US08231582B2
A one-piece connector of plastic is provided for removing a housing and needle of a Huber needle assembly from a patient. The connector has a rectangular frame that can be positioned about a gripping surface on the housing of the needle assembly and a pair of wings that pivot upwardly to contact each other to provide a gripping surface for a user to pull the connector and housing of the needle assembly from the patient.
US08231581B2
A partially-implantable pneumostoma management device maintains the patency of a pneumostoma while controlling the flow of material through the pneumostoma. A tube of the pneumostoma management device is placed through the chest wall into the lung. The tube comprises a plurality of holes in the distal end to allow the entry of gases and non-gaseous discharge from the lung. A contact surface prevents over-insertion of the tube while releasably securing the device to the chest of the patient. The contact surface has features to reduce irritation of the skin of the chest. The pneumostoma management device may provide a pharmaceutically active substance selected to maintain the patency of the pneumostoma.
US08231577B2
An infusion system comprises a disposable wearable infusion device having a body arranged to be adhered to a patient's skin and a reservoir for holding a liquid medicament to be infused into the patient through a cannula extending from the device body to beneath the patient's skin. The system further includes a cannula driver arranged to be detachably joined with the infusion device and including the cannula. The cannula driver is arranged to drive the cannula into a deployed position extending from the device body to beneath the patient's skin. The cannula driver includes a release mechanism that separates the cannula driver from the infusion device after the cannula is in the deployed position.
US08231573B2
Medicament delivery devices are described herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a medical injector and an electronic circuit system. The medical injector includes a housing, a medicament container, and a medicament delivery member. The housing defines a first region and a second region. The first region includes the medicament container and is physically isolated from the second region. The electronic circuit system is configured to be disposed within the second region defined by the housing. The electronic circuit system is configured to output an electronic output associated with a use of the medical injector.
US08231572B2
A wearable infusion device comprises a reservoir that holds a liquid medicament, an outlet port that delivers the liquid medicament to a patient, a pump that displaces a volume of the liquid medicament to the outlet port when actuated, and a control that actuates the pump. A lock-out disables the device when a predefined amount of medicament has been delivered to the outlet.
US08231566B2
A fluid delivery system having a closed-loop control process for delivering a medical fluid to a patient. A fluid infusion system includes a pump for delivering a fluid to a patient via an administration tube. A flow sensor associated with the administration tube provides an indication of the actual flow rate of fluid in the administration tube. Such a flow sensor may comprise a positive displacement flow sensor constructed using micro-fabrication and/or micro-molding techniques. A reader reads the actual flow rate signal and provides an indication to a controller for controlling the pump. The flow rate information can also be used for providing status information, such as the existence of a blockage in the fluid delivery system.
US08231565B2
A device for delivering a medicated product into a bodily cavity includes a barrel member having a dispensing end, a proximal end, which is positioned opposite the dispensing end, and a bore, which extends through the barrel member. The bore is sized and shaped so as to receive a medicated product therein and includes an opening formed in the dispensing end of the barrel member. The opening is sized and shaped so as to permit a medicated product received in the bore to be dispensed therethrough. The applicator is also provided with a plunger member movably extending through the bore of the barrel member for dispending a medicated product from the bore through the opening. The barrel member includes at least one substantially flexible section located between the dispending end and the proximal end such that the barrel member is bendable about the flexible section.
US08231547B2
The present invention provides a puncturing system for withdrawing body fluid. The puncturing system comprises a disposable puncturing unit, which includes a needle element for piercing into skin and a puncturing depth reference element with a skin contact area. The system includes a puncturing instrument which has a puncturing drive, wherein the puncturing drive is coupled by a coupling mechanism to the puncturing unit for driving the needle element to a puncturing depth, the puncturing depth being determined by the distance in the piercing direction between the skin contact area and the position of the tip of the needle at a reversal point of the puncturing movement. The puncturing depth reference element is connected to the needle element such that the puncturing depth reference element moves with the needle element during at least part of the puncturing movement. The puncturing depth reference element has a defined longitudinal position in the piercing direction relative to the needle element at least at the reversal point of the puncturing movement.
US08231544B2
A needle set for a biopsy device is disclosed. The needle set includes an outer member, a cylinder lumen within said outer member, an inner member having a cannula and an inner lumen. The inner member is slidably disposed within the cylinder lumen. The biopsy device also includes a cylinder seal member that is disposed within the cylinder lumen and a cannula seal member attached to the outer surface of the cannula. The cylinder seal member and the cannula seal member define a vacuum chamber therebetween.
US08231536B2
A medical device for determining a respiratory effort having a pressure sensor to sense pressure signals, a housing having system components positioned therein, and a microprocessor positioned within the housing, wherein the microprocessor detects an inspiration and an expiration in response to the pressure signals, detects a breath in response to the detected inspiration and the detected expiration, and determines the respiratory effort in response to the detected breath.
US08231531B2
The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for measuring an analyte in a host. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems and methods for transcutaneous measurement of glucose in a host.
US08231528B1
A retractor system includes a rail having two opposed widened rail portions separated by a narrowed portion, each widened portion engageable by a separate clamp. The clamps are configured to support the rail to a fixed surface, or to support a surgical device. Each clamp may independently be positioned or slid along the rail to a desired location without interference with a clamp on an opposing widened rail portion. A device clamp is formed of spherical mating portions which enable alignment of a surgical device along six degrees of freedom, and tightenable by securing a single fastener. A retractor blade mount enables an angular and tilting disposition of a retractor blade, as well as remote manipulation of the retractor blade.
US08231526B2
A medical apparatus includes: a first illumination window through which a first illumination light from a first light source is irradiated to a subject; a second illumination window at different position than the first illumination window, through which a second illumination light from a second light source is irradiated to the subject; an electronic image pickup section which picks up subject images; an image creation section which generates observation images based on image pickup signals obtained by the electronic image pickup section; a light adjustment section which synchronously adjusts respective amounts of illumination lights irradiated from the first and second illumination windows; and a control unit which controls the light adjustment section or image creation section to maintain color tone of the observation image to a predetermined one according to increase/decrease of the illumination light amount from the first illumination window.
US08231522B2
An electronic endoscope system includes an electronic endoscope having a CMOS image sensor on the tip of an insertion section, a light source device for illuminating the interior of a patient's body, and a processing device for reading out image signals from the CMOS image sensor. The electronic endoscope system can operate with a standard imaging mode and a special imaging mode. When the time taken to read out the image signals from all the pixels in the standard mode is defined as T, the light source device in the special imaging mode emits illumination light in every first half period T/2 while switching a wavelength of the illumination light between two different wavebands. In every second half period T/2, the processing device reads out the image signals from the half of the pixels.
US08231520B2
Round window driving transducer for easy implantation and implantable hearing device having the same
The present invention relates to a round window driving transducer for easy implantation and an implantable hearing device having the same. The round window driving transducer is implantable in the round window of the cochlea in the middle ear cavity, and has excellent high frequency characteristics, which can assist patients with sensorineural hearing loss to hear sound better. The round window driving transducer can be placed inside the middle ear cavity, radiate sound with high efficiency, and be implanted by surgery using a fixing part formed with shape memory alloy, shape memory resin, or a bendable spring structure. Further, the round window driving transducer can overcome problems of the prior art, such as a difficult surgery and low vibration efficiency, which would inevitably occur when floating mass transducers are implanted in a drilled groove in the bone or when various types of piezoelectric transducers are implanted in the round window.
US08231511B2
An exerciser apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a member having a substantially tubular exterior surface, said surface having a central longitudinal axis. The member has two or more receivers, said two or more receivers including a pair of receivers, axially-spaced from one another. A handle is provided for each receiver. The apparatus can be constructed from a tube, with each receiver being formed by a pair of radially-directed apertures formed through the tube and the handle provided for said each receiver being defined by a strip of the tube separating the pair of apertures.
US08231508B1
A novel exercise device that permits opposing movement of two distinct substantially equal length end portions around a single axis is provided. Such a device permits a user to exercise the muscles in his or her wrists and forearms through rotational movement in opposing directions simultaneously. The novel device includes a tightening means to adjust the resistance of the two end portions in order to accord the user different levels of tension for selected levels of muscle workout. As such, the inventive device, being of a very small construction is easy to store and transport, further permitting the user the capability of undertaking such an exercise regimen in any selected location. A method of utilizing such a unique, small-construction exercise device is encompassed within this invention also.
US08231500B2
An eight speed automatic transmission is provided having an input member, an output member, four planetary gear sets and five torque transmitting devices. Three of the planetary gear sets are simple and one planetary gear set is compound. Each of the plurality of planetary gear sets has first, second and third members: a sun gear, a ring gear and a planet carrier having a plurality of planet gears rotatably disposed thereon. Three of the torque transmitting devices are clutches and two of the devices are brakes. Eight embodiments of the transmission having different arrangements of the planetary gear sets, clutches and brakes are disclosed.
US08231484B1
A variable inertia bat weight training aid having a sleeve with radially divided, elongate pockets in which are permanently captured a plurality of weights. One end of the sleeve has a diameter sufficient to receive the barrel of a baseball bat but the other end of the sleeve includes a restricting band having a diameter sufficient to receive the handle of the bat but insufficient to pass over the barrel of the bat. Each weight within an associate pocket may be adjustably positioned along the length of the sleeve and secured in place by a restraining strap in order to vary the inertial resistance of the baseball bat and the perceived weight a batter experiences for warm-up and strength training exercises.
US08231472B2
Systems and method for providing a single sign in a gaming console that associates online activity that is out-of-game/cross game, and/or online activity that is in-game, and/or activity that is offline and in-game with that account. While online, a service tracks activity of gamers and provides usage statistics in a profile. While offline, the game console tracks the player's activity via a mechanism to collect detailed information about a specific player's in-game statistics and accomplishments. The offline activity is cached and uploaded when the console connects to the online service. Players can accumulate achievements offline that are credited towards online activities.
US08231466B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide a game apparatus capable of image processing with effective use of having a plurality of screens. The game apparatus according to the present invention has a specific object display controller. The game apparatus according to the present invention executes the processing of displaying a specific object in a 3D game space on one display screen and hiding it on the other display screen. This enables effective use of having a plurality of screens and the image processing that attracts users.
US08231464B2
Gaming machine is disclosed having a primary display and a secondary display mounted over the primary display. In one implementation, the primary display is a mechanical display and the secondary display is a transmissive display. This arrangement allows a wagering game to be displayed on the mechanical display alone, the mechanical display and the transmissive display together, or the transmissive display alone. As a result, players and casino operators have access to multiple wagering games on the same display area of the gaming machine. All three options need not be present on the gaming machine, however, and any two of the three will suffice. It is important, however, that the wagering game displayed on the transmissive display be separate and distinct from the wagering game displayed on the mechanical display.
US08231463B2
A modularized gaming machine operable to receive wagers on a play of a game of chance is described. The modularized gaming machine may include a base gaming module that can operate independently or can be coupled to additional gaming modules. In one embodiment, the base gaming module may include a security monitoring system operable to determine a security configuration including error conditions that depends on features of gaming modules coupled to the base gaming module. In another embodiment, the security monitoring system may be operable to monitor a fixed security configuration that is independent of the configuration of the modularized gaming machine. The fixed security configuration may anticipate input from security devices that are unconnected in a particular configuration of the modularized gaming machine. In these instances, a signal mechanism may provide information to the security monitoring system to ensure a non-error condition for unconnected security devices.
US08231454B2
One embodiment provides a Blackjack game where one or more players play against a dealer. The Blackjack game employs a designated set of cards, which includes one or more designated decks of cards. In addition to standard card symbols of rank and suit, each card in each designated deck of cards includes one of a plurality of secondary symbols associated with a secondary game. Each player makes a primary game wager on a play of the Blackjack game. Each player also has the option of placing an optional second wager. For each player who placed the optional second wager, if that player's hand in the play of the Blackjack game includes a designated outcome, the player accumulates one or more of the secondary symbols indicated by the cards in the player's hand. In a next play of the Blackjack game, regardless of whether that player makes the optional second wager, if any of the secondary symbols listed on the cards in the dealer's hand have a designated relationship to any of the secondary symbols that the player previously accumulated, the player wins a secondary award. The player can continue accumulating secondary symbols in each play of the Blackjack game. In certain embodiments, if the player loses a play of the Blackjack game, after any secondary awards are paid out, the player loses one, more or all of the previously accumulated secondary symbols.
US08231453B2
In various embodiments, the gaming system, gaming device, and method disclosed herein maintains a designated award which is associated with a variable score for a skill-based game. In one such embodiment, the gaming system enables a player to play a game, wherein the gaming system forms a score for the player. The player's formed score is based on zero, one or more inputs made by the player during the play of the skill-based game (i.e., which tends to measure one or more aspects of that player's skills). If the player's score does not reach the variable score associated with the designated award, the gaming system modifies the variable score associated with the designated award of that skill-based game. If the player's score reaches or exceeds the variable score associated with the designated award, the gaming system provides the player a designated quantity of opportunities to win the maintained designated award.
US08231451B2
A gaming machine for conducting a wagering game includes a display for displaying a plurality of symbols indicating a randomly selected outcome and a selection-input device for selecting at least one bonus item from a plurality of bonus items. Each time a winning outcome is achieved, the selected bonus item reveals at least one of a plurality of bonus awards.
US08231448B2
A gaming system includes a plurality of linked gaming devices, each of the gaming devices including a primary game operable upon a primary game wager. The gaming devices of the gaming system enable a plurality of players to place primary game wagers on plays of the primary games. In one embodiment, each of the players is enabled to place optional second wagers on shared random determinations which occur independently of the primary games. The gaming devices display the primary game outcomes and provide the players with any awards associated with the primary game outcomes. The gaming system determines an outcome for the shared random determinations. In one embodiment, for each of the shared random determinations which results in a designated outcome, the gaming system provides a bonus award to each of the players who placed the second wager on the shared random determination.
US08231443B1
A system and method that is adapted to remove portions of a neck-bone that are useful for meat recovery systems. These most useful portions of the neck bone structure are the outer edges distal from the core of the bone that have meat attached to them. The useful portions on the outer edges distal from the core can be safely removed and subsequently processed in downstream processes such as mechanical separators (bone cannons) or hand trimmed. The overall system contains series sub systems to process neck-bones. The subsystems includes, a Product Infeed; a Chain Drive System; a Cutting Apparatus; a Cat Chain; a Core Extractor System; and a Conveyor Washing System.
US08231439B2
A brush gate accessory for a faceting machine splash pan including a mounting bracket having an arcuate cross-member interconnecting first and second attachment arms, each of the first and second attachment arms defining a clip about their free for retaining the brush gate in place over a sidewall of a splash pan, and first and second opposing brushes removably attached to the first and second attachment arms, respectively, the brushes together substantially filling a space defined between the arms from the cross-member to the free ends of the arms.
US08231429B2
An apparatus has a motor, a shaft attached to the motor arranged to be turned by the motor when the motor operates, an attachment at an end of the shaft opposite the motor arranged to allow mounting of components to be ground, a loading block arranged under the end of the shaft having the attachment to support the components to be ground, and an interface to a grinding tool arranged adjacent to the loading block. An apparatus has a motor mounted on a slide, a shaft attached to the motor arranged to spin when the motor operates, an attachment on the end of the shaft to allow attachment of a component, a loading block at least partially supporting the shaft, an interface to a manufacturing tool, the motor and shaft arranged to insert the shaft into the interface when moved along the slide to an engaged position.
US08231428B2
A grinding assembly contacts a tire supported by a frame relative to the tire. The grinding assembly includes at least one section, and an axial positioning assembly supporting the at least one section. The axial positioning assembly enables the at least one section to be axially repositioned relative to the tire. The at least one section includes a grinding head, where the grinding head includes a grindstone rotatably supported thereon, the grindstone having rounded shoulders at its axial extremities. The grinding assembly further includes a radial positioning assembly supporting the grinding head for radial movement with respect to the tire.
US08231423B2
An organic light-emitting device and a method for forming the same are provided. The organic light-emitting device includes: a substrate including a pixel area and a peripheral circuit area; a passivation layer on the substrate, the passivation layer including a first part in the pixel area and a second part in the peripheral circuit area; a pixel definition layer defining a plurality of pixel openings corresponding to the pixel area of the substrate; a plurality of first electrodes in the pixel openings; an adhesion layer on the second part; an organic layer on the first electrodes; and a second electrode layer on the organic light emitting layer, wherein the second electrode extends to the peripheral circuit area to connect with the adhesion layer.
US08231421B1
Wet suits used by water sports enthusiasts (e.g., surfers) are provided with the ability to be inflated during emergency situations to provide life-saving buoyancy and floatation aid. The inflatable wet suit will preferably include a torso section having a back pocket and a bladder assembly having an inflatable bladder bag and an inflator valve adapted for operative connection with a compressed gas canister positioned within the back pocket. A rip cord has one of its ends connected to the inflator valve and extends over a shoulder region of the torso section so that the other end thereof is graspably positioned adjacent a front portion of the torso section. A canister pouch within the back pocket of the torso section is provided for receiving the gas canister therein. The canister pouch includes a front wall attached to the torso section along side and bottom edges.
US08231415B2
Disclosed is an electrical connector that includes a dielectric leadframe housing and a differential signal pair of electrical contacts extending through the leadframe housing. The leadframe housing defines an air pocket adjacent to the pair of electrical contacts. The size of the air pocket may be predetermined to provide for no more than a predefined amount of signal skew between the pair of electrical contacts. The size of the air pocket may be predetermined to provide for a predefined connector impedance.
US08231413B2
A connector having a plurality of terminals that are integrally incorporated in a connector housing, in a given arrangement, with a high degree of accuracy. The connector includes a prealigner having a plurality of terminal holding recesses, a plurality of terminals fitted into and held in the terminal holding recesses in a given alignment, and a housing main body molded so that the prealigner is interposed in the housing main body as an insert element.
US08231412B2
An electrical connector that comprises a connector body that has opposite first and second ends. The first end is configured to be coupled with a prepared end of a cable. A coupling member that has an interface end configured to interface with a mating connector and an free end opposite the interface end that is rotatable with respect to the connector body at the second end of the connector body. A resilient grounding member is disposed between an outer surface of the second end of the connector body and the free end of the coupling member. Each of the connector body, the coupling member, and the resilient grounding member is conductive thereby creating a grounding path between the connector body and the coupling member.
US08231409B2
The invention relates to an electrical connector comprising including a housing for electrical contacts having a plugging face, and a front grid to be mounted onto the plugging face of the housing according to a plugging axis, the housing comprising including a series of locking members that lock the contacts in place, the front grid comprising: including mounting arrangements arranged for allowing the mounting of the front grid onto the housing from an open position into a closed position only if the contacts are locked in place in the housing, and at least one retractable stop member arranged for stopping the plugging of the counterpart connector with the connector as long as the front grid is not in the closed position, wherein the or each retractable stop member is arranged such that its retraction in the closed position of the front grid can be caused by a sole force exerted thereon in a direction substantially parallel to the plugging axis.
US08231403B2
A quick mounting device for appliances that is quickly and easily engaged and disengaged mechanically and electrically without the use of tools and furthermore has two mechanical engagement mechanisms.
US08231392B2
An electrical grounding device includes a first collar member having first inner and outer wall surfaces, a first flange projecting from the first inner wall surface, and a first shoulder projection extending radially from the first outer wall surface. The device further includes a second collar member having second inner and outer wall surfaces, a second flange projecting from the second inner wall surface, and a second shoulder projection extending radially from the second outer wall surface. Further, the device includes a thickened wall region including an aperture passing transversely therethrough, wherein the thickened wall region is disposed in the outer wall surface of at least one of the first and second collar members. A fastener is operably associated with the first and second shoulder projections to removably couple the first and second shoulder projections together. Such coupling configures the first and second inner wall surfaces to define an opening disposed through the electrical grounding device.
US08231391B2
A ground conductor includes a conductor body formed from a sheet of conductive metal material of a given thickness, the conductor body having a horizontal base portion, and a pair of downwardly extending vertical leg portions that contain opposed mounting rail cavities that terminate at one end in a pair of flange recesses. A vertical tongue portion extends downwardly from the conductor body transversely across the leg portions at the other end of the cavities, the tongue portion having a width that is greater than the thickness of the metal sheet. When the conductor body is mounted on the mounting rail with one flange extending within the recesses, a spring biases the conductor body in a direction to effect electrical engagement between the other rail flange portion and the adjacent surface of the tongue portion.
US08231388B2
A tooth implant assembly has a base plate, a base attachment fastener, a collar, a crown attachment fastener, and a tooth crown. The base plate has a central opening and a coronal surface. The base attachment fastener is adapted for insertion into and engagement with the central opening in the base plate. The base attachment fastener also has a head with a central bore extending longitudinally into the head. The crown attachment fastener has a threaded distal end adapted for threaded engagement with the central bore of the base attachment fastener.
US08231386B2
A tooth implant is done by first fitting to teeth adjacent an edentulous site of a jawbone a temporary bridge and providing in the bridge a guide tube oriented in alignment with a location on the site where an implant pin is to be seated. Then, with the bridge in place and using the tube as a guide, a pilot bore is drilled in the jawbone at the location, and then the implant pin is fitted into the drilled bore and the tube is plugged. The bridge with the plugged tube in place at the site during an osseointegration period after which the bridge is removed and replaced with a prosthesis anchored to the implant.
US08231385B2
The present dental handpiece has a burr sleeve, a head section, an air supply passage for introducing compressed air into the head section for driving the burr sleeve, and an air discharge passage for discharging the compressed air. The air supply passage includes a through hole axially extending through the rear terminal part of the handpiece, and a tubular pressure regulating member and an air supply tube connected in series between the through hole and the head section. The pressure regulating member has an aperture for allowing communication with the air discharge passage, and an annular valve body arranged axially slidably for opening/closing the aperture. When the pressure of compressed air passing through the air supply passage exceeds a predetermined level, the valve body is slid to open the aperture to discharge the compressed air for regulating the pressure of the compressed air to be supplied to the burr sleeve.
US08231380B2
The invention concerns a combustion method for industrial furnace comprising an arrangement of two substantially parallel and symmetrical burner assemblies (G, D). Each burner assembly comprises a fuel injector (10G, 10D) and three oxidant injectors (1G, 2G, 3G, 1D, 2D, 3D) arranged at increasing distances from the fuel injector. An oxidant supply system cyclically distributes a specific flow of oxidant among some at least of the second and third injectors of the burner assemblies (2G, 3G, 2D, 3D). The amount of nitrogen monoxide produced upon combustion is thus reduced, while ensuring a good distribution of the heating power in the furnace.
US08231378B2
Apparatuses and methods for the production of superfine fibers.
US08231372B2
An intermittent film forming system is provided, comprising a mold having a fine projections and depressions shape formed on the surface, a press for pressing a film to the surface of the mold, a transportation for carrying the film, and a releasing device for releasing the film from the mold surface. The releasing device is provided with a stripper roll for stripping the film, a means for rotary driving the stripper roll, an auxiliary roll arranged substantially in parallel with the stripper roll across a film path line, a means for moving the auxiliary roll on the periphery of the stripper roll such that the film embraces the stripper roll, and a guide for moving the stripper roll and the auxiliary roll in the vicinity of the surface of the mold in parallel therewith, while maintaining the relative positional relationship that the film embraces the stripper roll.
US08231362B2
A multi-chambered pumping system is provided comprising an input cylinder configured to pump a source substance into a vessel and an effluent cylinder configured to receive an effluent from the vessel. The cylinders regulate the pressure of the source substance input into the vessel and recover the pressure of an effluent output from the vessel to pump additional quantities of source substance into the vessel. In each cylinder, a piston creates a boundary between two sections: a fluid section configured to receive working fluid and an effluent or input process section to receive the same. The fluid sections of the cylinders are in fluid communication. A guide rod is attached to each piston and may be operably sized to compensate for a pressure difference between a pressure at which the source substance is pumped into a vessel and the pressure at which an effluent is output from the vessel.
US08231355B2
A free piston gas compressor has a cylinder, a piston, the piston reciprocable within the cylinder in alternating compression and expansion strokes. A reciprocating linear electric motor is drivably coupled to the piston. A controller is programmed to control or adjust power input to the linear motor on the basis of a relationship including at least one of the present compression stroke or expansion stroke durations, the relationship being indicative of the top dead center (TDC) position of the piston, including in the absence of any collision.In the preferred embodiment the controller obtains a measure reflecting the difference between the compression stroke duration and the expansion stroke duration and adjusts the power input in response to the obtained measure.
US08231352B2
A vibration damper assembly for damping non-synchronous vibration between adjacent, spaced apart components comprises a vibration damper located in both of a pair of generally confronting passages in each of the components. The assembly comprises at least two spaced apart articulation surfaces for contact between damper and component, each of the articulation surfaces is arcuate in a first direction and is characterized by having a substantially linear portion in an orthogonal and second direction. Thereby the contact area is greatly enlarged and material loss minimized. The cross-sectional shape of the damper or passage is non-circular and there is a clearance between the damper and passage sufficiently small to prevent rotation of the damper in the passage during use.
US08231344B2
In one aspect, a method for controlling the amplitude modulation of noise generated by a wind turbine is disclosed. The method may generally include determining an angle of attack of a rotor blade of a wind turbine and maintaining the angle of attack at a substantially constant value during rotation of the rotor blade in order to reduce the amplitude modulation of the noise generated by the wind turbine.
US08231341B2
A hybrid gas compressor has at least one rotor and shroud which define a compressor gas path extending from an inlet to an outlet. The compressor includes at least two compression stages and one diffusion stage between the inlet and outlet, the compression stages including respective circumferential arrays of blades extending from the rotor and the diffusion stage including a circumferential array of vanes between the compression stages. Blade aerodynamic loadings may be controlled, particularly in the last stage, to provide desired compression characteristics across the compressor. A bleed outlet is optionally located between the inlet and outlet for bleeding from the gas path.
US08231335B2
In a first aspect, the present invention provides an air inlet cover (1) comprising a grille (2) having a plurality of radial elements (3) radiating from a center of said grille (2), each said radial element (3) comprising a vane (4) having a leading edge (5) for positioning further from a fan and a trailing edge (6) for positioning closer to a fan, the leading edge (5) of each said vane being offset from the respective trailing edge (6) thereof by substantially the same angular amount (α) for each said vane (4), whereby the vanes are pitched more steeply closer to the center of said grille (2) than remote from the center of said grille, and a circumferential element (7) comprising a bell-shaped mouth enclosing said vanes (4) and having a plurality of apertures (8) formed in a surface thereof, each respective one of said apertures (8) having a first edge (9) parallel to the pitch of a first respective vane closer to the center of said grille and a second edge (10) parallel to the pitch of a second, adjacent respective vane remote from the center of said grille. In a second aspect, the present invention also provides a power tool comprising a fan and such an air inlet cover (1). The power tool may be a garden leaf blower or a dust extraction machine, including a domestic vacuum cleaner.
US08231317B2
A fastening clamp for connecting a carrier part (13) and an add-on part (14) has a plug-through leg (1), with a plug-through sleeve (5), and a threaded leg (2), which is connected to a thread unit (10). The plug-through sleeve (5) extends away from the threaded leg (2) and has an effective overall height which is greater than the thickness of an add-on part (14). Engagement elements (11) are present on that side of the thread leg (2) which is directed towards the plug-through leg (1). In a pre-assembly arrangement, the legs (1, 2) are spaced apart by a distance which is large enough to allow a carrier part (13) to be positioned between the legs (1, 2) such that it is essentially free of engagement with the engagement elements (11), in which case, once a screw has been screwed into an end position, the engagement elements (11) thus engage with the carrier part (13) such that the fastening clamp is connected in a non-displaceable manner to the carrier part (13). This achieves a certain degree of positioning freedom on the carrier part (13) and, for tolerance-compensating purposes, movement of the add-on part (14).
US08231299B2
A cover device is used to cover bolts and welded plate edges on a lumber stacking rack to prevent damage to the lumber when it is placed in the stacking rack.
US08231293B2
The present invention is to provide a cleaning pen, which includes a hollow clamping device having two clamping units able to be engaged with each other for clamping a wiping element in a bent state and being inserted into a hollow housing such that a bent portion of the wiping element juts out of the hollow housing and can be used for cleaning an object. When the bent portion is soiled or damaged, a user can conveniently and sequentially take the wiping element out from the hollow housing and hollow clamping device, and then shift the soiled or damaged portion to a position for allowing the wiping element to be clamped by the hollow clamping device again and form a new bent portion jutting out of the hollow housing, so as to effectively prevent the object from being scratched by edge of the wiping element and prolong service life thereof.
US08231289B2
A label tensioning board is provided for a label printer, including a body, at least one shaft, a resilient element, and at least one slide. The body forms a slot for rotatably accommodating the shaft. The resilient element is coupled to a proximal end of the shaft and the proximal end of the shaft is fixed to an enclosure of the label printer to allow for resilient rotation and returning of the body for adjustment of tension. The body forms at least one rail and a stop. The slide slidably engages the rail for sliding movement along the rail. The slide forms a positioning projection for setting a space between the slide and the stop that accommodate and guides the conveyance of a sheet of label paper. As such, a tensioning board featuring both adjustment of label tension and positioning of the label is provided.
US08231287B2
An image reproduction device for document processing has a nominal processing speed at which it can process sheets continuously at a nominal document quality. However, the image reproduction device is arranged to process sheets at a continuously variable processing speed including the nominal processing speed. The actual processing speed is selected in dependence on operational conditions. In particular, the device is arranged to gradually adjust the processing speed from one processing speed to another processing speed. A control structure is given to select the variable processing speed in dependence on operational conditions, and to operate the image reproduction device at the selected processing speed. In a particular application of the variable speed, a print job may be started at an increased processing speed and then gradually fall back to the nominal speed, giving a fast start and a shorter processing time for short print jobs.
US08231279B2
A unit (1) for supporting the axle-shafts of go-karts provided with an annular body (12) having a variable perimeter and with a rolling bearing (20), set within the annular body (12) itself with the possibility of oscillation about an axis of adjustment (B) transverse to an axis (B) of rotation of the bearing (20) itself; a tightening system (30) being provided for tightening the support (11) on the bearing (20) and for blocking the bearing (20) itself in an operative position, and being defined by at least two sharp edges (32) (33) (36), fixed with respect to the bearing (20) and set about the axis (B) of rotation for cutting into a softer material of the concave seat (13), preventing any rotation of the bearing (20) about the axis (A) of adjustment in said operative position.
US08231276B2
A sliding material sliding material includes: a sliding plane member; a base member made of a material different from that of the sliding plane member; an intermediate member provided between the sliding plane member and the base member and formed with a plurality of spaces; and a joining member for bonding the intermediate member to the base member, in which a portion of the space formed to the intermediate member is impregnated with a portion of the sliding plane member so that the sliding plane member is bonded to the intermediate member, and a residual portion of the space of the intermediate member is impregnated with a portion of the joining member so that the base member is bonded to the intermediate member with the joining member therebetween.
US08231261B2
A LED module and interconnection system is disclosed. The LED module includes a lens, a housing, and a printed circuit board PCB having at least on LED disposed within the housing. The housing includes a plurality of openings providing physical and electrical access to the PCB. The interconnection system includes at least one LED module and a cable assembly. The cable assembly is configured to provide electrical connectivity to the LED module through an opening in the LED module housing.
US08231260B2
An LED light has a pinhole-imaging function for dark area use as a plug-in wall outlet light, direct current (DC) operated light, or interchangeable power source light to project a shaped image to a surrounding environment. Tiny shaped pinholes can create a fine image of desired message, data, logo, or time on a ceiling, walls, floor, optics means surface or other desired surface. At least one pinhole-means may be incorporated with an LED and parts selected from a housing-member, plastic film openings, cut-outs, transparent material piece, translucent material piece, adjust-means, sealed-unit, battery-pack, paper material, plastic material, metal material, wood material, geometric shape substrate, AC adaptor and jack means, and/or solar power or wind power generator to project the desired image, message, data, logo, to the surrounding environment, which may include any combination of ceiling, walls, floor, or other desired surfaces(s). The light may have an adjustable feature, interchangeable power source feature, dot-matrix geometric shape feature, and features to change position or orientation of the pinhole substrate or LED.
