US08287053B2
In a brake system for a motorcycle in which the operation of a pressure-regulating unit interposed between fluid pressure generator and a wheel brake is controlled by a control unit on the basis of a value detected by operating amount detector for detecting an operating amount of a brake operating element, to prevent the influence of vibrations transmitted from an engine from being exerted on the pressure-regulating unit. A support member for supporting the pressure-regulating unit is flexibly supported, though elastic members, by a pair of frame sections which are arranged on both the left and right sides of an engine body and by a crossmember which connects both the frame sections to each other on the rear side of the engine body so as to constitute a part of a body frame F together with the frame sections.
US08287049B2
A pretensioner and a seat belt apparatus are provided that can diffuse the heat of high-temperature gas and prevent the heat from concentrating locally on a wire.A pretensioner 10 has a housing 12 that allows a wire 11 to run therethrough and a cylinder 14. One end of the wire 11 is connected to a seat belt buckle 9, and the other end of the wire 11 is held by a piston 15. An apertured member 26, that covers at least the gas generator 23 side of a peripheral surface of the wire 11, is provided in the housing 12. A plurality of through-holes 29 are provided in a protecting portion 27 of the apertured member 26.
US08287046B1
An armrest includes a base and an arm support. The base has a connecting portion and an installing portion. A first surface at an end of the connecting portion is opposite to the installing portion. The arm support is adapted to assemble with the base, and the arm support is pivotable with respect to the base. The arm support includes a second surface abutting the first surface, with a cavity defined in one of the first and second surfaces. An engaging member is pivotally received in the cavity in a single pivoting direction from an unlocked position to a locked position. The arm support is fixed to the base in the locked position.
US08287045B1
A head restraint for a vehicle child seat includes an elastic head band, at least two head support straps, a first attachment strap and a second attachment strap. An inner perimeter of the elastic head band is sized to firmly fit around a child's head. One end of each head support strap is attached to one side of the elastic head band and the other end is attached to an opposing side of the elastic head band. One end of the first attachment strap is attached to one side of the elastic head band and one end of the second attachment strap is attached to an opposing side of the elastic head band. First and second releasable attachment devices are formed on the first and second attachment straps. First and second mating releasable attachment devices are preferably attached to opposing sides of a vehicle child seat.
US08287034B2
A magnetic fastener clip includes a base and a boss attached to the base. The boss has two or more ratchets. According to one embodiment, one end of the boss is attached to the base and the other end has the two or more ratchets. Alternatively, either or both ends may have the two or more ratchets. A magnetic fastener has a hole with suitable shape and diameter to adjustably fasten with at least one of the ratchets and adjustably fasten the magnetic fastener. An umbrella is positioned between the base and the magnetic fastener. The umbrella is operative to flex or compress appropriately to permit the magnetic fastener to engage at least one of the two or more ratchets. The magnetic fastener clip adapts to different surface curvatures and thicknesses. The magnetic fastener clip is operative for blind attachment into a structure, such as a vehicle chassis i.e. door frame, chassis or roof. The boss may optionally be welded to hold the magnetic fastener against the umbrella. An optional carrier is attached to the base to provide additional height for suitable applications.
US08287025B1
The removable windshield sun screen device provides for screening sun that typically comes in adjacent to and near a rearview mirror inside a windshield of an auto. An area surrounding the rearview mirror is typically not sufficiently shielded by existing auto sun visors, hence the value of the present device. Further, the present device is pliable and removable, and therefore easily transported and stored. The device may be removably fastened to a windshield interior by more than one means.
US08287023B2
An enhanced mobility device is disclosed. The device has an enclosure defining an interior and an exterior and having a floor defining an opening therein. At least one access opening allows passage between the exterior and interior. A plurality of clamps attach to the interior of the enclosure. The access opening is sized to allow passage of a personal mobility device from the exterior to the interior where the mobility device may be secured to the enclosure for transport by the plurality of clamps.
US08287021B2
A vehicle interior handle assembly includes a handle comprising a front wall and a back wall. The front wall and back wall define a downwardly open pocket sized to receive one or more of an operator's fingers for a pulling operation to move the handle between latch and unlatch positions. A panel is adjacent the handle. The panel has a portion located behind the pocket with the handle in the latch position and a portion below the pocket with the handle in the latch position. The panel has an outer surface facing the handle having a contour such that a distance from the outer surface of the panel to an end of the back wall of the handle is maintained at less than a maximum distance as the handle is moved from the latch position to the unlatch position the maximum distance selected to prevent placement of a finger between the outer surface and the end of the back wall of the handle.
US08287017B2
When dishes are held by means of a robot hand (10), its fixed side engaging plate (13) and movable side engaging finger (14) are moved under horizontal state toward a dish (20) to be handled, and the outer circumferential edge side portion of the dish (20) is inserted between them. The distal end portion (14b) of the movable side engaging finger (14) is then bent by a predetermined amount to the side of the dish (20) and the robot hand (10) is raised. Consequently, the dish (20) is brought into a state where it is held by its own weight between the fixed side engaging plate (13) and the movable side engaging finger (14). Thereafter, the right and left first finger units (15, 16) are bent to the side of the dish (20) and the dish (20) is pushed by their dish pushing faces (15g, 16g), thus bringing about such a state as the dish (20) is held surely between the fixed side engaging plate (13) and the movable side engaging finger (14).
US08287015B2
A gripper device is provided for picking up and releasing an article. The device includes a support (15, 16) and a pair of grippers (10, 11) pivotally mounted on the support for movement of their distal ends towards and away from each other. A belt (1) is belt arranged to extend across the gap defined between the distal ends of the grippers when they are spaced apart so that the belt is able to extend over the article to be picked up and to extend around the article when the grippers have been moved towards each other to pick up the article.
US08287007B2
A fuel injector for fuel ignition systems of internal combustion engines includes a magnetic circuit having a core, a magnetic coil and an armature, and a movable valve needle, which has a valve-closure member that cooperates with a fixed valve seat, the valve seat being shaped on a valve-seat member and being provided with a valve-seat support in which the valve-seat member is inserted. At least one metallic component of the fuel injector, in this context, has a serrated structure on its outer circumference for producing a solid connection to a corresponding component made of plastic. The plastic components may be the connection piece, the valve-seat support, the coil shell and the connecting pipe of the valve needle. The fuel injector is particularly suitable for use in fuel-injection systems of mixture-compressing internal combustion engines having externally supplied ignition.
US08287001B2
A releasing hanger for mud flaps for trucks includes a rotatable release bar supported on a support plate and having flap lugs for supporting a mud flap. A tension spring encircling the release bar cooperates with retaining pins mounted on the releasing bar to yieldingly hold the release bar in a rotatable position at which the flap legs extend outwardly from the support plate. Under a modified embodiment, the retaining pins are releasably held by a bracket having resilient legs.
US08286998B2
Seatbelt systems for generating electrical energy. The seatbelt systems may include a first and second engagement units and an electrical energy generation unit. The first engagement unit may be configured to rotate upon movement of a portion of a seatbelt in contact therewith. The second engagement unit may include at least one portion configured to rotatably engage the first engagement unit and to rotate relative to movement of the first engagement unit in an engaged position. The electrical energy generation unit may be operably coupled to the second engagement unit and configured to generate electrical energy upon rotation of the second engagement unit. Vehicles including the seatbelt systems and methods for fabricating the seatbelt systems are also disclosed.
US08286996B2
A system and method for protecting a vehicle and, more specifically, a truck bed is disclosed. A preferred embodiment comprises a system with three parts: a protective bar, one or more joint pieces attached to the protective bar, and one or more brackets attached to the one or more joint pieces. The brackets fit over the back end of the truck bed to hold the protective bar in place, while still keeping the overall system easily removable from the truck bed. Embodiments include both a single bracket as well as multiple brackets. The protective bar prevents cargo from impacting the front of the truck bed or back window while the cargo is being loaded, unloaded, or transported.
US08286994B2
A head airbag module for a motor vehicle, in particular a passenger automobile, is provided with a head airbag and a receptacle, which receives the folded head airbag. The head airbag having a gas channel and an airbag, and the head airbag module being implemented so that the head airbag is essentially completely freed from the receptacle by filling of the gas channel, before the airbag is filled.
US08286984B2
An articulated harvester is composed of a forward bogey having an operator's cab, an engine, a grain harvesting assembly, a grain transfer assembly, but being devoid of an on-board grain bin. A rearward bogey is attached by a joint to the forward bogey and has a powered wheel assembly, an on-board grain bin for receiving grain from the forward bogey grain transfer assembly, and a grain off-loading assembly. The improvement includes the rearward bogey having a powered wheel assembly of a powered stiff axle wheel assembly pivotable for steering the articulated harvester when the joint has articulated by a defined number of degrees. The joint may be connected to the rearward bogey powered stiff axle wheel assembly by a beam that has a second joint disposed ahead of the stiff axle and actuatable to crab the articulated harvester for grain unloading.
US08286979B2
A rear axle, specifically a steerable rear axle, of a motor vehicle, has wheel carriers for holding in each case one rear wheel, with in each case one upper transverse link, one lower transverse link and one track rod interacting with each rear wheel, and with the track rods being positioned behind a center of the rear wheels or of the wheel carriers as viewed in the longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle, wherein both track rods which are positioned in each case behind the center of the rear wheels or of the wheel carriers as viewed in the longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle are engaged on by a common steering actuator which is likewise positioned in each case behind the center of the rear wheels or of the wheel carriers as viewed in the longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle.
US08286978B2
System to control the trim of motorcycles with three or four wheels, the motorcycle having two couples of front and rear wheels, or one front wheel and a couple of rear wheels, or a couple of front wheels and one rear wheel. The system to control the trim comprises, at one or both couples of wheels, a hydraulic system configured to link hydraulically at least one couple of wheels, comprising two hydraulic cylinders interconnected at one of the ends through a first pipe, in each of the cylinders a piston sliding by means of a connecting rod, each piston dividing a chamber of the respective cylinder in two parts, not communicating with each other, in a first part of each cylinder communicating with the first pipe being present a liquid able to flow therebetween through the first pipe, and a second closed part of each cylinder having a gas under pressure therein, the cylinders and connecting rods being bound to a chassis or to a hub by fastening, and wherein the system is configured to control the trim by an increase of leaning angle being resisted by an increase of the pressure of the gas present in the second closed part of one of the cylinders.
US08286977B2
Among other things, a movable medical device cart has a work surface on a pedestal and legs under the pedestal, an electronic device accessible at the work surface in connection with performing a medical procedure, and a computer mounted near a bottom of the pedestal to sink heat away from the computer.
US08286976B2
A self-propelled vehicle comprises a frame and a platform pivotally mountable to a rear portion of the vehicle frame. The platform is pivotally movable between a first position in which the platform extends generally horizontally from the rear portion of the frame to support a rider during operation of the vehicle, and a second position in which the platform is removably secured in a generally upright position adjacent the rear portion of the frame to enable walk-behind operation of the vehicle.
US08286969B2
A seal ring for a rotatable shaft in a turbo machine includes a seal body configured for disposing around the shaft wherein a radial gap is defined between an inner surface of the seal body and the shaft. An upstream surface defined by the seal body extends from the inner surface, and an annular obstruction extends from the upstream surface of the seal body, wherein the obstruction is spaced away from the inner surface.
US08286954B2
One embodiment of a locking pliers includes a first stationary jaw carrier comprising a first jaw at one end; a second stationary jaw carrier comprising a second jaw at one end; a bent first handle integrally formed with the first stationary jaw carrier; a bent second handle joined the first handle at a spring-actuated pivot joint and engaged with the other end of the second stationary jaw carrier; a self-adjusting locking unit disposed between the first and second handles and comprising a spring-actuated release lever; a locking assembly comprising a slide bar having one end fixedly secured to the other end of the second stationary jaw carrier and the other end inserting into a portion of the second handle between the pivot joint and the other end of the second stationary jaw carrier, and a spring-actuated release lever member lockingly put on the slide bar.
US08286948B2
The railing system comprises at least one elongated rail having a plurality of spaced-apart openings. It also has a plurality of elongated pickets having opposite ends, each picket having at least one end provided with at least two spaced-apart retaining tabs initially extending lengthwise and configured to be inserted through a corresponding one of the openings of the rail. The tabs of the pickets are outwardly bendable to rigidly connect the pickets to the rail. This type of connection can be quickly achieved and lowers the manufacturing costs of railing systems.
US08286944B2
A motor vehicle lift includes two parallel runways, each provided with at least two elevating devices each having first and second uprights hinged to each other, to the floor (runway) and to the runway (floor) respectively; first and second arms hinged together, the second arm being further hinged to the second upright along a hinging axis equidistant from the axis on which the second upright is hinged to the runway (floor) and from the end of the second arm, which is slidable along a guide provided in the runway (floor), the first arm being also hinged to the first upright; and an actuator device securable selectively to two elements of the quadrilateral formed from the first/second uprights and the first/second arms, at least one of the parts of the quadrilateral being provided with elastic means to vary the dimension between the two hinged ends.
US08286935B2
An actuator for use with valves in a subsea wellhead assembly. The actuator includes a shaft with an alternating polarity along its length and windings spaced around the shaft that create a magnetic field around the shaft. The shaft is connectable to a valve stem so that flowing current through the windings creates a magnetic field for linearly moving the shaft and operating the valve. A fail safe mechanism can be included that pushes the shaft back to its original position thereby also moving the valve into its original, or fail safe, position.
US08286923B2
A holding tool for an elongated member includes a connecting member to be attached to an attachment member, a first holding part for holding the elongated member comparatively tightly, and a second holding part for holding the elongated member with a prescribed space therearound. A gap is formed between the first and second holding parts so that the elongated member can move from the first holding part to the second holding part.
US08286922B2
A carrier includes a main bracket. The main bracket includes a first mounting member and a second mounting member. The first mounting member includes a first sidewall and a first front wall. The second mounting member includes a second sidewall and a second front wall. The first front wall is telescopically extensible relative to the second front wall. A retaining width between the first sidewall and the second sidewall is adjustable in order to couple to various size data storage devices.
US08286920B2
A positioning system for aerial refueling of an aircraft provided with a first element for connection with a second element arranged on a tanker plane. The first and second elements are adapted to feed fuel from the tanker plane to the aircraft. A receiver on the aircraft is arranged to receive signals from the second element. A control unit on the aircraft controls the aircraft depending on the signals to steer the aircraft to a position for connecting the first and second elements.
US08286915B2
An aircraft having a fuselage of composite type and more particularly to that of aircraft fuselage panels bearing cabin windows. The invention thus concerns a fuselage panel bearing a window comprising a composite structure cast in one piece, the structure comprising a main portion and at least one opening to accommodate a window, the structure having, on a zone surrounding the opening, a thickness more or less constant and greater than the thickness of the main portion of the structure. The invention also concerns an aircraft comprising a composite fuselage, the latter comprising such a panel or a similar panel made of metal material.
US08286911B2
A method of installing an aerodynamic control element on an aircraft structure. The method comprising: attaching a fitting to the aircraft structure, the fitting comprising a pair of hinge ribs extending away from the aircraft structure and a spacer extending between the pair of hinge ribs; maintaining a desired distance between the pair of hinge ribs with the spacer as the fitting is attached; and pivotally mounting the aerodynamic control element to each hinge rib via a respective hinge.
US08286904B2
One or a plurality of coreless rolls of a stretchable plastic film are wound up on a mandrel (10) having a tubular body; the mandrel (10) comprises at least a fore air chamber (14) and a rear air chamber (15) axially aligned, wherein the peripheral wall (11) of the mandrel (10) comprises a perforated zone (16, 17) in correspondence of each air chamber (14, 15). One or a plurality of coreless rolls (B1, B2) of stretchable plastic film are wound up on the mandrel (10) at said perforated zones (16, 17) and air chambers (14, 15); the roll or rolls (B1, B2) are removed by pushing said roll or rolls along the mandrel (10), by supplying pressurized air initially into all air chambers (14, 15) during a first removal step of the roll or the rolls (B1, B2) and selectively disconnecting each chamber (14, 15) from the pressurized air source, starting from the rear air chamber (15) to the fore air chamber (14) at overcoming of each air chamber (14, 15) by said roll or rolls (B1, B2).
US08286896B2
A fuel injector is provided with a fuel inlet, a fuel outlet, and a fuel passage for communicating fuel from the inlet to the outlet. A valve and valve seat assembly is provided for selectively preventing and permitting fuel to pass from the fuel inlet to the fuel outlet. The valve seat is defined by a tubular body and a valve seat that traverses an inside wall surface of the tubular body. An upstream face of the valve seat is downstream of an upstream end of the tubular body and a downstream face of the valve seat is upstream of a downstream end of the tubular body. At least one passage is provided through the tubular body beginning downstream of the downstream face of the valve seat and upstream of the downstream end of the tubular body. A cover may be disposed at the downstream end of the tubular body.
US08286885B1
A handheld electronic book device is configured with dual displays. The device includes a first display for presenting visible representations of textual or graphic content related to the electronic book. The device also includes a second display positioned alongside the first display. The second display includes a plurality of graphic elements that correspond to portions of the first display. Also, the second display is responsive to user input to one of the graphic elements to perform an action on the content that is shown in the portion of the first display that corresponds to the one element.
US08286881B2
An electronic article surveillance (“EAS”) tag for securing an item of merchandise is provided. The EAS tag includes a housing defining an opening leading to a compartment therein. A battery is removably disposed within the compartment. An alarm transducer is electrically connected to the battery. A cover is releasably engageable with the housing to cover the opening. A an anchor is releasably engageable with the housing and adapted to removably affix the housing to the item of merchandise. The anchor overlaps at least a portion of the cover when engaged to the housing to prevent removal of the cover when the anchor is engaged to the housing.
US08286874B2
A host device is configured to read and write information from and into a card and to supply a supply voltage that belongs to a first voltage range or a second voltage range which is lower than the first voltage range, and issues a voltage identification command to the card. The voltage identification command includes a voltage range identification section, an error detection section, and a check pattern section. The voltage range identification section includes information indicating which one of the first voltage range and the second voltage range the supply voltage belongs. The error detection section has a pattern configured to enable the card which has received the voltage identification command to detect errors in the voltage identification command. The check pattern section has a preset pattern.
US08286866B2
A method for creating an electronic identification card during a real time communications session including: presenting a user with an option to enter personal information; receiving a command from the user to send the electronic identification card including the personal information during the real time communications session; recording the personal information for the electronic identification card with a data entry method; and sending the electronic identification card to a device involved in the real time communications session.
US08286860B2
A method of porting value from a negotiable instrument to a presentation instrument includes acquiring information from the negotiable instrument, acquiring information from the presentation instrument, sending at least a portion of the information from the negotiable instrument to a check processor, receiving a message from the check processor that identifies whether the negotiable instrument has been associated with a Positive Pay File, and, based at least in part on the message from the check processor, determining an amount of value to credit to an account associated with the presentation instrument.
US08286854B2
A microsystem has a first cavity which is sealed off from the surroundings and a second cavity which is sealed off from the surroundings. The first cavity is bounded by a first bond joint and the second cavity is bounded by a second bond joint. Either the first bond joint or the second bond joint is a eutectic bond joint or a diffusion-soldered joint.
US08286852B2
A method of friction welding a head part to a skirt part of a piston having a hollow cooling duct in which the internal connection surface of the first part to be welded is reciprocally arranged with an internal connection surface of the second part to be friction welded, so that they form a unsymmetrical contact area, so that the resulting weld of the first and the second parts produces a weld bead that is located predominantly outside of the hollow cooling duct. The unsymmetrical contact area can be formed by chamfered, angled edge surfaces that produce, for example, a wedge-shaped space, or partially matched, inter-fitting surfaces that remain out of contact and produce a gap at sides facing the hollow space.
US08286848B2
A surgical stapling device for sequentially applying a plurality of fasteners to body tissue and simultaneously incising tissue is provided. The surgical stapling device is adapted to receive disposable loading units having staples in linear rows whose length can be between about 30 mm and 60 mm. The disposable loading unit includes a proximal body portion, a mounting assembly and a tool assembly. The mounting assembly is secured to the proximal end of the tool assembly and pivotally mounted about a pivot axis to the distal end of the proximal body portion. A support member or blow-out plate assembly is positioned on opposite sides of the pivot avis and extends between the proximal body portion and the mounting assembly.
US08286847B2
A surgical apparatus for performing endoscopic or laparoscopic surgical procedures is disclosed. The apparatus includes a frame and a bellows seal which provides a seal between the frame and a clamping mechanism and the frame and a firing mechanism. The bellows seal is positioned within the frame such that the bellows seal expands outwardly upon advancement of a clamp member of the clamping mechanism to provide a seal within the frame or to increase the capacity of the seal within the frame.
US08286844B2
A holder is provided for items, in particular for drinks containers, drinking vessels in a motor vehicle that includes, but is not limited to a storage bin for holding the items. The storage bin has a bottom for holding the items as well as side walls. In such a holder, it is provided that at least one side wall has a variable-shape insert that can be transferred from a position following the contour of this side wall into a position curved in the direction of the opposite side wall. By this means, a variable division of the storage bin can be accomplished with simple design and extremely simple handling.
US08286842B2
An expandable travel hanger includes an adjustable triangular shaped frame, which can go from a compacted state for storage in a suitcase to an extended state to hang clothes therefrom. A hooked movable suspension component is located at an apex of the adjustable triangular frame, which can go from a compacted state for storage in the suitcase to an extended state for use to engage with a pole in a clothes closet. A pair of release buttons, wherein each the release button is located on each said curved tubular end support, so that when the release buttons are manually pressed, said adjustable triangular shaped frame will automatically go from the compacted state to the extended state.
US08286837B1
A power assembly for dispensing product from a container includes a pump mechanism and an energy storage mechanism. The pump mechanism includes a rotatable actuating collar connected through an escapement mechanism with a drive screw with an externally threaded shaft engaged with internal threads in a piston. Rotation of the collar reciprocates the piston to store energy in the energy storage mechanism and to draw product into a pump chamber from which the product is dispensed. An actuator is connected with a stem valve to open it when the actuator is depressed, enabling the energy storage mechanism to push the piston back to its at-rest position to force product from the pump chamber and ready it for another dispensing cycle. Disengagement of the escapement mechanism when the actuator is depressed prevents rotation of the actuating collar. Different energy storage mechanisms can be interchangeably attached to the pump mechanism.
US08286835B2
A product dispenser assembly including a product dispenser, a mounting member, and a connector. The connector includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion includes a receiving member configured and arranged to operatively connect the product dispenser thereto. The second portion includes a connecting member configured and arranged to operatively connect the mounting member thereto. The first and second portions are rotatably operatively connected to position the receiving member and the connecting member in different positions relative to one another.
US08286833B2
Systems for dispensing heated liquids, such as hot melt adhesives. The dispensing system may include a hot air manifold and a liquid manifold with a surface confronting surfaces of the air manifold to define an air plenum. A dispensing module is coupled in fluid communication with the liquid manifold and in fluid communication with an air outlet of the hot air manifold. The dispensing module is capable of dispensing the heated liquid and is capable of receiving and dispensing the process air to impinge upon the heated liquid. A heating element is operative for heating the process air flowing through said air plenum.
US08286828B2
A storage/transport container has a plurality of walls defining an upwardly open vessel having an upper rim and a generally flat cover panel hinged on one of the walls and having an inner edge. The rim has opposite to one of the walls structure forming another inner edge. The cover panel is pivotal into a closed position with the inner edges juxtaposed, retaining formations projecting generally perpendicularly from the inner edge of the cover panel and oppositely from the other inner edge that fit together in the closed position. Hooks are formed on the edges and positioned so as to be opened directly at each other in the closed position. The hooks normally are spaced apart but, on deformation of the cover panel, hook together and preventing separation of the edges.
US08286827B2
A removable sippy cup lid configured to be placed securely onto an opened beverage can. The removable sippy cup lid includes a drinking spout shaped to correspond to the cavity opening in the beverage can lid. Furthermore, the sippy cup lid includes a groove about its edge sized to receive and snap over a circular outer rim of the beverage can lid to form a seal. The groove includes an arc shaped channel cross section that bends inward leaving an opening at a distal end, where the opening covers the beverage can rim. A width of the opening is less than a thickness of the beverage can rim in a resting position. The groove is made out of flexible material such that the width of the opening widens to the thickness of the beverage can rim as pressure is applied to the sippy cup lid to snap over the rim.
US08286820B2
A protective device for a wall region to be protected, includes a collar which has recesses penetrating the collar and is disposed around the wall region to be protected in an intended configuration of the protective device. A protective cap includes a base and a casing, which extends from the base substantially perpendicularly up to a casing edge and has recesses penetrating the casing. The casing recesses extend from the casing edge in the direction of the base of the protective cap. Casing sections are formed between the recesses. In the intended configuration of the protective device, the casing is disposed between the collar and the wall region to be protected, and one of the casing sections is disposed between each collar recess and the wall region to be protected so that a free linear connection is prevented between the respective collar recess and the wall region to be protected.
US08286815B2
A package includes a container having a closed bottom, an open top having an outwardly extending flange, and a body having an enclosed generally cylindrical perimeter surrounding a longitudinal axis between the bottom and the top. The body can include an opposed pair of longitudinally extending inward protrusions forming a graspable handle dividing the body into a front label surface occupying at least 180° of the body and a back label surface smaller than the front label surface. Each inward protrusion can include a plurality of longitudinal ridges on a forwardly facing surface to facilitate single handed grasping of the package. A plurality of circumferential ribs can be situated between an upper end of the inward protrusions and the outwardly extending flange to preserve the package shape during storage on commercial food storage racks.
US08286810B2
A laundry rack is provides having a plurality of scissor linkages formed by pairs of inner and outer legs with each leg having an upper and lower end, with each pair of legs having aligned bores through which each pair of legs are rotationally connected. Each scissor linkage having aligned bores through which cross-members can be connected to join two scissor linkages to form at least a first end frame having at least an upper and lower linkage, and at least two scissor linkages being joinable to form a second end frame having at least an upper and lower linkage. Each end frame having respective first and second elongated latch members. The latch member each having first and second opposing ends that are laterally offset from each other. The first end being rotatably connected to an upper end of the inner leg on the upper scissor linkage and located on an outer side of that upper end. The second end being placed adjacent an inner side of the upper end of the outer leg in the same scissor linkage as the first end during use. The second end of each latch member adapted to releasably connect to a cross member during use.
US08286792B2
A router bit kit includes a plurality of router bits, a plurality of router bit holders and a container. Each of the plurality of router bits has a cutting surface configured to produce a cut having a three dimensional kerf profile. Each of the plurality of bit holders corresponds to at least one of the plurality of f router bits. Each of the plurality of bit holders has a three dimensional kerf profile portion that matches the three dimensional kerf profile which the corresponding router bit is configured to produce. The container is configured to retain the plurality of router bits and the plurality of holders.
US08286790B1
The paint brush cleaning and carrying device provides the advantage of a vented transparent pail with brush viewing from the exterior. The sealable removable lid provides tubular brush handle holders, each handle holder twistable and having varied height multiple pairs of orifices. Removable pins pass through the orifices and through existing holes in existing paint brush handles to dangle the brushes downwardly into selectively disposed brush solvents. The lipped removable lid can be inverted and returned atop the pail for brush drainage without solvent loss.
US08286784B2
A conveyor assembly includes a mounting assembly for moving a material to be conveyed. The mounting assembly is movable in a first direction and in a second direction opposite the first direction. At least one resiliently deformable spring member is provided for storing energy therein responsive to a motion of the mounting assembly in the second direction. Energy stored in the spring member is usable to urge the mounting assembly and the associated material in the first direction.
US08286764B2
A rotational damper having a stator and a rotor that is rotatably supported in the stator, the rotor having a first friction element (31, 31 A . . . 31 F), wherein the volume between the stator and the rotor is filled with a viscous fluid. According to the invention, the rotor has a second friction element (32, 32A . . . 32F), which is supported coaxially in relation to the first friction element and rotationally coupled thereto, and which can be axially displaced relative to the first friction element. Due to the two-piece design of the friction element and the ability for axial displacement of the two friction elements, the entire effective surface of the friction element in the viscous fluid, and thus the frictional resistance and the damping characteristics of the rotational damper, can be varied. For this purpose, the second friction element preferably has a plurality of segments (5, 5A . . . 5F), which immerse into the first friction element and can be displaced by an actuator (4, 4A . . . 4G). These segments bring about the rotational coupling of the two friction elements. In this manner, continuous adjustment of the damping torque can occur across a broad range using a simple mechanism, in order to meet the diverse requirements in terms of size and type of rotational damping in various applications, using only one model.
US08286756B2
An elevator group control system is obtained which is improved in the operating efficiency of entire cars by determining an assigned car with the use of an evaluation value calculated from an increment of the number of floors to be stopped by each car when a hall destination call newly generated by a hall control panel is temporarily assigned to each car. The system includes a hall input unit which is installed in a hall and by which the registration of a destination floor call is able to be made, and an assignment evaluation value calculation unit which includes a plurality of evaluation value calculation units for calculating the respective evaluation values of a plurality of cars in an individual manner, determines a final evaluation value from the respective evaluation values, and selects an optimal assigned car. The assignment evaluation value calculation unit includes a stop number increment evaluation value calculation unit, and the stop number increment evaluation value calculation unit sets an increment variable from an increment of the number of floors to be stopped at the time when a new hall call newly generated and a new hall destination call representing a destination floor of the new hall call are temporarily assigned to each of the plurality of cars, and calculates a stop number increment evaluation value based on the increment variable thus set.
US08286750B1
An energy capture and control device is disclosed and described. The device can include a central chamber oriented along a central axis within an outer shell, said central chamber having an inlet configured to receive a high energy material from a high energy outlet. An off axis chamber can be oriented within the outer shell in fluid communication with the central chamber. The off axis chamber can have a fluid outlet and multiple internal walls to produce a serpentine fluid pathway which dissipates energy transferred from the high energy material.
US08286737B2
A ball drive assembly for a vertical takeoff and land aircraft of the type having a plurality of supports extending outwardly from a central aircraft body. The ball drive assembly for one of the supports has a ball wheel housing containing a spherical, rigid ball, a drive shaft extending into the ball, a first driver for initiating rotating movement of the ball with respect to the ball wheel housing, and a second driver for initiating swiveling left and right movement of the ball so that it twists laterally of the ball wheel housing. Two motors are connected to the drivers, for operating them to rotate the ball with respect to the ball wheel housing, and effect both straight line movement and turning movement of the assembly.
US08286732B2
This invention relates to a steering component, to a steering assembly, and to a method of steering a drill bit in a borehole. The steering component is adapted for connection to a drill string, the drill string carrying a drill bit and a motor for rotating the drill bit. The steering component comprises: a rotatable driveshaft adapted for connection between the drill bit and the motor; a drive mechanism; and an offsetting component; the drive mechanism providing a rotatable connection between the drill string and the offsetting component whereby the drill string can rotate relative to the offsetting component. The drive mechanism is adapted to drive the offsetting component to rotate in an opposed direction to the driveshaft, so as to counter the rotation of the offsetting component which is induced by friction within the componentry as the driveshaft rotates. The steering component and method are likely to have their greatest utility in steering a drill bit during drilling for oil and gas.
US08286728B2
A system and method for communicating with a drill string is provided. The system includes an apparatus having a first coupler, a second coupler, a frame and an actuator. The first coupler may be operatively connectable to the drill string and the second coupler may be operatively connectable to a top drive of a handling system thereby allowing communication between a surface system and a downhole system. The frame may support the first coupler and the second coupler. The frame may be operatively connectable to the handling system. The actuator may be for moving the frame with the first and second couplers between an engaged position operatively connected to the top drive and an uppermost drill pipe, and a disengaged position a distance from the uppermost drill pipe whereby the first and second couplers selectively establish a communication link between the surface system and the downhole system.
