US08337467B2

The invention relates to a safety device (1) for a syringe (2), the device comprising a protective sheath (20) in which the syringe (2) can slide, said sheath (20) presenting an opening (36) at a distal portion (33), which opening is suitable for allowing the syringe (2) to project beyond the sheath (20). According to the invention, the sheath (20) presents radial resilience at its distal portion (33) suitable for enabling the sheath (20) to receive a cylinder (3, 19) of diameter greater than that of said opening (36).
US08337466B2

A manual intravenous pump includes an input line, a fluid reservoir operatively connected to the input line, and an output line operatively connected to the fluid reservoir. The manual intravenous pump further includes a manually operable actuator, configured to facilitate the flow of fluid from the input line, through the fluid reservoir, and to the output line.
US08337465B2

Ports for accessing a vessels within a patient include passageways that can guide needles or other access devices directly into the vessels. The ports can be implanted subcutaneously within a patient. Some ports may be used in the creation and use of vascular access buttonholes.
US08337461B2

A universal gripping surface is provided on an intravenous catheter assembly. The universal gripping surface provides a plurality of surfaces whereby a user may grip the catheter assembly in a desired gripping configuration for improved balance and control of the catheter assembly during insertion of the catheter. Additionally, the universal gripping surface includes a guard feature to prevent a user's unintended contact with various components of the catheter assembly whereby the contact may result in an undesirable “over the bevel” condition.
US08337459B1

In order for diabetics to maintain appropriate blood sugar levels, this application will enable a person to determine the amount of carbohydrates in a particular food item in any restaurant. With the modern technology of applications for smart phones or hand held computer devices that can read barcodes, the information can easily be retrieved for appropriate use. Software can be integrated between the hand held computer device that will enable an insulin pump to automatically and accurately dose the appropriate amount of insulin that is required.
US08337458B2

Described herein are cannulas having a stepped exterior. Also described are methods of making and using these cannulas, for example to deliver one or more materials to the central nervous system of an animal.
US08337456B2

A syringe includes a body having a distal end, a proximal end and a center section therebetween, a plunger movably disposed in the body, and a hollow alignment flange for orienting and manipulating the syringe.
US08337443B2

The present invention provides an apparatus for correcting an ingrown nail within a very short time (30 min to 1 hr) with a very simple operation and without pain. The apparatus contains an upstanding push-down member having at its lower end a push-down head; a laterally extending, lifting angle maintenance means secured at its middle portion to the push-down member; and lifting members (having anchors at their lower ends) extending downwardly from portions of the maintenance means which are opposite relative to the middle portion of the maintenance means at which the push-down member is secured. When the lifting members are placed under tension, the anchors secured to side portions of a nail are lifted to exert a lifting force on the side portions while causing the push-down member to push the middle portion of the nail in its thicknesswise direction.
US08337427B2

In a bioinstrument system S of the present invention, a processor unit 121 in a bioinstrument device 108 obtains information indicative of displacement of two fingers in deformed state from distance between the two fingers; and calculates a finger-tapping force by using the obtained information and a predetermined fingertips' stiffness function retrieved from a storage unit 122. This provides a method for inspecting for neurological disorders in consideration of the finger-tapping force.
US08337415B2

A device comprises a needle, probe, holster, and tissue collection chamber. A motor simultaneously powers a vacuum pump, translates and rotates a cutter, and translates a plunger. The needle includes a piercing tip and an interior shelf that divides the needle into a cutter lumen and lateral lumen. The cutter and shelf include apertures configured to mince a portion of a tissue specimen that has been severed by the cutter and forced through the apertures by compressive force from the plunger as well as vacuum force. The apertures of the shelf and the apertures of the rotating cutter cooperate to shear the tissue being compressed by the plunger. The minced tissue is then transported to the tissue collection chamber under vacuum force with the assistance of a fluid flush. Collected minced tissue may then be further processed as desired for a given medical treatment or procedure.
US08337397B2

Landmark directional guidance is provided to an operator of an endoscopic device by displaying graphical representations of vectors adjacent a current image captured by an image capturing device disposed at a tip of the endoscopic device and being displayed at the time on a display screen, wherein the graphical representations of the vectors point in directions that the endoscope tip is to be steered in order to move towards associated landmarks such as anatomic structures in a patient.
US08337393B2

Described herein are delivery devices and methods of using the devices for delivering an ocular implant into a suprachoroidal space without use of a goniolens. The delivery device includes a handle including a channel extending from a proximal end of the handle to a distal end of the handle, an applier coupled to the handle, the applier including a blunt distal tip and an elongate, flexible wire insertable through a fluid channel of an ocular implant, and a fiber optic image bundle reversibly inserted through the channel such that the fiber optic image bundle extends to a region proximal to the blunt distal tip of the applier.
US08337386B2

The invention relates generally to surgical implants, and in various embodiments to surgical implants configured for promoting growth of well-organized collagenous tissue at an anatomical site.
US08337383B2

An assembler which limits the amount of torque that may be applied to a brachytherapy cartridge magazine when its cap is threaded onto same. The assembler is constructed so that the brachytherapy cartridge will rotate within the assembler before a destructive torque is applied while the cap and cartridge magazine are screwed together.
US08337381B2

Industrial process for the treatment of RSW (residential solid waste) after being milled is processed with sanitizing solutions, and binders and hardeners, which chemically immobilize and avoid the production of percolating liquids, leaching of heavy metals and generation of greenhouse gases. The resulting material is a grey, warm and malleable paste that is moldable, allowing diverse uses. The material can be directly buried in the ground without special protections; can be used as construction material for urban furniture or architectural structures; or can be anchored in the ocean, building habitats of ocean ecosystems, if it is properly packaged in waterproof material.
US08337372B1

The invention relates to an exercise device for use by a user on a selected surface material comprising a grasping member having a first end and a second end, a first tool head mounted to the first end of the grasping member and a second tool head mounted to the second end of the grasping member. Each of the first tool head and the second tool head has sufficient structural rigidity to be interacted with the surface material without significant deformation whereby a user can perform exercises upon the selected surface material by physically interacting the first tool head and second tool head with the surface material.
US08337370B2

A weightlifting system includes a weight bar frame rack which includes a multitude of openings along an upright to receive a weight support assembly at various positions along the frame rack. The support assembly includes a multitude of studs which extend from an inner surface of a U-shaped support plate to engage the openings and provide a robust weight support which will bear a significant quantity of weight. In use, the weight support assembly is pushed into and down the upright such that that the studs engage and are guided by the openings. Concurrent therewith, a spring bias is overcome until a latch member encounters a lock opening to securely lock the support into the desired position. To remove the weight support assembly a lock trigger is retracted and the weight support assembly is lifted up and out of the openings. The entire locking and unlocking of the weight support assembly is readily performed with one hand.
US08337358B2

A transmission includes first, second, third, and fourth clutches, first and second shift valves, and first, second, third, and fourth trim valves. Each trim valve is operative to control fluid pressure to a respective one of the first, second, third, and fourth clutches. The transmission also includes a controller. The controller is electrically operatively connected to the first and second shift valves and the first, second, third, and fourth trim valves to selectively provide a first clutch configuration for operating in a first mode and a second clutch configuration for operating in a second mode. The transmission also includes a clutch control mechanization for selectively moving the clutch configuration to a default position in the event power to the transmission is lost.
US08337351B2

A hybrid power driving system includes a planetary gear mechanism having a first rotating component, a second rotating component, and a third rotating component. The system also includes an electric motor operatively coupled to the first rotating component, a clutch, an internal-combustion engine operatively coupled to the first rotating component by the clutch, and a brake operatively coupled to the second rotating component and configured to control the second rotating component in a locked position or in an unlocked position. The third rotating component is operatively coupled to an output end to provide rotational power.
US08337349B2

The invention provides a power transmission belt which is superior in oil resistance so that it is swollen to only a reduced degree, reduced in hardness, and small in abrasion if the rubber layers are stained with oil while the belt is being used in an oil-present environment. Such a power transmission belt has rubber layers which comprise a compression rubber layer and an adhesion rubber layer both of which are vulcanized and bonded to each other and load carrying cords are embedded in the adhesion rubber layer, wherein at least the compression rubber layer between the two rubber layers is formed of vulcanizate obtained by vulcanizing ethylene-α-olefin-diene rubber with an organic peroxide and a trifunctional co-crosslinking agent.
US08337339B2

The invention is a floatation game device with a pole, which pole has a first (upper) end, a second (lower) end, and an intermediate section(s). A ballast weight is attached to the lower end. A generally ovoid and round float is attached to the intermediate section. A rope connector is attached to the upper end. One end of a rope is attached to the upper end of the pole and a ball is attached to the other end of the rope. The pole of the floatation game device can be disassembled into smaller sections. The attachment means can be a swivel, a hole, or other attachment means.
US08337336B2

A method of selecting a preferred golf shaft for a player who uses an existing golf shaft, according to one or more aspects of the present invention, may comprise gathering a plurality of empirical data sets, each data set corresponding to an individual golf shaft selected from a plurality of golf shafts; providing a plurality of specification codes, each associated with an individual empirical data set of the plurality of empirical data sets; from the plurality of specification codes, identifying a first specification code associated with the existing golf shaft; gathering feedback associated with the existing golf shaft from the player; and using the feedback to select, from the plurality of specification codes, a second specification code corresponding to the preferred golf shaft.
US08337335B2

In a first aspect, a system for monitoring a swing is provided that includes (1) a swing measurement device adapted to couple to a swinging object and to output a signal indicative of a characteristic of the swinging object; (2) a wireless transmitter coupled to the swing measurement device and adapted to wirelessly transmit the signal output by the swing measurement device; and (3) a wireless device adapted to receive the wirelessly transmitted signal and to provide information regarding the swinging object based on the received signal. The wireless device is a cellular telephone or personal digital assistant (PDA). Numerous other aspects are provided.
US08337331B2

A golf ball including an inner core layer formed from a first thermoset rubber composition and having a diameter of about 1.25 to 1.58 inches; an outer core layer formed from a second thermoset rubber composition; and an intermediate core layer disposed between the inner core layer and outer core layer. The intermediate core layer is formed from a thermoplastic composition having a first melt flow index at 280° C. under a 10-kg load of less than about 35 g/10 min and has a thickness of about 0.005 inches to 0.10 inches and a surface hardness of greater than about 60 Shore D. A cover layer having a thickness of about 0.01 to 0.05 inches and a surface hardness of about 60 Shore D or less is formed around the core.
US08337327B2

A fairway wood type golf club head and method for forming is disclosed herein. The golf club head preferably has a cast body, a compression molded crown, and weight pads. The weight pads can be manipulated to create different mass property configurations for the golf club head using the same body and crown.
US08337324B2

Golf club heads for iron-type golf clubs (including 1 through 9 irons, iron-type hybrid clubs, driving irons, and wedges (e.g., pitching wedges, lob wedges, gap wedges, sand wedges, etc.)) include a striking face. The striking face may comprise a plurality of spaced, parallel grooves that extend across at least a portion of the striking face. The grooves may form a herringbone groove pattern. The herringbone groove pattern may include two or more rows of diagonal, parallel grooves slanting in alternate directions to form a series of parallel Vs. The grooves may be rounded. Other possible groove shapes also are described.
US08337317B2

A Ferris wheel-type ride. A lever arm is mounted to the wheel rim to freely pivot between front and rear stops. Passenger gondolas, pivotally attached to the lever arms, travel through four zones experiencing differing ride dynamics. In the first zone, the lever arm abuts the front stop while, in the second, the lever arm is spaced apart from the stops and the lever arm is supported from above by the wheel via the lever arm causing the gondola to be vertically lifted and to rotate slower than the hub rotation rate. In the third zone, the lever arm abuts the rear stop and, in the fourth zone, the lever arm is spaced apart from the stops and is supported from below by the wheel as it falls toward the front stop at a rate greater than the hub rotation rate.
US08337316B2

A torsion damper including a plurality of elastic elements, a first plate drivingly engaged with the plurality of elastic elements and adapted to drivingly engage with a transmission shaft, a gear, and a second plate drivingly engaged with the gear and the plurality of elastic elements. At least one of the first or second plate is adapted to hydraulically seal with respect to a housing for the transmission. The gear may be adapted to be a power take-off gear for the transmission.
US08337309B2

A electronic gaming device that distributes data based awards has been developed. The gaming device includes an outcome processor that determines certain machine events and an award delivery device that delivers data based awards in response to the machine events.
US08337308B2

A game system includes a game device, and a hand-held device having a predetermined input surface. The hand-held device transmits operation data which includes touch data representing a player input position on the predetermined input surface and movement data whose value changes in accordance with movement of the hand-held device. The game device controls an attitude of a control surface placed in a three-dimensional game space based on the movement data. The game device calculates a control direction in the game space based on the attitude of the control surface and the touch data, and performs a game process based on the control direction. The first game image representing the game space is output to and displayed on a display device which is separate from the hand-held device.
US08337304B2

An example portable, handheld game console includes a main body incorporating a first display screen, and a cover body incorporating a second display screen. The main body is hingedly connected to the cover body along adjacent forward and rearward edges, respectively, such that the cover body is movable between closed and open positions. The main body is provided with a plurality of control buttons and a pair of game card slots for receiving game cards of different dimensions.
US08337287B2

A gaming machine includes a gaming console. A display is mounted in the gaming console for displaying a wagering game and its result. A controller controls operation of the game, the controller displaying the result of a first game on the display, making payment of a prize if the first game has a prize winning result and, thereafter, irrespective of the result of the first game, varying a result displayed on the display without requiring any additional wager by a player whether before or after completion of the first game.
US08337286B2

With liquid crystal provided in front of reels, a gaming machine includes reels 3 having symbol placement faces shaped like curved surfaces on which a plurality of symbols are placed for variably displaying of a plurality of symbol rows each made up of the plurality of symbols, liquid crystal 504 being provided in front of and opposed to the reels 3 for displaying the symbols through a flat symbol transmission face and also displaying an image concerning game play, reel backlights 513 for illuminating the symbols, and reel side reflectors 320 being provided on a side of the reels 3 for covering an area sandwiched between the symbol placement face and the symbol transmission face on a face on the side of the reels 3 for assisting image display of the liquid crystal 504.
US08337278B2

Systems and methods for performing one or more measurements of a substrate at one or more radii along the substrate are described. Thickness measurements taken at various radii along the substrate can be averaged together to obtain an average value that reflects an overall substrate thickness. A more accurate measurement of the overall substrate thickness can be obtained by performing multiple measurements and averaging the measurements together. Using the average value, polishing can be adjusted to ensure that the substrate achieves a desired planarized thickness profile.
US08337260B2

Devices are provided for facilitating connection of at least one element to a pole of a battery. The devices include an adapter including a first portion of the adapter and a second portion of the adapter. The first portion of the adapter is configured to attach to the pole of the battery and the second portion of the adapter includes at least one protruding member. The at least one protruding member is configured to receive the at least one element and is electrically connected to the first portion of the adapter. The device further includes a protective lid configured to be received by the adapter and to provide an electrically insulating cover for the at least one protruding member.
US08337256B1

Disclosed is a pogo-pin connector which includes an insulated body, at least one pogo-pin terminal, at least one insulative sleeve, at least one conductive terminal, at least one receiving pedestal and at least one spring part. A pogo-pin terminal slot and a conductive terminal slot are defined through insulated body. Each of the pogo-pin terminals has a top end movably protruded beyond the pogo-pin terminal slot and a bottom end defining a slotted hole toward an inside of the pogo-pin terminal. The insulative sleeve is removably fastened at the bottom end of the pogo-pin terminal. The conductive terminal is disposed within the conductive terminal slot. A receiving pedestal is used to seal the bottom end of the pogo-pin terminal slot. In accordance with the configuration of the insulative sleeve, an arcing effect occurring between the pogo-pin connector and a complementary connector can be avoided.
US08337253B2

Structures, methods, and apparatus that provide connector receptacles that have a reduced tendency to scratch and otherwise mar connector inserts, have an aesthetically-pleasing appearance, have an improved tactile response when inserts are inserted, or are very thin or have a low profile. Various examples reduce scratches and wear by utilizing domes, cylinders, balls, or other structures as finger contacts in a connector receptacle. Another example provides aesthetically-pleasing connector receptacle enclosures by forming receptacle enclosures using the same type of material, or material having the same or similar color or texture, as is used for enclosing the electronic device that includes the receptacle. Another example provides an aesthetically-pleasing receptacle enclosure by forming receptacle enclosures that are, in part or in whole, contiguous or formed with the housing. Another example provides a super-thin connector receptacle by removing fingers and portions of a shell along one or more sides.
US08337250B1

An electric plug includes a casing, two metal contacting blades, a printed circuit board and a cap. The casing has a cavity defined in the casing. The two metal contacting blades are mounted in the casing and extend out from the casing. The printed circuit board is received in the cavity in the casing and has two metal clampers electrically connecting with the printed circuit board. Each clamper has two legs mounted on the printed circuit board and curved toward each other for securely clamping the contacting blade between the two legs and electrically conducting the contacting blade with the printed circuit board. The cap is mounted on the casing for closing the cavity in the casing. The clampers provide a high heat-resistance. The connections between clampers and the contacting blades are firm for providing a well conduction without wire or welding.
US08337246B2

A modular jack (100) comprising a housing (200) defining an upper port and a lower port vertically stacked under the upper port, and a contact module (400) assembled to the housing. The contact modules each comprises a first vertical PCB (46) and a second vertical PCB (47) extending along a front-to-rear direction, a vertical shield plate (50) disposed between the first vertical PCB and the second vertical PCB, a mating module, and a horizontal shield plate (418) disposed between the upper contact module and the lower contact module. The horizontal shield plate is disposed below the upper row of ports and above the lower row of ports and connecting the vertical shield plate.
US08337244B2

A housing (11) of a waterproof connector (10) is formed with terminal accommodating chambers (12) arranged in rows one above another and columns. A rubber sheet (20) for sealing is arranged at a terminal insertion surface side of the housing (11) and has wire insertion holes (24) corresponding to the terminal accommodating chamber (12). The wire insertion holes (24) are dimensioned to be held in close contact with the outer circumferential surfaces of wires (30) inserted therethrough. The rubber sheet (20) is with resilient members (22) having a larger modulus of elasticity than a rubber sheet main body (21) in parts at least on a wire insertion side surface (21a) either or both between the respective rows of the wire insertion holes of the rubber sheet main body (21) formed with the wire insertion holes (24) or/and between the respective columns of the wire insertion holes.
US08337242B2

A data cable includes a first connector, two bolts, a number of wires extending from the first connector, and at least one connector electrically connected to the wires. The first connector includes an insulated main body. The main body includes an elongated installing portion and a short connection portion extending from a rear side of the installing portion. Opposite ends of the installing portion each define a through hole, and opposite ends of the connection portion each define a receiving hole. The bolts are configured to be detachably received in the receiving holes, and operable to mount the first connector to an object via the through holes.
US08337238B2

A connector assembly includes a shielded housing having a cavity. The shielded housing has a mating end and a cable end configured to receive a cable therethrough. A plug is received in the cavity that has terminals extending between mating ends and wire terminating ends. The wire terminating ends being configured to be terminated to corresponding wires of the cable. A cable clip is received in the shielded housing proximate to the cable end. The cable clip has a base and a bonding arm extending from the base. The base engages and is electrically connected to the shielded housing. The bonding arm is positioned in the cavity and is configured to engage a cable shield of the cable to electrically connect the cable shield and the shielded housing.
US08337237B2

A connector device includes a male connector and a female connector attached to and detached from each other by moving the male connector in a sliding direction relative to the female connector, the male connector including plug electrodes arrayed in an arraying direction perpendicular to the sliding direction, each plug electrode including a curved part formed at one end and bent in the arraying direction, and the female connector including jack electrodes arrayed in the arraying direction, each jack electrode corresponding to one of the plug electrodes and including a connection formed at one end and projecting in a direction parallel to the sliding direction, each connection including two resilient terminal portions, and when the male connector and the female connector are mutually fitted to each other, the curved part of each plug electrode is inserted and fitted between the two resilient terminal portions of a corresponding jack electrode.
US08337235B2

A connector (10) formed by removing front and rear shaping dies in forward and backward directions. The connector (10) includes a housing (20), a lock arm (40) provided displaceably relative to the outer surface of the housing (20) and adapted to hold a mating housing and the housing (20) in a connected state. Couplings (51) connect the lock arm (40) and the housing (20) and have front and rear curved surfaces (57F, 57R). Front steps (54F) extend continuously forward from the end edge (58F) of the front curved surfaces (57F) closer to the rear curved surfaces (57R). Rear steps (54R) extend continuously back from end edges of the rear curved surfaces (57R) closer to the front curved surfaces (57F). Pairs of curved portions (59F, 59R) facing forward and back are provided at opposite ends of the curved surfaces (57F, 57R) in directions crossing the curving directions.
US08337232B2

An electrical connector for electrically connecting a central processing unit (CPU) with a plurality of electronic components assembled thereunder and conductive pins surrounding the electronic components to a printed circuit board (PCB) comprises a base having a plurality of terminals received therein for contacting with the conductive pins of the CPU, a cover mounted on the base, an actuator actuating the cover sliding along the base and a shielding frame mounted on the base. The base has a first opening and a plurality of passageways surrounding the first opening for receiving the terminals. The cover has a second opening corresponding to the first opening. The shielding frame is tightly attached to the sidewalls of the first opening and received in the first and second openings to prevent terminals from electromagnetic interference (EMI) emitted from electronic components assembled under the CPU.
US08337227B2

A wire harness is divided in an arrangement direction, and terminals are connected to ends of wires of the divided wire harnesses and respectively mounted into first and second connectors. An intermediate connector is provided which includes a first connector fitting portion and a second connector fitting portion, into which the first and second connectors respectively are fit, and a partition wall is disposed between the first and second connector fitting portions. Intermediate terminals are inserted through the partition wall of the intermediate connector and electrical contact portions at both ends of the respective intermediate terminals project into the first and second connector fitting portions. A waterproofing agent is filled in a part of one or both of the first and second connector fitting portions in contact with the partition wall to embed parts of the intermediate terminals except the electrical contact portions therein.
US08337217B2

In an example, an apparatus, such as a header pin, includes an insulator and a first pin disposed at least partially within the insulator. The first pin includes a first portion configured to electrically couple to a circuit board. A second portion is configured to releasably engage a pin of a surface mount module. The second portion includes a retention feature configured to selectively retain the second portion in engagement with the pin of the surface mount module. The second portion is movable between a first position and a second position, wherein the second portion is biased toward the first position. The second portion is movable to the second position to allow the pin of the surface mount module to pass by the retention feature. The second portion is configured to move back toward the first position to engage the pin of the surface mount module.
US08337216B1

Touch sensor panels can use touch sensors to detect the presence and location of a touch event. In order for the touch sensors to function reliably, the back plane of the touch sensor panel should be grounded. Supplying this ground connection can provide a uniform electrical reference point from which changes in voltage and capacitance due to a touch event can be measured. Without this ground connection, touch sensors may misrepresent the touch event. Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide different means for providing a ground connection for the back plane of a touch sensor panel. These embodiments are designed to provide a reliable ground connection even in the presence of various failure conditions.
US08337212B2

A multi-mode athleticism movement measurement system includes an athlete-borne acceleration sensor and an athleticism processing device to determine athleticism information based upon one or more timing measurements from the athlete-borne acceleration sensor, the athleticism information corresponding to any of multiple athleticism measurement modes available on athleticism processing device and selectable by a user. A data link between the athlete-borne acceleration sensor and the athleticism rating processing device transmits the one or more timing measurements from the athlete-borne acceleration sensor to the athleticism rating processing device.
US08337208B1

A system of interrogation to estimate whether a subject of interrogation is likely experiencing high stress, emotional volatility and/or internal conflict in the subject's responses to an interviewer's questions. The system applies one or more of four procedures, a first statistical analysis, a second statistical analysis, a third analysis and a heat map analysis, to identify one or more documents containing the subject's responses for which further examination is recommended. Words in the documents are characterized in terms of dimensions representing different classes of emotions and states of mind, in which the subject's responses that manifest high stress, emotional volatility and/or internal conflict are identified. A heat map visually displays the dimensions manifested by the subject's responses in different colors, textures, geometric shapes or other visually distinguishable indicia.
US08337206B2

The invention relates to a tool (10) for assisting in the design of an aircraft flight deck compatible with a night vision system, comprising a closed chamber (12) functioning as a dark room and containing: a mockup (14) that reproduces the interior of a flight deck and is representative of the visual characteristics of the station, the mockup integrating equipment items that are representative of a flight deck and that are capable of reproducing a plurality of possible illumination configurations of the flight deck on command, a light source (22) capable of reproducing at least one level of darkness in the chamber.
US08337205B2

A dental implant device for insertion into a bore defined in bone for use with a prosthetic tooth or dental appliance includes an abutment with a plurality of male keys disposed about the distal end of the abutment capable of being affixed to the prosthetic tooth or dental appliance, an implantable anchor having a proximal and distal end, a plurality of female keyways defined into the proximal end of the anchor, the keyways capable of coupling to the male keys of the abutment and thereby preventing relative rotation of the abutment and anchor; an interlocking thread helically defined around a longitudinal axis of the anchor, the thread being adapted to couple to the bore defined in the bone and elements for coupling the abutment to the implant anchor.
US08337195B1

An injection mold for molding a product which has a gap and an inserting groove at a side thereof includes a movable mold and a stationary mold. A fillister is designed in an inner sidewall of the inserting groove. The stationary mold includes an inclined pillar slantwise mounted in the stationary mold. The movable mold includes a movable core and a sliding mechanism which includes a sliding block, a preventing board and a sliding element. The preventing board is further inserted in the sliding block therein. The sliding block is parted from the product to form the gap, for assisting the sliding element to be parted from the product to form the inserting groove and the fillister under the drive of the inclined pillar and the inner end face of the sliding block acting on the other end of the sliding element, when the injection mold is opened.
US08337192B2

A method and apparatus for manufacturing composite components. A tool is present for use in manufacturing composite components. The tool comprises an encapsulation layer having a shape, an insulation layer on the encapsulation layer, and an isolation layer on the insulation layer. The isolation layer has an outer surface capable of contacting a composite material laid up on the outer surface. The insulation layer is capable of insulating the encapsulation layer from heat applied to the composite material. The encapsulation layer is capable of maintaining a shape with the composite material laid up on the isolation layer during a curing process to form a composite component from the composite material.
US08337185B2

A rotary compressor includes a compressor casing which includes a compression unit for sucking refrigerant gas from a low pressure side of a refrigerating cycle and ejecting the gas to a high pressure side of the refrigerating cycle, and a motor for driving the compression unit through a rotating shaft. The compressor has a gas hole formed on a rotor of the motor for causing a refrigerant gas below the motor to pass upward, and an oil separation plate having a central cylindrical portion, a curved portion continuous to the central cylindrical portion and curved in a radial direction, and an outer peripheral disk portion continuous to the curved portion and is fixed on the rotor by a rivet so that a lower end portion of the central cylindrical portion comes into close contact with the upper end of the rotor or an upper end plate of the rotor.
US08337159B2

An airfoil arranged for use in a fluid flow of varying direction relative to the airfoil, has arranged thereon a plural axis hinge for automatic adjustment of the angle of pitch of the airfoil. The airfoil can be applied to a rotary crossflow device for use in a fluid flow of varying apparent flow direction, an oscillating device for use in a fluid flow, a force generation device for use in a fluid flow of varying direction, or a flow control device for use in a fluid flow of alternating direction.
US08337158B1

A turbine rotor blade with a tip cap section bonded to a tip end of the blade airfoil section, the tip cap section forming a separate cooling passage for the blade tip with a series of impingement chambers and diffusion chambers extending from a leading edge cooling air supply channel to a trailing edge exist hole. The chambers are formed by slanted ribs and a thin thermal skin is bonded to the ribs and upper and bottom surfaces to form an airfoil surface for the tip cap section. a blade with a damaged tip section can be repaired by removing the damaged section and bonding a tip cap section to the remaining surface of the blade to form a reusable rotor blade.
US08337152B2

The present invention relates to a centrifugal pump, a shaft sleeve and a stationary seal member for a static seal used in connection with a dynamic sealing of a centrifugal pump. The invention relates to a static seal the clearance of which may be adjusted while the pump is running. Especially the invention discusses the novel structure of such a static seal. A characterizing feature of a centrifugal pump comprising a pump housing (8), a shaft (6), an impeller attached on the shaft, a dynamic sealing (4) having a sealing chamber (12) and a repeller (14) mounted on the shaft (6), and a static seal (2) arranged in a shaft space (42) behind the dynamic sealing (4) as seen from the direction of the impeller, said static seal (54, 54′) comprising an axially adjustable seal cover (56) including a stationary seal member; and a rotary seal member arranged on the shaft (6), is that the seal cover (56) is provided with a flexible seal member (77, 92), whose counter member (68) is arranged in connection with a shaft sleeve (60) arranged on the shaft (6).
US08337146B2

A compressor rotor casing treatment comprises a plurality of axially spaced-apart circumferential grooves defined in the inner surface of the compressor casing adjacent the tips of the compressor rotor blades. A plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart recessed baffles projects from a bottom surface of each groove to a distance less than a full height of the groove.
US08337145B2

A blower assembly including a motor (4), an impeller (6) and a volute (8) that is configured such that an inlet chamber (112) of the volute and an outlet chamber (114) of the volute are divided from one another by an airtight membrane (128a-b) and the membrane is configured to allow the transmission of pressure waves between the inlet and outlet chambers.
US08337142B2

A technique is provided to facilitate pumping of fluids in a well environment. A submersible pumping system having a submersible pump incorporates features that manage thrust loads resulting from rotating impellers. The thrust reducing features cooperate with the action of the impellers in one or more pump stages to reduce forces otherwise acting on certain pump related components.
US08337137B2

A transfer apparatus has a vertical guide rod, on which a vertical carriage slides, which is integrated with a horizontal carriage, both of which support a transfer bar and gripping members that are responsible for the automatic handling of stamped parts in process. The transfer apparatus has a shaft limiter, below which there is a right angle lever with a stop, and a horizontal guide rod where the horizontal carriage slides. The transfer apparatus has a drive lever to drive a connecting rod which is connected to the right angle lever and has an adjustable stop toward a fixed stop, which limits the travel of the horizontal carriage in the Y-axis direction. The transfer apparatus in question has a continuous operating cycle and is controlled by a central processing unit.
US08337136B2

A device for lifting and moving shelves, in particular shelves for cages for laboratory animals, said device comprising: means for lifting at least one shelf, and for keeping it lifted from the ground; moving means to allow displacement of the device in the presence of a shelf lifted from the ground, along at least one direction. Structure comprising several devices as described above, engaged with a driving system to allow translation along a common direction.
US08337135B2

An apparatus, system and method allows for the towing of a vehicle. Specifically, the apparatus cradles an exposed wheel hub of a vehicle having had a tire removed. The wheel hub sits within the cradle or well, while the apparatus is disposed on a tow truck or a tow dolly. The tow truck or tow dolly safely moves the vehicle without damaging the vehicle.
US08337134B2