US08231259B2
The present invention relates to a luminaire, which comprises a plate-shaped light guide, and first lamps disposed on one or more narrow sides of the light guide and configured to couple light into the plate-shaped light guide, wherein the light coupled into the light guide is emitted via a flat side of the light guide in a first irradiating direction of the luminaire. Said luminaire is characterized in that the first lamps are formed by a plurality of light-emitting diodes and that the luminaire furthermore comprises second lamps and a reflector arrangement associated therewith, by way of which the light of the second lamps is emitted in a second irradiating direction opposite the first irradiation direction.
US08231256B1
In one embodiment of this invention, a light fixture comprises a light source, a collimating element, an optical cavity and a multi-functional non-imaging optical component (MNOC) comprising an anisotropic light scattering film. In another embodiment of this invention, the MNOC further comprises a surface relief feature which redirects a portion of the incident light. The present invention provides a system and method of controlling the output of light from a light fixture. One or more volumetric anisotropic diffusing components are utilized to control both the photometric distribution and visual appearance of the light fixture. A high degree of optical control is obtained with durable components that can be easily customized to optimize optical performance in light fixtures designed as pendants, wall sconces, wallwashers, downlights, and tasklights. The luminance and color uniformity as well as the illuminance and color uniformity of illumination can be controlled and improved.
US08231251B2
Collection optics are used with one or more light emitting diodes to produce, e.g., collimated light. The collection optics are produced in multiple pieces including a small reflective ring that surrounds the one or more light emitting diodes. The reflective ring may be positioned relative to the LEDs, using a mesa upon which the LEDs are mounted, as a lateral positioning guide. A separate upper reflector uses the reflective ring as a lateral positioning guide during assembly. The reflective ring and the upper reflector include reflective sidewalls that are approximately continuous when the reflective ring and upper reflector are assembled.
US08231244B2
Various embodiments provide a lateral reflector, wherein the lateral reflector has a bottom opening, a light source arranged on a base plate can be accommodated in the bottom opening; a reflecting surface is arranged on two opposite sides of the light source in the lateral reflector, and the reflecting surface is configured to reflect a light emitted from the light source and arriving at the reflecting surface, so that the light arriving at the reflecting surface is deflected toward a direction that is parallel to the opposite sides. Various embodiments further provide an array of such lateral reflectors. Further, various embodiments disclose a lamp unit and a lamp containing such lateral reflector, and puts forward a method for producing such lateral reflector.
US08231239B2
The present invention is a portable illuminated display device. The device includes a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) that provide light to the device, a substrate that is lit by the LEDs, a plurality of batteries that power the display, an image that includes a message or other indicia and a color insert that can change the LEDs light color. The device also includes a core with an electronics component, a light panel that receives the light from the LEDs and provides a homogenous area of light, a cover with a cover surface, a casing with a back lid, a front lid and an opening between the lids, a vertical and horizontal attachment point, a on and off push button and a metal plate and a plurality of magnets to allow a user to attach the device.
US08231237B2
A sub-assembly matable to a waveguide having a recess therein includes a structure comprising a discrete light source disposed on a carrier, and a substrate and a heat spreader disposed beneath the structure. The structure has a contour complementary to the recess, such that, when the sub-assembly is joined to the waveguide, the discrete light source is within the waveguide.
US08231235B2
In order to attach a lens hood to a lens body while positioning the lens hood, fixing convex portions are provided on the lens hood and fixing uneven portions are provided on the lens body. On the fixing uneven portion of the lens body, a positioning slope coming into contact with the fixing convex portion of the lens hood upon attachment is provided on a position where a convex portion and a recessed portion are continuously formed on the lens body. Thus it is possible to facilitate attaching and detaching with a simple configuration while obtaining placement accuracy in the circumferential direction of a lens and in a thrust direction.
US08231233B2
A portable electronic device implements power management to accommodate operation of a projector from the device's power source. The portable device includes a power source, a memory, a user interface, and a processor. The memory stores an image file and associated content metadata. The user interface receives a request to use the projector to perform a projection task, wherein the task includes projecting images from the image file onto a display surface. The processor is operable to: (i) retrieve the content metadata from the memory responsive to the request; (ii) project, based at least on the content metadata, whether the power source has sufficient power remaining for the projector to complete the task; and (iii) if there is not sufficient power remaining, modify parameters associated with the task and/or functionality of the portable device in an attempt to enable the power source to supply sufficient power to the projector.
US08231228B2
A method for illuminating the surface of an object by using a source beam is provided. The source beam is partitioned into as many illumination sub-beams as there are surface elements to be illuminated, and their aperture is modulated as a function of the predetermined luminous intensity to be assigned to the surface element. Each surface element is illuminated with the aid of one of said illumination sub-beams. Used for illuminating the imagers of projection devices, this method makes it possible to add a second modulation stage allowing the display contrast of the images to be improved.
US08231227B2
There are provided a light emitting device which can maintain a light emitting efficiency of a fluorescent material in an optimum condition, a light source unit made up of the light emitting device, and a projector which includes the light source unit. The light source unit is made up of the three light emitting devices which emit lights of different colors. The light emitting devices are each made up of a light source, a rotary member on which a fluorescent material layer is disposed which receives light to emit light of a predetermined color, a drive source for driving the rotary member, a rotational speed control device for variably controlling the rotary member so as to maintain the temperature of the rotary member to a predetermined value based on temperature information, and a temperature measuring device for measuring a temperature of the rotary member.
US08231226B2
An illumination optical system 1 includes a light source 11 including a plurality of light emitting sections 11a, 11b, and 11c arrayed in a specific direction, and an integrator 21 including a plurality of lens cells arrayed in the specific direction, and it illuminates a plane to be illuminated 31 by a light beam emitted from the plurality of light emitting sections and passing through the integrator. A plurality of light beams from the plurality of light emitting sections enter an incident surface of the integrator with a shift from each other in the specific direction, as divergent light beams, each of which spreads in the specific direction. Two light beams from two light emitting sections adjacent to each other among the plurality of light emitting sections are overlapped with each other in a region Lm larger than one of the lens cells on the incident surface of the integrator.
US08231222B2
A heliostat having a frame structure for supporting a mirror. The frame structure is pivotable about at least one axis of rotation. A liquid ballast system is mounted on a side of the frame structure that is remote from the reflective surface of the mirror. The liquid ballast system includes at least two tanks, and an imaginary line between the tanks extends at an angle or perpendicular to the axis of rotation. An arrangement is provided for moving ballast liquid between the tanks in an actively controlled manner.
US08231220B2
The method includes capturing at least one digital image of the wearer's face with a portable image capture appliance (1) and processing the captured image to determine a geometrico-physionomic parameter. Before capturing the image, the operator positions the image capture appliance manually in a first configuration in which an observation line connecting the pupil (7) of the image capture appliance with a predetermined remarkable point associated with the wearer's face or with the frame is substantially horizontal. Image capture is performed in a second configuration of the image capture appliance such that the altitude of the image capture appliance is identical to its altitude in the first configuration. The calculation of the geometrico-physionomic parameter includes identifying on the image, the image of the predetermined remarkable point.
US08231217B2
A transparent optical component (10) comprises at least one transparent set of cells (15) juxtaposed parallel to a surface of the component, each cell being separated by walls (18) parallel to the component surface, hermetically sealed and containing at least one substance having an optical property, and at least one absorbing coating (30), placed on the walls on one side extending parallel to said component surface.The optical component can be cut out along a predefined contour and optionally drilled. The invention also comprises a method for producing such optical component and its use for producing an optical element. The optical element may be a spectacle lens in particular.
US08231206B2
A print head of a continuous ink jet printer includes a housing that holds the components of the printer head. The housing is made of at least two housing parts that can be separated and that are particularly fastened to each other in an articulated manner. A cavity, that is traversed by the produced ink jet, is arranged between the housing parts. An insert is arranged on each of the housing parts and a cavity that is traversed by the ink jet is formed between the joined inserts. Surface areas of a respective insert that bound the cavity merge seamlessly with each other and form smooth surfaces without gaps, edges, or undercuts.
US08231201B2
In an inkjet recording device, ink droplets remaining on a nozzle surface are wiped off and the wiped off ink droplets are prevented from being scattered so as to stably form good quality images. When the wiper blade wiping the nozzle surface of the recording heads to wipe off the ink droplets and the like is separated from the nozzle surface and the bend of the wiper blade is straightened to restore to its idle position, a reaction force eliminating member absorbs the reaction force generated and softly restores the wiper blade to its idle position. As a result, the reaction force caused when the bend of the wiper blade is suddenly straightened is controlled, thereby preventing the ink drops and foreign matter on the header of the wiper blade from being scattered and avoiding the contamination of the inside of the inkjet recording device.
US08231200B2
An ink-jet recording apparatus, including: an ink-jet head; a cap including a support member, an annular protrusion which defines a recessed portion with the support member, and a discharge opening formed in a bottom surface of the recessed portion; a discharge mechanism; a plate member disposed in the recessed portion such that a space is formed between the plate member and the bottom surface and such that there is formed, between an inner peripheral surface of the cap and the plate member, a gap in which a capillary phenomenon occurs; protrusions disposed on an upper surface of the plate member, each protrusion extending in a direction intersecting a longitudinal direction of the head from one end to the other end of the upper surface in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; and separations each of which divides the corresponding protrusion into segments in the direction intersecting the longitudinal direction.
US08231199B2
A method of detecting orifice health includes moving a cap support into a drop detect position wherein a light source mounted on the cap support is positioned adjacent an array of fluid ejecting orifices, from the light source, projecting a light beam adjacent to the array of fluid ejecting orifices, ejecting at least one fluid drop from the array and through the light beam, and detecting scattered light from the at least one ejected fluid drop.
US08231197B2
A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate including an active element formation face on which an active element is formed; detection electrodes detecting a remaining amount of ink by being wet in the ink; an antenna transmitting and receiving information; a storage circuit storing information relating to the ink; and a control circuit controlling the detection electrodes, the antenna, and the storage circuit.
US08231192B2
A liquid detection unit includes a unit case, a sensor, and a relay terminal. The sensor is held by the unit case. The relay terminal has a relay portion and first and second terminals that are provided on both ends of the relay portion. The second terminal is connected to the sensor. The unit case includes a first terminal holding portion, a second terminal holding portion, and a deformable portion. The first terminal holding portion holds the first terminal of the relay terminal. The second terminal holding portion holds the second terminal of the relay terminal. The deformable portion is provided between the first terminal holding portion and the second terminal holding portion, and elastically deforms in a direction in which a distance between the first terminal holding portion and the second terminal holding portion is reduced.
US08231190B2
The invention relates generally to an articulating drawer for a bottom mount freezer refrigerator. The drawer can be slideably mounted in the freezer compartment on slides that can include pivots to pivotally mount a drawer front on the slides. A support mechanism can mount a food storage basket for movement with the drawer front and movable slides and can move the food storage basket upward when the door is moved to the open position. The support mechanism can include a pair of guide plates connected to the slides having a guide surface arranged to be engaged by a food storage basket guide surface follower and a pair of links each connected to the drawer front at one end and having a first link pivot at a distal end arranged to pivotally connect to a food storage basket pivot.
US08231183B2
A traction control method is provided for dynamically maintaining safe driving traction between a tire (12) and a driving surface in a decelerating motor vehicle (10) through a modulated braking device (18, 24). The method monitors the acceleration response of a tire (12) to a torque change induced by modulation of a braking device (18, 24). Observation of the acceleration profile over time is used to determine whether additional braking torque or pressure can be applied without causing the tire (12) to slip. A Traction Reserve value is computed through observing the acceleration trend of the tire (12) over time after a single change in torque, whether that change is accomplished as an increase or a decrease.
US08231180B2
A full face fabricated euroflange vehicle wheel comprises a full face wheel disc defining an axis and formed from a suitable material, the wheel disc having an outer end; and a wheel rim formed from a suitable material and having an outer end joined to the outer end of the wheel disc by at least one weld to produce the fabricated euroflange vehicle wheel; wherein the fabricated euroflange vehicle wheel includes only a generally radially outwardly extending outer end formed by a combination of at least a portion of two of the outer end of the wheel disc the outer end of the wheel rim and the at least one weld.
US08231175B2
An orthopaedic chair that requires a seated person to actively and dynamically support their upper bodies while seated is provided. The chair is designed such that the core musculature of the seated person must be actively engaged while in a seated position. To accomplish this, the chair is provided with an unstable or dynamic seating platform, i.e., a seating platform which is independently movable in several dimensions such that to stabilize the seating platform the musculature of the body, and in particular the core, must be utilized.
US08231174B2
When a seat (10) is to be stowed, a seat pad (28) is moved toward a seat (10) reverse side, pad side portions (32) are rotated toward the seat (10) reverse side with respect to a pad center portion (30), and a center portion (12) and side portions (14) of the seat (10) are contracted. Here, interlockingly with contraction of the side portions (14), a skin (42) is bent and folded in at portions covering distal ends of vertical walls (22) of a wall panel (18) and at second fixing portions (42B). Due thereto, slack of the skin (42) at seat (10) lateral direction end surfaces can be taken in.
US08231171B2
A folding chair comprises a cross folding supporting frame with two X-shaped cross folding bars. Each of the cross folding bars has a front and rear leg connected crossly to each other in the middle. The upper portions of the two front legs form a first upper portion and the upper portions of the two rear legs form a second upper portion. The seat has a first and second side which are parallel to each other. The first side is pivotally connected to the first upper portion of a cross folding supporting frame. A supporting bar is disposed in the bottom of the seat and can slide between the first side and the second side. The two ends of the supporting bar are connected to the second upper portion of the cross folding supporting frame. The chair folds by a supporting bar sliding along the bottom of the seat.
US08231167B2
In a vehicle body side structure, an impact beam (116) is mounted to a door inner panel (110) by an impact beam extension (118). A part of the impact beam extension (118) that extends from an impact beam fixing part (126) to the door inner panel (110) serves as a load transmission part (128) capable of transmitting a load from the impact beam (116) to the door inner panel (110), and the extension line therefrom is directed at the centroid C2 of the body pillar (106). With a simple structure such as this, at the time of a side impact it is possible to transfer a load from the impact beam (116) in a straight line to the centroid C21 of the body pillar (106) while suppressing the twisting moment of the body pillar (106).
US08231166B2
A member of a vehicle frame structure includes an extension portion that extends in a longitudinal direction and a kick portion positioned behind, and below the extension portion. Buckling lines are formed in parallel with each other in the extension portion, and each of the buckling lines is inclined such that a lower end is positioned ahead of an upper end in a side view. If a collision load is applied from a front side of a vehicle at the time of vehicle collision, the extension portion is deformed along the buckling lines, and a front end of the extension portion is displaced downward. Therefore, a vertical offset between the front end of the extension portion and the kick portion is reduced, thereby reducing a bending moment applied to the kick portion. Accordingly, the required yield strength of the kick portion can be set to a lower value.
US08231165B2
A motor vehicle is provided with a windscreen, a pull-out roller blind, more preferably sun roller blind, for covering this windscreen and a roof screen separate from the windscreen in the roof of the motor vehicle. The pull-out roller blind is also provided for covering the roof screen.
US08231158B2
A multi-fingered underactuated mechanical grasping system driven by a single actuator, yet can grasp objects spanning a wide range of size, shape, and mass. A member for moving a link relative to a base acts in parallel to a direction of compliance of a joint between the link and the base. The joint has a plurality of degrees of freedom. The number of members for moving links in the grasping system is less than the number of degrees of freedom in the grasping system.
US08231150B2
A locking assembly for a door of a storage container is provided. The storage container defines a door frame, and the door is movably mounted to the door frame. The locking assembly may include a first keeper secured to the door frame, a first locking cam configured to movably engage the first keeper, and a handle assembly coupled to the first locking cam. The handle assembly may be movable between a first position in which the handle assembly is in contact with the door frame and the first locking cam engages the first keeper to maintain the door in the closed position relative to the door frame and a second position in which the first locking cam disengages the first keeper to allow the door to open. The first and second positions of the handle assembly illustratively define an obtuse angle therebetween.
US08231149B1
A latching apparatus is disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a first assembly disposed on a first portion of a vehicle. A second assembly is disposed on a second portion of the vehicle and configured to detachably attach with the first assembly. The second assembly includes an adjustment mechanism to prevent damage upon the first assembly detected in an undesirable orientation during insertion therein.
US08231147B2
A clamp for mounting a tubular connector in a refrigeration circuit includes two semi-annular portions having end sections with each of the end sections including surfaces which extend radially outwardly from the annular portions of the clamp and a lock for locking the ends of the semi-annular portions together around the end of the tubular connector with the radially extending end surfaces of the end sections in abutting engagement.
US08231144B2
A joint assembly for coupling a first conduit to a second conduit includes a first collar configured to be mounted on the first conduit and a second collar configured to be mounted on the second conduit. The second collar may have a central longitudinal axis that is generally aligned with a z-axis. An inner bushing may be coupled to the first collar and have a generally convex surface, and an outer bushing may be coupled to the second collar and have a generally concave surface. The generally convex surface and the generally concave surface may mate with one another and be configured for relative movement such that the first collar gimbals in an xy-plane.
US08231139B2
In an airbag arrangement for a front seat passenger in a motor vehicle, an airbag is mounted, in its stowed condition, in a dashboard of the vehicle. The airbag is configured to inflate to a deployed condition interposed between the dashboard and the front seat passenger. The inflated airbag is wider on an upper side, over an impact region nearer the front seat passenger, than on a lower side adjacent the dashboard. The airbag is narrower at an end adjacent the vehicle dashboard than at an end nearer to the front seat passenger.
US08231127B2
Gaming apparatus including balls for a game of chance with a housing having at least a partly transparent space with balls. Each individual ball indicates one unit of jackpot value and the number of balls is higher than the number of units making up a jackpot. It further includes at least one tube for blowing in pressurized air to the space, a control unit, a member for the creation of air flow under pressure and a member for raising and sinking of posts. The bottom of the space is provided at least in one part with at least one recess, so that all static balls always lie in a group within the recess. Vertically movable posts with a bearing on the top for only one ball are located within the recess. Air flow blown into the space moves the balls at random and after air flow is discontinued, balls stop in groups in the recess at the bottom, the posts are raised and each selects one ball, the value units of which make up each jackpot.
US08231118B2
A receiving jig device and a working machine using the device. The receiving jig device includes a base table, a bearing member, a rotating axis supported by the bearing member, a rotating device for rotating the rotating axis, a first receiving jig having a supporting arm fixed to the rotating axis, a second receiving jig having a supporting arm connected rotatably to the rotating axis, and an engaging device for causing the supporting arm of the first receiving jig and the supporting arm of the second receiving jig to be brought into a connected or a disconnected state. It further provides a control device that controls the driving of the rotating device and the engaging device in a coordinated movement and holds the first receiving jig and the second receiving jig alternately in a vertical position with respect to a working device of the working machine that is adjacent to the base table on a working side, where a predetermined working is performed on an object and holds the first receiving jig and the second receiving jig alternately in an inclined position on a preparation side where an object to be worked is set for working.
US08231114B2
Mechanical control shock-absorbent anti-recoil mechanism intended for various fields such as industrial and civil constructions, machine building industry, robotics et cetera, its purpose being to protect against the impact forces, recoil forces or vibrations.The mechanical control shock-absorbent anti-recoil mechanism comprises a mobile holder X, a joint lever and spring mechanism Y and an end holder Z.The mechanical control shock-absorbent anti-recoil mechanism has the role of absorbing and a cancellation of the impact forces and recoil forces, while a mechanical control mechanism K adjust concomitantly and continuously the tension of the absorbent springs and the annulling springs in order to decrease or to annul the impact force.
US08231097B2
An equipment support for attaching equipment to an aircraft comprises a gripper foot having a T-shaped slot that engages a track mounted to the aircraft floor. The gripper foot is mounted to a trunnion mount that enables the gripper foot to rotate freely about a vertical axis so that the gripper foot can negotiate curves along a non-linear track. The trunnion mount is mounted to the equipment support frame by means of a horizontal pivot. The horizontal pivot is held against rotation below a predetermined load by a torque-resisting element. If the floor track is warped, for example during a crash, the twisting loads transmitted from the floor track to the gripper foot overcome the torque-resisting element, which allows the trunnion mount and gripper foot to rotate with the floor track thereby allowing the gripper foot to remain attached to the track without imparting excessive loads on the track, gripper foot, or equipment support frame.
US08231087B1
A mixing drill stand, for supporting a mixing drill having a mixing drill bit perpendicularly above a ground surface. The stand includes a rear panel and a pair of side panels that selectively fold substantially flat, and selectively deploy where the side panels extend substantially perpendicular to the rear panel, and support a drill support assembly in a horizontal position with respect to the ground surface. The drill support assembly has a central opening through which the mixing drill bit extends toward the ground surface while the mixing drill is supported by the drill support assembly.
US08231085B2
A flight control system includes a controller which defines a controller displacement and a control surface which defines a control surface authority. A module operable to provide a displacement feel to the controller in response to a remaining portion of the controller displacement being greater than a remaining portion of the control surface authority and the module operable to re-reference a center of the controller displacement to equate the remaining portion of the controller displacement with the remaining portion of the control surface authority in response to the remaining portion of the controller displacement being less than the remaining portion of the control surface authority.
US08231084B2
An aircraft wing comprising a leading element and a trailing element moveably coupled together, said elements being positionable relative to each other so that air can flow from the underside of the leading element over the top of the trailing element through a gap between the leading element and the trailing element, wherein a trailing edge of the leading element proximate to the trailing element is configured to disrupt air flow as it flows over said trailing edge and through the gap.
US08231075B2
Dispensing towels includes: the step of extending the toweling exterior of the housing for grasping by a user; and subsequent thereto, the step of retracting the toweling into the housing. The housing includes a main body, and a loading door that is configured to rotate relative to the main body between a closed position, in which the housing is configured to extend toweling there from, and an open position, in which the housing is configured to receive toweling therein. The loading door serves as a towel carrier and has a curved surface defining a cavity within which a roll of paper towels is received and retained in floating engagement therewith. The roll of paper towels rolls and slides on the curved surface when unwinding during said step of extending the toweling exterior of the housing for grasping by a user.
US08231071B2
A blade set associated with jaws for demolition equipment used to break raiload rails includes a bottom blade associated with a bottom jaw and a top blade associated with a top jaw, wherein the bottom jaw and the top jaw are rotatable relative to one another. The bottom blade includes two spaced-apart support rails separated by a cavity, while the top blade includes a single raised knife rail positioned and central to the cavity and rotatable toward the cavity. The raised support rails associated with the bottom blade and the raised knife rail associated with the top blade have spaced recesses across their width which enhance the ability of the jaw sets to grab and retain work pieces. Additionally, the top blade has an outwardly tapering shape, such that upon completing a cutting operation a remaining portion of the severed railroad rail may be held and clamped by the jaw set for transportation or further processing. The top blade additionally may be marked with indicia, such as red paint, such that the machine operator may properly orient the top blade during a cutting operation to maximize safety.
US08231066B2
A lightweight vehicle ladder for the recovery and traction of vehicles includes a central recessed portion (48) bordered by longitudinal strengthening ribs (56) and ramps (55) at either end. A plurality of traction members (52), each of which terminates in an upper tire engagement member (54) are disposed within the recessed portion and thereby somewhat protected from the ingress of mud during use in order that traction may be maintained. The underside and topside of the vehicle are formed with complementary shapes in order that a number of the ladders may be stacked one on top of the other to form a laminate of increased strength for application with particularly heavy vehicles.
US08231064B2
A water control fixture includes a housing having a plurality of ports defining a hot water inlet port, a cold water port, a fixture outlet port, and an auxiliary port, wherein water is dispensed from the housing via the fixture outlet port. A flow control unit is configured to be selectively positioned in fluid communication with different combinations of the plurality of ports, wherein the flow control unit has a main passage in fluid communication with the hot water inlet port, the cold water port, and the fixture outlet port. The flow control unit controls the flow of water from the hot water inlet port and the cold water port to the fixture outlet port. The flow control unit has an auxiliary passage in fluid communication with the auxiliary port and at least one of the hot water inlet port, the cold water port, and the fixture outlet port to perform an auxiliary function.
US08231060B2
An RFID device for tires includes first and second sheets non-conducting insulation material having positioned therebetween a semi-conductor chip and a wireless antenna formed of electrically conducting ink printed on one of said sheets.
US08231059B2
A micro-strip antenna includes two conductors. One of the conductors is a radiation electrode including a first radiation electrode including an IC chip and a slit and a U-shaped second radiation electrode. The antenna further includes an opening and a cutout formed by the first and second radiation electrodes and a radiation electrode.
US08231049B2
A method of and apparatus for forecasting cash demand for an automated teller machine (ATM) or any other cash dispensing devices for individual days, weeks and multi-day load periods. In one embodiment, an expected value of withdrawal for any particular period, as well as an upper limit on expected withdrawals for a given confidence level, are computed. The invention facilitates the creation of a daily and multi-day withdrawal forecast for a given ATM. The forecasts are also used to compute an optimum load amount for a given load period (the period between loading operations) for a given ATM, subject to given parameters (such as courier cost, interest rate, transit time, desired confidence level, cost of run-out, and the like) and given constraints (bundle size, maximum capacity, possible delivery days, and the like). The forecasts are also used to determine an optimal load period length and schedule. After the ATM is loaded, the system monitors cash in the ATM during a load period to facilitate potential corrective action if actual withdrawals exceed forecasted withdrawals or, in the alternative, if the ATM will contain excessive funds on its upcoming regularly scheduled load date, e.g., due to much lower withdrawals than expected or due to the ATM becoming unavailable for a given portion of the load period.
US08231045B2
A suggested welding crane for welding of objects comprises an arm, a stand and a welding head. The arm includes at least a first and a second segment, which are arranged with their length axes essentially parallelly and are telescopically movable along their length axes in relation to each other so that at least a first segment of said segments at least partly slides into at least a second segment of said segments. The welding head is arranged in a distal end of an outermost segment of the arm while an innermost segment of the arm is suspended in the stand. A linear guide is arranged on at least a first segment of said segments. A co-operating part of said at least one linear guide is arranged on at least a second segment of said segments, wherein the at least one linear guide is adapted to provide said telescopic movement.
US08231024B2
A flexible, stackable container for storing a quantity of a product may include a sealed package formed from a single sheet of film and retaining the quantity of the product disposed therein, and a lid fitment attached to a first side of the package. The first side of the package may have an outer first surface of the film and outwardly extending first corner seals formed in the film at the edges of the first side and surrounding the first side of the package. The package may also have a second side disposed opposite the first side and outwardly extending second corner seals formed in the film at the edges of the second side and surrounding the second side of the package. The lid fitment may include a base having a central opening and a lid having a complimentary shape to the base to form a seal therebetween when the lid is closed down onto the base. The base may be sealed to one of the first surface of the first side, to the first corner seals surrounding the first side, or to both, such that a portion of the first surface is accessible from the exterior of the container when the lid is separated from the base of the lid fitment.
US08231015B2
A wine rack for mounting on a wall or other surface, the wine rack including at least a first and second pair of support members. In one embodiment, the first pair of support members may support at least a first and a second wine bottle in a substantially parallel relation to the wall, wherein the second bottle is positionable proximate the wall, and wherein the label of the first wine bottle is visible to a person standing in front of the wine rack. The second pair of support members may support at least a third and a fourth wine bottle in a substantially parallel relation to the wall, wherein the fourth bottle is positionable proximate the wall, and wherein the label of the third wine bottle is visible to the person standing in front of the wine rack. In one example, a pair of frame elements may be attached to the support members in order to mount the support members to the wall.
US08231014B2
A support slide assembly for a cable management arm includes first and second slide assemblies. The cable management arm is connected between the two slide rails of the first slide assembly. A third pivot member and a sliding member are located between first and second pivot members on two ends of the cable management arm. Two ends of a support slide rail are connected to the first and second slide assemblies respectively. The support rail is retractable by the slidable first and second rods. The first rod has one end pivotably connected to a sliding block which is slidably connected to the first slide assembly. The second rod has one end pivotably connected to the second slide assembly. The sliding member is slidably connected to the support slide rail. When the first slide assembly pulls the cable management arm out, the first and second rods extend relative to each other and form an angle relative to the first and second slide assemblies.
US08231010B2
A screen assembly having a support, the support made of composite material, and at least one layer of screening material on the support, the support having openings that are larger at the top than at the bottom (or vice versa) and/or with a base member or member extending across the bottom of the support.
US08231004B2
Unit load for transporting absorbent hygienic articles such as sanitary pads. The unit load includes a pallet, a bottom tray with one or more side flaps folded upwardly, a plurality of secondary packages loaded on the pallet and forming a stack, a top cap on top of the stack with one or more side flaps folded downwardly, and a plurality of corner posts each placed against a different vertical corner of the stack of secondary packages. A secondary package for transporting feminine hygiene articles, in particular sanitary pads, made of a flexible material is provided.
US08231003B2
The invention relates to protected filter units for safety filtration, in which the filter units are at least double-packed with different packaging materials and to a method for producing the protected filter units. In this case, the first packaging material is permeable to gases but impermeable to microorganisms and the at least second packaging material is impermeable to gases. The first packaging material fixes the at least one filter unit, and so no abrasion can take place during transport and handling. The filter units according to the invention are suitable for sterile filtration processes and for filtration processes under clean-mom conditions.
US08231002B2
A containment device includes a base, vertical walls extending from the base and an open end for accepting the mailpieces therein. The containment device, furthermore, has a slot formed in at least one of the vertical walls thereof. The containment device also includes a recess extending on an underside of the base between the vertical walls; a lip extending outward from an edge of the vertical walls; detents provided in the lip of opposing vertical walls of the vertical walls; and protrusions extending beyond the base and structured and adapted to mate with detents of a lower container in a stacked configuration of containers.
US08231001B2
A package includes an outer structure and a variable display. The variable display includes a display band and a main band. The display band is rotatably connected with the main band and has a first display face and a second display face. The display band is joined to the outer structure via an anchor. The main band extends around the outer structure and is moveable from a first vertical position to a second vertical position. The first display face is visible and the second display face is concealed in the first position. The first display face is concealed and the second display face is visible in the second position. The vertical movement of the main band along the outer structure rotates the display band.
US08230998B2
A flexible packaging bags for containing and dispensing articles. More particularly, the present invention relates to a flexible packaging bag having a hanging element, permitting hanging of the bag after the bag has been initially opened.
US08230993B2
The present invention relates to a package comprising a container defining a compartment for containing a liquid and at least partly a medical device. The compartment extends in a longitudinal direction from a bottom of the container towards an opening of the container, wherein a first section of the compartment has a cross-sectional area which is smaller than a cross-sectional area of a second section of the compartment, and where the first section is arranged between the opening and the second section. As the cross-sectional area of the first section is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the second section the first section will function as a stop for the liquid in case the container is placed in a horizontal orientation.
US08230986B2
A torque limiter includes a shaft member 1, a cylinder member 2, and a traction oil. The shaft member 1 has an outer circumferential surface 20, and the cylinder member 2 has an inner circumferential surface 21 which is to be frictionally coupled to the outer circumferential surface 20 of the shaft member 1 during torque transmission. The traction oil is interposed between the outer circumferential surface 20 of the shaft member 1 and the inner circumferential surface 21 of the cylinder member 2.