US08286725B2
A drive mechanism for a hammer drill comprises a hollow piston 558 having a cylindrical bearing that is adapted to receive a crank pin in order to cause the hollow piston 558 to reciprocate inside a spindle 548. A plurality of longitudinal ridges 559 are formed on the outer surface of the hollow piston 558 to reduce the surface area of contact between the hollow piston 558 and the spindle 548, and a plurality of grooves 561 are formed in the gaps between the ridges. The grooves 561 are adapted to retain lubricant 563 in order to reduce frictional contact between the hollow piston 558 and the spindle 548.
US08286722B2
A portable linear fastener driving tool is provided that drive staples, nails, or other linearly driven fasteners. The tool uses a gas spring principle, in which a cylinder filled with compressed gas is used to quickly force a piston through a driving stroke movement, while a driver also drives a fastener into a workpiece. The piston/driver is then moved back to its starting position by use of a rotary-to-linear lifter, and the piston again compresses the gas above the piston, thereby preparing the tool for another driving stroke. The driver has protrusions along its edges that contact the lifter, which lifts the driver during a return stroke. A pivotable latch is controlled to move into either an interfering position or a non-interfering position with respect to the driver protrusions, and acts as a safety device, by preventing the driver from making a full driving stroke at an improper time.
US08286719B2
An apparatus for protecting a structure from fire includes a foam generation system by mixing compressed air, water from a pump and a foaming agent from a metered supply together with a series of motor driven nozzles and a control device which is programable to provide a program of operation to control the motors of the nozzles so as to pre-determine a pattern by which a building is repeatedly covered by a layer of the foam. The control device can include plurality of different programs of operation of the nozzles with different times for different fire conditions. A remote control allows the apparatus to be activated from a safe remote location. An arrangement is provided to automatically start the foam generation system including an internal combustion engine.
US08286714B2
A surface assembly that communicates with subsea structures and includes a working deck on a floating structure. The working deck has an aperture extending axially therethrough. A riser extends from a subsea location to the working deck and through the aperture. The surface assembly includes a frame extending circumferentially around the riser so that the frame moves axially with the riser. The assembly also includes a tensioner assembly connected between the working deck and the frame. The tensioner assembly includes a piston slidably carried in a piston chamber, a piston rod extending from the piston and away from the piston chamber, and a shroud enclosing the piston rod. The shroud has a plurality of segments with at least one of the shroud segments being movable in unison with the piston rod.
US08286711B2
A running tool sets a casing hanger packoff and ensures that the packoff is not pressure tested unless the proper setting stroke was made by the running tool. The running tool has a stem, an inner body, and a piston. The inner body is connected to the stem so that rotation of the stem relative to the inner body will cause the stem to move longitudinally. The piston is connected to the stem so that the stem and piston rotate and move longitudinally in unison. A test slot is located in the outer surface of the inner body. A limit pin is connected to the piston and is adapted to engage the test slot when the piston moves longitudinally relative to the inner body. The stem has a raised profile on a portion of its exterior surface.
US08286708B2
Methods and apparatuses for installing lateral wells in an underground. The methods and apparatuses allow for efficiency in a milling and installation process for the lateral well. More specifically, tools and techniques are detailed which allow for controllably guided installation of a whipstock and/or subsequent production deflector hardware at locations adjacent lateral legs of a well to allow for such enhanced milling, installation and production efficiencies.
US08286701B2
A device has a first elongate tubular body and a second elongate tubular body coupled to the first tubular body, both adapted to reside in the wellbore. The device is changeable between the first tubular body axially fixed against movement in a first direction relative to the second tubular body and axially moveable in the first direction relative to the second elongate tubular body in response to temperature.
US08286699B2
A production tubing assembly for accessing multiple boreholes. The assembly includes an outer shroud having an axial throughbore, a deflector disposed in the axial throughbore and releasably coupled to the outer shroud. At least two tubular members are releasably coupled to the deflector by extendable latch assemblies, wherein the deflector with the coupled tubular members is extendable from within the outer shroud to a position beyond the outer shroud. Additionally, in the extended position, the latch assemblies extend to release the tubular members and latch the deflector to the outer shroud.
US08286692B2
The method for reducing interstitial elements in alloy castings which comprises the following steps: pouring the alloy for the formation of a casting; and allowing said alloy to cool. According to the method, at least a peripheral region of the casting is heated, so that the flux of interstitial elements is caused towards the at least one peripheral region. The method is achieved where most of the interstitial elements concentrate in at least one region in the surface region of the casting. At later stages these elements can be easily eliminated from the respective regions by means of a thermal surface treatment or surface machining of the casting.
US08286688B2
A vehicle cover is provided for covering a driver side window, central windshield, and passenger side window. The cover includes a central windshield panel, a right wing panel, and a left wing panel. The right wing panel forms a pocket with three closed sides, and an open bottom edge for covering a driver side window and frame of a vehicle. The left wing panel is a pocket formed by three closed sides and an open bottom edge so as to enclose a passenger side window and frame of the vehicle. The vehicle cover prevents ice build up on the covered windshield and side windows so as to eliminate the need to scrape ice from the windshield and side windows. The cover also blocks harmful environmental conditions that may damage both the interior and exterior of a vehicle during all times of the year.
US08286686B2
In a window treatment with a cover for covering a window or other architectural opening, a cord assembly includes an elongated housing arranged to be installed next to the cover. The housing includes a channel around most of its periphery receiving the cord. Operating elements are provided on the housing to move the cord with respect to the housing to operate the window treatment and its cover.
US08286668B2
A three-dimensional distance woven fabric including two outer fabrics and a plurality of inter-yarns connected with the outer fabrics, wherein a gap distance between the outer fabrics is greater than 20 centimeters A method for weaving the aforesaid three-dimensional distance woven fabric is also provided.
US08286666B2
A mixing pipe for a gas heater includes an intake port through which gas and air are flowed in; a discharge port through which the gas and the air flowed in through the intake port are mixed and discharged; and an acceleration part disposed between the intake port and the discharge port and having a diameter smaller than the a diameter of the intake port, wherein a distance between the intake port and the acceleration part is greater than 0.5 times of the diameter of the acceleration part and smaller than 1.5 times of the diameter of the acceleration part.
US08286660B2
A gas regulator includes an actuator, a regulator valve, and a secondary device. Downstream pressure feedback is provided to the actuator and the secondary device via a Pitot tube disposed within an outlet of the regulator valve. The Pitot tube has a first branch having an end connected to the actuator to place the actuator control cavity and diaphragm in fluid communication with downstream pressure within the outlet for maintaining the outlet pressure at an actuator setpoint pressure. The Pitot tube also has a second branch having an end connected to the secondary device to place the interior of the secondary device in fluid communication with downstream pressure within the outlet for responding to changes in the downstream pressure when the outlet pressure diverges from a predetermined normal operating pressure range.
US08286655B2
A line stop adapter includes a body having a tapping flange mounting surface, adapted for mounting to a tapping sleeve flange, and an opposing valve mounting surface, adapted for mounting to a temporary valve. An interior wall forms a body aperture fluidly connecting the mounting surfaces. A portion of the interior wall is adapted to receive and selectively engage a completion plug, allowing the completion plug to fluidly seal the body aperture. Multiple engagement portions are arranged around the body aperture for securing the tapping flange mounting surface to the tapping sleeve.
US08286654B2
A gas turbine engine comprising a fan section, a compressor, a combustor and a turbine, includes a nacelle having an inner nacelle surface defining an inlet duct designed to reduce an inlet duct area of the inlet duct to increase acoustic attenuation. The gas turbine engine also includes a spinner, disposed forward of the fan section, that includes features to increase acoustic attenuation. In one embodiment of the present invention, the nacelle includes a nacelle contoured surface protruding radially inward from the inner nacelle surface to reduce the inlet duct area. In a further embodiment of the present invention, the spinner includes a spinner contoured surface for reducing the inlet duct area. In other embodiments, the nacelle and/or the spinner include an inflatable bladder, a SMA actuator, a fluidic actuator, or a combination thereof, selectively activated to increase acoustic attenuation during certain conditions of an aircraft.
US08286652B2
A method of limiting jerk in a hydraulic system of a machine includes defining a maximum pressure rate. An output pressure of a hydraulic fluid is continuously measured over time from a work port of a hydraulic valve to determine an output pressure rate. The measured output pressure rate is compared to the maximum pressure rate. A requested flow rate is adjusted when the measured output pressure rate is greater than the maximum pressure rate to decrease the pressure differential generated in response to changing the flow rate of the hydraulic fluid through the valve, which thereby limits a change in acceleration or deceleration of the hydraulic system to limit felt jerk in the machine.
US08286647B2
A cosmetics receptacle includes: a container part having a container opening, a container cap combined with the container part, a guide tube part including a pair of guide grooves dotted-formed from an upper end along a length-wise direction, a brush holder having a tube-shaped brush seating tube with a closed upper side, a sliding tube disposed in such a manner that the sliding tube surrounds the brush seating tube and a pair of guide projections extending from an outer surface of the brush seating tube, a brush mounted in the brush seating tube in such a manner that the brush is exposed by passing the lower end of the guide tube part when the brush holder moves along the length-wise direction of the guide tube part, and a separation preventing cap combined with the upper end of the guide tube part.
US08286629B2
A nebulizer includes a nebulizer body a relay pipe. The nebulizer body includes a connection portion that has an aerosol lead-out port to lead out aerosol, and the relay pipe includes a connection portion that has an aerosol introduction port to introduce the aerosol. The nebulizer body the relay pipe can take a first connection state in which the relay pipe detachably connected to the nebulizer body and a second connection state in which the relay pipe is connected to the nebulizer body so as to be not able to be detached from the nebulizer body. In the first connection state, the aerosol introduction port and the aerosol lead-out port are communicated with each other. In the second connection state, the aerosol lead-out port is blocked by a blocking portion provided in the relay pipe. Therefore, the nebulizer in which reuse of the nebulizer body or relay pipe is simply prohibited after the usage can be provided by the configuration.
US08286618B2
A device and a method for controlling an internal combustion engine are provided, in which the fuel quantity to be injected is controlled as a function of a Lambda signal. A setpoint value for the Lambda signal is specified on the basis of at least one maximally permitted exhaust-gas temperature value.
US08286606B2
A piston for an internal combustion engine is provided that comprises a piston head, onto which a piston hub and a piston skirt are formed, as well as reinforcing ribs, which extend between piston hub and piston skirt and which each comprise two portions that are curved in opposite directions.
US08286602B2
A phase variable device for use with a car engine, capable of preventing the phase angle of the camshaft from varying relative to the first circular rotational body. The device includes: a first rotational body, an intermediate rotational bode integral with the camshaft of an engine, a second rotational body, all rotatably arranged on the same camshaft, the device adapted to control phase angle of the second rotational body, thereby varying the phase angle of the intermediate rotational body. The second rotational body is placed in substantial contact with the inside of the hollow cylindrical section of the intermediate rotational body. A circular eccentric cam, integral with the second rotational body and adapted to rotate about an eccentric center thereof, causes a cam guide plate to reciprocate in the direction perpendicular to the rotational axis.
US08286599B2
A rocker arm may include a first arm defining a first longitudinal bore and a second arm defining a second longitudinal bore. The rocker arm may house a locking assembly including a first lock pin located within the first longitudinal bore, an actuation pin extending through a radial passage in the rocker arm and engaged with the first lock pin, and a first biasing member engaged with the first lock pin and urging the first lock pin toward the actuation pin and biasing the actuation pin radially inward. An actuation assembly may be engaged with the actuation pin and linearly displaceable between first and second actuation positions. The first and second arms may be rotatable relative to one another when the actuation member is in the first actuation position and may be fixed for rotation with one another when the actuation member is in the second actuation position.
US08286598B2
An engine has a rotatable crankshaft. A compression piston is received within a compression cylinder and operatively connected to the crankshaft such that the compression piston reciprocates through an intake stroke and a compression stroke during a single rotation of the crankshaft. An expansion piston is received within an expansion cylinder and operatively connected to the crankshaft such that the expansion piston reciprocates through an expansion stroke and an exhaust stroke during a single rotation of the crankshaft. A crossover passage interconnects the compression and expansion cylinders. The crossover passage includes a crossover compression valve and a crossover expansion valve defining a pressure chamber therebetween. A fuel injector is disposed in the pressure chamber of the crossover passage. Fuel injection from the fuel injector into the crossover passage is timed to occur entirely during the compression stroke of the compression piston.
US08286597B2
An engine has an auxiliary cylinder 2 and a valve body 6 slidable in this cylinder. The valve body 6 has a gas space 7 formed in it. The engine further has an actuator for shifting the valve body 6 to switch the communication between the main combustion chamber and the gas space 7 and the isolation of the chamber and cavity from each other. The slidable valve may function as a compression ratio changer, which switches the communication and the isolation according to the load on the piston. In this case, the engine has a third compression ring 18. The slidable valve may also function as a suction or exhaust valve, which switches the communication between the combustion chamber and auxiliary passage and the isolation of the chamber and passage from each other during the suction or exhaust strokes. This improves the suction or exhaust efficiency of the engine.
US08286594B2
A water heating apparatus uses a low range blower assembly and a high range blower assembly, each providing a variable flow of premixed fuel and air to a burner assembly. Appropriate choice of the operating ranges of the blower assemblies can provide a high turndown ratio approximately equal to the product of the turndown ratios of each of the individual blower assemblies. Turndown ratios as high as 25:1 are achievable.
US08286592B2
Portable apparatus and systems for pet bathing. According to one embodiment, a fully contained portable pet washing system includes one or more collapsible fluid bladders, one or more fluid tubes, a variable flow control valve, a bladder holder pack and a detachable fabric-based wash glove. The fluid tubes interface with the collapsible fluid bladders. The variable flow control valve is operable to control the dispensing of wash or rinsing fluid from the collapsible fluid bladders. The bladder holder pack is configured to be fastened as an adjustable waist belt and configured to enclose some portion of the collapsible fluid bladders. The detachable fabric-based wash glove includes at least a portion of an attachment mechanism for engaging the fluid tubes and maintaining the positioning thereof to dispense the wash or rinsing fluid at a location near a palm or finger portion of the detachable fabric-based wash glove.
US08286588B2
An pet food dispensing device includes a dispenser, an outer case, a pet food container, a slant guide, a driving device, and dispensing spouts. The dispenser includes a shaft, a dispensing disc, a rectangular push-out plate, a semi-circular plate and a stirrer. The dispensing disc includes top and bottom layers, which are positioned adjacently. The top layer of the dispensing disc includes one or more bumps on the top surface. The rectangular foam push out plate turns counter-clockwise dispensing pet food from the upper portion of semi-circular plate towards slant guide. The stirrer of the pet food dispenser includes a first flap extended from the first edge of the bottom layer of the dispensing disc, and the first flap is bent downwardly below the horizontal plane.
US08286577B2
A dosing device for the application of a coating mix (6) onto a running web, in particular a paper or paperboard web (1), which device comprises a rod (8) that is supported revolvingly over its entire length in a rod cradle (12), and a pressing device (13) acting on the rod cradle and producing a pressure of the rod onto the web (1) and onto the holding-on device (2, 17, 15) of the web, the rod (8) being provided with a wear resistant surface coating (15) with a hardness of about 10 to about 100 according to Shore A. The invention also relates to methods of using said rod, and to said revolving rod.
US08286567B2
A seed planting device. The seed planting device includes an elongated member defining a plurality of shallow depressions regularly spaced along one or more of the member's faces. Each depression defines a volume capable of receiving a seed. A practitioner uses one face or edge of the device to create an indentation in the soil. The practitioner then lifts the device and tilts it so that the seeds fall out of the shallow depressions into the indentation. The practitioner then covers the seeds with soil by filling in the indentation with loose earth or potting soil.
US08286559B2
Disclosed is a trolley assembly that is adapted to be used with a passenger restraint, such as a locking reel. The trolley assembly allows the reel lock to be securely positioned at any of a number of discrete locations along the length of an associated track. A mechanism is included for permitting the user to selectively lock and unlock the trolley as needed.
US08286556B2
The present invention discloses an integral-type combined firework, in which several tubular holes whose central longitudinal axes are parallel to each other are uniformly distributed on a body, the tubular holes have openings upward and bottom ends closed, the closed end of the bottom of each tubular hole is provided with one small through hole that penetrates through the bottom of the body and is provided with a spreading fuse, the body, the tubular holes and the small through holes thereof are an integrally molded structure; the bottom in each tubular holes is provided with propellant powder and connected with the spreading fuse, the propellant powder is provided with an inner cylinder or an effect powder on it. The integral-type combined firework using the above solution has standard specification, firm structure and results in high production efficiency; moreover, the original fuse connection at the side of the cylinder body is changed into the fuse connection at the bottom, and the fuse connecting holes are mechanically molded with a consistent size of the hole and precisely controlled distance between holes, therefore, the launching time is accurate and safety is good.
US08286555B2
A detonator assembly is provided. The detonator assembly comprises a deflagration to detonation transition body, a first thermally stable secondary explosive contained by the body, and a bulkhead coupled to the deflagration to detonation transition body. The bulkhead contains pressure within the body associated with firing the detonator assembly at least until a transition from a deflagration operation mode of the detonator assembly to a detonation operation mode of the detonator assembly has occurred. A second thermally stable secondary explosive may alternatively be included in the deflagration to detonation transition body, either separated from the first thermally stable secondary explosive or mixed with the first thermally stable secondary explosive. The detonator assembly comprises effectively no primary explosive.
US08286554B2
A method for electrically initiating an inertial igniter for a munition. The method including: generating a voltage over a duration of an acceleration of the munition; powering a circuit from the generated voltage for determining when the acceleration experienced by the munition is an all-fire condition; electrically activating a reserve battery by the generated voltage when the circuit determines that the acceleration experienced by the munition is the all-fire condition; and electrically initiating pyrotechnic materials at a specified time into a flight of the munition using the reserve battery.
US08286546B2
A fuel system may include a fuel pump and a drive shaft. The fuel pump may include a reciprocating member and the drive shaft may include a lobe member engaged with the reciprocating member. The lobe member may linearly displace the reciprocating member and drive the fuel pump. The lobe member may include a first lobe having a first opening flank driving a first compression stroke of the fuel pump through engagement with the reciprocating member. The first lobe may have a profile providing a constant velocity for the linear displacement of the reciprocating member for a portion of the first compression stroke.
US08286545B2
A piston-cylinder unit for pivoting a flap with respect to a motor vehicle body includes a cylinder having an open end with a seal, a closed end, and an interior space between the ends; a piston unit axially movable in the cylinder, the piston unit dividing the interior space into a first working space and a second working space; a piston rod connected to the piston unit and extending through the first working space and the seal; and flow connections connecting the first working space to the second working space. A switch element arranged outside the cylinder is switched in response to movement of the piston with respect to the cylinder.
US08286541B2
A firearm having reduced recoil including a front slide connected to a rear slide by way of a slide link. Firing the firearm causes the rear slide to recoil and transfer energy, by means of the slide link, to the front slide. The front slide moving in the direction opposite the rear slide thereby reducing the recoil of the firearm. After reaching full recoil, the front and rear slides return to their resting positions.
US08286534B2
An assembled transmission device with bi-rotating directional input and constant rotating directional output can be directly installed in pipe holes of a basic through hole pipe of a vehicle, so that a vehicle to be driven that is installed with the basic through hole pipe is easy to assemble and maintain.
US08286530B2
A bicycle handle assembly, of which the position of the handle grip can be freely adjusted according to the need of the rider, enabling the rider to ride the bicycle in a comfortable posture. The bicycle handle assembly includes: a stem prepared on a front-wheel fork of a bicycle; a handlebar installed on the stem; a handle grip coupled to either end of the handlebar; a ball joint prepared between the handlebar and the handle grip to enable the handle grip to rotate; and a securing element installed on the ball joint to secure the handle grip in a particular position. The bicycle handle assembly makes it possible to freely adjust the positions of the handle grips according to the need of the rider, thereby distributing the load that may otherwise be concentrated on the wrists and preventing pain and injury.
US08286524B2
A motor assembly includes a motor, a force transmission structure comprising a drive plate and a shaft, and a gear train connecting the motor to the drive plate for transmitting rotation of the motor to the drive plate. The drive plate has a mounting hole with at least three sections interconnected with one another at a common area, the shaft has a toothed portion with at least three teeth fittingly received in the sections of the mounting hole of the drive plate such that the shaft is rotated with the drive plate.
US08286518B2
A drive device for a lid of a motor vehicle includes a first fastening element connectable to a stationary component or to a movable component, and a housing tube located at the end of the drive device opposite the first fastening element and is free to move axially relative thereto. The housing tube includes, at the end opposite the first fastening element, a second fastening element connectable to the movable component or to the stationary component. A spindle drive including a threaded spindle and a spindle nut mounted on the threaded spindle is actuatable by a rotary device to move the first fastening element and the housing tube axially relative to each other. A stroke position of the first fastening element can be detected by a magnetic field sensor which senses longitudinal movements of a permanent magnet of the spindle along a sensitivity area of the stationary magnetic field sensor.
US08286516B2
A method and a device for measuring the movement of a subsea pipeline. The measuring device has an accommodating mount anchored in the sea bed to accept the subsea pipeline. The subsea pipeline is liable to be made to move over a determined travel with respect to the accommodating support as the pipelines deforms. The movement has an amplitude that varies according to the deformation of the subsea pipeline. A plurality of frangible elements secured to one of either the deformable subsea pipeline and the accommodating mount. The frangible elements are intended to be broken in succession by the other of either the deformable subsea pipeline and the accommodating mount when the pipeline is caused to move.
US08286514B2
Embodiments of the invention include a proppant testing apparatus with a portable piston extractor and related methods. In one embodiment, a testing apparatus includes a test cell body in which an upper piston is constrained to vertically reciprocate within a test cavity. A laterally-extending width bar is coupled to the piston above the test cell body. A portable piston extractor is provided for freeing the stuck piston following testing. The piston extractor includes an extractor base removably supported on the test cell body and an extractor arm movably coupled to the extractor base. A drive mechanism is configured for driving the extractor arm into vertical engagement with the width bar, to raise the piston for extraction. In another embodiment, a set of gear boxes interconnected by shafts may be used to apply a uniform separation force between the piston and test cell body.
US08286510B2
A force sensor for detecting at least a force acting in a longitudinal direction of a catheter or guide wire, the force sensor comprising a force pick-up for detecting the force, wherein the force pick-up comprises: a base body with an end face, wherein the base body includes at least one cutout, wherein the cutout causes an asymmetry of the base body relative to the longitudinal direction of the catheter or guide wire upon flexing of the base body upon force Fz loading thereon from an axial direction, wherein the end face includes a surface area that is substantially greater than the cross-sectional area of the base body in the region of the cutout, but not substantially smaller than the cross-section of the rest of the base body. A method for using this force sensor is also disclosed.
US08286504B2
An arrangement for improving an accuracy of a pressure measurement made of a breathing gas including drops of water or humidity flowing along a flow channel is disclosed herein. The arrangement includes at least one pressure measuring channel to transmit a pressure of the breathing gas flowing along the flow channel to a measuring device to make the pressure measurement. The pressure measuring channel is equipped with a capillary material enabling capillary suctioning of water. Also a flow sensor for a flow rate measurement of a breathing gas including drops of water or humidity is provided.
US08286503B2
An electromagnetic flowmeter for mass flow measurement of a flowing medium having a measuring tube (1), a magnetic field generator for generating a magnetic field that at least partially passes through the measuring tube (1), two magnetic coils (2), and two electrodes for tapping into a measurement voltage induced in the flowing medium. The measuring tube (1) is designed as an integrally molded metal pipe or as a metal pipe produced integrally by hydroforming. Preferably, the measuring tube has a wall thickness that is smaller at a mid-section than at its ends, and reinforcing ribs in the mid-section.
US08286494B2
One or more bolt gauges each with a built-in load cell are positioned on a blade bolt or a bearing bolt between a pitch bearing and a tightening means and tensioned by the securing means at the inside or the outside of a hub of a wind turbine. The bolt gauge then outputs a signal descending both from the tension from the bolt/securing means connection and the tension from the blade when the blade is vibrated due to wind forces and the rotation of the blade when the hub of the wind turbine is rotating.
US08286491B2
Disclosed is an improved ultrasonic probe for Internal Rotating Inspection System (called IRIS) for inspecting tube-like structures from the inside of the tubes. The improved design deploys a rotor with rotor blades and a slotted stator located close to the emitting face of the transducer, to direct the flow of water such that air bubbles are carried away from a zone immediately in front of the transducer emitting face. Inspection accuracy and efficiency is significantly improved when air bubbles are effectively removed.
US08286481B2
A mount and housing for fluid meter components, including transducers, is directly coupled to fixation points on a pipe exterior circumference without external straps. The mount may be selectively coupled and decoupled from the pipe fixation points. One or more mounts and housings may be arrayed on a pipe exterior in modular fashion, for different metering applications. Similarly, the mount and housing interior optionally may be reconfigurable in modular fashion for orientation and alignment of one or a plurality of transducers or other components for different user applications, without the need for auxiliary alignment tools, templates, measuring instruments or other devices.
US08286480B2
A positive displacement fluid flow meter comprises a chamber having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. A rotor is displaceable within the chamber, rotation of the rotor being related to the volume of fluid passing through the chamber. The chamber has a surface proximate which an end surface of the rotor passes, the chamber surface and/or the rotor end surface having at least one recess to retain at least a portion of debris carried by the metered fluid. The recess is preferably formed so as not to provide fluid, communication, from the inlet to the outlet across the rotor end surface. A lid closes an end of the chamber which in use is subject to the pressure of fluid within the chamber. The lid is engaged at its periphery to a wall of the chamber, and is preferably flexible adjacent its periphery to reduce the transmission of bending stresses between the periphery of the lid and the remainder thereof.
US08286474B2
An electronic module for measuring operating parameters of a vehicle wheel, includes an electronic unit (1), an inflation valve (2) of the “snap-in” type made up of a valve body (3) made of an elastomeric material pierced with an axial bore housing a hollow tubular core (15), and elements for securing the electronic unit (1) and the inflation valve (2) together. The elements for securing the electronic unit (1) and the inflation valve (2) to one another include, a ring (20) secured to the electronic unit (1) and designed to be slidably mounted around the portion of the tubular core (15) that extends in the continuation of the valve body (3), in a position of the electronic unit (1) in which the latter extends in the direct continuation of the inflation valve (2), and elements (13, 25, 26) for assembling the ring (20) of the electronic unit on the valve body.
US08286463B2
A system for correcting angular velocity measurements from a gyroscope and using the corrected angular velocity measurements to position an antenna used with a vehicle. The system determines an approximate null point voltage of a gyroscope of the type that produces a voltage related to an angular velocity to be measured by the gyroscope. The approximate null point is determined by sampling the output voltage to obtain a plurality of sampled voltages and choosing an approximate mode of the plurality of sampled voltages as the approximate null point voltage.
US08286457B2
A method for controlling variations of Al—Ti—B alloy crystal grain refinement ability through controlling a compression ratio of sectional area of Al—Ti—B alloy including: A. establishing a relationship between variations of refinement ability of Al—Ti—B alloy crystal grain and parameters of press process of the Al—Ti—B alloy; setting the parameters of press process and controlling the variation of the refinement ability of the Al—Ti—B alloy crystal grain through controlling a value of the compression ratio.
US08286453B2
A washing machine having a ball balancer coupled to the drum to compensate for a dynamic imbalance during rotation of the drum, the ball balancer including a ring-shaped racer having a closed internal space in which a plurality of balls and viscous oil are accommodated, the ring-shaped racer including a first injection molded member and a second injection molded member joined to each other to form the closed internal space, the first injection molded member including a first side wall, a second side wall and a connecting wall between the first side wall and the second side wall, the first injection molded member having an open side opposite to the connecting wall, and the second injection molded member is adapted to cover the open side of the first injection molded member.
US08286452B2
A modular laundry system comprises at least two horizontally arranged laundry appliances, and a worksurface formed by multiple interconnected pieces laterally connected to each other, wherein the worksurface is mountable to the laundry appliances to span a gap between the laundry appliances and form a continuation surface above the discontinuous upper surface collectively defined by the laundry appliances.
US08286438B2
A system for controlling a desuperheater includes a first temperature sensor coupled to a refrigerant discharge gas line of a compressor; and a controller operatively coupled to at least the first temperature sensor, the compressor, and the desuperheater. The controller controls the desuperheater based at least in part on temperature data received from the first temperature sensor.
US08286434B2
A supersonic inlet employs relaxed isentropic compression to improve net propulsive force by shaping the compression surface of the inlet. Relaxed isentropic compression shaping of the inlet compression surface functions to reduce cowl lip surface angles, thereby improving inlet drag characteristics and interference drag characteristics. Supersonic inlets in accordance with the invention also demonstrate reductions in peak sonic boom overpressure while maintaining performance.
US08286433B2
A fuel injector for a gas turbine engine is disclosed. The fuel injector includes an injector housing having a longitudinal axis. The injector housing includes one or more fuel galleries annularly disposed about the longitudinal axis, and a compressed air inlet. The fuel injector also includes a premix barrel having a proximal end and a distal end circumferentially disposed about the longitudinal axis. The premix barrel is fluidly coupled to the fuel galleries and the compressed air inlet at the proximal end and is configured to couple to a combustor of the gas turbine engine at the distal end. The fuel injector also includes a substantially cylindrical pilot assembly disposed radially inwards of the premix barrel having a first end and a second end. The second end is coupled to the injector housing and the first end is located proximate the distal end of the premix barrel. The fuel injector further includes a pilot liquid tube having a third end and a fourth end disposed radially inwards of the pilot assembly. The fourth end is removably coupled to the injector housing and the third end is located proximate the first end of the pilot assembly.
US08286431B2
A method and system for augmenting the output of a combined cycle power plant having a gas turbine driving a generator, a heat recovery steam generator that recovers exhaust heat from the gas turbine to drive a steam turbine also driving a generator, and a refrigeration element that is powered by available energy in steam exhausted from the steam turbine to cool water. The refrigeration element employs a substantially closed cycle refrigeration system that is either an absorption chilling system or a thermal compression chilling system. The refrigeration element provides cool water to an inlet chiller arranged to chill inlet to the gas turbine to augment the power output of the gas turbine and the water is recirculated to be chilled and used again. Since the refrigeration cycle is substantially closed, little or no additional plant water consumption is imposed on the power plant.
US08286426B2
A control system for a work machine having a hydraulic energy source, a hydraulic accumulator, a digital hydraulic system having a digital hydraulic transformer, a hydraulic actuator and a movable element. The hydraulic accumulator being fluidically couplable with the hydraulic energy source. The digital hydraulic system including a digital hydraulic transformer fluidically couplable with the hydraulic accumulator. The hydraulic actuator being fluidically couplable with the digital hydraulic transformer. The movable element being movable by the hydraulic actuator. The control system including means to estimate at least one of potential energy and kinetic energy in the movable element; means to measure a fill level of hydraulic fluid in the hydraulic accumulator; and means to vary the amount of hydraulic energy added to the hydraulic accumulator by the hydraulic energy source responsive to the potential energy, the kinetic energy and/or the fill level of the hydraulic accumulator.
US08286419B2
An exhaust diagnostic system includes a selective catalyst reduction (SCR) efficiency testing module that determines an efficiency of a SCR catalyst. An exhaust gas temperature management module selectively adjusts a temperature of the SCR catalyst to a predetermined temperature range using intrusive exhaust gas temperature management. A test enabling module initiates an SCR efficiency test using the SCR efficiency module after failing a prior SCR efficiency test and while the temperature of the SCR catalyst is within the predetermined temperature range.
