the cache and prevent a PLRU tree state from selecting a locked line.
US08180968B2
The invention relates to a method for reducing cache flush time of a cache in a computer system. The method includes populating at least one of a plurality of directory entries of a dirty line directory based on modification of the cache to form at least one populated directory entry, and de-populating a pre-determined number of the plurality of directory entries according to a dirty line limiter protocol causing a write-back from the cache to a main memory, where the dirty line limiter protocol is based on a number of the at least one populated directory entry exceeding a pre-defined limit.
US08180964B1
A system generates application code based on a received model, determines an optimal cache configuration based on the application code, executes the application code in a target cache environment, generates cache performance results based on the executed application code, and re-determines the optimal cache configuration based on the cache performance results.
US08180953B2
A data accessing method for accessing data in a plurality of physical page addresses of a plurality of physical blocks in a flash memory chip is provided. The data accessing method includes proving a plurality of logical page addresses for a host system, creating a logical page to physical page mapping table and a physical page to logical page mapping table to record the mapping between the logical page addresses and the physical page addresses. The data accessing method also includes writing data into the physical page addresses, and updating the logical page to physical page mapping table and the physical page to logical page mapping table. The data accessing method further includes determining whether the physical page addresses are valid or invalid based on the logical page to physical page mapping table and the physical page to logical page mapping table.
US08180948B2
A two-wire process input-output (“IO”) transmitter powered by a two-wire process loop and configured as a single transmitter. The transmitter including a gateway module and at least one local IO module. The gateway module including a first circuit configured to wholly power the gateway module from the two-wire process loop, a second circuit configured to communicate via the two-wire process loop, and a third circuit configured to communicate with the at least one IO module via a local bus separated from the two-wire process loop. The at least one local IO module including a first circuit configured to wholly power the respective local IO module from the two-wire process loop, a second circuit to communicate at least with the gateway module via the local bus, and a third circuit configured to interface with at least one IO field device.
US08180947B2
A USB (Universal Serial Bus) controller technique for implementing OTG (On-The-Go) functionality is provided. The device may have an EHCI (Enhanced Host Controller Interface) compliant host control unit, and an OTG control unit to implement an OTG state machine partly in hardware and partly in software. The OTG control unit may have an OTG control register and an OTG status register which are accessible by software. Further, the USB controller device may have a device control unit to implement device functionality and a port multiplexer to assign a physical port to either the host or the device control unit. The OTG control unit may be comprised in the port multiplexer. Further, a software driver may read the OTG status register in response to receiving an interrupt from the USB controller device, and write to the OTG control register to force the USB controller device to change its OTG state.
US08180946B1
An interface configured to support a signaling protocol between a first hardware component and a second hardware component. The interface comprises a first pin, a second pin, and a third pin. The first pin is configured to provide a write clock signal sourced from the first hardware component to the second hardware component during a write operation. The second pin is configured to receive a read clock signal sourced from the second hardware component during a read operation. The third pin is configured to transfer serial control information from the first hardware component to the second hardware component during both the read operation and the write operation. Only the third pin is used to transfer the serial control information. The serial control information includes control information for both the read operation and the write operation.
US08180942B2
An arbitration device receives a plurality of requests from a plurality of circuits, and grants access to one of the plurality of circuits. The arbitration device includes a sorter and an arbitrator. The sorter receives position information of an image signal including a plurality of image layers, and determines an access priority including a first group and a second group according to the position information. The arbitrator receives the access priority and at least one of the plurality of requests, and grants the access to one of the plurality of circuits according to the access priority and the at least one of the plurality of requests. In addition, each of the plurality of circuits generates data for each of the image layers correspondingly.
US08180941B2
Mechanisms for priority control in resource allocation is provided. With these mechanisms, when a unit makes a request to a token manager, the unit identifies the priority of its request as well as the resource which it desires to access and the unit's resource access group (RAG). This information is used to set a value of a storage device associated with the resource, priority, and RAG identified in the request. When the token manager generates and grants a token to the RAG, the token is in turn granted to a unit within the RAG based on a priority of the pending requests identified in the storage devices associated with the resource and RAG. Priority pointers are utilized to provide a round-robin fairness scheme between high and low priority requests within the RAG for the resource.
US08180936B2
A DRM interoperable system is provided. The DRM interoperable system includes: a domain manager which manages a domain; first and second devices which are authenticated by the domain manager and registered in the domain; and a control unit which gathers information on entities that are to participate in transmission of data when the first device requests the second device to transmit the data, controls at least two entities so that a chain including the at least two entities is constructed by using the gathered information on the entities, and controls the at least two entities so that a plurality of data is transmitted to the second device through the chain. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a DRM interoperable environment in which data can be effectively transmitted.
US08180932B2
The present invention discloses a signal receiving method for determining a transmission format of an input signal and a related signal receiving circuit. The signal receiving method includes: receiving the input signal; generating a signal detecting result corresponding to at least a signal transmission channel of a plurality of signal transmission channels according to an output result of the signal transmission channel; and determining the transmission format of the input signal according to the signal detecting result. The signal receiving circuit includes: an input interface, for receiving an input signal; a detecting module, for generating a signal detecting result corresponding to at least a signal transmission channel of a plurality of signal transmission channels according to an output result of the signal transmission channel; and a determining unit, for determining the transmission format of the input signal according to the signal detecting result.
US08180928B2
Certain embodiments of the invention may be found in a method and system for performing SCSI read operations with a CRC via a TCP offload engine. Aspects of the method may comprise receiving an iSCSI read command from an initiator. Data may be fetched from a buffer based on the received iSCSI read command. The fetched data may be zero copied from the buffer to the initiator and a TCP sequence may be retransmitted to the initiator. A digest value may be calculated, which may be communicated to the initiator. An accumulated digest value stored in a temporary buffer may be utilized to calculate a final digest value, if the buffer is posted. The retransmitted TCP sequence may be processed and the fetched data may be zero copied into an iSCSI buffer, if the buffer is posted. The calculated final digest value may be communicated to the initiator.
US08180927B2
The invention relates to a method for arranging transaction control in a device management system. A required transaction control operation is defined in a managing device for arranging transaction control of a management task for a managed device. At least one device management command is defined for the transaction control operation. The at least one device management command is transmitted to the managed device. A required transaction control operation is specified in the managed device on the basis of one or more received device management commands, and transaction control for a management task is carried out on the basis of the defined transaction control operation.
US08180925B2
An application program relating to a process of an integrated circuit 21 is stored in a virtual integrated circuit 21 storage area server apparatus 13. Following a mutual authentication between the IC 21 and the virtual IC storage area server apparatus 13 through a portable communication function unit 20, the server apparatus 13 executes the application program. Additionally, through the IC 21, the portable communication function unit 20, a wireless communication line 17, and a network 18, communicate with an IC_R/W apparatus 11 and perform a process relating to a service in collaboration with each other.
US08180919B1
According to various embodiments of the present invention, an intelligent framer/mapper integrates the framer, mapper, and the controlling function of the host processor, implemented as either a soft processor or an embedded processor, into a single device, such as a programmable logic device. The use of the soft processor or embedded processors on the device reduces the load on the host processor on the line card. According to some aspects of the invention, the devices takes advantage of an embedded, dedicated processor and/or soft processor(s) to allow for a distributed processing on a single chip.
US08180918B2
Methods, systems and devices for network congestion control exploit the inherent burstiness of network traffic, using a wave-based characterization of network traffic and corresponding multiplexing methods and approaches.
US08180917B1
An antivirus agent located on a user computer, local area network or standalone hardware device includes a statistical module, a control unit, a timeslot generator and a dispatcher. The statistical module calculates statistics for incoming request packets including the burstiness degree H. A number of normal distributions are predefined. A number of probability sequences are predefined. An input statistic is used to select one of the probability sequences. This probability sequence is used to select a timer value from the distributions. Packets are loaded into a variable-length buffer in the dispatcher to form the timer expires or when the buffer is full. The rate of the output traffic from the dispatcher depends upon a selected distribution value by the timeslot generator and not by any manufactured timing by an attacker. Output traffic frequency is shaped by the dispatcher; packets may go out faster or slower, thus thwarting an attacker who relies upon their own inserted packet timing.
US08180915B2
A method of delivering an encoded data stream to a plurality of recipient end-user nodes of a network includes receiving an incoming encoded data stream at a first recipient node from a transmitting node over the network. During ongoing receipt of the incoming encoded data stream at the first recipient node from the transmitting node, the incoming encoded data stream is decoded at the first recipient node to produce a decoded data stream that is output for consumption at the first recipient node. The decoded data stream is used to generate a modified encoded data stream being a modified version of the incoming encoded data stream. Still during ongoing receipt of the incoming encoded data stream at the first recipient node from the transmitting node, the modified encoded data stream is relayed from the first recipient node to one or more second recipient nodes over the network.
US08180914B2
A system and method to delete overload in a data stream are described.A method of an embodiment of the invention may analyze data quality information in a data stream and delete data items that are found to be of lower than a desired data quality.In one embodiment, data items may be evaluated according to maximize a particular aspect of the utility of the data in a data stream.In one embodiment, a system of an embodiment of the invention may evaluate data quality in a data stream to suggest one or more actions to be performed to improve the data quality in the data stream. Further, the system of the embodiment of the invention may evaluate each suggested action to determine how the suggested action may impact the data quality in the data stream if performed.
US08180891B1
Particular embodiments permit a computer program running within a security sandbox to discover and communicate with networked services for example print servers, or remote control programming interfaces for TVs, stereos, and game boxes. The sandbox allows the computer program to originate unicast connections to a limited set of hosts but otherwise provides no access to the network. Particular embodiments may require no prior install, zero configuration, no account names or passwords, and yet resists spam. This is achieved by using centralized global infrastructure to coordinate the communications rather than local multicast, anycast, or datalink broadcast.
US08180890B2
A computationally implemented method includes, but is not limited to: soliciting, based at least in part on a hypothesis that links one or more objective occurrences with one or more subjective user states and in response at least in part to an incidence of at least one objective occurrence, subjective user state data including data indicating incidence of at least one subjective user state associated with a user; and acquiring the subjective user state data including the data indicating incidence of at least one subjective user state associated with the user. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
US08180889B2
Processing time required from transmission of a request packet including a processing request from a client, until return of a reply packet in which internal information including an operation status of a plurality of servers is added to an execution result of processing corresponding to the processing request, obtained by the servers in cooperation with each other, is calculated by a function incorporated beforehand in the respective servers. Moreover, the internal information added to the reply packet is extracted and stored in an internal information DB in association with the calculated required time of the processing. Furthermore predetermined statistical processing is performed with respect to the internal information and the required time associated with the internal information stored in the internal information DB to analyze the operation status of the plurality of servers.
US08180888B2
In various embodiments, a method for managing edge processors includes providing an interface that allows a user to define a network operation associated with a edge processor. A network operation is generated based on input received via the interface. An action defined by the network operation is then performed at one or more edge processors.
US08180887B2
A geographic location of a network device is determined using response delay times from internet servers used as landmarks. A coordination server provides to a client a list of area landmark servers (ALS) with known geographic locations. The client probes ALSs, measures response delays, and provides results to the coordination server. The coordination server then provides to the client a list of additional city landmark servers (CLS) within the area. The client probes the CLSs and provides results to the coordination server which then determines the geographic location of the client.
US08180885B2
Method for administering devices, including creating a user metric vector including a plurality of disparate user metrics, creating a plurality of user metric spaces, each user metric space including a plurality of metric ranges, and selecting, from the plurality of user metric spaces, a user metric space. Methods also include determining whether the user metric vector is outside the selected user metric space, identifying an action in dependence upon the user metric vector, if the user metric vector is outside the selected user metric space, and executing the action.
US08180884B1
A method and apparatus is disclosed for the monitoring of active threads in a network service, such as a content transformation service. A network element periodically samples active threads that are indicative of an active session of a service being provided to a subscriber. Identifiers associated with the active threads are collected and stored in, for example, a network log along with related information, such as the subscriber identifying information associated with the thread and/or the amount of network resources utilized by the thread. The collected information is then made available or displayed for use in, or example, controlling the usage of a network service or billing for services based accurately on the amount of network resources consumed by a subscriber.
US08180880B2
Active intelligent content is aware of its own timeline, lifecycle, capabilities, limitations, and related information. The active intelligent content is aware of its surroundings and can convert automatically into a format or file type more conducive to the device or environment it is stored in. If the active intelligent content does not have the required tools to make such a transformation, it is self-aware enough to seek out the tools and/or information to make that transformation. Such active intelligent content can be used for enhanced file portability, target advertising, personalization of media, and selective encryption, enhancement, and restriction. The content can also be used to collaborate with other content and provide users with enhanced information based on user preferences, ratings, costs, genres, file types, and the like.
US08180879B2
Embodiments communicate messages between mobile devices and destination devices. An exemplary embodiment includes a first border server operable to establish a first communication connection to the mobile device over a first network operating under a first protocol, a second border server operable to establish a second communication connection to the mobile device over a second network operating under a second protocol, and a transport management server communicatively coupled to the first border server and the second border server, and operable to establish a third communication connection to the destination device over a third network operating under a third protocol. The first protocol is configured to communicate a first encapsulated portion of the message. The second protocol is configured to communicate a second encapsulated portion of the message. The third protocol is configured to communicate the first encapsulated portion of the message and the second encapsulated portion of the message.