US08230985B2
A parking brake assembly for a railway car includes a ratchet mounted for rotation on a threaded piston rod of a brake actuator and a holding pawl engageable with the ratchet for maintaining a push rod of the parking brake assembly to apply braking force when the air pressure is lost in the brake pipe and releasing the push rod to accordingly release the braking force when the supply of air pressure in the brake pipe is restored. An operating lever and a cylinder connected thereto are provided for selectively rotating the holding pawl. Valve is provided for supplying air pressure to and evacuating it from the cylinder. Release mechanism is provided for manually releasing the braking force. The parking brake assembly is employed with either truck-mounted or carbody-mounted braking system.
US08230980B2
An elevator system having at least two elevators, wherein at least one of the elevators is designated as an emergency personnel elevator, can be operated to allow a firefighter to commandeer a second elevator for the purpose of ferrying persons to a safe evacuation floor. The elevator system is configured to determine if a request for an evacuation elevator originates from the firefighter elevator car positioned at one of several floors of a building. In response to the request, an elevator car other than the emergency personnel elevator car is designated as the evacuation elevator car. Further, the evacuation elevator car is dispatched to the floor the emergency personnel elevator car is positioned, and the evacuation elevator car is dispatched to a predefined evacuation floor upon receipt of an evacuation request made by the firefighter.
US08230972B2
A tree stand including a first support secured to the tree and which has a platform secured thereto which may be adjustably positioned with respect to the first support to compensate for variously angled tree trunks or branches. A seat assembly is rotatably mounted on the platform so as to be movable 360° with respect to the platform.
US08230971B2
A ladder support apparatus, the apparatus including a support body, one or more clamp mechanisms operatively mountable to the support body, for mounting the support body to a structure and a retention assembly operatively connected to the support body and, in use, being adapted to limit relative movement between the ladder and ladder support, the or each clamping mechanism including a clamp aπn mounted for movement relative to the support body in a clamping direction and a release direction, an actuator operable to control the operation of the clamp arm, the clamp mechanism being arranged so as to be able to adopt a preset mode in which the clamp arm is substantially freely moveable in both the clamping direction and the release direction, a set mode in which the clamp arm is inhibited from movement in either direction but can be moved incrementally by operation of the actuator and a pre-release mode in which the clamp arm is inhibited from movement in either direction but upon operation of the actuator when in the pre-release mode the clamp arm can return to its preset mode.
US08230961B2
A wheel assembly for a vehicle may include a rim and an energy recovery system. The energy recovery system may include a flywheel and an infinitely variable transmission (IVT). The flywheel may be concentric with the rim and operable to rotate relative to the rim. The IVT may be positioned within the flywheel and couple the rim to the flywheel. When the vehicle is decelerating and an angular velocity of the rim is greater than an angular velocity of the flywheel, kinetic energy of the rim may be imparted to the flywheel and stored as mechanical potential energy thereby providing a braking force to the vehicle. Alternatively, when the vehicle is accelerating and the angular velocity of the rim is less than the angular velocity of the flywheel, the mechanical potential energy of the flywheel may be imparted to the wheel thereby providing an accelerating force to the vehicle.
US08230952B2
Earth-boring tools comprise a bit body comprising a face and a plurality of blades extending radially outward over the face and forming gage regions. A shank is coupled to the bit body and includes a threaded portion for connecting to a drill string. A sleeve structure is positioned adjacent to the bit body and surrounds a portion of the shank, the sleeve structure extending from adjacent the bit body to proximate the threaded portion of the shank. An outer surface of the sleeve structure comprises a plurality of circumferentially spaced gage pads extending thereover and may comprise a plurality of breaker flats.
US08230949B2
An auger boring machine having spoils ejector having a power source attached to an auger, a plurality of large casings extending linearly from the power source, a plurality of small casings located linearly within the large casings and centered within the large casings with the auger extending linearly within the small casings, a cutting head attached to the terminal end of the large casings, and a spoils ejector, with the spoils ejector attached to the auger and to the cutting head, with the spoils ejector located between the terminal end of the small casings and the cutting head, with the spoils ejector enclosed within the large casings, with the spoils ejector having a front, a back, first and second sides each attached to the front and to the back, first and second curved plates each attached the front, the back, and to the first and second sides, at least one of the sides having a collector aperture formed therein adjacent one of the curved plates, with the back having formed therein at least one spoils port.
US08230944B2
An alignment tool for aligning fence posts and a method for aligning fence posts are provided. The alignment tool can include an alignment plate with an aperture adapted to receive a fence post. The alignment plate is interconnected to a lever arm to facilitate the application of a torque to a fence post received by the aperture of the alignment plate at a desired location along the length of the fence post. The alignment plate can additionally include one or more notches adapted to receive an edge of a fence post. By applying a force through the lever arm, the portion of an edge of the fence post received by the notch can be crimped and/or otherwise aligned at a desired location along the length of the fence post. The lever arm can comprise a post pounder, resulting in a tool that is capable of performing multiple functions.
US08230922B2
A method for enhanced oil recovery in an oil-bearing formation having high permeability zones, constituting preferential passages for the injected liquid, involves blocking the preferential passages by injecting into the formation an aqueous solution based on water soluble polymers at a concentration such that the viscosity of the aqueous solution is higher than the viscosity of the oil. Once the blocking step is completed, an aqueous solution is injected having an identical composition to that used in the blocking step, but at a lower polymer concentration.
US08230921B2
Enhanced recovery of crude oil from an oil well is provided by in-situ cracking of an oxygenated organic compound to form hydrogen. The crude oil is then hydrogenated and hydrogenation reaction products and crude oil are recovered from the oil well.
US08230920B2
A whipstock includes deflector movable from a retracted to a deployed position. In the deployed position, the retractor is capable of guiding a tubular member away from the whipstock as the tubular member passes downwardly along the whipstock.
US08230919B2
Evaluating a subterranean formation fluid by lowering a testing tool to a depth in a wellbore formed in a subterranean formation, limiting wellbore fluid convection near the depth with the testing tool, heating formation fluid in the subterranean formation near the depth, obtaining a sample of the heated formation fluid from the subterranean formation, and evaluating at least a portion of the sample of heated formation fluid obtained from the subterranean formation.
US08230911B2
A method is provided for adjusting several parallel connected heat exchangers supplied with a coolant medium. The aim of the invention is to simplify the adjustment. For this purpose, the method consists in a) determining a specific value of heat requirement for each heat exchanger in a predetermined time period; b) comparing the specific values of all heat exchangers therebetween and c) in modifying the adjustment of the heat exchanger having the lowest specific value of heat requirement in such a way that the heat requirement thereof is increased.
US08230904B2
A heat dissipation device includes a heat sink, a fan placed on a top of the heat sink for providing an airflow through the heat sink and a fan duct located at a side of the heat sink. The heat sink includes a plurality of upwardly extending first fins and a plurality of laterally extending second fins located below the first fins. A plurality of first airflow channels are defined in the adjacent first fins and a plurality of second airflow channels are defined in the adjacent second fins. The fan duct guides a significant part of the airflow produced by the fan to the second airflow channels from a lateral side of the heat sink to have a sufficient contact with the second fins of the heat sink.
US08230891B2
A highly reliable and productive manufacturing method of boards and a manufacturing apparatus are provided. The manufacturing apparatus includes heater-punches (4a) and (4b) disposed above and under pressuring holes (24) provided on positioning stage (6) which positions and laminates board materials. The apparatus also includes a supplying and discharging means of a mold-releasing sheet, and the means is formed of supply reel (22), take-up reel (23), and guide rolls (25a) and (25b). The sheet is supplied and discharged passing between heater-punches (4a) placed above pressuring holes (24) and heater-punches (4b) placed under pressuring holes (24).
US08230889B2
A fluid transfer apparatus includes a cam locking assembly and a cooperating seal member apparatus. The cam locking assembly is in communication with the cooperating seal member apparatus. The cam lock assembly is affixed or connected with the cooperating seal member apparatus through complementary threading in some preferred embodiments.
US08230874B2
A configurable fluid transfer system for inflatable footwear includes a manifold. The manifold is part of an inflation system having an underfoot pump connected to one of the plurality of openings in the heel side of the manifold, an inflatable forefoot bladder connected to two of the plurality of openings in the bottom surface of the manifold and an inflatable heel bladder connected to one of the plurality of openings in the bottom surface of the manifold. fluid flows from the underfoot pump to the inflatable forefoot bladder through a one-way valve and into a first channel in the manifold connected to a forefoot bladder. The fluid inflates the forefoot bladder and exits into a second channel in the manifold. Fluid flows from the inflatable forefoot bladder to the inflatable heel bladder through the second channel and inflates the heel bladder. A pressure regulator including a porous material may be in fluid communication with the fluid transfer system to control the rate of fluid exiting the system.
US08230857B2
The invention pertains to a ventilator that delivers a flow of gas to an airway of a user, and to communicate a flow of gas from the airway of the user in a controlled manner. The ventilator includes a conduit (1, 3) that carries a flow of gas from the airway of a patient, a first valve (7) coupled to the conduit and adapted to control a pressure or rate of the flow of gas exhausted from the conduit, a first sensor (10) coupled to the conduit and adapted to monitor a pressure of the gas in the conduit, and a controller (12) adapted to control the first valve based on an output of the first sensor. A restrictor (8) is provided in the conduit between the pressure sensor and the patient such that a first volume is defined in the conduit between the first valve and the restrictor and a second volume is defined in the conduit between the patient and the restrictor. The controller controls actuation of the first valve based on a pressure of the first volume monitored by the first sensor.
US08230854B2
The chemical cartridge of a breathing apparatus, through which respiratory air flows to generate oxygen is divided into a plurality of air treatment chambers by retaining grids. An impact-damping member including a multilayer fine wire mesh, which abuts flat against the relevant cover is located in the external air treatment chambers while provided in the middle air treatment chambers is a damping element including a multilayer fine-wire mesh folded in a zigzag fashion, having folded edges running parallel and at a distance from the outer wall of the chemical cartridge, one edge thereof running in a zigzag fashion is fixed to a wire grid. The damping elements of the adjacent air treatment chambers are not in alignment. Potassium hyperoxide granules for oxygen generation are located in the air treatment chambers. One air treatment chamber can be filled with lithium hydroxide tablets for binding excess carbon dioxide.
US08230851B2
A solar power system for supplying concentrated solar energy. The system includes a cylindrical absorber tube carrying the working fluid and a concentrator assembly, which includes an array of linear lenses such as Fresnel lenses. The concentrator assembly includes a planar optical wafer paired with each of the linear lenses to direct light, which the lenses focus on a first edge of the wafers, onto the collector via a second or output edge of the wafers. Each of the optical wafers is formed from a light transmissive material and acts as a light “pipe.” The lens array is spaced apart a distance from the first edges of the optical wafers. This distance or lens array height is periodically adjusted to account for seasonal changes in the Sun's position, such that the focal point of each linear lens remains upon the first edge of one of the optical wafers yearlong.
US08230850B2
A torque arm assembly, used with a solar collector mounted to a drive shaft, comprises a torque arm with first and second ends and a torque arm coupling assembly including a drive shaft enclosure defining an open-ended channel sized to house the drive shaft. The channel has a circumferentially extending substantially continuous drive surface between the ends that lies adjacent to the drive shaft so the drive shaft and the drive shaft enclosure rotate together. In some examples, contiguous abutment structure, such as weld lines, shims and/or adhesive, connects each side of the drive shaft to the drive shaft enclosure. The invention may also be carried out as a connection improvement method.
US08230847B2
The device (1) for wire sawing of a piece (10) to be sawed that is mounted on a support table (20) comprises fastening means (15, 26, 40) for fastening said piece (10) to be sawed to a carriage (18) apt to cooperate with a guide rail of said support table (20), said fastening means (15, 26, 40) consisting of a mounting plate (15) apt to be manufactured to which said piece (10) to be sawed is bonded, and of anchoring means (26, 40) for anchoring said mounting plate (15) directly on said carriage (18).
US08230846B2
The present invention relates to an air-fuel ratio control device for an internal combustion engine, and makes it possible to maintain high purification performance by suppressing a decrease in the oxygen occlusion capability of a catalyst. When an O2 sensor output oxs is greater than a reference value oxsref, which corresponds to a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio, and smaller than an upper threshold value oxsrefR, a sub-FB reflection coefficient is fixed at a predetermined value vdox2 for providing a lean air-fuel ratio. When, on the other hand, the O2 sensor output oxs is smaller than the reference value oxsref and greater than a lower threshold value oxsrefL, the sub-FB reflection coefficient is fixed at a predetermined value vdox2 for providing a rich air-fuel ratio. The sub-FB reflection coefficient reflects the O2 sensor output oxs in the calculation of a fuel injection amount and increases or decreases to have a consequence on the air-fuel ratio of an exhaust gas.
US08230839B2
In a fuel injection valve used for an internal combustion engine, a valve closing lag time due to fluid resistance in a fuel path is shortened to decrease a minimum injection limit. More specifically, in the fuel injection valve in which an anchor is attracted to an end face part of a stationary core having a fuel path formed at a center part thereof by means of electromagnetic force, and in which a fuel injection hole is opened and closed by controlling a valve disc driven in conjunction with the anchor, there are provided a fuel reservoir part at a center part of an upper end face part of the anchor, a through hole extending axially in a fashion that an end part thereof is open to the fuel reservoir part, and a fuel path extending radially outward from the fuel reservoir part so that fuel is fed to a magnetic attraction gap between an upper end face part of the anchor and a lower end face part of the stationary core. Further, an opening part of a through hole that is open to an upper end face part of the anchor is at least partially opposed to a fuel introduction bore formed in the stationary core, and on the opening part of the through hole, a fuel introduction part is provided for capturing fuel running radially outward from a center side part of the anchor and for guiding the fuel thus captured to the through hole.
US08230829B2
A control arrangement for a gas exchange valve in a piston engine adapted between the camshaft of the engine and the valve mechanism, which control arrangement comprises a body part and a chamber arranged therein, into which chamber a connection for hydraulic medium opens and in which a piston device is arranged in force transmission connection with the camshaft and the valve mechanism. The connection for hydraulic medium opens to a space in the chamber, which space increases as the piston device moves in the opening direction of the valve, whereby hydraulic medium is arranged to flow into the space, when the valve is being opened, and out of the space, when the valve is being closed.
US08230807B2
The present invention describes a method for manufacturing a low dielectric constant coating, which coating comprises an inorganic and an organic component, wherein precursors for these components are activated in at least two plasma sources for plasma activated deposition of a chemical vapor phase and wherein said activated precursors are combined before they are deposited from the chemical vapor phase on the substrate to form the coating, characterized in that said inorganic component comprises porous nanoparticles. The invention also describes a device for the manufacture of a low dielectric constant coating.
US08230797B2
The present invention relates to corrosion resistance coatings suitable for elevated temperature applications, which employ compositions of iron (Fe), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni) and/or aluminum (Al). The compositions may be configured to regulate the diffusion of metals between a coating and a substrate, which may then influence coating performance, via the formation of an inter-diffusion barrier layer. The inter-diffusion barrier layer may comprise a face-centered cubic phase.
US08230794B1
A workbench is equipped with a clamping device that has a moveable element. A holding system has a top with a fibrous or pierceable material that is disposed upon the workbench near the clamping device. The system employs at least one block having a working face and a connecting face. The working face is adapted to oppose the moveable element. The block has on its connecting face at least one connector for securing the block in place on the top against clamping forces from the clamping device. The connector includes a first hub and a second hub, each having on one side thereof a plurality of spiral prongs. The spiral prongs on the first hub spiral in a direction opposite that of the spiral prongs on the second hub. The connector also has a manually operable link connected between the hubs for relatively rotating them in opposite directions in order to releasably connect to the fibrous or pierceable material of the top. A workpiece is placed between the block and the moveable element. The clamping device is operated to clamp the workpiece between the moveable element and the block.
US08230792B2
A well car for carrying shipping containers has a pair of end structures supported by rail car trucks, a pair of first and second spaced apart side beams extending between the end structures and a well defined therebetween. A container support cross member is mounted between the side sills in a position to support an end of a shipping container load carried within the well. The container support cross member may be a monolithic beam member with a attachment fitting formed at an end thereof. The attachment fitting is connectable to a side sill at a moment connection. The remaining end of the cross member is similarly configured and connected to the second side sill. Each end of the cross member has load bearing surface portions which may be used for supporting a corner of a shipping container. The moment connections permit a bending moment to be carried by the cross member between the first and second side sills.
US08230787B2
An area coverage, which is carried out by a volume of printing ink transferred to a print stock by an inking unit of a printing press, can be adjusted. An ink feed to the inking unit can be disengaged in zones or can be interrupted in the inking and upon reaching of a final phase of a printing process which was previously carried out by the printing press. The volume of printing ink remaining on the print stock after such a disengagement or interruption in the ink feed in the inking unit in the final phase of the printing process previously carried out by the printing press, is transferred to the print stock until the area coverage made by the volume of printing ink transferred to the print stock equals a specified target value of area coverage for an impression of a subsequent printing process. A corresponding method is also provided for execution in a printing press that has a plurality of printing units.
US08230783B2
A stencil printer for printing viscous material on a substrate includes a frame, a stencil, and a print head to deposit and print viscous material over the stencil. A substrate support supports a substrate in a print position. A substrate support movement assembly includes a first movement mechanism configured to move the substrate support in a first direction, a second movement mechanism configured to move the substrate support in a second direction, the second direction being generally perpendicular to the first direction, and a third movement mechanism, spaced from a first movement mechanism, configured to move the substrate in the first direction. The stencil printer further includes a controller coupled to the substrate support movement assembly to move the substrate support by the first, second and third movement mechanisms in an x-direction, a y-direction and a rotational direction to align the substrate.
US08230781B2
A mechanical press for fine blanking, forming and/or stamping of work pieces has a machine frame provided with a head piece and an O-shaped frame, the head piece receiving in a fixed arrangement a fine blanking or forming head having an upper tool part, a ram provided in the O-shaped frame having a table top for fixing a lower tool part, the ram being actuable along a vertical stroke axis, and a toggle mechanism with a first and second side that is positioned below the ram. The toggle mechanism includes a connecting rod having a substantially equilateral triangle shape with articulation points pivotally attached to arms that pivot about a fixed bearing on the press machine and the ram, respectively, as well as around the connecting rod. Another portion of the connecting rod is attached to synchronous motors through a gear and shaft arrangement at another fixed bearing on the machine press. A computer controller adjusts the motors to equal path-time characteristics.
US08230777B2
A supplement dispensing closure couplable to an outlet of a container, such as a water container. When the closure is coupled to the container, liquid exiting the container through the outlet flows through a supplement retention area that retains a dissolvable supplement body inside the closure as the liquid flows therethrough and dissolves the dissolvable supplement body. A user may select one or more dissolvable supplement bodies and insert them inside the supplement retention area for dissolution in the liquid as it flows through the supplement retention area. The closure may include a selectively openable and closable cap portion. Optionally, the closure includes a filter configured to filter one or more components from the liquid before or after it flows through the supplement retention area.
US08230771B2
A hydraulic arrangement for regulating a lifting mechanism (12) of an agricultural machine (10) is described. The hydraulic arrangement (16) comprises a hydraulic cylinder (24) having a chamber (50) capable of being acted upon by pressure, a proportionally adjustable inflow valve (22) which is connected on the outlet side via an inflow line (30) to the chamber (50) and which is connected on the inlet side to a hydraulic pump (18, 18′), a first outlet line (32) which makes a connection between the chamber (50) and a hydraulic tank (20), adjustment means (42, 44) for generating an adjustment signal for the hydraulic cylinder (24), and an electronic control unit (40).
US08230770B1
An apparatus to remove, energetically, a ballistic tolerant window. The elements include a ballistic tolerant fillet, which extends from the periphery of the ballistic tolerant window. Proximate to a perimeter of the fillet is a plurality of apertures that match up with holes on a tubular frame. The frame and fillet are joined using fastening elements, which are fitted in the holes and apertures. The tubular frame is a polygonal tube having sides useful for mounting the frame to an airframe and for mounting an expanding energetic element with a detonating cord. The energetic element is mounted on the frame adjacent to the fastening elements. When the energetic element is detonated, the explosive force is sufficient to cause the window to separate, energetically, from the tubular frame.
US08230769B2
The invention relates to a device for preparing tissue discs, in particular cartilaginous discs. A device for preparing tissue discs that is of simple structure and ensures safe handling includes, in addition to a clamping device for securing a tissue block by clamping, at least one cutting device for treating the tissue block held in the clamping device.
US08230767B2
A fastener driving tool for an insulation material plug that anchored with a fastener in the substrate has a first drive shaft and a second drive shaft. The first drive shaft has a shank extending along a longitudinal axis having a first rotary carrier for the fastener at a first end and that has a second rotary carrier second end. The second drive shaft has a hollow shank with a third carrier means for the insulation material plug at a first end. A coupler is provided that can be disengaged by axial pressure and arranged at a distance from the first end. The coupler has locking elements that engage into recesses in order to transfer a torque from the first drive shaft to the second drive shaft. Grooves guide the locking elements are adjacent to a recess and, extend helically along the circumference.
US08230756B2
A shifter assembly may include a shift lever, an actuation member, a coupling, a first cable and a second cable. The shift lever may be connected to a housing for pivotable motion relative to the housing. The actuation member may be connected to the shift lever and may be movable relative thereto between a first position and a second position. The coupling may be connected to the shift lever and may include first and second members slidably engaging each other. The first cable may have a first end connected to the second member and a second end that can be coupled to a reverse lockout mechanism. The second cable may be connected to the actuation member and the second member of the coupling such that movement of the actuation member relative to the shift lever causes corresponding motion of the second member relative to the shift lever.
US08230739B2
A sensed element is disclosed for incorporation into an apparatus that includes a rotatable shaft. The sensed element includes at least one sensor-detectible feature detectible by a sensing device for use in measuring a rotational speed of the shaft, a base portion coupled to the shaft so as to rotate with the shaft, and a projection extending from the base portion. The projection is engageable with a portion of the apparatus to limit movement of the sensed element along the shaft. The projection may also aid in positioning the sensed element within the apparatus during installation and removal of the sensed element.
US08230738B2
An instrumented ball for collecting data in an industrial mill comprising a durable sphere defining an enclosed cavity and having a substantial thickness, the sphere manufactured from a resilient material able to withstand pressures exerted by a working industrial mill, electronics disposed in the cavity comprising: a plurality of devices for sensing physical conditions inside the mill, wherein each of the sensing devices outputs a series of sensed values, the devices comprising at least an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a thermocouple, a microphone and a wear sensor, a memory for storing the sensed values, and a communication port for transmitting the sensed values to an external device located outside of the mill, and a power source disposed in the cavity for powering the electronics.
US08230737B2
A gravity sensor includes a chamber, a number of receiving holes, an electrically insulative liquid, a number of pressure sensors, and a number of sealing elements. The receiving holes are defined in the inner surface of the chamber. The electrically insulative liquid is sealed within the chamber. The pressure sensors are disposed in the receiving holes respectively, and are configured for sensing the pressure that the electrically insulative liquid apply thereto. The sealing elements is configured for sealing the receiving holes respectively when the corresponding pressure sensor senses a pressure applied by the electrically insulative liquid.
US08230733B2
An apparatus is provided for loading a spring member secured on the apparatus. The apparatus includes a first mechanism for applying a translational loading to the spring member, and a second mechanism for applying a torsional loading to the spring member. The first mechanism includes a plurality of first elements, and the second mechanism includes a plurality of second elements. Each first element of the plurality of first elements is physically spaced apart from each second element of the plurality of second elements to aid in preventing interference between the first and second mechanisms during operation of the first and second mechanisms.
US08230732B2
In a borehole logging tool, the flow of conductive fluid into or out of a wellbore at the wellbore wall is detected and measured with a sensor loop proximate the borehole inner wall. The sensor loop includes a series of contiguous sensors that act as electromagnetic flowmeters and provide fluid measurements covering the entire circumference of the sensor loop. The sensor loop includes an elastic element that forces the sensor loop outward to maintain pressure along the sensor loop circumference against the interior borehole wall. The sensor loop is designed to lie at a non-perpendicular angle to the wellbore axis, and mechanical arms press the top and bottom of the loop against the borehole inner wall.
US08230726B2
A method of calculating the tip clearance during operation of a combustion turbine engine that includes the steps of: measuring a cold tip clearance and a cold shell-to-shell distance; while the combustion turbine engine is operating, measuring an operating parameter and measuring a shell-to-shell distance with a proximity sensor; calculating the tip clearance based on the cold tip clearance measurement and the operating parameter measurement; calculating the shell-to-shell distance based on the cold shell-to-shell distance measurement and the operating parameter measurement; comparing the shell-to-shell distance measurement of the proximity sensor with the shell-to-shell distance calculation; and calibrating the calculated tip clearance calculation based on the comparison.
US08230722B1
A system is provided for testing the hermeticity of a package, such as a microelectromechanical systems package containing a sealed gas volume, with a sampling device that has the capability to isolate the package and breach the gas seal connected to a pulse valve that can controllably transmit small volumes down to 2 nanoliters to a gas chamber for analysis using gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy diagnostics.
US08230718B2
Disclosed is an apparatus that precisely measures the bearings in a rotor pitch link. The apparatus permits measurements to within a thousandths of an inch to be taken in multiple perpendicular orientations. Namely, measurements can be taken in the axial direction, in the longitudinal radial direction, and in the transverse radial direction. All of these measurements can be taken without having to reorient the pitch link. By using the apparatus of the present invention, a user can detect unacceptable levels of wear within the pitch link bearings to thereby permit timely replacement and/or repair.
US08230712B2
A punching device includes: a lower part including a die; an upper part including a punch support attached magnetically to the die; a punch supported movably on the punch support; and a separating mechanism including a driving unit mounted rotatably on one of the upper and lower parts and rotatable relative to the upper and lower parts, and a pressing unit mounted movably on the one of the upper and lower parts and associated with the driving unit in such a manner that when an external force is applied to the driving unit for rotating the driving unit relative to the upper and lower parts, the external force can be transferred from the driving unit to the pressing unit to allow the pressing unit to press against the other of the upper and lower parts.
US08230707B2
A system is disclosed. It includes a portable electronic device comprising a lock interface member having a first aperture configured to engage with a first security apparatus and a second aperture configured to engage with a second security apparatus. At least one of the first security apparatus and the second security apparatus is engaged with the lock interface member.
US08230705B2
A fluid detergent and fabric softener box assembly which can be attached and detached to/from a detergent supply apparatus, and temporarily stores a fluid detergent and a fabric softener until they are selectively introduced into a washing room in water supply is provided.
US08230700B2
The method produces a coated three-dimensionally shaped glass ceramic body, especially a viewing window pane, which is provided with a reflective, anti-reflective or partially reflective layer. The method includes coating a flat green glass body to produce a coated green glass body and subsequently shaping the coated green glass body and ceramizing to form the coated three-dimensionally shaped glass ceramic body. In preferred embodiments the shaping the ceramizing occur at the same time. The reflective or anti-reflective coating is preferably applied to the green-glass body by an economical sol-gel process.
US08230699B2
A method keeps the width of the manufactured sheet substantially the same by attaching edge directors for the formed sheet to the manufacturing apparatus structure instead of to the forming block. Thus, sheet glass may be manufactured to specification for a longer time with the same forming block. An additional method adjusts the width of the manufactured sheet by changing the distance between the edge directors. Thus sheet glass may be manufactured to different width specifications with the same forming block.
US08230698B2
The present invention discloses a method for temperature monitoring of Horizontal Tempering and bending system (HTBS) furnace in glass industries. The present invention improves furnace heaters shut down performance, thereby causing longer lifetime for furnace equipments. The present invention further increases transparency for output tempered and bent glass. The present invention discloses multiple sensors for temperature control of the furnace, wherein said sensors provide a precise and accurate measurement of the glass temperature separately. After acquiring sensors data, the fusion process is done using Bayesian approach in order to achieve more accurate values for glass temperature, thereby enhancing the system performance and decreasing the number of unnecessary emergency shut downs (unnecessary ESDs) of the furnace heating elements, which are produced due to false alarms.
US08230692B2
A water dispenser is provided, which includes a cold water container configured to store water therein, having a hollow portion; a water purification device fluidly connected to the cold water container and configured to purifying the water supplied from the cold water container, the water purification device being installed inside the hollow portion of the cold water container; and a cooling device installed outside the cold water container and configured to cool the water stored in the cold water container.
US08230678B2
A diesel exhaust treatment system for treating exhaust gas from a diesel engine comprises at least one diesel particulate filter, at least one diesel exhaust fluid mixing chamber and at least one selective catalytic reduction converter (SCR). In one desirable embodiment, plural diesel particulate filters are arranged in parallel and plural SCRs are arranged in parallel. These components including the diesel exhaust fluid mixing chamber can be included in a common housing with the exhaust flow reversing directions a plurality of times as it passes through the treatment system from an exhaust inlet to an exhaust outlet. The housing can be coupled to one vehicle frame rail with most of the housing and components contained therein positioned outside the outer surface of the one frame rail.
US08230675B2
A method for controlling an engine with exhaust gas recirculation is provided. The method comprises directing EGR from exhaust downstream of an exhaust-aftertreatment catalyst to mix with fresh air upstream of an intake compressor and upstream of a throttle valve, and, in response to increased throttling by the throttle valve, discharging the mixed EGR and fresh air from downstream of the intake compressor to the exhaust downstream of the exhaust-aftertreatment catalyst.
US08230673B2
Propellants flow through specialized mechanical hardware that is designed for effective and safe ignition and sustained combustion of the propellants. By integrating a micro-fluidic porous media element between a propellant feed source and the combustion chamber, an effective and reliable propellant injector head may be implemented that is capable of withstanding transient combustion and detonation waves that commonly occur during an ignition event. The micro-fluidic porous media element is of specified porosity or porosity gradient selected to be appropriate for a given propellant. Additionally the propellant injector head design integrates a spark ignition mechanism that withstands extremely hot running conditions without noticeable spark mechanism degradation.
US08230671B2
An apparatus for automatically bypassing tying posts in fruit-bearing hedges has a working head with a pair of vertical drive shafts, each having stacks of toothed cutting disks mounted thereon. Each of the vertical drive shafts having a an opening wheel thereof. The stacks are movable between a position in which the cutting disks mesh with each other and a position in which the stacks of the cutting disks are spaced away from each other. The opening wheels are connected by speed reducers to the shaft such that the open wheels rotate at a speed less than the cutting disks.
US08230668B2
A stalk processing section of a harvester for harvesting stalks of stalk-like plants, the harvester has a main frame that is moveably coupled to an undercarriage. The stalk processing section includes a basecutter assembly movably coupled to the main frame. The basecutter assembly also includes a set of rails and a set of wheels. The set of wheels engage the set of rails. The set of rails are attached to the main frame and/or the basecutter assembly. The set of wheels are rotatably coupled to the main frame and/or the basecutter assembly. The set of rails and the set of wheels are configured to constrain movement of the basecutter assembly along a path established by the rails and the wheels.
US08230667B2
A self-propelled harvesting machine includes an internal combustion engine and an electronic control arrangement that is coupled to the internal combustion engine and that is provided as input the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine and that can be provided with information as to whether the harvesting machine is in operation on public roads or in a harvesting operation. The control arrangement provides as input during the harvesting operation in an automatic operating mode the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine as a function of the situation in a harvesting operation of the harvesting machine as controlled by the control arrangement. In addition, the internal combustion engine can be operated in an efficient operating mode at a local minimum of the specific fuel consumption.