US08286418B2
An exhaust gas control apparatus applied to an internal combustion engine including plural cylinders and a turbocharger, wherein an exhaust passage includes first and second branch passages. The first branch passage connects exhaust sides of cylinders #1, #4 and a turbine, and includes a starter catalyst; the second branch passage connects exhaust sides of cylinders #2, #3 and the turbine, and communicates with the first branch passage upstream of the starter catalyst. The exhaust gas control apparatus includes an exhaust gas switching valve disposed at a communication part, through which the first and second branch passages are in communication, and is switchable between an introducing position at which exhaust gas is introduced into the starter catalyst from the cylinders #2, #3 and a block position at which introduction thereof is blocked. An ECU switches the exhaust gas switching valve position based on the operating condition of the internal combustion engine.
US08286413B2
A nanofiber yarn assembly including a longitudinally extending core for the yarn assembly and, twisted about the core, at least one ribbon of multiple nanofibers. The yarn assembly can be formed by drawing a longitudinally extending core for the yarn assembly through a concentric core-spinning zone, and, as the core travels through the core-spinning zone, twisting at least one ribbon of multiple nanofibers about the travelling core. Apparatus is also disclosed.
US08286407B2
The present invention relates to a single-layer polymer film, intended to be used for packaging articles having an extended shelf life, said film being composed of a cast polyamide sheet, covered, on one of its faces, with a heat-sealable coating, comprising polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and/or polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), so that said film has an average permeability between 35 g/m2/24 hours and 110 g/m2/24 hours. It also relates to a process for producing said film. It additionally relates to a pouch obtained from said film, said pouch being particularly suitable for packaging articles having an extended shelf life, especially microorganism culture media in dishes.
US08286403B2
Finishing set for a floor covering, whereby this finishing set at least consists of, on the one hand, a finishing profile and, on the other hand, a holder with at least an attachment portion for attaching said finishing profile at the holder, characterized in that the holder comprises an underlay portion, which at choice can or cannot be provided underneath the remaining portion of the holder, as well as a stop-forming positioning portion.
US08286402B2
A system of interlocking building blocks includes one or more building blocks having a generally right triangular planform, a generally rectangular elevation form, and a periphery generally defined by respective generally rectangular side panels. Each building block has alternating male and female fastener elements arrayed generally around the periphery. The male fastener elements on opposed edges of the same generally rectangular side panel are offset generally diagonally from one another. Each male fastener element is aligned generally normally with a female fastener element on an opposed edge of the same generally rectangular side panel. The building blocks may be formed by folding single flat sheets, and may be made from cardboard, plastic, metal or other conventional materials. Each building block may be coated or filled with structurally reinforcing or insulative material. Two interlocked building blocks may be geometrically distinctive in a manner which optimizes the system for simplified and efficient construction of walled and roofed structures.
US08286401B2
A demountable and remountable wall assembly for partitioning room space between an overhead and a floor, the major elements of which are reusable. The assembly provides one or two walls, at lease one of which has an outer fastener-free surface. Additionally, the fastener-free surface may be made substantially smooth and seamless. The walls are arranged in planar congruence, separated by internal spacers or studs, and vertically positioned between the overhead and floor of the room space to be partitioned. Removable tracks or spacers at the top and bottom of the wall assembly serves to interface the wall assembly with the floor and ceiling of the space. The walls are constructed of either finished or unfinished wall panels (e.g., fabric covered or sheet rock panels) which are incorporated into the assembly using a combination of removable fasteners and releasable adhesives. The finished or exposed area of a wall surface includes no fasteners. Any fasteners used to fix a wall panel in place is covered by a removable trim or other removable feature, which make the fasteners readily exposable and easy to remove.
US08286386B2
A Christmas tree stand, a method for affixing a Christmas tree to a Christmas tree stand, and a drill bit for forming a groove in the bottom of a Christmas tree are provided. The Christmas tree stand includes a base having a male member extending upwardly therefrom with at least a portion of the male member received in the groove in the bottom of the Christmas tree. Preferably an insert in the form of a cylinder is received within the groove. Upon the receipt of the male member in the groove, the Christmas tree is stabilized on the base.
US08286383B2
A rifle scope includes an ocular (6), an objective (4), a reticle (10) and an aligning device (20) that is displaced axially from the reticle and includes one or more markings (22a, 22b) that are visible in use to a shooter. The aligning device (20) is constructed and arranged such that with correct eye alignment the markings (22a, 22b) appear to be aligned with the reticle (10), and with incorrect eye alignment the markings appear to be misaligned with the reticle.
US08286377B2
The present invention relates to a dynamic display signage system comprising a supporting means, a substantially pliable display panel being secured in a substantially vertical manner on said supporting means, and a primary drive means to allow the upward and downward vertical displacement of said display panel along said supporting means, characterized in that said display panel being provided with a secondary drive means operatively connected at the lower portion thereof, said secondary drive means having an independent motion with respect to said primary drive means to allow a consequent independent motion of said display panel at a pre-selected tension in order to maintain the consistent viewable surface integrity of the said display panel as it is vertically displaced.
US08286375B2
A drag head of a trailing suction hopper dredger. The drag head comprises a rotatable visor connected to a suction pipe for discharging soil via the suction opening of the visor, wherein the visor is provided with a catching construction for undesirable objects. The catching construction closes the suction opening except for passage openings, wherein at least a number of passage openings have a variable passage area. A method for breaking up and/or dredging at least partially hard grounds under water using a trailing suction hopper dredger equipped with a drag head.
US08286373B2
The banding device for application to a segment of footwear, whether it be to the heel, sole, around the vamp portion of the shoe, in any combination thereof, which due to its elasticity allows for its stretching into position to be secured either as an endless or continuous loop, for application to these components of the shoe to vary the coloration, design, indicia, trademark, or other aesthetics for the footwear.
US08286367B2
A system for continuous (re-)drying of wood pieces. A conveyor arrangement receives and carries the wood pieces in file following a course. A moisture content of each wood piece travelling on the conveyor arrangement is measured during the course. The wood pieces whose measured moisture content are above a target content are diverted towards a drying equipment, in particular by high-frequency, whereas the other wood pieces continue their course on the conveyor arrangement. The drying equipment removes a moisture portion from the diverted wood pieces. The moisture contents of the processed wood pieces are again measured. The pieces whose moisture content dropped below the target content are routed towards the conveyor arrangement whereas the other pieces are routed in the drying equipment for a re-drying.
US08286366B2
PET drying apparatus for a machine used to produce PET bottles, comprising a unit in which the raw plastic is dried, before the plastic melting process, in which the PET is heated by using microwave energy and the PET is dehumidified by the outflow of the vented air that is recovered after the blowing process.
US08286364B2
Disclosed are a liquid storage container and a clothes dryer having the same. The liquid storage container comprises: a reservoir installed at a clothes dryer, and configured to store liquid therein; a floating member floating on the liquid, and disposed on the reservoir with a rotation angle variable according to level change of the liquid inside the reservoir; and display means configured to display information corresponding to the rotation angle of the floating member. The rotation angle of the floating member may vary according to a remaining amount of the liquid. And, the remaining amount of the liquid may be informed to a user through the display means. Accordingly, the user may easily check the remaining amount of the liquid without checking the inside of the liquid storage container.
US08286351B2
There is disclosed a manufacturing method of a liquid discharge head including a substrate in which a first energy generating element and a second energy generating element that generate energy used for discharging liquid are provided, a discharge port member in which a first discharge port discharging the liquid is provided corresponding to the first energy generating element and a second discharge port discharging the liquid is provided corresponding to the second energy generating element, and a flow path wall member having a portion of the liquid flow path wall that communicates with the first discharge port and the second discharge port, in which a distance between the second energy generating element and the second discharge port is larger than that between the first energy generating element and the first discharge port.
US08286347B2
A method for reducing vibration levels in a turbomachine including at least a first and a second bladed wheel, due to aerodynamic perturbations that are produced by the second bladed wheel or an obstacle on the first bladed wheel is disclosed. The method includes: defining an initial configuration of the blades; calculating the synchronous forced response on the first bladed wheel as a function of the harmonic excitation force produced by the second bladed wheel expressed in the form of a linear function of the generalized aerodynamic force for the mode considered; determining a geometric tangential shift value θ for the stacked cross sections of one of the two wheels to reduce the corresponding term to the generalized aerodynamic force. The set of cross sections with the tangential shifts thus defines a new configuration of the blades of one of the two wheels.
US08286345B2
Techniques for producing a flexible structure attached to a device. One embodiment includes the steps of providing a first substrate, providing a second substrate with a releasably attached flexible structure, providing a bonding layer on at least one of the first substrate and the flexible structure, adjoining the first and second substrate such that the flexible structure is attached at the first substrate by means of the bonding layer, and detaching the second substrate in such a way that the flexible structure remains on the first substrate.
US08286343B2
A method of manufacturing a wiring substrate includes forming a conducting layer on a first insulating layer including a first glass cloth; forming a photosensitive resist layer on the conducting layer; recognizing a first origin position on the first insulating layer; forming a mask on the resist layer by positioning the mask with respect to the first origin position, the mask being formed so as to position wiring patterns only on positions overlapping the first glass cloth in a planar view; and exposing the resist layer via the mask and forming the wiring patterns only on the positions overlapping the first glass cloth in the planar view.
US08286339B2
A method of manufacturing an electrosurgical tool includes the initial step of coupling a proximal end of a substantially malleable elongate tube-like shaft to a distal end of a housing. A tub-like dielectric sheath is disposed on the tube-like shaft. The method also includes the steps of coupling a tube-like electrode having a first thermal conductivity K1 coaxially through the tube-like dielectric sheath and coupling a proximal end of the tube-like electrode to a source of suction to provide fluid communication between the tube-like electrode and the source of suction. The method also includes the steps of electrically connecting the tube-like electrode to a source of energy and coupling a thermally conductive member to the tube-like shaft. The thermally conductive member has a second thermal conductivity K2 that is less than K1 and is configured to impede the propagation of thermal energy proximally.
US08286338B2
A process for manufacturing an electrical lead having one or more electrodes includes providing an elongate member having at least one polymeric region and further having at least one electrical conductor that extends along at least a part of a length of the elongate member and that is contained in a wall of the elongate member. A length of the at least one electrical conductor is accessed at the at least one polymeric region. An electrically conductive adhesive is applied to the length of the at least one electrical conductor that has been accessed.
US08286331B2
A method for manufacturing a laminated core includes (1) blanking a rotor core sheet 15 and a stator core sheet 14 from a thin strip material 27 and (2) laminating the stator core sheet 14 inside a die. The stator core sheet 14 includes a ring-shaped yoke piece 18 and plural magnetic pole pieces 19 integrally connecting to a radially inside of the yoke piece 18. Each of the magnetic pole pieces 19 includes a magnetic pole shaft piece 20 and a magnetic pole tooth piece 21. The magnetic pole pieces 19 are formed by blanking preparatory slots 29; coining a part or a whole of the magnetic pole shaft pieces 20 to elongate the same in a radially inward direction; and thereafter, blanking the finishing slots 30 and shaping the magnetic pole tooth pieces 21.
US08286315B2
Disclosed is a mass-productive automatic rhinestone attachment apparatus. More particularly, disclosed is a mass-productive automatic rhinestone attachment apparatus capable of performing mass-productive processes for the attachment of symmetrical or asymmetrical rhinestone using a predetermined pattern. The mass-productive automatic rhinestone attachment apparatus includes a rhinestone feeding device including a plurality of feeding modules constituting a plurality of sets, each feeding module being configured to retain rhinestone sorted based on the size and color thereof, a drive device to operate the rhinestone feeding device in a longitudinal direction thereof, so as to move the respective feeding modules to associated rhinestone attachment devices, a multihead-type rhinestone attachment device provided per each feeding module of the rhinestone feeding device and used to attach the same rhinestone fed from the feeding module to the same position of respective rhinestone attachment materials, a working table provided close to the bottom of the rhinestone attachment device and adapted to be moved in X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions so as to allow the rhinestone to be attached at correct coordinates depending on a desired design, and a controller to control operations of the rhinestone feeding device, drive device, rhinestone attachment device, and working table.
US08286312B2
A buckle has plug and socket members which are detachably coupled to each other. The plug member having a base part, a pair of lock arms which project from the base part to be elastically coupled to the socket member, a guide rod which projects from the base part between the pair of lock arms, and bridges which extend from the base part inside the pair of lock arms and are connected to distal ends or middle portions of inner surfaces of the lock arms. The socket member have a chamber which is defined by an upper plate, a lower plate and sidewalls connecting the upper and lower plates and is open at a distal end thereof to receive the pair of lock arms and the guide rod, and engagement parts which are formed outside the chamber to allow distal end portions of the lock arms to be engaged therewith.
US08286310B1
An elevator pad securing system that is suited for residential and commercial building use; respectfully including a plastic disk with a channeled groove, rivet hole and the hook portion of Velcro, an offset coupling attached to plastic disk with a rivet then a small length of ball chain with one end attached onto the offset coupling on the plastic disk with the opposite end of the ball chain attached to the offset coupling attached to the top edge of the elevator pad and a defined dimension of the loop portion of Velcro attached to the upper back portion of the elevator pad.
US08286309B2
In one form, the cable termination has a tubular body with an opening into which an end of the median barrier cable is inserted. A wedge gripper includes three sections for gripping the end of the median barrier cable within the tubular body. The wedge gripper has a tapering outer surface that mates with a tapered inner surface of the tubular body and has a toothed inner diameter. A threaded cap is screwed to an end of the tubular body opposite from the cable opening, such that the threaded cap forces the tapering outer surface of the wedge gripper axially against the tapered inner surface of the tubular body to force the toothed inner diameter of the wedge gripper to contract against three lobes of the median barrier cable to grip the median barrier cable.
US08286307B2
A multi-staged hinge assembly and a portable electrical device comprising the multi-staged hinge assembly are provided. The multi-staged hinge assembly utilizes a spindle with a non-circular cross-section and the relative movement resulting from the movable components disposed on the spindle, such that one of the body portions of the portable electrical device automatically tilts in an angle after the body portions slides with each other. The user could further adjust the angle to meet various use conditions.
US08286306B2
Described is a hinge for wings or doors, in particular for electrical household appliances, comprising a first body (5), a second body (6) and a connecting lever (7) between the first and the second body (5, 6).
US08286302B2
An upright vacuum cleaner for cleaning a surface includes a base unit, a carriage configured to move the base unit on the surface, and an upper body having a dust collection container disposed therein. The upper body is supported so as to be tiltable relative to the base unit and is lockable in a parked position in which the vacuum cleaner has a substantially upright position when standing on the surface. A motor-fan unit is configured to provide a partial vacuum at the surface. An air conduit connecting the base unit and the dust collection container includes an interface and a section formed by a hose or an assembly of the hose and a wand. The section is connected downstream of the interface and is disposed at least partially externally on the upper body. The section is configured to enable a vacuuming mode of operation that is independent of the base unit. A tubular member forming at least part of a transition between the hose and the upper body. The tubular member is swivelably disposed on the upper body.
US08286299B2
A handheld canister vacuum cleaner device includes a canister assembly with a canister having a hollow interior and a suction-producing subassembly mounted on the canister that sucks air from the hollow interior. An attachment-coupling component is provided on the canister that serves to hold a vacuuming attachment on the canister while coupling the vacuuming attachment in fluid communication with the hollow interior of the canister. The attachment-coupling component holds the vacuuming attachment pivotally so that a user can pivot the vacuuming attachment relative to the canister to multiple user-selected angles for operating convenience. Preferably, the attachment-coupling component includes a ball-and-socket arrangement that includes a ball-shaped portion of the attachment-coupling component held pivotally by a socket-shaped component on the canister so that the user can pivot the attachment-coupling component to and lock it in place at a desired one of multiple pivotal positions.
US08286293B2
A cleaning processing unit includes a spin chuck for horizontally holding a substrate and rotating the substrate around the vertical axis passing through the center of the substrate. A bevel cleaner is disposed outside the spin chuck. The bevel cleaner includes a cleaning brush. The cleaning brush has a shape that is symmetric about its vertical axis, and has an upper bevel cleaning surface, an end surface cleaning surface, and a lower bevel cleaning surface. The end surface cleaning surface is a cylindrical surface having its axis in the vertical direction. The upper bevel cleaning surface extends out from and is inclined upward from the upper end of the end surface cleaning surface, and the lower bevel cleaning surface extends out from and is inclined downward from the lower end of the end surface cleaning surface.
US08286289B2
The present invention refers to the use of an adsorbent comprising particles comprising an amorphous phase and a crystalline phase for the purification of dry cleaning solvents. The present invention furthermore relates to a filter unit containing such an adsorbent. It also refers to a dry cleaner containing a filter according to the invention. Additionally, the present invention refers to a process for dry cleaning textiles, wherein an adsorbent according to the invention is used.
US08286281B1
The personal lifting and suspension system includes four adjustable legs that attach at a top end to a cap, which supports a lifting means and harness there under. The personal lifting and suspension system is used to lift and suspend a person or invalid. The legs can be secured to a working supporting position via a locking means. The legs extend diagonally down and outwardly from the cap, and are adjustable in length. A hoist rod rests upon a groove located in a top surface of the cap to support a hoist hook thereon. The personal lifting and suspension system is collapsible when not in use.
US08286274B1
A restroom aid is disclosed for providing comfortable support for disabled, handicapped, elderly, or ill persons who require assistance using the restroom facilities. The restroom aid creates a sturdy frame around the toilet with aids for sitting, standing, and supporting the user's arms and head. The restroom aid can assemble and disassemble quickly using a quick-release mechanism. Furthermore, the restroom aid is easily adjustable to fit users and restroom facilities of different sizes.
US08286273B1
The toilet foot flushing apparatus quickly converts a hand-flushed toilet to a foot-flushed toilet, without the need of tools. The included lever of the apparatus replaces the existing toilet lever, by hand. The pedal is about 1 foot in length, thereby providing sufficient leverage to the lever via the cable. The lever is attached to flush mechanism on the exterior of an existing toilet reservoir. The spring-loaded pedal returns to a position slightly above the base when released, thereby releasing lever pressure. The geared pedal to base action provides sturdy long-lived flush function. The apparatus does not require any form of floor invasion, as the base need not be mounted to the floor. The cable retainer provides length adjustment for the cable so that a plurality of toilet reservoirs and flush mechanisms can be successfully converted to foot flush.
US08286268B2
A freely cuttable garment is provided. The freely cuttable garment is capable of being cut by a consumer into any design shape for use. The garment is formed of a fray-preventing knitted fabric woven with heat-welding elastic yarn. Sizes of opening parts of the neck, side, and bottom of the garment are smaller than those of a standard product; a total length and sleeve length of the garment are larger than those of the standard product; and a body width, cuff, waist, and lower bottom edge of the garment are equal to those of the standard product. The garment can be cut into any design shape and can be used with the opening parts left cut-off.
US08286263B2
A hospital gown having front and rear openings for convenient access while providing sufficient coverage of the patient's body is provided. In one embodiment, the hospital gown comprises a first segment and a second segment. When one segment is put on a patient by inserting one arm through an arm hole and the other segment is put on in the same manner but on the opposite side of the body, the front and back portions of the segments overlap at the front and back. The segments may be releasably connected to one another by fasteners located on the first and second segments at the front and back overlapping portions. The first segment then wraps around the patient's body and over a part of the second segment, and the front and back portions of the first segment are releasably connected at or near the side of the patient's body.
US08291501B2
Embodiments for validating protected data paths for digital rights management of digital objects are disclosed. Some embodiments disclosed herein may comprise processes or apparatus for transferring data from one or more peripherals to one or more computers or digital data processing systems for the latter to process, store, and/or further transfer and/or for transferring data from the computers or digital data processing systems to the peripherals. Some embodiments disclosed herein may comprise processes or apparatus for interconnecting or communicating between two or more components connected to an interconnection medium within a single computer or digital data processing system.
US08291494B1
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for detecting unwanted activity associated with an object, based on an attribute associated with the object. In use, an object is labeled with an attribute of a predetermined behavior based on detection of the predetermined behavior in association with the object. Additionally, unwanted activity associated with the object is detected, utilizing the attribute.
US08291491B2
A password system includes a user interface, a password generating unit, and a password checking unit. The password generating unit generates a password including multiple frames, generates an integrity check code associated with the generated password, and scrambles the generated password and provides the scrambled password to the user interface. The password checking unit stores the integrity check code, frame number information and scramble information which are provided from the password generating unit, descrambles a scrambled password that is input from the user interface based on the stored scramble information, and authenticates the user interface by comparing an integrity check code generated from the descrambled password and the stored integrity check code.
US08291483B2
A remote network device having a network security policy, includes: a firewall component embedded within the network device to filter data flow with a network; a user-defined network security policy for the firewall component to define constraints on data flows permitted by the network device; and a failsafe protocol to enable remote control of the device independent of the user-defined network security policy and the firewall filter.
US08291481B2
Embodiments described herein are directed to establishing a terminal services (TS) session between a TS server and the client without creating a temporary session. In one embodiment, a computer system receives a user request indicating that a TS session with a first TS server is to be initiated. The request includes an indication that the user is authenticated and authorized to use the first TS server. The computer system searches for any prior TS sessions previously initiated by the user with other TS servers and determines, based on the search, that at least one prior TS session was initiated with a second TS server. The computer system also sends redirection data to the user indicating that the user request is to be redirected to the second TS server to reestablish the prior TS session with the second TS server.
US08291480B2
A method and an apparatus for configuring a key stored within a secure storage area (e.g., ROM) of a device including one of enabling and disabling the key according to a predetermined condition to execute a code image are described. The key may uniquely identify the device. The code image may be loaded from a provider satisfying a predetermined condition to set up at least one component of an operating environment of the device. Verification of the code image may be optional according to the configuration of the key. Secure execution of an unverified code image may be based on a configuration that disables the key.
US08291476B2
There is provided an identifier authenticating system in which information requesting users can share all the predetermined information held in a plurality of information providing servers. In the identifier authentication system, when an identifier holding user 18 presents an identifier to an information requesting server 16, the information requesting server 16 asks a location management server 14 about a location of the information providing server 15, the location management server 14 returns confirmed IP address of the information providing server 15 to the information requesting server 16 based on the location information, and the information requesting server 16 utilizes the confirmed IP address to access the information providing server 15 corresponding to the confirmed IP address, and receives predetermined information corresponding to the presented identifier and a disclosure level from the accessed information providing server 15.
US08291475B2
A secure cross-domain communication system and method for facilitating secure communication between a website having a web mashup and websites having content that is to be placed on the web mashup. Embodiments of the system and method set the document domain variable of the mashup website and the websites to facilitate the secure communication. Mediator frames are used as an intermediary between a top frame (containing the web mashup) and untrusted frames (containing the website content to be included in the mashup). The type of setup technique used is dependent on the number of websites being used in the mashup. Once the secure communication is established, data exchange between the top frame and the untrusted frame is dependent on the types of services that that the browser supports.
US08291467B2
An image forming apparatus capable of flexibly setting a security policy for a modified file. A client terminal generates a print job added with a new security policy for a second file generated from a first file, and delivers the print job added with the new security policy to the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus generates intermediate data based on the print job delivered from the client terminal, and causes a second policy server to register the security policy. The second policy server registers the security policy, while items of the security policy being appropriately assigned to the first and second policy servers. The second policy server generates an encryption key. The image forming apparatus encrypts the intermediate data using the encryption key, and stores the encrypted intermediate data.
US08291465B2
A television advertisement system whereby a viewer retrieves advertisement teletext contact information of an advertisement that has been displayed on the viewer's television by using a wireless remote control device. The invention provides the means for a viewer to easily obtain ad′ contact information, in-hand, which can then be used at will. Teletext data is associated with an advertisement video signal, which is then decoded and stored in the television's or TV's set-top box's page memory. The viewer can retrieve, on demand, the advertisement's teletext data stored in the television's, or set-top box's page memory by using a wireless remote control. The advertisement data is transferred to and stored in the remote control's memory. The data is displayed on the remote's screen. The data stored in the remote control can be used to automatically contact an advertiser for further information, or to purchase an advertised product or service. This is achieved by wirelessly transferring pertinent contact information from the remote control to various communication devices, such as a computer, a telephone, a PDA, etc.
US08291457B2
A method for a client module to provide a channel selection request in a multimedia system begins by receiving an input signal from a client. The method continues by interpreting the input signal to determine type of signal. The method continues, when the type of signal is control information, by determining whether the control information relates to a local command or a system-level command. The method continues, when the control information relates to a system-level command, by processing the control information for conveyance to a multimedia server to produce a control message. The method continues by transmitting the control message to the multimedia server.
US08291440B2
A window manager process hosts proxy window objects created by an application in a window manager display structure. A process in a device creates a local proxy view object within a window manager display structure for the window manager process. The process registers an identifier for a remote proxy window object which corresponds to an application display structure. The application controls processing of data used by the application. The process assigns the identifier for the remote proxy window object to the local proxy view object in the window manager display structure to create a composite display structure and renders the composite display structure to display an image on a display device. The image corresponds to the objects of the application display structure represented by the remote proxy window object. The window manager process controls rendering of the composite display structure.
US08291430B2
A mechanism for optimizing system performance using spare processing cores in a virtualized environment. When detecting a workload partition needs to run on a virtual processor in the virtualized system, a state of the virtual processor is changed to a wait state. A first node comprising memory that is local to the workload partition is determined. A determination is also made as to whether a non-spare processor core in the first node is available to run the workload partition. If no non-spare processor core is available, a free non-spare processor core in a second node is located, and the state of the free non-spare processor core in the second node is changed to an inactive state. The state of a spare processor core in the first node is changed to an active state, and the workload partition is dispatched to the spare processor core in the first node for execution.
US08291427B2
Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for scheduling applications for execution on a plurality of compute nodes of a parallel computer to manage temperature of the plurality of compute nodes during execution that include: identifying one or more applications for execution on the plurality of compute nodes; creating a plurality of physically discontiguous node partitions in dependence upon temperature characteristics for the compute nodes and a physical topology for the compute nodes, each discontiguous node partition specifying a collection of physically adjacent compute nodes; and assigning, for each application, that application to one or more of the discontiguous node partitions for execution on the compute nodes specified by the assigned discontiguous node partitions.
US08291425B2
A computer in which functions of its resources are divided to realize a plurality of virtual computers 12 and which includes a plurality of physical devices. A managing unit of the computer, when usage of a virtual device has changed, selects a physical device compatible with the virtual device from physical devices usable for a control scheme and makes the physical device be associated with the virtual device and changes the control scheme of the virtual device, thereby achieving the control of devices in the virtual computers, where a plurality of control schemes including a shared scheme and a dedicated scheme are switched.
US08291422B2
A method includes receiving a process request, identifying a current state of a device in which the process request is to be executed, calculating a power consumption associated with an execution of the process request, and assigning an urgency for the process request, where the urgency corresponds to a time-variant parameter to indicate a measure of necessity for the execution of the process request. The method further includes determining whether the execution of the process request can be delayed to a future time or not based on the current state, the power consumption, and the urgency, and causing the execution of the process request, or causing a delay of the execution of the process request to the future time, based on a result of the determining.
US08291421B2
A system and method are provided for determining processor usable idle time in a system employing a software instruction processor. The method establishes an idle task with a lowest processor priority for a processor executing application software instructions, and uses the processor to execute an idle task. The method ceases to execute the idle task in response to the processor executing application software instructions. The amount of periodic idle task execution is determined and stored in a tangible memory medium. For example, idle time amounts can be determined per a unit of time, i.e. a percentage per second. In one aspect, the method generates an idle task report. The report can be a periodic report expressing the duration of idle task execution per time period, or a course of execution report expressing idle task start times, idle task stop times, and durations between the corresponding start and stop times.
US08291419B2
The present invention provides a fault tolerant system and method for parallel job execution. In the proposed solution the job state and the state transition control are decoupled. The job execution infrastructure maintains the state information for all the executing jobs, and the job control units, one per-job, control the state transitions of their jobs. Due to the stateless nature of the control units, the system and method allow jobs to continue uninterrupted execution even when the corresponding control units fail.
US08291416B2
A host recommendation service identifies a virtual machine. An analysis engine retrieves a plurality of metrics for each of a plurality of physical hosts available for executing the virtual machine. The plurality of metrics includes a current level of load on each of the plurality of physical hosts and a level of load on each of the plurality of physical hosts during a prior time period. The analysis engine also identifies a level of load placed on a physical host by the virtual machine during a prior time period. The analysis engine determines a level of priority associated with the metrics and assigns a score to each of the plurality of physical hosts. The host recommendation service transmits an identification of one of the plurality of physical hosts on which to execute the virtual machine.
US08291409B2
Each of a plurality of virtual machines (VMs) is stored in a halted form in a library for retrieval from the library and re-starting on a host. Each re-started VM includes a plurality of software constructs, each of which is at least potentially non-current and requires a software update. To update a non-current VM, such VM is retrieved and re-started on a maintenance host, and each non-current software construct is allowed to be updated by obtaining the required software update from a corresponding update source as a patch. Alternatively, the VM is mounted to a computing device, constituent components of the mounted VM are examined to determine whether each software construct thereof is current, and each non-current software construct is updated by obtaining the required software update from the corresponding update source as a patch and applying same to the mounted VM.
US08291396B1
Various high-level languages are used to specify hardware designs on programmable chips. The high-level language programs include pointer operations that may have same iteration and future iteration dependencies. Single loop iteration pointer dependencies are considered when memory accesses are assigned to clock cycles. Multiple loop iteration pointer dependencies are considered when determining how often new data can be entered into the generated hardware pipeline without causing memory corruption. A buffer can be used to forward data from a memory write to a future read.
US08291395B2
Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for locating a function call site in a code segment of a running application, the code segment including a plurality of instructions. The call site is the location of an invocation of a function and includes a first reference, the first reference being a reference to a first dispatcher. The call site in the code segment is modified by replacing the first reference with a second reference, the second reference being a reference to second dispatcher, the second dispatcher different from the first dispatcher.
US08291384B2
A method, system, and article are provided for evaluating software test comprehensiveness of an application. A subset of the software-under-test basic blocks is identified for emphasized and/or deemphasized testing. During test, execution of the basic blocks is monitored, and then aggregated into a weighted code coverage result which factors in the prioritization assignments of the subset of basic blocks.
US08291379B2
Runtime analysis of a computer program can be performed. An improper memory access to a memory location can be detected during runtime of the computer program. A record of the improper memory access can be stored during runtime. A subsequent error condition in the computer program can be detected during runtime. The error condition can be compared with the record corresponding to the improper memory access. Based upon the comparison, an indication that the error condition is related to the improper memory access can be provided.
US08291378B2
A deployment modeling platform enables a user to model application characteristics of target software and to associate application modeling parameters to the modeled application characteristics. A user may also model environment characteristics of a target deployment environment and to associate environment modeling parameters to the modeled deployment environment characteristics. Still further, a user may create a deployment model that associates and maps selected parameters of the modeled application characteristics of the target software to associated parameters of the modeled environment characteristics of the deployment environment, and to verify that each parameter that relates to a requirement is mapped to and is fulfilled by an associated parameter that relates to a corresponding capability to determine whether validation problems exist in order to deploy the target software in the associated deployment environment.
US08291373B2
The present disclosure is directed to a system and method for generating LoadRunner scripts. In some implementations, a method for generating a LoadRunner script includes receiving a request to execute one or more transactions with a COBOL application of a mainframe to evaluate one or more mainframe services. In response to at least the service request, a script executable by a LoadRunner application is automatically generated. The LoadRunner script generates one or more MQSeries transactions that execute transactions with the COBOL application of the mainframe.