US08180875B1
A method of synchronizing clocks between local and remote unix-like computers comprising: sending internet control message protocol (ICMP) ping packets between at least two computers in a network; archiving ICMP echo-request and echo-reply packets from the networked computers in an archive file with an ICMP packet capture utility; including information in each echo-request sent from a local computer to a remote computer comprising: (1) the local time stamp of when the last echo-request from the remote computer was received at the local computer, and (2) the local time stamp of when the corresponding echo-reply was sent from the local computer; calculating an approximate clock offset between the networked computers based on the time stamps; and synchronizing the clocks of the networked computers based on the approximate clock offset of the computers.
US08180871B2
Methods, systems, and computer program products for improving network operations by dynamically redeploying services (such as web services or other network-accessible services) in a computing network. A programmatic replication or redeployment process is defined, whereby system upgrades may be implemented by redeploying services dynamically, without human intervention, enabling the complexity of upgrading previously-deployed software to be reduced significantly.
US08180866B2
The present invention discloses a DM system and a method for setting configuration values in the same. The DM system includes: a server for generating configuration values for a predetermined resource of a terminal, transmitting the configuration values and a reconfiguration parameter to the terminal through a DM session, and requesting the terminal to set the configuration values; and the terminal for receiving the configuration values and the reconfiguration parameter, and setting the configuration values in the resource according to the reconfiguration parameter, the terminal being operated according to the configuration values. As a result, the server can generate the configuration values and transmit the configuration values to the terminal, and the terminal can directly apply the configuration values from the server.
US08180862B2
In some embodiments, a method for auto-configuring a network is disclosed. The method can include communicating with at least one node in a processing complex, receiving node connection data from the at least one node querying a node to verify at least a portion of the node connection data, and auto-configuring system partitioning in response to the node connection data. In some embodiments, the method can also include verifying the node connection data by transmitting a request for a universally unique identifier and a node identifier. The node identifier can be associated with the universally unique identifier. The node identifier can be utilized in data transmitted between nodes.
US08180857B2
Disclosed is the parallel download for a file, which calculates availability values of each block by using node operation rates of each node having blocks constituting a file, and preferentially downloads a block having a minimum availability value among the calculated availabilities, thereby increasing probability to access the file and each block constituting the file, thus to perform file downloading more accurately and rapidly.
US08180856B2
There are disclosed processes and systems relating to optimized traffic generation and reception for testing a network. A TCP/IP protocol stack and an HTTP program are operative in kernel space. The HTTP program may receive a test request from an application operative in user space. The HTTP program is adapted to fulfill the test request. The test request may be fulfilled without receipt of further instructions or data from the application program.
US08180853B2
An apparatus for transmitting data which includes a management unit that manages network-topology information of clients participating in the P2P service, and an interface unit that provides to a first client a peer list including information of a client having the minimum network distance to the first client, based on the network topology information, when receiving a request for content from the first client.
US08180852B2
In one embodiment, a system includes a server that hosts webpages facilitating user interaction between multiple endpoints. The system monitors for a user input requesting initiation of a happy hour, and when the input is detected, modifies the webpages to alert users of the happy hour. The users are notified of which user initiated the happy hour, and are also notified that interaction incentives accumulate at an increased rate during the happy hour. The system also tracks user scorings that accumulate based on the user interaction, and enables certain website features based on these user scorings. The system also tracks ratings for user-uploaded objects and identifies top rated objects for displaying on webpages viewable by other users.
US08180851B1
Map tile data for displaying graphic elements of a web-based mapping system in a mobile computing device may be pre-fetched to the device based on selection of an option to store the data at the device. A request for mapping system data may be sent from a mobile computing device to a remote mapping system via a network connection. The request may include user-specified location data. The remote mapping system may retrieve the mapping data corresponding to the user-specified location data and send it to the mobile computing device via the network connection. The mobile computing device may receive the retrieved mapping data and display a selectable option to store or not store the mapping data in a cache memory of the mobile computing device. The retrieved mapping data may then be stored at the mobile computing device in response to selection of the option to store the mapping data.
US08180848B2
An apparatus and a method for distributing video image are provided. The apparatus stores a video image captured by a video unit through a monitor module. When a plurality of communication interfaces are activated simultaneously, the video image previously stored in the monitor module is directly loaded into each communication interface through the monitor module, respectively. Therefore, the purpose of providing a plurality of communication interfaces with the video image simultaneously is achieved.
US08180847B2
An apparatus and method for deploying web services in a web services infrastructure are provided. With the apparatus and method, a deployment descriptor for a web service is retrieved from a configuration file. A location type in the deployment descriptor is provided for identifying whether the web service is implemented using a web services description language (WSDL) document only, a JavaBean only, or both a WSDL document and a JavaBean. Based on the location type, and associated attributes of the location type, processes are performed for generating an internal definition of the web service to thereby deploy the web service in the web services infrastructure.
US08180846B1
A system determines status of agent execution of a command in a network. The system identifies a command to be performed by an agent and issues the command to the agent for execution. The agent operates a status manager that tracks execution status of commands in the agent. The system sends status requests to the agent to determine a status of execution of the command by the agent and the agent responds and sends a status response indicating the status of the execution of the command by the agent. Applications are thus provided with current status of execution of long running commands in an agent.
US08180845B2
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for allowing an end user at an end user system to remotely debug a back-end application program executing on a back-end system. To access the services of the back-end application program, the end user system interacts with a front-end application program executing on a front-end system, the front-end application program acting as a proxy to the back-end application program. The front-end application program receives a request for a debugger tool from the end user system and provides to the back-end system an identification of the end user system. Based on the identification, the back-end system sends a request to start a debugger tool to the end user system, and in response, the end user system establishes a communication channel with the front-end system to use the debugger tool to receive debugging information.
US08180831B2
Disclosed is an apparatus, method, and program product for performing ad hoc media delivery. Enhanced handheld devices are used in combination with the other components to route media and control its presentation. Enhanced media presentation stations detect the presence of one or more of the handheld devices. Information regarding the presence of a handheld device is then communicated from the media presentation stations to an enhanced server. The server uses this information to maintain a record of the location of each handheld device. The recorded location information is used to route the media to the media presentation station that is closest to the location of the handheld device. Control information, such as media selection and fidelity control (when appropriate), is forwarded from the handheld device to the server, so that the server can take appropriate action relative to transmission of the media to the media presentation station at issue. If a phone call is received, an enhanced phone interacts with the server to suspend presentation of the media until the phone call has ended.
US08180828B2
A method and apparatus for providing a plug-in architecture in a real-time web application framework is described. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving an application to be installed on a hub of a real-time web application framework. The method may also include installing the application on an entry point of the hub, the application one of a plurality of different types of applications to be automatically run by the hub.
US08180822B2
A computer system for computing a binary operation involving a first term multiplied by a second term resulting in a product, where the product is conditionally added to a third term in a central processing unit. The central processing unit includes a carry save adder configured to add a plurality of partial products obtained from the product of the first term and the second term to obtain a first partial result and a second partial result, a multiplexer configured to output one selected from the group consisting of the second term, the third term, and zero, and an alignment shifter configured to shift an output of the multiplexer to align the output of the multiplexer with the first partial result and the second partial result to obtain a shifted term. The shifted term, the first partial result and the second partial result are added together to obtain a result of the binary operation.
US08180819B2
An apparatus for processing a plurality of real-valued subband signals using a first real-valued subband signal and a second real-valued subband signal to provide at least a complex-valued subband signal comprises a multiband filter for providing an intermediate real-valued subband signal and a calculator for providing the complex-valued subband signal by combining a real-valued subband signal from the plurality of real-valued subband signals and the intermediate subband signal.
US08180804B1
In one embodiment, a method includes maintaining access to information comprising nodes and edges; receiving a request from a first user corresponding to a first user node for a structured document corresponding to a first concept node; determining a first data set that identifies concept nodes connected by edges with user nodes that are each connected by edges with both the first user node and the first concept node; determining a second data set that identifies concept nodes connected by edges with the first concept node and user nodes that are each connected to the first user node; generating a score for each concept node in the data sets; selecting one or more concept nodes based on their scores as recommended nodes; and transmitting to the client device the structured document and code executable by a client application to render node names or identifiers of the recommended nodes for display.
US08180799B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus for dynamically creating tables to store received data. A form that includes data of one or more data types is received. Each of the data types is associated with a corresponding field type. The data types in the form are identified, and a storage location configured to store data of the field-type is accessed. Field types in the storage location are compared with those of the received data, and on determining that a portion of the data is of a data type that the storage location is not configured to store, the storage location is modified to store that portion of the data.
US08180798B2
Data management and distribution are described, including a memory configured to store data, the data being stored in a file and the file is downloaded in response to a signal, and downloading is performed based on a parameter determined by a provider of the file or the system, and a logic module configured to process the signal and access data stored in the file, and the file is downloaded to a device and configured for interaction with a user, and user activity is recorded and used by the logic module when selecting another file for downloading to the device.
US08180786B2
A symbolic query exploration (QEX) module automatically produces output information that can be used to evaluate a database. The QEX module operates by converting an input query into a formula for processing by a satisfiability module theories (SMT) solver module. The SMT solver module generates a model that satisfies the formula. The model yields table information that is used to populate the database and, optionally, parameter information that is used to instantiate the query. A query evaluation module then submits the instantiated query to the populated database and evaluates whether an evaluation result produced thereby agrees with pre-specified condition information. The QEX module can preprocess the formula using either (or both) an eager expansion approach (in which the formula is expanded in an upfront manner) or a lazy expansion approach (in which axioms are identified for later possible expansion by the SMT solver module).
US08180784B2
One embodiment of the present invention includes a method for automatically enabling a search system or application to quickly and accurately count hits corresponding to a search expression. For example, a search expression is received or retrieved that may include redundant and/or overlapping search expression components. Each narrow search expression component is removed from the search expression if joined by an “OR” operator to a broader or equivalent search expression component. Additionally, each broad search expression component is removed from the search expression if joined by an “AND” operator to a narrower or equivalent search expression component. By modifying the received search expression in this fashion, a performance gain is typically achieved for calculating the hit count while maintaining its accuracy.
US08180779B2
A computer system and method for validating data object classification and consolidation using external references. The external references may be web pages, product catalogs, external databases, URLs, search results provided by a search engine or subsets or combinations of any of these to validate a classification or consolidation of records. Embodiments validate a data object classification or consolidation decision by searching external data sources, such as databases, the Internet etc. for references to the transactional data object and determining a confidence level based on the original data object and the unstructured information reference, URL, or search result for example. Decisions may be verified or denied based on the comparison of the external references related to each data object. Embodiments of the invention save substantial labor in validating business data objects and make data more reliable across enterprise systems.
US08180777B2
The present invention relates in general to methods and systems for comparing and maximizing the optimal selection of a first set of one or more data objects to a set of second data objects. In one embodiment, the first set of data objects represent one or more tasks to be fulfilled by a set of capabilities represented by the second data objects. In one embodiment, methods and systems are provided that apply topic modeling and similarity metrics to determine the optimal selection. In one embodiment, methods and systems are provided to determine the appropriateness of a set of second data objects to satisfy the requirements of a first data object given interaction attributes. Embodiments may be used to compare mission requirements with potential team members to determine the appropriateness of team members and teams for a given mission based on interaction attributes of the team members and teams.
US08180772B2
An electronic data retrieving apparatus is provided that increases the retrieval accuracy without deteriorating the retrieval efficiency by reflecting differences between the numbers of word appearances due to genres of electronic data in the setting of the retrieval words. The electronic data retrieving apparatus according to the present invention sets the retrieval words of the electronic data not only as a word appearing on a retrieval word setting table of the recorded electronic data for a predetermined number of times (e.g., three times) or more but also a word appearing on the retrieval word setting table and appearing on a retrieval word setting reference table for a predetermined number of times (e.g., three times) or more.
US08180765B2
The invention relates to a method and device for selecting at least one media for recommendation to a user. The device comprises an interface to a users database comprising data relative to users medias consumption and data relative to connections between users. The device further comprises a statistical analyzer receiving data relative to users medias consumption and connections between users in inputs and generating a first list of at least one media for output. The device comprises an interface to a medias library comprising parameters indicative of medias content. The device also comprises an analytical analyzer receiving data relative to users medias consumption and parameters indicative of medias content in inputs and generating a second list of at least one media for output. The device also comprises a recommendation engine receiving the first and second lists of media and selecting at least one media for recommendation to the user.
US08180762B2
A method for tuning a database system is disclosed. A tuning strategy is received comprising a first procedure to determine a suggested tuning action, and a second procedure to measure performance of the database system. The suggested tuning action is determined and pre-action performance measured according to the respective procedures. Undo information that indicates how to undo the database system state change of the suggested tuning action is recorded in a database system state history. After executing the suggested tuning action, post-action database system performance is measured according to the second procedure. When the post-action performance is lower than the pre-action performance, the database system state change is undone using the undo information. Embodiments enabling to create new tuning strategies, downloading existing tuning strategies, sharing own tuning strategies and changing existing tuning strategies are disclosed as well.