US08230664B2
A flexible packaging structure has built-in opening features in a laminate with a first structure adhesively joined to a second structure. A tear area is formed by laser ablation of the laminate along a junction between the first and second portions preferably prior to assembling the laminate into the package. Laser ablation begins at the center of the tear area and progressively moves the laser in a direction radially outward from the center of the tear area. During assembly of the package, a seal is formed between end portions of the first and second portions of the laminate. A score line and a sealant reduction area are also introduced to the package to facilitate opening. The package is opened by pulling the seal near the tear area in a direction along the score line until the contents of the package are accessible.
US08230659B2
An intumescent strip includes a first material layer and an opposing second material layer. A third material layer, formed from an intumescent material, is positioned between the first and second layers. The intumescent material includes a combination of intumescent particles suspended within a thermoplastic material. The intumescent particles have an activation temperature and are expandable when exposed to temperatures above the activation temperature. The thermoplastic material has a melting temperature that is lower than the activation temperature.
US08230650B1
An apparatus for permitting venting through eaves and foundation walls at low temperature and which closes at high temperature includes a shape-memory alloy spring that has a first expanded state at the low temperature and a second contracted state at the high temperature. At high temperature the shape-memory alloy spring contract which, in turn, closes a pivoting louver thereby obstructing the passage of air. At low temperature, after overcoming hysteresis, the shape-memory alloy spring expands and a counterforce type of spring is then able to urge the louver back into the open position. This process can be repeated, if necessary, thereby eliminating the need for replacement of the apparatus after experience of the high temperature event has occurred.
US08230643B2
A slope planting structure includes containing bags laid on the surface of a slope, stuffing filled in the containing bags, and fasteners. The containing bags are provided with plant seeds. The stuffing composed of plant growing material and absorbent material is filled into the containing bags. The containing bags are laid on the surface of the slope, and then the fasteners are inserted through the containing bags to secure the containing bags on the slope. The containing bags are integrated with the slope to secure the slope, providing protection and green effects.
US08230641B2
A cage type animal trap having an enclosure with an animal access opening into a vacant interior sized to receive an animal to be trapped. The access opening is closed by a door that is movable from a closed to an opened position by an actuating mechanism having a flexible actuating member with one end secured to the door and the other end releasably held by a latch mechanism. The latch mechanism is configured to move the door to the opened position by tensioning the actuating member and, in response to a trigger mechanism, to release the second end of the actuating member and allow the door to move from the opened position to the closed position thereby trapping the animal in the animal enclosure. A door lock in abutment with the outer surface of the door prevents the door from being opened by a trapped animal. A part of the actuating mechanism is in engagement with the door lock when the door is closed such that the door lock is automatically disengaged when the actuating member is tensioned.
US08230640B2
A simulated fishing lure replicates the physical characteristics and swimming motion of a live North American mudpuppy, while preventing a captured fish from escaping by biting through the lure. The lure comprises of a lure body (a head, midsection and tail) and a motion-creating bill. The motion-creating bill and the lure body's tail work together to create the life-like side-to-side swimming motion of the lure. The longitudinal inner cavity within the midsection of the lure body contains an anchoring device to ensure that the fishing line and hook remain secured to the fish, even when the lure is bitten in half.
US08230633B1
A set of multiple recoil lugs for a rifle is taught, consisting of a rifle barrel with receiver end and a muzzle end. The receiver end of the barrel having a cartridge chamber therein and receiver threads with an extended chamber portion over the cartridge chamber and at least one set of forward lug attaching threads located between the receiver end and the muzzle end. A threaded receiver recoil lug jointly engages a rifle receiver on the receiver threads which forms a recoil absorbing surface with a rifle stock. One or more forward recoil lugs are mated with the forward lug attaching threads, forming additional recoil absorbing surfaces with the rifle stock. A barrel lock nut is attached to each set of forward lug attaching threads engaging each forward recoil lug, firmly locking each forward recoil lug securely in place. An alternate embodiment is used when the rifle receiver incorporates an integral recoil lug thereby eliminating the necessity of the receiver recoil lug.
US08230631B2
An adjustable display frame has first and second U-shaped frame elements having aligned free end surfaces that abut to form a small display frame and are separated by first and second inert elements urged by a spring to provide a large display frame. Each U-shaped frame element has a pair of longitudinal slots which receive heads of headed studs projecting from a base disposed behind the frame elements, wherein the frame elements are secured to the base and are capable of sliding on the base from a first position, to provide the small frame, to a second position so as to provide the large frame. The inserts are slidable on the base inboard of the U-shaped frame elements and are spring biased so as to move between the free ends of the U-shaped frame elements when the U-shaped frame elements are separated by being pulled apart. Stops are provided for arresting motion of the inserts to align the inserts with the free ends of the U-shaped frame elements after the inserts have been pushed outwardly by the spring.
US08230628B2
A mounting arrangement for securing signs at select positions along the length of a concrete barrier is provided by forming a longitudinally extending groove within one side of the barrier and slideably positioning a bolt within the channel so that the bolt is captured within the channel for longitudinal movement relative thereto and extends through the groove and to the exterior of the barrier. The bolt extends through a sign support on the exterior of the barrier. A nut engaged with the bolt draws the sign support into secure engagement with the exterior surface of the barrier.
US08230626B2
A flame simulating apparatus (100) includes a transparent electronic display device (116) for displaying images of flickering flames. The electronic display (116) may be positioned in front of at least a portion of a simulated fuel bed (124) or other fireplace objects, so that the simulated fuel bed (124) or other fireplace object is visible through the display device (116). A backlight (118) may be spaced apart from the display device (116) to accommodate a portion of the simulated fuel bed (124) between the display device (116) and the backlight (118) to generate depth perception. To facilitate viewing of side margins of the display device (116), side reflectors (150) may be provided or the backlight (118) may be made wider than the display device (116). In some embodiments, a diffusion layer (217) is positioned proximate the transparent electronic display (216) and configured to be switchable between permitting viewing objects behind the display device (216) and preventing viewing objects behind the display device (216).
US08230625B2
An apparatus for repetitively lifting and lowering objects to create visual patterns having a plurality of units each with a motor, a rotary member, a cord attached at its distal end to the circumferential edge of the rotary member, an attaching mechanism affixed to the proximal end of the cord, and an object removably connected to the attaching mechanism. A computer or microprocessor is provided and programmed to selectively rotate the rotary members to move the objects between selected pre-determined positions along a generally vertical path of travel to establish a geometric pattern of repetitive elements.
US08230624B2
The present invention and related disclosure describes greeting cards with moving elements or devices which are operable to create motion in connection with some portion of the greeting card. The greeting card may include a multi-panel greeting card body or a three-dimensional foam greeting card body. At least one movable object is contained upon or within the greeting card body. A sound module having at least one pre-recorded digital audio file saved therein and a motor module are contained and concealed within the greeting card body. One or more switches may be used to activate the sound and motor modules, causing the pre-recorded audio file to play and causing movement of the movable or mobile object. This movement may be up-and-down or “bouncing” motion, spinning or rotational motion, side-to-side motion or any other reciprocating motion. The artwork contained upon the greeting card body, the mobile object and the pre-recorded audio file may all be part of the same theme and the movement of the mobile object and the pre-recorded audio file may be synchronized.
US08230623B2
A tool for manually moving snow and other loads includes a curved scoop having a leading edge and a trailing edge and a frame with handles attached to the curved scoop. The tool is balanced approximately midway between the leading edge and trailing edge when the scoop is loaded to facilitate adjustment of depth of cut and unloading. The scoop may also be temporarily deformed in response to manual application of torsional force via the handles in order to help accommodate unbalanced loads. A rope or cable can be connected to the handles. Wheels may be attached to the frame to facilitate movement over dry ground. Various removable edge members disposed on the leading edge of the scoop may be used depending on the material being loaded. Further, side panels attached to the frame may be used to enhance load capacity.
US08230616B2
The removal of moisture from an object to be sterilized is provided through at least the steps of placing the load in the chamber, reducing the pressure within the chamber to increase the rate of evaporation of moisture from the load, monitoring over a predetermined period of time the increase in the quantity of vapor within the chamber resulting from evaporation of moisture from the load, admitting gas into the chamber and repeating the steps following placing the load into the chamber.
US08230612B1
An apparatus and method for assessing the straightness of a flight control rod installed in an aircraft. The apparatus including a solid straight bar with a first end and a second end and two rod fixtures. The bar removably attachable to the rod fixtures that are in turn removably attachable to a flight control rod. The flight control rod may be removably inserted into rod fixture rod slots such that there is a measurable gap between the bar attached to the rod fixtures and the flight control rod to which they are attached.
US08230608B2
A drive apparatus for a reciprocating tool includes a housing, a rotatable drive shaft assembly located in the housing, and an elongated plunger located in the housing for a reciprocating motion. The plunger has a front end portion for attaching a cutting blade thereto. The drive apparatus also includes a rotary joint elongated rocker having a lower end portion with a lower pivot connection to the housing and an upper end with an upper pivot connection to a mid portion of the plunger. A wobble plate interface is operatively connected to the drive shaft assembly, a lower portion having an effective lower pivot connection. The wobble plate interface also has an upper pivot connection to a rear portion of the plunger and configured to reciprocate the plunger generally in its lengthwise direction during alternating cutting and return strokes.
US08230603B2
An ambidextrous spill-resistant spoon includes a handle portion carrying a spoon bowl portion. The spoon bowl is rotational relative to the handle portion and depends below the handle portion to self-level rather as a pendulum seeks the vertical. But, the spoon bowl is clutched non-rotationally to the handle portion during a scooping motion to load the spoon with food. As soon as the scooping motion is completed by clearing of the spoon bowl from the food, the bowl portion is un-clutched from the handle portion and becomes freely pivotal so as to remain level as a user moves the loaded spoon toward the user's mouth.
US08230598B2
A rollover wash unit for a vehicle wash system that allows an efficient and space-saving transport and a method for mounting a rollover wash unit that allows an efficient, simple and fast mounting of the rollover wash unit in situ.
US08230595B1
Muffler tubes and methods of forming muffler tubes are provided. In one example, a muffler tube has an end portion with a plurality of outwardly extending tabs, wherein the tabs are folded radially inwards to at least partially close the end portion of the tube.
US08230590B2
A method for mounting electronic components includes a step of providing an adhesive on each of plural electronic component mounting parts on a wiring board; and a step of fixing one of the electronic components on each of the plural electronic component mounting parts via the adhesive. When the adhesive is provided on each of the plural electronic component mounting parts, the center of gravity of a volume of the adhesive provided on the mounting part where an Nth electronic component is to be mounted is shifted in a direction closer to the mounting part where an (N minus 1 or greater)th electronic component is provided neighboring and adjacent to the mounting part where the Nth electronic component is to be mounted.
US08230589B2
A method for aligning at least two photonic components over an interposer, and an optical package that may align such components. The method may include providing an interposer; fabricating electrical conductors passing from one surface of the interposer to an opposite surface of the interposer at selected contact positions; soldering the photonic components over the selected contact positions on the first surface, while allowing solder self-alignment. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08230583B2
A method for self aligning a lapping guide with a structure of a write pole. A write pole is formed over a substrate and an electrically conductive material lapping guide material is deposited in a location that is removed from the write pole. A mask is then formed over a portion of the write pole and a portion of the electrically conductive material. A material removal process such as reactive ion etching can then be performed to remove a portion of the magnetic material that is not protected by the mask structure. An magnetic material is then electroplated over the write pole with the write pole, with the mask still in place. In this way, the electroplated material has an edge that is self aligned with an edge of the electrically conductive lapping guide material, both being defined by the same mask structure.
US08230580B2
Disclosed is a split stator manufacturing method, which is enabled to enhance a production efficiency and to charge a thermoplastic resin between an insulator and a coil by molding the resin. The split stator manufacturing method comprises a setting step of setting an insulator and a split stator core element in a stationary mold and setting an edgewise coil in a movable mold, a resin injecting step of injecting a resin into a cavity with the stationary mold and the movable mold being half-opened, and a clamping step of clamping the stationary mold and the movable mold.
US08230572B2
Systems and methods for creating assemblies are described. One method described comprises providing a first element at a first temperature, providing a second element at a second temperature lower than the first temperature, coupling the first and second elements to create an assembly, and changing the first temperature to a third temperature, thereby preloading and interlocking the assembly. The first element comprises a first dimension at the first temperature. The second element comprises a second dimension lesser than the first dimension at the second temperature. The first element comprises a third dimension at the third temperature lesser than the first dimension.
US08230563B2
A method for forming a piezoelectric component includes forming a plurality of sets of first piezoelectric elements having comb-shaped electrodes and wiring electrodes on a principal surface of a piezoelectric substrate base material, forming a protective film, a seed layer, and terminal electrodes, and removing the seed layer by etching. The method further includes preparing another piezoelectric substrate and performing resin-sealing by laminating a photosensitive resin film onto a principal surface side of the piezoelectric substrate base material. Cu electroplating is performed upon the terminal electrodes, and the piezoelectric substrate base material is cut along dicing lines to obtain individual piezoelectric components. The piezoelectric component includes a first piezoelectric element and a plurality of second piezoelectric elements with the second piezoelectric elements sealed by a resin seal layer such that a hollow section is formed between opposing principal surfaces thereof.
US08230559B2
A fastener for securing together two garment strap ends having confronting faces has at least male elements mounted on the face of one of the strap ends and respective female elements mounted on the face of the other strap end, generally complementary to the male element, and, with the faces touching or closely juxtaposed, slidably engageable in a direction parallel to the faces with the male elements to fasten the two strap ends together. Respective male and female magnets on the strap ends are oriented so as to hold the strap ends in a finder position with the faces engaging or closely juxtaposed with each other and the male and female elements spaced in the direction and disengaged from each other so that displacement of the strap ends apart in the direction from the finder position will engage and lock together the male and female elements.
US08230550B2
An accessory tool according to the present invention comprises a recovery tank assembly for removing fluid and dirt from a surface to the cleaned and storing the recovered fluid and dirt. The recovery tank assembly comprises a suction nozzle in fluid communication with a recovery tank. The accessory tool further comprises a fan/turbine assembly including a turbine-driven suction fan for generating suction at the suction nozzle, which draws liquid and air into and through the accessory tool. The turbine-driven suction fan can be magnetically coupled with the turbine. The accessory tool can further comprise a fluid dispensing assembly for storing and distributing fluid to the surface to the cleaned. The fluid dispensing assembly can comprise a turbine-driven fluid pump. The accessory tool can further comprise an agitator assembly that can be moved from a use to a non-use orientation to allow the accessory tool to alternately be used for scrubbing the surface to the cleaned and for extracting fluid from the surface to be cleaned. The recovery tank can further comprise a rotating outlet conduit with an inlet opening that will have an upward orientation when the recovery tank is tilted.
US08230543B2
An ornamental design of a make-up brush with a replaceable brush head includes a handle portion having an elongated central axis and a snap fastener. A first portion of the snap fastener is fastened to the handle portion and a second portion of the snap fastener is fastened to a replaceable head. A third portion of the snap fastener includes a push button aligned with the snap fastener along an elongated central axis, wherein the decorative make-up brush is symmetrical. The replaceable head and handle portion are wobble free secured.
US08230541B2
A module for supporting rotary brushes and fringes of the brushes for vehicle-washing machines and vehicle-drying machines is provided. The module comprises a pair of complementary components of annular structure that are detachably coupled together, face-to-face, by pairs of axial rods with a free end and an open cavity bounded by a cylindrical wall portion around the axial rods. The axial rods include end sections that are fitted into complementary holes of the complementary component. The axial rods, which are arranged on the periphery of the pair of complementary components, fasten fringes and supporting members for front bristles or combinations thereof.
US08230540B1
A floor and carpet sweeper has a pair of side-by-side brush assemblies rotated in opposite rotational directions with a battery operated electric motor operable to pickup dust, dirt and debris materials from a surface and deposit the materials into a replacement filter box.
US08230533B2
Disclosed are trap valve assemblies for controlling flow from a toilet bowl to a trap way. In one form there is a cartridge unit positionable immediately below a toilet bowl discharge outlet. It has a pivotable gate in a form of a spherical segment. The gate has an eccentric pivoting motion so that it can swing from an open position to a blocking/closing position in which it fully contacts a sealing gasket. The spherical segment has a leading edge which is approximately between +40° and −40° from vertical when the gate is in an open position, to minimize the energy required to close the gate. In another form a ball and socket connection to the gate valve facilitates sealing.
US08230524B1
A glove has a glove body and a closure mechanism. The glove body has a palm portion and a back portion that together define an interior. A cuff perimeter defines an opening to the interior, and an access slit extends from the cuff perimeter to enable the opening to expand. The closure mechanism includes an inner layer adjacent the glove body that forms a band compartment having an exit slot. An elastic band is positioned within the band compartment, with a first end attached to the band compartment and a second end that extends out through the exit slot. A first fastener element is positioned on the second end of the elastic band, and a second fastener element adapted to removably engage the first fastener element is attached to the glove body on the opposite side of the access slit from the exit slot.
US08230520B2
A sports bib, in particular for cycling, having a pair of shorts, which can have either short or long legs, extending into a vest, which ends with a pair of straps. The bib is equipped with a zipper at the housing position of the anus and the genital organs. The zipper is provided with characteristics such as to not produce scrapes or rubbing at the genital areas and crotch on the user during movements and in particular while pedalling.
US08234717B2
[PROBLEMS] To more infallibly prevent leak of information because loss or theft. [MEANS FOR SOLVING PROBLEMS] It is judged whether or not read control information stored in a predetermined read control information storage area of an external storage is proper. If the judgment result shows that it is invalid, virtualized data stored in the external storage is decrypted, and genuine read control information virtualized in the virtualized data is extracted. It is judged whether or not the extracted genuine read control information is proper. If the extracted genuine read control information is proper, the virtualized genuine data in the virtualized data along with the genuine read control information is made usable by decrypting and creating the virtualized data, and improper read control information is stored in the read control information storage area. The proper genuine read control information and genuine data are encrypted to create virtualized data. The virtualized data is stored in a data storage area of the external storage corresponding to the read control information storage area.
US08234713B2
On a host, host content change requests are intercepted in real-time. In a tracking mode, the change requests are logged and allowed to take effect on the host. In an enforcement mode, the change requests are logged and additionally compared against authorized change policies and a determination is made whether to allow the change to take effect or to block the changes, thereby enforcing the authorized change policies on the host. Tracking and enforcement can be done in real-time. In either mode and at any time, the logged changes can be reconciled against a set of approved change orders in order to identify classes of changes, including changes that were deployed but not approved and changes that were approved but not deployed.
US08234704B2
Embodiments disclose a system and method for the integration of data and events to and from physical access control and security monitoring systems that is normalized to standardized definition for enforcement of standardized rules, created through a visual policy editor, affecting persistence, propagation of data and generation of alerts and notifications for physical security, network and IT systems. Data from disparate physical security systems is normalized for visual rule creation by rule object shapes representing normalized security systems, data and processes. A rules-based policy engine enforces security policies and generates actionable events. The overall system provides an integration platform, methods and processes for normalizing data from physical security systems, representation of physical security systems, data and processes for visual creation of rules using defined stencil objects, generating formatted rules, and enforcing these rules in real-time on security systems data and events.
US08234690B2
Secure web-based messaging according to a “push” paradigm is augmented by specific, intended recipient authentication. In particular, a document can be sent to a specified, intended recipient through the Web using e-mail recipient notification, and the recipient is authenticated prior to delivering the document to the recipient. Such authentication prevents a cracker from snooping a delivery notification e-mail message and retrieving the document prior to retrieval by the true intended recipient. In addition, such authentication of the recipient is driven by the sender such that prior participation by the recipient in the messaging system according to the present invention is required.
US08234687B2
A method of establishing secure communications between a first computer, eg a client computer (20), and a second computer, eg a web server (70), whereby the client computer (20) receives one or more security policies (85) relating to the web server (70). A client application (10) examines the client computer (20) and preferably configures one or more aspects of the client computer (20) in order to make it comply with the security policies (85). Once the web server (70) receives the results of this examination and/or configuration process, it can determine whether the secure communications are to be established and whether any restrictions need to be placed on this communication and/or the activity conducted via the communication.
US08234683B2
A method and apparatus for controlling a channel for providing an IPTV is disclosed, which is capable of improving use efficiency of network resource and reducing a channel zapping time by controlling a channel type of each channel and a bit rate of video data to be transmitted through each channel, the method comprising (a) determining an optimal channel status vector among channel status vectors to indicate channel types of respective channels, wherein the optimal channel status vector enables a minimum cost corresponding to the sum of an average channel zapping time of respective channels and an average distortion value of video data transmitted through the respective channels; and determining an optimal bit rate at the determined optimal channel status vector; and (b) transmitting the video data at the optimal bit rate through the respective channels.
US08234678B2
A method for broadcasting video data sequences by a server to a client terminal via a network includes generating a request by the client terminal following an event, sending the request to the server, the request including a video sequence broadcasting order to the client terminal, the video sequence defining a transition between a current or “father” state and a subsequent or “child” state, each state being associated with a static final image and the aforementioned server including a memory configured to store an identifier of each state, a transition table starting from each state, compressed data corresponding to a video sequence associated with a transition from one state to another, and verifying by the server that the child state associated with the broadcasting order is a known state in the transition table starting from the parent state.
US08234670B2
The invention relates to a video system which is able to show more than one channel at the same time. If a user, after watching an original channel sufficiently long, zaps to another channel, the original channel is displayed in for example a PIP, together with the new channel in a main picture. After zapping yet to a third channel, the original channel is still displayed in the PIP. In this way, the user can keep track of the original channel while zapping other channels.
US08234669B2
A data-processing method of receiving broadcast contents and content-related information related to the broadcast contents. The method includes setting a frequency for receiving the broadcast contents from the broadcast station, and recording frequency information corresponding to the set frequency. The method also includes transmitting request information including broadcast station ID identifying the broadcast station corresponding to the frequency information to a server.
US08234664B2
The invention provides a method for ejecting an optical disk and a related ejection device for a slot-in disk drive. The ejection device includes a block disposed on a contact end of an unloading bar. The block stretches out of the contact end of the unloading bar along a longitudinal direction of the unloading bar for pushing a small size optical disk so that a distance between a center of the small size optical disk and a contact end of a loading bar exceeds a predetermined distance. When the small size optical disk is unloaded, the unloading bar backs to an initial position, the slot-in disk drive idles to load and unload the small size optical disk continuously for pushing the small size optical disk outwardly further.
US08234663B2
Illustrative embodiments disclose sending content from a first application at a first location to a second application at a second remote location. In response to a user input indicating a selection of content for transfer to the second application, the selection of the content is copied to form copied content. The copied content is then automatically sent to the second application at the remote second location without requiring additional user manipulation of the copy content. Additionally, the destination may be another user. In this case, the second application is employed to automatically transfer the copied content to that second user.
US08234661B1
An interface system includes a first driver module that communicates through a bus with a first peripheral card when the bus is in a first mode. A second driver module communicates through the bus with a second peripheral card when the bus is in a second mode. A bus control module receives a communication notification signal from the second peripheral card when the first peripheral card is communicating with the first driver module. The communication notification signal does not interfere with the communication of the first peripheral card and the first driver module. The bus control module switches the bus between first and second modes in response to the communication notification signal.
US08234659B2
A change management system coordinates information of a transaction tool managed by a transaction tool management system. The system includes a receiver that receives, over a communications network, activity information and/or lifecycle event information for the transaction tool. The system also includes a storage that stores the received information. Additionally, the system includes a processor that manages a change in a status of the transaction tool based on the received information.
US08234652B2
Mechanisms are provided for performing setup operations for receiving a different amount of data while processors are performing message passing interface (MPI) tasks. Mechanisms for adjusting the balance of processing workloads of the processors are provided so us to minimize wait periods for waiting for all of the processors to call a synchronization operation. An MPI load balancing controller maintains a history that provides a profile of the tasks with regard to their calls to synchronization operations. From this information, it can be determined which processors should have their processing loads lightened and which processors are able to handle additional processing loads without significantly negatively affecting the overall operation of the parallel execution system. As a result, setup operations may be performed while processors are performing MPI tasks to prepare for receiving different sized portions of data in a subsequent computation cycle based on the history.
US08234651B2
A processor processes the task A and the task B sequentially, wherein the task A performs an application to generate data that should be output to or input from an HDD, and the task B controls a data input and output request to the HDD controller.
US08234646B2
The present invention provides a method of implementing a fault-tolerant mutual exclusion lock. The present invention records in a lock structure the IDs of all processes whose failure can lead to the permanent unavailability of the lock. When a process finds the lock unavailable and suspects a permanent failure, it queries the programming environment about the status of all or some of the processes that could have caused the lock's unavailability. If the programming environment determines that these processes have failed, the live process tries to usurp the lock. If it succeeds, it executes some recovery mechanism and frees the lock or proceeds to operate on the objects protected by the lock. The method guarantees recovery from process failures.
US08234643B2
A computer implemented system and method for scheduling jobs. A method according to one embodiment includes the operations of: determining a first possible execution time of a job from a data object containing a job timing entry; determining if a specified base time is less than a first possible execution time of the job; if the specified base time is less than the first possible execution time, then subtracting the base time from the first possible execution time to determine the time until the next execution of the job; and if the specified base time is greater than the first possible execution time, then searching for a next execution time which is greater then the specified base time and subtracting the base time from the next execution time to determine the time until the next execution of the job.
US08234629B2
A method and system which enable preconfiguration of an information handling system to function as a media hub. In certain embodiments, during the preconfiguration a customer can select media services such as television services (e.g., Cable TV or Dish Network Service provider) and an information handling system manufacturer can then preconfigure the information handling system during a factory install process for the selected television provider. Additionally, the preconfiguration process can load media guides onto the preconfigured information handing systems during the factory install process. Additionally, in certain embodiments, if a remote control for a receiver is found, then the remote control settings can be preinstalled onto the information handling system. When a user receives the preconfigured information handling system, all that is necessary to setup the system is to couple an IR emitter to the receiver.
US08234619B2
The present disclosure relates to methods, systems, and software for developing or testing business objects. The method includes identifying at least one of a plurality of business objects in a development environment, parsing the identified business objects to determine various graphical views with at least one of the graphical views comprising a structural presentation of the business object, filtering the structural presentation based on one or more filter criteria, and presenting at least a portion of the views including the structural view.
US08234613B2
A computer-readable recording medium that stores therein a computer program for designing a dynamic reconfigurable circuit in which a plurality of circuit configurations are implemented with a single circuit, the computer program enabling a computer to execute: acquiring a plurality of contexts having connection information between operation devices and network modules, wherein the operation devices and network modules are disposed in clusters, and connection information among the network modules; calculating a cluster count of the clusters and an operation device count for each operation device type of the operation devices in each cluster based on the acquired plurality of contexts; generating a circuit configuration for each context in which disposition of the operation devices in each cluster and connection of the network modules are made to satisfy the calculated cluster count and operation device count; and outputting the generated circuit configuration.
US08234610B2
A design rule management method implemented in a rule verification apparatus for checking a violation against a design rule which specifies a part shape when there is any change in parameters in a system, the rule verification apparatus including: a processing unit for processing information; an input unit for inputting information; and a storage unit for storing a first design rule, a second design rule and relationship strength therebetween in association with one another, the method allowing the processing unit to perform steps including: acquiring the changed parameter via the input unit; and in a rule verification to determine whether or not there is any violation in the design rules that use the changed parameter, acquiring from the storage unit all the design rules having the relationship strength of a predetermined value, and performing the rule verification on all the acquired design rules.
US08234609B2
Disclosed is a method and system for performing design and verification using stepwise refinement techniques, which can also include or be referred to as “top-down” design verification. With the present stepwise refinement approach, the electronic design can be acted upon at different levels of abstraction, but with approximately the same level of resolution at each abstraction level. A strong relationship of consistency exists between the successive abstraction levels of the design. On account of this consistency, properties that are established or true at one level of the design remain true for all subsequent levels of abstraction of the design. The present approach also allows designers to more efficiently and accurately perform hardware/software co-design. For the co-design process, consistency between different levels of abstraction allows a designer to safely implement a systematic and concurrent divide-and-conquer approach to the hardware and/or software elements in a design.
US08234607B2
A synchronous circuit design is converted to an asynchronous circuit by converting synchronous circuit logic to an asynchronous circuit logic, and one or more additional tokens into the converted asynchronous circuit. The circuit is initialized with a desired additional number of tokens placed in the asynchronous circuit, or a desired number of tokens are inserted at an input before taking tokens from an output.
US08234605B2
A minimal leakage power Standard Cell Library is provided. The minimal leakage power Standard Cell Library provides minimal leakage power cells with improved speed characteristics. The minimal leakage power Standard Cell Library includes cells from an existing Standard Cell Library and a set of minimal leakage power cells for a selected set of logic functions. The minimal leakage power Standard Cell Library is formed by identifying a set of logic functions. For each logic function in the identified set, a base case for an unfolded implementation of the logic function is determined. Widths for transistors in a transistor topology used in the unfolded implementation of the logic function are determined based on the non-linear leakage power characteristics for the transistor topology to achieve minimal leakage power. The determined widths are then assigned to the transistors and the minimal leakage cell is added to the library.
US08234603B2
The present invention provides a lithographic difficulty metric that is a function of an energy ratio factor that includes a ratio of hard-to-print energy to easy-to-print energy of the diffraction orders along an angular coordinate θi of spatial frequency space, an energy entropy factor comprising energy entropy of said diffraction orders along said angular coordinate θi, a phase entropy factor comprising phase entropy of said diffraction orders along said angular coordinate θi, and a total energy entropy factor comprising total energy entropy of said diffraction orders. The hard-to-print energy includes energy of the diffraction orders at values of the normalized radial coordinates r of spatial frequency space in a neighborhood of r=0 and in a neighborhood of r=1, and the easy-to-print energy includes energy of the diffraction orders located at intermediate values of normalized radial coordinates r between the neighborhood of r=0 and the neighborhood of r=1. The value of the lithographic difficulty metric may be used to identify patterns in a design layout that are binding patterns in an optimization computation. The lithographic difficulty metric may be used to design integrated circuits that have good, relatively easy-to-print characteristics.
US08234587B2
A system that includes a pop-up graphical user interface that includes menu bars overlapping marking menu zones. The interface pops up at the current position of the cursor when the space bar is held down. The menu bars are positioned around a central marking zone with the common menu bars located above the central zone and task specific menu bars located below the central zone. The common application menu bar is positioned outer most and the common window menu bar is located inner most. The menu bars are sized in a “stair-step” pattern and the commands therein are left and right justified to fill the menu bar evenly. The menu bar menu items are accessed just like menu bar items typically found at the top of windows. The menu bars mimic the menu bars that a user may need to use during tasks that users typically perform using the menu bars found in application windows. The zones are divided into a central zone and four outer zones where user customizable marking menus are activated when a mouse button is held down while the cursor is in one of the zones.
US08234583B2
Media asset pivot navigation is described. In various embodiments, collections of media assets are determined from relational metadata that corresponds to the media assets in a respective collection. Each collection of media assets are represented as a navigation axis along which the media assets in a respective collection can be located, and a media asset can be associated with multiple collections of media assets based on the relational metadata. A media asset navigation interface is generated for display from which the collections of media assets can be navigated to locate the media assets for selection. The media asset navigation interface includes a display of a collection of media assets represented as a navigation axis. A navigation input can be received to pivot from the navigation axis to an alternate navigation axis and initiate a display of an additional collection of media assets that are represented as the alternate navigation axis.
US08234575B2
A toolbar that persists in a browser window across multiple Web pages during a browsing session is displayed. This toolbar includes multiple toolbar buttons. An updated toolbar is automatically received from a remote toolbar source that is independent of the multiple Web pages, and this updated toolbar includes a change to the toolbar buttons. The toolbar in the browser is replaced, during the browsing session, with this updated toolbar. The toolbar can also include one or more buttons based at least in part on customization information regarding a user of the browser.