A device for stacking a plurality of silicon wafers has an upright machine carrier for holding a plurality of silicon wafers, the silicon wafers being provided in a horizontal position in the machine carrier. The device has three identical loading cassettes for introducing several silicon wafers therein. The machine carrier has holding devices for the loading cassettes. The loading cassettes have a lower support surface for putting silicon wafers on in stack-like fashion, and a rear side wall running substantially perpendicular thereto. The loading cassette is designed in such a way that the side opposite the rear side wall, and the top side are freely accessible.
US08337133B2

A system for managing the entry of a wafer carrier into a stocker in a semiconductor manufacturing operation is disclosed. The system comprises a stocker that accepts wafer carriers via one or more input ports. The present invention provides a means for detecting the presence of a wafer carrier at the input port, means for identifying the type of the wafer carrier, and means for executing an action sequence if the stocker is not compatible with those wafer carriers. Upon detecting an erroneous condition, an action sequence is executed which may include prevention entry of the wafer carrier, and notifying an operator.
US08337129B2

Disclosed is an apparatus for locking and flagging a wheel nut, the wheel nut being rotatable about a central axis to a secured position. The apparatus comprises a substantially cylindrical body having a toothed central bore therein sized to closely surround and engage a periphery of the wheel nut. The cylindrical body having a slot therein so as to permit the cylindrical body to be radially expandable. The apparatus further comprises a first extension extending perpendicularly from the body having an indicator thereon and a second extension extending perpendicularly from the body to an opposed side thereof. The second extension having a distal end adapted to overlap and engage with a first extension of an adjacent wheel nut cover so as to cover the indicator of the adjacent wheel nut cover when the wheel nut is in a secured position.
US08337126B2

The method makes use of four top corner plates (3), four bottom corner plates (4) and five center plates (5). Each plate (3, 4 and 5) has a number of holes (2) that accept and retain swivel connectors (1) and adjustable connector straps (8) that mechanically connect the corner plates (3) and (4) and center plates (5) and in this manner allow for the even restraining of the goods (7) packed on the pallet (14).
US08337125B2

A system with a container (1) and a tool holder (20) having two ends (21, 22). One of the ends of the tool holder is adapted to be secured to a machine tool and the other end is adapted for attaching a cutting edge or a cutting edge carrying unit. The tool holder includes an internal cavity (23) surrounded by a cavity wall. The cavity accommodates the container. One end of the cavity is adapted for connection to a supply for a cooling medium and the other end is connected to an outlet for cooling medium. The cavity furthermore includes an opening (25) for installation of the container. At least one gap for leading the cooling medium is formed between the container and the cavity wall. The container can be installed in a machine tool, and the container can be used to accommodate one or several sensors for measuring parameters or for receiving a damping system.
US08337122B2

A continuous semi-dense phase conveying system comprising a vessel having a gas inlet, a particulate material inlet, and a gas and particulate material outlet, which has an operating pressure of about 15 psig or less. The system includes a rotary airlock valve for feeding particulate material into the vessel and a pressurizing gas supply which branches into a feed gas line and a bypass line. A pneumatic conveying line coupled to the gas and particulate material outlet of said the and coupled to the bypass line. The pressure of the vessel is controlled using a bypass valve on said bypass line and optimize the flow of gas and particulate matter through the pneumatic conveying line.
US08337115B2

The paving stone (1) which can degrade environmental pollutant elements or gases, comprising a body provided with two layers, a first surface layer (2) and a second base layer (3) which are solidly overlapped, where said surface layer (2) comprises a solidified paste including cement, silica sand, titanium dioxide, zeolite and ferric oxides or FeO2, marble pebbles and recycled materials, while the base layer (3) comprises a solidified paste including cement, preferably grey, aggregate particles and recycled materials, and a method for producing said stone (1) in a continuous process.
US08337113B2

A torque arm for securing the position of a power train relative to a motor vehicle includes a first mount and a second mount. The first mount and the second mount are spaced by a body portion. The first mount is formed by a continuous ring defining a first central opening and is integral with the body portion. The second mount is formed by a loop defining a second central opening and the loop extends from the body portion at an opposite end of the body portion from the continuous ring.
US08337109B2

The applicator (1, 1′) of a cosmetic product (6) includes a manual gripping element (2) and an application member (3) of the product (6), and is characterized in that: a) the application member (3) includes at least one fixed element (30) and one rotating element (31), forming an application roller free to rotate about the fixed element (30) about a rotation axis (10), b) the fixed element (31) is typically fixed to the manual gripping element (2), c) the fixed element (30) and the rotating element (31) are fixed by reversible or irreversible cooperation. Advantages are easier application resulting in a different appearance.
US08337106B2

The present invention provides an image forming apparatus including: a recording medium conveying section; an image forming section, disposed to the recording medium conveying section and relatively moveably supported by the recording medium conveying section at one end side, that forms an image on a recording medium; a side panel that configures a side face portion of the image forming section in a width direction intersecting with the conveying direction, and supports a drive source that drives the image forming section; a support plate, provided between the recording medium conveying section and the image forming section to cover the bottom side of the image forming section, and is supported at a support portion provided at the other end side of the recording medium conveying section; and a resilient member that resiliently supports the support plate and the side panel.
US08337105B2

A film-carrying system and a film-carrying device used therein are provided. The film-carrying system includes a support base, a film-carrying device and a film. The film-carrying device includes a support connection part, an elastic part, and a film connection part. The support connection part is coupled to the support base while the film connection part is coupled to the film. The elastic part has a free end and a fixed end; the free end connects to the film connection part, and the fixed end connects to the support connection part. The elastic deformation of the elastic part provides the film connection part with a degree of freedom in linear displacement, and the film connection part also has a degree of freedom in angular displacement corresponding to the support connection part.
US08337093B2

Fiber optic connectors and components for fiber optic connectors with improved side-loading performance are disclosed along with methods for making the same. The fiber optic connector includes a ferrule and a ferrule holder where the ferrule holder may be disposed within a housing. The ferrule holder has a forward portion with a spherical feature for cooperating with the housing, thereby allowing relative movement therebetween. Specifically, the spherical feature of the ferrule holder permits rotational translation of the ferrule holder in two degrees of freedom relative to the housing and inhibits the longitudinal translation of the ferrule holder in same two degrees of freedom relative to the housing, thereby providing improved side-loading performance.
US08337075B2

A chronograph includes a chronograph train, means for coupling the train and a device for controlling the coupling means, which includes:a pivotably mounted shuttle, a first angular sector provided with two notches defining first and second stable angular positions, and a second angular sector that includes cut out portions,an elastic member cooperating with the notches to keep the shuttle in one of the stable positions, anda push-piece cooperating with the cut out portions to pivot the shuttle, via a first application of pressure, from the first stable position to the second stable position, and via a second application of pressure, from the second stable position to a third intermediate angular position.
US08337074B2

A stirrer unit includes a reaction vessel having an inlet port, a shaft stirrer having a stirrer blade and a stirrer shaft connected to the stirrer blade, and an adapter defining a passage. The adapter is configured to be inserted into the inlet port and releasably fastened to the inlet port using a fastening device so that, in a connected state, the stirrer blade and a part of the stirrer shaft is disposed inside the reaction vessel. Furthermore, in the connected state, an immersion depth to which the stirrer shaft extends into the reaction vessel is adjustable and securable using a locking device in at least two positions that are spaced apart from one another.
US08337063B2

A vehicle light including at least one LED light source unit disposed within a light chamber defined by a lens cover and a housing. The vehicle light can further include, within the light chamber: a heat sink and a plurality of heat dissipation fins; a back plate separated away from the heat sink main body and constituting a part of a duct together with the heat sink, the duct containing the plurality of heat dissipation fins between the heat sink main body and the back plate; an axial fan motor configured to generate an air flow passing through the duct; and a cover member, the housing having an opening used for replacing the axial fan motor with another one, the cover member being detatchably attached to the housing so as to cover the opening of the housing.
US08337053B2

A lens applied to a light emitting element includes a first surface profile and a second surface profile opposite to the first surface profile. The first surface profile defines a first trench facing the light emitting element, and the first trench includes a bottom curved surface serving as a light incident surface. The second surface profile includes a top curved surface, and serves as a light emitting surface. Both the bottom and the top curved surfaces are mirror symmetric to the first suppositional plane P1 (X=0), and mirror asymmetric to the second suppositional plane P2 (Y=0) to cooperatively adjust light from the light emitting element to obtain an asymmetric light field. An illumination device having the lens is further provided.
US08337039B1

A window frame features solar electric cells on its exterior side that provide solar electricity for buffer storage in rechargeable batteries housed also in the window frame. Also integrated in the window frame are light emitting diodes that are activated during absence of daylight and powered from the solar electricity stored in the batteries. In that way a simple and compact system is provided for solar powered interior lighting that may be easily maintained and retrofitted in existing buildings.
US08337037B2

A bracket assembly for suspending an object from a portion of a bar joist, the bracket assembly having a rigid hangar having a first end portion and an opposing second end portion, the second end portion including at least one connector for engaging the object and means for connecting the rigid hanger to the bar joist, the first end portion of the rigid hangar being pivotally connected to the connecting means so that the object connected to the rigid hangar is able to self-level upon the connecting means being connected to the bar joist.
US08337020B2

Disclosed are illumination systems especially suitable for very small data projectors, called pico projectors. The disclosed illumination systems provide high optical efficiency for projectors that need polarized light but utilize unpolarized light sources such as light-emitting diodes. Some of the disclosed illumination systems make use of light sources of different colors, and provide polarization conversion in ways based on color-selective elements of a variety of different types to convert substantially all the light emitted by the light sources to a single polarization, without increasing the effective optical extent of the source. Other disclosed illumination system provide compact ways to combine light from differently colored light sources without the use of bulky x-cube or angled dichroic elements.
US08337017B2

There is described in one embodiment an eye viewing device for viewing a structure of an eye such as a retina. The eye viewing device can include an image sensor. In one embodiment an eye viewing device can be adapted to facilitate both visual viewing of an eye structure and electronic image capture.
US08337016B2

A hanger system for glasses includes glasses, a carrier, and a hanger. The glasses include a frame, lenses, hinges, and temple arms. The hanger includes a main body having a top portion for attachment to a hook and a lower portion for securing the carrier. A support is cantilevered from the main body. A first end of the support is integral to the top portion and extends out a distance of at least the depth the glasses, the second end has a hinged tab and has an aperture to receive one of the pair of temple arms. The glasses are supported where front of the frame is oriented toward the main body and the temple arms are oriented away from main body. The hinged tab provides for opening of the temple arms to allow a user to try on the glasses while the glasses remain attached to the hanger.
US08337013B2

A pair of glasses includes a clock that is at least partially embedded in the glasses. The clock can be in one of the temples of the glasses. In one implementation, the clock can be positioned at a region close to a hinge of the corresponding temple, with the clock facing inward towards the user. The clock can also be in a temple arrangement. Instead of or in addition to a clock, other types of electrical components can be at least partially embedded into a pair of glasses or a temple arrangement of a pair of glasses. For example, the other electrical components can pertain to a RFID tag, a temperature sensor or an eyewear finder.
US08337008B2

An inkjet recording apparatus has: an inkjet head which ejects ink so as to record an image on a recording surface of a recording medium; a drum-shaped member which includes a drum, holds an edge of the recording medium, and conveys the recording medium in close contact with a circumferential surface of the drum; an intermediate conveyance body which holds an edge of the recording medium while moving the recording medium in rotation, and transfers the recording medium to the drum-shaped member; and a conveyance guide which guides a non-recording surface of the recording medium which is moved in rotation by the intermediate conveyance body, wherein the conveyance guide has a back tension application device which produces a force to act on the recording medium in an opposite direction to a direction of movement of the recording medium.
US08337002B2

An ink ejection head unit includes a head that ejects ink drops from plural two nozzles. The head includes a common liquid chamber connected to the plural nozzles. The common liquid chamber has a supply opening and an ejection opening. A tank is connected to the head and includes an ink containing section that contains ink to be supplied to the head. Also included is a supply path to supply the ink from the ink containing section to the supply opening of the head. An ejection path is provided to eject the ink ejected from the ejection opening of the head to an outside of the ink ejection head unit. A communication path is also provided to communicate the highest section of a seal of the containing section with the ejection path higher than the highest section of the seal. A fluid resistance of the communication path is larger than the total fluid resistance of a path starting from the supply opening to the ejection opening.
US08337000B2

An objective of the invention is to provide an improved ink storage apparatus and an inkjet print head including the ink storage apparatus. Furthermore, an effective elimination of the air bubbles flowed into or generated in the print head is realized by an ink storage apparatus and an inkjet print head including the ink storage apparatus.
US08336999B2

A liquid supply method of a liquid ejecting apparatus including a tank having a liquid capacity greater than a storage amount of the liquid which is stored in a liquid storage unit, and a liquid ejection unit that ejects the liquid supplied from the tank side includes the steps of: firstly supplying all the liquid in the liquid storage unit to the tank; agitating the liquid accommodated in the tank; and secondly supplying the liquid in the tank to the liquid ejection unit.
US08336995B2

A liquid dispenser includes a liquid supply channel, a liquid dispensing channel, and a liquid return channel. The liquid dispensing channel includes a wall. The wall includes a surface. A portion of the wall defines an outlet opening that includes an upstream edge relative to a direction of liquid flow through the liquid dispensing channel. The upstream edge includes a radius of curvature when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the surface of the wall. A liquid is provided that flows from the liquid supply channel through the liquid dispensing channel to the liquid return channel. A liquid drop is caused to be ejected from the outlet opening of the liquid dispensing channel by selectively actuating a diverter member to divert a portion of the flowing liquid through the outlet opening of the liquid dispensing channel.
US08336984B2

An inkjet printer includes a paper tray for holding print media; a pick roller for moving the print media through a paper transport path; and an encoder disk, which senses motion of the print media, disposed in the paper transport path and in direct contact with the print media as the print media passes through the paper transport path.
US08336974B2

In a refrigerator door in which a decoration member is mounted to a door frame using a foam material, the foam material fills a space formed between the decoration member mounted to a front side of the door frame and a rear panel mounted to a rear side of the door frame. Accordingly, the decoration member can be fixed to the door frame through direct contact with the foam material.
US08336970B2

A link for a track-type machine is disclosed. The link may have a body portion. The link may also have an aperture extending through the body portion. The aperture may have a cylindrical portion. Additionally, the aperture may have an annular groove formed in the cylindrical portion. The aperture may also have a tapered portion. The tapered portion may abut the cylindrical portion, and may taper toward the cylindrical portion.
US08336969B2

In the normal condition, a braking force is generated by directly supplying to a disk brake a fluid pressure generated in a master cylinder in response to an operation of a brake pedal. In addition, a braking force can be generated by supplying a fluid pressure to the disk brake by actuating a hydraulic pump motor by a controller. When a knock-back occurs due to, for example, rapid turning of a vehicle, a piston is allowed to be displaced backward so that uneven wear of a brake pad and a disk rotor can be prevented. After that, when a cause for the knock-back is eliminated, the piston is caused to move forward and a pad clearance is adjusted by actuating the pump motor by the controller so that deterioration of the responsiveness can be prevented.
US08336962B2

A wobble joint fitting for a vehicle seat has a first joint arm, which carries an internal gear and forms a first bearing surface, which are central to a main axis, and a second joint arm to which an eccentric gear is allocated, which comprises an externally toothed pinion and a second bearing surface. The pinion and the second bearing surface are central to an eccentric axis. An eccentric driving part is disposed in the area between the first bearing surface and the second bearing surface. Clamping parts, in a clamping state, displace the eccentric axis relative to the main axis. The eccentric driving part defines the eccentric. The rotary drive of the eccentric driving part causes a rotation of the pinion relative to the internal gear even without the clamping parts being present, wherein only play compensation is not obtained without the presence of the clamping parts.
US08336955B2

A seat has an erroneous operation preventing device for, locking movement of a seat strap to regulate the stowing or folding operation, the device including a movable member provided on a seat back side to be abutted with the strap, a first connecting member that is connectable to the movable member, a second connecting member connected to the first connecting member through a first connecting portion, a strap connecting member connected to the second connecting member through a second connecting portion and locked to one end portion side of the strap, and a regulator for regulating the movable member or the first connecting member movably toward one side, wherein the first connecting member is supported on a first movable shaft provided on the seat back side, and the first connecting portion is arranged to be moved to cross a straight line connecting the shaft portion and the second connecting portion.
US08336954B2

There is provided a feeder apparatus for a slide panel so as to reduce the thickness of a panel of a car body the slide panel is attached to. The feeder apparatus 1 includes a wire harness 14 routed between a roof portion 2 and a sunroof 3, and a protector 15. The protector 15 includes a first protector 18 that is attached to rails 5a provided in the roof portion 2 and formed in the long-length shape parallel to the sliding direction of the sunroof 3 and accommodates one end portion 17a of the wire harness 14, and a second protector 2 that includes a protector body 26 slidably provided in the first protector 18 along the sliding direction of the sunroof 3 and a hook portion 27 the other end portion 17b of the wire harness 14 is attached to being attached to the sunroof 3.
US08336951B2

A window-defined mud guard assembly includes mud guards fitted to a side of a vehicle body for selectively opening or closing a lower side portion of a vehicle cabin and window units mounted above the mud guards. Each of the window units is made up of a window body disposed above the corresponding mud guard and a connecting element for connecting the window body with an associated to-be-connected element provided in the mud guard.
US08336950B2

The invention comprises a set of tubular inflatable bags mounted to the underside of a transport trailer along its lower edge in front of the rear wheel assembly. The bags are pressurized by ram air inflation upon forward motion of the trailer, such that they prevent air from entering the rear wheel assembly and thereby reduce aerodynamic drag. The outer exposed sides of the bags are vertically and horizontally straightened and stiffened by horizontal ribs which are anchored by cords to the trailer. The apparatus gives way without stress when unpressurized at slow speed and when docking to avoid damage.
US08336945B2

A product line of consumer-installable thermoformed vehicle floor trays has first and second floor trays for insertion into first and second driver's side vehicle foot wells. The first and second vehicle foot wells have a different shape from each other. The first and second floor trays each have a floor that substantially conforms to the floor of its respective vehicle foot well. Each tray also has an upstanding transverse first panel, an upstanding longitudinal second panel connected to the first panel, and an upstanding longitudinal third panel connected to the first panel. Each upstanding panel is integrally formed with the floor of the tray and conforms to the walls of its respective foot well.
US08336941B1

An arrangement for housing a device in an interior of a vehicle is disclosed herein. The arrangement includes, but is not limited to, a trim component that is configured to be mounted within a passenger compartment of a vehicle. The trim component defines a cavity. The cavity is configured to substantially conform to the device, to engage with multiple surfaces of the device, and to support the device in a generally horizontal orientation. The trim component further defines an opening to the cavity. The arrangement further includes a retaining body that is connected to the trim component. The retaining body is configured to inhibit egress of the device from the cavity through the opening when the device is positioned within the cavity.
US08336939B2

A patient transport litter and system includes a patient support platform interconnected to a foldable frame that may be supported by and rolled upon a first plurality of wheels in an unfolded state. In a folded state, a second plurality of wheels may be provided to support and allow for rollable movement of the patient transport litter. A leading plurality of wheels may be provided at one end of the patient support platform for initially and rolling upon engaging the floor of an emergency transport vehicle during loading of the patient transport litter thereupon. One or more of the plurality of wheels may comprise multi-directional wheels, e.g., to allow for omnidirectional rolling movement. The litter may be selectively lockable in and unlockable from the unfolded state, the fully-folded state, and optionally, one or more partially-folded state(s). In a system implementation, the patient transport litter and an emergency transport vehicle may include complimentary interconnection members to secure the patient transport litter to the emergency transport vehicle during transport.
US08336936B2

Apparatus for providing a six-inch deep trench in a lawn surface, for the primary purpose of installing irrigation pipe for sprinkler systems.A trenching tool which includes a lower portion having two heavy steel blades and a hinge mechanism. The steel impact blades are sharpened at the bottom to accommodate a V configuration to enhance the downward penetrating action by the operator as he drives the blades into the ground until the desired 6″ is reached. The operator then forces the handles together which separates or widens the bottom portion of the channel.The channel/trench is elongated for any distance the operator desires by repeatedly thrusting the tool into the lawn right next to the elongated section of the original opened trench.
US08336933B2

In an embodiment, an energy absorbing device comprises: a metal component comprising greater than or equal to three walls forming a metal component channel; and a plastic component having a honeycomb structure with a plurality of walls defining comb channels therein. The plastic component is located in the metal component channel forming a crash can. The plastic component is inseparable from the metal component without damage to the metal component and/or the plastic component. In one embodiment, a method of making an energy absorbing device can comprise: co-molding the metal component and the plastic component to form a crash can. The energy absorbing device can be used on a vehicle, adjacent to a vehicle component.
US08336932B2

A closure system for a door opening includes a striker having a support plate and a striker wire, and a lock having a bolt actuated by a detent pawl and adapted to retain the striker wire in the door opening. The lock and the striker each have at least one attachment feature that is complementary and separate from the bolt and the striker wire. The striker is thus secured to the lock during the installation of the closure system on the vehicle.
US08336931B2

A T-handle actuator has one or more retractable ball bearings for selectively engaging a socket to operate a latch mechanism. The ball bearings are allowed to retract using a pushbutton for removal of the actuator from the socket. A latch mechanism is operated by rotationally moving a drive plug. The drive plug can be a socket that can be engaged by the T-handle actuator.
US08336925B2

A ventilation duct assembly kit for use for forming interconnecting ventilation ducts. The kit includes a pallet supporting a flexible panels that are shapeable into ductwork elements. Each of the panels has opposite duct-forming sides, opposite interconnecting sides for interconnection to a subsequent panel formed into a ductwork element, and a male and female interlocking interfaces respectively fixed on first and second opposite duct-forming sides for interlocking of the duct-forming sides together. The kit also includes slideable locking elements shaped to slide and fit over assembled male and female interlocking interfaces. A plurality of collets shaped to fit over the interconnecting sides of the formed ductwork elements and sized to extend between the adjacent slideable locking elements from corresponding adjacent shaped ductwork elements that are linked through the collet are also provided. A method of assembling such interconnecting ventilation ducts is also disclosed.
US08336910B1

An active bolster is provided on an generally-planar interior trim panel. An invisible tear seam in the panel follows a closed path that is spaced away from a peripheral edge of the panel. An inflatable bladder has a rim bonded to the panel along an inward edge of the tear seam. A bowl-shaped reaction frame has a cavity receiving the inflatable bladder and has a rim bonded to the panel along an outward edge of the tear seam, so that the inflatable bladder is contained between the reaction frame and the interior trim panel. Inflation of the inflatable bladder causes the interior trim panel to tear at the tear seam causing the portion of the interior trim panel within the closed path to separate and expand away from the reaction frame into the passenger compartment.
US08336909B2

A rear airbag system includes a rear-end collision sensor (10) installed on one side of a car body to sense the rear-end collision, a controller (20) outputting a control signal when an electrical signal input from the rear-end collision sensor (10) exceeds a reference value, a rear seat airbag module (100) mounted in a seat (30) and inflated to protrude upwards from the seat (30) so as to protect a rear head part of an occupant when receiving the control signal from the controller (20), and a support unit (200) sliding upwards along with the rear seat airbag module (100) when the rear seat airbag module (100) is inflated upwards out of the seat (30), supporting a rear of the rear seat airbag module (100), and protecting a head of the occupant from flying materials occurring in the event of the rear-end collision.
US08336902B2

A hitch coupler includes a frame that includes a back plate, a first plate connected to the back plate, a second plate connected to the back plate at a position spaced from the first plate extending between the first plate and the second plate and cooperating therewith to define an interior space, and a third plate connected to the back plate spaced from the second plate, wherein the first, second and third plates each include an aperture extending therethrough. The frame also includes a pin extending through the first, second and third apertures, such that the pin extends through the interior space and is adapted to slide within the apertures between an extended position and a retracted position, and a spring member biasing the pin towards the extended position.
US08336900B2

A tail wheel transporter with a single-beam chassis in a tricycle carriage and a towing arm extending from the single beam for towing and steering. The single beam is offset on the rear two-wheel axle to pivotably support a lifting arm, or lever, that is side mounted on the chassis. The short foot of the “L” supports one or more adjustable studs for initially engaging the underside of a tail wheel from the side. The lifting arm is manually operated to lift the tail wheel off the ground. In the lifted position, the lifting arm is latched to the towing arm so that constant manual force to maintain lift is not required. The tail wheel is received between the front and rear axles and exerts force below the height of at least some of the axles, so no manual force is required to maintain balance during operation.
US08336898B2

A modular wheelchair assembly is adapted to be reconfigured between a fixed angle of tilt, a dynamically adjustable tilt-in-space configuration with the tilt axis being near the user's knees and a dynamically adjustable tilt-in-space configuration with the tilt axis being near the user's center of gravity. The reconfiguration is achieved by modifying a limited number of selectively removable components of the support assembly or the pivot assembly of the wheelchair.
US08336881B2

A method of producing a gaming chip comprising at least two plaques forming the opposite faces thereof, the method comprising a step of connecting said two plaques placed against one another by arranging therebetween a connection material. The method comprises (i) a step of arranging in a mold two blanks of said two plaques which are placed against one another with the faces thereof facing one another, the total thickness thereof being smaller than that of the finished chip, the mold having an impression with a shape complementary to that of the chip to be produced, (ii) a step of holding the periphery of the plaque blanks within the mold, and (iii) a step of injecting connection material under pressure between facing faces of the two plaque blanks at a pressure and temperature suitable for deforming the plaque blanks against the surface of the impression of the mold.
US08336880B2

Air hockey tables are disclosed herein. An embodiment of an air hockey table comprises a playing surface and an opening wherein a puck is movable on the playing surface and is receivable in said opening. At least one barricade is movable proximate the opening, wherein the barricade has a first fixed position wherein the puck is prevented from entering the opening when the puck is shot from anywhere on the playing surface, and a second fixed position wherein the puck is able to enter the opening.
US08336879B2

A sheet feeding apparatus which includes a sheet loading tray for stacking sheets; a suction and conveyance section which is placed above stacked sheets on the sheet loading tray and sucks and conveys a sheet in the sheet conveying direction; an air blowing section which blows air at the stacked sheets on the sheet loading tray and causes the sheet to float up; and a skew correction section which corrects a skew of the sheet conveyed by the suction and conveyance section.
US08336878B2

A paper discharge device includes a waiting path having one side connected to an input port and another side connected to a discharge port, and a collection path having one side connected to the waiting path through a merged portion and another side connected to a collection chamber. Conveyance mechanisms convey a paper which was conveyed through the input port to the discharge port in a forward direction, and convey, after lapse of a given period of time after the conveyance of the paper, the paper in a reverse direction through the merged portion to feed into the collection path. An input mechanism provided in the collection path conveys the paper fed from the waiting path through the collection path into the collection chamber while sandwiching the paper between rollers to form folds across a total length of the paper along the paper conveying direction.
US08336869B2

A sheet processing apparatus includes a folding roller pair, a sheet pushing member, a detection unit, and a control unit. The folding roller pair folds a sheet or a sheet bundle by a nip portion and conveys a folded sheet or a folded sheet bundle. The sheet pushing member performs a pushing operation in which a tip of the sheet pushing member pushes the sheet or the sheet bundle into the nip portion of the folding roller pair. The detection unit detects whether the tip of the sheet pushing member reaches a predetermined position in a moving direction of the sheet pushing member. The control unit controls driving of the sheet pushing member according to a result of detection by the detection unit such that the sheet pushing member repeats the pushing operation until the detection unit detects that the tip of the sheet pushing member reaches the predetermined position.
US08336868B2

A workpiece support that presents a generally planar workpiece contacting surface having high friction, gripping pad(s) that will not mar a workpiece surface, and thus provides a versatile accessory for home hobbyists and artisans alike that protects the supported surface of the workpiece. By providing a non-marring workpiece support, such as that illustrated in FIGS. 1, 8 and 13, to support a workpiece with respect to a work bench surface, the workpiece can be kept from slipping while routing, sanding, carving and the like. It can elevate workpieces for edge work and finishing, or simply suspend and protect projects from marring during drying or between work sessions.
US08336866B2

A stage is provided on which is mounted a substrate that has a concavo-convex portion such as a circuit formed on the underside thereof. A channel 3 through which a coolant such as water flows is formed in a stage 1. An annular flange portion 4 is formed on the top surface of the stage 1. The inner side of the flange portion 4 forms a concave portion 5. The top surface of the flange portion 4 is provided with a smooth finish in order to mount a peripheral section of the underside of a substrate W thereon. Holes through which are passed three positioning pins 6 and lift pins 7 are provided in the flange portion 4 at regular intervals in the circumferential direction.
US08336863B2

The invention relates to a gas liquid contactor and effluent cleaning system and method and more particularly to an array of nozzles configured to produce uniformly spaced flat liquid jets shaped to minimize disruption from a gas. An embodiment of the invention is directed towards a gas liquid contactor module including a liquid inlet and outlet and a gas inlet and outlet. An array of nozzles is in communication with the liquid inlet and the gas inlet. The array of nozzles is configured to produce uniformly spaced flat liquid jets shaped to minimize disruption from a gas flow and maximize gas flow and liquid flow interactions while rapidly replenishing the liquid.
US08336861B2

A clutchable winch contains a shaft member including: a tube used to fix a belt; a fitting piece including a central hole mounted thereon; a column fixed on the central hole; a sleeve coupled with the fitting piece, including a groove arranged on one end thereof and a connecting end secured on another end thereof, the connecting end including plural apertures disposed thereon; a positioning disc fixed on a bottom end of the groove, including plural first inclined teeth arranged therearound, the first inclined teeth being spaced apart evenly from each other and each having a vertical side; an annular actuating plate fitted on the column, including a hexagonal pore arranged on a central portion thereof and plural second inclined teeth disposed on one end surface thereof, wherein each second tooth includes a vertical fringe; a compression spring defined between the actuating plate and the fitting piece of the tube.
US08336858B2

A protective tube which is slit in the longitudinal direction is provided with a closing element that maintains the longitudinal edges along the slit on a plane relative to one another. The closing element is a separate profiled piece, of which the cross-section has such a shape that a central web of said profiled piece is inserted between the longitudinal edges of the tube. The top face of the tube is covered by the profiled piece along the longitudinal edges, and the internal faces of the tube are supported by the profiled piece. An auxiliary tool is provided for closing such a protective tube and inserting the closing element in the tube.
US08336853B2

Recock handle assemblies for bottom loading couplers and bottom loading couplers comprising the same are disclosed. The recock handle assemblies for bottom loading couplers may include a lever portion comprising a first lever arm, a second lever arm and a lever bar oriented in a substantially u-shaped configuration. A handle portion may be joined to the lever portion with a first pivot block and a second pivot block, the handle portion comprising a first connecting leg, a second connecting leg, and a bail. The first connecting leg and the second connecting leg may be positioned in a first plane and the bail is non-coplanar with the first plane. A first base plate may be pivotally coupled to the first pivot block. The first base plate may include a first body guide member and a first sleeve guide member. A second base plate may be pivotally coupled to the second pivot block, the second base plate comprising a second body guide member and a second sleeve guide member.
US08336849B2