US08291372B2
A class diagram can be created for an application. The application can use a modeling language. The application can be configured for creation of the class diagram. The class diagram can comprise classes and relationships. The application can also be configured for creating flow diagrams comprising actions, relationships, and definitions of model element types. The application can also be configured to create new model elements in the class diagram and flow diagrams. A program new model element type can be applied to relevant class operations in the class diagram and a resource new model element type to relevant data classes of the class diagram. A flow diagram can be created per program of the application. The flow diagrams can be applied as many new model element types as different types of actions exist in the flow diagrams. These actions can represent the operations on resources.
US08291370B2
A pad layout method for surface mount circuit board and a surface mount circuit board are described. The layout method includes the following steps. Firstly, coefficients of thermal expansion of a circuit board and a surface mounted component are obtained, and the circuit board is supplied with a plurality of predetermined layout positions in advance. Then, an operating temperature for combining the surface mounted component with the circuit board is determined, and a room temperature is measured. A plurality of actual layout positions on the circuit board is determined according to d=(CTEa−CTEb)×(Ts−Tr), where d is an offset distance between the actual layout position and the predetermined layout position. Finally, a plurality of pads is laid out on the actual layout positions, such that the pads are formed on the circuit board.
US08291366B2
A routing system is improved by performing three steps sequentially to complete an execution process. The first step estimates a normalized criticality score for each design net. The second step arranges the scores for each design net in descending order. Third step rips up and reroutes the design so as to make it more feasible.
US08291359B2
Mechanisms are provided in a design environment for array concatenation. The design environment comprises one mechanism to concatenate arrays with enable- and address-compatible ports, thereby reducing the number of arrays in a netlist. The design environment comprises another mechanism to migrate read ports from one array to another based upon compatible enable-, address-, and data-compatible write ports, thereby reducing the number of arrays in a netlist. The design environment comprises yet another mechanism to eliminate unnecessary arrays.
US08291354B2
Merging sub-resolution assist features includes receiving a mask pattern that includes the sub-resolution assist features. A first sub-resolution assist feature is selected to merge with a second sub-resolution assist feature. A merge bar width of a merge bar is established. A distance between the first sub-resolution assist feature and the second sub-resolution assist feature is determined. A merging technique is determined in accordance with the distance and the merge bar width. The first sub-resolution assist feature and the second sub-resolution assist feature are merged according to the identified merging technique.
US08291349B1
In general, embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to techniques for quickly displaying metadata of media objects (e.g., music files) using gestures. In one example a method includes, generating for display a browsing view including browsing content, wherein the browsing content includes one or more media objects; receiving user input including one or more gestures to select at least one media object; determining an input operation that selects a quantity of metadata associated with the selected media object, wherein the metadata includes information that describes the selected media object, and wherein the quantity of the metadata is proportional to a magnitude of the one or more gestures to select the media object; and generating for display in an expanded view, the metadata associated with the at least one selected media object, wherein the expanded view is generated for display without changing the browsing content.
US08291344B2
A method includes displaying a first application view. A first input is detected, and an application view selection mode is entered for selecting one of concurrently open applications for display in a corresponding application view. An initial group of open application icons in a first predefined area and at least a portion of the first application view adjacent to the first predefined area are concurrently displayed. The initial group of open application icons corresponds to at least some of the concurrently open applications. A gesture is detected on a respective open application icon in the first predefined area, and a respective application view for a corresponding application is displayed without concurrently displaying an application view for any other application in the concurrently open applications. The open application icons in the first predefined area cease to be displayed, and the application view selection mode is exited.
US08291341B2
A computer-implemented user interface method includes displaying on a touch screen a portion of a large scale graphical space that is at least multiples larger than the device display, receiving from a user of the device an input to pan within the graphical space, automatically generating a pop up graphical panning control in response to receiving the user input, and receiving a user input to the panning control and providing panning in the graphical space, wherein movement of the panning control in a single selection is able to pan the display across a substantial portion of the large scale graphical space.
US08291321B2
A display device has a plurality of video inputs and a video selection switch for switching between video inputs based on user inputted commands. An input select menu containing a list of the available video inputs can be displayed on the device. A remote control or input key is used to retrieve the input select menu and enter commands. The list of video inputs can be sorted in the input select menu using an automatic sorting function or a manual sorting function. A storage device keeps track of the number of times each video input is selected. The automatic sorting function uses the information in the storage device and a sorting algorithm to sort the list of video inputs in order of most frequently used to least frequently used. The manual sort function can be used to manually move the video inputs up or down in the input select menu.
US08291317B2
A document retrieving apparatus includes a document retrieving unit adapted to retrieve document data which include images that match an input retrieval condition, a retrieval result list display unit adapted to display, on a display unit, a list display of document data that match the retrieval condition based on the retrieval results of the document retrieving unit, and a thumbnail display unit adapted to display, in the list display by the retrieval result list display unit, a first thumbnail image associated with a page or an image element which matches the retrieval condition, and a second thumbnail image associated with another page or another image element which forms the document data that includes the page or the image element which match the retrieval condition.
US08291314B2
A method performed by a physical computing system for arranging a plurality of graphic objects on a page includes receiving the plurality of graphic objects in the physical computing system, the plurality of graphic objects including a number of variable graphic objects and a number of fixed graphic objects. The method further includes, for each of the fixed graphic objects, creating a number of discrete dimension sets, generating a number of binary trees, each of the binary trees representing a unique layout for the plurality of graphic objects in which each of the fixed graphic object exhibits one of the discrete dimension sets, assigning a score to each of the binary trees, and arranging the graphic objects according to the layout represented by a binary tree selected from the number of generated binary trees based on the score.
US08291310B2
Techniques for incrementally saving documents are provided. A document processor reads a document that is represented by a tree of nodes. The document processor, in response to an instruction to make a change to the tree, determines a set of nodes from the tree that are affected by the change. The document processor sends an instruction to transfer and store only the set of nodes without causing nodes outside of the set to be stored.
US08291307B2
In order to generate a parity of output data from a priority encoder without increasing processing time or making the circuitry complex, the present invention a first level generator having a plurality of first component circuits arranged in parallel, into each of which one of a plurality of sets of a specific number of bits of the binary data in sequence from the most significant bit is input and each of which generates and outputs a first signal for parity generation of bit data of the specific number of bits and a second signal representing whether or not the entire bit data of the specific number of bits is “0s” or “1s”; and a second level generator generating the parity of the binary data based on the first signal and the second signal from each of said first component circuits of said first level generator.
US08291305B2
A method includes providing a cache; and providing a plurality of cache lines within the cache, wherein a first one of the plurality of cache lines has a tag entry and a data entry, wherein the tag entry has a parity field for storing one or more parity bits associated with a first portion of the tag entry, wherein the tag entry has an EDC field for storing one or more EDC check bits associated with a second portion of the tag entry and wherein the EDC check bits are used for detecting multiple bit errors, and wherein both the first parity field and the EDC field are stored in the tag entry of said first one of the plurality of cache lines.
US08291301B2
A data transfer method is utilized for saving memory for storing packet in USB protocol. When a transmitter is to send a payload, the protocol layer of the transmitter writes the payload into a shared payload memory. The protocol layer generates a corresponding header according to the payload, and writes the corresponding header into a shared header memory. The data-link layer of the transmitter generates a packet by means of directly combining the payload saving in the shared payload memory and the header saving in the shared header memory, and sends the packet. Hence, when the transmitter is to send the payload, the transmitter only requires a memory of which the size is equal to a packet. In this way, the memory can be saved, reducing the cost.
US08291300B2
Transmission techniques are provided that improve service continuity and reduce interruptions in delivery of content that can be caused by transitions that occur when the User Equipment (UE) moves from one cell to the other, or when the delivery of content changes from a Point-to-Point (PTP) connection to a Point-to-Multipoint (PTM) connection in the same serving cell, and vice-versa. Such transmission techniques enable seamless delivery of content across cell borders and/or between different transmission schemes such as Point-to-Multipoint (PTM) and Point-to-Point (PIP). Mechanisms for adjusting different streams and for recovering content from each data block during such transitions are also provided so that data is not lost during a transition. In addition, mechanisms for realigning data during decoding at a receiving terminal are also provided.
US08291295B2
A NAND controller for interfacing between a host device and a flash memory device (e.g., a NAND flash memory device) fabricated on a flash die is disclosed. In some embodiments, the presently disclosed NAND controller includes electronic circuitry fabricated on a controller die, the controller die being distinct from the flash die, a first interface (e.g. a host-type interface, for example, a NAND interface) for interfacing between the electronic circuitry and the flash memory device, and a second interface (e.g. a flash-type interface) for interfacing between the controller and the host device, wherein the second interface is a NAND interface. According to some embodiments, the first interface is an inter-die interface. According to some embodiments, the first interface is a NAND interface. Systems including the presently disclosed NAND controller are also disclosed. Methods for assembling the aforementioned systems, and for reading and writing data using NAND controllers are also disclosed.
US08291290B1
Circuits, architectures, methods and algorithms for joint channel-code decoding of linear block codes, and more particularly, for identifying and correcting one or more errors in a code word and/or for encoding CRC (or parity) information. In one aspect, the invention focuses on use of (i) remainders, syndromes or other polynomials and (ii) Gaussian elimination to determine and correct errors. Although this approach may be suboptimal, the present error checking and/or detection scheme involves simpler computations and/or manipulations than conventional schemes, and is generally easier to implement logically. Since the complexity of parity-based error correction schemes increases disproportionately to the number of potential error events, the present invention meets a long-felt need for a scheme to manage error detection and/or correction in systems (such as magnetic recording applications) where there may be a relatively large number of likely error events, thereby advantageously improving reliability and/or performance in channel communications.
US08291289B2
Low density parity check code (LDPC) base parity check matrices and the method for use thereof in communication systems. The method of expanding the base check parity matrix is described. Examples of expanded LDPC codes with different code lengths and expansion factors are also shown.
US08291288B2
A method and system for encoding the low density generator matrix code are disclosed. The encoding method includes the following steps: S102, constructing a generator matrix Gldgc with L rows and N+L−K columns, wherein a phalanx Gldgc(1:L, 1:L) which consists of L rows and the first L columns of the generator matrix Gldgc is an upper triangular matrix or a lower triangular matrix, the K, L and N being positive integers, and K
US08291286B2
In a decoding system and method for a high-density recording medium, a high protective codeword decoder decodes a burst indicator subcode (BIS) while a low protective codeword decoder decodes a long distance code, so as to eliminate the waiting time required for completely decoding all burst indicator subcodes (BISs) and starting the long-distance code (LDC) decoding. In addition, a first memory having a high access speed is implemented to store the BISs and corresponding BIS erasure indicators, and the access to a second memory have a lower access speed relative to the first memory is relatively reduced such that the bandwidth can be effectively used to thereby increase the decoding efficiency on the high-density recording medium.
US08291285B1
Systems and methods for decoding low density parity check (LDPC) codes are provided. An input message, representing a codeword encoded using a parity check matrix, is processed and data associated with each of the layers of the parity check matrix is computed. A first layer of the parity check matrix includes a first circulant configured to be updated using the data associated with a second layer of the parity check matrix. A second circulant in the first layer of the parity check matrix, configured to be updated using the data associated with the second layer of the parity check matrix, is identified. The first and second circulants are updated using the data associated with the first and second layers of the parity check matrix.
US08291282B2
An apparatus and method for generating a parity-check matrix of a Low-Density Parity-Check (LDPC) code are provided. Parameters for designing the LDPC code are determined, and a first parity-check matrix of a quasi-cyclic LDPC code is formed according to the determined parameters. A second parity-check matrix is created through the elimination of a predetermined portion of a parity part in the first parity-check matrix, and a third parity-check matrix is created by rearranging the second parity-check matrix.
US08291276B2
Disclosed is an interaction method between an automatic repeat request (ARQ) and a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) in a system having a long roundtrip delay. A transmission window for the ARQ is operated using inner feedback information from the HARQ, and a waiting window is operated using ARQ status information.
US08291273B2
In a transmitter (2001), when generating a transmission frame having no limitation to a window size, a batch-transmission-end flag generating circuit (2004) and a sequence number generating circuit (2005) respectively adds a batch-transmission-end flag and a sequence number to the transmission frame. In a receiver, if an omission of a sequence number is detected as a result of analyzing sequence numbers of frames having received from the transmitter (2001), retransmission request is made when receiving a frame whose batch-transmission-end flag indicates the end. In this way, retransmission is possible in data transmission using UI frames, and the communication efficiency can be improved.
US08291272B2
Methods and apparatus for executing internal operations of memory devices utilizing instructions stored in the memory array of the memory device are disclosed. Decode blocks adapted to interpret instructions and data stored in the memory device are also disclosed. Methods can be used to perform internal self-test operations of the memory device by executing test procedures stored in the memory array of the memory device performing a self-test operation.
US08291268B2
A method to provide an alert notification and a reconcile action to a client computing system, the alert notification being responsive to an error condition in a target computing system, and the reconcile action being responsive to the alert notification, wherein the method supplies a client computing system and a target computing system, wherein the target computing system is in communication with the client computing system. The method further forms an alert notification responsive to an error condition detected in the target computing system, and generates a reconcile action responsive to the alert notification. The method provides the alert notification and the reconcile action to the client computing system. The client computing system returns a selected reconcile action, which is implemented by the target computing system, wherein that implementing step is performed without logging into said target computing system.
US08291261B2
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to computer-management tools and utilities that allow computer users to save and restore current application-level runtime states of computational environments created by users on computer systems. Certain embodiments of the present invention are particularly directed to time-and-memory efficient state-saving and state-restoring tools and utilities that allow a user to save snapshots of the user's application-level runtime environment, to manage and review stored snapshots, and to subsequently restore the application-level runtime state of a computer system from a previously saved snapshot.
US08291259B2
A processing unit includes a processor core and a cache memory coupled to the processor core. The cache memory includes a data array, a directory of the data array, error detection logic that sequentially detects a first, second and third correctable errors in the data array of the cache memory and provides indications of detection of the first, second and third correctable errors, and control circuitry that, responsive to the indication of the third correctable error and an indication that the first and second correctable errors occurred at too high a frequency, marks an entry of the data array containing a cache line having the third correctable error as deleted in the directory of the cache memory regardless of which entry of the data array contains a cache line having the second correctable error.
US08291258B2
In one example, a backup intrusion detection and prevention (IDP) device includes one or more network interfaces to receive a state update message from a primary IDP device, wherein the state update message indicates a network session being inspected by the primary IDP device and an identified application-layer protocol for the device, to receive an indication that the primary device has switched over or failed over to the backup device, and to receive a plurality of packets of the network session after receiving the indication, each of the plurality of packets comprising a respective payload including application-layer data, a protocol decoder to detect a beginning of a new transaction from the application-layer data of one of the plurality of packets, and a control unit to statefully process only the application-layer data of the network session that include and follow the beginning of the new transaction.
US08291246B2
A power management circuit for managing power of a network interface is provided. The network interface includes a medium interface unit coupled to a network media supporting at least a high speed protocol and a lower speed protocol. The power management logic includes logic to determine that an event signalling entry of the medium interface unit into the lower speed protocol has occurred; and logic to force the medium interface unit into the lower speed protocol in response to a determination that the event has occurred.
US08291242B2
The disclosure is related to a method for transforming voltage identification codes of a microprocessor. The method comprises the steps of: receiving a first voltage identification code of a first voltage regulation standard, wherein the first voltage identification code is in correspondence with a first voltage; and transforming the first voltage identification code into a second voltage identification code of a second voltage regulation standard, wherein the second voltage identification code is in correspondence with a second voltage, and the second voltage is the same as the first voltage.
US08291239B2
Methods and systems for authenticating senders and recipients in a carrier system and providing receipt of specified content by a recipient are provided. A one-time recipient identification code is generated that can be entered into the delivery agent's portable terminal. Data is protected against eavesdropping by encryption and by splitting cipher text and an encryption key into two parts that are not accessible to any single party except at the moment of the mail unit delivery.
US08291234B2
Systems and methods consistent with the present invention encode a list so users of the list may make inquiries to the coded list without the entire content of the list being revealed to the users. Once each item in the list has been encoded by an encoder, a bit array with high and low values may be used to represent the items in the list. The bit array may be embodied in a validation system for allowing users to query the list to determine whether an inquiry item is on the list. The validation system determines which bits to check by executing the same coding process executed by the encoder. If all the bits are high, then the inquiry item is determined to be part of the list, if at least one bit is low, then the inquiry item is determined not to be part of the original list.
US08291228B2
Modular authentication and session management involves the use of discrete modules to perform specific tasks in a networked computing environment. There may be a separate authentication server that verifies the identity of the user and an authorization client that grants various levels of access to users. There may also be an authentication client that receives an initial request from a requesting application and forwards the request to the authentication server to verify the identity of the use. The authorization client may then be invoked to provide the necessary level of access. The use of discrete modules allows multiple business applications to use the same modules to perform user authentication tasks, thus alleviating the unnecessary multiplication of code.
US08291227B2
In a device, method and/or computer-readable medium for secure communication between a client device and a server, the client device includes a browser for accessing a website provided by the server, the client device generates a key according to a key generating cryptographic routine; tags the key with a marker associating the key with the website; and stores the tagged key in a memory associated with the browser.
US08291219B2
A system and method for enhancing the protection of digital properties while also increasing the flexibility of distribution of the digital properties. In one embodiment, the digital property is protected through the binding of at least one unique client device identifier with the digital property prior to distribution. Decryption at a client device would therefore be dependent on a comparison of the unique client device identifier that is extracted from the encrypted digital property with a unique client device identifier of the device that is seeking to access the digital property.
US08291217B2
A management device configured to communicate with at least one second management device and at least one terminal device via a network includes an acquiring system configured to acquire first management information managed by the management device, a receiving system configured to receive second management information managed by each of the at least one second management device from each of the at least one second management device, a management information request receiving system configured to receive a management information request for the first management information and the second management information from the at least one terminal device, and a sending system configured to send, to the at least one terminal device, the first management information acquired by the acquiring system and the second management information received by the receiving system in response to the management information request being received by the management information request receiving system.
US08291211B2
An embedded memory card system includes a first CPU, a second CPU, a nonvolatile memory storing data, and a device busy state machine selecting one of the first CPU and the second CPU to access the nonvolatile memory. The nonvolatile memory is accessed by the one of the first CPU and the second CPU selected by the device busy state machine.
US08291187B2
Mechanisms for memory management in a scoped memory system are provided. The scoped memory system includes a scoped memory area for the allocation of objects therein for access by one or more software threads in execution. The scoped memory area has an associated thread count for indicating that the scoped memory area is discardable. The mechanisms identify a set of root references for objects allocated in the scoped memory area and recursively traverses and marks objects that are referenced from the set of root references and that are allocated in the scoped memory area. The mechanisms further identify objects in the scoped memory area that are not so marked and discards the identified objects.
US08291184B2
A copy control apparatus for controlling a copy process between disks includes a copy process execution unit, a data capacity measuring unit, and a changing unit. The copy process execution unit executes the copy process between disks by securing a storage area on a cache. The data capacity measuring unit measures a data capacity contained in a write request accepted from a host system during execution of the copy process between disks by the copy process execution unit. The changing unit changes a capacity of the storage area secured by the copy process execution unit in accordance with the data capacity measured by the data capacity measuring unit.
US08291181B2
The present disclosure includes methods and devices for operating a solid state drive. One method embodiment includes mirroring programming operations such that data associated with a programming operation is programmed to two or more locations in memory of the solid state drive. The method also includes ceasing to mirror programming operations upon an occurrence of a particular event.
US08291179B2
Embodiments of archival storage system are disclosed. The archival storage system includes one or more removable disk drives that provide random access and are readily expandable. In embodiments, some or all of the data within the removable disk drive(s) is immutable. The archiving system creates a designation for the data representing the data as having Write Once Read Many (WORM) protection. Actions associated with the data may be received and determined to be read accesses. If the actions are something other than a read access, the archiving system, in embodiments, prevents the action on the data.
US08291178B2
A machine-implemented method, which is for categorizing a plurality of to-be-categorized storage units of a storage medium, includes: a) using a processor to write categorizing data for filling each of the to-be-categorized storage units of the storage medium; b) using a processor to determine a data access time of each of at least some of the to-be-categorized storage units by reading the categorizing data therein and to record the data access times of said at least some of the to-be-categorized storage units; and c) using a processor to categorize the to-be-categorized storage units into a plurality of groups that respectively correspond to a plurality of data access speed categories with reference to the recorded data access times.
US08291173B2
A memory hub includes first and second link interfaces for coupling to respective data busses, a data path coupled to the first and second link interfaces and through which data is transferred between the first and second link interfaces, and further includes a write bypass circuit coupled to the data path to couple write data on the data path and temporarily store the write data to allow read data to be transferred through the data path while the write data is temporarily stored. A method for writing data to a memory location in a memory system is provided which includes accessing read data in the memory system, providing write data to the memory system, and coupling the write data to a register for temporary storage. The write data is recoupled to the memory bus and written to the memory location following provision of the read data.
US08291170B1
A system and method for writing data segments to a backup storage medium. Data segments are sent from multiple clients to a shared backup server. The backup server writes the data segments for each client into separate container files and then flushes the data from the container files into the backup storage medium. After backing up all of the data segments from a single client, the server commits the transaction which includes flushing newly written data from any open files, closing the open files, and updating metadata for the newly written data. To reduce the amount of time needed to commit the transaction, the backup server flushes and closes container files prior to transaction commit time.
US08291158B2
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for enforcing policy controls for non-system managed tape media. The apparatus includes an operating system configured to communicate with a tape media drive, and an identification module configured to identify a tape media type of a tape media cartridge. The apparatus may also include a policy module configured to maintain control policies for tape media types, and a media control module configured to enforce the control policies. The system includes a computing system having a processor, a cache, an operating system, and a plurality of input/output interfaces, a tape media drive coupled to the computing system, and the apparatus. The method includes communicating with a tape media drive, identifying a tape media type of a tape media cartridge, maintaining a plurality of control policies for tape media types, and enforcing the plurality of control policies.
US08291156B2
The present invention discloses a memory system having a hybrid density memory. The memory system includes a plurality of storage spaces whereby the storage spaces have respective levels of endurance and each storage space has a plurality of blocks and pre-determined weighting factors corresponding to the levels of endurance of the storage spaces. After executing a command of erasing a specific block, the system records the erase in accordance with the weighting factor of the storage space to which the specific block belongs. Whereby, the erase counts of all the blocks of different storage spaces are able to reach respective levels of endurance as simultaneously as possible.
US08291143B1
A system and method for communication over a single communication line. The system includes an interface logic component for sending and receiving information for a processing component. The system further includes a single line interface module for sending and receiving data over a single communication line. The single line interface module uses a preamble for sending and recovering a clock signal for sending and receiving data over the single communication line.
US08291141B2
A method and apparatus for supporting multiple device numbers on point-to-point interconnect upstream ports. In one embodiment, the method includes a downstream component (DC) that performs discovery of internal device components of the DC during initialization of the DC. Subsequent to the discovery of internal devices of the DC, the DC may issue a multiple device number (MDN) request to an upstream component (UC) of the DC. In one embodiment, the MDN request may include an indication that the DC supports a “multiple device number capability,” as well as a quantity of the internal device components of the DC. The DC may receive an acknowledgement MDN from the UC to indicate a quantity of device numbers allocated to the DC. Subsequently, the DC may assign device numbers to the internal device components of the DC according to configuration requests received from the UC. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08291140B2
A computing module includes an interface to asynchronously, serially exchange parallel system bus data with one or more other modules of a computer system that includes the computing module. The computing module can asynchronously, serially transfer first parallel bus data to another module of the computer system, and can asynchronously, serially receive second parallel bus data from another module of the computer system.
US08291139B2
The use of asymmetric signalling over channels is disclosed. Pursuant to one or more embodiments of the invention, the channels in the parallel bus operate as standard non-differential interconnects for data travelling in one direction through the bus, and operate as differential interconnects for data travelling in the other direction through the bus. So that data capacity of the bus remains the same in both directions, the data rate during differential transmission can be twice that of the data rate during standard transmissions. Asymmetric signalling can also occur over two unidirectional busses of channels to the same effect.
US08291138B2
Skip based control logic for first in first out buffer is disclosed. In one embodiment, a host controller interface (HCI) device includes an isochronous receive first in first out (IRFIFO) buffer. The IRFIFO buffer includes a storage for storing an isochronous data packet received from a guest device. Further, the IRFIFO buffer includes a write pointer for pointing to a write address of the storage for a write operation. Furthermore, the IRFIFO buffer includes a read pointer for pointing to a read address of the storage for a read operation. In addition, the IRFIFO includes a control logic for incrementing the read pointer by a value of a skip parameter of a skip register if the isochronous data packet is not valid for the read operation.
US08291136B2
A computer implemented method for writing to a software bound ring buffer. A network adapter may determine that data is available to write to the software bound ring buffer. The network adapter determines that a read index is not equal to a write index, responsive to a determination that data is available to write to the software bound ring buffer. The network adapter writes the data to memory referenced by the hardware write index, wherein memory referenced by the write index is offset according to an offset, and the memory contents comprise a data portion and a valid bit. The network adapter writes an epoch value of the write index to the valid bit. The network adapter increments the write index, responsive to writing the data to memory referenced by the write index. Further disclosed is method to access a hardware bound ring buffer.
US08291133B2
Skip based control logic for first in first out buffer is disclosed. In one embodiment, an isochronous data packet placed in an isochronous receive first in first out (IRFIFO) buffer coupled to an isochronous receive direct memory access (IRDMA) is detected. Further, a header of the isochronous data packet is read. Furthermore, a validity of the isochronous data packet is determined. Also, a read operation of remaining data of the isochronous data packet is skipped if the isochronous data packet is determined as invalid.
US08291130B2
An apparatus for receiving one or more protocol data units (PDUs) from a word aligned queue including a media access control (MAC) physical-layer (PHY) coprocessor (MPC) logically residing between a physical-layer controller and a media access controller (MAC) processor. The MPC is configured to access a reception physical-layer queue storing a burst, such that the reception physical-layer queue includes a plurality of word lines. The burst includes one or more PDUs that each occupy one or more word lines of the reception physical-layer queue, such that a particular word line stores a portion of a first PDU and a portion of second PDU. The MPC is also configured to receive from the reception physical-layer queue the first PDU including the portion of the first PDU stored in the selected word line.
US08291129B2
It is assumed that the image data inputted are subjected to run-length compression and compressed encoding based on Huffman encoding. The first step configuration configured on a reconfigurable circuit includes run-length compression circuits 102a and 102b of two ways for parallel processing and FIFOs 108a and 108b which hold the output data from the circuits, respectively. For example, the data of odd pages are supplied to the run-length compression circuit 102a and the data of even pages are supplied to the run-length compression circuit 102b. After the compression processing proceeds, when at least one of the FIFOs 108a and 108b becomes full, the reconfigurable circuit is reconfigured into the second step configuration. In this configuration, the FIFOs 108a and 108b holding the compression results are left and two Huffman encoding circuits for encoding the data supplied from these FIFOs are included.
US08291128B2
Systems having a host computer system, a memory device coupled to the host computer system, and identification circuitry. The identification circuitry is configured to identify an operating mode of the host computer system from comparing applied signals to sensed signals.
US08291125B2
Systems and methods for a mass storage device attached to a host device use speculation about the host command likely to be received next from the host device based on a previously received command to improve throughput of accesses to the mass storage device. Host commands are used to speculatively produce commands for data storage devices of the mass storage device, such that host commands speculated as being likely next can be started during idle time of the data storage devices, based upon the probability that the speculation will be correct some of the time, and otherwise wasted idle time will be more efficiently used. Time taken by the host device to produce successive commands to the mass storage system is monitored, and future speculatively produced commands are parameterized to complete within the observed host time to produce new commands, making more efficient use of the data storage devices.
US08291117B1
A method or system for transferring information during the domain name service (DNS) lookup to more effectively utilizing the content delivery network (CDN) is disclosed. Information gathered from DNS request is used to identify information on how to serve the content with a chosen IP address returned from the DNS lookup. The DNS server selects from a number of possible IP addresses after analyzing information from the DNS request and popularity of associated content. The different IP addresses will result in different edge servers providing content. An IP address could be provided for popular content in a way that will tend to populate more content caches from the pool of edge servers in one embodiment.
US08291116B2
A method of performing a multimedia communication session over a communication link using Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and over a communication link using User Datagram Protocol (UDP), including the acts of: receiving a request, over the TCP link, to register from a client terminal located within a private network; a probe data packet to the client terminal, over the TCP link, requesting to send a data packet over the UDP link; and receiving a data packet from the client terminal that contains information relating to an address of the client terminal and a dynamic port over which the multimedia communication session is to be established.
US08291105B2
The present invention relates to a method for identifying inaccurate time measurements in a local area network. The local area network comprises a sending device (2), such as a time client, a destination device (3), such as a timeserver, and a switching device and/or a store-and-forward device (6). A time request packet (4) is rejected if it arrives at the time client or timeserver within a given or calculated minimum distance from the preceding network packet. The time request packet (4) is also rejected if it falls outside a set of calculated error limits based on a set of estimates. Those estimates are kept in the time client memory and updated according to a given set of rules.
US08291101B1
Techniques are described for resynchronizing mutually shared data stored on network devices of a computer network. Upon receiving change instruction and globally unique identifier (GUID) messages, each of the network devices records the change instructions and GUIDs in a journal of the network device. When communication is lost for a period of time between a first network device and a second network device, the mutually shared data of the first network device may need to be resynchronized with the mutually shared data of the second network device. The techniques described herein allow resynchronization of the mutually shared data of the first network device based on a common GUID recorded in the journals of both first and second network devices, the journal of the first network device, and the journal of the second network device.
US08291095B2
A method for content insertion is provided. In this method, a first media data is received from a server and a placement request is transmitted to a content provider service. As a result, a placement response is received from the content provider service. The placement response includes data identifying a second media data associated with the first media data. The second media data is retrieved and merged with the first media data. After the merge, the first and second media data are transmitted to the server.
US08291093B2
A network in which peer-to-peer remediation is provided to keep clients in the network up-to-date. As network clients establish peer-to-peer connections, they exchange status information. The status information allows the clients to mutually identify whether one client is more out-of-date than another. The more up-to-date client provides update information to the more out-of-date client. To preserve the integrity of the update process, updates are provided as signed binary files and are only applied by the client receiving the update if the binary file may be authenticated by the recipient.
US08291089B2
An image processing device communicable with an information processing device, includes: a first management unit for managing at least one service provided by the image processing device based on a first protocol; a second management unit for managing the at least one service provided by the image processing device based on a second protocol; a reception unit for receiving a search request for searching for a service managed by the second management unit, the search request being transmitted from the information processing device based on the first protocol; and a transmission unit for transmitting, in response to the search request received by the reception unit, an address of a service satisfying the search request and managed by the second management unit to the information processing device.
US08291086B2
Systems and methods for requesting and receiving data from an enterprise information system are described. In accordance with one embodiment, the connector system includes an application server managed connection factory for receiving a data request, and a load balancer for assigning an enterprise information system server connection to the request.
US08291084B2
A mediation server 200 mediates a print demand from a client device 100 to a printing device 300. In order to elude a firewall F/W set between the mediation server 200 and the printing device 300, the printing device 300 first sends an HTTP request to the mediation server 200. The mediation server 200 sends back an HTTP response including a print demand to the printing device 300. Encrypted communication may be established between the client device 100 and the printing device 300 according to the following procedure. The mediation server 200 decrypts cipher data, which is encrypted with a public key by the client device, with a private key, re-encrypts the decrypted data with another private key, and mediates the encrypted data to the printing device 300. The printing device 300 decrypts the encrypted data with the public key and carries out printing. This arrangement enables the printing device to carry out printing in response to a demand from the client device via respective secure network environments.