US08180761B1
A computer, computer program product, and method prioritize a web crawler target link queue using referrer context information associated with a remote object link. An access statistics collection module detects links to remote objects and retrieves referrer context information for the links. An access statistics back end module receives and stores the referrer context information from the access statistics collection module. The referrer context information is analyzed by a target list prioritization module that uses the results of the analysis to prioritize a target queue of a web crawler. The referrer context information is an important resource in identifying information about how a link spreads, e.g., for threat detection or identification of popular links for indexing to produce more relevant search results.
US08180757B2
A method and computer program product for leveraging the creation context of a tag includes creating one or more tags, each of the one or more tags associated with a respective piece of content. A creation context is associated with each of the one or more tags. The one or more tags are searched based upon, at least in part, the creation context.
US08180751B2
Described are various embodiments which enable organizations to track and use knowledge and expertise of their associated individuals. An organization can use exemplary embodiments to automatically summarize the expertise of each individual from documents available from internal or external web sites. For example, a web crawler crawls a computer network to identify documents that name an individual. Summaries of the documents are generated based on articles in an encyclopedia, and a profile is built of the individual using the summaries. These summaries are used for automatically searching and automatically discovering individuals having particular knowledge or expertise on certain topics and subjects.
US08180743B2
A method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for managing an object are disclosed. In an embodiment, this comprises managing an object having content, in a system having a dynamic policy selector configured with at least one analytic policy applied to evaluate the content of the object. The object is associated to an information management policy. Classification levels may be used, in which classification levels are associated to information management policies and objects are associated with classification levels. Objects containing certain elements or related elements may be associated to form an information group, to which information management policies may be applied as a group. Storage pools may be used for managing objects with similar classification levels or information protection policies.
US08180742B2
A method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for managing an object are disclosed. In an embodiment, this comprises managing an object having content, in a system having a dynamic policy selector configured with at least one analytic policy applied to evaluate the content of the object. The object is associated to an information management policy. Classification levels may be used, in which classification levels are associated to information management policies and objects are associated with classification levels. Objects containing certain elements or related elements may be associated to form an information group, to which information management policies may be applied as a group. Storage pools may be used for managing objects with similar classification levels or information protection policies.
US08180741B2
A computer system, method and/or computer-readable medium provide independent data objects to a token in compressed form. The independent data objects are representative of security information associated with the token. The system includes an interface operable to communicate with a token, and a processor cooperatively operable with the interface. The processor is configured to determine a set of independent data objects that are associated with the token, and to aggregate the set of independent data objects associated with the token into a group. Also, the processor is configured for compressing the group into a unit of contiguous data, and writing the unit of contiguous data to the token via the interface.
US08180735B2
The disclosed examples of a system for providing and managing backup and restore services of one or more endpoint devices include at least one gateway device at a user premises and a service management center. The gateway device has a first interface for enabling bi-directional communications with one or more of the endpoint devices associated with the gateway device, a second interface for enabling bi-directional communications for the one or more endpoint devices via a wide area network, and for enabling at least some bidirectional communications with at least one storage area external to the user premises via the wide area network. The gateway device also has a processor configured to manage backups and restores of data between the one or more of the endpoint devices and the at least one storage area. The service management center is external to the user premises and communicates with the gateway device via the wide area network, and controls access by the gateway device to the at least one storage area.
US08180726B2
A method and device for performing a constraint failure analysis on an instance model. The present invention provides a convenient tool to bridge between a model-constraint designer and a model user, reduce load for model/constraint usability, simplify the learning curve, and assist to make a model correction for the model user.
US08180719B2
A printer includes a use status computation section which collects statistics of a use status of an analyzed print job and computes a use frequency and an execution interval of a language translation program based on a result of the statistics, and a resident mode switching section which causes a language translation program with a highest use frequency to initially stay resident in a memory and further causing a language translation program with a high use frequency and a long execution interval to stay resident next to the language translation program with the highest use frequency in the memory.
US08180718B2
An engine for performing root cause analysis on a system comprising a plurality of elements in a modeled domain, the engine comprising a module loader and parser for loading modules of computer code containing computer language statements modeling elements of the system, including one or more of model type definitions, conditions, causal rules, and continuations; and for parsing the computer language statements; a storage for storing the parsed computer language statements; a receiver for receiving conditions representing state changes of system elements, accessing the storage, and determining one or more parsed computer language statements to apply to the received conditions; a hypothesis generator for instantiating one or more hypotheses of potential causes of each received condition consistent with the received conditions and the parsed computer language statements; a blackboard for receiving the instantiated hypotheses, and determining a root cause of the received conditions based on the hypotheses consistent with the received conditions and the parsed computer language statements; and an output for outputting the determined root cause.
US08180716B2
The invention comprises methods and devices of forecasting future computational needs of an application based on input load, where the application comprises a plurality of processes executed on a plurality of computing devices. The method of the invention proceeds by monitoring at least a computational load characteristic of at least a first process executed on a first computing device and a second process executed on a second computing device. A mathematical relationship between input load and the computational load characteristic is established, and future computational needs are forecasted based on the established mathematical relationship.
US08180713B1
A system and method for alerting analysts to the presence of risk indicative information in a source report such as an SEC Edgar filing are described. An alert containing the risk indicative text may be e-mailed to an analyst and a link may be provided so that the analyst may easily access and view the complete report and additional identified risk indicative information. Additionally, the alerts and reports may be organized according to a hierarchical taxonomy of risk and/or corporate categories.
US08180705B2
The invention is directed to a method and apparatus for initiating an electronic funds transfer. The system includes a first mobile device, a payment engine, and a payment repository. The first mobile device includes functionality to display a notification of a sales transaction, obtain an authorization from the consumer to the electronic funds transfer based on the notification, instantiate a transfer entry form to obtain a transfer entry package, where the transfer entry package comprises the notification, a verification of the authorization, and consumer financial account information. The payment engine is operatively connected to the first mobile device and includes functionality to transmit the notification to the consumer of a sales transaction, generate the transfer entry form based on the authorization, and transmit the transfer entry package to a depository financial institution. The payment repository is operatively connected to the payment engine and includes functionality to store a record of the transfer entry package and the authorization.
US08180702B2
A method begins by generate, for each of a plurality of merchant devices, an offer data file to produce a plurality of offer data files. The method continues by compiling, for one of a plurality of issuer devices, an options data file for a group of credit cards based on at least one of the plurality of offer data files. The method continues by transmitting the options data file to the one of the plurality of issuer devices. The method continues by receiving, from the one of the plurality of issuer devices, at least one selection from the options data file to produce an options program file for the group of credit cards. The method continues by receiving, from a card holder device associated with one of the group of credit cards, a selection of at least one option from the options program file to produce at least one selected option. The method continues by processing transactions of the one of the group of credit cards in accordance with the at least one selected option.
US08180699B2
An embodiment of the present invention provides a system, method, process, software and standards that enable a unified trading and control process utilized by sponsoring organizations and asset managers (money managers) for sub advised or externally managed investment portfolios as to increase control over the trading process by a sponsoring organization, enhance regulatory compliance, substantially lower trading costs and improve investment performance on a recurring basis for the shareholders and beneficiaries investing in registered and non registered mutual funds and institutional investment portfolios.
US08180691B2
A method and system for generating bill payment schedule utilizes a composite pricing module to generate payment schedule over a predetermined period of time. In one aspect, a fraction of each pricing model attributing to the composite pricing model is determined. A charge fee associated with said each pricing model based on said fraction and said total price to charge is determined. Price to charge during each time unit of the time period is allocated, based on budget over the time period, discount rate, target profit margin and risk affordance. Bill schedule is generated using the allocated price.
US08180690B2
The present invention comprises a system and method for presenting large numbers of items on a display screen. According to one aspect of the present invention, information is harvested from a plurality of sites and over a plurality of times and aggregated into a single item set. According to another aspect of the present invention, this information is supplemented by data derived from sorting and classification tasks performed by humans. According to another aspect of present invention, this information is used to derive similarities between items and to derive a hierarchical classification of items into a hierarchical set of categories. According to another aspect of the present invention, one or more series of catalog displays are created which display these items arranged by different criteria and at different scales.
US08180672B2
Systems and methods provide techniques for associating advertisements with relevant content on a user interface. A method for placing advertisements on a user interface includes providing a user interface having a plurality of user interface screens, at least some of the plurality of user interface screens containing user-selectable control objects, and determining which of a plurality of advertisements to display on a user interface screen based on at least one of the following criteria: topical relevance, contextual relevance, path relevance and cognitive prominence.
US08180671B2
The invention facilitates pooling, gifting or transferring of geographic area loyalty points between accounts. The invention also facilitates a transfer of geographic area loyalty points from a consumer account associated with a sponsoring company to a consumer account associated with a host company. The invention may also facilitate gifting of loyalty points to charitable organizations on a recurring basis, wherein the gifting may transfer any portion of geographic based points to various charities. The system may also convert the geographic area loyalty points to a monetary value, thereby allowing the points to be donated to a charity such that the donation appears to be a monetary value donation to the charity.
US08180666B2
Several of the embodiments disclosed herein relate to accessing and tracking real-time data concerning company representative performance, proficiency, training, scheduling, current work flow, and estimated work flow. Moreover, many of the improvements in contact handling systems disclosed herein automatically provide training, work, and incentives to company representatives to improve performance, proficiency, efficiency, effectiveness, automate scheduling, and automated work flow. More specifically, this application discloses, in part, a method for determining an incentive for a company representative. Also disclosed is a graphical interface enabling a user to control training based incentives. As a result of the teachings disclosed herein, customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, and revenue may be improved in the contact handling industry.
US08180663B2
A computer-implemented method for assisting in the scheduling of a meeting. A user who desires to schedule a meeting simply inputs the relevant meeting parameters. In response, the computer evaluates a number of possible meeting times by comparing the input constraints against a predetermined set of suitability criteria. Based on this evaluation, the system identifies suggested meeting time(s), and also may identify rooms suitable for each meeting time. The system also calculates an estimated desirability for each suggested meeting time based on its compliance with the suitability criteria. The suggested meeting time(s) and a visual indicator of desirability for each time are then displayed. In addition, the raw free-busy data for each attendee may still be displayed. When the user selects a suggested meeting time, an electronic meeting request is automatically populated with the meeting time and a suitable place associated with the suggested meeting time.
US08180661B2
A system and method for managing property that in one embodiment provides a network-based system and method for creating, tracking and managing events, known herein as “incidents”, such as service requests, maintenance reminders and other events associated with managing property for supporting and enhancing the functions of tenant, property manager and vendor.
US08180660B2
This application describes non-depleting chips and their use in a Resource Management Framework. In this methodology, chips do not deplete when spent, but rather represent a weighting that each party/business unit (BU) has to accomplish its IT processing needs over time. In this model, BUs are assigned a certain buying power that may be thought of as akin to chips on a roulette wheel. Such a model may be used with either scheduled auctions (i.e., discrete events), or they may be used via a spot market where no scheduled auctions are conducted (i.e., fluid events). In this concept, the chips are never depleted.
US08180655B1
Apparatus and methods to process vehicle or driver behavior data are described herein. In some examples, the behavior data is used by a premium calculating engine to derive a premium for a vehicle insurance policy using the data. The behavior data may be associated with a single driver, or may be associated with all drivers of a vehicle without regard to the actual drivers, in some examples. Data received from the vehicle may also include vehicle performance data, in further examples. Additionally, a method of underwriting a dynamic vehicle insurance policy is described, in one example.
US08180654B2
A method and system are provided for utilizing indexed electronic patient medical records stored on portable memory devices. Each of the portable memory devices is associated with a patient for electronically storing indexed medical records for the patient from a plurality of care providers. The indexed medical records are sortable or searchable. For each visit to a care provider by a patient, the method includes: (a) accessing the indexed medical records from a portable memory device associated with the patient; (b) automatically generating one or more documents for use during the visit from the indexed medical records; (c) providing medical services to the patient utilizing the indexed medical records and the one or more documents; (d) recording information relating to the medical services on the one or more documents, and loading the information on the portable memory device; and (e) sending delayed information relating to the medical services to a remote server for subsequent downloading by the patient or another authorized person of the delayed information from the server to the portable memory device.
US08180646B2
A system, method, and computer-usable medium for routing a call. A server receives a call from a client. A routing engine captures a voice print from the call. In response to the routing engine capturing the voice print from the call, the routing engine compares the voice print to a database that includes a collection of voice prints. In response to the routing engine matching the voice print to at least one voice print among the collection of voice prints, an interactive voice response (IVR) module routes the call to an appropriate call queue based on the matching of the voice print. The appropriate queue routes the call from the appropriate call queue to a call center corresponding to the appropriate call queue.
US08180645B2
A media browsing system prepares various media content and synchronizes the content for playback. A user can specify the content and preconfigure the manner in which the content will be subsequently accessible through a user interface. A variety of mobile phone and media player devices having configurable, user interfaces promote a consistent media browsing experience across the devices for users accessing a variety of preconfigured media content.