A valve includes a housing defining a bore having an inlet and extending along a longitudinal axis. A head is attached to the housing and defines a head passage having an outlet. A piston is disposed within the bore and includes a piston passage extending through the piston along the longitudinal axis. The piston is moveable between a closed position in which a sealing end of the piston abuts a seat of the head to close fluid communication through the piston passage and an open position in which the sealing end of the piston is axially spaced along the longitudinal axis from the seat of the head to permit fluid communication through the piston passage between the inlet and the outlet. The housing defines an equalizing chamber in fluid communication with the head passage for damping movement of the piston.
US08336848B2

An on-off flow valve extends along an axis and has a valve body through which a supply duct and a delivery duct pass; a main shutter assembly; and a cover fitted to the valve body by means of a snap-on coupling system.
US08336846B2

It is necessary to support and manipulate such bulky items as gas turbine engines through appropriate cradle arrangements. It is necessary to allow robust presentation of the gas turbine engine upon a base such that it can be lifted to a position whereby the engine can be rotated to adjust the configuration of the engine within an arrangement. Such manipulation may minimize height or width dependent upon requirements. By provision of lever assemblies comprising lever arms linked together through a pivot link and a cross link rotation by an actuator of one assembly gives consistent presentation of the locator elements defining a center of rotation for the engine. The arrangement can be locked in a lowered condition for transportation or lifted to allow rotation and re-orientation of the engine with regard to external protuberances to limit width or height.
US08336843B2

An attachment device useful with suspended ceiling systems is provided. In disclosed embodiments, the device comprises a clip that matingly engages a bulb of a ceiling grid tee. The device may include a reinforcing sleeve and can be used to increase the load carrying capacity of suspended ceiling systems while providing a simple, quick method of attaching the suspended ceiling grid to the true ceiling.
US08336842B2

Mounting brackets for mounting microphones, lights, video, audio and photographic tools and accessories utilized in the audio/video industry to a variety of support structures or fixtures. This invention provides quick and effective attachment of numerous audio/video devices and other paraphernalia onto a wide variety of fixtures. Convenient clamping and mounting mechanisms are disclosed, as well as a kit of such mechanisms.
US08336839B2

An arrangement for transferring a post assembly carrying medical equipment thereon between first and second support structures. The arrangement includes a positioning arm which is supported at one end on the first support structure and at the opposite end is configured for supporting the post assembly. The positioning arm cooperates with a receiver assembly provided on the second support structure. A freestanding cart and wheelchair are also provided which are configured to accept the post assembly from a support structure such as a patient bed, to allow the patient to ambulate with the associated medical equipment.
US08336831B2

A switch or rail box for railway rails that include a system for sealing a portion of a location where the rail enters or exits the box. The sealing system includes a pair of seal plates that can be connected to an inner surface and an outer surface of the switch box, wherein the sealing plates each include a groove that conforms to and accepts a portion of a rail and in some embodiments, a rail jacket. The channel formed between the adjacent seal plates is filled with an insulating material that extends around a lower portion of the rail, thereby aiding in stray current control. Methods for sealing the switch box utilizing the sealing system are disclosed.
US08336820B2

Structures, systems and methods provide a load-bearing aircraft flooring within an aircraft's fuselage. Load-supporting aircraft flooring systems preferably are provided with a longitudinally separated series of transverse bridges having an upper doubler flange which defines latitudinally separated upper openings, and a latitudinally separated series of beams which include an upper flange and a pair of separated depending web flanges received within respective upper openings of transverse bridges. The upper flanges and web flanges of the beams may thus be connected to the transverse bridges so as to support aircraft flooring panels connected to the beams. Seat tracks for attaching aircraft seats and/or other interior aircraft structures/monuments are preferably fixed to the upper flanges of the beams coincident with its longitudinal axis.
US08336818B2

In a vehicle, having a fixed supporting structure and a load movable relative thereto, a jam tolerant actuating system, a method for controlling this system including: Locating a physical coupling/decoupling mechanism between the load and an actuator assembly as close a practicable to the load; constructing the coupling/uncoupling mechanism to be reversible, and hence testable; and controlling the connection/disconnection via decision making electronics which will detect any system failure by monitoring, at a minimum: actuator main motor load and speed, and actuator output load. Also set forth are specific embodiments of pivotable rotary geared actuators as well as linear ball screw type actuators embodying the coupling/uncoupling mechanisms of this invention.
US08336814B2

An aircraft, comprising an internal combustion engine by whose drive power a propeller can be driven, wherein the internal combustion engine cooperates with an electric machine which in a first operating mode is operable as electric motor and in a second operating mode as electric generator.
US08336809B2

An aircraft that is enabled to turn in a desired direction, and a method for controlling the flight direction of an aircraft, by employing differential drag on the respective wings. A control means that receives a control signal indicating a left turn increases the incidence angle on the left wing and reduces it on the right wing. For a right turn the opposite action is performed. The aircraft comprises airfoils that have increased drag as the incidence angle increases but have a generally constant lift.
US08336806B2

A flow path is disclosed that is capable of being deployed when needed and stowed in a relatively small space when not in use. The flow path device is flexible and may be made from a variety of materials. In an illustrative embodiment the flow path device is annular and transitions from an ellipsoidal annular shape to a quadrilateral annular shape. A vane box can be disposed at one end of the flow path device. Doors can be coupled to the vane box to cover the flow path device. The doors can be used to provide a structural load path for the flow path device and vane box. The doors and the flow path device can be moved together such that the doors uncover the flow path device as the device is deployed.
US08336800B1

The present invention relates to a powered hose reel device for taking up a hose about a reel without having to do so by hand. A reel is disposed between the reel support walls and mounted on one end to a rim integrally formed on an inner wall of one of the reel support walls. The reel is adapted to carry a hose thereabout. There is a motor mounted to one of the reel support portions, and disposed within the chamber formed by the inner wall of the reel. A rechargeable battery provides power. A shaft is operatively connected to the motor and is engaged with a bracket mounted to the inner surface of the reel. When the motor is activated the shaft turns the reel. A hose guide assembly is provided for leading and guiding the hose during the retrieving of the hose about the reel. A solar panel recharges the battery when the device is not operating.
US08336797B2

Provided is a powder and granular material crushing and sizing apparatus in which stators are easy to disassemble and assemble, i.e. in which disc-like rotors and stators can be cleaned and replaced easily. A drive shaft, on which a plurality of disc-like rotors are disposed, is supported in a cantilever manner on a bearing housing. A plurality of stators are disposed on a holder to make up a stator assembly. The stator assembly is detachably disposed in the bearing housing. An opening is formed in a side wall of the casing. The disc-like rotors and the stator assembly are housed via the opening, and the casing is detachably disposed on the bearing housing. ion.
US08336779B1

A system for automatically reading a response form marked by a user, including the response form containing a structured set of markers and a structured set of response areas, a camera for obtaining a digital image which contains the response form, programming for identifying positions of a majority of the markers within the digital image, programming for using a set of structuring rules in conjunction with the positions of the markers to obtain a structured set of response areas, programming for reading responses located at the response areas, and programming for generating an output of user responses.
US08336776B2

An aiming system for use with a weapon is provided and may include a processor, at least one sensor in communication with the processor, and a memory in communication with the processor. The aiming system may also include a display in communication with the processor that displays a corrected-aiming point based on at least one simulated bullet trajectory and at least one simulated bullet impact location determined by the processor.
US08336773B2

A system includes a media content processing subsystem and a plurality of user input devices each configured to transmit at least one command to the media content processing subsystem. Each of the user input devices also corresponds to a distinct user profile. When the media content processing subsystem receives a command from one of the user input devices, the media content processing subsystem is configured to identify the particular user input device that transmitted the command and execute the command in accordance with a user profile that corresponds to that particular user input device.
US08336765B1

An automatic banking machine includes a card reader for reading user cards, and a cash dispenser. The automated banking machine carries out banking transactions related to user accounts based on information read from cards. The automated banking machine provides a printed receipt for transactions conducted. The machine carries out transactions when operatively connected to a source of AC power and a transaction network. The machine also carries out certain exception instructions when disconnected from its power source and/or network connection.
US08336758B2

There is shown and described a pouring element for a package for holding flowable or pourable products, and particularly a cardboard/plastics composite package having a gabletop, said pouring element having a pouring passage, the pouring passage having passage cross-sections of substantially identical areas arranged perpendicularly to its centerline, the outer passage cross-sections of the pouring passage being a product inlet opening and a substantially circular product outlet opening and the product inlet opening having associated with it a flange for connection to the package. To enable improved pouring characteristics to be achieved without having to accept disproportionately large costs and complication in production, provision is made, in the form for application, for the product inlet opening to be of an elongated shape which is not symmetrical in rotation.
US08336753B2

A staple drive assembly includes an actuation sled and at least one staple pusher. The staple drive assembly is adapted to fit within a staple cartridge having a plurality of staples and a corresponding number of retention slots. The at least one staple pusher includes at least one pusher plate for releasably engaging a backspan of a staple. The staple pusher may include a plurality of pusher plates that may be laterally and longitudinally spaced apart. An actuation member has at least one angled camming surface for engaging a complimentary angled surface of the at least one staple pusher. Camming engagement between the actuation member and the at least one staple pusher causes vertical movement of the at least one staple pusher. Lateral and longitudinal offset of the actuation member camming surfaces and the corresponding staple pusher following surfaces improves stability and control of the staple pusher during firing.
US08336751B2

A surgical device is disclosed which includes a handle assembly, an elongated member and a disposable loading unit. The handle assembly includes a mode selection mechanism configured to alternate the surgical device between a first grasping mode of operation and a second clamping mode of operation. The handle assembly includes a rotation control member and an articulation lever. The rotation control member is configured to facilitate rotation of the elongated member with respect to the handle assembly. The articulation lever is configured to facilitate articulation of the tool assembly about an axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of elongated member. In one embodiment, the tool assembly includes a cartridge assembly having a plurality of staples and an anvil assembly configured to clamp and staple tissue in the second clamping mode of operation of the device.
US08336747B2

A bicycle rack includes at least one arm and a cradle installed on the arm for receiving a bicycle thereon. The cradle has a body including a through-hole extending through the longitudinal length of the body. The through-hole is sized to be received by the arm of a bicycle rack. A saddle extending along a length of the longitudinal body is positioned above the through-hole and has a top surface for receiving a tube of a bicycle. The saddle is oriented cross-ways to the longitudinal axis of the through-hole. The top surface of the saddle can increase in dimension on one side of a vertical axis of the through-hole and decreases in dimension on the other side of the vertical axis as the saddle extends toward each end of the longitudinal body. A latch is positioned on opposite sides of the vertical axis at either end of the saddle.
US08336743B2

A tap for use in association with bag in box containers comprising a body, a plug member, an upper seal assembly and a lower seal assembly. The body includes a tap nozzle in the form of an elongated tube having an inner surface and an outer surface, a handle opening at a first end and a dispensing opening at the second end. A nozzle opening extends into the elongated tube between the first and second ends and is placeable in fluid communication with a bag of a bag in box container. The plug member is structurally configured to fit and slidably move within the elongated tube of the body such that the outer surface of the plug member faces the inner surface of the elongated tube. In the open orientation, the nozzle opening is in fluid communication with the dispensing opening. In the closed orientation, the nozzle opening is precluded from fluid communication with the dispensing opening. The upper seal assembly includes an upper seal surface region and an upper seal bead positioned between the nozzle opening and the handle opening of the body. The upper seal assembly maintains continuous sealing engagement between the closed orientation and the open orientation of the tap.
US08336739B2

A fluid dispenser device having a fluid dispenser member, the fluid dispenser member fastened by a fastener ring (30) on a reservoir (1). An actuator head (20) is mounted on the dispenser member and is movable so as to actuate the dispenser member. A removable blocking element (40), in its blocking position, prevents the dispenser member from being actuated. At least one breakable element (50) is secured to the blocking element so as to indicate first use. The blocking element is assembled around the fastener ring (30), between the head (20) and the reservoir (1), and, in its blocking position, co-operates with the actuator head and the reservoir so as to prevent the actuator head from moving axially relative to the reservoir. The breakable element (50) surrounds the blocking element (40), at least in part, before first use.
US08336734B2

Systems are described for delivery of a wide variety of materials in which liquid and gas or vapor states are concurrently present, from a package preferably including a fluid-containing collapsible liner. Headspace gas is removed from a pressure dispensing package prior to liquid dispensation therefrom, and ingress gas is removed thereafter during dispensation operation. At least one sensor senses presence of gas or a gas-liquid interface in a reservoir or gas-liquid separation region. A gas removal system including an integral reservoir, at least one sensor, and at least one flow control elements may be included within a connector adapted to mate with a pressure dispensing package, for highly efficient removal of gas from the liquid being dispensed from the container.
US08336720B2

A storage rack is provided that exhibits an optical illusion that some of the items stored in the rack have disappeared in all or in part.
US08336716B2

A parts feeding apparatus feeds projection bolts into a receiving hole in an electrode and includes an excessively long parts detecting device which detects projection bolts having excessively long shanks. The excessively long parts detecting device has a pass control member fixed between a pair of plates of the delivery section for engaging an excessively long shank and a control plate which prevents the projection bolt having the excessively long shank from projecting upward so as to lock the projection bolt in cooperation with the pass control member. A feed rod advances to a predetermined position at which the shanks of the projection bolts are inserted into the receiving hole, and a spacing between the holding head and a receiving hole when the feed rod is in the predetermined position is set to prevent projection bolts having an excessively short shank from reaching the receiving hole.
US08336715B2

The banknote processing device 100 includes a first upper stacking unit 102a that is provided at an upper position of the banknote processing device and stacks rejected notes; a second upper stacking unit 102b that is provided adjacent to the first upper stacking unit and stacks banknotes other than the rejected notes; first to fourth lower stacking units 106a-106d that are arranged in parallel at lower positions of the banknote processing device and stack banknotes of at least one specific denomination; and a controller 111 that controls the transport unit to transport the banknote to the first upper stacking unit when a recognition result is a rejected note, and to transport the banknote to one of the second upper stacking unit and the first to fourth lower stacking units when the recognition result is not a rejected note.
US08336714B2

A separation screen has multiple discs configured to receive a material stream at an in-feed end and move a first group of materials from the material stream up an inclined angle and over a top out-feed end of the separation screen while a second group of materials from the material steam either fall through openings between the discs while being carried up the separation screen or roll off the in-feed end of the separation screen. A heating system heats an outside surface of the discs so that the discs can separate the first group of materials from the material stream during cold environmental temperatures.
US08336702B2

A tensioner for applying force to a device to be tensioned is configurable for applying force in different directions and comprises: a mounting plate having a guide; a slidable member slidable relative to the guide of the mounting plate for receiving a support for a device to be tensioned; a spring for being coupled to the mounting plate and to the slidable member, wherein the spring urges the slidable member in one direction when coupled to the mounting plate and to the slidable member in a first configuration and urges the slidable member in an opposite direction when coupled to the mounting plate and to the slidable member in a second configuration. The tensioner configurations enable the tensioner either to pull or to push the support for the device to be tensioned.
US08336692B2

A fan drive (1) includes a drive shaft (6), a fluid friction clutch (2) as well as a fan (3). The fluid friction clutch (2) includes a drive disc (5) as well as a housing (4) having a front-end housing part (4a) and a rear-end housing part (4b). The housing (4) is journalled on a drive shaft (6) via at least one bearing (7). Air flows against the fluid friction clutch (2) and the fan (3) in flow direction (L). An air-conveying unit (13) is mounted in flow direction (L) behind the fluid friction clutch (2). The fan drive is especially for a motor vehicle.
US08336685B2

A damper includes a housing, a hollow outer rotor provided inside the housing, an inner rotor disposed inside the outer rotor to constitute a plurality of liquid chambers and rotating in a state decentered relative to an axial core of the outer rotor, a communicating passage connecting between the liquid chambers, and a valve mechanism moving inside the communicating passage. Viscous fluid is filled between the outer rotor and the inner rotor. When the pressure inside the communicating passage reaches a predetermined value or above due to the rotation of the inner rotor, the communicating passage is closed or a flow passage area of they communicating passage is narrowed, and when the pressure inside the communicating passage falls to the predetermined value or less, the communicating passage is opened.
US08336682B2

A vehicle brake disk is disclosed that can include an outer friction member having a first thickness in cross-section, and an inner friction member having a second thickness in cross-section that is thicker than the first thickness in cross-section of the outer friction member. A plurality of vanes can connect the outer friction member to the inner friction member, and a connection cylinder portion can connect the outer friction member to a hub member for connection to a wheel of the vehicle. The vanes can be configured to have different lengths. The vanes can alternate in length about the periphery of the brake disk, with a uniform location of the end portions at an outer periphery of the brake disk and alternating locations of other end portions at an inner periphery of the brake disk.
US08336674B2

A device for a guide rail (1) for a scaffold (2), in which the guide rail (1) is connected to a building (4), and wherein the guide rail (1) is movable between an inactive, stowed away position and an active position.
US08336670B2

The invention provides a microelectromechanical system testing device, comprising an acoustic chamber having two opposing walls; a sound source for generating sound within the acoustic chamber at a first frequency in the range of 20 Hz to 10 kHz, the sound source being arranged at one of the opposing walls; and an interface for coupling one or more microelectromechanical systems thereto, the interface being arranged at the other of the two opposing walls and comprising a respective coupling site for each microelectromechanical system; wherein the acoustic chamber is adapted to have a total harmonic distortion (THD) at each coupling site of the interface for the first frequency below 1%, preferably below 0.8%, more preferably below 0.6%, most preferably below 0.4% when including all harmonics of the first frequency in the range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz, in particular for the first frequency being 1 kHz or 4 kHz.
US08336668B2

A flanged joint (1) of an exhaust system of an internal combustion engine, especially of a motor vehicle, is provided for fastening a tubular body (4) of the exhaust system to another component (5). The flanged joint includes a tube bell (2) formed at the end area of the tubular body (4) as well as a ring-shaped flange (3), which surrounds the tubular body (4) on a side of the tube bell (2) facing away from the other component (5) and which has a plurality of fastening sites (6, 7) for connection to the other component (5).
US08336666B2

A hinge for a hood of a motor vehicle is disclosed. The hinge is configured to bend towards a frame of the motor vehicle during a collision. The hinge includes upwards turned flanges to help prevent upwards buckling.
US08336662B2

An exhaust system for a motorcycle has a bent portion that extends upward from a position below a seat toward the seat and is then bent downward. A heat insulating plate is disposed in a space between the bent portion and the seat so as to cover the bent portion. Influence of exhaust heat on the rider and upsizing of the heat insulating plate are thereby suppressed.
US08336660B2

A snowmobile includes a vehicle body, a track belt, an engine, a left-and-right pair of skis, a suspension mechanism, and a steering mechanism. The track belt is located on a lower portion of the vehicle body. The engine drives the track belt. The suspension mechanism is a mechanism arranged to support the pair of skis so as to move in a vertical direction with respect to the vehicle body, and to support the pair of skis in an associated manner so that one of the skis moves downwards relative to the vehicle body when the other ski moves upwards relative to the vehicle body. The steering mechanism is a mechanism arranged to steer the pair of skis.
US08336653B2

A hybrid power drive system includes an engine, a first motor, a first clutch operatively coupled between the engine and the first motor, a first decelerating mechanism having an input portion operatively coupled between the first clutch and the first motor, where the input portion is configured to receive rotational power from the first motor and/or the engine. The first decelerating mechanism has an output portion operative to drive at least one first wheel, and a second motor is operatively coupled to at least one second wheel through a second decelerating mechanism. An energy storage device is coupled separately to the first motor and to the second motor. The engine, the first clutch and the first motor are connected in sequence, and the second decelerating mechanism and the at least one second wheel are connected in sequence. Various combinations of operating modes are provided to meet energy efficiency requirements and user power demands.
US08336651B2

A state estimation value indicating a battery state is successively calculated from time to time according to a battery model capable of dynamically estimating the internal state of the secondary battery by using an inspection value of a sensor group indicating the secondary battery behavior. By using the sate estimation value at each moment estimated by the battery model expression at each predetermined cycle, an I/O-enabled time is predicted when a predetermined power is continuously inputted (charged) or outputted (discharged) from the current moment. A load operation instruction of the secondary battery is set so as to avoid overcharge and over-discharge of the secondary battery according to the operation request to the load and by considering the predicted characteristics between input/output power and input/output-allowed time.
US08336648B1

The present disclosure provides mechanical attachments of TSD body to a carrier or substrate sufficient to allow eventual conventional attachment of the TSD to a drill bit or other component. According to one aspect, the disclosure includes a composite assembly including a thermally stable diamond (TSD) body and a substrate with aligned holes and a joining pin located in the aligned holes to mechanically attach the TSD body and substrate. The composite assembly may lack any non-mechanical attachment between the TSD body and the substrate, or may lack particular types of non-mechanical attachments. The disclosure also provides drill bits and other devices containing such composite assemblies as well as methods of making such composite assemblies and drill bits or other devices.
US08336644B2

The invention relates to a rod coupling for rod segments for use in horizontal earth boring, wherein the ends of the rod segments can be interconnected and are fixed by means of a cross pin.
US08336641B2

The present invention relates to a power tool comprises an adjusting mechanism, the adjusting mechanism comprising a station element defining at least a first engaged member, and an adjusting member rotated about a axis and driving the first engaged member to move elastically along the axis, wherein a frequency increase mechanism is disposed between the adjusting member and the station element, the frequency increase mechanism coupled to the first engage member, the frequency of the elastic moving of the first engage member increases when the adjusting member rotates about the axis. Because the adjusting mechanism can increase the sound frequency, so it can make precision and dense sound and remind of the operator when the adjusting member rotated.
US08336639B2

A tongue-hitch structure for a pull-type implement may comprise a tongue locking mechanism. A work frame for the pull-type implement may comprise a vertically adjustable rear wheel suspension comprising an actuator for moving the work frame between a lowered, working position and a raised, transport position. The tongue-hitch structure may be adapted to allow vertical movement between the tongue-hitch structure and the work frame. A leveling arrangement may be coupled between the work frame and the hitch-tongue structure operable to prevent and/or allow vertical movement between the tongue-hitch structure and the work frame.
US08336632B2

A method and a system are provided for a direct drive pump for use in pumping fluids and/or quasi-fluids from one location to another. In the direct drive pump, bearings or bushings are optimally spaced, taking into account various operational considerations such as load, path, pressure, and tension. Further, bearings or bushings are coupled to the drive string, thus assisting in more efficient installation and de-installation. The bearings or bushings are not fixed to the production casing or drive tube. In embodiments, the drive tube can be vented, and the production fluid can be used as a lubricant for the system bearings.
US08336631B2

A method of pumping an oilfield fluid from a well surface to a wellbore is provided that includes providing a clean stream; operating one or more clean pumps to pump the clean stream from the well surface to the wellbore; providing a dirty stream including a solid material disposed in a fluid carrier; and operating one or more dirty pumps to pump the dirty stream from the well surface to the wellbore, wherein the clean stream and the dirty stream together form said oilfield fluid.
US08336620B2

A method for determining integrity of annular seals in wellbores. In an embodiment, two wellbores are selected that extend through a common geological formation which is capable of sealing against casing sections located in the wellbores. A pressure test is typically carried out in a first of the wellbores to check that the formation provides an effective seal, and a logging tool is typically run to obtain well log data from which can be derived a characteristic response that is associated with the formation providing an effective annular seal around the casing section in the first wellbore. A logging tool may then be run in the second of the wellbores to obtain a second set of well log data, which are comparable with the characteristic response to determine whether the formation provides an effective annular seal in the second wellbore.
US08336618B2

An apparatus for isolating at least a portion of a tubular for use in a wellbore comprising a first, inner tubular in the form of carrier tube and a second, outer tubular in the form of protective shroud, coupled to the carrier tube. One or more aperture is provided in a wall of the carrier tube for permitting fluid transfer through the tube and one or more aperture is provided to permit fluid transfer through the shroud. A sealing layer is disposed on a surface of the shroud, the sealing layer defining a first configuration permitting fluid flow through the apertures and, on exposure to a selected reactant, adopting a second configuration to restrict fluid flow through the apertures, the sealing layer adapted to return from the second configuration to the first configuration where concentration of the selected reactant falls below a selected threshold.
US08336616B1

At least one frac plug for use in a wellbore are disclosed herein. The frac plug can include a mandrel having a first end and a second end, a nose connected to the second end of the mandrel, and a crown disposed on the first end of the mandrel.
US08336613B2

A hydraulic pump includes a hydraulic cylinder assembly comprising a cylinder sealed by an upper head and a lower head and carrying a piston which divides the hydraulic cylinder assembly into an upper chamber and a lower chamber. A load is connected to the piston and urges it toward the lower head. A conduit connects a reversible hydraulic pump assembly in fluid flow communication with a pressurized supply of hydraulic fluid and the lower chamber for counterbalancing the load. A control system is operably associated with the reversible hydraulic pump assembly to cause hydraulic fluid to flow back and forth between the lower chamber of the hydraulic cylinder assembly and the pressurized supply of hydraulic fluid. A system is also provided to counteract leakage in the pump by adding hydraulic fluid makeup on an as needed and controlled basis.
US08336612B2

Methods for severing a tubular string having a cable in association therewith can include lowering a cutting apparatus into the tubular string and actuating the cutting apparatus to form a cut in the tubular string and sever the cable. Severing the cable in this manner can be performed through a single actuation of a single cutting apparatus, enabling at least a portion of the tubular string to be subsequently severed and retrieved, unimpeded by the cable.
US08336606B2

A method involves forming a core assembly. The forming includes deforming a wire, the deforming including increasing a transverse linear dimension along at least one portion of the wire. The wire is assembled to a ceramic core.
US08336603B2

A method and apparatus is disclosed for casting a composite ingot made of metals that are susceptible to surface oxide formation when molten. The method involves co-casting at least two metal layers from at least two molten metal pools formed within a direct chill casting apparatus. During the casting operation, movement of metal oxide formed on the upper surface of at least one of the pools towards an edge of the pool is restrained by an oxide skimmer positioned close to an edge of the pool above an external surface or metal-metal interface of the ingot. The apparatus provides a DC caster with at least one oxide skimmer that operates in this manner.
US08336597B2

Movable partition systems include a vertical alignment structure including at least one roller element coupled to a portion of a movable partition and a ramp configured to abut against the at least one roller element to vertically align the portion of the movable partition to engage with a strike plate. Methods of vertically aligning the movable partition include coupling at least one vertical alignment structure to the movable partition including coupling at least one structural frame member to the movable partition and coupling the at least one roller element to the at least one structural frame member and installing at least one ramp to an overhead structure configured to abut the at least one roller element and vertically align a leading end of the movable partition.
US08336596B2

Aspects of the present disclosure include various exemplary embodiments of systems and methods relating to composite lamination using one or more arrays of parallel material dispensing heads. In one embodiment, a method of fabricating a high aspect ratio composite article generally includes applying a first strip material to a work surface datum at a first angle with a first material dispenser, and applying a plurality of second strip materials to a work surface datum each at a second angle with a plurality of rotatable parallel material dispensers. The method also includes advancing the first material dispenser and the rotatable parallel material dispensers as a unit the width of the second strip material and continuing application of the first strip material by the first material dispenser and a plurality of second strip materials by the rotatable parallel material dispensers until a desired length is reached.
US08336592B2

A pneumatic tire in which, in employing as an air-impermeable layer a film formed of a thermoplastic resin or a thermoplastic elastomer component obtained by blending a thermoplastic resin with an elastomer, separation of the film during tire production is prevented; and a process for producing the same. The pneumatic tire is obtained by disposing a film closer to a tire cavity than a carcass layer, disposing a first rubber layer closer to the tire cavity than the film so as to cover the film, and disposing ends, in the width direction, of the first rubber layer outward of ends, in the width direction, of the film, the film being formed of a thermoplastic resin or a thermoplastic elastomer composition obtained by blending a thermoplastic resin with an elastomer.
US08336586B2

A loading sleeve and method for loading pellets into chemical reactor tubes where the length of the loading sleeve is greater than the clearance above the upper tube sheet. The loading sleeve includes a rigid upper sleeve portion and a rigid lower sleeve portion extending downwardly from the upper sleeve portion and means for holding the upper and lower sleeve portions together in both an aligned position, in which their longitudinal axes are aligned, and in an unaligned position, in which the longitudinal axes are at a substantial angle relative to each other. The method includes bending the loading sleeve at a hinge means, inserting the lower portion of the loading sleeve into the chemical reactor tube, then straightening the loading sleeve and inserting the upper sleeve portion into the chemical reactor tube.
US08336578B2

A quick release gas pressure regulator having a primary pressure zone, a secondary pressure zone, and a gas bottle connection zone within the main body. A pressure-regulating device is positioned within the secondary pressure zone of the main body. A gas chamber sealing plug is disposed at the front portion of the first pressure chamber of the main body. An external axial pressure relief passage is formed at the gas chamber plug. A positioning ring seat includes an internal axial pressure relief passage communicating with the external axial pressure relief passage. A pressure relief O-ring is positioned at the joint between the internal axial pressure relief passage and the external axial pressure relief passage. A gas supply back-up post is divided by the pressure relief O-ring into a sealing portion and a pressure relief portion. A pushing member radially passes through the main body and the positioning ring seat, and having a pushing inclination facing the internal end of the gas supply back-up post. A return spring is positioned at the internal end portion of the pushing member. An operating lever is pivotally connected to the main body. The operating lever includes a cam portion facing the external end of the pushing member. In this way, an easy detachment and an improved use safety are achieved.
US08336575B2

A fluid pressure regulating apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a chamber having a first bore diameter, a second bore diameter, a fluid inlet for receiving fluid at an unregulated pressure, and a fluid outlet for discharging fluid at a regulated pressure. A shuttle assembly is located in the chamber, the shuttle assembly including a valve that is in fluid communication with both the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, and a first sealing member located at an upper portion of the shuttle assembly and a second sealing member located at a lower portion of the shuttle assembly. An unregulated pressure zone communicates with the fluid inlet, a regulated pressure zone communicates with the fluid outlet and a fluid pressure control zone communicates with a portion of the shuttle assembly, the fluid pressure control zone controlling the regulated pressure at the fluid outlet.
US08336574B2

A regulator comprises a regulator valve and an actuator. The actuator is coupled to the regulator valve and comprises a control element for controlling the flow of fluid through the regulator valve. The actuator is additionally equipped with a pressure averaging sense tube to sense the actual pressure at the outlet of the regulator valve. The actual pressure is then supplied to a sensing element such as a diaphragm of the actuator to adjust the position of the control element. The pressure averaging sense tube includes an open sensing end and an elongated slot. The elongated slot advantageously senses and averages the pressure across the length of the sense tube to maximize the accuracy of the pressure signal supplied to the sensing element.
US08336568B1

A camper cover is heavy and it is generally difficult to drape the cover over a camper. The present invention features a camper system comprising swinging poles to facilitate the draping of a camper with a camper cover.
US08336559B2