US08234573B2
A computer program of the type commonly known as a “wizard” is disclosed that initializes user interface software for controlling an audio conferencing device. The wizard allows the desired audio inputs (e.g., microphone, telephones, etc.) and audio outputs (speakers, recording devices, etc.) to be chosen by an audio system administrator. Thereafter, the wizard allows an audio conferencing device (or devices) to be chosen by the administrator, or allows such a device(s) to be optimally chosen dependent upon the chosen inputs and outputs. The wizard then maps the inputs and outputs to the input and output ports on the audio conferencing device. When the administrator finishes the wizard, the wizard computes the mapping parameters and other audio-optimizing parameters for the selected inputs and outputs. These parameters are then loaded into the user interface software automatically.
US08234572B2
A media player can have advanced-playlist creation capabilities such as the ability to automatically generate a playlist around a “seed” song selected by a user. In some embodiments, the accessory can determine whether the media player can use a particular song as a seed song for an advanced playlist and can so inform the user. The user can then operate the accessory's user interface to create an advanced playlist based on a particular song, rather than having to interact directly with the media player.
US08234571B1
Systems, methods, and apparatus, including computer program products for text composition are provided. In some implementations, a method is provided. The method includes processing a plurality of paragraphs in parallel, including defining a paragraph layout for each paragraph, the paragraph layout including line breaks. The method further includes composing the text in an electronic document including serially composing each paragraph, the serial composing including shuffling the processed paragraphs into a particular position within a page frame of the electronic document.
US08234560B1
Embodiments of a computer system, a method and a computer-program product (e.g., software) for use with the computer system are described. These embodiments may be used to generate a set of inter-related documents. In particular, using a random or pseudorandom number generator and a translation list, an interconnected set of documents are created that are arranged in a hierarchy (such as a tree structure). The documents in this set are both deterministic and include a finite amount of variation. These properties may facilitate reproducible testing of technology related to networks, such as the Internet.
US08234555B2
Disclosed herein is a decoding apparatus for decoding an LDPC (Low Density Parity Check) code received in a first format or a second format wherein a process to decode received values each obtained as a result of receiving the LDPC code in the first or second format includes at least F check-node processes carried out concurrently as processes of F check nodes respectively or F variable-node processes carried out concurrently as processes of F variable nodes respectively.
US08234552B2
A wireless communications network uses a beamforming process to increase signal quality as well as transmission capabilities and reduction of interference. An improved Golay sequence is also used in the wireless communications network. In one aspect, the processes can be used to communicate regardless of whether the system is on an OFDM mode or a single carrier mode.
US08234550B2
A decoder includes circuitry for generating bits representing received signals, and beliefs representing an associated reliability of each bit. A bit node computation block receives the bits and associated beliefs, and generates a plurality of bit node messages. A plurality of M serially-connected pipeline stages receive the bit node messages and after M decoding cycles, and generate a plurality of check node messages once per decoding cycle, wherein for each iteration cycle, each of the M serially-connected pipeline stages performs check node computations using all of J component codes, wherein each one of the M serially-connected pipeline stages performs check node computations once per decoding cycle using a single component code that is different that component codes used for all other of the M serially-connected pipeline stages, wherein J is at least as great as M, and wherein each iteration includes M decoding cycles.
US08234549B2
A method includes estimating quadrature amplitude modulated QAM symbols in an LDPC encoded OFDM signal for transmission, performing channel estimation by training sequence to determine channel coefficients in reception of the LDPC encoded OFDM signal; and obtaining channel information detection and decoding of the LDPC encoded signal.
US08234540B2
A communication interface device, system, method, and design structure for error correcting code (ECC) protected quasi-static bit communication (SBC) on a high-speed bus are provided. The communication interface device includes high-speed sampling logic to capture high-speed data from the high-speed bus using a high-speed sampling clock and SBC sampling logic to capture SBC samples from the high-speed bus using an SBC sampling clock. The SBC sampling clock is slower than the high-speed sampling clock. The communication interface device also includes an SBC finite state machine (FSM) to detect a received SBC command in response to a static pattern persisting for a predetermined number of the SBC samples and command decoding logic to decode the received SBC command.
US08234535B2
The present invention relates to methods and a transmitter and a receiver for a mobile communication system. The basic idea of the present invention is to recursively derive from previous HARQ feedback the number of HARQ transmissions that is required to be able to decode the transmitted data successfully and to only transmit explicit HARQ feedback information if the decoding result differs from the derived result.
US08234529B2
An integrated circuit can have plural core circuits, each having a test access port that is defined in IEEE standard 1149.1. Access to and control of these ports is though a test linking module. The test access ports on an integrated circuit can be arranged in a hierarchy with one test linking module controlling access to plural secondary test linking modules and test access ports. Each secondary test linking module in turn can also control access to tertiary test linking modules and test access ports. The test linking modules can also be used for emulation.
US08234524B1
The present invention discloses a method to record trace data in a way that significantly reduces the time required to search for specific events, to create an index, to create a histogram, or to analyze the protocol. During capture, the analyzer recognizes infrequent events and sets an Event-Present Flag (“EP Flag”) indicating that a specific event has occurred. The trace is divided into pages, with a separate set of Event-Present Flags for each page indicating whether an event occurred in that page of the trace. This division of a trace into separate pages results in significant efficiencies.
US08234521B2
A system is provided for rapidly synchronizing two or more processing elements in a fault-tolerant computing system. Embodiments of this system allow for the rapid synchronization of two processing elements through partial copies of the contents of memory associate with each processing element.
US08234520B2
A controller configures a plurality of solid state disks as a redundant array of independent disks (RAID), wherein the plurality of solid state disks store a plurality of blocks, and wherein storage areas of the plurality of solid state disks corresponding to at least some blocks of the plurality of blocks have different amounts of estimated life expectancies. The controller includes in data structures associated with a block that is to be stored in the storage areas of the plurality of solid state disks an indication that the block includes parity information corresponding to the RAID, wherein parity information comprises information corresponding to an error correction mechanism to protect against a disk failure. The controller sends the data structures to the plurality of solid state disks, wherein the plurality of solid state disks allocate a storage area that is estimated to have a relatively greater life expectancy in comparison to other storage areas to store the block that includes the parity information.
US08234519B2
A storage system comprises a first storage device having a first plurality of hard disk drives and a first controller. The first controller stores data in the first plurality of hard disk drives by stripes. Each stripe includes M data and N parity data allocated to M+N hard disk drives of the first plurality of hard disk drives. A first hard disk drive includes data or parity data of both a first stripe of the stripes and a second stripe of the stripes, while a second hard disk drive includes data or parity data of only one of the first stripe or the second stripe. During data recovery involving failure of one of the first plurality of hard disk drives, the data in the failed hard disk drive is recovered for each stripe by calculation using data and parity data in other hard disk drives for each stripe.
US08234515B2
A reconfiguration manager is operable to reconfigure a repurposable recovery environment between a recovery environment for a production environment and a second environment different from the recovery environment. A storage system in the repurposable recovery environment periodically saves production information from the production environment while the repurposable recovery environment is operating as the second environment. The production information in the storage system is used to reconfigure the repurposable recovery environment from the second environment to the recovery environment.
US08234511B2
A representative digital circuit of the invention has an on-chip, non-volatile memory, to which chip-specific speed-binning data that characterize performance of the digital circuit are written during production testing. During normal operation, the power controller that controls power-supply signals applied to the digital circuit reads the speed-binning data from the on-chip memory for use as input parameters for dynamic supply-voltage scaling, dynamic clock scaling, and/or adaptive power control that optimize (e.g., minimize) power consumption in the digital circuit. Advantageously over the prior art, the accuracy and efficiency of dynamic and/or adaptive power control arc improved because the chip-specific speed-binning data enable the power controller to better customize the power-management algorithm for the given digital circuit.
US08234508B2
The information processing apparatus includes an authentication processing management section that requests an external authentication apparatus to authenticate a user who makes a processing request to the information processing apparatus and that acquires an authentication result therefrom; an authentication history management section that manages authentication history information including the authentication result of the authentication of the user, which is acquired by the authentication processing management section; a power switching section that switches a power state of the information processing apparatus; and a power control section. The power control section controls switching of a power state by the power switching section before the authentication processing management portion acquires a latest authentication result from the external authentication apparatus by referring to authentication history information registered in an authentication history table of the user, when a processing request is received from the user in a first power state.
US08234503B2
A method for maintaining computer security includes detecting a connection failure, storing information relating to the connection failure, determining a number of connection failures and determining whether a machine is infected with malicious code based on the determined number of connection failures.
US08234490B2
In a server certificate issuing system according to the invention, the Web server includes a control panel which configures and manages a Web and a mail. The control panel is loaded with an entry screen generator to input application items for an issuance of a server certificate, password generator for generating a password which is used to encrypt, and a verification page generator to indicate intention of requesting the issuance of the certificate. On the verification page, the generated password is indicated as verification information for example. The registration server retrieves the password from the received server certificate request and accesses the Web server to read out the verification information indicated on the verification page, and compares the read verification information with the password. As the result of the verification, the verification information read from the Web server is identical to the password, the registration server decides that the Web server for which is to be issued the server certificate exists. Then, the registration server generates the key pair and the CSR and transmits the generated CSR to the certificate issuing server.
US08234473B2
A storage system maintains a journal of journal entries and at lease one snapshot of one or more data volumes. By assigning a unique sequence number to journal and snapshot, it is easy to find a journal which can be applied to the snapshot. A technique is described for detecting an overflow condition of running out of journal space and recovering the journal space.
US08234469B2
A system and method for creating a backup of a virtual machine running on a host computer is described herein. The system and method operate by creating a copy or “clone” of a virtual machine running on a first host computer on a second host machine connected thereto. After generation of the clone, a backup of the virtual hard disk of the clone can be obtained in a manner that does not consume any resources of the first host machine. The backup of the virtual hard disk of the clone can then be used as the backup of the original virtual machine.
US08234468B1
A system and method are described for providing variable length deduplication on a fixed block file system. In one embodiment, data comprising a plurality of data items is received. A determination is made if a segment of the data items exists on a storage volume. If the segment of data items does not exist on the storage volume, the segment of data items is stored on the storage volume. If the segment of data items exists on the storage volume, the segment of data items is deduplicated with the storage volume. A logical identifier describing a location of the segment in the data stream and a physical identifier describing a physical location of the segment are determined. The logical identifier, the physical identifier and the length of the segment is stored in a data structure such that the segment of data items can be accessed using the logical identifier.
US08234463B2
A data processing apparatus includes a memory which receives and outputs data with a predetermined data width, an operation circuit which outputs a read command or a write command to access the memory, and an access control circuit which replaces a part of first read data read from the memory with a partial data, and outputs partially replaced data as write data to the memory when receiving the write command and the partial data with a data width smaller than the predetermined data width associated with the write command, from the operation circuit. The access control circuit replaces a part of second read data which has been acquired in response to the read command outputted before, instead of the first read data, with the partial data, and outputs replaced partially data as the write data if the write command has been outputted in connection with a read command outputted before the write command.
US08234462B2
Secure erase of files and unallocated sectors on storage media such that any previous data is non-recoverable. The database contains sets of data patterns used to overwrite the data on different physical media. The software programs manage the overwriting process automatically when a file has been deleted. When de-allocated sectors in the file system are pruned from a file or escaped the file deletion process also finds them. Data will never be found on deleted sectors or on pruned sectors is overwritten.
US08234458B2
A method and system for maintaining cache coherency across a serial interface bus such as a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) bus. The method includes generating a snoop request (SNP) to determine whether first data stored in a local memory is coherent relative to second data stored in a data cache, the snoop request including destination information that identifies the data cache on the serial interface bus, and causing the snoop request to be transmitted over the serial interface bus to a second processor. The method further includes extracting a cache line address from the snoop request, determining whether the second data is coherent, generating a complete message (CPL) indicating that the first data is coherent with the second data, and causing the complete message to be transmitted over the bus to the first processor. The snoop request and complete messages may be vendor defined messages.
US08234457B2
Method and apparatus for flushing cached writeback data to a storage array. Sets of writeback data are accumulated in a cache memory in an array with a view toward maintaining a substantially uniform distribution of the data across different locations of the storage array. The arrayed sets of data are thereafter transferred from the cache memory to the storage array substantially at a rate at which additional sets of writeback data are provided to the cache memory by a host. Each set of writeback data preferably comprises a plurality of contiguous data blocks, and are preferably written (flushed) to the storage in conjunction with the operation of a separate access command within a selected proximity range of the data with respect to the storage array. A stripe data descriptor (SDD) is preferably maintained for each set of writeback data in the array.
US08234452B2
A device and a method for fetching instructions. The device includes a processor adapted to execute instructions; a high level memory unit adapted to store instructions; a direct memory access (DMA) controller that is controlled by the processor; an instruction cache that includes a first input port and a second input port; wherein the instruction cache is adapted to provide instructions to the processor in response to read requests that are generated by the processor and received via the first input port; wherein the instruction cache is further adapted to fetch instructions from a high level memory unit in response to read requests, generated by the DMA controller and received via the second input port.
US08234447B2
A plurality of storage devices are coupled with at least two switch of a switch network that is configured by a plurality of switches that transfer a packet that complies with an IP (Internet Protocol). Moreover, a storage control device is coupled with the switch network. The storage control device builds an LU (Logical Unit) that is utilized by a host device based on at least two storage devices that are coupled with different switches.
US08234436B2
A computer system for multi-processing purposes. The computer system has a console comprising a first coupling site and a second coupling site. Each coupling site comprises a connector. The console is an enclosure that is capable of housing each coupling site. The system also has a plurality of computer modules, where each of the computer modules is coupled to a connector. Each of the computer modules has a processing unit, a main memory coupled to the processing unit, a graphics controller coupled to the processing unit, and a mass storage device coupled to the processing unit. Each of the computer modules is substantially similar in design to each other to provide independent processing of each of the computer modules in the computer system.
US08234429B2
In one embodiment, an interrupt acceptance control circuit is provided. The interrupt acceptance control circuit may monitor one or more guest interrupt controllers in a system in response to an IPI (or device interrupt) issued in a guest, to determine if each targeted vCPU in the guest has accepted the interrupt. If not, the interrupt acceptance control circuit may communicate the lack of acceptance to the VMM, in one embodiment. The VMM may attempt to schedule the vCPUs that have not accepted the interrupt, for example.
US08234425B1
An arbiter module is described. In one or more implementations, an apparatus comprises a plurality of interfaces to provide a communicative coupling between a central processing unit, a media drive and a network. The apparatus further comprises one or more modules to manage data routing between each of the plurality of interfaces such that the data is routable between the media drive and the network independent of the central processing unit.
US08234424B2
In PCI-Express and alike communications systems, number of lanes used per channel or port can vary as a result of negotiated lane aggregation during network bring-up. Disclosed are systems and methods for efficiently realigning packet data and stripping out control bytes in a by-eight port configuration as the packet data ingresses from the physical layer (PL), past the data link layer (DL) and into the transaction layer (TL). It is shown that data routing can be reduced to just two, mux-selectable permutations based on whether the STP (start of packet) character arrives in an even numbered double-word side (DW0) or an odd-numbered double-word side (DW1) of a physical layer register.
US08234423B2
A system for managing a circular buffer memory includes a number of data writers, a number of data readers, a circular buffer memory; and logic configured to form a number of counters, form a number of temporary variables from the counters, and allow the data writers and the data readers to simultaneously access locations in the circular buffer memory determined by the temporary variables.
US08234419B1
This invention enables resources included in a storage system to be effectively used. In a storage system 1 including a host computer 3, a first storage apparatus 10 that receives a data I/O request from the host computer 3, the second storage apparatus 10, and including a function of external attachment processing for managing the entity of a first logical volume of the first storage apparatus 10 in a second logical volume of the second storage apparatus 10, when a problem occurs in performance of the first storage apparatus 10, the external attachment processing is released, while external attachment release processing is performed in which path for accessing from the host computer 3 the second logical volume is switched to allow direct access from the host computer 3 to the second logical volume. When the problem in performance of the first storage apparatus 10 is solved, path switching is performed again to resume the external attachment processing.
US08234415B2
A storage and a controller each include an assignment number-managing unit for managing the number of command-processing resources assigned corresponding to a command-sending/receiving pair in combination of an external device and a logical device receiving a data input/output-requiring command; and an assignment-controlling unit for assigning the data input/output-requiring command to the command-processing resource corresponding to the command-sending/receiving pair, the number of the command-processing resources being equal to or lower than the number to be assigned that is managed by the assignment number-managing unit.
US08234406B2
Method of redirecting a request for a web service in a data transmission network wherein, in response to a request forwarded by a host of a client to a web service provider, the web service provider provides a Web Service Definition Language (WSDL) file based upon a message exchange protocol such as Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) on a transport protocol such as HTTP. This method includes the steps of forwarding a first request from the client to an old address of said web service, responding to the client from the web service point associated with the old address by sending back a message with a header, wherein the header using said message exchange protocol contains a redirection to a new address of the requested web service, and forwarding a second request from the client to the new address of the web service.
US08234402B2
A method and apparatus for dynamically encoding transactional information into a document over a network. The transactional information may include information about client data, object properties, or network conditions. The document may contain embedded links with embedded objects that can be requested by a client. The embedded links may contain URLs with associated domain names. The transactional information may be inserted into the domain name so that when the object request is subsequently translated by a DNS server, the DNS server can utilize the transactional information to intelligently translate the domain name into an IP address of a network device that can most advantageously serve the request.
US08234398B2
A method and system for providing computer-generated output and in particular graphical output. An output capturing and encoding engine is configured to intercept graphical output from an application on a server, organize the output into regions having similar motion and/or graphical characteristics, and convert the data from each region into a format suitable to balance transmission efficiencies versus display quality or capability at the receiving end.
US08234397B2
Systems and methods provide for on-the-fly adaptation of a send rate for content sent to a client based on a detected read rate of the client system for data previously sent. The system and method work within the bounds of simple, existing, open protocols and the media files served are playable by standard media playback clients. The method is driven by a request for media content from a client, in response to which the server provides portions of the media content and monitors the reception rate of the content as it is sent to the client. This method allows for dynamic modification of the send rate of the content after the server has calculated an adjustment to correct for the difference between the reading rate and sending rate, thereby allowing for a send rate most compatible with the client.
US08234393B2
Some embodiments of generic network protocol scripting have been presented. In one embodiment, a script is received from a user. The script is associated with a set of connection oriented network transport based network protocols. The script may be executed to emulate a network transaction according to one of the set of connection oriented network transport based network protocols within a network.
US08234390B2
In one embodiment, a method can include: receiving a request for service in a first edge proxy; applying a hash function to a source address of an endpoint; and forwarding the request to a second edge proxy in response to a first result of the hash function, or servicing the request in the first edge proxy in response to a second result of the hash function.
US08234383B2
A first information processor (1) transmits a bubble packet to a port assigned after assignment of specified port from reference port in a second communication control unit (4), a server (6) detects the position of the bubble packet transmitting port in a first communication control unit (3) used in transmission of this bubble packet, and a second information processor (2) transmits a reply packet to the detected bubble port transmitting port. In this configuration, the invention presents a communication system capable of establishing more securely communication between plural information processors for communicating by way of communication control unit (NAT). In this configuration, the invention presents a communication system capable of establishing more securely communication between plural information processors for communicating by way of communication control unit (NAT).
US08234374B2
Systems and/or methods that mitigate overexposure of shared content and that facilitate improving security of content in a computing environment are provided. In particular, the systems and methods involves monitoring resource activities such as user interactions (between users and/or between users and resources), email activity, share space activity, shared content activity, distribution lists, contact lists, personnel or organization structures, and the like. Data can be collected as one or more resource activities are monitored and then analyzed to determine where, if any, changes have taken place. For example, if a user has been removed from a distribution list or a user has not accessed the shared content within a time period, a recommendation can be formulated to suggest an adjustment to the affected access rights. Furthermore, the systems and/or methods can be integrated with other applications such as an email client, whereby an out-of-office indicator can leave access rights as they are.
US08234372B2
Systems and methods of the present invention provide for a user uploading a file and a customized metadata about the file to a file storage system. This information may be forwarded to an application, possibly an API, which may divide the file into a plurality of file chunks if the file is greater than a predetermined file size. One or more tracker servers may check a database to locate optimal file locations for the file or file chunks to be stored within the file storage system. These optimal locations may be returned from the tracker servers to the application/API which may perform an HTTP request to write the file to the file storage system. The file write may be validated and finalized, and the successful write may be displayed to the user on a user interface on a client.
US08234360B2
A system for conveniently extending the capabilities of network systems to support telephony is presented. Also, a method and system for preventing message looping within network devices that support telephony is presented. A network system, such as a proxy server, executes one or more executable service modules having instructions for performing a specific telephony service. A dispatcher operating upon the network device dispatches messages to the service modules according to a set of resource data provided by the service modules. To prevent message looping, the dispatcher executes logical instructions that restrict the service modules from routing messages to each other indefinitely.
US08234354B2
A file transfer method and a file transfer system are provided for making it possible to minimize aggregate waiting time of the whole users for data transfer using a multicast protocol. In the file transfer method of transferring a plurality of program files from a recorder storing a plurality of program files via a network to a plurality of mobile terminals using a multicast protocol, the recorder determines order of transfers of the plurality of program files for the purpose of transferring the plurality of program files in order of digital data files, which is the ascending order of file size of the plurality of program files (step S102), the recorder transfers the plurality of program files on the basis of the order of transfers (steps S104-S109), and the plurality of mobile terminals selectively receives the plurality of program files (steps S204-S207), thereby reducing aggregate waiting time that is a sum total of transfer time of the whole users.
US08234353B2
A firmware providing method in which firmware for an electronic device is downloaded from a service server provided on a communication network to a communication terminal. Display information to be displayed on a display of the electronic device is stored in the service server as language standard data that responds to a plurality of languages in accordance with a model of the electronic device. The communication terminal downloads, from among the language standard data, data in which a model of the electronic device and a language are specified, edits at least a portion of the language standard data, and then transmits the edited display information to the service server. In response thereto, the service server generates firmware for the electronic device of the same model based on the edited display information and returns the firmware to a return target terminal.
US08234349B2
A method and apparatus for managing bookmark information of a media server through a network based on the UPnP AV standard is disclosed. If a request for bookmarking a content item is made, a bookmark item is created and the created bookmark item is linked to the content item by adding the ID of the created bookmark item to the property information of the content item and recording the ID of the content item to be bookmarked in the created bookmark item.
US08234345B2
A system receives an identifier for a temporary destination in response to messaging software at a client requesting that a messaging server create the temporary destination. The messaging software uses the identifier to indicate the temporary destination as a destination for responses to messages from the messaging software. The identifier is logged. A disconnection from the messaging server is detected. A second request for a temporary destination is created. The identifier is indicated in the second request. The second request indicating the identifier is transmitted to the messaging server to preserve a messaging service in a highly available environment.
US08234325B2
A method of generating random access preambles includes receiving information on a source logical index and generating random access preambles in the order of increasing cyclic shift from root ZC sequences with the consecutive logical indexes from the beginning of the source logical index until a predetermined number of the random access preambles are found, wherein the consecutive logical indexes are mapped to root indexes of the root ZC sequences.
US08234321B2
A method for accelerating a pseudo-random input bit flow (PRBS(T1)), generated at a first relatively low dock frequency (f1), into an identical output bit flow (PRBS(T0)) at a second relatively high dock frequency (f0), comprising: collecting the output bit flow, delaying the collected flow by a predetermined value (τ); and combining the delayed flow with the input bit flow.
US08234316B2
A processing device and a machine-implemented method may be provided for tracking file system dependencies with respect to a volume residing on a storage device and guest volumes residing on virtual storage devices nested within the volume. A shim driver may receive an indication of a virtual storage device being surfaced and may parse contents to surface partitions and volumes contained within the virtual storage device to a system. The shim driver may open a guest volume nested within a host volume and may send a register request, regarding the guest volume, to a virtual disk mini-filter associated with the host volume. The virtual disk mini-filter may save information regarding a relationship between the host volume and the guest volume. The saved information may be used to prevent file system corruption when the host volume is dismounted or unexpectedly removed.
US08234310B2
A method and system for constructing a social network using advanced content-based indexing, data and index sharing, and a peer-to-peer network in conjunction with a web site interface. The system uses indexing techniques to identify and share common interests among users of the network, and integrated peer-to-peer software facilitates data sharing based on these interests. Users who wish to join the social network download client software from the network's web site. When installed, the software indexes data on the user's local storage devices by considering possible high- and low-order links between data elements. The indexing software generates an index of user data that is partitioned into separate topic indexes. This index represents a cross-section of the user's interests. The user is then able to join various “friend” groups on the network, and to select by topic which portions of the index are shared with which friend groups.
US08234301B2
A system including a management server, a medium issuing apparatus, and a service provider is disclosed. The medium issuing apparatus includes recording means for recording right information and unique identifiers on a package storage medium. The right information denotes services available to the package storage medium, and includes a download authorization bit and an upload authorization bit. The management server includes receiving means for receiving the right information and the identifiers from the package storage medium. The management server also includes storing means for storing the right information corresponding to each of the identifiers and the identifiers in a database. In addition, the management server includes checking means for checking an identifier transmitted from a terminal device by way of the service provider against the identifiers stored in the database.
US08234294B2
A system, method and database design is provided for unifying data from a plurality of heterogeneous databases, each having business-context related data and a data access mechanism. A database is created (e.g., the UniDimNet) which contains a node for each dimension of an industry. For each data source which is accessible via the system, a set of data source specific dimensions is created and mapped to the corresponding industry business context dimension(s). A set of templates (e.g., UniViews) is created to query the data sources. Each UniView contains a specific question for a specific dimension designed for a specific data source. UniViews query the database they are associated with by using the data access mechanism of the associated database. A central server coordinates the system and facilitates use of the system through an interface (e.g., the UniViewer). The UniViewer allows a user to query the data sources by identifying an industry business context dimension, a dimension instance and at least one UniView. Multiple UniViews can be combined, cached and saved to facilitate complex queries.
US08234292B2
A system, method, and computer-readable medium for optimized processing of queries that feature maximum or minimum equality conditions are provided. A table on which the query is applied is scanned a single time. Rows of the table distributed to respective processing modules are scanned by the processing modules. Each processing module maintains identification of any rows distributed to the respective processing module that have attribute values that equal the maximum or minimum attribute value locally identified by the processing module. Subsequently, a global aggregation mechanism is invoked to compute the query result without requiring an additional rescan of the table. Further, the disclosed mechanisms may be extended to compute top N queries featuring maximum or minimum equality conditions.
US08234291B2
The present invention is a method and a system for determining junk information related to the fields of information filtering, and can solve the problem of improperly predefined junk information. The method includes: pre-defining junk information keywords in data samples; computing keyword scores for each of the keywords; simulating filtering of the data samples using the keyword scores to obtain a filtering index value; determining whether the filtering index value satisfies an evaluation index; if not satisfied, revising the keywords or the keyword scores and repeating the simulating to obtain a new filtering index value; and if satisfied, terminating the revising. The disclosed method can help a user more reasonably define junk information keywords and keyword scores, and determine whether information is junk information based on the keywords and corresponding scores, thereby improving efficiency of information filtering. The invention can be widely adopted in a variety of applications and systems such as feedback systems, guestbook systems, forums and junk mail processing.
US08234288B2
Reference patterns are generated which represent hierarchized data, the hierarchized data being structured in accordance with a schema and being organized in a plurality of items. Primary structural patterns are extracted from the schema, each of the primary structural patterns representing a set of structural information. A list of instances is created for at least one extracted primary structural pattern, each instance associating items of the plurality of items with a primary structural pattern. Instances of one and a same primary structural pattern are grouped into groups of instances according to a predetermined criterion applied on items of distinct instances. For each group, at least one piece of structural information common to each instance of one of the groups of instances is extracted. A reference pattern is generated from the primary structural pattern associated with the one group of instances, the reference pattern including the extracted piece of structural information.
US08234284B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and system for sorting Internet music files, a searching method and a searching engine. The method for sorting Internet music file includes: calculating text correlation and value correlation of each of music files; calculating comprehensive correlation of each of the music files according to the text correlation and the value correlation; and sorting the music files according to the comprehensive correlation. Embodiments of the present invention are to show the user music files possessing relatively good correlation with the searching request of the user.
US08234279B2
A streaming text data comparator performs real-time text data mining on streaming text data. The comparator receives a streaming text data document and generates a vector representation of the term frequencies relating to an existing document collection. The comparator then transforms the term frequency vector into a projection in a precomputed multidimensional subspace that represents the original document collection. The comparator further calculates a relationship value representing the similarities or differences between the vector representation and the subspace, and compares the relationship value to a predetermined threshold to determine whether the streaming text data document is related to the original document collection. If the streaming text data document is related, the streaming text data comparator intercalates the new document into the document collection. If the new document is not related, the comparator may store or delete the unrelated document.
US08234277B2
The embodiments of the invention relate to method for image-based retrieval of an image or text, comprising capturing a digital image; matching the digital image against digitally-stored documents; and retrieving one or more of the digitally-stored documents that match the digital image. Other embodiments relate to a device for image-based retrieval and rendering, comprising an image capturing device for capturing digital image; a device for processing the digital image to match it against digitally-stored documents; a device for retrieving a digitally-stored document that matches the digital image; and a device for rendering the selected retrieved image.
US08234276B2
A computer-implemented method and system for managing keyword bidding prices are disclosed. An example system embodiment includes an automatic keyword bidding module, operably coupled with a processor and a memory, operable to determine a revenue per click value associated with a keyword, obtain bidding information associated with the keyword, obtain automatic bid controls associated with the keyword, and automatically generate a bid value for the keyword based on the revenue per click value, the bidding information, and the automatic bid controls.
US08234265B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for generating and applying query rules. Search queries that are received during user sessions are analyzed to generate query rules that specify a high-performing query that can be used to identify content in response to receipt of a low-performing query. The query rules can be generated by identifying queries that are received in a same user sub-session and defining initial query pairs that each have a high-performing query and a low-performing query from the same user sub-session. The initial query pairs that are identified in a threshold number of user sub-sessions are classified as reference query pairs with which query rules are defined. Query rules are made available to a search system, advertisement management system, or another query processing system for identifying content responsive to search queries.
US08234262B2
Embodiments provide a device, a system, a computer program product, and a method. A provided method embodiment may be implemented in an environment that includes a person viewing at least two instances of content having a common contextual attribute and displayed by an electronic device. The method includes detecting a reaction by a person to a displayed first content of the at least two instances of displayed content having a common contextual attribute. The method also includes determining a content attribute of the displayed first content. The method further includes initiating a search for a second content using a search parameter corresponding to the detected reaction and to the determined content attribute.
US08234256B2
A system and method is disclosed which enables network administrators and the like to quickly analyze the data produced by log-producing devices such as network firewalls and routers. Unlike systems of the prior art, the system disclosed herein automatically parses and summarizes log data before inserting it into one or more databases. This greatly reduces the volume of data stored in the database and permits database queries to be run and reports generated while many types of attempted breaches of network security are still in progress. Database maintenance may also be accomplished automatically by the system to delete or archive old log data.
US08234255B1
A device may receive a packet, obtain data from the packet, store the data in a memory, and send a request to match a portion of the data to a set of patterns, the request identifying the portion in the memory. In addition, the device may access the portion in the memory based on the request, compare the accessed portion to the set of patterns, generate a result by comparing the accessed portion to the set of patterns, and output the result.
US08234242B2
A plurality of catalogs are maintained, and wherein each catalog of the plurality of catalogs includes data sets and attributes of the data sets. An indication that a new data set is to be defined is received. A selected catalog is determined from the plurality of catalogs, wherein the selected catalog is suitable for including the new data set and attributes of the new data set. An entry that indicates a data set name corresponding to the new data set and an index to the selected catalog is inserted in a group table.