US08180642B2
A method for analyzing hidden dynamics, includes acquiring discrete observations, each discrete observation having an observed value selected from two or more allowed discrete values. A factorial hidden Markov model (FHMM) relating the discrete observations with a plurality of hidden dynamics is constructed. A contribution of the state of each hidden dynamic to the discrete observation may be represented in the FHMM as a parameter of a nominal distribution which is scaled by a function of the state of the hidden dynamic. States of the hidden dynamics are inferred from the discrete observations based on the FHMM. Information corresponding to at least one inferred state of at least one of the hidden dynamics is output. The parameters of the contribution of each dynamic to the hidden states may be learnt from a large number of observations. An example of a networked printing system is used to demonstrate the applicability of the method.
US08180628B2
The present invention provides an apparatus for expanding a query requirement, comprising: a query requirement understanding device which generates an explicit query requirement according to a user query request; and a query requirement expanding device which generates an implicit query requirement associated with the explicit query requirement. The query requirement understanding device generates an explicit query requirement including a query concept and a question type by searching a knowledge base and a language base, and the query requirement expanding device generates an implicit query requirement including a query concept and a question type by searching the knowledge base, the language base and a relevancy database. The present invention further provides a method for expanding a query requirement. The apparatus and method for expanding a query requirement according to the present invention can facilitate a user's query and provide the user with an accurate, comprehensive query answer.
US08180625B2
The invention discloses a multi language exchange system which includes a communication device having an input screen on which a message in a first language is to be translated into a second language. The input screen displays a programmable grid or list having at least one sentence or phrase formed by the grid or list in the first language. Each grid element of the at least one sentence or phrase contains a word or words in the at least one sentence or phrase. Each grid element of the at least one sentence or phrase having a sequence based on the order in which the word or words of the respective grid element would appear in the translation of the at least one sentence or phrase in the second language. The user follows the sequence to allow the at least one sentence or phrase to be translated in the correct order.
US08180617B1
Computer-based computational tools for use in determining spatial charge distributions for biological systems that include one or more biological membranes are provided. At least one of the biological membrane includes at least two regions having different electrical properties, e.g., the biological membrane can include a pore having a higher conductivity than the surrounding bulk membrane. In other cases, the membrane can include non-active and active regions, with conservative fields acting at the non-active regions and a combination of conservative and non-conservative fields acting at the active regions. The non-conservative fields can, for example, originate from differences in ionic concentrations of the type which generate Nernst potential differences across membranes. Using the computer-based computational tools, charge distributions not previously known to exist have been discovered, e.g., ring-shaped charge distributions in the vicinity of an active pore.
US08180614B2
Torsional, axial and lateral vibrations introduced when a mud motor is used with a drilling tool to drill a borehole are calculated using a model. The model includes different computational modules for each of three distinct motor sections: power, transmission and bearing. The resulting calculated vibration effects are used to enhance the drilling tool and drilling operation.
US08180606B2
The invention relates to a reflective surface substantially perpendicular to a vector field described by the equation: W ( x , y , z ) = target ( x , y , z ) - [ x , y , z ] target ( x , y , z ) - [ x , y , z ] + source ( x , y , z ) - [ x , y , z ] source ( x , y , z ) - [ x , y , z ] and a computer program for forming the reflective surface. The reflective surface is capable of providing a substantially undistorted wide-angle field of view. It is particularly useful as a driver's side mirror of a vehicle to provide an enlarged, substantially undistorted field of view which may be used to reduce or eliminate blind spots.
US08180601B2
This document discusses, among other things, systems and methods for determining volume of activation for deep brain stimulation (“DBS”) using a finite element model (FEM) circuit to determine a FEM of an implanted electrode and a tissue medium in which the electrode is implanted, a Fourier FEM solver circuit to calculate a potential distribution in the tissue medium using information from the FEM circuit and a capacitive component of at least one of the implanted electrode and the tissue medium, and a volume of activation (VOA) circuit to predict a VOA using the potential distribution and a neuron model.
US08180599B2
Techniques for designing networks. The techniques utilize network management-based routing (NMS routing) in conjunction with the planning step (design-based routing) of the design process so that an optimal network may be designed. An automated technique for designing a network may comprise the following steps. First, one or more traffic demands are obtained. Then, a network is computed by determining one or more routes for the one or more traffic demands using a design-based routing methodology based on feedback from a network management-based routing methodology.
US08180584B2
A method and apparatus for communicating battery information to a remote device or database. A battery tester and/or charger can communicate with a wired or wireless connection to the remote device. Battery identifying information, test results and warranty information can be communicated to the remote device or database.
US08180580B2
The present invention relates to a method for identifying compounds that modulate the activity of sirtuin deacetylase protein family members. Compounds of the invention are identified by designing or screening for a compound which binds to at least one amino acid residue of the newly identified nicotinamide inhibition and base exchange site of Sir2 and testing the compound for its ability to modulate the activity of the Sir2 protein. Compositions and methods for preventing or treating diseases or disorders associated with Sir2 are also provided.
US08180576B2
When a target substance's composition formula is deduced by using a mass spectrometer, if the target substance's composition formula is deduced based on an MSn spectrum and candidates are found, a composition formula candidate list including all the composition formula candidates is created, and the list is displayed in a list format. The composition formula candidates are narrowed down based on the MSn spectrum by an MS2 analysis or MS3 analysis. If there is a candidate to be excluded, the composition formula candidate list is updated, and the excluded candidate is moved to the exclusion list. Accompanying this, a composition formula candidate table is displayed in a list format on the display window. In this table, the composition formula candidates included in the exclusion list and the remaining composition formula candidates in the composition formula candidate list are simultaneously displayed with different colors so that they are visually discriminable.
US08180571B2
This invention relates to surveying wellbores. In particular this invention provides methods of correcting magnetic surveys for the effects introduced by magnetic mud. The method of the present invention comprises, in broad terms, measuring gravitational and magnetic fields at least one position in the wellbore; comparing the measured fields with theoretical values, and introducing scale factors to adapt the measured values to equal the theoretical values thus making it possible to cope with the effects of magnetic mud.
US08180561B2
A vehicle-installed obstacle detection apparatus includes a forward-view camera, and processes resultant image data to detect objects as possible obstacles. A size value such as tail lamp spacing, transmitted from a preceding vehicle, and a corresponding size value as measured in a captured image, are used to calculate the distance of the preceding vehicle. This is used together with a height value transmitted from the preceding vehicle and a corresponding height value measured in the captured image, to calculate the relative height difference between the vehicles, which is then used to discriminate between detected objects which are actual obstacles and objects such as road surface markers.
US08180559B2
A location based service and method configured to provide a mechanism for delivering traffic information to a subscribing user. The method is implemented on a computing infrastructure and includes setting up geo-boundaries at one or more predefined intervals. The method further includes receiving a signal from an active mobile device as it passes at least two of the geo-boundaries at the one or more predefined intervals, and determining a traffic incident from the received signal.
US08180558B1
A system and method for traffic flow reporting are provided. An satellite digital audio radio service (SDARS) system receives traffic flow information for segments of roads with service coverage at a vehicle. A vehicle communications, navigation and tracking (VCNT) service system compares present Global Positioning System (GPS) position of the vehicle with the traffic flow information received from the SDARS system. If the present GPS position is within a segment, the VCNT service system compares present vehicle speed with a received traffic flow speed range. If vehicle speed is outside a received traffic flow speed range, the VCNT service system generates a message with present location and speed. An automated traffic flow aggregation system receives the message transmissions and applies location-specific filters based on number of messages received before forwarding a flow speed revision message to an SDARS broadcast station for broadcasting the traffic information to subscribers. RDS-formatted (e.g., ALERT-C) location codes can be stored at the vehicle and used in the SDARS broadcast of traffic flow information to refer to segments.
US08180554B2
The invention relates to the field of methods and devices for reducing the difference between normalized air-fuel ratio of the various cylinders compared with a predetermined value between 0.7 and 1.1, of the normalized air-fuel ratio in an internal combustion engine. The method and devices utilize the signal of the ionization current produced by a suitable device, modifying the quantity of fuel on the basis of the signal determined by means of the method in question in the invention.
US08180543B2
A movement stabilizing control ECU 25 includes a differential unit 25a, a cycle calculation unit 25b, a time constant/gain setting portion 25c, a first-order lag processing unit 25d, a pendulum movement detection unit 25e, a control amount calculation portion 25f and a control amount output unit 25g. The time constant/gain setting portion 25c sets a time constant τ and a gain K used at the time of subjecting a yaw acceleration ω′ which is a time-differential value of a yaw rate ω to the first-order lag processing at the first-order lag processing unit 25d, with reference to a function or data of a look-up table, for example, depending on the cycle or the frequency of the yaw acceleration ω′ due to the pendulum movement. The control amount calculation portion 25f multiplies the amplitude of a yaw acceleration ωd′ outputted from the first-order lag processing unit 25d by a predetermined constant to calculate a yaw control amount with a phase in opposite to that of the yaw acceleration ωd′ and outputs the yaw control amount to the control amount output unit 25g.
US08180538B2
A method for controlling a transmission includes applying a reference stroke pressure to an oncoming control element while executing a downshift to a target gear, determining a stroke pressure adjustment in response to a turbine speed flare during the downshift, and re-executing the downshift while applying to the oncoming element an adapted stroke pressure that is a sum of the stroke pressure adjustment and the reference stroke pressure.
US08180529B2
A microcomputer 17 (signal generating section 24) includes an attenuating section 31, which attenuates a specific frequency component included in an input signal. The attenuating section 31 receives a d-axis current value Id and a q-axis current value Iq, which are actual currents supplied to a motor 12. The attenuating section 31 receives a rotational angular velocity ωe of the motor 12. The attenuating section 31 changes the specific frequency component to be attenuated based on the input rotational angular velocity ωe. Then, the microcomputer 17 executes current feedback control for feeding power to the motor 12 based on the d-axis current value Id′ and the q-axis current value Iq′ that have been attenuated.
US08180521B2
An electronic control unit performs self-diagnosis based on signals received from various sensors, and stores abnormality data in an EEPROM when abnormality is detected. The DTC is stored in a first memory area and a second memory area of the EEPROM, if a condition flag stored in the EEPROM is OFF and ON, respectively. The condition flag is switched from OFF (initial value) to ON, when service start data is received from a telematics service center in a period from the completion of assembling the electronic control unit to the vehicle to the start of use of the vehicle by a user.
US08180518B2
A system and a method for generating a microenvironment condition report. The microenvironment condition report is generated from information related to a plurality of vehicle conditions. The vehicle condition information is gathered from a plurality of in-vehicle technologies such as a stability control system, ABS, and navigation system. The vehicle condition information is sent to a remote terminal that organizes the information with respect to a set of microareas. The information for each microarea is analyzed and used to generate the microenvironment condition report.
US08180513B2
The present disclosure relates to a reference yaw rate generator for an autonomous ground vehicle control system. The reference yaw rate generator is configured to generate a reference yaw rate (rr) based on an actual latitudinal position (Y), a desired latitudinal position (Yd), an actual longitudinal position (X), a desired longitudinal position (Xd) and an actual heading (ψ) of the autonomous ground vehicle.
US08180508B2
An electricity storage control apparatus that controls an electricity storage device mounted on a vehicle includes control device that changes a target state of charge, which is used as the target of a state of charge of the electricity storage device, and calculating device that calculates an amount of decrease in voltage across the electricity storage device caused as the vehicle is operated. The control device increases the target state of charge if a decreased voltage value, which is lower than a reference voltage value of the electricity storage device by the voltage decrease amount calculated by the calculating device, is equal to or lower than a threshold.
US08180507B2
A system for a vehicle is provided for allowing a user of the vehicle or installation to obtain advanced and up-to-date information about the surroundings of the vehicle or installation and the vehicle or installation itself. The system may be located on a marine vessel and it integrates information from a number of different information sources, located both on and off the vessel, en including information from advanced radar and sonar subsystems on the ship, information from conventional instruments and sensors and information from onshore and offshore installations and EO satellites accessed via a control center onshore. The system may communicate with the control center via a communication satellite and/or wireless Internet, if available. A data processing apparatus for processing and presenting the data is also provided. The data is received, processed and presented in three dimensions in space and updated in real time or near real time such that time provides a fourth dimension to the data. A graphical user interface for presenting the data is also provided. The graphical user interface provides functionality for reporting an error in the system if the end user's own observations do not match the presented data. Additionally, a system for collecting data comprising more than one ship, the control center and means for the ships and the control center to communicate is provided. The system comprises a catalogue and storage network for storing collected data. All data is stored with an associated quality measure of the data.
US08180505B2
An onboard solar cell array current and voltage characteristic determination method is preferably used on small spacecraft and determines the solar cell orientation relative to the sun by a comparison between prelaunch solar cell characteristics with on-orbit solar cell characteristics well suited for spin axis determinations and monitoring the degradation of on-orbit solar cells over the operational life of a picosatellite.
US08180499B2
In a power supply system (10) having a cogeneration unit (12) equipped with an internal combustion engine (12a) and a generator (12b) to generate power to be supplied to a power destination and hot water to be supplied to a hot water destination, there are provided with a natural energy generation unit (14) that generates power with natural energy, a power supply unit (20) that receives the power generated by the generator and natural energy generation unit to supply the received power to the power destination; a voltage detector (22a) that detects voltage (V1) of the power flowing through an connecting bus (22), and an electric heater (121). The power supply unit (20) controls operation of the electric heater based on the detected connecting bus power voltage (V1), thereby effectively utilizing surplus electricity without transmitting back it to a commercial power source.