A hair extension system provides a skin weft of flexible material having hair like fibers uniformly displaced thereon. Micro rings are fixed to the skin weft and provide an anchoring feature for strands of human hair from a scalp to be secured thereto. The micro rings are deformable and include a flexible protectant so as to minimize damage to the strands of hair. The hair system may be reused by re-opening the micro rings and reinstalling the hair extension system to another location.
US08336552B2

The present invention comprises systems, methods and devices for the delivery of compositions for occluding or of elements for opening conduits. The implantable occlusive material may be delivered pre-formed or in situ cured and, may be a resorbable or degradable material that supports tissue ingrowth or wound healing or a similar response that replaces the cured occlusive material leaving little or no original occlusive material in place. The delivery system is positioned to allow for placement of the occlusive material into the body conduit. Use of delivery systems, methods and devices for re-opening an occluded body conduit are also included.
US08336547B1

A breathing mask is disclosed, as well as a valve and a diverter that can be used within a breathing mask. The breathing mask can include a body, a respiratory interface, a balanced exhaust valve, and an inlet valve. The body can include an inlet and an exhaust. The respiratory interface can be configured to provide fluid communication between each of the inlet and the exhaust, and a user's respiratory system. The balanced exhaust valve can be configured to selectively flow fluid between the exhaust and the respiratory interface. The inlet valve can be configured to selectively flow fluid between the inlet and the respiratory interface. The valve can be a balanced exhaust valve with a fixed balance chamber. The diverter can include a tubular diverter body, a breathing port, an exhaust port, a demand port, and a diverter wall.
US08336545B2

A method of treating a patient with a pulmonary disease, where the method includes delivering a dose of aerosolized medicament intermittently to a ventilator circuit coupled to the respiratory system of the patient. Also, a method of treating a patient with a pulmonary disease, where the method includes taking the patient off a ventilator, and administering to the patient, a nebulized aerosol comprising from about 100 μg to about 500 mg of a medicament. Also a method of treating a patient with a pulmonary disease, the method comprising administering an aerosolized first medicament comprising amikacin to the patient and administering, systemically a second medicament comprising an antibiotic to the patient that also treats the pulmonary disease, wherein a resulting amikacin concentration in the lung and/or pulmonary system is therapeutically-effective, and an amount of the systemically administered antibiotics is reduced.
US08336542B2

A fault indicator for a strip advancement mechanism comprising a base that defines a fault sensing portion of a path for at least a component of a strip, an element for bearing against a strip, or a component of the strip, while it passes through the fault sensing portion of the path, wherein the element is adapted to move from that bearing or non-fault position, to a fault indicating position in the event of the strip or the component of the strip ceasing to pass through the fault sensing portion of the path.
US08336540B2

A pneumostoma management device for maintaining the patency of a pneumostoma while controlling the flow of gases and discharge through the pneumostoma. The pneumostoma management device includes a bulb connected to a tube which enters the pneumostoma. A flow control device regulates air flow in and out of the pneumostoma via the tube. A hydrophobic filter traps discharge in the bulb while allowing gases to escape.
US08336527B2

A solenoid switching valve is provided at a low concentration gas pipe that sends gas from a second separating film unit to a canister. A reflux pipe, that is branched-off from the low concentration gas pipe by the solenoid switching valve, merges with a medium concentration gas pipe that is from the second separating film unit, and further runs via a circulating pipe, and reaches a merge portion with a purge pipe from the canister. By switching the solenoid switching valve to the merge portion side and driving a purge pump that is provided at an exhaust pipe between the merge portion and a first separating film unit, gas, whose concentration has risen within the low concentration gas pipe, is sent to the first separating film unit, and is separated into high concentration gas HG and low concentration gas LG.
US08336525B2

An apparatus for determining a deterioration of a NOx sensor response rate in an internal combustion engine system includes an engine control module configured to stop fueling to an internal combustion engine during motoring of the internal combustion engine. The apparatus also includes a signal monitoring module configured to monitor a NOx sensor signal after the engine control module stops fueling to the internal combustion engine during motoring of the engine and store NOx sensor signal data corresponding to the monitored NOx sensor signal. Additionally, the apparatus includes a time constant module that is configured to determine a time constant of the NOx sensor response after the engine control module stops fueling. The apparatus further includes a response rate deterioration module configured to determine a response rate deterioration value of the NOx sensor based at least partially on the determined time constant.
US08336517B2

An outboard motor includes an engine, an engine cover, a partitioning member, an intake device, and a fan. The engine is arranged to support a crankshaft extending along an up-down direction. The partitioning member is arranged to partition the inside of the engine cover into a lower chamber accommodating the engine and an upper chamber. In the partitioning member, a communication hole which is arranged to cause the upper chamber to communicate with the lower chamber is provided. Also, the engine cover has an air inlet arranged to cause the upper chamber to communicate with the atmosphere, and an air outlet arranged to cause the lower chamber to communicate with the atmosphere. The air inlet is arranged in an upper portion of the engine cover. The air outlet is arranged at a lower end portion of the engine cover. The intake device is connected to the engine. The intake device has an air suction port arranged to communicate with the upper chamber. The fan is arranged inside the engine cover. The fan is arranged to send air inside the upper chamber into the lower chamber through the communication hole.
US08336516B2

A system and method are disclosed for reducing the fuel consumption of an engine, particularly during a cold start or an engine warm-up period. A magnetorheological fluid having a low viscosity is used to lubricate the engine. When viscosity is to be increased, a magnetic field is applied to the magnetorheological fluid. The magnetic field can be selectively applied to electromagnets proximate engine bearings.
US08336513B2

A variable tappet may include an outer tappet body, an inner tappet body that is slidably disposed within the outer tappet body and selectively connected with the outer tappet body, a lost motion elastic member that is disposed within the outer tappet body and elastically supports the outer tappet body, and a connecting unit that is slidably disposed within the inner tappet body and selectively connects the outer tappet body and the inner tappet body.
US08336511B2

A method and control module includes a control hold duty cycle module generating a control hold duty cycle signal and a voltage correction module generating a voltage correction signal. The control module also includes a correction module generating a corrected proportional correction signal based on a proportional correction signal and the voltage correction signal, and generating a corrected integral correction signal based on an integral correction signal and the voltage correction signal. The control module also includes a force determination module controlling a duty cycle to a phaser operator based upon the control hold signal, the corrected proportional correction signal and the corrected integral correction signal.
US08336505B2

A comfortable and easy to use retractable pet leash is provided. A retracting and locking leash assembly provides a hollow ring-shaped leash housing, a spool inside the hollow ring-shaped leash housing extending through out the circumference of the hollow ring-shaped leash housing, a retracting mechanism inside the interior of the hollow ring-shaped leash housing, and a brake trigger, the trigger constructed to adopt at least one braking position and one free position. The leash housing, the line opening and the brake trigger are arranged such that when the leash is in use, the user holds the leashing housing as a handle while being able to control the brake trigger with one finger without bearing extra wrist strain from the weight of the leash or the orientation leash.
US08336498B2

A shrimp aquaculture structure including a set of at least two raceways each having a length, width, and at least one depth to give an average depth, and including two ends, two side walls having a top, a sloped bottom joining each side wall at two side wall junctions. Some of five raceways may be stacked at least partially on top of another of the five raceways. According to another embodiment, the disclosure relates to a process of shrimp aquaculture by using the set of five raceways and sequentially transferring shrimp form one raceway to another once the shrimp reach a given average size.
US08336496B2

Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a watering system configured to provide water to livestock. The system includes a water basin defining a trough configured to retain water, a reservoir mounted to the water basin, wherein the reservoir is configured to receive and retain water above the water basin. A water path is defined from the reservoir to the trough, wherein water within the reservoir is configured to pass into the water basin through gravity. A first heating element configured to heat water within the reservoir. A second heating element is configured to heat water within the trough, wherein the second heating element is separate and distinct from the first heating element.
US08336488B2

A plasma chamber is constructed to have a chamber body defining therein a plurality of process stations. A plurality of rotating substrate holders are each situated in one of the process stations and a plurality of in-situ plasma generation regions are each provided above one of the substrate holders. A plurality of quasi-remote plasma generation regions are each provided above a corresponding in-situ plasma generation region and being in gaseous communication with the corresponding in-situ plasma generation region. An RF energy source is coupled to each of the quasi-remote plasma generation regions.
US08336485B2

A coating apparatus includes a first vessel, a revolving unit, and a motor having a drive shaft. The first vessel has a receiving space defined therein for receiving substrates and a first solution. The revolving unit is received in the receiving space and rotatable relative to the first vessel to impart a centrifugal force to the first solution. The drive shaft is coupled to the revolving unit. The motor is configured for rotating the revolving unit.
US08336482B2

Disclosed are fiber coating sizing applicator apparatus having a member to remove unused sizing and foreign objects from the fiber coating element of the applicator on a continuous or intermittent basis. Also disclosed are sizing applicators having as part of the drive, a servo motor for reduced variation in sizing application. Unused sizing is filtered to remove foreign objects and returned the applicator right away, or stored in a temperature controlled area until ready to feed back to a sizing applicator. Also disclosed are methods of using the sizing applicator apparatus to produce sized fibers. The apparatus and methods of the invention produce a substantial reduction in the fiber break rate, sizing usage and applicator maintenance.
US08336481B2

A method of revealing exposure of a substrate to an environmental stimulus includes exposing the substrate to the environmental stimulus, where the substrate includes at least one indicia, where each of the at least one indicia includes a plurality of chromatically selective scattering particles having a particle size distribution as measured by (weight average diameter)/(number average diameter) of less than or equal to about 1.1, and a colorant; and the at least one indicia exhibits a change in color in response to the environmental stimulus.
US08336480B2

A warning device for mounting on a vehicle having a rear bumper includes a storage housing, a warning frame and a driving unit. The storage housing is concealedly mounted within the rear bumper of the vehicle. The warning frame is selectively received in the storage housing. The driving unit connecting the storage housing and the warning frame to drive the warning frame to operate between a extended mode and a storage mode, wherein in the storage mode, the warning frame is selectively concealed within the storage housing, wherein in the extended mode, the warning frame is selectively driven by the driving unit to extend out of the storage housing to form a triangular structure for providing a warning signal to incoming traffic.
US08336473B2

A mattress edge tape machine is provided. More specifically, a workstation for applying a tape edge material about the peripheral side edges of bedding materials such as mattresses or foundation sets is provided. The mattress edge tape machine has a table adapted to support a work piece, at least one conveyor belt coupled to the table, a sewing head mounted directly adjacent to the table for performing a sewing operation on the work piece, and an arcuate turning arm mounted adjacent to the table to selectively turn the work piece on the table. The arcuate arm may include a clamping device for moving and securing the work piece. The machine may also include a guide assembly of actuators, instead of an arcuate turning arm.
US08336469B2

A transfer chamber assembly for an apparatus and method to precisely meter and dispense two or more crop inputs with a common metering disc. In one embodiment, dry granular or granulized fertilizer is metered from one side of the disc and seed is metered from the opposite side of the same metering disc. The fertilizer is placed in a concentrated “pulse” approximately equal distances between seeds within a common seed furrow and/or between seed furrows to improved nutrient use efficiency by minimizing soil to fertilizer contact and subsequent chemical reactions that make applied supplemental nutrients less available to plants. Pressurized air may be utilized to assist discharge of both the seed and fertilizer from the disc meter to assure precise spacing in the soil. A cover may be placed on the meter and metering disc to recirculate air and thus minimize potential atmospheric contamination from seed coatings and fertilizer materials.
US08336464B1

A freight car bogie and a freight car are provided. The freight car bogie includes two wheel set assemblies, side frames, and a bolster. The freight car bogie further includes a first connecting rod and a second connecting rod. The first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are crossed in an X form to pass through reserved holes at two sides of a belly of the bolster. The first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are separated from each other at a crossing portion. The first connecting rod includes a first end and a second end. The second connecting rod includes a third end and a fourth end. The first end and the third end are resiliently connected to one of the side frames and symmetrical about a center line of the bolster. The second end and the fourth end are resiliently connected to the other side frame and symmetrical about the center line of the bolster. Therefore, a warp resistant rigidity of the freight car bogie is increased, and an operation speed and capability for adapting to track irregularities of a three-piece casting steel bogie are raised.
US08336461B2

Building on a modular construction of a hand grenade (10), the invention provides a module (1) that can be integrated in the hand grenade (10) and can be equipped with a hollow charge insert (3) in order to act as an armor-penetrating part. The module (1), including the hollow charge insert (3), can be fixed (mounted, screwed, clipped, etc.) at the bottom end of the hand grenade (10) and is attached to the armored element. In the simplest form, the hand grenade (10) is put down, in the case of side walls possibly hung on, and the hand grenade (10) is attached so that the hollow charge insert (3) can exert an adequate effect on the target medium.
US08336457B2

Applicants have discovered that electrostatic discharge (ESD) may, in some circumstances, result in current densities sufficient to ignite unprotected reactive composite materials. They have further discovered that a reactive composite material (RCM) can be protected from ESD ignition without adversely affecting the desirable properties of the RCM by the application of conducting and/or insulating materials at appropriate locations on the RCM. Thus ESD-protected RCM structures can be designed for such sensitive applications as ignition of propellants, generation of light bursts, and structural materials for equipment that may require controlled self-destruction.
US08336442B2

An automatically-reloadable, remotely-operated weapon system may include an operator station located distant from a weapon station. The weapon station may include an externally-powered firearm, a firearm mover for adjusting an azimuth and an angle of inclination of the firearm, and an ammunition storage and transport system for automatically moving ammunition to and from the firearm. From the operator station, a user may remotely control all aspects of firearm operation and ammunition reloading.
US08336438B2

An electro-mechanical firearm trigger mechanism for controlling the rate of fire for a firearm in automatic firing mode. The controlling being achieved through the use of a solenoid directed by a computer processor. The computer processor being connected to multiple sensors to instruct the solenoid on a rate of fire or to disengage automatic fire if needed.
US08336436B2

A charging handle for a firearm which can be used by either a right-handed or a left handed operator. The charging handle uses a rod member which engages the action of the firearm and is secured to the action via a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism is release when the handle is pulled by either the left hand or the right hand of the operator by pressing a first pressure surface when the left hand is used, and by pressing a second pressure surface when the right hand is used by the operator. This pressure forces the locking mechanism to disengage from the action mechanism.
US08336433B2

A rotary shear for subdividing a product moving longitudinally along a path comprises a parallel pair of shafts having cutting blades connected thereto. The shafts are on opposite sides of and arranged symmetrically with respect to a center line of the shear. Driven gears on each of the shafts are spaced one from the other. A first pinion gear is in meshed relationship with one of the driven gears, and a second pinion gear in meshed relationship with the other of the driven gears. The first pinion gear has a diameter smaller than the diameter of the second pinion gear. The first and second pinion gears are in an intermeshed relationship at a location spaced laterally from the center line of the shear.
US08336432B1

A safety system for a rotary saw or other dangerous machine tools features a flesh-sensing circuit (14, 19), located on a safety guard (16) surrounding a dangerous machine part, which generates an electronic signal to trigger emergency stopping of the machine before the operator can contact the dangerous machine part. The stopping means preferably employs DC injection, winding current direction reversal and/or electromagnetic motor braking, in the event of detection of operator contact with the safety guarding device. The system is adapted to be used both with newly-manufactured machine tools and by retrofitting onto previously-manufactured machine tools, by in-the-field modifications.
US08336428B2

A universal ratcheting tool provides improved handling of tools that are difficult to use on their own, specifically, hexagonal wrenches. The universal ratcheting tool includes a handle and a body with a ratcheting mechanism within the handle. The body includes a first aperture for receiving a tool, and the first aperture includes slots to accept a plurality of sizes of tools. The body also includes a second aperture where the tool extends out of the body. A retaining component is coupled with the body to retain the tool and a retaining tab is able to be used to open and close the retaining component. Once the tool is positioned and retained within the universal ratcheting tool, a user is able to easily install or remove an object such as a screw with the benefit of a comfortable handle and the ease of use of the ratcheting mechanism.
US08336427B2

A one-way driver includes a handle, a shaft and an engagement unit. The shaft is rotationally inserted through the handle. The engagement unit is used to engage the shaft with the handle when the handle is pivoted in a direction and allow disengagement of the shaft from the handle when the handle is pivoted in an opposite direction.
US08336418B2

An actuating device for selecting shift positions of a shift-by-wire gearshift transmission. The actuating device comprises a selector lever that is movable between stable lever positions from at least one drive mode position to a parking lock position, a detent device with a spring-loaded detent element, a detent guide-plate and a separating device with an actuator-operated thrust wedge. The detent element and the detent guide-plate can be moved by the thrust wedge from a first position, in which the detent element engages in a shift track of the detent guide-plate, to another second position in which the detent element is disengaged from the shift track of the guide-plate. The actuating device enables automatic return of the selector lever to the parking lock position and thus provides the driver with correct visual and tactile feedback about the actual shift status of the transmission.
US08336417B2

A chain for a motion transmission apparatus comprises a plurality of spacers and two links two links at both sides of the respective spacers for connecting spacers together. The spacers are equidistantly spaced from one another by a receiving space which is longitudinally asymmetrical and provided for holding rolling elements.
US08336416B2

A ball screw device includes a ball nut having a bore for receiving a screw shaft, and having a number of longitudinal channels and compartments for forming a zigzag shaped fluid flowing passage in the ball nut, a number of deflecting members engaged with the compartments of the ball nut and each having a recess for communicating adjacent channels with each other, the outer peripheral surfaces of the deflecting members are tilted relative to the ball nut for allowing the deflecting members to be expanded when the deflecting members are expanded, a cooling agent flows through the zigzag shaped fluid flowing passage for cooling the ball nut and for preventing the ball nut from being overheated.
US08336414B2

Provided is a roller screw having an unloaded roller return path of new shape capable of moving rollers smoothly. The roller circulation path of the roller screw has the unloaded roller return path and a loaded roller rolling path. The unloaded roller return path 10 is twisted so that while each roller 4 moves in the unloaded roller return path 10 its central axis is inclined. In a cross sectional shape of the twisted part of the unloaded roller return path 10, each of paired side surface corresponding parts 25c and 25d facing respective side surfaces of the roller 4 is convex toward the inside of the unloaded roller return path 10.
US08336409B2

A magnetic piston includes a housing having a tapered bore extending along an axis thereof and a piston having a tapered outside wall mating with the tapered bore of the housing for providing radial and longitudinal movement within the tapered bore about a rotational axis of the piston. A shaft is connected to the piston for movement along its longitudinal axis thereof, wherein the axes of the tapered bore and piston are generally aligned along the longitudinal axis. A first set of magnets is embedded within the outside wall of the piston and a second set of magnets is embedded within a surface of a wall forming the bore of the housing. The polarity for each of the magnets within the sets provides attracting and repelling forces causing rotation of the piston relative to the housing and a linear movement of the shaft along the longitudinal axis.
US08336404B2

A system for sampling a bale of fibrous material is provided including a transportation mechanism for moving the bale from a first point to a second point and a first gripper for obtaining a sample from the bale when the bale is at a position between the first point and the second point. The gripper includes a movable finger for gripping the sample from the bale. An actuator comprising an actuating rod is provided for pushing the sample away from the movable finger.
US08336402B2

The present invention is directed to devices and methods in which one or more miniature synthetic jet actuators are integrated with a chemical fluidic sensor (ChemFET) to effect inhalation and exhalation of ambient gas samples and induce small scale mixing at the surface of the sensor. The fluidically integrated jet transports ambient gas or liquid into the jet/sensor assembly through integrated gas or liquid channels, impinges the sample gas or liquid on the sensing element, and finally ejects the sample gas or liquid back into the ambient gas or liquid. The response of the sensor in the presence of the active jet is compared to its response when the jet is inactive. The jet actuator directs entrained ambient gas or liquid toward the active surface of the sensor, and the impingement of sample gas or liquid onto the surface of the sensor results in faster response time. Other embodiments are also claimed and described.
US08336400B2

A power sensing arrangement for the rear hub of a bicycle. The power sensing arrangement includes a torque sensing assembly including torque sensing elements configured to measure a user applied torque. The torque sensing elements are in communication with an electronics assembly configured to process the measured data and transmit it to a receiver. The torque sensing elements are interconnected with the free hub assembly of the rear hub, and are operable to detect torque applied to the free hub from the rear cassette.
US08336399B2

A sensor system includes a first sensing device that includes a sensor, and first and second surrounding portions that surround the sensor at least partially, a second sensing device that comprises a sensor, and first and second surrounding portions that surround the sensor at least partially, wherein at least one of a combination of shapes of the first and second surrounding portions of the respective first and second sensing devices and a combination of physical properties of the first and second surrounding portions of the respective first and second sensing devices is configured such that a detection characteristic of the first sensing device is different from a detection characteristic of the second sensing device.
US08336396B2

A measuring transducer has a transducer housing, has a transducer housing, having a housing end is formed by means of, a flow divider having exactly four flow openings and an outlet-side, housing end is formed by means of, a flow divider having exactly four flow openings, and four straight, measuring tubes connected to the flow dividers. Each measuring tube opens into one of the flow openings and with an outlet-side, measuring tube end into one of the flow openings of the outlet-side, flow divider. Also included is an electromechanical exciter mechanism embodied, so that the measuring tubes are excitable pairwise to execute opposite phase bending oscillations in, in each case, a shared imaginary plane of oscillation (XZ1, XZ2).
US08336389B2

An optical fiber strain sensor array comprises several sensor support panels spaced in its longitudinal direction and at least one connecting member extending in the longitudinal direction, which mechanically interconnects the sensor support panels. An optical fiber is supported by the sensor support panels and the connecting member. The optical fiber extends with the connecting member between the sensor support panels and forms a curve on the sensor support panel, the curve including at least one portion of the optical fiber that extends in the transverse direction. The width of the connecting member is substantially less than the width of the sensor support panels, such that the connecting member is capable of flexure in the transverse direction. This has the advantage that the connecting member can be flexed to take up any slack during installation of the optical fiber strain sensor array in a wind turbine blade and can be fitted to the turbine blade even if the blade has a conical shape.
US08336383B2

An apparatus testing axle shafts includes i) a test bench to receive a tubular axle shaft including a wall exhibiting variable known external and internal radius profiles, ii) at least one ultrasonic probe to analyze at least one selected portion of the wall in a selected angular sector and thus acquire analysis data, iii) a controller to control the test bench to place each probe on the wall external or internal surface in at least one first site selected as a function of its profiles and a possible loading of the shaft such that it analyses the first and second selected wall portions respectively in at least one first and at least one second selected angular sector oriented in first and second opposing longitudinal or transverse directions, to thus acquire analysis data for various relative angular positions of the shaft in relation to the probe, and iv) a processor to create from these acquired analysis data maps representing the transverse or longitudinal orientations and positions of indications of echoes within the wall.
US08336376B2

Provided is a heating temperature adjustment circuit in a thermal flow meter capable of adjusting fluctuations of a heating temperature of a heat-generating resistor due to fluctuations of resistances with high accuracy and low cost. The thermal flow meter comprises: a heat-generating resistor that generates heat when a current flows therethrough; a first temperature measuring resistor, a second resistor, a third resistor, and a fourth resistor whose resistance values vary due to temperature; and a fixed resistance having a resistance temperature coefficient lower than that of the first temperature measuring resistor, and measuring a flow rate of a fluid by controlling the heating temperature of the heat-generating resistor. The thermal flow meter includes: a first series circuit in which the fixed resistance, the first temperature measuring resistor, and the second resistor are connected to one another in series; and a second series circuit in which the third resistor and the fourth resistor are connected to each other in series, and generates a voltage to be added to the second series circuit based on voltages at both ends of the fixed resistance.
US08336374B2

A method of determining opening of an intake valve of an internal combustion engine, the method including the steps of: determining the time pattern of an intake pressure in an intake manifold of the internal combustion engine, the time pattern of the rotation speed of a drive shaft of the internal combustion engine, or the time pattern of a voltage at the terminals of a battery of the internal combustion engine; determining an intake-frequency component of the intake pressure, the rotation speed, or the voltage; and determining opening of the intake valve as a function of the intake-frequency component of the intake pressure, and also as a function of the intake-frequency component of the rotation speed or voltage.
US08336373B2

A device for sensing a mass in a liquid environment including a resonator comprising a piezo layer having a top electrode and a bottom electrode, a sensing surface located adjacent and opposite the top electrode, the resonator and the sensing surface defining a gap therebetween, and a post attached to the sensing surface and the resonator.
US08336372B2

In a method to determine concentration of toner particles in a carrier fluid in a liquid developer system for a printer or carrier, a suspension of the carrier fluid in the toner particles is charged with an ultrasonic wave. A propagation time of the ultrasonic wave in the suspension is determined. A concentration of the toner particles in the suspension is determined from the propagation time. A system is also provided employing the above steps.
US08336364B2

A method and apparatus for calibrating wheel speed signals measured by wheel rpm sensors in a vehicle equipped with at least one longitudinal acceleration sensor integrates the signal of the longitudinal acceleration sensor during the acceleration or deceleration phases of the vehicle, and the resulting vehicle speed signal is compared against the signals of the individual wheel rpm sensors. A determination is made as to whether a deviation that may exist for a wheel lies within a predefined tolerance range. If a deviation falls outside of the tolerance range, the parameterized tire circumference of the associated wheel is adaptively recalibrated until the deviation falls within the tolerance range.
US08336361B2

In an apparatus and a method for producing diffraction- and interference-active structures by micro-pattern stamping a metal object, a micro-stamping arrangement is provided including a micro-stamping station with a micro-pattern stamp for generating a diffraction-active structure on the metal object, an application station for applying a protective layer to the diffraction-active structure and a macro-stamping station for applying a macroscopic image relief over the diffraction active structure while it is protected by the protective layer.
US08336348B2

Apparatus and associated methodology are provided for key operated pin tumbler locks, some of which may incorporate a removable core pin tumbler lock. A selected tumbler of a type commonly used in pin tumbler locks is configured along with a driver pin to control operation of a retainer that, when rotated by use of a control key inserted in the lock, allows alternate selective removal and replacement of the core assembly in the lock. Also, or separate therefrom, one or more tumbler holes may be formed or drilled in a manner so as to prevent engagement of a tumbler with the bite of a key. Presently disclosed structures and associated methodology help to reduce any susceptibility to unauthorized techniques practiced against the lock, such as unintentional activation of the tumblers by unauthorized persons through use of a key with so-called “bumping” techniques.
US08336347B2

A coded lock assembly is introduced in order to improve upon existing coded locks used to control access to protected areas. The lock assembly contains several micro-switches within the anterior portion that can be pushed by a push button on the posterior portion of the lock assembly. In order to unlock the lock assembly, the user must turn an exterior drive handle to the proper position and press the push button. A predetermined sequence of handle turns and push button presses is required to unlock the lock.
US08336346B2

A lock includes a stationary key mass having a first key mass bore and a keyway, and a movable spring mass including a first spring mass bore. A first spring mass pin is mounted in the first spring mass bore, and a first key mass pin is mounted in the first key mass bore for reciprocation between a locked position immobilizing the spring mass and an unlocked position unconstraining motion in at least one direction. The unlocked position is a function of the presence of a matching key in the keyway. Multiple key mass and spring mass pins can be used, some or all of which can have stepped configurations, and corresponding single-bladed or multi-bladed keys, or multiple keys, can be used. The keys can be straight or curved in any of various planes, or they can be straight but flexible to match curved keyways. Curves can be unidirectional or compound. Relative motion between the key mass and spring mass can be in a plane or along straight line or circular.
US08336342B2

A clothes refreshing apparatus is disclosed. The clothes refreshing apparatus includes a cabinet forming an external appearance, a drum which is installed in the cabinet and provides a space in which clothes are loaded and refreshed, a front panel which forms a front surface of the cabinet and has a loading port through which the clothes are loaded into the drum, and a door which is installed to open and close the loading port, wherein the door is formed to have a vertical length equal to or larger than a vertical length of side surfaces of the front panel.
US08336340B2

A drum type washing machine is provided. The drum type washing machine may include a cabinet, a tub fixed to an inner side of the cabinet, a drum rotatably arranged in the tub, and a driving motor positioned at a rear side of the drum for generating a driving force that rotates the drum. The washing machine may also include a supporting plate to rotatably support a rotational shaft extending between the motor and the drum, and a plurality of supporters connected between the supporting plate and the cabinet. Such an arrangement may increase washing capacity by increasing a diameter of the drum without increasing an external size of the cabinet.
US08336337B2

The invention relates to a method for producing a blank mold from synthetic quartz glass by using a plasma-assisted deposition method, according to which a hydrogen-free media flow containing a glass starting material and a carrier gas is fed to a multi-nozzle deposition burner. The glass starting material is introduced into a plasma zone by the deposition burner and is oxidized therein while forming SiO2 particles, and the SiO2 particles are deposited on a deposition surface while being directly vitrified. In order to increase the deposition efficiency, the invention provides that the deposition burner (1) focuses the media flow toward the plasma zone (4) by. A multi-nozzle plasma burner, which is suited for carrying out the method and which is provided with a media nozzle for feeding a media flow to the plasma zone, is characterized in that the media nozzle (7) is designed so that it is focussed toward the plasma zone (4). The focussing is effected by a tapering (6) of the media nozzle (7).
US08336334B2

Apparatus, systems and methods for alignment of a glass member for high temperature processing are disclosed. The high temperature processing can, for example, pertain to a slumping process to mold glass into a predetermined shape (e.g., a three-dimensional shape). In one embodiment, a glass slumping system can have a mold and an alignment system that support a glass member to be slumped relative to the mold. The alignment system may have a plurality of alignment members being configured to move away from the glass member as the temperature increases during the slumping process to allow the glass member to bend around the mold without interference.
US08336326B2

Provided is a dispenser including an ice-making water tank for storing ice-making water and an auger-type ice-making machine for producing ice chips by freezing the ice-making water in the ice-making water tank. The auger-type ice-making machine includes a refrigeration casing into which the ice-making water is supplied, and the refrigeration casing and the drain pan are connected to each other through the intermediation of an ice-making water drain pipe. The ice-making water in the refrigeration casing is drained at predetermined time points, and the drain pan is washed with the ice-making water thus drained.
US08336313B2

A unitary distributor is disclosed, comprising at least one main flow passage located within a distributor ring body, the main flow passage having an arcuate portion oriented in a circumferential direction around a distributor axis. Exemplary embodiments of a unitary distributor having an annular ring located at the axially forward end of the distributor ring body are disclosed. A fuel distributor is disclosed, comprising a fuel conduit and a distributor wherein the fuel distributor has a unitary construction.
US08336312B2

A can-annular gas turbine engine including a casing defining an annulus for receiving air flow from a compressor. A combustor basket is supported within the casing, and a swirler assembly is located within the basket and includes an air inlet and an outlet located in a combustion chamber. The swirler assembly is configured to discharge a fuel/air mixture from the outlet downstream into the combustion chamber. An acoustic filter is provided comprising a Herschel-Quincke tube having a first open end at the annulus and a second open end adjacent to the swirler assembly within the combustion chamber. Components of acoustic pressure oscillations travel along two paths of different lengths from one end of the Herschel-Quincke tube to the opposite end of the tube where out of phase components of the pressure oscillations interact to attenuate the pressure oscillations.
US08336305B2