US08234240B2
A metrics generation system provides IT and other computing system metrics from different data sources in a single display. Configuration files containing parameters and instructions are loaded by the system to access different data sources. The metrics generation system retrieves IT system health data, processes and aggregates metrics from the retrieved data and displays the metrics based on user defined parameters and instructions in the configuration files. The metrics generation system is flexible in that it can be changed to extract data from different IT data sources, calculate different metric information having a hierarchy of attribute types and values, and display a variety of metric data in different formats.
US08234234B2
Embodiments of the invention provide methods and apparatus to use ray-tracing to perform artificial intelligence path-finding. Embodiments of the invention may cast a ray into a three-dimensional scene to determine a path from a starting point to an ending point. The ray may have a trajectory which originates at the starting point and proceeds towards the ending point. The artificial intelligence system may perform ray-tracing using a spatial index to determine if the ray intersects any objects within the three-dimensional scene. If the ray reaches the ending point without intersecting any objects, the path of the ray from the starting point to the ending point is the determined path. However, if the ray intersects an object, the artificial intelligence system may cast additional rays into the three-dimensional scene and perform ray tracing with the additional rays to determine a path from the start point to the end point.
US08234232B2
A word-spacing correction system and method are provided to automatically recognize and correct errors in the spacing of word inputs in an electronic device with relatively low computing power. In a learning process, probability information about each feature is created from a corpus of correct words, and then error correction rules are created by applying the probability information to a corpus of incorrect words from which all spaces between words of the corpus of correct words are removed. In an applying process, word-spacing in a user's input sentence is corrected by applying the probability information and the error correction rules to the user's input sentence.
US08234229B2
A method for predicting a subsequent resource utilization in a computer system having a plurality of devices includes the step of monitoring, over a period of time, a contemporaneous resource utilization and a number of active devices to obtain monitored values of the contemporaneous resource utilization and the number of active devices. The subsequent resource utilization is predicted, based upon the monitored values of the contemporaneous resource utilization and the number of active devices. Additionally, methods are described herein for identifying resource saturation and predicting the effects of adding a new device in a computer system.
US08234227B2
A timestamp neural network comprised of sensor elements, internal elements, and motor elements is responsive to timestamps. Sensor elements transform a wide variety of signals into events that trigger the updating of timestamps. Internal elements are responsive to timestamps. Motor elements convert timestamps into useful output signals. A real time video pattern recognition system is implemented.
US08234226B2
Methods and apparatus for classifying data for use in data fusion processes are disclosed. An example method of classifying data selectively groups nodes of a classification tree so that each node is assigned to only one of a plurality of groups and so that at least one of the groups includes at least two of the nodes. Data is classified based on the classification tree and the selective grouping of the nodes, and the results displayed.
US08234220B2
In one embodiment, a user device is configured to allow a user to select any one of a plurality of accounts associated with the user to employ in a financial transaction. In one embodiment, the user device includes a biometric sensor configured to receive a biometric input provided by the user, a user interface configured to receive a user input including secret information known to the user and identifying information concerning an account selected by the user from the plurality of accounts. In a further embodiment, the user device includes a communication link configured to communicate with a secure registry, and a processor coupled to the biometric sensor to receive information concerning the biometric input, the user interface, and the communication link. According to one embodiment, the processor is configured to generate a non-predictable value and to generate encrypted authentication information from the non-predictable value, the identifying information, and at least one of the information concerning the biometric input and the secret information, and to communicate the encrypted authentication information via the communication link to the secure registry.
US08234217B2
A method of operating a digital program playback device, including: receiving, via a first communications network, a data stream including an encrypted data portion representative of a program; identifying, from the received data stream, an identifier associated with the program; transmitting the program identifier and a device identifier associated with the digital program playback device to an authorization device via a second communications network; receiving, via the second communications network, a decryption key in response to the transmission; and, decrypting the data stream using the decryption key and generating an output signal for playback of the program.
US08234216B1
A system (10) for carrying out transactions between a customer at a customer station (14, 21, 202, 204) and a service provider at a service provider station (12, 194), includes transferring items through transaction devices such as pneumatic carrier delivery and receiving device (21, 200) and a deal drawer (20, 208). The customer at the customer station provides inputs corresponding to a financial account through input devices on the body which is stored in the memory (82, 158) on the body. After transfer to the service provider station, data in the memory is output to a charge device (56) which is operative to assess a charge to the customer's account responsive to data output from the memory. Vehicle sensors (230, 234) sense a vehicle adjacent the respective transaction device. At least one computer calculates at least one time value corresponding to each vehicle and stores the at least one time value and other data values concerning the respective transaction.
US08234212B2
A financial account issuer facilitating transactions between accounts is disclosed. The invention provides sellers with an irrevocable method of receiving funds from a purchaser and for improving purchaser willingness to transact with an unknown party. The invention also includes the options of interest payments, the use of different account issuers, different financial accounts, budget transfers, spend compartmentalization, cost-splitting, adjusting credit limits, loans, gifting, intermediary facilitating the transaction, transaction tracking, rapid funds availability, confidential transfer of funds, immediate initiation of shipment by a seller, releasing funds to a seller only after approval of the goods, services, or other value, demonstrating proof of payment, and recourse against a remote seller.
US08234209B2
An internet-based system for organization and collection of specialized debt that is delinquent; an example of specialized debt being healthcare debt.
US08234200B2
A system and method of identifying accounting anomalies to assess investment risks and opportunities. The steps include receiving company data and criteria metrics, and evaluating the company data in view of the criteria metrics to produce a performance indicator. Information, such as an easily read visual flag is provided to a client identifying the performance indicator.
US08234197B2
Systems and methods of allocating transactions among business objects are described. Allocation is accomplished using generated allocation rules that are generated using a hierarchical data structure representative of relationships between the business objects and using predefined rules that characterize the business objects. Each generated allocation rule is associated with at least one of the business objects and is used to query a set of transactions to be allocated. Query results, generated using a generated allocation rule, include the transactions to be allocated to the associated business object. Embodiments are disclosed to illustrate how the invention can be used to allocate sales commissions to members of a sales team. The invention is applicable to a variety of business objects including people, organizations, accounts, tasks, or the like.
US08234188B1
A method, system and computer program product for managing aggregate funds held in custodial deposit accounts by a custodial agent on behalf of a plurality of individuals. According to the present invention, the custodial deposit accounts comprise an omnibus transaction account (“Omnibus TA”) and a Omnibus money market deposit account (“Omnibus MMDA”). A corresponding individual transaction account (“Individual TA”) and individual money market deposit account (“Individual MMDA”) are kept on the books and records of the custodial agent for each individual, representing the amount of the individual's funds deposited in the Omnibus TA and Omnibus MMDA, respectively. According to the present invention, limitations on transfers from the Omnibus MMDA to the Omnibus TA and limitations on transfers from the corresponding Individual MMDAs to the Individual TAs are managed by daily allocation of the funds in the Individual TAs and Individual MMDAs.
US08234186B2
An inventory management method and system may be capable of monitoring an inventory by compiling historical data relating to the inventory, defining net inventory needs, and calculating the quantity and/or types of inventory that may be needed to maintain a suitable level of inventory. More than one inventory and respective source may be included in the calculation of the inventory needs. The calculation may determine the inventory needs at a particular location or the inventory that must be maintained at a particular location based at least in part on the historical data, the inventory needs, and the customer's needs. The inventory and/or inventory locations may be consolidated, increased, decreased, and eliminated, as suitable to meet the needs of the customer. The net change in inventory related costs resulting from facility changes such as consolidation, increase, decrease, and elimination may be calculated and optimized.
US08234181B2
A system implemented by an online stationery/card service is described allowing a user to personalize and send non-electronic stationery/cards, the system comprising: a Web-based GUI for designing stationery/cards and envelopes for the stationery/cards comprising: an envelope design region for designing an envelope to be used for mailing the stationery/cards selected by the end user, the envelope design region comprising: a return address region comprising one or more text boxes for entering a return address of the end user; an address region comprising one or more text boxes for entering the address of a recipient, wherein the address region includes a first link to generate a list of contacts in the user's contacts database and a second link to generate one or more options for contacting the recipient when the user does not know the address of the recipient.
US08234168B1
Disclosed herein are computer-implement systems and methods for identifying and analyzing content (e.g., text, images, videos, etc.) published on digital content platforms (e.g., webpages, mobile applications, etc.). Such analysis is then used to determine whether the published content is appropriate for association with (or “hosting of”) a third-party's content. In one embodiment, for example, the systems and methods presented are particularly useful for determining the appropriateness of an image published on a digital content platform, prior to providing an advertisement proximate the image. As such, merchants can avoid associating their advertised products/services with vulgar, obscene, or otherwise inappropriate images that may have a negative impact on their brand or reputation.
US08234167B2
A system and method for an on-line web-based advertiser-broker to subsidize calls of a plurality of VOIP operators' subscribers by showing them video advertisements from a catalogue of advertisements provided by a plurality of advertisers. The advertisement is shown by the advertiser-broker and then the call is transferred to the VoIP operator for call completion.The advertiser-broker provides the clearing-house services between many advertisers and many VoIP operators, subsidizing wholly or partially phone calls of users of VoIP operators by showing them streaming video advertisements of advertisers who pay for the calls. With this new business, phone calls get monetized through advertisers while users pay nothing for phone calls, and VoIP operators do not need to incorporate advertisers to their business.
US08234161B1
A method, system and computer program product for increasing popularity of a website including making agreements with vendors of product for distribution through the website; periodically making available the products on the website to all visitors of the website; and delivering the products to all visitors of the website. Visitors to the website can vote on selection of the product. The products can be made available as a daily reward. The products can be available for installation only for a limited period of time, and can include an installation wrapper with an unlocker that permits installation only for the limited period of time. The unlocker verifies with the server whether the product can be installed and activated, and can be a DLL, an executable file, an ACTIVE-X component, a registry settings file, and a cryptographic key.
US08234160B2
A particular consumable item, purchased by an individual for potential consumption, is detected. Separate health index values each associated with a separate one of multiple health index components are determined for consumption of the particular consumable item. At least one electronic incentive for the individual is selected based on the separate health index values matching at least one health index value requirement specified in a database of electronic incentives.
US08234159B2
A system for delivering targeted content to a device includes a database and a processor. The database stores anonymous identifications for a plurality of customers of at least one financial institution. Each anonymous identification is associated with financial information for a respective customer of the at least one financial institution. The processor includes software that is configured to classify consumers, create a targeted list of content viewers, and deliver a targeted advertisement over a network to a device used by a content viewer on the targeted list. The classifications can be based on the financial information associated with each anonymous identification. The target list of content viewers can be based on at least one selected classification. The advertisement can be delivered to a device used by a content viewer on the targeted list after the device has been used to log onto an application offered by the at least one financial institution.
US08234153B2
A performance appraisal system is provided for reviewing employees' performance of a company. The performance appraisal system may be integrated with a compensation simulator such that compensation for each employee may be associated with his/her respective performance. On a computer graphical user interface, employees in an organizational unit of the company may be shown in a grid pane displaying a variety of performance tiers. The employees may be distributed among the performance tiers based on performance appraisals. In response to an employee change performance tier, for example, an employee may be dragged from one performance tier and dropped in a different performance tier, the system automatically makes corresponding changes to respective performance appraisals. The integrated compensation simulator simulates adjustments to compensations for affected employees based on changes to performance appraisals. Alternatively, the system may list employees in a table and the table may contain a number of sections corresponding to a number of performance tiers. In response to an employee change from one section to an adjacent section, for example, caused by an adjustment of a section, the employee may be changed from one performance tier to another performance tier.
US08234140B1
A system, method, and computer program product for resource collaboration estimation (RCET). The method includes determining types of human resources to be used for a project. The method also includes calculating and storing an effort full time equivalent (FTE) according to the types of human resources. The method also includes calculating and storing a communication FTE according to the types of human resources. The method can also calculate the total effort of each team per phase based on additional communication overhead, and derive the total cost and duration based on the number of FTEs. A data processing system includes various means for performing corresponding steps, and a computer program product includes instructions for executing corresponding steps.
US08234139B2
A system for manufacturing a product receives a formulation specification that includes a plurality of ingredients for the product. The system further receives cost information for the ingredients and inventory information. The system then generates a least cost formulation for the product based on the formulation specification, cost information and inventory information.
US08234135B2
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention sets forth a system, method and computer program product which may include providing an online waiting room and gatekeeper for controlling access to users in a plurality of tiered classification standby lines, seeking access to an online event.
US08234129B2
A system and method for assessing immunological status of individuals and populations is presented. The method includes establishing a database containing a plurality of records, each record containing information representative of the immune status of an individual, including (1) bioassay results, and (2) individual specific information such as, medical history, clinical observations and historical, demographic, lifestyle, and familial/genetic information. By processing the information trends and/or patterns are obtained correlating various variables in the records across an individual, population or sub-population. The identified trends and/or patterns can, for example, be used in health care related decision making. In exemplary embodiments such processing can include generating a set of correlations and for each correlation generating a set of explanatory or relevant hypotheses. Then, for example, each hypothesis can be automatically refuted or supported, to the extent possible. The identified correlations, their associated hypotheses and the results of such automated vetting can then be reported to a user.
US08234118B2
A dialog prosody structure generating method and apparatus, and a speech synthesis method and system employing the dialog prosody structure generation method and apparatus, are provided. The speech synthesis method using the dialog prosody structure generation method includes: determining a system speaking style based on a user utterance; if the system speaking style is dialog speech, generating dialog prosody information by reflecting discourse information between a user and a system; and synthesizing a system utterance based on the generated dialog prosody information.
US08234102B2
One embodiment of the present application includes the preparation of an assertion for inclusion in an integrated circuit simulation performed with a processing device (21). In response to an input to this processing device (21), a set of integrated circuit waveforms are defined to test the assertion. The processing device (21) tests the assertion with these waveforms; and after successful testing, the integrated circuit simulation is performed with the assertion.
US08234096B2
Extraction of component models from PCB channel scattering parameter data by stochastic optimization
Various embodiments herein include one or more of systems, methods, software, and/or data structures to extract models of components (e.g., vias and traces) for PCB channels from measurements (or simulations) taken from physical PCB channels. By applying stochastic optimization to measurements of two PCB channels having different channel lengths, s-matrices (e.g., two-port, four-port, and the like) of the components of a PCB channel may be accurately determined by searching the multi-dimensional parameter space for parameters that comply with the measured values. Once the models for the components have been accurately determined, they may be utilized in constructing a model library that includes component models and is based on physical measurement data.
US08234092B2
A system and method for measuring a lead edge and/or a trail edge media curl utilizing a dual cross beam sensor. The dual cross beam sensor includes one or more pairs of emitters (e.g., a pair to two pairs of emitters) and one or more detectors positioned sequentially in a media path so that a media passes via dual cross beams. Timing data with respect to the media can be measured as the media crosses via the dual cross beam sensor from a leading edge and/or trailing edge. A true instantaneous media speed and a curl height (i.e., media tip height or media curvature) can be simultaneously calculated from the timing data associated with the lead edge/trail edge with respect to each single cross beams of the dual cross beam sensor. An average curl height can be then calculated to enhance the accuracy of the media curl measurement.
US08234090B2
A system and method for estimating vehicle lateral velocity that defines a relationship between front and rear axle lateral forces and front and rear axle side-slip angles. The method includes providing measurements of vehicle yaw-rate, lateral acceleration, longitudinal speed, and steering angle. The method also includes using these measurements to provide a measurement of the front and rear axle forces. The method calculates a front axle lateral velocity and a rear axle lateral velocity, and calculates a front axle side-slip angle based on the rear axle lateral velocity and a rear axle side-slip angle based on the front axle lateral velocity. The method then estimates front and rear axle forces, and selects a virtual lateral velocity that minimizes an error between the estimated and measured lateral axle forces. The method then provides an estimated vehicle lateral velocity using the selected virtual lateral velocity.
US08234083B2
A wind turbine rotor blade having a strain sensor system is described. The strain sensor is insensitive to the effect of twisting motions or edge-wise bending on the measurement of the strain. The sensor comprises one or more strain sensing devices arranged in a circular or regular polygon shaped path enclosing a region of the component. In the sensor system, a plurality of strain sensors are spaced longitudinally along a flap-wise axis of the wind turbine rotor blade.
US08234080B2
The present invention embraces methods for identifying compounds that modulate the activity of telomerase. Compounds of the invention are identified by designing or screening for a compound which binds to at least one amino acid residue of the TRBD, “thumb,” “finger,” and/or “palm” domain; or FP-pocket, PT-pocket or Th-pocket of telomerase and testing the compound for its ability to modulate the activity of telomerase.
US08234076B2
A biosensor has an abnormal output detection system that determines whether an output signal from the redox reaction of an analyte has a normal or abnormal shape or configuration. The abnormal output detection system improves the accuracy and precision of the biosensor in determining whether an output signal has a shape or configuration that may not provide an accurate and/or precise analysis of a biological fluid. The biosensor generates an output signal in response to the redox reaction of the analyte. The biosensor normalizes the output signal and compares the normalized output signal with one or more control limits. The biosensor may generate an error signal when the normalized output signal is not within the control limits.
US08234075B2
A system provided in accordance with the present invention comprises a sever unit (100), which serves as an apparatus for processing information concerning a biological condition information, and a client unit (200), which serves as an information terminal of a provider of the information on the biological condition communicably connected to the server unit (100) via a network (300). The server unit (100) determines a composite index reflecting a plurality of metabolites indicative of the biological condition based on the information on the biological condition acquired from the client unit (200).
US08234073B2
The geological architecture of a geologic volume of interest is estimated through the generation and/or selection of one or more numerical analog models of the geologic volume of interest that represent characteristics of the geologic volume of interest as a function of position within the geologic volume of interest. The estimation of geological architecture of the geologic volume of interest may be implemented in reservoir exploration and/or development.
US08234071B2
An apparatus for estimating a property of a formation penetrated by a borehole, the apparatus having: a first electrode and a second electrode configured to couple to a characteristic impedance of a material disposed in the borehole; a third electrode configured with the first electrode to electrically couple to a characteristic impedance of the formation; a circuit element coupled to the first electrode and to the second electrode and having a characteristic impedance; a first sensing circuit coupled to the circuit element and configured to provide a first signal related to the impedance of the borehole material; and a second sensing circuit coupled to the first electrode and the third electrode and configured to provide a second signal related to the characteristic impedance of the formation; wherein the first signal and the second signal are used to estimate the property. A method is also provided.
US08234059B2
A navigation device 100 having a function to modify a route comprises an operational object detecting part 11 configured to detect a point or a section on the route as an operational object, a fixed point setting part 12 configured to set as fixed points two points on the route sandwiching the operational object therebetween, an operational object displacement detecting part 13 configured to detect a displacement of the operational object, a path changing part 14 configured to change a path of the route depending on the displacement of the operational object while elongating or contracting a line connecting the operational object and the fixed point, and a route re-searching part 15 configured to re-search and display an alternate route continuously depending on the changing path.
US08234055B2
A control system for an internal combustion engine is provided. The control system includes an engine movement module that selects from N engine rotation modes based on camshaft movement and crankshaft movement, where N is an integer greater than two, and where at least one of the N rotation modes is an assisted spinning mode. A diagnostic module enables one or more engine diagnostic modes based on the selected engine rotation mode.
US08234048B2
A hybrid powertrain system includes torque generative devices to transfer power to an output member. An operator torque request, a rotational direction and speed of the output member, and a signal output from a transmission range selector are monitored. When a change in a direction of intended motion is determined, the powertrain system can change rotational direction of the output member when the speed of the output member is less than a threshold. The powertrain can inhibit a change in the rotational direction of the output member.
US08234041B2
A correction value calculating section 70 is provided with a pinion shaft torsion angle correction value calculating section 74 and a pinion shaft torsion angular velocity correction value calculating section 75 for calculating a correction value in consideration with the transmission characteristic of the steering assist torque from the electric motor 6 to the steerable vehicle wheel 9. Therefore, the electric motor 6 can generate the steering assist torque compensating for the influence by the transmission characteristic of the steering assist torque from the electric motor 6 to the steerable vehicle wheel 9 by correcting a target value defined by a detection value of the torque sensor 3 with the correction value.
US08234039B2
A motor vehicle is provided that has a deployable occupant protection device, a controller that manages deployment activity, and a sensor located in a forward portion of the vehicle that produces a forward crash signal in response to crash stimulus. The forward crash signal varies between positive and negative values over time. At least some of the negative values are converted to positive values, defining a conditioned crash signal which is processed with an integrating algorithm, defining a conserved energy crash metric value that supplements processing of a central crash signal while evaluating a potential crash event(s). The conserved energy crash metric value can be used as a confirmatory factor, influencing whether to deploy the deployable occupant protection device. Or, for deployable occupant protection devices having multiple deployment stages, the conserved energy crash metric value can be used in determining whether to initiate one or more of the deployment stages.
US08234036B2
A system and method for determining the state of health of a starter motor to notify a vehicle driver of a potential starter motor failure before the failure actually occurs. The starter motor includes an armature and motor brushes each providing a resistance, and an armature coil providing an armature inductance. Further, the starter motor has a back EMF because of the starter motor being coupled to a flywheel and the vehicle engine. The system and method monitor the combined resistance of the armature and the motor brushes, the inductance of the armature and a back EMF constant of the motor, and provide a signal indicating a potential starter motor failure if any of these three values significantly deviates from nominal values. In one embodiment, the analysis of the motor resistance, armature inductance and back EMF constant is provided by a regression model to determine estimated motor parameters.
US08234030B2
Upon satisfaction of the condition for making the malfunction diagnosis at least one of the EGR system, the air-fuel ratio sensor and the oxygen sensor during the fuel cut of the engine, a fuel cut of the engine and performing the mortaring of the engine by means of the motor MG1 are continued until the completion of the malfunction diagnoses of all objects, of which the each condition for making the malfunction diagnosis is satisfied among the EGR system, the air-fuel ratio sensor and the oxygen sensor. This arrangement ensures the occasions for making the malfunction diagnoses of the EGR system, the air-fuel ratio sensor and the oxygen sensor.
US08234019B2
A device and a method for automatically generating a control order of an aircraft control surface. The device can include means for automatically calculating and transmitting, in the case of a suspected deficiency of a control surface control order, a limited auxiliary order, during a confirmation time of the deficiency.
US08234015B2
The present invention relates to a method for controlling a voltage level of a power supply grid operationally connected to a source of electrical power, the method comprising the steps of determining a short circuit impedance of the power supply grid at a point of common coupling, calculating, using the determined short circuit impedance, a gain value of the power supply grid, and controlling the grid voltage level in accordance with the calculated gain value by applying said gain value as a gain parameter in a voltage controller. The method according to the present invention may be implemented as a method for configuring a voltage controller once and for all, or it may be implemented as a method for adaptively adjusting a gain of a voltage controller.
US08234011B2
A technique to wholly recognize the surrounding environment may be provided by excluding unknown environment which arises due to parts of a body of a robot hindering the sight of the robot during operations.The robot of the present invention is provided with a body trunk including head and torso, at least one connected member that is connected to the body trunk by a joint in which a driving mechanism is provided, a body trunk side camera that is arranged on the body trunk, and a connected member side camera that is arranged on the connected member. Further, the robot is provided with a composite image creation unit that creates composite image of a body trunk side image taken by the body trunk side camera and a connected member side image taken by the connected member side camera, such that a part of the body trunk side image is replaced with a part of the connected member side image so as to exclude the connected member from the body trunk side image.
US08234008B2
A medication cabinet that includes at least one drawer, a drive mechanism, and a drawer latching mechanism, is disclosed. The drawer includes a slider, and a container that includes a receptacle and a lid that moves between an open position and a closed position. The container also includes a fastener to fasten the lid to the receptacle. The slider maintains the lid in the closed position when at least a portion of the wall is coupled with the fastener, and actuates the lid from the closed position to the open position when the fastener passes through an opening in the wall. The drive mechanism controls longitudinal movement of the slider, and is mounted to the chassis, allowing the drawer to be free of electrical connections with the chassis. When the drive mechanism is not used to move the lid into the open position, longitudinal movement of the slider is inhibited.
US08233999B2
There is provided a visual music classification and management system. Each music item in a user's collection will be analyzed to identify its musical characteristics along with some estimate of the degree of confidence associated with that characteristic. By using characteristics, so-called music aspects, it will be possible to efficiently categorize the contents of a music database. Each music item will be stored in a database with the calculated values as will the characterizing aspect. The database contents will be displayed by drawing icons representing the music items on a user's screen, with the size (or other visual aspect) of the icon reflecting the degree of confidence with that categorization. Searches of the database will be performed by on-screen manipulations of the aspect cluster-positioned music items.
US08233993B2
An implantable stimulation system including epidural lead for spinal cord stimulation that includes a paddle having a curved proximal end and lateral winged tips and an array of electrodes coupled to conductors within a lead body. The conductors couple to a pulse generator or other stimulation device. The curved and winged paddle provides more complete electrical stimulation coverage to targeted human tissue by minimizing the potential gap between electrodes and targeted fibers.
US08233982B2
In various method embodiments, a supraventricular arrhythmia event is detected, and a supraventricular arrhythmia treatment, including neural stimulation to elicit a sympathetic response, is delivered in response to a detected supraventricular arrhythmia event. Some embodiments detect a precursor for a supraventricular arrhythmia episode, and deliver prophylactic neural stimulation to avoid the supraventricular arrhythmia event. Some embodiments detect a supraventricular arrhythmia episode, and deliver therapeutic neural stimulation for the supraventricular arrhythmia event.
US08233979B1
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to devices, systems and methods for pacing and sensing, in a chamber of a patient's heart, that provide for good sensed R wave amplitudes and capture thresholds, yet avoids extracardiac stimulation. Such benefits are achieved by using what is referred to herein as a “distributed” anode, where one portion of the anode is within 5 mm of the cathode, but another portion of the anode is at least 10 mm from the cathode. While especially useful for pacing and sensing in the left ventricle, embodiments of the present invention can be used to pace and sense in any chamber of the heart.
US08233975B2
A method for measuring an impedance of a body includes the steps of electrically coupling first and second electrodes to the body and electrically biasing a variable frequency relaxation oscillator. The oscillator has both a positive resistive feedback network and a negative feedback network which includes the electrodes. The method further includes a step of measuring the period of oscillation of the variable frequency oscillator. The measured period of oscillation is indicative of the impedance of the body.
US08233974B2
The present invention provides a method of assessing tissue oedema, in particular lymphoedema, by measuring bioelectrical impedance at a single frequency. Comparison of a single frequency bioelectrical impedance measurement taken at an anatomical region affected by tissue oedema to that taken at an anatomical region unaffected by tissue oedema is a reliable indicator of the presence or possible presence of lymphoedema. The present invention further provides an apparatus for determining the presence of tissue oedema.
US08233964B2
A method for visualizing airways in chest images, includes: computing a distance map of a segmented bronchial tree; extracting data from the segmented bronchial tree using the distance map; and visualizing a three-dimensional (3D) image of the segmented bronchial tree color-coded according to the extracted data.
US08233958B2
Systems and methods for dynamically and intelligently estimating analyte data from a continuous analyte sensor, including receiving a data stream, selecting one of a plurality of algorithms, and employing the selected algorithm to estimate analyte values. Additional data processing includes evaluating the selected estimative algorithms, analyzing a variation of the estimated analyte values based on statistical, clinical, or physiological parameters, comparing the estimated analyte values with corresponding measure analyte values, and providing output to a user. Estimation can be used to compensate for time lag, match sensor data with corresponding reference data, warn of upcoming clinical risk, replace erroneous sensor data signals, and provide more timely analyte information encourage proactive behavior and preempt clinical risk.
US08233956B2
A medical device includes a connector which contacts a sensor to electrically connect the sensor with a measurement circuit in a medical device, a contact terminal which constitutes the connector, and a slide pin which ejects the sensor out of the medical device. The slide pin performs the operation of pushing up the contact terminal contacting the sensor as well as the operation of pushing the sensor out of the medical device. Since the contact terminal is completely lifted up by the inclined surface of the upper end part of the slide pin before the sensor is discarded, there occurs no reaction due to rebound of the contact terminal which might occur at the moment when the contact terminal of the connector is separated from the sensor, and thereby the sensor can be discarded so as to fall freely.
US08233953B2
An optical-based sensor for detecting the presence or amount of an analyte using both indicator and reference channels. The sensor has a sensor body with a source of radiation embedded therein. Radiation emitted by the source interacts with indicator membrane indicator molecules proximate the surface of the body. At least one optical characteristic of these indicator molecules varies with analyte concentration. For example, the level of fluorescence of fluorescent indicator molecules or the amount of light absorbed by light-absorbing indicator molecules can vary as a function of analyte concentration. In addition, radiation emitted by the source also interacts with reference membrane indicator molecules proximate the surface of the body. Radiation (e.g., light) emitted or reflected by these indicator molecules enters and is internally reflected in the sensor body. Photosensitive elements within the sensor body generate both indicator channel and reference channel signals to provide an accurate indication of the concentration of the analyte. Preferred embodiments are totally self-contained and are sized and shaped for use in vivo in a human being. Such embodiments preferably include a power source, e.g. an inductor, which powers the source of radiation using external means, as well as a transmitter, e.g. an inductor, to transmit to external pickup means the signal representing the level of analyte.
US08233947B2
A neckpad communications system for a helmet includes a neckpad body that includes coupling members for detachably coupling the neckpad body to a surface of the helmet. The system includes a communications unit having a first part that is disposed within and covered by the neckpad body and is configured to permit audio communication with another remote device and a second part including audio transducers located at least partially outside the neckpad body. The audio transducers are operatively connected to the communications unit and can include at least one speaker and a microphone. The neckpad body includes cushioning to allow it to be worn against a user's body and includes controls associated with the communications unit that are accessible exteriorly.
US08233945B2
A rotary mechanism includes a base (10), a cover (30), a torsion spring (40) and a locking module (20). The rotary cover is rotatably mounted to the base. Two ends of the torsion spring are fixed with the base and the cover, respectively. The locking module limits the cover from rotating relative to the base. When the cover overcomes the limitation of the locking module, the cover can automatically rotate relative to the base due to the torsion spring.
US08233944B2
A method and apparatus for a wireless telephone having at least two speakers include a first speaker mounted on a folder housing of the wireless telephone; and a second speaker mounted on a body housing of the wireless telephone. The first and second speakers can be a telephone conversation speaker or a multimedia speaker, where the multimedia speaker outputs a message reception alert tone or a ringing tone. The method and apparatus further include a rotary section for rotating the folder housing, where the first or second speakers can be mounted on the rotary section.
US08233943B1
A recipient activates or deactivates user alerts associated with the receipt and/or availability of communications using rules in an alert profile stored on a device, a server, or a location accessible to the server. In one embodiment, the device can implement the rules when a communication is received and/or available. If an alert is activated, the device renders the alert. If the alert is deactivated, the device does not render the alert unless and until the alert is activated. In another embodiment, the server can implement the rules. If the alert is activated when the communication is transmitted to the device, the server also transmits alert-rendering instructions, whereupon the device can render the alert as specified in the instructions. If the alert is deactivated when the communication is transmitted to the device, the server does not transmit the instructions unless and until the alert is activated.
US08233940B2
A technique of being capable to decrease the number of times of delivery and receipt of information on a common channel setup between a base station equipment and a base station control equipment. A communication system includes base station equipment and a base station control equipment which controls the base station equipment. The base station control equipment is capable of supplying information necessary for the common channel setup to the base station equipment, and the base station equipment produces a track-record notification signal indicating a track record of the common channel setup while performing the common channel setup on the basis of the information. The base station control equipment does not supply the information necessary for the common channel setup when receiving the track-record notification signal from the base station equipment.