US08180484B2
Products are dispensed from a dispensing apparatus in which products marked with transaction information are received in a two-dimensional array of moveable bins. In response to control information synthesized from transaction information on the products in the bins and a dispense request, the array is operated to place a bin at a dispensing station on the dispensing apparatus. At the dispensing station, a mechanism is operated in response to the control information to provide access to the bin. A product in the bin may then be retrieved.
US08180480B2
A system and method for monitoring the contact of tool bits of a lathe with surfaces of a brake disk being machined employs a vibration sensor coupled to the lathe. Signals from the vibration sensor are processed as time-averaged segments that can be grouped within time intervals; a microprocessor employs a qualifying routine to compare the signal level to a background noise threshold value and indicates as “failed” those time periods where the average signal level is not above the background noise threshold. An accumulator records the indications over a number of intervals and compares the result to a standard to make a determination of whether the lathe is likely actively cutting the disk surfaces. To isolate intermittent, high-intensity noises, a consistency routine can check further to see whether individual segments within an interval fall within a range based on the average signal level for that interval.
US08180473B2
An exposure system is configured to update control software installed on an exposure apparatus to new control software. The exposure system comprises: at least one exposure apparatus; a simulator configured to test an operation of the exposure apparatus; an output unit configured to output configuration information of the exposure apparatus, which includes information representing a temporal change of the exposure apparatus; a reflecting unit configured to reflect the temporal change of the exposure apparatus on the simulator based on the configuration information output from the output unit; and an updating unit configured to update control software installed on the simulator to new control software.
US08180471B2
A method for estimating a state of a process implemented by a tool for fabricating workpieces includes collecting metrology data associated with a subset of workpieces processed in the tool. The collecting exhibits an irregular pattern. Metrology data associated with a selected state observation is received for a selected run of the process. A tuning factor for the selected run is determined based on the irregular pattern. The selected state observation is discounted based on the determined tuning factor. A state estimate of the process is determined based on the discounted selected state observation. At least one process tool operable to implement the process is controlled based on the state estimate.
US08180469B1
A method and system for linking portions of digital media data during playback includes a process for linking portions of digital media data during playback whereby a user is provided the capability to link two or more digital media data tracks/segments of digital media data such that the linked digital media data tracks/segments of digital media data are treated as a single entity for playback purposes, thereby ensuring that the linked digital media data tracks/segments of digital media data are played back in an order desired/dictated by the user regardless of playback mode or which of the linked tracks is selected.
US08180464B2
Multiple designs, systems, methods and processes for controlling a system or plant using an extended active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) based controller are presented. The extended ADRC controller accepts sensor information from the plant. The sensor information is used in conjunction with an extended state observer in combination with a predictor that estimates and predicts the current state of the plant and a co-joined estimate of the system disturbances and system dynamics. The extended state observer estimates and predictions are used in conjunction with a control law that generates an input to the system based in part on the extended state observer estimates and predictions as well as a desired trajectory for the plant to follow.
US08180457B2
System and method for monitoring and controlling, defibrillation and pacing which allows a victim of a cardiac rhythm abnormality immediate access to a medical professional at a central station, who will remotely monitor, diagnose and treat the victim at one of a plurality of remote sites in accordance with the following steps: (1) providing a plurality of contact electrodes for a victim at a remote site for the receipt of ECG signals and for the application of electrical pulses to the victim; (2) transmitting the signals from the remote site to a central station and displaying them for review by the medical professional; (3) the medical professional selecting from a menu of defibrillation and pacing pulses, if the application thereof is appropriate; (4) transmitting the selection results to the remote site; and (5) receiving the selection results at the remote site and applying the selected pulses to the victim.
US08180455B2
Errors in pitch allocation within a cochlear implant are corrected in order to provide a significant and profound improvement in the quality of sound perceived by the cochlear implant user. The disclosure provides a tool for determining the implant fitting curve for cochlear implant system to correct pitch warping. The method presents familiar musical tunes to determine the implant fitting slope (relative alignment). In addition, in one embodiment, speech sounds may be used to determine the offset of the fitting line (absolute alignment). The use of music and speech to determine the implant fitting curve (line) and the slope is facilitated by using techniques to implement virtual electrodes to more precisely direct stimuli to the location or “place” on the cochlea.
US08180448B2
A TANK filter is provided for a lead wire of an active medical device (AMD). The TANK filter includes a capacitor in parallel with an inductor. The parallel capacitor and inductor are placed in series with the lead wire of the AMD, wherein values of capacitance and inductance are selected such that the TANK filter is resonant at a selected frequency. The Q of the inductor may be relatively maximized and the Q of the capacitor may be relatively minimized to reduce the overall Q of the TANK filter to attenuate current flow through the lead wire along a range of selected frequencies. In a preferred form, the TANK filter is integrated into a TIP and/or RING electrode for an active implantable medical device.
US08180447B2
Methods and related systems for modulating neural activity by repetitively blocking conduction in peripheral neural structures with chemical blocking agents are disclosed. Methods and systems for reversing effects of chemical blocking agents and/or for producing substantially permanent conduction block are also disclosed.
US08180446B2
Methods and related systems for modulating neural activity by repetitively or cyclically blocking conduction in a peripheral neural structure are disclosed. Timing of delivery of blocking stimuli may be based upon overall activity level of the subject or use/activity of a portion of the body of a subject.
US08180432B2
A method and apparatus to select a correlation model from a plurality of correlation models to track target movement based on movement of an external marker.
US08180415B2
The mobile terminal apparatus of the present invention includes a housing having an opening section in which an accommodated object is fitted; a lid covering the opening section, the lid having a protrusion which surrounds the opening section and shields the accommodated object from water, on a surface facing the accommodated object; and a cover covering the lid, the cover being attached to the housing to press the lid onto the housing. When the cover is attached to the housing, the protrusion of the lid surrounds the opening section and is pressed onto the housing by the cover, so that the accommodated object can be reliably shielded from water.
US08180412B2
A mobile wireless communications device includes a portable housing having a metallic front housing forming a peripheral sidewall as a metallic ring. A circuit board is carried by the portable housing and forms a chassis ground plane. A wireless communications circuit is carried by a circuit board. An antenna circuit is carried by a circuit board and connected to the wireless communications circuit. A frequency selective grounding circuit is positioned at a selected grounding location at the chassis ground plane and metallic front housing and forms a harmonic trap that responds to a specific range of frequencies.
US08180403B2
When a first MS control signalling device that controls a mobile station fails, a second MS control signalling device takes over the processing of the first MS control signalling device. The second MS control signalling device requests a RLC parameter necessary for communication of the mobile station, and the mobile station transmits the requested RLC parameter to the second MS control signalling device. The second MS control signalling device controls communication of the mobile station, using the obtained RLC parameter. A data path for transmitting user data of the mobile station is not released but is held when the MS control signalling devices are switched.
US08180402B2
A system and associated method are provided. The system includes a subscriber identification module (SIM) comprising a memory configured to store one or more executable instructions and a processor configured to execute the one or more executable instructions for controlling a device, a device configured for being controlled by the SIM, and a SIM interface configured to communicate the instructions from the SIM to control the device.
US08180397B2
An identification system includes a mobile communications device and an accessory having a connection plug with a conical tip. An insulating ring extends about the conical tip portion to define a tip detection contact. The device includes a tip detection pin positioned adjacent to an interior end portion of a connection socket on the device. The tip detection pin engages the tip detection contact to enable identification of the accessory by the mobile communications device. An improved accessory is for use with a mobile communications device. A method identifies an accessory which has its connection plug inserted into a socket on a mobile communications device.
US08180392B2
A wireless communication device that includes a wireless communication unit that performs a wireless communication in a first mode using a first frequency band serving as a first communication channel, and performs the wireless communication in a second mode using a second frequency band including the first communication channel and a second communication channel that is adjacent to the first communication channel. Also included is a detection unit that monitors each of the first frequency band and the second frequency band, outputs a first detection signal when an interference signal is detected in the first frequency band and outputs a second detection signal when the interference signal is detected in the second frequency band. Further included is a determination unit that determines whether the interference signal is in the first communication channel or in the second communication channel based on the first and second detection signals.
US08180381B1
A method and system for reducing an amount of traffic on a paging channel of a wireless communications system by holding a pending page message until a subsequent re-registration request and response cycle scheduled to occur within a threshold amount of time. A radio access network (RAN) may be configured to determine whether an amount of time to a next scheduled re-registration request and response cycle is less than a threshold amount. If the amount of time is less than the threshold amount, the RAN may delay transmission of the pending page message until the next re-registration request and response cycle. By sending the pending page message in a response to a scheduled re-registration request, or by sending the pending page as the response to a received re-registration request, the amount of traffic on the paging channel of the wireless communications system may be reduced.
US08180378B2
A method of providing a location based service to an access terminal in a mobile communication system is provided. The method includes transmitting one or more access probes, each of the one or more access probes including a preamble having a first specific length and transmitted at a first power level, where the preamble is utilized to determine a position of the access terminal.
US08180372B2
The terminal apparatus has: base station and terminal error information generating means for generating base station and terminal error information indicating a rate of the base station and terminal frequency difference with respect to the official frequency; geostationary satellite and terminal difference information generating means for generating geostationary satellite and terminal difference information indicating a geostationary satellite and terminal frequency difference; geostationary satellite and terminal error information generating means for generating geostationary satellite and terminal error information indicating a rate of the geostationary satellite and terminal frequency difference with respect to the geostationary satellite frequency; base station frequency error information generating means for generating base station frequency error information indicating a frequency error of a transmitting radio wave from the communication base station based on the base station and terminal error.
US08180364B2
Enhanced delivery of services are provided through a wireless mobile device and one or more location service channels, preferably at the direction of the user of the mobile device requesting the desired service through common context-based user interfaces. The mobile device communicates with local and remote service providers. The context is determined by accessing information in the user profile, by sensors on the mobile device identifying items of interest, or by identifying the location of the mobile device. An aggregator server maintains a registry of location service channels and manages the access to the channels by the mobile device users and the service providers.
US08180360B2
The present invention discloses a method of allocating downlink traffic channel resources for multi-carrier HSDPA, and the method includes: first of all, selecting a carrier with the optimum channel condition; determining whether the carrier meets the resource allocation demand of a downlink traffic channel, if yes, allocating resources that meet the downlink traffic channel on the carrier; otherwise, allocating the available resources of the carrier to the downlink traffic channel, and selecting a carrier with the optimum channel condition from the remaining carriers for resource allocation according to the remaining resource allocation demand of the downlink traffic channel. The present invention provides, according to the transmission characteristic of the existing HSDPA multi-carrier, a method for allocating downlink traffic channel resources, which method is applicable for packet data transmission of the multi-carrier HSDPA.
US08180357B2
A wireless access node provides a wireless communication service to a plurality of wireless communication devices over a first frequency band class, where a set of the wireless communication devices are currently in idle mode. A node control system detects a condition for the first frequency band class, and in response, transitions a subset of the wireless communication devices that are currently in idle mode to a second frequency band class. The wireless access node then provides the wireless communication service to the subset of the wireless communication devices over the second frequency band class.
US08180356B2
The present invention discloses a method for notifying changes of cell information in MBMS. The method comprises a procedure of the change in cell information of an adjacent cell triggering a UE demodulating the cell information: acquires cell information of adjacent cell in realtime and determines whether the cell information has changed, if changed, carries service information in an instruction message of the control channel and notifies a UE of a change in cell information; otherwise, repeats this step. By means of the method according to the present invention, it is ensured that the UE has correct cell information at any time, even when moving to the border of two adjacent cells.
US08180349B1
A mobile node in communication with a first wireless system detects a handoff condition and responsively transmits a handoff request to a handoff controller. In response to the handoff request, the handoff controller selects a second wireless system for the mobile node and establishes a packet registration with the second wireless system on behalf of the mobile node. When the registration process is completed, the handoff controller transmits a handoff instruction to the mobile node. The mobile node may then acquire a radio link with the second wireless system and use the packet registration established by the handoff controller to send and/or receive packets via the second wireless system.
US08180340B2
A method for saving files in a mobile communication terminal includes: if an externally pluggable memory is detected, determining whether a count corresponding to the memory is present in the mobile communication terminal; if a count corresponding to the memory is present, checking whether a file save command is input in the memory; and if a file save command is input, increasing the count, and saving the count and the files in the memory. The files can be saved based on folders in the memory, thereby enhancing the file save speed. Each memory has a count, thereby making it easy to ascertain the number of saved files.
US08180334B2
A method for providing signaling in a network environment is provided that includes receiving, at a mobile station, a new call from a mobility application, the new call including a caller ID segment associated with an existing call for the mobile station. The method further includes evaluating data included in the caller ID segment in order to perform an activity related to the data provided in the caller ID segment.
US08180323B2
A module dual mode device architecture and method of use is disclosed. The system architecture provides a distributed design of an IEEE 802.11i compliant supplicant module that provides security to data/voice packets sent over the wireless local area network (“WLAN”) radio interface from a dual mode device to an access point. The dual mode device establishes a connection with the access point and if the access point is security enabled, one or more session keys are generated. The session keys are used to provide security for communications over the radio interface between the dual mode device and the access point.