US08291076B2
Systems and methods for application and network-based long poll request detection and cacheability assessment therefore are disclosed. In one aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure include a method, which may be implemented on a distributed proxy and cache system, including, determining relative timings between a first request initiated by the application, a response received responsive to the first request, and a second request initiated subsequent to the first request also by the application, and/or using the relative timings to determine whether requests generated by the application are long poll requests. The relative timings can be used to determine whether the second request is immediately or near-immediately re-requested after the response to the first request is received. The relative timings can also be compared to request-response timing characteristics for other applications to determine whether the requests of the application are long poll requests.
US08291067B2
An approach is described for maintaining multiple presence objects associated with a single entity. The different presence objects correspond to different respective aspects of the entity's presence. Each presence object includes subscriber information and permission information associated therewith. The subscriber information identifies the subscribers that subscribe to receive notifications for a particular presence object. The permission information identifies the users who are entitled to receive notifications for the particular presence object. By virtue of the use of multiple objects, the entity can control access to its presence information with a high degree of granularity.
US08291066B2
The invention provides a method for learning and identification of message types in a network in which the learning and identification is based solely upon information contained in messages in the network. In one embodiment, the method includes comparing a current message with one or more previously defined message structures and applying a comparison method in order to infer whether the structure of the current message conforms to any one of the previously defined message structures. The invention also provides a method for classifying a collection of messages input or output from a computational node in which the set of messages is portioned into subsets of similar messages, and a structure of the messages of each subset is characterized. The invention further provides a method for inferring causal relations between a message type input to a computational node in a network and message type output from the computational node in the network using one or more statistical tests. The invention further provides a system for monitoring transactions within a distributed information network. The system includes collection servers that execute a classification module and a correlation module. A management server analyzes data from the collection servers in order to determine a performance of the transactions in the system.
US08291064B2
Under the present invention indications of an event are monitored based upon a comparison of a computer system metric to a corresponding metric threshold over time. It is then determined whether a predetermined probability is reached that the indications will persist at least as long as a minimum detection and repair time for the event. Determining whether the predetermined probability is reached is typically accomplished based upon the monitoring of the indications over time and historical data for past instances of the event. The present invention will then optimize the filter setting for the event to minimize false positives and optimize the metric threshold so that indications are more accurately monitored.
US08291062B2
Access to content may be enabled by receiving an instruction indicating a client request to access content, accessing a list of content sources capable of rendering the content for which access is requested by the client, determining a performance metric for at least two of the content sources, and selecting among the content sources based on the performance metric to identify a content source to be accessed by the client.
US08291056B2
One embodiment of the present method and apparatus for performance and policy analysis in distributed computing systems includes representing a distributed computing system as a state transition model. A queuing network is then superimposed upon the state transition model, and the effects of one or more policies on the distributed computing system performance are identified in accordance with a solution to the queuing network.
US08291049B2
Buffering data associated with a spatial publishing object data store at a buffer distance proximate a user presence in a spatial publishing object space. The buffer distance comprises a measure based at least in part on: capacity of a communications path between the data store and the user platform; availability of memory at the user platform; movement of a user presence through the space; traffic in the communications path; processing resources available; amount of objects within a distance of the user presence; amount of objects in the space; type of objects; proximity of objects to the user presence; and rate of the user presence movement in the space. Movement of the user presence in the space buffers data such that data for a proximate object is available in the buffer for presenting to the user when the user's presence is a predetermined distance from the proximate object.
US08291045B2
Configuration of an application module to utilize branded content is described. In an implementation, a method includes identifying one of a plurality of business relationships which correspond to a request sent by a client over a network. A configuration file is the formed for communication to the client and for configuration of an application module of the client to utilize branded content which corresponds to the identified business relationship.
US08291042B2
The collaborative sharing of resources on demand based on proximity, within a group or network of computers. Broadly contemplated herein the “tiling” of a collection of logically adjacent individual graphical desktops in a virtual desktop. In such a setting, the action of dragging a window or icon off of one desktop and onto another would effectively transfer user interactability, and/or perceived ownership of the object, to the desktop where the window or icon graphically “lands”.
US08291034B1
There is a constant battle to break even between continuing improvements in DRAM capacities and the growing memory demands of large-memory high-performance applications. Performance of such applications degrades quickly once the system hits the physical memory limit and starts swapping to the local disk. We present the design, implementation and evaluation of Anemone—an Adaptive Network Memory Engine—that virtualizes the collective unused memory of multiple machines across a gigabit Ethernet LAN, without requiring any modifications to the either the large memory applications or the Linux kernel. We have implemented a working prototype of Anemone and evaluated it using real-world unmodified applications such as ray-tracing and large in-memory sorting. Our results with the Anemone prototype show that unmodified single-process applications execute 2 to 3 times faster and multiple concurrent processes execute 6 to 7.7 times faster, when compared to disk based paging. The Anemone prototype reduces page-fault latencies by a factor of 19.6—from an average of 9.8 ms with disk based paging to 500 μs with Anemone. Most importantly, Anemone provides a virtualized low-latency access to potentially “unlimited” network memory resources.
US08291017B1
A system and method are provided for creating communities based on a semantic understanding of content requested by a number of user devices. More specifically, a mediating server operates to interconnect a number of user devices to destination servers. In operation, the mediating server routes requests from the user devices to the appropriate destination servers. The mediating server examines the responses from the destination servers to gain a semantic understanding of the content requested by the user devices. Thereafter, the mediating server establishes communities for the user devices based on the semantic understanding of the content requested by the user devices. For example, the mediating server may invite users of the user devices that have requested semantically similar content to join a chat session around a common topic.
US08291012B2
In an address updating scheme, a server accesses clients with intermittent connectivity by using addresses specified in a local client address list. The clients are responsible for updating the list whenever the address of the client changes as a result of intermittent client connectivity or other conditions.
US08291007B2
As part of the system and method of the present invention, either a Client Agent and/or a Predictive Server intercept a request from a client to a server, and a response from the server to the client. Based on information derived from the client/server communication, either the Client Agent or the Predictive Server generates a predictive request for data. The server's response to the predictive request is stored at either the Client Agent or the Predictive Server, and is forward to the client when the client generates a request for the data contained in the response.
US08290996B2
A method, system, and computer program product for creating and implementing file clones using reverse ditto references. A clone inode is created as a copy of an original inode. The clone inode and the original inode are indistinguishable to an end user. Each additional file clone created spawns a clone inode. An immutable clone-parent inode is created that contains the disk block addresses, while writable clones inode instead contain dittos linking the clone inode to data blocks referenced in the clone-parent inode. Data block address links in the original inode are moved to the new clone-parent inode and dittos replace the original data block address links in the original inode. When a clone file is updated, the new data is written to a new disk location and a corresponding ditto in the clone inode is replaced with a data block link address, keeping the data of the clone-parent inode intact.
US08290989B2
A name of one or more entity classes of the data model may be refined to conform to a naming convention. A semantic meaning of each of the names and one or more attributes of each entity class may be determined. It may be determined that the name of a first entity class is semantically similar to the name of a second entity class based on a semantic distance between the semantic meaning of the names, where a substantial similarity may be determined between the first entity class and the second entity class by comparing the semantic meaning of the one or more attributes of the first entity class to the semantic meaning of the one or more attributes of the second entity class. The data model may be normalized based on the substantial similarity.
US08290987B2
A data structure maintained in a computational device stores how many control areas splits have occurred to store a data set, wherein each control area split causes an addition of a single new control area. A command is received to add a new data record to the data set. A determination is made as to whether adding the new data record to the data set will result in a threshold for control area splits to be exceeded. In response to determining that adding the new data record to the data set will result in the threshold for control area splits to be exceeded, creating at least two new control areas in addition to continuing to use one existing control area for storing the data set.
US08290983B2
A computer system is disclosed. The computer system includes one or more processors, and a memory storage storing one or more instructions for implementing a search tool. The instructions, when executed, instruct the computer system to perform a set of steps. The steps include receiving a search query from a user computer, the search query including one or more search terms to use to perform a first search. The steps further include, based on the one or more search terms, performing the first search, and providing for display at the user computer a list of one or more law-related documents responsive to the search query, a list of one or more recommended sources in which to perform a second search for documents, and a list of legal topics associated with the responsive documents.
US08290974B2
A primary user interface is configured to receive uploaded data sets stored in a primary memory means each describing a 3D graphics data structure in a respective source format. A secondary user interface receives request messages from user clients and in response, provides the clients access to specified data sets. Upon receipt of a request message, an examining entity identifies a graphics rendering capability of the client originating the message, and investigates whether or not the client is equipped with a viewer capable of visualizing the requested data set. A viewer database contains software modules adapted to implement at least two different viewers, where each viewer is configured to visualize the stored data sets on at least one type of client. If the examining entity finds that the client is incapable of visualizing the requested data set, a controller entity forwards an adequate software module to the user client that is adapted to implement a viewer configured to visualize the requested data set on this client.
US08290968B2
Systems, methods and articles of manufacture are disclosed for extracting a feature of an entity. A data record that includes the feature may be received. The feature may be characterized. Data related to the feature may be retrieved from a data source. The feature may be recharacterized based on the retrieved data. The data source may be updated with an association between the recharacterized feature and the retrieved data.
US08290964B1
One embodiment of the present invention comprises a system that provides recommendations to a user. During operation, the system performs a computer-based lookup operation to identify trusted entities that the user trusts (or is likely to trust) to make recommendations. Next, the system performs another computer-based lookup operation to obtain recommendations associated with the identified trusted entities. The system then uses the obtained recommendations to provide recommendations to the user. In a variation on this embodiment, the system additionally receives information indicating that the user trusts recommendations associated with an entity. The system then stores a corresponding record for the trust relationship between the user and the trusted entity in a computer-based lookup structure to facilitate subsequently identifying trusted entities that the user trusts to make recommendations.
US08290960B2
An approach is provided for selecting a trust factor from trust factors that are included in a trust index repository. A trust metaphor is associated with the selected trust factor. The trust metaphor includes various context values. Range values are received and the trust metaphor, context values, and range values are associated with the selected trust factor. A request is received from a data consumer, the request corresponding to a trust factor metadata score that is associated with the selected trust factor. The trust factor metadata score is retrieved and matched with the range values. The matching results in one of the context values being selected based on the retrieved trust factor metadata score. The selected context value is then provided to the data consumer.
US08290952B2
An approach is provided for retrieving nearby data from two-dimensional datasets. A two-dimensional data retrieving platform receives data objects of a two-dimensional dataset, and recursively divides the two-dimensional dataset into S×S number of subdivisions until reaching a data object level and an initial data object. S is a positive integer that is equal to or greater than 2. The two-dimensional data retrieving platform then selects and stores the initial data object into a memory, and sequentially fetches data objects which are near-by the initial data object on a two-dimensional plane in a spiral order in an initial subdivision, and stores the fetched data objects in a linear order into the memory.
US08290951B1
Techniques for bridging data from business support units, e.g., call centers and marketing operations, with a data warehouse to augment and enrich pre-existing customer information. Unstructured data is received with incomplete integration information. A data key is created from the unstructured data, and the unstructured data is integrated with the structured data in a data warehouse based on the data key. Unstructured data can assume different forms of data, including recorded audio data, facial image data, and iris image data. At least one customer identifier is extracted from the unstructured data by data mining. A data key is subsequently created from the at least one customer identifier. Incomplete integration may include partial integration information or may not include any integration information.
US08290941B2
A user interface aids in creation of customized pre-defined queries that can be used for identifying particular search results relevant to a topic. Provision can be made to allow express inclusion or exclusion of certain results. Metrics relating to how much the pre-defined query focuses the search can be provided. A pre-defined query can be referenced by a URL, which can be distributed or referenced in content available in any number of locations. When results of the pre-defined search change, a contact associated with the search query can be notified. When a URL is activated, a redirect to the search engine with the customized query can occur, and the contact associated with the query can be notified of the usage of the pre-defined query. Metrics concerning sources of query usage can be produced, based on data gathered while serving the pre-defined query requests.
US08290929B2
A method to provide additional media objects for data objects containing one or more existing media objects is described. The existing media object is analyzed to determine additional related media available on the network, and the data object description is augmented with metadata to identify the additional media in an enhanced data object description. When the enhanced data object is rendered, the metadata facilitates incorporation of additional media objects in the displayed page.
US08290926B2
Data items of various data feeds (such as articles posted to a website or entries in an RSS feed) may be associated with various topics, but a user may be unable to monitor a large number of data feeds, and to avoid previously reviewed data items while searching for new data items. An aggregation service may monitor many data feeds, perform an automated topical evaluation of the data items, and generate a set of topical data feeds. Additional services may also be applied, such as filtering the topical data feeds by various criteria, translating data items from a native language into another language, and removing equivalent data items, such as articles redundantly covering the same news story. A centralized or cooperatively distributed service may scale for improved efficiency and value, since each data feed may be monitored and each data item received and evaluated on behalf of many users.
US08290918B1
A robust hashing method is applied to media data (e.g., video, image, and/or audio data), producing a hash output that is robust with respect to at least one attribute of the media data. A histogram is generated for the media data and the histogram is hashed using a weighted hashing procedure. The histogram can be derived from a plurality of randomized versions of the media file, each randomized version of the media file altered to a random extent with respect to the attribute. The histogram can also be derived from a plurality of feature descriptors computed for the media data that are coarsely encoded with respect to the attribute. The weighted hashing procedure includes assigning a weight to components of the histogram and applying a plurality of hash functions to a number of versions of each component, the number of versions based on the assigned weight.
US08290907B2
The present invention improves the performance of distributed systems by reducing the amount of graphical data transmitted between an application server and a thin client. The encoding technique used for graphical data is adapted in response to the repetitiveness of the graphical data during a particular client-server session. Indexes are maintained that are indicative of this repetitiveness and which identify a particular location in the client's cache memory storing the graphical data. Where the index is not found, but a fuzzy key indicates a strong likelihood that the graphical object is located at the client, the client's persistent storage memory is searched for a file name corresponding to the fuzzy key and which stores the graphical object therein.
US08290905B1
A method and system for indexing design elements. The method, when performed by a special purpose computer executing a design repository application, comprises creating one or more metadata entries, linking the metadata entries to one or more design elements, and providing an interface to access the design elements. The metadata entries comprise data describing the design elements located within a design repository. The interface displays the design elements in accordance with their associated metadata.
US08290902B1
In various embodiments, a computerized method includes presenting an electronic document to one user out of multiple users that have edit access to the electronic document as part of a collaborative editing of the electronic document. The computerized method may include receiving an input from the user to edit the electronic document, as well as invoking a lock to prevent edit access by the other users responsive to receiving the input from the user to edit the electronic document.
US08290894B2
A visualization system that generates visual mash-ups for industrial automation includes a mash-up component that combines output from a subset of disparate sources into a common interface. The disparate sources include at least one of equipment, computers, or devices within an industrial automation environment. A visualization component generates and displays a mash-up visualization that includes information associated with the common interface.
US08290891B2
An approach is provided for dynamic modification of inference rules and deduction engines in an information base. Authorized agents are allowed to insert, delete or modify inference rules and deduction engines dynamically by signing their input using an authorized signature. Additionally, the functionalities of dynamic modification of inference rules and deduction engines can be provided through a direct application programming interface (API).
US08290890B2
A system and method for automating proactive communication. The information for the desired contacts may be accepted from a user. A selection of contact communication frequency preferences may be received from a user. An automatic communication to one of the desired contacts may be initiated. The user may be allowed to cancel the automatic communication, in response to receiving a notification that the communication is about to begin. A response indicative of the communication status may be received. Rules and preferences may be optimized based upon the received response.
US08290888B1
The present invention provides systems and methods for guiding user development and documentation of thinking about an arbitrary problem according to exemplary approaches used by expert problem solvers.
US08290880B2
There is provided a system and method for estimating a parameter that represents data describing a physical system. An exemplary method comprises randomizing data representative of a population of items for which the parameter is known. The method may additionally comprise generating data representative of a pseudo population of items using a known perturbation, the data representative of the pseudo population of items being included with the data representative of the population of items for which the parameter is known to form a revised population and selecting a bootstrap sample of a minimum sample size of the revised population. A sensitivity study is performed on the parameters of the items comprising the bootstrap sample to determine a level of change of a predicted parameter value relative to a parameter value of the sample. At least one of a range, a probability distribution or the minimum sample size is revised based on the parameter for items comprising the bootstrap sample to produce at least one of a revised range, a revised probability distribution or a revised minimum sample size, taking into account an effect of the known perturbation applied to the pseudo population. The steps of selecting, performing and revising are repeated until the sensitivity study indicates that the level of change of the parameter is acceptably small. A value of the parameter is estimated for the population based on a parameter corresponding to the acceptably small level of change.
US08290878B2
There is provided a rental item return apparatus including an opening to receive returned rental items, a store area for returned items and a chute arranged to connect the opening to the store area. The apparatus further includes a device arranged within the chute to uniquely identify and log each returned rental item.
US08290876B1
A method and system are provided for securing a third-party payment electronic transaction, allowing a customer to seal a self-issued electronic voucher and thereby finalize a payment amount; such electronic voucher is then transmitted to a vendor and then forwarded to a payor for approval and payment or to a creditor in satisfaction of a debt.
US08290874B2
A computing device segregates licenses for corresponding content according to relatively short lived licenses for relatively short lived content and relatively long lived licenses for relatively long lived content. The computing device stores the relatively short lived licenses in a more temporary and volatile license store, and the relatively long lived licenses in a more permanent and non-volatile license store. Thus, the relatively short lived licenses are deleted when the temporary license store is turned off and do not create disorder in the permanent license store.
US08290855B2
In one aspect, the present invention provides an order slicer that receives an order that to trade a financial instrument. The order associates a trading strategy with said order. The trading strategy is replaceable. In another aspect, an interface accepts a trading strategy of an order to trade a financial instrument. A transmitter transmits the trading strategy to an order slicer.
US08290850B1
A system and method for optimizing the frequency of market information updates in an electronic trading environment are described herein. According to one example embodiment, by optimizing the frequency of market information updates, the burden on the client device to update the graphical user interface may be reduced, while still providing an accurate portrayal of the market to the user. An example method includes associating different precedence levels with messages comprising market information. Messages containing market information related to the inside market may be associated to a higher precedence level. Whereas messages containing market information relating to the quantities at prices outside the inside market may be associated with a lower precedence level. Based on the precedence level associated with a message, a client device may update the graphical user interface or the message may be stored in a data structure until a pre-defined condition is satisfied.
US08290848B2
Disclosed are a system, a computer readable medium and a method for determining a spectrum index value as a function of financial data for a plurality of selected publically traded companies and spectrum-related data for the selected companies.
US08290840B2
Methods for obtaining credit life insurance for an individual via a service organization are provided. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of: 1) registering the individual with the service organization via a computer system in a computer network; 2) accessing credit information on the individual via the computer system in the computer network and determining the total debt of the individual; 3) determining the amount of debt to be covered by credit life insurance benefits; 4) creating a data base including insurance companies that provide credit life insurance benefits, the data base further including the premiums that the insurance companies charge for issuing their credit life insurance; 5) selecting specific coverage with required specific premiums; 6) obtaining the individual's approval of the required specific premiums via the computer system in the computer network; and 7) obtaining credit life insurance benefits for the individual.
US08290838B1
A system and method for preventing fraud in an online transaction is shown. Requests for financial transactions between on-line account holders are detected as well as relationships between the accounts. A fraud value related to a likelihood that a fraud is occurring in the transactions is determined based on the relationship. An indication of a likelihood of fraud is provided if the fraud value exceeds a predetermined amount. Thus the transaction is terminated and the appropriate parties are automatically notified.
US08290835B2
Systems, methods, and apparatus for establishing payees based on cleared items posted to a financial account are provided. Information associated with a cleared item posted to a financial account of a consumer may be obtained. Based at least in part on the obtained information, a payee associated with the cleared item may be identified. A form may be generated for activating, at a service provider, at least one of online payment functionality for payments made to the payee by the service provider on behalf of the consumer or electronic bill presentment of billing information of the payee to the consumer through the service provider. The form may be transmitted to a network entity for presentation to the consumer.
US08290832B2
A method and system for handling returned prepaid device in a payment system. In one embodiment, upon receipt of a returned prepaid device corresponding to a consumer's account, a method indicates in the consumer's account that an address of the consumer is invalid; and determines whether the device should be stored in order to possibly re-send the device to the consumer if a new valid consumer address is received, or to destroy the device and refund the purchaser.
US08290830B2
A PLM system, method, and computer readable medium. A method includes receiving a persistence model of a physical assembly and transforming the persistence model to a bill of materials (BOM) window that includes a plurality of BOM lines each corresponding to a physical part. The method includes constructing an engineering design structure corresponding to the physical assembly and creating a hybrid BOM window by combining the engineering design structure with the BOM window. The hybrid BOM window includes a plurality of hybrid BOM lines. The method includes displaying a BOM window view based on the hybrid BOM window.
US08290824B1
A system and method that facilitates e-commerce volume pricing is provided. According to one aspect of the present invention, the system includes an offers and orders component that receives and aggregates orders for a product from a plurality of buyers. The system also includes a logistics component that determines a shipping price for the product for a subset of the plurality of buyers. The shipping price is determined at least in part upon the subset of buyers sharing a shipping method. According to another aspect of the present invention, a method is provided in which buyers within an aggregated purchasing group may be subject to different pricing structures for the same product.
US08290823B1
Techniques described enable an entity, such as a company employing an e-commerce website, to leverage user-provided content, such as customer reviews of an item, to better customers' shopping experiences. To do so, customer reviews pertaining to an item may be examined to determine if the reviews contain links to other items. These links within the customer reviews may then be aggregated and sorted (e.g., ranked) according to certain criteria. The links may be sorted based on a number of times that the links are used in the reviews and/or on ratings of the items associated with the links. One or more of the links may then be displayed on the website. For instance, these links may appear on an item review page adjacent the customer reviews. Customers navigating to the item review page may then peruse the customer reviews as well as the displayed links that customers have used within the reviews.
US08290821B2
An online integrated shopping mall service system registers manufacturing/enterprises, SOHO distribution enterprises, and SOHO trade enterprises as enterprise members, provides the shopping mall with commodities, sells the commodities, and manages the sales record of the commodities. If a member is a shopping-mall founder, a sideline-person, a SOHO distribution enterprise, or a SOHO trade enterprise, the system assigns a free retail-client shopping mall to the member, such that the member sells commodities at retail in the client shopping mall, performs the shopping mall management, registers commodities as regular commodities to be sold in the client shopping mall, and assigns lower client shopping malls to others. The system assigns a specific administrator who satisfies a predetermined condition to a wholesale-qualified member capable of managing the wholesale shopping mall, assigns the wholesale shopping mall to the qualified member, and sells the commodities at wholesale.
US08290816B2
A lottery sales method and related system utilizes a computing device interfaced to a printer. The device is configured to track inventory of activated instant tickets and access sales reporting data, the sales reporting data indicating total sales of at least one lottery product of interest. For each lottery product of interest, a machine-readable indicator is generated corresponding to the total sales of the lottery product of interest. A report is printed that includes each generated machine-readable indicator.
US08290814B2
A self-checkout system, particularly for retail areas of constrained floor space, has a small to zero footprint while being fully functional. In one form, the self-checkout comprises a unit mountable to a wall, pillar, or other support. In another form, the self-checkout has or is part of a columnar support. The self-checkout system has security in the form of video and weight verification. A visual and/or audio indicator provides indicia of modes of use of the self-checkout. The self-checkout further includes an interactive customer interface terminal, a scanner, and a scale. The self-checkout provides an open visual area that allows easy viewing by store personnel of transactions being performed on the self-checkout system.
US08290812B2
A result for a task may be provided in response to receiving a request from, for example, a user for the result. The request specifies a desired accuracy level for the result. The accuracy of the result is determined using the individual accuracies of one or more persons that have selected the result. Each person's individual accuracy is determined based on results for prior tasks previously performed by that person. The person's individual accuracy is proportional to the number of that person's prior results that are with a consensus of other persons that have performed the same prior task. The result is provided if the accuracy of the result is equal to or greater than the desired accuracy level.
US08290811B1
A computing system for searching for and identifying data repository deficits includes an interactive database of items, a data repository that stores a first type of information related to items, a search engine configured to identify items that do not have an amount of the first type of information that meets a first threshold, a candidate selection interface that provides functionality for the user to select an item from recommended candidate items needing the first type of information, a user interface via which the user can provide the first type of information for an item selected by the user, a game system configured to calculate for a game scores and rankings based at least in part on data stored in the data repository.
US08290805B2
A project management system having executable program modules, including a first module to create a requirement by a requestor. A second module receives an identity of a first receiver and sends the requirement to the first receiver. A third module sends an acceptance of the requirement to the requestor, and a fourth module sends a rejection to the requestor as specified by the first receiver. A fifth module sends a notification of completion of the requirement from the first receiver to the requester. A sixth module partitions the requirement into sub requirements as specified by the first receiver. The first receiver uses the second module to send the selectable number of sub requirements to at least one second receiver. The second receivers use the third, fourth, and fifth modules to respond to the first receiver, and also use the sixth module to further partition the sub requirements.
US08290800B2
A demographic attribute value of a sink online document (such as Websites or Web pages) may be determined given a set of users who have visited at least one of the source documents and the sink document, by (a) accepting a value(s) of the demographic attribute, each of which values is associated with a source online document (where each of the source online documents has a value for the demographic attribute and has been visited by at least one user of the given set), (b) determining an estimate of the demographic attribute value of each of the users of the given set using the accepted demographic attribute value of each of the source online documents visited by the user, and (c) determining the demographic attribute value of the sink online document using the determined estimate of the demographic attribute value of each of the users of the given set.
US08290786B2
Disclosed herein is a computer implemented method and system for improving the quality of health care in a health plan. The members of the health plan eligible for undergoing predetermined measures of health care are identified. The primary care physicians (PCPs) for the identified members are notified to ensure implementation of the predetermined measures. The health plan staff is notified to ensure coordination between the identified members and PCPs. The status of the identified members is updated based on the implemented predetermined measures. Quality indexes for the PCPs are calculated for the implemented predetermined measures. A performance score of the health plan is calculated to indicate the quality of health care. Identifying and notifying the members, the PCPs and the health plan staff reduces the level of clinical chart review by the health plan staff and improves the quality of health care in a health plan.
US08290784B2
The present invention provides a signal processing apparatus, a signal processing method and a program for outputting a high-quality coded string. A signal processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a normalization coefficient information increasing/decreasing circuit 12 for modifying normalization coefficient information of a signal component of a frame and normalization coefficient information of a primary additional signal component according to a normalization coefficient information primary increase/decrease amount, and an additional signal component normalization coefficient information increasing/decreasing circuit 14 for modifying normalization coefficient information of a secondary additional signal component, which is a copy of the primary additional signal component, according to a normalization coefficient information secondary increase/decrease amount.
US08290774B1
An improved -removal method is disclosed that computes for any input weighted automaton A with -transitions an equivalent weighted automaton B with no -transitions. The method comprises two main steps. The first step comprises computing for each state “p” of the automaton A its -closure. The second step in the method comprises modifying the outgoing transitions of each state “p” by removing those labeled with . The method next comprises adding to the set of transitions leaving the state “p” non--transitions leaving each state “q” in the set of states reachable from “p” via a path labeled with with their weights pre--multiplied by the -distance from state “p” to state “q” in the automaton A. State “p” is a final state if some state “q” within the set of states reachable from “p” via a path labeled with is final and the final weight ρ [ p ] = ⊕ q ε e [ p ] ⋒ F ( d [ p , q ] ρ [ q ] ) .
US08290773B2
An information processing apparatus for speech recognition includes a first speech dataset storing speech data uttered by low recognition rate speakers; a second speech dataset storing speech data uttered by a plurality of speakers; a third speech dataset storing speech data to be mixed with the speech data of the second speech dataset; a similarity calculating part obtaining, for each piece of the speech data in the second speech dataset, a degree of similarity to a given average voice in the first speech dataset; a speech data selecting part recording the speech data, the degree of similarity of which is within a given selection range, as selected speech data in the third speech dataset; and an acoustic model generating part generating a first acoustic model using the speech data recorded in the second speech dataset and the third speech dataset.
US08290772B1
A method for providing suggestions includes capturing audio that includes speech and receiving textual content from a speech recognition engine. The speech recognition engine performs speech recognition on the audio signal to obtain the textual content, which includes one or more passages. The method also includes receiving a selection of a portion of a first word in a passage in the textual content, wherein the passage includes multiple words, and retrieving a set of suggestions that can potentially replace the first word. At least one suggestion from the set of suggestions provides a multi-word suggestion for potentially replacing the first word. The method further includes displaying, on a display device, the set of suggestions, and highlighting a portion of the textual content, as displayed on the display device, for potentially changing to one of the suggestions from the set of suggestions.
US08290764B2
A virtualization program for being able to execute a simulation at high speed, allows a native code simulator to have a stack specific to each task that is managed by a multitask OS. Processes of creation, save, restoration and erasure of a context that a target CPU executes by means of a special control register operation is executed by an API provided by the native code simulator. When porting the multitask OS, the source code is altered so as to call the API. A stack specific to a task is assigned at the API and the stack is switched for switching the task to make context switching possible.
US08290754B1
A technique for coarsening a finite element mesh (“FEM”) is described. This technique includes identifying a coarsening region within the FEM to be coarsened. Perimeter chords running along perimeter boundaries of the coarsening region are identified. The perimeter chords are redirected to create an adaptive chord separating the coarsening region from a remainder of the FEM. The adaptive chord runs through mesh elements residing along the perimeter boundaries of the coarsening region. The adaptive chord is then extracted to coarsen the FEM.
US08290747B2
A system for electronically recording an event that provides mechanical energy to a structure includes the structure and an event sensing and recording node. The event sensing and recording node is mounted on the structure and includes a sensor and a first electronic memory. The sensor includes a device for converting the mechanical energy into an electrical signal. The first electronic memory uses energy derived from the electrical signal for electronically recording the event. All energy for sensing the event and recording the event in the first electronic memory is derived from the mechanical energy.
US08290739B2
A method for determining a mobility of an object includes the steps of measuring at least a portion of a shape of an object under an initial increment of a weight load of a plurality of increments of a total weight load using a device and measuring at least a portion of the shape of the object under a next increment of a total weight load of a plurality of increments of a weight load using the device. Repeating the measurements until a total weight load is achieved and comparing the measurements from the device under the plurality of incremental weight loads, thereby determining a mobility of at least the portion of said object under the plurality of increments of weight loads. The method further includes adjusting the elevation and angular orientation of a support surface for the object to achieve further measurements and a device for obtaining such measurements. The method further includes comparing the mobility of a present object to a normal-object to determine a deviation. The normal-object is a statistical sample of a prior normal-object mobility.
US08290735B2
A test apparatus for testing USB interfaces of an electronic device. The test apparatus includes a number of USB interfaces connected to the USB interfaces of the electronic device via cables respectively, to communicate with the electronic device. A memory stores a special file, to note phrases generated during test. A single-chip is connected to the number of USB interfaces, a power switch, and the memory, and stores a preset phrase. When the power switch is turned on, the single-chip writes a ready phrase in the special file, when one of the USB interfaces of the electronic device passes test, the single-chip reads a test phrase from the special file and writes a test finish phrase in the special file and controls the test apparatus to test a next USB interface of the USB interfaces of the electronic device.