A hydraulic drive device capable of utilizing return oil effectively while maintaining a driven speed of a hydraulic actuator, as well as a working machine having the hydraulic drive device, are provided. The hydraulic drive device includes a controller. During an external force applying period in which a return oil pressure exceeds a discharge pressure from a hydraulic pump, the controller specifies a regenerating flow rate capable of being conducted to a regeneration oil passage and a surplus flow rate other than the regenerating flow rate on the basis of power required of the hydraulic pump out of return oil other than return oil which is conduced to a tank through a control valve, then conducts the return oil of the regenerating flow rate to the regeneration oil passage and controls an MO valve and a regulator so that the return oil of the surplus flow rate is conducted to an outlet oil passage.
US08336302B2

A flammable-gas led-out pipe (5) has a terminal end portion (5a) disposed in an exhaust-gas route (7) and a metal cylinder (10) is arranged at the terminal end portion (5a) of the flammable-gas led-out pipe (5). An oxidation catalyst (8) is disposed within the metal cylinder (10). On an upstream side of the oxidation catalyst (8), an air-supply passage (12) is opened to provide an outlet (12a) and the flammable gas (4) merges with supplied air (13). The flammable gas (4) is burnt with the oxidation catalyst (8) to produce catalyst-combustion heat, which is radiated from an outer peripheral surface of the metal cylinder (10) into the exhaust gas (9) in the exhaust-gas route (7) and the exhaust gas (9) heated by this heat-radiation is mixed with the flammable gas (4) that has passed through the oxidation catalyst (8).
US08336297B2

A vehicle can include an engine, an air cleaner for supplying air taken in by the engine, an exhaust passage for exhausting exhaust gas of the engine, and a secondary air passage for connecting the air cleaner to the exhaust passage and for supplying secondary air to the exhaust passage. A one-way valve can be disposed in the secondary air passage. A resonator portion can be interposed between the air cleaner and the one-way valve. The resonator portion can branch from the secondary air passage and can include a closed space. A water drain portion can be disposed in the closed space of the resonator portion.
US08336295B2

An apparatus for reducing nitrogen oxide in an exhaust pipe, may include a nitrogen oxide sensor that is mounted in the exhaust pipe and that measures amount of the nitrogen oxide in exhaust gas, a nozzle that is disposed on the exhaust pipe to be spaced apart from the nitrogen oxide sensor to a downstream side of the nitrogen oxide sensor by a first predetermined length and that injects urea corresponding to the amount of the nitrogen oxide, a mixer that mixes the urea with the exhaust gas and that is disposed at a downstream side of the nozzle on the exhaust pipe to be spaced apart by a second predetermined length from the nozzle, and a de-nitrification catalyst reaction device that is disposed at a downstream side of the mixer on the exhaust pipe, purifies the nitrogen oxide, and includes an inlet portion having a predetermined length.
US08336292B2

An exhaust component for use with a combustion engine is disclosed. The exhaust component may have a housing at least partially defining an inlet and an outlet, and a treatment device supported by the housing in communication with exhaust passing from the inlet to the outlet. The exhaust component may also have a life indicator permanently associated with at least one of the housing and the treatment device.
US08336291B2

When switching an exhaust throttle valve from full opening to a closed position to warm up an engine, an intake throttle valve is fixed to full opening, an EGR valve is fixed to full closing, and a variable turbo-vane is fixed to a predetermined opening degree to accelerate a gas flow rate from an intake passage to an exhaust passage, a fully opened flow rate is detected and stored by gas flow rate detector, with the exhaust throttle valve being full opening. Then, an instruction is issued to the exhaust throttle valve to switch from the full opening to a closed position, after which a rotation number of the engine is detected, a threshold value is determined based thereon, a closed position flow rate is detected, a flow rate difference relative to the stored fully opened flow rate is determined, and failure of the exhaust throttle valve is judged based on whether the flow rate difference is less than the determined threshold value.
US08336285B2

The invention relates a cord for the reinforcement of a cementitious matrix. The cord comprises number of coated metal filaments twisted together to form a cord. The cord shows cross-sections, whereby three or more of the filaments form a closed sub-structure having a void in the middle of the three or more filaments. The cord further comprises a protective compound whereby the protective compound is at least present in said void. The protective compound gives the coated metal element cathodic protection. The invention further relates to a structure comprising a number of cords such as a knitted, a braided, a welded or a glued structure. Furthermore the invention relates to a cementitious matrix reinforced with a cord according to the present invention and to a method to inhibit hydrogen gas evolution at the interface of a cord embedded in a cementitious matrix.
US08336279B2

A device for aligning and leveling tiles as they are laid in floors, walls, countertops, or the like. The device has a locking assembly and a bottom plate. The components are combined with a shaft that extends from the bottom plate through the locking assembly so that the locking assembly is movable along the length of the shaft. In use, the device is placed between adjacent tiles so that the locking assembly and bottom plate hold adjacent tiles at a desired height as the setting bed dries.
US08336278B2

A method for forming a structural paver deck assembly includes fastening structural decking panels across a bare frame structure. One or more of the decking panels includes an upper panel surface having a non-planar contoured decking panel surface. A paver decking surface is seated over the plurality of structural decking panels to form a paver decking surface. Seating includes positioning a plurality of paver pieces on the structural decking panels including interfittingly engaging the paver pieces to the non-planar contoured decking panel surface. Seating further includes aligning the plurality of paver pieces in at least one specified direction, wherein the paver pieces includes paver contour surfaces along a lower surface having a corresponding shape to the non-planar contoured decking panel surface. Interfitting engagement of the paver contour surfaces with the non-planar contoured panel surface orients the one or more paver pieces in the at least one specified direction.
US08336271B2

The fan filter mounting frame is useful in installation of equipment in a cell of suspension grid systems when the equipment is passed through and is placed in a corner of the cell. The equipment is supported partially directly by the grid and partially indirectly by the grid through an adapting frame insert. The frame insert is connected between the equipment and the suspension grid system and may have two legs that meet at an apex, a first leg extending along a first grid rail and a second leg extending along an adjacent second grid rail. Each of the two legs also extends between its respective rail and the equipment, supporting the equipment on the respective suspension grid rails. Thus, the grid system may be in its design position or condition prior to and during placement and replacement of the equipment without disruption.
US08336269B1

A backed paneling unit comprised of a backing portion that includes at least one rib. In an exemplary embodiment, a rib may be adjacent to a drainage groove or between adjacent drainage grooves. A rib may enable ventilation behind the backing portion. In addition, a rib may also assist with liquid drainage.
US08336266B2

The invention relates to a system for attaching false stretched walls made of a flexible sheet (1) attached by the edges thereof to a mini-stringer (3′), said edges being provided with a harpoon-type hook (11) inserted as a gooseneck between the two flanges of the stringer (3′) and including a first section (11a) connected to the sheet (1) and a second section (11b) folded on the first one, and having an end bead bearing onto a shoulder (8) of the outer flange (5) of said stringer, characterised in that the end bead of the harpoon (11) includes a disconnection lip (12) extending perpendicularly from the bearing area of the bead on the shoulder (8), and extending under said shoulder (8) in the gap of the stringer (3′) so that said lip (12) can be used as a lever for urging the end of the harpoon (11) out of the shoulder (8), without any penetration of an application tool in the stringer (3′), in order to easily dismantle said sheet (1).
US08336261B2

A moveable roofing system for covering an interior space includes a fixed half-dome roof fixed to and supported by a first support structure, a rotatable half-dome roof rotatable about and supported by a second support structure, the second support structure being concentric to the first support structure, and, wherein the rotatable half-dome roof is configured to rotate about the second support structure.
US08336252B1

A deep root watering and stabilization assembly and method for supporting, irrigating, and fertilizing plantings, such as trees, shrubs, or root balls is described herein. The assembly can include a harness disposed around the planting and a perforated tube adapted to receive water and nutrients from above the surface and pass the water and nutrients to the roots or root ball. The assembly can include an attachment assembly with adjustable engagement locations and a fastener affixed to the attachment assembly. The fastener can be structured to tighten or loosen a first connector as it engages one of a plurality of positions between the harness and the perforated tube.
US08336245B2

A remote control system is disclosed for controlling a remote animal collar of the type which includes one or more electrodes or sensors which protrude from the inside surface of the collar for contacting the neck of the animal and electronic devices located within the body of the collar to receive electronic control signals or sensor input and to generate a stimulus, which is transmitted to the animal through the electrodes or by a speaker or other devices on the collar. The remote control system uses a master and slave remote transmitter combination.
US08336239B2

The field of the present invention relates to an identification assembly, and in particular, to a clasp device for securing to an identification wristband, and to a wristband and clasp assembly. In one embodiment, a identification assembly for a patient includes a band with first and second opposite ends and first and second opposite edges and a width measured between the first and second edges. The identification assembly also includes a clasp secured to the band. The clasp has a first section having an inside surface and an outside surface; a second section having an inside surface and an outside surface, the inside surface of the second section facing the inside surface of the first section; and a protrusion extending from one of the first or the second section to engage the other of the first or the second section to secure the first and second sections together in a closed position. The outside surface of one of the first or the second section comprises a symbol on the outside surface to provide information about the patient. The clasp is color-coded to provide information about the patient.
US08336230B2

An article of footwear for use in weight lifting is disclosed. The article of footwear includes a non-deforming midsole. Also, the article of footwear includes a raised heel and a substantially flat bottom surface. Additionally, the article of footwear includes holes formed along the bottom of the midsole in order to reduce the weight of the article of footwear.
US08336215B2

In an image card where an image is formed on a thin plate made of special synthetic paper or plastic by engraving by sweeping the plate with the engraving needle through relative movement of an engraving needle and a plate, it is impossible to form a hidden image which can be viewed when a viewpoint is changed or form an image formed by watermark engraving and the hidden image within the same plane. A hidden image is formed on an image card by engraving while angles of stripes of striped patterns are changed in response to shading of an image. Further, an image engraving device is provided with a rotary driving unit, and engraving is performed in a state that an extending direction of striped grooves of the hidden image and a forming direction of the engraving are made equal, so that a wall face of a groove is always formed by the same side face of an engraving needle and undulation does not occur on the wall face of the groove. Similarly, a shape of a bottom face of the groove is made even. As a result, precision of the hidden image is made high and an effect as the hidden image is further improved.
US08336202B2

In a method of manufacturing a wiring board, a basic circuit pattern is formed on an insulating plate, and a metal layer is formed on the basic circuit pattern by cold spraying to thereby form a built-up circuit pattern on the basic circuit pattern.
US08336195B2

The invention is directed to an unfailing pickup operation of an electronic component from a component storage portion at a seam of storage tapes connected even using a connection tape and prevention of reduction in a pickup rate of an electronic component. A CPU sends a feeding command to a component feeding unit to perform a component feeding operation or the like. Then, when the CPU judges that a connection tape reaches a pickup position, the CPU drives an X axis drive motor and a Y axis drive motor to move a board recognition camera to the pickup position of the feeding unit, the camera takes an image of a storage portion of a storage tape, and a recognition processing device performs recognition processing. A correction value based on a result of this recognition processing is stored in a RAM, and a suction nozzle is moved taking this correction value into account and lowers to pick up an electronic component.
US08336188B2

Methods and systems, in one embodiment, are described related to a chuck with a plurality of vacuum grooves on a surface. Each single vacuum groove of the plurality of vacuum grooves has a single port connected with a single vacuum line coupled to a vacuum source. The single vacuum line is not shared with another groove and a restriction is applied to the single vacuum line in order to isolate each single vacuum groove.
US08336180B2

A method for repairing a crushing device or other device configured to comminute material includes the steps of removing at least one first insert from a portion of a crushing body such that at least one opening is formed in the portion of the crushing body, positioning at least one second insert in the at least one opening formed by the removing of the at least one first insert, positioning a force application mechanism adjacent to the at least one second insert and the portion of the crushing body, and actuating the force application mechanism to deform the portion of the crushing body to attach the at least one second insert to the portion of the crushing body. The one or more first inserts may be damaged and the one or more second inserts may be used to replace the one or more damaged first inserts. The force application mechanism is preferably explosive material. A method of forming a wearable surface is also disclosed.
US08336178B2

A roof panel seamer which is self-propelled and bidirectional for forming a standing seam joining two adjacent metal roof panels. Two seamers are disclosed, one for forming a 90° seam and the other for forming a 180° seam. Friction wheels, rather than gears, are used to transfer power from the main support body to the auxiliary support body of the seamer. The seamer includes five roll forming stations, the leading three of which are effective for each direction of travel. One of the roll forming stations for each direction of travel in the 90° seamer imparts a curve to the leg being bent.
US08336160B2

The present invention discloses a dual rotating dewater bucket and a mop. The dewater bucket includes a freely-rotating dewater basket and a spindle member for receiving a cotton strip disc of the mop. With a passive dual rotating mechanism together with an active rotating mop, a cotton strip disc is placed in the spindle member and rotated, so that the cotton strips of the mop are stirred and spun towards the wavy bucket wall to remove dirt effectively, and then a dewater basket disposed in the same bucket body is used for spinning water absorbed by the cotton strips by a centrifugal force, similar to a washing machine or a dewatering machine to achieve both functions of cleaning and dewatering the mop without the need of a stepping action and provide a convenient and user-friendly operation and a safe application.
US08336129B2

An assembly and method for processing human waste includes providing a supporting base having an opening within which a waste reservoir is affixed. The assembly may be installed on or below a rim of a toilet bowl. Solidification and pathogen killing materials are provided. The materials are deposited in the reservoir either prior to or upon accumulation of waste in the reservoir. The reservoir with the solidified waste is then sealed and transported to a collection facility.
US08336127B1

A method of stabilizing a closet ring to a floor by first attaching to the bottom of the floor, with fasteners driven from above the floor, a stabilizing device having a support panel with a length and a width greater than a width of a toilet to be attached to the closet ring. A sewer pipe or extension therefrom is inserted through an opening in the stabilizing device and bonded to the stabilizing device. A closet ring is then fastened to the floor followed by conventional application of a wax ring and a toilet. An elongated anchor tool having wide gap in one edge with teeth-like projections may be used to hold the stabilizing device in place from below for a user to drive fasteners from above into and through the floor and into the stabilizing device.
US08336126B2

An apparatus mounted to a toilet is configured to lift and lower a seat assembly of the toilet. The apparatus includes a motion sensor that outputs a detection signal in response to motion, a motor driving unit, a motor, a first gear, a second gear interfaced with the first gear, an output shaft connected to a clutch coupled to a lever exiting the apparatus, a wire rope wrapped around hubs of the second gear and the output shaft, and a micro-controller. The motor driving unit is configured to drive a shaft of the motor in a clockwise or a counterclockwise direction based on receipt of a direction signal. The microcontroller is configured to send the direction signal to the motor driving unit based on the detection signal.
US08336122B1

A method of manufacturing a cranial shock absorption system. The method is comprised of forming a first layer of elastomer, positioning a thin layer of material on top surface of elastomer such that the top surface is exposed around the entire exterior of the layer of material, allowing the first layer to partially set, positioning a tubular stem or valve on the first layer adjacent to the layer of material, forming a second layer of elastomer, allowing the first layer and second layer of elastomer to fully set around the thin layer of material, removing the thin layer of material from between the first and second layers of elastomer and then introducing a fluid into the chamber through the tubular stem.
US08336117B2

An article of apparel is disclosed that is at least partially formed from a material element having a substrate and a plurality of projections. The substrate has a first surface and an opposite second surface. The projections extend from the first surface of the substrate, and the projections each have terminal ends located opposite the substrate. The material element has a first permeability when the first surface has a convex configuration, and the material element has a second permeability when the first surface has a concave configuration, the first permeability being greater than the second permeability. The apparel may be reversible such that either the first surface or the second surface of the substrate faces outward.
US08336113B2

An improved welding helmet encloses a welders head and a portion of the neck. The helmet contains a fan, filter and thermoelectric cooling module to provide clean, cool air that reduces welding fume levels below suggested maximums and provides cool air to the welders head and neck area making their body feel cooler. Air exhausted from the helmet is captured and further utilized to significantly improve system efficiency by causing it to be in contact with the hot side heat sink that is a part of the thermoelectric cooling module assembly. The use of an external power source, including readily available welding power, is suggested as one option for supplying system power. An optional configuration is presented where an external container strapped to the welders body is employed containing the fan, air filter and thermoelectric cooling module and is connected to the helmet by cool air intake and exhaust air hoses.
US08341756B2

Apparatus for securing data, comprising: an isolated processing environment having a boundary across which data cannot cross and a channel for allowing data to cross the boundary. A filter restricts data passage across the channel. Protected data is initially located in a secure area and is only released to such a secure processing environment so that access for authorized users to the secure data is available, but subsequent release of the secure data by the authorized users to the outside world is controlled.
US08341755B2

An image forming apparatus is provided that is capable of preventing a print data from being leaked even where a user forgets to print out the print data with which an authentication data is attached. The image forming apparatus of the present invention has: a network interface receiving the print data, the authentication data, and an importance degree data; a hard disk drive storing the print data, the authentication data, and the importance degree data received by the network interface; an operation panel with which the user inputs the authentication data that is used to authenticate the print data; an authentication control unit comparing the authentication data stored in the hard disk drive with the authentication data input by the user; a control comprising a print processing unit controlling print processing of the print data stored in the hard disk drive based on the comparison result; and a time management unit measuring a time for which the print data is stored in the hard disk drive, wherein the control unit deletes the print data based on the importance degree data and the time for which the print data is stored in the hard disk drive.
US08341748B2

A method for detecting breaks in a border of a network is disclosed. The method may include monitoring network regulation and shaping traffic passing through the border. The method may also include providing, by a first confederate server on a first side of the border, a first connection request to a second confederate server on a second side of the border. Further, the method may include providing, by the second confederate server on the second side of the border, a second connection request to the first confederate server on the first side of the border. The method may also include executing a network diagnostic command if one or more of the first or second connection request is granted. Further, the method may also include copying any outputs of the network diagnostic command to a file.
US08341744B1

Behavioral blocking of overlay-type identity stealers is achieved by detecting a transactional web page session, evaluating a property of a window corresponding to a process running on the computer system, and then, based on a result of the evaluation, blocking a behavior of the process for a duration of the transactional web page session. The evaluation of the property window involves determining whether the window exhibits one or more characteristics representing activity of an overlay-type identity stealer.
US08341741B2

This invention refers to an intrinsically safe remote data monitoring system and a monitoring method for remote data monitoring by using such system. The monitoring system comprises a process control computer that monitors or controls the controlled process, a remote monitoring computer that remotely monitors the process control computer, a signal collecting device physically connected, without through network, with the process control computer, for acquiring data from the process control computer, a local monitoring computer (4) connected with the signal collecting device. The local monitoring computer (4) is also connected with the remote monitoring computer through network. The monitoring method comprises following steps: the signal collecting device collecting data from the process control computer in the monitoring system, and then the local monitoring computer (4) transmitting the data signal to the remote monitoring computer for monitoring.
US08341738B2

A system and method is disclosed for verifying whether a test API of a high-security software platform implements a reference API when a verification tool has insufficient permissions to detect one or more members of the test API. A signature is determined for a reference API implementation, which includes multiple API members. Determining the signature involves identifying a proper subset of the API members, where the subset excludes one or more API members that are not programmatically detectable by a given verification tool executing on a high-security platform that implements the reference API. The member may not be detectable by the verification tool because the tool has insufficient permission to programmatically detect the member on the high-security platform. The signature is then configured to indicate the members of the subset and not the excluded members. The signature is then stored.
US08341736B2

An arrangement for dynamically identifying and intercepting potential software threats before they execute on a computer system is provided in which a file system filter driver (called a “mini-filter”) interfaces with an anti-malware service to selectively generate an alert event and allow the threat to run, in addition to generating an alert event and suspending the threat. The decision to suspend the threat or allow it to run is made through application of a cascading logic hierarchy that includes respective policy-defined actions, user-defined actions, and signature-defined actions. The mini-filter generates the alert event to the anti-malware service whenever a file is opened, or modified and closed. The service uses an engine to scan the file to identify potential threats which are handled though application of the logic hierarchy which provides for configurations defined in a lower tier of the hierarchy to be overridden by those contained in a higher tier.
US08341733B2

A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product for creating secured file views of a protected file. The process receives a request to access the file, wherein the file is stored in a common location, and wherein the request includes a set of file viewing parameters. The process identifies a callback function associated with the file and calls the callback function with the set of file viewing parameters to form a set of virtual viewing parameters. Thereafter, the process generates a secured file view of the file using the virtual viewing parameters, wherein the secured file view is viewable by a user of an authorized partition.
US08341732B2

A method for selecting a method of execution for an application includes the step of receiving credentials. A plurality of applications available to a client machine is enumerated responsive to the received credentials. A request to execute an enumerated application is received. One of a predetermined number of methods for executing the requested application is selected responsive to a policy, the predetermined number of methods including a method for executing the requested application in a computing environment provided by a virtual machine.
US08341722B2

Methods and systems for load balancing and failover among gateway devices are disclosed. One method provides for assigning communication transaction handling to a gateway. The method includes receiving a request for a license from a computing device at a control gateway within a group of gateway devices including a plurality of gateway devices configured to support communication of cryptographically split data. The method also includes assigning communications from the computing device to one of the plurality of gateway devices based on a load balancing algorithm, and routing the communication request to the assigned gateway device.
US08341720B2

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media are disclosed for applying information protection. A particular method includes receiving a data file at a gateway coupled to a network. The data file is to be sent to a destination device that is external to the network. The method also includes selectively applying information protection to the data file at the gateway prior to sending the data file to the destination device. The information protection is selectively applied based on information associated with the destination device, information associated with the data file, and information associated with a user of the destination device.
US08341718B2

An integrated authentication service is described which may receive a bundled request from one or more clients. One or more of the described techniques may be utilized to provide, in response to a single bundled request, a token for proof of identity and a certificate for establishing secure communications.
US08341714B2

A security token includes (a) a personal data memory configured to store digital identity credentials related to personal data of a user; (b) an input appliance configured to check said personal data; (c) a key record data memory configured to store at least one identity credential of an authentication server or of an application operator; (d) a transmitter and receiver unit configured to create a secure channel directly or indirectly to said authentication server or application operator to handle said key record relating to said authentication server or application operator, respectively; (e) a control unit configured to control the transmitter and receiver unit and the key record data memory in view of said handling, wherein the control unit is configured to perform one of: interpreting, deciphering, creating, checking, renewing, withdrawing and further key record handling actions. A method for authentication of a user using the security token is also disclosed.
US08341713B2

Some demonstrative embodiments of the invention include a method, device and/or system of performing an administrative operation on a user token. The method may include, for example, providing to an admin token user-identification data identifying the user token; receiving from the admin token an administrator code to enable performing the administrative operation; and providing the administrator code to the user token. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08341711B1

A web application security scanner (WASS) includes a login manager configured to perform an automated login to a web site. The automated login may be performed when the login manager detects that a login session has ended. The login manager is configured to determine credentials for the web site to allow the WASS to access the web site. The WASS may then use the credentials to continue scanning the web site. Thus, previously unscannable web pages may be accessed in the web site because of the automated login process.
US08341709B2

Rather than managing a certificate chain related to a newly issued identity certificate at a terminal to which a wireless device occasionally connects, a certificate server can act to determine the identity certificates in a certificate chain related to the newly issued identity certificate. The certificate server can also act to obtain the identity certificates and transmit the identity certificates towards the device that requested the newly issued identity certificate. A mail server may receive the newly issued identity certificate and the identity certificates in the certificate chain and manage the timing of the transmittal of the identity certificates. By transmitting the identity certificates in the certificate chain before transmitting the newly issued identity certificate, the mail server allows the user device to verify the authenticity of the newly issued identity certificate.
US08341707B2

A method and apparatus are used in determining authorization to perform tasks in a computer environment, and specifically requiring multiple parties to authorize a task before access is granted. The present system provides for substantially real time communication to a second party authorizer when a task owner is attempting to perform a task.
US08341703B2

In remotely coupling one terminal apparatus to a server apparatus, if an authentication processing of a user of one terminal apparatus has been already completed, the user can switch one terminal apparatus to another without an additional authentication processing. Authenticated information indicating that the authentication of the user has already been successfully completed is transferred to another terminal apparatus by coordinating the authenticated information between more than one terminal apparatuses. Another terminal apparatus receives a service from the server apparatus using the authenticated information. Upon coordinating the authenticated information among more than one terminal apparatuses, another terminal apparatus to receive the authenticated information may be authenticated. A storage medium which conducts the authentication may be coupled to a terminal apparatus to be authenticated.
US08341700B2

The invention proposes a system for authenticating and authorizing network services comprising: a mobile device being adapted to, upon receipt of an information message indicating at least one network access type, determine the network access type, to create a start message containing at least a user identity, and to encapsulate the start message in an authentication message compatible with the access network identified in the information message, and an access controller for reading the encapsulated message from the mobile and forwarding the encapsulated message to an authentication server identified in the encapsulated message. The invention also proposes a corresponding method for authenticating and authorizing network services, and an access control device, a subscriber device and a router device.
US08341699B2

A system is provided to monitor a user's interaction with a computer. The system may comprise a random reference data generator to generate a random reference string, an image generator to create an image including the random reference string, a modification module to iteratively modify the image until a distortion criterion is satisfied, and a communications module to communicate the image to a client computer for display to a user. The random reference string comprises a plurality of alphanumeric characters.
US08341693B2

A system and method for securing data in mobile devices (104) includes a computing mode (102) and a plurality of mobile devices (104). A node security program (202) executed in the computing node (102) interfaces with a device security program (204) executed at a mobile device (104). The computing node (102) is responsible for managing the security based on a node security profile (208) interpreted by a node security program (202) executed in the computing node (102). A device discovery method and arrangement (106) also detects and locates various information (120) about the mobile devices (104) based on a scan profile (206).
US08341689B2

Systems and methods to provide automatic compensation for frequency attenuation of a video signal transmitted over a cable are provided. Frequency compensation is applied to a received video signal that was transmitted over the cable to thereby produce a compensated video signal. A shape of a horizontal sync portion of the compensated video signal is analyzed. The frequency compensation is automatically adjusted based on the shape of the horizontal sync portion of the compensated video signal. This abstract is not intended to be a complete description of the various embodiments of the present invention.
US08341682B2

A real-time image monitoring and recording system includes a plurality of IP cameras and a plurality of surveillance servers. The IP cameras and the surveillance servers can process anycast packets. The surveillance servers control the IP cameras and store data generated by the IP cameras. Peer-to-peer connection exists between the surveillance server and its neighboring surveillance servers. Any surveillance server stores configuration data of its neighboring surveillance servers rather than the configuration data of all the surveillance servers.
US08341677B2

A computing device receives selection of television content from a device associated with a user, and collects metadata associated with the selected television content. The computing device also collects information associated with commercials associated with the television content, and determines an interactive product/service listing based on the collected metadata and commercial information. The device further provides the interactive product/service listing to the device for display to the user.
US08341662B1

A method and system for tailoring a multimedia presentation of an event on a computerized multimedia system to meet a user's desires. In a preferred embodiment, a set of video streams and a set of audio streams for the event are provided to the user via a network coupled to the multimedia system. From the set of available video streams for the event, one or more video streams are selected for presentation to the user. From the set of available audio streams for the event, one or more audio streams are selected for presentation to the user. Furthermore, the relative volumes of the different audio streams may be adjusted. In response to user input, the selected video and audio streams are assigned to respective portions of video and audio output devices. The event is presented to the user according to the selected video stream assignments.
US08341658B2

A turntable for a storage disk drive apparatus includes a plate member made of a ferromagnetic material and a central resin member arranged at the center of the plate member and provided with an outer peripheral portion positioned above the plate member. The central resin member includes claws extending downwards from the outer peripheral portion and claw position holes overlapping with the claws in the direction parallel to the center axis of the central resin member. The claw position holes include inner surfaces spaced apart from an edge of the plate member. The inner surfaces are defined by the resin. The central resin member includes a resin layer extending in the direction perpendicular to the center axis. The resin layer exists between the portion of the edge of the plate member around the claw position holes and the claw position holes.
US08341657B2

An optical pickup, mounting a lens actuator 101 thereon, the lens actuator comprises: a lens 1 having an optical axis in direction in parallel with an optical disc; a holder 2, which holds the lens thereon; a first guide shaft 3 holding the holder, so as to regulate the holder to change a position thereof, into an inner surface direction of a surface having the optical axis of the lens as a normal line vector thereof; a second guide shaft 4, which regulates the holder to change the position thereof, into a normal line vector of an optical disc; and a reed screw, which moves the holder into direction of the optical axis of the lens, wherein a distance between the optical axis of the lens and the optical disc, a distance between a central axis of the first guide shaft and the optical disc, and a distance between a central axis of the second guide shaft and the optical disc are lager than a distance between a central axis of the reed screw and the optical disc.
US08341652B2

A file format corresponding to each configuration file is identified. Each configuration file is parsed into a single tree structure with the corresponding file format. The single tree structure is modified with an Application Program Interface (API). The configuration file is bidirectionally updated to reflect the modified single tree structure while preserving the file format of each configuration file. The file format includes instructions on how each entry in each configuration file is to be mapped into the single tree structure.
US08341650B1

Thread count analyzer programming enables automated monitoring of open process thread counts for a middleware web service, for example, in the context of Communication Enterprise Services (CCES) for providing customer account related notifications to customers/users of a mobile communications network. Web server thread counts are compared to first thresholds. In response to a high web server thread count, an impacted application server is identified, for example, by comparing application server thread counts to second thresholds. The procedure initiates a thread dump with regard to the impacted application server and provides notification to a support person together with information enabling access to a page of thread dump data. The exemplary thread count analysis can automatically detect a high thread count problem before there is an outage or any impact to the customer, accumulate relevant thread data, store such data in an accessible form, and provide automatic notice(s) for support personnel.
US08341646B2

A computer-implemented information system involves data objects stored in the database with characteristics of such data objects defined at a design time. The system is able to associate customized data object events with at least some of the data objects subsequent to the design time to define subscriber objects. Data objects which are publisher objects are determined based on the events. In one implementation, the information system includes a messaging manager, with a message broker and an event controller associated therewith.
US08341639B2

Provided are a method, system, and program for executing multiple threads in a processor. Credits are set for a plurality of threads executed by the processor. The processor alternates among executing the threads having available credit. The processor decrements the credit for one of the threads in response to executing the thread and initiates an operation to reassign credits to the threads in response to depleting all the thread credits.
US08341636B2

A system and method for managing simultaneous access to a scarce or serially re-usable resource by multiple process threads. A stationary queue is provided, including a wait counter for counting the cumulative number of threads that have been temporarily denied the resource; a satisfied counter for counting the cumulative number of threads that have been denied access and subsequently granted access to said resource; a sleep code routine responsive to the wait counter for generating a run identifier; and a wakeup code routine responsive to the satisfied counter for generating the run identifier.
US08341629B2

A method for virtual computing that includes receiving a virtual computer specification, wherein the virtual computer specification defines a plurality of hardware and software configuration requirements for a virtual computer and a duration requirement for use of the virtual computer, requisitioning a plurality of computing resources based on the plurality of hardware and software configuration requirements, provisioning the plurality of computing resources from a pool of computing resources to obtain a provisioned virtual computer, and scheduling the plurality of computing resources of the provisioned virtual computer for use based on the duration requirement.
US08341624B1