US08180319B2
A method for locating an entity attached to a locator device. The method comprises of receiving, at the locator device, a message over a cellular network; and responsive to receiving the message, automatically initiating a call over the cellular network to enable a party answering the call to determine a location of the locator device.
US08180314B2
Aspects of a method and system for utilizing Givens rotation to reduce feedback information overhead are presented. Aspects of the system may include a receiver that may enable computation of a beamforming matrix for signals received from a transmitter in a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) communication system. The receiver may enable computation of Givens rotation angles and/or phase rotation angles based on the computed beamforming matrix. The receiver may also enable feedback of information containing the Givens rotation angles and/or phase rotation angles to the transmitter.
US08180311B2
Local oscillation circuitry for use in an RF transceiver Integrated Circuit (IC) includes local oscillation generation circuitry operable to produce a local oscillation and local oscillation distribution circuitry. The local oscillation distribution circuitry includes a splitting circuit, a first distribution portion, and a second distribution portion. The splitting circuit receives the local oscillation and produces multiple copies of the local oscillation. The first distribution portion produces a first local oscillation corresponding to a first RF band and a second local oscillation corresponding to a second RF band based and to provide the first local oscillation and the second local oscillation to a first RF transceiver group. The second distribution portion produces a first local oscillation and a second local oscillation and provides the first local oscillation and the second local oscillation to the second RF transceiver group.
US08180291B2
Methods and apparatuses for selectively powering an electronic device based on signals from a power-scavenging receiver circuit.
US08180284B2
A method and apparatus for sending an event from user equipment operating in a mobile network, the method comprising the steps of: monitoring whether an unrelated opportunistic event has occurred; and sending said event with said unrelated opportunistic event.
US08180282B2
A method and system for controlling power in a communication system are provided, in which an relay station calculates the capacity of a first channel between a base station and the relay station, an mobile station calculates the capacity of a second channel between the relay station and the mobile station, the mobile station notifies the relay station of the capacity of the second channel, and the relay station calculates a power control value according to the capacity of the first channel and the capacity of the second channel.
US08180277B2
A mobile device (31) capable of processing radio broadcast signals (36) is described. Broadcast radio signals (36) are received by said mobile device (31) and converted to desired digital audio content format (52) and then combined with output of software applications (54) running at said mobile device (31) to create a combined radio broadcast signal (55) that can be received by a automobile broadcast radio receiver (83). Said radio broadcast signal (55) is transmitted to a automobile broadcast radio receiver (83) to enable a user to interact with audio content using software applications (54) of said mobile device (31). Transmission of combined radio broadcast signal (56) is done on a different radio broadcast frequency with low power signal.
US08180254B2
A dynamic positional shifting, in the process direction, of the images on the second print engine of a tandem machine printing system in order to increase the time (and number of prints) between skipped pitches. Although the photoreceptor belts of each print engine may be out-of-phase, the relative positions of their individual seam zones may be derived during cycle-up. A control procedure then optimizes the position and spacing of each image within each belt revolution of the second engine, while still maintaining the minimum inter-document zone (IDZ) length required for paper path feeding and registration, xerographic process controls, and finishing. Removing the constraints of fixed-dimension IDZ's, as well as being able to adjust spacing and length of individual images on the belt, allows for optimization of system productivity by either delaying or eliminating the need for a skipped pitch.
US08180251B2
An electrophotographic image forming apparatus detachably mountable to a main assembly of the apparatus, includes a rotatable image bearing member on which a latent image is to be formed; charging means for contacting said image bearing member to charge a surface of said image bearing member; a frame supporting said image bearing member and said charging means; a covering member, demountably mounted to said frame, for protecting the surface of said image bearing member; and a spacer member including a spacing portion, movably provided on said covering member, for entering between said image bearing member and said charging means to space them therebetween, and a retaining portion, contacting said covering member when said spacing portion is not between said image bearing member and said charging means, for preventing said spacer member from disengaging from said covering member.
US08180247B2
There is a charge member which charges secondary transfer remaining toner on an intermediate transfer member to a polarity opposite to a normal charge polarity. The transfer remaining toner charged by the charge member is moved in the direction opposite to that of normal toner by a transfer bias and moved from the intermediate transfer member onto an image bearing member. A BK station is arranged on the downstream of other stations. In a continuous BK monochromatic mode, by applying a reverse bias to transfer portions of the other stations and applying the transfer bias only to the BK station, waste toner can be collected into the BK station (simultaneously with the transfer). In a full-color mode, since each transfer bias is applied to all stations, the waste toner is collected into the station on the uppermost stream. Thus, the image bearing member for collecting the transfer remaining toner on the intermediate transfer member is made different according to the mode, thereby suppressing that the collection of the waste toner is concentrated on one image bearing member.
US08180232B2
Printers are provided. In one aspect, a printer has a printer controller cooperating with a print engine, receiver transport system, overlap positioning system, and fuser to cause a first toner image to be formed on the first side of the first receiver with toner at least in an overlap area proximate to a first edge of the first receiver; to overlap the first edge of the first receiver with a second edge of the second receiver having a second thickness at a second end and to fuse the overlapped first receiver and second receiver to cause the toner in the overlap area to bond the first receiver to the second receiver. The first toner image includes an edge concealment toner pattern positioned confronting the second edge with the edge concealment toner pattern having toner that reduces the visual impact of image artifacts created by the overlapping second edge.
US08180230B2
Systems and methods are described that facilitate calculating toner consumption by a printing device. A multi-dimensional transform is applied to electronic image data to map or correlate toner consumed in a non-interacting color separation to toner consumed in an interacting color separation, for each of a plurality interacting color separations (e.g., C, M, Y, and/or K). Optionally, a one-dimensional linearization technique is performed on the image data before and/or after transformation. Image data resolution may be reduced to generate continuous-tone image data. A summed or average toner consumption value is output for each or all separations for user review.
US08180229B2
An apparatus which is capable of substantially prolonging the service live of each component part and preventing the degradation of apparatus specifications before and after parts interchange work by the user. A controller of the image forming apparatus detects a component part requiring interchange from among the component parts based on wear ratios of the respective component parts. The controller determines whether or not to interchange the component part requiring interchange with another component part, based on the wear ratios of the respective component parts and usage rate of the respective component positions. When it is determined that the component part requiring interchange should be interchanged with another component part, the image forming apparatus issues a parts interchange notification.
US08180226B2
The present invention relates to an optical receiver, and particularly, to an optical receiver by which a DQPSK-modulated optical signal is demodulated to a multilevel phase-modulated signal.
US08180214B1
A camera platform for three dimensional photography comprises a first support wall having an inner surface, an outer surface and a fastening end, and a second support wall having an inner surface, an outer surface and a fastening end. The first and second support walls are connected to each other along at least a part of their respective fastening ends so as to be substantially at right angles to each other. The inner surface of the first support wall and the inner surface of the second support wall define a quadrant. A fixed camera connector is formed on the outer surface of the first support wall for connecting to a first camera, and an adjustable camera connector is formed on the outer surface of the second support wall for connecting to a second camera. A beam splitter support frame is provided for holding a beam splitter, and the beam splitter support frame is located outside the quadrant between the outer surface of the first support wall and the outer surface of the second support wall.
US08180213B2
In an embodiment of methods and systems for optical focusing for laser guided seekers using negative index metamaterial, the methods and systems comprise a light focusing system comprising: a lens comprising a negative index metamaterial to focus at least one selected wavelength while defocusing other wavelengths, and a sensor upon which the lens focuses the selected wavelength.
US08180206B2
An infusion unit includes a heating unit with opposed heating plates. A heat exchanger has a fluid flow path receivable between the heating plates to which heat is conducted by contact with the heating plates. Infusate flowing under pressure through the fluid flow path is heated by conduction from the heating plates through the fluid container. When the flow of infusate is stopped or interrupted, infusate trapped in the heat exchanger is displaced to a reservoir in the heat exchanger. Displacement of the trapped infusate reduces friction between the fluid container and the heating plates, which assists in extraction of the heat exchanger from the heating unit.
US08180204B2
A hot beverage brewing apparatus. A pressurized hot liquid delivery system provides liquid under pressure within a range of acceptable brewing temperatures without any mechanical pump. Water is apportioned into sealable tank volumes, one of which is heated to boil the liquid and produce steam under pressure. The pressurized steam displaces the liquid from the tank volumes in proportion and at a temperature that is within the acceptable brewing range. The hot liquid under pressure is directed to a capsule receiving station to infuse a material in a capsule. The capsule dispenses the brewed beverage without contacting the brewing apparatus.
US08180201B2
A storage medium storing: video data; and graphics data for displaying a menu. The graphics data includes first graphics data displayed on the screen when an activation command is generated by a user and may also include second graphics data displayed on the screen at a designated time.
US08180190B2
Disclosed are fiber optic assemblies having at least one optical fiber disposed within a tube and/or cavity along with a powder or powder blend that is at least partially mechanically attached thereto. In one embodiment, the powder or powder blend includes a water-swellable component that is mechanically attached to about 30 percent or less of the surface area of the tube wall while still effectively blocking the migration of water along the tube. Other embodiments may have the powder or power blend mechanically attached to the tube, cavity, or the like at relatively high percentage levels of the total powder or powder blend within the assembly, thereby inhibiting unintentional migration along the tube, cavity, or the like. Other embodiments may use powder or powder blends that may or may not include a water-swellable powder to provide other desired characteristics.
US08180185B2
A fiber optic sensor is provided. The fiber optic sensor includes a fiber core having a plurality of grating elements wherein, the grating elements comprise a periodic or a quasiperiodic modulated microcrystalline and silicon dioxide tetrahedral structure and a cladding disposed about the fiber core.
US08180164B2
An image processing method in which OCR is used to guide the text tokenization. More particularly, OCR is first performed on each symbol in the scanned image. For example, a symbol may be a number, letter, or other character. During the tokenization process, the OCR results are used to select appropriate matching criteria for each symbol. The symbols that are recognized as different characters are not allowed to be clustered into the same group. The symbols with the same OCR results are clustered according to the recognition confidence levels.
US08180152B1
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for determining whether text within an image includes unwanted data, utilizing a matrix. In operation, a matrix corresponding to an image is generated. Additionally, text within the image is identified utilizing the matrix. Furthermore, it is determined whether the text includes unwanted data.
US08180151B2
In the method according to at least one embodiment of the invention, a first segmentation of a structure in an image data record is firstly carried out, and a first final segmentation result is obtained therefrom. A region in the image data record is selected based on the first final segmentation result obtained. A first band is placed at a first, outwardly pointing distance from the selected region. This first band characterizes a background region. A second band is placed at a second, inwardly pointing distance from the projected first final segmentation result of the first segmentation. This second band characterizes a structure region. A further segmentation is carried out based on the characterized background region and the characterized structure region, and the final segmentation result of the further segmentation is saved and/or displayed. Furthermore, an image processing unit for carrying out the method is disclosed.
US08180150B2
Pixels from an image are sampled for gray world statistics. To avoid the effect of saturated regions, the pixels are pruned. If a predetermined percentage of the pixels are included in the gray world statistics, color channel gain is calculated and applied to the image. As a result, color balance is achieved in a simple and efficient manner.
US08180148B2
Source images, in particular images used for the planning radiotherapy, using internal images of the human body obtained with techniques such as X ray techniques, are processed to form a colored composite image that depends in a robust way on differences between different ones of the source images. For each pixel position in the composite image, the maximum image value in the different source images is determined and used to control brightness of the composite image. For each pixel position, an amount of spread in the images values among the source images is determined and used to control a color saturation in the composite image.
US08180143B2
A gear inspection system and method for a gearbox, wherein an image acquisition unit is oriented proximate the gearbox with a field of view of a section of the gears. The image acquisition unit obtains images of a gear tooth and corresponding contact pattern. In one embodiment a processing unit transforms the images to a gear tooth model so that the gear tooth image and contact pattern image matches the model gear tooth. Metrics are computed for the contact pattern, and based on threshold values, a determination is made as to whether the gearbox is acceptable.
US08180141B2
A system for wafer repair, comprising an inspection tool being capable of extracting a wafer image of a semiconductor wafer; a direct-writing tool being capable of locally exposing the semiconductor wafer; and an information processing module configured to compare the wafer image with a reference image and generate data of locations and patterns of defective regions and communicate the data of locations and patterns of defective regions to the direct-writing tool, wherein the reference image comprises a pattern consisting of a scanned image of another die having no defective region.
US08180140B2
To create a template for use in image recognition based on design data, luminance information is set for each area in the template based on the information regarding the region defined by the template. The luminance information may be set based on material information, pattern size information of a pattern arranged in the region defined by the template, and layer information of the region defined by the template. Alternatively, luminance information may be set based on material information, setup conditions of the scanning electron microscope, and pattern outline information of a pattern arranged in the region defined by the template.
US08180136B2
Acquiring radiation image data representing a radiation image of a subject photographed using a radiation exposure field aperture, acquiring information of a radiation exposure field area determined by the exposure field aperture and relating it to the radiation image data based on the information, sequentially detecting pixel data of pixels from adjacent to the boundary line of the exposure field area toward the inner side thereof in the radiation image data, sequentially determining if the values of the detected pixel data are not greater than a predetermined threshold value, terminating the detection at a point where the value of the detected pixel data is greater than the predetermined threshold value, and performing a blackening process on pixel data of a pixel outside of the exposure field area and pixel data of a pixel whose value is determined to be not greater than the predetermined threshold value.