US08290726B2
A Built-In Test (BIT) for a photoconductive photodiode is performed using the health or characteristics of the photodiode's parasitic capacitance as a “proxy” for the health or characteristics of the photodiode itself. A failure or degradation of the photodiode manifests as a similar failure or degradation of the parasitic capacitance. Under normal operating conditions, the photoconductive photodiode responds to incident photons from a target by generating a photocurrent signal at its cathode. A processor processes the signals from one or more photodiodes to evaluate characteristics of the target. To perform the BIT, a time-varying voltage signal is applied at the photodiode's anode. This signal is coupled through the parasitic capacitance to produce a test current signal at the photodiode's anode. The processor processes the signal to evaluate the health or characteristics of the parasitic capacitance and thus the photodiode.
US08290722B2
A method for determining the adequacy of the refrigerant charge in an air conditioning system based upon both the instantaneous degree of subcooling present in the liquid refrigerant in the refrigerant line at a location whereat only liquid refrigerant is present and a calculated average subcooling value based upon accumulated instantaneous subcooling values. The adequacy of the refrigerant charge in the system may be indicated by an alert indicating “check charge” or by a series of lights including a first indicator light indicating that the refrigerant charge is low, a second indicator light indicating that the refrigerant charge is high, and a third indicator light indicating that the refrigerant charge is correct.
US08290720B2
An ultrasonic probe issues an ultrasonic wave to an object, receives a reflected wave from an object, and is provided with multiple piezoelectric elements. A three-dimensional display section displays three-dimensional flaw detection data superimposed on three-dimensional shape data of an object. The computer acquires a reflected ultrasonic wave signal from a reference object (reference). Based on the acquired signal, the computer corrects a reflected ultrasonic wave signal acquired from another object having the same material and shape as the reference. The computer allows the three-dimensional display section to display three-dimensional flaw detection data generated from a reflected ultrasonic wave signal resulting from a difference between a reference and an object.
US08290710B2
Methods and apparatus associated with monitoring and controlling streetlights include monitoring light levels and voltage levels at corresponding streetlights and controlling the streetlights to set or maintain a particular light output at the respective streetlights or providing power consumption estimates for respective streetlights (streetlight specific metering) based on the voltage levels and light levels. A streetlight controller for a streetlight includes a microcontroller; a first sensor to sense a light level from a lamp within the streetlight; a second sensor operative to sense a voltage level on a power supply for the streetlight; and a switching network coupled with the microcontroller and operative to adjust the light level of the lamp. Methods includes monitoring a light level and voltage level and adjusting a light level, estimating power consumption, or facilitating maintenance in accordance with the light level and voltage level. The methods may be performed all or in part at a streetlight, a local gateway or a central controller and database.
US08290707B2
A mobile computing device, including a main body, a processor and associated memory housed within the main body, a display screen housed within the main body and responsive to signals from the processor, an optical sensor fixed to the main body for capturing successive images and providing image signals representative of the captured images to the processor, and a navigation module associated with the processor for determining, based on the image signals, a relative movement between the main body and a reference surface and moving a pointer on the display screen based on the determined relative movement.
US08290701B2
Vehicle management systems and associated processes can consider energy consumption when selecting routes for fleet vehicles. Vehicle management systems and associated processes are described that, in certain embodiments, evaluate vehicle energy usage based on factors such as terrain or elevation, vehicle characteristics, driver characteristics, road conditions, traffic, speed limits, stop time, turn information, traffic information, and weather information, and the like. The features described herein may also be implemented for non-fleet vehicles, such as in personal vehicle navigation systems.
US08290699B2
A method for geographic interpolation of traffic data in a vehicle navigation system in which the navigation system includes a map database divided into geographic meshes. Each mesh includes a plurality of road links of different types. That data also includes a first set of meshes containing traffic flow data while a mutually exclusive second set of meshes contains no such traffic flow data. A border between the first and second set of meshes is first identified and thereafter a blend zone of blend meshes is created by selecting at least one mesh adjacent the border so that the blend mesh is interposed between the first and second set of meshes. Thereafter, the traffic data for each type of road link in the blend mesh is adjusted to a value intermediate the first and second set of adjacent meshes for each type of road link and the blend mesh data is then stored.
US08290698B2
A vehicle travel control apparatus including an object detector, a yaw-rate detector, a vehicle speed detector, a movement path estimator, a preceding vehicle assignment device, a travel controller, a still object determination device, and a stable-movement-state determination device, wherein the preceding vehicle assignment device avoids assigning the object as the preceding vehicle, or assigns the object as the preceding vehicle after waiting for a predetermined time, when: the present vehicle performs the follow-travel control targeting the preceding vehicle; the object detected at a position between the preceding vehicle and the present vehicle is determined to be the still object by the still object determination device; and the present vehicle is determined to be in the stable-movement-state by the stable-movement-state determination device.
US08290694B2
Disclosed is a method for sensing a traveling state based on a speed. The method for sensing the traveling state based on the speed includes outputting a mean speed C for each link with respect to a number of total traversing times of a predetermined path, and updating a reference speed B with the outputted mean speed C, and measuring a speed A while traversing the predetermined path, and comparing the measured speed A with the updated reference speed B, thereby displaying the traveling state.
US08290670B2
A clutch control device includes: a plurality of hydraulic clutches built into a transmission; a clutch switching pattern storage device in which a plurality of clutch switching patterns, each defining engage/release changeover timing with which the plurality of hydraulic clutches are engaged/released are stored in correspondence to individual speed change patterns adopted by the transmission; a clutch switching pattern selection device that selects a clutch switching pattern stored in the clutch switching pattern storage device in correspondence to a speed change pattern for the transmission at a time of speed change; and a hydraulic control device that executes hydraulic control for the plurality of hydraulic clutches in correspondence to the clutch switching pattern selected by the clutch switching pattern selection device.
US08290668B2
A control apparatus includes a shift-pressure learning correction controlling section configured to perform a shift-pressure learning correction in which a physical quantity representing a progress of shift is measured at a time of a current downshift, and in which an engagement command pressure for a friction element is corrected at a time of a next downshift on the basis of a divergence between the measured physical quantity and a target physical quantity; a shift-torque increase controlling section configured to perform a torque increase control in which a command for temporarily increasing torque of a drive source starts to be outputted when a start estimation timing of torque phase has just come during a transition period given between start and end of the downshift; and a learning convergence judging section configured to judge whether the shift-pressure learning correction has converged.
US08290667B2
A method for the operation of a traveling power take-off shaft clutch connected to a drive motor, in a case of known wheel or vehicle speed, the speed of rotation of the power take-off shaft, electronically evaluated through the speed of rotation of the motor, can be made to agree in ratio with the wheel speed.
US08290660B2
To provide external access to a specification file stored in at least one memory unit, which is associated with at least one electronic control unit which may be in a vehicle, a computer is connected to a first communication bus in the vehicle. A first module in the computer is adapted to communicate with the at least one electronic control unit over the first communication bus. Provided that a user-unique key is connected to a port of the computer and a software component of this key is set to an active authorization state, the computer is enabled to communicate with the at least one electronic control unit. Thus, the computer may read out the specification file as well as update the specification file.
US08290652B2
A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle, which outputs motive power to a drive shaft from an internal combustion engine and motor generators as motive power sources, including: a recirculating gas control portion that performs valve opening control on a recirculation valve so that an amount of recirculating exhaust reaches a control target valve, and that closes the recirculation valve completely when a deceleration request by a driver is detected; a throttle control portion that performs valve closing control on a throttle valve so that the amount of air circulating through an intake pipe decreases at a predetermined speed when the deceleration request issued by the driver is detected; and a braking control portion that controls regenerative braking forces of the motor generators so that at least one of the motor generators absorbs the motive power generated by the engine while valve closing control is executed on the throttle valve.
US08290646B2
The present invention is directed to a remote control system for controlling a railway vehicle. The remote control system including a remote control device provided with haptic technology for transmitting signals to a first controller module. The first controller is mounted to the railway vehicle and controls and monitors the functions of the railway vehicle. The first controller module also relays information to the remote control device. The remote control system can also include a portable safety switch allowing any individual in proximity to the railway vehicle to send a stop signal to the first controller module to stop the railway vehicle if any unsafe conditions exist.
US08290645B2
A method for determining a mission plan for a powered system having at least one primary power generating unit when a desired parameter of the mission plan unobtainable and/or exceeds a predefined limit, the method includes identifying a desired parameter prior to creating a mission plan which may be unobtainable and/or in violation of a predefined limit, and notifying an operator of the powered system and/or a remote monitoring facility of the desired parameter.
US08290643B2
Methods and systems for handling aircraft control information are disclosed. A system in accordance with one embodiment of the invention includes a display medium coupleable to a flight manager, with the flight manager configured to receive and direct instructions for automatically controlling aircraft functions at a future time during flight of the aircraft. The system can further include a display controller coupled to the display medium to present at least one operator activatable element at the display medium and update information presented at the display medium when the operator activates the operator activatable element. For example, the operator activatable element can include an icon presented at a computer display screen, and can be activated by a keystroke.
US08290641B2
Aircraft attitude systems are provided. A representative aircraft attitude system includes: a detection system operative to determine an attitude of an aircraft in which the detection system is mounted; a warning system operative to alert a pilot when the attitude of the aircraft corresponds to at least one predefined attitude parameter from a set of predefined attitude parameters, the predefined attitude parameters including pitch, bank and yaw; and a recovery system operative to provide progressive flight control positioning directives to the pilot for returning the aircraft to a flight attitude within the predefined attitude parameters.
US08290637B2
A method for operating a vehicle includes estimating expected states and probable ranges for influence factors associated with stochastic parameters over a time horizon. A preferred control state and a candidate control state for an objective function are determined. The objective function is controlled using the preferred control state for the objective function over the time horizon.
US08290635B2
An apparatus, system and methods system for reducing power consumption in a network including electrical appliances connected via electrical outlets to an electricity supplier and/or a system managing power consumption. The system comprises a management system and apparatuses, each comprising a measurement unit, a processing unit, an optional communications unit and a control unit, such that each apparatus is connected to an electrical outlet and is associated with an appliance or a group of appliances. Control units inject electrical signals via the associated electrical outlet to the electrical appliance. The measurement unit measures electrical parameters at the outlet, and the processing unit analyzes the electrical parameters measured in view of the electrical signal and detects the electrical signature of the associated electrical appliance therefrom. The electrical signature is utilized to characterize various characteristics of the electrical appliances and manage power consumption of the network.
US08290623B2
A sensing escape device of an automatic cleaner includes a control module, a motion module and an inclination limitation sensing module. The control module controls the motion module to drive the movement of the automatic cleaner in mode between a forward mode with head portion as a head and a backward mode with tail portion as a head. The inclination limitation sensing module coupled to the control module includes a critical inclination angle sensing unit outward disposed on a rear bottom of the main body. When the critical inclination angle sensing unit is externally contacted, the inclination limitation sensing module generates a signal and transfers the signal to the control module, to make the control module drive the motion module to switch into the backward mode. The automatic cleaner moves backward immediately when climbing a ramp, to avoid misjudging actions such as a suspension of the motor-driven wheel unit.
US08290621B2
Motion information of a robot arm stored in a motion information database is acquired. A person manipulates the robot arm, and correction motion information at the time of the motion correction is acquired. An acquiring unit acquires environment information. A motion correction unit corrects the motion information while the robot arm is in motion. A control rule generating unit generates a control rule for allowing the robot arm to automatically operate based on the corrected motion information and the acquired environment information. The motion of the robot arm is controlled based on the generated control rule.
US08290618B2
The position of a movable element such as the end of a robot arm (10) which has several degrees of freedom, being mounted on a base (11) and including a wrist mechanism, is determined by installing a multiplicity of base targets (32, 74) around the base of the robot, and a multiplicity of arm targets (42, 74) around the base (14) of the wrist mechanism (15), and an optical means (90) that moves with the movable element to determine the positions of at least some of the base targets and of at least some of the arm targets. The optical means may be a laser tracker or a camera system (90), and it may be mounted on the part (13) of the robot arm to which the base (14) of the wrist mechanism (15) is connected. This enables existing robots (10) to achieve absolute positional accuracy relative to a fixed external frame of reference.
US08290612B2
In an automated data storage library having a plurality of multi-cartridge deep slot cells, each configured to store a plurality of data storage cartridges arranged in sequential order of tiers from front to rear, and having accessor(s) configured to selectively extract, place and transport cartridges with respect to the cells; operating the accessor(s) to selectively extract, place and transport data storage cartridges with respect to the multi-cartridge deep slot cells and with respect to other elements of the automated data storage library; filling at least the frontmost tier of vacant at least selected multi-cartridge deep slot cells in the selectively extracting, placing and transporting step in accordance with a predetermined algorithm, while leaving other tiers vacant. If the frontmost tier is full, a data storage cartridge is placed into the one of the selected multi-cartridge deep slot cells having the factored greatest number of tiers available to place a data storage cartridge.
US08290610B2
The present disclosure discloses a method of manufacturing an article. According to at least one embodiment, a set of manufacturing instructions is stored for a machine, and at least one of the manufacturing instructions is imputed into the machine. In addition, an article is manufactured with the machine in accordance with the input manufacturing instructions, and a realisation log which is indicative of the operations that the machine has actually performed in manufacturing the article is generated. Further, a report by comparing the realisation log with the stored set of manufacturing instructions is generated.
US08290608B2
The present teaching is intended to observe the delivery date of a product and decrease the number of workpieces in a merger process. A treatment sequence calculator included in manufacturing instruction equipment identifies an in-process part being worked in each process, and calculates the delivery-date allowance of the in-process part. In-process parts whose delivery-date allowances fall below a predetermined threshold are inputted to each process in ascending order of delivery-date allowances. In-process parts whose delivery-date allowances are equal to or larger than the predetermined threshold are inputted to each process in ascending order by a minimum value of remaining treatment times which the in-process parts take to reach the merger process.
US08290606B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for controlling cancelled orders in a manufacturing environment. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for controlling cancelled orders in a manufacturing environment can be provided. The method can include receiving a cancellation of an order in the manufacturing environment, reading a list of work units associated with the order, obtaining at least one identifying attribute of each work unit in the list of work units associated with the order, reading a space maximum value associated with at least one identifying attribute of each work unit in the list of work units associated with the order, reading a stock maximum value associated with the at least one identifying attribute of each work unit in the list of work units associated with the order, determining a current stock value associated with at least one identifying attribute of a first work unit in the list of work units associated with the order, and if the current stock value is less than the space maximum value and the stock maximum value, setting a valid cancel optimization status indicator of the first work unit. The method can further include retrieving a cancel optimization model record matching the at least one identifying attribute of the first work unit, and can include applying the retrieved optimization model record to the first work unit to modify a process routing map of the first work unit.
US08290604B2
Methods and systems for audience-based media selection are provided. A media player may play a first media file, which may be viewed by one or more audience members. The audience around the media player may be monitored, and audience members having a line-of-sight to the media player are identified. Information concerning various conditions of such audience members determined. Media file play may be adjusted based on the detected audience condition.
US08290592B2
Disclosed herein, among other things, is an implantable medical device header assembly with an optical interface. The header assembly can include a housing defining a cavity; an electrical contact disposed along the cavity; an electrical conductor configured to electrically couple the electrical contact with the implantable medical device; and an optical conductor. The header assembly can include a housing defining a first cavity for receiving a proximal end of an electrical lead; and a second cavity for receiving a proximal end of an optical lead. The header assembly can include a housing configured to be coupled to the implantable medical device, the housing defining a lead port for receiving a proximal end of a lead, the port configured to be in electrical and optical communication with the lead; a transducer disposed within the housing, and an electrical conductor disposed within the housing. Other aspects and embodiments are provided herein.
US08290588B2
With a method and apparatus for detecting cardiac arrhythmias during overdrive pacing, a maximum paced rate and a reduced paced rate for a heart are determined, the maximum paced rate being higher than the reduced paced rate. The heart is paced at the maximum paced rate. After the heart is paced at the maximum paced rate for a predetermined amount of time, the heart is paced at the reduced paced rate.
US08290586B2
Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to systems, methods and devices for cardiac applications including those relating to pacing devices. One such device is directed to a cardiac rhythm therapy (CRT) device designed for dual chamber pacing using two pacing signals each having a positive and negative component that has been modified for single chamber pacing. The device comprises a first output that connects to a pacing lead; a second output that connects to the pacing lead; a third output that connects to a reference point; and electrical circuitry connecting the second electrical connection to the first output, the third electrical connection to the second output, and the first and fourth electrical connections to the third output.
US08290579B2
Disclosed are devices and methods for administration of charged drugs to tissues of the oral cavity and for intra-tissue administration.The disclosed drug applicator for intra-tissue use includes an introducer such as a needle or catheter that is adapted to penetrate into a living tissue. The introducer has a drug-providing portion, and the applicator has current-generating element to pass through it an electrical current. Passing an electrical current through the drug-providing portion causes the drug to eject into treated tissue.Also disclosed are charged drugs suitable for iontophoretic administration, which include a bioactive agent encapsulated in charged nano-particles.
US08290577B2
Methods and apparatus for utilizing multiple sources of physiologic data to enhance measurement robustness and accuracy. In one embodiment, phonocardiography or “heart sounds” data is used in combination with one or more other techniques (for example, impedance cardiography or ICG waveforms, and/or electrocardiography or ECG waveforms) to provide more accurate and robust physiological and/or hemodynamic assessment of living subjects. In one variant, the aforementioned methods and apparatus are used to improve ICG fiducial point (e.g., B, C and X point) detection and identification accuracy. Moreover, the new ICG fiducial points that may be clinically important may be identified using the disclosed methods and apparatus. In a further aspect, the invention discloses methods and apparatus for utilization of ICG and/or ECG waveform information to improve the identification and characterization of heart sounds (such as e.g., S1, S2, S3, or S4 heart sounds), murmurs, and other such artifacts or phenomena.
US08290576B2
A method is provided which relates to the identification of the electrical activity in the heart in terms of a single dipole, which may be considered moving or non-moving, based on measurements from a body surface electrocardiogram (ECG), concurrently estimating subject and measurement related conditions. The invention further relates to computer program for performing said method, a data carrier containing said program as well a computer device for performing said program. A device for performing said method is also disclosed.
US08290572B2
A system for and method of determining and compensating for the effect of a field influencing object on a field sensor, preferably a coil, that is within a navigational domain. The navigational domain contains navigational magnetic energy and disturbing magnetic energy, and the field influencing object produces the disturbing magnetic energy in response to the navigational magnetic energy. The correction system includes a first transmitter for projecting into the navigational domain field energy in a first waveform sufficient to induce a first signal value in the sensing coil. The system also includes a second transmitter for projecting into the navigational domain field energy in a second waveform sufficient to induce a second signal value in the sensing coil. The system further includes a signal processor for receiving the first signal value and for receiving the second signal value to determine the effect of the electrically conductive object on the field sensor. In other embodiments, the correction system may utilize a second sensing coil to receive and process an alternate aspect of the field energy from a position that is different from the first field sensor, or the system may utilize a storage device that contains information relating to the effect of the field influencing device within the navigational domain.
US08290567B2
Cardiac information of a patient is displayed by obtaining a plurality of MRI cine loops of the heart of the patient at a plurality of heart rates, the plurality of cine loops including both wall motion cine loops and at least one perfusion cine loops and simultaneously displaying both the wall motion cine loops and the at least one perfusion cine loop.
US08290564B2
Described herein are methods for analyzing bone structure and/or bone density, methods for estimating fracture risk in a subject as well as methods for monitoring the efficacy of an agent on bone structure and/or bone density.
US08290556B2
A device, system and method of in-vivo analysis. An in-vivo device may include a chromatography unit to interact in-vivo with a body lumen substance, and a sensor to sense in-vivo a property of the chromatography unit.
US08290555B2
A superconducting wire having at least a superconducting thin film and a stabilizing film formed one on top of another in order on a substrate having a predetermined width and a predetermined length, the superconducting wire having at least one cut made along a direction of the length of the superconducting wire, the superconducting wire being bendable at the cut in a width direction.
US08290547B2
A case for holding an audio device having a female audio jack. The case has a removable cover including a male audio jack for electronically connecting the cover to the female audio jack of the audio device. The cartridge includes a spool and houses an ear bud cable. The ear bud cable has a first end with at least one ear bud, and a second end attached to the spool. The cartridge has a rotatable spool for selectively retracting and dispensing the ear bud cable. The spool electronically connects with the male audio jack to enable audio communication between the audio device and the ear bud. In one embodiment, the spool electronically connects with the male audio jack via a jumper wire. In another embodiment, the spool electronically connects with the male audio jack via an electrical contact pad integrated into the case.
US08290537B2
A portable telephony device has a mobile phone housing. Integrated in the housing are memory to store a telephony module, an earphone type detect module, a headphone port, and a processor. The headphone port may be a wired headset jack to receive a mating wired headset plug, or it may be a communications subsystem that makes a wireless connection with a wireless headset. The earphone type detect module, when executed by the processor, is to determine what type of earphone or headset is connected to the headphone port. The telephony module when executed by the processor is to adjust a sidetone function of the device as a function of the determined type of earphone, and apply sidetone in accordance with said adjusted sidetone function. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
US08290534B2
A method and apparatus for subscribing to a digital broadcasting service using mobile network subscription information in a system where a 3G (third generation) mobile communication network interacts with a DBS (digital broadcasting system) are provided. When a user requests subscription to the digital broadcasting service through a digital broadcasting-enabled mobile equipment, a DBS-CSCF (call session control function) in the 3G network transmits to an SAS (subscription agent server) of the DBS a service subscription request including the mobile subscription information or additional user personal information. The SAS processes the subscription and transmits information required for reception of the digital broadcasting to the mobile equipment. The mobile equipment changes its digital broadcasting reception setting.
US08290533B2
A wireless communication network system including: a command station for allocating a frequency band, broadcasting a backup station and periodic measurement periods in which a terminal should measure a reception quality, and stopping the allocation of the frequency band to the terminal during the measurement period; one or a plurality of backup stations for synchronizing with the command station and transmitting a measurement signal by using the same frequency channel as that of the command station; and one or a plurality of terminals for measuring a reception quality for each backup station by using the measurement signal.
US08290520B2
The disclosure provides a mobile phone with function to acquire targeted message and method thereof. The method includes steps: recording sub-actions of the mobile phone in response to input signals from a user in a predetermined time period in a coverage area of the base station, acquiring a defined key phrase of each sub-action and grouping all sub-actions associated with a same key phrase into a same action, counting the number of times of the action is performed in the predetermined time period in the coverage area of the base station, judging whether the number of times of the action reaches a preset value, if yes, sending a wireless signal including the key phrase of the action to the base station, and receiving a message including the key phrase within the text body of the message from the base station and displaying the message.
US08290519B2
Methods and systems are described for providing a presence service that is useful for mobile telecommunications devices. A plurality of outgoing presence updates are sent to a presence client. The system monitors the level of network traffic and determines whether the client is in a region of high network load, and if so, the system throttles the outgoing presence updates during the condition of high network load. The level of throttling may depend at least in part on the amount of time that has elapsed since the presence client began a presence session, and/or the amount of time that has elapsed since an incoming presence update was received from the presence client. In determining the latter amount of elapsed time, the system may consider only the amount of time elapsed since an incoming non-automatic presence update was received from the presence client.
US08290509B2
Methods and systems for deactivation of one or more applications operating on a transferable device are provided.
US08290507B2
A computer-implemented method for determining the location of a wireless device includes dividing an area into a grid and assigning the wireless device to a first portion of the grid. The method continues with calculating a first difference between a signal strength expected when the wireless device is at the first portion of the grid and a measured signal strength and assigning the wireless device to a second portion of the grid. The method also includes calculating a second difference between a signal strength expected when the wireless device at a second portion of the grid and a second measured signal strength and concludes with selecting the least one of the first and second differences to determine the location of the wireless device.
US08290506B1
Disclosed is a wireless communication system that is used with a wireless communication device and a position location system, the wireless communication device being capable of communicating with the position location system. The wireless communication system includes a memory device for storing position locations of the wireless communication device and for storing transactions made relating to the wireless communication device, a processor for determining trends by recalling stored information from the memory device and processing the recalled information, and a transmitter for transmitting targeted broadcasts to the wireless communication device based on the current location of the communication device.
US08290502B2
Provided is a sequence allocation method capable of reducing inter-cell interference of a reference signal when a ZC sequence is used as the reference signal in a mobile communication system. In the sequence allocation method divides R×M sequences specified by a ZC sequence number r (r=1 to R) and a cyclic shift sequence number m (m=1 to M) into a plurality of sequence groups X (X=1 to R) in accordance with the transmission band width of the reference signal, so that the ZC sequence is allocated to each cell in each sequence group unit. When it is assumed that R=9 and M=6, the number of sequence is 54. Each of the sequence groups is formed by two sequences. Accordingly, the number of sequence groups is 27. The 27 types of sequence groups are allocated to each cell.
US08290496B2
For Wireless Communications Networks (WCNs) that support soft handover, cooperator receiver selection for a TDOA, AOA, TDOA/AOA, or hybrid network-based or network-overlay Wireless Location System (WLS) must contend with one or more network base stations as a serving cell. When the active set contains more than one member, two techniques for determining a set of cooperating and demodulating receivers to use in the signal collection for location estimation is disclosed. In one embodiment, the active set members are constructively reduced to a single member that is used as a proxy serving cell. In another embodiment, the information contained in the active set membership is retained and a new set of demodulating and cooperator receivers are generated based on the entire membership of the active set.
US08290494B2
A communication path between base stations connected via a network is switched so that data received by a mobile station that is during handover is not interrupted. A mobile station (14-1) which has started a radio communication with a handover destination base station (12-2) switches a acquisition destination of data transmitted from a mobile station (14-2) with which the mobile station (14-1) communicates from a handover source base station (12-1) to the handover destination base station (12-2). After this, the mobile station (14-1) transmits a communication path switching request to a base station (12-3) which performs a radio communication with the mobile station (14-2). In response to the communication path switching request transmitted from the mobile station (14-1), the base station (12-3) releases an RTP session established with respect to the handover source base station (12-1).
US08290493B2
An apparatus and method for data transmission in a base station (BS) of a wireless communication system are provided, storing data to be transmitted to a mobile station which performing handover to a target base station; confirming a quantity of stored data; determining whether to transmit the stored data to the target based at least partly on the confirmed quantity of the stored data; transmitting the stored data to the target base station when the base station determines to transmit the stored data to the target base station.
US08290489B2
This application pertains to methods and apparatus to perform time zone determination by a mobile station. One example method for use in a communication device includes determining a geographical location and universal time for the device; determining a time zone for the device based on the geographical location; determining a time for the device based on the universal time and the time zone; using the determined time in applications operable on the device, wherein the applications operable on the device comprise applications other than the application used to determine the geographical location. Other examples are shown and described.
US08290484B2
A method of recovering a useful signal received by a satellite includes a step of reception by the satellite of a composite signal comprising said useful signal and collision signals, all of these signals being received simultaneously by the satellite, interfering with each other, and respectively being transmitted by transmitters. The method includes the steps of: direct reception, by at least one station of a terrestrial network, of signals corresponding to at least a non-zero portion of said collision signals and referred to as collected collision signals; for each collected collision signal, estimation, by a processing unit connected to the terrestrial network and to the satellite, of the collision signal received by the satellite as a function of (i) the collected collision signal received directly by the terrestrial station, (ii) the position of the transmitter at the time of transmission of this collision signal, and (iii) the position of the satellite during the reception of the composite signal; and extraction of the collected and estimated collision signals, from the composite signal, in order to allow recovery of the useful signal.
US08290483B2
A hub unit is configured to receive wireless analog downlink radio frequency signals from a plurality of base stations from more than one wireless service provider. The hub unit is configured to digitize each analog downlink radio frequency signal in order to generate respective downlink digital data. The hub unit comprises a reconfigurable interconnect to selectively provide, to each of the plurality of radio access nodes using a shared transport medium, the downlink digital data associated with a respective two or more of the analog downlink radio frequency signals. Each of the plurality of radio access nodes is configured to reconstruct, from the downlink digital data provided to that radio access node, an analog radio frequency version of each of the associated two or more analog downlink radio frequency signals and radiate each reconstructed analog radio frequency version in a respective coverage area associated with that radio access node.
US08290482B1
The wireless communication device with dual cameras which implements the digital mirror mode and the non-digital mirror mode, wherein an inverted first video output is displayed when the processor is in the digital mirror mode and a non-inverted second video output is displayed when the processor is in the non-digital mirror mode.
US08290481B2
A panel has been provided to a wireless device that turns off all RF capability of the wireless device (including, but not limited to notifications, wireless web clipping, instant messaging, email sending/receiving, phone calls, etc.). The panel is brought up on a screen of the wireless device by pressing a programmed hard button for more than 1 second. Once the RF capability has been turned off, if the user attempts to access a program or other device that requires the RF capabilities, a notification is displayed that identifies the RF capabilities as being disabled and prompts the user whether to continue. If the user continues, the RF device is automatically enabled, otherwise the RF device remains disabled.
US08290479B2
A method for managing appointments using a wireless device includes receiving scheduling data for a future appointment including a time associated with the future appointment. A current location of the wireless device is determined, and a reminder for the future appointment is provided at a time prior to the future appointment based on the current location of the wireless device. For example, the reminder may be provided at a time that varies based on the current location of the wireless device, a location associated with the future appointment, and an estimated travel time between the current location of the device and the location associated with the future appointment. Related methods, devices, and computer program products are also discussed.
US08290476B2
Methods and devices enable scheduling the transmission of messages based upon date, time and/or location transmission criteria. Text and multimedia messages may be drafted and scheduled for automatic transmission at a later time and date or when the mobile device is in a particular location. Alternatively, methods and systems enable the message to be sent automatically from a remote server.
US08290472B2
The described embodiments of the present invention outline two solutions to the problems described above regarding simple IP data access for pre-paid subscribers. The first solutions includes a method for providing pre-paid simple IP data service to a subscriber in a network, including: sending an access request from a point of attachment in an access network capable of providing an IP network access to a home network remote authentication server which deploys a Pre-Paid Client (PPC) and receiving in the point of attachment an access request response from the home network remote authentication server. The second solution includes a method for providing pre-paid simple IP data service to a subscriber in a network, including: sending an access request from a Mobile Station (MS) which deploys a Pre-Paid Client (PPC) to a home network remote authentication server and receiving in the MS an access request response from the home network remote authentication server.
US08290468B2
An interface unit receives a scheduled timing with which to execute a handover and a transmission delay time present in a communication with a terminal apparatus, from the terminal apparatus via a source base station apparatus. A switching control unit sorts out original data, to be transmitted to the terminal apparatus, into first data to be transmitted via the source base station apparatus and second data to be transmitted via a destination base station apparatus, based on the scheduled timing and the transmission delay time received. The interface unit outputs the sorted-out first data to the source base station apparatus and outputs the sorted-out second data to the destination base station apparatus.
US08290462B2
In one embodiment, a receiver is provided for use in a multiple-input system that includes a receiving antenna receiving a time-domain signal corresponding to a plurality of signals transmitted from a plurality of transmitting antennas. The receiver includes: (a) a transform unit adapted to transform the time-domain signal into a frequency-domain signal; (b) a channel estimation unit adapted to estimate, based on the frequency-domain signal and a frequency-domain pilot signal, a combined transfer function corresponding to a plurality of transfer functions of respective channels between the plurality of transmitting antennas and the receiving antenna; and (c) a channel separation unit including a plurality of frequency-domain convolution units that separate the combined transfer function into a plurality of estimated channel transfer functions.