A method and apparatus for scheduling a resource used by a virtual machine. In one embodiment, the method comprises generating information regarding utilization of a resource by a virtual machine, where the resource is used by the virtual machine to generate a media stream for communication with a remote computer, where information comprises a quality prediction for encoding the media stream and adjusting an allocation of the resource for use by the virtual machine based on the information.
US08341618B2

Software is updated easily and efficiently and in the same time, thereby reducing the load imposed on the user side, the software vendor side and the center computer side. When the user computer sends user ID to the center computer, the center computer have the user computer obtain URL of the module-storing region that corresponds to the user ID and stores the modules that the user should obtain. The user computer accesses to the module storing portion using the URL, obtains a list of modules, compares the list to the modules that are currently installed in itself and judges whether it is necessary to obtain modules. When judged that modules are needed to be obtained, the user computer accesses to the module-storing region again and obtains the module.
US08341612B2

Disclosed are a method and system for optimized, dynamic data-dependent program execution. The disclosed system comprises a statistics computer which computes statistics of the incoming data at the current time instant, where the said statistics include the probability distribution of the incoming data, the probability distribution over program modules induced by the incoming data, the probability distribution induced over program outputs by the incoming data, and the time-complexity of each program module for the incoming data, wherein the said statistics are computed on as a function of current and past data, and previously computed statistics; a plurality of alternative execution path orders designed prior to run-time by the use of an appropriate source code; a source code selector which selects one of the execution path orders as a function of the statistics computed by the statistics computer; a complexity measurement which measures the time-complexity of the currently selected execution path-order.
US08341611B2

A method and an apparatus that execute a parallel computing program in a programming language for a parallel computing architecture are described. The parallel computing program is stored in memory in a system with parallel processors. The system includes a host processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) coupled to the host processor and a memory coupled to at least one of the host processor and the GPU. The parallel computing program is stored in the memory to allocate threads between the host processor and the GPU. The programming language includes an API to allow an application to make calls using the API to allocate execution of the threads between the host processor and the GPU. The programming language includes host function data tokens for host functions performed in the host processor and kernel function data tokens for compute kernel functions performed in one or more compute processors, e.g. GPUs or CPUs, separate from the host processor. Standard data tokens in the programming language schedule a plurality of threads for execution on a plurality of processors, such as CPUs or GPUs in parallel. Extended data tokens in the programming language implement executables for the plurality of threads according to the schedules from the standard data tokens.
US08341607B2

Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to pattern matcher generation and provide a method, system and computer program product for automatic pattern matching and generation of intermediate language patterns. In one embodiment of the invention, a pattern matcher generation method can be provided. The method can include identifying input elements from intermediate language code, reducing the identified input elements from the intermediate language code to inputs of common and unique use, creating a unifiable form for each of the input elements of common and unique use, and generating a pattern matcher for each of the input elements of common and unique use in the intermediate language code using a corresponding unifiable form in place of each of the input elements of common and unique use. In particular, the generated pattern matcher can be expression matching and transformation programming framework (EMTF) conformant.
US08341603B2

Described is a technology in which test case content in the form of a web application is provided to a client browser from a test case management system over a web server. Results of running the test case are similarly communicated back. This allows different web application test harnesses to be run on whatever Internet browser the client computing device is running, and is independent of any operating system. The client registers with the test case management system through the website, and receives a browser identifier for use in future communications. In one protocol, the client uses the identifier in heartbeats sent to the test case management system, including a heartbeat indicating when the client is available to run a test case, when the test case is complete, and the results of performing the test case. Also described are various interfaces that facilitate component communication.
US08341599B1

A system is provided for environments sharing remote mounted middleware. The system includes a plurality of hosts, a remote storage, an application, a shared middleware, a dedicated middleware, and a plurality of environments. The shared middleware is stored on the remote storage and remote mounted on each of the plurality of hosts. The dedicated middleware, which is associated with the shared middleware, is stored on the remote storage and remote mounted on each of the plurality of hosts. Each of the plurality of environments is on one of the plurality of hosts. Each of the plurality of environments includes the remote mounted shared middleware and the remote mounted dedicated middleware. Each of the plurality of environments executes one of the plurality of applications.
US08341597B2

The present invention relates to the field of computer programming. More specifically the invention relates to a method and a data processing system for editing the source code of a computer program. It is an object of the present invention to provide an easy source code editing technique, by which programming errors and type errors can reliably be avoided in cases where changes to the program are supposed not to change the semantics of the program. This object is achieved according to the invention by a method for editing source code, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a modification to the source code, said modification being made by a user, determining whether the modification would change the semantics of the source code, and handling the modification depending on the result of the determining step.
US08341596B2

A method control for the re-execution of a rule branch in a rule represented by a graphic flowchart in a MES system. At developing time there is defined a recycle step which includes a conditional expression to be customized. Each time it is executed in run time, the status of the recycle step is set by the execution engine as “active” until the set of steps of the rule branch that follows is executed and then the recycle step status is set as “non-active.” At run time, the execution engine keeps waiting any request of executing a certain recycle step that is in “active” status and when the execution engine executes a certain recycle step, it sets the status of the set of steps of the rule branch as “non already-executed”. As the execution engine executes a step that is not a recycle step, it sets the status of the executed step to “already-executed” status and ignores the execution of these steps.
US08341594B1

Methods and systems for controlling versions of models in modeling environments are disclosed. The versions of models and component interfaces are stored in a repository and checked in and out of the repository. The version designation of a model is changed when the model is checked in the repository. A selected version of the model is checked out of the repository and loaded directly in a memory so that users may load the selected version of the model without error. The loaded model is displayed with information on the version of the model. The version information may include the version number and author of the version. The version information may also include information on whether the model is locked with a version or in a read only mode.
US08341590B1

Embodiments of the invention are directed to a configuration management (CM) system, method, and product adapted to carry out workflow management tasks, which integrates status of software projects and issues, such that software projects may be more easily and reliably tracked and management of software projects may be streamlined. In some embodiments of the invention, a CM system is adapted to maintain records of software projects and/or issues managed by the CM system, the records comprising an indicator of a workflow progress stage for the project/issue. The CM system may be further adapted to update concurrently and automatically, according to an input from a user, both (1) a workflow progress stage value for the project/issue and (2) a record for software code associated with a project/issue, the record for the software code indicating a version and the project/issue in which the version is included.
US08341586B2

Disclosed is a method, system, and computer program product for routing, modeling routes, and measuring congestion. In some embodiments, Gcells are implemented with reduced number of nodes to facilitate route modeling and congestion measurement. Some embodiments are particularly suitable for direct congestion and routing analysis of diagonal routing paths. In this way, congestion analysis can be directly performed along diagonal boundaries for diagonal routes, without requiring association with Gcell boundaries on Manhattan routing layers.
US08341585B2

A skewed placement grid for an integrated circuit (IC) is disclosed. In one embodiment, an IC includes a placement grid which includes a plurality of cells. Each of the plurality of cells includes one of a corresponding plurality of circuits. A center point of each of the cells is located at a unique coordinate along a first axis and a second axis with respect to each of the other ones of the plurality of cells. The IC further includes a first plurality of signal interconnections, wherein each of the plurality of signal interconnections is coupled to a corresponding one of the first plurality of circuits.
US08341582B2

A programmable analog tile integrated circuit configuration tool communicates a power management control characteristic query soliciting control requirement information for a novel Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) tile in a Multi-Tile Power Management Integrated Circuit (MTPMIC). The configuration tool receives a user response to the query indicating control requirements across a network. The PMIC tile includes configuration registers. Configuration information bit values stored in the configuration registers control the operational characteristics of the functional circuitry of the tile. The configuration registers of each novel PMIC tile are accessible at pre-defined addresses on a standardized bus of the MTPMIC. In response to the user response, the configuration tool generates appropriate tile configuration information for loading the configuration registers such that the PMIC tile within the MTPMIC is programmed to satisfy the user's control requirements.
US08341572B1

A system and method are disclosed for waveform based variational static timing analysis. A circuit is divided into its linear circuit parts and non-linear circuit parts and modeled together, by a combination of linear modeling techniques, into linear equations that may be represented by matrices. The linear equations in matrix form may be readily solved by a computer such that an input waveform to an input pin of the circuit can be sequentially “pushed” through the various interconnects and logic networks of the circuit to an output pin. Output voltage waveforms are obtained at each stage of the waveform pushing and may be used to perform static timing analysis.
US08341568B2

Methods and systems for simulating logic may translate logic design into executable code for a multi-processor based parallel logic simulation device. A system may implement one or more parallel execution methods, which may include IPMD, MPMD, and/or DDMT.
US08341564B1

A method and system are provided for optimizing migrated implementation of a system design. In certain applications, a source hierarchical structure system and a target hierarchical structure system are provided, the hierarchy is abstracted out, intrinsic parameters are encoded and compared between source hierarchical structure and target hierarchical structure to arrive at an optimized change order list for transforming/migrating the source hierarchical structure system to the target hierarchical structure system.
US08341563B1

Aspects of the disclosure provide a method to design integrated circuit (IC) using power gating techniques. The method includes determining a placement of a plurality of power gating cells and at least a circuit block in an IC layout. On the IC layout, a first set of power gating cells and a second set of power gating cells are separated by the circuit block with a distance longer than a threshold. Further, the method includes optimizing a stitching order of the power gating cells for the placement to reduce a number of instances that the power gating cells in the first set and the power gating cells in the second set are neighboring power gating cells in the stitching order.
US08341559B2

Some embodiments of the present invention overcome I/O bottlenecks of an EDA work flow by keeping layout data distributed during handoffs among different processing stages. Specifically, some embodiments leverage a concurrent computation paradigm where data is propagated incrementally between stages, and where data processing among consecutive stages and the I/O between stages are executed concurrently. Specifically, some embodiments can generate a template database which contains the unique templates in a set of templates. During operation, an embodiment can determine a set of templates for a layout. Next, the system can determine a processing schedule based on a spatially coherent ordering of the set of templates. Next, the system can process the templates according to the spatially coherent processing schedule. Processing templates in a spatially coherent order can ensure that the downstream processes in the concurrent work flow will be able to maximize concurrency, thereby improving overall performance of the system.
US08341553B2

A user selection interface system comprises one or more rotatable selectors linked to selectable characteristics, and a display linked to the selectors, for display of an image that corresponds to the selected characteristics. The interface is typically linked to a database comprising stored image and other information which corresponds to the selectable characteristics, whereby an image that corresponds to an item which meets a selected characteristic is retrieved and displayed. Information other than the image which corresponds to the selectable characteristics may also be retrieved and displayed. In some embodiments, the stored images comprise a single image, which matches all the selected characteristics. In alternate embodiments, the displayed image comprises a composite image that is based upon stored images which correspond to different selected characteristics. In some embodiments, the user selection interface comprises a graphic user interface. In alternate embodiments, the user selection interface comprises a mechanical interface. Some preferred embodiments of the user selection interface provide links for merchandising functions, such as for ordering, purchasing, inventories, and/or shipping.
US08341546B2

The invention relates to a method for visualizing a change caused by scrolling in a scrolling direction of a section of a text and/or graphic displayed on an optical display means. A visible marking is thereby displayed at a first position within the displayed section. A visible marking is displayed at a second position within a section displayed during the scrolling prior to or as soon as the first position is no longer within the section displayed during the scrolling in response to the scrolling. In particular with small screens, which are increasingly used for displaying information, which can be visually captured, for example in personal digital assistants, which are referred to as PDAs, or in mobile cellular telephones, the method makes it possible to increase the capability of capturing the displayed information and to thus increase the field of application of these devices.
US08341543B2

Methods and systems for performing a scroll operation are disclosed. A method may include displaying a first page of a portable document format (pdf) document on a browser window, associating respective thumbnails with each of the pages in the pdf document, and displaying two or more of the respective thumbnails overlaid on the first page. The method may also include receiving an indication to scroll the pdf document in a first direction, scrolling the pages of the pdf document at a first rate in the first direction, and scrolling the respective thumbnails of each of the pages at a second rate, different than the first rate, in the first direction. The varying scroll rate of the document and its corresponding thumbnails provides the user with different viewing options to view the document when performing a scrolling operation.
US08341535B2

Systems and methods for providing distributed call control are provided. In exemplary embodiments, a communication user interface is provided on a client device associated with an individual. The communication user interface comprises a plurality of selectable communication control operations configured to provide control over communications of users within an enterprise. A selection of one of the plurality of communication control operations is received from the individual. Permissions associated with the individual are reviewed to determine if the individual is allowed to perform the communication control operation. If the individual is allowed, the communication control operation is performed. If the individual is not allowed, a denial indicator may be provided.
US08341534B2

A computer-implemented system and method for flexibly taking actions in response to detected activities is provided. A trigger in a computing environment is defined and includes at least one of specifying one or more documents, persons, key words, times, and projects associable with the activities of at least one user, and defining one or more actions associable with the activities of at least one such user. At least one of activities, events, and stimuli occurring within the computing environment is monitored in relation to the documents, persons, key words, times, and projects, and to the activities. Action is taken within the computing environment upon activation of the trigger by the at least one activity, event, and stimuli.
US08341528B2

Systems, methods, and software applications for managing slide presentation content are described in the present disclosure. According to one embodiment, among many, a computer readable medium is configured to store instructions that are executable by a processing device. The computer readable medium comprises logic adapted to disassemble a plurality of slide presentations into a plurality of individual files, wherein each individual file corresponds to a single slide of a respective slide presentation. The computer readable medium also includes logic adapted to extract information from each slide and logic adapted to compare the extracted information from each slide and consolidate groups of slides that are substantially similar.
US08341523B2

A method and system for providing help information for a computer program. The help system provides help information based on a schema that specifies the structure of a valid computer program. The schema provides definitions of program element types that are specific instances of a program element type derived from more general program element types. The help system identifies a “derivation” of program element types relating to the selected program element. The help system then displays the derivation to the user. The user can then select to display documentation associated with the displayed program element types.
US08341508B2

A system for transmission of signals between modules wherein, for example, it is possible to transmit reliably, between modules, information relating to, for example, the actuation of safety devices. A transmission module for transmitting a pulse signal of a specific period, which indicates the existence of information, generates, in time division, pulse signals by a plurality of signal generating units that are provided in parallel, and then combines these pulse signals into a single time series pulse signal. Then an attempt is made to output this pulse signal towards a receiving-side module through a relay for controlling the output, and the signals appearing at a normally-open terminal and at a normally-closed terminal of the relay are monitored to determine whether or not there is a failure, where the generation of the pulse signal is stopped when a failure is detected.
US08341506B2

Techniques are provided for iteratively decoding data recorded on a data storage device. An iterative decoder decodes the data using multiple decoding iterations to correct errors. In multiple iterations of the iterative decoder, a post processing block generates soft information, and a decoder applies a minimum sum decoding algorithm to a low density parity check (LDPC) code to generate extrinsic information based on the soft information and updated soft information.
US08341501B2

Adaptive endurance coding including a method for storing data that includes receiving write data and a write address. A compression algorithm is applied to the write data to generate compressed data. An endurance code is applied to the compressed data to generate a codeword. The endurance code is selected and applied in response to the amount of space saved by applying the compression to the write data. The codeword is written to the write address.
US08341498B2

A method includes reading data from a data area of a word line and reading first ECC data from an ECC area of the word line. The method also includes, in response to determining that an error indicator exceeds a threshold, storing second ECC data in the ECC area. The second ECC data corresponds to a subsection of the data area.
US08341487B2

Low complexity communication device employing in-place constructed LDPC (Low Density Parity Check) code. Intelligent design of LDPC codes having similar characteristics there between allows for a very efficient hardware implementation of a communication device that is operative to perform decoding of more than one type of LDPC coded signals. A common basis of decoder hardware (e.g., decoder circuitry) is employed when decoding all of the various types of LDPC coded signals that such a communication device can decode. However, all of the decoder hardware is only employed to decode signals corresponding to the lowest code rate LDPC code supported by the communication device. A first subset of the decoder hardware is employed to decode signals corresponding to the second to lowest code rate LDPC code, a second subset (being less than the first subset) is employed to decode signals corresponding to the third to lowest code rate LDPC code, etc.
US08341485B2

In some embodiments, the invention involves increasing hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) throughput. In one embodiment, throughput may be increased by clearing the retransmission buffer at least one frame in advance, based on status received from the downlink device before a full acknowledgement. Another embodiment partitions HARQ bursts into two groups. A first group is for packet data units (PDUs) that are anticipated to be in error and a second group is for PDUs anticipated to be received correctly. Only PDUs that are anticipated to be in error, based on forward error correction (FEC) blocks, are to be saved in the retransmission buffer. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08341478B2

The present invention pertains to the field of data communications and is directed to providing ways and means for flexible receipt reporting. A transceiving unit (1) is operated (61) to receive at least one sequence of data blocks (9) where the data blocks each have a respective sequence number (31). The receipt of the data blocks is monitored (63) to establish whether the data blocks have been successfully received or not. A receipt report is selectively generated (65) based at least in part on the performed monitoring. The receipt report includes at least one data part in accordance with a predetermined data format, which includes at least a first data portion (41) with information (BSN_NACK) identifying a sequence number of one data block in the sequence that has not been successfully received and a second data portion (43) with information (BSN_MAP) on whether or not successful receipt has been achieved for a number of data blocks in the sequence having sequence numbers following directly after the identified sequence number. The receipt report is provided in a generated data block (11) that is transmitted from the transceiving unit (1). The invention is applicable to all forms of data communications, including wireless data communications.
US08341475B2

A method for monitoring the execution of a sequence of instruction codes in an integrated circuit comprising a central processing unit provided for executing such instruction codes. Current cumulative signatures are produced using deterministic address, control or data logic signals involved in the execution of the sequence and taken off at various points of the integrated circuit. A final cumulative signature is compared with an expected signature and an error signal is produced if the two signatures are not identical. Particularly useful to secure integrated circuits for smart cards.
US08341472B2

An apparatus in an integrated circuit for precluding the use of extended JTAG operations. The apparatus has a JTAG control chain, a feature fuse, a level sensor, and an access controller. The JTAG control chain is configured to enable/disable the extended JTAG operations. The feature fuse is configured to indicate whether the extended JTAG features are to be disabled. The level sensor is configured to monitor an external voltage signal, and configured to indicate that the external voltage signal is at an illegal level. The access controller is coupled to the feature fuse, the level sensor, and the JTAG control chain, and is configured to determine if the feature fuse is blown, and is configured to direct the JTAG control chain to disable the extended JTAG operations if the external voltage signal is at an illegal level regardless of whether the feature fuse is blown.
US08341471B2

In a system in which a plurality of modules have different operational rates and a common clock controlling data delivery to the modules, the rate at which data is delivered to the system can be maximized using a return clock signal to prevent the loss of synchronization of the modules. A clocking error signal may be produced when the clock signal makes a transition to a logic state that may cause loss of synchronization between the modules.
US08341470B2

Provided is a semiconductor memory device supporting a read data bus inversion (RDBI) function and a method of testing the semiconductor memory device. The method includes: providing data of an input test pattern to data input/output pads; including the data of the input test pattern in a data bus through a memory cell core block; if the data on the data bus satisfy an inversion condition, inverting and outputting the data on the data bus, and generating a flag signal indicating that the data on the data bus are inverted; comparing each of the inverted data on the data bus with the flag signal and transmitting resultant data to the data input/output pads; and determining whether the resultant data transmitted to the data input/output pads are data of an output test pattern.
US08341462B2

An automated method for provisioning a grid used to run a load test on a target website includes sending one or more requests in a multi-threaded manner to at least one cloud provider, the one or more requests for an allocation of N load server instances and M result server instances which comprise the grid. Requests received back from the cloud provider are also handled in a multi-threaded manner; any errors occurring during the allocation being corrected automatically. The N load server instances and the M result server instances are then verified to be operational and correctly running software deployed to provide defined test services. Errors identified during the verification are automatically corrected either by attempting to restart a failed instance or allocating a different instance.
US08341458B2

An apparatus, method and computer program operable in a network controls consistency guarantees of a plurality of data copies in a storage apparatus, and includes: a lease control component for extending a lease to the storage apparatus; and a consistency freeze/thaw component responsive to a failure indication for initiating a consistency freeze action at the storage apparatus prior to expiration of the current group lease period. It may further include a timer component for waiting the apparatus for a predetermined period after the consistency freeze action, where the consistency freeze/thaw component is operable to initiate a thaw action at the storage apparatus.
US08341454B1

Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with clock generation are provided. In one embodiment, a precise timing protocol message is parsed to extract timing information. Timing waveform parameters are calculated based on the timing information and a digital clock is generated based on the waveform parameters. A video stream can then be decoded and rendered, where the rendering depends on the digital clock.
US08341453B2

A transmission apparatus that transmits data according to a protocol has a timer, a memory, a processor, and a transmission unit. The processor stores, in the memory, type data indicating a single type of time from a plurality of types of time that are to be measured according to the protocol. The transmission unit transmits data according to the protocol and starts the measurement of time of the type indicated by the type data stored in the memory using the timer after the data has been transmitted.
US08341450B2

A system that adjusts the timing of write operations at a memory controller is described. This system operates by observing timing drift for read data at the memory controller, and then adjusting the timing of write operations at the memory controller based on the observed timing drift for the read data.
US08341446B2

By classifying an electro-phoretic display integrated circuit (EPD IC) into a digital routine module, a digital non-routine module, and an analog routine module, and by switching off the digital non-routine module and the analog routine module, power consumption of the EPD IC may be effectively reduced, and an available time of an integrated circuit card utilizing the EPD IC may also be lengthened.
US08341445B2

A method and apparatus for intelligent power management for low power link states. Some embodiments include methods, apparatuses, and systems for a device coupled to a controller via a link; a link power management engine to alter a power state of the link based on a transaction and some knowledge of future transactions between the device and the controller; and a memory or logic to store the link power management engine. In some embodiments, the memory stores information about at least one of the following: the power state of the link, the device buffering, the controller or device state or a history of transactions. In some embodiments, the device is a peripheral of a computer system. In some embodiments, the method may include transitioning the device to various link states. Other embodiments are described.
US08341441B2

Functionality can be implemented within a cloud manager to leverage energy consumption data of cloud processing and their associated facility resources when selecting computing nodes to complete the job. The cloud manager can determine possible computing nodes to complete the job based on the job attributes. The cloud manager can determine aggregate energy data of the cloud resources from an energy usage database. The cloud manager can analyze the energy usage data to determine a configuration of the computing nodes to perform the job that reduces total energy consumption. For example, a configuration of servers can be based on a number of servers and processor utilization at the servers to perform the job. The cloud manager can assign the job to the servers and set the processor utilization at the servers in accordance with the resource configuration determined to minimize energy consumption.
US08341434B2

A method, system, and computer program for using an array of networked 3D voltage regulation modules (VRMs) to optimize power usage by components on a voltage island in real time is presented. The networked VRM devices work in parallel to supply adequate power to connected voltage islands, and to supplement other VRMs in the system that may require additional power in the case of a critical event.
US08341424B2

One aspect of the present invention is a method of playing multi-media content through a personal computer. The personal computer includes a processor and memory, with the memory having software instructions stored therein. The processor executes the instructions to carry-out the method. The method includes: receiving data representing multi-media content at the personal computer; receiving at the personal computer an initial set of data representing a base set of usage rights that is associated with the multi-media content, wherein the initial set of data defines a first set of rights that is permissible without upgrading or renewing the base set of usage rights; and upon receiving a request to perform an action involving the multi-media content, checking the initial set of data representing the base set of usage rights to determine whether the action is permissible, and providing an option to a user through the personal computer to contact a remote computer to negotiate for an upgraded set of usage rights. The transmission of the multi-media content is among those actions that are not permissible.
US08341423B2

A machine management method includes installing software in a machine including a security device that holds a secret key unextractable from the security device and a public key extractable from the security device, encrypts input data with the public key, and decrypts the input data with the secret key; storing machine identification information of the machine in association with software identification information of the software installed in the machine in an external management apparatus; creating a device-encryption key to encrypt data stored on a first storage device of the machine; storing a device-encryption-key BLOB obtained by encrypting the device-encryption key with the public key on a second storage device of the machine; and storing the device-encryption key in association with the machine identification information in the external management apparatus.
US08341417B1

Data storage and message processing using an encoded hash message authentication code is described. In one embodiment, a data processing apparatus comprises one or more processors; logic coupled to the one or more processors for execution and which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes receiving a data set at the one or more processors; creating and storing a hash output value by applying the data set to a collision-resistant hash operation that provides the hash output value as output; encoding the hash output value using a uniquely invertible keyed pseudo-random permutation operation based on a first shared key, to result in creating an encoded authentication code; and associating the encoded authentication code with the data set.
US08341395B2

An apparatus for providing security to media independent handover service includes a point of service for providing the media independent handover services including an independent authenticator. The independent authenticator authenticates candidate access networks prior to the handover of the mobile devices from serving access networks to the candidate access networks, where each of the serving access networks and the candidate access networks belong to a plurality of heterogeneous access networks having the specific serving media. An access controller applies an access control through an access authentication with the point of service providing the media independent handover services through an authentication server, in which when the access authentication is established between the point of service and the authentication server, the mobile devices are authorized to access the media independent handover services through the point of service for the mobile devices attached between heterogeneous media.
US08341393B2

An exemplary apparatus includes one or more processors; memory; circuitry configured to hash a value associated with core root of trust measurement code and system management code; store the hash in a secure register; load an operating system; validate a certificate associated with the core root of trust measurement code and validate a certificate associated with the system management code; based on the validated certificates, provide an expected hash associated with the core root of trust measurement code and the system management code; decide if the expected hash matches the hash stored in the register; and, if the expected hash matches the hash stored in the register, commence a dynamic root of trust measurement session. Various other apparatuses, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.
US08341391B2

An image reproducing apparatus and method of controlling the image reproducing apparatus are provided. The method of controlling the image reproducing apparatus includes: determining whether external power is supplied; performing a first booting operation when the external power is supplied; and controlling the image reproducing apparatus to operate in a sleep mode if an operation start signal is not received until the booting operation is completed. The method further includes controlling the image reproducing apparatus to perform a second booting operation to operate in a normal mode after an operation start signal is received. The method further includes performing a resuming operation so that the image reproducing apparatus operates in a normal mode when the operation start signal is received while the image reproducing apparatus operates in the sleep mode. The method further includes operating in an end mode when the sleep mode continues for a predetermined time or longer.
US08341383B2

A method for retrieving a return address from a link stack when returning from a procedure in a pipeline processor is disclosed. The method identifies a retrieve instruction operable to retrieve a return address from a software stack. The method further identifies a branch instruction operable to branch to the return address. The method retrieves the return address from the link stack, in response to both the instruction and the branch instruction being identified and fetches instructions using the return address.
US08341371B2

Upon the arrival at a memory device of one or more data chunks associated with respective logical addresses, each data chunk is assigned a signature, stored in a first location, and copied to a second location. The copy is assigned a signature that matches the signature of its parent data chunk. Before erasing a memory block that includes one or more data chunks, it first is verified that those data chunks have been copied, i.e., that copies of all the data chunks in the block, with matching signatures, exist in the memory device.
US08341361B2

A method for storing or reading data in a memory array is described. The application data file includes an application data length indicator indicating a memory size of first application data stored in the application data file in compliance with a predetermined protocol. The method for storing additional data comprises checking whether a memory size of the application data file is larger than the memory size indicated by the application data length indicator and storing second application data in a partial memory area of the application data file not occupied by the first application data. Thereby, memory areas which, according to the predetermined protocol, are not used, can be used for new applications, data can be hidden in these areas such that they cannot be read by protocol compliant reader devices, and the data structure is compatible with the former predetermined protocol.
US08341359B2

A method of dynamically sharing a media volume in a network includes associating a first media management module with a first media volume of a first storage device, associating a second media management module with the first media volume, the second media management module mounting the media volume and creating an access path to the media volume, and delegating management of the created access path to the second media management module.
US08341357B2

One embodiment provides a system that pre-fetches into a sibling cache. During operation, a first thread executes in a first processor core associated with a first cache, while a second thread associated with the first thread simultaneously executes in a second processor core associated with a second cache. During execution, the second thread encounters an instruction that triggers a request to a lower-level cache which is shared by the first cache and the second cache. The system responds to this request by directing a load fill which returns from the lower-level cache in response to the request to the first cache, thereby reducing cache misses for the first thread.
US08341349B2

The present disclosure describes a system and method for allocating volume pieces across a redundant array of inexpensive discs (RAID).A method for allocating volume pieces across a redundant array of inexpensive discs (RAID) may comprise: (a) associating one or more volume pieces of a first logical volume with a first set of drives in a drive group; and (b) associating one or more volume pieces of a second logical volume with a second set of drives in the drive group, wherein the first set of drives in the drive group includes at least one drive which is not a member of the second set of drives in the drive group.A system for allocating volume pieces across a redundant array of inexpensive discs (RAID) may comprise: (a) means for associating one or more volume pieces of a first logical volume with a first set of drives in a drive group; and (b) means for associating one or more volume pieces of a second logical volume with a second set of drives in the drive group, wherein the first set of drives in the drive group includes at least one drive which is not a member of the second set of drives in the drive group.
US08341347B2

A storage controller of the present invention enables a larger number of storage devices to be mounted while keeping the installation size small. A plurality of sub-storage units are disposed inside a high density-type storage unit. The respective sub-storage units comprise a plurality of hard disk drives, controller, memory, power supply device, and display part. The respective sub-storage units operate independently of one another. A controller creates a management table based on management data acquired from the respective sub-storage units. The user is notified when there is an error in the table contents. A display part lights up in accordance with an indication from a storage unit specification part, notifying the user of the location of the sub-storage unit.
US08341343B2

A controller includes a first judging part that judges abnormality of a first memory part, and a second judging part that judges abnormality of a second memory part based on (1) results of comparing with each other data having a same content written in the second memory part multiple times, and (2) a total amount of the data read out from the second memory part, when the first memory part is judged to be abnormal. In addition, a third judging part judges abnormality of the second memory part, based on results of comparing the data written in the second memory part with the data read out from the second memory part.
US08341341B2

An electronic apparatus for recording data using a non-volatile memory is provided. The electronic apparatus includes a non-volatile memory and a controller. The non-volatile memory stores a plurality of sets of playing information of the electronic apparatus. The controller is coupled to the non-volatile memory for receiving an input data and transforming a data structure of the input data into a bitmapping data structure. The controller includes a bitmapping module that is capable of transforming the input data into data having at least one bit but less than one byte in a bitmapping manner.
US08341339B1

A hybrid drive is disclosed comprising a non-volatile semiconductor memory (NVSM) comprising a plurality of blocks, and a head actuated over a disk comprising a plurality of tracks, each track comprising a plurality of data sectors. A garbage collection operation is executed on the NVSM by reading valid data from a first block of the NVSM, writing the valid data to the disk, and erasing the first block.
US08341321B2