US08233939B2
Embodiments of methods and apparatus for a multiuser sector micro diversity system are described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US08233936B2
A system and method of operating a radio communication system uses a random access channel to enable a secondary station to transmit a message to a primary station. The secondary station transmits a preamble to the primary station. After successful receipt of the preamble the primary station transmits a control channel including power control information to instruct the secondary station to adjust the output power of its transmitter. This ensures that the secondary station transmits at a sufficient power for the message to be received successfully by the primary station, while minimizing interference generated by the transmission.
US08233925B1
A method and system for qualifying and transmitting an invitation to a mobile phone number to receive digital communications is disclosed herein. A customer profile stored at a CRM database is analyzed and processed to determine if the data capable phone carrier and data capable communication device is associated with a phone number in the customer profile that has opted-in to receive digital communications such as for a mobile marketing campaign.
US08233919B2
A method, system, and medium are provided for distributing transportation alerts to computing devices in accordance with factors, such as device-specific and location-specific factors. In embodiments of the present invention, travel alerts, including public alerts associated with certain areas, are formatted or held prior to delivery, based on safety concerns, legal requirements, device settings, or other considerations.
US08233918B2
A digital content distribution system and method are disclosed for delivering location specific content to an ad hoc group of mobile subscribers. The system consists of a downloadable application that runs on the subscribers mobile communication device and communicates with a server-based content composer system. The content composer system manages outgoing content based upon the geographic location reported by a mobile communication device application and the demographic and preference data stored in a subscriber database. Emergency alerts are sent only to subscribers in a area covered by the alert. The emergency alerts are executed on the mobile communication device even though the mobile communication device is in a low power sleep or hibernate mode. Moreover, the emergency alerts take over the mobile communications device no matter what other tasks are being executed when the emergency alert is received.
US08233916B2
A system for establishing multi-party wireless game sessions includes a game session broker and at least two wireless units. Each wireless unit includes a first wireless device having relatively low power consumption and a second wireless device having relatively high power consumption. The game session broker is configured to receive a session ready message that includes location information for a first player and search for a second player having location information matching the location information for the first player. Upon finding a matching player, the game session broker sends session available messages to the wireless units associated with the first and second players. Session ready messages are sent and session available message are received using the first wireless devices. Upon receiving the session available message, the first and second players can establish a wireless game session using their respective second wireless devices. Preferably, the second wireless devices are maintained powered-off until a session available message is received.
US08233912B2
Embodiments herein may use first and second path loss values L1 and L2 to calculate first and second distances R1 and R2 between the MS and first and second base stations BS1 and BS2, respectively, in a wireless packet-carrying network. L1 and L2 may comprise values of a reduction in signal strength of signals as transmitted by the BS1 and the BS2 and as received by the MS. The MS may triangulate its position relative to a grid using R1 and R2. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US08233893B2
A mobile handset in a mobile services network, with access to a plurality of services including a firmware/software update service, is also capable of updating its update agent using an appropriate update package that is retrieved from an update package repository via a management server. A generator with nodes preprocessor is used to create an update package and associated information, such as nodes information and filter information, by comparing two different versions of the firmware/software of the mobile handset.
US08233887B2
A wireless communication device comprises a user interface, a memory, a wireless communication interface, and a processing system. The wireless communication interface is configured to wirelessly receive a message. The processing system is configured to direct the memory to store the message. The processing system is configured to drive the user interface to display the message, display a message redaction indicator, and responsively receive a message redaction instruction. The processing system is configured to redact a portion of the message responsive to the message redaction instruction and direct the memory to store the redacted portion of the message. The processing system is configured to drive the user interface to display the message without the redacted portion, display a message recovery indicator, and responsively receive a message recovery instruction. The processing system is configured to recover the message responsive to the message recovery instruction and drive the user interface to display the message with the previously redacted portion.
US08233878B2
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for handset assisted resource utilization verification are disclosed. According to one method, first usage information is obtained from a mobile handset in response to the mobile handset being operated at a first time. Second usage information is obtained from the mobile handset in response to the mobile handset being operated at a second time. Based on the first and second usage information, an indication of network resource utilization is determined for the mobile handset between the first and second times. The first and second usage information may be obtained by polling the handset by sending query messages for the usage information to the handset or by triggering the handset to send the usage information in response to the expiration of a handset-implemented timer.
US08233877B2
A mobile terminal capable of operating in a Discontinuous Transmission mode during an active voice call with a remote party is also capable of operating in a Discontinuous Reception mode during the same active voice call. Particularly, a receiving mobile terminal monitors when the remote party stops transmitting speech during the active voice call. If there are no speech signals to receive, the mobile terminal switches it's receiver “off” for selected receive time slots to save battery power.
US08233875B2
An access node receives a device beacon transmitted from a wireless communication device in accordance with a system timing of a wireless wide area network (WWAN). When transmitted within a WWAN uplink channel, the device beacon is mapped to designated beacon channels within the time-frequency space of the uplink WWAN channel assignment. In response to the reception of the device beacon, communications between the wireless communication device and the access node are established. In one example, the access node is a femtocell base station. In another example, the access node is a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point.
US08233874B2
A wireless communication apparatus includes a local oscillator that generates a plurality of LO (Local Oschillation) signals corresponding to frequencies of a plurality of input RF (Radio Frequency) signals, an accumulator that accumulates the plurality of LO signals generated by the local oscillator to generate an accumulated signal, a mixer that mixes the plurality of RF signals and the accumulated signal generated by the accumulator and to generate a plurality of base band signals, and a first signal processing unit that executes a signal process with respect to the plurality of base band signals generated by the mixer.
US08233872B2
There is provided a radio-frequency communication device that can sufficiently eliminate a leakage signal from a transmission side included in a received signal. The communication device includes a cancel amplitude controlling unit 62 selectively suppressing supply of a cancel signal to a cancel signal synthesizing unit 52, a received-signal terminating unit 50 selectively terminating a received-signal input terminal 64i, a signal strength detecting unit 78 detecting a signal strength, a memory unit 82 storing a signal strength detected by the signal strength detecting unit 78, a signal strength comparing unit 80 comparing a plurality kinds of signal strengths read out from the memory unit 82, and a cancel signal controlling unit 72 controlling an amplitude and/or a phase of the cancel signal based on a result of the comparison by the signal strength comparing unit 80. Thus, suppressing the cancel signal by the cancel amplitude controlling unit 62 enables accurate detection of a strength of the received signal, as well as terminating the received signal by the received-signal terminating unit 50 enables accurate detection of a strength of the cancel signal.
US08233869B2
An apparatus such as a television signal receiver provides an AGC function which reduces cross-modulation distortion. According to an exemplary embodiment, the apparatus includes first and second amplifiers coupled in series and a gain control circuit. The gain control circuit controls the gains of the first and second amplifiers in response to the magnitude of the input signal. The gain of the first amplifier remains substantially unchaged at a first level while the magnitude of the input signal is within a first range. The gain of the second amplifier is gradually reduced in the first range. The gain of the first amplifier remains substantially unchaged at a second level, which is lower than the first level, while the magnitude of the input signal is within a second range. The gain of the second amplifier gradually reduced in the second range. The gain of first amplifier is gradually reduced at least in part of a third range while the magnitude of the input signal is within the third range. The gain of the second amplifer remains substantially unchaged in the third range.
US08233865B2
The noise amount information storage unit 161 stores noise amount information which indicates relationships between gain value of the variable gain amplification units 121 and 125 and the amount of noise included in BB signals output from the down converters 131 and 135. The AGC unit 140 controls the gain value of the variable gain amplification units 121 and 125 so that the power of BB signals output from the down converters 131 and 135 becomes constant. The noise amount estimation unit 162 estimates noise amount of noise corresponding to the controlled gain value of the variable gain amplification units 121 and 125 by referring to the noise amount information stored in the noise amount information storage unit 161. The weight generation unit 170 generates weight matrix based on results of estimations performed by the channel characteristic estimation unit 150 and the noise estimation unit 162.
US08233861B1
A system for transmitting a broadband signal over an electrically short antenna which includes a plurality of switched impedance synthesis transmit antenna matching circuits which are dynamically controlled with knowledge of the transmitting broadband signal to match the dynamic impedance of the electrically short antenna during transmission.
US08233857B2
A measurement system includes a detector to generate a measurement signal responsive to an input signal, and a nulling circuit coupled to the detector to generate a control signal responsive to the difference between the measurement signal and a set-point signal. The nulling circuit may include a bandwidth compensation stage to maintain the overall control loop bandwidth at a substantially constant value.
US08233854B2
A polar modulator for generating a polar-modulated signal based on amplitude information and phase information includes a phase-locked loop which is implemented to enable a setting of a frequency depending on a control value to obtain a phase-locked loop output signal. The polar modulator further includes a modulation means which is implemented to combine an amplitude modulation signal derived from the amplitude information with the phase-locked loop output signal to generate the polar-modulated signal. The polar modulator further includes a control value generator which is implemented to high-pass filter an amplitude signal derived from the amplitude information, to obtain a high-pass filtered amplitude signal, wherein the control value generator is implemented to combine the high-pass filtered amplitude signal with a phase signal based on the phase information to generate the control value signal representing the control value.
US08233852B2
An apparatus may include a non-linear module, a control module, and a calibration module. The non-linear module produces an output signal from an input signal. The control module selects, upon an occurrence of a calibration condition, a calibration operation from two or more calibration operations. Each of the two or more calibration operations may generate one or more correction values for the non-linear module. Further, each of the calibration operations produces the input signal from a pre-input signal. This selected calibration operation is performed by the calibration module. The two or more calibration operations include a first calibration operation and a second calibration operation. The first calibration operation produces the input signal from the pre-input signal according to a predictive technique. The second calibration operation produces the input signal from the pre-input signal according to a non-predictive technique.
US08233850B1
A method for amplifying a modulated input signal includes separating a dominant low-frequency amplitude component from the modulated input signal. The method further includes separating, from the modulated input signal, a residual signal from which the dominant low-frequency amplitude component has been removed, wherein the residual signal retains the phase information of the input signal, and wherein the residual signal maintains a portion of the amplitude modulation of the input signal. The method yet further includes providing the residual signal to an amplifier while modulating an amplifier supply voltage as a function of the dominant low-frequency amplitude component.
US08233848B2
Certain aspects of a method and system for processing signals in a communication system may include maximizing system capacity for a time division duplex (TDD) multiuser multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) downlink system, based on a single signal for a single user within a reduced search range or the single signal for the single user and at least one other signal for one other user within a remaining portion of the reduced search range. The reduced search range may be generated by sorting a plurality of signals based on a channel gain corresponding to each of the plurality of signals. The single signal for the single user may be selected from the reduced search range corresponding to a channel gain that is greater than a channel gain corresponding to a remaining portion of the reduced search range.
US08233840B2
Methods, systems, and devices are described for synchronization in mesh satellite communications. The arrival time of the gateway signal may be used to set a start of receive frame time for a terminal. A received control signal from the gateway may then be used to set a start of transmit frame time for the user terminal. The distance between the satellite and the gateway may change. Ephemeris data, various collections of terminal measurements, or terminal sync bursts may be used to modify start of transmit frame or start of receive frame settings for the terminal or gateway.
US08233833B2
A fixing device includes a flexible endless fixing member that travels in a prescribed direction and applies heat and melts a toner image, a pressure applying member that pressure contacts the fixing member and forms a nip for conveying a recording medium, and a resistance heat element secured inside an inner circumferential surface of the fixing member, which applies heat to the fixing member. The resistance heat element is arranged not to pressure contact the inner circumferential surface of the fixing member.
US08233831B2
In a fixing device including a fixing roller, a pressure roller and an external heating section, a scraper is arranged to contact a circumferential surface of an external heating belt and scrape toner and the like on the circumferential surface to thereby clean the circumferential surface. In addition, a material that has higher adherence to toner than on a circumferential surface of the fixing roller is used for the external hating belt to thereby peel the toner and the like on the circumferential surface of the fixing roller and clean the circumferential surface of the fixing roller. Further, as a vibration applying section adapted to apply vibration to the scraper, a first contact/separation section adapted to contact/separate the external heating section with/from the fixing roller is provided. Vibration is applied to the scraper by the first contact/separation to peel the toner and the like off the scraper.
US08233819B2
An image forming device capable of attaching and detaching a process cartridge to and from a frame without mechanical interference of the process cartridge with sheet feed unit and an LED array and without any movement of the LED array. 1. The image forming device includes the process cartridge detachably assembled in a frame and accessible through a front opening upon opening a door. The cartridge includes a casing movably supported by the frame, a photosensitive drum, a charger, and a developing roller. A sheet cassette is detachably installed to the frame at a position below the process cartridge for accommodating a stack of sheets. A sheet feed unit is supported to the process cartridge. The LED array is supported to the frame and is provided independent of the casing. A guide structure is provided at tire frame to guide movement of the process cartridge along with the sheet feed unit from an image forming operating position toward the door and away from the LED array.
US08233814B2
A developer supplying apparatus can include a first chamber and a second chamber defined within a housing. Each of the first and second chambers may include an agitator disposed therein. A magnetic body may be disposed near the first chamber to receive toner from the first chamber. A controller can determine the level of developer received in the first chamber, and to based on the determined developer level control the operations of one or more of the agitators and the magnetic body in order to ensure sufficient supply of the developer in the first chamber to reduce the occurrences of image defects, such as, for example, auger marks.
US08233812B2
A replaceable unit to participate in an image forming job of an image forming apparatus includes a storage unit to store therein a driving condition corresponding to an operation environment, a detecting unit to monitor the operation environment, a controlling unit to detect a corresponding driving condition from the storage unit if the detecting unit detects the driving environment, and an interface unit to provide a main body of the image forming apparatus with the detected corresponding driving condition. Accordingly, the replaceable unit can be driven under optimum driving conditions.
US08233810B2
An image forming apparatus for forming an image according to a specified printing time, including: an image forming condition setting unit for setting an image forming condition including an information related to the specified printing time and an information related to recording material; a control unit adapted to calculate a recording material acquisition startup time for starting to acquire a recording material based on the image forming condition set by the image forming condition setting unit, and adapted to issue a warning related to a replenishment of the recording material, and/or to inhibit formation of image, after the recording material acquisition startup time, in the case where there is no recording material specified under the image forming condition or in the case where the recording material is insufficient.
US08233806B2
A transmitter apparatus to transmit information to a receiver apparatus by using visible light emitted from a plurality of light sources includes at least a first light source to transmit user data; at least a second light source to transmit a pilot signal; and at least a third light source to transmit notice information that is necessary for receiving the user data in the receiver apparatus, the third light source being placed at a position determined by the position of the second light source.
US08233805B2
Simplified laser drivers for closed path digital optical cables and digital optical cables including the simplified laser drivers. The laser driver can include less transistors than conventional laser drivers for optical communication cables. The laser can include a bias source and modulation source. The bias source can have a single constant current bias point for all laser diodes. The modulation current source can have a single temperature coefficient for all laser diodes. The laser driver can exclude, for example, any one of or combination of temperature compensation of the modulation or bias current sources, external programming of the modulation or bias current sources, power control based on output of the laser diode, and/or control based on feedback received from a monitor device or other sensor within the cables.
US08233789B2
A system, computer readable medium, and method for dynamically setting a camera's exposure parameters based on face detection are disclosed. When taking a picture or video of a person in front of a bright background, standard exposure algorithms tend to overexpose the background. In one embodiment disclosed herein, a face detection algorithm is run on the current picture or video frame, and the exposure metering region is inset over the detected face. Exposure time, gain, or other exposure parameters may be set based on the pixels within the exposure metering region. In another embodiment, the exposure metering region tracks a moving face according to lag parameters so that the exposure metering region remains substantially over the face. In yet another embodiment, a plurality of faces may be tracked, with the exposure parameters set based on a weighted average of the pixels within the plurality of face-containing exposure metering regions.
US08233785B1
A photography station operates to capture digital images of a subject with at least one digital camera. The photography station includes foreground lighting and background lighting. The foreground lighting is configured to illuminate the subject, while the background lighting is configured to illuminate a background. The photography station includes a computing device having a setup module operable to perform tests to check a configuration of the photography station, and a photography module operable to capture digital images of the subject with the digital camera. In some embodiments, the tests performed by the setup module include a plurality of initial checking operations and a plurality of background processing operations.
US08233779B2
Recording medium, recording method, reproduction apparatus and method, and computer-readable program
An AV Clip generated by multiplexing video and graphics streams is recorded on a BD-ROM. The graphics stream includes a plurality of DSs (Display Sets) which are each a group of segments used for graphics display. ODSs (Object Definition segments) belonging to a DS include a referenced ODS and a non-referenced ODS. The non-referenced ODS is an ODS that is not referenced by a PCS (Presentation Composition Segment) included in the display set. An END segment is provided immediately following a last ODS of the sequence of the referenced ODS and the non-referenced ODS in the display set.
US08233771B2
Certain exemplary embodiments relate to a device and/or an associated method in which a recorded television or radio program can be played back from a recording of said program without additional programs, such as commercial breaks. A current program can be resumed once the recording has been played back. Processed program segments can be retrieved while repeated segments can be tuned out during playback. The current program can be resumed more quickly if processed program segments are retrieved during playback.
US08233766B2
On an optical disk, video object sets (VTST_VOBS) to be reproduced and video title set information (VTSI) serving as management information on the video object sets have been stored. In each video object set (VTST_VOBS), many data cells, each containing video, audio, and sub-picture data, are arranged. Management information on programs chains, which are combinations of programs to be reproduced one after another, has been written in a video title set PGC table (VTS_PGCIT). By referring to the program chain table (VTS_PGCIT) according to the user's input, the playback order of program chains can be changed, enabling the program chains to be reproduced one after another in various modes.
US08233762B1
A system manages cables to connect to a device provided in a device chassis. The system includes a cable management boom connected to a top portion of the device chassis, cable management shelves connected to a side portion of the device chassis, and a cable management arm connected to and supported by the cable management shelves. The cable management arm is to retain the cables, pivot through an angle to provide access to the device provided in the device chassis, and route the cables from the device to the cable management boom. The cable management boom is to gather the cables, retain the cables, and route the cables above the device chassis.
US08233758B2
An optical fuse or energy-switching-off device includes an optical waveguide having an input section and an output section, the two sections forming a pair of opposed surfaces extending transversely through the axes of the waveguide sections. A substantially transparent material is disposed between the opposed surfaces and comprises an electrically conductive nanotube web immersed in dielectric material, where the nanotubes are not in electrical contact with each other. The substantially transparent material forms a plasma when exposed to optical signals propagating within the optical waveguide with an optical power level above a predetermined threshold, and the plasma damages the opposed surfaces sufficiently to render the surfaces substantially opaque to light propagating within the input section of the optical waveguide so as to prevent the transmission of such light.
US08233752B2
An optical waveguide device includes a substrate of a ferroelectric material, at least a pair of electrodes 4A, 4B provided on one main face of the substrate, and a channel-type optical waveguide 5A formed in a gap 1 of the pair of the electrodes. The optical waveguide 5A has a curved part 15. A central line C of the gap 1 is provided outside of a center line WC of the optical waveguide with respect to the center O of curvature of the curved part 15.
US08233733B2
An image processing device includes: a first smoothing unit calculating, regarding multiple positions along a first direction in a neighbor region of a predetermined pixel of interest in an input image, a first-stage smoothing value wherein pixel values have been smoothed along a second direction differing from the first, for a first channel; a second smoothing unit calculating, regarding multiple positions along the first direction in the neighbor region, a first-stage smoothing value wherein pixel values have been smoothed along the second direction, for a second channel; an intensity estimating unit estimating the intensity of the first-stage smoothing value of the second channel, based on the first-stage smoothing values of the first and second channels; and a third smoothing unit calculating a second-stage smoothing value for the second channel, the first-stage smoothing value of the second channel intensity-estimated by the intensity estimating unit having been smoothed along the first direction.
US08233725B2
Properties of pixels in a digital image are sampled within different subdivisions of an editing tool impression to produce different property distributions. The different subdivisions can automatically alter their size, geometry, and/or location, based on image content within one or more of the subdivisions, in order to encompass a set of pixels having a substantially uniform distribution of a pixel property. Uniformity can be defined relative to the editing operation or context of the image. The property distributions from each region are classified to identify different edit classes within the property space, which are then used to apply an edit effect to the digital image within the tool impression. The edit classes may be represented by an edit profile in two or more dimensions.
US08233721B2
A method of matching a pose of a synthesized representation of a human or animal body to a captured image of that human or animal body is provided, which can be used to generate a graphical model of the body when disposed on a plane, such as a synthesized model of a football player on a field of play. The method includes receiving the captured image data, determining from the captured image data a plurality of limb position estimates, each position estimate corresponding to an amount by which limbs of the body are separated with respect to each other and deriving from the plurality of limb positions an estimated gait phase of the body. The estimated gait phase is then applied to a basis gait model in order to provide an estimated pose of the body, the basis gait model comprising data which defines a displacement of the limbs or parts thereof with respect to a gait cycle period. The estimated pose is then matched to that of the synthesized representation of the body.
US08233720B2
An object detecting apparatus capable of suppressing an increase of processing loads with high accuracy and a learning apparatus for the same are provided. An object detecting apparatus includes an image window extracting portion (210) for extracting an image window as a partial area of an image in plural from an input image, and a network identifier (590) for detecting a presence of an object from extracted image windows respectively by using a node network in which nodes each having an identifier for identifying the object stored in a storing portion (502) are connected as a network.
US08233719B2
A method and apparatus of processing image data comprises correlating received image data. Image statistics are computed based upon the correlated image and eccentricity is estimated based upon the computed image statistics. An entropy metric of the correlated received image data is determined. An interpretation based upon the image statistics, estimated eccentricity, and entropy metric is performed and a report including the content of the processed image data is generated.
US08233714B2
A method related to data capture from forms involving optical character recognition comprises detecting data fields on a scanned image; generating a flexible document description based on the detected data fields, including creating a set of search elements for each data field, each search element having associated search criteria; and training the flexible document description using a search algorithm to detect the data fields on additional training images based on the set of search elements.
US08233703B2
Down-sampling of an image may be performed in the DCT domain. A multiple layered network is used to select transform matrices for down-sampling a DCT image of size M×N to a DCT image of size I×J. A spatial domain down-sampling method is selected and applied to the DCT image to produce a down-sampled DCT reference image. A learning with forgetting algorithm is used to apply a decay to the elements of the transform matrix and select a transform matrices which solve an optimization problem. The optimization problem is a function of the visual quality of images obtained using the transform matrices and the computational complexity associated with using the transform matrices. The visual quality is a measure of the difference between the down-sampled DCT image obtained using the transform matrices and the visual quality of the DCT reference image obtained using a spatial domain down-sampling method.
US08233701B2
Approaches to three-dimensional (3D) data reconstruction are presented. The 3D data comprises 2D images. In some embodiments, the 2D images are directionally interpolated to generate directionally-interpolated 3D data. The directionally-interpolated 3D data are then segmented to generate segmented directionally-interpolated 3D data. The segmented directionally-interpolated 3D data is then meshed. In other embodiments, a 3D data set, which includes 2D flow images, is accessed. The accessed 2D flow images are then directionally interpolated to generate 2D intermediate flow images.
US08233700B2
A component mounting system includes a solder printing inspection apparatus and a component mounting apparatus. The solder printing inspection apparatus includes an ideal solder position generation unit, an ideal loading position generation unit, an image processing unit, and an ideal solder inspection standard generation unit. The ideal solder position generation unit generates ideal solder position information, and the ideal loading position generation unit generates ideal loading position information. The image processing unit generates actual solder position information and loading estimate position information. The ideal solder inspection standard generation unit generates ideal solder inspection position information. A calculation apparatus inspects a solder included in a solder group based on actual inspection standard information obtained by shifting of the ideal solder inspection standard information by just the actual position adjustment information, and the calculation apparatus outputs mounting position adjustment information to the component mounting apparatus.
US08233695B2
A method of generating an inspection data used for inspecting an inspection-object pattern on a substrate, the inspection-object pattern formed by transferring a first mask pattern formed on a first mask and a second mask pattern formed on a second mask onto one layer on the substrate, a part of a first transferred pattern of the first mask pattern and a part of a second transferred pattern of the second mask pattern being overlapped on the layer. The method performs a corner process on each corner of a first design data of the first mask pattern and each corner of a second design data of the second mask pattern and generates an inspection data by performing a logical operation using the corner-processed first design data and the corner processed second design data.
US08233680B2
A method of identifying an individual in which captured images are encrypted by a transformation function and superimposed over previously recorded encrypted images. The superimposition image thus formed is used for identity verification. If the verification is negative a looping step repeats the process until positive verification is achieved.
US08233679B2
Similar faces may be determined within images based on human perception of facial similarity. The user may provide an image including a query face to which the user wishes to find faces that are similar. Similar faces may be determined based on similarity information. Similarity information may be generated from information related to a human perception of facial similarity. Images that include faces determined to be similar, based on the similarity information, may be provided to the user as search result images. The user then may provide feedback to indicate the user's perception of similarity between the query face and the search result images.
US08233670B2
This invention provides a vehicle-borne system and method for traffic sign recognition that provides greater accuracy and efficiency in the location and classification of various types of traffic signs by employing rotation and scale-invariant (RSI)-based geometric pattern-matching on candidate traffic signs acquired by a vehicle-mounted forward-looking camera and applying one or more discrimination processes to the recognized sign candidates from the pattern-matching process to increase or decrease the confidence of the recognition. These discrimination processes include discrimination based upon sign color versus model sign color arrangements, discrimination based upon the pose of the sign candidate versus vehicle location and/or changes in the pose between image frames, and/or discrimination of the sign candidate versus stored models of fascia characteristics. The sign candidates that pass with high confidence are classified based upon the associated model data and the drive/vehicle is informed of their presence. In an illustrative embodiment, a preprocess step converts a color image of the sign candidates into a grayscale image in which the contrast between sign colors is appropriate enhanced to assist the pattern-matching process.
US08233668B2
A method for determining the boundary between abutting food product in a food processing system uses scan data of the food product to identify a perimeter of the abutting food product. Optionally, data from scanning the food product is first tested to determine or predict if more than one article is present. A perimeter of the abutting food product is generated from the scan data, and the perimeter information is manipulated to identify or estimate the boundary between the product. For example, the boundary may be eroded until it separates into two portions. The two portions are then expanded, constrained by the original perimeter, such that a region of interest includes overlapping portion that includes the boundary. The region of interest is analyzed to locate the boundary. In another method, a parametric shape is fit to the image to identify the individual articles. In another method, a shortest line or surface separating the perimeter into two substantial portions is found.
US08233664B2
A relative depth of points captured by at least two recording sources are determined. A first sequence of image frames acquired from a first source and a second sequence of image frames acquired from a second source are received by a data processing system. The data processing system identifies a plurality of points-of-interest, each point-of-interest being present in both the first sequence and the second sequence. The points-of-interest are clustered into common depth planes at least by comparing motion across the sequences of different points-of-interest. Results of the clustering are stored in a processor-accessible memory system.
US08233660B2
The present invention relates to a technique for detecting dynamic (i.e., moving) objects using sensor signals with 3D information and can be deployed e.g. in driver assistance systems.
US08233657B2
There is provided a speaker allowing an air in a space between a diaphragm and a frame not to leak outside, and allowing connecting wires electrically connected to the voice coil to be guided out to an outside. A speaker I includes: a frame 4; a magnetic circuit unit 2; a vibrating unit 3; and a wiring structure unit 5. A hole 28 is formed on the frame 4. The magnetic circuit unit 2 is attached to the frame 4. The vibrating unit 3 is received in the frame 4, and includes diaphragms 14, 15 vibrated by the magnetic circuit unit 2. An air in a space surrounded by the diaphragms 14, 15 and the frame 4 is sealed. The wiring structure unit 5 includes a tube member 38, into which lead wires 37 are inserted. The tube member 38 is pressed into a hole 28, and guides the lead wires 37 to an outside of the space.
US08233654B2
Various methods and apparatus for processing audio signals are disclosed herein. The assembly may be attached, adhered, or otherwise embedded into or upon a removable oral appliance to form a hearing aid assembly. Such an oral appliance may be a custom-made device which can enhance and/or optimize received audio signals for vibrational conduction to the user. Received audio signals may be processed to cancel acoustic echo such that undesired sounds received by one or more intra-buccal and/or extra-buccal microphones are eliminated or mitigated. Additionally, a multiband actuation system may be used where two or more transducers each deliver sounds within certain frequencies. Also, the assembly may also utilize the sensation of directionality via the conducted vibrations to emulate directional perception of audio signals received by the user. Another feature may include the ability to vibrationally conduct ancillary audio signals to the user along with primary audio signals.
US08233653B2
The wearing comfort and acoustics in an external receiver, in particular in a cymba hearing device, are to be improved. A receiver facility with a receiver, which is embodied to convert the electrical signals into acoustic signals, and an earpiece, which adjusts to an auditory canal when the hearing apparatus is being worn, are thus proposed. A base part is also provided, to which the earpiece is fastened and to which the receiver is moveably fastened at least in respect of a section of the base part. The mobility of the receiver relative to the earpiece decouples the wearing function of the earpiece relative to a centering function in respect of the receiver, as a result of which the wearing comfort and acoustics are improved.
US08233631B2
A medical voice data system includes a hand-held recording device, an electronic information carrier (EIC), and a host station. The hand-held device records medical information from a user that is examining a person in an extreme environment such as battlefield or disaster area. EICs are stored within a housing interior and can be dispensed therefrom by the user. Recording electronics within the housing interior are operably connected to at least one of the EICs. A microphone is operably connected to the recording electronics to record on a EIC medical information about the injured person. The EIC is configured to be attached to and travel with the person as they are evacuated so that the recorded medical information is immediately available to medical personnel at a care center via the host station. The medical voice data system may also employ a wireless EIC. A host station is used to receive and process the recorded information and convert it to text-based medical record.
US08233628B2
Encrypted text data c1 generated by encrypting plaintext data using an encryption key, verification data having a size smaller than the encrypted text data c1, and encrypted text data c2 generated by encrypting the verification data using the encryption key are acquired (S601). It is checked if a decryption result of the encrypted text data c2 using a decryption key matches the verification data (S607). If it is determined that the two data match, the encrypted text data c1 is decrypted using the decryption key (S608).
US08233625B2
A rolling code transmitter is useful in a security system for providing secure encrypted RF transmission comprising an interleaved trinary bit fixed code and rolling code. A receiver demodulates the encrypted RF transmission and recovers the fixed code and rolling code. Upon comparison of the fixed and rolling codes with stored codes and determining that the signal has emanated from an authorized transmitter, a signal is generated to actuate an electric motor to open or close a movable barrier.
US08233618B2
A method of generating a pair of public key and secret key, includes the steps of selecting a public key; selecting a secret key; computing a heavy prime number in responsive to the public key and the secret key; factoring the heavy prime number by selecting first and second prime numbers in condition that a sum of said first and second prime numbers equals to the heavy prime number; and pairing the secret key with the public key in term of the heavy prime number as a bridge to generate a unique combination between the secret key with the public key. Therefore, the secret key is definitively undetermined by conjecturing the public key even though the public key is known.
US08233612B2
The present invention provides a network apparatus capable of canceling far-end crosstalk (FEXT). When the network apparatus is under a training mode, hard data is provided to a FEXT canceller for performing FEXT cancellation. When the network apparatus is under a data mode, soft data is provided to the FEXT canceller for performing FEXT cancellation as well. Therefore, FEXT is effectively canceled, and consumption power of the network apparatus is saved.