US08180127B2
In a method and system to prepare medical 2D or 3D data, in particular 2D or 3D image data acquired by means of computed tomography, a data set composed of medical 2D or 3D data is segmented with predeterminable first segmentation parameters, so a first data set with segmented data and a second data set with data complementary to the first data set are generated and stored. Predeterminable color or grey value tables (known as presets) are provided that respectively associate colors or grey values with individual data value ranges. Respective presets are automatically associated with the first data set and the second data set. At an output unit, at least one slice or volume image of the first and/or second data set is presented as a resulting image/resulting images in colors/grey scales according to the associated presets.
US08180120B2
A multi-biometric finger sensor may include an integrated circuit (IC) substrate for receiving a user's finger. The multi-biometric finger sensor may also include an optical source for projecting light of a known polarization angle onto the user's finger and at least one optical sensing pixel on the IC substrate for detecting a relative depolarization angle of the light reflected from the user's finger. The multi-biometric finger sensor may also include at least one other biometric finger sensing pixel on the IC substrate for sensing at least one other biometric characteristic from the user's finger.
US08180117B2
The individual identification data register of the present invention includes: a storage device storing projection matrix data showing a projection matrix generated from plural image data showing plural persons' faces and individual identification data showing a component value indicating a registered person's facial feature; and an arithmetic processing device executing the processing of calculating a component value showing the person's facial feature based on image data showing the person's face obtained by a camera and the projection matrix data stored in the storage device, determining whether or not individual identification data showing a component value generating an error smaller than a predetermined threshold value when compared with the calculated component value is stored in the storage device, and storing component value data showing the calculated component value into the storage device, as individual identification data, when determining that the individual identification data is not stored in the storage device.
US08180112B2
A method and system for accumulating and using images of individuals, and associated image-derived data, on an continuous basis to create recognition models that facilitate ongoing recognition of individuals in images or photo collections.
US08180109B2
If a display mode is set to a narrow angle enlargement image mode, an enlargement image area is inputted via a touch panel. A transformation is made to compress an image of a not-enlargement image area other than the enlargement image area, and a narrow angle enlargement image is generated to enable simultaneously displaying, as a narrow angle enlargement image, (i) the enlarged image in the enlargement image area and (ii) the compressed image in the not-enlargement image area. When a warning target is detected, a corresponding image area is enlarged. An audio alarm is outputted via a speaker. Further, a new narrow angle enlargement image is generated so as to merge the initial narrow angle enlargement image with an image of enlarging the image area of the warning target. A display window including the new narrow angle enlargement image is then displayed in a display device.
US08180102B2
An image processing device including an area generation unit configured to generate a supplemental data-embedded area in image data having content data separate from an area occupied by the content data, and a data embedding unit configured to embed supplemental data in the supplemental data-embedded area.
US08180101B2
This disclosure provides a calibration method for structure parameters of a structured-light vision sensor, which includes setting up the coordinate frames of a camera, image plane and target for calibration. The calculation of coordinates in the camera coordinate frame of stripes, projected by structured-light, on the planar target and a structured-light equation fitting according to the coordinates in the camera coordinate frame of the stripes on the planar target, by moving the planar target arbitrarily multiple times. The calibration method of the structured-light vision sensor provided by the disclosure is easy to operate and no auxiliary apparatus is needed, which can not only promote the efficiency of the calibration of structured-light, but also extend the application scope of calibration of structured-light.
US08180094B2
An acoustically tuned earpiece is provided. Venting is performed by boring a control port, separate from the output port, into the driver. The diameter of the control port must be sufficiently small to restrict the flow of air into and out of the driver, thus isolating the acoustic performance of the driver from the volume and/or the sealing capabilities of the earpiece enclosure. The exact size of the venting port is selected to achieve the desired acoustic performance. In all cases, the control port has a cross-sectional area that is less than 25 percent of the cross-sectional area of the driver's output port. In order to optimize the size of the control port, an iterative process is preferably used in which the cross-sectional area of the control port is gradually increased while monitoring the performance of the driver compared to a target response.
US08180087B2
A microphone comprises a three-pin socket, a first USB socket and a USB adapter. The first USB socket is fixed within the three-pin socket. The three-pin socket comprises an inserted block and three pins. The three pins are fixed on the inserted block. The first USB socket is embedded in the inserted block. The USB adapter comprises a USB plug which matches the first USB socket and a second USB socket which has a different dimension from the first USB socket. The USB plug and the second USB socket are connected electrically. The microphone can be normally used at all occasions. The dimension of the finished product is reduced so as to save a very large space. The microphone can be electrically connected with a USB data line with a USB plug having a different dimension from the first USB socket.
US08180086B2
A speaker includes a box-shaped enclosure, a speaker unit and a sounding board. A pair of side plates, a bottom plate, a top plate, a back plate and a baffle are assembled into the enclosure. The speaker unit is attached to an opening portion of the baffle. The sounding board is attached to the bottom plate, and includes a member having a fiber direction in a vibration direction of a vibrating plate, a member having a fiber direction in a direction which approaches the side plate (of the front side) as extending from a side of the back plate to a side of the baffle, and a member having a fiber direction in a direction which approaches the side plate (of the back side) as extending the side of the back plate to the side of the baffle.
US08180071B2
A multiplier 3 multiplies a square wave signal A(ω,t) by a low frequency component signal L(ω,t) to generate an even-order harmonic component signal B(ω,t). A multiplier 4 multiplies the even-order harmonic component signal B(ω,t) by the low frequency component signal L(ω,t) to generate an odd-order harmonic component signal C(ω,t). An adder 5 adds the even-order harmonic component signal B(ω,t) and the odd-order harmonic component signal C(ω,t) to generate the harmonic component signal D(ω,t).
US08180069B2
A signal processor uses input devices to detect speech or aural signals. Through a programmable set of weights and/or time delays (or phasing) the output of the input devices may be processed to yield a combined signal. The noise contributions of some or each of the outputs of the input devices may be estimated by a circuit element or a controller that processes the outputs of the respective input devices to yield power densities. A short-term measure or estimate of the noise contribution of the respective outputs of the input devices may be obtained by processing the power densities of some or each of the outputs of the respective input devices. Based on the short-term measure or estimate, the noise contribution of the combined signal may be estimated to enhance the combined signal when processed further. An enhancement device or post-filter may reduce noise more effectively and yield robust speech based on the estimated noise contribution of the combined signal.
US08180068B2
A noise eliminating apparatus includes a first microphone, a second microphone and a signal processing unit, the signal processing unit includes a linear prediction filter and a noise resynthesis filter, the linear prediction filter receives an output signal of the first microphone, predicts the output signal of the first microphone by linear prediction and generates a prediction signal, and the noise resynthesis filter is an adaptive filter which receives, as a main input signal, a first difference signal obtained by subtracting one of the output signal of the first microphone and the prediction signal from the other, receives, as an error signal, a second difference signal obtained by subtracting one of an output signal of the second microphone and an output signal of the noise resynthesis filter itself from the other, and updates a filter coefficient so that the error signal is minimized.
US08180064B1
Systems and methods for providing voice equalization are provided. In exemplary embodiments, acoustic signals are received from both a near-end and a far-end environment. A power spectrum estimate for the far-end signal and a noise estimate based on the near-end signal are determined. A voice equalization mask based on the power spectrum estimate of the far-end signal and the noise estimate based on the near-end signal is generated and applied to the far-end signal to obtain a modified signal. The modified signal may then be dynamically processed to obtain an enhanced audio signal. The enhanced audio signal is then output.
US08180061B2
The purpose of the invention is to bridge the gap between parametric multi-channel audio coding and matrixed-surround multi-channel coding by gradually improving the sound of an up-mix signal while raising the bit-rate consumed by the side-information starting from 0 up to the bit-rates of the parametric methods. More specifically, it provides a method of flexibly choosing an “operating point” somewhere between matrixed-surround (no side-information, limited audio quality) and fully parametric reconstruction (full side-information rate required, good quality). This operating point can be chosen dynamically (i.e. varying over time) and in response to the permissible side-information rate, as it is dictated by the individual application.
US08180055B2
A cryptographic system (CS) is provided. The CS (500) is comprised of a data stream receiving device (DSRD), a chaotic sequence generator (CSG) and an encryptor. The DSRD (602) is configured to receive an input data stream. The CSG (300) includes a computing means (3020, . . . , 302N−1) and a mapping means (304). The computing means is configured to use RNS arithmetic operations to respectively determine solutions for polynomial equations. The solutions are iteratively computed and expressed as RNS residue values. The mapping means is configured to determine a series of digits in the weighted number system based on the RNS residue values. The encryptor is coupled to the DSRD and CSG. The encryptor is configured to generate a modified data stream by incorporating or combining the series of digits with the input data stream.
US08180053B1
A secure communications system has at least one processor and a control bus. A number of ports, each having a different fixed address, are coupled to the control bus. The processor assigns each port the address of another port whose data the port is permitted to receive when placed on a system data bus by the other port. A time slot generator outputs each fixed port address sequentially during corresponding time slots in a recurring manner, and a time slot bus is coupled to the time slot generator and to each of the ports. The ports are configured so that (a) when a given port detects its fixed address on the time slot bus, it writes desired outbound data on the data bus, and (b) when the given port detects its assigned port address on the time slot bus, the given port reads data off the data bus.
US08180048B2
The invention generally relates to computational transformation process, which has applications in cryptography, random number generation, hash code generation etc. The computational transformation module uses a keyset, which is designed using a two dimensional array. Since the process of forward transformation used in the invention is a symmetric encryption process and if used to send data securely over a communications network, the same keyset needs to be present at the sending computer to encrypt the data and the receiving computer to go through a reverse transformation and decrypt the data. When the first ‘n’ bit block of input-data is transformed into the first ‘m’ bit block of output-data, the keyset is transformed into a different keyset based on a nonlinear or one-way transformation on the keyset. The next input block is encrypted using a transformed keyset, hence satisfying Shanons theory of perfect secrecy. It uses the same logic with additional parameters and operations to create random numbers and unique hash codes. The computational transformation process is a one-way process which is based on a principle where given the input value ‘x’, it is easy to transform ‘x’ to ‘y’ using a function ‘F’ i.e. F(x)=y. However, given ‘y’ in the range of F, it is hard to find an x such that F(x)=y. In this system, the same transformation function and same keyset is used for both encryption as well as decryption with only a change in the constant value.
US08180046B2
A method for protecting an electronic entity with encrypted access, against DFA (Differential Fault Analysis) attacks which includes: storing the result of a selected step (Rm, Kn) of an iterative process forming part of the cryptographic algorithm and in performing once more at least part of the steps of the iterative process up to a new computation of a result corresponding to the one which has been stored, comparing the two results and denying distribution of an encrypted message (MC) if they are different.
US08180041B2
A one number, multi-application, intelligent call processing system provides service benefits to a caller, a servicing location and/or a vanity number advertiser during a call, parallel to the call and/or post call in an integrated common architecture. The system utilizes VRU technology in conjunction with the national telecommunications network connected via Computer Telephone Integration (CTI) to a virtual telephone number database containing a nationwide master list of telephone numbers with attribute data items associated by Spatial Key linkage to each telephone number. The process of the invention is initiated by a caller dialing a selected telephone number to request information and/or services. Based on the number dialed, a caller or network provided ten-digit telephone number and VRU prompted for and received caller input, the system retrieves the application requested data from the virtual telephone number database and provides it to the network.
US08180037B1
A system allows automated registration for reminders to be sent to a mobile device, such as a mobile telephone. A telephone number to use to register for an automated reminder is displayed in conjunction with an advertisement for an upcoming event. A user who views the advertisement and wishes to be reminded of the program may dial the number to register for a reminder. The telephone call is received by a reminder system, which identifies the caller and determines the relevant event. The system schedules a reminder corresponding to the event, and it sends the reminder to the caller at the scheduled time. The reminder may be sent to the caller's SMS address.
US08180028B1
Disclosed are systems and methods which allow a calling party to store messages for a called party even if the called party does not already have message storage facilities, provided the calling party and/or called party meet certain parameters. Delivery of the message is controlled by the called party and may require the called party to agree to pay for the message delivery service. In a further embodiment, a call processing system is operable to screen outgoing calls from various callers according to a first set of criteria and if a call is not completed to a called party a second set of criteria is used to determine if a message can be stored awaiting retrieval by the called party. If desired, a return message from a called party to a calling party can be stored.
US08180026B2
According to embodiments described in the specification, a method and apparatus for managing a call to a user associated with a destination communications device, the call initiated by a caller at an originating communications device, is described. An indication of the call is received, the indication of the call comprising data associated with the user. A state of the user is determined by processing the data associated with the user and consulting a record of the state of the user. The call is parked if the state of the user comprises a delayed answer state, the delayed answer state comprising the user being available to receive the call, but requiring additional time to retrieve the call using the destination communications device, and a notification of the call is triggered at the destination communications device by transmitting a signal to the address of the communications device.