A method of operating a resource lock for controlling access to a resource by a plurality of resource requesters, the resource lock operating in a contention efficient (heavyweight) operating mode, and the method being responsive to a request from a resource requester to acquire the resource lock, the method comprising the steps of: incrementing a count of a total number of acquisitions of the resource lock in the contention efficient operating mode; in response to a determination that access to the resource is not contended by more than one resource requester, performing the steps of: a) incrementing a count of a number of uncontended acquisitions of the resource lock in the contention efficient operating mode; b) calculating a contention rate as the number of uncontended acquisitions in the contention efficient operating mode divided by the total number of acquisitions in the contention efficient operating mode; and c) in response to a determination that the contention rate meets a threshold contention rate, causing the resource lock to change to a non-contention efficient (lightweight) operating mode.
US08341316B2

A method and apparatus are provided for controlling a translation lookaside buffer in connection with the execution of an atomic instruction. The method comprises identifying load instructions within a plurality of instructions to be executed, and placing the identified load instructions in a queue prior to execution. An atomic instruction identified in the queue is prevented from executing until the atomic instruction is the oldest instruction in the queue. The apparatus comprises a queue and a translation lookaside buffer. The queue is adapted to: identify an atomic instruction within a plurality of instructions to be executed; prevent execution of the atomic instruction until it is the oldest instruction in the queue; and send a virtual address corresponding to the atomic instruction and an atomic load signal in response to determining that the atomic instruction is the oldest instruction in the queue. The translation lookaside buffer is adapted for maintaining at least one virtual to physical address translation, and is adapted to force a miss in the translation lookaside buffer in response to receiving the atomic load signal.
US08341314B2

The host interface module is configured to receive a plurality of I/O request which includes an associated priority; create an I/O request queue for each associated priority; define a threshold value for the queue length for each of the plurality of I/O request queues; and determine if the queue length for one of the plurality of the I/O request queue corresponding to the associated priority is less than the defined threshold value for the queue length for the one of the plurality of the I/O request queues. If the queue length of the one of the plurality of I/O request queues is more than the defined threshold value for the queue then the host interface module is further configured to rejecting the I/O request and sending a queue full message; wherein the threshold value for the queue length is based on the processing rate of the I/O requests in the plurality of the I/O request queues.
US08341300B1

In one embodiment of the invention, a memory system includes non-volatile-memory-devices (NVMDs) coupled to memory channels to share busses and a memory controller coupled to the memory channels in communication between the plurality of NVMDs. Each NVMD independently executes a read, write, or erase operation at a time. The memory controller includes channel schedulers to schedule control and data transfers associated with the read, write, and erase operations on the memory channels; and high priority and low priority queues coupled to the channel schedulers. The channel schedulers prioritize operations waiting in the high priority queues over operations waiting in the low priority queues. The channel schedulers further prioritize read operations waiting in either the high priority queue or the low priority queue over write and erase operations waiting in each respective queue.
US08341297B2

A method for determining metrics of a content delivery and global traffic management network provides service metric probes that determine the service availability and metric measurements of types of services provided by a content delivery machine. Latency probes are also provided for determining the latency of various servers within a network. The latency probe calculates, for example, the latency from its location to a client's location using the round trip time for sending a packet to the client to obtain the latency value for that client. DNS servers use the latency test results, along with traffic weightings, to determine a server to return for a given DNS name.
US08341292B2

A method includes detecting, at a first device, a request for a network connection from a first application; spawning a first virtual machine that virtualizes network capabilities of the first device such that a first virtual network connection is provided; selecting a first routing protocol for the first virtual network connection; detecting, at the first device, a request for a network connection from a second application; spawning a second virtual machine that virtualizes network capabilities of the first device such that a second virtual network connection is provided; selecting a second routing protocol for the second network connection; using the selected first routing protocol, communicating data from the first application to a second device using the first virtual network connection; and using the selected second routing protocol, communicating data from the second application using the second virtual network connection. The first and second routing protocols are different routing protocols.
US08341290B2

A server farm for processing client requests comprising a first server having a first processor and a first network interface controller communicatively coupled to the first processor, and a second server comprising a second processor and communicatively coupled to the first server, wherein the first network interface controller is configured to maintain a state table associated with at least the first server and the second server and respond to receipt of a request packet from a client by, initiating by the first processor execution of a software application associated with the request packet when the state table corresponds to a first state, and selectively forwarding the request packet to the second server when the state table corresponds to a second state.
US08341288B2

A technique enables resources to be shared among data flows that may have different senders (sources) and/or different receivers (destinations) in a data network. Identifiers are associated with data flows and used to indicate whether resources may be shared between data flows. The identifiers are carried in signaling messages used to reserve resources for data flows. An existing data flow that is associated with an identifier that matches an identifier associated with a new data flow is allowed to share resources its resources with the new data flow.
US08341282B2

A computing device selectively receives a media stream. A buffer included within the computing device selectively stores frames from the media stream, the buffer being configured to be a certain size. Program instructions within the computing device are for sending an alert message when the alert threshold is reached and for receiving, in response to the alert message, a flush instruction along with recovery information.
US08341265B2

Described are methods and apparatuses, including computer program products, for controlling server resources. An occupancy value of a buffer and a first utilization value of a first processor are measured. The buffer is configured to store one or more requests for service from at least a first client. The first processor is configured to receive and process the one or more requests from the buffer. A buffer size value is determined based on a processor throughput calculation, and a first service request limit for the first client is determined based on the occupancy value, the first utilization value, and the buffer size value.
US08341261B2

A server device including a management unit for receiving and managing a status of equipment or a user operating the equipment as status information and detecting a load status of the server device from receiving situation of the status information, a notification request receiving unit for receiving a notification request message that requests notification of the status information from a reference person terminal; a notification response transmitting unit for transmitting a notification respond message that responds to the received notification request message; and a status notification transmitting unit for transmitting an information notification message including the status information received by the management unit to the reference person terminal according to the load status. The server device can precisely transmit information from a user device, and the like, to the reference person terminal when the server device is in an overload state.
US08341260B2

A method for performing server monitoring via condition tracking and state identification of server components. In one embodiment, the method includes continuously monitoring a server, the server having a plurality of components, determining whether a component of the plurality of components has entered a maintenance state, and triggering a maintenance action for the component if it has entered the maintenance state.
US08341249B2

A user of multiple client devices (clients) makes application configuration changes on the clients from time to time. The configuration changes are stored in a local event log on each client, as well as in a synchronization server. When one of the clients connects to the synchronization server, for example when the user logs into the synchronization server while using a respective client, the configuration information in the server and client is synchronized. Conflicts, if any, in the configuration changes for a respective application are resolved in accordance with a conflict resolution procedure or conflict resolution rules associated with that application.
US08341245B1

Methods and systems for reducing web page load time include obtaining speculative information associated with a uniform resource locator (URL). The method and system also include determining whether to prefetch content of the URL based on the speculative information. The method and system further include providing an instruction to prefetch the URL content when a determination to prefetch results.
US08341241B2

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a media device having a controller to present a graphical user interface for a selection of replacement content where the replacement content corresponds to a portion of media content presentable by the media device, receive the selection of the replacement content, transmit the selection to a server where the selected replacement content is retrieved using one or more metadata pointers associated with the media content, and receive the replacement content. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08341240B2

The present invention provides mobile terminals with various types of services such as electronic commerce service, music delivery service, and position information service. User applications required for the electronic commerce service, music delivery service, and position information service are respectively configured as service objects each having a server facility, and further a local gateway is provided, whereby various types of services can be used through a browser.
US08341231B2

According to one embodiment, a method for processing heartbeat messages includes processing heartbeat messages received at a first network interface integral to a first network element from a second network element to determine a first status parameter associated with the second network element. The method may also include processing heartbeat messages received at a second network interface integral to the first network element from the second network element to determine a second status parameter associated with the second network element. The method may further include determining a status of the second network element based on the first status parameter and the second status parameter.
US08341226B2

Techniques to manage electronic mail delivery may be described. An apparatus may include an internal message transfer agent to determine a message flow rate for an external message transfer agent based on a trust value associated with the external message transfer agent. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US08341213B2

Techniques for improving boot time of a client having a virtualized operating environment are described herein. According to one embodiment, a controller identifies a virtual machine (VM) associated with a client in response to a message received by the controller from a client over a network indicating that the client is starting up. The controller automatically launches the associated VM at a remote node. The associated VM is being started up at the remote node while the client is being started up at the client concurrently, such that a starting time for the client and the associated VM as a whole is reduced. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.
US08341212B2

Techniques are disclosed for generation and refinement of service descriptions based on records of invocations of the services, i.e., service description refinement based on actual service use. For example, a method for describing one or more services in a service-oriented environment comprised of one or more clients invoking the one or more services comprises the following steps. An initial description is established for at least one of the one or more services. Information is collected from one or more service invocations including at least one of a client identity, a value of at least one parameter, a return value, and an execution time. The information is analyzed to refine the description.
US08341203B2

The present invention provides a digital engineering method of hybrid numeral carry system and carry line, in which K common Q-ary numerals that participate in the computation of addition and subtraction are transformed into K or 2K numerals of hybrid numeral carry system, then said K or 2K numerals are added for the sum in the hybrid numeral carry system, whereby the operating speed of all kinds of digital engineering can be improved significantly and the error rate of written calculation engineering can be reduced greatly. The present invention also provides a computer technical solution of hybrid numeral carry system and carry line.
US08341198B1

Volumes of a file system environment are taken offline when they require repair for confirmed corruptions. Applications utilize handles, both real and, in environments where proxy file systems are overlaid upon the real file system(s), proxy, to access objects stored on volumes of a file system environment. Real handles are closed when the volume storing the objects for the real handles is taken offline, terminating applications' access to the volume's objects. New real handles are automatically generated for those volume objects that had a real handle prior to the volume going offline for corruption correction processing and which were not altered during the corruption correction processing. Applications accessing these objects can continue to use their original proxy handle, which is subsequently correlated with an automatically established new real handle, to access the objects.
US08341197B2

In encoding for putting one or more files and/or one or more files in a folder into a single archive file, original hierarchy information and standard hierarchy information generated by converting characters in a special character coding in each file name to characters in a standard character coding are recorded in the archive file. If the character coding used in the original hierarchy information in the archive file cannot be used in the system environment used in decoding, a file name in the standard character coding is generated from the standard hierarchy information and is converted to a character coding that can be used in the system environment.
US08341194B2

A system that includes a graphical user interface that may be used to access information contained in a database is provided. The graphical user interface includes a matrix of icons that correspond to textual excerpts. A textual excerpt is displayed above the matrix and the displayed textual excerpt changes as a user moves a pointing device over the icons. The user may perform searches of character strings contained in the textual excerpts. The color of the icons that correspond to textual excerpts that satisfy the search request is different from the color of the remaining icons. The interface also allows the user to rapidly and efficiently perform searches to retrieve information from the database.
US08341189B2

A computing device includes instructions that, when executed by a processing unit, cause the processing unit to: create a business data catalog module that accesses and manipulates data residing on an internal data store and an external data store, wherein the business data catalog module receives a request for data, determines whether the data resides in the internal data store or the external data store, and access the data residing on the external data store, and create a external data provisioning module that provisions data accessed from the external data store, wherein the external data provisioning module maps external data from the external data store for presentation on a client computing device. A user can access and manipulate the data from the external data store in a same manner as accessing and manipulating data from the internal data store.
US08341186B2

Various embodiments include a method and system for configuring a smart energy network using a link key database. An energy services interface, on the smart energy network, extracts a unique identifier associated with a smart energy device from a communication with the smart energy device. The energy services interface may then use the unique identifier to receive information associated with the smart energy device from the link key database.
US08341180B1

A risk analysis system and method are provided. The system includes an analyzer for analyzing database instances by executing a query on each database instance and selecting a cutoff value. The analyzer also discards the sets of uncertainty data that yield query-result values below the cutoff value and retains the database instances that yield query-result values above the cutoff value as elite sets. The system also includes a cloner to replicate the elite sets, and a sampler to modify the elite sets so that each elite set is mutually statistically independent while still yielding query-result values above the cutoff value.
US08341178B2

Techniques are provided for analyzing performance differences for a set of database query language statements on two different database systems. The performance analysis is based on quantitative measurements and estimates of the execution of the set of database query language statements on the two different database systems. This performance analysis process may be used by database administrators to predict impacts to performance due to a change in a database system.
US08341174B2

A method and apparatus for obtaining context information from a context server maintaining a context for an object of interest in a telecommunication network. The context server receives raw context data from sensors associated with the object of interest. A request is received from a requesting party for refined context information with reference to the object of interest. Individual context data is collected for at least one individual entity of the requesting party. A customized rule is created on the basis of the received individual context data. The rule defines conditions in an adapted request for refined context information regarding the object of interest, which is sent, including the customized rule, to the context server of the object of interest. Context data refined according to the customized rule is then received from the context server.
US08341173B2

A computer-implemented method, computer-implemented system, and a computer program product for answering a database-based query of a computerized database system. The method includes: generating a canonical individual ind′ with respect to a role and a concept, for an existential restriction in an ontology used in the computerized database system; converting implicit data in original data into explicit data using the canonical individual ind′ and the ontology; and retrieving an answer meeting all query conditions in a query from the original data and the converted explicit data. The computer-implemented system includes: a canonical individual generation unit; a data conversion engine; and a query unit.
US08341168B1

A system for displaying hierarchical data comprises an interface and a processor. The interface is for receiving a request to view a data set. The data set comprises a set of data stored as linked objects in a database. The processor is configured to determine a chunk of the data set to be provided in response to the request that is displayed according to a set of display parameters.
US08341159B2

Methods, apparatus and systems are provided to generate from a set of training documents a set of training data and a set of features for a taxonomy of categories. In this generated taxonomy the degree of feature overlap among categories is minimized in order to optimize use with a machine-based categorizer. However, the categories still make sense to a human because a human makes the decisions regarding category definitions. In an example embodiment, for each category, a plurality of training documents selected using Web search engines is generated, the documents winnowed to produce a more refined set of training documents, and a set of features highly differentiating for that category within a set of categories (a supercategory) extracted. This set of training documents or differentiating features is used as input to a categorizer, which determines for a plurality of test documents the plurality of categories to which they best belong.
US08341158B2

A computer-implemented method includes receiving a dataset representing a plurality of users, a plurality of items, and a plurality of ratings given to items by users; clustering the plurality of users into a plurality of user-groups such that at least one user belongs to more than one user-group; clustering the plurality of items into a plurality of item-groups such that at least one item belongs to more than one item-group; inducing a model describing a probabilistic relationship between the plurality of users, items, ratings, user-groups, and item-groups, the induced model defined by a plurality of model parameters; and predicting a rating of a user for an item using the induced model.
US08341157B2

A system and method for intent driven search presentation. A query is received, over a network, from a user, wherein the query comprises at least one query token. The query is analyzed wherein at least one query keyword is identified in the query. The query is classified wherein the query is classified into at least one intent using query keywords. A plurality of data objects that match query keywords is identified. The data objects are ranked, wherein at least one intent is assigned to at least some of the data objects. A result is built using the ranked plurality of data objects, wherein the result comprises display entries wherein if a data object has been assigned at least one intent, such intent is used to construct the display entry for the respective data object. The result is transmitted over the network to the user.
US08341154B2

Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to extending types hosted in a database to other platforms. In aspects, a database may store objects according to a one type system while an application accessing the database may store objects according to another type system. To allow the application to understand the types, a mapping mechanism may be employed that maps from the types of type system of the database to types of a type system of the application. The mapping mechanism may utilize metadata associated with the data in mapping between types. In conjunction with mapping a source type to a target type, a target object may be instantiated and populated with properties of a source object of the source type.
US08341152B1

A method and system for generating and linking keywords to objects in videos, and then providing an internet searchable web page is disclosed. The objects also may be associated with hyperlinks to further information, further objects, or further videos or web pages. First, objects within a video are selected. Then software for tracking the objects throughout a video is used to determine in which frames the object appears. Data corresponding all frames in which the object first appears and last appears is determined. Second, an object descriptor term or phrase is associated with the object. The object descriptor is then used to generate a set of keywords, which along with the object descriptor, are stored in memory in association with the object and video, preferably an XML file or other format. Then, the keywords or keyword phrases are converted to a search engine searchable computer language, e.g., HTML, CSS, and posted to a web page. When a user searches the internet using a search term that sufficiently matches, in accordance with the search engine's search strategy, keywords (or the object descriptor itself which should be included in the set of searchable keywords in a searchable language) that are associated with an object in a video, the results will include a listing with a link to the video or videos at the video segment in which the object appears. The video thus can start playing at the first frame the object appears in and may end at the last frame the object appears in.
US08341148B1

A method and computer-readable medium for generating an activity stream is provided. The activity stream includes a ranked set of objects that are presented to one or more users. The ranking of objects is updated to reflect events associated with objects.
US08341138B2

Among other disclosed subject matter, a computer-implemented method relating to providing content on a page includes receiving information for providing content for an access device in response to a navigation from a first page to a second page. The content is to be included in the second page. The method includes accessing query information stored on the access device, the query information based on a first query that was submitted from the access device to a search provider before navigating to the first page. The method includes providing the content for inclusion in the second page, the content selected using at least the received information and the accessed query information. A computer-implemented method can include recording search query information for a user; retrieving the search query information; and using the search query information to determine content for display to the user.
US08341134B2

Mechanisms are provided for replicating transactions at a source database node on a target database node of the data processing system. A transaction message, for a transaction, is stored in a receive queue data structure of the target database node. An agent thread applies a change to data of the target database node based on a specification of the change in the transaction message. An identifier of the transaction message is stored in a done message data structure of the target database node and the identifier of the transaction message is also stored in a prune queue data structure of the target database node. A prune thread determines if a contiguous range of identifiers of transaction messages equal to or greater than a predetermined batch size is present in the prune queue data structure. If so, then a range of transaction messages is deleted from the done message data structure.
US08341129B2

A structured document is coded as a bit stream. The structured document can be described in Extensible Markup Language (XML). The structured document can be decoded to access a subpart of the document. Hierarchized events included in the structured document are coded as corresponding events using at least one encoding table, which is updated during the coding. Hierarchized events involved in an update of the at least one encoding table are determined. Marking information is associated with the coded events corresponding to the hierarchized events determined to be involved in the update of the at least one encoding table.
US08341122B2

A technique for restoring file systems by applying full and incremental backups together while streaming them from multiple devices provides a faster system restore from a full backup where incremental backups must also be applied. A first storage device streams the full backup while at least one second storage device streams at least one incremental backup. As files are detected in the incremental backup, they are written instead of the corresponding file in the full backup. Incremental backups can be pre-merged to reduce their number to one less than a number of storage devices available to stream the backups, so that the full backup can be streamed along with the pre-merged incremental backup(s) to restore the file system.
US08341113B2

A system for generating a compact update package between an old version of content and a new version of content. The system includes a conversion element generator for generating a conversion element associated with the old version and new version. A modified version generator for generating a modified version including applying the conversion element to the old versions. An update package generator for generating the compact update package. The compact update package includes the conversion element and a modified delta based on the modified version and the new version.
US08341112B2

Annotation by search is described. In one aspect, a data store is searched for images that are semantically related to a baseline annotation of a given image and visually similar to the given image. The given image is then annotated with common concepts of annotations associated with at least a subset of the semantically and visually related images.
US08341103B2

A computer-implemented system is provided for an analytic network process (ANP) control structure with feedback throughout the ANP control structure. The computer-implemented system includes an ANP control structure storage unit that stores an ANP control structure with feedback throughout the ANP control structure. Also included is a synthesizer that performs a BOCR calculation on the ANP control structure with feedback throughout the ANP control structure, to yield a result which is proper according to ANP theory when values are non-trivial. Also disclosed is a computer-implemented method for an analytic network process (ANP) control structure with feedback through the ANP control structure, and a related computer-readable storage medium encoded with a computer program.
US08341100B2

An epithelial detector and method for automatically identifying epithelial portions of a tissue sample, includes: staining the tissue sample with at least two dyes; applying a color transformation to a color image of the tissue sample to obtain one or more color channels; and applying a trained convolutional neural network to the color channels to obtain a decision for position in the tissue as to whether it is inside or outside an epithelial layer. Also, a method for training the convolutional neural network.
US08341097B2

Circuits, devices and methods for processing learning networks are implemented using a variety of methods and devices. One example involves a circuit-implemented method to identify a relationship of objects in a set of objects. Local scores are generated for the object and possible parents. The local scores indicate relationship strength between object and parent. The results are stored in a memory. A state-machine circuit is used to perform sampling and searching of the parent sets for each data node. The local scores are used to encode orderings of the parent. An algorithm is executed that uses the encoded possible orderings and a random variable to generate and score a current order and a proposed order of the possible parent sets. The proposed orders are accepted or rejected based on probability rules applied to the scores for the current and proposed orders. Structures are sampled to assess a Bayesian-based relationship.
US08341083B1

The present disclosure is directed to a system and method for wirelessly executing financial transactions. A payment card includes an interface, a communication module, secure memory, a user-interface module, and a processing module. The interface connects to a slot of a mobile host device. The communication module wirelessly receives RF signals from and transmits RF signals to a retail terminal. The secure memory stores user credentials and a payment application used to execute financial transactions with the retail terminal. The user credentials and the payment application are associated with a financial institution. The user-interface module presents and receives information through the GUI of the mobile host device. The processing module executes the payment application using the user credentials in response to at least a transaction request received by the communication module and transmits a transaction response to the retail terminal based, at least in part, on the executed application.
US08341067B2

A post-trade aggregation system includes an allocation middleware interface, which interacts with an order management system to allocate and settle trades. The order management system receives a trade order on behalf of a customer and either apportions the trade into a plurality of smaller orders and communicates them to a plurality of order destinations directly (e.g. via the FIX protocol), or sends large orders to an order staging and optimization interface which then apportions the larger orders into a plurality of smaller orders and communicates the orders to a plurality of order destinations. The post-trade aggregation system contains an allocation middleware interface which receives the individual trade executions from the plurality of order destination and compresses them into a single average-priced block. The allocation middleware interface then sends the single average-priced block to be cleared by a designated clearing agent and allocates the single average-priced block into one or more custodian accounts. In further aspects, a method and apparatus are also provided.
US08341062B2

A system and method is disclosed for determining performance bonds for fixed payoff products, i.e. contracts which payoff a fixed amount based on the outcome of an underlying event regardless of the value thereof. The worst outcome of the overall portfolio, which may contain more multiple instruments, is calculated, allowing the portfolio to have both long and short positions on the same underlying event and offsets among instruments within the portfolio. A universe of outcomes is constructed including single events with single outcomes, and the probability thereof, and single events with multiple outcomes, each with a probability thereof. Each outcome has an associated price and probability. Low probability events will have low values, resulting in a lower margin requirement. The margin requirement is then the amount of the maximum loss that the portfolio can sustain for any possible outcome of the underlying event, adjusted for the probability thereof.
US08341059B1

A system, method and apparatus for creating and executing inter-exchange spread instruments, comprising a buy and a sell leg (or other variation of buys and/or sells) of two distinct global exchange traded instruments. A spread instrument price is set using an implied base price of a first leg based upon a current bid and offer of the first leg on a global exchange, an implied base price of a second leg based upon a current bid and offer of the second leg on a global exchange, a first leg weighting factor, a second leg weighting factor, and a volatility risk factor. When the spread instrument is traded, each underlying leg is automatically filled and confirmed pursuant to the customs and practices of the corresponding exchange and clearinghouse or clearing firm for the product associated with the leg.
US08341058B2

A system and method for modifying a portfolio having respective quantities of a plurality of different meat cut types (MCT) of an animal comprising: accessing portfolio information including a first quantity of a first MCT and a second quantity of a second MCT determining first comparison data of the first MCT and of the second MCT for a selected historical time period; determining a correlation value between the first MCT and the second MCT analyzing the correlation value and adjusting a parameter of a price model used in determining the first predicted future price and sending the modified value of the first price premium for presentation to a member of the portfolio.
US08341050B2

Methods and systems for providing a proof of mailing service include receiving from a user a designation of a recipient to receive an item to be mailed, and receiving a free-form description of the item. Postage indicia is printed bearing an amount of postage for a mail piece containing the item. In response to the mail piece being processes by a postal authority, a transmission from the postal authority containing a scanned image of the mail piece is received. The recipient is then sent a notification that the item has been mailed, and the notification includes the free-form description of the item and access to the scanned image.
US08341045B2

A savings and investment system and method including a plurality of pre-paid investment cards (PPICs) which can be purchased by individuals as investment products for themselves or as gifts for PPIC recipients. The PPICs are pre-paid stored value cards that are provided for use with the investment system by a PPIC company, which establishes relationships with partner financial services providers and partner retailers to provide investment vehicles and the PPICs. The value stored on the PPICs can be redeemed through a PPIC website maintained by the PPIC company or the partner financial services provider(s), whereby the value on the PPIC is deposited in an investment account established for the PPIC recipient, and then allocated among specified investment vehicles. The PPIC purchaser may optionally define usage rules governing how the PPIC value is allocated.
US08341044B1

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for re-rating events, in use, a plurality of events associated with at least one customer is rated. Additionally, at least one of the events associated with the customer(s) is re-rated, in parallel with the rating.
US08341032B2

Methods, including methods conducted with a computer system and/or over a telecommunications network, are provided for transforming an auctioned item of unknown value and buyer into an auctioned item of known value and buyer. The methods comprise sealed bid, second-best price auctions that diminish the effects of information asymmetry while aligning the interests of buyers and sellers by reducing common auction risks of the winner's curse, buyer's remorse, bid shading, shill bidding, bid sniping, and/or collusion. Bidders submit sealed bids for the auctioned item. At a successful auction's conclusion, a highest bidder is established as the item's buyer and a second-best price is established as the value. This second-best price is the second highest sealed bid obtained, or a reserve price that the highest bidder accepts as the value for the auctioned item when the highest sealed bid is the only sealed bid at least equal to the reserve price. The second-best price optionally may be one bid increment more than the second highest sealed bid or the reserve price.
US08341029B1

Techniques for providing friction-free transactions using geolocation and user identifiers are described herein. These techniques may ascertain a user's location based on a location of a mobile device. A transaction between the user and a merchant may be completed with zero or minimal input from the user based on the geolocation of the mobile device and the user identifiers. In some implementations, a transaction initiated earlier is completed when the mobile device arrives at the merchant. Additionally, a parent-child or similar relationship may be established between multiple devices. Security on the mobile device based may be provided by biometric identification and calculation of variance from regular movement patterns. Advertisements may be sent to the mobile device based on bids from merchants near to the mobile device. Promotions may be sent to the mobile device when more than a threshold number of mobile devices are located at the same merchant.
US08341028B2

A method and apparatus for creating a computerized market for used and collectible goods by use of a plurality of low cost posting terminals and a market maker computer in a legal framework that establishes a bailee relationship and consignment contract with a purchaser of a good at the market maker computer that allows the purchaser to change the price of the good once the purchaser has purchased the good thereby to allow the purchaser to speculate on the price of collectibles in an electronic market for used goods while assuring the safe and trusted physical possession of a good with a vetted bailee.
US08341027B2

An internet accessible computer system to conduct business to business operations among a plurality of buyer companies and a plurality of seller companies. In one embodiment, the system includes at least one seller client system, at least one buyer client system, at least one computer server coupled to a database for storing data, and a network connecting said at least one seller client system and said at least one buyer client system to said at least one computer server. Said at least one computer server is programmed for, among other things, registering each of the plurality of seller companies with the internet accessible computer system, wherein each of the plurality of seller companies sells goods to a corresponding one of the plurality of buyer companies, and the corresponding one buyer company makes payment for the goods sold by that seller company, and registering each of the plurality of buyer companies with the internet accessible computer system, wherein the registration of each of the plurality of buyer companies depends on the registration of its corresponding seller company.
US08341026B1

This document relates to tracking the adoption of a data feed. For example, a feed of items is sent to a referral network site. The feed includes some of the items sold through an electronic commerce network site. The referral network site refers a plurality of customers to the electronic commerce network site. The referral includes feed generation information. A determination is made whether the feed has been adopted by the referral network site based upon the feed generation information.
US08341019B2

In embodiments disclosed, information on a click stream associated with a user and meta tags commonly used by search engines can be used to profile a user. The click stream may comprise network addresses and timestamps and may be the only source of user information used for the profile. The meta tags may contain metadata that correspond to the network addresses in the click stream, including network address categorization for these network addresses. The profile obtained for the user may be an existing profile that represents a person or a theoretical individual having attributes similar to or most closely match the user. Based at least in part on the profile, information regarding an item may be provided to the user or the item may be offered to the user. In some embodiments, the information may be filtered before being displayed to the user.
US08341017B2

A method, system, and computer-accessible medium are provided for optimizing search result listings in a search engine user interface. The system and method provide an automated way of promoting and demoting the placement of a search result listing between more or less desirable locations, based on the listing's performance in a given placement. Promoting and demoting placements is based on a threshold performance for the listing against which the actual performance of a listing is measured. The threshold performance may be advantageously varied to accommodate different revenue and relevance goals for a particular search engine or portion of the search engine's market.
US08341012B2

A working skill estimating program is provided for estimating working skills of each agent in the state of separating a disturbance factor from response records (incidents). A large category classifier is supplied with the incidents within a predetermined time and classifies the incidents according to classification rules, for creating the topic-classified incidents. A small category generator collects the analogous incidents for each task type of the topic-classified incidents and generates a small category. A disturbance distinguisher distinguishes if the incidents belonging to each small category are common response records that appear regularly over time or disturbances whose frequency exhibits a significant time dependency. Then, a skill estimator estimates the working skills of each agent for each task type by using only common incidents determined as the common information.
US08341009B1

The various exemplary embodiments provide a method for projecting survey information into a geographic region. The geographic region is divided into a plurality of geographic subregions, each of which are profiled using a plurality of profiling variables to form a selected geographic subregion profile. The profiling variables include both demographic and behavioral variables. A plurality of survey respondents are then randomly assigned into the selected geographic subregion to form a modeled population, with the random assignment weighted based on a representation probability of each of the corresponding plurality of survey respondents for the selected geographic subregion profile, with the representation probabilities having been determined using a sample balancing algorithm. Following such profiling and assignment for all subregions, survey information corresponding to the modeled population is projected into the geographic region.
US08341007B2

Systems and methods are disclosed for forecasting demand for objects, such as products, parts, etc. in a managed supply chain. In one embodiment, a method for forecasting demand is provided that comprises the step of determining a forecast profile including a forecast model and a forecast parameter to be assigned to a set of data forming the basis of the forecast. The determining step may include the steps of performing at least one forecast test on the set of data to identify the significance of a forecast model in the set of data, and determining iteratively the value of a forecast parameter, wherein the forecast parameter is determined based on the outcome of performing the at least one forecasting test. Further, the method may include the step of automatically assigning the determined forecast profile to the set of data.
US08341006B2

A system for product recommendation comprises several automatic service equipments which are mutually linked via a communication network. Each of the automatic service equipments obtains data of other user groups, data of other product groups and other, relation matrixes from other automatic service equipments. Each of the automatic service equipments integrates data of other user groups into data of local user groups stored in itself, and also integrates data of other product groups into data of local product groups stored in itself. Each of the automatic service equipments revises a local relation matrix stored in itself, such that the revised local relation matrix records correlation coefficients between the integrated local user groups and the integrated local product groups. Each of the automatic service equipments performs product recommendation according to the integrated data and input data received through an input device.
US08341005B2