US08233604B2
A method and system for automatically routing a call to an identity of multiple identities based on an active presence profile. A subscription message is sent to a user's contact addresses. The contact addresses include identities of the user and indicators of remote servers that manage real time communication systems. A presence document that includes a presence status of a first identity of the user is received. The presence status indicates that the first identity is offline. A registration message is issued to a remote server, resulting in a call redirection from the first identity to a second identity. The second identity is included in an active presence profile and is associated with a computing system that receives the redirected call. If multiple presence profiles of the user are active, a matching algorithm selects a contact address of one of the active presence profiles to determine the call redirection.
US08233603B2
A system for (and a method of) selectively establishing communication with one of plural devices associated with a single telephone number is provided. In a preferred embodiment, the system includes a wireless connect unit connected between an enterprise private branch exchange (PBX) network and a public switched telephone network. The wireless connect unit preferably serves as a gateway between the PBX and one or more remote communication devices. The remote devices can be used as standard PBX office telephones for both inbound and outbound telephone calls. Thus, features of the PBX network (e.g., voice mail, direct extension dialing, corporate calling plan, etc.) are available to the remote device even though they are not physically connected to the PBX. When the system receives an incoming call, it can route the call to an office telephone and one or more of the remote devices simultaneously or as desired by the user.
US08233596B2
Subscriber information is provided in a Voice over IP (VoIP) system by transmitting multimedia data (e.g., graphics data or image data) depending on Caller Identification (CID) information of respective IP terminals connected to the VoIP system to a called IP terminal, or to broadcast multimedia data to the respective IP terminals belonging to each group in response to a subscriber's request while managing address information of the respective IP terminals.
US08233592B2
A method of accessing voice services through a personal computing system can include receiving, in the personal computing system, a telephone call from a user registered with the personal computing system, wherein the user is remotely located from the personal computing system, receiving a user spoken utterance over the telephone call, and speech recognizing the user spoken utterance to determine a request for a voice service. The method further can include formatting an electronic message according to the request for a voice service and sending the electronic message over a communications network to a remote computing system in accordance with the request for a voice service. Also, the method can include processing and formatting a response received from the remote computing system and playing back audio to the user over the telephone call.
US08233589B2
Scattered electron collector comprising a heat absorbing member having a first end, a second end, an outer periphery and a central bore (14, 16), wherein the central bore is formed in longitudinal direction through the heat absorbing member from the first end to the second end, and a cooling element (50) having an outer periphery and an inner periphery (52). The outer periphery (12) of the heat absorbing member is adapted to be in contact with the inner periphery of the cooling element. Further, at least one slot (20) is formed from the central bore in the direction to the outer periphery of the heat absorbing member to reduce compression stress within the heat absorbing member.
US08233584B2
An exemplary shift register includes a control circuit and an output transistor. The control circuit has a start pulse signal input terminal, a first clock pulse signal input terminal and a power supply voltage input terminal and includes a first control transistor and a second control transistor. The output transistor is electrically coupled to the first control transistor and includes a gate driving signal output terminal and a second clock pulse signal input terminal. Moreover, the first control transistor, the second control transistor and the output transistor all are negative threshold voltage transistors.
US08233583B2
A shift register and a display driver thereof are provided. The display driver submitted by the present invention can be directly disposed on a glass substrate of a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel to replace a scan driver commonly used in prior art, so that the cost of the liquid crystal display can be reduced. In addition, the stress taken by the output stage transistor of each shift register stage within the display driver submitted by the present invention can be reduced. Thus, each shift register stage has the highest reliability, and may consequently avoid the erroneous actions when each shift register stage is operated for a long time.
US08233580B2
A system for automatic production of radioisotopes includes an irradiation unit connectable to a cyclotron and having an electrolytic cell; a purification unit for purifying the radioisotope formed in the irradiation unit; two conduits for transferring an irradiated and electrodissolved target from the irradiation unit to the purification unit; and a central control unit for controlling both the operating units and the transfer means. The method for producing radioisotopes is such that the target carrier is not dissolved together with the irradiated target.
US08233576B2
A synchronization sequence (preamble) that is known to the receiver forms as an integral part of packet-based digital communication systems. The first operation in such digital communication systems is the detection of the beginning of a valid signal (packet). A system, apparatus, and method for a scheme to robustly detect the preamble are provided having a hierarchical cross-correlator in combination with a second stage delayed auto-correlator using the output of the cross-correlator as an input to the second stage correlator.
US08233574B2
A filter for reducing co-channel interference within a communications receiver may include a multi-channel, space-time filter circuit that filters n signal parts that have been split from a communications signal by jointly estimating space-time filter weights and multi-channel impulse responses (CIRs). The filter may further include a multi-channel, matched filter circuit that receives multi-channel signals from the multi-channel, space-time filter circuit and has a filter response that is provided by a channel impulse response estimation from the space-time filter circuit.
US08233573B2
A method of performing overlap-and-add length for zero-padded suffixes. The method includes derotating received information symbol samples. The derotated received information symbol samples include a first set of derotated received information symbol samples and a second set of derotated received information symbol samples. The first set of derotated received information symbol samples are stored in a buffer. The second set of derotated received information symbol samples are provided to a received sample processing unit. The received zero-padded suffix samples are deroted. Based upon an overlap-and-add length, at least a fraction of the derotated received zero-padded suffix samples is added with at least a fraction of the first set of derotated received information symbol samples to produce multiple summed samples. The multiple summed samples is provided to the received sample processing unit.
US08233572B2
In a pulse-based communication system a transmitting device may generate a series of pulses to convey information via a communication medium to a receiving device. In some situations, interference from one or more interfering devices may alter the pulse energy as it is transmitted through the communication medium. To mitigate the effect of such interference, a receiving device may mark certain received pulses as erasures. In this way, such pulses may be ignored during the decoding operation of the receiver.
US08233561B2
Data comprising a pulse signal is divided into predetermined data segments. The number of pulse-signal fluctuations in the data segment is counted. A transmitter transmits the unchanged data to a receiving portion in a case where the number of pulse-signal fluctuations does not exceed a predetermined number. On the other hand, in a case where the number of pulse-signal fluctuations exceeds the predetermined number, the pulse signal is converted so as to be unchanged at the fluctuation of the pulse signal but to be fluctuated when the pulse signal does not fluctuate. Then, the transmitter transmits the converted pulse signal to the receiving portion wherein only the converted pulse signal is converted to the original pulse signal.
US08233560B2
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for applying successive multi-rank beamforming strategies (e.g., successive precoding strategies) for the design of precoders over a set of parallel channels. Successive beamforming is applied to a narrow band channel model and is also applied for finer quantization of a single beamforming vector (e.g., recursive beamforming). A first embodiment provides the optimal approach with high complexity. An alternative embodiment provides successive beamforming for near optimal precoding selection with medium complexity. A low complexity method for precoder selection is also provided wherein a channel representative matrix for the set of parallel channels is determined and successive beamforming on the calculated channel representative is applied.
US08233547B2
A method for activating and deactivating parameter sets during decoding of a bitstream for display, comprising the steps of: (A) tagging a first picture parameter information set associated with a first identification value as active in response to a reference to the first identification value in a bitstream; (B) changing the tag of the first picture parameter information set from active to inactive and tagging a second picture parameter information set associated with a second identification value as active in response to a reference to the second identification value in the bitstream; and (C) tagging the second picture parameter information set as inactive and re-tagging the first picture parameter information set as active in response to a subsequent reference to the first identification value in the bitstream.
US08233539B2
A method and apparatus for transmitting a packet-based image frame, the method including: dividing an input image into intra and inter prediction frames and encoding the intra and inter prediction frames; applying different error resilience algorithms to the intra and inter prediction frames; and performing forward error correction (FEC) on the intra and inter prediction frames according to the corresponding error resilience algorithms. According to aspects of the present invention, optimal error correction may be performed in accordance with characteristics of frames when image data is transmitted. Thus, a strong image streaming service for preventing errors of a mobile environment may be implemented simply and efficiently.
US08233537B2
This invention is useful in video compression standards support a rich set of intra prediction modes. This invention a unique table creation and lookup approach to software pipeline the prediction process for all pixels within a block. The table stores constant data and pointer data into a neighbor pixel table. Indexing into the table based upon the current intra prediction mode for each pixel of a block recalls constant data and other pixel data for calculation of an intra prediction value.
US08233536B2
Embodiments of the present invention comprise systems and methods for predicting image elements, comprising scaling a received low dynamic range (LDR) image element value for an image element via a binary shift operation, where the binary shift operation is based on a received prediction shift value, and combining, via a received additive operation, the scaled LDR image element value with the received LDR image element value.
US08233533B2
In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a decoder configured to determine a reference pixel group including a pixel to be filtered. The reference pixel group includes at least three successive pixels. The decoder is configured to applying weight factors to at least each of the three successive reference pixels. The weight factors are different according to pixel position. A filtered value is obtained by the decoder by summing at least the three weighted successive pixels and applying a shift operation to the sum for dividing the sum.
US08233532B2
A scalable information signal is protected in a more efficient and/or safe way by adopting the inter-relationship among the plurality of portions of different levels within the information signal in FEC protecting the information signal. In particular, portions of the information signal representing the information content at a higher level should have associated therewith redundancy information which is dependent not only on that part of this portion being disjoint to a respective overlapping lower level portion. Rather, redundancy information should also be dependent on the latter part so as to increase the chances of success of forward error correcting an error within the lower level portion at the reception side.
US08233529B2
A video decoder is provided. An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) converts an analog video signal into a plurality of samples at a sampling rate. A main processing path collects a plurality of odd samples to provide a first decoded video output and synchronization information. A plurality of even samples is converted into a plurality of first converted samples at a first predetermined frequency by a sample rate converter, and then filtered by a filter to obtain a second Y signal. A buffer stores the second Y signal, and reads the second Y signal in response to the timing information. An output sample rate converter converts the buffered output into a plurality of second converted samples at a second predetermined frequency. A parallel-to-serial converter receives the first decoded video output and the plurality of second converted samples to drive a second decoded video output.
US08233511B2
A high average power laser system with modulated gain suppression includes an input aperture associated with a first laser beam extraction path and an output aperture associated with the first laser beam extraction path. The system also includes a pinhole creation laser having an optical output directed along a pinhole creation path and an absorbing material positioned along both the first laser beam extraction path and the pinhole creation path. The system further includes a mechanism operable to translate the absorbing material in a direction crossing the first laser beam extraction laser path and a controller operable to modulate the second laser beam.
US08233507B1
A transmitter including a plurality of input lanes, a substitutor module, and an interleaver module. The plurality of input lanes is configured to receive input symbols including data symbols and idle symbols, wherein the input symbols are arranged into columns of concurrently received input symbols, and wherein each of the columns includes one input symbol from each of the plurality of input lanes. The substitutor module is configured to, at intervals, replace one of the columns with a column of alignment symbols. The substitutor module is further configured to replace an immediately subsequent one of the columns with a column of disposable symbols; and replace one or more immediately subsequent ones of the columns with columns of boundary symbols uninterrupted by disposable symbols. The interleaver module is configured to interleave symbols from the substitutor module between a first transmit lane and a second transmit lane.
US08233506B2
A method is described that comprises receiving a timing exposure packet having timestamp information. The timestamp information identifies a cycle of a clock signal at which the packet was made available for transfer from a core to a physical layer within a component of a link-based computing system. The packet having been transmitted from the physical layer and also having phase information. The phase information identifies a cycle of the clock signal at which the packet was transferred from the core to the physical layer.
US08233499B2
The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for controlling the transfer of terminal server data. In some embodiments, contending request to send terminal server data are resolved by a flow control module situated between a terminal server protocol and a transport/network protocol. The flow control module utilizes channel priorities along with amounts of previously sent data per channel to determine how to distribute bandwidth in a relatively controlled manner between contending channels. The flow control module can be configured to intercept communication between terminal server protocol and a transport/network protocol to facilitate bandwidth distribution. In other embodiments, data is simultaneously sent over multiple channels of terminal server connection. A first write operation obtains a lock on a corresponding channel but the channel lock does not prevent write operations on other channels.
US08233496B2
A network device constructs a notification corresponding to a received multicast data unit, where the notification includes administrative data associated with the multicast data unit that does not include a payload of the multicast data unit. The network device replicates the notification at least three different processing elements at different locations in a processing path of the network device to produce multiple replicated data items and produces a copy of the multicast data unit for each of replicated notifications. The network device forwards each copy of the multicast data unit towards a multicast destination.
US08233489B2
A system, method, and router for routing data packets in an overlay network built over heterogeneous layer-3 domains. A link state overlay routing protocol enables an overlay router to route data packets based on flat identifiers and decides the best path to a destination taking into account a number of parameters such as round trip time. Scalability is provided by making routing decisions based on a network identifier rather than a single end-node identifier.
US08233486B2
A device receives an activation inform message associated with a local area network (LAN) device, and verifies the LAN device and a gateway device associated with the LAN device based on an Internet protocol (IP) address included in the activation inform message. The device also performs a set parameter value (SPV) operation to add a new connection request port forwarding entry in the gateway device when the LAN device and the gateway device are verified, and sends a connection request operation, to be forwarded by the gateway device to the LAN device, based on the new connection request port forwarding entry.
US08233484B2
Method of setting up a communication session (fm) between a calling communication client (C1) and a called communication client (C2), through a communication network (SN1, SN, SN2) comprising at least one address translation equipment (NAT1, NAT2). It comprises steps for transmission of signal messages (fs), transiting through address translation equipment and enabling interchange of physical addresses of communication clients to set up the communication session. This method is characterized in that at least one client transmits at least one signal message containing a physical address in a first location, and coded information containing this particular physical address in a distinct second location.
US08233483B2
Any packet loss is detected very quickly by means of only a series of sequence number in a multi-path environment where a transmitter and a receiver are connected to each other by way of a plurality of networks when no inversion of sequence arises in any of the networks. A communication apparatus includes a plurality of sequence buffers arranged at each network to accumulate packets until a sequence acknowledgement and an absence detecting section adapted to determine the occurrence of an absence of a packet when one or more packets are accumulated in all the sequence buffers. With this arrangement, the absence detecting section of the receiver monitors the packets staying in the sequence guaranteeing buffer arranged in each of the network, paying attention to the characteristic that packets are stored in the sequence buffers of all the networks when a packet loss takes place.
US08233479B2
In one example embodiment, a method of using protocol independent multicast (PIM) in a point-to-multipoint (P2MP) label switched path is provided. In this method, a label uniquely identifying the P2MP label switched path from different P2MP label switched paths is advertised. In response to the advertisement, a PIM message is received by way of a point-to-point (P2P) label switched path. This PIM message includes the advertised label. The label included in the PIM message is identified to correspond with the P2MP label switched path and the PIM message is reflected by way of the P2MP label switched path based on the identification.
US08233470B2
Embodiments of a multi-radio wireless communication device and methods for synchronizing wireless network and Bluetooth (BT) communications are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed. In some embodiments, a BT radio module adjusts a master clock signal by a predetermined step size before each subsequent BT transmission in response to a frame sync pulse from a wireless network radio module to reduce a time difference between subsequent frame sync pulses and synchronization reference points of BT slots.
US08233469B2
A relay device receives transfer data from a transfer-source terminal and transfers the received transfer data to a transfer-destination terminal via relaying performed by another relay device. When the transfer data is received, the relay device establishes a direct communication with the other relay device, if information regarding the other relay device is attached to the received transfer data. If information regarding the other relay device is not attached, then the relay device attaches information regarding itself to the transfer data and transfers the resulting transfer data to a wireless control station.
US08233454B2
A management apparatus instructs a wireless terminal wirelessly connecting to a first base station to switch wireless connection to a second base station. After the wireless terminal switches the wireless connection to the second base station as instructed, the wireless terminal transmits a message for updating information used for determining a forwarding destination of the message received by the relay apparatus. The relay apparatus updates the information used for determining the forwarding destination of the received message based on the message transmitted from the wireless terminal.
US08233451B2
A method and apparatus for reconfiguring a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) are directed to receiving an active set update message indicating that a mode of operation allowing a certain modulation scheme is enabled or disabled and performing at least one of: performing a MAC reset procedure, updating a set of reference enhanced transport format combination indicators (E-TFCIs) and associated power offsets, determining actions related to E-DPCCH boosting, modifying information related to an enhanced dedicated channel (E-DCH), and modifying an index that indicates an E-DCH transport block size table. The update message includes at least one modified information element (IE).
US08233443B2
A wireless communication apparatus is provided. The wireless communication apparatus includes: detection means that detects that there is another wireless communication apparatus around the wireless communication apparatus; comparison means that compares a first reference value managed in the wireless communication apparatus with a second reference value managed in the another wireless communication apparatus; means that corrects the first reference value based on the comparison result; and means that announces the first reference value to the another wireless communication apparatus. Frequencies are set such that a frequency of the wireless communication apparatus becomes same as a frequency of still another wireless communication apparatus to which a radio wave of the wireless communication apparatus does not reach but a radio wave of the another wireless communication apparatus reaches.
US08233438B2
A router is operative to perform the following actions for each one of a plurality of wireless devices operating in a wireless network. The router initially transmits a number of data packets matched for a window size which corresponds to a default window size. The router then measures a round trip time (RTT) associated with communication of each of the transmitted packets. The router increases the window size if the RTT associated with the communication of each of the transmitted packets is within a first threshold. On the other hand, the router decreases the window size if the RTT associated with the communication of any of the transmitted packets is more than the first threshold but less than a second threshold. The router sets or updates at least one of the first or the second thresholds based on traffic communicated to the plurality of wireless devices via the router.
US08233434B2
A system and method for adaptive control of an averaging parameter in a communications network may include an averaging parameter adaptive control module (APAC) that is associated with a base station and that includes one or more processors configured to generate a first averaging parameter that is transmitted by the base station to a mobile station communicating with the base station. The mobile station may use the first averaging parameter to generate first channel condition information that indicates a condition of a communication channel. First feedback information including the first channel condition information may be received at the base station. The APAC may generate a second averaging parameter using the first averaging parameter and the first feedback information and may transmit the second averaging parameter from the base station to the mobile station, thereby adaptively controlling the second averaging parameter based on the first feedback information.
US08233427B2
A base station receives channel quality reports from a plurality of mobile terminals. The channel quality reports from the mobile terminals indicate the signal power of the signals received by the mobile terminals from the base station and one or more interference parameters relating to the power of impairment components contributing to the total impairment of the received signal during a first time interval. The base station computes an estimated channel quality indication for a second time interval subsequent to the first time interval based on expected variations in the powers of the impairment components. The estimated channel quality indication for the second time interval is used by the base station to schedule the mobile terminals and to determine the transmission format.
US08233424B2
A wireless communication system is provided. The wireless communication system includes a connection device which configures a first LAN which is a wireless LAN; a relay device which configures a second LAN different from the first LAN and relays data between a LAN terminal connected to the second LAN and the connection device; an authentication connection section which connects the relay device to the connection device through the first LAN by executing authentication conforming to an infrastructure mode based on a request from the relay device to the connection device; and a data transfer section which transfers data to be communicated between the LAN terminal and the connection device by using a data frame conforming to a wireless distribution system between the connection device and the relay device connected by the authentication connection section.
US08233422B2
A method for radio frequency multicasting and a multicast site architecture are provided. The method includes assigning a different traffic multicast Internet Protocol (IP) address to each of a plurality of groups of LMR users and encapsulating the LMR content within IP packets. The method further includes transmitting the IP packets to one of the plurality of groups of LMR users using at least one of the assigned traffic multicast IP addresses.
US08233419B2
An uplink power control device and method, which uses power control technology for E-DCH channel in HSPA+ system, wherein, the user equipment reads TPC from Node B in the latest several time slots, the current transmission power of uplink channels and the modulation mode of E-DPDCH channel in next TTI; then selects a method for power control according to the modulation method of E-DPDCH channel in next TTI; calculates the transmission power of uplink channel used in next TTI according to the TPC received in the latest several time slots, the current transmission power, requirements for maximal transmission power and minimal transmission power, power control adjustment step and β factor corresponding to DPCCH of uplink channel; finally keeps the transmission powers of all or some of uplink channels constant in the whole TTI of E-DPDCH. The device and method can decrease crosstalk between I branch and Q branch signals.
US08233400B2
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for verifying the availability of an IP media router during a call setup are described. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving, from a first endpoint device, a call setup signaling message requesting to establish a call session with a second endpoint device. The method also includes selecting a first media router to establish a first call leg of the call session, performing a route query and MAC address resolution to determine if the first media router is available, and if the first media router is determined to be available, creating a first redirect stream to communicate media packets received from the second endpoint device to the first endpoint device via the first call leg.
US08233398B2
Provided is an apparatus and method for transmitting frame information in a wireless communication system using a relay scheme. In a method for transmitting frame information from an upper node in the wireless communication system, downlink section information for communication with the lower relay station for a relay service is transmitted to a lower relay station at the request of the lower relay station for an initial connection. After the initial connection, frame information for communication with the lower relay station for a relay service is transmitted to the lower relay station through the downlink section.
US08233391B2
A method, system and computer program product for transmitting data entities, the method includes: receiving data entities to be transmitted over multiple channels; and preventing a transmission of data entities that are to be transmitted over congested channels while transmitting data entities that are to be are to be transmitted over non-congested channels.
US08233390B2
A source-based memory usage table is accessed to identify a source having a memory usage satisfying a predetermined memory usage threshold, the source-based memory usage table including a plurality of source records, each corresponding to a source from which packets are received. A first flow control signal is transmitted to the identified source that has a memory usage satisfying the corresponding predetermined memory usage threshold to control further packet transmission from the identified source. A priority-based memory usage table is accessed to identify a priority of which a memory usage satisfies a predetermined memory usage threshold of the priority. A second flow control signal is transmitted to one or more sources associated with the identified priority having a memory usage satisfying the corresponding predetermined memory usage threshold to control further packet transmission from the identified one or more sources.
US08233386B2
A device that uses parameters to provide multi-channel serial data transmissions and the method thereof are provided. A first serial device configures with the channel parameters corresponding to a procedure executed on a second serial device. The invention determines whether the data channel corresponding to the procedure requires sending/receiving data occupies a physical line. If so, the first serial device transmits data to the second serial device. Otherwise, the first serial device transmits a channel switch request to the second serial device. After the first serial device and the second serial device are both switched the data channel corresponding to the procedure to occupy the physical line, the first serial device and the procedure could exchange data. Therefore, the first serial device could establish new connection without closing original connection. It achieves the goal of using a single serial port to have data channels of different operation modes or connections.
US08233380B2
A local RDMA (Remote Direct Memory Access) network adapter that comprises a simplex switchless connection with a counterpart QP on a remote RDMA network adapter in an example is selected for a Queue Pair (QP). An apparatus in an example comprises a requester RDMA (Remote Direct Memory Access) session fail-over coordinator on a coherency domain that adds a session fail-over header to a front of a data payload sent by an RDMA computer program from the coherency domain. Upon termination, of an RDMA adapter not coherent with the coherency domain and in a communication path of the data payload, before delivery to the RDMA computer program of a receive completion notification for the data payload, the session fail-over header is employable by a responder RDMA session fail-over coordinator to reconstruct the receive completion notification.
US08233379B2
A method for establishing a connection between a maintenance node and a base station includes the following steps: the base station switches over to a preset standby Operation & Maintenance (OM) channel when an main OM channel fails and sends to the maintenance node via the standby OM channel a notification that the base station has switched over to the standby OM channel; and the maintenance node establishes a connection with the base station over the standby OM channel by using a standby Internet Protocol (IP) address of the base station after receiving the notification. A base station is also provided.
US08233372B2
An optical system for optical pickup, which optical system is used for performing recording, reproducing, and/or erasing of information on an optical recording medium and has a simple configuration, is provided. An optical pickup device 1 includes a collimator lens system 23, a beam expander 33, and an objective lens system 34 that includes an S-SIL element 27b. The beam expander 33 includes a lens element 33c that is supported so as to be movable in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis. By moving the lens element 33c in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis, a coma aberration of a spot on a recording layer can be compensated in a state where the interval between a surface of an optical recording medium 28 and the S-SIL element 27b opposed thereto is maintained constant.
US08233371B2
Provides an objective lens, an optical head and an optical disc apparatus (drive) capable of compensating for various types of aberrations including wavelength changes for a plurality of types of optical discs including high density optical discs, DVDs and CDs with a good wavelength dispersion compensation ability and thus capable of providing good recording or reproduction characteristics.The objective lens according to the present invention includes a first lens and a second lens substantially in close contact with each other such that optical axes thereof match each other, and acts as a convex lens as a whole. Each lens includes a central portion including the optical axis and a peripheral portion located in a periphery of the central portion. The central portion of the first lens acts as a convex lens; and the central portion of the second lens acts as a concave lens. Where the refractive index of the first lens at d line (wavelength: 587.56 nm) is nd1, the Abbe constant of the first lens represented using the refractive indices at d line, F line (wavelength: 486.13 nm) and C line (wavelength: 656.27 nm) is νd1, the refractive index of the second lens at d line is nd2, and the Abbe constant of the second lens represented using the refractive indices at d line, F line and C line is νd2, the objective lens fulfills nd1>nd2 and νd1>νd2.
US08233365B1
Circuits, architectures, systems, methods, software, and algorithms for detecting a modulation transition (e.g., a change from a written portion containing RF-modulated data to an unwritten portion containing only a wobble signal modulation) on an optical storage medium. The method generally includes steps of focusing a first spot of light onto an optical storage medium, wherein the first spot is substantially centered on a first track of the optical storage medium, focusing a satellite spot of light onto an optical storage medium, wherein the satellite spot at least partially overlaps a track adjacent to the first track, generating a satellite signal from light reflected from the optical storage medium from the satellite spot, and detecting the modulation transition by detecting a change in a level of the satellite signal. The present invention advantageously provides for detecting a modulation transition between a main (current) track and an adjacent (next) track, so that demodulation of a signal from an optical storage medium can be smoothly switched from one mode to another.
US08233362B2
The present invention provides a measure for getting read/write control information stored within a space of a predetermined size in a format that ensures compatibility with media of a lower order or an older generation even if the size of the read/write control information increases significantly as the storage densities of information storage media rise in the near future. On an information storage medium, a data sequence is writable as a combination of marks and spaces. The medium has at least one information storage layer, which has an information storage area to store information and a control information area for use to perform a read/write operation on the at least one information storage layer. The control information area stores at least one set of control information, which includes a first kind of write pulse information including information to be used as a reference value and a second kind of write pulse information including information to be used as an offset value. The size of the offset value is at least a half as large as that of the reference value.
US08233344B2
A semiconductor device includes a plural number of sense amplifiers that sense at least two data in parallel and that operate under a first frequency, and a multiplexer that operates under a second frequency higher than the first frequency and that sequentially serially outputs the data sensed in parallel. The semiconductor device also includes a driver circuit having a latch circuit connected to an output of the multiplexer, and an output driver circuit connected to the latch circuit and operating under the second frequency. The voltage of a power supply of the sense amplifiers is the same as the voltage of a power supply of the output driver circuit. The power supply of the sense amplifiers and the power supply of the output driver circuit are connected to respective different power supply lines.
US08233340B1
A dual-port static random access memory (SRAM) includes a multitude of programmable delay elements disposed along the paths of a number signals used to carry out read, write or read-then-write operations. At least one of the programmable delay elements controls the timing margin between a pair of clock signals that trigger a read/write enable signal. A second programmable delay element coarsely adjusts the delay of a first signal associated with a dummy bitline. A third programmable delay element finely adjusts the delay of a second signal associated with the dummy bitline. A fourth programmable delay element controls the delay of a signal used to reset the read/write enable signal. During a read operation, the voltage level of the second signal is used as an indicator to activate the sense amplifiers. During a write operation, the voltage level of the second signal is used to control the write cycle.
US08233339B2
A semiconductor memory device includes an open-loop-type delay locked loop (DLL) configured to generate a clock signal locked by reflecting a first delay amount which actually occurs in a data path and a second delay amount which is required for locking the clock signal, a latency control unit configured to shift an inputted command according to a latency code value corresponding to the first delay amount and latency information, and output the shifted command, and an additional delay line configured to delay the shifted command according to a delay code value corresponding to the second delay amount, and output the command of which operation timing is controlled.
US08233326B2
There is provided a semiconductor non-volatile memory including: plural memory sections, a voltage application section, and a control section that controls the voltage application section wherein the control section controlling voltage application such that, based on a value of current detected by a current detection section, in a region where the current flowing in a channel region is greater than a predetermined target value at which a amount of charge accumulated has become a specific value in at least one of a first charge accumulating section or a second charge accumulating section, when a value of current flowing in the channel region approaches a target value, a rate of increase in the charge accumulating amount per time is decreased at least once.
US08233323B2
A non-volatile semiconductor storage device includes a control circuit performing an erase operation to erase data from a selected one of memory transistors. The control circuit applies a first voltage to the other end of selected one of selection transistors, causes the selected one of the selection transistors to turn on, and causes any one of the memory transistors to turn on that is closer to the selection transistor than the selected one of the memory transistors. The control circuit also applies a second voltage lower than the first voltage to a gate of the selected one of the memory transistors. Such a potential difference between the first voltage and the second voltage causing a change in electric charges in the electric charge storage layer.
US08233294B2
A method and system for controlling a power converter system with first, second, and third phase legs with respective first, second, and third associated phase currents determine direction of current flow in at least two phase legs and switch states of the power converter system in response to the current flow directions to reduce ripple current in a connected direct current (DC)-bus capacitor.
US08233292B2
A controller for controlling power to an LED light source includes a control terminal and control circuitry coupled to the control terminal. The control terminal provides a control signal to control a transformer. A cycle of the control signal includes a charging period, a discharging period, and an adjusting period. The control circuitry controls a primary winding of the transformer to receive power during the charging period and controls a secondary winding of the transformer to discharge power to the LED light source during the discharging period. The control circuitry further varies a frequency of the control signal periodically by controlling the adjusting period.
US08233291B2
A single-stage AC to DC conversion device includes an energy storage unit, a magnetic unit, and a switch unit. The magnetic unit electrically connects the energy storage unit with the switch unit, and has a core, a first winding, a second winding, a third winding, and at least one output winding. The first winding couples with the core and transfers a first electric energy to the core. The second winding couples with the core and stores a second electric energy in the energy storage unit. The third winding couples with the core and transfers the second electric energy to the core. The output winding couples with the core that transfers the first electric energy and the second electric energy, and outputs a third electric energy through the output winding.
US08233290B2
A unified control switch module includes a printed circuit board, a waterproof pad, and one or more knobs. The printed circuit board includes switches and light-emitting elements mounted thereon. The waterproof pad is coupled to the printed circuit board, and is provided with first protrusions, which are formed at respective locations that correspond to the switches, and second protrusions having respective through-holes, which are formed at respective locations that correspond to the light-emitting elements. The knobs are located on the waterproof pad, and are provided with respective lower ends, which are formed to extend outwards from the through-holes.
US08233286B2
Terminal pads are arranged on a first surface of the substrate for an electronic component to receive terminals of the electronic component. An electrically-conductive film is formed on a second surface defined on the back of the first surface over the back of a mounting area for the electronic component. The mounting area is contoured along the outer periphery of the arrangement of the terminal pads. The ratio of the area of the electrically-conductive material to the area of the surface of the substrate over the back of the mounting area is set appropriate to the ratio of the area of the electrically-conductive material to the area of the surface of the substrate over the mounting area for each electronic component. This results in suppression of flexure of the printed wiring board during reflow.
US08233284B2
A grounding structure, for connecting to an opposite connecting electrical device with a metal casing, is assembled on a circuit board having at least one grounding component. The grounding structure includes a conductive mechanism electrically connected to the metal casing of the opposite connecting electrical device; and at least one conductive pad, disposed between the conductive mechanism and the circuit board, and contacting the conductive mechanism and the grounding component of the circuit board. The grounding structure of the invention can transmit the disturbance to be advantageous for signal transmitting between the opposite connecting electrical device and the circuit board.