US08290452B2
A Radio Frequency (RF) transmitter and a signal amplification method therefor are provided, in which a signal source generates a signal of a predetermined Intermediate Frequency (IF) band, a local oscillator generates a signal of a predetermined high frequency band as a carrier signal, a power amplifier amplifies the signal received from the local oscillator to a predetermined transmission level, and a parametric mixer module receives the signals from the signal source and the power amplifier and outputs the received signals as a radio signal for transmission. The signal output from the parametric mixer module is transmitted as the radio signal without additional amplification.
US08290450B2
Methods and systems for calibrating a transmitter with I/Q imbalance and local oscillator feed-through include generating a test tone, frequency up-converting the test tone, monitoring one or more features of the up-converted test tone, and adjusting one or more features of the transmitter in response to the monitoring. The monitoring optionally includes monitoring a beating of the envelope of the up-converted test tone. In an embodiment, a first harmonic of the up-converted test tone is monitored for local oscillator feed-through (LOFT). Alternatively, baseband data inputs to the transmitter are disabled, and LOFT is measured by measuring power at the transmitter output. A second harmonic of the up-converted test tone is monitored for gain and phase imbalances. The adjusting optionally includes adjusting a gain imbalance, adjusting a phase imbalance, and/or adjusting a DC offset. The adjusting optionally includes an iterative refinement process.
US08290443B2
The present invention relates to a method for determining the best transmitter and receiver beams with a reduced number of calculations for the best antenna beam arrangement between a transmitter and a receiver. The iterative routine within this method comprises a transmitter beam determination sequence, a feedback sequence and a receiver beam determination sequence. While calculating the best possible antenna beam arrangement, the antenna beam width does not require to be reduced.
US08290439B2
Embodiments include systems and methods for RFI mitigation in a wireless computing environment. In one embodiment, a platform determines RFI information of the platform by listening with a receiver of a transceiver of the platform when the transmitter of the transceiver is quiescent. The platform derives Frequency Domain Weights from the RFI information and transmits the Frequency Domain Weights to a Wireless Access Point (WAP). In the transmitter and receiver of the WAP, the Frequency Domain Weights are applied to signals received and to be transmitted.
US08290429B2
A relayed communication system including a supervising station and a plurality of communication stations, transmits data from the supervising station to the communication stations by relay transmission. Each of the plurality of communication stations determines the quality of communication with the supervising station, and notifies the determined communication quality to the supervising station. If the communication quality is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the supervising station allocates one or more communication stations as relay stations to respective time slots in descending order of the communication quality, and transmits the allocation result to the plurality of communication stations. As a result, each communication station can perform relayed communication using the time slot that is allocated thereto.
US08290427B2
A system and method for providing video surveillance may include providing digital television services to a customer via middleware. The middleware may include digital rights management services. Digital surveillance services may be provided to the customer via the middleware. In providing digital surveillance services to the customer, the customer may be enabled to access surveillance equipment via the middleware from a remote location using a telecommunications device, where the telecommunications device is authorized to access the surveillance equipment by the digital rights management services.
US08290423B2
A user (102) hears an audio program being broadcast and can record a sample of the audio. The sample is then conveyed to an analyzing means (106) to determine to which broadcast station the user is listening. The analyzing means monitors many broadcast channels. Thus, characteristics of the audio sample and samples taken from the broadcast channels can be compared to find a match. Broadcast information pertaining to the broadcast channel from which the match was found may then be reported back to the user, combined with an advertisement of a promotion, prize notification, discount offers, and other information specific for a certain radio station for example.
US08290417B2
A belt device includes a belt member and a pressurizing member. The belt member is rotated with rotation of a rotation member, and the pressurizing member includes a pressing portion pressing an inner circumferential surface of the belt member. The pressing portion includes a surface layer having a solid lubricating agent and a fine particle.
US08290411B2
An image forming apparatus including a latent image bearing member, a charger to evenly charge a surface of the latent image bearing member, an electrostatic latent image forming device to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the latent image bearing member, a developing device to develop the electrostatic latent image into a toner image using toner, a transfer bias application device to apply a transfer bias to an image transfer area where the latent image bearing member faces a recording medium, a pre-transfer neutralizing device to reduce an electric potential at a portion on the surface of the latent image bearing member, a surface electric potential detector to detect an electric potential at the surface of the latent image bearing member, and a radiation amount control device to control an amount of radiation from the pre-transfer neutralizing device based on a detection result obtained by the surface electric potential detector.
US08290409B2
A developer station and method for an electrographic printer is provided that reduces developer agitation. The developer station includes a sump of magnetic developer, and a magnetic brush roller mounted above sump and having a rotatable magnetic core surrounded by a substantially cylindrical toning shell rotatably mounted with respect to the core. The toning shell defines a nip at its closest point to the photoconductor element. A tangent line tangent to the cylindrical toning shell at the nip is oriented substantially vertically, and the magnetic developer is applied to the toning shell at an angular distance of no more than about 120° from the nip. The toning shell may be eccentrically mounted with respect to the magnetic core and is substantially closest to the rotatable magnetic core within about +30° and −30° from the nip. Such a configuration advantageously reduces the residence time of the developer on the toning shell.
US08290406B2
An aspect of the invention is a powder conveying device including a conveying passage where powder is conveyed from a first powder accommodating chamber toward a second powder accommodating chamber, in the conveying passage, a conveying member including a rotating shaft rotatable, and a blade member spirally provided around the rotating shaft and enable to convey the powder by rotation of the rotating shaft, an intake region including an intake port through which the powder is taken in from the first powder accommodating chamber, a first conveying region arranged on a downstream side of the intake region in a conveying direction of the powder, and a second conveying region arranged on a downstream side of the first conveying region in the conveying direction, a conveyable volume of the powder per one revolution of the conveying member at the second conveying region being lower than that at the first conveying region.
US08290397B2
A process cartridge is configured to be mounted in an apparatus main body along a predetermined mounting direction. The process cartridge may include a photosensitive drum; a drum drive input member into which a driving force for rotating the photosensitive drum is configured to be inputted; and a frame which holds the photosensitive drum and the drum drive input member. The frame includes a substantially cylindrical first protecting member which is formed on the frame. The first protecting member is configured to accommodate the drum drive input member, and project in a rotational axis direction of the photosensitive drum, wherein a projecting amount of a portion of the first protecting member which lies at a downstream side in the mounting direction is smaller than a projecting amount of a portion of the first protecting member which lies at an upstream side in the mounting direction.
US08290393B2
An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit including a plurality of photoconductor drums arranged in tandem; a conveyor belt arranged opposite to the photoconductor drums and configured to convey a recording sheet; and a cleaning unit including a cleaning member positioned in contact with the conveyor belt and configured to collect substance adhering to the conveyor belt, and a receptacle configured to store the substance collected by the cleaning member. The cleaning member is arranged on the same side as the image forming unit with respect to the conveyor belt and upstream from the image forming unit as viewed in a sheet conveyance direction along which the recording sheet is conveyed on the conveyor belt, and the image forming unit and the cleaning unit are pulled out together from a main body of the image forming apparatus toward an upstream side of the sheet conveyance direction.
US08290378B2
An image forming apparatus is disclosed. The image forming apparatus includes a toner supplying device, a toner container, and a developing device. The toner supplying device supplies toners stored in the toner container to the developing device. The toner supplying device includes a toner tank which stores toners discharged from the toner container, a toner carrying section which carries the toners stored in the toner tank in an obliquely upward direction, and a toner dropping route which causes the toners carried by the toner carrying section to drop into the developing device by toner own weight. The toner carrying section controls an amount of the toners to flow into the toner dropping route.
US08290375B2
An optical spectrum analyzer and a method of spectrally analyzing an optical signal. The optical spectrum analyzer includes a wave shaper such as an optical modulator that shapes an optical signal, a dispersive element such as a dispersive fiber in which the shaped optical signal is dispersed, a detector that provides an output signal indicative of the dispersed shaped optical signal, and a signal processor that analyzes the output signal, for example by calculating a transform such as an inverse Fourier transform or a Fourier transform of the output signal, to provide a frequency spectrum of the optical signal.
US08290372B2
An optical transceiver includes an optical transmission section that transmits an optical signal, an optical reception section that receives an optical signal, and a control section that controls the optical transmission section and the optical reception section. The control section optically communicates with an external device through the optical transmission section and the optical reception section.
US08290371B2
A high data rate optical signal is inverse multiplexed into a multitude of lower-rate tributaries, each of which is coded by its unique OCDM code, and the combined coded tributaries are injected into a common phase scrambler. Coherent summation of these optically encoded tributaries pass through a shared phase or phase and frequency scrambler before exiting the secure location. The setting of the scrambler acts as the key. The authorized recipient with the correct key retrieves the ones and zeros of the several decoded signals.
US08290362B2
A system and method is disclosed that allows for the monitoring, analyzing and reporting on performance, availability and quality of optical network paths. The correlation of PM parameter metrics to client connections, coupled with threshold-based alarm generation provides a proactive and predictive management, reporting and analyzing of the health and effectiveness of individual path connections to alert Operational Support (OS) staff and/or customers to signal degradation and impending Network Element (NE) failures. The system and method performs in real-time processing intervals required for alarm surveillance in a telecommunications network.
US08290361B2
In a transmission path monitoring system, a first add section adds a first add signal to a first wavelength division multiplexing signal. A first drop section separates a first drop signal from the first wavelength division multiplexing signal. A first loopback section transfers a monitor signal on a first drop optical transmission path onto a second add optical transmission path. A second add section adds a second add signal to a second wavelength division multiple signal. A second drop section separates a second drop signal from the second wavelength division multiplexing signal. A first communication section transmits the first add signal and the monitor signal and receive the second drop signal and the monitor signal.
US08290359B2
An optical finder unit includes: light guide means for guiding an optical image of a subject to a finder window through an internal space formed in the optical finder unit; and a display unit capable of displaying information on the finder window through the internal space when the display unit is in a set state in which the display unit is set in a predetermined position, wherein the display unit in the set state blocks an opening communicating with the internal space, and the display unit can transit from the set state to a non-set state in which the display unit is not set in the predetermined position but unblocks the internal space.
US08290354B2
A deicing system includes a heating element configured to impart heat to water within a water-retaining structure, a guard configured to prevent the heating element from abutting surfaces of the water-retaining structure, and a securing spring that securely fastens the heating element to the guard.
US08290352B2
A method for recovering video data in a disk when a reading error occurs is provided. First, the disk is scanned to obtain a next writable address (NWA) of a last video chapter previously recorded into the disk. An end address of a successfully recorded video chapter is then read from a specific area of the disk and stored into a memory. Next, when a disk player/recorder is requested to read content of data according to the NWA, the disk player/recorder determines whether the content of the data is a file system. If the content of the data is not a file system, the NWA obtained by scanning the disk is replaced with the end address read from the specific area to read the file system, so as to recover the video data in the disk. Thereby, the video data in the disk can be protected.
US08290346B2
A method for storing a video on a storage device includes formatting each image in a plurality of images into a plurality of tiles, the plurality of images being captured as a temporal sequence of images at successive points in time; and generating a plurality of video segments from the temporal sequence of images by: selecting a tile from each image in the sequence of images to obtain a sequence of tiles to generate a video segment; selecting another tile from each image in the sequence of images to obtain another sequence of tiles to generate another video segment; and repeating the selecting a tile from each image in the sequence of images to obtain a plurality of sequences of tiles to generate the plurality of video segments. The method further includes storing the obtained plurality of video segments in a file on the storage device.
US08290336B2
A keyboard for recording a video and an audio is disclosed. The keyboard having a video and an audio recording function includes a universal serial bus hub coupling with a computer system, a keyboard controller, coupled with the universal serial bus hub, for controlling a keypad matrix, and a video and audio processing module coupling with the universal serial bus hub. The video and audio processing module comprises an analog to digital converter for receiving an analog video signal and an analog audio signal and converting the analog video signal and the analog audio signal to a digital video signal and a digital audio signal, and an encoding controller for encoding the digital video signal and the digital audio signal into a formatted file according to a recording signal from the computer system and transmitting the formatted file to the computer system via the universal serial bus hub.
US08290333B2
Fiber optic cable assemblies having furcation bodies with features that are advantageous for manufacturing are disclosed along with methods of making the same. The furcation body include at least one anti-rotation feature for mounting the furcation body and a viewing portion and/or weep hole. The viewing portion is advantageous since it allows the observation during filling of the cavity with an epoxy, adhesive, or the like to strain relieve components of the fiber optic cable assembly within the furcation body. Simply stated, the viewing portion is translucent or clear for observing the filling of the furcation body and detecting if an air bubbles/air pockets are formed so that they can be reduced and/or eliminated. The furcation body may also have a weep hole for allowing air bubbles/air pockets to escape. Additionally, the furcation body of the fiber optic cable assembly may be secured within a clip or other suitable structure for mounting the same.
US08290320B2
An example fiber optic cable includes an outer jacket having an elongated transverse cross-sectional profile defining a major axis and a minor axis. The transverse cross-sectional profile has a maximum width that extends along the major axis and a maximum thickness that extends along the minor axis. The maximum width of the transverse cross-sectional profile is longer than the maximum thickness of the transverse cross-sectional profile. The outer jacket also defines first and second separate passages that extend through the outer jacket along a lengthwise axis of the outer jacket. The second passage has a transverse cross-sectional profile that is elongated in an orientation extending along the major axis of the outer jacket. The fiber optic cable also includes a plurality of optical fibers positioned within the first passage a tensile strength member positioned within the second passage.
US08290319B2
A ramp-stack chip package is described. This chip package includes a vertical stack of semiconductor dies or chips that are offset from each other in a horizontal direction, thereby defining a stepped terrace. A high-bandwidth ramp component, which is positioned approximately parallel to the stepped terrace, is mechanically coupled to the semiconductor dies. Furthermore, the ramp component includes an optical waveguide that conveys the optical signal, and an optical coupling component that optically couples the optical signal to one of the semiconductor dies, thereby facilitating high-bandwidth communication of the optical signal between the semiconductor die and the ramp component.
US08290305B2
Method and system for registration of a two dimensional image data set and a three-dimensional image comprising point cloud data. The method begins by cropping a three-dimensional volume of point cloud data comprising a three-dimensional image data to remove a portion of the point cloud data comprising a ground surface within a scene, and dividing the three-dimensional volume into a plurality of m sub-volumes. Thereafter, the method continues by edge-enhancing a two-dimensional image data. Then, for each qualifying sub-volume, creating a filtered density image, calculating a two-dimensional correlation surface based on the filtered density image and the two-dimensional image data that has been edge enhanced, finding a peak of the two-dimensional correlation surface, determining a corresponding location of the peak within the two-dimensional image, defining a correspondence point set; and storing the correspondence point set in a point set list. Finally, a transformation is determined that minimizes the error between a plurality of the correspondence point sets contained in the point set list.
US08290304B2
The present invention presents a technique for use in registering two images. In a first aspect, the invention includes a computer-implemented method for use in registering a first image to a second image, comprising: generating a base transform between the first and second image; generating a plurality of candidate control points from the first and second images; generating a plurality of meshed regions from the base control points and the actual control points from which the first image may be mapped to the second image. In other aspects, the includes a program storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computing device, will perform the method; a computing apparatus programmed to perform the method; a data product produced by the method; a program storage medium encoded with a data product produced by the method; and a computing apparatus on which resides a data product produced by the above method.
US08290303B2
A method for volume based registration of images is presented. The method includes receiving a first image data set and at least one other image data set. Further the method includes identifying a first image slice in the at least one other image data set corresponding to the first image data set. The method also includes selecting a first point of interest on at least one of the first image data set or the first image slice in the at least one other image data set. In addition, the method includes selecting a second point of interest on the other of the first image data set or the first image slice in the at least one other image data set, wherein the second point of interest corresponds to the first point of interest. Moreover, the method includes translating one of the first image data set, the first image slice, or both, in a first direction, a second direction and a third direction to align the first point of interest with the second point of interest. Also, the method includes registering the first image data set and the at least one other image data set. Systems and computer-readable medium that afford functionality of the type defined by this method is also contemplated in conjunction with the present technique.
US08290299B2
In order to display the image included in the original one on a display part together with outputting the object, a key in a keypad on an operation part by a user. Thereby, the key operated by the user is specified in both of the mask image creation part 32 and data notification part 35. Subsequently, it is judged whether there is the object inherently assigned to the specified key or not. When the judge result is affirmative, the object that corresponds to the operation of the key is output together with displaying the image included in the original one. As a result, a changing of output object when an image included in an original one is displayed together with outputting an object is able to perform simply for the user.
US08290294B2
An image may be dehazed using a three-dimensional reference model. In an example embodiment, a device-implemented method for dehazing includes acts of registering, estimating, and producing. An image that includes haze is registered to a reference model. A haze curve is estimated for the image based on a relationship between colors in the image and colors and depths of the reference model. A dehazed image is produced by using the estimated haze curve to reduce the haze of the image.
US08290270B2
A system 10 and method for searching image text documents includes a content repository 12 storing image documents having text images therein. An image text transformer 14 performs optical character recognition on the image documents to form optical character recognition results and creates a reflection repository 22 having reflection files therein corresponding to the image documents from the optical character recognition results. A search engine 38 searches the reflection files and a user device 30 displays a first reflection file from the reflection files or a first image document from the image documents in response to searching. The files are displayed on a display 32 associated with a user device 30.
US08290269B2
A headline-region initial processing section clips a headline-region image in an image document, divides the image into individual character images, and extracts features of the individual character images. Based on the features, a candidate-character-sequence generating section selects N (N is an integer more than 1) character images as candidate characters in the order of degree of matching from a font-feature dictionary for storing features of individual character images, and generates M×N index matrix where M is the number of characters in an extracted character sequence. Based on the index matrix, a document-name generating section generates a meaningful document name according to the image document. An image-document-DB management section manages accumulated image documents using the document name. This provides an image document processing device and an image document processing method each allowing automatically generating and managing the meaningful document name that represents the contents of the image document, without user's operation.
US08290259B2
The present invention provides an image processing device which adaptively switches between emphasis of a specified color in an image and emphasis of the entire image. The image processing device of the present invention includes: a storage unit storing a plurality of color emphasis tables for emphasizing a specified color; a calculation unit calculating magnitudes of respective color emphasis effects when the plurality of color emphasis tables stored by the storage unit is applied to the image; a selection unit selecting one or more color emphasis tables according to the magnitudes of the color emphasis effects; and a correction unit correcting the specified color in the image by applying the color emphasis tables selected by the selection unit to the image.
US08290258B1
A method for performing a color based white balance of a digital image, the method includes: generating or receiving multiple chromaticity value pairs of multiple pixel areas of the digital image; finding selected candidates; wherein a selected candidate represents a pixel area and has a chromaticity value pair that falls within at least one color gamut out of a group of color gamut of different colors; wherein the different colors comprise at least one color that differs from gray; calculating at least one white balance compensation parameter in response to pixel information of pixels areas that have selected chromaticity values; and providing a compensated digital image by applying at least one white balance compensated image.
US08290255B2
A clustering unit first calculates a distance between a feature vector of a processing object pixel and a representative feature vector of a cluster to which a pixel with a high probability of belonging to the same cluster as the processing object pixel such as a nearby pixel of the processing object pixel belongs. When the calculated distance is less than or equal to a first threshold, the processing object pixel is allocated to a cluster to which the nearby pixel or a background image belongs.
US08290252B2
In accordance with one or more aspects of the image-based backgrounds for images, an image is analyzed in order to identify a color that represents the image. An enhanced background is generated based at least in part on the identified color, and both the image and the enhanced background are output on a screen. In addition, or alternatively, the identified color can be saved as being associated with the image in order to be used to generate an enhanced background for the image when the image is displayed.
US08290247B2
A method and system for segmenting tubular structures in 3D images is disclosed. User inputs identifying a first region on the image inside of a tubular structure and a second region of the image outside of the tubular structure are received. Based on this information, an ordered series of pearls are generated along the tubular structure. Pearls are spheres, each having a center location and a radius determined based on the center locations and radii of previous pearls and on local voxel intensities in the image. A continuous model of the tubular structure can be generated by interpolating the center locations and radii of the ordered series of pearls. The ordered series of pearls can be displayed and easily edited in response to user input, thus providing an efficient and flexible method for interactive segmentation of a potion of interest in a tubular structure.
US08290244B2
An apparatus and method for controlling the depth of a three-dimensional image. The apparatus includes: a disparity measuring unit which measures the disparity between a left eye image and a right eye image; a physical distance calculating unit which calculates the physical distance between the left eye image and the right eye image based on the measured disparity and the physical characteristics of a display; and a depth controlling unit which controls the depth depending on the calculated physical distance. It is possible to adaptively control the disparity to control the depth when a user uses a stereoscopic three-dimensional display having a different screen size than a display used in a manufacturing environment.
US08290242B2
A defect inspection method includes: acquiring an image of an inspection pattern obtained by an imaging device, detecting an edge of the inspection pattern in the image, dividing the image into an inspection region and a non-inspection region, using the detected edge as a boundary thereof, performing image processing only on the inspection region to determine the intensity value distribution in the image, and detecting a defect in the inspection pattern based on the obtained intensity value distribution.
US08290233B2
According to one embodiment, an X-ray computed tomography apparatus includes an X-ray generating unit and an area detector. The reconstruction processing unit reconstructs first and second volume data including an overlap region. The extraction unit extracts first and second slice images from the first and the second volume data respectively. The calculation unit calculates the difference value between a sum of pixel values in the first slice images and the sum of pixel values in the second slice images. The determination unit determines whether the difference value falls within a predetermined range. The combining unit combines the first and second volume data and sets a pixel value in the overlap region to a pixel value of the first volume data, a pixel value of the second volume data, or a value derived from pixel values of the first and second volume data.
US08290228B2
Apparatus and methods are provided, including displaying an image of one or more lumens of a subject. A processor includes lumen-identification functionality configured to automatically identify one or more lumens in the image. Envelope-designation functionality of the processor designates as lumen envelopes, portions of the image in vicinities of respective lumens. In response to the user designating a location inside a lumen envelope of a given lumen, via an input device, the location corresponding to a given longitudinal location within the given lumen, feature-generation functionality of the processor generates a feature on the image that corresponds to the given longitudinal location. An output is displayed in response to the generated feature. Other embodiments are also described.
US08290195B2
A loudspeaker having an omnidirectional radiation pattern at high frequencies. The loudspeaker includes an acoustic device that includes an acoustic enclosure; an acoustic driver, mounted in the acoustic enclosure; and a sheet of compliant material with a aperture therethrough, mounted in the enclosure, between the acoustic driver and the environment.
US08290193B2
A headphone having reduced tendency to tangle comprises an input portion for receiving electrical signals from an output device, an output portion for providing audio signals to a user in response to the electrical signals, a plurality of wires coupled to the input portion and the output portion for providing the electrical signals to the output portion, and a restraint mechanism coupled to the plurality of wires and cable of being repositioned along the plurality of wire, wherein the restraint mechanism is for physically receiving insertion of at least a portion of the input portion and for physically restraining movement of the portion of input portion with respect to output portion when the portion of the input portion is physically inserted into the restraint mechanism, wherein a temporary and removable closed loop of wire is formed from the plurality of wires, until a sufficient separation force is applied.
US08290186B2
A method to control a portable audio device in a power-saving mode using a wireless headset includes transmitting a host wake-up signal (HOST_WAKEUP) according to a signal requesting reproduction of music transmitted from the wireless headset, transmitting a control signal corresponding to the host wake-up signal, and controlling the portable audio device according to the control signal to switch the portable audio device out of the power-saving mode and to supply power to at least one component in the portable audio device used to reproduce music.
US08290180B2
A signal processing device includes a bass signal extractor, a harmonic wave generator, a level detector, and an adjustment controller. The bass signal extractor first extracts a bass signal from an input audio signal. Natural-sounding bass enhancement is achieved as a result of the adjustment controller boosting the bass signal level until the level detector detects the bass signal level at a set level. For input bass signal levels higher than the set level, bass is enhanced virtually using a harmonic signal generated from the bass signal by the harmonic wave generator. As a result, the disadvantages of the boost method and the virtual signal enhancement method are mutually compensated for, and synergistic advantages for bass enhancement are obtained.
US08290178B2
There is provided a sound source characteristic determining device (10) capable of being applied in an environmental where the type of a sound source is unknown. The device includes a plurality of beamformers (21-1 to 21-M) used when a sound source signal generated from a sound source at an arbitrary position in a space is inputted to a plurality of microphones (14-1 to 14-N), for weighting the acoustic signal detected by each of the microphones by using a function for correcting the difference of the sound source signals generated between the microphones and outputting a totaled signal. Each of the beamformers (21-1 to 21-M) contains a function having a unit directivity characteristic corresponding to one arbitrary direction in the space and is arranged for each of the directions corresponding to an arbitrary position in the space and the unit directivity characteristic. The sound source characteristic determining device (10) further includes means (23) for estimating the position and the direction in the space corresponding to the beamformer outputting a maximum value as the position and the direction of the sound source when the microphone (14) detects a sound source signal.
US08290174B1
A wireless device and method may comprise a receiver and method for receiving wireless transmissions including locating data, authorization data and program data, and for determining its location from the locating data and a stored representation of a venue. Authorization data and locating data are used to authorize reproduction and/or controlling of received program data. The device and method may determine a delay time to its location for delaying the received program data to be substantially in time alignment with natural sound, and to be so reproduced and/or recorded. Optionally, a binaural microphone may pick up ambient sound which is mixed or combined with the delayed program data for producing a combined stereo audio signal.
US08290173B2
A wireless audio distribution system may include a wireless transmitter, responsive to a plurality of audio input channels, for transmitting an encoded digital bitstream serially combining each of the audio input channels with control data a receiver responsive to the transmitted encoded digital bitstream for decoding a preselected one of the plurality of the audio input channels from the digital bitstream for reproduction and at least one speaker for reproducing the preselected audio input channel in accordance with the control data. A wireless speaker system may include a receiver, responsive to a wirelessly transmitted, encoded digital bitstream serially combining each of a plurality of the audio input channels with control data disbursed therein, for decoding a preselected one of said audio input channels and a speaker system responsive to the receiver for reproducing the decoded, preselected audio input channel.
US08290171B1
In an example embodiment a headset includes a phone jack, a speaker connected to the phone jack, a microphone coupled to the phone jack and a resistive switch string coupled to the phone jack to the same ring of the phone jack as the microphone. In another example an integrated circuit device includes a charge pump, a multi-voltage LDO having an input which is capable of being coupled to an output of the charge pump, an ADC; and a pull-up resistor coupled between an output of the LDO and an input of the ADC. In another example embodiment, a method for headset signal multiplexing includes providing a headset with a plurality of signal sources and voltage division multiplexing the plurality of signal sources on a common wire.
US08290163B2
An approach is provided that allows an administrator to set a new password at a wireless access point, such as a traditional WAP or a wireless router. The wireless access point creates a message that includes the new password. The message is encrypted using the old password that was previously set for the wireless network. The encrypted message is wirelessly transmitted from the wireless access point to the active client devices (those clients currently accessing the wireless network). The clients decrypt the message using the old password that was previously provided to the clients. The clients retrieve the new password from the message. The clients construct a new message that is encrypted using the new password. The new message is wirelessly transmitted from the clients to the wireless access device and serves as an acknowledgement.
US08290157B2
A system and method for identifying the player that leaked content encryption keys by loading a set of player keys into individual content players and determining the number of encryptions and the number of encryption keys to use in multiple encrypting critical content. The method produces copies of critical data content packets, each copy of which is separately encrypted using any one of a set of encryption keys that are related to one another through a mathematical algorithm. The related set of encryption keys and data describing key relationship and content player identity are transmitted to a previously determined license management agency. The transmitted encrypted content is written to a receiving device or file, or streamed to an individual player for non-synchronous playback. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.
US08290149B2
Obscuring cryptographic computations may be accomplished by performing modular exponentiation of an exponent in a cryptographic computation such that memory accesses are independent of the exponent bit pattern, thereby deterring timing attacks.
US08290144B1
A communications device including power collection unit and a communications unit. The power collection unit may be configured to collect a portion of power being delivered to the communications unit to enable communications. The power collection unit may be separable from the communications unit. The power collection unit may include a battery. Additionally, the power collection unit may include a light source, such as one or more LEDs, and be configured in a flashlight configuration.
US08290139B2
Method and apparatus for maintaining dynamic queues in call centers using social network information
In one embodiment, a method includes connecting on a call with a caller and determining if social network information associated with the caller is available. If it is determined that social network information associated with the caller is available, the social network information is obtained and utilized to identify at least a first agent suitable for participating on the call with the caller. The first agent is associated with a call center. The method also includes providing the caller with information that identifies the first agent as being suitable for participating on the call with the caller.
US08290134B2
A method of and system for managing a conference call among participants and a moderator provides a control mode in which only one participant can speak at time. All participants other than the speaker are muted. The system maintains a talk queue. When a participant requests to speak, the system places the participant in the talk queue. The system may announce to the moderator that the participant has registered to speak. The system may also announce to the moderator the participant's position in the talk queue. When a speaking participant relinquishes, or is preempted from, the speaking position, the system mutes the speaking participant. The system informs the participant at the top of the talk queue that it is his or her turn to speak and unmutes that participant, whereby that participant becomes the new speaking participant. The system removes the new speaking participant from the talk queue. The system may announce their respective positions to the other participants in the talk queue. The system may include priority codes. If a participant enters a priority code when he or she requests to speak, the system places the participant at the top of the talk queue. If the participant does not enter a priority code, the system places the participant at the bottom of the talk queue.
US08290127B2
A system and method are disclosed for broadcasting Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) messages. A method incorporating teachings of the present disclosure may include receiving an indication that a message should be delivered to a plurality of recipients. In response, contact information for the plurality of recipients may be identified, and an outbound packetized call to each of the recipients may be launched. In practice, the packetized call may be in a VoIP form or some other appropriate packetized form. If a call is answered, the call may be connected to a multicast server capable of playing the to-be-delivered message.
US08290126B2
A system and method for receiving information for voicemail. A call is received from a caller. A voicemail message from the caller is recorded. A caller identifier is received from the caller in response to recording the voicemail message. The caller identifier is associated with one or more profiles. The voicemail message is filed utilizing the associated profile in response to receiving the caller identifier.
US08290125B2
A system, method and program product for providing voice response unit (VRU) shortcuts. A system is provided that includes: a user interface for allowing a user to input a targeted VRU, a goal, and call-specific information; a data mapping system for mapping the call specific information and user information pre-stored in a database to a VRU map associated with VRU; a VRU interface system for initiating a call with the targeted VRU and navigating the targeted VRU to an option associated with the goal; and a system for telephonically connecting the user with the targeted VRU when the option associated with the goal is reached.
US08290115B2
A driver comprises odd-numbered stages configured to be driven by first and second clock signals and even-numbered stages configured to be driven by the second and third clock signals. Each stage is coupled to a corresponding emission control line, and includes a first driver, a second driver, and a third driver. In a first stage, the first and second drivers receive first and second start pulses and output first and second output signals, respectively. In each stage except the first stage, the first and second driver receives first and second output signals of a previous stage and outputs first and second output signals of each stage, respectively. In each stage, a third driver receives the first and second output signals of each stage and outputs an emission control signal to be transmitted to an emission control line coupled to each stage.
US08290113B2
Various apparatuses, methods and systems for frequency dividing a clock signal are disclosed herein. For example, some embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus including a plurality of multiplexers connected in series with the clock signal, each having a plurality of inputs of different phase delays. The apparatus also includes a delta sigma modulator connected to control inputs on the plurality of multiplexers. The delta sigma modulator is adapted to repeatedly select different ones of the pluralities of inputs of different phase delays in the plurality of multiplexers to change a divide ratio between the clock signal and an output of the plurality of multiplexers. The apparatus also includes a multiplexer usage accumulator connected to the delta sigma modulator to track usage of the plurality of multiplexers. The apparatus also includes a scrambler circuit connected between the delta sigma modulator and the control inputs on the plurality of multiplexers, adapted to control settings in the plurality of multiplexers based at least in part on the multiplexer usage accumulator.