Gradually automation of a workflow by a configuration change management system is provided by a first workflow template having a relatively low level of automation and complexity in which at least a plurality of tasks require manual input, manual response, or manual approval, operating the first workflow by a workflow automation system engine, monitoring a measurement of the maturity level of the process during the operation the first workflow, and responsive to detecting the maturity level meeting pre-determined benchmark, automatically selecting, engaging, and operating a second workflow template which increases automation by automating one or more subprocesses, adding one or more subprocesses, or eliminating one or more subprocesses.
US08340999B2

Exemplary embodiments provide a computer implemented method, system and computer usable program code for automatically generating executable components from a process model. An input is received, wherein the input comprises a model that describes activities that needs to be performed as part of a business operation, a sequencing of the activities, and input and output data of the activities, forming a process model. A model of a set of connected business artifacts based on the process model, forming a business operation model, is generated. The business operation model is saved. The business operation model is displayed to a user. Executable components definitions based on the business operation model are generated.
US08340998B2

In some embodiments, a market assessment system comprises a market opportunity engine, a market capture engine, a comparison engine, and an attainability engine. The market opportunity engine is operable to provide an opportunity measurement for each market of a plurality of markets. The market capture engine operable to provide an actual capture measurement for each market of the plurality of markets. The actual capture measurement indicates an amount of the product actually provided by the enterprise within each market. The comparison engine operable to compare a first market of the plurality of markets to one or more different markets of the plurality of markets to determine one or more comparable markets. The attainability engine operable to calculate an attainable opportunity measurement for the first market based on the actual capture measurement and the opportunity measurement for each of the one or more comparable markets.
US08340984B2

A system, in a cloud computing environment (“CCE”) includes a data processor. One or more cloud computing auditing components are configured to monitor the CCE in accordance with a predefined insurance level agreement (“ILA”) and to create a log of one or more CCE events indicated by the ILA. A neutral data warehouse is configured to store the log. A reporting module generates one or more reports for a party indicated by the ILA from the log in the neutral data warehouse in accordance with the ILA.
US08340979B2

Systems and methods for processing benefits include providing a graphical user interface, such as a web browser, to a benefit recipient for accessing at least account information concerning at least one benefit type. The benefits processing system may receive a request from the benefit recipient through the graphical user interface for displaying the at least account information concerning the at least one benefit type. The benefits processing system may then display the at least account information through the graphical user interface concerning the at least one benefit type.
US08340978B2

A system and method is provided that enables a carrier of a mailpiece, such as a national postal service, to track a mailpiece as it passes from the control of a first carrier to the control of another, second carrier. The tracking of the mailpiece continues until the mailpiece is delivered, by the second carrier, to its ultimate recipient. In this manner the first carrier, who had control of the mailpiece when first posted, can monitor the handling of the mailpiece and can calculate delivery times when the mailpiece was in the control of the second carrier. The method and system of the present invention will find particular application to a national postal service seeking to track delivery performance of internationally addressed express mail that is first domestically posted and then ultimately delivered in a foreign country by the postal service of the foreign country.
US08340975B1

A self-contained wireless interactive speech recognition control device and system that integrates with automated systems and appliances to provide totally hands-free speech control capabilities for a given space. Preferably, each device comprises a programmable microcontroller having embedded speech recognition and audio output capabilities, a microphone, a speaker and a wireless communication system through which a plurality of devices can communicate with each other and with one or more system controllers or automated mechanisms. The device may be enclosed in a stand-alone housing or within a standard electrical wall box. Several devices may be installed in close proximity to one another to ensure hands-free coverage throughout the space. When two or more devices are triggered simultaneously by the same speech command, real time coordination ensures that only one device will respond to the command.
US08340973B2

A data embedding device for embedding data in a speech code obtained by encoding a speech in accordance with a speech encoding method based on a voice generation process of a human being, includes an embedding judgment unit, every speech code, judging whether or not data should be embedded in the speech code, and an embedding unit embedding data in two or more parameter codes of a plurality of parameter codes constituting the speech code for which it is judged by the embedding judgment unit that the data should be embedded.
US08340971B1

The invention comprises computer-readable media, methods and systems for performing a dialog analysis and using that analysis to release an updated spoken dialog system. The method embodiment of the invention comprises receiving data associated with dialogs, extracting turn by turn details of the dialog and generating from the extracted details an empirical call-flow representation of the dialog. The call data may be call-logs and user audio. The empirical call-flow representation may be a finite-state machine with nodes that represent call-states and the arcs between nodes represent user responses. Nodes may also represent sub-dialogs. The call-flow representation is presented graphically to a user for easier analysis and understanding. Significant changes in the dialog can be identified as hot-spots for improvement in the next release of the spoken dialog system.
US08340966B2

A control unit extracts at least a part of data that is displayed on a display and sends the extracted part of the displayed data to a speech generating device. The speech generating device includes a conversion circuit that converts the received data to a speech signal. The conversion circuit may be connected to a speaker system for broadcasting the speech signal.
US08340952B2

A set of instructions executable at an integrated circuit is partitioned into multiple instruction blocks. A first and second instruction block are executed multiple times, including a first execution and a second execution. The first execution of the first instruction block is associated with a first set of executions, and the first execution of the second instruction block is associated with a second set of executions. A first amount of energy consumption representative of a member of the first set of executions is determined, and a second amount of energy consumption representative of a member of the second set of executions is determined. The first amount of energy is assigned to each member of the first set, and the second amount of energy is assigned to each member of the second set, and used to determine a total amount of energy consumption associated with execution of the set of instructions.
US08340945B2

The present invention describes a method and system for joint modeling of a mean and dispersion of data. A computing system derives a loss function taking into account distributional requirements over the data. The computing system represents separate regression functions for the mean and the dispersion as stagewise expansion forms. At this time, the stagewise expansion forms include undetermined scalar coefficients and undetermined basis functions. Then, the computing system chooses the basis functions that maximally correlate with a corresponding steepest-descent gradient direction of the loss function. The computing system obtains the scalar coefficients based on a single step of Newton iteration. The computing system completes the regression functions based on the chosen basis functions and obtained scalar coefficients.
US08340943B2

Provided is an apparatus of separating a musical sound source, which may re-construct mixed signals into target sound sources and other sound sources directly using sound source information performed using a predetermined musical instrument when the sound source information is present, thereby more effectively separating sound sources included in the mixed signal. The apparatus may include a Nonnegative Matrix Partial Co-Factorization (NMPCF) analysis unit to perform an NMPCF analysis on a mixed signal and a predetermined sound source signal using a sound source separation model, and to obtain a plurality of entity matrices based on the analysis result, and a target instrument signal separating unit to separate, from the mixed signal, a target instrument signal corresponding to the predetermined sound source signal by calculating an inner product between the plurality of entity matrices.
US08340942B2

Expert system may utilize multiple metrics to estimate whether a performance improvement activity has a potential to improve performance in respect to a predetermined performance metric. The multiple metrics may be propagated based on whether or not they may be affected by the activity and based on an associated value that may take into account the current value of the metric. An Index Propagation Graph may be further utilized to represent a propagation function which may propagate the potential of improvement of each metric in respect to the predetermined performance metric.
US08340940B2

An apparatus for multiplying a semiconductor test pattern signal, which firstly encodes a plurality of pattern signals to have different pattern types, and multiplies the encoded pattern signals according to an exclusive-OR (XOR) scheme in order to generate a single pattern signal, thereby recognizing a relationship between a pattern signal before the multiplication and the other pattern signal after the multiplication. A pattern-signal segmenting/outputting unit segments a semiconductor test pattern signal into a plurality of pattern signals, and simultaneously outputs the segmented pattern signals. A pattern-signal restoring/multiplying unit restores the segmented pattern signals received from the pattern-signal segmenting/outputting unit to the semiconductor test pattern signal, outputs the restored result to a driver which records a test pattern in an objective semiconductor to be tested, and multiplies the signal outputted to the driver by a predetermined frequency band rather than a frequency band of the segmented signals.
US08340925B2

Diesel fuel consumption is calculated in real-time in an vehicle diagnostic monitor using standard OBDII reported parameters and publicly available engine characteristics. Also, fuel consumption in vehicles that maintain a constant air-fuel ratio is calculated by analyzing the subject engine as an air pump and reading publicly available OBDII diagnostic data to estimate the instantaneous airflow through the engine without the need of MAF sensor data.
US08340922B2

A method for estimating a fan life includes the following steps. Fans to be checked at a number of M are provided. A working temperature and a test temperature of a fan are set, and the test temperature is greater than the working temperature. An acceleration factor is set, which has a fixed value. The fans are kept in an operating state at the test temperature, and a number of the damaged fans is detected and recorded at intervals of a check time, until N damaged fans are detected. A distribution of time points when the fans are damaged is simulated with a Weibull distribution model, and a shape parameter and a characteristic life of the Weibull distribution model are calculated. A life value of the fans at the test temperature is calculated. A life value of the fans at the working temperature is calculated by using the acceleration factor.
US08340919B2

Provided is a method for quantifying an initial concentration of a nucleic acid from a real-time nucleic acid amplification data. Nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) extracted from organism or virus is amplified using an enzyme. Then, the initial concentration of the nucleic acid is found by calculating the characteristic amplification cycle number or the characteristic amplification time at which the fluorescence intensity of the nucleic acid subtracted by the background fluorescence intensity of the nucleic acid has half of its maximum value, or the characteristic amplification cycle number or the characteristic amplification time at which the amplification efficiency has the maximum or the minimum value, or the prior-to-amplification fluorescence intensity of the nucleic acid subtracted by the background fluorescence intensity of the nucleic acid. Accordingly, the initial concentration of the nucleic acid can be calculated without differentiation or integration.
US08340917B2

Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with sequence matching with no more than a number E errors are disclosed. A test fragment to be located within a target sequence with at most a number E errors is received. The test fragment is broken into E+1 test sub-fragments. If one test sub-fragment is located within the target sequence with no errors; a determination is made as to whether the other test sub-fragments are located within the target sequence adjacent to the one test sub-fragment with a total of at most E errors. If the other test sub-fragments are located within the target sequence adjacent the one test sub-fragment with at most E errors, a location of the test fragment within the target sequence is returned.
US08340914B2

Systems and methods are disclosed for compressing and comparing data such as genomic data. The disclosed systems and methods may include selecting a segment, creating a delta representation of the segment, the delta representation comprising a script, and storing the script. Furthermore, the disclosed systems and methods may include receiving a first script comprising a compressed version of a first segment and receiving a second script comprising a compressed version of a second segment. The disclosed systems and methods may further include comparing the first script to the second script and determining if the first segment matches the second segment based upon the comparison of the first script to the second script.
US08340906B2

A method and apparatus for searching and generating trajectory content in a navigation device are provided. The method includes establishing a predetermined search region from a current position; extracting information about first parcels included in the established search region and information about second parcels including information about links of specific trajectory content; and determining whether the specific trajectory content is included in the established search region by comparing the information about the first parcels with the information about the second parcels.
US08340894B2

A motor vehicle is provided having a collision warning system that can map an upcoming road section for the motor vehicle. The system can evaluate potential paths for the road section based on vehicle travel history information through it. The system can receive the information from a transmitter proximate the road section, such as a roadside transmitter or one or more nearby vehicles having traversed the road section. The road section can include an intersection and the system can determine a lane configuration for at least a portion of it based on vehicle travel history information. The system can calculate a threat of collision for the motor vehicle with a target vehicle based on map data obtained from estimated paths or lane configurations for the road section. Methods pertaining to mapping a road section and operation of the system are also provided.
US08340889B2

A system and method for combining sequential map segments to aggregate, analyze, and display traffic data collected from one or more probe vehicles located on one or more of the map segments.
US08340887B2

A fuel injection control for an internal combustion engine is provided. Fuel is injected into a cylinder of the internal combustion engine. The fuel injection is divided into main injection and pilot injection in advance of the main injection. An actual compression ignition timing is detected based on a combustion state in the cylinder. A fuel injection timing of the main injection is controlled based on the actual compression ignition timing. An amount of heat release based on the pilot injection is computed. A fuel injection amount of the pilot injection is corrected based on the computed heat release amount.
US08340873B2

A machine control and guidance system for an earthmoving machine, includes one or more sensors and a portable digital media device mounted on the earthmoving machine. The portable digital media device may comprise an iPhone, an iTouch, or other similar device. Each of the sensors senses the position or orientation of a portion of the earthmoving machine and provides a wireless output signal indicating the position or orientation. The portable digital media device is in wireless communication with each of the sensors. The device has an associated display and a memory in which is stored an application program which permits the device to determine the position of one or more portions of the earthmoving machine and to display the position of one or more portions of the earthmoving machine on the display.
US08340868B2

A steering system for steering a machine having opposing first and second sides with first and second pairs of rotatably mounted rear wheels disposed along the respective sides and at least one rotatably mounted, spaced front wheel. The system includes at least one first drive unit and at least one second drive unit for rotating the rear wheels of the respective pairs, and a steering input device that provides a signal to a controller that produces drive unit request signals to control the drive units to rotate the associated rear wheels along one side at rotational speeds greater than those along the other side to facilitate turning.
US08340855B2

The present invention relates generally to an automotive diagnostic tool which facilitates data communications between an automobile and diagnostic device, such as a personal computer. More particularly, the present invention relates to electrically isolating the data communications using a Vehicle Communication Interface (VCI) device situated between an automobile's communication diagnostic port and the personal computer. The VCI contains logic circuitry to translate the automobile's On Board Diagnostic (OBD II) signals to an embedded Ethernet controller. Ethernet signals are then non-galvanicly exchanged with an Ethernet to USB controller with an Ethernet transformer. A personal computer is attached via a USB cable to the VCI's Ethernet to USB Controller, permitting information exchange between the automobile and the personal computer.
US08340854B2

Methods and systems for managing maintenance of a fleet of aircraft are provided. The method includes collecting data from at least one aircraft in each of the fleets related to the operation of the aircraft, determining a range of acceptable values of performance parameters associated with the collected data and based on the collected data, analyzing the collected data having values outside the range of acceptable values, and modifying at least one of a maintenance requirement and an interval between maintenance actions to facilitate reducing the number of performance parameters values that are outside the range of acceptable values during future operation of the aircraft.
US08340852B2

An autonomous vehicle comprises at least one image sensor to provide measurements of landmark position for a plurality of landmarks; and processing functionality to estimate the position of the plurality of landmarks in a global frame and in the autonomous vehicle's frame, and to estimate the kinematic state of the autonomous vehicle in a global frame based, at least in part, on the measurements of landmark position from the at least one image sensor. The processing functionality is further operable to calculate errors in the estimated positions of the plurality of landmarks in the global frame and in the estimate of the kinematic state of the autonomous vehicle in the global frame by using a plurality of unit projection vectors between the estimated positions of the plurality landmarks in the autonomous vehicle's frame and a plurality of unit projection vectors between the estimated positions of the plurality of landmarks in the global frame.
US08340845B2

A theft deterrent apparatus in a marine vessel including a propulsion device having an engine coupled to a starter and a power generator, includes an authentication unit arranged to operate by receiving power from a battery that is arranged to supply power to the starter and accumulate power generated by the power generator, an operation control unit arranged to allow operation of the propulsion device if authentication by the authentication unit does succeed and prohibit operation of the propulsion device if authentication by the authentication unit does not succeed, a fault detection unit arranged to detect a fault of the authentication unit, and a fault detection control unit arranged to make a provisional fault judgment when the fault detection unit detects the fault of the authentication unit before completion of engine starting by the starter, and then make the fault detection unit perform the fault detection again after the completion of engine starting by the starter.
US08340844B2

This invention relates to a GPS navigation system comprised of a submerged vessel having a navigation processor associated via buoyant cable with a buoy having a GPS device; wherein the cable contains: a data link between the vessel and the GPS device; and a location device for the determination of the location of the cable to the vessel; and wherein the processor computes a GPS position relative to the vessel. The invention also relates to a navigation process comprising the steps of: attaching a cable between a buoy and a submerged vessel; providing a GPS data relative to the buoy and cable location data over the cable to the submerged vessel; and using the GPS position of the buoy and location data to compute the GPS position of the submerged vessel.
US08340840B2

A method and device for reducing on an aircraft lateral effects of a turbulence. The device (1) includes means (2, 3, 5, 7, A1, A2) for calculating and applying a roll control command and a yaw control command enabling the side effects generated by a turbulence event to be attenuated on the aircraft.
US08340837B2

Methods and systems for displaying an en-route visible terrain display for an aircraft are provided. The method includes representing each pixel of a terrain display using a geographical location and an elevation above the location, each pixel further represented using at least one of a color value and a grayscale value, receiving a minimum elevation value, setting the at least one of a color value and a grayscale value of the pixels represented by an elevation value less than the received minimum elevation value to a uniform value, and displaying the en-route visible terrain display such that pixels representing terrain that includes an elevation value less than the minimum elevation value are displayed with the uniform value such that non-terrain-impacted, primary-navigation areas of the display are more easily readable.
US08340835B2

A printing apparatus is controlled to generate a pulse signal so that a print medium conveyance speed detected by an encoder comes close to a target speed. The duty of the generated pulse signal is calculated every predetermined timing. When a sensor detects the leading end of the print medium, the duty of the pulse signal input to a feed motor is stored in a memory. It is determined whether the difference between the calculated duty and the stored duty has exceeded a predetermined value. If the difference has exceeded the predetermined value, supply of the pulse signal stops. When supply of the pulse stops, a conveyance roller is driven.
US08340834B1

An occupancy sensing and energy indicating load control device includes an occupancy sensor, an energy savings feedback indicator, and a manual controller. The occupancy sensor detects occupancy within a monitored area. The device is electrically coupled to at least one load positioned within the monitored area and controls the energy consumption of the load. The energy savings feedback indicator provides awareness to an end user regarding energy savings and provides the end user with opportunities for additional energy savings. The device optionally includes a demand response indicator for providing awareness to the end user regarding when a demand response condition exists, its severity, and opportunities for additional energy savings.
US08340828B2

A monitoring system is provided for monitoring the growing conditions of plants in the vicinity of the roots. In addition, it is provided a system that applies real-time analysis of the growing process parameters and takes into consideration components such as plant, soil, climate, fertilizer and water. A management system based on the real-time analysis is designed that computes the amount of water and fertilizer needed every day to the plants.
US08340825B2

A method and a device for controlling a process for burning lime containing mixture (CaCO3) and converting it to calcinated lime (CaO) in a rotary kiln, the rotary kiln having an elongated cavity surrounded by a wall and a burner arranged to heat the cavity. The method includes collecting measurement data of the temperature in the wall at a plurality of measuring points along the longitudinal axis of the cavity, predicting the actual temperature gradient along the longitudinal axis of the cavity based at least on the measurement data of the temperature in the wall, and by means of a thermal model describing the temperature along the cavity of the kiln, determining a desired temperature gradient along the cavity based on the predicted temperature gradient along the cavity and a predetermined control strategy controlling the temperature in the kiln.
US08340809B2

An intelligent shelving system and associated dividing element. One or more dividing elements are arranged to communicate with a controller, each of the one or more dividing elements including an antenna having a detection plane and a base for placement on a shelf. The detection plane of the antenna is configured so as to be substantially parallel to the base. Each of the one or more dividing elements is arranged to identify electronically tagged items falling within the detection plane of its respective antenna and communicate data on said identified items to the controller.
US08340808B2

A targeted product distribution system is described herein with respect to an exemplary management of product flow through a distribution center. Specifically, the system and method described herein is directed to the management and display of direct and easily-understood instructions, such that average individuals, as well as those with mental disabilities, will be able to contribute equally to the overall process.
US08340791B2

An industrial process device for monitoring or controlling an industrial process includes a first input configured to receive a first plurality of samples related to a first process variable and a second input configured to receive a second plurality of samples related to a second process variable. Compensation circuitry is configured to compensate for a time difference between the first plurality of samples and the second plurality of samples and provide a compensated output related to at least one of the first and second process variables. The compensated output can comprise, or can be used to calculate a third process variable. The third process variable can be used to monitor or control the industrial process.
US08340788B2

A method for tuning operation of servo motors includes selecting a plurality of discrete positions in a guillotine blade cycle for which to determine tuning coefficients, determining tuning coefficients at the discrete positions, interpolating tuning coefficients for positions between the discrete positions, and applying the determined and the interpolated tuning coefficients to the servo motor. The servo motors may be used in connection with a guillotine cutter for separating individual sheets from a continuous web. The guillotine cutter blade may be driven by a servo motor to cyclically lower and raise to transversely cut the web transported below the cutter blade.
US08340786B2

An apparatus for treatment of fecal incontinence comprises at least one electrode placed in contact with a pelvic muscle of a patient and a control unit that is coupled to the electrode. The at least one electrode comprises a flexible intra-muscular electrode that conducts electromyographic (EMG) signals from the muscle. The control unit comprises a processor that analyzes the EMG signals conducted through the at least one electrode, determines whether the EMG signals are indicative of fecal incontinence and, responsive to the signal being indicative of fecal incontinence, applies an electrical waveform to the muscle through the at least one electrode.
US08340774B2

An implantable device includes a receiving coil assembly including a magnet holding structure for containing an internal holding magnet which is reorientable in responsive alignment to an external magnetic field. The magnet holding structure is adapted for allowing removal and subsequent reinsertion of the internal holding magnet.
US08340768B2

A depolarization sensing threshold can be determined using an amplitude-limited portion of a cardiac signal received using an implantable medical device. One or more cardiac depolarizations can be detected using the cardiac signal and the depolarization sensing threshold.
US08340733B2

An apparatus including a first housing section and a second housing section. The first housing section includes a window having a touch sensitive member which is at least partially see-through. The second housing section is movably connected to the first housing section. The second housing section includes a display. When the second housing section is at a first position relative to the first housing section, a first portion of the display is located at a first location directly behind the window. When the second housing section is at a second position relative to the first housing section, the first portion is located at a second different location, spaced from the first location directly behind the window, and a second portion of the display is located at the first location directly behind the window.
US08340726B1

The method of a communication device to implement a caller's area dependent ringtone modifying function, wherein when receiving a phone call from a caller's device, a caller's device current location which indicates the current geographic location of said caller's device is identified, if said caller's device current location indicates to be located in a 1st geographic area, a 1st ringtone audio data is output from said speaker with the sound volume indicated by a 1st ringtone sound volume data, if said caller's device current location indicates to be located in a 2nd geographic area, a 2nd ringtone audio data is output from said speaker with the sound volume indicated by a 2nd ringtone sound volume data.
US08340722B2

An auto-accelerated method is applied to a mobile communication equipment. The mobile communication equipment includes a primary module and a secondary module with a specific communication pattern including a transmission interface. The primary module sends out an inquiry command to inquire the transmission interface corresponding to the secondary module. The secondary module sends out a reply command to answer the inquiry command. According to the reply command, the primary module turns a switch inside the primary module to reach a transmission unit corresponding to the transmission interface of the secondary module. After the switching, the data transmission is made through between the primary module and the secondary module.
US08340721B2

A computer and cell phone assembly, including a communicator including a modem for communicating over a wireless network, and a notebook computer, including a pouch for physically attaching the communicator to the notebook computer, and a connection indicator for indicating arrival of an incoming phone call from the wireless network when the communicator is attached to the notebook computer, wherein the communicator is operative to receive the incoming phone call whether it remains attached to the notebook computer or whether it is subsequently detached from the notebook computer. A method is also described and claimed.
US08340720B1

The communication device comprising a voice communicating implementer, an auto time adjusting implementer, a camera video displaying implementer, a calculating implementer, a font formatting implementer, a start up software implementer, a stereo audio data output implementer, a device vibration implementer, a photo quality setting implementer, a multiple language implementer, a caller's information displaying implementer, and an icon displaying implementer.
US08340711B1

Systems and methods are described that facilitate the provision of dual mode services. Access to the dual mode services is controlled by associating a mobile device to an access point. Subscribers are required to provide valid geographical addresses for access points associated with the mobile devices prior to provision of service. Consequently, physical addresses are necessarily available for emergency services (e.g., E911). Mobile devices are restricted to specific access points based upon the access point identifiers automatically provided during initialization of service and maintained for authorization purposes.
US08340700B2

Systems and methods are described for enabling binary object attachment support in a short messaging service (SMS). More specifically, a binary SMS exposure service is described that allows for sending any generic binary content via SMS to the telecom network. The binary SMS exposure service includes an application-facing web services interface and a network-specific protocol interface. The binary attachment sent via SMS can represent any object, such as an electronic business card, an encrypted token, and the like. Applications are enabled to poll for the delivery status of a message sent using the exposure service, as well as receive asynchronous notifications for messages that have been sent. In addition, a specific use case is described wherein an encrypted binary object attachment is transmitted via SMS to an automobile in order to perform a specified function thereon.
US08340697B1

A method and computer-readable medium for dynamically adjusting a multimedia data resolution in a wireless environment is provided. The method includes: determining the access profile of the mobile station; monitoring transmission conditions in the wireless system; transmitting the multimedia data and control signaling to the mobile station with a highest resolution based upon the transmission conditions, wherein the control signaling determines an amount of the multimedia data accessible to the mobile station based upon the access profile of the mobile station; and decreasing a resolution of the multimedia data being transmitted to the mobile station, if the transmission conditions become unacceptable for transmitting the multimedia data at the highest resolution. If the transmission conditions become acceptable for transmitting the multimedia data at a higher resolution, the resolution of the multimedia data being transmitted to the mobile station is increased to the highest possible resolution based upon the transmission conditions.
US08340695B2

A mobile terminal and a method of controlling the operation of the mobile terminal are provided. The method includes displaying a map, which is divided into a plurality of blocks in predetermined units of latitude and latitude, on a display module and displaying in each of the blocks identification information indicating whether a corresponding block includes geo-tagged information; and if one of the blocks is selected, displaying one or more thumbnail images corresponding to geo-tagged information included in the selected block on the display module. Therefore, it is possible to effectively select and use geo-tagged information even when using a small size screen.
US08340673B2

Communication networks and methods are disclosed that provide call delivery to a dual mode wireless device served by a wireless data network (e.g., WiFi/IMS network) and a wireless voice network (e.g., cellular network). A call control function in the wireless data network is adapted to receive a call to the dual mode wireless device. The call control function transmits a ping message to the dual mode wireless device over the wireless data network to determine if the device is available over the wireless data network for the call. If the call control function receives a response to the ping message from the device, then the call control function attempts to set up the call over the wireless data network. If the call control function does not receive a response to the ping message, then the call control function may attempt to set up the call over the wireless voice network.
US08340670B2

A fully qualified domain name may be used to identify a session initiation protocol server with which a client device may connect to IMS services in a network. In one implementation, a network device may receive a request to register a client device for IMS services. The network device may determine a fully qualified domain name corresponding to one or more SIP servers that process SIP signaling packets for the client device and transmit a message initiating resolution of the fully qualified domain name into a plurality of IP addresses.
US08340665B2

In a fast active scanning wireless network apparatus and method for quick determination of available access points, information about a candidate set of available access points is obtained, and a candidate access point is identified from the candidate set. A mobile station then queries the candidate access point with a probe request that designates the candidate access point as a sole responder. The probe request prevents other access points from contending for the medium of communication between the mobile station and the designated sole responder access point by excluding the attempt by other access points to transmit probe responses. The apparatus and method thus increases the probability of a fast and successful probe request from the mobile station and subsequent response from the designated access point. The designated access point may also respond with a probe response of high priority, preventing intervention of communication.
US08340664B2

Techniques for performing cell reselection in a wireless communication system are described. A user equipment (UE) may initially camp on a first cell. While camped on the first cell, the UE may identify second and third cells deemed to be better than the first cell. The UE may move from the first cell to the second cell without performing cell reselection to camp on the second cell. After moving to the second cell, the UE may obtain at least one cell reselection parameter for the second and/or third cell and may update the rankings of the second and third cells based on the cell reselection parameter(s). The UE may then perform cell reselection from the first cell to the second or third cell based on the updated rankings, e.g., perform inter-frequency cell reselection from the first cell to the third cell without actually camping on the second cell.
US08340655B2

A communications device (1) communicates with an access point (7) to gateway (21) and local area network (13) by a wired or wireless communications link (9). These components may, for example, be accommodated on a train or serve some other predefined area. Gateway (21) receives data packets from device (1) representing information for transmission via that device's “home” communication system (15) to a destination device. The gateway (21) creates packet data protocol channels (27,29,31) with a plurality of communication systems (15,23) and (25) and sends the data packets received from the device (1) selectively over each of these communications channels (27,29,31). A link between a communications systems (23) and (25) allows the data packets to be forwarded to the communications system (15) where they are compiled by concentrator (49) for onward transmission. The communication systems (15,23,25) may be mobile or cellular communications systems.
US08340650B2

To provide a mobile phone device, and its channel search method and program capable of starting up a channel search without requiring a user to manipulate any channel search button, and of returning from out-of-service-range or waiting in the optimal channel. A mobile phone device includes an acceleration sensor that detects an amount of vibration exerted on the mobile phone device, and the control means compares an amount of vibration detected by the acceleration sensor with a predetermined first threshold, and when the amount of vibration is higher than or equal to the first threshold, starts electric field level measurement of a waiting channel or a call channel as a channel search.
US08340645B2

In accordance with one or more aspects, a notification of an incoming phone call is received from a phone system. An indication of the incoming phone call is presented to a user, and the user can control the incoming phone call in different manners. The user can request to delay routing the incoming phone call to voicemail, to route the incoming phone call to voicemail without further delay, and to stop ringing of one or more phone handsets of the phone system. One or more of these control requests can be input by the user via a mobile phone and/or a television system.
US08340641B2

A system, in which a server is connected to a group of voicemail servers, is provided. A first voicemail server provides voicemail services to landline telephone devices. A second voicemail server provides voicemail services to wireless telephone devices. The server receives information regarding a first voicemail intended for a user of a user device, receives information regarding a second voicemail intended for the user of the user device, aggregates the information regarding the first voicemail and the information regarding the second voicemail as aggregated information, and sends the aggregated information to the user device.
US08340633B1

In various embodiments, a method is described that includes receiving mobile device usage data directly from each of a plurality of mobile devices associated with a particular enterprise, aggregating the usage data from each of the plurality of mobile devices at a central database, and generating one or more mobile device usage reports based on the aggregated usage data.
US08340630B1

A method for use in providing emergency services to a locator device comprises remotely triggering the locator device. This causes the locator device to employ a first wireless transceiver to communicate with a control center and to employ a second wireless transceiver to initiate an emergency services call to a public services answering point (PSAP). Information relating to the locator device is provided from the control center to the PASP using a backchannel communications channel.
US08340626B2

A system and method are disclosed to support Voice Call Continuity (VCC) for emergency calls. The system includes a VCC Application in a visited internet-protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS) to facilitate domain transfers between the IMS subsystem and a circuit-switched (CS) subsystem. The system further includes an emergency call session control function (E-CSCF) subsystem in the visited IMS subsystem that is operatively coupled to the VCC Application to facilitate domain transfers between the IMS subsystem and the CS subsystem.
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