US08180024B2
In the present invention, a caller is presented with the state of the call as detected by the network, along with a number of potential options, such as: request sequential or parallel call notification to one or more other stations; end the call but leave a voicemail for the caller even if the called party does not subscribe to voicemail; end the call but leave a text message for the caller if the station is capable of receiving the text message; send a text or voice message as e-mail to the called party, if the called party permits such a service; request the network to leave a missed call notification along with a number to dial back; request to notify the caller when the original called party is idle or willing to accept a call; or any number of other options the service provider is capable of supporting.
US08180015B2
A counting device for counting rimmed articles arranged in a nested configuration to define a series of stacked rims defining a stacked direction is disclosed. The counting device has a gear with a plurality of teeth adapted to engage the article rims such that advancement of the articles along the stacked direction adjacent the gear rotates the gear. An indicator wheel is provided configured to rotate with rotation of the gear. The indicator wheel has a plurality of indicia thereon for monitoring rotation of the gear. At least one sensor is positioned to detect the indicia and to generate an output signal as the indicator wheel rotates to bring the indicia into alignment with a detection axis. The sensor is in communication with a counter which produces in response to the output signal of the sensor a usable output representing a quantity of articles having engaged the gear.
US08180012B1
An inter-symbol interference (ISI) pattern-weighted early-late phase detector is provided. An I clock and a function-controlled oscillation cycle phase delay Q clock are generated. The I clock frequency is divided by n, creating a reference clock. A serial data stream is sequentially sampled with the I clock, and with the function-controlled varied phase delay Q clock, creating digital I-bit and varied phase delay Q-bit values, respectively. The values are segmented into n-bit digital words. I clock phase corrections are identified and a modulation factor is determined in response to comparing varied phase delay Q-bit values with I-bit values. Also identified are bit sequence patterns associated with each I-bit value. Each I-bit value is weighted in response to the identified bit sequence pattern and the identified I clock phase correction. The modulation factor is applied to the weighted average, and I and Q clock phase error signals are generated.
US08180010B2
A receiving method for a digital stream, the stream including frames having each a body composed of a variable number c of symbols and preceded by a header including d symbols, a field composed of a fixed number e of symbols unknown to the receiver and defining the number c. A locking phase of the receiving method includes receiving a series of e symbols of the stream; performing a correlation computation for pairs of symbols received, the correlation computation being used to verify a predefined relationship if the e symbols form the unknown field; determining a correlation level and determining whether the e symbols form the unknown field on the basis of the correlation level; repeating the steps until it is determined that the e symbols form the unknown field.
US08180003B2
The generation of per stream Channel Quality Information (CQI) in a Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) wireless communication system is provided. An apparatus includes a receiver for receiving signals from a transmitting end via a plurality of antennas; an estimator for estimating channels per antenna in relation with the transmitting end using the received signals and constituting a channel matrix; and a generator for deriving per stream effective noise when a lattice reduction scheme is adopted and generating per stream CQI using the per stream effective noise. Thus, feedback information for a Closed Loop (CL) MIMO system can be produced by generating the per stream CQI using the effective noise obtained through the lattice reduction.
US08180000B2
A GNSS receiver including a processing unit adapted to process radio signals transmitted from an active set of signal sources and based thereon produce position/time related data. The signals of the active set are processed in parallel with respect to a real-time signal data rate of the signals by a respective tracking channel resource allocated for each signal source. The processing unit also has a monitoring channel resource adapted to process radio signals transmitted from each of at least two signal sources in an additional set of signal sources different from the signal sources in the active set. The processing unit is adapted to process the radio signals of the additional set according to a cyclic processing sequence such that the signals from any of the signal sources in the additional set can be included into a navigation solution without delay.
US08179997B2
A real-time digital quadrature demodulation method and device for the ultrasonic imaging system are disclosed in this invention. In addition to a multiplying step and a filtering step, the method further comprises a sine and cosine table generating step for generating the sine and cosine table in real time, and a filter parameter generating step for generating corresponding filter parameters in real time to filter signals from the multipliers. The device comprises two multipliers, two filters, a sine and cosine table generating module, a filter parameter generating module, and two parameter memories. The real-time digital quadrature demodulation method and device for the ultrasonic imaging system according to the invention are capable of effectively saving the storage resource, and are easily controllable.
US08179993B2
The present invention provides a digital (computational) branch calibrator which uses a feedback signal sensed from an RF transmit signal path following the combining stage of LINC circuitry of a transmitter to compensate for gain and phase imbalances occurring between branch fragment signals leading to the combiner. The calibrator feeds a quiet (zero) base band signal through the transmit path during the calibration sequence (i.e. a period when data is not transmitted) and adjusts the phase and gain of the phasor fragment signals input thereto by driving the sensed output power to zero. The calibration is performed by alternating phase and gain adjustments with predetermined (programmable) and multiple update parameters stages (speeds). A baseband modulation is preferably used to distinguish false leakage (e.g. due to local oscillator, LO, feed through and DC offset in the base band Tx) from imbalance leakage.
US08179986B2
In order is to generate a pilot signal for estimating a transmission characteristic of a transmission channel suitable for OFDM/OQAM multicarrier modulation, a phase reference pilot symbol of which a modulation amplitude is suppressed to zero, and an amplitude reference pilot signal obtained through modulation performed by using an amplitude known to a reception end are transmitted from a transmission end. Further, the transmission characteristic of the transmission channel is estimated and compensated using the phase reference pilot signal and the amplitude reference pilot signal at the reception end. Accordingly, it is possible to simplify a frame generation process performed at the transmission end, and reduce transmission power for the phase reference pilot signal.
US08179968B2
A motion vector coding method and apparatus that improves efficiency of coding motion vectors when a current block is coded using a plurality of motion vectors. The apparatus includes a motion vector coding unit that codes a motion vector inputted from a motion vector detecting unit. A motion vector for each current block is coded based on a difference between the motion vector and a predicted vector obtained from motion vectors for previously coded neighboring blocks. The predicted vector is generated by one of the following processes: (A) the motion vectors which refer to the same picture are selected from among the motion vectors for the neighboring blocks so as to generate the predicted vector; (B) the motion vectors for the respective neighboring blocks are ordered in the predetermined order, and the motion vectors of the same order rank are selected from the ordered motion vectors so as to generate the predicted vector; and (C) the predicted vector for the second motion vector of the current block shall be the first motion vector, and if the second motion vector and the first motion vector refer to different pictures, the first motion vector is scaled according to the temporal distance between the pictures so as to generate the predicted vector.
US08179965B2
A moving picture coding method includes: determining a luminance change by determining whether it is possible that a luminance change equal to or greater than a predetermined amount has occurred between the reference coded picture and a current picture; determining a flat region by determining whether a degree of non-uniformity in pixel values in a current block is smaller than a predetermined threshold; and determining a quantization width wherein, when it has been determined that it is possible that the luminance change equal to or greater than the predetermined amount has occurred and that the degree of non-uniformity is smaller than the predetermined threshold, a quantization width is determined to be smaller than a quantization width when it has not been determined to be possible that the luminance change equal to or greater than the predetermined amount has occurred or that the non-uniformity degree is smaller than the predetermined threshold.
US08179952B2
An integrated circuit is provided comprising: a serial transmitter, a serial receiver and a serial connection providing communication between the serial transmitter and the serial receiver. The integrated circuit further comprises a duty cycle distortion circuit so that the integrated circuit can be stress tested by distorting the duty cycle of a signal within the integrated circuit.
US08179949B2
A correlation method of a code division multiple access receiver using mapping. Digital data with each signal composed of two bits are packed by a predetermined packing unit; blocking the packed data into data blocks according to a size corresponding to the repetition period of a C/A code. The packed data are recognized as an index in a correlation value mapping table having ICV and QCV mapped with each of different indexes and the ICV and the QCV are called from the correlation value mapping table. The called ICV and QCV are integrated according to the data blocks; and calculating a phase error of a carrier wave and a phase error of the C/A code using the ICV and the QCV according to the data blocks. A signal processing method is performed using the correlation method to correct phase errors.
US08179944B2
The disclosure is directed to a thin-film for use in below 300 nm laser systems that can be applied to a variety of substrate types. The thin film consists of a blocking layer of a selected material and a matching structure, the matching structure consisting of 1-7 layers of a selected material. The blocking layer serves to minimize or eliminate the transmission of below 300 nm laser light into an adhesive that is used to bond the substrate to a holder. The matching layer(s) minimize internal reflectance of below 300 nm laser light from the blocking layer back into the substrate.
US08179943B2
A design of a semiconductor saturable absorber that offers a convenient and reliable way to control/decrease the recovery time of the absorption. The absorption recovery time is controlled during the epitaxial growth by using lattice-mismatched layer(s) to induce dislocations, and implicitly non-radiative recombination centers within the nonlinear absorbing region. These lattice reformation layer(s) are interposed between the distributed Bragg reflector and the nonlinear absorption region, containing quantum-wells, quantum-dots or bulk semiconductor material. The thickness and composition of the lattice reformation layer(s) is an instrumental to control the amount of non-radiative recombination centers used to trap the optically excited carriers generated in the absorption region.
US08179915B2
A method of transmitting data includes storing a first set of transmission data and a first set of retransmission data. A first ratio of transmission data to retransmission data is determined. A plurality of transmission data units is generated with each data unit including a portion of transmission data from the first set of transmission data and a portion of retransmission data from the first set of retransmission data in accordance with the first ratio. The plurality of transmission data units is transmitted.
US08179911B2
A system for handling calls using simulcasting of multimedia information via a gateway device communicatively coupled to a wide area network, the system including at least one processor for use in an access device, the at least one processor arranged to communicate to the wide area network using at least one wireless interface of the access device, the at least one processor operable to, at least associate the access device with the gateway device; communicate multimedia and call information with the wideband network using the at least one wireless interface; send, to the gateway device via the wide area network, a request to record the call information communicated during a call over the wide area network; and receive, from the gateway device via the broadband network, acceptance of the request to record the call information, if resources needed for recording the call information communicated during the call are available.
US08179907B2
Routing data packets includes receiving data packets from a network element at a routing gateway. The data packets are determined to be destined for a mobile node. A location of the mobile node is obtained. The data packets are forwarded to the mobile node according to the location on behalf of the network element.
US08179905B1
A method and apparatus for providing communication for virtual private networks in networks such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Service over Internet Protocol (SoIP) are disclosed. The present method enables Service Border Routers (SBRs) to perform mapping of VPN routes between two or more autonomous systems based on Virtual Route Forwarding (VRF) tables configured on each Autonomous System (AS). The method configures cross-connect tables in SBRs for coupling one or more VRF tables in one autonomous system with one or more VRF tables in other autonomous systems.
US08179884B1
An access point for a wireless wide area network might receive a request from a wireless device to establish a session on the wireless wide area network. In response, the access point might establish a circuit switched uplink channel and a packet switched downlink channel for communications with the wireless device during the session. The access point might communicate with other wireless devices in this manner as well. Additionally, the access point might employ power control methods for the circuit switched uplink channels, and it might employ rate control methods for the packet switched downlink channels.
US08179882B1
An internet telephony system (ITS) comprising a browser display having a hyperlink, communicating with a server, retrieving a user's preferences, and initiating a voice communication with the user, through a communications channel defined by the user preferences. An ITS comprising a client system having an Internet browser, and a server hosting a Web site, wherein a message is transmitted from the server to the client system based on the user's status with respect to Web site, the user seeking to establish a voice communication session. A telephony server, comprising an application program communicating directly with telephony hardware, and an application programming interface, wherein the application program includes a call function to an external program. An ITS, comprising a browser display having a hyperlink, the hyperlink communicating with a server, retrieving a user-related data, and initiating a voice communication with the user, wherein the user is charged for the communication.
US08179881B2
A method for allocating a time and frequency resource of a resource request indicator (RRI), a method for transmitting an RRI, and a device thereof are provided, which relate to a wireless communication technique and reduce the overhead of the time and frequency resource. The method for allocating a time and frequency resource of an RRI includes: allocating codes for an RRI and other uplink control signaling; and multiplexing the RRI and other uplink control signaling in the same time and frequency resource in a code division manner.
US08179877B2
Efficient enhanced transport format combination (E-TFC) selection methods and apparatus support flexible radio link control (RLC) packet data unit (PDU) size and medium access control (MAC) layer segmentation. Methods for filling an enhanced medium access control (MAC-e) packet data unit (PDU) with data from logical channels as part of E-TFC selection are provided. In one embodiment, the E-TFC selection algorithm employs a single request from the MAC layer to the RLC layer to request the number of bits it is allowed to send for a logical channel to create enhanced MAC-e PDUs. In another embodiment, the MAC entity performs multiple requests to the RLC entity. In another embodiment, the MAC entity makes a single request to the RLC entity to create one or more enhanced MAC-e PDUs of a set size. A technique is also provided for maintaining a guaranteed bit rate (GBR) for non-scheduled data flows with variable-length headers.
US08179872B2
A wireless router employing a technique to couple a plurality of host services or host systems and a plurality of wireless networks. A method to route data items between a plurality of mobile devices and a plurality of host systems through a common wireless router. A point-to-point communication connection is preferably established between a first host system and a common wireless router, a mobile network message at a mobile device is generated, the mobile network is transmitted via a wireless network to the common wireless router which in turn routes a data item component of the mobile network message to the appropriate host service.