US08290111B1
The invention provides at least two electrochemical sensors positioned in a nuclear reactor or in a system adjacent to the nuclear reactor, wherein at least one of the at least two electrochemical sensors has a heated zirconium electrode, and the at least two electrochemical sensors produce voltages proportional to an electrochemical corrosion potential for a surface that each of the at least two electrochemical sensors are installed upon. The invention also provides an arrangement configured to accept the voltages produced by the at least two electrochemical sensors, wherein the arrangement is configured to determine an electrochemical corrosion potential of a zirconium fuel rod in the nuclear reactor based upon the voltages of the at least two electrochemical sensors.
US08290107B2
A clock data recovery circuit that supplies stable reference clocks to the object respectively by shortening the time of bit synchronization with each received burst data signal regardless of jittering components included in the received burst data signal, includes an interpolator that generates a reference clock having the same frequency as that of a received burst data signal and two types of determination clocks having a phase that is different from that of the reference clock respectively; and a phase adjustment control circuit that can change the phase of the reference clock in units of M/2π. After beginning receiving of a burst data signal, the clock data recovery circuit sets a large phase change value at the first phase adjustment timing and reduces the change value in the second and subsequent phase adjustment timings, thereby realizing quick bit synchronization with the received burst data signal to generate a reference clock.
US08290105B2
A signal reception device is disclosed that is capable of detecting symbol synchronization timing with high precision in accordance with a condition of a propagation path even in an environment involving multi-path interference. The signal reception device adopts an OFCDM transmission scheme or a multi-carrier transmission scheme. The signal reception device includes a received signal information calculation unit to calculate received signal information representing a signal reception condition of a received signal; an output combination unit to combine correlation values in a predetermined section obtained by correlation detection based on the received signal information; and a symbol timing detection unit to detect a symbol synchronization timing based on the combined value.
US08290100B2
Techniques for detecting and mitigating interference are described. A device (e.g., a cellular phone) senses interference levels and digitally reconstructs the expected interference in the received signal. The device may correlate the reconstructed interference with the received signal and determine interference in the received signal based on correlation results. The device may adjust the operation of one or more circuit blocks (e.g., a mixer, an LNA, etc.) in a receiver based on the detected interference in the received signal. Alternatively or additionally, the device may condition the digital interference to obtain conditioned reconstructed interference matching the interference in the received signal and may then subtract the conditioned interference from the received signal.
US08290096B2
Method and apparatus for decoding code words received over a communication channel are disclosed. A radius-adaptive sphere decoding methodology reduces the number of operations in sphere-constrained search. Imposing probabilistic noise constraint on top of sphere constraint, particularly at an early stage, provides a more stringent necessary condition. Hence, many branches that are unlikely to be selected are removed in the early stage of sphere search. The trade-off between computational complexity and performance can be controlled by adjusting the pruning probability.
US08290091B2
Teachings presented herein offer a technique for using a demodulator to improve a demodulation process. For example, a demodulation unit according to an embodiment of the present invention may be a multi-stage demodulator and may include: a demodulator configured to receive a baseband signal and configured to produce modem bit likelihood values based on the received baseband signal; a decoder configured to receive and process the modem bit likelihood values to produce improved modem bit likelihood values; a candidate value generator configured to produce, based on the improved modem bit likelihood values, candidate symbol values for a group of one or more symbols; and a detector configured to receive the baseband signal and the candidate symbol values and configured to produce one of (a) final modem bit estimates and (b) candidate symbol values for a group of symbols.
US08290078B2
A method of encoding a stream of data elements is provided which involves splitting the stream of data elements into a first stream and a second stream; encoding the first stream to produce a first encoded stream; performing a constellation mapping using a combination of the first encoded stream and a third stream which is based on the second stream. This may involve defining a signal constellation; defining a plurality of co-sets within the constellation such that a minimum distance between constellation points within each co-set is larger than a minimum distance between any constellation points within the signal constellation; performing said constellation mapping by using the first encoded stream to identify a sequence of co-sets of said plurality of co-sets, and by using the third stream to identify a sequence of constellation points within respective co-sets of the sequence of co-sets identified by said first encoded stream.
US08290077B1
A method for communication includes defining a signal constellation including multiple constellation points in a signal space, such that each constellation point corresponds to a signal representing a respective combination of values of at least three bits, wherein three or more subsets of the bits in each of the constellation points are respectively allocated to three or more data streams. A sequence of signals is received, each signal selected from the signal constellation. The received sequence of the signals is demodulated, and one of the three or more data streams is reconstructed based on the demodulated signals.
US08290076B2
A receiver for receiving a signal including a series of symbols, the signal being performed Time Window processing at portions including a boundary of adjacent symbols by a transmitter so as to eliminate a discontinuity between the symbols, the receiver includes: a receiving unit that receives the signal; and a processor extracts the series of symbols and performing an inverse processing of the Time Window processing at the portions performed the Time Window processing by the transmitter.
US08290063B2
In distributing moving image data, it is an object to make it possible to start reproduction, not only from the head of the moving image data, but also from any desired position and to minimize an increase in the amount of the processing. A moving image data conversion device (1) comprises moving image data receiving means (2) for receiving moving image data (6), decoder configuration information saving means (3) for retrieving and holding decoder configuration information included in the moving image data (6) to define a condition for decoding the moving image data (6), decoder configuration information inserting means (4) for inserting the decoder configuration information into a plurality of predetermined positions in the moving image data (6) to generate moving image data, and moving image data output means (5) for outputting the generated moving image data as moving image data (8).
US08290060B2
8VSB digital television signals employing serially concatenated convolutional coding (SCCC) are transmitted twice in an SCCC staggercasting procedure. In the receiver for such signal “soft” decisions concerning the initial and final transmissions are compared as a basis for synthesizing a set of “soft” decisions for implementing turbo decoding procedures.In a “punctured” variant of the SCCC staggercasting procedure, SCCC using one type of outer convolutional coding is transmitted at a relatively early time and after a prescribed interval SCCC using another type of outer convolutional coding of the same data is transmitted at a relatively late time. In the receiver for such signal “soft” decisions concerning data bits the initial and final transmissions are compared as a basis for synthesizing a set of “soft” decisions for implementing turbo decoding procedures.
US08290057B2
A method for decoding a digital video sequence includes decoding a first picture in the sequence; reducing a data size of the decoded first picture by vector quantizing at least one component of the first picture, the quantized component selected from the luminance and chrominance components of the first picture; storing a reduced data size representation of the decoded first picture to a memory; reading a region of interest of the reduced data size representation of the decoded first picture; and decoding a region of interest of a second picture in the sequence according to the region of interest of the reduced data size representation of the decoded first picture.
US08290052B2
A video decoder, encoder, and corresponding methods for processing video data for an image block and a particular reference picture index to predict the image block are disclosed that utilize adaptive weighting of reference pictures to enhance video compression, where a decoder includes a reference picture weighting factor unit for determining a weighting factor corresponding to the particular reference picture index; an encoder includes a reference picture weighting factor assignor for assigning a weighting factor corresponding to the particular reference picture index; and a method for decoding includes receiving a reference picture index with the data that corresponds to the image block, determining a weighting factor for each received reference picture index, retrieving a reference picture for each index, motion compensating the retrieved reference picture, and multiplying the motion compensated reference picture by the corresponding weighting factor to form a weighted motion compensated reference picture.
US08290046B2
A motion vector coding unit executes processing including a neighboring block specification step of specifying a neighboring block which is located in the neighborhood of a current block; a judgment step of judging whether or not the neighboring block has been coded using a motion vector of another block; a prediction step of deriving a predictive motion vector of the current block using a motion vector calculated from the motion vector of the other block as a motion vector of the neighboring block; and a coding step of coding the motion vector of the current block using the predictive motion vector.
US08290045B2
A motion compensation module can be used in a video encoder for encoding a video input signal that includes a sequence of images that are segmented into a plurality of macroblocks. The motion compensation module includes a motion search module, that generates a motion search motion vector for a plurality of subblocks for a plurality of partitionings of a macroblock of a plurality of macroblocks. A motion refinement module generates a refined motion vector for the plurality of subblocks for the plurality of partitionings of the macroblock of the plurality of macroblocks, based on the motion search motion vector for each of the plurality of subblocks of the macroblock of the plurality of macroblocks. The motion search module and the motion refinement module can operate in a plurality of selected modes including a first mode corresponding to a first compression standard, a second mode corresponding to a second compression standard and a third mode corresponding to a third compression standard, and wherein the plurality of partitionings are based on the selected mode.
US08290042B2
A method of compressing data representing a sequence of images in dependence upon data defining at least one region of particular interest within at least one image in the sequence includes causing data representing an image region that is not of particular interest to be more highly compressed than data representing an image regions that is of particular interest.
US08290029B2
A super-regenerative transceiver that has an antenna interface for an antenna is self-tuned with a self-tuning unit configured. The self-tuning unit makes the transceiver to repeatedly perform a self-tuning cycle until the amplitude meets a predetermined detection condition or a predetermined criterion is met. The self-tuning cycle involves the following: transmitting to the antenna a probe signal with one or more pulses; receiving from the antenna a ringing detection signal; determining if the ringing detection signal reflects tails of the probe signal with amplitude meeting a predetermined detection condition; and adjusting of the tuning of the super-regenerative transceiver if the amplitude does not meet the predetermined detection condition.
US08290028B2
Disclosed is a SERDES circuit including a clock and data recovery circuit that allows operational margin in temporal and voltage directions to be measured, using a phase offset signal and a threshold voltage control signal, a pre-emphasis driver circuit and an equalizer circuit in order to reduce ISI on a transmission line, and an optimization control circuit for controlling the overall circuit. The optimization control circuit controls an equalizer control signal that is for adjusting characteristics of the equalizer circuit and a driver control signal that is for adjusting characteristics of the pre-emphasis driver circuit and sets the equalizer control signal and driver control signal so that the operational margin of the clock and data recovery circuit is maximized.
US08290022B2
The present invention relates to a transmission method for a transmitter having Nt transmit antennas. The method (1) spreads symbols in two dimensions by means of a spreading code, the symbols coming from a signal for transmission over Nfft sub-carriers via the Nt transmit antennas. The signal is transmitted with a power pem(k) that is determined per symbol m, per user k=1, . . . , Nu, and per transmit antenna. The principle of the method (1) is to determine (2) a set of powers pem(k) that is constant over a symbol frame, with the distribution of power amongst the users minimizing an overall error criterion under the constraint that the sum of the powers pem(k) in the set is equal to the product of the number of users multiplied by the average power emitted per symbol over the users.
US08290019B2
A technique is provided that can avoid radio zone interference in a radio controlled model apparatus which employs a frequency hopping system in the spread spectrum radio techniques. In a controller for maneuvering, for example, model airplanes, a process for detecting whether or not a radio zone is in an occupied state is initiated, with an initial radio zone represented by information stored in a nonvolatile memory acting as a starting point. Until an unoccupied radio zone is detected, the process of detecting the occupation of radio zones continues according to a predetermined sequence. Thus, an available radio zone can be detected. Moreover, information representing an initial radio zone, stored in a nonvolatile memory, is updated immediately after power-on of the controller.
US08290018B2
The present invention relates to a method for transmitting data Di in a telecommunication system SYST including a first transceiver TXi and a second transceiver RX linked together by means of a communication channel Chi, one of which transceivers being mobile, which method includes: a spreading step for spreading said data Di over a plurality of components Ctj (for j=1 to M), and an equalization step during which each component Ctj (for j=1 to M) is multiplied by an equalization value Wi(j)* representative of communication conditions within the communication channel Chi. According to the invention, the equalization values Wi(j)* are also representative of a Doppler effect generated by movement of the mobile transceiver.The invention enables to significantly compensate for alterations caused to the communication channel Chi by movement of the mobile transceiver.
US08290011B2
A gain medium and an interband cascade laser, having the gain medium are presented. The gain medium can have one or both of the following features: (1) the thicknesses of the one or more hole quantum wells in the hole injector region are reduced commensurate with the thickness of the active hole quantum well in the active quantum well region, so as to place the valence band maximum in the hole injector region at least about 100 meV lower than the valence band maximum in the active hole quantum well; and (2) the thickness of the last well of the electron injector region is between 85 and 110% of the thickness of the first active electron quantum well in the active gain region of the next stage of the medium. A laser incorporating a gain medium in accordance with the present invention can emit in the mid-IR range from about 2.5 to 8 μm at high temperatures with room-temperature continuous wave operation to wavelengths of at least 4.6 μm, threshold current density of about 400 A/cm2 and threshold power density of about 900 W/cm2.
US08290005B2
An ultrashort pulse/ultra-high power laser diode with a simple structure and configuration is provided. In a method of driving a laser diode, the laser diode is driven by a pulse current which is 10 or more times higher than a threshold current value. The width of the pulse current is preferably 10 nanoseconds or less, and the value of the pulse current is specifically 0.4 amperes or over.
US08290002B2
A coarse timing synchronization acquisition method in a mobile communication system is applied to the timing synchronization acquisition of a mobile communication system that transmits the same signal blocks repeatedly, which comprises: starting from the beginning time instant of timing synchronization acquisition, iteratively calculating the delay correlation accumulation (DCA) values at K samples, when K is the number of DCA values at each time slot; M time slots are searched in each frame, the position corresponding to the maximum DCA value is taken as the estimate of timing synchronization position; M timing synchronization position estimates are obtained, and among these, one timing synchronization position estimate is selected as the candidate for the current frame timing synchronization position, and it is decided whether the candidate is reliable; after L frames are searched, a predicted timing synchronization position of the next frame is obtained by using the L timing synchronization positions.
US08289997B2
A system and method for bandwidth sharing in a distributed wireless client application using inverse multiplexing termination. The system includes: a group of collocated client playback devices having wide area network (WAN) and local area network (LAN) connectivity, and a centralized inverse multiplexing (IMUX) server which optimizes shared bandwidth of both the WAN via inverse multiplexing and the LAN using either broadcast or multicast of all virtual multiplexing paths to all other client playback devices of the group of collocated client playback devices. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08289979B2
A method, system and program for routing a data stream amongst a plurality of network nodes including at least a plurality of end-user nodes. The method comprises: establishing a plurality of routes for the stream to a plurality of consuming end-user nodes, including at least one route via one or more relaying nodes; at each of a plurality of optimizing nodes, executing an optimization algorithm to determine a respective routing modification by evaluating a routing criterion with respect to a collection of end-user nodes which share information with the respective optimizing node and determining a change in the routing criterion that would result from one or more potential routing modifications. The different optimizing nodes' collections of end-user nodes are at least partially coincident such that each optimizing node can determine a different routing modification with respect to at least some of the same end-user nodes.
US08289970B2
Described are embodiments directed to negotiating an encapsulation mode between an initiator and a responder. As part of the negotiation of the security association, an encapsulation mode is negotiated that allows packets to be sent between the initiator and responder without encapsulation. The ability to send packets without encapsulation allows intermediaries, such as a firewall, at the responder to easily inspect the packets and implement additional features such as security filtering.
US08289966B1
Packet ingress/egress block and logic and system and method for receiving, transmitting, and managing packetized data. System including a line port; a computing resource output port; a host interface; a memory, and a block that: receives information on the line port, creates a context including information for managing computation derived from the received information, and sends context out on computing resource output port. Device comprising first circuit component including line port that receives information, second circuit component that generates context information including an information for managing computation derived from the received unit of information; and third circuit component that communicates the generated context out to a computing resource output port. Method comprising receiving information, generating context information including an information for managing computation derived from the received unit of information; and communicating the generated context information out to an external receiver via a computing resource output port.
US08289958B1
A clearinghouse is used to determine caller location for VoIP calls. The clearinghouse maintains (i) a first correlation between a first IP address and a first ISP and (ii) a second correlation between a second IP address and a second ISP. The clearinghouse receives the first IP address from a VoIP service provider (VSP). The first IP address is a source address of a request from a VoIP telephone to set up a call, received by the VSP from the first ISP. The clearinghouse references the first correlation and queries the first ISP with the first IP address. The clearinghouse then receives from the first ISP a location associated with the first IP address. The clearinghouse transmits this location to an entity such as the VSP or, for a 911 call, perhaps a PSAP. The clearinghouse may select the PSAP based at least in part on the location.
US08289957B2
An internet packet comprises a header field, the header field including a field identifying a source address of the internet packet, a field identifying the destination address of the internet packet and a next header field identifying whether an extension header follows the header and a type of the extension header. The extension header indicates a hop-by-hop option header, the hop-by-hop extension header including a router alert option header type indicating that the extension field is optional for a router to read, and a field providing information for a gateway support node of a packet radio system network. A gateway support node is thereby provided with information, which may be required for example to support a mobile internet protocol (IP). However, by providing the router alert option field, a router is not required to read the remainder of the hop-by-hop option field. As a result, a reduction in the performance of the router in routing internet packets, which may have been incurred if the router was required to read all the hop-by-hop extension field can be limited.
US08289953B2
A system and method for providing location information to a public safety answering point from a softphone may include receiving, at a network access point, an emergency 911 call from the softphone. The emergency 911 call may be communicated to a public safety answering point. In response to a call connection message being received, an address location of the network access point to which the softphone is in communication in placing the emergency 911 call to the public safety answering point may be communicated in a type II caller ID data packet. The softphone may generate the type II caller ID data packet with the address location in a data field, such as a data field typically used for name information of a caller.
US08289951B2
Methods and devices are disclosed which provide for a communications gateway to be operatively coupled to a messaging system. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, communications are established via the gateway responsive at least to messaging communications involving the communications gateway.
US08289949B2
A method of transmitting a data stream to end-user nodes of a network, and a corresponding communication system, program, and distribution system for distributing the program. The method comprises: for each of a plurality of possible combinations of routes of the stream to a plurality of consuming end-user nodes, evaluating a utility function for each of the consuming end-user nodes, the utility function being dependent on route and defining a quantitative measure of end-user benefit that would be experienced at the respective end-user node by consumption of the stream; for each of the plurality of possible combinations of routes, determining an overall utility value based on the respective evaluation of the utility functions of each of the plurality of consuming end-user nodes; and selecting a preferred combination of routes for the stream based on the overall utility values of the different possible combinations.
US08289947B2
A method is proposed for synchronizing a data stream transmitted on a communications network, the data stream being transmitted from an emitter device to a receiver device in the form of data packets of predefined size, a data packet being filled up with a padding synchronization symbol if an amount of applications data to be transmitted in the data packet is below the predefined size of the data packet. The receiver device performs the following steps: obtaining an indication of a recurrence of filling of the data packets with padding synchronization symbols; upon detection, at a position in the data stream, of a data loss symbol representative of a lost data in a given data packet, predicting whether the lost data corresponds to an applications data or a padding synchronization symbol, as a function of a position of the given data packets in the recurrence; and marking that the data stream contains, at the data loss symbol position, an erroneous applications data, if the result of the predicting step is that the lost data corresponds to an applications data; or replacing the data loss symbol by a padding synchronization symbol, if the result of the predicting step is that the lost data corresponds to a padding synchronization symbol.
US08289946B2
Techniques for generating reference signals in a wireless communication system are described. A set of Q reference signal sequences may be generated based on G pseudo-random sequences and L scrambling sequences, where Q=G·L, G>1 and L>1. The Q reference signal sequences may be used for Q cell identities (IDs), one reference signal sequence for each cell ID. In one design, a Node B may determine first and second indices based on a cell ID of a cell. The Node B may generate a pseudo-random sequence based on the first index, generate a scrambling sequence based on the second index, and generate a reference signal sequence based on the pseudo-random sequence and the scrambling sequence. The Node B may then generate a reference signal for the cell based on the reference signal sequence, e.g., by generating an OFDM symbol with the reference signal sequence mapped to a set of subcarriers.
US08289942B2
The invention relates to a method of communication in a wireless communication system comprising a first station and at least a second station wherein each of the station for at least a part of the time controls the communication within the system. The first station encodes and transmits messages having a first format in a first mode using at least one communication channel or having a second format in a second mode using one communication channel. The first and second formats have a common part. The second station receives and decodes at least the common part of messages transmitted either the first mode or the second mode. The common part comprises information on one or more upcoming transmissions of the first station.
US08289940B2
A system and method for wireless communication over multi-rate channels are disclosed. One embodiment of the system includes source and destination devices that use first and second channels under a contention-based protocol. The first channel is directional with a first frequency and a first range. The second channel is omni-directional with a second frequency and a second range. The second frequency is lower than the first frequency, and the second range is greater than the first range. The source device may send the destination device a request for data transmission via the first channel over the second channel. The destination device may send the source device an approval for the data transmission over the second channel. The source device may further transmit an acknowledgment (ACK) of the approval over the second channel upon receiving the approval to prevent other devices in the system from contending for data transmission.
US08289933B2
A method is described for transmitting information in a communication channel of a wireless communication system in which the communication channel is divided into a plurality of time slots of equal duration and each of the time slots is further sub-divided into multiple sub-slots or resource units. In one illustrative embodiment, the communication channel is divided into time slots according to a time division multiple access scheme. Each time slot is then further code-multiplexed into one or more sub-slots according to a code division multiple access scheme. Each of the sub-slots is therefore capable of carrying a separately coded transmission within the communication channel so that multiple simultaneous transmissions can occur in any given time slot.
US08289916B2
A wireless communication device (and its related method of operation) includes, if invoked, password protected access to data stored therewithin and/or to normal device operations and further includes duress password checking logic that automatically causes a duress message to be sent if a duress password has been entered. The duress message is preferably sent without maintaining any user accessible indication of such sending. It is also preferred that the password checking logic automatically cause an end-of-duress message to be sent if a normal password is entered after a duress password has been entered. A plurality of different duress passwords may be entered into a duress password portion of data memory in the device.
US08289908B2
A method and apparatus for processing simultaneous assignment, the method comprising receiving multiple Forward Link Assignment Blocks (FLABs), determining if ChIDs are set to ChIDDEASSIGN for one of the FLABs and discarding all FLABs except the FLABs having a ChIDs set to ChIDDEASSIGN if one of the received FLABs has a ChIDs set to ChIDDEASSIGN.
US08289906B2
An interrogating state machine for use in a wireless network comprising a plurality of wireless communication devices is provided that includes a server status store and a server assigner. The server status store is operable to store server status information for each of a plurality of servers. The server assigner is operable to collect server status information from the servers, to store the server status information in the server status store, and to assign one of the servers to host one of the wireless communication devices.
US08289896B2
In a mobile communication system which includes a base station controller (20), a plurality of radio base stations (30-1, 30-2) connected to the base station controller, and a mobile station (40) simultaneously communicable with the plurality of radio base stations, the base station controller transfers a packet through the plurality of radio base stations to the mobile station. The mobile station receives the packet as a plurality of reception packets as a plurality of reception packets through the plurality of radio base stations. The mobile station includes a processor (46) and a controller (45). The controller selects, among the plurality of reception packets supplied from the plurality of radio base stations, a best-quality packet as a selected packet. The controller sends, if the selected packet includes an error portion, a retransmission request to one of the plurality of base stations in order to request retransmission of a correct portion corresponding to the error portion. The above-mentioned one of the plurality of base stations is a sender of the selected packet. Subsequently, the controller makes the processor execute a data processing operation for the selected packet if the selected packet includes no error portion.
US08289891B2
A base station capable of wireless communication with a plurality of subscriber stations within a coverage area of a network, where the base station is capable of transmitting, to a subscriber station, a traffic indication message with an indicator value, wherein the indicator value is used by both the base station and the subscriber station to dynamically adjust the length of the next discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle in an absence of an explicit signaling message from the base station.
US08289890B2
A communication apparatus capable of being connected to another communication apparatus generates temporary connection information used in making a wireless connection. The apparatus presents this temporary connection information and makes a wireless connection to another communication apparatus based upon this temporary connection information.
US08289888B2
Inventions relate to a field of radio communications and may be used for a creation of systems for cellular communications. The achieved technical result —an extension of a coverage area of a communication network. A system for cellular communication comprises a switch subsystem, a base station subsystem which are interconnected with a controller of base stations, mobile stations, K groups of line repeaters, a retransmission unit of radio channels. The base station comprises an antenna-feeder module of operating frequencies, a module of digital transceivers of operating frequencies, a digital unit of distribution and switching of messages, the retransmission unit of radio channels. The line repeater comprises an antenna module of incoming radio channels of retransmission, a module of line transceivers of retransmission, a module of line converters of radio channels of retransmission to a band of operating frequencies, a module of line transceivers of operating frequencies and an output antenna module of operating frequencies.
US08289887B2
A late call forwarding method in the IMS centralized service. During a call setting up, an ICCF receives a call request from the CSCF serving the called user, called session A, and the ICCF acquires a called user's roaming number and initiates a call to the called user. After receiving the call request, the VMSC serving the called user triggers the late call forwarding service according its determination. A CAMEL service is triggered when the VMSC initiates a call to the forwarding target. The VMSC exchanges messages with the ICCF and informs the ICCE about session associated information and the forwarding reason. When the ICCF determines that the forwarding is needed, it sends a response to the session A does not send the response message, after a telecom application server (TAS) receives the indication, the TAS initiates a regular forwarding service.
US08289885B2
Communication networks and associated methods are disclosed that provide third party charging for SIP sessions. A communication network of the invention comprises a session control function (e.g., an IMS CSCF), a network node (e.g., an IMS application server), and a charging system. The session control function serves a SIP session initiated between a first and second party. The network node identifies a third party to charge for the session. The network node includes a third party identifier for the third party in a SIP message for the session, and transmits the SIP message to the session control function. The session control function generates a charging message, maps the third party identifier to the charging message, and transmits the charging message that includes the third party identifier to the charging system. The charging system then initiates charging of the session to the third party based on the third party identifier.
US08289881B2
An overlay network of connection ID (called CID) processing nodes, called C-nodes, is deployed to solve joint IP mobility, NAT traversal, and path identity problems, in a unified framework. The CIDs can either be globally unique or unique at local C-nodes. CIDs can be modified along a path, and each connection is enabled to send packets in multiple paths via multiple IP networks. It is also possible to direct a path to traverse through a particular node. Double-sided/single-sided mobility, with double-sided/single-sided NAT traversal problems are solved using C-nodes deployed as terminal software, gateways, or relays.
US08289868B2
A network device measures upstream bandwidth of a communication network. The communication network includes a server and a plurality of communication nodes. The network device transmits a sequence of Internet control message protocol (ICMP) request datagrams corresponding to a sequence of time to live (TTL) increased from a first value to a second value to the server via the communication nodes. The network device designates the communication node that transmits an overtime datagram first as the best communication node, transmits a plurality of ICMP detection datagrams to the best communication node, receives response datagrams and records receiving time thereof, and calculates the upstream bandwidth according to size of the plurality of ICMP detection datagrams and the recorded receiving time of the response datagrams.
US08289866B2
A method for wireless communications is provided. The method includes generating at least one adjustable power parameter for an acquisition indicator channel (AICH) and generating at least one adjustable power parameter for an extended acquisition indicator channel (E-AICH). The method also includes generating at least one power offset representing differences between the AICH and the E-AICH.
US08289856B2
Methods and systems are described that improve the alarming logic for Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) flapping events. Embodiments provide an alarm threshold on BGP flapping conditions and alert on BGP related events. A reduction in silent failures and network outage minutes is achieved.
US08289854B1
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for analyzing a protocol utilizing a state machine, based on a token determined utilizing another state machine. In use, a state of a protocol used within a data stream is identified. Additionally, at least one taken capable of initiating a change in the state of the protocol used within the data stream is determined utilizing a first state machine. Furthermore, the protocol is analyzed based on the at least one token, utilizing a second state machine.
US08289847B2
A method of transmitting voice frames, via a transmission channel reserved for voice data, by a transmitting terminal generating voice frames using a voice signal is proposed. Such a method includes steps of: obtaining non-voice data; selecting voice data from the voice frame according to configuration data obtained beforehand relative to the transmission of non-voice data on the reserved channel; constructing of a degraded voice frame by replacing selected voice data with non-voice data; transmitting the degraded voice frame via the reserved channel to a receiving terminal. On the receiving terminal side, a method of managing voice frames coming from the transmitting terminal is proposed including the steps of: detecting a non-voice data header included in the voice frame; extracting, from the voice frame, of non-voice data, according to configuration data read in the header; transmitting of extracted non-voice data to a processor of non-voice data.
US08289839B2
In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a physical port and a plurality of logical sub-interfaces under the physical port. The physical port and the logical sub-interfaces are configured as a Bidirectional Forwarding Detection (BFD) neighbor group. The physical port being configured to run BFD sessions to detect failures at a first rate that is substantially faster as compared to a second rate of BFD sessions to detect failures on the logical sub-interfaces. The physical port notifies the logical sub-interfaces of a BFD failure at the physical port, with the logical sub-interfaces shutting down responsive to the notification.
US08289838B2
There is disclosed a source messaging system having a queue for receiving messages. The source messaging system has means for determining whether a message should be permitted to become INDOUBT. This is done by retrieving a value denoting the maximum number of messages that may be permitted to become INDOUBT at any one time; determining whether the message falls within the range denoted by the value; and responsive to determining that the message falls within the range, permitting the message to become INDOUBT.
US08289836B2
An apparatus and associated methods to improve diversity gain while preserving channel throughput in a multicarrier communication channel are generally presented.
US08289828B2
The relation between the cover layer thickness of a data recording surface and ratio α of SCO to SCD is previously calculated and stored in a storage unit, where SCD denotes coma aberration which occurs when the data recording medium is tilted by unit angle and SCO denotes coma aberration which occurs when the objective lens is tilted by unit angle. When α1 denotes ratio α for a data recording surface corresponding to the smallest cover layer thickness, tilting angle θ1 of the objective lens is determined based on the α1 and a tilt adjustment of the objective lens is made. Also, when α2 denotes ratio α for a target data recording surface, tilting angle θ2 of the objective lens is estimated based on the ratio of α2 to α1 and a tilt correction of the objective lens is made.
US08289817B1
A touch lock guarantees reliable alarm activation comprises: a) an upright front display screen; b) a keypad, haying three separated groups of keys: a choice of alarm-time set function keys; a ten numeric key group positioned centrally on the keypad; and a AM-PM/Set function key. The clock can be fully operated by a single finger, using a maximum of six touches, providing assurance of entry of each touch, without the need to hold or grasp the clock, and without the need for a user to reorient himself from a position facing the clock, or to reorient the clock from its operable, optimally viewed orientation. After a user has easily and quickly set an alarm time by utilizing each of the three groups of keys, he then can at any time review his entries with a glance.
US08289815B2
The timepiece includes a stationary outer case (1) in which a pivoting inner case (10) is hinged in an inclined position via the action of a spring. The locking/unlocking mechanism is characterized in that it is formed by a mobile element of the external part that can be manipulated in the plane of the timepiece such as a rotating bezel (20) of the inner case (10) including a lug (22) that is engaged in a groove (2) of the outer case (1).
US08289813B2
The present invention can permit an electronic device to output contextual information about an event when an alarm stored within the electronic device goes off. In one embodiment, an electronic device can permit a user to select an alarm template from a plurality of alarm templates and associate the selected alarm template with an alarm. When the alarm goes off at a later date, the electronic device can output the contextual information of the user-selected alarm template, thereby providing the user with contextual information relevant to the event for which the alarm was created. In another embodiment of the present invention, a receiving electronic device can automatically match alarm templates with alarms transferred from a transmitting electronic device. The present invention also can permit a user to create an alarm template, and customize alarm templates pre-populated by the manufacturer of an electronic device.
